white nights

It's getting warmer and warmer, time to switch out the winter sweaters, coats, and boots for tank tops,  linen t-shirts, and sandals.  I love that.  Also time to bust out the summer pajamas, or treat yourself to a new little nightie.  I'm craving something light and airy and white with a touch of embroidery.  Like these little beauties from  Zara Home.  That's right folks, Zara Home.  Did you even know they did lounge clothes?  Well they do, and they do them damn well.


Have you made the switch to summer pjs and clothing yet?  Do you treat yourself to a little something when the seasons change?

still alive

I swear it, I am still alive.  I'm super busy working on a project that I hope to be sharing with you guys soon (so excited!), and I can only spend so many hours in front of the computer before my eyeballs start bleeding, so the blog has taken a bit of a back seat lately.  But I am alive and well, truly.  And if you need proof, follow me on Instagram, where I have finally set up an account and am chronicling life's little pleasures in a less wordy way.  See you over there?

maisie maud broadhead

I've seen this piece in person (twice!) at the CaixaForum here in Madrid, and was so happy to find a version online to be able to share with you.  Even though "An Ode to Hill and Adamson" by London-based artist Maisie Maud Broadhead is an homage to the creators of the first photographic studio in Scotland, for me it represents everything that is magical about film production: the tricks, techniques, cheats, labor, time and teamwork that go into creating beautiful images from nothing.  Or, in this case, into creating another era in the midst of the one we live in.

Here's the photo that inspired this video:

Nailed it, don't you think?

A few more of the photos from the original Hill and Adamson photography studio...

just do it

I ran my very first race this weekend.  A new 5K here in Madrid through the beautiful Casa del Campo.  I know 5 km isn't much to people who've been running for years, but for me it was a major accomplishment.  Words cannot describe how excited and proud I felt to participate, and finish, and with a much better time than I'd anticipated too!  So in honor of small goals and huge achievements, I dedicate this post to the runners out there, beginning and advanced.  Go on, get your run on.

Some running essentials...

swimmingly

This is where I was swimming last month.  I know I have yet to tell you all about my Super Duper Mexico Vacation, but I still haven't finished organizing all my photos and thoughts.  Needless to say, it was awesome.  I'm back in the big city now, but I'll be damned if I give up my water time.  So...

Husband and I have joined the pool!  We started this week, committing to four full months of membership (gotta get those discounts where you can, and the obligation to keep it up is just a bonus), and absolutely love it.  My pool's not as amazing as the Caribbean, but it's pretty damn wonderful.  All this has made me think it would be a good time to go over some pool essentials.

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Trust me, you need these things...

ch-ch-changes

I'm officially back!  Back in Spain, back online, back to daily life.  But it feels different, I have to say.  We've only been gone from Madrid for a month but somehow it feels like it's been much longer.  There's changes all around me: a new 5 euro bill, my local Zara completely remodeled, and a Starbucks in the basement of our grocery store, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Something internal has shifted as well, a settling of sorts, a coming to terms with change: the inevitability of it and the excitement of it.  I don't want to sound melodramatic or anything, but we're nearing the end of a big era in our lives, and steadying ourselves for the one that lies ahead.  A year from now I predict our lives will be totally different, new city, new jobs, new friends, new routines.  And while it used to just terrify me, now I'm filled with energy and enthusiasm.  I'm still nervous about it all, but it's more like pre-show jitters, lovely little anxious butterflies to carry me along the journey.

Anyway, I don't usually wax philosophical on the blog, but I just couldn't help it.  And to mark the change, I've bought some flowers for our home, something I rarely do.  (Kalanchoe, which apparently can be spelled Kalanchoë or Kalanchöe, movable umlauts? Who ever heard of such a thing?) Hopefully I won't kill this little guy, cause it sure is making me happy.  Here's to the start of (a new) something good!

alpargatas

Before leaving Spain I picked up a pair of espadrilles at my neighborhood alpargatería.  That's where they make espadrilles and other woven items like baskets for your donkey or fishing nets.  In downtown Madrid.  I love that this is still going on in the heart of the city.  And I love that folks will line up for hours (literally) when spring hits, waiting their turn to get their shoes for the summer.  And most of all, I love these alpargatas.

Details...

the villager

Look, it's a photo of my great-great-great-grandmother from Siberia.  Just kidding.  It's just me.

It's been raining a lot here and I have a deep-seated hatred of umbrellas, so I have to don a big furry hat and an oversized wool shawl to keep me dry.  When I realized I was wandering the streets of Madrid dressed as a villager from another country in another century, I couldn't resist sharing.

black lace

Did you have a nice valentine's day?  While I'm madly in love with my husband (yes, even after 12 years together, knock on wood) we've never really been into this holiday.  Still, I'm not above an extra little dose of black lace, and any excuse is a good one.

Details, details...

under the needle

Yesterday I went to my very first acupuncture session.  Apparently my liver has some issues, causing blood stagnation.  Sounds terrible, doesn't it?  Also I learned that I'm nervous.  I tried to tell the doc I wasn't, but he just chuckled and told me that maybe I wasn't nervous "on the outside".  So there you have it, stagnant and nervous, but now at least there's a light at the end of the tunnel and solutions to these problems I never knew I had.

I joke, but in reality, I loved it.  It was totally relaxing and fascinating, and I came home and crashed.  I can't even remember the last time I felt so relaxed and floaty and sleepy.  Definitely planning on continuing.

Have you tried it?  I'd love to you hear your thoughts and experiences...

winter wonderland

image from travel and leisure

Amazing how easily we can get from one side of the world to the other.  We take it for granted, but sometimes it just hits me how truly awesome that is.  Today I woke up in snowy Madison.  Happy to be home.

the end of the hunt

Yes, it's over.  The quest for this year's perfect coat has come to an end.  But wait, you say, that's not a coat.

No, it's not.  Neither are those other things.  But hear me out...

on hidden details

Sometimes it's the tiny details that take you from merely liking something to falling head over heels in love with it.  I'm a sucker for little details.  I'm talking about hidden zippers and buttons, or just unexpected ones.

In love with the newest additions to my closet.  Will tell you all about them soon...

barton perreira

I may be predisposed to like any brand that has Giovanni Ribisi is its style ambassador, but that's not the only reason I'm obsessing over Barton Perreira eyewear these days.  I recently went to Optica Toscana in Madrid (a real treat, for any of you here in town you should absolutely check them out) and they introduced me to the brand.  That's where I fell in love with the Kelley.

I tried them on in the gorgeous Dark Walnut color, but when I saw this merlot online I just about died.  How beautiful are those?  A more neutral color might be more practical, but I'm somehow now convinced I need many many many pairs of glasses, in many many colors.

Check out some more stellar Barton Perreira frames (plus a bonus video) ...

chocolate

Time for change!  I've been vacillating between redhead and blonde for years now and yesterday I woke up restless.  Something about the cold moving in, the grey rainy skies and a deep desire for hot cocoa.  I was (past) due for a haircut anyway, so I went in and said Do it! Take me to the dark side!  Julia over at the Beauty Station has been cutting my hair for years and was almost more excited than I was for the change.  She gave me the most beautiful rich deep chocolate color, and then to top it off, probably the coolest choppy cut I've ever had.

In case you don't remember, here's the before...

a moisture fix

I ran out of my favorite winter daytime moisturizer.  Like, really ran out, as you can see by the ravaged bottle on the left.  This was a real disaster because I can't find Boscia products anywhere here in Madrid.  Usually I stock up on this stuff when I'm in the states, but this summer I thought, come on, there's got to be decent moisturizer in Spain.  Right?  So now of course I had to spend days researching, reading reviews and recommendations on beautypedia (I totally trust Paula) and makeup alley, and trying out all the samples I could get my hands on.  (I may have mentioned it here before: I'm a chronic researcher.)  But this is a tough one, it had to have the right spf for rainy grey winter days, it had to be lightweight but still moisturizing, it had to have a natural matte finish that leaves you neither shiny nor flat, it had to be gentle and non-comedogenic for my sensitive and acne-prone skin, and it had to deal well with sweat so I could get through my morning ballet class without any weird meltdowns.  That's a lot to ask.

But I found it!  And in case any of you out there have similar requirements I thought you might be interested.  Big thumbs up to MAC Studio Moisture Fix, it does everything I wanted, plus it smells so lovely and fresh it makes me just a wee bit happier in the mornings.

ikea day

We spent a day at Ikea last week (including the trip there and back it was about 6 hours, so yeah, basically an entire day) and picked up some really lovely things.  God, I just love it there.  Now you may be asking yourself why I would buy things for the home when we're leaving in a year (ok, only two of you out there know that, but there you go, now you all do), but we only picked up a few essentials that are going to vastly improve our quality of life over the year to come.  That's how I justified it at least. 

These are the little things that bring happiness...

basic goodies

Today I shipped off 6 more dvds to film festivals in an ongoing process that gets more streamlined but no less annoying by the day.  To celebrate I ducked into Zara on my way home.  Picked up some superb basics, I'm kind of over the moon about them.  Check them out...

counting sheep

I am smitten with this cozy sheep sweater from Oysho.  I'm not usually a fan of cutesie animal prints, but this one got me.  Also love the boyish boxy shape, I think it would be perfect for layering over a button-down (with a pop of color on the lips)

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A few more greys from what is easily one of my favorite spanish fast-fashion labels...

death of an ipod

Do you even remember these? The ipod mini, from 2004.  Doesn't seem so mini now, does it?  But still, I have loved this little guy so much.  It was a gift to me, along with mini travel speakers, when I first came to Spain.  I planned on being here 4 months.  We can all see how well that plan worked out, can't we?  Regardless, this guy helped me through the loneliest days in the beginning, and has moved with us many times, bringing music to countless Madrid kitchens since then.  Recently, I am sad to report, it coughed and sputtered and then it was gone.  Rest in peace Mini.  Thanks for all the good times.

Loved you most for the sweet engraving on the back.