Pull out your kazoos because guess what!

Making This Home turned 2 earlier this month.  This blog and all of you have felt like a best friend, holding my hand through so many adventures toward simplicity and dare I say – survival! in a foreign world.  You were filled with urges of “It’s okay!” when I was petrified at my inability to communicate with the German dental hygienist.  You were laughing with me as my adorable Vietnamese classmate in German class struggled so much with my name that she finally settled on calling me… Kevin.

No matter where I am on this journey or with this blog, I just want to tell you thank you.

while hiking – and not showering – for days.  circa 2005

For having such a popular name like Katie, I’m not much good at being cookie cutter.  I’ve always been okay with that.  Mostly.  I was so afraid of just being the co-pilot in our family with my not-so-cookie-cutter spouse.  A year-and-a-half ago, I decided to change that quite literally and get a pilot’s license.  I think that’s when I stopped being co-pilot in general.

That’s why I didn’t announce a big celebration for Making This Home’s 2nd anniversary a few weeks ago.  A party just didn’t feel right this month because like a best friend, you all did something far greater with me shortly after that 1st anniversary.  You cheered me on with something else one year ago this week.  You whispered, “Do it, Katie” as I put myself out there.

One year ago this week, I sold my first journals online.  Gadanke was born.

a She 1.0 journal whose lips are sealed

The clarity I’ve experienced in the last year about (1) running a small business, (2) living simply, (3) learning a foreign language, and (4) finding joy in a journey where I know I am the pilot of my own destiny – all of these things have made the last year just right.

I want to become someone who can share these journeys – not just the ups and downs of my path, but the process we’re all on.  That’s one of the reasons I’ve started featuring handmade artists, small business owners, and dreamers.  I love applauding for them and hearing their stories.  I hope words from a different hand offer fresh wisdom.  I also want to keep offering the wisdom I’m discovering, and I promise to keep doing that.  We’ve made some fantastic moves toward simplicity that I’ll be sharing later this week.

my German class in April after 600 hours in our Berlin classroom.  cheers!

Lets celebrate, why don’t we?!

I have some great things to celebrate with you this week.  Some are victories related to our family goal; some are victories that are all about embracing joy and simplicity.  You know – the good stuff.

If you have any questions for me  or any questions about Gadanke or my own creative process, feel free to leave them in the comments.  I’ll be talking about those things later in the week and answering questions then.

Thank you for sharing this journey!  Here’s to another simple, perfect year!

I have been slowly writing in the pages of this {She} journal.  Most of my journals seem to tell stories where each page flows together with the next (like in my travel journal).

But this journal is a little different.  I’m capturing moments.  In their sum, these moments do tell the story of Martin and me in their own way.

The letter on the left is from my grandmother, age 93.  She writes about the things we are doing and the things she is doing with this humbling level of wisdom that only someone in her 90s could reveal.  It’s a part of our story.  I knew it needed to go in this book.

I hole punched the envelope and date stamped it with a little note.  I love using a date stamp with this journal!

The other page is a writing prompt that felt like such a perfect fit to a long autumn stroll we took on Tuesday evening.  Here’s a picture I’m going to print in 4×6 inches, hole punch, and add to this book.

I love the simple, poetic moments.

So many of you shared incredible thoughts on Monday’s post, Are We Simplifying Because We Don’t Have Anything Else to Do? I’ve loved your wisdom!  Hearing your ideas is one of my favorite parts of Making This Home!

It’s so true that we feel like we’re supposed to be busy, and often that busyness isn’t even with any of important things.

I hope you find time in your weekend for some not busy things.  Next week is very exciting at Making This Home, so I’ll see you Monday!

I’m feeling incredibly inspired today, and I think that after you meet Hayley, a beautiful expat and small business owner, you will be, too.  Hayley lives in Strasbourg, France.  It’s right along the border of France and Germany.  She runs a sweet little etsy shop called The Hope Tree filled with her vintage French finds, and she shares a lot of beautiful wisdom about celebrating the beauty of whatever you have.  She also has some vintage European treats to give away.

So everyone, here’s Hayley!

1. Tell us a little about yourself. I understand you’re an expat from South Africa.

Yes, I was born and grew up in lovely South Africa. It is truly a wonderful place to grow up in and a place where you experience so many different cultures.

I did travel quite a lot after school and also studied art in between. When I finally settled back home, along came a French man, we got married and he brought me back to Strasbourg, France. The greatest joy of my life now is that I have a 2 year old little boy. We have decided to stay in Strasbourg as schooling and life in general will be better for my son BUT my heart still belongs to South Africa.

2. What inspired you to start a French vintage shop?

Coming to France for me has been extremely challenging, not only did I really actually want to live in South Africa but I found adjusting to the strong French culture hard. That is where my little etsy shop came into being. I needed something to focus on, a hobby or a use of my time when the French culture got too much. Not only did I need a focus, I needed to bring in money! Etsy was my life saver, I started it without knowing how important it would become to me, like a child that you have to nurse and care for and give a lot of attention to. The etsy shop is also therapy to me when I spent time at markets looking for treasures.

3. Is your home filled with vintage and repurposed items like we see in your shop and why do you think using what’s already been made matters?

My home is very small so we just have the basics. I do however have some antique items that are very special. My father inlaw restores old cupboards and so I have three beautiful antique cupboards as well as some other restored furniture. There are some items in my shop that I ‘desire’ but my husband says I have to sell them!

You know, old items, vintage items are so precious. They tell a story, they have a history and are just so much more beautiful. In South Africa, we do not have a lot of antiques or precious items like they do in France so whenever I am out and about, I marvel at the beauty of old goods. I struggle to buy new items now that I have my etsy shop.

4. Can you offer any tips on getting away from the “must buy new” mentality?

I used to be a ‘must buy new’ girl but it has changed totally. Firstly, if you look at new things, there is so little character. Old items speak volumes and often are much better quality. Other than that, it is so much better for the environment to recycle and reuse items, even one vintage item being bought helps.
The best thing to do is to start searching for something old and only buy something you really love. Once you have that feeling for one object, believe me, you will soon be buying many more ‘old’ loved items.

5. What’s a favorite piece in your shop right now?

Oooh la la.. There is one item that has stolen my heart. It is a French vintage cast plaster frieze! It is just incredibly beautiful. This item really sums up my style and quite a bit of me too. I love it.

6. What advice can you offer to people living abroad?

Living abroad is quite a roller coaster ride! I lived in England before France and the adjustment was much easier but that said, where I live is so beautiful, I feel privileged to be here. I guess one has to have an open mind and just be prepared as much as one can be. Some days are hard but others bring a lot of joy and excitement.

7. And finally, what tip would you give to someone who might like to open a small business?

Yes, you can. I did quite a lot of research of etsy before starting my shop but still there are many surprises. I think research before starting is absolutely necessary .

Also, don’t get disappointed when things go wrong. I have a lot of challenges with the postal system but I will not give up. A small business can be challenging but very rewarding. I have discovered that I have a passion for old things and starting to love my new country, France.

Prize: an antique letter and three antique postcards valued at $25 from Hayley’s shop
Specs: The antique letter is dated 1859.  It’s written in German since many people coming from Strasbourg spoke French and German.  The three postcards are all about 100 years old.  One is of a cathedral, one is of an outdoor swimming pool in the mountains, and one is of snow-covered mountains.  
Entries: One entry per email address and per household please.  Leave a response in the comments section below with your answer:

If you were to write on a very old or very precious postcard (or put it in an envelope with a letter!), who would you write to?  What would you say?

Ships to: anywhere in the entire world!
Contest ends: Monday, October 18, 2010 at midnight in the Rocky Mountains.  Winner announced here on Tuesday.

One very cool thing about being an expat these days is blogging and meeting other expats.  I cannot imagine what living abroad was like 20 or 30 years ago – no way to crack the code for finding brown sugar in a new world or locating the best Mexican food in Berlin.  I know I certainly wouldn’t have be yacking on the phone so much with my family back home, if really at all.

The internet has made it possible not just for expats to connect within their  new communities, but anywhere in the new country!  My friend, Juliette, is the perfect example.

We’re both Americans who love to bike while wearing insanely bright red coats in Germany while everyone else wears black.  And we both especially love our German husbands.

We both happen to blog.  My blog, as you clearly know (!) is called Making This Home.  Her blog literally translates into Home.  I think the best experiences you can have abroad are when you chose to make the place your home and embrace it for what it is.  Juliette does a fabulous job of this!

She just interviewed me on a whole slew of topics – from living abroad and living in two countries at once without going crazy or completely broke, to my favorite anyone-can-do-it green tips.  Thanks Juliette!

I hope that if you all get the chance, you go swing by and check out the interview.

With the season of gratitude upon us, I have to extend a huge thank you to all of you fabulous readers for making Making This Home what it is.  So thanks!  Another huge chunk of gratitude goes out to this month’s sponsors.  I couldn’t do it without these lovely ladies.  Hope you love their beautiful creations and ideas.  Here we go!

(If you are interested in becoming a sponsor yourself, I’d love to welcome you.  Please visit this page for more information.)

The lovely Joye of Joyeful Art has some beautiful new work to share in addition to her fascinating paintings.  She writes, “I have opened a new Etsy shop (as of Friday!!), and I am offering fine silver pendants for sale showcasing my watercolors. This pendant is using my watercolor, “Blue and Orange” and is 1″x 1″ with a sweet flower etched in the back. The chain is 18″ long and made from sterling silver.”  Catch her on Twitter as well.

The Borrowed Abode is a blog offering rental-friendly decor and organization solutions to both renters and homeowners alike. Having rented more than 11 spaces in only 9 years, Jane’s had to make do with all sorts of quirky living spaces. Creating small-space storage solutions, decorating rented homes, turning trash to treasure, building furniture to fit odd spaces – these are just some of the projects that Jane tackles and shares on the blog. And she’s doing it all while trying to make the world a better place, through simplifying, upcycling, and shopping for fair trade goods. Jane shares her borrowed abode with her boyfriend Ryan, as well as two cats and two dogs.  You’ll love Jane’s blogging space and tweets.

E. Kelly O’Neal is the artist behind ekovisions photography (e.k.o. visions = ekovisions!  How cute is that?).  Kelly is in love with artsy abstract nature photos. Reminiscent of an impressionist painting, her photos capture the essence of a place but subdue the details. And there are no security guards ready to slap your wrist if you want to touch her impressionism work… not that I know anything about museum guards.  She adores the serenity and stillness they reflect, a nice contrast to the frenzy of life itself. Browse her still-growing etsy shop, follow her tweets, and enjoy autumn pieces from  her recent journey to New Hampshire.

The Hope Tree is a stunning little etsy shop selling vintage and antique items found in France. Its owner, Hayley, is a South African who married a French man and was whisked off to his hometown of Strasbourg, France.  Hayley loves the process of finding French treasures and sharing them with the world. Other than the etsy shop, she also makes art with South Africa in mind. And best of all, she says… she is a mom.  Here’s her blog, and here’s where she tweets.

A big thank you to all of these beautiful sponsors.  Like what you see?  I know I do!

Today’s the day for another installment of a sweet little anniversary gift I’m working on for my guy.  I’m using a {Love Letter} from Gadanke.  Once a month, I fill out a page and add a little photo from the month.  In one year, I’ll have a fantastic gift of story of our year and all the smoozy love that goes with it.

I picked this {Love Letter} with a blue and white diamond Italian paper cover:

I’ve been chomping at the bit to get into October just to write another page.  (Here’s what I did for the September love letter page – the first of many.)

How many times did my mom tell me, “Katie, you know that patience is a virtue.”

I need to wait a few weeks to tell an October story, so I am here instead to show you the journal cover.  Every book needs a personal cover, and over the year, I am sure that this one will develop into something very different than it is today.  For now, I really like how it looks (i.e.  masculine).

The cover is very simple.  The “5″ represents our 5th year because unbelievably, this book will be documenting our FIFTH year of marriage.  I imagine that down the road, there will be a “6″ book and “7″ and…  I already can’t wait to flip through the pages of those!  (enter the patience is a virtue nudge again.)

I used a ruler and pencil to draw a square on the top of the journal.  Then I freehanded the number 5 in a thick font.  Just to make sure the paint didn’t bleed through the paper (it didn’t!), I slipped a scrap paper under the cover.  Then it was just a matter of filling in the blanks with paint.

I just used regular old acrylic paint that you can buy in craft stores.  (In Germany, I go to Idee.  A bottle is 3 euros.)  You may need a few coats in some spots.

The next morning, I used a thin permanent marker to jot down our names with a little heart.  Awwww.

Whaala!  A little personalized flair.

Now it’s your turn.  No paint needed.  I’d love to know how long you’ve been with your sweet.  And yes, I am totally all for that sweet being a 4-legged friend.  Share your love.