Monday, February 28, 2011

Funky Town

Need a hit of Fairytale color? Enjoy these photos from German magazine We Love Living, 9-2010 (last issue of the year).


This is the home of Birgitte Møller Nielsen, in Denmark. I think Birgitte is a stylist for Rice, which makes perfect sense when you see her style.


A bright orange wall! It works beautifully here, don't you think?


What a great room. I love the wall display, the lamp, and all the green on the couch. I appreciate Scandinavian design most when it's this full of fun color and texture. 

If you like We Love Living, you'll enjoy this post by Frau Haselmayer and this one by Holly of Decor8.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Vater und Sohn

Last Saturday, our family took a day trip to Köln, over two hours away. Who knew that a 9-a.m. train would be filled to the brim with a group of near-drunk FC-Köln soccer hooligans en route to a local match? They were loud but actually fairly harmless, if a bit wobbly and smelly (puffing away in the non-smoking cars). We just kept saying, "This would SO never happen in Japan!" It was all a bit much for 9 a.m. The Girl, who somehow knew ("Called it!") that the tipsy group would break out in enthusiastic song/chant at some point, whipped out her Flip a few times to try to get some of the craziness captured on camera.

When we finally arrived and came out of the main train station to breathe fresh air right next to the beautiful Dom, it was really, really cold. We darted right back inside the large station and agreed on the pending importance of a warm heating vent and something to eat.

Sufficiently fed and warmed somewhat, we headed back outside. I'd hoped to get some good photos around the Dom area, but wouldn't you know it? The Boy's camera, which I'd brought along due to its portability, lost its charge almost immediately. The Boy was able to get this photo inside the cathedral, though.



I think it's nice, and all, but I really wanted more than one photo to document our day. I even pouted a little in the cathedral. Coffee and crepes in a nearby café muted my disappointment slightly. Then we decided to visit Museum Ludwig, thought to be one of the best collections of modern art in all of Europe. We were very, very impressed with this museum, and we stayed so long that we didn't have time to do much else before getting on a return train (Chocolate Museum, we'll see you another time!).

Anyway, the museum has a wonderful bookstore/gift shop, which I couldn't resist exploring briefly. As is often the case, my eye fell almost immediately on the delightful, if small, children's book section. It was there that I stumbled upon the little world of Vater und Sohn.


e. o. plauen's adorable 1930s wordless cartoons are about--yes, a father and son. The two of them have the sweetest little adventures at home and outdoors. I found them very endearing, so I couldn't resist a small yellow book of Vater und Sohn comics, for just over three euros.


Aren't they charming? 

We'll hopefully visit Köln again soon. Next time we go, we'll check the FC-Köln schedule...

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Eat Pray Love


Have you seen this movie? If so, did you hate it? Apparently lots of people did, if the many reviews I read online are any indication.

I must confess that I don't quite understand all the vitriol. Sure, it's a movie about an upper-middle-class American woman who just isn't satisfied with her marriage and the way her life is going--and it appears that plenty of viewers don't exactly get what Elizabeth Gilbert (or her character, in the movie) found so terrible about her seemingly-charmed life. Yeah, yeah--okay.

Sure, the plot isn't fully developed, it can be hard to understand Elizabeth's motivation at times, and you'll note some Hollywood-ish inconsistencies if you've already read the book (I have, though it was quite a while back, just after it was published).

But it really wasn't that bad. And man, oh man--this is a pretty movie. I liked it primarily because I couldn't stop ogling all the Italian, Indian, and Balinese architecture, interiors, food, and clothing. To me, Eat Pray Love was more of a (lengthy) video decor and travel magazine than a plot-driven movie. Is there anything so wrong with that?

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Compai Style

photo by Carla Richmond

I think I'm in love with this bedroom styled for Valentine's Day by Caitlin Levin and Justina Blakeney, who, along with her sister Faith, owns and operates a design studio/consultancy called Compai. I can't believe it's taken me this long to find the Compai blog, but I'm so glad I did. Check it out if you like colorful, boho, sustainable style. And be sure to have a look at Justina's Jungalow, decorated on a budget of only $700!


Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Go Away I'm Reading


I could spend so much money at U.K.-based The Literary Gift Company. Thankfully (or not, depending on your bank account), they ship to the European Continent as well as to the U.S.
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