I love the idea of creating a handmade home. So when it was time to celebrate Martin’s birthday while we were in Germany, I knew I had to incorporate some sort of handmade decor into our celebration. I guess I feel like handmade is also heart-made, and you all know what a sucker I am for following your heart!
Last year, I made bunting from old newspapers and paint. (Here’s a recycled newspaper bunting tutorial.)
We went to the grocery store on Friday afternoon to buy eggs, perhaps a little chocolate bunny, and general groceries.
Good Friday: the grocery store was closed; everything in Germany was closed.
Saturday: just about everything was open again.
Easter Sunday: everything was closed. (Restaurants, flower shops, and a few tourist shops are the only businesses open on regular Sundays)
if you’re not a chocolates and flowers kind of couple just like us, it doesn’t mean Valentine’s Day has to be any less sweet. We’ve found that the secret to a successful Valentine’s Day isn’t in seeking traditional gifts like heart shaped boxes – especially when it comes to most guys. So if you’re looking for a way to share the love without commercial products or the standard DIY coupon book, here’s a list of ideas wI turn to year after year.
Well so that title’s not entirely accurate. There. I said it. We’ve taken down our Christmas tree, but we haven’t stopped making these cookies.
Hang with me for a second as I explain. Most cultures have traditional Christmas cookies, however when my mother-in-law translated this recipe with me, she was very clear in stating, “These are not Christmas cookies. Czech women begin making them at Christmas time. But then we keep going all winter long. That’s why these are Czech winter cookies.”
About this time each year, our family likes to sit down and write thank you letters. There’s so much to be thankful for, and we really like to reach out to friends and family. But you know us. Just like most holiday traditions, we’ve brought a green twist to our thank you card writing. Yep. We completely skip the pen and paper.
We send personal digital thank yous. And since a picture is worth a thousand words, we’ve taken to candid photos of ourselves actually using the gifts that person has given us.
Martin and I treasure a homemade life. You’ve probably guessed that from our kitchen remodel where we built our own cabinets or the recipes I share. Now that I’m off for the Christmas holiday (because – get this – average Germans enjoy twice as many national holidays and vacation days as average Americans)… well it seemed like a good time to start sewing our stockings.
I'm an American in Berlin, Germany. My apartment is 480 square feet; the kitchen's only 36. This blog chronicles the DIY approach my husband and I take in Making This Home.Read more.
