So I did a little shopping while I was in Germany.  But not too much, y’all, because my suitcase weighed 45.3 pounds before I left the U.S., so there wasn’t much wiggle room as far as stashing lots of loot…literally and monetarily.  Mainly I was on the hunt for postcards and brochures that I can splice up and use as inexpensive scrapbooking fodder for my massive Germany scrapbook that I am about to embark upon.  I can’t wait to get started!  Idle hands are the devil’s tools, don’t ya know.  And Lulu can be very, very eee-vile.  Raaa-haaaa-haaa!

Anyhow, I thought that I would share with you guys some of the loot that I picked up during my travels…

1.  Embroidered Austrian lace

It was all I could do not to buy tons of this kind of stuff.  I could totally cover all of the tables in my house with it.  GR would not be happy.

2.  Edelweiss print bandanas

Edelweiss, Edelweiss.  Every morning you greet me.  If Christopher Plummer could sing this to me every morning for the rest of my life, I would die a very happy girl.  He was smoking hot in his day.  But, I must settle for Edelweiss bandanas.  Which I wore almost every day in Germany once I discovered them.  Lulu has very bad hair, people.  I will illustrate:

 But I digress.

3.  Print canvas bags

Oh, how I love these little bags!  I bought one in just about every town that I visited.  They were so inexpensive and can be used for many things!  Like for carrying other souvenirs!  Plus, they were lightweight and easy to slip into my suitcase…

4.  Cow bell charm

Yes, I am going to wear a cow bell.  It takes a woman with great nerve to wear a cow bell.  Just think of the implications!  Actually, I wore it for the first time today, and it kind of reminded me of the tinkle of a cat bell.  Oddly enough, I didn’t see a bird or squirrel all day.

The reason that I bought the charm (besides keeping the birds away), is that it reminds me of the many, many cows that we came across in Germany.  One evening while we were driving, we stopped alongside a large field of cows and just listened to the clanging of the bells that they wore around their necks.  It was pretty magical.

5.  German-motif dish towel 

I just couldn’t resist the cuteness of it all.  Not that I do dishes or anything.

6.  German incense smoker

This has got to be one of my most favorite souvenirs (just to give you an idea, he’s about 11 inches tall).  When I saw it at the Kathë Wohlfahrt store, I knew that I must buy it for GR.  If you are unfamiliar with a smoker (I know I was), what you do is lift off the top portion of the guy (you can see the split at his thighs), and place an incense cone on a little metal platform that sits on top of the legs.  Then, you light the cone (it doesn’t flame, it only smokes), and place the top portion back on.  After a couple of seconds, you will see smoke coming out of the little man’s mouth.  It has got to be the cutest thing ever!!  Plus, he’s holding a pipe (as you can see), so it totally looks like he’s smoking.  Just like GR!  Ha.  ha.

7.  Springtime Friends Hummel®

Can you seriously go to Germany and not come back with a Hummel?  Seriously?  Okay, well, maybe so, but not Lulu.  I bought this one because it reminded me of the sheep that grazed in the field beside our hotel in Maria Gern.  And also because I was calling to the sheep one morning from the bathroom window, but that’s a truly animated story that T-Nut tells to perfection and in no way can be described in a blog.  I like to mention things that can’t be described in a blog because it’s annoying to you, I know.  See, didn’t I say that Lulu was eee-vile?

8.  A German moose

I bought this for Phoo and Big H because a) Phoo is big on the moose and b) Big H is big on the Christmas.  Plus, he’s adorable and I was totally immersed up to my eyeballs in the Kathë Wohlfahrt store with Christmoose chachkis.  Get it?  Christmoose?  Ha!  ha.  Nooo.

9.  Hofbräuhaus München metal sign

Another gift that I bought for GR.  His basement is covered in metal signs, and I thought that this one would be nice to add to his collection.  You know, since I was there and had a beer and all…

10.  Manner Neapolitan wafers

Manner AG (an Austrian company) opened a cute little shop in Munich in 2007 (according to their Web site), and I was able to visit and buy some of these delicious wafer treats!  Actually, I bought the tin of wafers for the peeps in my department at the office.  I gave them the wafers, and I kept the cute pink tin!  See how Lulu did that?  Two birds with one stone.

11.  Magnet from Schloss Nymphenburg

Like I need another magnet to add to my growing refrigerator collection.  But, I just can’t resist the ones that look like miniature pieces of art.  We visited Nymphenburg Palace briefly on our second day in Munich…and what a piece of artwork it is!

12.  Magnet of Mad King Ludwig II

I bought this magnet at one of the gift shops in Neuschwanstein Castle.  It took a little bit of pushing and shoving through a group of rude tourists in order for me to make it to the register to buy this little gem, but make it I did!  Mad King Ludwig would be proud of Lulu.

13.  Red currant jelly

Okay, I’m making the assumption that this is red currant.  The lady at the Viktualienmarkt that sold it to me said that it was, but her English was not the best, and by far, my German is non-existent.  Anyhow, there is a very long and tragic story behind this very special jelly, and I’m afraid that if I tell it on this blog, that T-Nut will melt into a thousand tears and never speak to me again.  However, it’s almost worth it to tell the story.  Which I will.  Next week.  Forgive me, T-Nut, but it must be done.

So that’s it my peeps!  Lulu’s Germany loot.  Have a happy Thursday!

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