Random Sunday: Happy Halloween!

TEMPE, Ariz.—A spooky pair guards a house during Halloween, 1979.

My Two Favorite Men (A Reminiscent Daily O)

A little Daily O like the good ol' times. Did you see Barack on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart last night? I may be out of touch and living in Berlin, but this I would never miss. It made me feel a bit of the intensity that I did during election time, the intensity that made me start this blog a few years ago — no it was not for the love of fashion.

Both men (I love them each so dearly) stood his ground and made the people laugh as they are supposed to on such a show, but were valid, intelligent and direct and made me think and question, as usual, all the ridiculousness in the American government. Did you watch it? What did you think?

Army Parka Purchase

I just bought a green jacket like this one to keep me warm this winter (i.e now), but mine is not Marc by Marc Jacobs like hers, but German Army by the German Army. Don't mess with me.


Photo from Caroline's Mode.

Fall Wish List #4 Camel Coat: CHECK!

 Bowler hat (gift from my Mom), camel coat (Mauer Park flea market), fisherman knit turtle-neck sweater (thrifted Humana at Friedrichshain), dark skinny jeans (second hand H&M), black oxfords (Jumbo Second Hand Berlin), brown bag (thrifted Humana at Alexanderplatz)

The illustrious camel coat: I picked up this bad boy at the Mauer Park flea market (not the one pictured above) a few weeks ago for 7 euro — a cheap find compared to the usually over-priced goods. I dig it. It is a little big but all my stuff is a little big, it comes with the territory of being a thrifter.  I figure it was so cheap a few extra centimeters on the shoulders couldn't hurt, especially since the over-sized coat is a bit of a trendy thing this season. And now I won't have to spend a hundred plus on the same Zara coat/cape that everyone already bought. Plus adding a bowler hat and little man shoes to it makes me feel like Mary Stuart Masterson or Mary-Louise Parker (pre Weeds) or some other three-namer from the 80s, which has to be good, right?

I Just Have to Ask...

While surfing the Internet today for my jobby job I came across this lovely lady wearing these CRAZY shoes on Streetstyle Aesthetic and frankly, I`m at a loss for words. A mixture of the ever-popular clog, the even more "in" lace-up bootie and Alexander McQueen's unworldly armadillo shoes that made many a model, including my fave Abbey Lee, refuse to walk down the runway, these clunkers are just beyond. Quite possibly a little too so. So as I said, I just have to ask: do you love them are loath them? Because it clearly has to be one or the other with these babies.

The Road to Happiness

The sun was shining as I road around Berlin on the back of a vintage Vespa today with the other fashion editor over at BangBangBerlin. What a lovely way to see the city and another little thing to breath some life and excitement back into me after my little Berlin blues spell. We scooted back and forth from an interview with the lovely girls of The Garden, a new project that promises to give Berlin a break from fast paced techno music scene with the relaxing sounds of acoustic guitars and poetry. Sounds good to me...I will keep you posted.

Berlin Weekend Roundup: Flea Market Finds

The view from my old apartment on moving day, the sunniest day Berlin has seen in quite some time.

This past weekend was pretty ehhh, so no need to list out all the deets. Friday night was spent packing and Saturday was spent moving, Saturday night was spent recovering. Sunday however, was a pleasant surprise, despite the absolute scheiße weather. Why do we have to have those beautiful clear blue skies above on my moving day and the lovely combo of grayness, wind, and rain on my free day? Anyway, it didn't stop me from checking out the flea market (thank God all the stalls were covered!) that my friend Lucy told me about right by my boyfriend's/mine again house. It is a hidden little place on Werbellinstrasse in Neukölln, a flea market the way a flea market should be: cheap. None of this Mauerpark see-and be-seen pay 40 euro for a backpack B.S.

So I thought it was going to be a total bust, as I had searched through almost all the tents and had only found a big old decorative bottle I bought for the house for two euro. But then I entered the final stall and dun dun da! I have been writing about and searching for a backpack for quite some time now. Flea markets are usually full of them but they are always those mini ones from the 1990s (I do want mine to be functional for actually holding things while I am riding my bike) or they are made of leather, actually fake leather. I wanted this Worthis one, but frankly, I am not going to spend $280 on a backpack. Then I thought about a Fjallraven one, but frankly, I am not going to spend $80 on a backpack, especially when I really wanted it to be ikat. But then after all that, there she was hanging right next to me. Made of the vintage straw I have been obsessed with all summer, and just the right ikat-esque pattern, and just the right size. Hallelujah!

Then, still in a flurry of excitement from my find I stumbled upon these velvet bad boys, yes velvet! Jealy? I love ankle boots, big tall heels and these days velvet. So the combo of all three was irresistible (and weird I know) and they were just my size. So I went to the guy to ask how much, he said eight for both, and the rest is history. Now I am really wishing I was in NYC, so I could rock these puppies on any given Tuesday. But I guess we will just have to wait until a special night for their big Berlin debut.

Random Sunday

NEW YORK CITY—Edie Sedgwick dances at a party at Andy Warhol's Factory on 47^th Street, 1965.

Moving Day Number ?#!

My room looks like this...

My brain looks like this...

Do You Read Me?!

Attention all Berliners or those visiting Berlin who love words, to read them, to look at pretty pictures or have particular interests in particular things. If you are a blogger, you certainly might fall into one of these categories, and if you are a blogger you certainly might love magazines, and if you love magazines you certainly will love the shop Do You Read Me?!

Oh man, they have every magazine you could possibly dream of and probably hundreds you have never even heard of yet. I could have spent hours in there just perusing glossy page after glossy page. I plan on going back and doing just that next week and picking up a copy of the Gentlewoman or some other amazing find. But when I discovered this magical land last night, I was in fact there to celebrate the launch of a new Berlin and London based magazine called Teller. The space was packed and a few contributors read their pieces (the mag is full of actual stories) — always a bit of an awkward experience but actually it was not too painful.

Before I left I actually snagged the last issue of the mag and am looking forward to reading it after my big move tomorrow. I then joined a friend and his friends and went to Alt Berlin, a little hole-in-the-wall pub tucked in all the snootiness of Mitte, that made me feel like I was in a small town outside of London where we and drank beer out of big glasses with handles and talked about life. A coworker randomly ended up at the magazine party and at the bar and I went back and forth chatting with her and her friends and the people I came with. Being in a foreign land, it is not too often (i.e never) that I find myself in place where I know enough people to bounce around from group to group, especially if I am out without my boyfriend. But it felt really nice to be somewhat of a social butterfly like the good old days for an evening. I think it may have been just what I needed to get my Berlin spirits up again. 

P.S. I wish I had photos of what I wore for you as my shirt was covered with silent film star looking ladies, but my photographer was absent. Boo.

A Cure for Homesickness

Buying a plane ticket to said home. Just purchased a rather pricey ticket home to San Francisco for the holidays and I cannot wait to be surrounded by family, friends and the English language for over two weeks! I really think it will be just what I need to get out of this little funk I am in.


Photo from SFGirlbyTheBay.

Fall Wish List #2 Chunky Knits: CHECK!

Okay I may have overdone it a little with this one, and am currently banned from buying any product that resembles a blanket, has a turtleneck, is a shade of cream or is really really cozy. But with a weather report that calls for the first snow on Oct 21 (that is tomorrow, can you believe it? Are you kidding me?), I think I can't go wrong with having too many chunky knits, now can I? And the half-sleeve tan and maroon and more tan, beige, camel long sweater thing might just be the favorite item of clothing I own right now. I will have to take some pictures of me actually wearing it do it proper justice. Plus they were all thrift, so it is okay to be excessive right? It is the nature of the beast. How are you doing on cozy clothes for winter/now?

Little Things I Love About Berlin...

...watching Woody Allen movies. I know it's a bit weird to name films that usually take place in NYC as a good quality about Berlin. But I really never started watching the old ones until I moved here. My boyfriend has always had a thing for Woody (an obvious reason we should move to NYC one day) and I have certainly developed a thing for dressing like a certain Woody muse, so it was only a matter of time...

Watching them makes me feel so at peace, I know that sounds dramatic and strange, but somehow I find comfort in the so real stories and dialogue. I can watch them back to back to back, as I did last weekend. It's like I am hanging out with a bunch of stylish, quirky, intelligent and hilarious New Yorkers from a better time for a few hours — when in fact I am just laying in an old grandpa recliner in my sweatpants eating greasy street food. I love it. 


So far we have watched Annie Hall, Deconstructing Harry, Manhattan and Crimes and Misdemeanors, Whatever Works and Vicki Christina Barcelona (for the second time). My mom sent me a list of her favorite Woody Allen films, now it is your turn. I mean, I have to get through the dreaded German winter somehow. So what Woody films do you love?

Berlin Weekend Roundup: Bloody Marys

Outfit: Striped poof sleeve sweatshirt (second-hand somewhere in NYC), tan maxi skirt (thrifted from Humana at Alexanderplatz), black boots (Aldo). Bloody Mary: tomato juice, tabasco, sriracha, worschestier, olive juice, lemon juice, vodka, celery)  

Usually on Mondays or Tuesdays I come here and tell you how amazing my weekend was blah, blah, blah — but the truth is this weekend was not that great. It was all my own doing, not because there were no places to go and no fun to be had, but because I have been in a bad mood and feeling rather blue lately for a few different reasons that include having to move again, the weather and a serious case of homesickness/life restlessness.


But I did have some enjoyable moments and learned a little life lesson: if you aren't getting what you want than just do it yourself. You see I went out on Friday night and just wasn't enjoying the scene one bit. I also have been going out to eat a lot lately and not enjoying my food (don't you hate that?). So on Saturday I went to a couple grocery stores to get some special ingredients and set out to make a feast and then at the last minute my boyfriend invited a friend over to join us. It was my first time cooking these dishes and I was nervous to actually make dinner for a guest, but I must admit it turned out quite well and the company wasn't too shabby either. Voilà! Good scene, good food! I am enjoying cooking these days, as well as mellow evenings away from the bar world. I really am getting old I guess. We also decided to make our own Bloody Marys that afternoon, which as you can see above was not a low point (I even did a little wink and jig). I mean, I really have nothing to complain about.


It all went something like this: dinner with roommate and Karsten, show at White Trash, early exit, new health food cafe breakfast, grocery shopping, bloody marys, cards, cooking, great dinner party chatting with Jay, caramelized chipotle chicken, butternut squash browned with butter and thyme, spinach, phone call with Sunny, phone call with Mom, hangover, McDonalds, fall walk through Hasenheid park, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Vicki Christina Barcelona, bed.

Random Sunday

 MONT DE MARSAN, France—A two-day punk-rock festival is held in an ancient bullfight arena, featuring more than 15 bands from all over Europe. The festival is attended by a crowd of 2,000, August 1977.

Fall Wish List #3 Brown Oxfords: CHECK!

Ask and you shall receive — or scour every thrift store in Berlin over and over again until a miracle occurs. So there I was at the Humana by my house in Freidrichshain even though I had already been there once that week and there were only 20 minutes until closing time. But something was pulling me in, ahem, shopping addiction. So there I was scanning all the crappy shoes that looked exactly the same as they did two days ago and then out of nowhere like a beacon of light from heaven coming toward me was an angel/employee carrying the perfect pair of little brown man shoes and setting them right in front of me, yes, me. I held my breath as I slipped my feet into them, and wait for it, they fit! So there I was 16 euros poorer, but finally numero three on my fall wish list officially crossed off! Granted after wearing them all day at the zoo, my poor little feet were crying like babies, but it was a breaking-in ritual that a true shoe lover can endure.

Little Things I Love About New York...

....Wearing really tall shoes. Here I am with my friend Bryn (she is allowed to wear flats because she is from LA and very tall herself ;) wearing the vintage sandals (from Etsy) I wore all summer a couple years ago. Their five inches never made me stand out or look overdressed, in fact not wearing them was what made me feel out of place. 

But here in Berlin, if I hobbled into one of our bars in sky-high shoes, it wouldn't be me yapping in English, that made me seem like an outsider. Berlin is a lot more casual than NYC, which is refreshing at times, but I can't help but miss all those shoes getting dusty in my makeshift closet. It's not to say people aren't stylish here, but really, who wants to walk in heels on cobblestones? 

The Great Thigh High Debate

Us

Vs. Them

So I have been swooning over thigh high socks for a few seasons because of street style shots like the ones above, but it wasn't until a week or so ago that I finally got a pair. And I will tell you I am full of mixed emotions over the whole deal. Let's make a list to clarify.

*It has been ages since I have taken so long getting ready. I just couldn't figure out what to wear them with: some skirts were too long, my shorts just looked too weird and some things I just couldn't tell.

*I also couldn't decide how to wear them — since I am short mine seemed too long at first but I couldn't figure out the right way to fold them over. Turns out pulling them all the way up is the best idea, because even those that are suffocatingly tight (that could be on the list too!) eventually loosen up and fall down.

*The gray ones I bought from American Apparel reminded me of the socks I used to wear playing soccer. They are so thick — not at all dainty like the ones pictured above — but I didn't really notice until they were out of the package. But in the end, they kept me so warm, so I was thankful for that.

*It seems in order to pull these off you have to have stick legs (examples above). When I stress about my weight, my legs are never the problem area, but yet I still felt the extra tight socks squeezed my thighs in a way that accentuated any fat I had on them. Maybe why I am not actually standing up in any of the pics?

But even with all that fuss, I did like wearing them for more reasons than simply warmth and I am not giving up yet. Maybe it will get easier the second time and one day I will wear them with confidence (once again pictured above). Have you tried thigh highs yet?


Pics via Garance Dore and Mr. Newton

Abbey Lee, Oh Abbey Lee

If you haven't noticed from my fashion week candids, I am really into the model Abbey Lee Kershaw. I am not exactly sure what it is about her, as her over-the-top love of colored fur, flowing layers and three rings on a finger is so not me (even though I do love her long skirts) and her skeletal facial structure and dirty blondness is not usually what gets me. But since she broke out the bleach, I have been drawn to so many photos of the gap-toothed Australian beauty and her eclectic edge. And this one by All The Pretty Birds is no exception.

Okay I know this is a major grand sweeping generalization, but are all people from Down Under ridiculously good-looking or have I just been hallucinating?

Berlin Weekend Roundup: The Zoo!

This weekend was just lovely — a perfect mix of downtime, sleep, fun and actually doing things. This is one of the few things (other than getting a new fall wardrobe) that I like about it getting colder here in Brrrlin. When it was nice out all I ever wanted to do was go lay by the pool, but since the frigid fall has kicked in on the weekends we have actually been going out and seeing the city — last weekend it was the botanical gardens and randomly this weekend we ended up at the zoo. And what a zoo it was, probably the best I have ever been to. I ended up closer to lions and a whole lot of monkeys than I have ever been. Although zoos have such a sad aura around them, I can't help get excited like a little girl when I see all those animals. I have been crazy with wanting a pet (like a dog or a cardboard cat) lately, it is almost as if my maternal instincts have kicked in just a little short-circuited. Anyway that is a different story —  so yes, this weekend was fab, I even went to a comedy show and wore a few different outfits of course.

It all went something like this: second half of Turkey v. Germany in random empty Neukölln bar, popcorn and True Blood (I think I am over my TB phase), bed early, waking up late, brunch outside, fall walk, second hand shop, serious ping pong competition, pretty hilarious comedy (in English!) at East Side Comedy with my new friend (yay!) Lucy, weird underground bar, late night drinks at Maria Bonita, freezing walk home, brunch buffet outside at Kültürzeit, bike ride to and through Tiergarten, apfelschorle at Tiergarten beer garden, zoo, monkeys, orangutans, gorillas, baboons, leopards, lions, penguins, otters, elephants, giraffes, zebras, thai takeout, Roald Dahl short stories read out loud.  

Blue pleated trousers (H&M), Topshop sweatershirt (thrifted from Neukölln Humana), black loafers (Jumbo Second Hand Berlin)  

I felt very normal wearing the above outfit, it's not too often I wear slacks and a fitted shirt. But my boyfriend insisted that it was not normal at all, just another weird concoction from my closet. But what does he know (in a nice way)— so I had to throw a side braid in my hair to give it some oomph. Although I will admit that I kinda liked wearing what I consider a "normal" outfit for some reason. 

Well that is until it got too cold and I had to pop into our local second-hand shop and buy the majorly weird thing I am wearing below for ten euro. It is a kind of sweater/cape/cardigan that some old crazy aunt with too many crystals in her house might wear. It has weird toggle buttons that change directions and a god awful butt pocket that I will have to take off somehow, but despite all that I think I might love it. My boyfriend said that it is favorite thing I have ever bought (which actually makes me kinda mad considering all my clothes. But again, what does he know...). But I am still wondering if I can pull it off. What do you think? Too weird? Too ugly?

Seriously? A butt pocket?

Orange blouse, Levi's cutoffs (thrifted from Neukölln Humana), brown booties (used Beacon's Closet, NYC), belt (used), red lipstick (MAC Russian Red)

 

What I wore out on Saturday night (seen here next to my makeshift pet, James) was definitely my favorite outfit of the weekend, until it got so cold I questioned why I wore shorts or even left the house in the first place. To go see comedy that is! And below are pics from our lovely Sunday when the only ones wearing camera worthy outfits were the animals.

Brunch at Kültürzeit

Tiergarten

I may have started a lion riot with my completely by accident flash photography. Those guys sure can roar. Poor guy.

Mondays are for Mad Men Part 2

It's Monday once again, blah de dah, and as usual I will watch Mad Men tonight online. So I thought I would show some more of those behind-the-scenes Rolling Stone photos that I posted a bit ago just for the hell of it.