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Lately…

Spring has arrived! The pear tree is blooming, like so many other plants.

I also found this interesting piece of adhesive (printed) fabric at the dollar store and was finally able to pimp up my mouse pad right away, a measure which was much necessary! 🙂

Furthermore I had the chance to belong to the first lucky buyers of the German copy of Glamour May 2017 with a free sample of Chanel “Rouge Coco Gloss”. A gorgeous product which can be worn toned down or “glamed up” as needed in a beautiful red shade.

We are grateful for those sunny days of spring after such a cold winter and are enjoying every bit of it! What have you been doing lately?

Happy Easter everyone!

Thank you for your visit, have a beautiful day!

Posted by labellestudio | April 13, 2017 | Categories: Beauty, D.I.Y., Photography | Tags: Beauty, chanel, coco, d.i.y., fabric, LaBelleStudio, photography, printed, rouge, spring | 6 Comments

DIY dog jacket

We have had a couple of rough as in very cold weeks during winter this year ~ I am cautiously talking in the past sense here ~ and I have been worrying about our dog girl who turned 10 in February and has had a record of health trepidations (due to a difficult start in life, in case you do not know already).

So quite by chance I saw this jacket my husband barely wears because he has never liked it and thought it could maybe be turned into a dog jacket with the right adjustments. I figured something out and started to take the measurements of our furry girl, then went to the changes on the actual (men´s) jacket. Here is the sewing made on each side, front and back. The green parts alter both sides. Blue, red and yellow are showing parts sewn for adjustment and cut off from the original clothe.

Basically some pieces had to be “taken away” to re-shape the jacket so the (human) front would become the (dog) back and vice and versa. To close the zip, we just hold our hand underneath to make sure her hair does not get caught in it (we do the same to take it off her when we come back home.).

For the “belly part” in this case, you have to think: large torso, narrow waist and change the jacket accordingly (mixed breed German Shepherd/Collie).

The result is still comfortable enough for our dog to run around and do her business as usual without any issues. You can judge by yourself on the short clip down below. Please bear in mind that the hair on our dog´s neck is insanely thick and long and although the collar part may seem too narrow, it really is not 😉

Dog Jacket from B.F. Studio on Vimeo.

I am convinced that this can be done with any piece of clothe you have in case you need something warm for your dog in winter: children´s coats and jackets can be used just the same for smaller breeds to protect them from the cold. In case you do not want to sew, there are excellent glues on the market so the clothes can still be washed as usual after the alterations.

Thank you for your visit! Have a beautiful day!

Posted by labellestudio | March 1, 2017 | Categories: D.I.Y. | Tags: adjustement, DIY, DIY dog jacket, dog, LaBelleStudio, pet, sewing, upcycle | 6 Comments

Don´t lose your muchness!

Lately I have been watching Alice In Wonderland again, Tim Burton´s adaptation for Walt Disney, my favorite version of the story.

The sequel of this movie, Alice Through The Looking Glass, did not impress me much, in fact I would say it had less “muchness” than the first part. The authors chose to create a story going back in time, rather than developing the plot in the future. Although the time travelling sequences were well crafted with special effects and elaborate computer graphics, and did explain some undisclosed facts of the “present”, they lacked substance, in my opinion, which was so present not only in the original story but also in Tim Burton´s first vision. I will not give any spoilers about the end of the story in this post for those who might still wish to watch the movie some time.

But where do you go from here, when the Mad Hatter is not “mad” anymore, as he does not need to show off post-traumatic symptoms since all reasons for his disease have disappeared? Anything is possible in Hollywood and although late Alan Rickman will unfortunately not be able to speak for Absolem anymore, I do hope that a new sequel will be created in which Alice will finally be able to find the perfect connection between both worlds.

Did you watch one or both movies, what did you think of them?

Don´t lose your Muchness! 😀

Have a beautiful week-end!

Posted by labellestudio | February 18, 2017 | Categories: News, Personal | Tags: #Alice, #TimBurton, alan rickman, alice in wonderland, Don´t lose your muchness!, LaBelleStudio, mad hatter, movie, through the looking glass, Tim Burton | 4 Comments

Melting

During last week all snow has been slowly melting down. Ice blocks are turning into small swimming icebergs holding icebound leaves and twigs. Mud and smells are being set free from the ground while birds sing their happy songs more and more often.

Our garlic cloves started to sprout in January already, which would rather speak for an early spring this year. Winter, for sure, has not said its last word yet, but signs tend to show a favorable change of weather that should occur sooner than in 2016. I will keep you posted about that 🙂

Thank you for your visit! Have a beautiful day!

Posted by labellestudio | February 11, 2017 | Categories: Photography | Tags: ice, LaBelleStudio, melding, photography, snow, spring, winter | 2 Comments

G.P.S. adventures

You probably belong to the vast majority of people, like us, who possess a G.P.S. system of some sort, either on your phone or as a device of its own. G.P.S. systems have become a tremendous help we now take for granted. We can walk or drive in an area which is completely unknown to us and still find our way to whatever we have planned to do, while our parents and grand-parents used to speed in panic through history trying to find a single spot in space and time.

Indeed we are the lucky ones! And to make sure we are, we bought a G.P.S. system eleven years ago which still is the topic of many conversations at home and you will soon understand why.

My husband had heard so many good reviews about the Tom-Tom system that he finally bought such a device for our car. It was a special day to us! Finally we would not wander alone through the darkness of ignorance in areas we had to clue about. Interestingly the system comes with a range of languages and dialects, female as well as male voices. We opted for a female voice talking English since her name was Jane and it made us think about Tarzan. Do not ask me why, I really think a psychologist would have to struggle with that one. Anyway, we chose Jane´s lovely voice and were ecstatic to “go straight forward”, “keep left” or “turn right whenever possible” with an Oxford flair…

As soon as we came into this rural area of Bavaria, Jane seemed to slowly show signs of deep trauma. Despite our efforts to help her by talking back and forth, it did not seem to improve her condition.

. JANE: “turn right in 50 meters”…

(there is only a narrow path between two fields at that point)

. ME: Sorry girl, I´ll have to pass that one, we are not on a bicycle you know…

. JANE: Go straight ahead then turn left in 100 meters…

. ME: … !!!?!! Jane, there´s a river here and nothing else, you want me to jump?

(after sending us through dozens of villages in a wide circle not coming anywhere near our destination)

. JANE: Turn left, then turn left again….

. ME (quite bugged out I must admit): Jane, how many drinks did you have???

A few months after that we buried Jane who had reached a point of now return. The change of landscape had obviously devastated her. Later on we bought a device from another brand and a new Jane started to give us reasonable directives.

Oh, and I must add that this one does not drink. 😉

Have a beautiful day!

Posted by labellestudio | February 4, 2017 | Categories: News, Personal | Tags: device, directive, driving, english, G.P.S. adventures, jane, LaBelleStudio, walking | 4 Comments

Tree Of Life

Shortly after we came here in this area of Bavaria, we planted a very young tree called here “the Tree Of Life” in German which actually means “thuja” tree. It was maybe one foot high and I remember worrying if it would stand the harsh weather of this area. We gave it some extra water on hot summer days, avoided any incidents which would damage the young sapling and hoped for the best. One year later, it had grown a little. Almost 20 centimeters was a single thin twig towering over the main part which seemed a little frail still. Therefore I cut this pointy twig off so the tree could become more vigorous. It really worked! The years after that, the tree became so dense and grew so quickly, it soon outgrew me, not that this would be a big challenge for a tree since I am not what you would call a tall person.

Is this strange? Today I feel so proud of this tree since it has become a beauty, a truly impressive and magnificent Thuja in which two bird families have built their nests and found refuge. What better odds could there be for a “Tree Of Life”?

Here in December 1212

After 10 years, our Thuja is now over 6 feet high! It smells heavenly and has become a good wind breaker. If you have ever had or still have a garden, are there trees you particularly like?

Feel free to let me know if you want to tell your own #TreeStory I would love to read it!

The same Thuja today

Have a beautiful day!

Posted by labellestudio | February 1, 2017 | Categories: Personal, Photography | Tags: #BloggerChallenge, #TreeStory, garden, LaBelleStudio, photography, thuja, Tree Of Life | 2 Comments

Stories told by Grandma Snow

As your feet are sinking deeper into the white mass, crushing the crystals into ice, the tracks of other visitors around you start to draw your attention. What happened here last night? Who came here today?

While watching the traces of past events, the stories are flowing into your mind as if you were reading from an open book. Look! Sparrows came here yesterday. They tried to find food behind the palettes where no snow has fallen. Critters galore must have found refuge there.

And here! A blackbird bounced his way under a car parked in the yard.

Ant that one? A cat came back from hunting in our garden yesterday. She is most probably one of those who ate the food we leave outside in winter. 😉

Magpies were here yesterday, today as well! They really seem to visit our compost pile every day!

And here, look! A marten! It was leaving the place jumping over the fence. Most of them know there is food here, in case no prey has crossed their path.

I think this will make a nice good night story, what do you think? What does your Grandma Snow tells you?

Thank you for your visit! Have a beautiful and warm day!

Posted by labellestudio | January 25, 2017 | Categories: Personal, Photography | Tags: LaBelleStudio, photography, snow, snow reading, Stories told by Grandma Snow, tracks, winter | 4 Comments

Bird Feed

The weather has remained cold and snowy for over three weeks now so we have prepared some extra food for the birds visiting our garden, or just finding refuge at our place.

Here is what we used:

. margarine

. bird feed: a cereal mix with nuts and seeds

We melted some margarine, about half a pound, and let it boil just a little. Then we removed the pan from the heat and added some of the food mix.

We stirred a little and waited for the mix to cool down further.

Then we added more bird feed until it became a thick paste.

This cooled down some more and we built bird feed balls with foil. We also filled a small plastic bucket with the rest of the mix.

Once they had become solid, the bird feed balls were put in recycled onion nets to be hung at our trees while we built a small roof for the bucket and hung it too with some aluminium wire. All pieces used are recycled packaging from human food, like onions (potatoes, tomatoes, apple…).

Maybe this inspires you to make your own bird feed: a nice project to do with children, especially since you are going out to provide the birds with extra food and have some outdoor quality time.

Have a beautiful day!

Posted by labellestudio | January 17, 2017 | Categories: D.I.Y. | Tags: bird feed, children, cold, craft, DIY, environment, garden, LaBelleStudio, outdoor, snow, winter | 4 Comments

Fuji Instax 8 Camera

I hope everyone had a wonderful time with family and friends during the holidays. Happy new year to you!!!

Now to the first review of 2017. 🙂

One of the successors of the Polaroid camera we still know from the 80s and 90s has arrived: it looks modern, playful, fascinating and a tad old-fashioned. But let me introduce you to this new toy somewhat more.

The body of the camera looks bulky at first but is surprisingly light. It is mostly composed of plastic; if you touch the surface, it does not feel smooth but more like slip-proof “hard rubber” if it makes sense. I suppose the object should not slip out of hand easily, thus a non-smooth surface helps to prevent this kind of mishap.

The Instax 8 comes in several colors: brown, white and black, but also pastels (baby pink or blue, yellow) or even bright colors: berry pink and purple. The price varies according to the vendor and color: I got my yellow one, obviously not a very popular shade, for the lowest price in Germany, at least as far as I am informed: Euro 65.66.

First of all you must know that the Instax 8 does not come with any plug at all: everything you shoot is purely in “real world currency” and cannot be transferred to virtual medias in any way. The only method would be, as I am going to do for this post, to photograph your finished and printed Instax pictures with a normal camera or scan them. As the former Polaroid, the Instax will photograph AND print your picture right away. The credit card-size photograph comes out of an opening at the top of the camera and should not be touched in the middle area where the chemicals are actually at work to develop your shoot. This process lasts for at least 10 minutes.

For this, your camera will need a film cartridge, containing the cards which will become your photographs. These already contain the necessary chemicals for the development. No ink will be needed. Everything is already in the film cartridge, which is rather expensive, as for the old Polaroid camera. Cartridges in bulk come cheaper when you purchase them, but in the end, the price per photograph will be at least Euro 0.75, most probably more. I have been buying a 2 pack-cartridge for Euro 14.95 which is the best price I could get here.

I am including pictures from the camera here, so you can get a feeling for its use. Since WordPress would not allow me to make a gallery, please click on each picture that interests you. It will open in an extra tab in original size.

This camera is equipped with few regulation means: it comes with light sensors, a few settings for external light, the possibility to adapt to the actual light conditions simply by turning a ring around the objective up to the right position (the recommendation comes as a small orange light on the right setting, a result of the light sensors). The flash light seems to go off every time or almost every time so that users tend to cover it most of the time to get more realistic colors in their photographs. Otherwise the use of the Instax 8 turns out to be extremely easy, the most difficult part is learning about the limitations and shooting good pictures despite of them. Personally I would best describe this camera more as a challenge than an instrument but as for the Polaroid we knew, this camera is also more about the “ready to print” advantage than the photographic prowess.

I am including here some of the most typical mistakes made at the beginning, a part I certainly did not miss 😛

My thoughts: the colors this camera comes in, the material, the credit card-size photographs, all of this already show us which part of the population is aimed at: young people, especially young girls. And indeed most YouTube (or otherwise) reviews on this camera are presented by young women or girls. Among the advantages are the price, the uncomplicated character (light weight, slip-proof), the fancy shades and the easy use as well as, and above all, the instant print! Among the disadvantages are: cheap materials, costs, amateur touch, small photographs, chemicals, very few settings, a good part of your pictures will be bad shots, therefore lost.

Is this camera superficial and unnecessary? No, certainly not. I consider it more a toy than an instrument, but taking photographs is not only a serious thing, it is fun, especially if you get to see the results right away. It also is about being part of the group taking pictures of everybody, instead of moving outside the group without really being part of it, as a mere observer and photographer; it is about having another topic to talk about with friends and family, about sharing and showing memories, even if the print maybe does not survive the next 10 years as for the old Polaroid printed photographs. The Instax 8 is a toy, but also a challenge. Why would professional photographers bother to buy it anyway? Because it possesses an attraction of its own. As the former Polaroid, it is a camera with an almost unique feature. The Instax 8 will also make an excellent present for young girls, as well as for people into scrap booking, memory planners or time planners, in short, anyone treasuring personal memories.

Thank you for your visit, have a beautiful day!

Posted by labellestudio | January 12, 2017 | Categories: Photography | Tags: #instax, fuji, LaBelleStudio, photograph, photography, polaroid, printer, review | 3 Comments

Christmas lights and a new challenge

The village has been decorated with festive lights for the coming holidays; as far as we are concerned, it does not look like we are going to get any snow over the next week which does not sadden us at all: less shovel duty means more time to appreciate a few free days. Meanwhile I have been trying my hands on a new camera: the “modernized Polaroid” or Fuji Instax. Holding your picture in your hands within minutes after the shot has always fascinated me, I guess this is the right season to shoot a lot of photographs and get some practice. 🙂

If you wish me to write a review about this new camera, please let me know in the comments below. I will gladly share my experience and information with you in a future post.

Wishing you all a merry and safe Christmas! 😀