yummy weekend!

What are you up to this weekend, healthy people? I'll be having delicious breakfasts, lunches and dinners.

I won't be posting next week as I'll be enjoying some mama y papi time in Madrid and then working the weekend there. Happy weekend(s)! Talk to you soon, xoxo.

(picture: TinyWhiteDaisies)

Still detox-ing

 

Can you believe I am still not eating? I can’t! It’s the fourth day on Biotta juices and teas and actually I feel quite good today. Day one and two were horrible though. Here are some thoughts I had during the past four days, for your amusement only.

 

Day 1

• Ok I can do this
• Well… I can start eating whenever I want 
• That’s why I shouldn’t start eating yet
• Work
• Don’t think
• Work
• The day is so long without lunch break
• Pal and I can do this - we are good girls!
• Can’t concentrate
• I’d love to have a Rösti with eggs and bacon
• Girls and kitchenware get-together after work, included:
• cooking some yummy recipe with cheese (did I mention I love cheese?) and ham…
• Me having to chop some ham... ham in my hand! HELP!
• Looking at 7 ladies and one little girl eating yummy stuff in front of me
• Why am I doing this? 
• Let’s just grab a yummy Schinkepastetli and have a little tiny bite, a real tiny one, please
• Finally home
• Why is hubby telling me to stop it?
• Hello? You cannot say that!
• That’s not supportive!
• I need a rest
• Good night
• I can’t sleep with that huge hole in my tummy
• Sleep
• Wake up
• Pasta – I long for you
• Sleep
• Wake up

Day 2

• Headache
• Dizziness
• Am I supposed to survive today?
• Tell me how
• Should I be driving while feeling dizzy?
• I shouldn’t
• I can do this
• I can NOT. Absolutely not
• Well, I should
• Feeling sad
• Let’s take a little nap with pal at the office 
• Oh that was probably the best thing today
• Bad day – bad, bad day
• Headache
• Other people do not have anything to eat. They have no choice...
• I have a choice
• I do it for them
• So that's how someone without food feels...
• Horrible
• Why am I walking around at Globus Delikatessen???
• I shouldn’t be here
• But it smells so good
• And I could buy some stuff
• Not for me, for hubby, of course
• Or for me. Yes. For me
• As a little reward to myself when this is over
• Bought

  

Day 3

• Wow I feel good!
• I feel light, somehow
• That’s probably what the pharmacist meant by well-being during detox
• Finally
• Hope it stays this way
• Maybe I should keep going for some more days, maybe two weeks?
• Ha ha, I am so gross
• Food is getting closer
• Just one more day
• Hungry
• Tea for dinner will do
• And a long bath
• Sleep
• Wake up
• Sushi, pasta, cheese and chorizo sandwiches, tortilla, chips – I long for you
• Sleep

 

Day 4

• I still feel good!
• My stomach makes very strange noises though
• I didn't think I would make it 'til Thursday
• Wohoo!
• My belly looks so flat, wohoo!
• And my skin is somewhat radiant
• Guess most of the toxines left my body
• So much looking forward to eating
• Guess most of the toxines left my body
• What is going to be the first thing I put in my mouth?
• Probably cheese...
• ...or maybe a chorizo sandwich...
• ...some Thai food...no, pasta!
• Stop! Still some hours to go...
• Let's drink artichoke juice first
• So disgusting!
• So much looking forward to my girls night tomorrow!
• Specially the "sitting-on-a-table-chatting-and-eating-a-delicious-au-gratin" part
• I will eat all weekend long, but select the food thoughtfully

It was hard, specially the first two days. But now that my stomach has adjusted, it's okay. I event hink about doing this once a year. A special detox-date, just me and my body, juices and tea.

paul smith

Paul Smiths autumn-winter 2011 collection. Plain cool.

(images via Vogue)

year of the rabbit

 


2011 is the year of the Rabbit on the Chinese lunar calendar. The Rabbit's characteristics are: 

• Articulate
• Ambitious
• Controlled
• Affectionate
• Cooperative
• Friendly
• Overly sentimental

...which made me google the characteristics of my own Chinese sign, the sheep:

• wise, gentle and compassionate
• charming, elegant and artistic
• like material comforts
• the first to complain about things
• shy, pessimistic and worriers
• make good actors, gardeners or beachcombers

Yes, I'd love to be a gardener. Or a beachcomber, for that matter.

Anyway, what i wanted to say when I first started to write this post was: I wish I could have been in Chinatown, NYC during the annual Chinese New Year's parade. Dragons dancing down the colorful streets, confetti, drums, the smells of Chinese food... 



 

(great pictures by Hither and Thither)

detox

It's been a while I wanted to detox but never came around to do it. Until now and only because pal at work does, too.

Starting today, we'll only drink juices and herbal teas and liters of good, old water. Fun! No seriously, I guess I will begin to starve in a few hours, at latest when the guys in our office start to eat their salami, cheese bars or whatever they've with them today. Slap in the face. But still, I am eager to try it out, only for three days and see what happens. It will do my stomach and intestine some good, I'm sure.

So: I might be writing during the next few days or I might not. Depends on how bitchy I get without food. Just this much:

I.am.very.bad.at.renouncing.food.
Very.very.bad.
I.have.not.dieted.in.my.whole.life.
Not.for.a.day.

Bye food, see you soon. I miss you already.

(picture)

happy weekend!

I had kind of a crazy, bad week. Long hours at work, some weird stuff happening, missing hubby, being incredibly tired. I know, getting tired was my own decision. Every day after long working days in Italy, I could have gone to bed at a reasonable time after a delicious dinner. But instead, I decided to drink too much and have some crazy nights in Bologna, from which I am still recovering. I am not used to getting only two hours of sleep three nights in a row AND working long hours the next day, surrounded by a million Italians. Oh boy. Am I getting old?

Anyway, weekend's here! I'll get snow, sun, sliding, skiing, fondue with some buddies from work. Wishing you all a happy weekend, xo.

(photo: december nights)

girl crush

Her hair. Her aviators. Her layers.

(photo: from me-to you)

somewhere...

How adorable is this print? Love the song - love the poster.

(from Libre Versatila)

wanderlust

When it comes to travel I can never get enough. I browse and bookmark and browse and bookmark and ask myself when will I be able to see all of it? It's like I want to soak up all the landscapes and impressions. And the feeling of freedom. Being the best part. 
Let's take a little trip to some places you might like as well...

Cappadocia, Turkey

















Dubrovnik, Croatia

















Iceland



Galapagos

Wadi Qelt, Palestinia


Varanasi, India


Erg Chebbi dunes, Morocco



(images: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 /5 / 6 / 7)

coffee cushions

This cushions would totally fit our framed coffee sack from Costa Rica on the dining wall. I love souvenirs you can convert into something cool. From Velvet Bean, Australia.

bananas over you

Have you seen Kathleen's sweet do-it-yourself Valentine? Simple, cute and funny. I'd go for the bananas, if my husband were eating fruit at all... so unhealthy. :)

Happy Valentines

Happy Valentine's, dolls! I am not that much into this holiday, but still: Spend some lovely hours with your love, your sister,  your dog, your favorite plant. Just because. :)

How about baking this rad cake? Find the tutorial here.

(pictures 1 via weheartit, 2 via Ashley Meaders)

business trip to Bologna

Currently on the road to Bologna. Business trip. But also road trip. Which makes it weird - but fun. Anyhow, lots of the following awaits me in beautiful Italy:

• a 128m² booth (probably without electricity... can you imagine?? Apparently the organisation does not know yet, how to get fuse boxes to the exhibitors...)
• therefore.... lots of running around
• some praying for all the material being delivered as requested
• some fighting - but I am prepared and will NOT get into it but SMILE and say "thank you for the challenge, you help make me stronger" :)
• great food every evening
• better wine
• lots of special requests from our partners (more posters, more chairs, more whatever)
• a design hotel :)
• lots and lots of prosecco drinking with press partners, starting at 10am
• some fun people
• long days
• longer evenings
• dark, darker, darkest circles around the eyes
• three events, hopefully good visited
• plus one press conference, hopefully even better visited
• calling the caterer about 20 times to get the event's food delivery on time
• wondering how Italian women manage to look sexy 24/7
• hurting feet
• lots of "ciao ragazze"
• a drive back home -  on the steering-wheel a formula 1 pilot... = scary, very scary.
• a stop at an Italian retailer to buy some yummy cheese and salami on the way back home :)

So, that's why I have mixed feelings about this trip. But hey - I'll survive and be back on Monday! have a cool weekend, xoxo.

(picture via Mint-Sugar)

spring for emersonmade

Dear spring, will you please arrive? The sooner, the better. Quite a few dots and stripes and little jackets and signature shirts from Emersonmade waitig to be worn. Yes? Yes!

let me move in

Don't try to stop me - I'm moving in! I really need to sit in that sofa, reading a good book and once every few lines, I'll look up to see the sun set in the pink coloured sky. Aawwww. Now seriously - look at this place! It is a Swedish home (of course...).

PS: Looking at the above, Otto even sounds like a cute name for a kiddo.

(via Mixr)

hachi

Folks, I look horrible. My eyes are  swollen, my nose is pink. Yesterday evening I've been crying for 90 minutes in a row. And all because of Hachi. Did anyone see the movie "Hachiko"? A beautiful, beautiful story of two best friends. A man and his dog. Based on a true story.

In 1924 a professor at the University of Tokyo took in Hachikō as a pet. During his owner's life Hachiko greeted him at the end of the day at the nearby Shibuya station. Every day, year after year. They continued the daily routine until May 1925, when the professor did not return. He had suffered from a cerebral hemorrhage and died, never returning to the train station where Hachikō was waiting. Every day for the next nine years the Hachi waited at Shibuya station. Each day, Hachiko waited for the return of his owner.
The permanent fixture at the train station that was Hachikō attracted the attention of other commuters. Many of the people who frequented the Shibuya train station had seen Hachiko and Professor Ueno together each day. They brought Hachiko treats and food to nourish him during his wait. This continued for nine years with Hachiko appearing precisely when the train was due at the statition...

At Shibuya Station the've build a commemorative statue for Hachi. What an awesome and loyal friend Hachi was.



Read the complete story here.

(picture Wikipedia)

how to tie a scarf

Twelve ways to tie a scarf. Because it's still cold outside, ladies.

(via pinterest)

not hold on

Another quote, you might think. But more than that, it's me, finally understanding things like letting go. And change. And actually liking it. Because both, change and letting go, offer so many possibilities. So I need to emphasis on this new knowledge of mine just for a bit today - plus, I know someone else will enjoy it, too. :)

(quote via blinks of life)

food for thought

Change feels good. It not always did to me, but it does now. Change feels so good!
Shaolin. :)

(print via Malicious Mallory)

funk

What are you up to this weekend, sweets? I'm in a funk today and just looking forward to get home, lay down and cover up from head to toe. Does it happen to you sometimes?

Have a happy weekend, xoxo.

matchbook magazine

Have you discovered Matchbook magazine yet? Its first issue was launched last week by two talented young women. Stylish, stylish lifestyle mag.

Awaiting issue 2.

bella italia

... and so I find myself daydreaming about Italy. Here are some pictures from our September trip to Puglia, if you'd like to see. 


First thing after landing in the South of Italy: get an espresso.

Our cute little trulli residence for the week. How I loved to wake up in the morning in L'Aureto and smell nothing but pine and eucalyptus trees. Le sigh...

Ocean breeze at Fasano and and Ostuni.

Strolling through Cisternino, Ostuni or Polignano a Mare...



...or through Alberobello a little village with unique Trulli constructions. Can you imagine living in one of these cute little houses?



Aren't Italian cars just charming? Not comparable to Japanese or Germans. :)



The food.... the food is what makes me love this country.



And someone else does, too. See you soon, bella Italia.