Tous les articles par Fredke
The TOP of the mountain!
We made it! Yes, Kristof and myself went on a ski trail and got to the summit of the Wimbachkopf situated in a height of 2442 meters! You want to know how we made it? Well then, keep on reading!
Traditionally for the carnival holidays, we travel down to Austria for a whole week of snow, mountains, ski and fun! This year again, we went to the small village of Aschau, situated in the well-known Austrian winter sport resort Fuegen/Hochfügen & Kaltenbach, in the entrance of the Zillertal Valley. As it was our third time, we did know the ski area very well and this year we wanted to discover something different, something we hadn’t done yet. Discussing about this issue with the ski teacher of our kids, he proposed us to go on a ski trail with a professional mountain guide… Was I even fit enough to survive such a trip? No problem for Kristof, who is regularly exercising, but me?!? After a short discussion, the booking was made!
On sunny Tuesday morning (perfect weather for our trip), we hurried to be on time at our meeting point with our mountain guide, Daniel Kopp, at the ski rental shop. Daniel looked very professionnal and seemed to be a patient teacher, that gave me back my confidence. He explained us all the new stuff we had to wear. We had to hire a whole equipment consisting of special skis (not forgetting the skins) and shoes as well as of a backpack filled with shovel and avalanche transceivers (which offer the best chance of rapidly locating buried skiers and must be worn by every member of the party)…
With all this equipment we made our way to the central ski station, situated at 1738 meters on the mountain, from there on we got down a slope on our skis before getting up again with a lift to access our starting point at around 1900 meters. We made our way off the official slopes and into the wild nature. After some meters, we had to stop and take off our skis. It was time to stick the special skins on the bottom of our skis: if you want to walk uphill, the skis need to prevent from sliding down. Some time ago, real animal skins were used as climbing aids, today the synthetic fibre industry provides a kind of carpet glued underneath the skis preventing the skis to slide down.
Now the rise of the mountain on our skis could begin… What a wonderful moment, leaving the noise full traffic of the official slopes behind us, only hearing the wind and feeling our own breath down our chest. It was as if we were in the middle of a snowy nowhere with only the blue sky and the sun around us.
Daniel, our mountain guide, was the first one to create the track. Kristof and I had to follow him, if possible, in the same track. In the beginning it was quite easy to keep up with the guys. The way was not climbing too much. Looking around, the view was only stunning. It was amazing to be like this in the middle of nature, where we were the only humans.
At some point the mountain got steeper and after some time, I felt some troubles following the guys. We had to make a break, drink some water and eat a piece of chocolate to get some more energy to get through the rest of the way…
The whole trail took us about 120 minutes to gain around 600 meter altitude to reach the summit of the Wimbachkopf, the goal of our ramble.
From the summit, the view was only stunning! All around us were the mighty Tyrolean Mountains.
On the summit was fixed the mountain cross on whose bottom was fixed a letterbox containing the traditional summit book. The little poem in the book asks the travelers for some nice words: “Who writes in this summit book, we ask for cleanliness. And only write nice in this book, no insult and no curse. This requires the mountain comradeship, the entry makes you only honour.”
After having written some kind words in the book and having taken the traditional summit picture, it was time again to leave this wonderful place before the snow was beginning to get too sticky with the sun. We had to take off the skins; we no longer needed those brakes.
Slowly and paying attention, we one by one climbed down until we reached the right place to fix our skis. Now came the moment we’ve worked so hard for the whole morning: it was time to trace our own tracks downhill in the untouched snow.
What a thrill! The first time in our life’s, we’ve got the opportunity to slide down on this wonderful and untouched snow. What a feeling! For one time it was we who were drawing those tracks downhill we normally only use to admire from afar, paying attention not to cross the other tracks otherwise we would have to offer a drink to that skier!
The downhill ride was really great! But it ended too fast!
Now it was once again time to put on those skins, paying attention that no snow was getting between the skis and the skin. And we began once again to climb the mountain on our skis. This time the way was not so long, but I started to get tired. Even the guys seemed to slow down. They were stopping regularly, discussing a lot about avalanches and nature.
Our way now was to get out of the valley uphill to the Kristallhütte, one of the coolest ski lodges ever, to get some well-deserved lunch! Holding on to the idea of drinking a nice Hugo as a reward for my efforts made me give the strength to get uphill…
If you are interested in the Kristallhütte, then read Kristof’s review on our Gourmet menu we’ve eaten there this year!
For those of you interested in more stories about ski trails, check the Pisten Blog by Stéphanie Souron!
Fredke
I’m Frédérique, fortysomething, mum, maker and craft blogger with a penchant for chaos...
Contributor of
Amicale des Amis – the new ephemeral event venue
Let me present you our lastest discovery in matter of interesting places to see in Luxembourg: the “Amicale des Amis”! We’ve had the pleasure to discover this amazing place last Sunday when we have been invited by Poeckes Consulting to an exclusive concert by Serge Tonnar & Legotrip!
I have to admit that we had some problems finding the place as it is situated in a backyard, so it is a bit hidden from the street… But keep the faith in case you are looking for it, because it’s really worth it!!
What’s the Amicale des Amis?
This cultural and architectural project has been founded by Steve Krack (Unité d’Habitation) and Silvano Vidale (Vidale-Gloesener) in an abandoned industrial hall awaiting conversion, situated in Bonnevoie. They invited fellow architects and designers to create a pavilion or a 3-D object without any constraint of budget or theme. Participating in the project are Jim Clemes, Tatiana Fabeck, Alain Linster, Stefano Moreno, Michel Petit, Spike, François Valentiny, Isabelle Van Driessche, Jaimie-Lynne Li How Cheong, Julie Conrad, Nico Steinmetz & Arnaud Demeyer, Philippe Nathan, Shahram Agaajani and Steve Krack.
The result is simply amazing and unique with fourteen pavilions of various shapes and materials, which interact with space and offer the visitors a unique contemplative experience.
And it was in this industrial and cosmopolitan decor, that Bert Poeckes had invited his guests on Sunday afternoon to present his new firm Poeckes Consulting and to listen to an intimate concert by Serge Tonnar & Legotrip, followed by a small reception.
The exhibition can be visited from Tuesday to Fridays from 5 – 8 pm as well as on request. And what’s even more interesting is that you can book the place to organize your own little event over there! No better opportunity to make your guests curious about a place they haven’t discovered yet…
Adress: 8-10, rue Sigismond in Bonnevoie
Fredke
I’m Frédérique, fortysomething, mum, maker and craft blogger with a penchant for chaos...
Happy!
My very first monster pillow Made by Fredke has been published in the new issue of Bold magazine, made in Luxembourg!
What a surprise, when I was skipping through the new issue of Bold, I discovered on page 64 a picture of my very first monster pillow, the one that our little one always has to take along with him everywhere he goes! And next to it was a small but really nice description of my creations and the new blog…
I have since then read the magazine thoroughly and I must admit that I love what the editorial team behind Bold has done! The division into 5 parts mingling News’, Culture, Trend, Exploration and True Life seems adequate to me. And I can imagine that the content mixing different themes is appealing to a mixed audience between 25 and 40 years.
Good work guys!
Fredke
I’m Frédérique, fortysomething, mum, maker and craft blogger with a penchant for chaos...
Winter wonderland in our garden
In the winter, I do love to discover our garden under a fine layer of snow.
Finally it’s snowing! After so much rain over the last weeks, the temperatures finally dropped enough to transform the rain into snow and it seems that it’s cold enough for the snow to stay a little while.
Just let me present you our garden under the snow, before the kids take the time to play in it!
Fredke
I’m Frédérique, fortysomething, mum, maker and craft blogger with a penchant for chaos...
The perfect Sunday brunch
We love to welcome guests at our home, especially around a delicious brunch on Sundays. It has even become a kind of rendezvous on my social medias with the traditional picture on Instagram and Facebook!
Today we’ve decided to transmit you the recipe for a perfect brunch!
So first of all you need a bunch of good buddies you want to pass several hours with, than a lot of good and healthy food as well as some interesting drinks… And don’t forget to foresee some food to serve for dinner, as your friends won’t want to go home!
Coming to the details, we always bake fresh bread in the morning. Mostly the smell of the fresh bread welcomes our guests, as the bread is usually just ready when the first ones arrive. If you have the time, prepare a fresh orange juice that will give you all the vitamins you’ll need for the day. You can also ask one of your guests to take care of this.
You need to define a central place where you can put your buffet. We do have a kind of counter in the middle of the kitchen where everybody can gather around. Than you have to fill it with food, food, food, food!
For the food part, we usually serve a selection of these:
– fresh bread, maybe different sorts
– pastries from the bakery
– different kinds of sausages and ham, also freshly cut (by hand) in the morning
– cheese plate with different kinds of hard and soft cheeses, as well as some homemade camembert
– pate, meatloaf, jelly, lioner, bacon
– tomato with mozzarella plate
– quiche Lorraine or a vegetable tart
– yoghurt cake with some chocolate splitters
– fresh eggs from the farmer for boiled eggs or omelet or scrambled eggs
– roasted potatoes or rösti
– jams, honey and chocolate butter
– homemade nature yoghurts
– fresh vegetables (i.e. cherry tomatoes, carrots,…)
– fresh fruits (i.e. melon, apples, bananas, kiwis,… depending on what’s available for the season)
– cornflakes and muesli
– pancakes
– waffles and other kind of homemade cookies
For the drinks, we normally propose:
– fresh milk from the farmer
– freshly squeezed orange juice
– freshly squeezed fruit juices (i.e. apples, bananas, kiwis,… depending on what’s available for the season)
– champagne
– white and red wine
– coffee, espresso and the
– hot chocolate if the kids are interested
It’s probably the variety of the different plates, which makes our brunch so special, as well as the homemade dishes we use to serve.
Hungry now?!? You want to attend to one of our brunches? Well then don’t hesitate to contact me…
Fredke
I’m Frédérique, fortysomething, mum, maker and craft blogger with a penchant for chaos...
Ninjago Birthday Party
As every year, a themed party was planned for Charel’s 6th birthday. The aim was to gather all the children in our garden and to make them pass several activities before getting some collation (with birthday cake!) and spare time in the Dutchtub and garden.
Charel decided to have a Ninjago party, as he is a real big fan of this Lego phantasy world. A small challenge for me, as nowadays with the Internet and all the different kinds of birthday party printables (either for free or to buy), it is quite easy to find the right ideas.
After hours passed on the web, I finally discovered the adequate design for the invitations with all the different Ninjago actors on etsy.com, a marketplace where people around the world connect to make, sell and buy unique goods. The personalized invitations were ordered, printed and cut out, before they were distributed to the little invitees. The rest of the artwork for the banners, bottle labels, etc. as well as the idea for the food presentation were found on Pinterest (a visual discovery tool that you can use to find ideas for all your projects and interests).
Next step was to plan the buffet. As usual the eating part was put together out of a mix of sweats and healthy food all presented in the party theme. With soft candy forms and rice cakes I created a sushi plate. Tomatoes, carrots, cucumber were put together to form a vegetarian snake. Raisins and melon skewers completed the buffet with some bread sticks. And for each of the kids was waiting a personalized bottle of still water.
Round cut outs of the Ninjago characters, paper plates and plastic dishes in the Ninjago actors colors presented in a recipient made out of Lego stones completed the buffet. I printed Lego eyes in different sizes on sticker paper to paste all around the interior of the tent. A bunting finished the buffet’s decoration.
The birthday cake had also to be planned! As the green Ninja is Charel’s favorite, I baked a round yoghurt cake and draped it with green fondant and yellow Lego eyes to look like the Ninja’s head
For the party favors, I wanted some Lego gadgets, but unfortunately those were quite too expensive. So I decided to take some normal stuff like stickers, sweets, buffers and other fun gadgets. All the little presents were put into Chinese food boxes decorated with Lego eyes stickers. And every kid received also a group picture as souvenir!
As every year, Charel’s godfather, together with his girlfriend, took care of the animation of the little guests. The idea was to put together an obstacle course allowing the kids to gain all the skills they needed to become a Ninja at the end of it.
The day of the party, our little one was excited like a rabbit! Fortunately all his friends could come and they all really had fun participating in the different parts of the obstacle run. And at the end of it, they all demonstrated that they were fit to be a Ninja!
We had a great time and Charel was blissfully happy about his successful party!
Fredke
I’m Frédérique, fortysomething, mum, maker and craft blogger with a penchant for chaos...
The Hippo pillow
Friends of us offered our youngest son a homemade hippo pillow for Christmas and I received the instructions on how to sew it! Both of us were thrilled!!
Since Christmas, the hippo pillow is the best fellow of our youngest who has to take it everywhere with him if we stay overnight. And I just love the idea of the double use of this soft toy: the children can play and sleep with it. I was so lucky when Michèle told me, that, if I wanted, I could get the instructions and the forms to sew it myself! It was like Christmas for me too!!
So first thing I did, when I received the instructions, was to check my stock of fabrics. I had to prepare myself for some shopping, as I did not have enough green fabric for a green hippo. As I had not yet worked with Velcro I also needed some of this.
I found the right green fabric I had in mind in a little shop in Dudelange, called Arlette Créations. The Velcor was bought in the sewing section of the supermarket. I first bought the wrong one: the self-adhesive. It was only when I was trying to fix it with the sewing machine that I noticed my mistake!! I had to go back and to buy the normal one…
After having washed the different kinds of fabrics I was using (cotton, cord and terry), I cut out the different elements of the animal. I had to check several times the instruction sheet, as from the beginning I did not really understand all the different parts. Slowly but surely I did get all the pieces together and began with the sewing. That was fun! It’s always great fun when I am working on the first example of a new model; the enthusiasm is so high to get as fast as possible to a result.
First I had to sew the Velcro, where I noticed my mistake with the self-adhesive one. I quickly went over to the supermarket to buy the right one, and I was lucky: they had some! After that, it was time to sew together the snout with the head before this one was sewed to the body.
Body and head got filled with fiberfill. Then it was time to finish the animal at the throat by hand. That’s always the thing I like the less to do. I tried to finish it with the sewing machine, but I soon discovered that that would not work, so I had to use my little fingers to do it by my own with no technical help! I will not tell you how often I pricked my poor little fingers…
At the end, I have to admit that I am quite happy with the result!
The green hippo is a little bit smaller than the original one, but for the rest, it looks great… at least for me and for our youngest one who has already adopted him!
Fredke
I’m Frédérique, fortysomething, mum, maker and craft blogger with a penchant for chaos...
A perfect weekend in the Belgian Ardennes
Last weekend we had a great time at a fantastic chalet in the Belgian Ardennes with our friends and family. I did not know until now, that one could rent such nice places in the Ardennes…
The idea for this weekend came from Kristof, my husband, who wanted a cool place to celebrate Xmas with his employees and partners. After some Internet searches, he found this chalet in the middle of the nature for 23 people near to Waimes. We straightly fell in love with the accommodation he found!
The chalet, combining noble materials with a cozy and warm atmosphere, had an indoor pool, a Jacuzzi, a sauna, a playroom, a big fireplace and a professional kitchen, all we needed for an unforgettable stay! As the chalet could only be booked for a whole weekend, the decision was taken to invite our friends and family with the kids for the second night.
During the week, the preparations for the big weekend were going on! We had to organize all the food and drinks for 25 people and all the rest, which is needed for a perfect party weekend! As you can see we had enough stuff to take along with us…
The party weekend started at on Friday 4 pm when the Plan K staff slowly all arrived. After the rooms were distributed, it was time to begin with the fun in the swimming pool before the aperitif was served in front of the big fireplace. For dinner we had a delicious cheese raclette served with excellent wine. Slowly but surely the party atmosphere pointed its nose… and the night finished in the swimming pool!
After a good night of sleep, all the team together prepared a delectable brunch with boiled eggs, cheese plate, different kinds of ham and sausages, liters of freshly squeezed fruit juices, baguettes and pastries, jams, compotes, etc. A perfect end for an unforgettable Christmas party!
After the Plan K team left, we had only a few hours to rest and relax in the wellness area before friends, family and kids arrived to continue the party! On the program: pool, pool, pool, pool… for the kids!
In the meanwhile, the adults took some well-deserved gin tonics while preparing the dinner: cutting the fresh rum steak into thin slices for the red wine fondue. It was delicious!
After a quick jump in the pool, the kids were sent to bed and the adults gathered around the fireplace to enjoy some glasses and to finish the night…
This great weekend came to an end once again with a great brunch and an afternoon in the pool and in the wellness area! The only thing we did not benefit of was the nature around us… That’s at least one good reason to go back…
You will find more information about the chalet by consulting this link!
Fredke
I’m Frédérique, fortysomething, mum, maker and craft blogger with a penchant for chaos...
Where to buy your sewing material?
I am regularly asked where I do my sewing shopping and that’s the reason why I decided to put together a list with the stores I like (with their links). I have to admit that I’m not only going to the shops, but I also buy a lot of stuff online, so I’ve added also the web sites I use.
Bastelkiste
A very interesting shop, situated in Luxembourg City, where you can find all you need for sewing, but also for crafting, painting, knitting, etc. on more than 1000 qm
Veritas
A Belgian store chain, which is selling a lot of fashion accessories, crafting articles and also sewing stuff. The stores a located in Luxembourg City, Esch/Alzette, Foetz, Shopping Center Belle Etoile and Shopping Center Knauf.
Boutique Arlette Créations
This is a really nice shop situated in Dudelange, in the south of the country, where you can find a lot of different tissues, but also very nice accessories and homemade stuff. And the service is excellent!
Ikea
Ikea, the Swedish expert in ready-to-assemble furniture, has also a small section with nice and cheap fabric that can be used for pillows, curtains, etc. The nearest Ikea to Luxembourg is the one situated next to Arlon.
Mondial Textiles
Another Belgian store chain proposing all kinds of tissues/fabrics as well a wide range of crafting products. The one I use to go to is situated in Arlon in the Hydrion business park.
Les Tissus du Chien Vert
And if you have the chance to be in Brussels, do not forget to pass at the “Les Tissus du Chien Vert” (the tissues of the green dog) shop situated next to the canal and which is my top favorite! It’s the coolest fabric shop I’ve ever seen! The choice of fabric is quite amazing and the interior of the shop is worth seeing!
Dawanda
Beside all these shops, I buy a lot of fabrics via the web, especially via Dawanda, THE German online marketplace for unique and handmade products. There you will find a lot of cool handmade stuff as well as a wide range of crafting products and materials. Here a small list of my favorite online shops on Dawanda for the sewing articles:
Villa Stoff
Frau Rogge
Wolke 7
Die Kreativwerkstatt
Petit Pan
Everytime we are abroad, I look out for fabric stores in order to find tissues with designs I do not have or haven’t found yet! That’s how I discovered the Petit Pan label in a small boutique in La Rochelle in the west of France. I just love their designs! On their website, you can discover some of their products fabricated with their tissues. And next time I’m in Paris, I have to pass at the shop!
Stoffe.de
That’s a German online store where you can buy all you need for your sewing passion. They do also have a wide range of tissues with more classic designs.
This list is not exhaustive and I might add some addresses in the future!
Have fun exploring and shopping!
Fredke
I’m Frédérique, fortysomething, mum, maker and craft blogger with a penchant for chaos...
Tutorial: selbstgemachte Fotorahmen
Es ist wieder Wochenende und Zeit für eine kleine Bastelstunde mit oder ohne Kinder! Über die Ferien haben sich bei uns mal wieder die Fotos gesammelt und so haben wir einige davon gedruckt. Jetzt ist es dann Zeit die einzurahmen damit sie auf unsere Bilderwand Ihren Platz finden können.
Hier ein kleines Tutorial um Fotorahmen mit Origami- oder Geschenkpapier zu basteln. Die Rahmen sind sehr leicht so kann man sie problemlos an die hängen (bspw. mit doppelseitigen Klebepapier). Dafür brauchen Sie folgendes Material:
- Origami- und/oder Geschenkpapier
- Foto
- Pappe
- Cutter und Schere
- Klebepapier
- Lineal
- Schneideunterlage
Schneiden Sie das Papier auf ein Format von 15 x 15 cm und die Pappe auf 10 x 10 cm. In der Mitte der Pappe ein Quadrat von 5 x 5 cm aufzeichnen und mit dem Cutter ausschneiden.
Das Papier mittig auf die Pappe legen. Mit dem Cutter von einer Ecke zur anderen ein X schneiden. Die 4 so entstandenen Ecken vom Papier nach innen über die Pappe falten und mit Klebeband festkleben.
Dann werden die überstehenden Papierteile noch über die Pappe gefaltet und mit Klebeband festgemacht.
Jetzt noch das Foto aufs Format des Fensterchen ausschneiden und von hinten mit Klebeband festkleben.
Umdrehen und fertig ist der Fotorahmen.
Sie können Ihr Fotorahmen natürlich auch grösser planen, dafür brauchen Sie nur das Ausgangsformat der Pappe und des Papiers grösser vorzusehen. Der Rahmen soll am besten eine Breite von 5-7 cm messen.
Viel Spaß beim Basteln!
Fredke
I’m Frédérique, fortysomething, mum, maker and craft blogger with a penchant for chaos...
