Inspired By...

...a playful print that I wouldn't mind staring at everyday. This is definitely getting ordered and framed somewhere in my apartment.

Available at Society 6

...sweet graphic notecards with the cutest of details of your favorite city, whatever city that might be.

Available by Hello Lucky

...just the loveliest little kid's room I ever did see. Nicole and I would have died to live in such a room when we were girls. Those lamps! That sweet chair! Swoon.

Photograph by Julien Fernandez

...DIY embroidered cards (I'm on a bit of a card kick lately, if you haven't noticed) that I've already tried my hand out and found they're not that hard to make! I may start embroidering everything from here on out...

Photo & DIY by Liz Stanley

...rockstar-worthy wallpaper. I mean, you can never go wrong with gold dots. Now, which room can I convince F this would work best in...?

Available at Bartsch

Image credits: Wake by Phil Jones via Apartment Therapy | Greeting cards by Hello Lucky via Poppytalk | Lovely little child's room by Julien Fernandez pinned by Julie | DIY embroidered cards by Say Yes to Hoboken | Gold dot wallpaper by Bartsch via Decor8 

Handmade Finds: Cards for Everyday

I'm big on giving cards (as Nicole can attest to) for special occasions, for thank yous, for I'm sorrys, but mostly, just for funsies. Every time F goes on a trip, I sneak a card--sometimes sappy, usually funny--into his luggage for him to find when he unpacks. And I always send my funniest finds to Nicole because she appreciates them the most. Anyway, I'm always on the look out for new cards to send, so here are some of my favorites lately (in case you want to send some "just because" notes in the mail as well).

I love this one to send someone a little dose of positivity | This is exactly how I feel when I have big news to share!

The most perfect travel love note | This just cracks. me. up.

Definitely my favorite Dad's day card | A little belated, but such a great one for mom

Be Optimistic by Best Made | I Can't Keep It In by Slide Sideways available at their Etsy shop | Hello Beautiful by Sparrow Nest Script | Livin' In Sin by Colette Paperie available at their Etsy shop | You Are My Father by Method Letterpress | Mom Thanks... by Paper Plates Press available at their Etsy shop

My Weekend in Pictures {The Hive}

Even though I didn't get the full four-day weekend that most folks here in Germany took (Thursday was a holiday but I forgot to take Friday off...) (I know, it's a rough life), this weekend beyond a doubt kicked some major ass.

It consisted of two awesome things: The Hive (the first European blogger conference) and Mexican food. Need I say more?

The Hive participants getting ready to learn

The stylish (their mom made their outfits!) and ridiculously sweet sisters, Toni and Thea, of Sister Mag gave one of the best talks of the conference

Design Mom gave a great talk on the business of blogging

Scenes from a photography workshop with Fräulein Klein...

...who was rocking some seriously awesome shoes!

 

Hazel's so damn cute I just had to include two pictures of her. I have about 80 more. Ashley of Chasing Heartbeats is one lucky puppy momma.

A couple shots of the location, betahaus in Kreuzberg

Toni and Thea (in two more knock-out outfits made by their mother) with Lindsey of Lost in Cheeseland | my outfit twin, Doranna, and me

The Hive was truly so much more amazing than I expected it to be. And I expected a lot. Everyone I met was so sweet and genuine and friendly and and and... It was a great atmosphere with so many like-minded and creative people (there were even a few men there!) all chatting and meeting up and making friends in a great space. I can't believe it only lasted two days, it felt like I was there forever (in the best of ways)!

 But after it was all said and done, I was exhausted. And ready for...

Maria Bonita (ok, I didn't actually get tacos, but you get the idea)

Evening sunshine enjoyed with beers in Mauerpark

Homemade margaritas

There was a Hive party on Saturday night that resulted in four us ending up in gay bar in Kreuzberg and me getting home entirely too late (which I blame mostly on my oh-so-frustrating 14-minute wait for the U-bahn), so by the time Sunday evening rolled around, it was either get up and go somewhere or go straight to bed. We opted to bike over to Maria Bonita for some Mexican yummies (a rarity in Berlin, trust me) and then to enjoy the wonderfully warm temperatures with a couple beers in Mauerpark.

Mauerpark's always good for a laugh; this time we sat nearby an old man who called himself "Alahambra, world citizen and best joint-maker in the world." He relentlessly tried to teach two young guys near us how to make the perfect joint, much to their annoyance. But they did all end up getting high and giggly together, so yay for happy endings.

Mexican food gave Micha a craving for margaritas (I love when he gets random cravings like this because they're so rare), so we picked up a bunch of lemons and limes at a local Späti and I finally made some homemade sweet-sour mix using this recipe from Fashionably Bombed, which I've been meaning to do for forever. So so yummy. A perfect end to an unbelievable weekend.

I'll wrap up my thoughts on the conference and things I took away from it later this week but for now, happy Monday all! How was your weekend?

All photos by Nicole

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday, everyone! I really wanted to share with you today some simple snapshots of my apartment since, from the beginning of the year, I've been talking about all the sprucing up I've done and wanted to do to it. That will have to wait until next week, but here's a quick peek at my (in-progress) map wall that I'm super in love with. Making my home feel like mine can just feel so good, you know?

In other news, it's one of my loveliest friends in the world April's birthday today (happy birthday, lady!) and I want more than anything to hop on a plane to NYC to celebrate with her with vegan goodies and too much wine! Instead, I'll be working (and getting my hair done--not all the fun can be sucked out of today!), so I wanted to wish her the happiest birthday yet! And tell her that of course she's not old, even though she always thinks she is.

What are you all up to this weekend? Hope it's wonderful and we'll see you back here next week!

Photo by Natalie's semi-grumpy iphone

P.S. I hate wrongly used quotation marks, so these are hilarious.

These paintings are so colorful and fun!

I know I talk about poufs quite a bit, but how much do I want these adorable knotty ones?! (If only I could afford them...)

A-Z cups would be so cute for a kiddo's birthday party!

So many lovely packaging examples--now I'm beyond excited to (finally) package up Nicole's US care package :)

Too. Flippin. Funny.

Travel Thursdays: Personalized Maps & Travel Prints

Oh my, I am so loving these maps and travel prints by TexturedNK that I spotted on Etsy today. Available as personalized sets, individual prints, or even large stretched canvases, they'd make lovely gifts for a travel-loving couple--or for my in-progress map wall (more on that soon!). Which one's your favorite? I'm head-over-heels for the "It's better to travel..." print!

Available at TexturedNK's Etsy shop

Inspired By...

...a cheeky play on prettily packaged furniture.

Design by Rossana Orlandi for TAF, photo by Joakim Bergström

...a perfect, colorful bunch of my favorite flowers (and in my favorite city)

Photo by Chasing Heartbeats

...unbelievably beautiful and intricate papercut messages for your wall!

Design by Annie Vought

...a peppy chair with an even peppier name that would feel right at home in my multicolored living room.

Design by John Lewis

...a birthday card that kicks all other birthday cards' asses

 

Design by Amy Ferguson for Jack Cards

...charming seat decorations fit for a queen (or bride). I will have to keep this in mind when I become queen of the world... (yes, world domination is part of my 10-year-plan :)

Photo by Joy Marie Photography, Design by Amy Kaneko Events

Image credits: Soft parcels designed by Rossana Orlandi, photo by Joakim Bergströmor for TAF via Emmas Design Blog | Ranunculus by Chasing Heartbeats | Papercut artwork by Annie Vought via Design*Sponge |  Mr. Bright chair by John Lewis via Bright.Bazaar | Awesomer card by Amy Ferguson for Jack Cards via Old Sweet Song | Floral chair by Joy Marie Photography, design by Amy Kaneko Events via Style Me Pretty

My (Miami) Balcony Garden Update

In case you were wondering, that garden of mine that I almost planted is now officially planted and well in bloom!  I'm super excited (as if that comes as any surprise) even though Nicole has me worried that our seedlets may have been planted too close together to expect them all to survive. Still, I'm happy to say that the tomatoes are growing quickly, and I'm even going to have to prop them up this week to keep them from tilting over. The peppers are a bit more sluggish, and the parsley, well, I've all but lost faith in (growing parsley and cilantro is not my strong suit). But the basil at least has already yielded two crops! If you follow me on Instagram, you've seen them; if not, I made pesto out of the first and am still figuring out what to do with the second batch. Okay, enough of that, here's a peek at it all (and at the orchid that refuses to die--and is even sprouting a third bloom today! Hurrah!).

Our happy tomato plants, sprouting away!

The peppers, growing at their own slower pace (if you're a gardener, will you tell me if I've planted them too close together, as Nicole has made me think? On second thought, don't tell me--I want to keep a little faith that these guys will yield me the spicy kick I need for my guacamole after all!).

Some very happy basil (pre-first harvest).

The rest of the blooming garden.

Now let's just hope the wave of summer-like humidity and rainstorms we've just gotten down here don't wipe any of them out before they have a chance to get bigger! (And thanks for indulging my wee balcony garden obsession. ;)

All photos by Natalie's trusty iPhone