Day 7 of 12 Days of Home for the Holidays/All About You in 52

Welcome Nathalie Kalbach, our guest blogger, to Day 7 of the 12 Days of Home for the Holidays.

I “met” Nat on Two Peas in a Bucket message board called “the Pub.” I loved her blog so much I became a stalker, no a regular visitor. Watching Nat paint and create canvas not only inspired me to work with canvas, but she taught me how to work with them. I would ask questions and she was gracious enough to help me. I used several of her techniques she taught me in my first publication for Sommerset Memories.

Nathalie is from Hamburg, Germany and I automatically gravitated towards her blog, which is written in two languages. Having grown up in Germany it was like a childhood trek for me. I don’t think there is anything crafting that Nathalie can’t do. I love to read of her adventures, as she is an incredible writer and photographer.

Nathalie is on five design teams including one of my favorites, Tattered Angels. She is also a PrimaDonna Artisit and Educator and I venture to say she has been published in many, if not all, of the past 2 years of Sommerset Memories.

You can find Nathalie
     Blog Scrapbook-Trends
     Her Tutorials (awesome)
     Two Peas in a Bucket Gallery

Ms. Nathalie Kalbach

One of our family traditions is the food that is served on Christmas. In Germany we celebrate Christmas with the closest family members on Christmas Eve and that is also when the presents are given. On the first and second Christmas day (25th and 26th) as we call it, we have visitors over or visit. Traditionally there is a Christmas Goose served. But in my family usually on the first Christmas day we cook venison stew with self-made dumplings. I have been given the family recipe and it is one of the traditions I follow.

As my husband is American we do have decided that we take the traditions from both of our countries and families and so we celebrate in a maybe pretty different way when other couples. Sometimes of course we are in the States with our family and then we do not do it differently from any other American family. But if we spent Christmas in Germany we have a mix up.

In Germany we have an advent's wreath with four candles and on each Advent Sunday one candle after the other is light, so that then on the fourth advent and Christmas all four candles are lit. We also have an advent calendar- which is a daily calendar filled with treats till Christmas Eve.

On December 6th we celebrate St. Nicolas- it is more for the kids- but we still fill my godchildren little boots with treats and candy. We celebrate on Christmas Eve with a couple of the presents and then on Christmas day we do have a nice American Breakfast with the rest of the presents. I do write a Christmas journal every year and use this to document the holiday season.

Here is another project Nat created on canvas.

Danke, Nathalie
Ein gesegnetes Weihnactsfest!

Tomorrow’s guest is Ms. Yvonne Busdeker.

Winner of the 7gypsies ATC Metal Tags is

NancyJones said...PS LOVE YOUR CHATTY CATHY LAYOUT!

Congratulations! Send your snail mail address to Debbysdare@gmail.com

I will draw a name for the Tim Holtz Scissors later today.  I haev to wait for another report from my newsletter carrier!

Leave Nathalie a comment and be in a drawing for a PACK of Kaiser Crafts mini-board books. 

All About You in 52, Week 49

We only have four questions to go. It has been an incredible journey.

Stories aside, lists aside, holidays, birthdays, etc. all aside. Let’s look at a few harder questions to document over the remainder of the Dare Ya!

Life should hold no regrets. But I do have a few “I Wish I Had…” We all do. “If I had turned right instead of left.” Because of the 12 Days of Home for the Holidays I will keep if brief today (but only today! LOL)

Question

How Would You Complete the Following Sentence “I Wish I Had ….”

My Answer

Journaling
Spent more time with the kids
Worried less about how others perceived me
Kept all my promises

Ingredients
Pattern Paper: Little Yellow Bicycle and Graphic 45
Cardstock: Bazzill Bling
Letters: Webster’s Storytellers Home for the Holidays
Ink: Tim Holtz Distress Ink, Vintage Photo; Stazon Jet Black
Other: Ranger’s Stickles, Tim Holtz Fragments
Tools: Fiskars Holly Limited Edition Squeeze Punch and Round n’ Round Squeeze Punch; Fiskars Rotary Trimmer; Fiskars Border Corner Punch
Original layout design by FiskarsCrafts

I’ll announce the winners next week (so I don’t get confused in the mix!). Thank you.

Gratitude List
1. allowing me to see the wonder in a child’s eye
2. Christmas magic
3. strangers smiles and joy
4. listeners in my life
5. God who listens to my prayers and my whispers