insp-i-love weekly

This week we got our first snowfall, along with many other places around the globe that get snow it seems...

Here are some things I'm liking this week:

1. An artist creates little mice worlds. They are super sweet. Check them out on  MousesHouses.

2. Beaudoin is a french photographer who specializes in colour portraits.  I spent a lot of time on his website this week.

3.  After finding Beaudoin, it reminded me that I hadn't checked Helt Enkelt in a while.  I love this blog because Anna Malin, author of the blog and photographer,  is consistently putting up pictures I adore.  Cool colours usually dominate her photographs, yet I am always amazed at how warm they feel.

4.  I read an article about the drinking mechanism of cats.  I love cats, and this is yet another reason why cats are cooler than dogs: "Cat's Tongues Employ Tricky Physics" by Gisela Telis.

5. Finally, if you are feeling like a good read (in the blog world), do drop by these blogs: Bag Lady and Mr. London Street.  These bloggers are both from the UK and I like their writing styles.

What have you been liking this week?

Ciao ciao!
Holly

Ruedesheim

Ruedesheim is a town right on the Rhein river, famous for its abundant wine making. I went there with my mom and Pauli's mom for a little exploration and wine drinking.  It's really a beautiful place. I can see why tourists like it so much. Lots of hotels, shops, restaurants and vineyards galore! The weather was great. We were there during the Tages des Federweissen festival. Federweisser, or Musto as we Italians know it, is basically slightly alcoholic grape juice, you know - just before it turns into wine. It's super sweet and super delicious and is only around at that time of the year.  We also took the gondola up over the vineyards.  It was really splendid.

Christmas Markets are on!

I don't know if we have an equivalent in Montreal. But Germany has some amazing Christmas markets and they have begun this week! Last year we went to the ones in Berlin, Bremen and Hanover. I was amazed. I've never seen anything like it.

Usually held in a Platz and some pedestrian areas leading up to it, these markets are glorious and make you feel like a kid again and that Christmas time is truly here. Vendors set up festive and joyfully lit booths selling their handmade crafts, and you can eat and drink yourself silly. Gluehwein, Feuerzangenbowle, candied fruits, cotton candy, pretzels, bratwurst, cheese fondue, Nutella crepes, freshly roasted chestnuts ... all while enjoying the scene ... people meeting up, laughing, eating, drinking, buying all sorts of treats they will probably be giving as presents this year, click, click, click of photos being snapped, Christmas carols in the distance, children shrieking with enjoyment from the carousel, the Ferris wheel, the train ride. It's so much fun to be there. Pauli and I were at the one in Frankfurt today. It was the opening day.

Christmas is fast approaching and for some reason I'm excited, even though I will be far from my family and friends once again this year. Thank goodness for those Christmas markets then.

xoxo
Holly

Wiesbaden

In late October my mom and I visited Wiesbaden, which along with Frankfurt am Main and Mainz, make up the Frankfurt Rhein/Main region.  Wiesbaden literally means "meadow baths" and is historically known as one of the oldest spa towns in Europe.  Use of the thermal springs found in Wiesbaden was first documented by the Romans.  Wiesbaden is now also the capital of the federal state of Hesse, which is where I live.  My mom and I mainly walked about the Alt Stadt (old city).  We shopped (so many cute boutiques), we had coffee and dessert. We also got the best Tai massage ever!

Here are some shots from our day:

Frau A.

Frau A. lives in my building.  We met one evening in the dungeon that is our building's laundry room.  I wasn't sure how to work the machine.  She helped me.  Turns out she speaks English and lived in Canada for a significant potion of her life.  We've been friends ever since.

She bakes an excellent apple cake and she knows a lot about everything.  Some days ago there was an unexpected ring at my door.  It was Frau A.  She brought me these blue flowers.

xoxo
Holly

insp-i-love weekly

Ok.  I'm finally doing this.  5 things I found this week that inspired me or that I loved and that I wish to share:

1. Really funny Alphabet Series by Mark McGinnis.

2. Remember why Autumn is awesome by clicking here.  Sometimes we forget about the wonderful joys of Autumn as we watch the mercury in the thermostat drop.  Soon Autumn will be just a memory.

3. Maybe some of you don't know this, but I'm a bit obsessed with all things French.  I follow a couple of blogs that satisfy my French cravings.  Look at this blog post by Paris Through My Lens. The photo is amazing, I just want to jump through my screen and knock on that door.

4.  I love Dexter.  Great show.  Great set.  Check out this post found at designpublic.com about the Dexter set design.

5. Jack.  My cat.  My pride and joy.  He makes me happy everyday.  Today we woke up to one of his nasty, juicy hairballs right outside our bedroom door.  And even still, he can't lose my deep affection, no matter what he does.  Here he is observing me at my computer, probably thinking, "stupid human, always at her computer when instead she could be doing the greatest thing of all ... napping."  Love him.

'till next week's insp-i-love,

Holly

featuring: a Montreal loft!!

I was really excited to share an amazing Canadian home in my last post.  Now I am even more excited to share an amazing loft not only situated in my home country but my home city, wonderful Montreal.

Contemporist.com featured this penthouse apartment in downtown Montreal.  It was designed by Rene Desjardins.  Here are a few pics:

Photo credit: André Doyon

 

 

Hope you are having a fun day!

Holly

featuring: a Canadian loft

I browse through about a hundred design blog posts per day.  It is part of my education as a future interior designer.  I buy the occasional magazine ... but I find blogs and websites and online magazines are the way to go nowadays.

Today, on Design Milk, I came across a super sick loft, and guess what? It's in Canada!  My home country.  I'm so proud to show you guys.  Most of the time when I tag featured living spaces as "sick apartment/home", they are usually from somewhere like Sweden, Amsterdam, Sydney, Singapore, Brazil, California or Japan.  But not today!  Today we've got some serious eye candy from Vancouver, Canada.

It used to be an after-hours party loft!  Now the Crosstown Loft by Campos Leckie Studio is an amazing two-story residential loft.  

I want to live here.

xoxo
Holly

the point is to learn

In my opinion, one of the most important things in life is to keep learning.  This way you are always current, up to date.  Continuous learning keeps you humble.  That's how you learn from your mistakes and essentially, that's how you grow.  And one of the most difficult things to do, is to learn from those that are different from you, those you may believe are wrong.  But I believe even they have something valuable to pass along.  So I must listen, I must observe, I must question ... I must learn.

Here is a Ted talk about how non-for profit organizations can learn from the "big, bad" corporations to achieve success in attaining their goals.  This is a good example that shows how important it is that we keep on adapting,  keep on learning, especially from each other, no matter how different we are.

Enjoy!



xoxo
Holly

A Very Special Day

On November 1st, Pauli and I got married.

It was a perfect day.  We wore jeans and nice, black blazers.  We carried each others' rings in our pockets until the moment came to exchange them. The very gentle and soft spoken, Frau Franz performed the ceremony.  Good, jolly Ralf was the translator.  Only our mothers attended and also served as our witnesses.  It was all smiles during this 20 minute ceremony, maybe some moist eyes but no tears were shed. 

For us, being married means we have chosen to become a family.  We wish to continue with all our plans and dreams as an official team; husband & wife.  Nothing changes, we should continue treating each other as we have been, because so far ... it's working.  Really, I've felt married to Pauli for a long time, but now November 1st became the day of our official union. 

xoxo
Holly

busy November...

Dear Blog,

Sorry for neglecting you so.
November has been a busy months so far.
Will return soon.

xoxo
Holly

Woohoo!

I'm getting married today!!  Yay!!

Sorry I haven't kept my promise about my insp-i-loved weekly, but this week turned out to be busier than I planned.  Our moms are here and we've visited a number of small cities in the Rhein-Main area.  Pretty cool.  Will make for some good blog posts, I think.  So anyways, I'll try for next week.


But right now ... I'm off to say "I Do!"  (actually, "Ich will", in German!)  update: turns out all I had to say was "Ja".  lol.!

Woohoo!





xoxo
Holly