My first book „Backen mit Love“

For 9 Months my hubby and I were working on this book project (we started Jan 1st 2013, no it was not a new year´s resolution). It has always been sort of something, where we did not know if it was really real. Since yesterday, the book appears on German Amazon for pre-order (release date Nov 18th in time for XMas). I guess, in today´s world if something is on Amazon it must be real. Doesn´t it. So I am proud, overexcited and hope that people will like it. „Sorry“ to all of you outside Germany, it´s in German but maybe some day we will translate it. At least you can see the pictures. My hubby set up a new website around the book. Once we get closer to the release date we´ll post more stuff incl. some videos. The website is called like the book: www.backenmitlove.de

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Season Closing Outside Afternoon Teatime

Last Sunday, we ended the outside teatime season with a bang. I did some seasonal baking and an irresistible autumn decoration. One of our favorite cakes was the choc & caramel cheesecake with chocolate sauce on top! I also offered a warming autumn fruit crumbler with an almond cookie topping, yummieh!, and a delicious ginger cake with fudgy frosting – it really was the perfect september outside retreat!

Afternoon Tea Fall Setting

Luckily I had a visit from my dear friend Rosey Sugar from Japan. She helped me with everything. If you have don´t know her and have not seen her cookie decorations. Please go to her website right now. She is an artist.

Setting Up the Decoration

This is the season of harvest and gorgeous shades of brown, rust, copper and green. I tried to brighten up the tables with some seasonal finds. You can easily transform an teatime table into „woodland wonderful“ with all those coloured leafs, lampion flowers, rose hips, wooden candle holders, pumpkins and so on.

Afternoon Tea Fall Setting

All the vintage plates and cutlery just made tea-time truly glorious and the granny extra proud! Great to look at was the pretty table runner, the cheeky knitted tea cosy and the tiered cake stands. It was a beautiful sunday with lovely people around – a feast for the senses.

Afternoon Tea Fall Setting

Afternoon Tea Fall Setting

Afternoon Tea Fall Setting

Afternoon Tea Fall Setting

Afternoon Tea Fall Setting

Afternoon Tea Fall Setting

Afternoon Tea Fall Setting

Afternoon Tea Fall Setting

Sweet & Happy Birthday Placemat

Since visitors for the first PopUp-Tearoom at my house this fall will mainly celebrating a birthday I had to come up with the appropriate placemat for the table decoration. I went through a lot of stationary material for inspiration. I am far from perfect of drawing something from scratch (especially living things) but with a little inspiration I am quiet good in modifying it for my own purpose. So after a rough overview sketch, I made a hand drawing and did the coloring in the computer afterwards. Whilst doing this, I got more and more comfortable with fall colors and I think I have finally accepted that summer moved on.

Sweet Happy Birthday Placemat

The Knitted Lampshade

After 1 week holiday around England’s coast staying at Lyme Regis, the Duesseldorf airport welcomes us with heavy rain! This is really what makes you feel bad. And since I had my most beloved Cream Tea every day, I felt that I can’t do any baking today. Too many calories to count for…that’s why it was clear that I need to start a craft project. With the help of my friendly hot glue gun and an old sweater out of the winter cupboard I got started: A new dress for the lampshade.

The Knitted Lampshade

Well, well, I finished it and want to share the result with you. But with only the grey sweater, I felt that it needed something else, that’s why I added the crochet and the pompom border at bottom and top. But still it looked kind of none finished, that’s why I added a rich pompom in the middle and attached a heart out of buttons in matching colors. Now that’s what I call a pretty enriched lampshade after all, right?

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And the heart of buttons turned out so nice, that I am thinking about doing some X-Mas ornaments with this technique. Could be in red color then? Or green maybe? We will see!

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Farewell to Summer ?

The end of the school holidays have snuck on me yet again. I cannot help myself but thinking, that this is maybe also the end of the summer?! No more barefeet walking in flipflops, no more dresses wearing without tights below?
To hold back the transition into fall a little bit, I planned a backyard barbecue with some summer decorations, for an unforgettable summer party. Besides the cheese-filled burgers and homemade sesame buns, I made the all-time favorite carrot cake. The highlight for me was the baked cookie bunting, which turned out really cute. I pulled some thread through the holes and fixed it between some wood slats. Just to be sure to give the summer the fond farewell it deserves for maybe the last outdoor BBQ…

Carrot Cake with Cookie Bunting