haus maus

And the winner is...

2012-01-09T14:16:00.000+01:00

It's time to announce the winner of one signed and personalized copy of my book, Lust Auf Wohnen! Yeah! And the winner is...

VIOLA VOGES!

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S!

Please send me your mailing address and I will send it out this week.

A big thank you to all who entered my little contest.

xo,
Holly

Last Minute Giveaway: Lust auf Wohnen

2011-12-22T13:10:00.001+01:00

Hello everyone! I'm so happy to announce that me and my book, Lust auf Wohnen, are featured in a full page interview in the January issue of Wohn Idee magazine and I want to celebrate this along with celebrating the end of 2011 and the beginning of a new year. I'm very excited about seeing the positive reaction in Germany to my book and so I thought to sponsor my own contest and give away a brand new signed and dedicated copy to one haus maus reader!

For your chance to win one free copy of Lust auf Wohnen please do these things by December 31.

"Like" Decorate (the English title of this book) on Facebook. Click here to go to the Facebook Page.

Comment on the Decorate Facebook page with the reason why you would like a copy of Lust auf Wohnen and if you have it already, why you would like another copy - who would you give it too, for instance.

Comment below on this blog (haus maus) with your first name and city/country.

That's it!

Thank you!

The book winner will be announced on New Year's Day, 1 January 2012!

(images: holly becker for haus maus)

The Romantics + J.Crew

2011-12-21T15:01:00.000+01:00

It only took me a year to see The Romantics but I watched it and really liked it but even more, loved the location and the hair and wardrobe! I also like this fab photo shoot that the cast had for J.Crew right before the film released. I love all of these gorgeous clothes, especially the sparkly bits like the sparkle pants worn on the gorgeous American actor Katie Holmes.

Did you see The Romantics? Did you like it? What do you think of these clothes? I wish J.Crew would open stores in Europe, especially London or Berlin or even Hamburg so I could have one of my favorite US retailers a bit closer to home... But at least they offer a flat rate shipping to Germany for 11,95 which makes paying the VAT less painful. Yay!

I love these clothes, do you like them too?

Designachten Hannover 17 + 18 December!

2011-12-16T14:01:00.001+01:00

Will you attend Designachten in Hannover tomorrow? Designachten was launched last year (2010) by friends Sandra and Iris but this year things changed a bit, Sandra is doing Designachten alone in a new location and Iris had her own handmade fair a few weeks ago called designPavillion.

I love seeing more and more handmade fairs popping up here in Hannover -- I'm in full support of Iris and Sandra in their pursuit of spreading handmade love locally in our little city whether they pursue that together or separately, who cares really, these fairs generate the kid of energy that is needed in our city for our creative community and that's a good thing.

When I was walking through the huge and wonderful designPavillion hosted by Iris recently, I kept thinking of Boston and Brooklyn where I religiously attended the big craft fairs like Renegade since early 2006. I was so energized by designPavillion and proud to see similar handmade fairs popping up all over Germany and hope to see many, many more! Go indie!

So yes, this weekend is Designachten and it will run ~~tomorrow only (17 December)~~ tomorrow and Sunday (17 & 18 December) in Sudstadt at a furniture store called SofaLoft at Jordanstraße 26. So if you need handmade gifts or simply inspiration and a designer sofa, this is your place! :) The show looks nicely curated and doesn't appear to have the same sellers as the designPavillion, so that's very good and important to both sellers and guests -- I love that I'll have some new booths to explore!

My dear friend Daniella Thaul from Sommerfugl in the List will be there selling Scandinavian-designed ceramics and ceramic jewelry and I personally love the handmade designers she'll be featuring at her booth and can't wait to see what she has to show us.

Have fun at Designachten, Hannover!

(P.S. I'm not forgetting to put spaces between words, it's just that Germans love to combine words making them into one, and they mix a lot of German and English and alternate between upper and lowercase letters in those words -- and despite how much I dislike it as I study German I can't escape it, LOL! So when you see SofaLoft, designPavillion, Designachten, Sommerfugl - that's why!)

Saturday in Berlin

2011-11-27T15:40:00.001+01:00

I thought I'd share some highlights from a day with Sandra Juto in Berlin on Saturday. Sandra has become a dear friend to me and I'm sure you'll see more photos on her blog this week from our little adventure, too. She is so lovely and talented, it's always a pleasure to be with her. And now... scenes from Berlin. I wonder if you recognize any of these places?

(images: holly becker)

Come craft with me this Friday in Berlin!

2011-11-21T13:08:00.002+01:00

Hallo! To celebrate Anthropologie's new GERMAN website (they now ship free to Germany if you spend 75 € or more), they will present a special Anthropologie pop up cafe at the lovely Barcomi's in Berlin for ONE WEEK ONLY from November 23 - 28th and I'll be teaching a special gift wrapping class there (in English) from 4-6 pm this Friday (25 Nov) for 8 special guests.

All are allowed to visit (of course) but only 8 will have a seat in my crafty corner while I teach you one-on-one how to wrap your presents with personality using found papers, ribbons, rubber stamps, masking tape and other crafty things. I'll bring the supplies, and you can take the things that you make home with you, too. Along with my special two hour class, we'll chat over homemade Barcomi's cakes and coffee (or tea) and each of my 8 special winners will receive a 25 € gift card to shop Anthropologie online. How fun is that!?

If you'd like to join us, please go to decor8 and enter there.

I can't wait!

(image: holly becker)

Book party und blogger event

2011-10-28T19:25:00.002+02:00

LUST AUF WOHNEN: BOOK PARTY und BLOGGER Event
Samstag, 12. November von 14 bis 18 Uhr
Soho House, Torstrasse 1, Berlin

Rückmeldung bis Montag, 7. November an rsvp@decor8blog.com

LERN wie man bloggt, Bücher und Magazine schreibt und wie Du Dein Unternehmen online präsentierst
TREFF Holly Becker und ihre besonderen Gäste sowie weitere Kreative, die Du schon immer kennenlernen wolltest
GENIESS Cupcakes & Drinks
BRING Dein "Lust auf Wohnen" oder "Decorate" mit und lass es Dir von Holly Becker persönlich signieren. Die deutsche und englische Ausgabe der Bücher werden Dir vor Ort zum Kauf angeboten – und Du erhältst zusätzlich von Holly ein kleines Geschenk
SICHERE Dir eine Wundertüte und einen Platz mit einer Email an rsvp@decor8blog.com bis zum 7. November

Blogger's meetup & book launch in Berlin: 12 Nov!

2011-10-28T19:02:00.003+02:00

Save the date everyone! On Saturday, November 12, 2011 from 14:00-18:00 at the Soho House in Berlin me and my friends will throw a lovely party for bloggers, fans of blogging, or simply those blog-curious who love networking online and are interested in meeting like-minded people. This event will also honor the release of my best selling interiors book, Decorate, in German under the title, Lust auf Wohnen.

I'm very excited to invite all of you because Brigitte magazine is the official sponsor and they are doing so much to show support of me, decor8, blogger's and of course, my new book. I am very honored by this! They have some lovely things in store for guests and I can't wait to share all of that with you when you arrive. Fun, fun!

I'm also excited about the Berlin blogger's party and book launch because I doubt after this I'll be doing any signings for awhile since I need to begin work on my next book that will take months to produce. So, this is it for Germany for the time being.

If you want a chance to meet me and all of my lovely friends, mingle, and learn then join us. In addition to Brigitte, my other great sponsors will be at the event to share information on blogging, how to get your work into magazines, how to become an author and what publishers look for (and what scares them away!), promoting your business online and more!

Who can you learn from?

Holly Becker - Me! I'll be sharing my story as to how I got into blogging in the first place, then I'll talk about my book and the inspiration behind it and then I'll give tips on how budding authors can communicate their vision to their publisher in a professional manner and how to be taken seriously when you do! I'll also discuss some ideas for promoting yourself - whether it's a book, blog, your shop, etc.!

Stefanie Luxat, Brigitte managing editor and uber blogger from Ohhh Mhhh, will share her personal experience as a blogger, then she'll discuss how Brigitte is embracing the world of blogging and what they are currently doing to promote bloggers and then of course, she'll be talking about how those looking to get their work into magazines can approach editors with lots of great tips and tricks.

Caroline Ditting will speak on behalf of my German publisher, Callwey Verlag, about book publishing and why they decided to add me to their list of authors and translate it for the German market (I'm particularly interested in learning this myself!). They'll also talk about how to get your book idea in front of a publisher and what works along with what does not!

Matthew Stinchcomb, the European Director of Etsy.com who is from Brooklyn but now lives in Berlin. He'll talk about building your brand online and how to sell your products through online sites like Etsy and how to become part of an online community - he is so passionate on these topics and the perfect person to educate you being from America's most successful online independent shopping website.

This event will be in German and English so prepare to speak and think in two languages as we're going to be quite an mixed group on November 12th!

If you are attending and want to tell your blog readers, please drag and drop any of these images below to your desktop and show it on your blog if you'd like linking it to this post (http://hollymaus.blogspot.com/2011/10/bloggers-meetup-book-party-in-berlin.html) so people know what it means when they click on it! :) Here are several sizes...

What will you gain from attending this event? A lot of great ideas from industry leaders at no charge, a goody bag filled with great things from Etsy and my other sponsors and friends, refreshments from Cupcake Berlin and the Soho House and a handmade gift from me if you happen to purchase a book for me to sign at the event. :)

See you then - and please RSVP by November 7th to: RSVP@decor8blog.com - this will guarantee your seat, refreshments and a goody bag in case we sell out.

(image: created by ink + wit)

Online shopping for home stuff in Germany

2011-10-28T17:26:00.001+02:00

I thought I'd share a few shopping sites in Germany (or that ship here for a fair price) that I recently came across when it comes to accessories and furniture for the home, my passion of course! Hopefully you find a few new ones from my list below that you will enjoy!

Viel Spaß!

(image: urban outfitters)

My Top Ten

2011-10-25T11:35:00.000+02:00

I almost forgot to tell you... I pulled together a mini top ten round up of products that I love at Nostalgie im Kinderzimmer for their customers and I thought that you may like to see it. Here are my current favorites from their shop with links below... Maybe you will find something that you like?

1. kleine Schüsseln von CASAgent Campagna 2. Boxen im Buchdesign von House Doctor 3. graue Kuscheldecke von Avoca 4. Nostalgische Wanduhr von House Doctor 5. Shopper von Handed By 6. Nostalgische Brotbox von Ib Laursen 7. Masking Tape im 6er-Set 8. Geschenkpapier mit Taubenprint von RICE 9. Tapete Brocante von PIP Studio 10. Schneidebretter aus Melamin von RICE

Happy shopping, Germany!

xo, Holly

Thank You Munich!

2011-10-25T11:24:00.002+02:00

I am back from a wonderful time away in Munich where I traveled with my husband to attend the Myself magazine Liebling awards (I won! I won!) and to enjoy a small celebration held at a lovely little store for kids and parents called, Nostalgie im Kinderzimmer. I am so grateful for the internet and all of the friends that I've connected with online that I can also connect with in person - what an honor! I really loved meeting shop founder/owner Dr. Angela Schelling and her staff, along with her very sweet daughter Lea whom I found so charming! I was also so honored that I could see my publisher again, Callwey, who attended the event - it is so nice to feel their support and to see their effort in helping me to promote my first book here in Germany.

(Angela and her wonderful team shown above with me in the middle.)

From the cupcakes made by Wir Machen Cupcakes in Munich (I wish we had a cupcake cafe in Hannover!) to the homemade pizza and drinks (also homemade in lovely bottles labeled by hand), Dr. Schelling and her team really made Thorsten and I feel very welcome there in Munich. I was able to meet so many very sweet people - around 30 people were at my little party and the intimacy was quite special because I could spend time with each guest and have meaningful conversations. The night was cold and rainy, so to be huddled indoors with tasty treats, new friends and pretty things all around me in Dr. Schelling's wonderful store, including copies of my book which just released in German under the title, "Lust auf Wohnen", I couldn't help but feel very, very lucky.

If you would like to see some photos from the event, here are a few blog posts from some of those who attended... Thank you Andreas, Christina, Igor, Ines and Maria for your reviews and photos!

* Zuckerbuechererei
* Happy Interior Blog
* Maria's Dream Life
* Frau Heuberg
* Callwey review with photos taken by Andreas Hagenkord.

I want to also thank Nicky and her husband Oliver from Delicious Days who joined Thorsten and I for lunch earlier on the same day - what a down-to-earth and friendly couple. Nicky gave us the best homemade chocolate granola ever in a charming jar with a handmade label. What a lovely touch! Oliver is equally sweet with a huge smile and a warm heart. I have been following their food blog since I started decor8 in January 2006 so to meet them in person was very nice - I felt like I already knew Nicky anyway - but to connect in "real time" made me like her so much more. Now I definitely want to buy both of her books and perhaps someday have her sign them for me. Such a lovely person!

Thank you Munich!

P.S. If you missed the event, the shop has signed copies of my book available on their website and they will gladly mail one to you! They have maybe 10 left so order one soon if you'd like a signed version. :)

(images: andreas hagenkold and ines sawatzki)

Meet Me In Munich, October 19th!

2011-10-04T16:13:00.002+02:00

Hello friends! I thought I'd announce this here on haus maus before talking about it on decor8 because this is more my "local" blog in a sense - so many of you live in and around Germany! I'm hoping that perhaps you will be able to make it to my German book signing of "Lust Auf Wohnen" and bloggers event in Munich on October 19th. I'm very excited about it and the idea of meeting some of you is quite exciting! For those living in the northern part of Germany, I'll have a big book launch party and event in Berlin on November 12 but for those living in southern Germany/Austria I thought maybe you would like something a little more local... So I'll be in Munich on October 19!

Here are the details:

19 Oktober
"Lust Auf Wohnen" Book Party and Blogger's Night
17 - 19 uhr
Nostalgie im Kinderzimmer
Herrenchiemseestraße 4
81669 München-Ramersdorf
Tel: +49 (0)89 / 44 10 90 15

Event sponsored by: Nostalgie im Kinderzimmer und Callwey Verlag - danke schön!

PLEASE write to me if you will attend so we can have plenty of drinks and snacks for everyone; email me at holly@decor8blog.com

See you in Munich for muffins, prosecco and an evening of inspiration. The event will be in English and German and is open to the public but we do need to put your name on the guest list if you are coming so again, don't forget to email me with your name!

If you cannot make the event, the book can be ordered here at Amazon.de.

See you soon, Munich!

(image: holly becker for haus maus)

Pausing

2011-09-05T16:44:00.001+02:00

It feels good to take today off. To reflect. To rest. To pause. Stacking things on my big work table, sorting receipts, getting my life back in order before I head out alone once again -- this time to St. Paul, MN next week on my next adventure: to speak at The Creative Connection, to sign books at their signing party, to be interviewed by Midwest Home magazine and take the reporter and her photographer shopping and finally, another event at Anthropologie for Decorate.

I'm excited thinking about it all... but the pause will also be very nice between now and then to organize, blog, listen to lots of Sia and Amy Seeley, write my speech and well... be at home.

(image: holly becker)

Return From My Book Tour

2011-09-05T16:29:00.000+02:00

My book tour in the U.S. sponsored by Chronicle Books and Anthropologie was amazing! I am so happy that I got to meet hundreds of readers, sign a ton of books and mingle with so many whom, until now, I've only known online. What a mega opportunity for me to even go on a book tour in this day when publishing houses work so hard to cut costs due to a decline in book sales. Lucky for me, Decorate is still selling well and has remained a leader in the design book category in stores and online ever since it pre-released in March. I have only decor8 readers and friends to thank for this and I'm so honored and grateful to them for making this book a success.

So how did it feel to return to America after having so much distance?

(Me with a bunch of ladies who took me for lunch at the Boston event.)

(me and one of my best friends from when we were teenagers, Katie, in Boston)

It felt GREAT. My first stop was Boston, where I lived for 20 years, so it was a bit like going home for me. I grew up in South Carolina but moved to Boston at age 15 so it's home as well. I got to see my mother which was nice, but also many friends and readers of my blog in addition to all-around great peeps in the design world there. The turn out for the Boston store was huge - I signed books non-stop for 2.5 hours and it seemed everyone wanted to hug me and have their photo made with me. What an honor! Afterwards, a big group of us girls went to lunch and I felt so welcomed and happy being back home and part of such a big network of creatives again in America. I think we take for granted this support when we live over there (in the USA) but the moment you come to live in a part of the world where so many are still struggling with what it means to be supportive and interdependent, you REALLY APPRECIATE what you once took for granted!

(view from my Chicago hotel)

(self portrait in the cloud gate, Chicago)

After Boston, I flew to Chicago - it was my first time ever there and it was a gorgeous, clean and very modern city. I felt instantly comfortable and happy the moment I landed. The vibe is very nice there, lots of southerners relocated up to Chicago and stayed so some of those accents are still noticeable and people are SO FRIENDLY. My hotel was beautiful, I would gladly stay there again, and it was a few blocks from Millennium Park which was one of the most gorgeous waterfront networks of parks, gardens and museums that I'd seen in a very long time. Very "forward" and absolutely stunning. My signing in Chicago was much smaller than my Boston one, I only signed for an hour, but I still felt it was worth it to be there despite the creative community seemingly smaller than the Boston one. Afterwards, a group took me out for eats and drinks and it felt good to just enjoy their company, connect and be in the moment.

(Fresh rolls from Tartine)

(Baker Beach in San Francisco)

(magazines at Japanese book store in J-town, San Francisco)

(Japantown in San Francisco)

Next stop was San Francisco. Gorgeous, curious San Francisco. I love the energy in the city and the gorgeous water views. I met up with my friend, Leslie Shewring, and we rented a car and went all over the city and ended up shopping, eating, at Baker Beach and even drove through a gorgeous Eucalyptus forest. Have you ever rolled down your windows driving through a Eucalyptus forest? Heaven. The turn out for the San Francisco signing was also big like Boston making the trip to the west coast completely worth the time and energy. Afterwards, a group took me out as well - I loved being with everyone during and after the event. Being a part of a bigger piece of the pie is such a great feeling and to know that I'm part of their rich communities that exist in pockets all over the world because of decor8 is truly amazing!

(view from my room in LA)

(my room in LA)

Afterwards, Los Angeles was my next stop! Ah, LA I LOVE YOU! From all of the organic healthy food that Leslie and I enjoyed to the great turn out for my signing at Anthropologie in The Grove, the moment I landed in LA I felt GREAT about being there. My hotel, The Mondrian, was heaven. I would stay there a million times over. In fact, it was my favorite hotel out of the 7 that I stayed out while stateside during the 13 day tour. After the LA event, a small group of us went out and again - making those connections with such creative and enthusiastic ladies was a real highlight for me. Another highlight of the trip was being invited to visit Rachel Ashwell, founder of Shabby Chic and now Shabby Chic Couture, at her private home in Brentwood. It was an amazing afternoon and I have a bunch of photos to share on decor8 this week of that visit.

At this point, I was supposed to go to Philadelphia but due to Hurricane Irene, I had to do a lot of work to get back to the east coast as all flights were booked until Sept 1. That was a scary moment - to find out flights were canceled, I was stuck in LA, and that I wouldn't be able to finish my book tour in Philly + NYC as I had SO wanted to do.

(Union Station in DC)

(US Capitol)

Not one to give up easily, I was able to get a very early flight, non-stop, to Washington, D.C. on a Sunday morning and to my surprise, I got the last seat and it was in Economy Plus, so I could stretch out and relax the entire trip! Once I made it to the east coast, I spent the day in Washington just hanging out, walking around -- went for a nice dinner... and then found out my train to Philadelphia the next morning had been canceled. The drama continued like this for a few days, my train to NYC was also canceled from Philly, but through buses I made it and completed my tour on schedule without interruption. :)

(Leslie and I in San Francisco)

Next stop: Philly. This was a day after the hurricane had passed through and so many trains were down, so it impacted the showing tremendously. I think 30 people showed up, maybe 40 in the end, which was very small but I still felt it was worth it to be there because those who came out were so sweet and happy to be there and a part of my event and that meant a lot to me after they'd gone through an earthquake and a hurricane that same week -- so I feel grateful I was even on their radar after all of that. A few of us went out afterwards for drinks and again, I felt that being there was worth all of the stress and time that it took me to reorganize my travel plans. I can't cancel on Philly, I kept thinking, and I'm SO GLAD that I didn't.

(eating cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery with a friend at the fountain near Radio City.)

Seems though that the reward of being persistent with my intent to finish my tour paid off in NYC because my event there was packed and we stayed in the store until 10:15 (they closed at 9!). I was there for nearly 4 hours hanging out with some of the most amazing people. And to think that 30% didn't show for whatever reason - had they shown I don't know how I would have handled that! It was overwhelming in a very positive way and I met some incredible people and reunited with others I'd met before. We went to The Yard and then to Lucky Strike after - the night didn't end until after midnight and I'm SO HAPPY I made it to NYC. The next night, I flew home to Germany and well, here I am writing this blog post. :)

My impressions after living here for two years and being back in my home country? I missed it! I didn't realize I had missed American life and culture until I went back, funny enough, but I guess I have. I missed the "can do" attitude, the positive vibes, the supportive creative communities, the great beyond-amazing shopping, the architecture and I missed the smiles. Americans have to be some of the friendliest bunch of people on this planet - welcoming and amazing. I was also blown away by the staff at each Anthropologie store. They gave me such a warm welcome, rolled out beautiful spreads of food/drinks for each event, and truly CARED that I was there. I'll always be a huge supporter of Anthropologie - even more now - because of how they treated me and my guests. There are so many stores in America where I could have had a book tour but Anthropologie was my FIRST pick and I can't believe I was lucky enough to have their support. It's the ONLY store I would have wanted and I'm so glad that everything worked out as a result for them and for me and my guests.

(view of the rocky mountains by plane)

(my book "Decorate" in a Japanese book store in San Francisco)

(pretty flowers in Japantown)

Do I miss America now that I'm back? No, because I'm leaving again next week to spend 7 days in St. Paul, MN so I'll be back soon enough. Plus, I realized flying from NYC to Hannover is a total breeze, only 6 hours to Amsterdam and then and another 45 minutes to Hannover... I can do that once a year if I want to and get my fix so I'm happy about that. America is always in my heart and when I want to hop the pond to visit, I can. I'm grateful for this.

Over all -- I'm so happy my book tour in America went so well. It was deeply gratifying and emotionally touching at times -- some readers would cry, others gave me beautiful presents, still others made very special things for me. I also brought a signing book and so everyone signed my book as I signed Decorate for them - so I have this book of memories to cherish forever. My book tour was the adventure of a lifetime and I'm so happy that I did it.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT TO MEET ME! Thank you Anthropologie and Chronicle Books!

(images: holly becker)

Myself Liebling Award

2011-08-12T12:55:00.002+02:00

I'm feeling emotional today but a positive feeling of joy, good emotions, nothing negative... But I have been nominated by German magazine Myself for a "Liebling Award" and I feel so humbled, so honored, and so out of my league when I look at the others whom I'm surrounded by who were also nominated in the various categories.

I feel emotional about it because two years ago this month, I left my home country of America for Hannover with a mission - to get to learn more about my husband's country, learn his language, understand his perspective and to be with his friends and family in the city where he grew up. It was a big undertaking to relocate from where you feel comfortable but comfort can be boring and I decided to follow the path that would present challenges and an opportunity to learn and gain a new perspective no matter how far out of my comfort zone it would be. I also remember when I moved over to Germany that I wanted to positively contribute to German life and culture in some way. I don't believe in relocating to a new country and not contributing somehow in a positive way to the local community. I think if you are going to go live in a new land, you have to be willing to work with the locals, learn from them, share what you have to give, teach... One thing I wanted to positively influence here is how people view decorating and design in general. I had no clue how I could do it, but as my German readership grew on decor8 over time, and as I went out to meet people here in Germany, I realized how much Germans love to learn about what others are doing and are a very curious and open-hearted people.

It's so rewarding when you sit around a table with a huge magazine like Living At Home or Brigitte (which I've done a few times already) and have so many listening intently to how I run my business, how I built my blog and about my desire to share information and ideas and open the doors to new perspectives.

To be nominated for an award in Germany after living here over two years is confirmation that I am doing what I set out to do - inspire people and share information. I'm learning so much from Germans and they are in turn are learning from me - the American transplant with a German husband - and isn't that what coming to a new land should be about? Sharing? Knowledge is power people say and I believe this. The more exposure we have to things on the outside, the more we understand ourselves and the greater our work can become.

I'd like to thank Myself magazine for nominating me as one of three whom they feel deserve the recognition, to be nominated alongside of Hella Jongerius and Inga Sempé makes me feel shy because who am I to be in the same category as such greatness? But perhaps the new way of thinking is that we are all in this together, young, old, experienced, new, and that perhaps is why I have always loved Germany since I started coming here in 1999, people here are valued for their work and authenticity above all other things. Germans are not easily impressed by surface things, they want proof to back up the surface - that the facade really exists, and I guess they see that what I'm doing comes from a sincere place and that I truly have passion for decorating, writing and sharing with a global audience everyday online. This pleases me so much that words cannot express.

Whether I win this award or not, that's up to those who wish to vote for me. It's out of my hands. But I am still happy to have been nominated and that I'll be in their September issue which is also very good news because more will learn about me and what I do.

My book will be released here next month, Lust auf Wohnen, and I'm anxiously awaiting how Germans will interpret my style and vision through its pages. I hope they embrace it and find pleasure in seeing some different perspectives as much as I have found pleasure in the many new perspectives that I have gained by living here.

Have a nice weekend!

US Stores That Ship To Germany

2011-08-02T15:44:00.001+02:00

I thought I'd quickly list some US stores that ship to Germany since lots of you who are new here may not know that you can still order your GAP jeans and your West Elm napkins. Three words, Yes. You. Can.

GAP
Banana Republic
Saks
Bloomingdales
Macys
Anthropologie (P.S. They will open a store in Germany in the near future.)
Urban Outfitters (they have a store in Hamburg.)
Forever 21
West Elm

Now I'm hoping Target, Kate Spade and J.Crew will do the same!

Do you order from an US-based stores and if so, would you like to share the link in the comments section below? Thank you!

Not bad!

I'm Going Home

2011-08-02T15:07:00.002+02:00

Hello friends! How are you today? I'm very busy gearing up for my big book tour - I'm going back to America for two weeks (details here) and I'll visit my home, Boston, as the first stop and continue on from there to Chicago, San Francisco, LA, Philadelphia and New York. Then I'll be flying back to give a lecture at The Creative Connection in St. Paul where I'll be spending a week, and THEN I'm going to London to speak at three events and do a book signing as well. It's going to be a wild August and September for me! How are you doing?

As an expat who happens to love living in a new culture versus so many who, over time, become quite homesick... I am very excited about returning to my home country. I didn't think that I would be this excited but the truth is, I am surprised at just how excited I am. Perhaps I missed the familiarities of home more than I thought? I already have certain foods on my list of "must eats" and stores to visit and products and clothes that I want to grab to tuck into my suitcase. I'll miss my husband -- I'll be gone a total of 4 weeks over a span of 6 weeks, so I know it will be hard for us both to be apart for such a long time as we are extremely close but I think going back to America alone will be a big experience for me and it may even be one that I will grow from.

One thing that I have felt a bit sad about is that my book has been so successful in America yet I'm not there to be a part of any of it. I've not yet walked into a US store to see my book laying there, I don't get to pick up all of the newspapers and magazines on the newsstand to read the reviews live and in the moment -- it's a bit strange to be so far removed from it during a once-in-a-lifetime experience. So many of my readers have been sending me photos of my book in stores that they visit and I'm so extremely thankful to them for doing that because it helps me to feel somewhat a part of it all. The book is going to be reprinted a THIRD time in the US and UK now, I can't even believe all of the copies that are out there now - it is mind boggling to imagine that it made the Wall Street Journal Best Seller list at #2.

And still, again, I'm over here in Germany and don't "feel" it the same as I would if I still lived in America. I am sensing that once I'm over there on my book tour that this will all feel very real to me and I'm excited about it - I want it to feel real because it still doesn't... And meeting my friends and readers on the tour will help it to feel real. I'm so excited to meet them because they made this book successful and I felt overwhelmed with gratitude... I think I'll be more excited to meet them than they will be to see me!

I am SO ready to go to America with my camera in one hand, my iPhone in the other for Instagram of course, and my half full suitcase so I can fill the other half with things from home. I'll see my friends, my family and meet so many others. It's going to be a trip I'll never, ever forget. The trip of a lifetime outside of my honeymoon, really. I can't wait to share it all with you when I return in September.

I wonder what it will feel like to land in Boston after being away for two years? I'm returning the very same month that I left, two years ago. It's going to be surreal I think. I know I'll cry. I already have a landing playlist. I know it sounds strange but before I land in each city, I am going to play a song that will be my city song, the theme... and put me in a positive space because I think returning home will make me a bit emotional especially going back alone.

Have any of you returned to your home country after being away for awhile and if so, how did it feel? Did you look at things differently? Did you feel differently inside? Did you get emotional? Was it hard for you to leave?

I can't wait to be back home!

(images: holly becker)

Thoughts On Being Interdependent

2011-07-11T15:41:00.004+02:00

I want to talk about interdependence today because I think we could all use the reminder of just how much we truly need other people in order to survive and thrive. Some of us forget this. It's a great reminder to keep it real and to keep our hearts open to admitting we need assistance from time to time. This came to me recently when I decided to hire a housekeeper who will come, beginning in early August, to clean my house and iron our clothes on Friday. I also hired a delivery service to bring us bottled water, sparkling and spring, every two weeks so we don't have to run to the grocery store every few days for more bottles of water. It's all about admitting where we need help and then, simply, reaching out and asking for it.

In 2008, I was asked to participate in an art gallery exhibition that combined works on canvas with the written word and because writing is a form of art, I gladly took part. I was asked to write on a topic that I felt passionate about at the time and after a few conversations with my husband who acts as such a great friend and sounding board to me, I decided to write about what it means to be an, "Indie". But then, I gave a lot of thought to this term, indie, and realized that there is so much more to being independently employed (and to be successful at it) than meets the eye. To me, being independent means that you have accepted being interdependent and that you know your success has everything to do with how well you play with others, is really the key to how and why so many people go indie and then either fail or make it. If you are well liked and people care about you because you care about them, you can go very, very far as a freelance creative professional.

Here is what I wrote about interdependency and below I'll summarize how I feel today, three years after I first wrote them, especially when it comes to being "indie" myself but also as an expat living and working in Germany. These words below (in blue) were printed and displayed alongside of paintings in a gallery space.

My Declaration of Interdependence by Holly Becker

“No man is an island”. Whether this quote calls to mind author, John Donne, in his work Meditation XVII written in 1624 or the 2002 film, About A Boy, in which Hugh Grant perfectly plays a single, shallow thirtysomething with a disposable income but no real life, the point is clear: We can not thrive when isolated – we need each other.

The Indie movement has made great strides and continues to thrive because though “Indie” may mean breaking off from ‘the man’ it does not encourage complete independence, its success is based on the principals of interdependence. Interdependence is about making allies, building bridges, forming solid partnerships. In big business you can step on a few faces to climb your way to the top. In the indie world, and I’m speaking of the one in which I’m a part of mingling with creatives and artists, stepping on others is the fastest way to find yourself at the bottom. Going “indie” also means that we’ll find ourselves handing over power to others, trusting and sharing, and that’s perfectly okay because our goal for personal and creative freedom can still be met. A desirable goal for creatives and artists, the indie lifestyle, is also becoming a necessity as corporations continue to outsource, downsize, and close their doors.

This is exactly why I left a lucrative profession in the corporate environment in 2005, I wanted to pursue my talents and use more of my creativity to help others. Working from home nearly full-time as a writer allows me to do that successfully but there is a negative side to this lifestyle: too much independence can create a personal vacuum and hinder growth and development. I’m not as independent as I once thought going ‘indie’ would make me. I’m more dependent on others than ever before. I depend on my blog readers, contracts, and clients because I care about their success and I have a vested interest. Their success is my success, and I like it that way because it keeps us all responsible in my circle and that’s a good thing. I’ve come to learn that this daily interaction — being independent as a small business owner and being dependent as a creative professional — is interdependence.

My husband Thorsten Becker so nicely puts it, “We are becoming independent of the established conventions and restrictions placed upon us by conformist thinking and profit margins yet we need a strong support network to stay independent.”

That is why I believe in interdependence within the creative community.

The exchange of ideas (whether through a blog, at a gallery, etc.) can influence our thinking, open our minds, and help us to build such networks. Great things can be accomplished among independent but interconnected individuals and groups who work together towards common goals. Another excellent example of this is blogging and how rapidly it has grown in such a short period of time. At first, it required some effort in overcoming long established but outdated thinking patterns, certain preconceived notions as well as misconceptions about what on the web is worth reading and what is not, but the reward has been that bloggers are recognized as a large reason for the success we see in this new creative economy. Design and craft blogging started off very small with one person, then two, and currently blogs number into the thousands. What better way to illustrate interdependence and its power to transform than online.

Another powerful illustration of interdependence is alive around you in this very art space. Many independent artists are here presenting their work and their interpretations of the theme “This I Believe” through art and text. We all want to believe, though we may not always know what the future brings as we cannot foretell the definite outcome before we reach it, but the more we believe in each other and ourselves the greater the end results will be.

There is also the journey to consider because I believe that the journey alone is often more rewarding than the destination as new dependencies are often established and existing ones strengthened while at the same time the spirit of independence is fostered. Seeing it all in motion and experiencing it first hand as a blogger and freelance writer, I believe in interdependence even more but also believe that in order to see change we must be a part of that change and work alongside those who support it. No man is an island."

- Holly Becker

Have you given much thought to what being "indie" really means? And for those of you who shrug and say, "I am a very independent person, I don't need anyone to care for me," well have you thought that perhaps you need to readjust your thinking because no matter what you think - the reality is that you do need other people -- it's a part of being human. There is nothing wrong with needing help, friendship, guidance, support... I have found as an American expat living in Germany for nearly two years now that I need others in order to thrive in my local community more than ever. I also need those online in my communities to depend on as well. Even the crafter who makes clothing from her home in nowhereville, USA needs others -- she needs the big factory in China making the buttons she uses, supplied by her local craft store, so she can iron them onto her "eco-friendly" shirts and sell them on Etsy. And she needs bloggers and those online to spread the word about her products or else they're not going to sell until people start talking about them. It's a pretty simple recipe.

Some people think that bloggers cannot help them to promote their work and this is flawed thinking. My friend recently told me a story about a woman who makes things and though her work went viral online, she still says she owes none of her success to blogs. I'd like to know how many of her products she sold before she started her online shop and had blogs writing about her, then? Because if she was selling so well without blog coverage, why did she approach bloggers to talk about her work? People who want their work to be seen needs blogs just as much as they need any other form of press. In fact, once something is blogged a few times, the press often takes notice and writes a story about it.

The web is a great big open market and market research playground. If you are being written up frequently on blogs, you better believe people on the outside (editors, authors, store owners) will hear about you and contact you about your product. Of course, they'll act like they just "ran into" you without explaining how they found your stuff -- but you can bet that if you're not showing your products at fairs but you had a few bloggers (especially big well read blogs) write about your work, then they most likely found you via the internet.

Of course bloggers help them because these days, if your work isn't being blogged then it's obviously not catching the interest of your customers because most customers author blogs and are using sites like Facebook to talk about the things that interest them. On top of that, the big magazine all have editors who spend hours combing blogs to find new products and people to talk about. My blog, decor8, has editors from every major magazine and newspaper reading it on a weekly basis. Many editors write to me personally for suggestions for their stories. And while they'll never tell others that they do this, trust me, they do. And why shouldn't they? Editors and everyone else looking for stories go to where people are talking about things they like and the internet is just one big conversation that people in the know are wise to tap into.

We all need the other. We are all connected. I find that living in Germany I need other people more than ever before as I'm still learning a completely new way of life that still feels very "foreign" to me even after nearly two years of living here full-time. The more I admit that I need others, the more enjoyable my experiences become in my day-to-day life. The moment I try to pretend that I'm fine on my own and that I don't need this or that help, I start to go inward and things become really difficult for me. It's important to stay open and flexible and that is where admitting how much we need each other really helps.

What do you think about being independent vs. interdependent? How has it helped your business? Your expat life?

(image: holly becker for haus maus)

Big News! My Book in German!

2011-06-08T20:42:00.000+02:00

I have VERY exciting news! As most of you know, Decorate is in the process of being translated into German and will be called Lust auf Wohnen -- I'm so happy that I'll soon walk into stores and find my contribution to Germany's interior design and decorating world on shelves, auf Deutsche! I thought I'd share the book cover and release date so you can tell all of your German friends who need a fresh new interiors book that this is the one to buy.

Lust auf Wohnen - Das große Ideenbuch, or Passion for Living - The Big Ideas Book (or something like that), will be published by Callwey Verlag in Munich and I'm working with them to organize a book tour in Germany, with a launch party in Berlin, followed by signings and bloggers + creatives events in Hamburg, Hannover and perhaps Munich and maybe Frankfurt, too. :) I hope I can meet some of you, this will all happen in early October so I'll post the dates and locations in a few months.

"Mehr kreative Ideen pro Quadratmeter für ein Zuhause mit Persönlichkeit. Dieses Buch ist ein wahrer Schatz an einzigartigen Ideen für jede Wohnsituation – angefangen bei der Planung bis hin zu den liebevollen Details, mit denen die Wohnung einen eigenen Stil und besonderen Charakter bekommt. Raum für Raum wird der Leser in die elementaren Regeln der Raumplanung, in die Kunst der Gestaltung, verschiedene Stilrichtungen und gekonnte Stilbrüche eingeführt. Von der Lichtplanung bis zur Auswahl der Tapete ein großes Buch mit 1000 inspirierenden Ideen für alle, die ihrem Zuhause eine eigene Handschrift verleihen möchten."

It releases on September 21, 2011! :)

292 Seiten, 550 Abbildungen und Pläne, Format: 21 x 27, EUR 29,95 / SFr 43,50 and the ISBN number is 978-3-7667-1906-5.

If you'd like to buy some for your shop, please contact me and I'll connect you with my publicist at Callwey! My email is holly at decor8blog dot com.

Yay, or shall I say, JA JA!

(image: callwey)

Junk Shop Find

2011-06-08T16:45:00.002+02:00

I talked about this lovely solid wood mid century lamp on decor8 yesterday, did you see that? If not, here is the post and here is the lamp below. But I have a bonus. Today I'd like to share where I put my €25 lamp...

This is a great spot for now... At least while I get my home together and decorated. I'm still ordering furniture and working on it, one day at a time!

I just love junk shops in Germany. You can find the BEST stuff for so cheap -- people just don't know what they have here so it's like a goldmine though you do need a good eye and to be either alone because you really need time to sort through everything and concentrate on searching for treasures OR you need to be with a creative friend who can guide you or give you good energy that makes you even more creative. I love being around people like that.

I often thought about taking readers of my blog shopping here for treasures, you know like little shopping trips where I get a small group of 5 together, take them shopping to my favorite junk shops, teach them how to "see" things, what to look for, how to negotiate on prices, and of course, go for a yummy lunch, shop some more, then hit a favorite cafe for afternoon "coffee and cake" time which is so traditional in Germany 4:00 p.m. each day. This sounds like a fun adventure, maybe I'll find time to do it one of these days... What do you think?

(images: holly becker for haus maus)

German Cleaning Supplies

2011-06-08T16:19:00.000+02:00

To satisfy all of my friends back home, since I know you are still jealous that I got to move to Europe, I'm going to make you feel much better. I'm about to tell you about one thing that I don't like about Germany. In fact, I think I'll start a series calling this, "One thing I don't like..." and going forward, highlight these things from time to time, not to be negative, but to get a discussion going and to see if anyone else in the expat community can relate or found a work around solution that I don't know about.
Okay, first on the list... These guys...

I don't like the limited selection of cleaning supplies that we have and nothing smells delicious. Well, with the exception of the new Organic Frosch cleaners in yummy grapefruit (shown in pink bottle above) and lavender is very nice too. We don't have yummy smelling window cleaner or great floor cleaner that makes your home smell delicious. Sadly, the bath cleaners I've found all smell like cat pee, with the exception of Meister Proper (who is Mr. Clean in the US). Meister Proper smells like your standard American bathroom cleaner with its sort of bleachy bleh smell that makes you question exactly why you want to absorb so many toxins into your body for the sake of a clean toilet. In fairness though, it's an excellent cleaner and some of their newer cleaning supplies are scented so I think they're slowly "getting" it that cleaning products don't have to smell disgusting to work well.

When it comes to cleaning supplies, including pump hand soap, the selection in Germany is pretty mediocre at best. It's not horrible, it's not great, it's just sort of boring (choice wise) and limited. We have maybe 4 wood cleaners, I own two of them shown above.

When it comes to sink scrub, it's hard to find a good one and I've used those I have found and like Viss (sink liquid scrub shown above) the best -- it smells fine and works great but it's not organic so my search continues... I think we have 3 choices for sink scrub in the entire country, I'm not even joking.

Oh and don't get me started on toilet bowl cleaner. Oh my gosh, it all smells beyond disgusting. They package it in mostly oddly fluorescent bottles that spurt out florescent liquid that smells of skunk, cat pee and public bathroom smell all rolled into one. Why do people buy it?

I have to check out organic stores more often for cleaning supplies, I've not really given them a chance yet but I do like the Frosch brand - the grapefruit cleaner for the kitchen and their glass cleaner (green bottle) both smell and clean great and they are Bio (organic) so there is nothing harmful about them. When I use the grapefruit one the house smells amazing.

BUT cleaning supplies here are about 1/2 the price of those in the US and you know what, with each visit to the store I'm finding better things all of the time, so perhaps we'll see some improvement soon.

Do you have any favorite German cleaning supplies? Brands? Any organic products you can point me too?

(image: holly becker for haus maus)

My Porch

2011-05-23T10:33:00.001+02:00

Many of you asked to see my porch in more detail so here are some photos for you today that I also blogged over on decor8. I hope that you are inspired by my one hour transformation because that is exactly how long it took me to take a room that looked like this on a Friday:

To this, in one hour (notice strategically placed dot to conceal still expose bulb on the wall).

Have a nice week, I'm going to be working a lot but I'll pop in if I can sometime this week. xo

(images: Holly Becker)

Lilacs Take Me Back

2011-05-07T20:07:00.000+02:00

Whenever I see lilacs I think of New Hampshire. We had two huge lilac bushes outside of our bedroom windows there and they were so fragrant that we had to close the windows when they bloomed or else the smell would overwhelm you. As in, you could potentially faint.

I love the way they look, don't you? But you see I'm a tad allergic so I've never been a fan of bringing them indoors.

Until Thursday. Big mistake.

I found some freshly cut lilacs at the farmers' market and couldn't resist. I buried my nose into their thick, soft blossoms that both tickled and delighted my nose. I took in their perfume. I wasn't going to leave without buying a bunch.

And so I did. But...

After having them in my workroom at home, I couldn't handle the smell. I have a huge office and all of the windows were wide open and yet I still could not enjoy my lilacs as I had hoped. I then thought of New Hampshire and was instantly transported back to our 1875 carriage house on a pond bordering a huge apple orchard. Funny how a smell can take you back. I felt a wave of nostalgia. Then I brought the flowers into my husband's room in the back of the house and "gave" him the lilacs as a gift. Sorta like when you hand the baby over to your partner when the diaper is full. This was the same exchange. Me, slightly ready to pass out and he, looking at me like, "Why are you giving me these?". Lucky for me, he took them.

Thankfully I snapped a few photos before I had to part ways with my beautiful lilacs. Aren't they lush?

(images: holly becker for haus maus)

Relaxing At Home

2011-05-07T19:58:00.000+02:00

I was out and about today, it felt good because I'd been home a lot this week and needed sunshine and a walk around. We walked about 2 miles down to the middle of the city and back again, had lunch, hit the flea market (I found nothing) and then came home and decided to put together the old iron bed from France that my friend Tinna gave to me on Monday (Thank you Tinna!).

She gave me this huge, thick piece of foam as a mattress and I cut it to fit the frame and then wrapped in fabric. I draped lots of textiles over it that I purchased in Morocco. On the back of the bed, which is really a day bed acting as a sofa/chill zone, there are lots of pillows though I need more to build it up before I show you. For now, I have created a chill zone on the 3 season porch off of our bedroom. I'm happy with it. I even spent a little time out there taking a few photos and reading a magazine. It's very warm (80F) and sunny - a great day for relaxing. Tomorrow it will be nice so I will relax a bit more on my porch. The room was completely empty before today so I'm glad I turned it into a little spot to enjoy until I find some furniture to mix in with the bed - and of course some big pillows for the back of the bed.

Today was nice. How about you? What did you do?

(photos: holly becker for haus maus)

Welcome May 1st

2011-05-01T23:06:00.001+02:00

I'm so happy that today is May 1st. I woke with a burst of energy, creativity and hope for the month ahead. My lovely friend and neighbor, Tinna, just returned from her other home in Denmark where she is from and stopped by for a visit which was so nice of her. I love when she pops in to say hello. I'm lucky that she is both a friend and my neighbor - she lives directly above us!

Tinna was so cute when she rang my doorbell. First, she is always so stylish and has the brightest smile and I just love it! She is very Danish! She brought me a copy of BoligLiv magazine and a beautiful Dronning Ingrid pot plant and I love the pale pink against the green. It's very much a symbol of Denmark, this sweet little plant, and so of course it's special to me to have one. My first Dronning Ingrid. And she was right because she said that I'll see these plants frequently in Danish magazines and on blogs -- and I do! Dronning Ingrid is impossible to find here, even though I live only a few hours drive from the Danish border... so it is very special that I have this sweet Danish flowering plant in my window.

Her gift made my day, not to mention the tons of warm sun and all of the organizing I got done today. I have hundreds of books sorted and magazines stacked by category. The next step is to file them away but I'll do that another day. I cooked an amazing Turkey dish with French herbs, garlic and lemon (the house smells wonderful!) and I cleaned, ironed, did laundry... my goodness I can't even believe all I got done though I worked in my home for 12 hours straight. Thorsten was such a lovely helper too, I love how my husband is always so quick to help me when I need it and today, I needed it as I had so much energy that I felt the need to seize the moment... But now...

I am tired!

But inspired. :)

Hope your May 1st started off lovely, too.

(images: holly becker for haus maus)