Buttons before Christmas

We are all so busy these last before Christmas, aren't we?

So I'll give you just a little glimpse 

into my this year's meagre Christmas production:

These buttons will be sewn on

and then I will have at least one handmade Christmas present.

Better than nothing.

Falling Leaves

The wine leaves turning red are my favourite plants in our garden in autumn. 

There is so much beauty and radience in those colours 

and they captivate me every time I pass by 

(and go to the compost). 

All through September and October I watch this spectacle, 

which is now nearly over.

My latest play with surface pattern design

(I am just taking this incredibly fabulous

e-course Pattern Camp with Jessica Swift at the moment)

made those wine leaves come back to life on the computer screen:

So this is my first-ever pattern design
(it is a straight tossed repeat to use the designer lingo) 

and I couldn't be more proud.
There is still a lot to learn,
but combining drawing, painting and new computer skills couldn't be more fun.

Thank you leaves for your inspiration.

Hello October!

It is the first of October today.

What sounds more like autumn than October?

"Is this a heart"? I asked Clara.

"Of course, not! 

Have you ever seen a heart with three tips?

It is a leaf."

Golden October here we come.

Signs of September

One beautiful sunflower opened this week in our garden -

even though summer and sun are coming to their warm ends,

bringing in the harvest.

Tomatoes - the typical September fruit,

that is the only thing that really worked this year in Hubby's garden.

Free for all - porcini mushrooms,

I found near a school playground,

that made a nice grounding meal:

And grounding is what I need right now.

Hello Again!

Psst, we are back from Thailand,

slowly adjusting from tropical to fall weather.

 For some first impressions,

head over to sleepy Carolina's blog.

More to come over the next days.

Beginning of the Blues

No, I am not sad. Quite the opposite. I am actually very happy, because the blueberry self-picking season has started this week. We have discovered a blueberry farm last year and this year the blueberries have grown even bigger there (as have the girls).

 Hello fresh blueberries galore, smoothies and muffins!

Hello July!

I totally forgot to flip Clara's Calendar on Tuesday.

So I do it today.

Yes, it is July, summer that is.

Maybe because the weather recently didn't feel very summery,

July nearly came unnoticed.

But it is warming up now.

Still no beach and sunbeds in sight for us in July

(school holidays only start at the end of the month)

but sunshine galore, I hope.

Summer Time Out

... just my favourite time of year.

Yoga Time Out

My wish and my main birthday present was a day at the German Kundalini Yoga Festival. A full day just for myself, Kundalini Yoga and yoga community. I am so lucky that the festival happens just outside of Oldenburg, a mere 12 kilometers away. So on Saturday morning, at about 7.30 am I hopped on my bike and set out for a beautiful day.

a beautiful ride along the canal

I was in a great mood.

But I underestimated the power of nature

and soon my hayfever got the best of me.

I slowly recovered at the festival site.

an old converted farm

Then I could really enjoy the yoga, lectures, sunshine, company and food.

And I also had some time to knit,

very appropriately-coloured.

Just a perfect yoga day.

I came back home replenished.

Hello June!

June kicked off yesterday with a bang:

Oh yes, my 37th birthday.

And it will also be Clara's Papa's (aka Hubby) birthday soon.
Time to party
and enjoy the start of summer.

Carolina's Garden Bath

... soaking up every bit of pre-summer.

Oh May!

With all the colourful blooming outside

it's hard to be not inspired.

... and dream a bit of travelling:

Pink Moments of the Week

soo much flowery goodness!

the first rose in our garden

rhododendron abound

some purples

lilac in our garden

making flower essences 

from lilac and rhododendron

clematis

and other little pink flowers

chestnut candles:

a Maypole:

... and a little discovery inside a tree hole: