Hello and happy Monday to you, though it's hard to wish anyone a happy Monday isn't it?! It's not the same as saying Happy Friday, but let's pretend for a moment that it is. :) How are you doing? I've been well, feeling a little better though I'm still a bit groggy and achy from last week. I did something surprisingly inspirational yesterday though - I went to our local zoo on the edge of our forest. It's such a beautiful space, the kind where you don't leave depressed worrying about the health of the beautiful animals. It's a surprisingly lovely place to visit, especially during the winter.

Our zoo is filled with so much to see and do from ice skating and a Christmas market to handmade donuts to munch on, an ice rink for skating, gorgeous snow owls, sledding and tubing slides for the kids, various themed areas (Australia, Yukon Bay, India, Africa, etc.) that aren't cheesy but rather very natural and sweet. I really liked the area where you could go in and walk around with the kangaroos - nothing between you and them - it felt so nice to do that. I also enjoyed watching the little kids react to the various animals -- and how people's dogs reacted to the animals -- one sheepdog was really taken in by the Timber wolf area - he was wagging his tale excitedly and seemed keen on jumping straight in! I think it's great that you can bring your dog (leashed of course) to the zoo. They even have to pay for their own ticket, ha ha! I must confess that I am not a zoo person, meaning I once hated to go almost as much as the circus since most depress me but our zoo is the first one that makes me happy to see animals being cared for, protected and shared with others for educational purposes without sacrificing the comfort of the animals. From my visit, I fell in love with the many patterns on animals that I saw, the tones of blue from the sky to the water - especially navy paired with worn, bleached wood and I found the ice skating rink and outdoor food carts a lovely touch for winter along with the twinkle lights and general peaceful spirit in the air. Funny to admit that I found so much inspiration at the zoo, but I did.

Another place that I explored locally this weekend was the big weihnachtsmarkt downtown. Germans really do this season right, it's incredible how many festivals are taking place in this country and the markets are brilliant and packed. There's nothing like it! It was a color-filled explosion with candied apples, chocolate-covered bananas, nutella crepes and candy canes bursting from carts everywhere along with everything from bratwurst to smoked salmon. We also have a Finnish market and a Medieval market downtown too, so there are lots of yummy things to eat and drink and to see and buy. Between the weihnachtsmarkt, the Asian grocery store that I love to shop in and the flea market along the river... I had plenty to occupy my Saturday.

I also explored my cookbook collection a little and played around a bit with the shelves in the kitchen. I tinkered around a bit -- placing all of my washi tape into a single box in my studio drawer instead of having them here and there throughout the house. It's the little things that make us happy, and for me organization is such a little thing but yet also a very big thing if you know what I mean. Without organization so much suffers, at least in my world. I also popped some berries into a ceramic vase that I found on sale and liked at Impressionen (here) and made some cream and silver puffs to display in my home. It's a nice time of the year to nest and craft, cook and bake, organize and chill out. I did a lot of chilling out too - I watched several films and ordered some new music (Snow Patrol, Coldplay and Glasperlenspiel). Yes, I still buy CDs. I know, I know...

Finally, I simply watered my plants, changed the water of my many flower arrangements and dusted a bit - sounds boring but I like tending to things in my home with my favorite tunes on. I like my warm and cozy home in the winter, it makes me happy.

What did you explore and like this weekend?

(photos: holly becker, taken with the instagram app for the iPhone.)