This is my 100th blog entry and I was palnning the share something more 'interesting', something more 'beautiful' than just some words. But somehow I have the hardest time incorporate blogging (as well as downloading images from my camera and editing them) into my daily routine. So I have tons of unedited images sitting here on my hard disk and I wonder if they ever find their way into this blog. Stories that I wanted to share but that remain untold. Images from the first Sushi I ever made in my life, from afternoons in the park, cake recipes, images from my new kitchen shelf and table,...
And there has also been a lot of work in the last months that made it hard to find time and inspiration to blog, too. More work than ever before actually. Interesting projects that I love(ed) to be part of. But there is also less money than ever before. I still have to pay taxes back from the last two years. And, well, I also have to prepay this year's taxes. And we needed a new car that has to pe paid, too. So as much as I wish that I could just sit back and relax and be happy about the steady work I can't. I spend way too much time worrying about all the payments that have to be met. If this is all working out. And as much as I try to distract myself from all the worries I can't find distraction while sitting in front of the computer and blogging. I try to spend more days outside with friends. I started painting again. Redecorated the balcony and planted some tomatoes and herbs. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. These are the days when I feel like all the worries are eating me up. And when I feel anything but but inspired.
So, well, I guess I jsut wanted to say I'm still alive but not having the best time of my life. And tell one of those many untold stories I wasn't able to share (yet).
Showing newest posts with label My everyday life. Show older posts
Showing newest posts with label My everyday life. Show older posts
Untold stories
Still alive...
I just wanted to let you know that I'm still alive. I've been on a somewhat unplanned and way too long hiatus.
At New Years Eve the nastiest flu I have ever hit me at full tilt and left me exhausted and sluggish for more than three weeks. And while I normally can't live without the internet and spend too much hours every day surfing the web I had to pull myself together to start the computer and check my business mails at least once a day during the time I've been sick. As soon as I felt better my car completely died and we had to take care of getting a new one. Inbetween we also had a finish a small but quite important software project with a non-displaceable deadline.
Anyway, I missed you all. And I have quite something to catch up on...I don't have anything too interesting to tell as I've spend the past six weeks either sick on the couch or working. We finally got a new car a few days ago which I'm terribly afraid to drive (I haven't driven a stick shift car since I've been in driving school back in 1996!). I'm feeling motivated and inspired again. I have some nice projects ahead. And really hope that our run of bad luck is about to end. (Can you believe someone hit our new car in a hit-and-run accident ONE day before we got to pick it up?)
Pickpocket Paxon
Alright, I'm getting a little blog crazy lately with the blogs for our new online store...And sometimes I already have a hard time keeping up with this one anyway...but after uploading the last photo of Paxon I just had the idea to create an own blog for images and stories of him. Yes, eventually I might turn into one of those crazy cat ladies but I just love him too much. And that way I don't have to take care about flooding my Flickr account or this blog with cat photos. So if you don't like cats or think I am already totally crazy just ignore this...but if you do want to follow Paxon's adventures I'd be happy to see you on pickpocketpaxon.blogspot.com.
May I introduce you to...
...something that makes life delicious...our new online store HONIG & PFEFFER where we sell the finest gingerbread (Lebkuchen), coconut or hazelnut macaroons as well as domino cubes (Dominosteine) from our favorite family-run gingerbread manufacturer in Nuremberg. All products are made by hand after traditional family recipes without any additives, preservatives, colorants or artificial flavoring...and we also carry glutenfree and diabetic products made without flour. And lots of other delicious things...
It took us way longer than we thought but we are very happy that we could finally put it up on the web and announce our little gingerbread store open. I can't believe it's actually running!?!? Can someone please pinch me...It's still very beta and needs some more testing but we didn't want to wait any longer. (Please let me know if you experience any troubles or bugs!) There were several situations during the past weeks when I was totally in doubt if we can make it and when I wanted to pack it all in...it's a LOT of work when you do it all by yourself. I did all the designing, taking images, coding the frontend, designing the packaging,...and S. did all the backend progamming. Yes, it's kind of crazy to develop a complete e-commerce shopping system all by yourself. And create a new packaging. But we wanted to have everything according to our ideas and expectations. And so far I'm happy with it and it was worth the work :-) I hope you enjoy it, too.
Glutenfree Box
You can read more about HONIG & PFEFFER on our about site (yes, that is unfortunately the only site on our website in German AND English so far) or on our new blog where I keep you updated about new products...
A little preview...
these are some product shots I have taken for our new online shop :) I can't believe but we are almost DONE, just some some additional keywords here and a little testing there. But the site will go online later TODAY. More to come...
Wreath & Berries
Some images have to do for today. There's still a crapload of work ahead till we can open our shop sometime next week. And I hate that I'm way behind with work but I have a hard time getting things done these days because I feel tired and worn out all day. Maybe it's the weather. It's grey outside all day long and there's not the slightest sign that the sun will come out at least for some minutes today...oh, and I couldn't stick to my '29-things-before30'-list. I bought some furniture that we do not have space for. Again. Damn.
Not really an update...
...but an exciting day. We are working hard getting our online shop I was taking about in this entry up and running. And it actually looks like we can launch soon. YAY! I can't wait to tell you all...Today we made it official and registered the business. So from today on I am not only a freelance web & graphic designer but also a co-owner of a retail business.
I'm pretty much through with the corporate and web design of the new site and spend most of my days researching. I have to admit I absolutely underestimated that part. It takes forever finding out how to ship abroad, which shipping boxes to use, which bags, do we need a contract, what about the taxes, how to find a reasonable priced manufacturer for the packaging I want...I could go on forever. Finding and developing the right packing is also so much harder than we thought. And we don't even want to have anything fancy. Just some simple yet elegant boxes. But we can not afford to buy several thousands before we even started and finding a manufacturer that is willing to produce in small quantities but still at an affordable price is not easy these days...everybody wants to produce and sell in bulk. But Hello! we are small business owners, starting from scratch without a credit line or any other financial support at all. And we do this because we love the product. We think it's awfully good. And we think it needs to be spread in the world. We have no idea if anyone is going to buy it at all and if we make any money ever from this...but well, there's no way that this will discurage us. And after tons of emails, lots of phone calls and innumerable hours spend with researching things are slowly falling into place...
Image of my desk figuring out the packaging
Another reason why I'm very exited today are the elections - like well, most of us, I guess. I can't wait to see some first results and hope so very much that Obama will make it.
Hidden Hearts
Sometimes it's the littlest things that make you happy. Like those hidden hearts I found recently...You just have to look carefully – those glimpes of happiness can easily be missed.
Pink for October
I started cookie season early this year and decided to join in the Breast Cancer Awareness Month month with some pink ribbon cookies...for more information check out Breast Cancer Awareness Month at Wikipedia.
And if you live in Denmark be sure not to miss the lovely products they sell all over the country in October to raise money for the Danish Breast Cancer Campaign. This year they are designed by Julie Storm Christensen.
Images from stoetbrysterne.dk
29 Things before 30
This morning I stumbled upon Travel Turtle's blog and her list of things she wants to do before she turns 32. The idea behind it comes from Simple Lovely and doobleh-vey who are both turning 35 this year and is that it's much easier to stick to a doable list of simple, small but meaningful things than an huge "bucket list" over the course of a life. And with my upcoming birthday (the big 3-0) in less than 8 weeks I thought it'd be the perfect chance to join in and create a list of things I want to do before that day:
- Go to the ophthalmologist and get some new glasses
- Continue blogging more often: at least once better several times a week
- Get that online shop up and running and hopefully having sold something
- Write a timetable for the projects I have in mind
- Do some brainstorming about the names of these projects
- Get a haircut
- Mini-makeover for the kitchen: install new shelves, lights and set up the kitchen table
- Redesign blog header
- Collect all payments from clients
- Check business account several times a week
- Do at least one painting
- Continue scribbling in my Moleskine planner
- Get back to a normal work/sleep schedule
- Do the laundry daily
- Take photos more often
- And also upload these photos to the computer
- Take a long walk through my city exploring it like a tourist, like I did last year
- Take more photos for my series Gebete/Prayers
- Stop buying things (esp. furniture) that I don't need and that I do not at all have place for to store
- Get more social
- Use a proper layout grid for upcoming web projects
- Get my aunt's website done
- Get my new corporate website done
- Forget about the website theft and just move on with the new design
- Do not allow that minor things, unexpected problems or bureaucracy stuff holds me back from getting things done
- Think about escaping for my birthday
- Pay bills instantly
- Make christmas cards early this year
- Stick to this list!
Raspberries & Magazines
Honestly I'm not feeling very inspired lately and my thoughts are spinning in circles since we've come back from Canada...I think I have to sort some things out...and there's a lot of frustation coming up that has piled up over the last months or even years and needs to be dealt with finally...
That's one of the reasons I stayed quiet lately although I promised to myself to post more often. Another reason is that I feel like getting tired of the ever same content I see getting re-blogged and re-blogged on various websites. I can't even name any specific blogs that I'm getting bored of or don't want to blame anyone - I have re-blogged things I love myself. But when I open a magazine and every other article and image feels familiar because I've seen it several times on the web it somehow starts to bug me. Because it takes away the fun of reading a magazine. Of finding some new inspiration. Of discovering something all by myself. It also feels like an inspiration overflow over time...Awesome, inspirational stuff everywhere...Or is it just me, my bad mood and the fact that I'm frustrated anyway?
But I don't want to get you down so I leave you for the weekend with some of my favorite things that make me happy: Delicious, fresh raspberries on my Martha Stewart cake stand that I broght home all the way from Macy's NYC and two of my favorite magazines I bought for an elusive amount of money at the International newsdealer at the Central Station to soothe my "Fernweh"...
Gananoque Provincial Inn
I most definitely have a preference for Motels with nice chairs. We decided on impulse to extend our stay at the Gananoque Provincial Inn for one more night and spend the day relaxing and doing basically nothing at the small town of Gananoque...the cosy room and the lovely chairs sure did push making this decision. It was an awesome slow day. I only can recommend staying there on your route from Montréal to Toronto. Or whenever you pass this area and are looking for a nice place to stay...
An evening in Münster
Whenever you happen to be in Münster make sure to visit Stefan Krursel's Schuhsalon - unfortunately it was closed when we have been there but they had the most lovely stuff in the shop windows. And I bet they have great shoes, too...
We only spend an envening in Münster but if you're interested you can check out all the images I have taken while strolling through the city at night at my Flickr account.
(To be true we also spend the night in Münster but our hotel room was rather lousy so it better remains unmentioned...but I spotted a really nice hotel where I'd love to stay next time. Check out their website at mauritzhof.de.
Images from www.mauritzhof.de
YAY!
Our new sofa arrived today! I can't wait to put it up but we have to get rid of our old one first.
After several decision-making weeks I finally decided to get the charcoal gray one about two weeks ago. But when we went to IKEA willing to order they told us that it won't available before March 2008! 2008!!! Argh! After all this wavering and contemplation I was bummed. (Btw, am the only one that contemplates on a sofa color?) After some more considerating (luckily there have been only 30 minutes left until they would have kicked us out of the store to close so we had to make a decicion quickly) we decided to go with the yellow/green one AND to pre-order the chacoral cover. Ha. That's more I could have asekd for. And it was one of my first thoughts when we started thinking about a new sofa at all...but this also means no Habitat Spindle lamp anytime soon :(
Pictures will follow as soon as we put everything up.
Thanks so much for all your input. It was really helpful to hear some other opinions.
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