first flight

super mario

i just stumbled upon this great freundevonfreunden interview with mario lombardo. what nice images of summer in berlin. though i did enjoy winter time, i am looking forward to the next summer in this city … and i just want to move in to that studio.

i first fell in love with mario lombardo's graphic and editorial work a couple of years back when i was still a student and his studio still in cologne. we actually interviewed him for a seminar and i remember being impressed how calm, polite and quiet he was for someone just becoming the next star in graphic design. how suitable that he gave his book he published with gestalten the title 'the tender spot'. i am still specifically fond of his work for liebling magazine and i still go through them for editorial and layout inspiration.

ps. they just moved into a new space.

a little bit of magic

happy 2014! may it be full of adventures, wonderful moments and special people.

sunday song

the bryan ferry orchestra, love is the drug

i love sundays. no matter what weather, be it snow or rain, hot or cold … cold and grey in this case.
the best excuse to sleep in, waste time at the breakfast table, hang around at home, candle light, hot chocolate, a good read and this album.

winter is here

it's been a while. work has kept me from … almost everything. but i have some stories and pictures to share in a little while. winter is here! the first snow just arrived today and i am counting the days to christmas. that is warm and fun family times, being away from the office, sleeping in, maybe even going out ..ha!

last weekend i had a christmas day and evening with some of my best friends. not all of us will be home for christmas so we decided to antedate our celebration. we let the day go by listening to cheesy christmas songs, baking, drinking wine and having a yummy dinner. such goods times. we're thinking of making a thanksgiving dinner next year.

what are you unto this weekend? we're planning to finally finish building our closet! and go to the christmas market (literally around the corner from our apartment) for some mulled wine. 

saturday song

asaf avidian, one day/reckoning song (wankelmut remix).

the best moment. dancing wild and crazy with my brother on my wedding day.

saturday song

the xx feat. florence welsh, you've got the love.

oh, how i love this song. and oh the memories, they bring a smile to face every single time i hear this song. 

saturday song

maximo park, books from boxes.

my second family, aka my former flat share in cologne, is celebrating today. birthdays, a baby, someone leaving and someone coming … and it might just be the last celebration of this sort. so i will be there. i can't wait to surprise them.

london

i've enjoyed a wonderful week in london. off of work, visiting my parents, enjoying fall's sunny and rainy days and being in britain. it felt so good to sleep in and just live to the day. although i couldn't quite keep myself from checking my emails at least once a day. i am such an addict …
but i also got around to do some cultural program. we visited windsor castle, which was quite interesting actually, although i was disappointed that the queen wasn't there that sunday afternoon. and we also went to saatchi gallery to see some contemporary art. by the way it's amazing, in london most museums are admission free. i especially liked the installation by richard wilson, the paper installations and these children's portraits.

one afternoon my mom took me for a tea time date at the mansion. it was such great fun. you usually go to a hotel bar or parlor in the afternoon time. they ask to make a the tea choice from the menu and then you are served all sorts of goodies; sandwiches, chocolate, cake but always scones with clotted cream and marmalade. i love it.

 

i also had coffee with my cousins, went to see the commitments, did a little shopping and binged on some tv shows. did i already mention how much i love fall? i love fall. and i'm actually looking forward to winter.

sunday song

cat power, wonder wall.

a long weekend

last weekend was a long one, thanks to our national holiday on thursday. i completely indulged in a weekend on my own. i slept in and let one day go by with only reading my book, cooking, reading again ... i am back to another book by paul auster, moon palace, which my brother gave me on my wedding day. i love this book not only for the story being told, but also for the story my brother connected to it. his inscription says a book about life, new york and the search for happiness [...] oh!
i went to yoga class several times, strolled around the city and visited a couple of coffee shops i wanted to try (one and two) and a great bookstore in mitte, where i purchased an issue of kinfolk magazine. i was wanting to get one for a while now. the current topic 'the art of weekend' just got me. it's something that's been on my mind for a while. how can i get the most of my time off of work? bring things in balance even if the amount of time spent on work vs. the amount of time that is left to myself seems completely out of proportion ...
i guess the conclusion i've come upon for now is to find an answer to this each and every time there is a day off or an evening to spend or a weekend to hit the road ... or just the couch.

sunday song

florence and the machine, no light no light

we think alone

ever so often i stumble upon miranda july. i read her book no one belongs here more than you. twice actually. first in german a couple of years ago. and then i missed miranda's stories and felt like reading some more and asked for a book of her's for my birthday. my brother gave me this book and of course i read it, only realizing why the stories felt so familiar with the very last story.

and then there's learning to love you more. a collection of tasks to learn and find about the people and things around us. and about your self. it's sweet and it really makes you or well, me at least, want to be researcher and spend more time investigating. photograph a scar and write about it, record your own guided meditation, take a picture of strangers holding hands, give advice to yourself in the past, make an encouraging banner ... i think i love it so much because it has all these real stories in store for us. those of strangers and at the same time those that are our own.

i signed up to we think alone a couple of weeks ago. every week now i receive an email, or better a collection of ten emails dedicated to one topic. you get to peek into someone else's life, it feels special reading a personal thing like an email that's not meant for you. this week i received 'a sad email'. so emational, delicate and lovely. six more weeks to go. you can still sign up.

saturday song

martina topley-bird feat. mark lanegan - crystalised

hello fall

it's been a long time since i took the time for a blog post. summer felt so short and so long at the same time, it was intense. overwhelming. and i'm not quite ready for it to be over. i want to cherish it just a little bit longer. and also, i'm just not ready for the mean berlin winter to roll over me.

so here's to fall! 

last weekend we took the train out east to spend the weekend in the countryside with our friends. they just bought this huge piece of land, with a house and a huge garden. it's still a building site, and will be for a while. but i had the best time hanging out, picking apples, pears and plums ... we visited a vegetable farmer to buy fresh ingredients for our dinner. i sat in a rocking chair chatting away with maria while she cooked our meal. i almost forgot how calming a fire can be. and long walks in fresh air.

may there be many more weekends like this one and may fall delight us with sunshine and blue skies.

fall makes me want to celebrate thanksgiving this year. i want to have our tiny place filled with lovely people red wine and good food. 

A good read ...

... is worth so much more than just the price a book may cost. i love to read, always have, but eversince i started worklife my reading habit has becomd a lazy one. i really long for those books i can get lost in. i just finished 'sunset park' by Paul Auster. And somehow he got me again. Originally i planned on reading it during my time in new york, but as you know, i spent my time there being busy with other things. So i read it in berlin on the way to work, in bed, on the couch and underway. i couldn't stop and once i was finished i was sad it was over. Unless a story bores me, that always happens to me.

Anyway, now i am super excited to read the second edition of Susan Sontag's diaries 'As Concioussness is Harnessed to Flesh: Journals and Notebooks'.

PS. I can also recommend 'The fault in our stars' by John Green.

lately ...

... it's been quite quiet around here. i've been busy working, we moved into our new office, and crafting for my own benefit for once, finishing our invitations. hurray!

we did have a glimpse of summer these past weeks, but fall is back, which made me want to bake and be lazy on the weekends. i took the chance to finally try out this rhubarb cake recipe which i found on one of my favorite blogs (it's in german though) and it turned out amazing ... i just love rhubarb. anyway, i'll be back soon.

saturday song

björk, all is full of love

central park

Central park is most definitely a place worth exploring. To me it is packed with vague childhood memories and at the same time always packed with new things to explore and discover. Hot dogs, balloons, cotton candy, the turtle pond, the baseball diamond, the benches dedicated to special people, the runners, bikers, dog walkers …

This stay's central park memory is the spontaneous park party we came across and joined in on one sunny saturday. It was the coolest crowd: dancers of all ages, colors and sizes, skaters, drag queens, locals and tourists danced to the sounds of the Djs musicbox and most fascinating even joined in on a choreographed group routine.

What's your favorite central park memory, activity, place?

a documentary

The other night, my friend Linda took me to the movies and we went to see 'Searching for Sugarman'. I didn't know much about it (it actually won an academy award for best documentary this year) and was quite astonished by this movie about two south african guys on the quest to discover the story of their hero, the singer Rodriguez. And it truly is an amazing story. It's full of life's curiosities and wonders and left me with the happiest feeling.
Go and watch it if you get the chance to and find out about their discovery!
Here's Rodriguez's song, Sugarman.