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@jenny-forever
100 Sales!
I just made my 100th Margravine sale on Etsy!
It's taken while to accomplish, but with the help of a nice little uptick in sales since Christmas, I've gotten there and it's pretty cool. I'm notoriously terrible at self-promotion, but this milestone might be the boost I need to get myself in gear. I really hav eto get the Margravine website back up and running and post regular updates, as well as order some new business cards and maybe even look into some wholesale opportunities. I'm finding it really difficult right now to balance life & work, so anything beyond the day-to-day life-maintenance stuff just seems so huge and daunting. But I'm really hoping that a slight shift in my schedule and priorities might help to free up a little more time in my day for my little baby of a business. Another nice thing that happened in the Margravine world is that a super nice customer wrote a lovely blog post featuring one of my scarves!
Melody looks so chic and stylish! It's always awesome to see your handmade stuff looking so great out in the wild. Here are some new(ish) things that I've been working on lately: Small pom-pom keychains
As well as large ones
And sweater chains made with some tiny pom poms fastened to clips
I love making new stuff and have some more ideas brewing. I'm going to Europe in a couple weeks (more on this soon), and I'm hoping my trip inspires me even more to create some exciting new things over the summer!
Hey, here's a thing!
Cheers to the final day of 2014. To be perfectly honest, I can barely remember what happened this year (I keep blurring 2013 and 2014 together into one big super-year) but I know it was both good and bad and unfortunately it's mostly the bad that I remember. But now is not the time to focus on the negative. 2015 is guaranteed to be better for a number of reasons, so there's that.
Happy New Year to you and yours!
Almost as Good as the Real Thing
Today's weather is not so great - it's already chucking it down with rain outside and it's supposed to do that for pretty much the rest of the day. Waaah.
Before I left for work this morning, I spritzed myself with a couple sprays of sunscreen - obviously not because of the weather but because I really like the scent. It reminds me of sunny days off and since today is the exact opposite of that, I thought it might be a good mood booster...
Nothing fancy, just basic Target brand spray sunscreen, but it works really well and smells amazing.
...which got me thinking about fragrances and wondering if anyone out there makes a sunscreen-scented perfume. Surely Demeter or someone else must? A quick Google search reminded me about CB I Hate Perfume, who makes a fragrance called "At The Beach 1966" and describes it as:
The prime note in this scent is Coppertone 1967 blended with a new accord I created especially for this perfume – North Atlantic. The base of the scent contains a bit of Wet Sand, Seashell, Driftwood and just a hint of Boardwalk. The effect when you wear At The Beach 1966 is as if you've been swimming all day in the ocean.
Um, yes please.
A couple years ago Amy and I bought a few of their 2ml sample sizes. I got "M4 A Room With A View" -
This perfume captures the scent of the hills above Florence - the vineyards, the wild grass, the finocchio, the hot dusty Florentine earth. And of course a torrent of Violets...
- and it smells exactly like that. It's got some sort of Harry Potter-level scent magic going on, so I can only imagine that the sunscreen-y, beachy smelling one delivers as promised as well. I've got to try it.
Coconut Oil for Beauty
I know I've professed my love for skin oils here before, and the love is still going strong. It looks like I'm not the only one in love with them! They're all over the place and this even popped into my inbox today - http://www.sephora.com/oils Oils are the best. I still love lotions and creams, but there's something really indulgent and satisfying about using oils, like you're bypassing the middle man and just going straight to the elements that count. Beauty oils can sometimes be a bit pricey. In an attempt to find a less expensive solution with fewer ingredients (just one ingredient, actually!) I decided to try out everyone's new BFF, coconut oil.
I stopped by Trader Joe's and bought a 16oz jar for $5.99. Compare that amount and price to the other oils I use and love:
Desert Essence 100% Pure Jojoba Oil - $13.99 for 4oz ($15.99 for organic)
Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Multi-Usage Dry Oil - $45.00 for 3.3oz
Caudalie Divine Oil - $49.00 for 3.4oz
Josie Maran 100 percent Pure Argan Oil - $96.00 for 4.0oz
Clearly the coconut oil is quite a steal! My experiences so far: Hair masque/moisturizer This was what I was most excited to try. My hair has been so dry and tangle-y lately that it's actually been hard to get a comb through it. I trimmed the ends quite a bit and since oils have been working so well for my skin, I decided to try some on my hair hoping I'd have the same result. I applied a somewhat generous amount of the coconut oil to my hair at night, melting it in my palms and combing it through my hair with my fingers and rubbing it into my scalp. Coconut oil is quite thin and didn't feel as satisfying on my hair as argan oil. Argan oil feels straight up greasy, but in a good way, like it's actually doing something. The coconut oil smelled really good, at least. It wasn't cloying, so I didn't feel like a giant piña colada or anything. You just kind of get a subtle whiff of it every now and again. Anyway, I clipped my hair up in a top knot and went to bed. When I pulled my hair down in the morning, it didn't really feel like anything had happened. My hair was still oily, but somehow it also felt squeaky and dry? I don't know how to explain it. I gave it the benefit of the doubt and shampooed and conditioned my hair as usual. On the day after I used the argan oil, I kept touching my hair because it was so soft. I didn't notice as much softness with the coconut oil (it was still slightly softer than normal, though) and by the middle of the day, I felt like my hair was just plain dirty-greasy like I hadn't washed it in a day or two. I think I'll give it another try or two, though. Maybe it takes more than one application? Lip balm Waaaaaay too thin, doesn't last 5 min on my lips. Nope. Facial moisturizer This is where coconut oil works best for me. I spooned out a small amount of the oil in its solid state and melted it in my palms, then gently rubbed it all over my face and neck. It's not so thick that you feel like you're slathering olive oil on your face, but not so thin that it feels ineffective (on your face, at least). It sinks into my skin pretty easily and smells so so nice, and so far has not caused any skin irritation (redness, breakouts) at all. Body moisturizer I used the same application method as I did on my face (duh). I wish the consistency was thicker, especially for my legs. My shins get so, so dry in the winter and I always get the urge to use super thick creams to combat the problem (hello, Nivea Creme!) - anything less just feels like it isn't going to be enough to work. But the coconut oil does seem to moisturize pretty okay without making me feel uncomfortably greasy, so that's good. Side note: My dog apparently loves the smell of coconut and whenever I apply this stuff, she won't stop licking me to the point where I have to actually push her away and maybe go lock myself in the bathroom for a bit until she chills out. Verdict I know these reviews are more individual perception than actual science. Even if the oil felt too thin and like it wasn't doing anything, I have to admit that both my hair and skin are soft and moisturized, just not shockingly, astoundingly so. So, no fireworks, but I would definitely continue using it. I like that it's natural and organic and cheap, I like that there's no petrolatum involved since that stuff is derived from crude oil (and crude oil derivatives are in, like, everything). I'm assuming coconut is available in abundance and TJ's extraction process seems pretty simple so it's probably environmentally friendly? I like that it comes in a glass jar that I can reuse or recycle. I can see why everyone has jumped on the coconut oil bandwagon!
Friday Five
I am kind of obsessed with not martha's series of posts detailing the opening of each of the Kinder Eggs she purchased while abroad. I am also kind of obsessed with Kinder Eggs (WHICH YOU CAN BUY IN THE STATES AGAIN NOW HOORAYYYY!)
Do you find the French Exit to be rude behavior? I've always been a big fan, to be honest.
I've been slowly testing / teaching / re-teaching myself some world geography and for some odd reason I find it really fun.
101 travel tips. Some of these are pretty smart, especially this one:
78. Take a range of see-through plastic bags with you. You can use them for keeping your dirty clothes separate, replacing lost make up bags, storing souvenirs, and just generally keeping your bag organised without having to empty it every time you want to find something.
Also good for protecting your belongings in case something inside your suitcase spills/explodes!
I'll be too busy working on a couple commissions for the next several days to do any special cooking or baking, but as soon as those are done, I plan to make a batch of homemade soft pretzels (and maybe even some obatzda to dip them in!). YUM.
Bye bye, BBB
I'm still a little bit too lumpy-throated to properly express how I feel about the end of the Bazaar Bizarre Boston, but Sarah did a really good job saying all of the things that I'm feeling right now.
I can easily say that that highly anticipated day in 2005 when Sarah, Megan, and I got the acceptance email saying that we'd gotten into the Bazaar Bizarre Boston was one of the greatest and most exiting days of my life. At the time, I couldn't possibly have known what the BBB would come to mean to me in the wake of that acceptance, but something inside me definitely felt that it was a turning point in my creative life. My 8 years of involvement can attest to that fact.
The BBB has meant more to me than I can explain right now without getting teary. I'm just so happy that I was able to be a part of it to the extent I was. It's going to be a little bit strange this December when I won't be frantically running around trying to do eight thousand things at once. I have a feeling that month will feel quiet and empty and I'm not really sure I'm looking forward to it, to be honest.
But sometimes tough decisions have to be made. As sad as I feel right now, I am looking forward to participating in new projects with The Small Craft Advisory. I'm sure something awesome will be born out of the BBB ashes. Onward and upward.
Nuxe ❤!
Oh, Nuxe! I am totally in love with your products, I have to confess. So, I had this kit on my wishlist for quite some time, but I couldn't justify buying it until I was actually going on a trip. The moment I booked my tickets to Europe, I went to purchase it only to find out that it was sold out nearly everywhere. On a whim, I used the "Shopping" option on Google, which showed the kit in stock on a site called Skin-One. Not only was it in stock, but it was available for $15 with free shipping, and they were having a 10% off sale at the time. Never having ordered anything from that site before, I took a chance and I'm really glad I did. Skin-One is now one of my favorite sources for really great skincare brands like Nuxe, Caudalie, Avene, etc. In fact, they were pretty much my only source for Avene until I stopped by the new giant Walgreens that they recently opened in the old Borders space in Downton Crossing and saw that they sell Avene (and Nuxe!) and oh boy, am I in trouble or what. But anyway, I digress.
So about that kit. It was pretty perfect for my trip. It came with a micellar water cleanser/makeup remover, cleansing gel, dry oil, hand and nail cream, and a face cream/moisturizer. I'll link to the full sized items on skinone.com for more info about each item and purchasing info.* *Note: The product description on skinone.com still says that the kit comes with:
Micellar Cleansing Water
Reve de Miel Ultra Comfortable Face Cream - Day
Huile Prodiguese dry oil
Reve de Miel Hand & Nail Cream
Reve de Miel Face and Body Ultra-Rich Cleansing Gel
but the photo on that page shows a different kit. It looks like the current kit for sale has Crème Prodigieuse day cream and Body Fondant Shower Gel in place of the Reve de Miel Ultra Comfortable Face Cream - Day and the Reve de Miel Face and Body Ultra-Rich Cleansing Gel (which is also a different kit than the one that is for sale on nuxe.com [and $3 less expensive!]). Eau Demauillante Micellaire cleansing water This is a pretty nice cleansing water. I use cleansing waters as makeup removers, which is what I think they are intended for? I guess you can use them as an overall general cleanser/toner type dealio, but I like to use them for "spot treatments" (aka removing dark kohl eyeliner and waterproof mascara). Anyway, this one is good. I do actually like the Bioderma cleansing water a bit better than this one (how cliché!) but I genuinely do find that Bioderma works wonders on removing heavy eye makeup, which is the #1 reason why I love it. Reve de Miel face and body cleansing gel THIS STUFF, YOU GUYS. This is the star of the kit for me, hands down. The moment I uncapped the tube, I completely fell in love. The scent is incredible, but it is strong. Normally I don't care for strong-scented products (really, this stuff and the Caudalie beauty elixir are maybe the only exceptions in recent memory), but for some reason the scent of this stuff is just my favorite thing on earth, so much so that I made it my mission to find a full-sized bottle of this when I was in Europe. It smells kind of floraly and kind of honey-ish and almost herbal? And normally honey scented things are gross to me (too cloying!) but this is perfect. The scent description is really hard to pin down but it is SO nice and I actually wish they made a perfume with this scent because I would so wear it. I used this on my face every day of my Europe trip and perhaps it was coincidence, but my skin totally cleared up over those 9 days. Normally, I break out like crazy on trips (different water, different routine, different products, different food, etc.) but not so this time. I really suspect this cleanser was the reason why! Huile Prodiguese dry oil It's no secret that I love this stuff, so I knew I had to take some on my trip with me. I didn't want to carry a full-sized bottle (I just had visions of the bottle uncapping itself in my suitcase and noooooooooooo), so this tiny bottle was actually the reason I bought the kit in the first place. Reve de Miel hand and nail cream This cream has the same scent as the Reve de Miel cleansing gel, but the scent isn't quite as strong. It sinks into the skin nicely and doesn't leave your hands greasy at all. I ended up buying a full version of this as well. Reve de Miel ultra comfortable face cream (day) This cream feels really nice on the skin and it didn't sting my skin at all when applying it just after cleansing my face (it contains SPF, which I find can sometimes irritate newly-cleansed skin). Unfortunately, it seems to leave my face greasy all day long. I kept waiting for it to sink into my skin, but it never really did. This is a bummer particularly because I love how when I wear it, I can smell the scent very faintly every once in a while throughout the day (the next best thing to wearing it as a perfume!). Like the hand and nail cream, it has a lighter version of the cleansing gel scent, which is really pleasant. But I just can't deal with the greasiness :( And all of these cute little containers come packaged in a nice, little, clear plastic zippered cosmetic case. I love this kit so, so much and I wish that other skincare brands would put together little affordable kits like this for trying their products out as well as for travel sizes. I may never have purchased the full sizes of the cleanser and the hand lotion had I not been able to try out the trial sizes first, so I think it's such a smart idea!
Köln 2013
I've been putting off finishing this entry about the final city on our European tour (ha!) and I suppose it's because posting it means the vacation is really over. I mean, it's been a month - time to move on, right? Reality and I haven't exactly been getting along recently. Anyway. It's odd, but I somehow (surprisingly!) didn't have any (or many) expectations about Köln/Cologne before arriving in the city. I've been pretty stoked on everything German/Germany for awhile, and so it would make sense that I would step off the train with inflated hopes, but to be honest, I was just happy to be there. In fact, that was sort of the theme of the trip - I kept saying "I'm just happy to be here!" and it was the honest truth. So maybe that was why it was so easy to fall in love with Köln!
We took the 8:00 AM Thalys train from Paris Gare du Nord and arrived in Köln around 11:15 AM. It was a nice, quiet, smooth, comfortable, and very swift ride. We sat in "Comfort 2" which is second class/coach and I have no complaints. I did some research before booking the tickets as to whether or not it was worth it to spring for Comfort 1 class and the general consensus was 'no'. The main difference (that mattered to me) is that wi-fi is free in Comfort 1 and not in Comfort 2, so I bought wi-fi on board and it was a bit expensive (around $17 for the whole journey - I can't remember if that was "unlimited" or enough to cover 3 hours, though), but even with the added wi-fi fee, it was still less expensive than a first class ticket. Sitting captive on a train for a few hours is perfect downtime when you're on a trip that is go-go-go so I thought that having internet access during that time was worth it.
We got off the train and made our way to the hotel, which is so close to Hauptbanhof that you can basically see it from the station, but not too close that it's sketchy/dirty (as far as I could tell). The main train stations in Paris (Gare du Nord) and Rome (Termini) and their immediate surrounding areas are not exactly spots in which I'd want to hang out, but it seemed different in Köln. The Kölner Dom (Cathedral) and the main shopping areas (Hohe Straße and Schildergasse) are very close to Hauptbanhof and the area felt safe during the day as well as at night. Of course it's hard to say that with 100% certainty because we were only there for 2 nights, but that's the general feeling I got, anyway. The only time the area seemed less-than-stellar was late on Saturday night when the plaza next to the station was littered with glass shards from broken beer bottles, but I think that was more of a result of overzealous drunken celebration than anything threatening.
We stayed at the Marriott Köln, which was able to provide us with an early check-in and a very comfortable (read: huge!) room. However, the wi-fi wasn't free (it was free at both of our [less expensive] Paris and Rome hotels, though! Why do the chain hotels always charge for it?) and connecting was actually pretty pricey. Ugh. Also, I would've like to have had a room on a high floor with a view, but unfortunately because of our arrival time, we were put on the 1st floor. We were given the option of waiting for another room, but we didn't feel like waiting so we took the room that was available. Other than those issues, the stay was quite nice and you can't beat the location.
My friend Melanie (a native of Köln) met us at the hotel and took us out to see the city. On the way to lunch, we met up with my friend Leonie who was in nearby Düsseldorf from Vienna and we all had lunch at Keule. I had kölsch and the "Zigeunerwurst with paprika sauce, coleslaw and french fries" and it was SO GOOD. There was zero chance of me eating vegetarian on this trip, and I'm really glad I decided to just go with it, otherwise I would've missed out on some amazing meals.
After lunch, we visited the Kölner Dom (Cathedral), which was enormous and really beautiful. A weathered black stone Gothic cathedral? How could I not love that? I mean really.
Then we hit the shopping areas, namely the Hohe Straße and Schildergasse, where I challenged Melanie with a new request every couple of minutes ("Find me a hat!", "Find me some greeting cards!"). Luckily for me, she came through every time and I found a super cute hat for Sarah's wedding the following weekend, some cards, and a little gift for my Mom for Mother's Day. Yay!
After a bit of shopping, we took a break for kaffee und kuchen (natürlich!) at Cafe Fromme and I had the most delicious slice of banana-chocolate mousse cake and COFFEE. I didn't drink a lot of "regular" coffee on this trip and so this cup was a very welcome treat.
After our break, we said goodbye to Leonie who had to get back to Düsseldorf and then we did some more shopping and lots of walking around. Melanie took us all around the city, pointing out public landmarks as well as her own personal landmarks. It was a really great tour and I'm so glad I got to see so much in a small amount of time and got to spend that time with Miss Melanie! We had some cheap pizza and burgers (and more kölsch, of course) for dinner and then stopped at a grocery store on the walk back to the hotel, where I loaded up on gummis and chocolate. Heaven.
On Saturday, we met up for breakfast with Melanie and our friend Anna, who was in town from Poland, at the Kamps by the cathedral where I had this ridiculous strawberry danish thing that was filled with vanilla pudding. WHAT? You heard me.
We chilled out for awhile and chatted and after breakfast, we said goodbye to Melanie and then headed off to the hotel for a bit because it had started to rain - but, of course, not before we stopped at the little kiosk by the train station for currywurst. It was my first time trying it and it was so good, even better than expected!
After a little rain break, we met up with Anna again and got on the U-Bahn alllllll the way out to Sparkasse am Butzweilerhof to the Coloneum Film and TV Studios for the taping of the Deutschland sucht den Superstar season finale. I'd been watching DSDS this season because my favorite person was a judge and when we got the opportunity to get tickets and realized that we could easily fit Köln into our itinerary, it was kind of a no-brainer.
DSDS was sooooo fun. It was, of course, all in German so I was a little lost on what was happening much of the time, but I also kept up with the action better than I thought I would. And I've never been to a taping of anything before and so it was cool to see the behind the scenes stuff and of course, to see all of the contestants, hosts, judges, etc. that we'd been watching all season back in the States. And, to top it all off, we got a personal wave from Bill as he walked out of the studio at the end. It was basically the cherry on top of an already amazing trip! We got back home quite late but luckily were just in time to get another currywurst on the way to the hotel before the stand closed up for the night. This time I had it "mit Brötchen" instead of "mit Pommes" because the currywurst man had already cleaned out the fryers for the night. It was still super good, of course. We ate our very late dinner while we watched the re-run of the DSDS show we'd just been at, which was kind of totally surreal.
The next day was travel day, ugh, which meant we had to be up at like 5:00 AM to catch our train back to Paris for our flights back to Boston. I didn't want to go. I'm actually still in denial that I ever left.
So, in short, Europe was ah-may-zing. I can't pick a favorite among Rome, Paris, and Köln. There were so many chances for things to go so terribly wrong but instead, everything worked out as perfectly as possible. And I absolutely cannot wait to go back.
Paris 2013
Oh, Paris. I should hate you. You're expensive, your men are pushy and creepy, parts of you are filthy and smell terrible, your ticket machines don't take regular American strip credit cards, a (not-bottomless) glass of Coke at some of your café's cost €9,50. And yet - AND YET - I just can't stop loving you. Paris: Tues 7 May - Fri 10 May We landed in Paris - well, technically, Beauvais, around 10AM. It was raining, we'd been up since who-knows-when, Ryan Air had been... an experience, I was exhausted and a little bit miserable. After about an hour on a coach, we arrived in Paris proper and made our way to the hotel.
We stayed at the Hotel La Manufacture and I can't recommend it enough. It's in a super great area (safe, quiet, right at a metro stop that is convenient to sights and Gare du Nord) and the hotel itself is clean, comfortable, and staffed by some of the nicest people I've encountered at any hotel anywhere.
After a little bit of running around the city to try to complete an errand (successfully!), we found a nice little place near our hotel for dinner, stopped at Marche Franprix for some snax, and settled in for the night. We must've gone to bed really early that night because I honestly don't remember much of anything after we got back to the hotel.
On Wednesday, we were awoken by a marching band on the Place d'Italie. Turns out, it was a holiday in France (Victory in Europe Day) which meant some of the things on our to-see list were closed, but on the flip side, there were also a LOT of French flags all around which made for great photos. We composed a loose itinerary for the day and set out on our adventure. The list contained a lot of repeats for me, but I didn't mind so much - I mean, *who* is going to complain about seeing the Eiffel Tower twice in their life? Not me. (This was the 3rd and 4th time for me, technically. Still, a-okay.) The Catacombs were closed due to the holiday, so we had lunch at Café Indiana nearby. It was the same place I had lunch after we went to the Catacombs in 2010, and it was still delicious.
After lunch, we headed to the Eiffel Tower for some picture-taking on the Champ de Mars and then across to the Trocadéro on the other side for some more photos. After that, we walked up Avenue Kléber to the Arc de Triomphe and then down the Champs-Élysées. We did some shopping at Pierre Hermé, Ladurée, and H&M (haha), made a tiny pilgrimage down Avenue Montaigne, and then continued back down toward the Place de la Concorde. We were getting pretty hangry by this point, so it was time to find some dinner. We found a decent place on the corner of rue Saint-Honoré and re-fueled.
After dinner, we had another serendipitous experience. It was getting late and we knew we wanted to see the Eiffel tower sparkle before we went home because Darcy had never seen it at night. We also figured it might be nice to go up it at night, but it was about 10:30PM and the last admission was at midnight, so if time didn't allow for it, that would also be okay. We decided to try to find a bottle of wine and then head back down to the Trocadéro to watch the sparkles and that proved to be a difficult task. But after about 15 min of walking, we found a tiiiiiiiny convenience store selling small bottles of wine and they also had one €2,50 bottle opener left on the shelf. Score. We raced back toward the Seine and as we crossed it, realized the first bridge we came to was one of the "lover's" lock bridges, which had been on Darcy's to-see list. Score, again! We quickly followed the river toward the Eiffel Tower but it became increasingly obvious that time was not on our side, so we decided to hop in a cab. We got to the Eiffel Tower with 7 min to spare, ran across to the Trocadéro, found a perfect place to sit, and had our wine bottles open only moments before the tower lit up in sparkles. Super score.
We hung out there for about a 1/2 hr and then decided to go up the tower - why not? There was no line to go up, so we boarded the elevator with about 10 other people (and they didn't confiscate my wine opener!) and made our ascent. The top wasn't open at that hour but the middle level is high enough, trust me. A few minutes after we got off the elevator and had a look around, the tower began to sparkle at midnight. Super, duper score.
On Thursday, we decided to go to Versailles. This was another repeat for me but I loved Versailles so much the first time that I was excited to see it again (and it's no secret that I have a total fascination with Marie Antoinette, as cliché as that may be). The palace is still breathtaking, duh. Unfortunately, the gardens weren't free on this trip like they were last time because now they do some sort of music water show at the fountains, and by the time we got out there we would've had to pay €8.50 for about a 1/2 hr of garden time. We decided to skip it and instead headed back into the city for dinner and to see if the pharmacy I wanted to stop at was still open (it was! And I loaded up on Nuxe products and Bioderma).
We had dinner across the street from the pharmacy at Café de Flore, where by chance, we were seated one spot down from where Bill Kaulitz sat with Wolfgang Joop during Durch die Nacht mit Bill Kaulitz & Wolfgang Joop (none of you care about this I know just let me write it down haha) and had Croque-madame and some wine.
Café de Flore was pretty pricey and we didn't eat much, so we took another break at a café at Place d'Italie and had some drinks and snacks before going back to the hotel for the evening.
We soon settled into bed because we had to be up bright and early to catch the train to Germany! Up next - Köln!
Rome 2013
Can I please go back to Europe now? I am totally suffering from post-vacay depression combined with the worst jet-lag I've experienced in all of my travels (which is probably not that bad comparatively and also is much, much better today). Coming back to reality has been hard because my trip was totally amazing. We saw so many amazing places, ate so many delicious things, and visited with some of my favorite people in the world. With all of that travel, there were so, so many opportunities for things to go horribly wrong, and somehow, nothing did. We had amazing travel karma throughout this entire trip and I'm still kind of in awe (especially after my last trip to Europe which resulted in 5 unexpected extra days in Pari$ thanks to the 2010 Icelandic volcano eruption. That was fun... until my flight got canceled the second time). Anyway, here's what happened. Rome: Fri 3 May - Tues 7 May
After a 7-hour layover at CDG in Paris, I finally made it to Rome early on Saturday evening. Darcy met me at the airport and we went straight to our hotel (cheap, clean, safe, friendly, centrally located) and settled in. I thought I would be in super rough shape after being up for roughly 30 hrs (I worked a full day on Friday), but I was feeling okay, so we went out for a little walk and got some dinner at Piazza Venezia (pizza and gelato, of course).
The next day we set off to see some sights. Darcy had been studying in Rome since just after Christmas, so she was a perfect, knowledgeable tour guide. We visited the Trevi Fountain, the Temple of Hadrian, Pantheon, National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II, the Roman Forum, the Coliseum and the Arch of Constantine, and the cat sanctuary at Torre Argentina. I'm sure I saw some other stuff that day too, but I was still jet-lagged and everything was a little hazy and felt sort of like I was in a dream.
On Monday, we visited the Vatican. We had some amazing, serendipitous, and at times, eerie luck on this European trip and our Vatican visit was definitely an example of that. Usually the line to get into the museum takes hours of waiting, but by sheer luck, we got there just moments before they closed the doors and were able to walk right in. The museum was great and totally overstimulating. And the Sistine Chapel was smaller and square-er than I imagined.
In the evening, we visited Darcy's old neighborhood Trastavere where we found a super cute little restaurant and I tried fried zucchini blossom (fiori di zucca) and some Roman sparkling red wine and it was so good. We finished off the night with some souvenir shopping and more gelato. I tried Baci gelato this time and it was the best gelato I had out of the three times I had it in Rome!
The next morning we had to be up and in a cab on the way to Ciampino airport before dawn because we were off to Paris! :)
Overall, I really liked Rome. The weather was lovely, the people were super friendly, the city is clearly anciently old but it didn't feel decrepit or dirty (except for maybe around Termini station but it's like that around nearly every city's main train station - well, except for Köln's, now that I think of it...), the dudes in Rome didn't really harass us (they'd say "Ciao, bella" and then if you didn't seem interested, would leave you to whatever you were doing.) I would definitely love to go back and spend a little more time exploring and I'd also love to see Florence, Milan, and Venice. Here's my complete Rome 2013 photo album on Google+ if you'd like to see the rest of my photos (hopefully that link works!) Next up - Paris!
Hello Italy, France, and Germany!
My bags are packed, I'm ready to go!
In a few short hours I'll be on a flight to Europe and I cannot wait! I'm going to visit my friend Darcy in Rome for a few days, and then we will spend a couple days in Paris (again? again!), and a couple days in Cologne. I'm especially thrilled to go to Cologne for several reasons - I've never been to Germany, I'm so excited to visit my friend Melanie in her hometown, and I might also have tickets to see Bill Kaulitz at the taping of the DSDS finale. Might. Some things on my itinerary: Rome: The Vatican (!!!), Via Appia Antica and Catacombs, the Trevi Fountain, eat pizza, pasta, and gelato. Paris: Versailles (again!), Pierre Hermé and/or Ladurée, Le Bon Marché, Colette, Mariage Frères and/or Kusmi Tea, Palais de Tokyo, Café de Flore, Saint Denis Basilica, Palais Royal, take a macaron or croissant cooking class(?), raid a French pharmacie for Nuxe/Caudalie/Bioderma. Cologne: Kölner Dom, Kölsch with Melanie, try currywurst, raid a German pharmacie for Nivea, see Bill/DSDS. I have a bunch of recommendations for all 3 places, but I'm always open to more! Last time I was in Paris, I visited the Eiffel Tower, the Catacombs, Père Lachaise cemetary, the Louvre, Tuileries/Champs-Élysées, a Seine cruise, and visited Versailles, so I probably won't repeat any of those things (with the exception of Versailles). So excited!!!!
Sad Days and Happy Days
I haven't felt like blogging in awhile and the events of last week just added to my lack of motivation. I don't want to go too overboard here because I wasn't directly affected and I don't know anyone who was directly affected, either. Which is kind of a miracle when you think about it because Boston, in a lot of ways, is just a big small town and living around here is often like playing one giant game of Six Two Degrees of Separation. Anyway, like pretty much everyone else, I spent most of last week (and especially Friday) glued to the news. Friday was restless and peppered with a couple of short naps here and there. I couldn't get anything productive done. My office was closed, things felt surreal, and I didn't know what to do with myself. Things were too close, and the week weighed on me in unexpected ways. But everything is getting back to normal.
Last Sunday we threw a party for Sarah and Curtis who are getting married in a couple of short weeks (!!!). We'd been keeping a really big secret from them for a few months, and let me tell you - it wasn't an easy thing to do. We made them a quilt! Our clandestine quilt-meetings were bittersweet - it was so fun getting together regularly to work on this in a big group, but it was tough not having Sarah there. But sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the greater good.
The quilt is double-sided, enormous, and was quite the undertaking, but you know what? We are kind of crafty superheroes :)
A week from today, I will be on my way to Europe for 9 days. I'm so excited, but it would really be nice if time would slow down! Things are happening waaaaaaay too fast.
Schnitzel with Noodles
I love Olympia Le Tan's A/W 2013 collection so much that within the past few days I've pretty much shown it to any of my friends who were willing to squint at my iPhone's tiny screen while I swiped through photo after photo exclaiming "OMG, no, look at this one!" Sure it's campy and derivative or whatever, but it's SO CUTE and wearable and I want ALL OF IT. Well, MOST of it, anyway. There are a few looks toward the end that wander into "Sexy Sound of Music Halloween Costume" territory. But little sweaters and wool capes and lederhosen (in velvet, unfortunately. Can I get mine in another fabric?) and wide belts embroidered (?) with "Schnitzel with Noodles"? Come ON.
I've had this song stuck in my head for dayssssssssss
The Lonely Goatherd - The Sound Of Music, Sung by Julie Andrews as Wonderful Original Maria from Isaac Sarayiah on Vimeo.
All photos from style.com
I'm Back In Love With Project Runway
Are you guys watching Project Runway this season? I haven't watched the show in ages but Sarah got me interested in it again and I'm really into it now, almost as much as I used to be! I have to say, though - I feel like the caliber of talent isn't quite as high as it was in the earlier seasons. Has the fashion talent well run dry? (No way.) Are gifted designers scared away by reality TV? Are the designers this season just not being given the right kinds of challenges? Am I just being too critical? Anyway - I noticed something cool while watching the most recent episode (S13E6). In the hair and makeup room, which is sponsored by L'Oreal, some of the fixtures are made up of L'Oreal products. The frame around the mirror here is made up of L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows:
And it looks like the little side table (?) in the background is made up of bottles of Elnett hairspray:
Kinda neat, no? I wonder if there are other fixtures in that room made up of products as well. I watched that scene a couple of times but didn't see anything else. I'll have to remember to check during the upcoming episodes. Also, can we just talk about Michelle's necklace here for a second? Because it is amazing and I love it and I want one.
I'm not really into that kind of leather and bondage-rings look for myself personally, but her necklace is super cool and doesn't feel all that bondage-y. It's so neat. Also, LOL Patricia. She needs to pack her bags and GO already. You can watch full episodes of Project Runway for free at http://www.mylifetime.com/shows/project-runway.
Missing McQueen
I still think about Alexander McQueen a lot. I probably think about Alexander McQueen way more than someone who never knew him and who has never worn his clothing (and probably never will) should.
Maybe it's silly, but I actually feel quite sad whenever I remember that he's gone and I think of how we'll never see all any the creations he would have made had he lived. And it's probably unfair, but I can't look at a new collection without thinking "but what would McQueen have done this season?", as if there was a specific trajectory in which his designs were going and it's impossible that Sarah Burton would be going in the same trajectory simply because she isn't McQueen. Also, I can't even look at the skulls without wondering if he would've put them into retirement by now. I understand that they're probably the brand's moneymaker, but enough already. I can't help but think that he would have moved on to something else by now. I still see his influence everywhere. I see it in on racks in shops like H&M and I see it in recent collections from designers like Givenchy and Prabal Gurung and Dolce & Gabbana.
The final collection by McQueen himself showed in 2010 (above), but the strength of his point of view is still resonating throughout fashion. That's some pretty amazing and powerful stuff. Photos from style.com and target.com, video from showstudio.com.
Fashion Week Faves (So Far)
So I was a little slow on the uptake with checking out the A/W 2013 shows. I'm not sure what it was but when NYC started a couple weeks ago, I just had zero interest. Luckily the kickoff of Paris this week kind of snapped my attention back to fashion and I am all in. Everything has been really gorgeous. I always love A/W the best, anyway. Some of my favorites from Milan and Paris so far:
all photos from showstudio.com.