Hello again

Hi. I know. I have been bad. So bad. Oh. And even worse. Because I kept on promising that I'll be back soon and stuff, and then did not stick to it. 

I know. 

And I am sorry.

Truly.

But life has been busy lately and I was out and about to get to know my new place as well as I could (you know, bars and restaurants and stuff ;-)) and spend a lot of time in the office, working. Sometimes til late. And I have to say that I enjoy it. I enjoy working long long hours. But when I finally come home, I try and squeeze in some workout and go sleeping. Sometimes i manage to skype with my friends, but that was pretty much it. Don't even get me started on my reading project, the classics club. I am still with Mr Joyce, and still not much further, and no, the degree of difficulty of Ulysses is not an excuse. I just did not read.

What I did though was watching Night train to Lisbon though. Anyone willing to discuss the movie, please drop me a line. 

I am also half through with "Why French Women don't get fat" and the Great Gatsby, although I am quite confident that I will manage that one before its movie release. 

I have settled into my new flat well, and embrace my new place of residence, Bielefeld, with all my heart. I do not know where I have felt that good before. Sure I love my home, the place where I grew up. But I have been living in numerous different places, I liked them all, but here it is different. The right mix of life stylish, country sidish, and how can I say, it is perfect. Oh, wait. No, maybe not. Because it seriously lacks some water. But that is ok, I have it enough when ever I decide to spend a weekend at home. So. There you have it. Almost perfect. Charmingly imperfect. 

Anyways. 

I love the bars here. You can eat dangerously well at place such as Bar Centrale. Uh. And for coffees. Mhhh, there is a whole side street full of cafe's, who offer fair trade made coffee products, all organic sandwiches and locally produced drinks and beverages. 

This weekend I am a lucky girl, since my best friend Hanna is coming over for a small visit. I can't wait. She will be the first one of my friends I can show around my flat and my new town. And besides that there is plenty of stuff to catch up on. And lots of wine to be drunk. And lots of music to be danced along and lots of coffees to be had - after the wine (you know, after the wine comes the coffee). 

Also the next week will be a wonderful one, probably the best one ever: First - it'll be my birthday. Second, my family comes over for a visit. Third. They will bring JOSIE!!! I miss my little fur baby, you don't wanna know. The best thing: She will stay through the entire week until I will go home over the Pentecost weekend to visit the folks there, to visit my grandparents and everybody who wants to see me. 

While I write my little blog, I seriously feel how much I missed it. I really seriously, truly, try to get back to here and get back into the blogging rhythm asap. I mean it is not even that I have a writer's block or anything. There is plenty of stuff to blog about. Fashion. I want yellow trousers and a colour block dress. Yes. What are you lusting after? Or I could pass on the fabulous recipe of the pasta I had tonight. Mmmh -- delicious. Or - uh, that'll be a good one. A local painter and his works. I don;t know I really could go on for ages. 

But I will leave you for now and say happy spring - happy weekend. We all deserved it ;-) 

Cheers, 

Svenja 

xx

Happy Easter!

Wishing everyone happy Easter days 

and lots of sunshine!

I promise to be back into more regular blogging soon

with some more interior design and my new home, on the city of Bielefeld and some fashion related posts.

For now I will pop outside in the snow & sunshine and look out for the first crocus and daffodils as proof that spring is only just around the corner

and enjoy quality time with the family 

before I'll have to head off back to Bielefeld tomorrow.

Love,

Svenja 

xx

New home

When moving to a new place there is -- among all other aspects -- one part which is truly the most delightful of all: Taking care of interiour design. Colours, arrangement of furniture, accessories is so much fun, really. 

My all time favorite colors if it comes to interior design are white (for all major items), and light pink and grey. 

I decided upon white furniture in the living room. When I moved in I found one wall painted in a fairly dark blue. I still have to think about whether I leave it or paint it white, which I usually prefer...

Since I really like the design and of course their attractive prices I decided to decorate my flat almost entirely from IKEA items. They are somewhat timeless, simple and yet beautiful, I find. Bonus: They are not overly expensive, and if I happen to stumble upon something unique and quite must have in the future I can just exchange it - without feeling guilty.

Here is a small sneak peak into my new home: 

What do you think?

For now I will go out for a small run to enjoy the --- wait for it --- SUN!! 

;-) 

Happy Sunday!

Love,

Svenja

A Touch of Spring and Summer

I am still not quite back into my normal posting rhythm and still stuck in post-move activities, such as interior-designing, finding my way around, walking extra ways to everything because I do not know any of the short cuts yet and simply try to settle. Quite time consuming, if you ask me. 

While I had been hoping for some serious spring coming around the corner all of Germany seems to be covered in white again. Really. I do love snow. In the winter. In December. It is there to make Christmas & holiday season looking even more romantic than ever and to make us have fun building snow men and snow angels... 

The calendar says it is spring already, so come on. 

Unfortunately I think we cannot help the weather we can only help ourselves to feel a little more spring-like.

That is why I am so happy to have a little touch of spring in my new home: A small crocus flower I got as a present from my friend.

Yesterday it started to blossom and it really makes my day on a day like this...

To continue having spring mood it helps to read my favorite blogs, for example the Londonder (go check it out, if you didn't already) for some paradise - beach- photos, I promise you will feel much more summerly in a few moments. Turn on some Jack Johnson tunes or listen to the Buena Vista Social Club for lighting up our winter blues ears. I promise, it helps ;-)

On days like these, I also really like to eat healthy and colorful food. For example this Asian Vegetable dream. Made of chopped vegetables, coconut cream and rice or couscous. Add whatever you fancy: Shrimps, chicken tofu - ready! Yum yum. Super easy. 
Even I can do it. It takes just the time of chopping the vegetables, the rice is cooking while doing everything else, and altogether it can be served in 25 minutes time. 

And the mood goes up, I swear!

Why only talking about a small touch of spring? Ha, let's talk summer:

I cannot wait to wear my small cherry summer dress I bought back in January. Therefore I am very eager to get some warmer temperatures soon, please!

I only would need some shoes to go with it. 

Any suggestions ?

I thought about some white heeled espadrilles / wedges or some red ballerinas, what do you think?

My white summer hat would perhaps also go.

Hmmmm. 
Though, I am afraid I have to practice patience (not my strongest point) and wait!

In the meantime I will spend some more time reading my new book - which is not a classic this time (I am a member of the classics club. And I am sorry James Joyce, yours has to be put on hold for a moment) but a book narrated be a French lady who used to work as a CEO for Veuve Cliquot Champagne and who pssst..! lets us into the secrets of French women's eating and lifestyle habits ;-)
YAY!!!

I am around 50 pages through so far, and it is well and wittingly written and I can say that I enjoy it! 
It is quite a quick-read, and I shall write a summery and recommendation here after I finished it.

When I was cleaning my new home this morning, not expecting anything but maybe my small amazon delivery, the postman rang -- and brought me this: 
A large care package from my auntie to congratulate me to my move and cared for the first few items which will inevitably be needed.  
What a huge surprise! 
The next few minutes I spend happily unwrapping lots of presents, clapping hands from happiness and gratefulness:
Candles, a table cloth, some groceries, a book (another one than above mentioned), spices and a bowl of the famous mymuesli muesli, which I know already for ages, but never really tried myself....
 It is a company based from students in my student town, and their idea was that everybody should be able to pick'n'mix their own muesli since those pre-packaged and -selected ones mostly contain components not that much needed. 

If you are interested check out their website (no, it is not a sponsored link, I just like them and their products) and get yourself a portion of this super healthy and individual stuff - and on top of it -- it is all organic!! 

Here is mine:

A bowl of finely selected grains, mango, banana, raspberry.

Filled up with soy milk, and it was utterly delicious. 

And when I look out of my window, I see the tree and little birds nest covered in snow...

... and dream of spring and summer!

What do you do to get over the winter blues?

Have a wonderful day!

Love, 

Svenja

xx

New in Town

This past weekend I have moved and can call Bielefeld my new home. 

This is it.

After hours of driving, hours of furniture shopping at IKEA 

hours of building everything up and hours of cleaning and ha, basically - moving in, I am finally settled. 

What a joy!

In my imagination I had moved to a place a lil' hotter than this(you know like Berlin, Munich or even Cologne and Hamburg would do), a place where I might know some people already or a place not that far away from my home town. 

However,

 sometimes life has quite different plans with one.. 

None of the expected. 

Even though none of the above mentioned criteria is matched. 

I must say

--utter honestly--

I like it here. 

I love living so close to the city center. Bielefeld old town (where all the bars are too, you know)is within walking distance.

Nature is not far, in fact just about 500 m up my road, and I am in the Teutoburg forest. 

Being a bit scared of what is coming ahead, wondering whether I will find new friendships, 

and find my way around

I am looking out for my new adventures and enjoy being 

New in Town.

Love,

Svenja

xx 

Catch up & thank you

Recently

I have been a bit of a bad blogger. 

Life caught me and presented me the opportunity to start my dream job. 

Which is fantastic. 

The only thing is, 

I have to relocate. 

During my student time, moving has been a constant part of my life.

I lived in Passau (Germany), London (UK), Eindhoven (NL), Doncaster (UK) and Munich (Germany).

I clearly like to keep it interesting.

Now.

Another move is coming up, and I must say I am overly excited. 

It will be a permanent one!

And it will not be a world famous city nor some other sexy location.

It is a very normal German town in Westphalia called

Bielefeld

which will be perfect for me!

During the last weeks I have been organizing loads,

successfully managed house hunting,

all kind of bureaucratic issues and spend a lot of time seeing friends and family 

before I will head off for good.

While I have been a busy bee organizing everything and treating my own little bloggy poorly I have been 

reading all your lovely blogs regularly! 

Psst. I will even read your blogs first before I turn to the actual news ;-)

I also wanted to thank you all for your visits, support and all your lovely and thoughtful comments on my blog! 

Thank you!!

They really make my day!!!

Every day!

Really!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love,

Svenja

xx

Picnic love

Did I ever mention here that I do love picnics? Uhh. No? Well, now. I do love picnics. Big times. I find them the perfect occasion to have food together with beloved ones, friends, and family. It bears the perfect opportunity to have a stylish meal a little less formal than usual and bonus -- being out in the nature at the same time. 

A picnic can be romantic, gezellig (sorry, but this Dutch word is just too perfect to describe it and it means something like being amongst friends and having a good time), free, natural, classy, crazy, unusual and always different. That is why I love it so much. And I find that it has to be done more often. Pity, that the summer is over, but the new season will come again -- not so soon, but eventually. 

If  I was asked whether I'd like to go and eat out in a michelin star restaurant or dine somewhere in the nature I would always ALWAYS prefer the outdoor dinner / lunch to stiff restaurant table cloths and overly friendly and annoying waiters asking too often if they could bring more wine, water or find another opportunity to disturb...

Not -- that restaurants cannot provide a charming atmosphere let alone brilliant food, I like restaurants and as opportunities for picnics are more than rare, it is often quite nice as well.

What is needed for a picnic? I would say everything you like. For sure a nice blanket, a basket where all the good things go in, a hat, sunglasses and loads of delicious small snacks. Oh, and maybe bring some items to play games like a frisbee for example, or bring a book and of course lots of wine or champagne or other chilled drinks.

Picnics have - as far as I know a long tradition - as Mary Ellen W Hern points out here:

"A picnic is a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors (al fresco or en plein air), ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance, and usually in summer. Descriptions of picnics show that the idea of a meal that was jointly contributed and was enjoyed out-of-doors were essential to a picnic from the early 19th century". 

Also in literature I remember to have seen picnics such as in Jane Austen's Emma; it seems such occasions were integral part of English society around the 1900s.

Uhh, and going on a date where he has planned a picnic -- must be grand! Is there anything more romantic than a date which results in a picnic? Certainly not!! (Memo to myself: Put on bucket list: picnic date!!) 

I can't wait for the summer: I am going to organize many picnics with family and friends. Splendid! 

Anyone else into picnics? Besides food and a blanket, what would you always bring?

Love,

Svenja
xx