whites

I have an ever expanding collection of white dishware. A lot of pieces are typical, but then I love the quirky everyday things made ceramic.

These are a couple pieces I picked up recently:

pillow plates - made in Ohio for eleven madison park in New York City

berry punnets - for my love of blueberries

pâtisserie plates - like those in European cafés, for cakes, cookies, and confections.

I love having guests and giving them something a little unexpected in terms of servingware. 

It's the little things.

pretty maps

Seeing this website just made me happy...

Aaron Straup Cope created a really neat website aptly called Pretty Maps. He has one for sale on 20x200 of lovely San Francisco.

You can also make maps on the site... here is one of Munich.

Another artist that is taking to the maps is Eric Fischer. His maps designate areas of the city that are visited by tourists vs. locals by using geodata from photo sites. People taking photos of the same city over a period > than a month = locals (blue), tourists (red), and uncertain (yellow).

Here is his from New York City. The Munich map isn't as exciting. Perhaps that's due to people like me that don't have photos on flickr.

(photos courtesy of : Aaron Straup Cope + Eric Fischer)

While I'm unpacking...

Apologies for being MIA for quite some time... this apartment thing is seriously taking over my life, but the good news is we only have a few last minute things to move (like Stefan's fish tank) and then it's on to the fun of unpacking and decorating.

If that wasn't enough, we're going to be getting a new kitchen, so it looks like I'll have more reason to sample some of the restaurants in our neighborhood over the next couple weeks.

I wanted to leave you with a few beautiful travel inspired works of art made by the über talented Julene Harrison.

She painstakingly cuts her images by hand!

If an original cut work commission is out of your price realm you can purchase some of her laser cut prints on etsy! Some of my favorites are her city series, including: New York, Paris, and London.

(images: Julene Harrison)

Railway city maps

Be still my little heart.

I cannot look at these maps without drooling. They are from 0 / 0 (Zero per Zero), and now I think I need them all - framed in a little corner of our apartment. They were designed by two Korean university students.

The illustrated maps and subway networks are just striking. The difficult part is that the fronts and backs and both gorgeous... how do you choose which side to display?

I'm sure they are also very useful for travel purposes.

Available cities include:
Barcelona
Hokkaido
Tokyo
Osaka
Seoul
New York City

subway dress

My love of subways is no secret. I squealed with delight when I saw this Subway dress by Christian Francis Roth. It's based off the iconic 1970's Massimo Vignelli map and I think it's just absolutely adorable... a bit short, but adorable.

The unfortunate matter is that I'm going to be traveling. I can't exactly order it and have no idea if it fits. It's so tragic because I have the perfect place to wear it.

EDIT: I got the dress! Now I just hope it's the right size (as in I don't lose much weight traveling for 4 months) and that the weather cooperates. You'll see some pictures here around December / January at our special event. Thanks WendyB for the tip!

Brooklyn New Years

We flew to New York City to visit a lot of friends and were greeted with chilly weather and many happy reunions. It was really wonderful to spend new years with so many people. Stefan captured a few photos beautiful of the city as we flew in.

Our first stop was to visit our friend Mary Kate. It's always so great to see her.

What was even better is that we were able to see more of her family, including her adorable niece Annie, who lives downstairs from her. I always love MK's close family because even in New York City they manage to make it feel more like a small neighborhood. They are always so welcoming. Her mom even called to say hi.

Mary Kate's view of the city is really a stunning sight. We stared out her window in awe of the lights and action happening all around. Stefan and I both love New York. It can be slightly overwhelming since you can easily spend a life time exploring. I think if I lived there it would be really difficult to figure out where to eat dinner because the options are endless. Fortunately any meal is better with great company.

One of the most simple, but delicious meals we had was at Maggie Brown's in Brooklyn, with Mary Beth. I am still thinking about my sandwich. While we were in the subway, we saw a floating orange balloon. It reminded me of the French tale of 'The Red Balloon'.

The Brooklyn half of our trip, we spent with Mary Beth. She lives in a beautiful Brooklyn brownstone with exposed brick walls that I love.

If I had an endless cash supply I think I would buy one and refurbish it. They have so much character and charm. The funny thing was that one of her cats did not think we were so charming. The cat in this photo actually liked us (he was yawning), but the other one would lurk in the hallway and take swipes at our legs. I couldn't stop laughing as Stefan walked past and the cat tried to scratch his leg out of no where. I guess he was angry we were taking MB's time from him.

Rather than standing in Times Square and dealing with the frigid temperatures and being surrounded by drunkards for New Years Eve, we opted to celebrate with friends who were throwing a graffiti party. Everyone wore t-shirts and wrote comical messages on each other.

It was so nice to see so many familiar faces and we didn't tell everyone that we were coming, so there were also a lot of surprised to see us faces.

Seeing everyone really made me home sick for my friends and made me realize just how much I miss everyone. Stefan and I both commented to each other that at times it felt like we were looking in on things and how much fun everyone has together.

We really didn't feel like tourists since we were always with our friends and not doing much of the tourist circuit. Plus, we know we'll be back again... maybe even sooner than we think. I'm already looking forward to that and missing everyone!

Thanks so much Mary Kate and Mary Beth!

Early surprises

The past few weeks have been really busy and trying for me and Stefan. It's been difficult to only have time together on the weekends, but we try to make the most of it. Fortunately that looks to be something that is going to taper down, especially with the holidays around the corner.

We will be heading to the US to celebrate Christmas with my family, which will be the first time for us to celebrate with them since I moved here. This will also be Stefan's first proper American Christmas.

The past few weeks I've been stocking up on German treats for everyone at home. I can't wait to enjoy a loud, children filled family gathering and having some of my Grandma's wonderful baklava.

There's also talk of my parents getting another puppy, so Stefan is keeping his fingers crossed for that. That would mean 8 muddy paws to clean, 2 baths to give, and a lot more work. Even so, we'd at least have fun playing in the snow with Mieka, the family dog.

During our visit we will also be making trips to New York City to visit friends and then make our way down to Washington DC to see more family. I'm looking forward to the calmness before Obama's inauguration.

Not only do we have that to look forward to, we even have some guaranteed time together in the coming year. I always keep an eye on affordable flights and today we booked two!

First, we'll be heading to Rome in late February. Can you believe I've never been to Rome? It's one of Stefan's favorite cities and I am sure we'll have a great time. The art historian in me is going to absolutely love it, especially since I won't have to fight through loads of tourists.

We're considering a stay at one of the convents, which offer rooms, but I know they also have plenty of design oriented hotels as well if we need a fall back.

For the second trip we will be heading to Cairo in March. I am simply in awe that I will be seeing the Giza pyramids for myself. We're also in luck, because my old roommate Kate used to live there, so I am certain she will have some fantastic tips.

I would definitely say 2009 is off to an amazing start.

(images: flickr - washington dc, rome, cairo)

New Years

My favorite holiday of the year is New Years. To me, it's a day of celebration that affects everyone regardless of where they are. I love that everyone has the option to gather in the name of hope, mystery, and awe for the coming year. It seems so uniting.

How many holidays are celebrated around the globe without concern over religion, ethnicity, or location? It's definitely something special!

It's also a special day to me, because ever since Stefan and I have known each other, we have celebrated together, and it's also the day that we got engaged. (He sure is a smart fellow... I never even had to tell him it was my favorite day of the year.)

As we shed our newlywed status we continually find new holiday traditions for our tiny family. One fun tradition is that on New Years Day we write predictions for the year. Sometimes it's funny to see how life plays out and how completely off we are. I'm already looking forward to opening that envelope to see what predictions were accurate for 2008.

This year we are ringing in 2009 with great friends in New York and I really can't wait.

I'm already listening to, 'My Dear Acquaintance (A Happy New Year)' by Regina Spektor, way too often, as I contemplate what I will wear, where we'll shop, and of course, which restaurants to choose.

I look forward to a beautiful 2009, filled with family, friends, and fun.

I'm already wishing the same for you!

Color of 2009: Mimosa

The color lover in me gets excited when Pantone announces their color of the year. It looks like in 2009 they are going for upbeat and cheery with the choice of 'Mimosa'. I'm in luck because I have a beautiful coat and hand bag in this exact color.

In other Pantone related things, how cute (and inexpensive - only $3.74! but, closer to $15 after shipping) are these coffee / tea cups and saucers from Fishs Eddy? I'm kind of hoping they still have them in their New York shop when we visit at the new year, because I hate ordering breakables and hoping they arrive safely.

I also love Ignacio Pilotto's 'rubitone' concept piece. What a creative guy he is.

It appears I'm not alone in my love of all things Pantone. Check out If it's hip it's here.

If I was an art teacher again, I would love the Pantone Flight Stools in a classroom. I'm sure that would never happen, considering the price, but they sure are beautiful.

That will be added to my list of dream jobs: forecaster of colors for Pantone. In the meantime I will simply admire all of their tints, tones, shades, and hues.

(images pantone, fishs eddy, Ignacio Pilotto, + BarberOsgerby / pantone)

just in time for April Fool's

I like random street art and this one is really creative. I saw it via the Wooster Collective. It's called the 'air bear' and was made by a NYC street artist named Joshua Allen Harris.

The link also has video so you can see the bear in action. When the wind comes up from the subway grates the bear inflates, which could be a metaphor for traveling 'green' and keeping the polar bears alive by saving energy. That's my art historian view, or you can take it at face value as an interesting outdoor instillation.

Now wouldn't that be a great April fool's day surprise? I'd love to see people's reactions.

fun book ideas

I was reading bluelines, the Martha Stewart blog dedicated to her magazine 'Blueprint', which has sadly been cancelled, when I came across the blank board books sold by Romp. This is a delightful little shop in Brooklyn. (I'm beginning to think with all of these creative and great things in Brooklyn that it's calling my name).

I absolutely love the youthful quality of these adorable blank books. The possibilities are endless and inspiring. While they would be a fun and meaningful afternoon project with children or baby shower activity, I am also thinking they would be great personalized gifts with a little more sophistication.

I've most definitely not lost my love for book making, however these are inexpensive and immediate. I also think they would be great to journal in while traveling and create personalized travel guides tailored towards the lucky recipient.

This weekend we are supposed to have beautiful weather, so I'll probably hit the town and look around for some inspiration.

Arty globe

Back to my obsession with travel and cartography are these beautiful images by an architect artist named Hartwig Braun. This is one highly skilled man.

His beautiful illustrations are available at the site arty globe in a variety of cities including Paris, New York, London, Berlin, and Cardiff.

It looks like I'll have another weakness to consider - these are stunning and very affordable. I think they would make a sophisticated yet playful children's room decor.

Tschüss

Today I had a ticket home that didn't get used. It's sort of strange for me to think about. I've officially moved. Not only that - I had to say goodbye to my parents.

Before, my life revolved around trips home since I had been buying round trip tickets out of the US. There is a subtle sadness to not knowing when I will be back, but I am not going to dwell on that. As of now we've been fortunate enough to make it back a couple times a year for weeks or even a month or more.

There's a definite sense of quiet here that seems really foreign to me and I'm already missing my parents a great deal. I look at the mementos left behind and it feels like they have been gone so long. Sure we have spent months apart, and I know we all experience these feelings when we must part, but it always seems to be harder on the person that is left behind. Little details remind me of the great times we had, while I know they will arrive home late tonight and be greeted by a happy dog and smiling faces. As much as I hate saying it, I'm usually the one leaving. Now I know what the grief feels like.

What's worse is knowing that my parents are wanting to gouge their eyes out by now as they endure their 10 hour flight to Chicago. Having them visit has really been a special time that I will always cherish.


I was thinking of them and our flight here since we flew together. I remembered a great plane window photo I took above New York City.

Thanks for everything Mom + Dad! You are undoubtedly the most selfless and generous people. I ♥ you!

Only in NYC

There is an improve group based in NYC, called Improv Everywhere that does random things for reactions or as they say 'organized fun'.

I really love the one they have titled Frozen Grand Central. You can click on the link to watch it courtesy of You tube.

There are plenty of other comical public performances including the tuxedo clad bathroom attendant at the McDonald's in Times Square, which you can see on their website.

They also have a large group of red heads protesting Wendy's fast food restaurant from using a red head as a logo. During the red head subway ride one of the 'agents' as they say, was working as a 'subway entrepreneur' selling squirts of sunscreen for $1 so those with ginger hair wouldn't get burned. The reactions of the other commuters is priceless.

New York City

Our next stop was from Chicago to New York. It worked out nicely because the flight was significantly cheaper to fly a multi-city than round trip from Ohio to Chicago. I was excited because that meant I would get to see Mary Beth. Our visit seemed so short, but time with her always passes too quickly. The three of us were lucky enough to have a dinner date at Amy Sacco's restaurant Bette, which was wonderful. If you go I highly recommend the truffle fries!

Stefan and I felt like we were eating our way around town. We were happy that we are accustomed to walking, so we didn't feel too guilty about all of the great meals we were having. We stopped at Mesa Grill, Bobby Flay's Southwest inspired restaurant when we got into town. We had a delicious brunch and it made me like Bobby Flay even more than before. There's something so sweet and cute about him.

New York City is fascinating and large (yes, that's stating the obvious). I love the unique areas like Canal Street in the china town, although I don't think I could hear 'hand bag, hand bag, you want hand bag?' one more time.

NYC reminded me of Paris. Too much to do and see and quite overwhelming. We loved the views from Top of the Rock and walking through the quaint neighborhoods. There was so much character and bussle that I can see why so many people love this city. It also had a European feel because you really have to know what you are looking for because there are so many little niche shops.

We stumbled upon Magnolia Bakery with their super cream cheesey frosting (they were quite delicious). I think that is part of the charm and appeal... you never know what you are going to run into. I also really like the colors... the grays of the buildings and the bright yellow cabs.



Stefan bought me some beautiful eternity circle earrings at Tiffany's to celebrate his promotion. I will always cherish those. And the interior resembles a bean, like cloud gate in Chicago! Yes, I am sentimental like that.