Another Fresh Start

It's 2014! I haven't updated this blog for AGES.

I'll keep the news short: lots of really good things happened.
After having recently noticed how much I actually missed blogging, I promised Yvonne I'd start again and write a post before January's over, so here it is. A shiny new post. Another fresh start.

I'm currently reading The Happiness Project which is enormously inspiring. A dangerous thing about a book like that is that it can get you all excited, run to a stationery shop to get a new fancy notebook, jot down resoultions and forget it all altogether three days later because you have way too much on your plate already.

So my primary goal/resolution/whateveryoumightcallit for 2014 is to stick with the resolutions.
Right after it comes another one: Declutter. My flat, my possessions, my head. I'm going to use this blog as a helpful tool and document the changes, mostly about the flat (my passion for interior decoraion didn't go anywhere, it's staying for good).

I traveled excessively in 2012/2013, so much that I actually got tired of planes and not being at home. This year, I wanna spend more time in my amazing, cozy flat and do a whole lot of decluttering and reorganizing. I do believe it'll open up some space to even more positive changes.

Here's my work in progress: the right side where I keep my work materials is all done (turned out all I had to do is order some new folders, get rid of the worn out ones plus a mountain or random handouts) and the left one is waiting for me to get started. How come I never really get to making stuff? Does it have anything to do with the overstuffed and messy drawers? 

Well, to be honest I did manage to finish a couple of tiny projects, like this mini-art wall above my desk. 

Nothing fancy, just some frames, souvenirs and happy pictures to lift my mood. Sorry for the nasty iPhone snapshots, I'll tackle this issue at some point during the year. 

Coming soon: Decluttering Stage 1 - Getting started. 

See, Yvonne? Es geht doch! 

The organizing madness

As it doesn't seem an easy task to actually post something sensible every other week, I'm still going to try and use the opportunity for rambling a bit instead of just placing a couple of nice pictures here.
There won't be any nice pictures this time as I left my camera in Berlin (a wonderful weekend with two girlfriends, lots of apple pie and lengthy conversations). Intead, an iPhone shot of Vivian the Cat feeling a special connection to nature will have to do as an opening illustration.

Organzing has become madly popular these days. Everybody's trying to organize everything around them that's not nailed. Oh yes, and there's time management out there, too!
So while I've been gathering inspiration online at places like Simplify101 (a great resource, by the way, even if you're not willing to sign up for a 70 bucks workshop), a lot happened offline.
Here's the list:
*My day job requires super-advanced organizing skills. I can't call myself a professional in that area just yet but these are my helpers:

This shelf hosts almost all the books and materials I need at any given moment. There's a little secret closet right behind it that used to be a hand-pulled lift (the house is really old).

And this is the ever-flickry-popular cabinet I spotted while riding my bike in the neighborhood. An old pharmacy was closing down and all the furniture was just standing right there on the pavement, looking at me, screaming: "Take me home". I entered the place, saw the cabinet and didn't leave until my boyfriend came to pick us both up. I was too anxious someone else might take it! The multitalent cabinet holds all my materials (neatly labeled) on the right and crafty supplies (paper, stamps, punches etc.) on the left. It's definitely a 'never-let-me-go' piece!

*I also tried organizing my living room a bit.

Making plain Ikea kitchen cabinets work as a sideboard idea had been in my head long enough, ever since I spotted it in the Apartment Therapy book. The total cost was around 100 Euros. Now talk about being savvy! This sideboard holds anything that shouldn't be seen (CDs, mags, frames yet to be hung etc.)
I also hoped I'd swap the art on the picture ledge above the sofa every once in while. Ha ha. Keep dreaming.

My next project is an organized closet. I've started selling things (and furniture) I no longer need and can report back - go for it!

  
 












I've bought a little helper and I do hope that before I pack my suitcase to travel again to my beloved Land of the Best Shopping Ever, I'll have a very detailed list of things I really need that, together with my long-time favorites, are going to make my wardrobe work. Maybe it'll be the end of my jeans/skirt/jeans/skirt dressing ritual (boring!).
I'm going to end this post with some flowers my significant other gave me right before SVD. He should know that they made me really happy.

Being present...

I've recently suscribed to Ali Edwards' brilliant newsletter and I'm thrilled by the fact that it actually works.
Being present is something that Ali talked about in one of the last emails and this phrase just seemed so right.

I haven't been present for quite a while. I've traveled a lot, learnt and tried quite a bunch of new things and generally grew a bit but I haven't written a single line about all that since July.

Now it's time to change it. I'm not going to wait until I'm able to take perfect pictures with my new camera (the DSLR got stolen this fall) because this is most probably never going to happen.
I'm just going to post what I have and keep writing my little online diary, perfectly meaningless to the world.

Fantastic flat's been coming along nicely. There's progress everywhere, quite a lot to show, actually.
Like this funky corner.

Or maybe this one? It's all become a bit more colorful as I'd brought heaps of beautiful things from my trips to Japan and India last year. One day there'll be photo albums with real pictures and journaling and all this but right now all I can manage is a bit of handmade here and there. Oh yes, and a clean desk. From time to time.

I should've written more about those trips. They were so very different from everything I'd known. Loved Japan and our new Japanese friends. Loved all the zakka stores. The book stores. Loved the sushi galore (of course!)

We actually even managed a flea market visit in Tokyo. Can you find the loot in the shelf?

I'm going to end my very first post of the year with a simple resolution.
2012 I'm going to blog regularly. Say, on a weekly basis. Already put that into my iPhone planner.
See you soon, dear non-existant readers! And thanks, Ali.

Art Wall Results (for real!)

Let's start this post with a compliment. Sometimes my significant other really is the most patient person in the world. Kind of an angel, actually. For instance, he managed not to kill me yesterday while I was running around the FF, screaming: "I want to have it done!!!!!!!!!! I want it to be over!" in the most unpleasant manner.

He also helped me to turn this

into this

Never mind the empty frame. It's going to disappear as soon as certain someone finally tells me if I can produce my own little city collage - cause I'm dreaming of having one in blues and yellows right there in the middle of my shiny new art wall *wink*

While at it, I also moved some furniture and immediately came up with approximately 235 new ideas for the corner (that will frustrate me for a loong time because I still need to take care of the chaos in the living room). I also did a fair bit of decluttering and intend to indulge in many more hours of this rewarding activity.

The art on my incredibly beautiful, tastefully arranged and professionally hung art wall was kindly provided by Geninne, Eva Juliet, Tali also known as TushTush, Lucille Prache, a vintage mag found at a Bangkok market and the mighty Cavallini.
Loads of love to my signifacant other! I'm honestly surprised somebody actually reads this neglected blog - there'll be a big design overhaul soon to celebrate the fact that I posted twice within a week :)
Stay tuned!
Your Fr. Mayer
UPD There'll be a little city collage up on that wall very soon. Thank you, my dear interior guru!

Happy place

Yesterday I curled on the sofa with a glass of wine and a large amount of House M.D. to enjoy... (the longer I live in this flat, the more of a Happy Place it becomes to me). What a perfect final chord to the relaxation phase of my holidays: a week in Istanbul, meeting old and making new friends (Yvonne, I'm so glad we met!), dancing all night long, a bit of mushroom-y and crafty shopping, being at home and enjoying it, I simply don't want it all to end!

Oh yeah, and I shopped for furniture, too!


A new addition to my Happy Place! My lovely Ikea table moved to another study (around the corner :) and this is what I chose for my room - however, it arrived slightly damaged, so it'll have to be replaced in about six weeks. I also got myself those wonderful map stickers for the mag holders in the shelves to add a bit of color to the room, they fit very nicely, methinks!



This huge Ikea box is full of thrifted frames, prints, paper and such. Some of the new additions don't even fit in there any more - and there's another, even bigger box, in the living room. How many times have I promised myself I'd take care of those art walls? Now I'm posting this embarassing picture... Let's see how long it takes till those art walls are set!



Yesterday I went and got myself some X-massy mushrooms and hearts plus a couple of things I've been wanting for a while but never came to purchasing (smaller frames, mappy wrapping paper to frame).
It's strange how happy mushrooms can make you!
The tea tray is new as well and no, it doesn't come from Turkey, this one is from Madame Stolz.

And speaking of Turkey

Blue skies, holidays, a wonderful city, what else to add?

Well, corrections, I'm coming! See you not-so-soon, dear non-existant readers :)

My study: a little tour

I guess I'm ready to show a glimpse of my study. There's still so much to be done but if I wait until I'm finished there'll be no updates here for centuries. So, let's get started, dear non-exis.



Ikea + some DIY, I painted this cubby shelf white and covered Ikea pinboard with striped wallpaper. There are some washing pins on the wall holding my favourite postcards and the blue lamp by Lisbeth Dahl is a total highlight of the room. the pictures on top of the cubby shelf will go soon - you can't see but right behind me there's a huge plastic box full of frames and pictures in urgent need of framing. 15 more frames :) - and my art wall is ready to be set up. I'm also planning a massive Etsy splurge, so let's hope Euro becomes stronger.



Talking about the power of white paint. I painted wooden mag holders from IKEA and covered the files on the bottom shelf with a map (1 Euro, flea market) - as well as the little box on the top shelf. I'm a huge fan of paint chips, so I used those to make my mag holders look a bit more colorful.



A little bonus - what I see from my window every day. Usually, there are some squirells sitting on that roof and making Ms. Müller agressive.


A bonus bonus - the garden. No wonder Ms. Müller wants to go for a walk on the balcony all the time.


I'll see you all non-exis later. Due to a rather gloomy weather I can't show more but there'll be updates, I promise :)