string lights

Another outdoor post this week. Some of you might already know by following me on Instagram or my recent my week posts that I might have a minor obsession with string light. Ok, I have only shown two photos but have taken so many more. In my opinion string lights are a perfect staple to light up outdoor spaces. Here are some of my favorite pictures on how people use string or other lights to create a nice atmosphere in their yards. Of course it works with balconies, fire escapes or even in a window too depending on what kind of space you have.

1. david tsay via desire to inspire 2. jeff lewis via apartmentherapy 3. the style files 

4. apartmenttherapy 5. jonas ingerstedt via sköna hem 6.via louvlouvsucre*

To get a similar look for your outdoor space or mine (a girl can dream right?) I did a little round up of my favorite string lights. We actually own No.3 in the clear version and used to hang it from our big umbrella to cast some light on our table for late night dining or just talking. I guess once the backyard is done, hopefully next year, I should host a big bbq party and invite all of you.  Have a great weekend whatever your plans are! Mine are definitely finishing up what I started last weekend...

1. restoration hardware 2. pigeon toe 3. target 4. ballard design 

5. pottery barn 6. pottery barn

*If anybody knows the source of the photo please let me know. Tried to find it to no avail. I like to give credit where credit is due.

and it was all yellow...

Today I have no vacation post for you but one or two more might be coming in the future.

Back in March I posted about knitted home accessories and that inspired my mom to start knitting pillow covers. First she knitted two pillow covers for my sister but used a different pattern and yarn. Because I like yellow she decided to make mine in that color. Apparently it wasn't that easy to find yarn in the bright color she had in mind. Love how they came out and the color is a nice contrast to our couch. And they are so soft too. Danke Mama!

So what nice things did your family, friends or even a stranger do for you? Or have you done anything nice for anybody lately? 

Have a great weekend everybody!

let me rope you in

I'm a little behind my schedule as I'm preparing for my upcoming vacation. So many things need to get finished before we leave for LA on Friday, where one of my friends will be getting married and from there we will be heading to Bryce Canyon and Lake Powell for some hiking and hopefully some relaxing as well...

After Erin posted a rope doorstop from Zara home about a month ago. I became obsessed with it and started browsing the internet for more things made out of rope. Now I need a cottage by the sea to squirrel away some nautical inspired gems...

  

1. Atelier 688 Manila Rope Light 2.Stonk Knots Towel Ring 3. Knot Bag by Shigeki Fujishiro 

4. Doorstop By Ballard Design 5. Blockshelf by Amy Hunting 6. Mirror by Anthropologie

Of course my favorite one, the rope knot bag is too expensive for me so I had to search for some cool rope DIY options and share my favorites with you. When you click on the links below you will be directed to the tutorials. I also found a tutorial for a rope doorstop/bookend (#4 above) by Mindy at Heart Main Home. I think I might give the rope vases a try soon, they seem to be a fairly easy project. Not so sure if anything that involves knots will be a project for me because I already have problems to tie my shoelaces properly, they are always to loose and open itself constantly. As if I need another tripping hazard...

 

1. Nautical Vase by Bayside Bride 2. Rope Shelf by ReCreate 

3. Rope Basket by Heather Davidson via Design Sponge 4. Mirror by Martha Stewart

5. Towel Holder by On My Honor 6. Rope Light Fixture by Ashley via Design Sponge

pimp the rider

Last week I wrote about pimping my (or your) bike and this week it is all about safety for the rider. I have to admit I don't like to wear my helmet because I look like an alien wearing it. Yes, I am vain but a crushed skull in case of an accident isn't that pretty to look at either. Enter the helmets by YAKKAY, they make cute covers for their helmets so they look more like hats. Also important is having lights in the front & back and maybe some cute reflectors, like the oh la la buttons (2) or the ones recycled from street signs (3). If you like to wear wide legged pants like me you might need some trouser straps as well, the leather ones from Brooks (1) come in different colors and the winged one is also reflective (8). Do you wear a helmet when you ride your bike or are you like me and mostly bike without a helmet?

1. trouser strap 2. reflective buttons 3. reflectors made from street signs 

4. reflective helmet bow 5. reflective bird pin 6. Yakkay helmet 

7. wheel light 8. reflective trouser strap

pimp my bike

As you might already know I'm an avid biker. I like to take long bike rides and if the weather is nice (no snow or rain) I bike to the train that gets me into the City. You can see my bike below, it is about half my age and I already rode it to high school because there were no school buses and the closest public transit bus station was about a 15 minute walk away. Getting to school on my bike took 15 minutes so it was the most feasible option, provided there was no snow or epic downpour.

I love the basket that is on my bike in the photograph but sadly the bike fell over one day and the basket broke. Since then I have been on the hunt for another basket. I would also like to introduce some color to my bike so the yellow milk bottle basket (11) would be perfect. Or should I go for the cute handlebar bag (9) that is made out of vintage upholstery fabric? Or keep looking?

How do you commute to work? Do you take a car, train, bus or can you walk to work? Or maybe you have to do a combination of different means of transport? 

Enjoy your weekend!

1. Brooks B17 Saddle 2. Electra Gypsy Bicycle Saddle 3. Bell 4. Bike Planter 

5. Sögreni Pedals 6. Bell by dringdring 7. Tanaka Bottle Holder 

8. Seat Cover by Beatrice Holiday 9. Handlebar Bike Bag by Beatrice Holiday 

10. Carrie Bike Basket 11. Milk Bottle Basket 12. Simeli Dress Guard

KleinReid

On May 9th I went to an Open Studio Night in Long Island City and discovered the most amazing porcelain by KleinReid, which was founded by James Klein and David Reid. Their goods range from vases, lighting and serveware and has recently expanded into soft goods, jewelry and limited edition prints. They even approached their idol Eva Zeisel for a collaboration in the late 90s which resulted in their Eva line. Also love their new turned wood series for Herman Miller. Their website is definitely worth a visit!

 

 

 

 

ombre - feeling blue

It's Fridaaaaaay! I'm not feeling blue at all and am looking forward to the weekend. All items from my collage remind me of the beach and the sea somehow. I won't be able to make it to the beach this weekend though, so the inspiration and dreaming about it is all I can get. Will any of you be going to the beach?

Either way have a great and sunny weekend!

1. Anthropologie Flamenco Shower Curtain 2. Painted Dresser 3. Alder & Co Felt Baskets 

4. Painted Stairs 5. Adaura Ombre Chandelier 6. West Elm Wooden Vases 

7. o ME and o MY Wooden Spoons

a nice breeze

Yes, summer has started at least our temperatures have reached summer levels. Today's temperatures climbed to around 90° (about 32 Celsius). We do not have central air in our house and unless it get's brutally hot and humid we like to rely on a fan in the bedroom. Unfortunately we don't have a ceiling fan in the bedroom but P's and my office does. When it gets unbearable we bring out the big gun our portable air conditioner, so far it wasn't needed.

Here is a little selection of fans to keep you cool.

 1. Loft Ceiling Fan by Emerson 2. Plum Ceiling Fan by Modern Fan Company 3. DC Slim Ceiling Fan by Modern Fan Company 4. Levon Ceiling Fan by Fanimation  

5. Vintage Vornado Fan 6. Allaire Desk Fan by Restoration Hardware 

7. Deco Breeze Retro Table Fan 8. Otto Fan by Stadler Form

 This is what actually creates a nice breeze in my office while writing this post. More suited for a little girls room, right? For now I'm just dreaming about one of the ceiling fans from my selection...

i wish...

After putting my flea market money into my secret stash I started thinking about what I could treat myself to again. Started the secret stash about three years back and since then nothing was good enough to justify spending that money. After my post about making money at the flea market Erin suggested buying an iPad but I already had ruled it out although it's still on the list of things that would be nice to have. Theresa hit a nerve when she suggested a nice piece of mid-century furniture. I remembered how much I love the bar cart that Niki from my scandinavian home owns so I started looking for one on Ebay and will also start looking for one in thrift stores. As somebody who loves wearing boots a pair of Frye boots have been on my wishlist forever but so far I could not bring myself to fork over more than $300 for a pair of boots. But on the other hand they will probably last a lifetime. Another expensive item on my list is a telephoto zoom lens which would be great for our upcoming vacation in Utah (hiking in Bryce Canyon). Or maybe a nice leather jacket?

Decisions, decisions, decisions*....

1. Frye Boots 2. telephoto zoom lens 3. iPad 4. bar cart 5. Leather Jacket

* Actually I have already ordered one item from the list. Can you guess which one? ;)

ikea ps 2012

As you might now from reading this blog I have an affinity for IKEA. This year it is time again for a new IKEA PS collection, which will hit stores in Europe on May 1st and US stores in August. Love the colorful pieces as I'm getting more and more out of my black, white and gray color rut. I definitely need to have the candle holder and the polka dot pillow case. Can't wait for the items to arrive at my local store. What are your favorite pieces from this collection or IKEA in general?

in bloom

Spring has sprung! With temperatures being in the 60's and 70's lately I'm clearly having spring fever and trying to infuse my wardrobe with more colorful pieces. Last week I saw an ad for brightly colored jeans at Uniqlo and decided to check them out in my lunch break. Unfortunately the jeans didn't work out but I discovered that Orla Kiely did a line with Uniqlo. Yay! Just love her colorful prints! I bought the scarf (4) and would love to get my hands on the shirt (7), which was sold out at my store. Orla Kiely is also doing a line of bedding for Bed, Bath & Beyond this spring. Check out the preview over on Apartment Therapy.

Have a sunny weekend!

1.sleeveless shirt 2. scarf 3. tee 4. scarf 5. tee 6. sleeveless shirt 7. shirt

marni madness

Thursday the Marni collection at H&M came out and as previously mentioned I wanted to get my hand on some of the pieces. So Thursday was also the day I got up at 3:50am in the name of fashion and try to order one or two items online from my wishlist. Because in the US H&M doesn't have an online store yet I tried the German H&M online store, hence getting up so early because the collection went on sale at 10am there. I got lucky and was able to order two dresses and get more sleep after. And I was not the only crazy person getting up that early, I had a friend keep me company via text messages, she also chronicled our experience on her blog. My order is already on the way to my parents and hopefully reach me in early April. Honestly this was the craziest thing I've ever done for a piece of clothing. Was anybody brave enough to get in line at a store?

cozy up your home

The temperature dropped again after having springlike weather for a couple of days. Time to cozy up on the sofa wrapped in a warm knitted blanked with a cup of tea in hand. But knit is not just for blankets, scarves etc., it is also making its way into our homes in unexpected places, for instance as an unraveling scarf calendar, knitted light fixtures, vases or even clocks. And who wouldn't want to cozy up to soft and plush faux taxidermy?

1. knit stools - Claire-Anne O'Brien 2. Cotton Clock - Carlo & Benedetta Tamborini 3. Gregor Unraveling Knitted Calendar Scarf - Patrick Frey 4. Matt Lamp - Llot Llov 5. Domestic Trophies - Rachel Denny 6. Knitted Baskets - Ferm Living 7. Knitted Vases - Ferm Living 8. Granny Pendant Light - Pudelskern 9. Brody Rug - Crate & Barrel

marni for h&m

I haven't been feeling so good the last couple of days (stomach flu), to cheer me up I looked at the upcoming Marni collection for H&M and made a wishlist of the items I would like to own. Have not been as excited about a designer collaboration since the one with Stella McCartney. Hopefully I'll be able to snatch one of the pieces from my wishlist. Would really love to get my hands on one of the maxi dresses. 

Is anybody as excited about this as I am? Have you had other favorite designer collaborations or do you just not care about them?

pretty in (neon) pink (and yellow)

I don't know when it started but I totally love hot pink and other neon colors. It might have started when I saw the bright colored Cambridge Satchels slung around the shoulders of some girls in NYC, it brought me right back to being a teenager when neon already had been quite popular. I remember owning a midriff baring batwing number that had neon green and white stripes. Not sure what possessed me when buying it. Batwings and stripes I still love but midriff baring not so much...

Are you in on the neon trend? 

1. good times print by seventy tree 2. Lomography Fish Eye Camera 3. Jazie by Steve Madden 4. Oxfords by Jil Sander 5. ceramics by Maison Sauvage 6. ampersand print by shop ampersand 7. journals with colorful pages by Cathy Durso 8. Thonet chair 9. pendant light by earthseawarrior 10. hello print by mengsel design 11. pillow by paleolochic

Here are some examples how to incorporate a little color into your home...

The Dickensons House Tour via Apartment Therapy / Profound Magazine /  

The Hayon Collection Bisazza Bagno / Gemma Ahern via Design*Sponge

coat racks

This post comes a little late and I already got a new coat rack for the entry vestibule but I wanted to share some inspiration pictures I collected while looking for a new coat rack anyways. They are all nice in their own way but the yellow ribbon really strikes a chord with me. As of late I'm obsessing about bright colors and straying from my usual go to colors of white, grey and black.

1. Gustav Hallén’s Arrow hanger 2. Colin O'Dowd's Beat coat rack 3. muuto dots 4. Not Rudolf coat rack 5. Hang-It-All 6. Ribbon coat rack 7. Areaware Wire Wall Hanging Organizer 

8. Wallter slat rack

grandma's sewing box

This sewing box from the 50ies or 60ies used to be my grandmother's. She didn't need it anymore and gave it to me because I had been admiring it for a looong time. It is like a treasure trove, some of the things inside must be around 50 years old...I don't think I'll ever need to buy yarn, buttons or sewing needles ever again in my life. Now I just need to start to learn how to sew ;)

I brought the box over as my carry on luggage on the last flight back from Germany. Luckily the legs can be detached. Of course I emptied out any sharp object, which I put in the checked bag...


Do you have any treasures you inherited from family members?

my hang-it-all

Remember back in November I wrote about the vitra special edition of the Eames hang-it-all coat rack. My parents read my blog and thought the red one would be a great addition to our entry vestibule so they gave it to me for Christmas. Thanks again Mom and Dad!

I hung it on Sunday and even managed to hit studs with all four screws so it hangs very secure. Which was a first for me, I usually miss the studs by a couple of millimeters. Keep staring at it in awe because the red color looks so nice on the dark grey walls.

spiegel kantine - spiegel cafeteria

Growing up in Hamburg (Germany) I passed by the Spiegel Haus (Spiegel is a weekly German newsmagazine) quite often and would always peek into the cafeteria on the ground floor. Already as a kid I loved the crazy colors and when I was older I found out it was designed by Verner Panton in 1969. The Spiegel offices moved last year in September to a new location in the nearby HafenCity and part of the old cafeteria moved into the new spaces as well. In 1998 the cafeteria was landmarked and on the occasion of the move given to the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg where the orange dining room will become part of the exhibition at the museum beginning summer of 2012. I will definitely check it out the next time I'm in Hamburg...

All photos are by Michael Bernhardi/Spiegel Verlag, 2011