Guten Rutsch & talk more soon!

Hallo meine Lieben,

just wanted to wish you all a wonderful New Year's Eve! I hope your 2014 will be full of happiness and adventures. And that all your dreams will come true. 
I am sorry that I did not find much time for blogging recently but you will read more from me soon. I am thinking of all of you guys!

source

In German you say "Guten Rutsch" when you want to wish somebody a good start into the new year by the way. 

The last couple of days has been full of adventures. David and I went to Paris, some stupid lady crashed into my rental car, I got really mad at all Parisian drivers, I discovered that Parisian police does not care about accidents, I tried my best to remember my French, we visited lots of interesting places, we ate a lot, we bought lots of tea....and we will spend the New Year's Eve with my friends and some good old Raclette.

I hope you are having a wonderful time!

Have a fantastic 2014 and talk more soon!

Thanks for a wonderful year of blogging! Can't wait for more!

Random Thursday. Anti-Resolutions - what I won't be doing next year.

Hallo meine Lieben,

I hope you are all having a wonderful time! 2013 is almost over but I hope that the last days of the year are fantastic for you and that all your dreams will come true in 2014. But let's talk about some anti-resolutions. The things we don't want to do in 2014.

Start eating meat.

source

I don't know what my life will bring but I know for sure that I will never ever eat meat again. Becoming vegan was one of the best decisions I have ever made. 

Swim in the ocean.

I am way too scared of deep water so I know that I don't want to go swimming in a deep ocean. No thank you. I went rafting once and it scared me so much and I think I have enough of deep water for the next couple of years. 

Become a fan of onions.

That stuff is evil. I am willing to try all kinds of food (as long as it is vegan) but I think I will never become a friend of onions. I know that David loves them and I feel sorry for him but I tried but I just can't enjoy them. 

Stop buying books.

That will never happen. As I said, I don't know what life will bring but my love for books will never stop! Reading is one of my favorite things to do, it helps me relax and makes me happy so why would I ever stop. 

Wear white boots.

They just look trashy. Can't help myself. I could not even find a picture of white boots on Pinterest so I guess that says everything. I love shoes but please no white heels. 


What are your anti-resolutions? I hope your 2014 will be fantastic!
Thanks for reading!

Ten On Tuesday. A German Christmas, grumpy leggings and gift wrapping skills.

Hallo meine Lieben,

happy Holidays! You can link up with Alyssa here.

1. I know not all of you celebrate Christmas but I do hope that you are all having a wonderful time! I am so happy that I can spend the holidays with David and I hope that all your dreams will come true. 

2. We will have Raclette for Christmas Eve dinner because it is delicious and it is the easiest meal to make when you have three people who eat completely different things. For dessert there will be vegan Apfelstrudel with vanilla ice. 

3. I am sure it is weird for David to get his presents on the 24th and not on the 25th. But that is how it works in Germany. 

source

4. I am so lucky to have such wonderful friends. In the blogging world and in real life! I love you guys! Thanks for being so fantastic. 

5. Grumpy Cat does not approve of Christmas. 

source

6.  I need those by the way. I guess it is too late to get them from the Christkind.

source

7. I hope you can understand that I won't have much time for blogging as long as David is here. We want to visit some places and meet with friends and family so I won't blog or comment as usual. But I haven't forgotten about you and I will catch up later. I also prepared my Random Thursday post so there is at least a bit to read from me.

8. I finally watched "Love Actually" on Sunday. It is my "every Christmas must-watch movie". 

source

9. I am not a very talented gift wrapper. At least not when the gift has an unusual shape. Books are fine. 

10. Books always make fantastic Christmas presents.

source

Happy holidays and thanks for a fantastic year of blogging! You all mean a lot to me!

Five Things. A vegan serial killer joke, book love and coziness.

Hallo meine Lieben,

I hope you are enjoying your weekend and you don't need to go to the stores to get some Christmas presents anymore. It is crazy out there. 
Go and check out my friend Celeste's Five Things as well. She is wonderful!

1. This book.

source

A new crime series I discovered. And it is not Scandinavian! The main guy is a German cop who lives in Berlin. I don't think that I have read many German crime novels so this is new to me. Hope it will be fantastic. It definitely sounds like it. I will also finally check out the Camilla Läckberg crime novels. 

2. This series. 

source

You must love Hagrid. I am currently obsessed with the audio books and listen to them as much as I can. It is also time for a Harry Potter movie marathon again. Need to do that on a regular basis and I don't think that I will ever get sick of them.

3. Something to laugh.

source

One of my favorite movies. I mean, come on, serial killers! My Mom introduced me to this movie so every time I watch it, it reminds me of her. She loved crime as much as I do. I got my love for Scandinavian crime novels from her. 

4. This DIY.

source

This is on my to-do-list for spring. Such a pretty idea. I don't think I will use it for flowers...I am sure I can find some other use for it. But it is a good inspiration. I definitely want to do some more crafty things in 2014. I did not find enough time for it in 2013.

5. This living room. 

source

Oh yes, I could get used to this. I love huge sofas, I would just need more space for my books. But that place does look comfy. I would love to re-decorate. I have so many ideas, I just need to start somewhere. I am sure David would love this sofa too. There is nothing better than spending an evening on the couch with your loved ones (including furry ones), a cup of tea and a good book/show/movie. 

Happy weekend everybody!

Random Thursday. What the Holidays mean to me.

Hallo meine Lieben,

welcome to another Random Thursday and thanks for reading. I hope you are all having a wonderful time and are getting ready for Christmas. Do you have all your presents?

First of all, I have to say that Christmas kind of lost its magic after my Mom died. I don't know, I just did not want to celebrate anymore. I did not care for decoration, a Christmas tree or anything else. Sure, I spent Christmas Eve with my Dad and we gave each other presents and cooked something together but that was pretty much it. We just did not want to celebrate without my Mom because it wasn't the same without her. 

But David changed the way I see Christmas...I loved to celebrate my first Christmas with him and his family. I am still not a Christmas freak and I still miss my Mom like crazy but I do get a little bit of a Christmas mood once in a while and I am so happy that I can celebrate Christmas with David and my Dad this year.

There are things that just make the Holiday season special.

Christmas cookies for example. I love to bake Christmas cookies. And to eat them of course. I did not really find the time to make as many as I planned this year but I will try to make my Mom's favorite Christmas cookies on Friday. Finally. I have been planning to bake them for weeks. But Christmas cookies are a very important part. You just have to eat some during the Holidays. 

I also love to remember my Mom during the Holidays. I always remember her but holidays are extra special. When I was a kid my Mom and I always decorated the Christmas tree together on Christmas Eve. After that we started preparing dinner, Fondue at first but when I stopped eating meat we switched to Raclette as a Christmas dinner. Which we will have this year too. Thank god for vegan cheese. 

And I am a huge fan of Christmas candles. I love candles all year round but I do have a little weakness for the Christmas themed ones. I recently bought some which smell like Christmas cookies, vanilla chai, salted caramel and marshmallows. Heavenly!

Christmas movies also play an important role. I watch The Holiday and Love Actually and Dirty Dancing -which is a Christmas movie for me, I don't know why but it makes me feel christmassy-  every year. I will also try to watch some other Christmas movies this year.

The Holidays also give me time to start reading the books I usually get as Christmas gifts. Reading is definitely the best thing to do over the holidays because of the cozy atmosphere. 

And of course: I love to surprise my loved ones with some gifts and extra attention. And we should not forget the ones who need our help. There is so much we can do....

What do the holidays mean to you?

Ten On Tuesday. Cookie monster, slow mail and book love.

Hallo meine Lieben,

happy Tuesday! You can link up with Alyssa here.

1. A mouse decorating a Christmas tree. Cuteness overload.







2. I am impatiently waiting for some packages to arrive. The mail can be veeery slow sometimes. 

3. I am also hoping that some stuff I sent will arrive soon! Come on, mail! Hurry up! I am always worried that my mail could get lost. 

4. I am looking forward to a wonderful Christmas with my love! So excited to be able to spend some time with David in Europe!

source

5. I haven't watched any Christmas movies yet but I am planning to watch The Holiday and Love Actually and Dirty Dancing soon. Like every holidays. I don't know why I like to watch Dirty Dancing at Christmas time because that movie clearly has nothing to do with Christmas but it does feel christmassy to me. 

6. My latest food addiction is: brussel sprouts. I have no idea why I am craving this recently but I feel like eating it all day. Maybe except at breakfast time. Then I want to eat vanilla pudding.

7. I am a cookie monster too.

source

8. I need to make something like this for the cats. What a fantastic idea.

source

9. There will be a new Indriðason crime novel in January! I am so excited, I can't even tell you. There are so many books on my reading list and all of them make me happy when I even think about them. Having books you can't wait to read is such a fantastic feeling. 

source

10. I am thinking about doing a book challenge in 2014. I am just not sure how many books I will be able to read. If i would have nothing else to do then I would try to read one book a day but I guess that is not very realistic. 

Have a fantastic Tuesday! Only one more week until Christmas!

Thanks for reading!

Five Things. A bunny, a travel show and a vegan milk shake.

Hallo meine Lieben,

I hope you are all having a fantastic weekend! Please check out my friend Celeste's Five Things as well. I am really sorry for my lack of posting and commenting recently. I am trying to catch up but things are a bit busy and I barely find the time for blogging right now. But things will get better, I promise!

1. This bunny.

source

No words. It is just so adorable that I had to share this print. I love bunnies. 

2. This quote.

source

Agreed. We have to speak out for those who don't have a voice. 

3. This deliciousness. 

source

I can't help myself and my sweet tooth right now. I am pretty sure I am gaining some weight but I am craving anything sweet. And this vegan smores milk shake looks worth gaining some weight. 

4. This show. 

source

There is a new season of "Extreme Frontiers" and this time they travel through the United States. I love all kinds of travel shows but I have to say that Charley Boorman is by far my favorite traveler ever. David and I have watched all his other travel shows (some of them together with Ewan McGregor) and we can't wait to watch this one too. 

5. This necklace.

source

It is from an Etsy shop called crobinsondesign. I love to hug trees so I guess this would be the perfect necklace for me. The shop offers lots of other cute jewelry, I especially love the animal shaped ones. 

Hope you are having a fantastic Sunday and your week will be wonderful! Thanks for reading!

Random Thursday. Walk into my house & you'll see...

Hallo meine Lieben,

welcome to another Random Thursday and thanks for joining! I hope you are all having a fantastic week!

Maybe I should give you a home tour at some point. I love reading posts like that. I don't know what that says about me. But for now, I can't wait to hear about your homes? How does it look like? Do you like to decorate? What colors do you prefer? What kind of furniture? I am curious!

So here is what you see in my house....

Cats and bunnies.

Let's face it: the animals rule. They get most of the attention and the first thing I do in the morning is to take care of the pets. They are totally spoiled and they make me endlessly happy!

Books.

Of course, hundreds of books. I need to get another book shelf, I am running out of space. I really need a library. I don't even have enough space for all my books, some are stored in boxes in the basement which totally drives me crazy. The poor books. 

There are also lots of magazines all around the house. Anything you can read sounds good to me. 

source

A collection of shoes, clothes and make up products. 

I admit that I probably have too many shoes and clothes and beauty items - at least more than I need to survive. I have gotten a lot better, but sometimes you just need to treat yourself with a little something that makes you happy. 

And yes, sometimes there are clothes all over the place. Especially when I am in a hurry in the morning and have no idea what to wear. 

Stuff that keeps you warm. 

I own many warm blankets (David even bought me a heated blanket), socks, fuzzy slippers, gloves, scarves,  hot water bottles, warm sweaters and so on. I need to fight the cold because it seems like I can never stay warm. Even when other people think it is way too hot. I am always freezing cold. Always. 

source

Food. 

I do get a little cranky when I am hungry and don't have anything I like. That is why I always try to be prepared and have some snacks I like, tea, chocolate. The basics which I try to have in the fridge/kitchen are: fresh fruits and veggies, vegan cheese, plant based milk, chocolate, bread, different kinds of tea...

A special chair.

My Mom built a chair for me when I was a kid. The chair is pink and looks like a pig. I can't even tell you how much this chair means to me. It will always follow me, no matter where I live. I love it. 

Okay, and now I am curious: what will I find in your house?

Happy Thursday!

Ten On Tuesday. Christmas cats, mean words and German stereotypes.

Hallo meine Lieben,

I hope you are all having a fantastic week! You can link up with Alyssa here.
I am sorry for the lack of posts and commenting recently. I just don't find as much time as I want to for blogging right now. I hope this will change soon and you'll stick around. 

1. I really need to get an appointment with my hair stylist. As soon as possible. I don't even want to look into the mirror anymore. My hair is too long and is in desperate need of a cut. What I have now is not really a cut anymore. It's time.

2. Last Friday I was able to meet the babies of two of my friends. Jasper and Klara. Jasper is 5 weeks old and Klara was born in July. Both really cute and one of them really loud. 

3. My newest addiction: Christmas Cats TV. A Grandma, an elf and adorable cats to adopt. Which makes me want to adopt all of them. I wish I could. You can adopt the cats from North Shore Animal League, a no-kill animal rescue.

4. I don't like Beyonce. She pretends to be on a vegan diet, wears shoes made of  anaconda, crocodile and stingray and is a huge fan or fur coats. Do I have to add anything else? I don't think so. 

source

5. I ate 21 clementines and a bag of gummi bears in the last 36 hours. 

6. Two things I want to learn in 2014: crocheting and sewing. 

source

7. "Crocheting" is a mean word. Also "vehicle". Never know how to say that one. But I guess some German words can be mean too. Like "Rindfleischetikettierungsüberwachungsaufgabenübertragungsgesetz". Which is a word but nobody uses it. Thank god. 

source

8. I am not sure if David would appreciate this as a Christmas gift. 

source

9. German stereotypes are fun. I am sure I sound angry and terrifying all the time. Even when I drink my beer and eat my Sauerkraut while taking the Deutsche Bahn to be right on time and wearing a Dirndl. 

source

10. After a 2 week break I finally watched an episode of Criminal Minds again. I tried to catch up with all the other shows I watch but I need at least 3 episodes of Criminal Minds a week. Life without it just isn't possible.

Have a happy Tuesday and a fantastic week!

A request from a fox and a hound.

Hallo meine Lieben,

I hope you are all enjoying a wonderful and relaxed Sunday.
I found this today and have to share it with you. I think the picture is adorable and the message very important. I can never get enough of unusual animal friendships. 

"This Fox And Hound Are Here To Ask You Not To Wear Fur."

You can find the whole article here.

"Tinni the dog and Sniffer the fox became quick friends, prompting the pooch's owner Torgeir Berge to start a campaign against the highly controversial fur trade after he noticed "how similar foxes and dogs actually are," calling the fox the "dog of the forest." Berge and his friend Berit Helberg plan to release a book sometime next year chronicling the duo, because "no animals should be living like the animals in the fur industry are living."

Berge and Helberg said they plan to donate a portion of the proceeds to help save the Sniffers of the world, and we can totally see why."

Yay for this idea. I have seen too many horrible women wearing fur in the last couple of days. I really don't know what is wrong with the world. 

People like Beyonce are not really great role models. Very smart decision to wear fur after declaring that you are on a vegan diet. But I guess everybody can see that this woman does not eat vegan because she cares for animals. She only cares about herself and some publicity. 

Have a good Sunday!

Five Things. Books, unusual animal friends and cat skirts.

Hallo meine Lieben,

happy weekend! I hope you are all having a fantastic time! I am planning to bake some more Christmas cookies on Sunday.
Please check out my friend Celeste's Five Things as well.

1. This book.

source

I got the book from my Dad as a Nikolaus gift. Together with some vegan gummi bears, chocolate and marzipan. I guess my Dad knows me very well. Can't wait to start reading the book. More Swedish crime is always good. 

2. These animals. 

source

A cat raised by ferrets. Sounds unusual but works. Such an adorable team. Animals show us again that it does not matter who you are, where you come from, what you look like. We are all equal. You can read more about it here.

3.  This skirt.  And the matching shirt. 

source

As I have mentioned before, I have a weak spot for anything with an animal on it. So this skirt and shirt are just way too cute and I probably would not be able to resist buying them. I mean, that cat looks like Tiger. 

4.  This journal. 

source

Seems like a perfect gift for a book lover. Like me. It is already on my Christmas wishlist. I know that there is Goodreads but I like all things old school so a book journal where you can actually write into sounds promising to me. 

5. This truth.

source

Instead of enslaving animals in countless way we should really listen to their needs. And act. Just saying. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

Random Thursday. Books everyone should read.

Hallo meine Lieben,

welcome to another Random Thursday! I hope you are all having a fabulous week! I am so excited for this week's topic!

As a huge lover of books I have a lot to say about this. But I guess recommending all the books I love is a bit much so I try to keep it short. But I do feel like I should talk about books some more on my blog....just an idea. 

Scandinavian and Icelandic crime novels.

source

I guess it is not a secret that I love crime novels more than any other book. Well, I love all kinds of books but I can never get sick of a good crime novel. I guess at least 70% of the books I own are crime-related. I definitely recommend reading the books of my favorite authors which are the following: Yrsa Sigurðardóttir and Arnaldur Indriðason (both from Iceland) and Henning Mankell, Håkan Nesser, Åke Edwardson, Helene Tursten (all from Sweden). There is something special about Icelandic and Scandinavian crime. 

"Eating animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer

source

Everybody should read this book because it makes you think and see the world with other eyes. I think it gives a good first introduction to topics like factory farming, the meat and egg and dairy industry, the intelligence of animals and philosophical aspects of eating meat. I also recommend reading "Why we love dogs, eat pigs and wear cows" by Melanie Joy.

The Harry Potter series. 

source

These books just never get old. I have read them countless times, in English and German and I am currently listening to the audio books and they fascinate me over and over again. I think I will still enjoy reading them when I am ancient. 

The Adrian Mole diaries. 

source

Seriously, if you need a good laugh then these diaries are perfect for you. Adrian Mole from Leicester, England starts his first diary when he is 13 3/4 years old and we are allowed to follow him through his whole hilarious life. I am soooo in love with the books. I bought all of them in English and in German and in different editions. 

Das alte Haus.

source

...which means "The old house" in English. One of my favorite books from my childhood, full of beautiful fairy tales. My Mom always read the stories for me when I was a baby and I still own this book. One of my biggest treasures. Talking animals, witches and wizards, giants, magical glasses....lots of beautiful stories. I definitely recommend it to anybody who has kids or is still a kid. Like me. 

So now I am curious: What are your favorite books? Books everyone should read! I am excited to read your recommendations and see my book wishlist growing!