Slurm in Berlin

I guess I am not going to say anything new if I mention that Prenzelberg, Berlin is the place to go to. Yes, it's a bit TOO trendy, a bit TOO "in" but still totally charming, full of cozy little cafes with a special charm...
One of my favorite breakfast places there is called Slurm. Just found a couple of snapshots from my last visit - I totally loved the wine crates on the wall and my hot chocolate (which came along with the tastiest of all baguettes. Yeah, ok, I admit it. AND a cookie. It was a healthy cranberry one, ever heard that cranberries are good for your health?)

That was such a wonderful, sunny autumn day. Now that it's freezing cold outside, the skies are grey and it seems that the rain will never stop, it's especially nice to think back and feel the sun on your face. Those guys have WiFi as well - which is sursprisingly difficult to find in that area.

Old pics, new post...

Well, it's been so nice of Holly to mention my most modest blog on her huge, adult one :) Thank you!
Unfortunately, I haven't had time  for shooting pictures and feeling inspired lately. This is why I have to dig out some VERY old pictures to show you a little bit of my living room/bedroom (you see, my apartment is really tiny).
Talk about wallpaper use...

Besides the Ikea curtains (and a table, and a ches of drawers, and a rug, and a little table AND a lamp AND a frame, well, I'm contacting that fashionable Room Magazin right away!) there's something that came from Tapetenagentur as well. I bought a simple MDF board at a Baumarkt and covered it in wallpaper. Smart, huh? Initially I was going to use it as a large, funky frame for pictures. However, the amount of stress that followed  the initial nesting stopped me from completing lots and lots of projects, not only this one.
Here's a close up. Please forgive the quality. To think it was shot by a "professional"!!!!

Let's proceed to the revelation number two. I've got a round bed!

Yes, I know, it's Ikea again. Managed to find this one for about 300 Euros (it retails for 800) and had to pick it up from Bremen. My biggest round dream is a lovely round day cover for that bed (the square one just doesn't fit). The picture is The Ligh Iris by Georgia O'Keefe and a quintessence of femininity for me... I also possess another O'Keefe print which is not on the picture, though. Oh, I really need to have another shoot :)

p.s. I have no clue where these gaps between pictures come from but they're just DRIVING ME CRAZY!!!

Kusmi Tea Madness

My parcel full of Kusmi Tea arrived today! (Evil French, they sent me mails in their language!) Yes, I'm a total copycat and just had to have it. Why do the tins fit my color scheme, you'd ask? A pure coincidence!
Still want that mushroom poster so badly.
All right, so where are those tins?

Mushroom attack (again!)

I've been procrastinating a lot (which also means some really spontaneous shopping/window shopping - online, of course) and after having finally purchased a bunch of punches :) and a delirious amount of Hot Cinnamon Spice tea which will arrive here in December (*ANTICIPATION JUMP*), I got back to that mushroom thought.

Vintage (or vintage-like) educational posters have something about them that makes me want to frame/hang each and every one. As you can guess, dear non-existens readers, I've been drooling a lot.

Let's see. Allposters.com thinks that they can charge almost 50 Euros for this:

Oh yes, it IS absolutely beautiful but even with that 20%discount I managed to find I'd still have to pay 44 Euros for a piece of paper sized 28X43 centimeters.
I'm rather unsure about it....
At first, I was totally smitten by this colourful page from I See All, a kids encylopedia (this one was borrowed from Flickr User mark-s album but blogger won't let me link to it). Thank you, Mark!

The entire encylopedia costs about a hundred and it predominately consists of black-white pictures so after giving it a try (thanks, dear Royal Mail, for having lost my package!), I guess I'll just skip this idea altogether and turn to good old German ebay where loads and loads of vintage mushroom pages are being offered for more than reasonable prices.

P.S. While I was at it, I also laid my eyes on some orchids/ferns pictures.... I guess they'll go wonderfully with all the mushroom goodness I'll treat myself to very, very soon (and I DO have a reason!)

My green wall & some stories behind it

Here's another little peek into my little appartment - the green wall, which is home to my most favorite picture of all times, Neuf heuref du matin, New York by Jean Sempe (You probably know him already - he did appr. 2 zillion New Yorker covers and is, in my humble opinion, a pure genuis).

I painted the wall myself (had the colour mixed at a local store), scored that Billy shelf at an Ikea Fundgrube (10 Euros) and made it over with some wonderful gift paper (unfortunately, it comes from a X-mas collection and is sold out forerver). The orange tree was given to me by my best friend and has never bore fruit (although it tried but was severely abused by some unpleasant person who always forgets to water her plants). The candles, boxes and mag holders are from Ikea (of course!) and the rest just doesn't look good enough to talk about it so here we go again.

Well, that must be all for today, see ya soon, dear noone!

Kitchen updates & a tiny pet store bonus

Been neglecting my lovely useless blog for a while. Heaps (not kidding, this is what I can see from my comfy bed) of work and no relief in sight..
However, you need something to cheer you up even in the most heapful (hm, is that a neologism?) times. Let's say, wallpaper. And frames. Mix them up and get:

Also in the picture: two deliriously expensive Rice bowls (OMG, did I REALLY pay 13 Euros for each? I must have been mad and there was no one to stop me!) which make me deliriously happy (look at that shape!), a tiny tin palace, loveliest Ikea cups ever (too bad eveybody has them) and, mmmh, well, more Ikea stuff.

I also made a third picture using the blue wallpaper but it just didn't fit.
By the way, this is my kitchen shelf before - I just removed all the things I never used.

Sorry bout the picutre quality, good that noone reads this blog anyway! The blue garbage can had to go (yes, I now possess a fashionable yellow one, who could imagine that?) and I managed to purchase a 1-euro-folding table at ebay which was kindly installed by a very dear friend (total cost of the project: 11 euros  - had to pay the shipping, too.

And finally some eye candy for my non-existenst readers: a teeny tiny pet store I discovered at a flea market in Hamburg. I recall paying 2 euros for two houses. They are made in England and too die for. 











Well, I guess that's it for today, see none of you ( there's no one here anyway, right?) later!

Sunday musings

Let's see. Lately, I've learned the word Katzenblog (German for a blog nobody is interested in), spent a LOT of time home but also travelled to Reutlingen and Mönchengladbach to visit some of my wonderful friends. Here's a big YAY to the Internet, bringing people together. Of course I was accompanied by Ms. Müller the cat, who enjoyed a lot of attention and behaved nicely all the time.

Now that the amount of work got so frustrating I don't even want to think of it and provided the fact the school's kicking off again tomorrow, I' ll try to put it in a nutshell.

Deborah Bibby, the most wonderful mag editor ever, sent me 4 (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) back issues of the most wonderful interior mag in the world. Thanks again! I also won a couple of ebay auctions and am now the proud owner of the entire stack of Living&More mags from 2008 + some from the actual year. These mags are pure beauty and so inspiring I just want to run to a Baumarkt and get some white paint/a brush in order to finallly start working on some of my long neglected projects.

However, I do have something in mind to birghten up my days. Tapetenagentur.de is such a great source of inspiration! I already posses a whopping roll of this wallpaper (framed/glued on a wooden base some of it) which was my housewarming gift from a friend.

So yesterday I did a fair bit of blogging and then went into my kitchen to make a fifth liter of green tea and there it was, a tiny idea... I guess that's what my kitchen walls do to me - the warmest, sunny yellow possible.

Mmmh, I'm not telling you what is going to happen to these most delicious wallpaper scraps ever (maybe there's even more to come!) but I'm so looking forward to that package. The wallpaper is from PIP Studio and is available at Tapetenagentur. The best thing about that store is that you can order samples... *happy anticipation*

All right, there's some ebay activity awaiting me (I'm putting in a lot of interior mags as well)  - catch you, my dear non-existent readers, some other time.

Cleaning madness

Cleaning is not just cleaning.
How about ironing your entire winter wadrobe (how the hell did I manage to collect SO much stuff?), rearranging the closet etc.
Need to put some stuff on Ebay, keep cleaning and stop playing SororityLife on Facebook (that's a REAL timewaster if you ask me).

And yeah, I need some shoes. Flat ones. However, these El Naturalista babies are just too pretty. I'm trying to suppress the thought of already owning two pairs of rather-high-heeled winter boots. *Showing some signs of self-restraint*

It's holiday time!

Which means Frau Mayer is spending time in bed, surrounded by her faithful laptop and two kitties, Ms. Vivian Müller and Ms. Müller's son, Mr. Button (two times larger than his mom, very fluffy and playful). Somehow these cats seem to hate each other and I'll be very relieved when Button gets back to his Hamburg home. They are both lying next to me - Ms. Müller is being VERY jealous, he he.

Lots of things that need to be taken care of.
Let's see...

Swapping summer clothes for the winter lot.
Giving the basement a quick clean-up.
Cleaning the flat and rearranging some of the cluttered corners.
Writing, writing, writing. 28 pages to go.

Right now I'm finishing some weekend work and looking forward to getting out of my chaotic place for a couple of hours. Have a nice weekend, my dear non-existent readers!

Happy, happy, happy!

My first REAL LIVING mag has finally arrived. It's the November edition and it's all about spring down under :) Its totally funny to read about spring clean ups while there are some IKEA boxes I need to fill with my summer clothes in the corridor.

Yes, it's been a total pleasure and I'm totally craving for more! My favorite shoot is the home of Viv who also has a beautiful blog called Ish and Chi  right here

HomeGoods StyleScope - I'm a Bohemian Casual

HomeGoods StyleScope - I'm a Bohemian Casual

Frau Mayer, you are a Bohemian Casual




You are interested in creating a place where people feel relaxed. You have a variety of interests and influences and so appreciate different styles, cultures, and objects. Your home is cozy, with comfy chairs, throw pillows and places to set a drink or a book. But it also feels creative and visually intriguing, because you have an artist's eye that allows you to find objects that appeal to you in a unique and personal way—whether from your travels or from a local shop. This gives your home a feeling of being laid-back, and maybe even a bit quirky with its mix of pieces—some of which are classic, some handmade, some ethnic, and some just rich in meaning to you.


You value comfort. Your home is a warm and open friendly place, and you feel happiest when everyone is cared for and relaxed in your space. Elements like pillows, throws, overstuffed furniture, and good lighting set the mood. You may also enjoy layering different fabrics or mixing patterns to create a cozy effect.


Putting Your Style to Work!




With your style and needs in mind, here are a few tips that will help you make your home a little happier.


1. Your Design Challenge: MAXIMIZE


Design is all about tricks, and with small spaces, the game is to literally trick the eye. Mirrors obviously expand a sense of space, and if possible, place them across from windows so they pick up the light and the outdoors. Leggy furniture gives the illusion of more space, as you can see under it. And, a mix of upholstered and non-upholstered pieces also makes a room feel less dense. Also, consider multi-tasking furniture, like a dining table pushed against the wall—it can be a desk by day and gets pulled out for dinner parties. Or a bedside table big enough to accommodate a chair and function as a desk.



2. Your Happy Place


You can make your bath like your own private spa, an escape from the world—even if you share it! Consider making every useful thing beautiful—from the soap dish and toothbrush cup to a pretty jar for cotton balls and a plush, new set of matching towels (white is the most calming and spa-like). You deserve this! Using trays for corralling perfumes and bowls or cups for makeup will make things look organized and attractive. A really lovely idea, if you have space, is to include some real furniture like a little lamp or a stool for setting towels or even a comfy chair by the tub!

3. Be Party-Ready All the Time!


Mood: Nice, flattering light makes us feel good. So nix the harsh, direct light from overhead fixtures in favor of the softer glow from floor and table lamps. Also, keep some votive candles and a couple of hurricane lanterns for setting around the room.
Scent: The first thing you notice about a home is how it smells. Use naturally fragrant cleaning products. If you find a scented candle or fresh potpourri you love, stock up on it. Any scent you like, whether perfume or linen spray, can be used on upholstery, bedding or just spritzed into the air.
Food: Devote space in your pantry or on a shelf for go-to party essentials: crackers, dip, chips, nuts—whatever you like to serve. Keep on hand a collection of attractive bowls and cocktail napkins, and you'll be able to set a spread—instantly!


Drink: The simplest and chicest thing is to have a drinks tray or table always set up. Include a mix of pretty glasses, an ice bucket, a lovely pitcher, and bottles of soda and water. When the bell rings, just add ice and limes.

Chaos Vs Feng Shui

Together with the growing amount of work, chaos has made itself at home in my little apartment.

Last night I realized I wasn't really able to think clearly so the first thing I did this morning were the dishes ( I HATE living without a dishwasher, have I mentioned that?)

There's obviously a connection between the state of one's flat and his/her thoughts, don't you think?

I'm off to fight the chaos and leave you with a little peek into the lion's lair!

Longing for mushrooms....

It's already fall, isn't it? I guess this is why this little voice in my head keeps telling me "All you need is a mushroom!"

Just look at these beauties!

And there are more of them - this time in real people's places!

This one decided to move in at Holly Becker's place

And this one belongs to Nadine at the wonderful  Herz-allerliebst blog.

Needless to say, I filled my working breaks with mushroom search. Nothing. The only possibility is to order all six of them from Denmark which is still a bit too pricey.

Well, this is one of the moments where I'd really need all those non-existenst readers with their helpful hints.
Will report more on the mushroom hunt later this month. Take care, no matter if you have your mushroom or not.

Images: Decor8, Herzallerliebst, Maileg

Magazine Junkie

that's pretty much how I could describe myself right now. As I don't have enough energy to get really creative and actually do something with my hands, I certainly tend to buy too many mags. And yes, although I now own a Real Living subscription (Yay!), there are still so many yummy back copies out there down under I'd LUVE to be able to lay my hands on...
Just got a mail from an Austrlian ebayer who  - for absolutely no reason whatsoever - refused to send her lot to Germany. She must be thinking I'm a really bad German who must be punished by not looking at the gorgeous mags. All right, let's see if there's some help out there.
The magshop site is pretty strange as well, as the only vital sign I got from them after having paid a bunch of money for the subscription was the tax invoice. Australian service? Well...
Let's just wait and see...

Autumn is almost there...

I guess this is the reason my beloved GUESS sunglasses broke today. Right, who needs sunglasses in autumn? Apart from Miss Mayer who once managed to drive on red after she had left her sunglasses on a rather turbulent London trip (yes, she was immediately *blitzed* but the letter never arrived, he he) and who tends to get partly blind in direct sunlight? Right, absolutely noone!

Well, I was rewarded for that loss with two l-o-v-e-l-y things in the mail today.

N 1, Der Impressionen Katalog.

As usual, it's full of inspiration  - and it makes me all giggly that I got this gorgeous shelf 40 euros cheaper than the list price (minus shipping, too, thx to my HH-connection!)

As there's not that much space in my bathroom right now, I'm going to use this lovely item as a book/folder shelf in my one and only room (have I mentioned there was just enough space here to fit one stressed Miss Mayer and one relaxed Miss Müller The Cat?)

Where's number two, my non-existent readers will ask... Well, I can't hold it any longer - I finally possess an INCREDIBLE Canon Eos 1000D. Who knows, maybe one day I'll be able to take acceptable pictures? Post them here? Get famous? Let's wait and see and make getting a memory card for my new toy the first step.

Images: Impressionen

The places to surf to...

Frau Mayer certainly does have her daily routines!
As soon as she gets home from school, she sits down at her comfy kitchen table, flips her pretty white laptop open and refreshes her igoogle page to check if there are any updates on her favorite blogs.

Which are here for you to enjoy.

In the first place I always feel totally inspired by Holly Becker - both her lovely official blog, Decor8 and her 'private' one, HausMaus are absolutely wonderful although I personally prefer the latter as it feels so homey :)

Swedish designer Benita Larsson makes me feel ashamed every time I see her über-clean place at Chez Larsson She's also the queen of DIY. 

My latest favorite comes from that place down under where they produce great interior magazines *wink* and tend to live in places as fancy as a Beach Cottage
If you like all things white, that's definitely the place to surf to!


Well, last but not least, the place I don't visit too often in order not to die of envy is Apartment Therapy

It's jam packed with yummy house tours from both costs and between - not all of them are NYC-loft-goodness, though so there's always something I can hide in my inpsiration box.

IKEA - flop of the year?

The new IKEA catalog arrived yesterday.

My first thought as I flicked through the pages was: "Tja..." (those of my non-existent readers who speak German will understand).
The second one was: "I'm pretty much over it".
Most of the rooms shown were dark, cluttered and didn't really speak to me. Black furniture? Huge, chunky sofas? I don't know...
I will, of course, buy from IKEA in future (see the lovely trestles) but the way they served their furniture definitely hasn't blown me away. It just didn't make me want to fetch the car keys and set off to the next store.

What do you, my dearest non-existent readers, think?

I wonder why

pictures can make one so happy... That's nothing new though: I'm addicted to design mags. Pics, pics, pics, all getting my fantasy organ working.
What is new is that now I am the happy owner of three (!!!) hot subscriptions. Wow. It all went so fast... Many thanks to a very special person who's partly guilty of the above.

And: probably later this week there'll be very special pics right here, on this modest blog (so that my modest non-existent readers have something to be looking forward to) as I've finally purchased another much desired object. Yes, I can! (or will be able to) 

Motivation issues

As my motivation was slightly damaged this last Friday, I needed some emergency help...
A short visit to Ikea to find out they DO have Vika Artur trestles in white!

I'm going to add a very simple plain white top (or hope that I'll find something that looks a bit more vintage).
Love the wall colour, too. However, there's too much IKEA for my taste.

Found the pics here (be sure to check out this page if you're ikeaized, too)  - ikeafans.com. Tons of pictures!

And: I've finally done that! Got a 1-year-Living etc-subscription. The only fly in the ointment is that to keep the costs at bay, I'll have it delivered to my London-based best friend and collect them next year - the earliest I'll make it to England.

Pictures: ikeafans.com

Pefect froth mission accomplished

Got it! The secret was too easy to be proud of it.
Take a plain macchiato glass.
Fill with milk.
Put under the steamer.
Wait.
Ready.
No moving, no fiddling round with cups, nothing.

Gonna hit another fleamarket tomorrow.
Started ripping my mags, only keeping the pages I really fancy  - definitely need space.
The rest really doesn't deserve mentioning.
A bit more than half-a-year without a dishwasher.

X-mas, where r u?

Good news: I've finally learned to make a pretty great froth. Espresso's still in progress. The overall result is definitely drinkable/enjoybale to me.

 Not so good news: X-mas is so, so far away. Which means: I'll have to wait for my Real Living subscription for ages.

So far it's the best design mag I've ever read. I guess, it even beats Domino due to the down-to-earth projects featured on practically every page.

My next favorite is Living etc - discovered it on my  Thailand trip this summer (I actually dragged home a bunch of back issues - there were TONS of them at Chatuchak market - dating back to the late nineties) and purchased some more at ebay a while go. For some reason, the British seller refused to ship the mags to my friend in London so I'll have to go through the whole procedure once again - this time having made sure the mags are purchase via the English ebay account. Nerving!

More fleamarket finds

I need a break so badly! Somewhere in the world there are women busying themselves inventing a yummy dinner for their hubby and pulling scrapbooks together. Well... Not the case here.

Tonight there're more fleamarket finds to adore.

I found this beauty in an old paper box full of 50 cent garbage. It's handmade in Greece.

Here it is, enjoying its second life. (I absolutely HATE the wallpaper. Can't wait to get into a place with plain walls in need of some lovely paint).

This bat-marked treasure cost me 3 euros. I couldn't believe my luck! There are many lamps like this to be found at German flea markets - in all possible colours.

Yet another proof of my tiny-bottle-fetish. This baby cost me 50 cent - and it looks so unique compared to the mass Ikea bottles with a terrible plastic cork.
The peppers come from my MOST favourite Turkish store round the corner. NB: you shouldn't keep olive oil exposed to direct sunlight unless you REALLY need to showcase the bottle it's in.

The final pic for today: my flower-pot-to-be:

You got it all right! 50 cent!

My pics all got cut by the vile blogspot!
HOW do I get them repaired?

Ghost of the Flea

I finally made myself take some pictures!

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours at the Langenhagen flea market. The place is huge and a visit without a thick layer of spf and your own coffee flask is highly non-reccomended (it got REALLY hot and the coffee was sensationally BAD).

And this is what came home with me yesterday (apart from some pimp-my-bike thingies like a basket and a bell that cost €4 together and that still need to be fastened)




The biggest highlight of them all. I fell in love at once. Imagine some fancy shabby chic online store selling this cuteness for €49,99 :) I got it for 5! (pls dont pay attention to the spots on my kitchen table, it really needs to be sanded and lacquered)




It's time to admit it. I have a tin fetish. This one is going to hold my baking supplies (although I virtually never bake).

The lid view. Isn't it just beautiful? 50 cent (no hip hop allusions here!)





I also have a clear tiny-bottle-fetish. When I grow up and have a kitchen larger than 2,5 square metres, I'll have loads of shelves to exhibit my passion (filled with all kinds of olive oil).
€ 2,50 for three.




This glass is shabby chic pure. It says "Le Parfait super" and I still have no clue what to fill it with as I don't eat any sugary stuff.



That is probably one of my most grown-up purchases ever. A silver cutlery set from Solingen (50 pieces). I happily invested € 17 and can get rid of my ugly IKEA cutlery (worn out plastic blue handles, brrr) now.




The shells were for free. Oh yeah, and have I mentioned I have a shell fetish, too?

I'll be uploading part II today with some older, wonderful flea market finds and right now I'll be heading to the garden to get some work done (on Sunday, yes).

Badregal abuse

After several pretty unpleasant ebay fights, I finally got it!
It wasn't too cheap but I' ve got several folders standing around and I really need something to put them on in my room.

Unfortunately, the earliest I can pick it up is September... Until then the folders will have to lead their lonely life on the floor and I'll be checking the ebay store I bought the shelf from - they have LOADS of Impressionen stuff (and I can't really afford buying anything new off Impressionen - that shelf was 50 % off compared to the original price).

Pics or no pics - that's the question

Checked out my very modest Flickr sets. Too ashamed to post anything... I do need a new camera SO badly.

So after a really HOT (in the means of temperature :) week, it's raining here. Totally refreshing...

I'm drinking an excellent (and pricey) sencha, listening to salsa and entertaining Ms. Müller while anticipating a trip to the huge Langenhagen flea market tomorrow. Hoping to find some stuff to pimp up my bike (basket, bike bell, lamp etc.) and, if i'm lucky, some nice cutlery. Will do my best and keep my distance from decorating thingies - my flat's getting too crammed.

Speaking of flea markets... I do have some incredibly great items I might get to photographing later in order to compensate the non-present flat pics... Just have to finish the cleaning action :)

It's here, it's here!

My wonderful Magnifica coffee machine arrived yesterday and I've already done a fair bit of experimenting!
Have to do some reading on making a perfect froth/a really good espresso, though. And I need macchiato spoons (not only them, my cutlery is ultimately ugly so one day I'll have to get updated in this area, too). I'll also need a cool container for the coffee beans - and more space (the entire fridge top is now taken and the window sill is full of stuff, too - will I ever have a larger kitchen???)

Off to the gym but I guess I'll be posting some apartment pics tonight - it's time to show the world Frau Mayer and cat's little nest :)

So, I got very reasonable provided how much extra stuff I'd need to go along with the stylish yellow Ascaso masterpiece.

What's moving in in my kitchen looks just like this

















































Wow, isn't that an adult decision?
Looks like a junkie one to me, though :)

Now I'm going to be full of anticipation and go sit at the next coffeeshop until it arrives!