*black birds

Personally one of my favorite set of pictures of this winter. I'm always thrilled when I manage to catch flock of birds with my analogue camera, it's so tricky!

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*the winter wind

The winter wind

blew me away.

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*gloomy times

It's always impressing how nature's color palette is fading more and more in the winter season and the trees are getting blacker and blacker. Analogue photography is able to underline that gloominess even more.

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*when it still was Christmas

It seems such a long time ago already.

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*red + white

The first month of the new year was a quite tricky one in many ways, but in the end I see the necessity in all the changes and happenings. They will have an impact on the future in a good way as I hope at least. We have icy days and still snow, but I can sense a change in the light more and more, behind the dull sky is a sun that is waiting for a new calling to raise nature out of its sleep again.

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*gingerbread magic

Easy recipe for gingerbread:

You need:

• 560g rye flour (I used organic wholemeal rye flour)

• 360g powdered sugar (I usually use half amount of sugar)

• 160g honey

• 4 eggs

• 1 package gingerbread spices

• 2 teaspoons natron

{I made just the half portion: I used 280g flour, about 100g sugar and 80g honey, 2 eggs, half a package of gingerbread spices and 1 teaspoon natron.}

Whip eggs, honey and powdered sugar until foamy. Add gingerbread spices, natron and rye flour and knead until it’s a homogeneously dough. Roll out the dough about 1,5 cm thick and cut out forms. Place on a (with baking paper prepared) baking tray, brush with mixed egg. Bake at 180 degrees about 10 minutes.

For the frosting I used one egg white, a bit lemon juice and added as much powdered sugar until it had a nice, creamy consistence.

 Enjoy!

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*The scent of the moon

We have snow-free but cold days. The moon is almost full here, in contrary to the first picture, where barely any moon is visible. I started knitting a hat with some cozy wool I received from Lily once, and I wrote my first letter of the new year. At the moment, I am in love with my new silver fir essential oil – it smells divine! What are your most favorite scents? Mine change with my moods, but in general, I love sandalwood, rose, spruce needles, peppermint, white musk and many more.

There are also scents that are quite personal and cannot be bought: the smell of my grandpa returning from forest work, my father’s car, the cold air mingled with the scent of a freshly lit stove fire, my mother’s hand-knitted clothes, Sunny’s ears and paws, certain letters from dear ones…

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*white

And everything emptying into white.

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*crochet

My computer is not doing well lately, so I am not able to blog as regularly as usual.

Some pictures of the dark days filled with crocheting, writing and candle light. We have exceptional much snow in some parts of Austria right now, maybe you have seen it in the news or are actually living in those parts! But here it only started to snow tonight a little bit again.

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*A new year

I hope you all had a smooth transition into the new year! We celebrated with homemade fondue, a little fireworks and the traditional lead-pouring. My personal highlight was the amazing shooting star that I have spotted in the clear night sky shortly after midnight – a lovely symbol to start 2019! 

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