Some Jewellery

I made some new pendants a few days ago and thought you might be interested in seeing them so here we go:

I already made one of these earlier this year but I gave it to my dear friend and pen pal Sonja so I decided to make one for myself. The text is a reference to BBC Sherlock, one of my favourite TV series ever!

These ones are a little more unusual compared to the pendantds I normally make because these have no real pictures or texts in them. The big one is an actual pendant while the small round one is a brooch.

Again, no pictures or text, just colour mixtures. I created them myself and I think I will give them away as Christmas presents. The upper left is supposed to be a gift for my mum, for example. I like all of them a lot, especially because they are modern and still wearable with victorian inspired outfits as I like to wear.

How do you like them?
Have a great day,
The Countess

Time for tea

Yesterday a friend of mine came over and we had some Earl Grey.
Have a great day,
The Countess

Anniversary

Yesterday, the Count and I had our fourth anniversary and even though we are not really into celebrating those things, we decided to go to Bonn to visit the Egyptian museum. We got in for free which was great and afterwards we did some shopping.
I won't show you any pictures of me with the Count because he does not like to have his picture taken but I can show you the amazing building of the museum:

All the university buildings of Bonn are that nice but of course Cologne is still the best uni in the world!

The Count took this photo when I was laughing about something he said which is why I look so weird.

Have a great day,
The Countess

Old Lady Skills

I am an old lady. 
Seriously. 
I am, as Mrs Hudson in BBC Sherlock would say, "more of a sitting down type". I like quiet evenings in bed with a movie and some needlework and I have never ever been to a club or disco. I am into sewing and stichting, I make my own handkerchiefs (yes, I use them) and now I have decided to add another skill to my grandma super powers: Knitting!
I tried to learn how to knit last year but I didn't have the right wool for beginners and my mum is not the best when it comes to explaining handiwork things but over the year my little sister tought it herself over Youtube and now she finally was able to show me how to do it. Yay!
I started with the most simple thing a person can knit: A skarf:

I have knitted 102cm aka 200g so far but I knew I would need another 200g so my mum was nice enough to buy me some more wool today. Out of some wild enthusiasm I also bought some pink wool to make another skarf, a thinner, longer one. Of course, when I say wool I don't mean real wool, it's 100% acrylic and cruelty free.

Do you knit?
Have a great day,
The Countess

Leaves and Sun Shine

I thought I'd share some old pictures with you today. These were taken about two years ago by my dear friend Imke. I love autumn and this outfit was my favourite for this season. Yes, I used to have a thing for selfmade top hats, thank you very much.

Have a great day,
The Countess

About Nature and How to Respect It

Nature is impressive. It is strong and powerful, it is soft and fragile, it is magnific and terrible. Those qualities can be found in every single little part of it if you only look close enough. Without nature we wouldn't exist. All the atoms and molecules, all our genes, our cells, they are all part of nature. We create great things like computers, our brains are able to come up the categorical imperative or language, all because we evolved in this one specific way. Let's be honest: We are lucky! We are the winners of the lottery called nature. I don't know if plants and animals can think and feel in such complex ways as we can but I highly doubt it. If they can it doesn't change the fact though that we are able to understand the consequences of our behaviour and therefore we have to act responsibly. We shouldn't treat nature as some tool that we can use, shape and destroy however we want, we should try to repect it! This can happen in many different ways: 

• Be kind to people of every race, gender and age. Help people less lucky than you, people that are maybe poorer than you, disabled or in an form less fortunate than you are, even if they got into trouble because they made an unwise decision or made a mistake. Errare humanum est.
• Be careful with what you throw away because actually, there is no "away"! The trash you produce effects nature. Take reusable shopping bags with you, use handkerchiefs, try to buy as little plastic products as possible. Little things make all the difference!
• Treat plants and animals with respect! I am not only talking about the cute ones that you like to cuddle. Where do the things you eat come from? Is a piece of meat really worth all the pain and suffering it brings to an animal? Is some make-up important enough to be tested on animals? Is your pleasure more important than some other creature's well being? Why do you think about cats or dogs in other ways than about pigs or chickens? Sometimes it is easier not to ask these questions because they are uncomfortable but it's the uncomfortable things we have to think about a lot more in life!
• Think about the things you buy! Often we buy things out of a certain mood and then they end up being not exactly what we wanted or nothing we really need. Shop with consciousness! You could ask yourself some of those questions: Do I need it? Do I really want it? Who made it? Where was it produced? is it worth the effect it has on the world?
• Most importantly: Treat yourself with respect! Give yourself a break, maybe in form of a nice bath with some (fairtrade) tea and a good book. You are important! Accept compliments and don't let yourself be pushed down by the bad things that happen in life! Remember: We are the lucky ones, the creatures that won the lottery of nature! We tend to forget that. A lot! 

Have a great day,
The Countess

Time Well Spent

Sometimes you don't realise how fast time passes. I don't know when it happend but it did: I became an adult. I am definetely no child anymore. A few days ago I visited my grandmother for breakfast and I noticed that our relationship has changed over the last years. Normally I meet her with my mother but this time I came alone which I have only done once before in the last few years because my mum and my grandma always initiate our weekly meetings, I just come along. 
This time it was different, I called her while my mother was on holidays because I wanted to spend some time with her alone. Our breakfasts are always very good, we usually have rolls, various spreads, tea and juice but this time my grandmother even went to a bio store to buy some vegan basil spread and cookies. We had a really nice chat, like "proper grown ups". I learned some new things about her. She has never tried avocado, for example and we both like long tartan skirts.
After breakfast I helped her hanging up her laundry and then we drove to a near castle which she wanted to show me. It was very nice and we decided to take a little walk around the castle through the fields. She told me that we used to go to this place very often when I was still really young but I don't remember that, unfortunately. Later, my grandma insited we go to the bio store to buy some soy milk so she could show me how to make plum pancakes. Because she is awesome like that! We made up our own recipe which is really close to her traditional one but in a veganized version. It was amazing but of course grandmothers always make great food. I am definetely going to make those pancakes again and I think my grandmother will try a pumpkin soup recipe I gave her. So at the end of the day we had a great day and both learned something new.
If you are fortunate enough to still have grandparents or maybe even great-grandparents you should go and spend time with them on your own! You may learn something new about them and maybe even about you.

Have a great day,
The Countess

The Small Things in Life...

A while ago I came back from Cologne and saw a moth on the floor of the station. It was a huge one, actually, but it looked tiny on the long floor. It was beautiful, just like a butterfly and it reminded me that sometimes the most beautiful things in life aren't big, sparkling and coloured. They are small, they are inconspicuous, they are rare and that's exactly what makes them so special.

Have a great day,
The Countess

Estonia Part 2

This is the last post about my trip to Stockholm, Viljandi and Tallinn. After a few great days in the lovely village of Viljandi my friend and I spent two amazing days in Tallinn, the Estonian capital. It is by far the smallest capital I have seen so far but the size gives it its very own charme. For me the most beautiful part was the medieval old town with its city wall which still is in a remarkably good condition. See for yourself!

Russian-Orthodox church

Protestant church

This used to be the highest church in the wolrd. Now it is still the highest building in Tallinn

city wall

Me at the door of an old pharmacy

Have a great day,
The Countess

Simple things in life

Today my best friend became a university student. She will study philosophy and psychology in Bonn which is why we went there today so she could enrol for her first semester. We were both really happy and excited so we decided to spend some more time in Bonn to enjoy the fact that we still have holidays.
First of all we went to an Alnatura store which we found by accident. Alnatura is a German company that sells bio food so naturally my friend (a vegetarian with some vegan tendencies) and me (a vegan) were thrilled to find this store! Oh Gods, all those delicious delights!

I got some tofu mince, two bear leek patties, a small portion of beetroot-horse radish cream (It's bright pink!!!) aaaand a glass of vegan rémoulade! I was really excited to try the latter and it is seriously delicious! My sister who is very sceptical torwards everything vegan agreed that it was really good. I used some as a sauce for a burger I made with one of the pattie.

We also bought some vegan ice cream which was really good too but unfortunately, we both ended up with a stomage ache... 

After our stop at the bio store we did some shopping. I bought a scarf which I will hopefully show in an outfit post and I also got some new Lush products to prepare my skin for winter. I got Glorious Mud, a body mask and peeling and a really great body lotion which is called Nächstenliebe (engl: charity or altruism) because everything you pay for this cream is donated to charity. As an extra I got samples of two face creams which I am excited to try. I chose two that work against dry skin which will be great for autumn and winter!

In the end we got some french fries with extremely spicy sauce (great for the stomache ache...not.).
All in all my friend (who does not like to have her picture taken) and I had a great afternoon in Bonn and when she moves there we will probably leave quite a bit of money at the bio store.

The church in Bonn's city centre; the whole city is full of beautiful buildings.

How do you spend free days?
Have a great day, 
The Countess

Estonia Part 1

when my friend and I left Stockholm we continued our trip in Estonia. My friend Imke lived in Viljandi, the 5th biggest city in Estonia, for a year and I always wanted to know what the city (or rather the village) is like. I am very suspicious, though: I think she didn't take me to Viljandi but to Hobbiton! I mean, have a look:

Have a great day,
The Countess