While it is finally starting to warm up here like proper June weather, the threat of rain and thunderstorms is always looming overhead, usually just as I am about to put on some cute suede sandals and am forced to throw on water-worthy sneaks instead. It's no wonder my day-to-day footwear is not representative of my extensive shoe collection!

Here are a few things on my radar this week:

Jimmy Kimmel is just killing it with these (and another).

This also made me laugh this week.

Wise words on enjoying the good things you have...

... and this is the ultimate good thing I know I would enjoy for a lifetime (countdown to my birthday has undoubtedly begun).

Daydreaming about going here next month.

Been on a crafty streak ever since I took this on. Think these jeans might be my next DIY.

While its customer service has been a bit shoddy, I still can't get enough of semi-new European brand & Other Stories - especially its gorgeous collab with Alyson Fox and the fact that it's currently having its first sale ever.


Happy Friday and a wonderful weekend to all!

The threat of rain has been hanging over our heads for nearly a week. And not just rain, I'm talking about a little lightning cloud icon on the forecast every day of the week. Knowing this weekend would likely be the breaking point for the weather, we headed outdoors as soon as it looked like any bit of sunshine was peeking out to enjoy whatever we could before it hid its face again for who knows how long.

Saturday was a mostly glorious day with afternoon sun so brilliant, we decided to take a drive down to Eltville to stroll its picturesque streets, sit on the banks of the river and enjoy a glass of wine from one of the ubiquitous wine stands along the Rhine. We sat out so long, we both ended up a bit sunburned and a little lethargic, but it was so worth it.

Sunday was more an exercise in trying to beat the weather, running out for an short afternoon hike before the grey clouds that had been threatening for some time finally did unleash a downpour. Lucky for us, the rain not only stayed at bay, but blue sky even managed to make an appearance a time or two. It was the warm mugginess that promised the rain we knew was coming.

Not wanting to stray too far from home, should the weather apocalypse indeed show its face, we wound up in a new green space that once again, impressed me with its vastness and proximity to a regular neighborhood. Bailey went nuts for the tall grass and off-leash privileges, while we enjoyed the hushed calm before the storm. I just love getting lost in nature mere minutes from where we live, as it reminds me of the way my hometown used to be for several generations of my family before me. Now it is a crowded, overdeveloped and overpriced suburban mecca, where real estate prices trump any green space.

I am so thankful this was only my second snake sighting ever in Germany (and we spend a lot of time traipsing through nature over here). I've heard two recent accounts from California folks of rattlesnakes, one which ended in someone being bit. This tiny guy might have been poisonous for all I know, but at least I don't have to fear anything major here (goodbye, CA mountain lions and bears!) when we're out in the forest.

It was a good thing we got out when we did, as our holiday Monday looked like this...

Which meant cuddling up indoors with Scrabble and Game of Thrones. At least we can say we made the most of the weekend otherwise.

Hope you had an enjoyable weekend as well!

One of  my favorite things about living here is how we can have no big plans in the coming week, only to find our weekend filled with the abundant festivals and celebrations so common this time of year. After our errands on Saturday, we headed to the Mainzer Weinetage just about the same time the rain clouds cleared and the sun came out. As much as I love our fests in Wiesbaden, there is just something so fantastic about the stretch of riverside on which Mainz holds its festivals.

I also love that Mainz is such a different crowd. Sure, there are some older, more posh wine connoisseurs, I'm sure, but the younger, more laid-back vibe is a nice change. The wineries were being very generous with their pours and there were some hipper, downright enjoyable music performers, most notably this great little instrumental quartet whose music transported you to Midnight in Paris. Of course, there were also the ubiquitous groups of bachelor and bachelorette parties, which in Germany mean coordinated dressing up, embarrassment of the bride/groom and selling of some kind of food or trinkets to the crowd. These kinds of fests make me a little sad about all we will be leaving behind when we move, but I know Berlin holds so many new and different things, we won't be disappointed.

While Saturday was a bit of a last minute outing, Sunday's event was something we had been looking forward to since we had received an invitation to the celebration: our favorite maker of Sekt, Schloss Wachenheim, was having a party for its 125th anniversary. Even though they have been sold out of our very favorite Sekt - Muskateller Pfalz - for a number of months, the drive down through this beautiful wine region and wandering around the quaint town of Wachenheim is always worth it. The best part: for this celebration, Schloss Wachenheim was running Sekt through the fountain in its courtyard and for just 125 cents, you could fill your glass from it as often as you liked. We quickly decided that this should be a regular thing, not just at wineries, but really in any fountain. I mean, wouldn't that just make the world a better place?    

Another great thing to happen this weekend - we finally got our dSLR! Due some great prices and attractive new financing offers (meaning we can afford a camera and our move to Berlin), we splurged for the Nikon d5100, rather than the entry-level d300 we were considering. This also means there is a steep learning curve for me, so bear with me while I learn. Even without a clue as to what we were doing with the thing, the photos from Sunday turned out markedly better than Saturday's, which were taken just with our little point-and-shoot. And check out that self-photo action, thanks to the d5100's flip screen! I'm really excited to learn more, play more and bring better photos to my blog. Any beginners tips are most welcome!

Of course this beautiful weather we've been having was too good to last... Looks like we are back to rain and grey skies for the coming week, so I'm channeling my hopefulness into a return of yesterday's picture-perfect, summer-like day very soon.

Wishing you a happy Friday and a wonderful weekend, wherever you are! Any exciting plans..? We are going wine tasting at a few of our favorite wineries' open cellar days. If there is not going to be any sun, going underground to sip wine amongst the barrels has got to be the next best thing!

Here are a few things on my radar this Friday:

This funny little tumblr illustrating people's Facebook statuses (via Man Repeller).

Kind of wishing a new dress was in the budget for this summer's wedding - not to mention some new shoes.

Daydreaming about what I could do with a new German kitchen I got to design from scratch... like this green kitchen.

With rainy season getting underway, I'm really feeling this right now.

Being late to the everyone-and-their-mother-has-a-dSLR show - not to mention in a major budget crunch - I figured this might be a good place to start. Thoughts..?

Anxiously awaiting a shipment that contains these Tattlys. At least, until he agrees to do the real deal for me.

White Faux Taxidermy is awesome. If European shipping didn't cost an arm and a leg, I'd make that moose head mine.


Happy Friday all!

he first thought I had when I saw this weather forecast for the weekend, after a week of rain, mind you, was: I am going to the park on Sunday, taking off my top and laying in the sun. After three years here, I can finally understand the desperation that sets in after months of wondering if the sun has in fact burned up and now ceases to exist. That appalled shock I used to feel when stumbling upon German women casually soaking up the springtime park sun in their white, lacy bras - which is not because I'm a prude mind you, topless beaches are OK by me - has turned more into an intense desire to take my own clothes off the minute the sun graces us with its presence. Take the time to go home and change into the more 'appropriate' bikini top and it could be dark and stormy by the time you return. It's also inspiring to see Germans, the wonderfully anal planners and rule-followers that they are, do something so spontaneous just because it feels so damned good.

So until the cursed rain stops and the sun shows its face this weekend, I will be tucked away indoors, nursing a serious case of SAD, and now unfortunately, also a bit of cold/flu. But as soon as that sun shows its glorious face and the temperatures reach 20C, I'll be running to the nearest patch of green, throwing down a blanket and soaking in the vitamin D with the rest of the Germans - bikini top or not.



Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische

ur latest Berlin trip was mostly about getting Bailey there to get her take, but we also went with the intention of expanding our Berlin neighborhood knowledge. For those of you unfamiliar with the city, it is massive. Like many other big cities, it has many different neighborhoods, each with its own greatly differing vibe - from busy, touristy Mitte to the quiet, spread-out surburbia that makes up the city's outskirts, so far out it's hard to believe that one is still in fact, in Berlin. After our initial trip, we fell in love with Prenzlauer Berg, but our apartment search has shown us that this neighborhood is definitely desirable - and has the rent prices prove it. A firm believer in the adages 'you get what you pay for' and 'location, location, location', I was admittedly hesitant to widen our search to other, as-of-yet unexplored parts of town in search of getting more for our money, but off we went with open minds...

PANKOW

Our second full day in Berlin, we decided Bailey was ready give a longer train ride - U-Bahn and S-Bahn - out to Pankow a shot, mostly in search of a new coffee shop with amazing-looking baked goods that I had learned about via someone I follow on Instagram (have I mentioned how much I love Instagram?). While Bailey certainly appreciated the less-crowded and view-filled ride on the S-Bahn, the time it took to get all the way out there got us thinking... That's how long it would take to get into the middle of town if we wanted to go out. Hmm.  

Sure, it took a while to get out there, but our arrival at the ridiculously beautiful Pankow station and initial wanderings through the neighborhood had us changing our tune. The buildings were all gorgeous and well-taken care of. Graffiti was minimal. It actually reminded us a bit of Wiesbaden, with a slower pace about it and the sidewalks filled with small children and older couples. After making our way through a little park and past the most gorgeous Rathaus I have seen in Germany, we found our destination: Stück vom Glück. 

Initially worried we would have to get everything zum Mitnehmen and eat out in the cold, on account of our overly-excitable dog, a peek inside showed a wide open space with minimal patrons that would be perfect for our not-always-so-well-behaved pooch. While not quite the sprawling food choices one might find in an American shop, the carefully curated selection proved to be delicious. We got something savory - a warm vegetarian quiche with a beautiful salad - and something sweet - a perfectly crunchy blueberry tart with fresh cream - and were quite impressed with both. The coffee was some of the best I've had in Berlin, the space was well-designed and inviting (the white and hot pink walls fondly reminded me of my mother's frozen yogurt shop, painted in the very same color scheme) and best of all, the proprietors were warm and full of smiles. No matter where we end up settling in this city, this is definitely a place I look forward to frequenting. 

Sufficiently warmed and fed, we headed towards nearby parks to feed our four-legged family member's need for running and exploring. Per usual, we were impressed. The amount of space in Berlin dedicated parks never ceases to astound me. It's as if there is NYC's Central Park every few blocks. Not only are they abundant, but they seem to go on and on, to the point of getting lost in them. I think this was what won Bailey over in this city.

We decided to spend some more time exploring the neighborhood by walking to an even bigger park several blocks further out - which ended up resembling more of a forest than an urban green space - taking us through a picture-perfect suburban-looking part of town. While the yards were enviable and the wide, quiet streets held a kind of serenity, it just felt a bit like what we were trying to get away from. Ultimately, we want to live in Berlin to be in the middle of all the things going on, not to rediscover the suburbia we left behind in California. 

KREUZBERG

We decided to stay in Kreuzberg this trip because of it's proximity to both Tempelhof and Viktoriapark, for Bailey's sake. We knew such a big city would be a bit of a shock to her, so we figured easing her in, rather than plopping her right down in Mitte, would be the best plan to win her over. We stopped at Tempelhof first thing after getting into the city so that Bailey could get out the pent-up energy from five hours in the car. She was an immediate fan. It was the first time she had been able to roam free in a fenced in dog area since leaving California. The first morning, we began by walking to Viktoriapark, which was of course a winter wonderland on this first full day of spring, with the fresh dumping of snow the city was getting. Like most places after a heavy snowfall, it was hushed and magical, so we felt the neighborhood was off to a good start.  

The more we walked around Kreuzberg though, the more we started to see the reason behind its 'up-and-coming' status. Some blocks were beautiful - clean, well-kept architecture, nice-looking people - whereas some blocks were much more dingy, with layers of overlapping graffiti, broken sidewalks and storefronts that were merely cardboard boxes piled on the sidewalk with chintzy wares (the antique doorknobs below were a rare exception) like some sort of third-world market. It's one thing to have these as parts of the city to visit, but it's another to have it right on your doorstep. Being so new to the city, it was hard to know where the respectable addresses end, and the decline begins...

Our final morning in Berlin, I got a hankering for doughnuts - real, American doughnuts, not Berliners - after realizing Dunkin' Donuts populated this city in abundance, so we make the trek down Gneisenaustrasse and Hasenheide in the bone-chilling, -6C windy morning air - albeit, beautifully sunny - to grab coffee, doughnuts (which like most American treats I crave, wound up being mildly disappointing) and a place at the nearby Hasenheide park to enjoy our breakfast in the sun. 

While the park was a beautiful expanse of white beneath the shining blue sky, and even had a surprising little menagerie whose inhabitants ranged from sheep to ponies to camels, there was something about that part of town that morning that turned us off. Perhaps it was the shady-looking guys outposted at each path crossroads, trying to look inconspicuous, or maybe the dirty, slurring trio of guys who tried to reach out to Bailey as we walked past, one of them cleaning his bloodied hands in the snow, but these negative elements made us feel that this neighborhood was still a bit on the other side of transitioning for our liking. There's a fine line between a little city grit and being stabbed in broad daylight, and this seemed to hold more of an opportunity for the latter. 

Of course, like Pankow, just because we might not want to settle here does not mean we didn't find things to love. There was a street of charming shops with promising-looking contents and a bakery containing the best bread I've ever had in Germany. The unassuming storefront, the giant domed bread oven in the corner, the selection of not only dense, dark German bread, but white fluffy loaves and brioches... I knew this would be worth traveling to for weekend morning breakfast makings. I will continue to dream about the brioche french toast I made from that bread until I can get back for another loaf...

Until next time Berlin.... We'll see you in May!

Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische