*Making a paper doll, playing koshi for the fog & cozy Advent baking

{Music: Cumulus – Leo Nocta + Les Îles Féroé – Oskar Schuster + Excerpts from Bergweihnacht}

*The Elephant paper doll can be downloaded from the link list on the right, or just click here.

Pistachio Vanilla Crescents with White Chocolate

• 200 g butter, cold, cut into pieces

• 80 g ground almonds

• 20 g ground pistachios

(you can vary the ratio and use more pistachio and less almonds if you like)

• 5 g ground pistachios for the decoration

• 40 g powdered sugar (if you like it sweeter, you can use more)

• 1 packet vanilla sugar

• vanilla pulp

• 100 g white chocolate

Knead the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla sugar, and vanilla pulp until creamy. Mix in the flour and ground almonds and pistachios. Chill the dough for 30 minutes. Shape into small rolls, bend into crescent cookies, and bake at 170 °C (340 °F) for 10 – 12 minutes. Let cool. Melt the white chocolate, dip the crescents, and sprinkle with ground pistachios.

Enjoy!

☙

*darkness & light

In no other season do darkness and light lie so close together. Everything longs to withdraw into the womb of nature, yet beyond the sheltering darkness a new wave of dazzling life awaits.

☙

*wrapped in wool and oak leaves

I finally did a bit of Christmas baking and tried a new cookie recipe. I’m really happy with how good they turned out, so yesterday I made a second batch to give some away.

The weather is very wet, with dense fog nearly every day. No snow, just icy rain sometimes.

Whenever I can, I take walks in nature to keep myself grounded. Right now, I feel most held when I'm allowed to be quiet.

☙

*Christmas doilies

Recently, I took up crocheting doilies again. I think the last one I made was back in 2021. They’re all Christmas surprises for friends. I also got myself a crochet hook for working with sewing cotton so I can try making very delicate doilies. Working so finely is tricky for me and takes a long time, but it’s a good exercise for the brain and fine motor skills.

☙

*First snow, Advent preparations & a paper star for the forest spirits

{Music: Damascus – Oskar Schuster + Cirrus – Leo Nocta + Lifecycle of a cloud – Leo Nocta + Moon Companion – Leo Nocta}

The first gentle snowfall, 

making the Advent wreath,

pouring owl candles,

making natural firelighters

& offering a paper star to the forest spirits.

☙

*Walking along the silver thread

Walking along the silver thread,

the world shrinks

while your soul expands.

Little red dots,

waiting, scattered

on bare branches of earthly wardens

for their deliverance.

Surrounded by a blur,

you slip into a soap bubble

for a quiet escape.

☙

*Foxy fraise

The moment I found this fox scarf design, I knew I had to try it! I fell in love with the long legs and especially the cute face! The pattern is by @sewsillylily! I used wool that I already had at home, so the result turned out a bit more delicate, and I adjusted the length to fit my needs. When it lies on my bed, it almost looks like a pet. Maybe I like it so much because it somehow reminds me of Sunny.

☙

*A little happy list in the darkest time of the year

I noticed that I did not make one single happy list this year,

so here we go:

• flocks of crows in the grey sky

• crocheting doilies

• tasting the first persimmons from the garden

• Greek mountain tea

• fresh forest air

• an unexpected kind message

• resolving a very stressful appointment

• the beauty of a single snowflake

• incense from my dear sister

• cooking on the kitchen stove again

• making glass-bead stars

• 20 years blogging (!!!)

☙

*Seeking calm & beauty in November & crocheting a fox scarf

{Music: Une larme étincelante – Leo Nocta + This side of the blue (Joanna Newsom Harp Cover) – Sszreter + Au matin du magicien – Leo Nocta + Charlottenburg – Oskar Schuster}

With everything that has happened, all I’m looking for is some peace and quiet at home and out in nature. I finished another crochet project, a fox scarf, that made me smile because of how cute it turned out! Weather-wise we had everything – gloomy days, frost and even some first snow – but I saved that for the next video!

☙