.SOMETIMES RAW.

Hello and Happy Monday!

I am not into fashion that much. I love basics, simple things and I was always the jeans/T-shirt kinda girl but have something extra nice to wear whenever I go out. French women inspire me – their way of living, style and chic. Whenever I see pictures of french women I want to put my red lipstick on and go out. They always seem so elegant, cool and a bit messy whatever they wear. Just this je ne sais quoi- attitude. I have been to Paris many times and I think this is seriously so spot on. Once you see french style in the streets you will understand why it is so desirable. 

For one, it always seems that they don’t put much work into their outfits, styles and makeup – especially when it comes to their hair. Just put them up in a messy bun and head out the door. Done! Put a little red lipstick and that is it for makeup. It does not look like the outfits are precisely put together but it all works together nicely. Casual, effortless but most importantly easy. And this is what I love. Sometimes I even think they literally just got up five minuets ago. Let’s be honest: When my son was born and was up all night crying, this style worked for me. And I just stuck with it because once I find something works well for me, it stays. 

I would like to share some fashion observations from Paris, Marseille and other cities in France. I copied those from the Frenchies and they rock! First observations: Many women dress like men! I have some dresses and a bunch of skirts that I love to wear but on a whole, I am usually dressed in jeans and T-shirt. When it gets cold outside, I love my beige Burberry Trenchcoat. For the unique french style it is almost essential to leave your hair undone. The combination black blazer and jeans works really well. I like to wear a pair of ballet flats with this. Simple! Actually, I think it is so great to dress up jeans and all denim. I like a regular blue/black or grey stonewashed Levis, white T-shirt, ballet flats, black blazer and my Vuitton. [Invest in one great designer bag – quality over quantity!]

I got my bangs because of a Paris trip with le husband. I have seen this typical french hair style everywhere. Long, usually brunette hair – either messy or with bangs. I am lucky – bangs work for me and I am so happy with them. Only when it gets really hot and sticky, I braid them to the side. I usually skip makeup all together and my skin is so much nicer! No wrinkles, smoother skin and I got this healthy glow back that I tried to achieve before with blush. What I do wear is red lipstick. Red lipstick makes me feel special, neat, feminine and chic. 

French women who’s timeless style inspire me are:  Caroline de Maigret, Garance Dore and Charlotte Gainsbourg. This book I read in one sitting because it was hilarious, inspiring and a classic read. 

Less is more! What is your favorite style? 

Hello and Happy Friday!

“I know a guy who’s tough but sweet
He’s so fine, he can’t be beat
He’s got everything that I desire
Sets the summer sun on fire
I want candy, I want candy… [….]

First of July. Wow! I have had the most amazing week so far being able to discover Coburg and new places. Petit Joel and I spent tons of time outside in nature and I did not turn the TV on once. Well, television tells lies to your vision anyway, so who cares. Here are my Friday Five’s! Enjoy! 

Reading: I am about to finish Amy B. Scher’s book How to Deal with Yourself when No One Else Can. It is a nice little book and the author talks about self healing for mind, body and spirit. Books like this are right up my alley these days. Next I will read One More Thing by B.J Novak. Also, I have Juli Zeh’s Unter Leuten on my to-read list as well as Bella Mia by Donatella Di Pietrantonio.  

Watching: I enjoyed a documentation about Bill Cunningham who recently passed away. Watch it here if you would like. Je suis Charlie on iTunes was something that made me think and reflect on life a lot. Great movie and highly recommended. 

Discovering/Learning: Watch this amazing O.J. Simpson documentary on ESPN.  The New York Times called it a Masterpiece, which I think it is indeed. 

[The director, Ezra Edelman] is able to give a true, and truly operatic, 360-degree treatment of a story that basically nobody has ever before been able to process except in pieces. There was the way the trial was viewed so differently by black and white audiences, of course, but also all the aspects that could be appreciated only by smaller groups — those savvy about race in American sports, those crusading to make domestic violence an unoverlookable national horror story, those who knew the celebrity cult of Los Angeles and its tabloid-economy underbelly, those who appreciated the coming of reality television, and those who saw the terrible naïveté of a country trying to reckon with centuries of racial injustice by turning the trial of a single man into a national morality play. Simpson’s trial was always bigger than him, bigger than sports, bigger than celebrity, bigger than anyone realized at the time. It has taken 21 years for someone to capture what the trial was really about — everything it was about.

 I found out about the restaurant Alte Henne in Ahorn (Hohenstein) and would love to try it. Sounds amazing. Also, this cocktail sounds amazing. 

Thinking About: I just came back from the Reiki Seminar. Today, it started with a little introduction. I don’t want (and simply cannot due to lack of understanding at this point) to write too much about it. I simply know that energy work is good for me. It makes me discover myself in a way I did not know before. It makes me love myself 100% unconditionally. Usually, my quickest fix when I was feeling a little off was to sleep, hydrate or laugh which worked fine sometimes. But with Reiki I discovered so many new ways that are even more fantastic. If you every get a chance to try it, and of course if you are open to try something new, do it. Simply do it. 

Looking Forward to: The movie The Innocents. Watch the trailer here if you would like. 

“Warsaw, December 1945: the second World War is finally over and French Red Cross doctor Mathilde (Lou de Laage) is treating the last of the French survivors of the German camps. When a panicked Benedictine nun appears at the clinic begging Mathilde to follow her back to the convent, what she finds there is shocking: a holy sister about to give birth and several more in advanced stages of pregnancy. A non-believer, Mathilde enters the sisters’ fiercely private world, dictated by the rituals of their order and the strict Rev. Mother (Agata Kulesza, Ida). Fearing the shame of exposure, the hostility of the occupying Soviet troops and local Polish communists and while facing an unprecedented crisis of faith, the nuns increasingly turn to Mathilde as their beliefs and traditions clash with harsh realities.”

Have a Great Weekend.

Hello and Happy Tuesday!

It is Tuesday evening and I am sitting in the kitchen, after arriving home late. My mom, son and I spent the afternoon in the city and mostly on the playground which was so much fun. I have a huge glass of water next to me trying not to fall asleep. The plan was to get Petit Joel tired but he went down on that slide fifty times easily, not getting enough. We are exhausted. However, I am enjoying this very quiet silence at night, staying up late to write and think without interruptions. Everybody is asleep already. 

So I sit and think. Let this great day reflect and the thing on my mind is mostly happiness. What makes me happy? What makes me feel alive? Spending time with people I love. Spending time with my mom and talking for hours. This is what we did today. I realize that I am at a really sweet spot in my life, being fortunate to spend time with my parents, stay with them for so long and most importantly getting along with them. Not every day is happy sunshine; everybody is in a bad mood here and there. But overall, we arrange and live together really well. It is just a big gift to have a mom like I do. While we sipped our cappuccinos and ate fresh macarons, I thought about all these times my mom was there for me already.  All those times I can still remember. It has been so many. Those times she was there for me before anybody else. My mom said to me the other days that she likes to read my posts, especially when I was not in Germany, so she can follow along what is going on in my life. Pretty sweet. She is follower number one for sure! 

She encourages me to write and follow my dreams no matter what. And that I am okay the way I am. She supports me with infinite love which makes her so special to me. She told me I will always have my home (base) to return to no matter what.  

Today, I received a phone call from a friend who’s mother is in hospital. Cancer. Spread already. Chemo won’t change anything, the doctor said. I feel sad for my friend, thinking about my mom and how she just brought me some strawberries and peas from the garden before she went to bed. Everything could be over in a heartbeat. I treasure this great mom/daughter friendship we have and I am grateful. Time fighting is wasted. We all only have ONE mom! A week flies by so quickly; and so does life. I haven’t been the best daughter always. I made mistakes and so did my mom. But we can talk it over while having a decent conversation – like last Saturday, until 3 am in the kitchen! Thank you for all those communications we already had. And thank you for today. 

Life is busy. It always will be, right? We are rushing around blindly many times to figure out, we weren’t fast enough to say something important to someone, to apologize, to realize we only have this one shot and maybe shouldn’t be that judgmental. Be fast enough.

I love you, Mama! We are mother and daughter. Thank you for being you.