Kleinemaus Xmas Giveaway!

It's 2 weeks til Christmas!!

Today happened to be the first snow of the year in Berlin.

I know, it's so late!

It was kind of slushy and sleety and didn't stick but,

STILL COUNTS!!

Last week marked my 50th sale on

www.kleinemaus.etsy.com

and as i'm feeling so festive and happy i want to give back.

There's nothing better than sending people treats in the post!

I've put together a little bundle of treats to celebrate the year ending as well as it has.

What you'll win....

>> 4 a5 prints

>> small original everyday achievement illustration

>> girl gang patch

>> feminism is cool stickerpack 

[my best seller ^^]

>> girl gang shrink plastic badge

>> a6 card

>> small grey haired plushie

All you have to do is visit the shop and leave a comment telling me your favourite item!

There are other options to gain more entries.

I guess all that's left to say is thank you to anyone who ordered,

you've no idea what you've done for my confidence!

And good luck!

I wish i could send everyone something!!

xXx

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's up! [that's what she said]

Hi guys!

So this next few weeks is a bit crazy for us,

we have visitors this week, 

and matt's parents are coming next week, 

then we fly home at the end of their stay to xmas in the UK.

As is, the only chance we got to put up our decorations was this weekend just gone.

I stopped at the mall to pick up our blue wreath.

So cute.

And the smell, mmm.

I also figured out i freaking love glitter baubles.

I mean, 

so shiny!!

Has everyone else got their trees up now?

x

Amsterdam // Playgrounds

Ok, it's official, i want to move to Amsterdam.

It's sooooo beautiful.

The wonky houses, the canals, i'm swooning.

Also, they sell sausage rolls [hello!] and play South Park on TV at 9 in the morning.

We went with some friends to attend the Playgrounds festival.

My boyfriend's boss was giving a talk so that was our initial reason for going.

The first day was TOUGH.

We had a taxi booked to leave Berlin at 4am, for a 7am flight.

Then we went from Schipol to the air bnb apartment, then to the festival.

I'm not going to lie...the seats were so damn comfy a fell asleep a lot.

The chandelier in the theatre was to die for. 

We stayed right next to Vondelpark.

It's HUGE and i found a hobbit hotel.

Lookit how sweet!

My boyfriend and i went to the Salon Serpent walk in day when the festival was over.

There were 6 people already waiting when we strolled up at 11:30,

and by 12:00 there were at least 8 people behind us!

I ended up choosing a piece by Susanne König

and i'm so happy i did.

I love her work.

We had a really nice chat and i wanted to shrink and carry her with me everywhere i went!! 

She's freaking adorable!

In between our appointments we met our friends and ate at the most amazing cafe for brunch.

I mean, how cute is this interior!?

I can't put into words how yummy it was, maple syrup, pancakes....

Just, OOF, just look at this ok...

The eggs, the potatoes, BACON.

So good.

After lunch my boyfriend was scheduled to get a piece done by Toby Gawler,

it's beautiful.

Tattoo envy hello.

As he was getting tattooed [4 hours!] i went on a wander around the area,

took a bunch of photos and bought myself a pair of trainers and some basics from H&M as both my shoes and my leggings were BUSTED.

Toby has a one eyed Frenchie called Betty who is a dream!

She was in training though and you weren't allowed to talk to her or touch her.

She kept staring up at me with that big soulful eye of hers and i swear,

it was the most difficult thing i've EVER had to resist.

Saturday night we went to a restaurant called Lab101.

It was really good food.

I didn't take my camera though and i'm devastated!

I chose the artichoke heart with garlic dip

[GARLIC YESSS]

for starter because i've never eaten artichoke.

It came as the whole flower.

The entire head.

You're supposed to peel off the leaves and kind of scrape the flesh off,

[wtf.]

i felt like one of those kids who don't know what a cucumber is.

It was nice, but so awkward and too much work.

On our last day we had the BEST burgers for lunch. 

If you're ever in Amsterdam,

go eat these burgers.

*drools*

I've never had a burger topped with egg and bacon that felt so light.

Perfection.

Then to finish the trip we visited Micropia.

It's an exhibit about germs.

Microscopic germs.

It was right next to the zoo.

Do i sound bitter?

I'm not exaggerating.

The queue we were in was for the zoo and the germs.

I spent the entire queue journey trying to talk the others into going to the zoo but no.

No zoo for shell.

I could see camels and bison and goats.

It was MEAN.

If you know me, you know my obsession with goats and animals.

I freaking LOVE them.

I love them more than people.

[not in a weird way.]

The exhibition was interesting.

There were some pretty cool ants working on cutting out and collecting leaves from a plant.

Watching them was pretty cool, ants are strong.

I got through it super fast and stood outside taking pictures of the petting zoo.

It was heartbreaking being on the other side of the fence.

I felt like a right weirdo taking pictures ha!

Sheep stalker.

So yeah, that was our whirlwind Amsterdam trip.

I'm going to live there,

i promise you now.

I love it!

It felt very different to Berlin.

No-one had an attitude when they spoke English.

They're a very friendly and welcoming people.

The area and the wonky houses are out of a dream.

Just so beautiful.

I felt very at home in Amsterdam.

Despite my face in this photo.

I was trying to be menacing like a vampire as it was halloween,

but no.

My resting face is bitch face.

Stupid face.

We're planning on going back after the move next year to see everything we missed so please,

if you have any recommendations leave them below!

Especially good places to eat :) 

I'm back! // The Christmas Tag

 I'm back!
Yay
I'm laughing so hard,
can't believe the last time i wrote was June!
Naughty Shell.

I can't eloquently get across how excited i am for Christmas.
SO.FREAKING.EXCITED.
It's our last December in Berlin
*cries*
 so we are fully prepared to go to every single market,
drink every sip of glühwein,
and stuff every last crumb of stollen in and around our faces.

I've seen this post on my feed a lot and it's been so lovely reading everyone's memories
and thoughts and getting a small insight into their Christmas,
i couldn't not join in!

1. What is your favourite Christmas Movie/s?

THERE ARE TOO MANY!
Muppet Christmas Carol
Elf
The Grinch
Miracle on 34th Street ['94]

There are so many more but these are my absolute favourites,
i've been watching the muppets and miracle since the early 90's,
[wah so old]
they are imprinted onto my heart.

2. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?

Growing up in Germany we exchanged presents on the 24th,
so since moving to the UK my parents started a new tradition where my sister and i
got a present from the Christkindl
[always pyjamas]
but then opened our actual presents from each other on the 25th.
We still do that to this day even though we've both moved away from home!

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?

When i was younger nana's sister would take my cousins, my sister and i
to go the Palace in Manchester to see the christmas show.
We'd get McDonalds and then go back to my nan's and put on our own version
of whatever show we'd just been to see.
My favourite was The Snow Queen.

Oh my god.
We were so annoying.

4. Favourite festive food?

Baileys.
No no, i'm just kidding,
that's not a food.

I love Christmas because there's this unwritten rule where you can shamelessly eat
as much buffet whenever you want.
Crisps, twiglets, cheeselets.

My favourite part of Christmas dinner?
Pigs in blankets!
*violently drools*
Try and stop me.

5. Favourite Christmas gift ?

I loved the theatre tickets each year.
I got a furby the year they came out which came as a surprise.
We didn't really have stuff like that,
popular toys/consoles etc.
I was so happy.

6. Favourite Christmas scent?

Cinnamon.
And baileys. 

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?
Christmas eve is always at my parents house.
I spend all day shopping, baking, and making the buffet with my mum.
My boyfriend and his parents come round, as does my sister and her fiancee,
we eat and drink
[baileys]
and play cranium.
We've recently started a new tradition where each couple buys a decoration
and we do a swap.
The [actual] grown ups don't know this but me and my sister have been playing
"who can buy the ugliest decoration"
for the past two years.
Unfortunately for them they always get our ugly baubles!

8. What tops your tree?
At my parents house we used to have this ugly old fairy/angel thing that my mum hated,
last year it got 'lost',
and now i think it's just a big bow.
For our Berlin tree we have a giant star,
nothing sentimental, i am however on the lookout for a nice something.

9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you always asked for but never received?
Spice Girls polaroid.
My best friend got one and i was so jealous.
After a point it didn't have to be a Spice Girls one,
i just wanted a polaroid.

Years later i have a camera obsession :-/
I blame my parents!

10. What's the best part about Christmas for you?
Spending it at home!
Being in Berlin is really lonely for a homebody.
December is the best because it means i get to go home and see my family,
give them presents i've chosen and wrapped,
and there's that general Christmas feeling which makes everything feel even more homely.
It's truly my favourite time of year.

Don't cry for me being in Berlin though,
i love the snow and i'm spoilt with the markets!

Now i tag YOU!!
If you have a blog and you haven't already done it do it!
So fun :)

Tweet me if you're playing
@1kleinemaus

I'm also on instagram!
@_michellehayley 

Boo!!

As every blogger before me has said, 

"sometimes life gets in the way and you need to take a step back"

end quote, ha.

In all honestly, i couldn't find the energy.

I couldn't think of anything i wanted to write,

i've not read any blogs since i last posted.

Rubbish me!

In all fairness though my life got a bit busy.

I took part in an all girl exhibition,

my friends came to Berlin to stay for a few days,

i had a very exciting business offer,

[more on that in a bit, squeee]

i've been making things for my etsy shop.

and breathe. 

My wall for the exhibition.

One thing i realised about my work whilst hanging it was i make 

a lot of text based drawings.

Which is in no way a bad thing,

but pretty overwhelming when all my pieces are together.

A little girl made me cry on the night,

[and every now and then since lets be honest!]

i was told that she loved my work bcos Jaqueline Wilson is her

favourite author and she loves the books.

Which excited me bcos i love her too.

Then i cried because this little girl made my life.

People were seeking me out to tell me they liked my stuff,

and i was in the room when people were walking in and commenting

about how they like it.

Best ever feeling.

If i ever doubt myself again i just have to think back to this night.

I was surrounded by beautiful people,

beautiful art,

and beautiful drunk friends.

It was my favourite night in a long time.

In June i discovered and mastered summer rolls.

YUM.

Ah our annual eurovision feast,

was a good one this year, the show and the food,

still laughing about the hosts getting Graham in the booth with confetti.

Frenemies <3

Got a new bbq, 

it's amazing,

super easy to carry to the park,

super easy to light.

BBQ!

I seriously have the best intentions to go veggie again some time 

but then i remember sausages

and i'm german, i fucking love sausages.

[that's what she said]

Ramones museum, been here a million times,

[over exaggeration]

and i fully recommend it.

[......if you like the ramones]

LOL.

Whenever i'm home i love sitting in my mums garden and listening to the bees buzz.

I wish people were more serious about saving them,

if they die, we die!

They're so important, and so cute!

Did me some drawing whilst waiting for my, once again, delayed plane.

Sorry i disappeared, 

speak soon!

x