chasing heartbeats

Musik für Mittwoch

2012-02-08T08:30:00.000+01:00

Lykke Li // Tonight

I have heard a lot about Lykke Li lately and I really love her voice, especially in her slower ballards like this one. I hope you are all having a lovely week so far!

weekend

2012-02-05T21:09:00.001+01:00

cold weather always brings out my bright red rudolph nose

It may have taken it's sweet time to arrive, but there is no mistaking it now- winter is here. The Spree is frozen and today had a high of -11C. I am feeling really fortunate that on a whim I bought myself a J.Crew puffer jacket for Christmas, I think without it I wouldn't leave our warm little apartment. The bright side is that since the temperatures dropped last week the sun has been out every day, which makes the cold much nicer, and today it snowed almost the entire day (I am a California girl, I LOVE the snow). I carried my camera around with me most of the week, but yesterday on our furniture search was the only day I actually took it out- I feel like I am finally getting used to these below freezing temps and now I am escaping to California! It just feels wrong packing my suitcase with dresses and skirts :)
I hope you all had lovely weekends!

Schoolhouse Electric & Supply Co.

2012-02-04T10:45:00.002+01:00

Have you guys seen the fabulousness that is schoolhouse electric & supply co? I am dying over everything they sell, and I really wish they were located in Europe so I could buy one of everything and then all my decorating woes would be over.

Finding amazing furniture here in Europe that is not crazy expensive is way more difficult than I thought it would be. We sold the majority of our furniture when we moved and just kept our favorite pieces, which was a great decision, but living in a sea of boxes is starting to get really old fast. We ordered a couch we both love, but it won't be here for six more weeks. Yes, I know it would be so easy to rent a van, drive to Ikea and furnish our entire flat in one day, but I have done that before and am trying to make our new apartment one filled with furniture we cherish and will keep for years. The antique stores I have visited don't have anything I like and the ones that do, are so out of our price range that I laugh when I look at the price tags. 3,000€ for a desk? yeah, um no.

Anyone have tips for decorating (besides patience that is...), or even better some amazing online shops in europe I should check out? or fabulous & affordable furniture stores in Berlin? We are spending another weekend searching the city in hopes of finding something we love- wish us luck, we definitely need it!

denim notebook cover // clocks // wedgwood desk // room // blankets

Musik für Mittwoch

2012-02-01T11:11:00.003+01:00

Selah Sue // Mommy

My dear friend Courtney sent me a link to a Selah Sue song ages ago, but it wasn't until this week that I really got around to listening to her music. To be honest I don't even know how to describe her sound, but I like it.... and this song especially. Happy Wednesday to all of you :)

and the bride wore valentino

2012-01-31T13:00:00.000+01:00

Cruising pinterest the other day, I literally squealed when I saw the top right image. "Is she wearing polka dots on her wedding day?!?!?!?" (I really wanted to, but then that Monique Lhullier magically fell into my lap and I couldn't say no, so I instead I rocked the polka dots to our wedding clambake) After a second click I realized that homegirl was wearing the Valentino dress I had lusted after for a greater part of last year, and while they are technically not polka dots, they look that way from a distance. SO chic and unique, and the rest of their Italian celebration looks equally as fabulous, check it out here.

Photos by Bayly & Moore

christmas in germany

2012-01-30T21:37:00.001+01:00

First of all, thank you all so much for your lovely comments on last week's post. It means the world to me to have such lovely blog friends, your notes brought some light to what was otherwise a pretty dark week. I am flying back to the states next week to spend some precious time with my friends and family and I feel incredibly blessed to be able to do so. We are trying hard to stay positive and hopeful, but sometimes life just feels terribly unfair.

Here are a few random snaps from our Christmas celebration with my parents which I never got around to posting, and what better time to share them than the end of January? It was wonderful to have them here for the holidays, but it was hard to be without my brother, his fiancé and my uncle, who we always spend Christmas with, fortunately skype helped make the distance a little easier :) I wish I had a picture of our very first Christmas tree- it was a whopping 3 feet tall! It was really fun to decorate, I raided some of my mama's stash of ornaments last Christmas and finally got to put our Christmas pickle on a tree. Have you heard the story of the German Christmas Pickle? Apparently it is not a German tradition at all, but it was a gift and as I really love pickles it is quite fitting to have a pickle ornament on our tree :) Cinnamon rolls are a Christmas morning tradition in our family and I think after 10+ years I have perfected my recipe. They were pretty amazing if I do say so myself, and just looking at the picture makes me hungry.

I hope all of you had a nice weekend, I am back in Berlin and after a crazy month of commuting for work I am really happy to be back sleeping in my own bed and spending time with Andreas, being without him last week made it EXTRA hard. Thank goodness for husbands :)

disappearing act

2012-01-25T23:17:00.004+01:00

Normally I try to keep my little piece of the internet a happy place, but I can't lie- this week has been really rough. My greatest fear in life is that something bad could happen to the people that I love. I know it is terribly naive to live my life under the impression that those I love are surrounded by some sort of bubble, but so far in my 27 years I have been very blessed. And then suddenly, the words "stage IV cancer" came to describe someone I love more than words, and I am slowly digesting everything these 3 words mean. The perspective on life which I thought I had has suddenly been turned upside down and inside out. I just wanted to say that I am sorry for leaving the blog quiet lately, I promise to be back next week blogging happier things.
Thank you as always for reading and all the support you have shown me- you really are the best.

xox
a

iphone photo as we drove through ultra foggy luxembourg

road trip to Luxembourg

2012-01-16T22:55:00.000+01:00

When my dad told me he had business meetings in Luxembourg during their time here in Europe I quickly figured out a way to join him, because: a) I have never been to Luxembourg and even though I knew next-to-nothing about the tiny country it sounded interesting and b) I love road trips and find any and every excuse to see more of Europe.
My mama, Andreas and me drove to meet up with my dad after his business meetings and of course since I took the day off from work to explore the city, it was nasty, cold and rainy, but we still had fun despite the weather. Apparently Luxembourg City has the world's largest crèche but we instead decided to spend our afternoon huddling by the outdoor heaters drinking glühwein and eating crepes at the Christmas Market. Our our way back home, we drove to the little village where my dad lived back in the 60's near the Luxembourg/German border outside of Bitburg. The house he lived in for three years was still there and it was great fun to hear about how much had changed and his adventures learning German at the local pub. He is convinced the German language is really not that easy to learn... and I am convinced he is crazy.
I found the mix of languages in Luxembourg fascinating- I heard and saw a mix of French, German and English as well as Luxembourgish which seemed to be a comboination of Dutch and German. It was a trip hearing so many different languages being spoken, I am always amazed by people who can effortlessly switch between multiple languages in a conversation. For now I am just trying to speak two... and that is hard enough for me :( One not so good thing I have noticed living abroad? I see my English skills (esp. my grammar) are slowly getting worse, which is terrifying (and embarrassing). Does anyone else have that problem from speaking with mostly non-native English speakers? Surely no one's fault but my own, but just another reason why I would need to (& would like to) speak more german!

our wedding on style me pretty

2012-01-11T16:45:00.002+01:00

We feel super honored to have our wedding featured on style me pretty yesterday. Surely I will never get sick of looking at these photos, we were lucky to have such incredible photographers to capture our weekend. They posted lots of images on style me pretty which I didn't include here on the blog :) If you are interested, you can check out the post here.

2011 in photos

2012-01-10T16:55:00.000+01:00

I am posting this about a week late, but I had a great time looking through photos from the last year and thought I would share them. Be warned, this is a very photo-heavy post. Although I am sure you are probably used to them around here :)

We rang in 2011 with Travis Jay and Randall eating WAY too much delicious food and champagne in Santa Barbara. Intimate New Year's celebrations are my absolute fave.

We gave Andreas a proper (and very short) tour of Los Angeles

sent out our save the dates

traveled to Berlin to photograph a story for Matchbook Magazine's second issue

celebrated Andreas's 29th birthday in Karlsruhe watching fußball

had lazy afternoons by the river in Strasbourg

took lots and lots of bike rides

sold my car and bought a VESPA!

went to Messdi and drank some schnapps

visited Istanbul and fell in love with the city (again) and wrote a travel story for Matchbook Magazine

we spent our summer exploring new lakes and appreciating our gorgeous region

went to Paris to celebrate Nica & Didier's wedding

went to Santa Barbara to celebrate Travis and Randall's wedding. this was right before I gave my maid of honor speech.... on a stage in front of 150 people. so so nervous.

I photographed my dear friend Kala's new baby, Elaia. She was one week old :)

my girlfriends in San Francisco surprised me with a bachelorette party on a boat!

we fell head over heels for Emmy Lou

watched the Giants crush the Dodgers

enjoyed the glory of summer in the Black Forest. Late evening swims with our niece and nephew

went to the Titisee for my birthday

we got MARRIED!

explored Provincetown

relished in newlywed bliss

made our annual Faux-giving

freezed in Munich visiting Mary for her birthday.

celebrated our first Christmas together in Germany. and then moved across the country.

all in all, 2011 was pretty amazing... but I think 2012 might be even better :)

Hope 2012 is off to a great start for you too!

the voice of germany

2012-01-09T17:36:00.000+01:00

To be completely honest, I am not the biggest fan of television but somehow I find myself smitten with a couple German TV shows: Bauer sucht Frau (a farmer dating show- which surely needs an entire blog post dedicated to it) and The Voice of Germany. Knowing that they film the live shows for The Voice of Germany in Berlin, I randomly signed us up for their mailing list for tickets; although of course the night they went on sale I forgot all about it and by the time I remembered, they were all sold out :(

Last Friday morning after an epic 2 hour skype call with two of my girlfriends in San Francisco, I got an email saying there were a handful tickets available for the nights taping of The Voice, and since our night's plans involved building furniture and a trip to Ikea (I know, WILD!), I ditched our hot ikea date and got us two tickets. It ended up being really fun, Andreas was on TV a couple times and even though my hands hurt from clapping for 4 hours straight, there are some really talented singers competing and I loved it. After the show I realized that out of the 12 contestants who sang on Friday, 3 of the singers were American expats and it just so happens my favorite is one of those 3. Watch the video and you will definitely see why he is my fave :)

I hope you all had wonderful weekends! We did make it to Ikea on Saturday and I now know never to go to Ikea again on a Saturday- it was complete madness. We probably should have turned around when we drove into the parking lot and it was completely full. Although I suppose it was worth it, our flat is a whole lot more live-able now and we finally unpacked our clothes and finished building our closet. That's right, closet. Because German apartments don't have closets, so we have the biggest wardrobe ikea sells and it was a total nightmare to rebuild after we moved it to Berlin. A bit of advice, if you want to keep your sanity, do NOT buy a pax wardrobe from ikea. Thankfully after a week of pain, it is finally finished and filled with clothes - no more rifling through boxes each morning to get dressed :) Major upgrade!

move, eat, learn

2012-01-04T08:14:00.000+01:00

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

If this doesn't make you want to get out and check some places off your "must travel list" you are crazy! Last year we had to save all of our euros for this little thing called "our wedding" and didn't get to do nearly as much traveling as I would like, but this year we have NO excuse. I am itching to get out and see more of Eastern Europe now that we are a little bit further east and hoping to fly north to a few Scandinavian countries too, although I think we will wait until winter is over for that :) Also hoping to find the time (and money) to take our honeymoon this year! Anywhere exciting on the books for you in 2012?

update**** turns out he made two more, and they are equally amazing! enjoy your weekend!

LEARN from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

EAT from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

from their vimeo page:

3 guys, 44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage... all to turn 3 ambitious linear concepts based on movement, learning and food ....into 3 beautiful and hopefully compelling short films.....

= a trip of a lifetime.

move, eat, learn

Rick Mereki : Director, producer, additional camera and editing
Tim White : DOP, producer, primary editing, sound
Andrew Lees : Actor, mover, groover

Greetings from Berlin!

2012-01-03T11:42:00.002+01:00

sunset at 3:30 in the afternoon

a very scary looking baby jesus.... the photo does it no justice

To say the last few weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind would be a serious understatement, but they were also an amazing few weeks. We had a wonderful time with my parents: we threw our German wedding party, road tripped to Luxembourg for the day, celebrated Christmas with Andreas's family, and finally packed our apartment into a van and drove to Berlin (which we could NOT have done without their help). Their time in Germany seemed to fly by, but I feel so incredibly blessed that they made the trip to spend the holidays with us- we had so much fun together. I got real real lucky in the family department :) We spent our last day together walking around the city and exploring our new home, and of of course had to fit in one more Christmas Market before the year ended and stopped by the Gendarmenmarkt Weihnachtsmarkt.

I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday, I have so much to share from the past few weeks, so stay tuned, hopefully you won't hate me for posting Christmas pictures in the middle of January. We are slowly unpacking and settling into our new apartment (which I am madly in LOVE with), Andreas started his new job yesterday and I will be commuting back to the Black Forest for work a couple days a week until the end of the month. So things are still pretty crazy around here, but I am oh so happy to be finished with the move, even if we don't have any furniture and our "dinner table" is currently a box of picture frames. If any of you know any great online European furniture shops or stores here in Berlin please share!

and I hope 2012 is off to a great start for all of you! I have a feeling this is going to be a really good year :)

What are you doing New Years Eve?

2011-12-31T09:18:00.002+01:00

Maybe you have seen this already, it has been all over the internet, but I loved it too much not to share. Aren't they the cutest? I definitely had the biggest crush on him during his 3rd Rock from the Sun days.... hopefully they will record something together someday soon because I LOVE this.

How are you ringing in the new year? The boy and I have plans to make dinner here in our new apartment and have a bottle of champagne to celebrate with.... and maybe will walk the streets of our new city and check out the fireworks at Brandenburger Tor. New Years Eve is always a night I prefer to spend with my newest and dearest rather than at a big party, and this year especially after the crazy few weeks we have had, I am really looking forward to a night just me and my man. Happy New Year!!

Strasbourg - Capitale de Noël

2011-12-19T00:00:00.004+01:00

Last weekend we visited Strasbourg's famous Christmas Markets, along with what felt like half of Europe who seemed to have the same idea. The unseasonably warm weather we have had this year makes everyone want to spend as much time outside as possible before the cold days come our way. Strasbourg is the self-declared Capital of Christmas and virtually every inch of the city is covered in Christmas. We soaked up the holiday cheer, and enjoyed roaming the streets with a vin chaud in hand- I am a big fan of their mulled white wine :) But a bit of advice for my blog friends who are looking to visit the city during the holiday season, I would highly recommend trying to visit on a weekday and avoid some of the crowds. It is a bit difficult to enjoy all of what the markets have to offer when there are so many tourists, fortunately we have visited the market many times and know lots of ways to avoid the majority of the chaos. I am starting to realize how much I will miss the opportunity to hop across the border whenever I want a bit of French culture in my life, hopefully we can fit in a few more visits to Strasbourg in the next week- and at least one more visit to the Christmas market :)

It still seems impossible that Christmas is in ONE WEEK! I know I always say this, but time seems to be flying by- I cannot believe we move in only 9 days! With so much going on in the next weeks, please forgive me if things are a bit quiet here.... My parents are visiting us right now and I have lots to share, but little time to actually sit down at the computer and compose a post. Hope all of you are enjoying the pre-holiday season!

Wedding Part 2

2011-12-08T08:27:00.001+01:00

I meant to post this second half of wedding photos weeks ago, but once again life got in the way. If you missed the first half, you can see them here.

The week of the wedding we had gorgeous summer-esque weather in Cape Cod, and I crossed my fingers the weather would last until our Saturday celebration. My mother obsessively checked weather.com, and eventually I had to confiscate her blackberry to avoid her freak-outs every time she saw that the rain forecasted for Saturday was still forecasted. I, on the other hand, had faith that there would be no rain on the day of our little celebration. and knew that if there was... we would still have a great time. Although just to be safe, a few days before the wedding I ordered another pair of shoes to wear in case of rain, because there was no way I was going to wear the beautiful Christian Louboutin pumps I had planned to wear, if it was raining. Louboutins are gorgeous shoes, but definitely NOT rain appropriate and they would have been destroyed. In the end, it rained all night long before the wedding and we awoke to a bit of sun and no rain clouds in sight. Which is still good luck, right? Since technically it rained on our wedding day? ;)

Right before the ceremony the sky turned grey and it looked like a storm was going to come to the party after all. I had planned the ceremony right before sunset so afterwards we could take my boat out and enjoy a few moments on the lake together, just the two of us. As we pulled the boat into the water, the clouds suddenly parted and gave way to the most incredible sunset I have EVER seen. My mama and I like to think that all of our family members who are buried at the local cemetery in Eastham had something to do with it (including my grandparents who loved Cape Cod with all their hearts). It was truly a magical moment and incredible way to start our married life together.

The rest of the evening was filled with good food, good wine, lots of laughter and a couple of tears (happy tears of course). My dream had always been for it to feel more like a fabulous dinner party with our nearest and dearest rather than a wedding and I definitely think we accomplished that. As you can see, we had quite the dance party. After it was all over, my friends came down from their cabins in swim suits for a midnight swim, and even though I didn't have my bathing suit with me, I ran into the lake in my slip and joined them. It was a fabulous end to the best day of my life thus far, and thank you for letting me share it with you. xo

if you want to see the slideshow Davina and Daniel made for us, you can see it here. It makes me both laugh and cry every time I watch it.

Venue: Gibson's on the Pond

Caterer: Sumptuous Catering

Photographers: Davina and Daniel

Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier & Cocktail Dress: Antik Batik

My Shoes: Badgley Mischka

Flowers: Flowers by Mary

Andreas's Suit: J.Crew

Andreas's Shoes: H by Hudson
Hair: tj hazzard

Rings: Kevin Main Jewelry

Wedding Pies: Cottage Street Bakery & Marion's Pie Shop

Ceremony Musician: Fred Fried

Musik für Mittwoch

2011-12-07T07:00:00.000+01:00

The Staves // Winter Trees
Oh my word these girls have incredible voices. simply beautiful. If you visit their site and sign up for their mailing list you can download 2 mp3s for free :)

christmas market time!

2011-12-04T20:55:00.001+01:00

As you might already know, I really LOVE Europe's Christmas markets and have made a goal this year to try and visit as many as possible. Poor Andreas woke up with a nasty cold today so we kept it local and checked out the Gengenbach christmas market, which I have somehow never visited before even though it is only a 10 minute drive. Gengenbach is a charming little town whose claim to fame is having the world's largest advent calendar- the town hall's 24 windows become the giant advent calendar for the month of December during the christmas market. Also, a scene from Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was filmed here, offering a quick glimpse of the picturesque little town. For anyone traveling to Strasbourg's world famous Christmas Market I would definitely recommend a trip across the border to Gengenbach to experience a smaller version of the festivities. We definitely enjoyed ourselves, and the food- yes that is a giant bowl of schupfnudeln mit sauerkraut (potato dumplings and sauerkraut aka my favorite German festival food) which could only have been made better had it been enjoyed with a nice mug of glühwein, but it was 3 in the afternoon and I decided to be a good girl today ;) Can you believe it is already DECEMBER?!?!?! madness.

hope you all had lovely weekends!

thanksgiving

2011-11-29T22:08:00.001+01:00

- Cooking is way more fun with bubbles

- We sent our men to the grocery store to pick up a few items and they come home with 3 of everything on the list. silly boys.

- bride and groom tea towel from my mama

- our men

- nica's stuffing with a whole lotta butter

- braised turkey thighs have become an expat-thanksgiving tradition. Cooking a whole bird scares me & they are impossible to find around here. After 4 years, my German friends think the turkey thighs are a normal part of thanksgiving dinner ;)

Sadly no photos from the finished meal, but I guarantee it was quite a feast.

Just a few silly snaps from our preparations for the second thanksgiving of the week. That's right, this year we had two thanksgivings. As someone who almost never eats meat, I definitely got my fill of turkey for the year after last week, and now I am CRAVING vegetables. The first thanksgiving was spent with an old friend of mine from elementary school who was traveling around Europe with her boyfriend, and invited us to dinner with their friends in Stuttgart. Our friends Nica and Didier came out from Paris to cook up a giant second Thanksgiving feast for some German friends and in the process we made a huge mess in our little ikea kitchen. I cannot wait to have an apartment with a dishwasher and kitchen where I don't have to use the top of the washing machine as counter space. One more month!!

I realized this was my fifth Thanksgiving living abroad, and even though we had double the thanksgivings, I couldn't help but feel really homesick this year. Creating new traditions abroad definitely help, but all the facebook posts of my friends and family back in California together celebrating made me miss them all like crazy. At least my parents will be here in less than 3 weeks! I think they might have to fill an entire suitcase with stuff for me and the boy, I might have gone a little overboard buying new winter clothes because I am convinced I will freeze in Berlin.

I hope all of you had a lovely weekend and my American friends enjoyed the holiday!

thankful

2011-11-23T23:12:00.001+01:00

Lately I have been feeling so incredibly blessed. With today being Thanksgiving in my homeland, I thought I would share a little list of a few of the many things I am feeling thankful for right now:

my parents coming to visit in 21 days to celebrate the Christmas with us, which will make my first ever Christmas away from California, since we moved there 22 years ago, SO much better. (although I will probably still cry without my friends)

our new apartment has a dishwasher AND an enormous kitchen

yogaglo.com starting my morning off with a yoga class makes for much better days.

the Christmas markets have started! obviously december is my favorite time of year for this reason alone (oh and maybe also because of a little thing called Christmas)

having friends who make the distance between us seem not so great. even though we don't get to see each other or talk as much as we used to, they make the effort to stay a big part of my life.

having TWO thanksgivings this year, or as we have named the expat-thanksgiving, Faux-giving, since we never have all the right ingredients and have now made our own rules. and traditions.

christmas music. because it makes Andreas oh so happy. which makes my heart swell.

finishing a good book, even if it made me cry. Come to think of it, almost all good books bring me to tears. (nerdy cry baby alert)

that so far, everything relating to our move to Berlin has fallen into place seamlessly. It all just feels very very right.

waking up next to Andreas every morning and falling asleep next to him every night. I am not sure how I got so lucky to be able to spend my days with such an incredible man, but I am oh so thankful. Today marks two months of married life :)

and lastly, for all of you, for reading, commenting and supporting me and this little blog.

what are you thankful for? I hope all of you stateside are enjoying the holiday however you are celebrating :)

photo taken by me a million years ago in Paris

Musik für Mittwoch

2011-11-23T08:00:00.000+01:00

Bon Iver // I Can't Make You Love Me - Nick of Time

Simply beautiful. I hope you have a lovely Wednesday.

language of flowers

2011-11-21T08:41:00.000+01:00

Darling Miss Brittany of The House that Lars Built just added a new collection to her shop which is inspired by the language of flowers, and I am completely head over heels! A housewarming present for myself? Yes, please!

clockwise from top left- tea towel | 2012 Calender | oven mitt | custom address stamp (which not part of the language of flowers collection, but too cute not to include :)

western done right

2011-11-19T08:22:00.000+01:00

Usually themed wedding are far too kitschy for my taste, but sometimes they are done oh so right, and the recent wedding of Lauren Bush and David Lauren looks to be from another era (and in a good way). Normally I am not a fan of headpieces (sorry Kim Kardashian), but she looks amazing, and you know how I LOVE long sleeves on a wedding dress! Of course having Norman Jean Roy and Mark Seliger photograph your wedding is another dream entirely, simply gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous.

More photos at Vogue.com

obsessing over: rose gold

2011-11-17T22:44:00.001+01:00

Something about rose gold just makes my heart swell. Most likely that has a lot to do with the fact that my wedding band is rose gold, and every time I look down at it I smile. With the combination of Pink + Gold, seriously, how could you not love it? Even though I am not much of a jewelry wearer (i know- the horror!), and usually only a simple gold locket from my grandmother, I suddenly find myself obsessing over anything and everything rose gold- the watch is definitely on my Christmas list :)

1) anna sheffield Hazeline Solitaire, 2) Halston Heritage Jenny Fold Clutch, 3) Jennifer Zeuner Love Bracelet, 4) anna sheffield Eleonore Cocktail Ring, 5) Marc by Marc Jacobs Henry Chrono Watch, 6) Deborah Lippmann Some Enchanted Evening, 7) Marc by Marc Jacobs Tiny Heart Necklace

weekend

2011-11-14T21:07:00.001+01:00

a few instagram snaps from our weekend in Berlin. Sorry for the blog-silence here last week, pretty much every free moment outside of work was spent scouring the internet for an apartment, it was madness. The good news is that all of our searching paid off and we found a lovely flat to call home :) The picture on the bottom left is the view from our new front door of the Fernsehenturm (TV tower) at Alexanderplatz.
We spent most of Saturday running from apartment viewing to apartment viewing and on Sunday morning with a bit of free time, decided to check out a flat in the most amazing location, even if it was a little more than our budget. Of course we instantly fell in love with the renovated Altbau (it was built in 1918) and it's high ceilings and giant windows. 5 minutes after we had turned in the application we got a phone call from the landlord saying that it was all ours and we signed the contract before our train ride home. It was all in all a very busy but successful weekend and I could not be more excited about our upcoming move, Berlin is such an incredible city.

hometown love

2011-11-10T13:34:00.001+01:00

The SLO Experiment from Robert Weber on Vimeo.

I had meant to post this last video year when it was all over the internet... but better late than never, right? One of my best friend's brother created this video of our hometown San Luis Obispo, CA (nicknamed SLO- although I never call it that) and watching it always makes me smile, and feel a little less homesick :) If you ever have the chance to visit my gem of a hometown, you should. and while you are there, give it my love. Oprah declared it the happiest city in the US, and I must agree that it is a pretty happy place.
enjoy & happy thursday!

Musik für Mittwoch

2011-11-09T07:00:00.000+01:00

Dillon // Thirteen Thirtyfive

Dillon is a 23 year-old Brazilian living in Berlin, and that fact alone makes me love her even more. Because Berlin is amazing.

download this song for free here
discovered via Vogue Germany

.... and sorry for my lack of posting this week, we are mid-apartment search and it is completely overwhelming. Berlin is an enormous city and we are a bit particular, so we have been combing through thousands of apartments in hopes of finding somewhere wonderful to call home. Hopefully the real estate gods will send some love our way, because so far we haven't had a great deal of luck. I know our dream of an animal friendly apartment in an old building with a recent remodel and lots of light is out there waiting for us... I just need to find it :) (trying to keep positive)

ch-ch-ch-changes

2011-11-04T08:24:00.000+01:00

Some big changes around here.... we will start 2012 off with a new home! We are making the move to Berlin next month and while we still need to find a place to live, are SO excited. I for one, cannot wait to be back living in a city. The Black Forest is gorgeous, don't get me wrong, but for me, nothing compares to the action and excitement of living in a city. Surely there will be lots of adventures to come, so stay tuned! :)

photos from my Berlin travel story from Matchbook Mag's Issue 2

wedding part 1

2011-11-02T22:48:00.000+01:00

I was never a girl who dreamt about my wedding. To be completely honest, the idea of marriage was something I hardly even thought about before I met Andreas, and it was something we talked about after only months of knowing each other. And it made (makes) sense with him. Spending the rest of my days by his side is a thought that still makes me giddy.

When we got engaged last year we both knew we wanted a laid-back, intimate celebration where our friends and family could get to know one another over a long weekend in Cape Cod. The location was perfect for a lot of reasons. One, it is almost half way between our two homes. Two, it is where we got engaged and one of my favorite places in the whole world. And lastly, because my family has a long history in Cape Cod- the land we own there was purchased in British Pounds and has stayed in our family for generations. We wanted our friends and family to make a vacation out of the wedding and have a chance to enjoy all the things we love about cape cod, and we wanted to find a place where we could house all of the guests and have the wedding celebration. Amazingly, the venue we chose for the wedding neighbors my family's property, and is a small grouping of lake side cottages where most of our guests also stayed, and is actually not a wedding venue at all. It was perfect.

We decided to break with tradition and start the wedding off with a cocktail hour because I liked the idea of our guests being able to relax and mingle before the ceremony. Having the cocktail hour first also gave us the chance to go out for a post ceremony boat ride at sunset, which was a crazy wedding dream I had, which turned out picture perfect (photos I will share soon).

I walked "down the aisle" with my parents by my side to our favorite song, "Heartbeats" by Jose Gonzalez, performed by an amazingly talented local jazz musician. My uncle Richard officiated the ceremony and created an actual "tying of the knot" for the ceremony- where each guest wrote their name on a piece of rope and they were tied together to create a circle of knots, symbolizing the fact that our family and friends are now tied together and we are all connected by our love. The ceremony itself was very short (just how we wanted it) and had a few bursts of laughter tucked in, one when I mistakenly thought Andreas called me his husband in German. oops. I would say we accomplished our goal of not having a boring ceremony :)

We celebrated our first few moments being husband and wife with a champagne toast and afterwards were engulfed in hugs and kisses from all of our friends and family, which was one of my favorite moments of the day. The feeling of being literally surrounded by love.

party photos to come soon!

photos by our incredibly talented photographers Davina + Daniel

Venue: Gibson's on the Pond

Caterer: Sumptuous Catering

Photographers: Davina and Daniel

Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier & Cocktail Dress: Antik Batik

My Shoes: Badgley Mischka
The Louboutins I had purchased would have be ruined from the rain :(
These back-up shoes arrived on Friday morning... Thank you Zappos!

Flowers: Flowers by Mary

Andreas's Suit: J.Crew

Andreas's Shoes: H by Hudson
Hair: tj hazzard

Rings: Kevin Main Jewelry

Wedding Pies: Cottage Street Bakery & Marion's Pie Shop

Ceremony Musician: Fred Fried

Musik für Mittwoch

2011-11-02T07:00:00.000+01:00

Birdy's album will be released tomorrow, and from the sound of this live version of "People Help the People" I think I will LOVE it.

Birdy // People Help the People

christmas tunes

2011-10-31T13:52:00.001+01:00

Now that Halloween is here, doesn't that mean it is now acceptable to listen to Christmas music? It just so happens that I found my match in a man who loves Christmas music more than me* (which I didn't think was possible) and undoubtedly A Very She & Him Christmas will be on repeat until the new year.

*Andreas was listening to Christmas music on our flight to Boston in September. Why? because it makes him happy.
he is the most adorable man ever. :)

Happy Halloween! I hope all of you stateside will enjoy the holiday for me! We might be attending a Halloween party tonight, but it is really not the same... so many of my costume ideas don't translate. :(

"Rehearsal" Clambake Dinner

2011-10-26T21:22:00.000+02:00

I showed up to dinner and Cydney & I were wearing almost the exact same outfit, just opposites. Obviously why we are friends :)

We started our wedding weekend off with a traditional Cape Cod clambake on Friday night, and stuffed our faces with lobster, sausage, clams, mussels corn on the cob and my dad and brother's amazing BBQ, and it was DELICIOUS. After a busy busy week of wedding planning it was incredible to sit down and enjoy a meal with our nearest and dearest and let any of the stresses of organizing a wedding melt away. It was the perfect start to what was without a doubt, the best weekend of my life, completely surrounded by love.

I promise I will post some actual wedding photos soon! We have almost a thousand, and there are so many that I LOVE, I will need to spend the weekend picking my favorites to share :)

The Clambake was catered by Treats Catering- If anyone ever needs a caterer in Cape Cod, I highly recommend them! Great Service and Amazing food. Looking at these pictures make me hungry....

** rehearsal is in quotes, because there was no rehearsing.. although looking back, it might have been a good idea....

photos by Davina + Daniel (who we also highly recommend, amazing amazing photographers!)

Musik für Mittwoch

2011-10-26T06:00:00.000+02:00

Charlie Puth & Emily Luther singing a duet of Adele's "Someone Like You". GORGEOUS.

weekend

2011-10-24T00:35:00.000+02:00

homemade pickles are my favorite :)

Andreas and I spent the weekend in Munich celebrating our dear friend Mary's birthday. I am still under the weather and on Friday night I somehow managed to fall asleep while dancing at an electro disco (and I was sober). Even though I was feeling a bit like a grandmother, it was still a great weekend. It seems that fall decided to only last a few weeks this year, because it is freezing here in Europe and feels most definitely like winter. We braved the cold during the day and walked the streets and through the Englischer Garten, where the foliage was bright and beautiful. It was so refreshing that for once, almost only German was spoken for an entire weekend. It is habit to speak english with friends here, because that is the language we met speaking, but it surely doesn't help me one bit. It makes me oh so happy when people make the effort to speak german with me. I still make a million mistakes, but at least we are making some progress...

Today marks one month since we tied the knot! I cannot believe how quickly the last few weeks have gone! We got a sneak peak at some of our wedding photos tonight and we were laughing and crying at the same time, I can't wait to share them with you guys!

lace-up obsessed

2011-10-19T22:09:00.001+02:00

Fall has definitely arrived here in Germany and it seems overnight it is boot weather again (and freezing). I am in desperate need of some new fall boots, and it seems my longtime obsession with lace-up boots is still going strong. I think I might just need a flat and a heeled pair..... you can never have too many boots, right?

1) Candela Britain Booties 2) Bass Sade Cognac 3) Frye Carson Lace-Up 4) Frye Alexis Lace-Up 5) Frye Paige Lace-Up 6) All Saints Busby Boot

bits of the weekend

2011-10-17T00:24:00.001+02:00

new shoes for fall from our trip to Boston :)

because Halibut in German is Heilbutt and it makes me giggle (because secretly I am 12)

The Hamburger Fischmarkt was in town, complete with a ship in the middle of the city

Homemade Chai Tea fixins

scenes from a long Saturday walk

And somehow, simply overnight, it is fall. I love the beginning of a new season, and the start of fall brings with it such beautiful change as the leaves turn yellow and red. We took a nice long walk into the vineyards of a neighboring village and I am looking forward to lots more exploring on foot before the real cold weather comes our way!
I hope all of you had lovely weekends, both Andreas and I are feeling sick and I am hoping mass quantities of tea and herbal remedies from the apotheke will help fend off whatever bug we have.

Pendleton, The Portland Collection

2011-10-16T17:30:00.000+02:00

Pendleton Woolen Mils teamed up with a group of Portland based designers to create the Portland Collection, which just screams fall and also begs to be added to my closet. The cold weather which took over Europe this week makes me want to live in big cozy sweaters and giant scarves. I think I would never take the giant pendleton scarf off (until maybe Spring that is).

film swap

2011-10-11T07:54:00.001+02:00

Amidst all of the wedding hoopla, I never got around to posting my film swap photos! This was the second year I took part in Rhianne's Photoswap, where I sent an un-developed roll of film for my partner to develop, and I received their film in return. I carried my trusty Diana mini camera around with me for months, and whenever I remembered I had it, I would try and snap a few photos. I am the absolute worst about setting the exposure and focus on the little plastic camera, so my rolls of film are always quite interesting.... this particular roll had some pictures from San Francisco, Paris, Munich, Strasbourg and lazy summer days here in the Black Forest and it brings back all the great memories of summer :)

more photos from It's A Photoswap 2011 in the Flickr Group

wallis

2011-10-10T07:44:00.000+02:00

It has been ages since I posted an editorial here, and this one was way too good not to share... The late and great Wallis Simpson and her style inspired a spread in Marie Claire Australia and I am madly in love with the vintage stylings with Miu Miu and Chanel. The Duchess of Windsor is one of my style heroes, and in my opinion, her wedding look is one of the greatest of all-time.

photographed by Hugh Stewart and styled by Jane Roarty for Marie Claire Australia

images from C2 via the Terrier and Lobster

l'amour fou

2011-10-07T22:29:00.000+02:00

Somehow I am just now learning of this documentary about Yves Saint Laurent, but from the trailer, it looks fascinating, and I am dying to find a way to watch it. Has anyone seen it yet?

"I understand that the most important encounter in life, is the encounter with oneself."

oh so very true.

instax love

2011-10-05T19:07:00.001+02:00

One of my favorite wedding purchases and latest obsession is definitely my new Fuji Instax Mini Camera. I forgot to take it out at our Friday night clambake and at the wedding (even though both nights it was sitting right next to my seat) but we still have a giant stack of instant photos from the weeks on the Cape. These are some of my favorites, but have much more to come!

From top left :
1) Finally days after the wedding we had some time to relax on the beach together
2) my mama and me in our pjs
3) Andreas couldn't wait until we got home and snuck into the dutch apple pie we bought during our pre-wedding pie tasting extravaganza (aka driving around to a bunch of different bakeries trying one of everything on the menu- not so good for the bridal diet, but oh so fun)
4) a and our niece, miss emma sophia
5) dinner with best friends
6) my mama's bff cleaned our house before the wedding- what an amazing friend!
7) the boys
8) hanging with the niece and nephew
9) my parents in a one man kayak :)

The last few weeks have been an amazing whirlwind and I cannot wait to share more with you. Honestly I am not sure it has all soaked in yet, I am pretty much still on a wedding-induced high. aka bliss :) We were incredibly lucky to have so many of our nearest and dearest travel so far to celebrate with us. I could not be more thankful for all the amazing people in our lives who surrounded us with love during such a monumental moment, and that includes all of you, thank you for being such incredible friends/readers! Also, a GIANT thank you to my lovely guest bloggers for all of your lovely posts (and for the great advice!!) and for all of your support as well.

Off to unpack my suitcases and get some much needed rest! xox

On Love - Fairy Tales Are True

2011-09-30T07:37:00.000+02:00

While I am off enjoying my new-newlywed status, I asked a few of my favorite bloggers to blog-sit and write a bit on the topic of love. Sarah has been living abroad in Basel, Switzerland, which is a short drive from our home in Germany, and she shares her expat life on her blog, Fairy Tales Are True. Her blogs make me realize I need to spend a LOT more time exploring Basel, and her gorgeous photos of her travels throughout Europe do nothing to tame my wanderlust. If you haven't visited her blog, I promise you will fall in love.

Ashley is getting married! I can't quite comprehend how gorgeous she and the day will be.

Cannot wait to see photos!

Oh, and Hi!

I'm Sarah Tucker.

a girl who is a bit obsessed with love herself.

I'm an old fashioned sort who believes in holy matrimony wholeheartedly.

I tear up at the reading of vows, I sniffle through pride & prejudice, and more often than not I flat out cry when someone tells me their sweet love story.

And yes, pledging your undying love to one person is indeed a tad risky.

But ... do not all great adventures begin with a little risk?

indeed they do.

particularly those having to do with love.

sweet love.

And for me, well marriage has been one big adventure.

We've traveled to 19 different countries in under two years since we said "i do"!

Yes, traveling has been amazing.

But the best part has been having my best friend by my side.

Knowing he'll always be there to back me up.

and love me, no matter what.

That makes my normally busy mind, calm.

So Ashley,

Congratulations!!

And here's my electronic card.

I believe this with all of my heart.

It really is the best there is to life.

{in my humble opinion}

{via}

cheers to LOVE (:

On Love - Colleen from Inspired to Share

2011-09-28T07:30:00.001+02:00

While Andreas and I are off enjoying our first few days as newlyweds, I asked some of my favorite bloggers to blog-sit and write on the topic of love and marriage. Colleen's blog, Inspired to Share, was one of the first I started to read after I started my blog. She has great finds from around the internet and I am LOVING all of her graphic design work. Thanks again Colleen!

Hello Chasing Heartbeats readers! I'm so honored that Ashley asked me to contribute while she is off getting married. I don't know about you, but I follow Ashley's pinboards, and the girl's got style! I just can't wait to see her wedding; I know it will be stunning.

As a newlywed myself, and just a general fan of love, I thought share a few little things I've learned over the past 11 months since our nuptials. Some thoughts, if you will, from me to you...

1. Get some bikes and bike together often. Because it's such a fun way to explore.

2. Start new traditions together. We enjoy to making nutella crepes on Saturday mornings. Yum.

3. Speaking of food, always keep an emergency frozen pizza on hand. Because you never know when extreme hunger will strike.

4. Try to do some things for each other that the other person doesn't enjoy. For instance, hubs hates doing the laundry, so (for the most part) I do it. In the same way, I don't enjoy cooking, so hubs usually makes dinner. It keeps us balanced and thankful.

5. Travel. No matter how "broke" you are, make it a habit to take vacations together early on, whether big or small. We're running out of vacation days ourselves, but I'm still so excited to take a little long weekend up north for our first anniversary. : )

What do you think? What are your thoughts about your marriages or relationships? I'd love to hear!

Thanks so much for having me, Ashley! xoxo

(Photo one and two by lazareria valeria, design by Colleen Ludovice of Inspired to Share)

On Love - Lindsey from Lost in Cheeseland

2011-09-26T07:30:00.000+02:00

While Andreas and I are enjoying our new-newly status, I asked a few of my favorite bloggers to blog-sit and write a bit on the topic of love. Lindsey is a fantastic writer who also shares my great passion for travel, and writes and photographs Paris from an expat's perspective on her blog, Lost in Cheeseland. Her guest post seemed the perfect fit as Andreas and I embark on this new adventure together as husband and wife. Thank you Lindsey!

5 Tips for a Healthy Marriage

When I first came to Paris, I fell in love within days. My attraction to the city was palpable but what was noteworthy was meeting a (my) Frenchman. It may not have been the same kind of visceral reaction for him, but I fell hard. Flash forward five years later and we've entered our third year of marriage. Would I use the word "bliss" at all times? No, but I've learned a lot through the ups and downs and I'm still convinced we're right for each other. In honor of Ashley's impending nuptials, I offer a few suggestions for making the marriage work, particularly during the first year.

Love isn't enough
There must be respect, open-mindedness and support. Exchanging I-love-you's and providing affection are important but do not trump mutual respect and support. The number of times I've seen couples blatantly disrespect one another in front of friends and family is astounding and ultimately destructive to their bond.

Be careful how far you let your anger take you

Be very prudent in marital disputes. As soon as you cross the line and say something malicious, you can't turn back. It can really change the dynamic between the couple and lead to resentment, hurt, or even further arguments that spiral out of control. This also goes back to the issue of respect, so tread gently. Consider the outcome and if you're really prepared to assume responsibility for your words when they shatter your partner's feelings. Civility is key. I know this from experience.

Stare at each other
There's something to be said for the honeymoon beginning to any relationship where hours could be spent lounging, gazing into each other's eyes and tracing every minute detail of their faces. Those moments of insouciance and joy shouldn't have to end after marriage. In fact, we don't spend enough time reliving new-love activities. Devote an afternoon to doing nothing but laying around and staring at one another - remember why you're together and why you chose that person to lay beside for life.

Discuss explicitly and openly about your aspirations and needs
Always make sure you're on the same page, whether with regards to professional aspirations or personal goals. Arguing over travel destinations is one thing but feeling divisive because your life plans do not match as a result of holding them to yourself isn't constructive. Goals evolve over time, of course, but candidness from the beginning is crucial not only for communication but to ensure common growth.

Spend time apart
I don't understand friends who tell me they can't bear to be away from their partner for even one day. I may have felt that way in the beginning of our relationship but it's healthy to crave your own space and particularly necessary when tension is high due to stress or disputes. When my husband is away on business, not only do I pack my schedule full of social events that I may ordinarily decline in order to spend time with him but I advance on personal projects. When we finally speak over the phone, I feel like I have hours worth of stories to share - a wonderful feeling. After having a few days or a couple of weeks to feel their absence and really consider what that might mean long-term, the reunion is especially sweet. Give yourself the time to go out with friends alone - being in a couple does not mean your life as an individual ceases to exist.

Photo by Winston Alford-Hamburg taken at Lindsey's recent Philadelphia wedding reception.

On Love - Kayla from Exquisite Banana

2011-09-23T08:00:00.000+02:00

While I am off preparing for the wedding, I asked a few of my favorite bloggers to blog-sit and write a bit on the topic of love. Kayla was one of my very first commenters on this little blog and after making my way over to Exquisite Banana, I felt an instant connection to her and the icing on the cake- she spent her early years in Cape Cod which is, as you know, one of my favorite places in the world, and that just made me adore her even more.

When Ashley asked me to contribute a guest post while she's off getting married(!), I jumped at the chance. I think we can all agree that she is a sublimely awesome human being.

One of the things I love most about Ashley is her adventurous spirit. When I think 'Ashley,' I automatically think "travel."
Therefore, I couldn't think of anything more apropos than a congratulatory salutation combining the three places in the world that hold the most obvious significance for Ashley and Andreas:

California--where she's from
Europe--where he's from
Cape Cod--where they'll both be from (at least for the first few hours of their marriage)

Congratulations, my dear friend. I'm ending with James Dillet Freeman's "Blessing for a Marriage."
For you, I wish all of this and then some.

"May your marriage bring you all the exquisite
excitement marriage should bring,
and may life also grant you patience,
tolerance, and understanding.
May you always need one another -
not so much to fill your emptiness
as to help you to know your fullness.
A mountain needs a valley to be complete;
the valley does not make
the mountain less, but more;
and the valley is more a valley because
it has a mountain towering over it.
May you need one another, but not out of weakness.
May you want one another, but not out of lack.
May you entice one another, but not compel one another.
May you embrace one another, but not out encircle one another.
May you succeed in all important ways with one another,
and not fail in the little graces.
May you look for things to praise, often say, "I love you!"
and take no notice of small faults.
If you have quarrels that push you apart,
may both of you hope to have
good sense enough to take the first step back.
May you enter into the mystery that is
the awareness of one another's
presence - no more physical than spiritual,
warm and near when you are
side by side, and warm and near when
you are in separate rooms
or even distant cities.
May you have happiness,
and may you find it making one another happy.
May you have love, and may you find it loving one another."

With love,

Kayla from Exquisite Banana

(photo credits: European map from my personal collection; California map from Vassi Slavova Design; Cape Cod Leather Travel Journal from Leather Maps on Etsy)

On LOVE - Fleurishing Blog

2011-09-21T08:00:00.000+02:00

While I am off preparing for the wedding, I asked a few of my favorite bloggers to blog-sit and write a bit on the topic of love. Susan and I originally bonded over Strasbourg, my current home and a city near and dear to her heart, and I feel very lucky to have found such a lovely and supportive blog friend. Her blog, Fleurishing, chronicles her love of France and all things French as well as her fabulous finds from the internet. She also owns Nesting, an interior design company specializing in designing baby and children's rooms, and surely when the time comes for us to grow our little family, I will definitely be enlisting her help!

The dress, the day, the celebration of love with friends and family. It is a beautiful and dreamy time in life. When I think back to my wedding in 2009, I am happy to say that the details of the day are a bit of a blur, and I look to photographs to relive them. What has stayed with me is the feeling of the day, and the joy and comfort that I felt. Knowing I had chosen to spend my life with the man who was right for me...was, and is, an amazing feeling. We are continually in awe of how our love has grown since then. I wish this happiness for everyone, and especially you, Ashley & Andreas, as you begin this beautiful journey together.

On LOVE - Jenni Austria Germany

2011-09-19T08:00:00.000+02:00

While I am off preparing for the wedding, I asked a few of my favorite bloggers to blog-sit and write a bit on the topic of love. Jenni writes an amazing blog detailing her life here in Germany and her travels throughout Europe (and girl travels a LOT - I am seriously jealous). I am often caught laughing out loud while reading her posts, especially those which detail having a relationship with someone whose second language is english. If you don't already read her blog, you should.

Hello, Chasing Heartbeaters! I'm the girl behind the blog Jenni Austria Germany and I'm very excited to be with you today.
When Ashley emailed me asking if I could post something about love+Salzburg, it took me about 5 minutes to come up with a list. I used to live in this Austrian city and, while I live in Germany now, I still find reasons to go back and visit as much as possible; Salzburg will always have my heart. Here are some reasons why!

Salzburg and why I L-O-V-E it.

1. It's too pretty to be real

When I first posted this photo on Facebook, a few people commented saying that it looked too beautiful to be real - one person even asked if we were standing in front of a backdrop. Let me tell you, the city gives off the same effect in person, too. When I show people around Salzburg for the first time, without fail, there's always at least one chorus of, "I can't believe this is a real place!".

2. It's surrounded by beauty

Whether it's salt mines, ice caves, ski slopes or just plain mountains (hello, Alps), Salzburg is surrounded by nature so gorgeous you'll begin to wonder if God loves Austrians more than any other people.

3. No matter which direction your window faces, you'll be amazed by the view.

As a girl who grew up in Oklahoma (the flattest state there is), I find myself wondering all the time how I ever lived my life with no gorgeous snow-capped mountains painted across the skyline. They'll take your breath away, they will.

4. The river is spectacular.

Salzburg is surrounded by the Salzach river which is just breathtakingly beautiful. Maybe I'm biased because I come from Oklahoma, a place where any body of water consists of murky, brown mud, but I could stand on the Mozart bridge and stare out at the Salzach all day.

5. The nightlife is amazing.

Salzburg is without a doubt my favorite city to go out in at night. It's safe, it's young and it's so much fun. Whether it's a karaoke bar, an Irish pub or a dance club, you'll be surrounded by youth and energy. Salzburg is great during the day, of course, but at night, it really comes alive.

Thanks for having me, Ashley! Can't wait 'til you get back from your own little love adventure. I'll be stalking your blog for wedding photos!

love at sunset

2011-09-18T20:00:00.000+02:00

It still feels pretty surreal that we are here on Cape Cod, finishing last minute preparations for this wedding we have been planning for the last year. Tonight was cold and windy, but when we walked down to the wedding site, which is only a block away from our house, the air was suddenly warm and still. We watched the sunset (which is when we will be pronounced man and wife) and my heart felt full and happy, all of the little stresses of daily life (and wedding planning) washed away, and all felt right in the world. We could not have picked a better place to celebrate our love, and I cannot wait for our nearest and dearest to start arriving, it will certainly be a weekend filled with love. and a special thank you to you, my lovely blog friends for all of the support and guidance during this wedding planning adventure, I wish you could all be here to celebrate with us as well.

I have asked some of my favorite bloggers to help watch over this little blog in the next weeks, and I have some GREAT guest posts lined up for you! stay tuned :)

weekend

2011-09-12T23:42:00.000+02:00

Our friends Nica and Didier came to visit us from Paris for the weekend and with them brought amazing summer weather and the perfect escape from wedding planning (which i desperately needed). We rode bicycles to the lake where we enjoyed a giant picnic, an intense game of rummy, practiced our synchronized swimming moves in the chilly water and drank champagne in the middle of the afternoon. It was the perfect way to bid farewell to summer.

icons

2011-09-09T08:20:00.002+02:00

I did a double take when I spotted these images from George Chamoun on pinterest, thinking at first they were images with hue-saturation layers for effect. On a second glance, I realized they are juxtapositions with the colored images of modern celebrities and the black and white of those from the 50's. George says he did not use any warping in photoshop, which I think makes these images even more incredible.

collages by George Chamoun

bachelorette #1

2011-09-04T23:40:00.000+02:00

While we were in San Francisco, some of my friends threw me a surprise Bachelorette party. We cruised around the bay on a sailboat drinking champagne and were treated to dinner by my friend Carrie (who is an amazing cook) all while wearing the super chic life-vests the captain required us to wear :) We were also lucky enough to be joined by our friend Julie who photographed the evening for us, so we have fabulous photos to remember the trip (talented friends are the BEST!).
After the sailing trip, we went back to Courtney's house where they had covered the walls in photos from our 20 years of friendship. We laughed until we cried at all of our crazy adventures over the years and at some of the very questionable fashion choices and hairstyles we all fell victim to (the 90's were rough). It was a fabulous evening with amazing friends, who despite the distance continue to be an incredibly supportive extended family who I am extremely thankful to have in my life.

photography by Julie Bullock

obsessed with a dress

2011-09-01T16:47:00.001+02:00

For those of you who follow me on pinterest, I REALLY really apologize for filling up your feed with a ridiculous number of white-ish cocktail-ish dresses. Finding a dress for our cocktail hour has become a full-fledged obsession. See, we are doing things a little different with the cocktail hour before the ceremony, so I need something to wear during that time so I can save the real dress for the actual ceremony. I keep thinking it will just come to me and I will know, and surely I am putting way much energy into this search since the actual wedding dress purchase was one of the easiest things I have EVER done.

thoughts? I always LOVE your input!

from top left: Adam Jeweled linen and Chiffon Dress, Acne Evans Dress, Red Valentino Embroidered Silk Dress, Antik Batik Ilka Sequined Tulle Dress, Robert Rodriguez Chiffon Bow Dress, Asos Salon, Whistles Lace Dress, All Saints Scala Mini, Whistles Dress, Red Valentino Flutter Sleeve Dress, Asos Salon, 3.1 Phillip Lim Silk Crepe de Chine Dress

musik für mittwoch

2011-08-31T09:32:00.001+02:00

Lana del Rey // Video Games

I have been meaning to share this song for a while, and my fabulous girlfriend, Alissa, sent it my way and reminded me to post it. That voice! Those lips! stunning in all regards :)

Happy Wednesday!

i charleston berlin

2011-08-25T21:54:00.001+02:00

I am sure that I love this video even more because it is in Berlin, one of my most favorite cities, but certainly this video will perk up your day too, the Charleston is such a happy dance.
This also makes me really REALLY want to take a dance class, I am green with envy of couples who can tear up the dance floor together.

via Prêt à Voyager

musik für mittwoch

2011-08-24T12:56:00.000+02:00

Goshen // Beirut

I finally got around to buying Beirut's new album, The Rip Tide, this week and it definitely lived up to my expectations. This is my favorite song from the album that I plan on playing on repeat the entire day. :)

How I wish we were going to the Berlin Festival in two weeks where there will be SO much good music including Beirut! next year I am making it a mandatory part of the summer.

weekend

2011-08-23T07:40:00.002+02:00

my "i love birthday surprises" smile

Andreas surprised me with the perfect little escape for my birthday over the weekend. We drove to the Titisee, a lake deep in the Black Forest, and swam, caught up on some reading and did a whole lot of nothing. It was exactly what I needed. Sunday was spent at a new wellness center where I learned that drinking champagne on an almost empty stomach while laying in a 33 C pool will turn you into a even more of a lightweight than you already are and lead to a GIANT case of the giggles. But since it was my birthday I decided that was perfectly acceptable, so I had two glasses :)

The top two photos were from our last night with Andreas's sister and her two kids at the lake. They were here for 10 weeks, and it went by in a snap! It feels like time is on fast forward right now. The countdown to the wedding is almost 1 month!

puppy love in san francisco

2011-08-19T16:05:00.001+02:00

Our time in San Francisco was short, but filled with time with some of my favorite people in the whole world. We saw the giants win, my girlfriends threw me a bachelorette party (pictures to come soon), the weather was amazing, I stuffed my face with all the mexican food I could get my hands on, and i fell madly in love with my friends' dogs. It was an amazing three days.

1) San Francisco from our hike* up Bernal Heights

2) Lunch at Gracias Madre, a vegan Mexican restaurant in the Mission that I cannot say enough good things about. and you might be thinking, vegan mexican? I promise you don't even miss the cheese. amazing.

3) Emmy Lou, Carrie's Boston Terrier puppy, stole our hearts and literally everyone who passes her stops to gush over how cute she is. a and I NEED to move to a pet friendly building because we are in desperate need of puppy after falling in love with emmy and ace, cydney's lover dog.

4) Walking mission street with Carrie and Alissa (who will probably kill me for posting this of her in her grey hoodie- we kidnapped her from campus to take her to lunch with us)

5,6,7) relaxing in Delores Park enjoying a gorgeous San Francisco day

8) Ace, with her orange toenails (she is a BIG giants fan)

* i use the term hike loosely. i was wearing spandex, but it was maybe more like walking....

summer sunsets

2011-08-18T22:12:00.001+02:00

after far too many weeks of fall-esque weather, summer has finally returned. hopefully it will stay this way for more than a few days so we can have a few more evenings like this one before the cold weather returns. tonight we rode the vespa to my favorite lake and swam in the crystal clear, surprisingly warm water. summer really is the best season here in the black forest, and today i soaked up every moment of it.

musik für mittwoch

2011-08-17T17:06:00.001+02:00

Liz Durrett // How Can I tell you (Cat Stevens Cover)

I stumbled upon this cover of "How Can I tell you" a few years back and immediately fell in love. Ignore the photos in the video and just listen. and then go to Liz's site to download the mp3 (for free!!) and then play it on repeat.

I hope your weeks are lovely so far!! Sorry for the lack of posting as of late, I promise to be back with some posts in the next days.

xo

photobooth + love

2011-08-15T22:41:00.003+02:00

Some silly photobooth photos from the third wedding of Wedding-palooza in Detroit- a & me, and my mama and her bff (the mother of the bride) they are crazy ladies, and SO much fun to be around.
The bottom four are from the Santa Barbara wedding, which I set up at the last minute and it ended up being quite a hit!
two fellow bridesmaids who I quickly bonded with and adore!!
us caught being kissy in the booth
and me and randall and travis jay aka, the grooms :)

and yes, I wore the same dress to both weddings... please don't call me trashy. Andreas was the only one who attended both and I loved the dress I bought SO much (after ALL that searching!!!) I couldn't help myself.

I hope you all had lovely weekends! Things are a little busy around here (massive understatement), the wedding is only 40 days away! I had a 4 hour skype wedding planning fest with my mama on Friday and since then we have been super productive on the wedding front and I am feeling damn good about it. no stress here..... ok maybe just a little.

and i bought shoes!! but you have to wait to see which ones :)

finding the perfect shoe

2011-08-10T22:59:00.001+02:00

Yes, our wedding is next month and No, I do not have shoes yet. Given that the dress is short(ish), the shoes are quite important, and I have quite the task at hand considering the dress is darn near impossible to match. Also we are getting married outside, on grass, so I am pretty sure that any of these stillettos will either get destroyed in one night, or do a great job of aerating the grass, and I have nightmares about getting a heel stuck and then falling on my face. Tonight Andreas picked out and purchased his wedding shoes in less than 5 minutes, which makes my hours of hopeless internet searching for shoes even more sad.
These are the top picks so far, and considering that I won't be able to try them on with the dress until the week of the wedding, I might just have to buy more than one..... what do you think, loves?

Clockwise from top:
Jimmy Choo Vamp, Miu Miu Mary Jane Platform, Christian Louboutin Bibi 140 Glitter Pumps, Pour La Victoire Aria Slingback, Jimmy Choo Vita, Pour La Victoire Irina, Jimmy Choo Cosmic

& can someone explain to me how I suddenly have ridiculously expensive taste? i blame net-a-porter!

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take me out to the ball game......

2011-08-05T22:11:00.001+02:00

Every trip stateside we make, Andreas always asks if we can go to a baseball game, or rather any professional sporting event. Finally it worked out that the giants were playing a home game against the dodgers while we were in San Francisco, which made for an amazing game with some of my best girlfriends and my brother and his fiancé. Walking to the stadium, surrounded by a crowd of black and orange, we decided we definitely NEEDED some giants garb and ended up spending way too many dollars at the dugout store, although surprisingly they have some pretty cute stuff (albeit extremely overpriced). $15 martinis, $10 beers, addictive garlic fries and a hot dog with all the fixins topped off a fabulous evening with some of my favorite people. how did I live in San Francisco for a year and never go to a giants game before??? what a shame!

crappy point and shoot photos, please do not judge ;)

I also skipped over a week of our travels and will apparently not be posting in sequential order. stay tuned for Santa Barbara.

it should probably also be noted that I am wearing andreas's new hat in these pictures, because he was not wearing it (didn't want to mess up the hair) :) I look silly in baseball hats, but who cares.

musik für mittwoch

2011-08-03T17:08:00.002+02:00

Sibylle Baier // Tonight

I love the story of Sibylle Baier's music almost as much as her music itself: in the 1970's she recorded a series of songs with a reel-to-tape at her home in Germany, which her son uncovered 30 years later and compiled on to a CD. A CD which then ended up in the hands of a label and was released in 2006. To imagine such amazing recordings were a secret all those years is remarkable.

From her website, written by her son:
"She is really quite perplexed by all the attention that her album "Colour Green" has gotten. My father keeps telling her about all the pages and articles that are out there, but she, though smitten, prefers to hear about her accolades through the eyes and ears of her family. The web makes her dizzy, I think."

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5 loves - beauty edition

2011-08-02T19:22:00.003+02:00

This trip home I hit the jackpot in the beauty department, buying all my bridal makeup (I am doing it myself) and some new products that I am mildly obsessing over and I needed to share the love with all of you.
And yes, I realize that this is titled 5 loves, and there are 6 here, but they are all so incredible I had to share them all!

Aveda Men's Shampoo and Conditioner smell like heaven and are also the perfect cleansing and moisturizing combo. I stock up with liters every trip home, and now Andreas uses it too. AND I just received the Aveda men's cologne as a gift and am equally in love.

The Aveda Smooth Infusion Glossing Straightener is a magic product I have been meaning to share for far too long. A dime sized amount in wet hair leaves it shiny (without ending up greasy) and soft. Normally I have to heat style to get my hair looking like that. it is MAGIC.

All of Dr Hauschka's body oils smell incredible and leave your skin soft and beautiful. It is a bit heavy for the summer, so I mix it with their Rose body moisturizer.

I am madly in love with my new clarisonic. My skin has never been so smooth or even toned, or at least not since I was a wee little girl. The only scary part is that I don't think I will ever be able to wash my face with just my fingers ever again :|

After years using Bare Esscentuals, I decided it was time to take the plunge and try something new, and I am LOVING the Studio Tech Powder/Foundation from MAC. It goes on like a foundation and dries into a dewy light weight finish.

Last but definitely not least, the most perfect red of all, Russian Red from MAC. I had been cheating with NARS velvet matte lip pencils for a while, but nothing beats my old fave. Apparently it is mighty popular here in Europe, Andreas and I marched all over Paris to three MAC counters in search of a red liner and lipstick as I managed to leave home without it, and I bought the last one they had. madness!

Do you have any loves to share, or have you tried any of these??

.................

guest post - wild and precious

2011-08-01T14:45:00.006+02:00

While Blair from Wild and Precious is spending time with her new baby girl, she is hosting a series of guest posts and I was lucky enough to be asked to take part. Hop on over to read some of my travel tips for my adopted home here in Germany's Black Forest.

I hope you all had lovely weekends! I am finally back to feeling like myself after some much needed sleep :)

and we are back!

2011-07-28T08:43:00.001+02:00

Our travels were quite a whirlwind and full of adventures, and I am very sorry to have neglected this poor little blog. :( There are so many stories to share, and so so many photos to sort through. We returned back to Germany exhausted after two and a half weeks jam packed with celebrations, friends, family, laughter and love. While I may be in need of a few full days of sleep, I am once again reminded how incredibly blessed I am to have such amazing people in my life, and was even lucky enough to make a few new friends amidst all the wedding hoopla. :)

Our adventure began in Paris, where we started Wedding-polooza, to celebrate the marriage of our friends Nica and Didier. The forecast the day of the wedding predicted rain and the sky was grey until a few moments into the ceremony when the sun popped through the clouds, which later made for the most amazing sunset. We celebrated with a charming ceremony in the park and spent the night dancing the night away as we cruised by boat along the Seine, it was a truly lovely evening.

Between the weekend's wedding celebrations we did a little shopping, roamed the streets, ate heaps of delicious food, rented velib bikes (for the 1st time!), and bought my weight in macarons at Pierre Hermé (for the wedding, Nica picked the perfect pre-wedding job for me).

We searched VRBO and found the most darling little apartment in Montmartre, which is an area of the city I love, but rarely spend much time in. Having a little "homebase" there for a few days was a refreshing new perspective, as when we visit we usually spend most of our time in the same areas of town. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for an affordable apartment in Paris, the owners have several flats around Montmartre and the prices are really hard to beat.

...........

and we are off!

2011-07-08T10:51:00.007+02:00

Our vacation aka Wedding-polooza* has begun! It is a beautiful day in Paris, the wedding celebrations of our dear friends Nica and Didier start in a few hours, and I am really looking forward to spending time with dear friends and enjoying the city and all of its summertime splendor. We have the most darling little apartment in Montmartre and for the first time in years have more than two days to spend here in Paris. I hope all of you have an amazing weekend as well!

I will try post some photos from our adventures over the next few weeks, and surely there will be lots of adventures :)

This photo was taken on the terrace of my friend Raya's old apartment here in Montmartre, which had the most incredible views of the city and was located literally next door to Sacre Coeur (even the view from her bathroom window was the picturesque, it was a great view of the church). Click to see the photo larger.

** this is the first of three wedding we will attend in the next three weeks... what has been called wedding-polooza
........

musik für mittwoch

2011-07-06T08:15:00.000+02:00

Lissie // Everywhere I go

I love this version of Lissie's Everywhere I go, and it's simplistic beauty, sang acoustic on the sidewalk.

Happy Wednesday

........

weekend by instagram

2011-07-05T21:36:00.002+02:00

A couple random photos via instagram from the last few days. My weekend in Zurich was amazing: lots of good food accompanied by lots of yoga. The workshop was held at a school's gymnasium, which was lined with floor to ceiling windows and filled with natural light. It was a beautiful space, and practicing alongside 120 other people is an incredible feeling, the positive energy in the air is absolutely contagious.

I hope all of you stateside had a wonderful long weekend! I also hope you enjoyed some of the festivities for me. It would have been just like any other day had it not been for twitter and facebook filled with 4th of July celebration photos, and it all left me a little homesick.

and P.S. how addicting/amazing is instagram?

......

bridal inspiration

2011-07-04T08:53:00.000+02:00

Kate Moss married Jamie Hince on Friday afternoon wearing a John Galliano dress and I think she looked absolutely stunning. The bias cut gown is so chic and has me re-thinking my choice to wear a short dress. and that 1920's style cap veil? gorgeous!

images from the fashion feed on style.com

anusara yoga

2011-07-01T09:40:00.008+02:00

a bit of Friday inspiration from John Friend, the founder of Anusara yoga, whose workshop I am lucky to be attending this 4th of July weekend for the second year in a row. Last year the workshop was in Paris and this year I will be heading to Zurich, which lucky for me, are both just a two hour train ride from here. Saying that I am looking forward to a weekend of yoga would be a giant understatement, and it will definitely be the perfect way to start my last week of work before vacation. Can you believe it is already JULY?!?!? madness!
I hope all of you have an amazing weekend!

xox

matchbook magazine issue 6

2011-06-30T07:28:00.001+02:00

I know I have said this about every issue so far, but seriously Matchbook's Issue 6 is the best yet. Every issue just keeps getting better and better! I feel incredibly honored to have my work amongst the pages of such talented women. Check out the latest issue here, and see page 52 for some of my favorite places and travel tips in Istanbul.

musik für mittwoch

2011-06-29T06:32:00.000+02:00

Fink // If Only

I am putting together a playlist for the wedding and thought I would share some of my favorites here with you. And most of them are not love songs, but beautiful music nevertheless.

weekend

2011-06-27T23:39:00.000+02:00

After a week of feeling under the weather, the weekend was exactly what I needed to start feeling like myself again.
We-
visited a farm/petting zoo in a nearby village where I: fell in love with a baby goat, accidentally fed the pony a empty box, and let andreas and tyler spin me around in circles on the carousel until I thought I was going to vomit. it was fabulous.

went to two different festivals on Saturday, a Kinderfest and a Weinfest, which were both amazing, in very different ways... and after a couple glasses of wine I find it a whole lot easier to speak German, although I think I just stop caring/correcting my mistakes. which is highly embarrassing.

and my favorite part- riding the vespa to my new favorite lake, which is a bit off the beaten trail and has the most amazingly beautiful, clear water. I know where I will be spending a LOT of time this summer. Especially if the weather stays this hot- I think some evening lake trips are definitely in store this week.

the perfect camera bag?

2011-06-24T08:18:00.001+02:00

Could it be?? A camera bag that is high quality and cute?
Ever since I have started wearing a smaller handbag (trying to be nice to my back), I have gone back to carrying my camera in a little canvas camera bag. Which works out because most of the time, Andreas carries the camera, and the bag is not so feminine. But the ongoing search of the last 10-ish years has been to find a camera bag that doesn't look like a camera bag. It probably also does not help that I am picky as hell. So, when I saw these Ona bags on Jamie's blog my heart skipped a beat. Function + Fashion? yes, please!

musik für mittwoch

2011-06-22T08:13:00.000+02:00

The Knife // Heartbeats

Back in the day, I saw The Knife play in Paris and must admit, it was one of the most bizarre shows I have ever attended, but at the same time, one of the most amazing. I love this live version of heartbeats.

Happy Wednesday!

and I promise to return to more normal-ish posting next week.... things are crazy busy around here and I am SORRY for the neglect to this little blog.

xox

wedding decor inspiration

2011-06-19T22:07:00.001+02:00

I noticed last week that in less than 100 days we will be getting married! While all the major arrangements have been made, I realized that we are yet to plan or buy any decor for our little lakeside fest. I put together a little collection of favorites from my pinterest, although not so sure how they all come together... all I know is we will have lots of candles and definitely some lavender mixed in somewhere. And I am loving these paper flowers!

Hope you all had lovely weekends!

1. Savannah Wedding Ceremony Photo by W. Scott Chester Photography 2. Ranunculus by Little Flower School 3. Boutonniere photo by Amelia Lyon 4. Emerson Made Table 5. Gorgeous chair decoration photo by Elizabeth Messina 6. Forever Flower Ceremony Backdrop 7. Ribbon Backdrop Shauna Younge Desert Table photography by Emily Steffen 8. Suspended flower boxes by Amy Osaba 9. Proprietors Keys 10. Ombre Floral Center Piece 11. lavender and roses 12. Rosette Chairs by Preston Bailey 13. Napa Wedding Table setting photo by Lisa Lefkowitz 14. Garden Wedding photo by Gia Canali 14. Firetrap Empress Dress

ps- i spent hours searching down the credit for these photos I had pinned on pinterest. I am trying to make sure to only pin original sources, what a mess it can become when pins have no sources or credits!

beach days have arrived!

2011-06-15T08:27:00.002+02:00

I was a little bit horrified when I realized how many years I have had my favorite J Crew bikini... obviously, I am long overdue for a new suit, but now I don't think I can choose just one! I am thinking our little lakeside wedding calls for a new bathing suit to mark the occasion. or maybe we can just say that so I can justify buying two ;)

from left to right:
Drawn to the Heart Maillot, Shades of Night Maillot, Laughing Gull One-Piece, Pops of Print Maillot, Talei Top & Bottom by Marysia, Zigzag Maillot, Polka-dot Tulle Suit, Natalie One-Piece,

istanbul part 2

2011-06-10T07:52:00.001+02:00

and a few more from our trip to Istanbul. and all my favorite pictures are to come later in the month :) i told you, i went a little photo-crazy. inspiration was around every corner and i loved it.

i hope you all have a lovely weekend! we have another bank holiday on monday, and i am SO looking forward to three days of relaxing and hanging with my soon-to-be sister in law and my soon-to-be neice and nephew who arrive today to spend the entire summer with us!

musik für mittwoch

2011-06-08T07:29:00.000+02:00

Bon Iver // Calgary

a sneak peak from Bon Iver's new album which will be released on June 21st. If this song is anything like the others on the new album, I think it will be on repeat around here for the next month (at least).

weekend

2011-06-07T22:13:00.004+02:00

This weekend was a bit like groundhogs day, each day making the 20 minute train ride in the afternoon to Kehl, a town right on the border where Andreas went to school. It was Messdi, Andreas's favorite fest of the year, and I ate far too much festival food and enjoyed a few rhubarb schnapps :) (when in Rome, errr Deutschland)

And of course, Andreas shot me a rose. or three :)

Also, not sure if you noticed but I made some changes here on the ole blog.... Is the font too small? I can't really tell since I have a high resolution monitor that reduces the size of everything....

update: I made it bigger, so if it is still too small, please let me know! xo a

wedding love

2011-06-07T19:13:00.001+02:00

I don't post many weddings here, but this one was too sweet not to share! This wedding seems to be exactly what a wedding should be: oozing with the couple's personal style and love. DYING over their "matching" turquoise rings!

click to see more gorgeous photos of the gorgeous wedding and gorgeous couple:
via once wed
photography by Braedon Photography

istanbul part 1

2011-06-05T22:04:00.005+02:00

I went a bit photo crazy in Istanbul and took over 1000 pictures in the 3 1/2 days we were there. There are more to come here on the blog, and my favorites will have to wait to be shared until they are published somewhere else later this month :)

walking through the market surrounded by mountains of produce

the biggest kebab I have EVER seen

the beautiful bosphorous

gözleme - a turkish "crepe" filled with cheese which is AMAZING and no I did not eat two, one was Andreas's but I would eat one right now, if i could.

I love that european men can embrace without the typical american back pat hug

walking around Bebek

brunch at Aşşk Kahve - right on the Bosphorus and also delicious

gorgeous antique textiles at Tulu

a boat ride on the Bosphorus was the perfect way to cool off

I first visited Istanbul two years ago with my girlfriend Courtney who came to visit from San Francisco right after I moved to Germany. She had the idea to go to Istanbul, and of course I agreed, as I love a good adventure, but really had absolutely no idea what to expect. We spent a week exploring the enormous city and both fell hard for the ancient metropolis. Ever since that trip I have been itching to get back and explore with Andreas and I know the city will surely draw me back again (hopefully many more times). We were incredibly lucky to be able visit Andreas's best friend who is living in Istanbul right now for work, who we stayed with and who was an amazing tour guide showing us lots of local flavor. The food, the people, the culture, the history are all incredible and I am already dreaming of a trip back.

more photos to come later this week!

musik für mittwoch

2011-06-01T07:54:00.001+02:00

The Civil Wars // 20 years

Folk music always makes me a bit homesick, but in a sweet rather than sad way. I find myself listening to lots of it right now, good thing we are flying stateside in 41 days!! Have I told you about our weddings vacation? 3 weddings - 3 weekends? Paris - Santa Barbara - Detroit. and somewhere in there we are having a bachelorette party and trying to find some time to actually have a vacation. it will be amazing.

weekend and goodbyes

2011-05-30T22:50:00.001+02:00

Our weekend was a bit bittersweet, as we helped one of my closest friends here in Germany pack her life into a van and move to Munich. Her last night in town was spent in the biergarten of one of my favorite restaurants, where we sat for hours on end talking up a storm, at one point I realized english, italian, german and russian were all being spoken (amazing).

You would think after all the moving I have done, saying goodbye would get easier, but it does not. Althpugh maybe it is easier when you are the one moving and not the one who stays behind? The silver lining? Now I have a friend to visit in Munich (and a free place to stay) :)

I hope all you Americans are enjoying Memorial Day!

I would be super jealous of your long weekend, but we have a bank holiday on Thursday ;)

And I promise to post some Istanbul pictures this week! Sorry it has been so quiet around here, life has been crazy crazy crazy this last week. Somehow time just seems to be flying by, I can't be the only one who feels that way, right?

xox

chalkboard + map

2011-05-26T07:28:00.003+02:00

My heart skipped a little beat when I saw these on Erin's blog last week- they are the exact DIY project I had envisioned for our "guest book", a place for friends and family to share their favorite travels with us. We were still trying to figure out how we were going to get a chalkboard back on the plane with us and these are SO much better than I could ever make myself. Sold!

From Shop Dirsta

They also make darling pillows!

istanbul!

2011-05-20T13:45:00.002+02:00

The boy and I are off for a few days in Istanbul to do a bit of exploring, shopping and have plans to eat lots of delicious food. We will be back on Wednesday with heaps of photos to share. Hope you all have lovely weekends!

seaside dreams

2011-05-18T18:23:00.003+02:00

These images from the new Chance collection have me longing for a seaside getaway. They make me so homesick for Cape Cod and our trip there in September feels WAY too far away. I am hoping for a beach day or two during our time in California in July, but I am really wishing we had a beach trip planned this summer like we had last year in Sardinia. Maybe I talk Andreas into a weekend road trip to the beach in Northern Italy?? It is only a 7 hour drive!
Any of you lovelies have a beach vacation in your summer plans? Please share! so I can live vicariously through you :)

Images from Chance

musik für mittwoch

2011-05-18T08:35:00.002+02:00

I know I posted this song once before, but I love it so much I had to share it again. It is not the best quality, but the song is so amazing it doesn't really matter. How I love Miss Stevie Nicks, in my dreams we are friends.

Stevie Nicks // Wild Heart

A better quality version of the song

weekend

2011-05-17T19:18:00.004+02:00

Nica and Didier came out from Paris on Friday night for a short little getaway from city life and to enjoy some of the German countryside. We rented them bicycles and rode to Ortenberg Castle and Nica made it without one accident (she was a natural!) and with only one scolding from a cranky German bike-riding grandma. ;) Sadly the weather had other plans for us and it started to rain right as we were gearing up for the ride back to town. Our men, being the amazing gentlemen that they are, raced back to the house and came back with the car so we could drive home and stay dry (I know, we are both really spoiled). The rest of the day was spent in Baden Baden at the thermal baths and we finished off the night with an intense game of Rummy.

A lovely Saturday with lovely people. I feel ridiculously blessed to have such amazing friends only a short train ride away. I cannot wait for their wedding in July, we will celebrate on a boat ride on the Seine, surely it will be incredible!

Franco File Friday

2011-05-15T15:49:00.004+02:00

Lindsey from Lost in Cheeseland asked me to take part in her Franco File Friday feature and if you don't already read her blog (you should!) definitely hop over and check her musings as life as an expat in Paris. And while you are there read some of my thoughts on France and Paris.

you can take the girl out of the country

2011-05-11T22:06:00.000+02:00

Lauren Moffatt's fall collection is, naturally, completely darling and was inspired by a bit of country livin. I always love her clothes as they are perfectly girly without being overly sweet, and this upcoming season's south-west Americana style is surprisingly making me a tad homesick. I love the dresses and that cape with leather pockets! yes, please!

via refinery 29

musik für mittwoch

2011-05-11T06:40:00.003+02:00

Fleet Foxes's new album, Helplessness Blues, came out last week and in my humble opinion it is even better than their last album (which I wasn't sure was possible).

Listen & Love.

Grown Ocean // Fleet Foxes

weekend

2011-05-09T12:51:00.001+02:00

Yesterday we drove the vespa right to the French border and lounged by the lake for a few hours, it felt like summer and was glorious.

Other non-photographed highlights were:

celebrating Andreas's grandfather's birthday at one of my very favorite restaurants eating Spargel Flammkuchen (a super thin crust "pizza" with white sauce and white asparagus - amazing),

celebrating two years with the most amazing man I have ever met, at my other favorite restaurant where I ate more spargel/asparagus (it is in season right now, and really delicious),

& a 90's music dance party, which simultaneously made me feel really happy and old, all at once.

oh yes, the German language finally brought me to tears. I can't believe it took 2 1/2 years to make me cry.

and also... yes, I am almost so pale that I am reflective. I wear a lot of sunscreen.

alice and olivia

2011-05-05T22:31:00.001+02:00

I saw the top left sparkly number on pinterest this morning and it took me WAY too long to figure out the designer, but was so pleasantly surprised to find it was an Alice and Olivia creation! (aka not WAY out of my budget) In my internet search, I fell madly in love with the fall and spring collections and thinking one of those sequined dresses needs to find it's way into my closet! and maybe even make an appearance at the wedding... ;)

images from New York Magazine and Style.com

wedding inspiration

2011-05-04T11:54:00.004+02:00

Are you all "wedding-ed" out after last weeks hoopla? Me? not so much. It got me thinking about all the great dresses from the last century, royal and not-so-royal, here are my faves.

marilyn and arthur miller, mia farrow and frank sinatra, john and jackie kennedy, audrey hepburn and mel ferrer, wallis simpson and edward VIII, ava gardner and frank sinatra, elizabeth taylor and eddy fisher, mick and bianca jagger, grace kelly and prince rainier III of monaco, john f. kennedy jr. and carolyn bessette, ellen degeneres and portia de rossi, gwen stefani and gavin rossdale.

musik für mittwoch

2011-05-04T08:31:00.001+02:00

LOVING her take on Bon Iver's Skinny Love. If you like it too, it is on itunes.

birdy // skinny love cover

via black acid icee