Where did the week go?

I meant to post some photos of our trip to the Baltic Sea on Monday!! I can't believe that it's already Saturday. Our trip to Rügen Island was so relaxing and wonderful. I need to spend more time by the sea in the near future.

We're off to the Shake Your Tree release party at HBC tonight.

Happy Saturday.

a lovely gift.

Awhile back we did our very first giveaway for the Etsy Germany Streetteam, a group of Etsy sellers that are living in Germany and other German speaking countries like Austria and Switzerland. And Regine of Karla A was gracious enough to be our very first sponsor. Well... when I went to check the mail the other day I found these beautifully handspun skein's of yarn waiting for me. Regine you are the sweetest! Thank you so much. I can't wait to start a project with your beautiful yarn!! I'm thinking of adapting the pattern below to make a lacier looking version of this shawl.



In other news I've been cooking up a storm. One of our main sources for foolproof recipes is food gawker. Last weekend I went to visit my friend Ninon and her friend Le Raclet at the Nowkölln Fleamarket on Maybach Ufer. It was a pretty nice market with a good mix of handmade and used stuff... good prices. Check it out if you are in Berlin on the 3rd Sunday of the Month!

Happy Wednsday.

Experimenting.

I've been teaching myself how to crochet because someone told me that it is much faster and easier than knitting. I don't know... I'm much more of a knitter. I think that eventually I'll just have to get the hang of it, no?

I'm off to the Baltic Sea for a long weekend camping adventure. The weather reports aren't good but I hope that they are wrong. They often are.

Some lovely posts that made me smile this week:

I'm excited about this new collaboration between Anabela and Caitlin.

This is a nice tumblr collection.

I found this through craftgawker and may try it out in the near future.

Happy Thursday.

Preparations.

I have lots of new time on my hands this summer. It is in many ways pretty great. I have tons of time for cooking, planning, shopping. I haven't been much of a cook over the years. When you've always lived in a city where eating out is pretty inexpensive it is very easy to become lazy and say... aw let's go out tonight. Despite the heat, which seems to be subsiding, we've been cooking consistently. I can't say that they're all great meals, but this week they will be!

Yesterday morning I planned out a few meals and then went to the Turkish market in the afternoon. For dinner I ended up cooking the above Aubergine recipe with the help of some lovely friends, and it was to die for. I couldn't believe that I took part in making something so tasty. Today I'm going to tackle the Provincial Potatoes dish.

This evening we're cheating a bit and we'll be heading off to one of my favourite beer gardens for dinner. We have some guests coming in for a few days and another friend in town who is leaving tomorrow. So it's just one of those occasions for going out and seeing the town!

Happy Wednesday. I hope it's cooling off wherever you are.

And it continues.

The heat is relentless. I think that I'm just going to have to bear with it for the next week. I took a look at a two week forecast for Berlin and it seems like tomorrow the temperatures will drop to normal or maybe a little lower than normal summer levels... mid to low 20's. Sorry for any Americans that might be reading this... I have no idea what that would be in Fahrenheit.

Yesterday we had a lovely evening of sitting in the park with our new friend Kate... she's visiting from Atlanta. And then we dragged her along with us to eat some Sushi at a really wonderful and not so expensive restaurant on Torstr. near Gartenstr. Sorry I didn't take note of the name.

Today I gallivanted around town and made a visit to the Staatsbibliothek on Potsdamerstr.... one of my favourite places in the city.

Hopefully this week will be full of evenings sitting in parks and on the bank of a canal near our place... just some of our oases to escape the heat in this place!

Happy Monday.

Guest.

We have had a visitor this past week. Not a real visitor from out of town. A friend of ours in Berlin has been borrowing my workspace this week. It's been nice to have an extra body around buzzing away on my sewing machines. I'm hoping that it draws some inspiration out of me!

My friend Christiane gave me this book earlier this week as an early early birthday present. I think we're on the same wavelength. Sometimes I need the pull of quick and easy projects to get me back on that sewing horse.

Stop by the Etsy Germany Streetteam Blog to check out our Giveaway for the month of July, sponsored by Kathleen of Missus D!

This is exactly how I've been feeling in this heatwave.

Heat.

We've been adjusting to some major lifestyle changes around here. It's been tough... but I'm starting to see the positive aspects. The heat has also been keeping us inside our "somewhat cooler than outside" apartment. Last summer Berlin was pretty cool and rainy so we were very ill prepared for this heatwave. I've also been a little stubborn and have decided that it's not worth it to buy a fan. As soon as we do I'm sure the heatwave will be over.

A couple of weeks ago I ordered a new pair of glasses. I've decided to go the frameless route. After years of wearing glasses with chunky thick plastic frames I felt like it was time for a change in this department. Every time I look in the mirror wearing the new glasses I feel like I'm channeling my grandmother. Sweet but strange.

My number one way of beating the heat?? Eating lots of fruit and salads, and drinking way too much homemade iced tea. I must thank my old and dear employers (here and here) in Toronto for teaching me their homemade iced tea secrets!

It's fashion week in Berlin and although I have no energy to even think about which interesting events I can go to, I will be stopping by Wedding Dress today to check out the wares and to visit two lovely ladies Mon Bibi and Anna.

Happy Sunday.

Small Oases.

Over the past few years I've been uncovering many small Oases throughout Berlin. Most accessible in the summer... But some of my year long favourites are...

WAU
Amerika Gedenkbibliothek - beautiful spacious cool space to read or work in
Fleury
Cafe in Bode Museum
Bar Vereinszimmer
Sarah Wiener at Hamburger Bahnhof

Around the corner a new cafe just opened up that I can see myself spending many hours in in the near future. When I remember what it is called I'll post it here.

One of my favourite things to do when I need a bit of time alone, or need to get out of the heat, is to go to one of the many museums in Berlin. They offer yearly passes for 80 Euros (40 Euros if you are a student) for all of the special permanent exhibitions. It's a steal... especially if you're not a fan of the crowds on the weekly free nights!

Happy Friday.