Checked Case

Hi! So, just to remind you and stress you out when it comes to Christmas presents, heres something I made. Its something everyone can use and if you (or the one you will give it to) share the same love for cheque like I do, this will be a nice gift.

What you will need:

• fabric (checked)
• zipper
• sewing needle or sewing machine
• glitter glue

How to proceed:

1. You will form your fabric and secure it with needles. Attention! The side of the fabric you’re seeing should be the inside side.
2. Sew the fabric together but not on the side, where you want to have your zipper at the end. I am using the sewing machine hobby 1132 from Singer.
3. Sew the zipper to the fabric where you want to have it.
4. Now if you want to you can conclude the case with glittery details. I cut out this pattern, which is the letter M. 
5. Wait until the glue has dried.
6. Enjoy showing off you new checked case, made by yourself! Stylish ;) <3

- Julia

Inspiration Advent Wreath

Hi! Tomorrow is the first Advent, the beginning of the most wonderful time of the year! Great, now I've got the catchy tune from Andy Williams... So, I selected some Advent Wreaths to inspire you all, which are super easy to create, also now one day before!

1. Wreaths with Nature

2. Wreaths with Concrete and Copper

3. Wreaths with Tree Spheres and Porcelain

You can see more inspiration on my Christmas Board on Pinterest!!!

Have a wonderful first Advent!

- Julia

Pumpkin Pie

Hi! Its autumn again, my favorite season, so heres my pumpkin pie recipe!!! 

What you will need:

Shortcrust dough:

• 250 g flour 
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 75 g sugar
• 1 small egg
• 125 g butter

Filling:

• 350 g pumpkin puree (homemade boiled or baked pumpkin)
• 100-125 grams of brown sugar
• per ½ teaspoon ginger u. muscat
• 1 tsp cinnamon, pinch of ground cloves
• 2 tablespoons sugar beet syrup (sugar syrup)
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup whipping cream, 200 to 250 ml

Directions:

Ingredients for the Shortcrust dough knead and chill, then undress the springform pan, so that the edge shape is about 3 inches high. 

Stir the remaining ingredients and pour them into the dough form.

Bake for about 45 minutes at 180 degrees.

- Julia

The lucky stone necklace

Hi! So here I am presenting you actually my first accessory DIY! And if you have a stone with a hole in it, it's probably the easiest necklace you have ever made yourself. So next time you are at the beach, try to find those stones with a hole, which shall bring you luck!

What you will need:

Stone with hole

Leather imitation twine

How to proceed:

Choose the length of the necklace and make a knot at the end.

Insert the other end through the hole and bind it around (see pictures).

- Julia

A Date with Mr. Celery Parma Ham

Hi! This is a variation of a classic "Devils on horseback" and I can just say that I am in love! Healthy but OMG soo YUM! Perfect as a snack on a nice warm summer evenings, which are getting pretty rare unfortunately... Enjoy those evenings and this perfect snack!

What you will need:

• 50g (1-2 stems) celery
• 12 pitted dates
• 70g parma ham
• 12 toothpicks
• pepper

How to proceed:

1. Wash the celery and cut them into 12 pieces, a little longer then the dates.
2. Put one piece in each date.
3. Cut the parma ham into half, alongside.
4. Wrap the half ham around each date and stick a toothpick through them.
5. Lay the dates on a baking sheet with baking paper spread pepper over it.
6. Bake them in the oven at 180°C, eight min long, until the ham has changed color.

- Julia

South African Banana Bread

Hi! As some of you may know I was born in South Africa and visited almost every second year. It fills me with pride to know I come from a place so beautiful. I was searching long time for this banana bread which I love so much. Found it, baked it, enjoyed it, baked maybe 1 million times. Here’s the recipe so that also you can enjoy the banana bread fever!

What you will need is:

• 275g flour 
• 1 tsp. backing pouder
• ½ tsp. sodium (bicarbonat)
• ½ tsp. salt
• 175g butter
• 200g sugar
• 2 eggs
  
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla sugar
• 3-4 Bananas

How to proceed:

1. Stir butter and sugar until creamy. 
2. Mix eggs and vanilla sugar to it. 
3. Then give the flour with baking pouder, (baking soda) and salt to it. 
4. Then the milk. Mix well. 
5. Crush the bananas with a fork and then mix the crushed bananas to the dough. 
6. Now fill in the batter in a well greased loaf pan and bake at 180 °C one hour.

- Julia

School Planer

Hi! Preparing of the new school year I realized I needed a new school planner. So I wanted to do something personal and special this time, so I made my own cover. 

Here it is (1. Front; 2. Back) and I must say I’m totally falling in love with it:

Trip to KEBAP

Hi! I was the first time at the KEBAP (Culture, Energy, Bunker, Altona, Project) yesterday. It was really interesting and I had a lot of fun. Me and my friend made tea out of mallow and after that we had self made pizza only out of regional food. If you want to experience something alternative you should definitely go there! (Schomburgstraße 6, 22767 Hamburg)

The project is going on since 2010. The problem is that the state won’t give the bunker to the organization, although the bunker is unused. On their Blog you can see what their concept is and how you can get there, etc.. (http://kulturenergiebunker.blogspot.de)

KEBAP has many vegetable patches in front of the bunker.

Canoeing on the Alster

Hi! Went canoeing with my friends on the Alster. Lots of fun and good teamwork :D (the boat hire is called “Bobby Reich”, also with cafe and restaurant). Also the surrounding of the Alster is beautiful! Its a good way getting to know Hamburg.

Next time we’ll take a bigger trip and maybe something to eat for a picnic!

Repetition required <3

- Julia

Two Outfits with 2 Pieces

Hi! This is a summer Outfit, which has the same two pieces, the shorts and the blouse. With some accessories and with or without the coat its an completely different look. The shoes sum it all up.

The outfit on the right is inspired from Emma Watson.

- Julia

DIY Golden Pot

Hi! For my Aloe Vera and my balcony I colored this pot golden and painted some triangles. It was an old pot I found in the garden and I thought it looked quite nice. So now my Aloe Vera has a wonderful throne to live in! In the winter the plant of course comes back into the house but now she's just enjoying the sun! Here's the original blog post on tumblr.

What you will need:

• paint (for outside I recommend you)
• masking tape
• pot

How to proceed:

1. Paint the whole pot golden (you can leave out the places which will be covered with soil).
2. Imagine where you would like to have your triangles and make the pattern for those with masking tape. You can also measure it out where you want to have the triangles.
3. Paint the triangles within the pattern in different colors.

- Julia

Screen Printed T-Shirt

Hi! On Saturday I was on the Altonale, which I wrote about yesterday (Altonale 17), where I screen printed a T-Shirt myself. The T-Shirts where all Secondhand and it only costs 10€. The woman who organizes this, also gives workshops, up cycling in general. The next workshop is for teenagers from 14-18 years old. It is in the first week of summer vacation here in Hamburg, the 23.-29.7.2015. It finds place in the MOTTE, a theatre in Ottensen and the costs are around 10-15€. Its really fun and I can only sponsor for it!

- Julia

Altonale 17

Hi! Since 17 years now, the festival Altonale takes place in Ottensen, Hamburg. This year the partner city is Gdansk, Poland. On Sunday its the last day, so if you live in Hamburg (or near by) I really recommend to go there! There are different markets, for example the design market, the green market, or the art market. You can make things yourself (I will post about how to screen print tomorrow, which I learned there) or buy handmade things. Try your luck on the wheel of fortune or play games to win prices. You can also eat delicious food, oriental, vegan, etc., while bands are playing at every corner. Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere!!!

- Julia

DIY Mikado

Hi! My favorite games are probably Monopoly and Mikado, even though I never owned a Mikado game. This made me make my own. It turned out to be a lot of work, painting 41 sticks in different colors!

What you will need:

• 41 sticks
• acrylic paint
• tape

How to proceed:

1. Choose color pairs for each type (five).
2. Tape in the places where you will paint.
3. Start painting.
4. Let it dry.

The Sticks:

There are different types of sticks.

Mikado:

• There is only one Mikado Stick.
• It gives you twenty points.

Mandarin:

• There are five Mandarin Sticks.
• They give you ten points.

Bonzen:

• There are also five Bonzen Sticks.
• They give you five points.

Samurai:

• There are 15 Samurai Sticks.
• They give you three points.

Kuli:

• There are 15 Kuli Sticks as well.
• They give you two points.

How to play:

1. Take all the sticks in one hand and let them fall.
2. Now try to take stick after stick without letting other sticks wiggle. If a stick happens to shake, its the others turn.
3. The game is over when there aren't any sticks left.
4. Now count the points together and see who the winner is! Congratulations!!!

- Julia