Things I Like

NINA | VIE | 24 ALL THINGS NICE

[ninakasvie]

MANUFACTUM SHOPPING CART

Maybe you are sick of me saying that I am such a grandma and that I am super boring. But this I have to share with you.

Shopping carts.

I used to have this silly black polka dot one from IKEA. Which I actually really liked. Mainly because it was my first own shopping cart and I felt super grown up when my mom got it for me. (Please do not feel sad for me.)

Then one day my colleague H. brought this babe of a shopping cart to the office. It was black and sleek and so french that my jaw dropped.

I was like, NEED.

Every time H. walked pass me with babe in her hand she would make a little dance in front of me to make me jealous. It worked.

So then I was in Düsseldorf and I went to Manufactum and I started crying because I really wanted to have a babe myself but it was just too bulky and heavy.

But there is this thing called online shopping. So last Wednesday I was having a really good day (surprisingly) and I just did it. You guys, I just ordered one.

The best thing about babe is, you can fucking fold it! How genius is that? I can just fold it and hang it on a hook in my second hallway (that I have no idea what to do with).

I LOVE THIS THING.

I'm aware that this is the longest post I have ever written. Now you can feel sad for me.

[ninakasvie]

Maldon Sea Salt Flakes

I love salt. Love is actually an understatement. If my food does not have a layer of salt on top of it, I will not eat it. Take that back to the kitchen.

Now is the time to tell me that salt is super unhealthy.

Clearly you have never tasted good salt before.

Maldon Sea Salt Flakes are like little pieces of heaven touching my taste buds. I am getting romantic and gross.

I got mine at Feinkoch, you should too.

[ninakasvie]

FACIAL OILS AND SERUMS

Let's talk oils.

For the past fifty years I ignored facial oils and serums. Yes, I am that old.

Why has no one told me about this before?

Young girls should learn how to properly take care of their skin in school. Stop covering your puberty skin in drugstore full-coverage foundation (no offense to drugstore cosmetics) and let it breathe. And when you are old and rich enough, cover it in oils and serums. Voilà, french skin!

Thanks to YouTube people and beauty bloggers I was introduced to this stuff you put on wet skin. Yes, wet skin! No one tells you that either.

I tested my new obsession with Alverde's Wildrose Gesichtsöl. You know, you gotta start small. For about four bucks, this isn't too bad.

Okay, I lied. I got Nuxe's Huile Prodigieuse first. But I mostly spray it on my arms and chest. Because you know what? That shit smells amazing. It is addictive. I sniff it in the morning and am high all day. And when I feel down, I just smell my soft arms.

Then I was like, I need more. I need some cool stuff that only cool people own. Aesop to the rescue! This Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Serum is the real stuff. It is super pricey, yes, but I am pretty sure I will get to look at its pretty packaging for a long time. The serum is a lot more sticky than your usual oils but your skin will suck it in within seconds. Good stuff for day and night.

So next came Caudalie and its Vinosource S.O.S Thirst Quenching Serum. I was not in need of another serum but it was on my list for a while and then there was a discount and then it just happened. It turns out, I bought the wrong one but oh well, I cannot hate myself all the time. The color is weird. The smell is okay. But I like the effect. It is like injecting moisture right into your skin. Without a needle!

May my new obsession be your new obsession. Amen.

[ninakasvie]

BEAR YOYOS

I mean, look at those yoyos.

Delish, sweet packaging and available at Veganz.

I heard Veganz had a vegan bodybuilder at their store opening. Maybe he munches on some yoyos after his workouts.

As for the ingredients - it's pure fruit "gently baked". As for the taste - Imma just say that nothing beats lavashak. 

[ninakasvie]

BIODERMA SENSIBIO H2O

So according to Dr. Hauschka's beliefs one is not supposed to put cream on their face before going to bed. That sounded like horror to me. Going to bed with an itchy face was not an option.

Now I am not a Dr. Hauschka prophet or whatever but I felt challenged and it only sounded natural to me. Washing my face with just water will not remove all of the u-bahn junk I have sticking on it and will usually leave my skin dry.

Well, that was before I went to Paris and spent all my money at City Pharma. More on that in another post.

Bioderma's Sensibio H2O solution is nothing new to the market and we all know that all the french ladies love it. And there is good reason to it.

I only find that it won't remove waterproof mascara as well. I therefore use a simple eye-make-up remover.

And after that I use nothing. Dr. Hauschka now approves of me. And my skin isn't even mad.

Going to bed without taking your make-up off is so ugh and going to bed without taking your make-up off with this shit is double-ugh!

[ninakasvie]

CLIF BAR

Sometimes I climb mountains.

Not really, but I like to think that I did after I walked up the stairs to the office.

For all the people that actually understand something when reading the list of ingreadients on foodstuff: I know.

But they looks so pretty and they do taste mighty good. And my tiny self could not even finish one bar at once. So this is like two meals for three euros. Awesome, if you ask me.

[ninakasvie]

KO NGAI

I think it is time to torture you with some beach pictures again. It's been too long, really.

After living the high life in Phuket and almost dying in Ko Lanta (exaggerating, Paps and more on that later) we took a speed boat to one tiny island called Ko Ngai. I lived in fear for forty minutes. There must be a speed limit in Thailand too, no? 

Koh Ngai is so tiny, it does not even have a supermarket. Or locals. It does have wifi though. That meant six full days of sitting on the same spot, reading one book after the other, chugging fresh coconuts and even fresher martinis and not getting bored of it. 

I would visit Coco Cottage anytime again. I would totally get an outdoor shower if my neighbours weren't such creeps. 

I am also a full fan of this low tide/high tide thing they have going on. In the mornings there was barely any beach left and in the afternoon we just walked half a kilometer into the ocean. There I almost died getting stung by sea urchins.

I am living such a risky life.

[ninakasvie]

DR. HAUSCHKA

The first time I came across Dr. Hauschka was when my sister and my mom both started exclusively smearing the facial toner on their skin. I thought I have at least another ten years before I start having to be fancy with my skin (sorry sis!).

Then I was like, why not start now? Not only because it sounds nice when I say 'I ONLY let Dr. Hauschka on my skin!' but also because it makes me high shopping at pharmacies (especially Staudigl).

I first started using the Rose Day Cream in the mornings. Then it started getting hot and sweaty for about a week (I think it was spring) so I just switched to the Rose Day Cream Light! How clever is that?

I turn to the Revitalising Day Cream after washing my face in the evening. I might get punched by Mr. Dr. Hauschka himself for doing this but I cannot not put any lotion on my skin before going to bed.

Yet. Maybe my skin will turn into something magical after all. Actually, I am quite certain it will because Christina already told me I look radiant! RADIANT!

[ninakasvie]

BLOGLOVIN

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Kisses!

[ninakasvie]

FOODCAMP

My God, time flies. I anxiously awaited this year's FoodCamp for several months. Why anxiously, you might ask.

Well, I knew, from past events hosted by the Coolinary Society, that I won't be able to walk back home.

My belly stuffed with self-made pasta (thanks to Sonja and Oliver from Compliment to the Chef), my brain full of knowledge on how to use a camera properly (thanks to Eva from foodtastic), my arms stretched out because I needed to try everything (thanks to all the sponsors!) and a simple 'How did they do that?' later I did not even try to run after the bus and immediately took a taxi home.

Thanks a million to Nina and Dani for once again doing what they do best! 

Find all impressions by other attendees here.

[ninakasvie]

PHUKET | VIJITT RESORT

It's been almost two months and I cannot believe it. I would be glad to give up one kidney if I get to go back to Thailand in return.

Our first stop was Phuket because we decided to not do anything slightly cultural and be resort and beach tourists instead. I actually did not expect much from Phuket and we only planned on staying for a couple of nights to get rid of the jet lag. I guess we should not have picked such an ace resort. Vijitt was like paradise and I felt like kissing all the lovely people that worked there. (The other guests not so much.) My favorite guy was the one that would put mosquito spray on the guests' legs during dinner!

We left Vijitt after four short nights and with an evil sunburn after sitting in the shade on a rainy day. Shit happens, ya'll!

[ninakasvie]

RELAUNCH

Hahaha! Such a lie! People at work know why. I still decided to relaunch myself because Things I Like was looking hideous. Thanks to my paypal account and J.Ecker I'm looking fresh again. Just in time for FoodCamp on Saturday. Can you tell I'm excitedddd!?

[ninakasvie]

DAS GOLDENE WIENER HERZ

If we’re friends and you ever feel like buying me something, please don’t get me any cups or plates or cake stands or vases or any other pretty stuff. Same goes to you if we don’t even know each other. 

It’s okay if you’re my sister and if you know what I really like and need.

My apartment is drowning in pretty things and I actually started using everything instead of just looking at them. In the hopes that one day I can throw everything out because it’s old and used and ew. 

Anyhow, these two Das Goldene Wiener Herz cups are two of my absolute favsies. They are white and gold and just lovely. I would never throw them out.

Actually, everything made by DGWH is pure gold (get it?)! 

The fact that their products are designed in Vienna and made in Germany are two cherries on top. 

The golden designs on the big cups represent details of Viennese Jugendstil buildings and constructions. (I totally had to look that up.)

Also, at home I only drink my wine in these Wiener Heuriger glasses. TO.DIE.FOR!

[ninakasvie]

HEALTHY BANANA CAKE

So Nugget turned two last Friday. When did this happen? (Last Friday, I know)

I'm old and I start being the kind of adult I hated when I was younger. Always talking about how fast something went by and the worst, I always hug and squeeze and try to get a kiss from him. Poor Nugget. I know how awful that is. Not trying to change anytime soon though. 

My darling sister then asked me to bake a cake with no sugar. She acutally said that. And then I panicked. What cake doesn't contain sugar? I mean, I can't just subsitute sugar for honey. And then I remembered that some people like to make banana bread instead of banana cake. And then smear a whole jug of Nutella right on top of it. Nice try. 

I used this recipe from BBC. Mainly because the site doesn't look hideous unlike other blogs. I doubled the recipe because I knew my fantastic cake needs six fantastic layers. 

And then I remembered that no banana cake tastes good without cream cheese frosting. Since cream cheese frosting consists mainly of .. ummm sugar, I knew that my sister and 12 other moms would try to kill me if I actually went for that. So I went for elana's pantry's cream cheese frosting. 

Needless to say, it was the most amazing shit I ever tasted. And there's no butter nor any sugar in it! Can you believe it? I couldn't.

[ninakasvie]

ROTM - WHITNEY HOUSTON

Excuse the abstinence. I was busy tanning and snorkeling in beautiful Thailand. I shall make you jealous in separate posts about our trip. 

Right now there's not much to be jealous of. I'm sick at home working, although I should be painting my living room walls and preparing for a move. 

That's when Whitney comes in and tries to bring some glamour back into my life. 

My couch will be my baby tonight.

[ninakasvie]

LANCÔME ABSOLU VELOURS

Yeezus, no time for nothing.

Plus I keep forgetting what number this Lancôme Absolu Velours is. 

I know it now! It's 375 Magenta!

It's like super neon pink and it's matte and definitely not shiny (which I hate, ugh) and it makes people look at your lips like this. 

My parents in the back seem to like it too.

I bought this when my goal was to step outside Douglas with something I actually needed. This did not happen.

[ninakasvie]

MY CRANE

Have you met my crane?

Yes, I'm serious. And no, you cannot play with it.

Not because I'm a selfish little girl but because the controller doesn't work.

In case you are a technician and you are serious about fixing my crane (and by crane I mean the crane in this picture and not anything else) please contact me under  0001 110001.  And if anyone ever feels like getting me something for valentine's - I wouldn't mind this BRIO crane.