The Big Roadtrip: Northern Italy Part I

Now that Spring break has come to an end and we are back to reality with work, school and life, it's time for Mollykid to have a seat and share a bit of what's been going on around here.  First, I have to say I have missed you all; I just love sharing projects and pictures here for you.  You haven't been far from my mind though, in fact, I have a bunch of great ideas for upcoming blog posts here so I hope you will tune in for a good time over the next few weeks.  To give you a hint, we took a once-in-a-lifetime road trip to Italy and from that one week, I have some f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s stories and information to share! 

With destinations like Tuscany, Florence, Pisa, Lucca, Cinque Terra, Modena, Verona and Nove...we were in love with the food and the sights.  Oh and of course, a little bit of shopping to wrap up a long road trip is always nice, too!  Though I initially questioned the length of such a trip by car (2000 road miles all together), I must admit, there wasn't a moment we were bored or without something to see, do or taste.  We kept moving from sun up to way past sun down, which made for some very sound sleep.  To top it off, we traveled with some awesome friends so our trip was full of fun and great memories.

Since this is likely one of our last big trips while living here in Europe, I made sure to take plenty of pictures (as usual) and we made ample stops for Italian gelato along the way.  Despite some days and moments of intense rain, we still forged on, huddled under umbrellas and ducked into train stations, restaurants and museums for some time to dry out.  I think one of our favorite days (despite the crazy rain that day!) was spent exploring the Cinque Terra.  Five small ocean side fishing villages tucked tightly into the steep landscape along the Italian Riviera.  Talk about picturesque!  And to think they grow and harvest grapes for wine along these steep cliffs is simply amazing.

 

Well, that is just a taste of what's to come!  I hope you are enjoying a peaceful weekend wherever you are in the world.  Check back this week for more about some fantastic treasures in Italy.  Better yet, sign up to the right on our page for email updates...  Ciao! xo~Mollykid  

 

The Modern Magazine Debate

Sometime last year while I was just searching around the Internet for some creative ideas, I ran across several online magazines that caught my eye.  After peacefully perusing their colorful pages with the simple move of my finger, I had a realization that at that moment, I was contributing to a better environment.  I was doing my little part in helping to prevent the piles of paper waste that come from printed magazines.  Even better for me was that a few of the magazines I found were actually...are you ready???  They were free!  Imagine that... In a world where we pay for practically everything, you can get a couple hours of quality reading with interesting articles, fabulous graphics and all the joy of your favorite hobby right at your fingertips.  Let me just say, I am hooked.

So what do you think about the way modern technology is cutting in on our slow dance with a good ol' printed magazine?  For me, I still love both formats, but I must admit something.  Since hubby got me an iPad this past Christmas, I just love that I can access digital magazines whether by downloading and owning a "copy" or simply finding them online and reading from one of many awesome sites.  Did I mention how bold and colorful the digital pages appear on a screen or how cool it is that I can read in a dark car on a road trip?!  The opportunities are endless.

So how about the classic paper printed magazine?  You know, the one your mom {or is that only my mom?} has hundreds of.  It's a funny saying in my family that my mom and her older sister got the "magazine gene", as the middle sister jokes.  Yes, I think the gene can exist and the symptoms of having this gene include the desire to purchase, read {and re-read, again and again}, mark favorite pages with Post-it notes and store stacks, hey even shelves of magazines for decades.  I have seen first hand how this gene works and I pray it's not hereditary!  So far, so good for my sister and I; we aren't showing symptoms yet.  As for all those old magazines, mom always says style comes around again but I think it's best to say that those magazines from 1980 or 90-something have style many of us don't want to relive.

My mom knows I love her, despite her wacky gene, so I have to just acknowledge that though her old school Better Homes and Gardens and Victoria magazines from the 90's aren't really my taste, she has my approval on her Flea Market Style Magazine collection.  I think I read all of the print copies while on vacation relaxing poolside last summer.  Thanks and I love you, Mom!


So now comes the big question.  What do you prefer, paper or digital magazines?  I am quite sure you have all laid hands on the smooth pages of one of your favorites, but what about a digital magazine?  Whether you have or not, I have to share one of my favorite digital ones called Sweet Paul Magazine.  It's a smile on a gloomy day with all kinds of awesome like food, recipes, crafts, and style to name a few.  I love the creative, colorful photos and that the whole magazine seems to breathe a sunny vibe {maybe because its always gloomy here in Germany?...hmmm}, and I am pretty sure you will like it, too!!!  Be sure to check it out and let us know how you stand in the modern debate: print or digital magazines??  Happy reading!  Xo~Mollykid

For the Love of a Vintage Bottle

Once upon a time a girl spotted a beautiful green vintage European wine bottle at a flea market in a small town in Germany.  She happily paid 3 euros for that little gem and brought it home thinking it was a chic little addition to her home decor.  Little did she know that would begin her "love" of the beautiful green glass!

  
I assume you know who that bottle collecting girl is, so I wanted to share a little glimpse of her {my} green vintage bottle collection.  Since we have been living in Germany for the last three years, I have developed quite an interest in these fabulous pieces of glass.  In fact, I could say they are one of my vintage obsessions. Each one is unique in shape and color and all have given me a little test when it comes to cleaning them up.  The best part is they all bring awesome personality into our home.

Once I had a couple of them, I started feeling like I would lay off buying them, but I am not going to lie...I kept finding ones that were all different from the others, thus the collection grew!  I must mention that the prices I find these for are almost ludicrous compared to what you would see them for at Pottery Barn or any other popular store.  Are you ready?  Most of my bottles are between 3-5 euro {about $4-7 U.S. dollars} and amazingly enough, the biggest one in the picture above was free!

Now to answer a question from one of our readers: how do I get them so clean?  This can be easy, but can also be difficult...depending on what was in the bottle prior to it being discarded.  Here are some of my best tips for cleaning them.  The main cleaning agents I use {not always together} are vinegar, dish soap, baking soda and hot water.  I always clean them in the bathtub so I have plenty of room to work without accidentally hitting it on the sink edge and risking a fatal accident to the glass.  I spread out a hand towel on the bottom of the tub to protect it and the tub from scratches.  Once the towel is wet, it stays put very well and allows me to move the bottle about freely to move around the cleaning solution inside.  This is a delicate process for glass to be moving around in the tub {think disaster if it breaks and you have to clean it up!!} so make sure you aren't in a rush for this step.

I begin with a bit of very hot tap water in the bottle, I cover the open end and carefully shake back and forth to remove any debris.  I do this a couple times and hold it to the light to see what I am faced with.  At this point I fill the bottle with some vinegar, maybe 2 cups or so {I really don't measure} and the rest of the way with hot tap water to the top.  Be warned that vinegar creates a little pressure in your bottle when you shake it with the end covered so be careful not to spray yourself.  Also, if you have some stubborn stains, you can try baking soda with the vinegar for a bubbly cleanse.  I then let the bottle soak according to how dirty it is, and sometimes an overnight soak is necessary.  You can find some long brushes in our German stores that people use for the wall heaters and I bend it to be able to scrub the inside of the bottle.  If you don't have a brush, you could use a wire hanger along with a rag to clean inside.  If the rag gets stuck, simply make a hook with the hanger to pull it out slowly.  Also, make sure not to scratch the inside of your bottle with the hanger end.  Once you have soaked and scrubbed your delicate glass baby, you can rinse with warm water until the water runs clear.  To dry, I usually find a quiet, traffic-less place in my house to prop it upside down.  This allows the water to run out freely.  Also, you can use a dry towel, roll it from the corner until its long and thin.  Insert the end into the bottle and wiggle around{holding carefully!} until the majority of the water is dried and voila!!!  You should have a clean bottle ready to display.

I hope these tips are helpful for you and your vintage bottles.  Do share any tips you might have on getting these beauties cleaned up in no time, we would love to hear them!  Happy collecting...xo~Mollykid

Hello Spring, Are You There?

Hello Friends, how are you on this fine day?  We are smack dab in the middle of the weekend and Mollykid is more than ready for Spring!  Who doesn't love the brighter colors, the sunnier days and the flowers popping up all over town?  Well, I love those sure signs of Spring but good old Mother Nature just isn't having it here in Germany just yet.  We had a weird return of snow earlier this week, and with low temperatures, it just won't melt fast enough!  Let me tell you, the people living around here aren't too keen on it since we have had a record dark winter.  In anticipation of the upcoming season, I have decided to devote this post to some of our favorite signs of Spring.

This picture was taken at a butterfly garden nearby in Luxembourg quite some time ago on one of the kids' class field trips.  Picture a giant greenhouse, bright and sweaty with humidity and heat, and nothing but greenery, flowers and thousands of butterflies all around.  I think they actually play games with humans to see how much they can freak you out when they come within centimeters from your face before they change direction or choose to land on your arm, your shirt or even in your hair.  For people of all ages, this is a really up-close look at these beautiful, gentle creatures that you won't soon forget.  I invite you to visit a local butterfly garden in your area this season.   

With Spring comes flowers of all kinds!  This is one of my favorite colorful accessories, especially when I can buy cheap, simple ones to have in my home.  I love my local Aldi store for a bundle of fresh tulips, usually on any day but Sunday when they {and everything else here in Germany} are closed.  For 1.99 euro {about $2.50} I can have fresh flowers on my table for about 8 days.  When you cut the stem about 1.5" up from the end before you put them in water, they do nothing but bloom and spread good cheer.  Of course there all all kinds of flowers at your neighborhood flower shop or why not plant some outdoors for some color?  Here are a couple other favorites...

Here in Europe, April is the month that the local flea markets begin starting up, and if you know me at all, you know I l-o-v-e fleas!!  Since many areas are thawing out from the cold winter weather, Spring is a great time to get out and check out your local markets, as well as venturing out of your comfort zone to check out something new.  One of my favorite markets I found last year was in Homburg, Germany...only a 15-20 minute drive from Ramstein and the Kaiserslautern area and 1 hr 20 min from the Bitburg and Spangdahlem areas.  A real flea heaven {ahhhhh...} for European treasure lovers.  They have their dates listed from April to November 2013 so you can plan ahead.  Here is the link for their schedule so you can check it out: 

http://www.inkwire.de/homburg-flea-market.html

While the United States has always sprung their clocks ahead for daylight savings time, Europe still awaits that traditional sign that Spring is nearing.  While we do lose an hour of sleep, its really not a loss at all since we gain valuable daylight for longer, {hopefully} nicer days.  Along with this comes St. Patrick's Day, Easter and Spring Break.  Need I say more about how nice it is to have Spring approaching?  What do you like best about this season?  Do you have any special seasonal projects you are working on?

Thank you for joining us...here is to a colorful season! xo~Mollykid



Hello Friends,

It's been a few days since I have written but don't think I have forgotten about you. I was on a trip that I am dying to share with you. Let me just say...Polish Pottery! I will share some great info with you here soon {perhaps after I finish doing my chores from being gone this weekend!}. I hope you had a bit of sunshine shining on you today, wherever you are in the world. I know I did and it was so nice. 

So what did you do this weekend? Go anywhere exciting?? Do share, we would love to hear all about it ♥ xo~ Mollykid

Fabric Love: Around the World

It's Monday and I have to make a confession.  I walked into my crafting room today to create since I finished my 'chores' yesterday and I realized I just l-o-v-e fabric!  Since we live in Europe, I have developed a kind of habit of searching out fabric when we travel to new cities.  Ok, ok.  So I am not being honest...or rather, I am leaving something out.  I search out fabric...and antiques...and flea markets!  I love them all and get so excited at the thought of what I might find in fantastic places like France, Belgium, The Netherlands and Italy.  After all, some of the best designers and haute couture come from Europe.  That being said, though I may not have the budget of those high end fashionistas, a girl can still get ideas and find more economical ways to create her own fashion style. 

Over the last three years of living in Germany, I have learned a few key things about fabric and textiles.  Shop around being number one.  Prices vary from country to country, and so do styles.  I adopted the mindset early on that I didn't want to spend money on frivolous things when we traveled so instead I would search out something that I could use to create a memory of our trip.  I have found that with fabric, I can make whatever I want.  The beauty is, it travels well and it can be set aside for a rainy day.  The best thing to me is that when our European vacation is over, when I look at the fabric in use in our home, I will remember the times we traveled, the places we went and the stories that go along with it. 

On a trip to Finland in 2011, I discovered Marimekko (http://us.marimekko.com/), a textile design company that exudes nothing but fun and color.  Their fabrics are top quality, colors are bold and lively and what I would love to have all over my house.  The only drawback I could see was price...they are high end so expect to pay a pretty price.  At $59 for one yard of fabric, I think I might have to hold out on this designer for now.  I do check the sale section of their website often though, just to see what might pop up because their designs are so awesome and quality is great.  Their products are even sold in Crate and Barrel so I can keep an eye open for them. 

In February we hoped a flight with our backpacks and headed to Northern Italy, and visited Venice, Pordenone and Aviano.  When our friends there asked if there was anywhere we wanted to go, they giggled when I said I would love to find a fabric store.  Sure enough, they found one (http://www.giessescampoli.com/index.html) and we ventured out to find it!  When we arrived, they simply laughed at me moving through the store finding several items that I packed in my basket.  Funny enough, this time I had a project in mind so I focused on everything I need to accomplish it.  It was funny to see two men following me around the store (hubby and our friend) while I was shopping. 

On our Italian trip I learned 'scampoli' in Italian refers to remnants, which was evident by the large amount of usable remnants in this fabulous, 2-level store.  Giesse Scampoli is one of the largest fabric stores in Northern Italy and what makes them unique is they get remnants from fashion houses.  This means they have all the latest trends to include velvet, silk, and a whole lot more all sold by weight.  For about $8 I found what I needed to redo all the pillows in our bedroom since I am changing out our colors.  I also found some beautiful tapestry I am using for table runners.  I have three of these for sale so stay tuned to our Facebook page to get one!  Here is a sample of one of my favorite patterns...this is also the pattern I have for sale.

 

 Since living here in Europe, my best advice to you for finding fabrics if you live in Germany is to head to The Netherlands!  Sadly, Germany has a lot to offer as far as sewing and crafting goes, but all of the fabrics I have seen here are grossly expensive.  I thought maybe it was just the first store I went to in Trier, but then I searched around and kept coming up disappointed.  Many fabrics {especially cottons} are actually ordered from the U.S., so because they are imported, they are priced very high.  In contrast, I found a weekly fabric market in Maastricht, Netherlands and they offer way more variety and seasonal options for much less.  I can honestly say I have seen fabrics there for 12 euro/meter, and turned around and saw the same, exact thing here in Germany for 28 euro/meter!!!  That is a savings I will drive an hour and 15 minutes for.

I would love to hear from readers about your experiences with fabric shopping and what your tastes are!  Wherever you are in the world, what is favorite go-to store for all your sewing needs?  Give them some love here and call 'em out by name!  Have a wonderful week and thanks for stopping by.  Xo~Mollykid 

       

Join Mollykid Studios on Pinterest

Enjoying a relaxing Sunday morning looking around on Pinterest for a little bit before I have to get started with my Sunday cleaning routine. Did I mention Mollykid is on Pinterest?! I don't think I have since I am somewhat of a newbie...so stop by and follow us @ http://pinterest.com/mollykidstudios/

Though I would love to wake up and do nothing but sew, paint, and create... I have this sick obsession to make sure my house is tidy and clean before I get fun time. So I think today I am going to put on my headphones, turn on some jams and put my cleaning routine in high gear so I am done quickly! Wish me luck, I think the bathrooms are first after I get the washer going. I dislike bathrooms immensely, and would love nothing more than a self cleaning one that is somewhat like a dishwasher. You simply would remove anything you don't want to get wet, (cabinets would be watertight), close the door, insert a cleaning tab, power and walk away! Voila! When you return you have a sanitized masterpiece. 

Enough dreaming, Molly! Snap out of it and get to it; valuable creative time is being wasted. What chores keep you from pursuing your hobbies today? Xo~Mollykid