the incredible, the mysterious moustache

mrs. winsor mccay by the library of congress
j.p. morgan - judge dickinson - viscountness haldane by the library of congress
three by ida kristin

there was a time when wearing a moustache was de rigeur. today, not so much. if you still fancy it, get yourself a t-shirt... a big thank you to ida kristin for letting me use her photo - her t-shirt is from topshop, but sadly out of stock. so, dear reader, why not make a stencil and customise some goodies in your wardrobe?

this is a corner view, hosted this week by cate. next week's theme is 'orange' and will be hosted by otli.

p.s.: i know someone else who owns a moustache t-shirt!

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kunstwerke berlin

kunstwerke (KW) berlin is the institute of contemporary art. remember that we went to take a quick look at its courtyard with the blog campers? the inscription above the portal is by douglas gordon, as far as i know (should i be wrong, let me know) - spooky! and cheeky.

the weekend was happy and full. meeting friends, being creative, so good! the fig jam i made was a tad on the sweet side even though i spiced it up with balsamico, next time i have to use lemon instead, i think - and maybe some spices? or sherry and lemon? the chocolate puddle cookies were yummy, but it is indeed difficult to get the baking right: they were either too chewy/sticky or too crisp. any fail-safe chocolate recipes you would recommend?

anyway, have a good week and say hello if you like, i always love to hear from you!

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saturday inspiration

1. 30 bpm, 2. 264:365 daily drive, 3. Untitled, 4. cycling in Aude, 5. fly high, 6. ledge, 7. some places just hold more magic than others..., 8. ., 9. Untitled

i know, i know, i've only just done one. but i couldn't help myself. so here's another round of flickr goodness.

as always, these images are not mine, but were taken by some gifted photographers on flickr - a click on the respective caption underneath the mosaic will take you to their photo stream. i hope these are as inspiring to you as they are to me.

before i get back to work, here's a quote i've been thinking about a lot lately (have i posted it before? i cannot remember):

live in rooms full of light.
-cornelius celsus

p.s.: i can't get enough of figs at the moment - they are still barely in season (well, the imported ones from turkey anyway). gourmet traveller has some amazing recipes. do you have any genius ideas how to enjoy this last taste of summer?

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friday inspiration

1. .2817, 2. Untitled, 3. Portas e Janelas | Humberto Lemos, 4. Untitled, 5. leave your little shoes at the door., 6. not a line., 7. Young me/Now me :: Bastidores, 8. Sept 18/10 Wrought iron patterns, 9. museum of printing

time for another round of inspiration! as always with my mosaic posts, these images are not mine, but have been taken by some fabulous photographers on flickr. click on the link underneath the mosaic to take you to their photo stream and be inspired!

what are your plans for the weekend? i will have to work part of it, but am also planning a creative day with a friend: if all goes well, there will be some jam cooking with fresh figs, some chewy chocolate cookie baking, some sewing and some paper garland making. can't wait.

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far off

at times it feels as if i'm far off from where i want to be with my photography. but then again: i'm on my way.

(we wandered on from the spiegelsaal to take a look at the courtyard of the institute of contemporary art - KW on auguststrasse. i love that glass pavilion by dan graham, which houses a café.)

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what is it

what is it with this place that so draws me in? i could look at the crumbling stucco, the blind mirrors, the old wooden chairs, the magical light for hours on end. my mother once asked me what it was that appeals to me in vintage things, and could it be that i didn't like the present so much? i don't think so. instead, it has to do with a certain aesthetic (and i don't think it takes much to prefer vintage to a huge proportion of contemporary aesthetic), but more so, it might have to do with the fact that these things have history. they've lived through the good and the bad. they may look a little tattered in places, but they've made it. and look how beautiful they are.

i wouldn't mind listening to gonzales playing 'overnight' in this place.

(again, photos taken at the spiegelsaal in berlin, when visiting with the blog campers last weekend. pardon the blurriness of some of the shots, ambient light and shooting without a tripod don't always go together.)

p.s.: a big thank you to k for lending me his pentax ME for such a long time - it's giving me so much joy. you are the best!

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first impressions

the impression you get when meeting someone for the first time can be so right and yet so wrong. and no matter whether you spend a few hours with them or your whole life, you may never figure out who they are. you may not even figure out who you are yourself. and who says that's something advisable anyway. selfs are buggery, slippery things. most likely it's like trying to catch puddles of light and wrapping them up in a tight parcel. and why would you do that?

let's just say: this weekend was full of great surprises.

(pictures taken at the spiegelsaal at claerchen's ballhaus on auguststraße - the spiegelsaal being an old ballroom that's being left as morbidly decaying as it has been the last couple of decades. it can be hired for events.)

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care to come along?

blog camp berlin has come and gone and i find myself still processing the many things we've seen, but mostly the things we talked about. and there certainly was a lot of talk. and laughter!

what amazed me most was how different we all were and still seemed to form a togetherness as a group almost instantly. thank you julie for bringing us together for such a fabulous weekend!

i'm so happy berlin was kind to us and spared us too many downpours. i only wish we had found more cafés with tables for six - we did a lot of autumnal meals al fresco, huddled in blankets at the outside tables.

of course, berlin blog camp wouldn't have been complete without a photo walk through mitte, including a peek at some galleries and a visit of do you read me?!, a whole shop dedicated to magazines.

care to come along for a bit?

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friends are coming

this weekend, it will be quiet around here: blog camp berlin is starting today and i will be out and about. i'm a little nervous. and excited!

here's to lots of photo walks and laughs and all kind of surprises. see you next week!

letters and diaries

there is something about pen and paper that really gets me. jotting down notes, writing a personal message, wanting to keep that fleeting thought, documenting memories, showing someone you care. i used to write letters a lot. now i only occasionally do, but write cards rather a lot. and i keep a diary in a very basic sense. every couple of days i will write down what happened or what keeps going through my mind. and i will use my diary as a scrap book as well, for magazine clippings, the odd ticket or recipe. apart from enjoying the writing-down part of it, i believe it's an important way of keeping things alive. sometimes it amazes me how much i forget. and by looking at old letters, postcards or diaries, things come back, sometimes hesitantly, sometimes rushing back vividly. very much like photographs, and yet all different.

do you write letters, notes or keep diaries? and why?

more from the vineyard

i had a lovely, busy weekend and am a bit tired. can i leave you with some photos without words from the vineyard in baruth?

and tell me, what have you been up to?

p.s.: thank you, marion...

school

those were the days. see how wonky my fringe was? i think my grandma cut it. i was very proud of my school bag: orange and green with golden cat's eyes as buckles. also very proud of my 'schultüte', a kind of cornucopia given to children on their first day of school, filled with sweets and littles gifts, like pencils and notepads and the like. apart from us having to line up for silly photos in the classroom and outside, nothing much happened on the first day. i was so eager. and terrified. luckily, it all went well.

if i could go to school again - university, or evening classes - i would take up a photography course. and possibly creative writing.

this is a corner view. initiated by jane of spain daily, it gives a peek into different corners of the world. whoever is hosting will post a theme for the coming week. then it's up to us to take up the theme - and to travel round the globe via the other corner viewers. visit jane's for info on current hosts and a full (link) list of participants.

at the vineyard and other stories

sometimes i stop and wonder and ask myself: am i happy, am i content? and the answer is yes, i am. which, of course, doesn't keep my from doing a little bit of token complaining on the side. like, it's too cold, summer is over far too quickly, why oh why do i have to put the heating on again? sometimes i'm stressed about work, sometimes there are things i wouldn't mind having, like a little holiday. but looking at the bigger picture, you know, my everyday life seems full of good things. and i'm grateful. last week had quite a few highlights.

visiting a vineyard in baruth, a small town an hour from berlin
making my first ever apple and blackberry crumble
planning a weekend with k
looking forward to a family reunion (make that 20+ people, of which seven kids under nine)
picking up a roll of film from the lab
sewing skirts for my nieces with a good friend (without whom it wouldn't have happened)

here are some shots from the vineyard. it was beautiful, despite the rain and despite the fact that i underestimated the distance from the station to the venue. i ended up walking 50 mins each way in my heeled boots. silly girl. next time i'm taking my bike or a friend with a car...

friday inspiration

picture credits: 1. Untitled, 2. Phillip Lim dress, Antique Chair, 3. last days...., 4. Untitled-5, 5. Untitled, 6. Untitled, 7. 32//52, 8. beauty, 9. Untitled

some inspiration for you by some of the very gifted photographers to be found on flickr. click on the credit caption underneath the mosaic to take you to their photo stream.

these are in-between times, aren't they?

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september

there are a few things september does better than other months, hands down.

very high skies
mellow morning and afternoon light
wistfulness with a golden edge
apples and plums
sunny walks with just the right amount of chillyness
calling up summer memories and sealing them
the last round of hydrangeas
making me crave knitwear
making me feel restless in the best possible way

happy september to you!

pictures taken on the tiny farmers' market on seelower straße right next to sgaminegg, and at home

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