olor has been an obsession of mine for a long time. Whether it stems from having a very artistic mother, years of living in white-walled apartments or my teenage years spent memorizing the colors from J.Crew catalogs, I am passionate about color. I love wearing it, decorating with it and painting all my walls with it. Color makes me happy. Much like many things for me, I go through phases where I 'rediscover' a color and then become obsessed with it. At the moment, nothing beats mint green.

Please forgive my rather lousy first-ever attempts at creating Polyvore boards in an effort to highlight my color crush. I'm only just learning to use them, but what fun! Above is my ideal outfit centered around mint green, including a few things I'm pining for in a major way - those Gap jeans and Warby sunnies for sure - with my collection below just showcasing random things I love. I hope to be able to add some more of this gorgeous hue to my collection soon. 

Seen here is one my few currently-owned mint green items: a €4.95 necklace from H&M that I've discovered I can layer with just about anything (here with one of my favorite recent purchases, my giraffe necklace - tall & awkward, I feel we are kindred spirits). It's also worth noting that my lovely new hair color and pretty highlights are courtesy of Sa at the Stephan Zollner salon. It's always a daunting prospect to get your hair done in a new country when your grasp of the language is minimal, at best. Luckily, I speak enough German and she spoke enough English to make it all work. Even though it's not the same blond as before, the results make me feel a bit more like my old, polished self. 

Daily Drop Cap from Jessica Hische

 have never been much of a sports fan. I've never been athletic or played any kind of sports (coordination was an issue) or been much of a fan, unless someone else was taking me to a game. I find those typical American sports - baseball, American football - to either be too slow, too much a 'who's dick is bigger' contest or just too full of men with beer guts (um, these are professional athletes..??). I'm not even going to go into the classless fans and some of the terrible behavior exhibited by such people. Frankly, it was just a turn-off for me. The only sport I ever truly enjoyed watching for the game itself was hockey, and even then, it's not like I knew players, let alone the actual rules. 

Our first summer here marked the 2010 World Cup, which was the very first time I'd ever watched a football game (again, don't even get me started about why in the world the U.S. has hijacked this word for a game of its own invention, when to the rest of the world, this is football). Maybe it was the infectious spirit at all the public viewings or a serious appreciation for the players athleticism, but I couldn't help but get hooked. Seeing the great show of German pride during the whole thing filled me with a bit of pride at being able to share in the happiness of a Germany win. The Euro Cup this summer brought more of the same.    

Even after becoming 'a fan' with World Cup, I couldn't say I'd watched an actual, in-person game until earlier this year when we went to see FSV Mainz 05 play. While I could have done without standing the entire game (cheap seats = no seats) and it would have been nice if either team had scored, I was won over by the spirit in the stadium and honestly, by the super clean bathrooms (one of the things I love most about this country, besides their good drivers) and the super cheap snacks. Seriously. I think we were able to buy [alcoholic] drinks and snacks for our group of four for under €20. Not really missing those $10 hot dogs and $8 garlic fries at SF's AT&T Park. OK, maybe just a little. 

Admittedly, the fans also won me over. Not only are they orderly and well-behaved, in true German fashion, but they often impress me in ways I didn't expect. For example, this showing at the Mainz 05 game:

Coming from San Francisco sporting events, I would have expected to have seen this before. But no, I had to travel halfway around the world to witness a showing of support that I would have expected from what some might consider to be more 'liberal' crowds. Makes my heart warm that much more for Germany.

So until 2014 in Brazil... (and here's hoping there's a trip in that for us!)

Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische 

nspired by my recent revelations about life and taking advantage of what we do have, we decided to make the most of the weekend and try some new things. First off, I attempted a new bang braid (adapted from this tutorial) which miraculously looked OK after the first go-round. Usually anything new with my hair requires several attempts, accompanied by much swearing, so this was a big win for me (yes, I'm 32 years old and am just now figuring out how to do my hair properly). We first headed to the Frankfurt Kleinmarkthalle for a stop at the "Asia-Latino" booth for our usual Mexican food making stuffs - white corn flour for tortillas, chipotles in adobo sauce for anywhere/everywhere we want to add some spice, the best tortilla chips we've found in Germany, made, of all places, in Czech Republic - but finally brought our camera along and took our time really looking around. We took in the colorful produce, some of the best-smelling mint ever and discovered a little Italian shop on the top level we had never noticed before, complete with beautifully labeled wines in the window.

The Kleinmarkthalle is a close-quartered market full of more diversity and chatter than you will see on an average day in Germany. The closest you will get to this much interaction in a German grocery is someone trying to cut in front of you in line. Here, people are constantly asking you to try their delicacies or asking what you are looking for. People are proud of the things they are selling and want you to appreciate them. I tend to stay in the middle, with vast array of fruits, vegetables and spices one would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. The meat shops along the side, with their callously-splayed bunny carcasses and whole chickens and pigs that stare back at me frankly turn my stomach and make me momentarily consider vegetarianism. Though there was a charming old man at one of these store fronts I genuinely regret not pulling my camera out in time to capture. He was at the counter, gripping his newly purchased sausage in his fist - no Brötchen  or other accoutrements - and smiling ear to ear, eating with the excitement of a kid with an ice cream cone. Ahh, Germans and their Wurst....  

Wanting a little post-shopping drink, and since our little French wine stand in the Halle was closed, we decided to see what all the crowds were about at the wine tents just outside. The wine did not disappoint and the crowd was a low-key mix of swanky adults, with a couple little old ladies and one or two children playing quietly by themselves. In the fashion of true German weather, we got both a few drops of rain as well as some blindingly bright sunshine while we hung out. The wine was good enough to inspire a couple of bottles to make their way home with us as well. It was one of my favorite kinds of afternoons - filled with food, wine and whatever sunshine Germany can muster. 

Furthering our sense of adventure, we decided to take advantage of a recommendation from a reader for good Chinese food in Frankfurt. While we regularly eat Thai, Chinese is something it appeared we had left behind in the States, much like good burgers and American-style breakfasts. Now I've never been anywhere in Asia, let alone China, so for my worldly readers who are looking at this going "who the hell does she think she is? that is NOT Chinese food!" - I'm sorry. This was authentic Chinese to me the way that a good burrito is Mexican (read: not Mexican at all) - it's the take-out comfort food I'm used to from America. It was tasty, full of just the right amount of MSG and we ate a whole table's worth of food for a steal. Huge thanks for the recommendation on this place - we will most definitely be back!

Not ones to stop while we're ahead (especially where food is concerned), we pushed on, full bellies and all, to try the gelato also recommended by this dear reader. Once again, we wondered had taken us so long to get there. Thrilled to find mint ice cream (what is with German's aversion to mint..?), I coupled it, naturally, with bittersweet chocolate and tiramisu flavors. Heavenly. Not quite as good as real-Italian-in-Italy-gelato, but light years ahead of the shops in our town. I may even be so inclined as to take the train in on my own, just for a cup of this stuff.   

Eis Christina

Eckenheimer Ldstr. 78

60318 Frankfurt am Main

(go, now)

Considering we (ahem, I) spent Sunday mostly in front of my computer and not showering till, oh, 3pm, I'm rather happy we had an all-out, proper weekend excursion on Saturday. Until next weekend... (weather-permitting, of course)

Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische 

Something new on the horizon, perhaps...

itting here, post-noon, still in my pajamas and painting my nails hot pink to counteract the bleak grey out my window (not to mention the resulting sinus headache that threatens to explode my head from within), I've had an epiphany - I've retreated into my own world as of late and it's time to break out. As many expats and/or housewives who do not have a structured way to spend their time, I often find myself getting lost in the ebb and flow of my significantly slower lifestyle, making it too easy to dwell on the little things and obsess over my constantly-changing emotions, not to mention spending ungodly amounts of time organizing my boards on Pinterest (aren't they pretty, though?). I'm not really focusing on what I want to be [when I grow up..?], or even how to express myself and my creativity.

That said, I love my life right now. I am a full-time Hausfrau *gulp* - and I actually enjoy it (shhh, don't tell the feminists!). I actually caught myself spending a good half hour over the ironing board the other day, complete with curlers in my hair and skirt on, rocking out to Adele. I was a glass of gin, a cigarette and a hefty dose of pent-up resentment at a cheating husband away from being straight off of Mad Men *double gulp*. Some days I fall into deep despair at the apparent loss of myself and my 'career', of which I was between them at the time we moved, and others I just revel in the planning of something new and delicious for dinner. Or that I have the time now to give myself a bright, fresh manicure rather than spending over three hours a day commuting to and from work. Or that I regularly run into friends to stop and chat with when out in our wonderful little part of town, whereas in California, not one person in our neighborhood even acknowledged our existence. So why am I complaining?

It's easy to sit here at my desk on a daily basis and get distressed at all these blogs where the writer (aka: Superstar) appears to not only have all the right words, but cooks like Martha Stewart, never has a chipped manicure and has a closet full of 'c/o'-ed designer clothes. Oh yeah, and manages all kinds of crafty/design projects on the side. And has a book deal. *sigh...* This is not my life, and it feels hard to compete. I often chip a nail or burn something I'm cooking, which results in a meltdown accompanied by tears or swear words or both. So if cannot measure up to these Superwomen out there in the blogosphere, why bother blogging about my life at all?

What I've realized though is that it's not a competition and there are no rules. I don't have advertisers that I must answer to and my readership, well, I'm pretty sure consists mostly of my mother and a sprinkling of other expats who read an entertaining post from me, once. I must accept that, in Popeye's famous words, I yam what I yam. Never one to have a huge social circle (I'm pretty sure my 8th birthday party where I instituted 'reading time' pretty much cinched that), never asked to a single school dance, never memorable enough to be voted 'Most-anything', I suppose I grew up thinking that I wasn't the kind of person other people would look to for sage advice or fashion tips. I mean, if people weren't after me to be their friend or girlfriend in real life, why the heck would they want that via the internet? And no, that one-time, My Space wife request from Bangalore doesn't count.

I began this blog as a way to chronicle the major life change that is moving half a world away and becoming an expat, but I am more than that. My mom noted on their first trip out, just a year into our life in Germany, that it seemed we were still in 'vacation mode'. While I vehemently denied it at the time, wanting so desperately to believe we were really only days away from becoming true Germans (ha!), I must concede she was probably right (moms usually are, damn them). But time has passed and that shiny newness has faded and real life has set in. Now, I find that day-to-day goings on involve so much more than fumbling through German conversation (which still happens) or looking up words that pertain to whatever I'm about to do before I leave the house (yup, still do that too). I love fashion, style, design, architecture, the outdoors, cute dogs, well-behaved children... the list goes on and on. So why am I not sharing that?  

So what I propose for myself is an exercise in blogging. In an effort to focus myself and my writing, I'm working on ways to not only inject more of who I am and who I strive to be into this blog (my husband often notes that only my shoe blog really sounds like me...), but thinking of ways to do it with more regularity as well (What I Learned Wednesdays, Friday Fashion, perhaps..?). I thought at first this sounded silly, but when I look at so many of the blogs I love to visit, it's often because I know what I can count on from them, and when. Perhaps this focus will help not only me, but my readership as well. Because if no one's reading, what am I doing here?

 Stay tuned...



Cinque Terre sunset photo courtesy of my mom
Daily Drop Cap from Jessica Hische

hile I was on holiday (you know, ages ago...), the lovely Frau Welle included me in her nominations for a Liebster Award. I don't really know much about this award (and a quick internet search provides little help nor explanation), but I'm truly touched that anyone would think of my little, and of late, oft-neglected, blog when considering award recipients. Thank you so much!

What little I do know is that there are a few rules for accepting this award:
1. Choose five up-and-coming blogs (with fewer than 200 followers) to award the Liebster to.
2. Show your thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them.
3. Post the award on your blog. List the bloggers you are giving the award to with links to their sites. Leave comments on their blogs so they know about the award.

So to fulfill my part of the bargain, my nominations go to:

Eating Wiesbaden (and Mainz!) - A new(-ish) endeavor by fellow expat and foodie Frau Dietz, also nominated by Frau Welle, who is as ravenous as I am for good eating options around our town

This German Texan - New(-ish) expat Jan chronicling her new job and new life in Germany

Expat Edna - I'm pretty sure this doesn't follow the rules, as she surely has WAY more followers than is allowed, but she's a great blogger, a great person (who I had the pleasure of meeting in Paris this spring) and is worth a read!

Resident on Earth - An amazing photographer and writer, I'm sure she has many more followers as well. If her photos don't make you want to travel the world, nothing will.

Parking Spot for Mom - My oldest and dearest friend providing her feelings and reflections on motherhood in her own totally unfiltered way (which I tend to avoid reading too often, as it makes me miss her terribly)

As pleased as I am with my little bit of recognition, I admit I'm still stuck in a bit of a funk since my mom's departure. I've suddenly experienced the first bit of homesickness ever since leaving two and half years ago. It feels unexpected to want to go back so desperately when it's been at the bottom of my travel priorities for years. Perhaps I'm missing more of that big city life than I thought - a plethora of amazing restaurant options, fashion choices beyond H&M and Zara, and of course, the ocean... Oh, what I wouldn't give to live closer to the sea.

In addition to all the superficial reasons to want to be back in California right now, some bad news from my mother's doctor has me positively pining to be there to hold her hand through everything to come. While she's going to be more than OK in the end, it was one of those kick-in-the-butt moments when you hear the name of a scary-as-shit disease and all the moments you haven't been there with your family flash before your eyes. Most of my family, in all honesty, has just been a disappointment in my life, so I've never felt such a pull of its importance before this. My mom is pretty much all I have in that respect and I'm feeling more than a little guilty at the decision to make a life halfway around the world from her right about now. I'm also ironically reminded of how my mom got her very first passport: to rescue me from a British hospital after emergency surgery, literally two days after being transferred there for my job. All I can do is remind her every day how much I love her and offer my tips on making up great stories about her soon-to-be new scar when people ask (since I'm a bit of an expert in this myself, I'm suggesting 'knife fight' to give her the most street cred). But my passport is ready and waiting if I ever do need to rescue her.

In better news, two of our dear friends here are about to become parents (if it hasn't happened already - we're all anxiously awaiting news from the hospital) and I am so thrilled for them. It's hard to believe how far we've come since my first message from her on my blog, saying they were moving to Germany and asking for some tips. Since then we've not only become friends, but we've spent numerous holidays together, they have moved into our neighborhood and now they are adding a new member to their family dynamic and our circle of friends. So as much as I miss my mom and ache to be there to support her through things, I know we are so lucky to be able to be here for our friends, who are also half a world away from their families, at times like these.

Speaking of which, I think it's about time to give their little doggy another walk... I can't imagine how anxious he is for his family to get home with their new addition!  

 

*Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische (speaking of which, have you seen her amazing wedding invitation..?!)

Wishing I were still here...

ere I am, nearly a month after my last post, wondering again where the time has gone. I mean, I know where the time has gone - my mother's visit, countless dying and crafty projects, our road trip to Italy, cooking some of my favorite dishes for my mom, throwing a baby shower for a friend, visiting our first local fest of the season - but it seems as if it has all flown by so fast. Wasn't it just the other day I was still counting the days - heck, even the weeks! - till my mom's arrival..? I suppose the good side of all this is that the time until our next visit, which is sadly as-of-yet unscheduled, should pass in an equally rapid blur.

After allowing myself one day for an all-out mope after my mom's departure, I'm anxious to jump back into things. In addition to managing various appointments for some apartment work and damage claims (oh yes, also during this month, a leak from our tub has progressed to the point of collapsing our lower-level neighbor's ceiling in), I will also be starting my new post as a once-a-week English-language playmate/babysitter for two lovely Italian children (a job previously held by Frau Dietz, until her recent acquisition of a proper, full-time academic-type position - big congrats to her!). I am very much looking forward to having at least a small job that gets me out of the house and doing something new. I'm also looking forward to time with these adorable children, hearing their family language of Italian in the house and reading from their bookshelves filled with children's stories in no fewer than three different languages. The extraordinary language abilities and behavior of European children never ceases to amaze me.

I also promise to post all about our incredible trip, with lots of photos and recommendations from where we ate, stayed and played. It was an amazing time that I feel so lucky to have been able to share with my mom - the woman who swore she'd never have a passport, let alone see parts of the world she's only seen in the movies. I have countless photos to sift through before I report back, but I promise it will be worth a stop back by the blog.

Until then, I'll be fondly remembering some of these highlights from May (and a wee bit of June)...

Finally got to spend another Mother's Day with my mom

Did some colorful at-home dying (via this tutorial)

... including my hair

A roadtrip that included stops at Lake Geneva,...

... Cinque Terre,

... an olive oil resort in Tuscany,

... and Innsbruck, Austria. (phew!)

Leftover tissue paper party poufs now taking up permanent residence on our previously-hideous light fixture

Fest season began!

Said farewell to my mom (..again) :(

Until the next time, Mom... *sniffle, sniffle* 

I received a sweet consolation from the lovely Ebe from the blog Back to Berlin... and BEYOND after complaining that saying goodbye seemed to get harder every time. She noted that "the longer you are away, the more permanent the separation feels." It is gut-wrenching how much this is a double-edged sword for us expats - the more we acclimate and make our chosen new country home, the further away we seem to make ourselves from our friends and family back in the States. It is the one thing I wish I could change about what is otherwise a really great life overseas.

*Daily Drop Cap from Jessica Hische

fter a teasing weekend in March of summer-like temperatures, it's been a tough wait for some nice spring weather. We finally got a solid few days of really spectacular weather, which we took full advantage of with a hike in the forest. Once again, it felt like summer and all anyone in town was doing was basking outdoors.

Then of course, we reverted back to this (complete with some nice thunder and lightning - boo):

I just hope we're in for more of the former in light of my mom's arrival tomorrow (it's looking good so far...) - not to mention for our trip the following week to the Italian Riviera. Can't wait to get to those beautiful blue seas... I'm just hoping there are blue skies to match!

*Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische