September mornings + 5 Berlin tips.

I have arrived back in the South after some wonderful days in Berlin that I spent entirely without children (or rather almost without, as Jil likes hanging out with me, if she has time to do so – but I don’t actually see her as my “child” anymore ;)).


Noelle and Ben are still at the Atlantic coast surfing and I had time to cozy up our bedroom.
I put new linen cases on the pillows – snow white bed linens made of high-quality material are a real luxury for me!
I make my bed in the nicest fashion possible the minute I get up in the morning, do not allow the children to play wildly in it or lie down on it (except, when they are sick ;)), and enjoy the pleasure of sinking into the soft pillows in the evening. I placed fresh flowers in an earthen receptacle from the flea market, added gently scented candles and a lovely hand cream in a dispenser – it doesn’t just come in very handy, it also looks very decorative, which is why it may permanently remain on the nightstand.
The hand cream as well as the candle by Compagnie de Provence are produced with exclusively natural ingredients and are particularly gentle on the skin.  


When you can eat some yogurt with fresh fruit in bed early in the morning, followed by leafing through a pile of the latest magazines and books, dressed in a cozy cardigan – who would even miss the summer?! 

There’s nothing more practical for September days:
the long oversized cardigan is a pretty and cozy basic item for every day, it drapes casually and perfectly matches a T-shirt and ripped jeans or looks stylish with a silk blouse, once it gets a bit cooler.
A very easy-care quality and very comfortable to wear.  

And here is another piece of advice for you:

Do you know bee pollen as a supplement?

I discovered it today at the Stuttgart farmers’ market – it supports the immune system, is chockfull of protein, vitamins and minerals and contains a particularly high concentration of natural antibiotics and antioxidants.

I couldn’t find out on the spot whether it will help you develop super powers, but I definitely assume so!

You can sprinkle it onto your granola or salad – it’s those little yellow pellets in the picture, tasting rather neutral and a little crunchy ;).

I naturally brought back some Berlin tips for you – this time without pictures:

1. You have a great view from the tower suite of the Ellington Hotel, and with a bit of luck with regard to the weather you can enjoy a breathtaking  sunset above the city .

I also very much like the hotel’s interior design.

Not so nice is the fact that you have to pay 3,-€ for Wifi access.

Per hour! 

In Berlin!

2. In Zoo Palast you will be waited on hand and foot and will feel taken back to the time of the Grand Cinema: best to order anything available in terms of food and drink, sink into the red plush seats and enjoy the elegant atmosphere with all your senses.

A little fly in the ointment: they don’t have popcorn.

Not a problem for me, but Jil LOVES popcorn.

3. A paradise for fashionistas who love to hunt down a bargain:

there is a huge sales floor on the 3^rd floor of the Galerie LaFayette.

At the moment all designer outfits are reduced by 80% (!) – ending up costing no more than what you pay at Zara etc.

You can browse for hours and get advice from the truly lovely sales assistants.

Jil got a sequinned blouson and I a Patricia Pepe cashmere coat.

I would have taken TONS of other things, but wet blanket/party pooper/voice of reason Jil kept saying things like “but you have the same thing already…” – when in reality she doesn’t know anything, of course, because I don’t have it EXACTLY LIKE THAT yet at all!

Apart from that she cannot even know, because she doesn’t live here anymore!

My advice: 

If you lost your heart to a piece, but it does not fit perfectly, have the in-house seamstress fit you right there.

It does not cost an arm and a leg and you will end up with a made-to-measure dream garment.

My coat is getting shortened and will arrive here next week – I’m so excited about it!

Once you are exhausted from all the shopping, make sure to take along some little tartlets from the patisserie in the basement to pick you up – they are simply divine.

4. Perfect for night-time and lovers of Asian cuisine:

District Mot offers Saigon street food of the highest quality with the matching backdrop: make sure to try the DIY barbecue at the table! 

Word must have spread, as according to Jil the restaurant is full to the rafters during Fashion Week and you have to squeeze in like sardines ;).

All cocktails and house-made drinks are incredibly tasty – I am undecided whether I think the ambience is fantastic or really tacky.

5. Nothing spectacular, but a favorite spot:

the small, yet elegant Kusmi Tea department upstairs in the KaDeWe department store.

I sat there with Jil for a long time, pouring the worlds’ best black tea, able to go shopping straight afterwards and I am instantly addicted.

My husband calls this the “once you buy high quality effect”.

Sources of supply:

linen pillow cases in over 20 colors: HERE
scented candle: HERE
hand cream: HERE
everything via Inside Living

Cardigan: BamundBini
(soon to be online)

bee pollen: e.g. via Amazon



Love,
Joanna



This post was translated by Ginnell Studio.

Hello September!

Oh, how lovely the month of August was!
Partly warm and sunny, sometimes grey and rainy, delicious and so very full of joy and pleasure – and I shared a lot of it with you, such as….

- a night time picnic (not to confuse with a naked time picnic – although this would break all the records in terms of numbers of clicks.) above Stuttgart, including delicious, easy to prepare recipes to-go.

- there was summer fashion for warm days and cooler days: a maxi dress, an athletic sweatshirt, and a classic outfit in grey/dark blue with some added berry hues,

- apart from the picnic ideas there were recipes for a quick limeade and home-made melon- and chocolate ice-cream, 

- Jil came to visit us in Stuttgart for a few days and wrote no less than 2 posts: one about her favorite lunchbox salads, and one about her hair care routine,

- when the weather got a little cooler we snuggled up at home with our favorite blankets and made tea in our cast-iron teapot,

- I went on a spontaneous road trip with a carload of children: we stayed in Berlin for a few days and enjoyed the last of the warm days in our summer house on the Baltic sea,

- I let you in on 5 reasons for a visit to the Baltic coast in Poland, and the dangers of buying tomatoes,

- and I wrote a post for (also future) moms offering advice on how to raise toddlers, and the second part of the inspirational “Shopping Queen” series.

I am pretty sure I say this every year:
I love fall with all my heart and September is its loveliest kick-off!


Together we will make use of the busy energy of all those returning from vacations, we will look at the new fall fashion, buy school stuff, taste Indian summer’s sweetness on our plates, and above all:
we will enjoy every second to its max, independent of exterior circumstances – and I will help you achieve this with very hands-on advice.

There is nothing that love couldn’t solve – nothing that could withstand it in the long run.

That’s why you as a love messenger are sought-after and precious – the most precious and most beautiful on this planet.


I am looking forward to September!
And to spending it with you!

Love,
Joanna




This post was translated by Ginnell Studio.

Traditional Southern German costume give-away!

It’s finally “Dirndl” time again!

The season for the most feminine of all clothes is in full swing right now – and if you have never worn a Dirndl before, you have to try it at least once:

Whether you are young or old, very slim or curvy – a Dirndl emphasizes what should be emphasized, magically creates perfect proportions, and quite simply is a feast for the eyes.

One of my readers wrote yesterday:

"Dirndl = the ultimate piece of clothing to stress femininity and beauty” and I couldn’t have said it more aptly.

Unfortunately there are but a few opportunities to wear such a dream of a traditional dress – which means a new acquisition is not really justified.

For those of you who would like to freshen up the look of their beloved Dirndl I am offering a great opportunity today:

Why not purchase a new apron or a beautiful blouse and update the Dirndl that way?

You can find these at Nanenda Trachtenmode: hand-sewn with a lot of attention to detail, far from mass produceed in a small Bavarian family-run business.

100% commitment is applied to every single piece – just look at the many colorful aprons made of taffeta and satin!

With these you will whip up a new look in no time: I simply combined a pink one with this Dirndl to create a cheekier and  livelier look.

So if you want to look stylish just in time before the annual fairs, you can order it online, stress-free and without having to look for a parking spot – I’m excited to present you Nanenda Trachtenmode today!

It’s so much fun to freshen up a Dirndl with a new blouse or re-style it with a colorful apron!

One of the Liebesbotschaft readers shall have the pleasure:

Together with Naneda Trachtenmode I am giving away a gift card of 100,-€ today!

That’s more than enough for a new blouse and two colorful aprons – mix & match at the Oktoberfest!

1. Tell me what you would use your Nanenda Trachtenmode gift card for.

2. If you share the link to the give-away on Facebook you have DOUBLE the chances of winning.

If you link the drawing on your blog, you have an EXTRA chance of winning!

Please feel free to take the last image with you for this. 

Please leave a note in your comment to let me know, too.

Everyone can participate – with or without blog.

Important: you have to be registered to be able to leave a comment – to avoid mistakes and multiple drawings.

You can do it quite quickly and simply: HERE.

Please NO mails, you will be considered ONLY by leaving a comment.

The competition is open to all readers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland (readers from Switzerland have to pay for high shipping fees themselves, depending on the sponsor).

Participation for minors only with consent of a parent or guardian.

Jurisdiction of a court is excluded, prizes cannot be paid out in cash.

IMPORTANT:
Please note that I do not contact the winners in writing – I publish them on the blog at the bottom of this post.
If the winners of the draw do not get in touch within two weeks I will raffle off the prize again.

The competition starts now and ends on September 5, 2014.

Love,

Joanna

This post was translated by Ginnell Studio.