Back from Berlin

To all of you dearest blog friends!

I am back from Berlin, with lots and lots of wonderful impressions, a little piece of my heart has been left behind, my sons and friends there keep it safe until I return...



It has been fast and intense, yesterday upon returning I felt dreamlike to be back in New York... I felt the first time I would rather travel slowly, let say by ship, to truly experience the enormous distance we so quickly cover by airplane...



I would love to slow my life down!

Berlin has a quick pulse, modern, exciting, artful, lovely and a bit messy....
I was surprised by the latter, maybe I did not see it while I was there last in the summer a year ago. Anyway, I love Berlin always!




My sons had created a wonderful program for us - their younger sister has been travelling with me - we walked until our feet steamed...We saw the sites, it was her first visit, we ate all we could eat and enjoyed each other's company.


I stormed the book stores, design shops and the many individual small fashion label shops. Berlin has so much of it all. Wonderful whimsical stuff, felted things, from hats to shoes and bags, leather goods, fantastic ceramics. I even found an amazing furniture maker.








And all the lovely cafes in Prenzlauer Berg, still the hippest neighborhood in Berlin.






Markets everywhere, fresh produce, students, children and dogs all over the place!
Oh, it was such fun.


I think I took a thousand pictures...

I will show you more in a couple of days, I have to go through them and do a little editing... today only a few snap shots.

Wishing you all a happy Thanksgiving! May you all experience the warmth and love of family and your good friends!
I do not have to look far to find what I am grateful for!

XX
Victoria



All pictures by V.Zlotkowski

I am off...

Now my daughter and I are finally off to Berlin, we can't wait to see the boys and we will enjoy a few lovely days in their city together!
We will be back before Thanksgiving with lots of pictures and hopefully many stories to tell you!

Until then, be good my friends!

XX
Victoria


PS: A few days ago I had posted on thoughts about Thanksgiving and used photos via edupic.net The photographer, illustrator and publisher William Vann contacted me to asked to be backlinked. I appologize for the oversight! His wonderful work is of course copyrighted and should not to be used without backlink.

Monday wonder

Being absorbed in last minute cleaning and organizing and packing before my journey to Berlin tomorrow I had no time to read blogs, or check my own, which I usually try to do in the morning after the storm of prepping the kids for school/ breakfast is over.
Early errands stretched into noon and eventually I came home rather late, tired and hungry for lunch, which I had scheduled with my husband. That gave me a reason to settle down and to take a breath. And to read a few blog notes...

And then I found this among the comments on my latest post:

Cristin from the lovely blog Simplified Bee told me, that I had won her recent giveaway: 'Charlotte Moss - A Flair for Living'



This is surely a wonder, since I have never won anything like that! I am so thrilled and happy!

Please go over to see Cristin's interesting blog, she writes so smart about organizing office and home, good design and how to simplify one's life.
This had woken my interest in her blog in the first place.
To simplify life and to streamline my houshold has been a special project this year for me. I have been so inspired by the plain and charming ways of New England's early settlers, from the Orchard house in Concord, MA to Boston's fine early 19Th century homes. Cristin translates this into the 21Th century!

Thank you Cristin, for this giveaway, I am so happy to have won this book! It will be cherished! I admire Charlotte Moss' style and her incredible flair for living!

And all you dear readers and writers out there - following my blog - this makes me very content, to know, that you find inspiration among my bits and pieces I have to offer! Thank you all!

XX
Victoria


Picture via Simplified Bee blog

Being tagged...Honest Scrap Award

The inimitable and fabulous Maria Killam of Colour me Happy tagged me and I will give you 10 honest things about me: Hate/Love/Share!
The rules are as follows: being tagged you share 10 things about you, as described above, link back to the person who tagged you and name 7 others you tag in turn.
Make sure they will know!

1.
I am very passionate about things, when I get into something, I'll pursue it with all my might.



2.
I love photography. One way of connecting with all the incredible things in our life.
People, nature, animals, the world at large and small!


3.
I write poems in small notebooks. They become momentous expressions of my feelings. Snapshots of my emotions...



4.
I hate not being smart enough to understand the extends of modern science. I admire those with the clarity of a truly mathematical mind!



5.
Deep in my heart I am a 19Th Century woman. The time appeals to me endlessly, I would love to live in England in 1820!(I know, it's an romanticized view, but what can I do???)



6.
I love to create moods in my home, before night I love candle light and great scents.



7.
I love working at night. My thinking is clear, I love the silence and the comfortable feeling of everybody tucked in nicely...



8.
I love living in America. I have embraced a new and exciting culture, the English language has opened my mind to all the incredible literature....



9.
I hate being so far from Europe, where my roots are and most of our families. Miss is very much, as I get older.



10.
I love to blog, it has changed my life! To blog lets me explore my feelings towards all those things I love doing, I can somehow comment on my life, it has become a diary, record of my thinking, connection to like minded people, opened my horizon and helps me find my center!



Thank you Maria, for being interested in 10 things of me!

And the Award goes to:

1. From the House of Edward

2. Willow Decor

3. An Aesthete's Lament

4. A Bloomsbury Life

5. Jentrified

6. The Peak of Chic

7. Little Green Notebook

I can't wait to read about you!


Have a wonderful, inspirational Sunday!


XX
Victoria



Pictures by V.Zlotkowski and via google image

Thinking of Thanksgiving

This is home...

I have been thinking of Thanksgiving lately. Having come to this country 'only' 15 years ago, we have embraced this Holiday with joy and gratefulness. It is the American holiday, uniting so many different ethnic groups, people of all kind of religious backgrounds and cultures. We feel a part of it and not unlike the 4TH of July we love celebrating this day and with it the American history.





With our children we have learned the meaning and events around it and love the aspect of giving thanks!





We have so many reasons to be thankful this year again, we have shelter and food, we are all healthy, we are working and we are in the embrace of a loving family.
This is nothing we take for granted, we are aware of the fragility of it all.
Last years economic hardship has taught us to live within our possibilities, something we have learned to love. To watch out for wastefulness, to re-use and to appreciate the riches we actally have.

This year's decorating revolves for me around natures gifts: leaves, acorns, cones, moss, bark, candles, inherited china and collected pieces, we love to pull out regularly.





These wonderful 6 pictures above by the photographer and illustrator William Vann.
Looking around a bit I found lovely, simple and sophisticated table settings for Thanksgiving:














This year is special for us, we will celebrate it with rather new friends and its going to be a lot of fun! Being the holiday for family reunions, we are especially grateful to be with friends, since our families are all oversees!

I will be flying next week to Germany with my daughter to visit the older boys and we will be back just in time for Thanksgiving. Another reason for me to be grateful and happy!
I will not be posting much until I return, so hang in there, I am going to show & tell you all about my journey to Berlin, when we return!


How will you celebrate the moments to look back, gather family and friends and be thankful for your life's gifts?

Wishing you all a heartfelt Thanksgiving!


XX
Victoria



Pictures by V.Zlotkowski and thanks to MarthaStewart.com, William Sonoma, Pottery Barn, edupic.net.