totally gorgeous make-up

I am freaking loving this make-up seen from the work of James Carson Photography. Everything about her wedding day look makes me swoon; the dark hair, red lips, dramatic eyes, birdcage veil, amazing dress, etc. etc. Check out more pics here.

tiny bathroom

Seen on Apartment Therapy.

This looks like the layout of many European apartment bathrooms. I think this design uses the available space really well. So many bathrooms of limited size can feel like a dungeon, but the usage of a wall toilet and sink without cabinetry clears up quite a lot of space & the multiple mirrors give dimension. White always brightens up anything.

cotton bouquet

If it were in season, I would love to get a cotton bouquet like these from my valentine. Truly befitting for a Carolina girl, don't you think?

Top image from NYC weddings.

have this

I don't have much these days to offer up, but today our engagement pictures were featured on the really cool blog, Rock 'n Roll Bride, dedicated to alternative weddings. You can check them out here.

a bitzeli gone missing.

(2006)

Retreating into books and music at the moment. It happens. I'll post later when I've got something to say.

Happy Birthday, Martin!

Martin, Philipp & Opa

It's the schwiegervater's birthday... Martin turns 59 today! Here are a few pictures looking back through the years:

Hot stuff on a horse

Young & cute during apprenticeship
Holding the newly born Philipp in '78
The proud papa & his extremely orange son
A little later with the rolly polly chubby offspring in Africa

At P's grandparents' garden in Basel

Our first visit to Martin's together in '06 (the chubby baby grew up)

Happy birthday to a man who is extremely generous & tender-hearted, one who exemplifies the ubiquitous, 'would give you the shirt off his back' phrase.

We love you. Have a good one & see you soon!

screw the economy, let's talk about clothes!

Totally frivolous of course, but the blog Mrs. O is all about what the 1st lady is wearing. I can't resist it...

on the road (again?!)

Sujean Rim

For those of you stopping by and not clued in, my husband and I have been in his home country of Switzerland for 4 months but will soon be going back to the US.

Its complicated. US immigration rules, that is.

So in honor of this departure (February 22nd) I'm making a little list of the best each country has to offer, sort of an 'I'll miss you/I'm looking forward to you' compilation.

Switzerland/I'll miss you:
1) Artisan bread. Available everywhere.
2) Artisan Cheese. Available everywhere.
3) Artisan Chocolates. Available everywhere.
4) Sweatsuits in public not being acceptable attire.
5) Old, old architecture.
6) Walking to individual shops instead of ginormous centers.
7) Listening to music while sitting in the tram (ie. not always having to drive).
8) European vacuum cleaners. Makes SO much more sense than our two ton uprights.
9) Rich, frothy coffee. Available everywhere.
10) Jeans tucked into boots, the norm in winter.
11) Raclette, Fondue & anything involving molten cheese.
12) Walking by the river Rhine.
13) Nifty windows that close, open inward, crack open just a little at the top with the rotation of a handle.
14) Gas ovens being the norm.
15) Obligatory line-drying.

America/bring it:
1) Giant bookstores where I can read books & magazine all day for free in a huge, comfy chair.
2) Chatting up people in the checkout lane in English.
3) Fuck it. Chatting up people everywhere in English.
4) Driving in the car, windows rolled down with music blasting.
5) Going to see a movie without it being paused in the middle for an obligatory f***ing ice cream/smoke break.
6) Non-smoking in restaurants/concert halls being the norm. Yay for healthy lungs!
7) Screaming at Philipp across the beer aisle ("This one?") without being gawked at.
8) Not being policed at a restaurant for only having drinks in the specified 'eating' section.
9) Strolling around Target, not really buying anything, just looking (especially excited about all the chintzy Easter crap out this time of year---nostalgic memories---).
10) Going out for pizza without spending my life savings.
11) Ordering water at a meal that does not cost more than cola or beer!

slim chalkboard

I like the look of this slim chalkboard wrapping around a room. I think it would be especially cool in a little restaurant to show the menu. From here.

the good list

From lostinawave on flickr

1) The new sense of optimism, despite the crisis in the US right now.
2) Deciding not to buy a {really} expensive box of chocolates from here while on my own today, only for Philipp to bring home a tiny version after work! I Love happy accidents like that.
3) Being married to a fella who draws a bath for me.
4) Scheming future fashionable purchases from here, here and here.
5) Eating four sinfully delicious dark chocolate pralines with zero remorse (see #2).
6) Neil Young bootlegs.
7) This really cool 'rulebook for my unborn daughter' list by the ever-so-60's, Hannah.
8) Looking at dozens of vintage beach pictures on flickr.
9) Panko-fried polenta squares for dinner.

Get 'em, Michelle

Hey, Mrs. Obama got the look right with her ballgown choice. She looked fantastic. The best looking 1st lady since Jackie!

And how freaking cute are they dancing to "At Last"?!

Get 'em, Obi

I'm digging the inauguration on BBC & the speech on youtube. Check out this cupcake from Rachel. Via Simple Lovely.

"Our patchwork heritage is a strength not a weakness..."

Also: I'm happy to be American : )

revolutionary road

Last night Philipp, Eveline & I went out to see Revolutionary Road. Wow. Such brilliant acting in what could have been, in lesser hands, a quite tedious book adaptation.

The movie tag line is: How do you break free without breaking apart?

I found traces of my grandparents, parents and even us within some of the themes. The idea that life should have more to offer than working away your days in a job you can't stand is pretty much the driving force of our lives at the moment.

I've always been the sort of person to learn from other people's lives (even when fictional), so this was a case study for me. What did I take from it?

Nothing is more important than loving the one you're with. Go after your dreams. Don't delay them. Never let money take the upper hand over passion. You only get so many chances. Don't do things simply because you should or must. Listen to no one's "rules" but your own. Don't move to the suburbs!!
...And what about Kate's awesome vintage dresses? I'll take all of them, thanks.

Up next:

sujean rim

I love all the whimsical (watercolor?) drawings Sujean Rim does for Daily Candy. Those of you ladies who may have recently been married and registered with Le Target will recognize her artwork for their bridal series. So fun.

california poppies

God, I love me some California poppies. I literally used to squeal with delight when we'd pass them on the road.

mama's birthday

Today is my mama's 50th birthday. 50! Say what?!

While searching for a picture to put on here, I realized I have so few of her and the ones that I do have are from the wedding or bridal shower (above). That's really a shame because I don't want to be one of those people who keep posting wedding pics for 4 years after they're married!

Anyhow, so yep--today is her birthday and I will probably call her up and say, "Happy Martin Luther King day!!" just for fun...

ocean irateness, etc.

Wanna see two Scorpios get irate?

(Click to enlarge and fully experience the fury)

I'm clearly not in on the logic of sitting on land that looks like this:And proceeding to do this: I get that not everyone loves the beach as much as I do. I get that not everyone can/wants to do a Saturday of beach clean-up, give money to ocean preservation, sign petitions, go to marches, whatever (to be honest I am not doing these things at the moment either).

But something so simple as cleaning up after yourselves should be a no-brainer. How can you sit in the sun watching the waves crash by surrounded by such immense beauty and then get up to leave and not take your shit with you?

...just another one for the 'If I were dictator...' list, I guess.

life down south

Two books of interest to me lately:It wasn't until I met Philipp that I really began to value my Southern roots in a way I'd not previously considered. I think seeing where you're from through the eyes of a foreigner gives you the distance to view things in a new light.

Maybe more on this subject to come when I'm more coherent. But this for now.

higuera street

Been looking at vintage art prints this morning. An old postcard from one of our favorite cities in California.

eat local/fresh

I just spotted this tool from the blog Domestic Reflections. You can find out what's currently in season where you live to buy locally grown produce! Check it out here. Apparently my folks in NC need to be eating a lot of apples, peanuts & sweet potatoes. Not so lucky as some other folks (Californians, anybody?)

otherwise

Actually, I have nothing to bitch about; although my blood was boiling this morning. In an instant the things I love could be snatched from me, so what meaning does a terrible morning have? None.

Otherwise
by. Jane Kenyon

I got out of bed
on two strong legs.
It might have been
otherwise. I ate
cereal, sweet
milk, ripe, flawless
peach. It might
have been otherwise.
I took the dog uphill
to the birch wood.
All morning I did
the work I love.

At noon I lay down
with my mate. It might
have been otherwise.
We ate dinner together
at a table with silver
candlesticks. It might
have been otherwise.
I slept in a bed
in a room with paintings
on the walls, and
planned another day
just like this one.
But one day, I know,
it will be otherwise.

busted jeans/no coffee blues

Well, file this morning under "sucks ass".

Have your pick as to why: no coffee, trying to get on a bike that was too tall, trying to unlock said bike for 15 minutes prior to discovering it was too tall, trying to adjust bike seat height (to no avail), not making it to the grocery store, not wanting to walk instead because I dropped a guitar on my toe a few days ago and its still sliced/sore plus its -800 degrees outside, no coffee. All before 9:00.

Also: those jeans above are a prime example of what most of my pants look like these days. That's right. I can make a 'rock on' sign through my crotch with enough holes for all the necessary fingers.

Also: how does one usually figure out a bike saddle is too high? By slamming their crotch (with holes) into it when trying to come to a stop.

How was your morning?

wood again

Love the old farm table here & the gigantic frame mirror. Spotted on AT.

On the beach

Channeling some warm weather via Neil this morning:Could this be my favorite Neil album of all time? Always. Until I pick another one up and it becomes the #1. Hopelessly brilliant, that dude.

chocolate espresso cupcakes

If you'll remember this champion birthday cake from the archives, you can easily recognize its offspring:This is my sole accomplishment for the day. Not bad I guess, considering I refrained from eating all twelve one thus far. Recipe here.

**PS** Colorful silicone baking cups are the best.

locket

We bought this for a friend yesterday. Hope she likes it. I do. From this {very nice} etsy seller.

water

It seems to me that water is not simply magical, but a kind of magic itself.

On Oahu, 2007

We've been talking about water a lot lately; how being next to it is a priority for us, how a day's drive seems pleasantly unending when driving along it, how just being there with it is enough; not necessarily needing to be in it.

This kind of nature is healing balm to me.

Hey! These look yummy and uber Valentine's-y.

sunset @ my parents'

My parents' place gets the best summer sunsets. Rocking chair on a porch with a cold one. Crappy stereo & Neil Young. Wish I was there right now.

background blackout

Today I learned how to black out backgrounds in photoshop. You'll have to deal with pictures of me until I find other subjects. Any volunteers? This one's from before the wedding, trying out make-up.

ducks

Yay! Ducks in a pond! Yay! Not doing what I'm supposed to!

spring fever

Springtime in Savannah, '06.

I am fighting off some major Spring fever at the moment. And by 'fighting off' I mean: looking at pictures from travels past, clicking through new Spring collections online, planning bathing suit purchases, looking up Easter celebration ideas, daydreaming of Savannah in the Spring & our time working at the Bridge Street Inn in Cambria, weeding through everything I own, plotting & scheming, generally wasting vast amounts of time in worlds which are currently not my own.

Clearly, the battle's already been won.

polaroid fun

Thanks to the blog Domestic Reflections, I stumbled upon this cool download that turns any photograph into a polaroid. Check it out here.

suite francaise

What I am reading at the moment:Actually a much prettier version than the one I hold in my hands. I've only just begun, but I have wanted to read it now for quite some time. The author was Kyiv born, which makes me wonder why Nemirovsky, not Nemirovskaya? But that's just the Soviet-living geek in me to notice such things. Anyhow. Hope its good.

who knows where the time goes

In England. What a long haired scruffy boy. We'd just met. Who could tell I'd sleep in that shirt of his in months to come?
From the earliest times.
{Reminding me of Who Knows Where The Time Goes}:

A beautiful piece sung by Nina Simone this afternoon. And I'm not alone, while my love is near me~And I do not fear time.

farewell 2008

In Cambria, a personal piece of heaven.

I saw this idea on Amy's blog and wanted to do it. I love lists, so sue me!

1.) What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Cook regularly for groups of 10 or more by myself, Road trip to Oregon, learn about childbirth, put together a blurb book, live with both sets of my in-laws, meet the rest of P's family for the 1st time, start learning Swiss German, spend the holidays in Switzerland, bury an aunt.
2.) Did you keep your new year's resolutions and will you make more for the next year?
I did not make any, so they were easy to keep. The only resolutions of sort for the new year were these hedonistic pleasures.
3.) Did anyone close to you give birth?
My cousin and his wife had their first baby, a little girl, although we have not been able to see her much since moving around as we do.4.) Did anyone close to you die?
My aunt, who I had many fun times with died unexpectedly this year. It shattered my family. Philipp's uncle, whom I regrettably never met also died this year.
5.) What countries did you visit?
Switzerland, Germany. Do I count my own anymore? Where do I actually live?
6.) What would you like to have in '09 that you lacked in '08?
Employment?7.) What dates in '08 will remain etched in your memory and why?
a. Driving across the country in January, seeing sledders on a school hill in Flagstaff.
b. Driving around to all the beaches in February, listening to Monochrome for the 1st time.
c. Doing the Manson tour in LA, spotting out all the creepy haunts and sites.
d. Driving to Oregon in May; all the breweries and excellent food, sleeping in the car, Goonies adventures in Astoria.
e. The time around my aunt's death; June. The grief was palpable. The air was thin.
f. Leaving the States in September. The smell of the Autumn Market in Basel.
g. Watching Monochrome in Luzern.8.) What was your biggest personal achievement?
Philipp telling me how much he's changed by knowing me & having other people notice that change.9.) What was your biggest failure?
Letting my own feelings of inadequacy fuel irrational thoughts & feelings.
10.) Did you suffer illness or injury?
No. And I am immensely happy to be healthy and fit.
11.) What was the best thing you bought?
Well...I did not buy it, but for sure the new ipod and headphones from Philipp.
12.) Who's behavior merited celebration?
Philipp. Many were the times he stilled me with a kind, simple gesture. Also he goes to work, quite often working over time at a job he does not like to get us back to where we want to be.
13.) Who's behavior made you appalled or depressed?
The pastor officiating my aunt's funeral. He clearly did not know her well and used what should have been a memorial to her life as a platform for his own ridiculous beliefs.
14.) Where did most of your money go?
Beer. Gas. Repeat.15.) What did you get really, really, really excited about?
In & Out burgers, a beach, the newest Neil archives release (and the promise of more to come), so many other great musical releases.
16.) What song will always remind you of 2008?
All songs from Monochrome's Cache.
Out in New Mexico by Heather Nova.
Ain't Got No/I Got Life by Nina Simone.
Money by Embrace
The Watch Song by Shellac
17.) Compared to this time last year are you: a) happier or sadder? b) thinner or fatter? c) richer or poorer?
a) Just as happy
b) Same, perhaps not as fit (bread? chocolate? cheese? beer, anyone?)
c) Richer, by a long shot
18.) What do you wish you'd done more of?
Spending time with my sister, playing the guitar, gardening, swimming in the ocean, downloading music.
19.) What do you wish you'd done less of?
Obsessing. Thinking about death.

20.) Did you fall in love in 2008?
With many things. Mainly Philipp, music, food.
21.) What was your favorite TV program?
We don't own a TV (gladly), so we rely on dvds from the library or elsewhere. Carnivale, Deadwood, Rome and LOST are my favorites. Oh! But when I am around television I love What Not To Wear and cooking shows.
22.) Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
No, but I hate a lot of after effects that people have caused.

23.) What was the best book you read?
Fiction: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Non-fiction: Shakey: Neil Young's Biography by Jimmy Mcdonough

24.) What were your greatest musical discoveries?
Some of these are new to me, others not but just as important to my year. Monochrome, Black Mountain, Pentagram, Witchcraft, Ray Lamontagne, Nina Simone, Heather Nova, Neil Young, Shellac, Embrace, Fugazi, Amy Seeley, Bon Iver, Cat Power, Elliott Smith.25.) What did you want and get?
A new ipod, great headphones, a Christmas tree, Nina Simone box set.

26.) What did you want and not get?
Knee-high boots from Ecco. A return trip to Hawaii.

27.) What was your favorite film of this year?
Not necessarily the film, but the moment was right. Watching Miss Pettigrew in an old beat up cinema in Astoria, sipping local brew.

28.) What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
This. And 25.

29.) What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Bringing friends & family together in one place as we did for our wedding in '07.

30.) How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
On the road with not enough clothing packed. Swinging between the two extremes of black & chic with dark eyes or red lipstick and sitting around in an armpit ripped out Rollins Band shirt with no pants.
31.) What kept you sane?
The promise of change/new adventure, Philipp, music, walking/running, reading.

marissa nadler

Lovely other-worldly sounds from a new find, Marissa Nadler. More info here or here.

rome series

The HBO series, Rome is really excellent if anyone out there is in need of some intelligent entertainment. However, whats up with HBO always canceling the only watchable shows on t.v.? Deadwood, Carnivale, and now Rome. Anyone? Guess not enough bubble-headed bleach blondes {in the city?} with ludicrous plot lines...

bon iver, a bedspread

Listening to Bon Iver these days, perfect for wintry landscapes and being {mostly} stuck inside.And being [stuck inside] as it may, what could be better than hot coffee, a delicious book & this bedspread? Spotted on Apartment Therapy.

self portrait

How about a self-shrine for this bleak Tuesday morning? I'm working around with photoshop and {unsuccessfully} trying to figure out lighting while not losing my mind.
I like these dark colors. They fit particularly well with the kind of overhang of emotions annoying me for the better part of 1/2 a year.

Also it looks like I will be inheriting the landscape of my father's face; laugh lines & all. I'm not disappointed about it I guess.

right place, right time

By Paulo Coelho. Originally seen here.

couch promise

This is for sure the couch set-up we would buy one day, if ever in a place of our own...From this home tour on Design*Sponge.

jcrew jeans

{As if J.Crew were ever really in my budget}, I am loving these jeans right now. I have a similar pair which is working on a baseball sized hole in the crotch at this very moment...maybe the outlet gods will not be against me and I will find them cheap once back in the US? I like 'boy fit' anything and these seem to fit the bill. Plus J.Crew uses very good denim so they last quite awhile. I found my current pair at an outlet shop in Charleston, SC 4 years ago. Considering how I own very few pairs of jeans and the hell I put clothing through, I'd say they were worth the 2o.oo investment!

more bunny love

We've been here before. I've decided my sole purpose in life is to own a gray bunny. Yes, that's right. The sole purpose. Would you look at this (!):Okay, maybe not sole. There is also this (in noir, thankyousweetbunnygod):
Also: every little girl should have a bunny, preferably real, but a cuddly and soft toy would do in a pinch (from the cutest little French button on the internet):

Four from Capucha on Vimeo.

way long ago

Way way way back. Summer '06

new year's eve

What better way to start a new year of blogging than by posting pictures of food. Of all the holidays in the year, New Year's has always been the least cared about by me, probably because I don't like to stay up late or be in large crowds. Makes sense. That being said, we rang in the new year with just a small crowd; our friend Thomas came over for dinner and Eveline's friends Irene & Claude came over later for dessert and prosecco.We had lamb's lettuce salad with beets, carrots, mixed nuts and parmesan crispsfollowed by roasted lamb with a terragon cream sauce and tomato-basil risotto.I did not get any pictures really, but here is my husband in his newest shirt.