Thanks For Linking Me In The Year 2008!

Thanks to all the people who have linked to my blog in the year 2008 in some way or the other.

Non-English blogs:
Abspannsitzenbleiber
litblogs
Deutscher Lotto-Blog
Die kleinen Dinge
Digitale Notizen
Ins Netz Gegangen
isarstadt.de
Logbuch Isla Volante
lyroholisch
Narziss und Goldhund
Schelling 48
Stadtneurotiker
Sterntau
Tivoli-Blog
Turmsegler
unilife live


English blogs:
Africantapestry
Alan Bernard’s F’kn Mayhem!
Auntie Mim´s Art, Crafts, Life's journal
Ces And Her Dishes Part II
continuous line
DJ Berger
go flying turtle
Illustration Friday
Illustration Friday Night
Larushka
Laurelines
Made by Milla
mARTa's Art
Mithi´s Creative Journey
Northview Diary
Pequete's Art Journal
Productdose
Quilt Knit
redacted recipes
rue Manuel bis
Same old world
Sketchpot
soulbrush
The better life
The Ephemerist
The Life Of Leland
The Portrait Party
Tommy Kane

(In case I forgot someone, just let me know.)

Münchner Theater für Kinder

Watching "The Bremer Town Musicians" with the family.

Update:
We really enjoyed the play at the Münchner Theater für Kinder. This theater is one of the most charming places in Munich. And I have enjoyed every play I have seen there so far. The kids too. ;)

Last Day Chanukah!

Sent from my iPhone
Happy Chanukah!

Seven Lights!

Sent from my iPhone
Happy Chanukah!

Candle Number Six

Sent from my iPhone
Happy Chanukah!

Fifth Candle

Sent from my iPhone
Happy Chanukah!

Seasons Greetings!

Thanks to everybody who brought a smile to my face the past year. I just made a quick list of names, so I´m might have forgotten some of you. Anyway have a wonderful holiday and enjoy your time off.

Some more ecards I discovered at Someecards. They always make me smile...
... but I didn´t dare to post this one on my blog.

Advent, Advent (5) Merry Xmas

Today is the last day of the Advent Game. I really did enjoy searching for the gifts, wrapping and sending them off. It did strain my wallet, but it was worth it. Today the two last recipients were chosen.
First of all Miriam asked for "a magical pillow that will send her a deep and dreamless sleep every night for 8 hours". As it was pretty late for sending off stuff I searched the net and found a dream pillow at Etsy.

"Enjoy a deep and restful sleep by tucking this aromatic & beautiful little pillow inside your pillowcase at night."

Mim, I know that this might be a dust catcher and that it may not be the right gift specially with your husband being allergic. But as usual I think it is a nice gift to pass along - in case you have no use for it or don´t like it.
The second gift will be for Benjamin. He wished for a drawing yesterday - pretty late, but this will be the opportunity to draw a picture which will not leave our place. All the drawings I´ve done so far (except in my moleskines) have been presents, so I could never really show anybody my work. This will change now.

To everybody who wished for some gifts, but didn´t receive any: I do hope your wishes will get fullfilled for you too.

Fourth Day Chanukah!

Sent from my iPhone
Happy Chanukah!

Update to Advent Advent (4)

Here are the pics of the gifts (Advent, Advent (4)) for Blog Queen (who was looking for the real meaning of life) and for Miriam (who wanted something handmade or pink or horse-themed).

Here´s a bracelet for Miriam´s daughter:

And some chocolate and a book about the meaning of life for Steffi:

Third light

Sent from my iPhone
Happy Chanukah!

Advent: Dec 23

Anyone wanting an Advent gift, just comment here or at the Advent post. Check out the blog Dec. 14 to see if you are one of the surprise winners. And please send me your address. You´ll find my email address in my profile.
You can submit more than one wish. This will increase your chances!

Reese Witherspoon

What a lovely pic.
via Celebrity Pictures

Second Candle

Sent from my iPhone
Happy Chanukah!

Advent: Dec 22

Anyone wanting an Advent gift, just comment here or at the Advent post. Check out the blog Dec. 14 to see if you are one of the surprise winners. And please send me your address. You´ll find my email address in my profile.
You can submit more than one wish. This will increase your chances!

Happy Chanukah!

Sent from my iPhone
Picture of the second largest Chanukia in the world.

Advent, Advent (4) Meaning of Life

Today, I´m posting picks of wrapped parcels, as I will send of the packages on Monday. I don´t want to reveal the surprise.
Blog Queen is looking for the real meaning of life and maybe, with the gift, she´ll receive a few answers. Or maybe it will just help her to relax. :)

Miriam asked for a handmade ornament for their Christmas tree or a horse themed mobile for their childrens rooms. I´ll be making something else. I went to Perlmuttchen and bought some stuff there for a little handmade gift. I have to admit that I don´t know where I put the bag, so I´ll have to complete and send it off later. But it wouldn´t make it to the States in time for Xmas anyway.

Here are pics of the gifts.

Advent: Dec 20

Anyone wanting an Advent gift, just comment here or at the Advent post. Check out the blog Dec. 14 21 to see if you are one of the surprise winners. And please send me your address. You´ll find my email address in my profile.
You can submit more than one wish. This will increase your chances!

Advent: Dec 19

Anyone wanting an Advent gift, just comment here or at the Advent post. Check out the blog Dec. 14 21 to see if you are one of the surprise winners. And please send me your address. You´ll find my email address in my profile.
You can submit more than one wish. This will increase your chances!

Advent: Dec 18

Anyone wanting an Advent gift, just comment here or at the Advent post. Check out the blog Dec. 14 21 to see if you are one of the surprise winners. And please send me your address. You´ll find my email address in my profile.
You can submit more than one wish. This will increase your chances!

Advent: Dec 17

Anyone wanting an Advent gift, just comment here or at the Advent post. Check out the blog Dec. 14 21 to see if you are one of the surprise winners. And please send me your address. You´ll find my email address in my profile.
You can submit more than one wish. This will increase your chances!

I Did Something...

I just started a new sketch journal (of course a watercolor moleskine). The drawing above is from one of the first pages.

Advent: Dec 16

Anyone wanting an Advent gift, just comment here or at the Advent post. Check out the blog Dec. 14 21 to see if you are one of the surprise winners. And please send me your address. You´ll find my email address in my profile.
You can submit more than one wish. This will increase your chances!

Advent: Dec 15

Anyone wanting an Advent gift, just comment here or at the Advent post. Check out the blog Dec. 14 21 to see if you are one of the surprise winners. And please send me your address. You´ll find my email address in my profile.
You can submit more than one wish. This will increase your chances!

What a Wonderful Dressing Room

Advent, Advent (3) Mr. Right and Prince Charming

This week I had even less time than usual. So both packages go to German readers. I had two ladies wishing for their own Prince Charming.

I do not know Sterntau, but loved her name (translates to "Stardew"). She received her personal full-magnetic-Prince Charming. He´s not made of Marzipan, but still he can be useful.
Paulina had a very long list of characteristics (see the comment section) her Mr. Right would need to have, so she received a package of putty to make him herself. A set of instructions is included to make her dreams come true.
Sterntau und Paulina, I wish both of you luck next year in finding the right one.

Update: Click here to see Frau Sterntau´s Prince Charming

Anyone wanting an Advent gift, just comment here or at the Advent post. Check out the blog Dec. 14 to see if you are one of the surprise winners. And please send me your address. You´ll find my email address in my profile.
You can submit more than one wish. This will increase your chances!

Advent: Dec 13

Anyone wanting an Advent gift, just comment here or at the Advent post. Check out the blog Dec. 14 to see if you are one of the surprise winners. And please send me your address. You´ll find my email address in my profile.
You can submit more than one wish. This will increase your chances!

Advent: Dec 12

Anyone wanting an Advent gift, just comment here or at the Advent post. Check out the blog Dec. 14 to see if you are one of the surprise winners. And please send me your address. You´ll find my email address in my profile.
You can submit more than one wish. This will increase your chances!

Advent: Dec 11

Anyone wanting an Advent gift, just comment here or at the Advent post. Check out the blog Dec. 14 to see if you are one of the surprise winners. And please send me your address. You´ll find my email address in my profile.
You can submit more than one wish. This will increase your chances!

Bitte nach Ihnen!

(Guest post by Dirk von Gehlen. Thanks Dirk. I enjoyed reading your story. And Thanks to Markus for organizing the Münchner Blog-Wichteln - Secret Santa.)

Wir müssen uns München als freundliche Stadt vorstellen. Wann immer ich an der U-Bahntüre stehe und auf den nächsten Halt warte, wird mir dies aufs Neue bewusst. Dabei rede ich nicht von diesen glänzenden blauen U-Bahnzügen, die neuerdings den Münchner Untergrund befahren. Ich spreche von den älteren Modellen; jenen, die scheinbar mit der Zeit ihre Farbe verloren haben oder vielleicht niemals eine andere kannten als dieses verblichene Rotbraun fürs Sitzpolster und das vergilbte Holzimitat für die Wände. Wann immer ich in einem dieser 70er-Jahren-Züge am Ausgang stehe, bemerke ich an den beiden silbernen Türgriffen, die noch aus Zeiten der Maßlosigkeit stammen müssen, diese besondere Münchner Freundlichkeit: Denn zwei Griffe bräuchten diese Türen gar nicht. Betätigt man den einen Hebel, öffnet er die andere Türseite automatisch mit. Man erweist dem nebenstehenden Mitfahrer, der ebenfalls an der nächsten Station aussteigen will, also eine unvermeidliche Freundlichkeit, wenn man demonstrativ nach dem Hebel greift und anzeigt: Ich öffne die Türe für dich mit. Bei Zügen neuerer Bauart wird diese Tätigkeit auf einen einzigen leuchtenden Knopf reduziert. Dieser Knopf bietet aber nur Platz für einen Finger, es ist also klar: Es kann nur einer der beiden Wartenden drücken und die Tür öffnen. Da es im Angesicht der beiden silbernen Griffe aber die Möglichkeit gibt, dass beide hebelten, entsteht – das bilde ich mir jedenfalls ein – eine unausgesprochene Übereinkunft zwischen den beiden Reisenden, die um diesen Umstand wissen. Wer frühzeitig nach dem Hebel greift, sagt dem anderen damit: „Lass mal gut sein, ich kümmere mich um die Tür." Nicht-Münchner werden das vermutlich albern finden, es ganz sicher nicht verstehen.
Vielleicht müssen wir uns die Blogs dieser Stadt wie Reisende in alten U-Bahnmodellen im Münchner Untergrund vorstellen. Dann würde ich hiermit für Kerstin Klein und snowflakes & blackvampires nach dem silbernen Hebel greifen wollen: „Bitte nach Ihnen!"

Text: Dirk von Gehlen von Digitalen Notizen, Redaktionsleiter von jetzt.de (Süddeutsche Zeitung). Blog-Wichteln organisiert von Mawa von isarstadt.de. Mein Text erscheint bei isarstadt.de.

Teilnehmer:

Dr. Sno*
isarstadt
Lyroholisch
Digitale Notizen
münchenblogger
Notebook München
abspannsitzenbleiber
rettet das mittagessen
snowflakes & blackvampires
Stadtneurotiker
Tivoli-Blog
Unilife live
Vorspeisenplatte

Advent: Dec 10

Anyone wanting an Advent gift, just comment here or at the Advent post. Check out the blog Dec. 14 to see if you are one of the surprise winners. And please send me your address. You´ll find my email address in my profile.
You can submit more than one wish. This will increase your chances!

Secret Santa

(Foto: mawa/isarstadt.de)

About two weeks ago I read at another blog that Mawa of isarstadt.de would be doing a Munich Blog-Wichteln. "Wichteln" is the German Expression for "Secret Santa".
Of course I signed up right away. I LOVE giving and receiving gifts. A day later I received the rules to the game. Participants are all bloggers from Munich and they have to write texts about Christmas time in Munich. I almost bit my tongue for not inquiring about the rules earlier.
Anyway, I did manage to write a text about Christmas and draw a picture for it. It will be published next Wednesday at isarstadt.de. The same day, I´ll have a guest post here which will be written in German, so don´t be surprised.

Advent: Dec 9

Anyone wanting an Advent gift, just comment here or at the Advent post. Check out the blog Dec. 14 to see if you are one of the surprise winners. And please send me your address. You´ll find my email address in my profile.
You can submit more than one wish. This will increase your chances!

Día de los Muertos - Steve´s Moly_x_19

When I spent 3 months in Los Angeles some years ago I first heard about the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos). The holiday is celebrated mainly in Mexico and focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and relatives who have died.
Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts. I really like the colorful and crazy way "death" is handled on this occasion.

The skulls were drawn in Steve´s moly from Moly_x_19.

Advent: Dec 8

Anyone wanting an Advent gift, just comment here or at the Advent post. Check out the blog Dec. 14 to see if you are one of the surprise winners. And please send me your address. You´ll find my email address in my profile.
You can submit more than one wish. This will increase your chances!

Advent, Advent (2) Wolfsmale and Tiger

Friday the next two packages went out.

The white tiger envelope goes to Australia to Emma. Her art is wonderful and I´m glad I´m in a Moly Exchange group with her. It wasn´t easy buying moleskines and then deciding to let go of them again. ;) I´m glad I´ve got a substitute.

Dorin gets the second package. Actually he was suposed to receive it later, but another gift I ordered hasn´t yet arrive at my place. Dorin asked for Cookies with an erotic twist. Currently I don´t have a lot of time, so I sent him Kamasutra chocolate instead. Then I found his wishlist on amazon, so I could send him a book too.

Anyone wanting a gift, just comment here or at the Advent post and maybe you´ll be the lucky one next week. And please don´t forget to send your address to my email address (see my profile).