My Weekend in Pictures

So it finally happened. Summer. And sweet valley high, it arrived in full force. It was the hottest weekend of the year (yay!!) and luckily, we had plans to fit.

Wannsee

Carmen

I like to think we started the weekend early on Thursday, even though we both still had to work on Friday as usual, at the opening night of Carmen - the opera - at the Seebühne at Wannsee. Random tidbit: since it was opening night, quite a few German celebrities and politicians were there along with, wait for it... John Malkovic. Most random unexpected guest ever at an opera in Germany? I think so...

Sekt in the VIP lounge (I love Micha's job for moments like this...) | Hockey time again at long last!

On Friday evening, hockey preseason began, which, as you may know, we've been waiting for all summer long. Ahhh, nothing beats a season ticket in one hand and a beer in the other. Summer hockey is admittedly a strange thing, but it's still preseason - the European Trophy league games, to be precise - so I'm sure by the time the real games start Berlin will be back to its usual cool self.

We headed to Matthias and Anja's pool again on Saturday to beat the heat and relax in the 'burbs. We even frickin' biked there, which took about an hour from our place, to make sure our pool time and grill yummies were well-deserved.

Sunday was, quite literally, the hottest day of the year - temperatures reached 42°C (107°F) in the sun! - and we just happened to head to the Waldbühne in the very west of Berlin to see "the hottest band in the universe," as Die Ärzte gladly named themselves at their concert. :) Micha's been a huge fan of them for forever, as most Berliners are, and, although we were supposed to go with friends, it ended up just being the two of us baking in the sun and bobbing our heads along to the music on Sunday evening.

But first...

...we had to trek through the woods to get there! Apparently, we didn't quite pick the right area to park in and as a result ended up on quite the hike. The trail even had super creepy (in my humble, seen-too-many-horror-movies opinion) random mirrors placed through periodically.

Baking. And yet, not complaining. Cuz I'll take what heat I can get this year!

The amphitheatre was built at the same time as the Olympiastadion for the 1936 Olympics in a natural canyon in the woods and the mountain of trees behind the stage looks awesomely surreal in person

And yes, we did walk back to the car afterwards in pitch black through the creepy woods again! And yes, I did squeeze Micha's hand every 3.5 seconds and shout "aim the light behind us!" (he has a flashlight app, but of course), or "did you hear that?!" or "we're gonna get killed!" I'm a hoot to be with in the dark, let me tell ya...

Tomato watching - the little yellow guys are my favorite

Kitchen reorganizing chaos. Micha is not impressed.

I also spent some time rearranging our open kitchen shelves - I have a tendency too make things to cluttery and then get super sick of it all - and picking some of our finally ripe tomatoes while Micha spent his time, and I quote, "moving as little as possible." Apparently, Germans don't do temperatures above the 100s. Shocking, I know, considering the fabulous weather in this country. ;)

Oh yeah, and we also pool crashed again on Monday night, after a total crappy Monday for both of us (but really, who ever has a good Monday?) and can I just say that a backyard pool really is the best thing ever? It is. It really truly is...

Happy Weekend!

Happy weekend, everyone! I know this post is a day late, but it was a busy day yesterday with some job interviewing going on (always a scary but exciting process) and an awesome friend of mine from New York in town all day yesterday. Who officially got the whole South Beach experience after we saw a half-naked man on the beach yesterday. Ha! South Beach is indeed an odd place. This weekend I'm going to probably watch at least 3 episodes of Breaking Bad (I just started season 2 and I'm so hooked!) and on Sunday we're having a big barbeque in F's brother's backyard. What are you up to? Any fun plans?

Enjoy your weekend and we'll see you back here next week!

P.S. Kate & Will cheering at the Olympics--so sweet :)

These neon bowls are to die for. Currently pondering replacing all my large kitchen bowls with them--who's in?! (And the mini bowls, eek! The cuteness!)

I am madly in love with everything geometric in this online mag.

I'm not a Mom, but this app would be good for all the procrastinators (like me...sigh...) as well.

Image source unknown* pinned by Timea (please tell us if you know the source!)

Travel Thursdays: A Bit about LA

You may remember that a few weeks ago I was in LA on a short 4-day trip to visit our family (meaning four other Acrey women, and no Acrey men--unless you're counting the two fat cats, the chihuahua, and the blind Lhasa Apso). Every time I go back to LA these days I have a vastly different experience and spend time in vastly different areas. Sometimes I make it everywhere, from Orange County to Calabasas to downtown, trying out new restaurants, hitting lovely beaches, finding new outdoor spots to have a fruity cocktail. This time, though, I spent almost every second of my time in the Valley, where my fam lives and where Nicole and I grew up. I think the most exciting thing I did the whole time was go to three malls in one day. (And if you don't think that's exciting, you're definitely not from the Valley.)

But while the trip wasn't full of travel-related excitement, it was enjoyable to return home and spend long lazy nights with my family, reminisce with girlfriends over delicious Mexican meals, and finally meet my gramma's chihuahua ("His middle name is Satan," she tells me).

The kittens wanted to visit LA too | Topolino and I meet at last!

Momma!

I arrived in LA at around 1:30pm on a Sunday, so Momma and I thought we'd spend the afternoon in Santa Monica walking around and having lunch, since it was nearby and "there shouldn't be traffic." That's the thing about LA I always forget until I'm back there--your every day is guided by proximity and traffic. Go to Santa Monica from the Valley at 3:30 on a Friday? No way. Or downtown from the Valley at all? Not a chance.

Santa Monica pier on a Sunday afternoon. "It's so crowded!" says Momma. "Why did we think it was a good idea to come on a Sunday?"

Three generations of Acrey... | ...and too much laughter to take a successful picture

Rocco, Momma's fat fat cat. And to think I remember getting him from the shelter when he was the size of my palm...

When the majority of your lazy vacation days are spent in your mom's apartment, I'll tell you one thing you inevitably do--go through old photographs and smile at the memories or laugh your ass off at the 80s hair. Oh man, the 80s...between the MC Hammer pants I have photographic evidence of me rocking and the giant perms on my aunts', it's definitely the most photo-satisfying decade ever.

The Acrey ladies (and wee Nicole and me--your guess is as good as mine as to who's who) did 80s hair right | We were munchkins!

A rare Bob sighting (Momma's other fat cat, who lives under the bed. Always.)

And lest you believe I did nothing on this trip, I did, per Momma's 1 million email requests, help her organize and redecorate her apartment, if only a wee bit. Hence the three malls. And the Target trips. And...oh, you get the idea.

When in the Valley, do as the Valley girls do. And shop.

All photos by Natalie's iphone

Inspired By...

...an ombré wall!! This is kind of blowing my mind right now and I'm secretly scheming up ways to convince Micha that we really need to repaint at least a wall in our apartment like this. Quick, what's the best way to bribe an über-patient dude who may have already used up all his house-painting patience with me over the last four years (we've already painted every room!)?

Design and photo by P.S. I made this! 

...the perfect twist on a ponytail that makes me long for long hair again.

Hair by Caroline Ventura, photo by Jamie Beck for A Cup of Jo

...an envy-enducing, colorful, yet not too busy or overwhelming frame wall.

Styled by Kendra Smoot, photo by Nicole Franzen for Little Green Notebook

...summer cocktail perfection (I already tested out the recipe and it tastes even better than it looks!).

Recipe and photo by Smith & Ratliff

...a calming blue and white bedroom - what I aim for, though I worry I'm too cluttery a person for such minimalism. One day, Micha's minimalistic tendencies will win over, I hope...

 Design by Mark and Sally Bailey, photo by Debi Treloar for the book Handmade Home, Living with Art and Craft

...and finally, one of the most adorable couples of all time. I think I would have loved to be their best friend based on this excerpt from her book, My Life in France, “Valentine cards had become a tradition of ours, born of the fact that we could never get ourselves organized in time to send out Christmas cards.”

Photo by Julia Child, found in her book My Life in France

Photo credits: ombré wall by Erica Domesek of P.S. I made this! | Twisted ponytail by Caroline Ventura, photo by Jamie Beck for A Cup of Jo | Frame wall styled by Kendra Smoot, photo by Nicole Franzen for Little Green Notebook | Cocktail recipe and photo by Smith & Ratliff | Bedroom design by Mark and Sally Bailey, photo by Debi Treloar for Handmade Home, Living with Art and Craft via The House Mag, pinned by Joanna | Julia and Paul Child from her book My Life in France via Fabrications, pinned by Dawn

My Weekend in Pictures

Ahhh, wedding weekends. I both love and dread weekends where we head to weddings. Love because we get to get all dressed up, hang out with a bunch of friends we often haven't seen in a while, and drink more than is socially acceptable on most other days of the years. Dread because Micha and I stress out at entirely different moments while preparing - him when we get started, me about 5 minutes before we need to be in our seats and I'm still not ready - and it drives me batty. But luckily, as soon as we're seated with friends and the music starts, the fun wins over and all is good again.

The picturesque ceremony setting

This weekend we headed to somewhere in Brandenburg nearish Frankfurt Oder (close to the Polish border), for a wedding for two of the craziest friends we have, Inett (my birthday twin; well, the non-biological one) and Andreas (who Micha met in his mandatory year of army service many moons ago).

My new dress | Dapper father and son | Axel and Inga, always the best smilers

We were a bit frightened for this wedding, to be honest. A result of the fact that those two can party. In the sense that they put pretty much any of my four years of college long nights to shame. And they don't take well to people leaving their partying early, which leads to loooooooong nights and painful mornings.

The lovely bride and her dad

I still find it weird that the couple has to sit with their back to you throughout the ceremony in Germany...

It was fabulous, though. All 12+ hours of it. (Yeah, Germans mean business when they get married and make sure that the party lasts all day and all night long.) The weather cooperated - which is quite a shock this summer - for the outdoor ceremony, the wee munchkins played and giggled merrily around us, I bonded more with baby Hanna (further solidifying my favorite auntie status :), and we woke up on Sunday without a hangover! Wedding success!

They are being taught well

Hanna's favorite position - how adorable is the little diaper butt?

Inga would hate me for this picture but it's the only good one of the pretty sky! | Again, dapper Aron

A hilarious turn of events came about when Micha convinced Dreschi to drink just one beer during Kaffee and Kuchen time (we detest that sugar- and caffeine- filled tradition and opt for hoppier beverages every time), which meant that he probably wouldn't be able to drive back home later than night with little Aron.

See? Coffee and beer hour is a much better alternative...

Man, I wish I could make my hair look like that every day...

Micha looks like a weirdo out of a Vin Diesel movie holding that cute little nugget

Which is how we ended up with four of us snoozing in our room that night. Funny how the times change and instead of packing as many tipsy girlfriends together in a room as you can fit (and not pay extra for), you end up packing in a toddler in a travel bed instead one day... The little guy proved once again why he is so awesome and slept in just as long as we did the next morning. Can't say I wasn't fretting about being woken up at 7am by a cheerful munchkin, so sweet valley high, was that a relief.

Best picture of the day? I think so!

Can't you just see the love on little Hanna's face? ;)

As is also typical of German weddings, there were plenty of ridiculous and fun games and activities for the guests and the couple throughout, including a somewhat spontaneous strip show that I honestly can't remember the reason for... Probably better that way, no?

Oh yes, there's photographic evidence of the groom's flash dance

The rest of the night, well, let's just say you had to be there. Fun was had! And after a leisurely breakfast the next morning, we took a walk around the lovely lake with Inga, Axel, Kerstin, Hendryk, and Hanna to walk off some of the booze and enjoy the scenery and sunshine. And weird scenery it was, check out the crazy Entengrütze! (Funny story, Entengrütze, which is basically pond scum, was one of my and Natalie's first German words. And one we will never forget...)

Wow, I stand attractively...

Random side note: I finally finished A Clash of Kings, the second book after A Game of Thrones, and aaaagh! I can't believe I have to wait two more days until my colleague lends me the next one. Have you read them yet? So good. I'm trying to get Natalie hooked too.

And how was your weekend?

My Weekend in Pictures

We took an all-too-short trip to Munich (and beyond) this weekend for our friend Nico's birthday. He's a lucky dude, I tell ya. We don't sit in school-holidays-induced Autobahn traffic two days out of three for just anybody!

The drive from Munich through Austria is really quite stunning, even as seen through phone pictures

I was worried Nico wasn't going to plan anything fun for his birthday and just go simple (you know I like to celebrate), but luckily, I was very wrong. He came up with the awesome idea to go white water rafting in Ötztal in Austria so Saturday turned out to be much more exciting and exhausted than we could have expected.

Ummm, how phallic is that center cloud?

I hadn't been white water rafting in a while - the last time was when I went with Natalie in New Zealand and our boat flipped going down a waterfall! (oh yeah, we've got photo proof that we must share one day) - so I was happily surprised to get the chance again.

I swear I wasn't doing a childish I-have-to-pee dance in this picture. I think I was cold...yeah, I'm always cold, let's go with cold.

So early Saturday morning - 8am is much too early for my tastes on a weekend - eight of us packed up our swimsuits and some warm layers and set off on the two-ish hour drive through the gorgeous countryside leading up to the Alps. With a necessary breakfast stop on the way that consisted of weißwurst, pretzels, and Hefeweizen (of course) and then indulged in a pre-rafting, pre-wetsuit time beer once we arrived at our destination as well.

The crew, with birthday boy Nico in the middle

Rafting was super fun and lasted a whole lot longer than I expected - almost 1.5 hours. And sweet valley high was I sore the next day! I had not expected that either but the Austrians made us work! There were frequent shouts from the guide of "put your whole upper body into it!" At one point, we even had to get out and carry the boat about 100 meters on the side of the river because the dam that was installed there was too dangerous to go over. He described it as basically like a washing machine that would keep you underwater forever. Eek! Thankfully, we escaped that and at the end, as we floated through calm waters back to their station, we even got to jump in the water and cool ourselves down a bit. And when I say a bit, I mean I had no idea ahead of time that the water there literally feels like ice. I lasted about 2 seconds before I screamed for someone to pull me back on the boat before I froze to death!

On Sunday, I got to have a nice long visit with Emily, Artur, and my favorite little monkey, Charlie. Could he be any cuter?! He still remembered me and I'm happy to say we bonded even more. (Favorite auntie status, here I come!) He's quite the little face grabber.

 Mmm, you're face looks interesting...wonder what your nose tastes like...

Micha stopped by briefly before we had to head off home again and got some cuddle time in with Charlie, too. Clearly, they have similar styles.

Oh hey, who are you? ...Ok, you're cool, this spot on your lap will do.

Weekend visits just aren't enough for me anymore, though. I think I need to suggest a new policy to my company of three-day weekends for everyone so that I can really maximize my fun time. Who's with me?