Happiness.

INDIA—From left: Pattie Boyd Harrison, George Harrison, John Lennon, and Cynthia Lennon at Delhi Palam airport, on their way to meet the Maharishi Mahesh, 1968

I am writing this from my Mom's new apartment overlooking the beautiful waters and bridges of the Bay Area, after spending the day with her, my uncle, two of my brothers, my sister-in-law and her mom, as well as my two nieces, laughing watching a two and three-year-old open presents, playing white elephant, eating, drinking wine and being merry. Yesterday I was with one of my closest friends, as I was with another the day before and the day before that. I love being home and at the moment I feel like I could stay here forever. And with all this cheer running through me, I thought I would check in and wish you all some happy happy holidays and hope that you are smiling as much as I was today and as those guys are up there.  

California Bound

After all these possible flight delays and cancellations, as of now, it looks like I am going to make it home. Wish me luck on my icy 5 am subway trip, passing through Heathrow with all that mess, and with those tricky customs guys. Hope I make it out West, where even if it is raining it will feel like sunshine pouring down on me. See you on the flip side....

Berlin Weekend Roundup: Sunshine!

SUN

                

AND SNOW                Dress (vintage), belt (borrowed from BF), over-knee boots (ALDO)

                


This weekend the sun (yes the sun!) decided to show its face and although every day I complain (hopefully mostly in my head) about the lack there of here in Berlin, I didn't even realize how much I actually missed it until I was woken up with "look, sun!" and I felt those amazing warm beams on my face. That is not to say that it has warmed up here, quite the contrary, but I still decided to wear a dress for the occasion (with plenty underneath). With the sun in the day and snowball fights in the night, I would have to say that the weekend was quite all right.

It all went something like this: sushi, sake, snow date, wine at my new regular hangout Luzia, snow ball fight walk home, usual stop downstairs, falling asleep on the couch, holiday chocolate package, Christmas shopping in Kudam, Chanel perfume love affair, gourmet food shopping and sampling in Ka De We, glühwein in H&M, American diner dinner, bad movie in the theater, sleeping in, reading in bed, consuming chocolate package, lost wallet freak out, Boardwalk Empire.

Random Sunday

ANTIGUA, Guatemala—1984.

The Office Christmas Party

NEW YORK CITY — At an office party, 1966.

Work holiday parties are a thing like no other — everyone is excitedly on edge, looking a little better than they normally do at 11 am on a Tuesday, happy to be out of the office early (hopefully) and eating and drinking for free, feeling a little awkward and in turn a little intoxicated and often a bit too revealing to people you have to see almost every day whether you like it or not. The next mornings in the office are always filled with a mutual shame and a communal headache, but perhaps a new work friend.

I remember my Christmas parties working at the magazine in NYC where our editor in chief always fantasized that of one of the many girls on staff would meet the man of her dreams (brought to the party by her co-worker) and live happily ever after always telling the story of the night they met. Yes, it was one of those kind of magazines. I am sure there were some connections made, but none that lasted much past New Years. One year she even made us all wear festive hats the whole night — the silliness of it all did actually take the usual edge off, but the photos made it onto Gawker. Yes, it was one of those kind of magazines.

My party in Berlin was a little different, but followed the same formula of awkwardness, inebriation and embarrassment. But since that night, there has been a  more friendly banter in the normally stagnantly quiet office. A few nights after, my boyfriend rolled in from his work party later than I ever expected and a little more out of sorts than usual, and sheepishly left to work the following Monday.

So yeah, work parties, a blessing and a curse for many. I love these photos from a work Christmas party in 1966, so very Mad Men, so very uninhibited. How was your holiday party this year?


photos via Slate.

Because I am a Glutton For Punishment....

...I just had to post this photo of Australia's Bondi Beach taken by Garance Doré. Maybe it is because I haven't seen weather like this in so long, but this photo looks completely surreal to me, almost as if it is computer generated or taken out of some lucid dream. Maybe I just need some sun...or a trip to Australia.  

A Color Cocktail...One For You and One For You

Last week something changed in me and all of a sudden I was all about color. First I blogged about red on red, and Rihanna's color block ensemble, then my mom sent me a photo of her looking amazing in a pair of red trousers in the 70s, then I went and saw You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger and Freida Pinto's character only wore red and then everywhere I looked I was seeing splashes of color. In a fashion world that has been soaked in a sea of camel and gray for so long and a real world that is blanketed in snow and cloudy skies, these visions of color are a refreshing change and a perfect mid-winter (oh I mean beginning of winter) remedy. I mean who needs the sun when you have clothes this bright?

My mom wearing self-made red wool trousers 

by Mr. Newton

via So Much to Tell You

NY Times Style Mag via Fashion Gone Rogue

by Jak & Jil 

by Chasing Heartbeats 

    

by Stil in Berlin and Glam Canyon

by All the Pretty Birds

Roger + Peach via Material Attention

Yes Please!

Weekend Roundup: Marie Antoinette

Last weekend doesn't need much of an introduction other than it started off in the dumps but kept getting better and better. I had such a lovely time hanging out with my favorite person and shopping for presents for those other favorites of mine who I will see in San Francisco in a week from today! Oh an watching Marie Antoinette again and again. After all the talk of Sophia Coppola's latest Somewhere (certainly not as good) I thought I would watch one of her older films. Even though the script is lackluster in comparison to The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation, the film is such a pleasure on the eyes and the ears. I mean look at these photos, the images were in my head all weekend as well as the soundtrack, of course.

It all went something like this: home alone Friday, IM chat to Chicago, Marie Antoinette, Julia and Julia on the couch, breakfast at home, Holy.Shit.Shopping fair, Christmas present purchasing, Alexa Christmas Market, candied nuts, nutcracker, Alexa Mall, so much walking, fancy steak dinner, wine downstairs at Valentin Stüberl, sleeping in, Marie Antoinette again for Karsten, cleaning house, pilates, Vietnamese food, makeshift indoor ping pong tournament, Boardwalk Empire, late night German lesson, bed.

Ramen Art

I guy I went to high school with, and a fellow expat, is currently living in Japan and has taken it upon himself to not only blog about his experience, but also to photograph all the ramen he has been consuming. He literally posted an album with 99 different ramen shots on Facebook — who knew any food could have such a variety. I find them fascinating, sometimes delicious looking and always like little works of art.

Read more about Abram's culinary adventures and more on Yo! Japan.