Friday Pretties: White chocolate and strawberry soup


Want to play with your food?

Why not! This is a fun dessert for your weekend- easy to make and super-delicious! I've made it for our magazine - one of my first real atempts in food styling and photography, helped by my son Robin and his girfriend Julie, eaten and tested by all of us! You can pour the liquids together and create a lovely color-swirl, you can dip muffins or coockies in, put it over fruit-salad, or just drink it of the jar - as a little reward because: you've been soooooooooo good!

The original recipe was found at Tartelette, who is an amazing cook and stylist - we've only made it a little less sweet. Have a yummy weekend everyone! And don't forget to enter my giveaway in the post below!

White chocolate soup
200 g white chocolate
1 cup passionfruit juice
one 14-oz can coconutmilk

Carefully start melting white chocolate in a little pot over low heat. Add coconutmilk and stir, until chocolate has dissolved. Add passionfriutjuice and stir on. Turn heat off and leave for 5 minutes. Than beat mixture until creamy. Put in jars or bowls and chill until serving.

Strawberry purree
500 g ripe strawberries
juice and peel of a bio-lemon
1 dash of vanilla extraxt

Put all ingredients in a blender and puree. Chill mixture until serving.

Photo: Martina Voigt-Schmid
More Friday Pretties here!

Jump! And a giveaway!


Whoooooohooooo!
JUMP into a fabulous week! Am still in easter mood and a bit lazy-hazy - a jump into the blue ocean would do me good i guess! This is a favorite photo of mine - my son Robin, taken during a holiday at the Italian Riviera. I love the vintage feel of it, although it was not photo-shopped!
Photo: Martina Voigt-Schmid





In case you also have a special photo you love, maybe you would like to win a Photo jigsaw of it - as a special present for yourself, or someone you love. Bags of Love is offering one of these fun little boxes, custom made with your design, to one of my readers.




If you want to win:
Leave a comment on this post, become a follower of my blog (and if you already are following me. tell me so). That's it! Lots of luck and see you soon!
Winner will be announced monday next week.

Fridayx Pretties: DIY Paper Flowers






In the mood to make something?
How about these colorful flower-pompoms! They look quite impressive as a decoration for a party or - just for fun. And they are super easy to make. I know this is not exactly an easter thing, but - in case flowers are not yet in bloom where you are, they may add a touch of spring to your rooms - give it a try! I've made them last week as a creative project for the magazine, but also for my hubbys birthday.

Do you have anything planned for easter? I'm staying here, but, as the weather is really nice and sunny, i don't really mind. Going for long walks, having nice brunches and dinners with my family and friends, and just relaxing and celebrating the beauty around seems to be just the right thing!

Photos: Martina Voigt-Schmid
For more Friday Pretties visit Joyce's here! 

Monday Love: Great times in NYC




A trip downtown
Some pictures from  a trip to NY some time ago, visiting my friend,  gorgeous actress Sophie Sutton and her sweet daughter Olivia. Some pix for my magazine, some just for fun. New York is a place for action, so it felt really good to be all involved and busy, visiting all kinds of interesting places for little - and big - girls! Oh, how i'd love to be there now!

In real life i'm busy, finishing another issue of KidsLife-magazine, sorting out a lot of pictures from a new session with kids fashion i'm going to show you soon. Today was too short again - ha ha, that's a never ending problem of mine! How was your start to the new week?

Photos: Martina Voigt-Schmid

Friday Pretties: Beauty saves the day


Happy weekend lovelies!
Don't you think that beauty can save the day?
I've seen this photo some time ago on decor8 and it's beauty stayed with me. It is made by the talented giardino, who lives in one of my favorite landscapes in the world - in Ticino, the italian part of switzerland. Maybe i can show more of her work here soon.

 I have been quite busy the past few days, and have many fabulous things lined up for you in the next week. A kids-fashion shoot, a paper-flower tutorial and some very yummy sweet things to eat!  Meanwhile i hope you'll have a wonderful weekend - will come round later and have a little chat!

Photo: Giardino 

My art in new rooms


Home is where your art is!
Purple and yellow sure is a daring combination, but it looks rich and warm with a new painting of mine, one of a set of three, with different color skies. These little orange houses appear in my paintings from time to time – like a symbol for a safe and happy place to be! Hope you're having a good time so far this week - keep up the sparkle!

Painting: Martina Voigt-Schmid, photo: Modern Country Home

Monday Love: Sour sweetness




Do you love the taste of lemons?
I do! And somehow today, as if there weren't a 1000 other things on my mind, i find myself thinking about making lemon curd. It's yellow, it's sweet and it's special (at least over here in Germany) ... and easy to make. And there are so many fun ways to enjoy it: on joghurt, on toast, on scones, on cakes ... it just adds this lovely cheese-cake flavour to anything.  Have you ever tried making it? Here is the recipe!


Hope your week is getting off to a fabulous start girls - am seding a lot of lemony sunshine your way!

Friday Pretties: Jazz up your day ...






...by wearing some funky jewellery! 
The bright yellow bauble in these pictures belongs to a wristlet of mine, that looks like it is made of chocolates wrappend in tin-foil. All the kids love it, when they see it, and for me it's a reminder to never forget that a little sweetness can change your mood any time. A chocolate truffle, a raspberry icecream, a lovely compliment, a bunch of flowers, a little walk in the sunshine, a hug, a song, a smile, a small present ... hmmm, maybe buy something for your friend today, because -
The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.  
Mark Twain

Photos: Martina Voigt-Schmid

For more Friday Pretties visit Joyce's here!  

Monday Love: Shopping spree






Monday, monday ...
How was your weekend lovlies? Here, we had perfect spring weather and the landscape looked and smelled like what i've been fantasizing about all through winter! Today, however, the trees, flowers (and myself) are shivering in a cold wind and i need some monday consolation.

Just recently, i stumbled upon a new webshop, Layla Grace - with romantic home accesoires and furniture,  jewellery, gifts and fashion. If you dream about giving your house this french-chateau kind of atmosphere, go and have a look - i'd fancy this beautiful chandelier in the third picture!

Friday Pretties: Small collages





"I work in whatever medium likes me at the moment!"

Some more small canvases with a mix of painting and collage, a playful approach i like at the moment. It's fun to play with colors, while the world around us is doing the same, adorning trees with fluffy pink blossoms and tender green leaves. 

While everything is getting brighter and more and more pretty around me, i can't help having this sad and burdened feeling underneath, because of the nuclear catastrophe in Japan. When i see Cherry-trees, i think of those people who like them so much,  and who have to bear terrible uncertainty as to what is happening to them. And to a certain degree, it is happening to all of us. All the more reason to be grateful and cherish life the best we can.

Have a splendid spring weekend, i'll be coming over and visit you for tea (or champagne?) anytime!

Photos and paintings: Martina Voigt-Schmid
For more Friday Pretties visit Joyce's here!