All I want for Christmas is you

It is now only 9 days until Christmas!! And there is still so much to do... I have had no time to do any Christmas Markets, I still need to write my cards, and I haven't bought any gifts for my family & friends yet!

Cute Cottage Overlaod
The one good thing is that I can already listening to Christmas songs....Like my every year favourite Last Christmas and All I want for Christmas is you. And of course Christmas Pop Up tearoom starts today.

Cute Cottage Overlaod
XMas Gift
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Snow in our garden

Last weekend the winter was just perfect, with sun and snow. We are very happy with the fragment of the wall, gate and fence that our gardener put there just a couple of weeks ago. It looks like it has been there forever. Although the path is really leading nowhere, and the gate is only decoration, we keep telling ourselves that Santa will use it in two weeks time to bring our gifts.

Snow in the Garden
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Christmas Afternoon Tea at our House

The perfect Sunday afternoon: Snow, only 15 days until Christmas and we have some friends with us enjoying afternoon tea at our house.

PopUp tearoom
PopUp tearoom
PopUp tearoom
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Miniature Couple in a Jar

My husband's saturday project is to take pictures of our Christmas decoration in the house. This is one of the 200 pics that he already took. A miniature couple drinking hot wine in a jar. I love it.

Hot wine in a Jar
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Outside Christmas Decoration

This year we took an empty suitcase to a vacation in Florida and came back with lot's of Christmas stuff including large red ribbons. As any outside Christmas decoration looks way better with real snow (sorry Florida), we put it at the entrance of our house and only had to wait a couple of days until the snow did the rest.

Outside Christmas Decoration
Outside Christmas Decoration
When my husband said that we do not have enough room to put another decorated fireplace inside, I just gave it some knitted warmers and put it at the front porch outside.

Outside Christmas Decoration
On the other side of the porch I put one of my favorite bambis wearing some knitwear in order to keep it warm as well.

Outside Christmas Decoration
Outside Christmas Decoration
Outside Christmas Decoration
Outside Christmas Decoration
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Spotted: Elf Shoes

While we were on vacation last week, wonderful elves started working on the Christmas decoration at our house. However, they seem to have been so busy that the head elf totally forgot to take the new special elf shoes that I made for them to say 'Thank You'.

Hand Made Elf Shoes
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Sweets for Kids on St. Martin

In our area in Germany we have this tradition where kids make their own laterns and knock at doors of houses. When you open up the door, they sing songs that go back to a story of St. Martin, a guy who helped the poor by sharing his clothes. Well, today the kids do not want clothes they are in for a sweet treat.

Kids singing for sweets at our house on "St Martin"
This year, I wanted to make sure that, our house is being recognized as a special location for St. Martin singers, so I prepared recipies that kids love. I had "Caramel Shortbread", big chunks of "Rocky Road" (Marshmallows, nuts and cookies covered in melted chocolate) and "Mars Bar Rice Crispies".

Rocky Road
As you can imagine, these things "worked" pretty good on the kids so that I already have to think of sweets for next year. The expectations are high.

Caramel Bars
Kids singing for sweets at our house on "St Martin"

 


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Christmas Event at Danroeschen

Yesterday was the start into the Xmas season and I decorated my new wooden etagere for the first time. I was so proud to show this Winter-Wood-Forest-Leaves-Deco, that I was in a incredible good and happy mood the days before already!

Danroeschen Christmas Event
Everybody did ask: "Oh my god, are you not being stressed out completely with all this baking and stuff?". Well, no, I wanted to present all the new stuff and recipes, and I did!

Danroeschen Christmas Event
Tell me, How did you like the chocolate&pear cake? Didn't you think that the new chocolate frosting was great? And did you try the cheesecake with cranberry filling? And how about the shortbread with homemade mincemeat?

Danroeschen Christmas Event
Danroeschen Weihnachtsevent
Aaaahhhhh.... it was crazy fantastic, and the only reason that you probably were not there is, that Langenfeld in Germany is too far away for you. There is no other excuse if you missed that event!

Danroeschen Weihnachtsevent
The complete crew was beaten yesterday at 4 pm, but also glad, that everything went so well! After 4 years since we started this Xmas event at Danroeschen, we think that we are still making it new an special every year! Thanks to all friends and customers for this event yesterday! Some of you I am going to see already next month in the Pop Up Tearoom, to all the others: see you next year!

Danroeschen Christmas Event
Danroeschen Christmas Event
Danroeschen Christmas Event
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Masking Tape Christmas Stock-Up

My friend Julia and I were in London a couple of days in order to prepare ourselves for the upcoming Christmas season where even the smallest things need to be wrapped up in style. Reason enough to stock-up my masking tape collection and adding lot´s of Christmas themed tapes.

Masking Tape Cupboard
Masking Tape Cupboard
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Upgrade the traditional apple!

With a caramel-cover and some almonds around, this sunday is going to be great! Even if the temperature is now really getting cold in Germany (we had -3C degrees in the morning), the sun is shining, the leafs are falling down, it is pretty nice outside.

Caramel Apple
For the first time this fall, I wore a wollen hat and my winterjacket when we went out for a walk this morning.

Caramel Apple
If you want to make the apples yourself, just heat up some caramels (like f.e. Werther's Echte) in the microwave. Dip the apple in and immediately after coating each apple, dip them into the nuts of your choice. For a prettier presentation I used tree cuttings as sticks, they are even too nice to eat...(well, don't believe that, haha...)

Fall in Our Garden
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You just need a Mug Cozy

I have to say, knitted mug cozies seem to be everywhere and you just gotta love them. I even do not care if they are spelled mug cozy or mug cosy. This fall and winter I don`t drink coffee from a 'naked' cup. Well, making them is another story. You need to know some serious knitting in order for them to look nice.

Mug Cosy
Luckily I have friends, and Marius was able to do those beautiful crochet roses that I simple had to attach to my basic cozies. Thank You Marius, these are my favorites.

Mug Cosy
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Press feature in German Laviva Magazine

In it´s November issue Laviva Magazine from Germany features our house as part of their 'My Home' section. Whilst my name, Andrea Stolzenberger, is spelled correctly in the article, they got the name of my husband pretty wrong. He is a little bit grumpy about it, but still loves the photos. Laviva magazine is available in Germany at REWE, Penny, Pro Markt, Toom and larger kiosks. Here´s a sneak peek.

German Laviva Magazine Article

German Laviva Magazine Article

German Laviva Magazine Article
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Christmas Shoot for Dani's Shop

Today we were shooting the invitation cards for my friend Dani´s Christmas event at her store. I really prayed to the weather-god, that it will not going to rain. I checked the weather forecast every hour yesterday. At the end, everything turned out fine, but in the morning it didn't look too good for us. Michael our lovely neighbor lent us his old Ford pick-up for today and after heavy rain at 10 a.m. we had to dry the complete car with our towels from the bathroom. puh!! But after that, everything was going smooth. During our short break with some banana bread and latte, we even took a picture from both of us, just for fun. and it turned out so nice!

Danroeschen XMas Shoot
Thank you Dani, for another round of christmas photoshooting for your shop! We counted how many Christmas cards photoshootings we did together: this is our fourth! and hopefully not the last! For those who are around in Germany NRW: Dani's Christmas Event at her Danroeschen store will be Saturday November 10th !

Danroeschen XMas Shoot
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Pumpkin Carving

Normally I am really not into traditions, but every year when it comes to autumn season, and I see all the pumkins on the fields, I need to do three things: The pumpkin pie, of course! it is already eaten, slurp! The pumpkin soup, I like it with some cranberries on the side, yummy! and: carving the pumpkin!

Halloween Pumpkin Decoration
This year's idea was to create a scenery in the woods with some squirrels and a bambi. Some moss, mushrooms and rosehip. In the end, I was impressed how nice it turned out! too bad, that it is not gonna last for weeks until Halloween.
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This Week's Animal Report

You must know, we love cats! But: we don't have our own. We say, they have to choose you. But it is allowed to 'help along' a little so we try to attract the neighbourhood cats with some goodies. This does work with the one we call the "Red Cat", but only up to a certain point. We are not allowed to pet her and she never comes into our home to sit down. This week we had a striking success. She came in and joined a couple of animal friends. Here's the proof:

Nameless Red Cat with other Animal Friends
The next day around 8.00am in the morning, I was looking sleepy out of the kitchen door. expecting to see, maybe, the "Red Cat" ...but there it was: the friendly Bambi from the forest! Our garden plants seem to be tasty. I was standing there quite long, expecting it to move quick and leave. But no, it took it´s time and finished eating slowly.

Bambi in the Garden
And we wanna attract the birds as well. I found this cute feeding ground in a garden centre in the Netherlands ...well, the sign is definetely wrong. We have open for birds 24/7 of course....

Cute Bird Feeding "Station"
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