Decoration

Loveliness from Japan - my little Daruma

Hello everyone, I think everyone needs a little motivation to achieve a certain goal, or realise a dream or make a wish come true. That's exactly what a DARUMA is for.  A DARUMA is a traditional handmade Japanese wishing doll. It is a centuries-old tradition from Japan.
Those who know me well know that I have a special relathionship with Japan (like many French people) and that like everything Japanese. I had three years of Japanese at school (which I completely forgot of course) but I am still a big fan of the Japanese culture and I spent my honeymoon in Japan in 2008.
Daruma_with_two_eyes_by_madame_love


That's how daruma dolls work:

1. Decide on a SPECIFIC GOAL you are DETERMINED to ACHIEVE or a SPECIAL DREAM, you want to COME TRUE.
2. A Daruma always comes with two blank eyes, so DRAW one of your Daruma's blank eyes to signify your COMMITMENT to achieving your GOAL.
3. Place your Daruma somewhere VISIBLE in your home.
4. Once you've achieved your goal or your dream has come true, draw in Daruma's other eye to say THANK YOU!

I brought the first one, on our honeymoon in Japan. It was a traditional red one. My wish was work related, and it worked. The second one I brought at the end of the pregnancy, and I chose a golden one. 

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I love the meaning of the talisman, but I also find it very cute as a decoration item. Mine now lives on my bookshelves in my living room. It reminds me of my sweet dream, which was (now that it came true, I can tell it) : give birth to a happy and healthy baby.
Daruma_by_madame_love

WHAT ABOUT YOU, WHAT IS YOUR DARUMA DREAM OR GOAL?

You can for example find a DARUMA online here on the Saroshi online shop. I bought mine directly in the shop situated in the Gertigstrasse in Hamburg.

Talk to you soon,

Elodie

decorating with trophy animal heads

Hello everyone,
Let's talk about one of my favorite topics in decoration, decorating with animals. As I was putting together my moodboard for the nursery, it was clear I wanted a trophy for my daughter's bedroom. I picked this beautiful Unicorn, I love it and I was important for me to teach my daughter from the beginning to face reality!
She really loves it too and it's one of the first things she could actually see, as the newborns only see strong contrasts and the white unicorn head is hanging on the dark grey wall.
Here are a couple of the lovely animals I came across while doing some research.
I hope you will enjoy them.
What about you? Could you imagine decorating your home or even a baby nursery with one of those? Do you like them? Which one is your favourite?
Talk to you soon,
Elodie

Trophy animal head for nursery

1. Unicorn // 2. Bear // 3. Hippopotamus // 4. Hare // 5. Monkey
6. Badger //7. Rabbit // 8. Fox // 9. Polar Bear

New vases collection by Räder

Hello everyone,
Last year in November I was invited to the press event of the German company Räder, for the presentation of their new home collection, with among others some new vases that I am very found of. I will be styling some flowers in those vases this spring, but now that the presentation has been shown to the public (It was shown today at the Nordstil Fair in Hamburg) I can show you some images of those pretty vases. I am so happy to see some more creative vases on the market this days. The mini vases collection is great and I am a big fan of the lady looking at the fishes. The size is really good for bigger branches and bouquets.
The presentation took place in one of my favourite cafés in Hamburg called Herr Max. A very stylish and nostalgic café with a lot of flair. I will show some pictures of Herr Max later this week.
I wish you a great week!
Talk to you soon,
Elodie

Raeder New Vases Collection

Le salon du thé du jardin des roses in Compiègne

Hello everyone,
first I would like to wish you a happy new year! I hope you had a good start in 2014! Those following me on Instagram know that I have been spending Christmas in Picardy with my family. I was there for the first time in months and it was really great seeing everyone.
Between Christmas and New Year, my mum took us to a magical place in the garden of my home town's Castle (the Château of Compiègne). A new tea salon opened last summer in the roses garden of the Castle's park. The place is usually closed during the winter, but it was open during Christmas time, and it was just magical. We had Brunch there and the cake was delicious!
I Just love it when historical sites are given a second life and used like this. What do you think? Isn't it just very special and beautiful?
Here are a couple of pictures for you.
Speak to you soon
xoxo
Elodie

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Orangerie_Compiegne_cake

Orangerie_Compiegne_cakes

Orangerie_Compiegne_decoration

Orangerie_Compiegne_from_the_back

Orangerie_Compiegne_statue

Orangerie_Compiegne_Christmas_pudding

Orangerie_Compiegne_cupcakes

Orangerie_Compiegne_tee_boxes

Orangerie_Compiegne_Christmas_tree

Orangerie_Compiegne_wreath

Urban Jungle Bloggers: Green Festive Vignette

Hello everyone, I am so happy to be taking part for the first time in the #urbanjungle monthly series initiated by my dear friends Igor and Judith. This time Igor and Judith asked us to compose a green festive vignette.
I have decided to show you my dry heath plant. It is not exactly a Christmas decoration but I think that it looks pretty festive with my black house doctor star on my green cabinet in my living room. What do you think?
I have decided to show you a dry plant as it's about as green as I can be with plants. I love plants in gardens, but I don't like having any in my flat. I prefer fresh cut flowers, as you well know if you are a regular reader of my blog.
I find heath looks much prettier when dry. It makes branches bend in a very elegant way and you can keep the plant forever, without having to worry about watering it.
You can also check out UnDueTre Ilari,  Fluxi on TourPeg LondonMouseblossom and Emerald Green Interiors for more festive decoration ideas!
You can also have a look at the beautiful Urban Jungle Bloggers Pinterest board.

I wish you  a great Wednesday - Thank you Igor and Judith for this brilliant idea.
Elodie

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A Christmas wreath with moss and ribbons

Hello!
Today I would like to show you the little Christmas wreath I made for my home with simple ribbons and moss. I bought the wreath moss at the flower shop and some black velvet and satin ribbon at tiger. The purple one is from Idee.
I just turned the ribbon around the wreath and tightened it with a big knot at the top.

I love dark colours in decoration. I think that they transport elegance and cosiness. And if used with some gold or some sparkles, they can even look very festive.
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What about you? Did you make a wreath this year for Christmas? Which colours did you use and where is it hanging?

Take care and speak to you soon!
Elodie

Christmas wishlist for young parents

Hello everyone,
Christmas is approaching and you are maybe already looking for presents for your friends and family. I created a Christmas wish list for young parents with items from one of my favourite online shops: Smallable. I already introduced Smallable here.
This list is a mix of things I already bought for Ella's bedroom, such as the lamp, the star swaddle or the pompom bin (I have it in blue - to go with the rest of the room) - and things I would really like to have! I hope this helps you in finding the perfect gift for Christmas.
For more inspiration, you can also have a look at the Smallable Christmas shop.
I wish you a great day!
Elodie

Moodboard_Smallable1. NUMERO 74 - baby blanket
2. EGMONT - Silver Mushroom lamp
3. MUSKHANE - Pompom Bin
4. NUMAE - Grey star swaddle
5. DANISH CRAFTS - Rocking Sheep - White
6. PILEPOIL - Star carpet

PS: This blogpost was kindly sponsored by Smallable but the enthusiasm about the products remains my own.

Vom Glück Mit Katzen zu Wohnen - A beautiful book and a giveaway!

Hello everyone, As a lot of you know, I am lucky enough to not only share my flat with my sweet daughter Ella and my great husband Mr. Love. I also live with Mr. Cheddar, the funniest and most curious cat on Earth. Living with a cat means having to make sacrifices; if you like interior design like me, you can for instance say goodbye to materials like velvet, as it is a cat hair magnet and some people like my friend Jodi from the blog Joelix have to be very careful with flowers and plants, as some cats love to eat them, even if they can be poisonous for them.
BUT... living with a cat also means a lot of joy and it can be really fun! The German editor Callwey just released a book about that topic and you can win it today on the blog!
Vom_Glueck_mit_Katzen_zu_leben_giveaway

The book, which is written in German, shows the home of several cat-loving families and proves that you can have both: a cat and style. The author Maike Grunwald is a journalist living in Hamburg with her family and her cats and the photographer Anja Hoelper is specialised in pet photography and you can really feel their love for cats through the pages of this great book. You will find a lot of inspiration about furniture that is cat-friendly and pretty.

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I couldn't resist showing you a couple of pictures of my little fury friend, as it is a #catcontent blogpost anyway. So there you go, here is Mr. Chedds for you:

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Here is how to join the giveaway:

  • Leave a comment under this blogpost explaining why  living with your cat or dog makes a home happier.
  • Like Callwey Verlag and madame-love on Facebook (if it's not already the case).
  • The winner will be drawn via random.org. The winner will be informed by e-mail.
  • The giveaway is open worldwide (but keep in mind that the book is written in German) and closes on Sunday, November 17th, midnight CET.

Have a great day and good luck!
Elodie

+++++++++++++++++++++++UPDATE+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Frau Süd from the blog Nord & Süd is the happy winner from this lovely book and will receive it in the next few days!
Congratulations!

LOVEly guest post by Judith from JOELIX

joelix-madamelove-drawing1 Hi everyone! It's Judith from JOELIX.com. While Elodie is enjoying her first weeks as a LOVEly maman for bébé LOVE, I'm honored to guestblog here today.

When Elodie asked me to write a little something childhood related for her blog, I knew I wanted to show some flowers. Because ever since I met Elodie, flowers somehow reappeared into my life. It may sound a little strong, but with 3 flower (and plant-) eating cats around and a greenhouse where I enjoy growing succulents and palm trees, flowers were not on top of my list. Elodie and Inga's #2flowergirls series and The Lonely Bouquet inspired me to introduce flowers in my life again and I haven't looked back since.

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At the age of 5, flowers were clearly part of my life: I found one of my drawings from the 80s which included all these colorful flowers. Drawing and painting were my favorite activities back then. When flipping through my photo albums I realize that I had a very low-tech childhood. No iPad or phone to play games, but lots of crafting & drawing, Lego and playing with my sister. And I still like doing all of that!

If I were a little girl today, I'm sure I would have loved Marion Deuchart's Let's make some Great Art or any of the Appracadabra apps, which come in up to 16(!) languages (also in French & German, Elodie ;) ). But color pencils and a piece of paper, and maybe even flowers, would never be far either.

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I hope you enjoyed my little trip down memorylane. Thanks Elodie for having me and gros bisous for bébé LOVE! I hope that in a few years from now, she'll surprise you with some nice flower drawings!

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LOVEly guest post by Anne from Hafenmaedchen

Hello everyone, Today I would like to introduce you to my friend Anne from the blog hafenmaedchen. In real life, Anne works in a nursery and is surrounded all day by little children. She wrote this beautiful blogpost - in German - about the tradition of German birthdays with some tips for the first three birthday parties as well as a delicious cupcake recipe. I will be back next with my last guest blogpost about childhood memories, this time in English. Thank you so much Anne for the great post!
I wish you a great Sunday!
Elodie

Heute darf ich meinen ersten Gastpost schreiben. Juhu!

Als die eMail mit dem Betreff „LOVEly request“ von madame love in meinem Postfach auftauchte, wusste ich sofort da möchte ich dabei sein.
Unsere Aufgabe ist es etwas über Kindheit zu schreiben, schönes Thema dachte ich. Ich habe zwar noch keine eigenen Kinder, aber jeden Tag mit über 20 Kindern zu tun und dann sind da noch die Erinnerungen an die eigene Kindheit.
Eine Weile musste ich überlegen, doch schnell war klar ich möchte über Geburtstage schreiben.

Birthday

Erinnert ihr euch auch so gern zurück an eure Kindergeburtstage?
Für mich war das immer ein absolutes Highlight des Jahres.
Das schönste und aufregendste ist ja bekanntlich die Vorfreude auf den Geburtstag, besonders wenn die Kinder älter werden, welche Geschenke wird es geben und die Vorfreude auf die Party mit Freunden. Ich habe immer die Tage und Nächte gezählt. Und wenn es dann hieß nur noch einmal schlafen, war an schlafen vor Aufregung kaum zu denken.
Um die Spannung nicht zu groß für die Kinder werden zu lassen, finde ich Rituale sehr wichtig. Rituale bringen für die Kinder Ruhe rein, sie kennen mit den Jahren die Abläufe und können sich auf das kommende verlassen.
Ich habe für euch eine kleine Liste an möglichen Ritualen zusammengestellt.

  • Kerzen auf dem Tisch (Geburtstagszug/ Geburtstagskranz/Geburtsschlange o.ä.)
  • Frische Blumen der Jahreszeit angepasst/ Jedes Jahr die gleichen?!
  • T-Shirt mit dem Alter drauf
  • Geburtstagskrone
  • Geburtstagskuchen(Lieblingskuchen)
  • Jedes Jahr wird das gleiche Lied vorgesungen
  • Geburtstagsgeschirr

Diese Liste könnte man wahrscheinlich endlos weiter führen und jede Familie hat ihre eigenen Rituale.
Für mich waren immer besonders wichtig meine Geburtstagskerzen und das Lebenslicht, die dicke Kerze in der Mitte. Wie man auf den Fotos sehen kann zog sich der Kerzenkranz durch meine Geburtstage.
Ein weiteres Ritual waren bei uns Blumen. Da ich ein Frühlingskind bin und manchmal sogar am Frühlingsanfang Geburtstag habe, kann ich mich noch gut erinnern, das meine Mutter einen Blumenkübel mit Primeln und Osterglocken bepflanzt hat. Heute bestehe ich jedes Jahr auf einen Tulpenstrauß!

Der erste Geburtstag ist meist für die Mama etwas sehr besonderes. Da Kinder mit einem Jahr noch nicht verstehen können, was das besondere an diesem Tag ist kann man an diesem Tag auch die Mama feiern die vor einem Jahr ein Kind zur Welt gebracht hat. Ich denke es ist auch wichtig an diesem Tag das Kind nicht mit Geschenken zu überschütten, ein Teil zum auspacken reicht vollkommen.

Auch den 2. Geburtstag würde ich empfehlen noch eher klein zu halten, zwar verstehen die Kinder nun schon ein bisschen mehr was mit ihnen an diesem Tag passiert, dennoch würde sie eine große Party und zu viele Geschenke überfordern.

Ab dem 3. Geburtstag kann man meiner Meinung nach anfangen richtige Kindergeburtstage zu feiern. Nun verstehen die Kinder was das Besondere an diesem Tag ist, können benennen wie alt sie geworden sind und können erste einfache Partyspiele spielen.
Ich erinnere mich gerne an Schokokusswettessen, Luftballontanz, Brezel beißen, Bello Bello und Eierlauf zurück. Bis heute sind dies gängige Spiele auf Kindergeburtstagen.  Nicht zu vergessen ist natürlich auch ein kleines Goodiebag mit ein paar Süßigkeiten oder Spielzeug, welches gern von Kindern nach der Party in Empfang genommen wird. Die Betonung liegt hier auf klein. Die Goodiebags der Partys heute fallen häufig sehr groß aus und sind meiner Meinung nach übertrieben. Kinder freuen sich auch über Kleinigkeiten wie z.B. einen Stempel, kleinen Zauberblock, Flummi und kleine Süßigkeiten oder einen Lolli. Es müssen nicht immer große Goodiebags sein, denn ansonsten steigen die Ansprüche von Party zu Party und von Jahr zu Jahr und es wird nur noch über die besten Goodiebags diskutiert.

Ich hoffe für die ein oder andere werdende Mutter waren ein paar Tipps und Anregungen dabei, oder ihr konntet dieses Posting nutzen um neue Ideen für Rituale an Kindergeburtstagen zu finden.
Zum Abschluss habe ich noch ein Cupcakerezept für euch,es ist ganz schnell und einfach gemacht und schafft jede erschöpfte Mama noch schnell am Abend vor dem großen Tag.

Blaubeercupcake_bearbeitet-1Cupcaketopping_bearbeitet-1Liebe Elodie, dir wünsche ich nun eine aufregende Zeit mit der kleinen Madmoiselle Love. Und viele tolle Geburtstage.

 Liebste Grüße vom hafenmaedchen