Small changes, big difference (PART 3)

Continuing the series that I started in April, today I have 5 more small changes you can make in your home that have a big impact.  These ideas come from the article "101 Decorating Makeovers" from the February 2008 issue of House Beautiful.  (Also see part 1 and part 2!)

Look at the pretty blue background! (Image from Frog Hill Designs.) 

1) Paint just the inside of cabinets in your house (either in your kitchen or anywhere else you would like) in a color that sets off your dishes, books or collections.  You can also paint the inside of a bookshelf or hutch.  In that case, make it a bright color! 

Show off your pretty jewelry! (Image from Apartment Therapy. ) 

2) Get rid of your jewelry box.  Your beautiful baubles can and should be displayed.  They can add color and an eclectic, lived in feel to a room.  Put your bracelets in a big bowl, earrings in a pretty thrifted dish and hang your necklaces on a bust, a mirror, necklace stand or on hooks on your wall.

Get rid of your junk; have a (fancy) garage sale! (Image from Thrift Core. ) 

3) If you are like me, you probably collect way too much stuff!  Take three things out of every room.  Take a deep breath; doesn't that feel better?  (Sell it at a garage sale.  Or, better yet, organize a fun, well-curated better-than-a-yard-sale with your friends.  Find a common theme and sell only things that fit that theme.  Provide theme-appropriate refreshments.  Have a lot of vintage stuff?  Do it in the evening, dress in Mad Men costumes and sell martinis!)

Utilize the fronts of your bookcases! (Image from Little Green Notebook.) 

4) Use your bookcases creatively: hang small pictures or mirrors on the front of them!

What a difference a rug can make! (Image from  Livet Hemma.)

5) Remove your rugs from all rooms.  Pile them together and start all over, putting them all in a new room.  You'll have instant room makeovers.  

Rainy summer days...

are super cozy, aren't they?  I absolutely adore them (and the humidity...don't judge me) and find that there is nothing sweeter or more relaxing than sipping a cold (or warm) drink with big, dark clouds gathering outside.

Today was one such day and I enjoyed every moment of it.  I ate fresh berries, wrote in my journal, read, listened to music and I painted.  It rained and then it got sunny and then it rained some more.  Tomorrow, we are in for a real treat: a forecast for thunderstorms.  :-)

How do you like to spend rainy summer days (if you get them)?  Do you think they are fun or are you anxious for the sun to come out again?  And humidity--awesome or miserable?  (I am pretty sure my love for it comes from summers spent in Michigan growing up.)

Gemütlichkeit is: morning moments

Remember that guy from Friends?  The "Morning's Here" guy?  He gets up every morning and sings about how happy he is that the morning has come?  It drives Rachel nuts.  But me?  I always wanted to be that guy.  (I am more in line with Joey, who prefers to sing along with him.)

Now, I am not particularly a morning person.  I rarely wake up early on my own and most mornings when my alarm goes off, I realize that I am saying "no, no, no" in my sleep before I have even had a chance to wake up and turn it off.  But, once I am up, the morning is my favorite time of the day.  Everything is fresh, there are tons of new possibilities.  The birds are chirping and the air is cool.  Plus, it's quiet, really quiet.  

I like to take it slow in the morning, have breakfast, sip my coffee and give myself a mellow start to the day.   The first few minutes of the day can set the tone of the entire thing, so I make sure to surround myself with views, images and things that inspire me and to take my time. Even on mornings when I have to leave for work at 6:30 I make sure to give myself at least 5 minutes to breathe in the newness of the day.

Morning, as the say they say about breakfast, is the most important time of the day.  You wouldn't start your day off by eating a KitKat, so you shouldn't start it off in a hurried and stressed way, either.  Better to savor that cup of coffee, put it in a pretty cup and drink it where the view is fine.

Mom

Pretty view of Rothenburg. 

My mom's been here for a week as of tomorrow and look at all the trouble we've gotten ourselves into. We've visited some amazing places and seen some amazing things.  I am looking forward to this weekend when Peter's family is coming to visit us.  I am not looking forward to next Monday when I have to take her to the airport.  

We've had excellent luck with the weather, and a week that was supposed to be cold and rainy has been sunny and hot.  Perfect (if a bit sticky) weather for sightseeing! 

By the river for dinner.

A beer in Rothenburg. 

Mom and I at a beer garden. 

Coburg's market place. 

Mama's coming

My mom (and sister) last time she was here.  I can't wait to get her here and drinking our beers.  It always turns out to be a riot.  

Happy Friday, everyone!

I am so lucky because my mom is flying into Germany tonight and will spend 10 wonderful days here with me! I can't wait and already have so many things planned.  We are going to spend a lot of time outdoors (as long as the fickle German weather allows) and will take a few day trips.  There are so many cafes, restaurants, shops, sights and other places I want to take her while she is here.

It's always difficult for me when she hasn't seen someplace I have lived in person, so I am really happy to have her see our apartment and our new city.  Plus, she can help me with all the corners of my place that I have been stumped on so far.  I expect a few DIY projects, as well.

We are going to be busy, so I probably won't post much next week.  Forgive me, but I need to focus on my mama time!

I hope you are going to have a fantastic weekend, too!  The days are getting so long, they are perfect for getting outdoors.  What are you going to do?

Food on Friday: Zucchini pancakes with feta and salad

I am always searching for simple and small lunch and dinner recipes.  In the summer, that is even more true.  When the temperature goes up, I don't like to eat large or heavy meals.  I feel my best (and best take advantage of the season) when I fill up on fresh fruits and veggies.

Relying on zucchini, a summer squash, this recipe is both fresh and packed with flavor.  I made it two weeks ago for the first time and have made it several times since then.  You can eat the zucchini pancakes plain as a meal or a side dish, or you can serve them under salad, eggs or just about anything. 

Each time I have made them, I have messed around with the ingredients a little.  This last time, I used goat cheese instead of feta and they were delicious.  The goat cheese doesn't fry up quite as well, but the taste is tangier.  

The salad that I topped the pancakes with is a simple one.  The recipe is below the zucchini pancake recipe.  The zucchini pancakes come from a website called cooking-spree and the salad recipe is my own.  I like that it doesn't distract too much from the taste of the pancakes. 

This would be perfect for a sunny summer brunch or appetizer.  It also makes a great lunch for one or two. 

Zucchini pancakes with feta and mint

recipe from Cooking-spree

3 medium zucchini, grated

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1 (or 2) cloves garlic, minced

3 or 4 finely sliced green onions

1 cup flour

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup grated feta

3/4 cup grated Fontina, Monterrey Jack or other mild white cheese

1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan 

oil for frying

pepper and salt

Combine all ingredients into a large bowl.  Drop by spoonfuls into hot oil and shape into patties.  Sprinkle with salt.  Fry until golden on both sides.  Place on a paper towel to absorb extra oil.  Let cool to room temperature if you are paring them with salad or eat them warm.

Also, experiment with different flavors, while keeping the basic recipe/ratios the same.  I have halved the recipe, with only one egg.  It worked well and was great for me for one lunch and one dinner.  I would experiment with less cheese to make them healthier, gluten-free flour if you can't eat gluten or even a vegan version, with an egg replacer and cheese substitute.

Super simple salad with vinaigrette

Spring or baby greens 

half of a red onion

feta or goat cheese

sunflower seeds or pine nuts

olive oil

white balsamic vinegar 

a dollop of mustard

sugar or honey

salt and pepper

Cut onions into rings and crumble feta/goat cheese.  Put salad greens on top of pancakes or in a bowl (if you are making just the salad).  Add onion and cheese.  Sprinkle on sunflower seeds or pine nuts.  Add a bit of fresh ground pepper.  (I trust that you can determine the ratios on your own.)  

Make the vinaigrette.  In a small jar (I like to use old jam jars), combine 1/4 vinegar and 3/4 oil.    This ratio is very important and good to remember for always making a delicious dressing.  (If I taste it and it tastes just a little too oily, I sometimes add just a small dash more of vinegar.)  Add a bit of sugar or honey until you get your desired sweetness and a dollop of mustard.  You can also add garlic or herbs if you would like, but I didn't do that here.  Shake up the dressing and give it a taste.  Add more of anything if necessary.  Drizzle on salad and pancakes.  

This dressing is great for any salad and I make it every time we eat salad (which is often in the summer).  Since living in Germany, I have never once bought salad dressing at the store.  It is so easy to make and if you eat salads daily, you can make a big jar and save it in the fridge a few days.  It is way more cost effective than buying and must be much healthier.  Salad dressings are full of preservatives, artificial ingredients and things you don't need.  This is super-simple with all real ingredients.  

Enjoy! 

The unglamorous truth about living abroad

Somedays, living abroad looks a lot like this:

or on really special days even...like this:

But, quite honestly, most days it just looks like this:

Yep, those are my dirty clothes.  And my bills.  And that is only a fraction of the pile of each.  Not to mention the work to be done, the dishes to be washed, the beds to be made, the tax returns to be completed.  The list goes on and on.  

I am not complaining.  In fact, there's a certain beauty in it. The fact that it's mundane is how you know you really live abroad.  

It's not the non-stop touring of a Eurotrip, it's not the non-stop partying of study abroad. It's real life.  

Most of the time it is really boring, totally unglamorous and completely normal.  

And then there's a moment: it's night, the snow is softly falling on the market place, it's completely silent except for the bells of the church, your feet slip across the cobblestones.  It's only a second--a millisecond even--but you feel it. Squeezing your chest you feel it.  You live here.  You live here.  And, my, do you feel lucky!