Yes Please!

One of my fave bands of the naughts The Walkmen all dolled up for GQ. You can't help but love a man in a well-tailored suit, let alone five of them making sweet music. I wonder if their new album coming out in June will be as good as they look.

Tschüs!

The planes started just in time! I'm off to Glasgow for a week for some r & r and family time. Maybe I'll be online here and there so you don't feel too lost without me :)

Bird Obsession

I think my obsession with balloons has been replaced with an affinity for a whole different kind of flying object. I have always loved bird images (not necessarily birds themselves) — I had a canvas stretched print of three cranes on my wall in Brooklyn, have contemplated a bird tattoo time and time again and last season I bought a vintage sweater with stripes and swallows on it that I just could not get enough of. I really am dying for a bird print summer dress or skirt or even better shorts and a certain designer brand spring line is not helping. I guess now these pics (all from Flickr) will have to do.

Olfactory Weirdness

Yesterday I had two separate moments where my nose was filled with an aroma that took me back to a certain yet unspecific time in my childhood and warmed my heart just a little bit. To me there is nothing better than the smell of a just picked tomato still on the vine (I refrained from posting a photo of this due to the over-abundance of fruit and veggie pics on my blog as of late), I am sure it comes from always having tomatoes growing in the garden as a kid. And there is something about the smell of pavement after a spring afternoon rain that gets me too. Not too sure where that one came from though. It's strange how people are attracted to certain smells that not everyone would necessarily find pleasing — some people love the smell of gasoline or matches. Do you fancy any random smell?

Photo from Flickr.

Happy Birthday Maisie!

This little chica, who also happens to be my niece, turns three today. Wish I could be in NYC with her and the fam eating cake and dancing to the Black Eyed Peas (great kid music BTW). Love and miss you Miss Moo.

Berlin Weekend Roundup

I could have felt a bit loser-ish this weekend, as I did not go out either night. Friday we stayed home, read and went to bed early. Saturday I actually stayed in alone and K went off to some party at a squat house. But the thing about Berlin that I really love, despite the dance-all-night-parties at said squat houses, clubs, and beach bars, are the days. And FriDAY, SaturDAY and SunDAY were totally worthy. The sun was out and I did a little walking, bike riding, shopping (found a straw [sorta boater] hat that actually fits my big head and took Megan's advice and went for it) and bbqing. Not bad, not bad at all.

It all went something like this: the never ending Savage Detectives, ubahn wild goose chase, vintage clothes by the kilo, Brazilian snacks in the sun, walk in Schöneberg, berlin flower painting purchase # 2, homemade salsa, Mexican feast, trip to Wedding,Görlitzer once again, first shorts without tights day, first bbq of the season, Spanish Bavarian hipsters, frisbee, evening tree house beers.

Random Sunday (Better Late than Never)

NEW YORK—A young family naps in Central Park, 1969.


This family knows how to do it right.

Oh yeah and...

...we can't forget white asparagus. The Europeans sure love it. 

This is Where I'll be on Fridays...

Earlier this afternoon I met up with my friends Nani and Elif at the Turkish Market in Kreuzkölln and it couldn't have been lovelier. Who knew screaming Turkish men and major crowds could be so delightful, definitely the most exciting farmers market I have ever been to. It was almost like stepping into another world for a bit where the fruits and vegetable are bright and fresh, the smell of flowers is intoxicating, and there is so much goodness to eat right there at your fingertips it's hard to decide what you want (we got some delicious bread, olives and vegetable spreads for lunch and I left with some cilantro, avocados and tomatoes for a Mexican feast and a bouquet of purple hyacinth). 

As usual we weren't the only ones in our demographic with this idea, as every well-dressed Berliner seemed to be gathered on the river at the end of the market eating their treasures and listening to a live three-piece band (does anyone have full-time jobs here?). The sun was shining again and I finally got to see some blossoming trees. I will keep my mouth shut from now on when it comes to complaining about spring in Berlin. As I found out today the Germans say "April, April - der macht was er wil," when it comes to weather this month will do what it wants. Well I am glad April wanted it to be nice today and if you didn't get enough close-ups of fruit and veggies (my fave, obviously) there are more and some others on my new flickr.

Holy Moly

My Itunes shuffle just gave me these three songs in a row as the sun is beaming through my window after returning from a lovely afternoon with friends (pics to come). Coincidence (all those sunshine/happy tunes)? Most likely. But it all makes me feel so sweet...
Belle and Sebastion "Legal Man"

Velvet Underground "Rock and Roll"

Van Morrison "Here Comes the Night"

Friday Morbidness

Okay maybe this might be a regular occurrence. At first listen this indie pop goodness by the Drums doesn't sound all too morbid, just a good sweet tune to play when hopping around in the sunshine. But then in fact it's all about a "best friend but then you died, when I was 23 and your were 25." Bummer. But I am gonna stick with it as a good poppy little diddy that gets me excited for more and more and more and more and more sunshine.

And I swear to God I know someone who dances like this? Anyone got any ideas.

Is it Weird...

...that I want to see The Addams Family Musical on Broadway when I am in NYC this summer? 

I think not...

Caricature of Herself

The other day I blogged about what I would wear if I was a celebrity, well it looks like if I in fact wore Ginnifer Goodwin's fab Vionnet dress, I would have gotten a sketch done of me as well. According to Vogue:

When time and geographic proximity allow, Rodolfo (or Rudi for short) Paglialunga for Vionnet, a talented artist, likes to commemorate ladies wearing his dresses by drawing them.    

Read the whole story here.

Speaking of Tulips

My mom has been sending me a bunch of emails lately with her random thoughts and the not so random things happening in her life. It is almost like her own little blog written just for me and I love it. It makes us a feel a lot closer than Berlin and Oakland, California really are. Can't wait to see her next week in Scotland (thank God for planes). Anyway, today's email made me smile:

Desert Storm

Like everyone this week, I have been perusing the Coachella style shots from those fashion mags that covered the celebrity shit show in the desert last weekend. Surprisingly, nothing really got me too excited and I was a bit disappointed with the lack of inspirational festi wear. As a girl who lives in rompers and cut-off shorts every summer, a good festival outfit is dear to my heart. I am hoping to try a few out at the Melt Festival this summer.

And does Coachella in general seem a little ridiculous these days? I mean the lineup was pretty awesome and I had a blast both times I went years ago, but that was before Elle Mag started covering it and the likes of Hayden Pannettiere were in attendance. My friend Sarah seems to think so. Anyway, as for the fashion I was into these girlies channeling the 90s with floral dresses and combat boots and this lady who I wish was my grandmother.

Update: I like Daisy Lowe and Rebecca Dayan's looks I just saw on Vogue.com as well. 

                                                                                           

                                                                                                      

Gimme More

Or can I just borrow the $405 to buy these beauts. 

*Note to self: shoe obsession is getting out of hand.

I Heart Facebook and My Bro

A lot of people have a love hate relationship with Facebook and I agree that it definitely has its pros and cons. Luckily I have tended to date people that are actually not members (can you believe it?), so I have only got a tiny taste of the stalker it brings out inside of me, but have heard so many horror stories of people seeing what they shouldn't be seeing time and time again.

But with being in Berlin and all, Facebook has been such a blessing - a comfortable forum to be connected with friends of friends living here who I may have been too nervous to call at first and of course an easy way to stay in touch with all of those people who I don't have phone relationships with. And then there are these people from my past who keep posting childhood pics, I found this kind of disconcerting at first but then I came across this young pic of my brother (on the left) and it made my heart melt a little. Last time I was in Berlin he was here with me and there so are many moments that I wish we could get in a little German trouble together once again. But thanks to Facebook I get to know that at least he is having a good time back in San Francisco jumping on trampolines and all. Miss you Michael!

Fall in Love in West Berlin

Iggy Pop recommends it (so do I but I prefer it done with red wine)...

You look so good to me
Here in this old saloon

Way back in West Berlin

A bottle of white wine

White wine and you

A table made of wood

And how I wish you would

Fall in love with me

Berlin Weekend Roundup

After a rough week where "budget cuts" once again thwarted my existence, I couldn't have asked for a more perfect weekend to lift my spirits. It started off with a bit of a headache after a long night out with a new friend on Thursday (who also cheered me up and got me excited about all the possibilities in Berlin) and ended with a day of all days where there was not a cloud nor a plane in the sky, the park was packed, the people were partying at the river clubs already and my pasty legs finally got to see some sun.

It all went something like this: excessive creamy treats, The Graduate, thrift shopping, yummy lunch outside, bike ride, a favorite little bar with Anne, night walk on the river, too much French wine and olives, gypsy music, fresh squeezed orange juice in bed, long long lunch with Erin, sun!, Görlitzer Park, dusk drinks on the river, in bed early.