Gift guide: Travel

1. Michele Varian Chalkboard Globe - A great planning tool and a pretty decor piece. (image Michele Varian)

2. Sam Hect Jet Lag Alarm - A convenient way to deal with international travel and figuring out sleep times. (image A+R)

3. These are Things 2011 Calendar - A beautiful limited edition letterpress calendar that makes it easy to schedule trips - and made in Ohio! (image these are things)

4. Artecnica KnoWhere Cosmos Clock - Finally a clock that makes it easy to tell what time it is in a variety of global cities. (image Artecnica)

5. Simplicitas Wolf Udo Wagner Picnic Set - Reusable stackable plates that travel everywhere. (image Simplicitas)

6. CARES Child Aviation Restraint System Harness - Lightweight and hassle free way to strap kids into airplanes without hauling a car seat. (image cares)

7. Aerobed Packmat - A portable mattress for quality sleeping virtually anywhere. (image aerobed)

8. North Face Base Camp Duffel - The small version is a fantastic carry-on and weekend bag. We also have the large 'Rolling Thunder'. These bags are durable and easy to pack and unpack. Hands down my favorite and most used piece of luggage. (image the north face)

9. Atlas of Remote Islands by Judith Schalansky - Unless you're on the list of the Most Traveled People chances are good most of these islands will forever be arm chair travels. It's still pretty incredible to think of all the unique places in this world. (image amazon)

10. Atelier Pompadour Felted World Map - Made to order with your own travel route. (image atelier pompadour etsy)

11. Plastic Land ceramic Paris plates + mugs - A whimsical way to celebrate a romantic city at your own table. (image plastic land)

12. Hapticlab Softquilts - Maps made into quilts that are sure to be heirlooms of special places. (image haptic lab)

heirlooms from the Omas

This weekend we went to visit Oma. I absolutely adore our time with her. She is so full of life and always so incredibly thoughtful. Her kindness is inspiring and she is one of my favorite people. I just want to sit and talk with her for hours.

We left her house with sweets and sekt to celebrate our anniversary and she also gave me a beautiful brooch, which I will always cherish. It made me think about my own Grandmother opening her jewelry box to me and the overwhelmed feeling I had. I didn't want to take her things. Once she passed away I was offered her wedding dress, however I was in junior high and I still regret not taking it. Oddly, I'd go through that feeling once again later in the day.

During our visit we also stopped to visit Stefan's cousin and his wife. I also wish we saw them more often, because we always have such a great time talking and laughing. They are clearing out the other Oma's home after she passed away on their wedding day last year. I cannot fathom having to go through someone's belongings after they pass. We left with some family photos (I can totally see how Stefan turned out to be so handsome), an old typewriter, a handwritten cookbook, and a sewing machine.

I was always sad I couldn't bring my own sewing machine from the US, but with different electricity and it weighing so much it's rather pointless. Hopefully I can figure out how to use hers, which is really built to last. I also want to try my hand at her recipes.

handwritten letters

I saw this window at the Schreibwaren-Fachgeschäft Schreibmayr window, in Fünf Höfe, here in Munich. I love the nostalgic feeling with the beautiful handwriting and postmarks. This would be a perfect way to decorate for an anniversary party.

I'm definitely storing the idea away, especially because Stefan and I have boxes and boxes of letters from each other from our 2 years of long distance.

It reminds me of this image, from the now defunct Blueprint Magazine by Martha Stewart. It's a great way to display a special letter.

I've combed through some of the letters at the flea markets - such as the Auer / Jakobi Dults, but I think it's probably better if there's more personal meaning to it.

Maybe I'll get my hands on one from a grandparent or Stefan's Oma who was once quite the world traveler herself.

Grandma's Cookbook

My grandma gave me her old cookbook when I went to visit yesterday. It was a wedding gift from my grandfather's grandmother (my great-great- grandmother) and is a first edition Betty Crocker.

The pages are in shambles and it is very well used, but I am looking forward to trying a few old time classics. My mom said she remembers this cookbook always being around, so I am really happy to have it. Here's to hoping the recipes are better than the photos!