I like to say....

a

HUGE

THANK YOU 

to you all 

for keeping me company on here! 

I know that time is so precious 

& I really do appreciate you taking

 some of that precious time 

to share in my little adventures.

Many many thanks for all your lovely comments, 

I still skip with excitement finding one in my inbox and

absolutely LOVE reading them.

 For 

2016

  I like to wish you a

Golden Year

 

filled with
much

LOVE

SMILES

  HAPPINESS  
 SPARKLES 

SUCCESS

CREATIVITY

&

GREAT HEALTH

See you here in 2016!

 

XXXX

Berlin Is....

getting ready for the biggest party of the year!

XXXX

Happy Holidays....

Well....

here we are, Christmas Eves evening has arrived. 

And as always on this day 

my head has been spinning with  

 a million & one things I still had to do. 
  I knew I need to get some "me" time today, 

so I started the day extra early,

just enjoy a bit of calm before the storm. 

I soOo LOVE early mornings in December,
when all is quiet and the darkness is only broken
by the magical sparkle of fairy lights & glitter.

 The only one keeping me company at this early hour

was the jolliest Mr Claus ever.

Seriously.... who wants breakfast at Tiffany's 

when you can have breakfast with Santa.

 Now as the day is drawing to a close
with the prepping rush mostly behind me....

I thought I share with you
a little heart warming miracle from my home.   

Last Sunday the Paperdolls build a Gingerbread house.

I have to confess we used a shop bought kit,
but when you haven't got enough time as it is
for all the things you like to do in this season,
 then you have to set priorities.
And for the Paperdolls
building & decorating a Gingerbread house
was the priority, not baking it!

Watching the Paperdolls work together with no fuss,
was like watching a little miracle!
So heart warming to see....
It doesn't happen very often
that they can work together without bickering
and the Paperdolls seldom
 managing to agree on anythings.
Not just did they work beautifully together 

they also managed to agree on everything.

They where just having great fun together.
Helping one anther and
giggling together
even as the icing came out the wrong end,
going everywhere.

Watching there happiness
and sense of accomplishment

as the house was finally standing,
was magical for me.

The Paperdolls are of the opinion
no Gingerbread house is a
REAL Gingerbread house without
SWEETS.
LOTS & LOTS of sweets.

 

Just as may sweets must have ended up in there tummy's
as did on the house.
I was informed though building work was hard work
after-all and they had to keep up there strength.

A few missing sweets was a little price to pay 

for the joy they gave me watching them

enjoying themselves & each-other so much. 

Miracles do happen!!!

 

From my home to yours

  ....wherever you are in the world....  

Happy Holidays

 

may your days be 

MERRY & BRIGHT

wish you  

love....joy....&....peace!

xxxx

Christmas in Berlin....

Christmas is fast approaching.... 

you just cant miss it here in Berlin.

The City is filled with the smell of the season from 

all the Christmas Markets.

Twinkling lights sparkling wherever

and there are pretty reminders of the 

most wonderful time of the year.

Some bigger....

others smaller....

I loved this sweet little display 

outside a equally cute little shop 

in the Holländisches Viertel (Dutch quarters) 

in Potsdam.

 I have noticed a real shift in Berlin & Potsdam 

away from bright multi coloured lights

 to much more traditional lighting

"back to the roots" so to speak.

And as I have never been a fan of the big flashing lights,

 I'm thrilled to see 

the return to a more traditional German Christmas lighting!!! 

  

Without all these decorations though

you could be forgiven for claiming blissful

ignorance to the fact that Christmas is only hours away,

as the weather is anything but traditional.

 Frosty the Snowman....

has to be in chocolate this year, 

as snow is nowhere in sight.

  The weather really not even giving a tiny hint of this season. 

So unseasonable mild.... 

we can only enjoy frost crystals in glass for now.

Have a lovely day

XXXX

Indulging....

December seams to move at lighting speed,
so many things to do....  places to go....
yet oh soOoOo little time left before the big day.
In times like these I can sometimes find myself
struggling to decide what needs my attention most urgently,
 I feel pulled in all directions.
There never is enough time
 for many the beautiful treats this season has to offer....
  really indulge & cherish the whole gift wrapping fun for one.
I sooooo LOVE wrapping presents.
Yet I feel a little guilty at this time of year spending time faffing
when there is so much else needing my attention
and so I have found myself many are past Christmas Eves
wrapping gift late into the night making it less that fun,

more a chore I have come to dread if I'm totally honest.  

Same procedure as last year Mrs Anna....

same procedure as ever year!!! 

 No not this year,
I am happy to say yesterday afternoon I left 
 the guilt behind and indulged....
with candles flickering,  my favorite mix of 

 of vintage & 80's Christmas songs playing and
under the jolly gaze of Mr.Claus
I started wrapping and embellishing my first few pressies.

For me half the present has always been it's wrapping.

I adore beautiful gift wrapping, 

it just make the excitement for the gift inside 

that little more special.

And when I wrap a gift for family & friends 

 I always try to keep the recipient in mind 

choosing a style of wrapping I know they love.

My all-time favorite wrapping papers has to be

plain old brown parcel paper.

I LoVe it's simplicity.... 

When it comes to ribbons on the other hand
luxury all the way is my motto....
I indulge my LoVe for patterns, textures & sparkle   

....together in my book they make the perfect wrapping.   

 I like to add 

a little personal touches....

Baby Paperdoll has been busy cutting
amazingly detailed paper-snowflakes over the past few days.
I LOVE LoVe LOVE them....
they make a beautiful window decoration not just for Christmas
 especially when snow is longed-for but non is in sight.
I couldn't resist though using a few of them for my wrapping.

 

I know the people who will receive them 

will love & cherish them just as much as I do.

 

A few hearts left over

 from my crochet Valentines garland 

have been waiting for the perfect use....

   

A personalized note card

plus a sweet little tags with the receptions initial
finishes the gift parcel off perfectly.

I had a wonderful afternoon....

 Truth be told I LOVED every minute of 

faffing around trying this & that.
Now I better HOP TO IT....
 there still a few urgent thing on my TO DO list....
before the big day.


Have a wonderful week!

XXXX