The Saturday Update

It's been yet another productive week around here!

Last weekend we finally sent off for our Scotland Honeymoon photobook and it came very quick.  It's not perfect though and we probably won't order from the same company in future.  However, the couple of problems aside, most of the photos and colours are great and it's good to finally have something in our hands.

It was another full week at work and with two and a half weeks to go, the countdown to the holidays has begun!  So many colleagues and pupils have been off sick - the weather is changing, the season is changing and I think everyone is feeling it.  Nico was off one day and even Pete has had the sniffles lately.  We had parents evening on Tuesday with two parents and an older sibling - a new low point for family engagement in our class!  However, it made decision making and conversations a lot quicker and easier.

On Wednesday we went to Ikea and finally spent our wedding vouchers on a new bookcase - it's due to arrive anytime today so more on that when it's built!  While we were there, we got a new frame for a new little project in the flat - more on that tomorrow!

Today I am going to a friend's birthday brunch and then we are having friends over for dinner.  Tomorrow I plan to get a few more projects completed to post about next week...  Have a good one!

P.S. Loved this.

Project Life: Week 23

This week was crazy around here and it certainly helped me to fill this week's project life spread.

Most of the photos have been featured on the blog this week with the relaunch of the blog itself, lots of projects going on including the orange and honey cake, the elderberry cordial, my September goals, the crossstitch, the wardrobe sort out, muesli, yogalates and finally ordering our Scotland honeymoon photobook.  I did a bit of journalling too.

I enrolled on the Project Life course over at Big Picture Classes this week so hopefully I will find some extra inspiration for this ongoing project there.  I love doing Project Life, but I do feel I could be a bit more creative.

Our Wedding

Leaving the hotel with Dad and Gran

 When I restarted the blog, I promised an update on our wedding and here it is...

The week leading up to the wedding was pretty hectic with family and friends arriving from everywhere almost every day leading up to the big day!  We had gotten all the family together earlier in the week for the Kranzenbinden (the garland binding) which is a German wedding tradition.

The morning of our wedding was just as stressful to me thanks to our hairdresser who was late and took three hours, leaving us running really late.  It was a mad dash back to the hotel to change and get to the town hall on time...or five minutes late.

Dad walking me to the ceremony

In Germany, it is compulsory to marry at the town hall, though not always on the same day as the church ceremony.  For us, it made sense to do it all together though as we had so many guests flying in to be there.

The civil ceremony

The room at the town hall was very small so we were surrounded by our very nearest and dearest as we said 'I do'.  The ceremony was all in German and very official but very moving too.  I then signed my new name for the very first time.

Afterwards we cracked open the bubbly for a quick toast and calm down from the rush of the morning.

The newlyweds!

Outside, Nico's family had arranged a lovely surprise as we all let off balloons to mark the occasion.  It was very special.  There were lots of photos and good wishes at the town hall before we headed off to the church.

Leaving the town hall

It was a little strange and certainly different to walk through the town as newly weds, followed by our congregation on the way to the church where more guests were waiting.  It was a nice chance to have a little chat with my new husband though and catch up on our mornings.

The church ceremony was beautiful.  We were so glad that we picked the smaller church building as it was the perfect size and the light was perfect.  Our best friends read for us in the church and we were lucky to have the priest who confirmed Nico, and who he is lucky enough to call a friend, perform the ceremony. 

Cutting the heart out

Our second pleasant surprise of the day was a big sheet with a spray painted heart on there which we had to cut out together with nail scissors.  Whoever finished their half first is supposed to 'be in charge' in the marriage.  Nico won...

My new family

 Then came the official photos...

Nico's new family

With our attendants

With our friends

Everyone!

 We also took the time to have some photos around the lake.  Most of Nico's family also married in this church and had their photos taken here so it was nice to carry on the tradition and we were really pleased with the results.

The happy couple

Later, we headed to our venue for the reception and celebrated well into the evening.  The food was delicious and the company was very good.  We danced and talked the night away.  There were also a few more surprises in store.

Nico's cufflinks

 Nico's Mum's family prepared a beautiful poem from which they each read a verse and presented us with a rose.  At the end they gave us a beautiful rose plant which is now on the balcony.  The poem and the sentiments that went with it were truly beautiful.

At the lake

 Nico's Dad's family prepared a sketch to represent the night we first met which was really funny and memorable.  We were lucky enough to have some videos of the day too -precious memories.

One of my favourite memories of the night is my Gran.  One of the most inspirational women I know is almost 90 years old and we had worried about how well she would cope with the travel and the excitement of the whole week.  True to form, she proved us all wrong, had a fantastic week and was dancing with the rest of us until almost midnight.  Yet more special memories.

...and they lived happily ever after?

We had such a perfect day with almost all the most important people in our lives.  The whole week was magical and the weekend that followed was nice, sunny and sociable too.  It involved the pool, lots of sunbathing and eating leftovers before we put all our guests on a plane and jetted off for our perfect honeymoon too.

Recipe: Elderberry Cordial

While I was on a residential in Ristedt two weeks ago, the pupils went crazy picking elderberries.  I didn't allow them to eat them at the time - I wanted to make sure that they were definitely elderberries for one thing - the last thing we needed on that trip was a bad case of food poisoning!

Anyway, I brought the elderberries home with me and Nico made them into a lovely juice which I shared with the class this week.  He was so inspired he went collecting himself and wee now have two more bottles sat in our kitchen!

Here's how to do it:

Ingredients:

• Elderberries
• Water

Instructions:

1.  Place the berries in a pan in 1cm of water.  
2. Simmer the pan on low for roughly three hours.
3. Strain the mixture through a sieve (or a cloth if you don't like 'bits').
4. Funnel into a bottle. 

We like to enjoy ours warm - perfect for the new autumn season.  Enjoy!

Craft Corner: Cross stitch

I had planned a sewing project this month, though when I set that goal, I was thinking more along the lines of a project with the machine.  However, this lovely little surprise gift from my mum arrived in the post and I couldn't wait to get started.  

It's a Celtic jewel and it took me one evening to complete!  I loved the colours and it was the first cross stitch project where I actually enjoyed the finishing touches of long stitch more than the cross stitch.

I also remembered how sewing keeps my hands busy and away from the snacks!  I need to do more of this!  The machine will definitely be coming back out soon.

Currently loving...

...homemade muesli!

A perfect mix of raisins, dried coconut, dried almonds, cornflakes, oats - shake well, add milk and enjoy...

Wardrobe Clearout

It's strange but true that just a couple of weeks ago, someone with as many OCD characteristics as I have could lay claim to this wardrobe.  Finally sick of wading through crumpled up tops, to find something that fit and looked decent for work, I decided to do something about it.  I knew I couldn't cope with another winter of conducting that morning search in the dark!

Although I haven't bought all that many new clothes in the last three years, I have finally managed (thanks to my lovely, kind parents) to move all of my clothes with me to Germany and the result is the chaos you see above.  I have been three different dress sizes over the past ten years or so and my wardrobe still contained all of the evidence of this.

It took two days of sorting, but I finally weaned out everything that didn't fit (excepting a couple of sentimental items) and everything with a hole or other irreparable damage.  

I learnt two things about myself during this process:

1. I wear way too much black!

2. I'm a hoarder.

Both things to work on in future.

The wardrobe was already sorted into sections (tops, jumpers, bottoms, dresses, etc) and there was even space for my jewellery and toiletries but it was getting a little cramped.

I'm already benefiting from the new organisation on a morning as I know that whatever I lay my hands on will fit!  It's certainly sped things up, and along with some other adjustments to my daily routine with my new timetable, it's really helped me settle into the new school year.

Here's how it looks now:

I feel better just looking at it!

I'm hoping that an added benefit to this project will be a bit of financial relief in selling some of the undamaged clothes that just don't fit any more.  There are some pretty good pieces in there.  I'm ashamed to say that some had never even been worn.  

The cleared out clothes

I haven't decided what format the sale will take yet but I'm working on it and plan to put half the profits towards my debts and half towards some new, well fitting, brighter clothes!