The end of a journey

Since July this year, I have been traveling around the world every Tuesday, visiting creative entrepreneurs all around the globe, reading interviews about their work and looking at all the blogs that had joined the linky list with their posts about their own creative endeavours.
Initially, Jill from Creating my Way to Success and I had decided to team up and think of a fun way to promote our and other creative blogs around the world. We didn't want to just create another linky list, since there are already quite a bunch of them. We also wanted to provide people with information and inspiration to take their creativity to the next level and start a business with their art.
So we came up with Creating Success around the world.

We found four more fabulous ladies. Each of us lives on a different continent. Each of us hosted an interview with an artist from their part of the world each week, allowing the readers to virtually visit many different creative souls from Asia to South America.
American Suzy from Suzy's artsy craftsy Sitcom made me laugh each week with her hilarious sitom-y setups of the interview. Molly who writes at Marya Mariah finds fascinating creators from South America. Through her blog I learned that Google translator actually does work quite well and opens me a whole range of blogs that I couldn't read before! In Asia, Janelle presented her guests on Of Pinks and Fairytales and made me dream about faraway exotic places where there seem to live so many creative minds.
Sadly, Adepeju who had joined us with her blog Peekadot and had proven such a talent in finding young and innovative designers from Africa, left the project a few weeks ago.

It was such a fun project and I sure did meet some wonderful people and learnt great stuff. I loved to read the answers of the interviewers and also enjoyed seeing more and more people join the blog hop as the word spread.

But (...you've seen this coming, haven't you?)
it's a lot of work. It takes a lot of time managing an interview every week, looking for people to interview, keeping and overlook on who has responded, who needs reminding, who can be ticked off the list. Then I look through their websites, try and get to know them a bit so I can write an introduction. I choose pictures, put the interview together, write up the post, put all the links in and schedule it. In the end, I have to make sure I don't forget the linky code that is sent around each week for the upcoming post.
Don't get me wrong, I am not complaining. I'm just stating the facts that there is work involved here, and more importantly: Time.
Time which I don't have at the moment or at least would rather use for other things that are coming up. We will most probably move again soon and we have lots of things to sort out.

That is why I have - not lightheartedly, believe me - decided to leave Creating Success around the World per next week.
There will be a last post with a very nice creative lady tomorrow, and after that, I will only maybe link up to the blog hop and enjoy the world tour as a reader.
I really hope that the girls will go on with this great project and that I will see many more world tour posts on the net.

I didn't intend to write such a long post, but I feel it's only right to take some time to say goodbye to something that was important to me and that my heart is still involved with.


I wish you girls tons of fun and good luck with the hop in the future!

Three great things about fall!

I'm linking up with October Follower's Fest today, so if you're coming from the linky, welcome! Maybe you want to know more about me. Leave me a comment if you follow (or leave a comment anyways! <3), so I can come and visit you back! You might also want to grab my free Halloween Card - you can find it here!




Colors - The last time we stayed here in the UK was in March or April and the trees and pavement were vibrantly colored by all the blossoms that were coming out just that very week. The weather was so favourable and everything was starting to bloom - cherries, magnolia, rhododendron... it was a color fest! And now, half a year later, it is pretty much the same scene! Although there is occasional rain the air is still soft and warm for this time of the year and the leaves of the trees have turned the most glorious shades of yellow, red, orange and brown. When the sun shines through the clouds the rays of light make the raindrops on the leaves sparkle. It's just magnificent!

 

 

Museums - Yesterday I had plenty of time adoring the scenery waiting in this line in front of the Natural History Museum. It's midterm and apparently all the Mum's thought it would be the perfect time to go and see the dinosaurs with their kids. After waiting in the rain for 50 mts they would come into the museum only to see that there is another endless line in front of the room where the dinosaurs are displayed... *Ugh!*
We left the crowds behind us though as Trev led me to his favourite part of the place, the Darwin center, which only shows boring dead things pickled in glasses - not one kid in there, yay! :o)

Afterwards we went on to the Science Museum to go and see the blubber - this is a device constructed with many tubes and valves where colored water flows through and it shows how money flows in our society. I didn't really get to study it but I read about it in a book and it was fascinating to see it in person. Oh, and the first computer - so cool! We also discovered this fantastic clock:

the time eating clock

We looked at more ancient clocks (we're both fascinated with clocks and clockworks it seems) and heard the internet speak. What an experience! I was deadly tired in the evening and all day I had to grit my teeth because my legs were still so painful and the fact that I had to walk mostly on my heels to avoid the leg pain then made my heels start to hurt, of course. But I'm so glad I pulled it through, I just love going to museums!

Food - In the evening we met up with Francis, an old buddy of Trev's that I had met last time we were here. I also met Trev's older Brother Jeff for the first time. It was nice to finally get to know him in real life, even though I felt like I already knew him quite well, from all the things I'd heard about him. He only returned to the UK this spring after four years in New York. It's funny to see how Trev is very much like their mother, whilst everything about Jeff makes me think of their dad. :o)

After some more walking we settled into this great lebanese place for some mezze and bacclavah - deeeliciousss!!

 
Now tonight we're going out for family dinner so I gotta get ready.



Hope you're enjoying autumn wherever you are!

Self portrait Thursday - and a Halloween freebie!

Here's me with an outch again... I feel so silly!
I got these barefoot shoes from a friend to try and I went running with them. Although I knew it would be very different from running with normal shoes I just wanted to run so badly I went for my normal 30mts route.
I didn't even have to wait for the next day for sore legs. But yesterday and the day before have been SO bad! I could hardly walk, I'd rather call it staggering. And stairs are almost a deadly obstacle. I go up them kind of sideways and down in some sort of slump, trying not to use the muscles in my lower legs...

When people ask me if I'm hurt or something I'm really embarrassed to tell the story because I feel so riddiculous. Ah well, lesson learnt! ;o)

On another note, it's Halloween soon! I don't know if you celebrate it in any way. Many people seem to have taken up the American traditions around here. We don't really do that because we can't relate to it, but Halloween under all the modern partyfrenzy and kids-excitement is also a very important pagan holiday and therefore is big for us. We're remembering our ancestors, honouring them and asking advice for the future. For some people (like me), Halloween is the actual beginning of the new spiritual year and therefore is a time for looking back and deciding what to let go of and what to take with me into the dark and silent times that mark the birth of the new year.
I'm really excited because we're planning to go to Stonehenge to celebrate it. I've never been there and I'm excited enough to see the Stones, let allone to have a ritual there.

But what I really wanted to say is: I've played around with some of my pictures and made a card that I really liked and I thought you might like it too, so I'm putting it up here as a little Samhain-present for you! Maybe you still want to send out some cards or use it as a placecard for a Halloween dinner, or, or, or. Just download it and whatever you want (except for selling it or saying that you made it - but I don't think you will! ;o) ).

(I left the bubble free so you can write your own greetings)
Here's the link to a bigger version. Hope you like it. ;o)
Have a magical Halloween!
Thanks for reading!

As the leaves are turning

The other day I felt a bit small and not really up to anything. It happens when the only possibilities you have are either to curl up under a heap of blankets in the bed in a cold room, or sit downstairs in the livingroom where it is warmer but you don't have much privacy. And I like my privacy when I work. Sometimes there are things to do around the house like bringing plants in for winter, or putting the last of the harvest safely into the cellar, or doing the laundry.
Everyone likes these chores these days because they make you warm. ^^

Anyways, it turned out to be quite a nice afternoon after all, because the sun came out and we had a little walk to the store and I picked up the golden leaves from the side of the road and then I hung them around the livingroom for decoration. They look so pretty, I didn't really need to do anything with them. I just knotted threads on and put them up. I mixed in a few feathers for variety. It's nice to have the place all autumn-y and special.

If there's still pretty leaves when we come home in two weeks, I might make a wreath for the front door. Did you do any seasonal decoration? Do you already have the pumpkins out?

Creating Success around the World

Welcome to
Creating Success around the World

The worldwide blog hop tour, that introduces you to creative people from all corners of the globe.

Every Wednesday our hosts on each continent will introduce you to someone new whose creativity is inspiring!

Here's how you can take this worldwide tour with us:

You can follow all the hosts to support them and keep up to date with the fabulous posts they will share every week.  Then if you are inspired to join, just link up your own blog to make some new international friends.

Remember to leave us a comment when you follow us so we can follow you back! And of course we'd love if you added our button to your site to help spread the word!




<center><a href="http://theshinybubble.blogspot.com/search/label/creating%20success%20around%20the%20world"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5154/5885118262_70f75d2c7f_m.jpg"/></a></center>
Here are your hosts:

Make sure you visit them all to see the inspiration and creative people every continent has to add to our community.

Australasia - Jill @ Creating my way to Success
Europe - Yaga @ The Shiny Bubble
North America - Suzy @ Suzy's Artsy Craftsy Sitcom
South America - Molly @ Marya Mariah
Asia - Janelle @ Of Pinks and Fairytales

Africa - Sadly, our African host is not able to participate in the Blog hop anymore. We are looking for somebody new to join the team - could it be you?! ;o)

---------------------------------------------------------------- Europe

 

Rowan is "a creative kind of English girl living and working in Bosnia Herzegovina." She creates and sells cute and unique amigurumi dolls. Her place on etsy is called "Out of the frame".

Tell us a bit about your trade: What do you create, how and where do you sell your things,

how long have you been doing this?

---------------------------------------------------- 

I have been making and designing amigurumi dolls since March 2009. I sell my dolls on Etsy, at gallery shows or through personal contacts. I make one of a kind dolls in various sizes and I have also made a lot of caricature dolls as custom orders for people to give as wedding presents, engagement presents, thank you gifts etc. One of the patterns I have designed is for sale in my Etsy shop and on Ravelry.

 

Please, tell us a little bit about the place and the country that you live in.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

I am English but I live and work in Bosnia and Herzegovina for a UK based Christian charity called Novi Most. We work with young people from different ethnic backgrounds bringing them together and giving them new opportunities through youth club activities and courses in music, art and baking. I live in a beautiful town called Jajce. It is a very historic town as in the 1400s it was the capital of the Bosnian Kingdom and in 1943 it was the venue for the meeting at which Tito declared the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It is one of only 12 towns in the world to have a waterfall in the town centre and nearby there is a beautiful lake. Unfortunately not a lot has been made of these and several other potential tourist attractions and the town is poor with a lot of unemployment and few opportunities.

Bosnia and Herzegovina is a complicated country politically. It is still recovering from the civil war in the early 90s. Some of the larger cities are starting to develop into more what you would see in Western Europe with the first McDonalds opening recently in the capital city Sarajevo! But in general the country is poor with a high rate of unemployment. It is a beautiful country with amazing mountains and rivers and some beautiful and historic cities. The people are very welcoming and hospitable. It is a country full of potential and well worth visiting.

Do you think that your surroundings influence your creativity? How? 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I started to make amigurumi after I moved here to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The pace of life here is a lot slower than in the UK where I lived before and for the first time in a long time I had some free time to do things I wanted to do. So it’s not so much the surroundings as the way of life that has led to me making amigurumi

How and why did you 'pick' your creative outlet of choice?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

When I first started learning amigurumi I was researching it online and found that a lot of people who made amigurumi dolls had shops on Etsy.com so when I decided to start selling I joined Etsy too. For me one of the best things about Etsy the community aspect. I am part of the Etsy Plush Team which is a collective of plush artists who sell on Etsy. It is great to be part of a group of people who are constantly trying to improve their artwork and to push the boundaries. It is a great place to get inspiration and support. It also means I am able to find out about gallery shows and magazines looking for submissions, mainly in the US, which I wouldn’t otherwise hear about because I am in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

 

Why did you decide to sell what you are creating?

-------------------------------------------------------------------

After a while I realised that I was pretty good at making dolls and could make quality products worth buying, and because I love making them and you can’t keep them all!

How did you start your business?

--------------------------------------------

I just opened and Etsy shop – nothing else! I haven’t made a business plan or done anything like that. I probably should if I want my business to grow but at the moment I’m just taking it as it comes. Sorry – no good advice there!

What, in your opinion is your biggest strength in your creative life and how does it

influence your work?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am always interested in learning new things and trying out new crafts so I often have a new twist to add to my latest creation.

What would you regard as your greatest weakness in terms of your creativity and how do

you deal with it?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I can be impatient and want to run before I can walk – particularly in relation to learning to sew! This means I cut corners and the final product ends up a mess! I have to tell myself to slow down and do it properly.

How do you stay motivated and inspired?

-------------------------------------------------------

Being part of the plush team helps with this because I am constantly seeing other people’s work and we motivate each other to improve. Also every 2 months we have a team challenge with a different theme which encourages me to make things I wouldn’t have otherwise made. Recent themes have included Las Vegas, steam punk and the rainforest.

I often get inspiration to make a particular doll by colour combinations, people I meet or characters I read about in books.

Where do you see yourself and your creative life in two years? Do you have any plans?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like I said before, I don’t have a business plan or anything like that. I’m sure I should have, but for now I’m just taking it as it comes! Over the next two years I would like to be part of more gallery shows and be featured in some more magazines.

What are your 5 hottest tips for people who want to be more successful with

creating?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Don’t just stick with your main craft. Try learning something new every now and again.

2. Find other like minded people to encourage and inspire you.

3. Let your mind wander.

4. Use every opportunity to go to art galleries, craft shows, and other inspiring places.

5. Don’t spend too much time on facebook!

Thank you so much for your answers, Rowan, that was a very uplifting interview!  

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now it's your turn! Link up your posts: Inspiration, craftsy blahs, tutorials, tips or business talk: We wanna know! 
Link up your blog and you might be the next artist featured in our interviews!


New to the world tour? Check our previous tours here!

Weekend pictures

I've had a special weekend, with many meetings of long-missed friends, both planned and spontaneous or even by accident. Long, philosophical conversations about people and our society, good food and some music.

Occupy Paradeplatz

Whishes and inspiration

We are going to the UK for two weeks tomorrow. We're very looking forward to meeting some special people and we have lots of plans of things we want to do and see, so there will be a bunch of stuff to show and tell.

Selfportrait Thursday - week 42

Well, after yesterday's post, this doesn't need a lot of explanation. It's me, all wrapped up, checking if the thermostat is still working oO
But just to be clear: I'm not feeling bad, just cold. And we all know, "If a girl is telling you her problems, it doesn't mean she's complaining. It means she trusts you." ;o)

Have a happy Thursday everyone!!

The groove of today

Here's a few impressions from today's groove:

... What I saw
A lot of rain in front of the window. It's gone grey again around here. I balanced it out with a lot of colourwork in my art.

And this is my favourite picture of today:

Memories of sunny autumn days... it's not so long ago that we were able to sit around in T-shirts.
Picture from Martin.

... What I heard

A lot of mellow music. Sticking in my head these days is this:







... What I made

I did some painting that you will soon see on here, but I'm saving it for a bit. :o)
I also made candles from leftovers of old candles. I don't like throwing all that wax away. It's bad enough that all the candles I can afford these days are either made from oil-based wax or palm oil, which isn't much better... so I want them to last as long as possible.
Mixing all sorts of different colors together only gets you a boring brown of course, but I was being more practical than aesthetic this time.
I also didn't have any thread to use as a wick, so I cut up a cotton cloth and used the thick hem. They're dry now and the next time I do this I have to figure out how to avoid the 'caving in' that happens when the wax dries unevenly. It makes an uneven surface... But I hope they'll serve their purpose.

I couldn't find a nice basic tutorial for pour candles, but basically its as simple as that: Melt your wax, either in a wather bath or use an old tincan and put that directly on the stove, fix a wick into your container, pour wax in (I just read that pouring in layers and letting them dry halfway helps with the caving), let dry. Finito. (I used the lower part of beer cans as containers... >.<)
There's some really pretty sites about candles of all sorts, colors, scents... though, so I'm giving you some links:

- Pretty blog about candlemaking
- Coffee bean scented candle
- More elaborate wax recyling instructions

... What I ate

There were potatoes and curry leftover from this week's meals, so we had heated curry and I fried the potatoes. 'Only' leftovers, but it was veeery tasty!!

... What I thought

First I thought I wouldn't be able to get out of bed because I kept waking up last night... I dragged myself downstairs anyways and I got most of my boring tasks done before midday. Yay, what a feeling!
Then I tried to create a bit which didn't look good at first because I felt vaguely inspired, but not really driven, so nothing seemed to come out of whatever I tried. In the end I did get some things done and even one that I'm pretty proud of!
I also thought about flats a lot because we have started looking for a place to move to at the end of this year. It seems like there is a great opportunity for us, cross fingers and wish me that it will work out!

... What I felt

Cold! It's chilly up here in the mountains, and the house gets very cold now. We only have a woodfire oven which heats the livingroom and the kitchen. Since our room is under the roof, nights up there are brisk. I'm sleeping with woollen socks and a jumper, under two blankets. I like to work in my nook up there, but now it's just not possible anymore, so I brought my stuff down to the common room.
I really hope the temperatures will stay above zero until we move out here...

Oh, and I felt jealous as well! Whilst I even put on my only pair of jeans in the hopes that they would be warmer than two pairs of tights and a skirt and am more often than not wearing my scarf and fingerless gloves around the house, Trev is sitting upstairs in the cold room in his tracksuit bottoms, barefoot and in a freaking T-shirt!! Curse the man and his inner stove!

Hope you're doing well and feeling toasty warm wherever you are! ;o)



P.S: I put a new outfit peek up on the facebook page! If you haven't seen it yet, click here to see how I styled boy's clothes. Oh and whilst you are there, why not 'like' it? I'd be happy to see you again there! ;o)

Creating Success around the World

Welcome to
Creating Success around the World

The worldwide blog hop tour, that introduces you to creative people from all corners of the globe.

Every Wednesday our hosts on each continent will introduce you to someone new whose creativity is inspiring!

Here's how you can take this worldwide tour with us:

You can follow all the hosts to support them and keep up to date with the fabulous posts they will share every week.  Then if you are inspired to join, just link up your own blog to make some new international friends.

Remember to leave us a comment when you follow us so we can follow you back! And of course we'd love if you added our button to your site to help spread the word!



<center><a href="http://theshinybubble.blogspot.com/search/label/creating%20success%20around%20the%20world"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5154/5885118262_70f75d2c7f_m.jpg"/></a></center>
Here are your hosts:

Make sure you visit them all to see the inspiration and creative people every continent has to add to our community.

Australasia - Jill @ Creating my way to Success
Europe - Yaga @ The Shiny Bubble
North America - Suzy @ Suzy's Artsy Craftsy Sitcom
South America - Molly @ Marya Mariah
Asia - Janelle @ Of Pinks and Fairytales

Africa - Sadly, our African host is not able to participate in the Blog hop anymore. We are looking for somebody new to join the team - could it be you?! ;o)

---------------------------------------------------------------- Europe

The blog and etsy shop "Moois van me" (beautiful things from me) are run by, well, 'me'. She's an inspired lady from Belgium, creating so much jewelry, that in the end she started selling it because she couldn't wear it all. Read more about her business in the following interview.

Tell us a bit about your trade: What do you create, how and where do you sell your things,

how long have you been doing this?

----------------------------------------------------

As long as I can remember , I like to create things.

When I was a child, I liked embroidery, crocheting, spinning, … When I grew older I sometimes made or remade clothes. 

A few years ago I started with making jewels with beads. I made a lot of them and gave them away. But even then I still had a lot of jewels left . I just had too much of them. Someday someone suggested that maybe I could sell them.

I liked that idea because it was a bit sad that my jewels were just hidden in a box where no one could see them. And it was a good way to get some of the money back I invested in buying supplies.

Most of my buyers are people I know. Friends , colleagues’, …  

And  a few months ago I started my own etsy shop : www.mooisvanme.etsy.com

I haven’t sold great amounts on etsy ( yet ;-) )  , but I don’t care …

I enjoy it every time someone chooses a  piece to wear !

I sell some of my creations because I have too many of them to wear myself and for buying new supplies. But I don’t make them for selling : I make them because I like to make them. It’s fun to create things, it gives me satisfaction and pleasure. And if someone  buys them, it’s a surplus. Not the goal .

Please, tell us a little bit about the place and the country that you live in.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

I live in Belgium, a small country in Europe. Many people abroad don’t know our country but they do know our capitol : Brussels.

I live in the biggest city of Belgium : Antwerp. In the Flemish part of the country. What I don’t especially like : for me it just means that I speak Dutch, not French…

I live in an apartment, on my own. I don’t have a partner or children and I like that.

Although I do live in the city, I have a very small garden and I live nearby a nice park. I’m surrounded by nature , but I’m also surrounded by the benefits of living in the city ( café’s ,  access to busses or subway, restaurants, shops, … ). 

Do you think that your surroundings influence your creativity? How? 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The part of my surroundings that does influence my creativity, is the fact that I used to live in the countryside when I was a child  and I now live in the city. The city and his big variety of people, cultures, subcultures and colors, combined with the open mind my parents have and gave me, give me the possibility to  create with a lot of variation. I don’t think I have a very specific style. I even don’t have a specific thing I create : I make pictures, crochet, paint and draw,  makes jewels, knit, …. I like variation …

How and why did you 'pick' your creative outlet of choice?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

The main reason why I create the things I make, is because I can :  I like music, I even think I have some talents in music… But I can’t sing or play an instrument. So I don’t make music myself.

However :  I did learn how to crochet when I was a child, and therefore I like to use that ability to make things…. I like to drawn, and I do sometimes. But I surely am not that talented in that area, so I’m not going to show a lot of my drawnings. 

 

Why did you decide to sell what you are creating?

-------------------------------------------------------------------

As I said before : I just had too much jewelry after a while …

How did you start your business?

--------------------------------------------

I don’t have the feeling that I have a business… I create things because it gives me a good feeling. That’s my goal. Not the selling part : that’s an extra that gives me the opportunity to make people happy with my creations and to earn money to buy new supplies .

I started selling by telling people around me they could buy my things. And some day a friend told me about Etsy and I made a shop .

What, in your opinion is your biggest strength in your creative life and how does it

influence your work?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The fact that I don’t have a specific style. It results in a big diversity in my work.

What would you regard as your greatest weakness in terms of your creativity and how do

you deal with it?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The lack of time to make everything I have in my head.

Sadly I only have one life ;)

And I think there is not one skill I am extraordinary good at…

How do you stay motivated and inspired?

-------------------------------------------------------

I don’t know how not to  be inspired. It just comes and keeps on coming… Sometimes even a bit to much… Especially when I want/need to go to sleep. :)

Where do you see yourself and your creative life in two years? Do you have any plans?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I don’t have plans.  I ‘ll see in two years.

What are your 5 hottest tips for people who want to be more successful with

creating?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. just DO it … Everyone can create things. It’s just a matter of getting started and trying…
2. don’t be a perfectionist : be happy with the things you make… be proud of yourself.
3. create things because it’s fun, not because you want to become rich J
4. make things because you like them, not because they are popular or ‘trendy ‘. Be yourself…
5. You don’t need the latest expensive material or tools… even with a simple pencil and paper you can make nice things!  
   

Thank you so much for your openness, 'me'!  

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now it's your turn! Link up your posts: Inspiration, craftsy blahs, tutorials, tips or business talk: We wanna know! 
Link up your blog and you might be the next artist featured in our interviews!


New to the world tour? Check our previous tours here!

Strategies for a stressfee and sustainable gift culture this Christmas

I really enjoy thinking of presents for other people on Christmas, as I enjoy making them. I am not a big fan of pressure and obligations, though. So I tried to list the strategies that have made Christmas work for me since a few years. Without stress and with a lot of joy and with a much clearer conscience. 

First of all...

• Make a list of people you feel you want to give presents to.
• Ask yourself how many of these people you genuinely want to make happy and where it is other factors like guilt or duty that make you want to give them something.
  
  
  
   source

For the people you only feel obliged, but not really moved to give a present to:

• Try imagining what the worst thing is that could happen if you don't give them a present. Would it really be that bad?
• Wouldn't a heartfelt (handmade?) card make you feel better than a half-heartedly bought present?
• If you still want to give them something, try asking them if there's anything they would be happy about.

If you still feel like you should give them something:

• Homemade cookies are rarely the wrong choice.
• Try to think of something that will be a present to more than only the receiver: Supporting an institution with a cause that you both believe in, or buying the present from an artist in your community or a small shop that you like will at least give some sense to the act and maybe make you feel more satisfied with the whole thing.
• Try to avoid desperate impulse buys of funny wine corks, non-subtle aprons and cute dust-collectors. They are rarely appreciated and most of it is badly produced junk that will weigh heavy on your environmental and social bill.

Necessary?

 source

For all the people you really want to give something to...

... but really don't know what:

• Ask them. Tell them that you really couldn't think of anything they'd need and you want to make sure they're happy about their present. Tell them that if they don't come up with anything they need, you'll make them a bag of cookies (or, if it seems more fit, a bottle of wine etc.), or give them a gift certificate. Most people will appreciate your thoughtfulness – nobody likes to receive a gift that they can't use. Maybe they are really very content with what they have (my dad is such a case...) and don't want anything more.
  Often it is hard to think of things that you really want when somebody is waiting for an answer. A gift certificate from a nice store (maybe one that has a sustainable philosophy?) is often a good solution for people who happen to stumble upon the perfect present in January.
• You can also profit of this fact yourself if you keep a list of gift-ideas during the year. I often get into a situation where I am with a person and I realise: „Yes, this would be a perfect gift for him/her!“ I write it down as soon as possible and it has helped me out of brainstorming-misery for many X-mases and birthdays.
  
  

...If you have an idea:

• Can you make it yourself? The best solution. You know what's in it, you know what will come out of it – and everybody appreciates the personal touch and your effort.
• Can you buy it locally/handmade/fairtrade? Two out of the three would be even better, of course! ;o)

And lastly:

• Start early. The middle of October might seem early to be freaking about Christmas for some of you. But the thing is: Because it is early, I don't have to freak. And since I have enough time to think about all the things that I've listed above, I don't get stressed and buy junk only so I can be 'guiltfree' (in our strange ways, of course) under the Christmas tree.

Christmas really is the time of year where people buy things like it was their last time. Not only presents. There's so many things we think we need so Christmas can be 'real' – and strangely enough, you can all buy them at the mall. Hallelujah!

So take a moment and think about what you really need and what things you can come up with a sustainable, more personal alternative.

This is a time where every little change can have a big influence.

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Happy preparing! ;o)

Present crazyness

I've been browsing pinterest as a morning ritual these past few days. I like it that the first things I look at on the internet are not my emails or the storm of social messages on facebook, but pictures of beautiful things.

The selection of pictures you see on this website is of course influenced by what other members pin on their boards. Thus you can see their changing interests as the seasons turn. I've seen a million pumpkin pictures, many many fall photos and more and more christmas themed pictures each day. 

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Some of them make me smile and give me that housy feeling I always get when winter approaches. It makes me want to decorate, cook nice things and invite all my friends for an evening around a fire.

But there's another side to seasons that makes my skin crawl. It's how our society has turned all these natural feelings into an opportunity to go and buy stuff.

Everything in our live is converted into a reason to consume. Christmas, of course is worst of all, because it is so centered around presents. People are made to think that they should find the perfect gift for all their friends and relatives, even if they are people they don't know that well at all, or don't like much.

As a compensation for not knowing what to get for somebody, most people just spend more money, or they go and buy completely useless and ridicculous things that they think are 'clever' or 'funny'.

In weak moments I sometimes smack my forehead with my hand and sigh: „Why are people so stupid?“

But that's not the thruth. People aren't stupid. You are not, and I am not, and you over there aren't, eather. So how come we still get sucked into the need to buy?

The weird thing is that it is so hard to lay a finger on it. It's partly the shops, the corporations, the TV, the ads... but only partly. Mostly, it's society. And who is society, if not you and me, and you over there?

We are doing this to ourselves, without even realising it. And even if we realise what is happening, we can't just stop. The wheels are too big to stop in an instant.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not at all against presents. I'm against blind and sensless shopping crazes.

I'm again trying to untangle my way through the holiday hype this year and find a gift-giving practise that satisfies my soul, social consciousness, and my ethic standards.

Do you have any hints and tips? What do you do to not go crazy with the presents?

I'll be back with a practical strategy for present-making before long!

Thanks for reading!