Writing a blog ...

Some time ago i was asked by my dear friend Anita, from Castles Crowns and Cottages, to post about my blog writing experience. Thinking about it, it's been quite a journey and it is - an ongoing one.

Looking back 5 years ago, it started with a wish - i WANTED to have a blog, mainly to showcase my art and have a kind of website, i could update and manage myself. I didn't even think about all the other things, that are involved with blogging and keeping the blog up to date and worth visiting.

Showing my art

 Writing about my adventures

Start your own blog in 5 minutes - ha ha -  it took me much longer. Figuring out a name, building a header that would actually fit, finding the kind of design that would match with my expectations, providing pictures that looked good and also - finding the words ...

I have always loved writing - and keeping a diary, as a way to keep in touch with my inner life and also to digest and accentuate what happened in the world around me. But a blog is something, that is open to everyone and not all things can or should be communicated here.

Making friends

.... and featuring them in my magazine KidsLife, like Libbie and her amazing family.

.... or actually meeting them for coffee, shopping and art like the fellow painter Barbara von Enger

And a  blog is really not just about writing, but about COMMUNICATING. about SHARING and about GETTING BETTER in just about everything you do. It is about meeting new friends, about broadening ones horizon and about getting more inspiration, than you can take.

It is also more time consuming than i would ever have guessed. But still worth it.

                          Sharing my designs

Being quite busy as an artist, an editor, a designer, a mother a wife, a friend and some other things i decided to keep my posts mostly short and sweet. If i could, i would spend MUCH more time preparing for my posts and making them super special. But since time seems to be faster than me on most days, i just go with what there is in my archive, my head and my heart.

... and some fashion

I have aimed at being able to post mostly original content, that means, my own art, my own photography and designs. And i did make progress. with that- To have enough content i also post about fashion, which is one of my hobbies and something i love to distract me from what i ought to do ;)

Blogging reminds me daily, to be BIGGER than what troubles me. To be part of this amazingly creative, inventive and fun community that i share with all of YOU.

So,
Thank you my lovelies, 
for being part of my world and making the blog writing experience a never ending adventure!

Since i was asked to also nominate 2 people, to write about their blog writing experience,  i nominate my  friend from India, Arti, and fellow artist Jess.

Send some LOVE

 A little cup of Friendship
In this cup of tea,
When you sit and drink it,
Think of Love from me.

We still need lots of cups of tea here in germany to keep us warm, since it is still rainingand raining ... Today feels cozy though and my plans for the weeked are:

writing to friends

visiting some of them

 making some wine-jelly

... and if i have energy enough, getting on with my latest paintings.

What are your plans?

Send some LOVE with MVS-Art cards, now available in my shop!

A christmas break and a present ...

It came without ribbons!  It came without tags!  It came without packages, boxes or bags!"... Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before!  "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store.  Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!"  

Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Lovelies, these days before christmas are so busy for me now, that i decided to take blog-break. But i will take time o visit each one of you. Thank you for such a great year of bloggy friendships and fun - you have made my each and every day nicer and brought so many smiles to my lips, even when times were tough. I'll be back with new ideas and a lot of exiting things lined up for you on the 7th. of January.

The cards above are my wishes for you and a little present They are my own design and you are free to print them for yourself or send them to friends and family if you wish to. If you use them on your blog, please link back to me.

Have a sparkly, delightful and cozy festive time with lots of LOVE -

see you son!

xoxoxooxoxox

Artwork: Martina Voigt-Schmid

Happy Inspiration for your home

The light is what guides you home, the warmth is what keeps you there.  

Ellie Rodriguez

... and the atmosphere of cheerfulness and good energy to restore your spirits. In my opinion, colors have such an effect on how you feel at home. That doesn't mean, all the walls have to be painted in vibrant hues though. Just a colorful painting or rug in an all white environment can have such a refreshing effect.

All the pix here are styled with accessories by the danish label RICE, and i adore the daring but harmonious color combinations.

My own home seams rather sad now, without my little friend, whom i see at every corner. So i seek to slowly restore my heart and energy by turning my mind to things, that brighten up my feelings. 

Photos: Rice

May in Paris

Just imagine ...

May in Paris, with all of YOU living there as well, 

for a week or so, all of us, free to enjoy live in the city of lights,

 love, art, fashion and joie de vivre. I would rent

 erin fetherston’s apartment  - and invite you in 

for tea and rainbow colored macaroons and later 

champagne, cheese & paté. 

Isn't that pink daybed a dream? 

I would, paint, write, dream ... drive my vintage byciclette to 

do my groceries at farmers markets and delicious little shops, 

polish up my french again, and meet you in sidewalk cafés, 

on lively squares and  in little restaurants ... 

yes, i can see why Paris is always a good idea! 

Let's start the week à la parisienne,  

whatever that means to you ..

.i'llbe delighted to hear more about it soon!

And look at more gorgeous  Paris inspiration 

over at my friend Anitas place - 

she's american, but whenever i think of Paris,

 i think of her as well!

P.S: As i'm currently away, i will come and visit you all as soon as i get back - beginning of nexr week!

Pictures and inspiration: sfgirlbybay

Monday Love: Art & Flowers

Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.
Wayne Dyer

Cheers to a happy new week lovelies! My garden is full of little blue "forgetmenots" at the moment and i found they make lovely "mini-bouquets" in tiny vases - some girly way to get more fun out of the little things! In the background you see one of my new collage- painttngs, featuring raspberries (yum!) and pretty bits of vintag paper, handcolored by another great artist: my grandmother!  Yes to abundance lovelies, i wish you plenty of it in the days to come!

Photo and paintig: Marina Voigt-Schmid 

Mops en vogue

Ugly or sweet?

Are you are friend of pug dogs? In german they are called "Mops" which is much better suited, me thinks. I'm personally not a really a fan of these, but, they are so in fashion at the moment, that i can't help seeing them everywhere. Last time i met lovely fellow blogger and friend Barbara  in town, and, over tea and sandwiches we laughed so much about "Mops en vogue" that i decided to post about it.

My friend Monika who's a fashion designer, made a design for a Mops-T-Shirt for our magazine KidsLife and we got Julie Gaston to model it for us. Even though my cat will be jeallous, i think it looks gorgeous!

The little bejewelled Mops in the second picture was a present i got from a friend last year - it adornes one of my handbags.

And while browsing the internet for the funny little creatures, i came across an interesting project.  In collaboration with Steiff and Unicef,  Luisaviaroma launched “Pug Dogs for Happy Kids”.  A project that includes 20 of fashion’s most famous designers creating a "Mops" in their own style.  Soon, they will be available on luisaviaroma.com and all funds raised from the sale of these cute soft toy pups will be donated to UNICEF to help disadvantaged children in Bangladesh. Want to join in? 

So, what's your opinion on "Mops" - ugly or sweet?

Photos: Robin Benito,  Luisa Viaroma

Pastel Pretty

Let’s get rid of the old and moldy -
New fresh air wants to come into our lives!

I'm on a mission to declutter our house - and with it comes the urge, to do some redecorating as well. This Paris apartment by fashion designer Vanessa Bruno looks so delicate and soft with its sorbet shades, yet some daring contrasts save it from being all too girlie. Also, i love the springlike atmosphere it creates, although it is winter light, that shines through these windows ...

Fotos via dustjackett attic

Monday Love: Shopping spree

Monday, monday ...
How was your weekend lovlies? Here, we had perfect spring weather and the landscape looked and smelled like what i've been fantasizing about all through winter! Today, however, the trees, flowers (and myself) are shivering in a cold wind and i need some monday consolation.

Just recently, i stumbled upon a new webshop, Layla Grace - with romantic home accesoires and furniture,  jewellery, gifts and fashion. If you dream about giving your house this french-chateau kind of atmosphere, go and have a look - i'd fancy this beautiful chandelier in the third picture!

Photos: Layla Grace

Friday Pretties: New furniture for (almost) free!

Chair before

Chair after

Two amazing DIY projects on a budget

 i found on "The art of doing stuff", a blog by this amazing and crafty lady Karen, who is really wort a visit!  She transformed an abandoned chair she found by the side of the road into this strikingly luxurious dream of a chair, and a simple piece of tree-trunk into a stylish side-table that looks like it was bought in an expensive design-store. 

For the chair, she simply covered it up with a Mongolian Lamb throw - no special skills needed for that one, it's finished in a minute, YAY!  For the table - hmmm, looks like a girl must be a bit more patient here, but it sounds perfectly doable as well. Look at the instruction here.

Boy, i miss going to the fleemarket and look for ragged chairs! What are your plans for the weekend?

Photos: "The art of doing stuff"

More Friday Pretties to visit at Joyce's here! 

Monday Love: Swedish with a twist

Gudrun Sjoeden is a designer from Sweden i like. 
She has a unique style, inspired by classic folk art from the Sweden. But what i love most is her special use of colors. Somehow she manages to have a palette of colors you see nowhere else, bold and soothing at the same time, and with interesting and sometimes daring combinations.

These pictures appealed to me today, because of the atmosphere of calm, quiet but cosy, which is just what i seem to need right now. And: i WANT that chair in the first picture. Isn't it gorgeous?
Gudrun also does fashion which is lovely to look at. Also, she has all her things made in an eco-friendly, green way. See more of here things here!

All photos: Gudrun Sjoeden

Monday Love: New colour inspiration

My favourite idea: Bring the sky into your room!


Feeling blue can look really nice!


Yellow brings the sunshine in - i love this joyful colour scheme!


Soft shades of lavender for a female, romantic feel


And this is - quite unusual but very chic! Decorating rooms for a cute little hotel is one of my favorite daydreams!

New colours wanted? These rooms caught my eye - and they make me want to redecorate, or at least start some huge new paintings in these gorgeous shades of blue, violet, pink, turquoise and yellow!

All photos by courtesy of marie claire maison

KidsLife

The current issue of KidsLife, our great new parenting magazine in Germany, Switzerland and Austria - if you speak german and have Kids, try it! This is, what i spent most time with - editing, doing layouts, finding good photos - a big challenge and lots of fun. This cover was done by Jenny Mc Cann from texas. Check out her Profile on Flickr: jennymccann2007