Sunday 9 October 2016

Home Life

With the colder season, shorter days and longer nights, most of us are drawn to less activities outdoors and more home life. I am the same, and although I have liked this flat from the moment we moved here 13 years ago, I like it even more since the "Big Switch" (see there series of posts about swapping my living room and bedroom in April of this year, starting here and ending with this post).

A different colour scheme for the living room has meant trying to find bits and bobs that fit the new scheme, and I am happy to report that I came across two perfect cushions during my two-week-stay in Ripon in July/August.




To me, they look as if they were made on order to suit my living room! The first one, with the stitching and pearls, was originally of different colours - but the shop owner told me it had faded to those colours (perfect for me!) by her having it displayed in her shop window for some months. She let me have it at a reduced price.


Other bits of home life include food, of course. During the week, I usually eat lunch at the canteen at work. It's not a bad canteen; they offer fresh and seasonal cooking and sometimes rather daring "exotic" dishes (exotic for a canteen in southern Germany, I mean).
But at nights, I mostly eat at home. Depending on what I had for lunch, in the evenings it is usually either bread and cheese or a salad. I love salads, because they allow you to combine what ever you feel like, or want to use up. For a base, I always go with the lazy option of pre-packed leafy mixes. Then I add whatever I have, such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, spring onions and so on. That alone would make for a nice salad, but sometimes I want to have something extra in the bowl: bits of cheese, and/or nuts, raisins, apple or pear, pumpkin or sunflower seeds.



Since I posted the recipe for my basic salad dressing in 2011, I have changed that a bit. Nowadays, I am using more vinegar (balsamico) and a little less oil. Also, I have been heeding my sister's tip of adding some mustard.

I like this way of having fresh, relatively healthy food, allowing enough room in my stomach for something sweet afterwards :-)

The last two pictures are - surprise, surprise! - the view from my picture window the other morning, taken within half an hour:



Today is the first Sunday in five weeks that I am home. Time to catch up with a few things around the house - more home life, if you want. The main task I have set myself for today is changing the contents of my wardrobe to better suit the colder weather. My summer dresses won't be of much use for at least the next half year, so they'll be packed away and replaced by knit dresses, jumpers and my winter trouser suit.

Have a good Sunday, everyone, whatever you'll be doing!

18 comments:

  1. Love the new cushions. Your flat looks like a relaxing and pleasant space in which to spend your days.

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    1. It is, Marcie - both relaxing and pleasant, at least to me.
      I can't remember whether I have seen you here before. If not, welcome to my blog; if I have seen you before, welcome back!

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    2. Thanks! I guess I haven't been here in a while. Well, I've been reading but not commenting as much. Busy days! I'm pretty sure you've popped over to my blog a time or two also, but I could be mistaken. Anyway, I appreciate the friendly response!

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  2. Love the cushions and your entire room looks really comfy and pretty.
    Salads are fun to make aren't they - so many variations possible so never boring.
    Do you like to add grains and beans - such as quinoa, rice and chickpeas? I always think they add a little protein - as of course does fabulous cheese. Remember I'm a 'cheese-aholic". Last evening here in California where we're visiting we had a delicious salad - arugula greens with tiny tomatoes and fresh burrata cheese with basil pesto - before a fresh spinach crisp thin crust pizza, delicious!

    Enjoy changing your wardrobe for the season - I did that when I got back from Africa - and now here in Calif. it's warm so I may have brought too many heavy sweaters with me! May have to go shopping, haha!
    Meanwhile back home they tell me our electricity is still out from the hurricane but the rains have gone and things should dry out this coming week. Never a dull moment.

    Have a good week dear - enjoy each precious day.
    Hugs - Mary

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    1. Thank you, Mary - you too have a good week! Glad to hear it appears your home has not suffered too much from the hurricane.

      I'm not all that much into rice, except for as part of a delicious risotto - I may have eaten at Chinese restaurants a bit too often in the past. But I do love cheese, couldn't live without!
      Chickpeas I've not tried in a salad yet; thank you for the idea.

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  3. Those two new pillows look ideal for your colors in your living room. I like salads for dinner too and sprinkle sliced toasted unsalted almonds and crumbled blue cheese on sometimes.

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    1. That sounds yummy, Terra, and comes just at the right time - I'll soon have a salad, straight after the phone call to my mother-in-law.

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  4. Beautiful cushions, and lovely food, and a rather dramatic view. Sounds like a pretty nice Sunday to me!

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    1. It was, Jenny - I even caught up with some reading! My weekly paper has been piling up for 4 or 5 weeks now, too, but now I'm behind only one issue which maybe I'll manage tonight.

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  5. Guess what, I have seen your wallpaper (the one in your living room) in a movie! (Well, not YOUR wallpaper exactly, but you know, the same one that you have!) It is in "Cockneys Vs. Zombies". It is a funny movie with bad language.
    Nice "homey" post!

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    1. I seem to remember a comment of Monica's when I first showed you all what wallpaper I had chosen, she saw "my" wallpaper somewhere else, too, and sent me a link to the picture. Must look it up again!
      I had a nice homey Sunday, and so this post was just right - glad you liked it :-)

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    2. It wasn't in a a movie that I saw it, but on some home improvement show... I've forgotten which one now, but you probably have the link in my original comment.

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  6. Domestic days can be very satisfying. I like both your new pillows, but especially the one with the white background. It makes me happy. I was trying to put my summer clothes away and put out my fall/winter clothes and I've decided I have too many clothes and need to donate quite a few to Goodwill.
    Salad! I always have salads, but often with something else, like some soup or a small open faced sandwich.Your sister's advice about the mustard was very good! Yesterday was a birthday party for Stephen and I brought a huge salad to the potluck.

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    1. Oh, a belated Happy Birthday to Stephen for me! You know I am particularly fond of the little boy.
      While I was putting my summer things away, I came across a few I wore not once all summer. So maybe I'll put a bag apart for the Red Cross or something.
      I love soups! Haven't had any in a while, but now with the colder days on us, it's the perfect time of year for them.

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  7. Perfect cushions for your flat, and such little details/finishing touches can make such a difference. Is the yellow one actually the same pattern as the wallpaper?! It certainly matches it, anyway! :)

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    1. It's not exactly the same pattern, but it comes pretty close - close enough for me, anyway :-) And the yellow backdrop being a bit darker than the yellow on the other three walls makes a perfect addition.

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  8. Your apartment has a calm, homely look about it. The early morning photos foreshadow the coming winter. Brrrrrr!

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    1. It feels very much like winter already in the mornings here, with temperaturs down to 3 or 4 Celsius and me needing a padded coat, scarf, gloves and boots for my way to work!
      Thank you; that calm, homely look is exactly what I have been trying to achieve.

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