visual stimulation 010

just some inspiration to brighten up your tuesday!

what has been inspiring you lately?

lg, Rae
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oh dita!

C Magazine (USA) March, 2007
photography by Michael Elins & Elizabeth Stewart


following my last post, i thought it only seemed fitting to continue with all things vintage and retro. so it should come as no surprise that we are rewinding about 10 years to the 1940s with the amazing and lovely dita von tees in this post. these photos were shot by michael eline for C Magazine and, although this particular photo spread is over 5 years old, her looks remain just as timeless as ever. but that's the thing when viewing images of a timeless beauty. her classic 40s style remains just as relevant as the style was over 60 years ago. what i particularly love about this beauty who looks just as amazing today as she did at 20 (can you believe this beauty is 40?! god bless her magical genetics) is that she has such a grand command over her own personal style and has never sought the outside advice of a stylist. dita is quoted as having said:

The one time I hired a stylist, they picked up a pair of my 1940s shoes and said, 'These would look really cute with jeans.' I immediately said, 'You’re out of here.

and has been known for doing her own makeup and dying her own hair. but dita doesn't just stop at hair and makeup. her home in LA is also an extension of her personal style. with satin bedding that would even make rita hayworth jealous, a pink kitchen with checkerboard flooring, a room devoted to hats and a 1938 Packard One Twenty Eight parked in the driveway, dita's home oozes old hollywood glamour. dita is just one of those human beings who truly is unique and completely herself and has a calm and refined elegance that is rather scarce in our modern society. men want her and women want to be her. and with her porcelain complexion and burlesque skills to boot, i am not surprised. when it comes to fantasy, this is what dreams are made of.











lg, Rae
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I wouldn't be caught dead in a full skirt.

one of my biggest style crushes of all time is wanda woodward, the bad-ass babe from the film cry baby who could easily inflict heart palpitations in any man or women within a 50 mile radius. with her perfectly trimmed bangs, full head of hair, porcelain skin, perfectly painted red lips, black winged eyeliner, and inherent sex-appeal, it really should come as no surprise that so many women in the rockabilly scene view this women as a paradigm of or retro perfection. after chopping the front of my hair off, and thinking of different ways to style my hair, wanda's stunning coif naturally popped into my head. the picture above is how i personally translated this siren's look. definitely an outfit i would sport while hanging out in the park with friends all day in the summer. (this photo was obviously taken a while back, as my bangs are a lot shorter here than they are now, reminding me that i probably should make that hair appointment i keep putting off ...)

now, i am currently not immersed in the rockabilly scene, but wanda's look definitely speaks to the 18-year-old version of myself who still resides within me. that girl listened to a lot of oi, rockabilly, and punk, and wore thigh-high stockings, black mini skirts, and denim jackets. and although i no longer have bright pink hair, or sport skulls on just about everything i own, there are a lot of influences from those good 'ole teenage days that remain with me which i still see reflected in my choice of shoe - combat boots or creepers are my go-to shoes when out clubbing - devilishly short short-shorts, and love of over-the-knee or thigh-high stockings. i may no longer blast the distillers while driving my black CR-V anymore - partially because my CRV is in car heaven and i don't have a valid driving license in germany - but i like seeing how certain parts of the high-schooler that i once was is evident in some of my fashion choices.

this brings up another point as well. i don't really believe in legitimization when it comes to fashion. even if i did't have some sort of foundation in alternative scenes from my high-school years, i would still be taking fashion cues from wanda. now i don't mean that i am telling you to turn goth overnight, or go out and buy a bunch of patches from bands you have never heard of and sew them onto a denim vest and expect to be liked by the crust punks in your city, or put on a sonic youth t-shirt even though you don't know who kim gordon is and walk into any bar in williamsburg and expect someone there to become your bff. part of fashion is lifestyle, and you do not want to be selling a fake you. but being true to yourself also means not shying away from certain fashion trends you love because you don't have the "cred" to back it up.

as long as you are able to translate it in a way that exemplifies who you are, i see nothing wrong with going for it. designers draw from certain decades or fashion scenes all the time for inspiration and i love seeing something iconic turned into something revolutionary. if you can draw from the 60s as a source of inspiration, there should be no reason why you can't also take elements from the hip-hop scene and incorporate it into your wardrobe. just don't go acting like the bad-ass gangster that you are not. my main point is that at the end of the day, fashion should be more fun than serious. it should be experimental and messy. i definitely have a lot more respect for the girl who dresses prim and proper one day after taking her cues from tracy flick after waching election and chops all her hair off and dons a white shirt and black pants à la uma thurman in pulp fiction (i am definitely guilty of the latter) than the one who dares not do anything adventurous for fear of getting called fake. then again, i almost see re-invetion as a style in and of itself with you as your own boss. that, and i was never a big believer in putting myself inside of any kind of box anyway. (i leave you with a series of film stills of the magnificent wanda)

who are your fashion influences? how does your style today vary from your younger self? what do you think about "legitimization" in fashion?

lg, Rae
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threadbright

About a week ago, I was contacted by a company called ThreadBright. ThreadBright is a website that is aiming to make shopping easier by working to compile all of the lastest products from stores like Pixie Market, Nastygal, Threadsence, and Free People all on one easy to use wbsite. By doing all the work for you, your only job is to sit back, relax, and scroll through your favorite brands. When you happen to see someting you would like to buy, simply hover the image and click on the GET BUY mousover. You will then be brought to the product website for that item and all of the glorious purchasing can begin.

They were also kind enough to feature me as one of the many blogs they love. Which brings me to my next point - this pretty cool feature on the top of the ThreadBright websites which cycles through 3 blogs that change frequently which introduce different fashionblogs the people over at ThreadBright are curretnly loving. What i find really great about this feature is the fact that ThreadBright makes it easy to learn about new bloggers you may not have already heard about with just the click of a button.

ThreadBright contacted me because they are currently working on getting their name out there so fashion-oriented people like you can learn about this new way of shopping. They didn't specifically demand that I advertise their webite as trade off for featuring me. But they asked if i wouldn't mind, so of course i said yes. because in all honesty, in both the fashion, blogging, and social media world, we are all just trying to get our feet on the ground and get ourselves established, so why not? it never hurts to be nice and help out fellow entrepreneurs in the making. so i guess i am going to take a cue from Barney Stinson, when i go ahead and ask, "Haaaaave you met ThreadBright?"

lg, Rae

instagram december 2012

thanks for all the sweet comments on my last post! the VIEWS launch party was a complete success and i had the most amazing time. but more on that in my next post. here is last month's collection of instagram photos. the first batch are photos taken from my flat.

top left: the first real snow of the winter season from my living room window. winter just does not feel like winter to me until those unique little frozen white crystals fall from the sky. that, and like any other normal human being, nothing makes me smile more than snowflakes in these cold months.
top right: my favorite way to spend a cozy afternoon when i have the whole day to myself: lighting a bunch of candles and popping in one of my favorite films. 10 points to anyone who can name the film being played here.
bottom left: a photo taken not long after i cut and died my hair. short bangs lend themselves perfectly to retro/rockabilly styles à la Wanda Woodward.
bottom right: lazy morning watching "Cry-Baby" in bed. Satire tied up in a pretty 50s package featuring a young Johnny Depp and impeccable fashion? Check.


top left: last year during christmas, i almost jumped impulsively at the chance to buy this cheesy little number. this year i did just that. nothing says cozy like a high definition recording of a fireplace roaring and crackling on your telly. best 10 euros i ever spent.
top right/bottom left: maja, linnea, adelinn, and i hanging out and drinking glögg. in case you are new to my blog, a complete post full of photos from this night can be found here.
bottom right: my humble little christmas tree post-decoration. if it were socially acceptable i would probably keep my christmas tree up year round. then again the magic of christmas would probably wane if it became commonplace. still, i haven't been able to take down my tree just yet. i find january to still be an acceptable month for christmas trees, but if i can't mange to take it down before february i might have to call 1-800-christmasaddictsanonymous.


top left: a darling little chocolatey gift from berlin air. i cannot bare to eat it as it is just too cute.
top right: Eldritch Tales. Basically an entire book of creepy pasta. found this in a bookstore in götenborg. will probably be ordering it from amazon soon.
bottom left: a table setting from a trip to ikea. and i mean, who doesn't love trips to ikea? they have delicious meals for unbeatable prices, free coffee or tea for IKEA family members and putting together IKEA furniture is basically like legos for adults.
bottom right: my favorite british magazine given to me by the darling emma over at boomzy. even more awesome is that the theme of the issue was blogging. too bad they do not carry company in germany.


top left: one of my favorite discoveries that december - Aunt Benny in Friedrichshain. if you are looking for a quiet place to take care of some work while enjoying a latte i would definitely recommend Aunt Benny. they also have amazing sandwiches, bagels, and quiches. love the interior as well. the only drawback is that it is a bit of a walk during winter from the ubahn station.
top right: my hair and makeup for the VIEWS party back in december.
bottom left: peppermint tea during class at the university makes getting through a 10AM class during the winter months more bearable.
bottom right: coffee break with linnea at Goodies on Warschauerstrasse. Goodies has long been one of my favorite and most trusted places to meet friends. Their menu consists mostly of delectable vegan goodies and i have yet to taste a better chai soy latte anywhere else.

curious to know your favorite cafe as well. send me a link in case i am ever traveling in the area and need a place to have a warm drink and read a good book!

lg, Rae

you know what? i just love thursdays. why? might you ask. well it's because thursday is the jumpstart to my weekend, meaning i can sleep in - which is exactly what i did today. of course its not all fun and games because although two out of my five weekdays are not spent at uni, they are spent writing my papers and working. however, just the thought of not having to wake up at 7:00 puts a smile on my face come wednesday evening. oh, which brings me to the next thing i love - wednesday evenings because they are effectively my friday evenings. last night i spent my "wednesday/friday" night indulging in pizza hut and nachos at the movies. even though i am hoping to implement a healthier diet into my life, it just felt like the right thing to do. i mean everyone needs to enjoy their lives and not take them too seriously. food for me is a big part of life, so i thought why the hell not? now this way of thinking can get one into a lot of trouble, but as long as its more of a treat than a lifestyle, i really do not see the harm in things.

i met my friend called jakob around 7 at the pizza hut in potsdamer plats where we split a deep dish pizza and chicken mango salad. now the pizza hut in berlin is more of a resturaunt than a fast food place - something i wasn't aware of but was happy to discover. i would probably compare it to restaurants in the US like tgi fridays. however, the pizza tasted just as cheap and greasy as i remembered it from my high school trips to the local pizza hut with my friends after school. which is to say, it tasted AMAZING. that is the funny thing with living abroad though - you start to crave things you haven't eaten in 15 years simply because it reminds you of a piece of home. dinner was followed by the hobbit and at sony center. i had no real expectations going into the film and it took some time for me to get into the film and it being in 3D - it all struck me as a bit childish at first but its probably due to the fact that i have been watching way too much game of thrones and now feel as if nothing can compare to the rugged bad-assery that is game of thrones. that and the fact that i generally reserve 3D for cartoons. however about 20 minutes into the movie i really started to get into it and ended up really enjoying the film.

now backtracking a little bit to tuesday night in order to explain the photos above and below: i went and grabbed dinner and dessert with a friend of mine called ross. now generally i reserve wednesdays for schoolwork, work, music and/or blogging, so i felt a bit like a naughty child out past her bedtime, but ross is only here visiting for a week, so i made an exception. ross and i met over the summer while i was in the states starting my masters. he is a maga-talented speaker of over 5 languages and works for the UN translating and interpreting. we spent the evening eating korean food and gorging out on delicious food and talking about the usual: boys, work, and life.

i will be heading out in a bit for the launch party of VIEWS for fashion week, so be sure to follow the fun via my instagram: lovefromberlin <3
lg, Rae

free people january 2013

today marks the beginning of fashion week in berlin, and since i am currently buried under heaps of books and deadlines, i will have to be content with living vicariously though the posts of other fashion bloggers. still, in keeping with the theme of this week, well it would only be fitting to do a fashion related post today. call it an ode from afar if you will.

now free people is one of those brands that consistently amaze. they also are bound to leave a lot of jaws hanging wide open due to their not-so-easy-to-swallow price tag. it isn't that the clothes are not worth the price, i for one am just pretty damn shocked when i think of how much they have gone up in price since their online launch in October of 2004 - which also leaves me lusting from afar, purchasing the occasional item when i either do have the money or loose all sense and common reason while standing in front of a top or dress that is, well, just really really preeeeetty. free people sort of bounces back and forth depending on the season and occasion. overall their clothes tend to be either extremely bohemian with lots of southwest influence, crochet, embroidery and really interesting asymmetrical drapery for both tops and skirts alike, or fairytale city chic. while the latter still has free people's signature bohemian vibe, i personally find the clothes a lot more everyday wearable and well-suited for an urban environment. this much more casual and urban variant usually pops up in catalogues shot in places like venice, amsterdam, or new york so i assume my analysis is correct.

while bohemian really is not how i would define my personal style, i find myself falling in love time after time with their well-thought-out and beautiful clothing. and in any case, their more toned-down and simple items would easily fit into my wardrobe. i selected my favorite shots from january's catalogue which sort of represents this. i am loving the laid back and summery feel of the maxi dress in the upper right-hand corner and can just imagine throwing this on with a pair of strappy sandals and a lazy sunday ponytail for a late brunch in new york city. the crochet top in the third mage is something i would wear with cut offs and my signature black hat and boots for a relaxing day at mauerpark in berlin during the summer. the fifth white dress reminds me of a shot the sartorialist would take and although the last image is really not my personal style, i apprechiate it none the less and get this extremely cool parisian i-am-not-even-trying vibe from it. oh and did i mention how much just looking at all of these imagse makes me want to hop on a beautiful black bicycle and ride around as if i have nothing better to do in life but look amazing and carefree, kiss cute boys, and buy a dozen flowers? but that is the thing with free people. each catalogue tells a story and each story sort of only works in the magical setting it finds itself in. it's part of both the magic and difficulty with their line and the reason i find their extremely bohemian clothing really hard to integrate into my own closet. but if i ever find myself booking a plane ticket for morocco or vietnam, or planning an extended stay in a cottage in the woods i know exactly where to pick up a few sun dresses before i head out. if you didn't pick up on that ever so subtle hint, it's free people, silly.

take a look at the rest of the january 2013 catalogue here.

lg, Rae

tag & nacht

the following photos bring my little sweden holiday series to a close. no photos from thursday, but to quickly recap, thursday was spent exploring the city by myself. as you all already know, adelinn was sick and had to stay in falköpig and steffi had to work thursday and friday during the day, which meant having to do some quick on-the-toes thinking. i got in contact with friend of linnea's called karin and made plans for friday during the day. thursday i was left to my own devices, which in all honest was completely fine. exploring a new place alone can be relaxing and exciting. i was able to get in this very important thing called shopping and was able to do so at my own pace. visited beyond retro and basically fell in love. okay, okay, so thrifted clothing mainly shipped over from the us with a price tag that of 10 times the amount the item undoubtedly originally was priced at over in the bargain bin of some small town good will before being snatched up to be sold there did make me cringe a little, but the selection is pretty top, and hey, you only live once. i picked up a pair of shoes, a shirt, a backpack and a tote bag.

on friday karin showed me around the older parts of stockholm - karin had previously worked as a tour guide for exchange students so i basically got all the benefits of a tour without the i-think-i-am-so-funny-and-ironic-watch-me-make-some-uncomfortable-jokes-and-laugh-awkwardly middle aged tour guide. we also had a chance to see the david lachapelle exhibition at fotografiska, the photography museum in stockholm. it was unexpectedly crowded but we still managed to see what we wanted to see. if any of you are not familiar with lachapelle, i suggest you get informed or at least read his bio on wikipedia. here, i did all the work for you so now you have no excuses. his work is simultaneously beautiful, stunning, haunting, and downright uncomfortable. there is this sort of unapologetic objectifying of the human form in his work. his pieces do not only showcase the immense beauty of the human form. in many cases the form, physically perfect, is downright grotesque, due to its hyper-realistic presentation and almost too perfect physique. this creates a tension between the viewer and artwork where although the figures are displayed like objects, creating a level of passivity and vulnerability, they retain a level of control over the viewer due to their unapologetic often half nude or fully nude bodies. he also plays with a lot of interesting political and religious themes. but hey, do not just take my word for it, go check out his artwork!

later that night, steffi and i met up with her friend anna for dinner at this tapas restaurant in the city. pretty amazing food, but extremely greasy.

all in all i found sweden to be pretty amazing and will definitely be visiting again soon.

lg, Rae

train ride to stockholm

me and my amazing gold tipped boots waiting for the train
this set of photos is from the 2nd of january when steffi and i headed to stockholm. unfortunately, we were down a man, as adelinn came down with a nasty flu after our new years party. a bit of a bummer, but when you're sick, you're sick, and there really isn't much to do but lay in bed and hope to get better soon. at around 3:00 pm we hopped the train at falköping for a 3 and a half hour ride to stockholm. the train ride consisted of the usual: talking, magazine reading, and cat napping. once in stockholm i picked up a very needed bag of cheetos (which i basically inhaled later that evening while watching how i met your mother with steffi), before heading off to hop the regional train to steffi's brother's flat, where we crashed for the next few nights. notable was the "small" IKEA display in the middle of the transition with the hashtag "almost home." i guess even the swedish recognize IKEA as a national treasure. loving not only their keen eye for design but also their sense of humor here.

we met steffi's brother joachim when we arrived to his flat and learned that both germans and americans alike have lots of trouble with pronouncing the name joachim properly - the more you know. joachim and his girlfriend are the proud owners of two siamese cats which i also met. (one was a complete doll who cuddled with me in the evenings, the other was a bit territorial and kept to herself.) one of steffi's friends stopped by later that night for dinner and afterwards joachim headed out, since he was essentially kicked out of his own flat for the weekend, haha. the three of us watched the film "Butter," which i had previously never heard of but thoroughly enjoyed. if you are into quirky indie films i definitely suggest you check the film out. it's about an uptight perfectionist and her quest to set everything right a life that is falling apart through the art of butter sculpture by entering the milwaukee butter-competion and her foe and fellow butter carver, destiny, a 10 year old orphan. the evening ended with steffi and i vegetating on the sofa watching a few episodes of how i met your mother and me hugging my bag of cheetos lovingly before climbing into my pjs and crashing on the sofa. all in all not a bad start to my stay in sweden :)
lg, Rae

göteborg & falköping sweden

when i first arrived in sweden during my winter vacation, i landed in göteborg, fumbled my way through the airport and onto a bus, and rode into center of the city to meet adelinn. awesomely enough, many cities in europe have lockers varying in sizes in major translations, which means you still have the ability to see the city either upon arrival or upon departure, by storing your giant suitcase away for a few hours, which is exactly what we did so adelinn could show me around sweden's second largest city before we took the train back to her home in falköping. despite the rainy weather, i found göteborg to be full of a number of cute cafes and stores. later we arrived in falkoping in the evening. adelinn's brother jonathan picked us up from the train station and we then headed to the grocery store where i was pleasantly surprised to see an array of american goodies. so if any americans are looking for a place to move to, may i suggest sweden? it was the first time in FOREVER i was able to buy copious amounts of cheetos - the puffy kind. i mean what more would one need to consider when relocating to a new country. other bonus? everyone in sweden speaks english and are happy to do it. but i digress. we later arrived to adelinn's home, where we stayed for a few days before heading out to the country for new years.imagine the perfect swedish country home, and you have adelinn's family's home - only better since it was still decorated from christmas. i managed to snap a few photos, so take a look down below. adelinn's house was basically the perfect house for relaxation and coziness. we basically spent the time doing exactly that plus watching a bunch of movies - it was basically perpetually pj day .... which was awesome. oh, and being the dedicated blogger that i am, i made sure to fit in time for blogging as well ;)

how did you all spend your winter vacations? do you prefer doing something cozy or going all out? how about a combination of the both?

lg, Rae

new year's resolutions

edited image by me (original image)

hello all you lovely people! i arrived back in berlin this afternoon. i love traveling and really enjoy staying in hotels or at friends' homes, and i am quite good at making myself at home - i have also learned i have this strange ability for figuring out a kitchen (where everything goes) in .5 seconds. but, it is always such a refreshing and relaxed feeling, coming back to your own flat after traveling. it is that feeling of immediately knowing where everything is, and having all the little luxuries you hold dear right at your fingertips. everyone places different emphasizes on what is essential in owning and maintaing a home, so i suppose that what i mean by the little luxuries. for me it is coming home knowing i can take a relaxing bath tonight and light some candles. and, as trivial as this may sound, it is always really relaxing to know i can rifle through my closet and choose what i want to wear at will, instead of from a limited amount of wrinkled items from a suitcase. still there is something to be said about suitcase living which is really do enjoy.

in anyway, sweden was absolutely amazing. i am sure my stay there was a bit colored by the fact that i was surrounded by awesome people, but i really do find the swedes as a people kind and open. but more on that in my next post. right now i thought i would take to the great task of coming up with my resolutions for 2013.

10 RESOLUTIONS FOR 2013
6 active 4 mental
Active:
1: make more music - there is something you may not know about me: i sing and play guitar. i am quite shy about it, but my goal this year is to devote more time - both in hours and regularity - to practicing and writing music. i also want to be more adventurous and play at least one open mic and busk at least once in the new year. it's time to cast aside my fears! i would also like to finally start a regular music youtube channel without chickening out - stay tuned because i am sure i will eventually post them here on this very blog :)

2: increase my photography skills - something else you may not know about me: for many years of my life, i have dreamed of being a photojournalist. this dream was sort of put to a screeching halt when i decided that a goal of mine was to one day raise children and have a home and husband of my own. i wanted to travel the world and capture it all, but i realized it would be too much of a danger to put myself at that kind of risk, and worry my loved ones at home. however, my dreams have been reawakened as of late, especially because documentary photography is a lot broader than just war coverage. i have not shared this branch of photography with you all, as my blog is fashion and lifestyle, but i am hoping to put together a website for this as well as become better technically.

3: take this blog to the next leveel - this sort of goes hand in hand with my photography, as i want to get better and more regular at photographing my life as well as outfits. i want to work on the layout and content of this blog to make it both the most reader friendly and representative of me as possible. i also want to practice my writing skills as well to write in a way that is communicative and also better expresses my personality. also working on possibly implementing video to my blog as well - i had talked about it before but i realized my skills are not really there yet but i will be practicing and hopefully starting video in the new year as well

4: get moving! - motivation is what i am talking about, and on all fronts as well. i am dong well in university but i want to do even better. i want to be working on my papers and research every day monday-friday and sunday. i am starting a new job as well, so i want to really be able to give my all for both my academics and professional life. more generally - taking care of things when the idea pops into my head: doing the laundry more regularly, cleaning more regularly for example. i am not any lazier than the next person (and trust me we all need time for being lazy, it is our right as a human other wise we really really crash and burn) but i get burned out really easily so i want to work on being more consistent and having less burn outs for all things!

5: be healthy! - it has been difficult fitting exercise into my schedule with university taking up most of my time at the moment, but it's a goal of mine to start going to the gym regularly again. i also want to start eating a more well balanced and healthy diet. most importantly, that means knowing when to stop! i tend to overeat a lot, so i will be trying to watch this - everything in moderation! cutting down on smoking is also on the list.

6: leave my flat more often - this sounds like a really weird/lame resolution, but i often get a bit cozy in the evenings and have a hard time getting myself out the door on the weekends. i love going out and having a good time, but once i am sitting cozy on the sofa watching a movie i tend to cancel any previously made plans of going out and just spend the rest of the night there. it is the most difficult in winter, since the thought of venturing out into the cold is not so fun, but i am going to try to beat the urge to stay in. along with this i would also say, WORK ON BEING ON TIME!

Mentality:
1: let go - bottom line - don't sweat the little things and your life can only become more positive. cutting out negative energy is actually extremely beneficial which even sometimes (sadly) includes people who are not good for you. this doesn't mean you need to get into fights with people - drama is never fun - but distancing yourself from things that do not really make you happy is something i find important, because otherwise you will just make yourself miserable. we are in control of our own happiness and i find there are times we need to be sad and reflect on what hurts us, but no one wants to drink coffee with a perpetual debbie downer.

2: acceptance, faith, forgiveness - this goes along with number one. accept things, events, and people for what they are. this does not mean you have to be okay with every outcome or friends with everyone but just have faith that negative situations and people will turn themselves around and forgive. everything is a result of something else and everyone reacts for a certain reason. even if you do not agree, forgive and let go, with the idea that people can and will change for the better.

3: don't sweat it - they say your harshest critic is yourself, and in my case this is very true. this year i will be working on loving myself more and not re-hashing every potentially stupid or awkward thing i might have done, because it's counterproductive, and negative! i don't mean to forgo self reflection as self reflection leads to growth. but remember that time that you met that new person, and said that really awkward thing? yeah they must really hate you. so let's dwell about it all afternoon and conclude that no one could possibly want to be your friend. see what i just did there? yep, none of that.

4: be a fair person - i tend to feel really guilt about things really fast, but i think it is actually a really bad idea to try to be the "nicest" person on earth. it leads to getting walked over by lots of people. obviously no one wants to be bffs with a grinch either, which is why i think the best and most respectable thing one can strive to be is fair. it's great to say yes, but it is also totally okay to say no. a bit confusing, but i am pretty sure you guys are picking up what am putting down.


these are my resolutions for the coming new year. what are yours?
lg, rae

new years eve in sweden!

hey everyone! at the moment steffi and i are just hanging out and watching movies. we are at adelinn's house after returning home earlier this afternoon after new years eve partying. as you all know i have been spending some time in sweden this winter break. for the first two days i stayed with adelinn at her home - which by the way is exactly what you would think a swedish home in a small town should and would look like (do not worry i will be posting photos soon!) we then met up with steffi and lisa and drove into the country close to Mariestad so spend new years. we first watched the fireworks, before heading out to the farm to have dinner and celebrate. the fireworks were so delightful to watch - there is just something so magical about watching them. i can't imagine i will ever outgrow them. back at the farm we had an amazing time, eating, dancing, and drinking in the new year until we eventually passed out from exhaustion around 4. i snuggled up on a big chair for the evening, which was surprisingly comfortable. i hope you all had an amazing new years as well and have greeted the new year with friends and/or loved ones. here are some photos from our evening! how did you all spend your new years this year? have you made any resolutions?


me preparing napkins for the table setting

finished glasses of glögg

the table decorations were just absolutely perfect

steffi and i

lisa and adelinn

an incredible dinner - Lotte and her sisters prepared everything, which was a pretty large undertaking as there were about 20 people there. i don't think i have ever tasted anything more delicious.

a bit of quiz to bring in the new year

new years quizzes are serious business, if you didn't already know

stunning desserts which tasted fabulous. i don't remember the girl's name who made all of these amazing desserts but she was kind enough to make lactose free ones, which were delicious.

me and my darling adelinn. unforunately adelinn got really sick after new years and wasn't able to come with us to stockholm.

we all went out around 12 and had champagne, new years cigars, and lit sparklers

the lovely steffi enjoying a glass of champagne on the porch after midnight

lotte and a friend

i hope you guys enjoyed a little peak into my new years!
lg, Rae