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.

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.

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.

resolutions

i know, people have been talking about their resolutions for this year and they've moved on to talk about other things.

where i am still thinking about my resolutions. there are three of them.

one, no more meat eating. two, more and regular yoga practice. three, the spiritual quest of finding out what i really want to do. while the last one is an overall task for anybody and more abstract, i just realized that my first two resolutions actually belong together. in a way at least. i have been contemplating whether or not I should quit eating meat many many times. they are phases, where i turn the pros and cons of being a meat eater vs. vegetarian over and over. and then i have a burger. or a stake, because i decide that eating healthy and conscious is right, and a piece of good meat every once in while doesn't hurt (actually this is what i am thinking right now). 

but after i had another phase of thinking about vegetarianism i decided to give it a try. for once. without declaring myself as a vegetarian and without making a fuss about it. i decided that it wouldn't be a big change, since i hardly ever cook with meat anyway.

it's been two weeks since, i've failed once by accident (i had 'maultaschen' without thinking about the ingredients … so much to conscious) and yesterday i thought i'd fail again while having a meat crave like no other finding myself at the butchers bar in a shopping center. instead of buying a delicious salami i ran into the book section of the store to save myself (or my resolution). books make me calm. and stumbled upon this book. i've heard a lot about jonathan safran foer's book, good things and bad, i've read everything is illuminated and extremely loud and incredibly close and fell in love with these stories (and still need watch the movies). due to the circumstances i decided to go for this one as well. i am curious where it will take me on my journey. 

coffee and books

Meeting my friend Ines for a coffee at Barcomi's I finally had time to visit the Gestalten Space. Next to selling their books and lovely things, they always have a small exhibition. Currently it's Here or there by Oliver Jeffers. I especially loved the chalk quotes on the black wall and the Mao pieces.

And being a designer (or a girl) I got very obsessed about their books. These are my top three (which I didn't buy, but I am still thinking about them).

Forever. The new Tattoo
I've been thinking about getting a tattoo for a long time, but I still haven't found that one thing I want to have on my body for the rest of my life. Or maybe I have. I dunno. Anyway, I found this book and I'm in love with it and I want to have it.

Delicate.
To me Food and Eating Design is the ultimate Interaction Design. It's culture, rituals, communication and the very basic act of sharing food. I love how different meals are 'orchastrated' and the act of having a meal, which we do ever so often without even thinking about it, becomes a new experience. And secondly, I enjoy how the tables, rooms and plates are set up.

Echoes of the Future 
Amazing, simple, beautiful, stunning graphic design and branding. Simply inspiring. I want it.