Village

backpacks

2013-05-22T11:09:00.000+02:00

Searching for one of these lately...which is your fave?

1// TopShop 2// Baggu 3// ModCloth (Baggu) 4// Madewell 5// Farfetch

lost.net

2013-05-20T08:21:00.000+02:00

always beautiful images on lost.net

Scarves

2013-05-15T08:18:00.001+02:00

these scarves by Cisthene are amazing...

Jewels

2013-05-13T10:29:00.000+02:00

love.
(shop: the angry weather)

2013-05-12T10:20:00.001+02:00

Have a lovely Sunday all you hot momma's out there.
Over the past year or so I've seen so many of my blog friends or the bloggers that I've read over the past few years become moms for the first time...and those of you who've had kids...I read your blogs so differently now! its been so fun getting to know you all on that level and to learn from you. Having a kid has catapulted my level of respect for moms and dads to the max in so many ways and you guys are so. good. at. it. So thank you. And happy mothers day!

Weekend + Links

2013-05-10T10:30:00.000+02:00

// An interesting looking graphic novel, French Milk (recommended by little t)

// Have American parents got it all backwards?

// Dog dancing to Eminem...this will MAKE your friday.

// American gets british friends to try American junk food and records their reactions

// Free Social Media Silhouette icons

// Some pretty resume designs.

// I just read this book and I'd recommend it!

// Gorgeous photos from Slovenia

Hey you, and happy Friday. Please at least watch the dancing dog link?
I'm enjoying a free day at home with rain, a clean house and a vanilla candle. Sometimes, you just need to be at home alone, its like a little vacation. Hope you guys have a great weekend!

Black is the new Black

2013-05-07T18:22:00.000+02:00

Have you seen this? These are the perfect travel inspired outfits, I'll never tire of all black.
(via wit and delight via nazsefic on polyvore)

Bunnyhopf

2013-05-06T08:25:00.000+02:00

Saturday we spent at the opening event for the Trials Bike club that Mark is a part of with some of our friends - it was way cool to see all these guys (and girls!) hopping up on things and stuff. The bikes are crazy looking and have no seats - I tried riding one around and its a super weird feeling. After riding it, I was even more amazed at the skill that people have to jump on a bench let alone a tall stack of pallets or whatever. One of the top ranked trials rider in the world was there with his big tour bus and did a couple of demonstrations. Anyway, Wesley was super impressed by his handsome dad ;) Another cool thing for the club was that Luzerner Beer made special labels for the event and called the beer "Bunnyhopf" or 'bunny hop', I thought that was cute so was sure to drink some ;)

P.S. have you ever seen any of Danny MacAskills trials riding videos? They are incredible.

Weekend + Links

2013-05-04T12:33:00.002+02:00

+ Rap quote street signs by artist, Jay Shells

+ A beautiful letter for a 5 1/2 month old

+ 27 ways you are not Carrie Bradshaw (what did you think of this?)

+ My new addiction...free online courses here and here

+ There is a laughter parade in Zurich today (that might creep me out!)

+ Perfect baby shoes (imo)

What are you guys up to this w/e?? Had a fun catch up with a friend last night. Today Wesley and I are going to Marks trials bike club opening (yeah event food and guys doing tricks on bikes!). Tonight will be friend fun and tomorrow I hope to clean and catch up on my online courses (because i. am. a. nerd.)

Village/This Past Week

+ Cozy and stylish pillows
+ Fun selection of coasters
+ 12 Hours Travel Guide feature
+ Roller Derby pics!

12 Hours: A Travel Guide

2013-05-02T08:00:00.000+02:00

I had to share this gorgeous site with you, called 12 hours. The authors are creating 12 hour city guides and the photos are just beautiful. I love that they aren't focusing on the touristy areas but seem to get to the heart of the city instead - everyday life and places - which is my favorite thing to find when traveling to new places (I could care less if I see another cathedral ever again, I've seen so many!). This is the kind of guide book I would buy if they were available! Maybe I should make a Luzern one :)
(via miss moss; photos by 12 hours)

Pillows

2013-05-01T08:00:00.000+02:00

I like naps. So I need pillows exactly like these.

1// Meadow 2// The Ocean 3// Vibrant 4// Book Cushion 5// Clouds 6// Dots

P.S. I still think these pillows are cool..
P.P.S. I recently came across this post from 2 years ago celebrating bamas 4th birthday...so cute! And no, that has nothing to do with pillows.

Coasters.

2013-04-30T07:00:00.000+02:00

Even though Mark has called a moratorium on me buying coasters (they are everywhere and like, super great souvenirs) I can still dream a little...I mean, because these are cool.
(via The Tilissimo)

P.S. I convinced at least one person to try Whole30! You can read Marias post (from Shade of Whim) on her beginning here if you're interested!

Derby Girl?

2013-04-29T08:00:00.000+02:00

It seems I might have found my calling in life. Seriously, Luzern might be starting a team...Check back later..
(These photos are from the Zurich Roller Girls vs. Cologne from this w/e!)

Weekend + Links

2013-04-27T11:42:00.001+02:00

Happy weekend kids...I feel like I have weekends now that I'm working again! Tonight some friends and I are going to see a roller derby...zurich girls vs. cologne. Have you ever been to one? I haven't and I'm so excited...
Wesley is doing great - such a happy kid, I can't get over him. (which is probably a good thing). And look at those two little teeth!
And btw, thanks for your all of your feedback and comments on the Whole30 posts (final thoughts & fave recipes)! I've taken this week off and decided I feel like crap with all the sugar I've been eating (maybe I'm going overboard though) but still...think I'm back to clean eating on Monday! The problem is...my work has a new coffee machine that serves latte macchiatos, which I've become addicted to in one week.

// Hipsters Taking Pictures of Food (brilliant) (via maria)
// Beautiful shoes
// The perfect little ring ?
// I'm excited for this shirt to arrive (work clothes..yay?)
// Luxury laptops for 1 million? People can't be serious...

P.S. I've been so bad about visiting blogs this past week and I miss them a lot. I'm excited to do some catching up this w/e...I'm coming!

Jewels

2013-04-23T22:35:00.000+02:00

Cool!
(Acute Designs)

Design

2013-04-23T08:00:00.000+02:00

Hiiii sexy kitchen.

Whole30 Final Thoughts.

2013-04-21T17:24:00.000+02:00

As promised - a more in depth discussion of Whole30! If you are just catching this post, Whole30 is a 30 day eating cleanse that includes (bio) meat, vegetables, fruit and certain nuts. (No alcohol, processed foods, sugar, dairy, legumes, grains).

I loved doing it, it has taught me so much about food, how I eat and how my body feels in relation to what I'm eating. I was so nervous to start because I couldn't imagine having to plan and prepare so many meals. It definitely took major planning and sifting through recipes, but...once a couple weeks passed it seemed like second nature, it was just how I ate. And I had some recipes that I knew and loved to fall back on so it wasn't such a huge task at the end. It definitely took a lot of time and dedication, but the annoyance of that was balanced out by how good I felt. I've broken down some of the things I've learned in to categories or else I would just ramble on I think!

The upsides:

- Energy: This was by far the most amazing thing about Whole30. Once I was past the detox period, I had consistent energy throughout the whole day and felt so great.
- No guilt: I didn't have to feel bad for eating too much dessert, alcohol, etc. Or for putting those 2 spoonfuls of sugar in my coffee.
- No hangovers!
- No sugar highs and crashes
- Feeling full longer between meals. I didn't need to snack, generally.
- I acquired the taste for and started loving my coffee black.
- No hunger between meals
- Feeling clean, not bloated from carbs/dairy, etc.
- 11 lbs lost
- Clothes fit better now, feel much leaner
- My runs felt so much better - I felt so energetic. (The amount of protein you are eating on this diet helps your body to recover from exercise quicker).
- Knowing that my body was spending the energy burning real fat as opposed to all of the sugar and processed junk that it had to burn on my normal diet.
- From reading testimonies of others on their website, many people found healing of a lot of different symptoms like skin problems, stomach problems, etc. I didn't really have anything major to start with to notice this though.

The downsides:

- The detox period: For a week or so I felt so tired and not good - but its necessary as your body is detoxing from the sugar, etc.
- A lot time was spent grocery shopping, meal planning and cooking. There's no room to grab something quick for lunch with your coworkers or go out to eat if you're too lazy to make dinner.
- Going out for drinks with your friends when they are all drinking :)
- No desserts! (Although, I did make this topping from almond meal, coconut oil and salt that tasted like peanut butter to put over bananas or to just eat from the spoon!)

Secrets to my Success:

- I read their book, "It Starts with Food". This gave me a really good foundation of knowledge for why I would be eating the way I did. It helped to know the science behind it and what my body was doing.
- Pre-planning: I spent a lot of time before I officially started collecting recipes that I was excited to try and pinning them to Whole30 dedicated pinboards. I made sure I had located and bought some ingredients that I wasn't familiar with like coconut oil, compliant meats, clarified butter). There is no version of Whole Foods here so for instance, Ghee had to be bought at a shop in Zurich, etc.
- Planning specific meals throughout the week, making sure I had what I needed. If I knew I wanted to make a soup during the week that needed chicken broth, for instance, i'd make sure to make homemade broth on the weekend.
- Leftovers! Sometimes Mark would make his own thing so I'd have a break from cooking every single day. Or I'd double recipes to make sure I had something for lunch/dinner the next day
- Nut butter. That is all.
- Doing it with a friend. This was priceless. We could bitch, share cravings, share meal ideas, share homemade mayo...and on and on. We'd keep eachother accountable and send eachother pictures of our meals.

And so I'm done now. I have to admit, on that first day of freedom I was walking by like all these bakeries and snack shops with shining eyes...it was like I was in a new world! Like I had just been let out of prison or something! But, despite that, its so much easier now to make good choices. Sure I've had some chocolate and alcohol, but I don't need them. I don't crave the dessert anymore. We went out to eat this weekend and I still ordered fish and vegetables because I wanted them. For lunch today I had the choice of cereal and milk or making chicken and roasting vegetables - I went with the chicken...I almost craved the clean earthy taste of that food. I've totally switched to drinking black coffee and sweet things just don't taste the same now. Moving forward, I'm not sticking to it totally, but I can tell that the way that I want to eat has changed for the better. Afterall, I'm armed with experience, real results and a healthy feeling that is really hard to ignore!

Changes I will stick with:

- Cooking with coconut oil and Ghee instead of butter
- Using almond meal/coconut flour instead of flour
- Black coffee (no more spoonfuls of sugar every morning)
- Using compliant mayo (homemade), dijon mustard, tomato paste, etc. All the little products I found that are ok.
- Nut butter in place of peanut butter
- Trying my hardest to stay away from processed foods.
- Homemade chicken broth
- Using Cauliflower rice in place of rice and cous cous.

If you ever do this or want to discuss it more, feel free to email me. I'd love to help support the occasion. Its a big deal and its a lot of work and it helps so much to be able to talk it through! (Also, the website and forums are a great resource)

P.S. If you missed it, here is a post with my favorite Whole30 meals!

A Pop Pop Portrait of moi!

2013-04-18T22:44:00.000+02:00

You guys...this is my new prized possession I think. One of my ladies here got this for me! Do you know what it is?? It's a POP POP PORTRAIT! OF ME! yayayayaya!! If you've been reading here awhile you know that Helena (the artist behind Pop Pop Portraits) was a sponsor of my blog and that I LOVE her portraits. I am so excited to have this! THANKS JEN!!!! And Helena!!

Check out Helenas
shop
blog
facebook

Whole 30 + Favorite Meals

2013-04-17T20:36:00.002+02:00

Cabbage & Leek Skillet - I made this countless times, for all meals.
Cowboy Skillet - I think this was my favorite...so good.
Egg Cups - I tweaked this a little and layered scrambled eggs, spinach/mushrooms, cherry tomatos, bacon, and more scrambled eggs in the ramekin (instead of using prosciutto). So great and can pack them in the fridge for breakfast on the run.
Chicken & Mango Salad: So easy - a go-to salad
Comfort Noodles: Secret: I used the topping as a dessert sometimes...tastes like peanut butter :)
Chicken & Avocado Salad: So easy, no mayo! (means no making it home made)
Grilled Salmon w/ Avocado Salsa: Amazing. I served this with Cauliflower Rice
Pizza w/ Cauliflower Crust: I used the sauce from this recipe (topped it with cherry tomatos and spinach)
Moroccan Meatballs: Serve this with the fauxcous. I made the Cauliflower couscous several times...it was SO good.

Well, kids, I finished that Whole 30 eating cleanse thing (today)! 30 days of no sugar, processed foods, alcohol, grains, legumes, dairy - only vegetables, fruit, certain nuts and meat with no additives. That ish was cray. The hardest thing to pass up was alcohol - the social life in my circle revolves mostly around drinks - so, I spent a lot of time hanging out in bars drinking water and coffee! (I'm glad my friends were supportive!) I think I'm sticking with it until Saturday since we're running a race...but I won't feel bad if i say, have a glass of wine or something ;)

I'm figuring out how to sum up this whole experience for you because I think it would be interesting to read if you are considering doing something similar - and I can't bypass 30 days of hard work on my blog. But I want you to know that it was a very positive experience and I'm so happy that I did it. I don't want to say it was "life changing!" and cured all my body problems...mostly because I didn't have anything major to start with. But, I have never felt more energetic and "clean". So, while I figure out how to round up my thoughts for you for the next post.. I want to share with you my favorite meals for each part of the day today. I'll definitely be making these again as well as many other foods from my Whole 30 Pinterest Boards: Whole 30 Breakfasts, Whole30 Lunches & Whole30 Dinners.

Jewels

2013-04-17T15:57:00.002+02:00

these are lovely...does anyone know where one could find these? I saw them on pinterest but the link is dumb.

I answered questions

2013-04-16T21:20:00.003+02:00

I'm having one of those (above) days. Seriously. Even Wesley could barely cajole me out of my foggy stuffed epic cold sickness head. So I'm doing this (below). Because I miss myspace quizzes.

Christine (Christine Loves to Travel) recently nominated me for that Liebster award (thank you!), so I'm answering her questions here and I think you should probably answer the same questions because they are good and I want to know what you would say!

1. If you could go back to 1 country that you visited, where would you go back to? Croatia
2. Winter or summer travel? Summer, for sure
3. Describe the best food you've ever tasted? I can't describe it but it was a tapas restaurant in barcelona that we stumbled across - it was incredible.
4. Life is not complete without_______? true love
5. Where were you born? Valparaiso, IN
6.What is the one thing you can't live without? books
7. Wine or beer? beer!
8. How many languages do you speak? 3-ish. english, basic german and spanish
9. Where is your next travel destination? either London or Santorini
10. Describe your perfect day? Up early(ish)...and then a coffee and chocolate croissant, but in this perfect day its the healthiest breakfast possible. Then a good run. Then I hop on a plane loaded with new magazines and a book and relax while I fly (first class of course) to somewhere with a beach and/or my room has a private pool. Then I lay out all day, swim...then have an amazing dinner outside in the warmth somewhere...and drinks with no possibility of a hangover. Perfection.
11. Your favourite animal? a Bama

Shoes and complaining.

2013-04-15T12:20:00.004+02:00

Ummm, where was I all last week? Tending to a feverish baby and reading this book during free time. I mean, have you READ that? Geez. But def between sickly baby (bad bad cold), a cold for me (thanks wes!), this book and trying to make ahead whole 30 meals so i can eat at work...it was too busy. And running. My friend and I are signed up for a 10K this weekend...so right now? today? its a bad time to feel like crap. Especially as my dog is barfing all over the house. WHAT IS THIS UNIVERSE???
Oh, and also, I was busy pinning awesome sneakers. I mean, I love this trend because there are so many cool ones and its comfortable and I'm so beyond tired of flats (besides the cool flats I have). Happy new week to you!
(It hasn't been all crap this past week, I did go shopping in zurich (american apparel for babies forever), went to a Renaissance Fest and managed to find the dive-est bar in luzern where I could drink my water (still on whole30, no alcohol!)

// Army New Balance (mysterious) // Rachel Zoe (snakesin) // Zara orange // Pour la Victoire // Onitsuka Tiger White/Maroon // Onitsuka Tiger Black & Gold

Currently Coveting

2013-04-08T11:22:00.003+02:00

This necklace by Upper Metal Class

This mountain print scarf by Totokaelo

This balcony and view

Good things...

Weekend + Links

2013-04-06T08:57:00.000+02:00

pic via around the world alone

Oh the weekend, what mischief are you getting up to?? I have plans here and there, nothing set in stone, just the way I like it! Enjoy some of my favorite links from the week. And share yours!

:: The literal version of Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the heart = HILARIOUS.
:: Chocolate eggs in Italy
:: I really like these mens watches
:: 7 reasons you might struggle with happiness
:: So sad, Charlie is leaving Girls :(
:: The Great Gatsby Trailer just kind of blew me away
:: These shoes, I vant.
:: 20 Things to do with Instagram that you might not have known about.

Maybe you Missed

+ Love of My Life: 6 months old
+ On Running Style
+ Makankosappo...best thing ever.

A Man Who Met the Moon

2013-04-04T23:19:00.003+02:00

I'm so in love with this project by Leonid Tishkov that tells the story of a man who "met the moon and stayed with her forever". He takes pictures with his moon all over the world. Sigh. I love the moon, it's my favorite thing ever, all good things happen under it I think.
(See more photos here)

p.s. Thanks for all of your words on Wesley - I loved reading every one ;)