~ unplugged & chills down the spine...

~ hello everyone :)

 I'm happy to be managing to post here today, even if it is late evening already!

how have you been?

 there's a lot of time spent working at home

from this side of the world, which one the hand is wonderful,

on the other hand makes me desire a new actual

interior decoration project & interration with people

of course...

have gathered a few moments of today to go along with some thoughts & pictures...

ready to come along with me?

~ as seem from the recent pictures all over, {this vintage} camera is dominating our table

~ lots of {these recycled jars} have been gathered by now

  providing the chance to enjoy candle light all over our place

&

 since we supplied ourselves with a few {packages of hundreds of candlelights},

they can burn day & night, making every grey day brighter, warmer & more inviting...

~ have been working on our shop, where the {30% summer sale} is continuing until the end of August.

we think that it is a marvelous chance to get more for less, while focusing on quality

and possibly stock up for Christmas... yes?

~ we 'd just love to "virtually" see you there, get in contact with you

and be of service :)

~ speaking of the shop, there is a {new set of cards} avaliable in the stationary department 

it's all about architecture & opening the {doors of your life}

[via]

~ there is a lot of energy and time needed and invested in finding a place for us to live

 it is a very emotional process for me, which is the reason why I'm generally more quiet

than I have usually lately been

~ a lot of past losses passed by before my eyes these days... leading clearly to a need in establishing

new basis... making new beginnings, this time more consciously & more aware

~ it's not a fairy tale love any more...

I have really relocated in Germany since more than 3 years now

  ~ ~ ~

from around the blogosphere, 

~ have been adoring all Annalena's latest posts and especially this simple, oh so charming 

&

amazing {home necklace},

posted in her D.I.Y column at Emma's design blog.

~ I'm loving Nina Holst's {hallway}, actually her whole living space is just amazing!

 the thought that some of our shop's items are to be hosted

there, makes me happy and very honoured

~ the styling of them both inspired this moodboard, the making of which, I've promised to post about.

for now, here is just a taste of the final outcome:

a "live" moodboard in naturals & grey...

I have been loving using my 50mm lens set to 1.7mm,

capturing light on everyday objects around our home,

as they are... unplugged... unstyled...  

[this image is slightly altered to the first, just for the record ;)]

~ have been going through our travelling pictures, finding favorites,

which mostly mark unforgettable moments,

& deep feelings ...

this is a church in the {Monastery of Randa in Mallorca},

where we spent a {short winter vacation} last year

I still remember the incredible quiet and stillness, with the nuns' angelic voices being the only interruption...

divine feelings... or rather feelings beyond description... goose bumps on the skin...

chills running down the spine

&

deep, silent joy...

... I guess I'll leave you this way ...

wishing you a wonderful evening & a good night

~ ~ ~

also wishing luck to everyone who has entered the {give away},

which just closed a little while ago.

the winner will be announced in the upcoming days!

~ happy bubbling :)

dears oh dears...

the days turn out busier than expected,

making posting here happenning in a pace slower & less frequent than my wish is...

still, I always think of you, the expected posts & all the new ones to be coming...

 to temporarily break the silence until the next decent post finds its way, here,

I had to share this eco-friendly soap powder with you:

[via]

 if these "happy nyc bubbles"

won't manage to make laundry routines

happier & more pleasant for you,

then I don't know what will ; )

happy Tuesday 

among everything else!

..........................

and happy remiders:

~> enter our {give away & celebrate with us our 1 year  blogiversary}!

~> check out what's {new on our shelves}

~>  if you are in the mood for showing some {more} love, 

you can do so by liking 

{of course, only and if you really do so;)}

{this dyptich} of our wishes corner, 

submitted to {Christina Greeve's wonderful contest}!

Hope st. ~> direction happiness ♥

[via]

just having written about {1000 paths to happiness}

&

 in between all {these} natural tones, 

some dosis of vivid strawberry red, paired with calm light blues & cool minty greens is

just the right amount of colour to bring a white space to life,

while taking us for a walk on 

{Hope street ~> direction happiness}

you had probably been expecting the colour moodboard following the tones of 

{the previous post}

when I realised the latest etsy treasury 

 curated this weekend hadn't been shared here with you

now that would be a shame, wouldn't it?

; )

... all the better, cause it is needed today... a little colour brings easily just the right energy boost 

on a very...  interesting let's say weather wise day...

~ fast moving clouds...

~ occasional bright sun...

~ sudden busts of rain shower...

it must be August in the middle of Europe ; )

. . . . . .

enjoy these items by visiting {this} link

and... I have the feeling I might surprise you with another post 

in between... posts ; )

 c u then!

P.S: thanking Kristi, from {A life through the lens} for the title inspiration, derived from her beautiful street sign photograph.

1000 paths to happiness ~

hello there,

 it's Monday, let's talk about  h a p i n e s s, shall we?

I know some of you are back in their offices and this is not

always a good thing,

still, if you can spare some time,

fill up this cup of yours

&

think along what makes YOU happy,

while reading this post

all ready?

. . . . . . . . . . . . 

after a weekend fully at home, with only a late Saturday afternoon spent at Ikea,

{just to supply our home with a few every day basics}

there was a lot of time to engage in simple things I love

& 

realise a little bit deeper what makes me happy

what actually stands next to the word happiness for me personally...

well, happiness for me is tranquility,

feelings of deep joy,

enjoyment of every day life's simple things, even its routines 

happiness is warm sun on my skin,

{oh and did we have the chance to lie down & sunbathe in our little, miraculous veranda yesterday!}

rainy afternoons inside, with hot drinks,

in an ambiance we love,

[via]

happiness is being genuinly creative,

enjoying contact with nature & animals,

seeing yourself grow & being pleased with the process,

happiness is waking up next to the one you love,

breakfasts together,

dinners under the moon,

candlelight... 

 happiness is hugging a friend,

making a present,

being understanding, compassionate...

[via]

happiness is communication, 

{no... social media is not what I had in mind despite their many positive sides}

for example, the process of actually writing posts

for this blog does indeed bring me happiness,

as much as knowing that they will be read by you,

still, 

I'm  rather referring to real talks with friends & people,

sharing & listening carefully,

with a heart & ears bright open

happiness is also knowing when to talk & when to be quiet,

cause sometimes silence is golden

and by this I don't mean stubbornly not talking,

but remaining quiet

just in order to hear your own self

happiness is giggling,  deep down from the belly

cause your did something silly!

[via]

for me happiness is freedom from ambition,

while at the same time setting off to achieve all we wish for,

being one with the present

&

in peace with things as they currently are,

leaving endless to do lists aside

............................

speaking of which my dears, the "to post" list on this blog is

increasing more and more,

as there are some posts meant to be shared

&

 then I always love coming here sharing life as it happens,

o.k...where does this

 naturally point to? ~> more posting!

of course : )

this means organising my day more around this blog,

spending more time on it,

which eventually leads to this becoming also part of my job.

As advertising in the usual & expected way found on blogs

doesn't seem to fit around these pages,

I have been developing a slightly altered approach to sponsorship,

for a limited amount of chosen sponsors.

.... any time soon I'll share more, being specific.

... but for now, I'll keep the posts today revolving around

white, grey & naturals,

occasionally with a touch of golden,

much as the pictures accompaning this post,

all made this weekend to support the {stylish we hope!}

appearance of our etsy shop

wishing you all to have the loveliest of beginnings in this new day and week

&

once more, thank you so much for your warmhearted "get well" wishes

will see you later with a mood board,

following exactly the colour palette of this one,

while elaborating on the "making of" process of it

and a few happy & usuful reminders:

a. there is 30% Summer Sale going on in the shop, till the end of August

for all sizes of prints. The code is ~>  S u m m e r   S a l e

b. as part of the {one year blog celebration}, there are still 3 days left for you

to become a subscriber of this blog & enjoy a 50% reduction to all shop items

till the 10th of August. The code is ~> "Domestic stories celebrate"

c.  you can enter the fabulous & generous give away right {here}, for a chance to win a Goodies bag from Domestic stories, sure to make you happy!

~ healing power...

[via]

 hello everyone....

I' ve been sick since last evening & will therefore not work on any kind of screen today, 

 at least for some time

 am bringing here some pictures that make me happy to share with you,

cause I believe that images can carry a lot 

of energy & even healing power 

am a firm believer of  love + magic + goodness you see...

so let's take a look

& 

do hope that many faces of yours can smile, up on looking at them... 

 above, a little boy together with his best friend looking out the window,

while being in a warm, loving home...

how much joy + happiness + bliss

does this photo carry?

below, my summer clothes as they were lovingly being packed to spend a few days in

Greece for a {heavenly} mini summer vacation

corners in the old city of Kos

calm, crystal clear blue waters

at the beach of Ajios Stefanos on Kos 

bamboo umbrellas at the beach of "Hrisi akti" or else, Golden beach 

a cafe at the center of the old city, situated under an enormous tree,

warm, golden sand at Tigaki beach

our home in Germany, my vintage Beirette camera

and so much more...

but there is not need in putting them all in one post ...

looking very much forward to coming back,

recovered, with fresh posts

till then,

~ take care 

~ remember to {or don't forget}

&

 do join us for a lovely {celebration & give away}

taking place until the 10th of August

which you can enter 

{here}

~ ~ ~

P.S1: coloured words + phrases are actually links taking you to more information. Use them ; )

P.S2: to all concerned lovely friends + relatives that might want to call,

I'll be just fine & will call you as soon as I'm better.

It cannot be that bad for me being able to come here and post, right? ; )

~ act naturally

hello everyone!

how are you?

in case you are wondering about my yesterday's  b u t t e r f l i e s  in the stomach,

I should report that all of my actions are being 

&

will go on being concentrated on taking care of them

&

eventually releasing them out in the nature,

 cause when you think about it,

this is the only place butterflies belong to... right? ; )

in this spirit, here are memorable parts of this day:

 waking up 

&

 seeing the sunrise right from our balcony

  actually last evening found me there,

laying under a blanket full of stars,

an occurance not so common since my relocation in Germany.

it therefore called for extra celebration, so our usual & rather early sleep routine,

gave place to candle light in jars like {these},

spread all over the veranda

&

a blanket on the floor to lie down...

feelings of bliss & lots of emotionality...

another moment:

intense rain shower in the afternoon

&

me running at the veranda in a glimpse of an eye,

to allow myself to get wet from the pouring rain...

so purifying & refreshing!...

have been wanting for a long time to do that

finally,

photos of this vintage Beirette,

found at an Athenian flea market, some 10 years ago

as the light quickly became cold cause of the absense of sun,

I thought that photographing

colourless objects might be a good idea...

  am actually not disappointed with the outcome...

 and you...what do yout think?

she is a stylisn lady, not?

... and a final moment worth of mentioning:

two quotes from {this} book I'm reading:

~> "act naturally"

~>  "Your honesty will produce as much satisfaction for you as it will for others"

do you sometimes find that being honest complicates life sometimes?

have you thought that perhaps eventually it simplifies it?

I tend to be finding the second more close to my personal truth,

 cause after all, there is one single person

we cannot let down in this lifetime of ours:

ourselves

....................................

here are a few fabulous places to visit for inspiration,

following the black & white  routine of this post:

this + this + that {here with pops of colour}

enjoy!

&

see you with a next more summery & colourful post

promise ; )

~ oh those butterflies!

[via]

good morning everyone :)

 I hope that this will be no ordinary day for us all,

 as the title of {the recent treasury I curated} suggests,

  but a whimsical one...

 a magical one...

much like these pictures selected {above}

from the etsy places of fabulous photographers...

I'm really adoring the elegant table lamp portrayed 

&

would just love to have it placed somewhere on a sleek, modern piece,

much like {these cabinets}, adjusted on the wall,

& 

make an intereting mix of some of the pictures

featured above...

eclectic elegance is what comes to my mind...

and then {this space}...

................

we are looking at an apartment today...

 my stomach is filled with  b u t t e r f l i e s ...

simply cause I cannot imagine any other place 

momentarily to call home,

than excactly where we are...

afraid of changes?

it depends...

some times I love them & go for it all the way being very bold + determined

but then, there are those times, 

I feel I am there where I always wanted to...

those who know our city might laugh...

an industrial one called Rüsselsheim,

with Opel Factory located here...

in between Wiesbaden + Frankfurt...

still our location is perfect...

 and simply adore {the park} + river + {Opel Villen} area right by our door,

except from {the apartment} itself...

if only this view was not only my own...

if only I could afford to keep it as a studio at least...

if only my financial situation changed immediately...

challenged by life again...

I will have to tune into my deeper needs 

&

wishes, so that we are guided there where it will be best for us

and then I have to be ending this post cause work is waiting

& 

that is a good thing ; )

........................................

sometimes these lines work as therapy sessions,

releasing some stuff that otherwise are hard to handle...

thank you for coming along this life trip with me!

it honestly feels great having you along the way!

enjoy your days my dears ~

lot's to post here...

all in their time ; )

 ~ ~ ~

P.S: cannot thank you enough for all the lovely comments you are leaving  {here}!