It was my birthday this week, which I celebrated with a day off. How lovely it was to stay in bed a little longer on a Monday morning and enjoy the little things the extended way. The number of phone calls piled up on a day like this with lots of advice and wisdom that I could use for the coming year. My favourite was from my aunt, who said that I am now in the right age to really enjoy life. And that's what I'm going to do, make the most of this new year. The new Pickmotion cards with my photographs on it fit in very well to this motto and convey a great deal of joie de vivre. My sister discovered them in a shop in Graz and surprised me by gifting them to me on my birthday. I am happy to share the stories behind the photographs.

Happy confetti to you

This typewriter is one of the treasures I found in our basement a few years ago. Its light blue colour makes you feel empowered to write some happy words, and even the sound of typing helps you get the message right.

It was always a pleasure to use it. I remember when I was a child, I often visited my father at work. He had a second desk next to his main desk and I used to spend a lot of time there pretending to work there too, hitting the keys on the typewriter, doing all sorts of things that you normally do as an office worker - or at least what I imagined they do as a child. His colleagues already knew me, and no one seemed to mind that I was "working" there too.

Whenever I see that typewriter, it brings back all the happy memories of my childhood. In those days, the typewriter could have had colourful confetti keys, because I'm sure the things I typed didn't make much sense. I wanted to emphasise this in the picture by showing how to write a happy, cheerful message without using any words. I submitted this photo to one of the Pickmotion photo competitions a long time ago and I was delighted to see it chosen for a postcard years later.

A Day by the Sea | Ein Tag am Meer

A Day by the Sea was actually just a day by the sea. I remember I was having some problems at work at university and my mum surprised me with a one-day getaway to Italy. In less than 2.5 hours we were in Grado, enjoying the still beautiful weather of an October weekend. It was our first visit there and we used the day for eating ice cream, strolling through the town, buying new jeans, walking along the shore, enjoying the sea breeze - just having a good time. I don't remember the problems at work anymore, but the memories made on that day are still very fresh and fond to me. I really like the colours in this photograph - if you look closely you can even spot a ship in the distance.

Favourite Spot | Lieblingsplatz

The Favourite Spot postcard shows one of my favourite places near my home. The picture was taken in Pörtschach, Carinthia, Austria. The Wörthersee always fascinates me with its turquoise water and the many events around the lake. When I need some time for myself, I like to go there early in the morning when it's quiet and the tourists are still in bed or having breakfast. For me, this picture represents a light-hearted summer day with watching the sailboats crossing the lake. It always makes me happy to be there. It's one of those photographs that shows a feel-good moment - the kind we should incorporate into our lives more often.