Random Thursday. Fantasy shopping spree...

Hallo meine Lieben,

welcome to Random Thursday! As always, Lin, Em and I are happy that you are a part of it! Thanks for reading!

Okay, if I would have unlimited money then I would buy stuff for animal shelters, homeless people and animals...give them food, supplies and so on. But I guess that's not what this topic is about. So I will list you some of the things that I would like to buy for myself.

My own library.

source

I would like to own all the books in the world (well, maybe some exceptions like Shades Of Grey and that kind of stuff) and that is why I need my own library. Definitely on top of my shopping list.

Vaute Couture dress.

Vaute Couture

I am still in love with this dress. I think at some point I just need to buy it. It is just so beautiful. And I can't stop thinking about it. 

A huge cat tree.

source

Something like this. But bigger. The cats and bunnies deserve the best, that is for sure. So I would also get something cool for the bunnies. 

Boots.

source

Lots of vegan Stella McCartney boots for Celeste, Martha and me. Because we all want them. And deserve them. 

ER collector's box

source

Just because the box is so fancy. I already own half of the seasons so it does not make any sense but things that make you happy do not need to make sense all the time. 

Beauty products.

source

I would definitely treat myself with some fantastic vegan and cruelty-free beauty products...such as MuLondon, Beauty Without Cruelty, Crazy Rumors, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics, Hurraw balm....

A new laptop.

source

I really need one. So if mine stops working then I will probably get a MacBook. 

Another Jill Milan handbag.

You can read my review about the Nob Hill Bag here. I love the Jill Milan bags so much. The are vegan, handmade and absolutely beautiful. 

An old castle.

source

Because there is enough space for all the rescue animals and some friendly ghosts. 

What would you like to buy on your fantasy shopping spree?

Happy Thursday!

Random Thursday. IMO The best online shop is....

Hallo meine Lieben,

welcome to another Random Thursday and thanks so much for reading and linking-up. Lin, Em and I are happy that you are a part of this lovely tradition. 

I guess most people love to shop online, even if it is just window shopping. I love to get lost in the countless online stores searching for stuff I need. I mean, come on, it is definitely better than being in a crowded store on a Saturday afternoon. So yes, I admit that I love filling my virtual shopping basket with stuff I might or might not need. 

Tea stores.

source

There is a little store in the town I went to school at run by two old sisters who sell almost 200 different kinds of teas, chocolate, coffee, tea pots, candy and stuff like that. I could spend hours in the store, sniffing at all tea (they have little metal boxes with all the teas inside and you can open all of them and smell them) and picking loose tea from all the huge jars. It makes me so happy, I can't even tell you. 

So online tea stores are only second choice but they are still better than a lot of other stores. You can't smell the tea but you can imagine the smell and spend hours reading through all the ingredients. And of course you can find lots of teas you have never thought of before. Tea stores are definitely a winner. 

Book stores. 

source

(Maybe not better than ALL people but definitely better than a lot of people).

Well, I guess this is no surprise. I could spend hours searching for new books I want to read. I do judge books by their covers but when I like the title I give it a chance and read the blurb. There are millions of books out there and internet book stores are definitely a good source to find the books you like. I am always open for new recommendations. 

Vegan online stores.

source

When you live in a small American town or in a tiny village in one of the smallest states in Germany then you don't have the best vegan options. But thankfully there are lots of great online stores out their which offer everything from coconut milk ice cream to vegan Parmesan cheese and rice milk chocolate. It's vegan paradise and I always get inspired browsing through the huge selection which you don't have in a small town supermarket. 

VeganEssentials is pretty awesome. Or Vegan Cuts. In Germany I really like alles-vegetarisch.de. 

ModCloth.

I need this ModCloth dress.

You honestly find the cutest dresses at ModCloth. I love to look at all their beautiful clothes and dream of buying all of them. I even bought my wedding dress in this store, believe it or not. Also one of my favorite bags on earth is available in this store...I have been thinking about buying it forever...maybe soon. 

You can also find pretty awesome deals at asos.com.

Etsy.

Well, you can find pretty much everything you want on Etsy and that is why I can spend hours on that website wanting to buy countless things. 

I forgot to mention the Lush online store. You can never have enough bath bombs...

What are your favorite online stores? Can't wait to check them out!

Flohmarkt - flea market - marché aux puces - Floumaart

Hallo meine Lieben,

I hope your weekend was fantastic and you will have a wonderful week!
Yesterday I went to one of the biggest flea markets here in the area. Because of its location there are always people from Germany, France and Luxembourg. So you can hear lots of different languages, meet lots of funny people and can find an awesome selection of things you need - or just want. 
I mean, you don't really go to the flea market to buy things you need - it's more about finding fantastic things you would not buy otherwise. 

I usually look for books (of course), old jewelry, furniture, decoration....
I am still upset that I did not buy a beautiful globe bar that I discovered at a flea market a couple of years ago. It makes me sad thinking about it because it was perfect...and I have no idea why I ended up not buying it. 

Anyways, I did not plan on buying lots of stuff yesterday but I found a couple of things that I could not resist. 

This was the first piece I couldn't resist. The necklace is hand-painted. Well, at least that's what the French guy who sold it to me said. No matter what, it was a real bargain and it is pretty. There is a horse painted on the other side of it. 

Crime novels, of course. The books are in really great condition and I just started reading the book series by Ian Rankin and Jo Nesbo. It was meant to be. 

There are two reasons why I bought these. Not because I really needed some decoration but because a) I am a crazy cat and bunny lady and b) the woman who sold these to me runs a private animal sanctuary in Luxembourg and all the profits are for this good cause.  I already bought a purse, books and lots of other stuff from that woman years ago. 

I did not buy this elephant but isn't it cute? I am sure my non-existing children would love it. Well, I am still a child myself so obviously I fell in love. But sometimes even I can resist buying cute things. I do regret not buying it but that's another story.

There were lots of furry visitors at the flea market but most of them were dogs. This cat was also looking for some bargains. The flea market took place in the streets of a little town so I assume the cat lives in the neighborhood and was excited to see so many people in her little village. She definitely enjoyed all the attention. 


Do you like flea markets? What are the things you can't resist? Have you been to a flea market recently?

Have a lovely Monday!

Grocery shopping & Fish Amnesty Day.

Hallo meine Lieben,

happy Fish Amnesty Day! "Fish Amnesty Day is a day to recognize fish as living animals with rights and in need of protection just the same as other vertebrates." Good idea I would say. You can find more information here.

I went grocery shopping this week and I thought I could share my vegan finds with you. I like to read posts like that on other blogs but please let me know if you think that this is totally boring.

So, here is what I got (and I am sorry for the quality but I only have my iPhone camera right now). 

1. Veggie Life - Vegan Mayonnaise.

The funny thing is that I never even liked mayonnaise before I went vegan. But when I saw this in the grocery store I had to give it a try. Maybe it is just too exciting to resist when you find the vegan version of a product that you have never seen before. I don't know. But wow, it tastes so good. I doubt that "real" mayonnaise tastes that good. I made some potatoes with veggies last night and ate it with the mayonnaise and to be honest - I had to stop myself from eating the whole pot. 

2. Veggie Aufschnitt.

I got this at Aldi. I am surprised about the big selection for vegans at Aldi, American Aldi does not have anything like that. They should really think about selling some vegan products. But yeah, this one is my favorite. I love to eat it with my Brötchen. I am German, I need my Brötchen in the morning. 

3. Carrefour Chocolate Soy pudding.

Oh, I love pudding. I can't even tell you how much. I could eat a huge bowl of pudding every day. Freshly cooked pudding is the best (do you love or hate the pudding skin? I know that's a huge debate. I LOVE the pudding skin so I always use huge bowls when I make pudding to get as much skin as possible). But yeah, I found this pudding in France and it is pretty good. 

4. Hummus.

In America I eat Hummus every single day and I have to say that you can find a bigger selection of hummus in American groceries stores but I was able to find this one in a German store. It is really good but I usually prefer the roasted pepper hummus. 

5. Soyananda -Vegan cream cheese.

This one is soooo good. They also have one with herbs and one with tomato I think. But I like to eat the plain one with vegan "Nutella". I know a lot of people who think that's gross but I just love it. It's the perfect combination. 

6. Quinoa

I have to say that I never used quinoa before but I found some recipes in a cook book and I want to give them a try. Do you have any good recipes with quinoa? Please let me know!

7. Soy Drink Vanilla.

I usually prefer almond milk but this one is pretty great too. I used it for smoothies, in my coffee and you can even eat it in mashed potatoes if you like it when they taste like vanilla. I do. 

8. "Erdbäriger" Tee - Strawberry Tea.

I drink several cups of tea every day. This package has a cute hedgehog and a cute bear on it so I had to buy it. I am like a little child sometimes but I just couldn't resist. It also tastes pretty great. Strawberries are always good. I also like the pun:

Erdbeere means strawberry.

Bär means bear.

--> Erdbäriger Tee. 

Pretty great. 

9. Bach flowers tea.

I got this as an extra in the natural foods store. I haven't tried it yet but tea is always good. 

10. Semolina pudding (for babies).

I just love that stuff...I mean, it is not just for babies. the package says you have to be 4 months or older. Which I am. So I am allowed to eat this. I usually mix it with some fruits and agave syrup. 

11. Wilmersburger - vegan cheese. 

This is my favorite German vegan cheese. I got three different types: Cheddar Style, Pilze (mushrooms), Würzig (Spicy). The spicy one is my favorite. I had the cheddar style cheese for breakfast this morning and I also like it a lot. And I haven't tried the mushroom one yet but I am sure it will be good too. I am always amazed by the great selection of vegan food...it was pretty hard to find vegan/vegetarian food when I stopped eating meat but now you can find vegan products in almost every store. 

Okay, I forgot to take a picture of this one. 

de Rit Organics - Chocoreale Duo

As you can see, I already ate some of this. It is just too good. It's basically a mix of vegan "Nutella" and some white cream. Perfect in the mix with the cream cheese. 


What did you buy on your last grocery shopping trip? What are your favorite products? Any recommendations?

Have a lovely Saturday!

My fave store to shop at is...

Hallo meine Lieben,

first of all: Tiffie is doing a lot better and I couldn't be happier! Thanks for all your kind words! It really means a lot to me.

So, it is that time of the week again: Random Thursday. You can sign up here.

And this is the topic.

In general...

Well, my favorite kind of store is definitely a book store. Used, new, small, big...whatever. I love them all and I can spend hours, days in there. And it is better not to interrupt me when I am searching for new books. I also love to discover books online, that is why I love to browse online stores, Goodreads, get recommendations from blogs... But nothing can beat the experience in a real book store...all the shelves, the smell....

source

I could never imagine not to buy any books. I guess I would rather buy a book than food for myself. I love the smell of books, books entertain me, books make me happy, they make me sad, they excite me...they are just perfect. A life without books and book stores would be pretty sad. 

I am also a huge fan of natural foods stores. There are definitely some great ones in America and in Germany as well. It is fun to find some new vegan products I haven't tried before. And it is also so much easier to find some food I like compared to normal grocery stores. 

In America. 

I have to say that I really love spending time at Target and I can't even tell you why. David does not understand it at all but I love browsing all the shelves, the huge selection...to look for shoes and tea and a running shirt and cosmetics at the same time in the same store. There isn't really anything like that in Germany so every visit in a Target store is pretty exciting for me.

I also love the huge craft stores! So many things to see and buy...again, I have never been to anything like that in Germany. I don't know if stores like that even exist in Germany, definitely not in my area. So I can never leave these stores empty-handed. I need to smell all the candles and then find some art supplies. Perfect way to spend an afternoon.

source

In Germany.

One of my favorite German stores is definitely "dm" which is probably the biggest drug store chain over there. I love to discover new beauty products and the best thing about this store is the huge vegan and cruelty free selection. You can find pretty much everything there...lipsticks, eye make up, hand creams, face creams, body lotion, shampoo, hair color, even vegan food. It is heavenly there and every time I go there I have to spend some time to discover all the new products.

So, now I would like to know what your favorite stores are? Where do you like to shop? Do you like to shop in real stores or do you prefer online shopping?

Have a lovely day!