house o' rama (pt 1)

In honor of our recent housewarming party I have decided to post some post-move picts.  I finally had everything hung, vacuumed, swept and straightened to a point where I was happy enough to take pictures.

So, here we go. Enter the foyer:

My poor vase didn't make it 24 hours in the foyer, as "husband who forgot there is now a table in the foyer" ran into it on his way up to bed last night, sending water, flowers and glass shards everywhere.  Oh well, it was pretty while it lasted.  

Take a left at the end of the foyer and you get to the hall:

To the left is a giant hall closet, the square on the wall is a laundry chute (!!).  

Go straight ahead and you get to the kitchen

 Didn't think I'd ever be able to match the size of the NOLA kitchen, but alas, I've been proven wrong.

do a 180 turn and then you're in the dining "room."

To the right of the dining room table is the bar.  I pretty much copied the design I had back at the old house (seen here) b/c it is so perfect for above the bar. 

Keep turn to the right and you are in the living "room."

This is probably the most incomplete area of the house, mainly b/c we NEED a 3-seater couch.  Right now we just have the love seat Mr. Bama bought before we were married (seen in the very foreground of the picture).  If we were in states we'd have this badboy sitting in our living room. However, I refuse to spend money that could go to the above couch in order to buy a cheap European sofa (they are SO uncomfortable!). So love seat and oddly unfinished living room it is for now.

Tomorrow: onto the upstairs.

The irony of the party was that none of it actually took part inside the house, hence it should have been properly called a yard-warming party by the sheer fact that so much time was spend in our yard. We're so lucky that we do have such a wonderful and large yard. And someone worked incredibly hard to make sure all of the libations and food was top notch!  Thanks Babe!

my house is officially a hot mess

Just when I was feeling accomplished by hanging pictures, finally buying a new rug, and not having a house of boxes (for the second time in 13 months, mind you), I made the fateful decision to click on a Pinterest pin with the caption "great decorating ideas." Bad. Move. Curiosity didn't just kill the cat, it ran over it and then backed up and ran it over again.

inspiration for decoration

No room in my house looks anything close to the ones in this blog (thanks expensive architecture degree).  Instead it looks like a mix of Anthro-layout wannabe/ leftovers from being a poor grad student - single person / Ikea showroom with mismatching clutter. There is no design philosophy; nada, nothing, zilch.  My grad professors would be ashamed.

I was totally ready to post a few pictures from my newly-deboxed kitchen, but now I just.dont.know.  My competitive nature feels energized and then deflated due to the fact that I can't buy all of One Kings Lane for my new temporary abode.  Stupid budget.

Do you think the rooms on the inspiration for decoration blog really are attainable by real people with dogs, kids, cats and spouses. Or is it just propaganda by the "your house will never be good enough!" design mag people?

back from paradise

Exhausted and happy.  A full run down is to come, but here's my summery -

1. Corfu: total letdown
2. Santorini: a-freaking-mazing (minus the donkeys)
3. Mykonos: beaches from heaven
4. Izmir/Ephesus: a nice Turkish surprise
5. Venice: better the second time around, but still kind of overrated.

On a side note: we came home very, very early this morning to find a dead bird in our house (no I didn't get a picture, eww).  Figuring that all the windows were closed, who knows how this poor little fellow managed to get into the house.  Oh nature can be so weird.

away we go

We're taking a break from the insanity of moving to escape cold (it is July, right?), rainy Germany for a much needed jaunt around the warmer and sunnier *fingers crossed* Eastern Mediterranean.

source

here's hoping for rest, relaxation, some fun adventures and hopefully no sunburn!

Do you have any fun summer travel plans lined up?

kitchen slicing surprise?

So as of today we're still moving, but this morning I had to meet some workers at the house super early to help with some last minute things to prep for the furniture being moved today.  To kill time, I was poking around the kitchen and noticed something in the drawer next to the sink.  At first i thought "darn it, the last people in the house left something behind!" What the heck is this?

Upon further inspection, I realized the contraption was bolted down and actually pops up.  The end result was THIS!

I'm going to be cutting things paper thin to no end with my new, electric SLICER!! Bye bye Mandolin, I've got this bad boy in my drawer! 1/8" potato slices for some scalloping? You got it. 1/2" tomato slices for a sandwich?  Done.  Paper thin slices of bologna? Eww, but no problem, I've got you covered... with my super awesome German meat (and other things) slicer.

Seriously though, who has this pre-installed, of all things, in their kitchen?

so it begins

The gubment took away this beauty Tuesday.

Oh how I will sorely miss the Purple-People-Eater.  Or not.  Despite its obviously interesting* (that's nice speak for ugly, bless it's heart) looks, a number of guests, including my very picky father, said it was incredibly comfy for naps. I guess you can't judge a couch by it's cover... never mind, that won't keep me from continuing to judge away ugly furniture in the future.

This means that moving has officially begun.  Mainly because the movers also moved our washer and dryer to the new house.  Therefore, there's no turning back - we have to move.  Either that or from here on out I just drive 30 mins one way to do laundry.  Ask me in a day or two and I may say "I'll take the 30 min drive over moving."

on the agenda

So heres what we have for the month of July:

1. Host and throw BBQ for hub's company.  Yeah.
2. Move.  By ourselves.  I really hope this goes smoothly, b/c moving usually brings out "ugly, mean, irritated" Mrs. Bama.  Must remember to breathe, that I love our new house and my husband is here and can help. That is until one of us throws our backs out trying to haul the monstrosity that is our desk down three flights of stairs and up one.
3. Pack for our cruise while moving.  Yes, you heard that correctly.
4. Go on said cruise. Massive house move followed up by a Greek cruise.  This is either a GREAT idea or a terrible idea.  It could go either way.
5. Did I mention our new car that was paid for in April is being delivered while we're gone? They say anticipation is half the fun, but after Bruno's driver side window has broken for the second time in 6 months (at $500 a pop to fix) and we're borrowing a VERY generous friend's car so Mr. Bama can drive, that anticipation has definitely lost its luster.  Three months from placing your downpayment to actually obtaining the car is slightly irritating, but c'est la vie.

In 10 days I'll be sitting on a boat drinking some kind of alcoholic drink.  My only job til then: remaining sane and remembering that if all else fails, this is why God invented wine.

happy early birthday to me

Look who is home...

canine thoughts

As if I didn't think it was funny enough on its own watching Bear try to figure out what is that "weird bouncy creature," I now have an internal monologue to accompany it.

(source)

If you haven't checked out Texts From Dog yet, you're definitely missing out.  You'll never look at your dog the same way again.

holy gatsby

Have you seen this trailer yet!?

Fitzgerald, Art Deco, Carey Mulligan, the Roaring 20s, Tobey McGuire, HOVA, Yeezy, Jack White and Baz Luhrmann?  How can this NOT be epic? Hopefully it will all offset Leonardo DiCaprio being cast as Gatsby, which I am totally not feeling.  I think it will be like Boardwalk Empire, but on steroids. And I'm okay with that.

Come on Christmas!

I Love

absolutely everything on this tumblr.

(source)

Props to these ladies for trying to bring back an age of beauty, etiquette and everything elegant.

A Bathroom for Guidos

We have an interesting half bath in the new house.

This just makes me want to fistpump upon entering.  The best part: to the right of this picture you see a toilet.  Next to that toilet is a designated urinal.  Just took the classiness up a notch.

Back from the Dead

I've got a lot of  'splaining to do.  It's been a busy few months - getting back to Germany from the states, running around Bavaria with Misa (and her hubs) from Park & Belmont, and then playing webmaster filling in for a friend at her job while she vacationed.

Oh, and did I mention we're moving again?

The 40 minute drive is killing our budget and I can only imagine the damage it will do once Mr. Bama gets back (which will happen in a matter of weeks!!!).  That being the case, I sucked it up and started looking for a new home to move to that was less than 20 mins from his work.  After the terrible time we had trying to find a house this time last year, I was just dreading the whole process.  Every house I found either was against having pets, housing Americans or was already rented out. It seemed like it was to be a repeat from last year.

And then by total divine intervention, we stumbled upon this beauty:

This house doesn't look like much, but trust me, it's wonderful.  A bit smaller than where we're living now, but it has two huge things:

number one:

A HUGE yard.  The building on a left is the outdoor kitchen for
  outdoor entertaining.  Yup we have 2 kitchens

number two:

this kitchen is amazing and has everything.

Also not shown in the pictures: the laundry chute and the CENTRAL vacuum.  What WHAT!?  Yup you heard it right. We do NOT deserve this house, but it actually found us (a friend of a friend needed someone to rent it...) The style of the house is a little too "Italianate" for me, as I like things a bit more simple and streamlined, but beggars cannot be choosers in the German real estate game.  I feel like my life has been a bit Househunters International of late, but at least I can look forward to moving into this place come July.

Oh July, how crazy and insane of a month you will be.  Since we've already been moved by Mr. Bama's "company"once, we'll have to do the move ourselves.  Did I also mention how much I HATE moving? I may have mentioned it here and here. So not only will I be planning the company-wide Barbecue come the last weekend of June, but we'll also be doing a self-move that the first weekend of July, mere weeks after Mr. Bama is back from being away for a year.  Then a week or so later, we're packing up and going on a Eastern Mediterranean cruise, for relaxation.  We will most definitely need the relaxation by this point. Phew - I'm exhausted after just typing all of that! There's actually much more I haven't even touched on coming down the pipe, so stay tuned for one heck of a ride...

I'm back, but that's not the point of this post.

This is:

(photo court of agrarian by Williams-Sonoma, found here)

Williams-Sonoma recently launched their new DIY home horticulturist and farmer line.  It's official, getting your hands dirty and growing your own stuff is now chic. This agrarian line allows you to order a mushroom growing kit,  purchase canning supplies, even buy yourself a W-S approved chicken coop for your back yard (that is, unless you live in Virginia Beach, VA).  My mom's reply when she saw this in the most recent W-S catalogue was "What?  This is like depression-era tech"  No mom, it's recession-era tech, and it's very "in" right now.

Anyways,  the thing that really gets me excited about this new line are three words: DIY Kombucha Kit.

While in the states (more on that later) I drank a whole bottle of kombucha almost every day I was home.  I knew my precious time w/ my favorite fermented drink was numbered, so I made sure not one bottle went to waste.  I even emailed GT Dave's to inquire about overseas sales (No dice.)  I began to accept that the rest of my stay in germany would be yummy and healthy Kombucha free.

Now, this changes everything.

GOODNESS I hope they ship here...

NOLA on my mind

On Wednesday I returned from a week long "vacation for my soul" in NOLA -  intentionally missing the crowds of Mardi Gras, while still getting the happy-go-lucky vibe of the Carnivale season.  Rather than write a long summery, I figured I'd just let my instagram photos sum up the week.

the skyline so bright

I adore everything in this hotel

my fave: a French 75 in the Sazerac Bar

newly renovated Carousel Bar in the Hotel Monteleone

best roast beef po-boys in NOLA, hands down

baby's got a new pair of pink shoes.

Valentine's Day at the Saturn Bar in the Bywater

I miss this everyday Uptown street vista

happiness is...

finally finding the wine I've been coveting for the past 9 months after it being sold out at 5 different stores

I almost hugged the stock guy at Farm Fresh when he replied "oh yeah, we've got plenty in stock."

It's the simple things...

a list of things

image via  

Bear and I are heading back to the States for a few months this weekend - after some recent events, I realized how much we needed to be back there to be with family and give my soul a much needed rest.  While driving to meet some friends the other day, I got really excited about some things that I had missed from home in the almost 9 months since moving to Germany. Namely:

• Kombucha
• stores open on Sunday
• a yard for Bear
• Television + movies in English
• being able to watch YouTube (darn you GEMA)
• lack of a 19% VAT tax
• not having to drive 40 mins to see friends
• going shopping 
• T.J.Maxx & Target
• free Wi-Fi!
• having a reliable car
• family
• being able to read labels in stores
• not having to check conversion rates (instantly followed by a feeling of depression)

But then I realized there's a lot I'm also going to miss

• not having to worry if your food has GMOs in it
• not having to worry if your meat has growth hormones and antibiotics in it
• alcohol not having a negative connotation 
• the autobahn and lack of a speed limit (my lead foot will miss this the most)
• the ice cream, coffee and baked goods
• taking Bear into restaurants / clothing stores / etc. and no one being afraid of him
• feeling enjoyment in the smallest things: i.e.: while I may not being able to read labels in stores, I am sure as heck able to sing along with Justin Timberlake or Lady Gaga playing on the speakers in perfect English.  Small victories.

I've been frustrated a lot with our situation of late, mainly because the distance (from friends here, from family in the states and from my husband 3,00 miles the other direction) has made life pretty boring.  We're ready to go home, and I can't wait. 

remember when...

I went on vacation?  I mentioned a little something about it here.  Well, here's a little recap over at the Trashy Diva blog.  Enjoy!

yup, the vacation indeed involves a camel

what a vacation sounds like

While watching Portlandia for the first time this weekend (and drinking hot toddies, all in the name of cold care) I couldn't help but wonder who is behind the awesomely awesome song for the opening credits. Well I did a little research and I came up with Ernest Greene

image via thesoundmedium

He's more than a guy who looks like a frat boy from an SEC school.  He's the mastermind behind Washed Out, a chill wave project that's been featured in Adult Swim, and of course, Portlandia.  Interestingly enough, he's kind of a success story for the recent economic situation - He's my age and when he found himself with a college degree, unemployed and living at home with his parents, he decided to pursue his true passion for music.  He set up a studio in his bedroom and posted his recordings on his Myspace page (didn't think anyone still had one of those...).  Fast forward to 2012, when he's signed to a record label and released an album this past July.  And I thank you, Wikipedia, for all of that information.

Listen to the full version of the Portlandia opening theme ("Feel It All Around") here 

To listen to more of Washed Out's music, go here

In my opinion, if Washed Out's music were an image, this would be it:

view of Maspalomas from our Balinese sunbed in the Canary Islands.  Bliss

Could be why his stuff has been on a constant loop round this house as of late... it's grey and cold out and his music makes me think of blue skies, a warm breeze, sand, sun and my hubs not being 3,000 miles away.

feel better 2012

There has kind of been a lull in posting recently, because well, not much has been going on of late.  Germany's been a bit dreary (think lots of grey and lots of damp-ness. And no, not in the form of snow.)  Christmas was a low-key event, where I mozy-ed downstairs at 10am, made my coffee, sat on the couch, opened  my one gift (this fantastic book), sat on the couch to read said gift, and then went and got ready for dinner at a friend's house that night.  New Year's was almost an exact carbon copy - where last year hubs and I traipsed around The Roosevelt Hotel and then watched the fireworks from Jackson Square, this year I took my life in my hands and drove to Würzburg for dinner and watching the fireworks from the bridge.  No, I didn't get any pictures, because:

• my old-school iPhone 3G is in no way up for the challenge of trying to take pictures of fireworks,
• I lost the battery charger to my real camera and have been too lazy to shell out $50 (!) for a new one.  
• the smoke and haze for the self fired-fireworks makes it nearly impossible to see anything.  Germans are given 24 hours to set off fireworks legally and wow they go crazy.   

My friend Charlie took the lone picture from the night:

2012 from the bridge in Wurzburg.  Thanks Charlie

So after ringing in the new year, I made the trek to Frankfurt to collect my dad for his visit to Germany. But of course, the gross and cold weather really hindered our plans to do much sightseeing.  So essentially, for my dad, Germany consisted of lots of Pilsner, a migraine, 30 degree temps with just rain, an afternoon of snow that didn't stick and lots of rumpsteak, potatoes and schnitzel.  Now, he's back in the US and I'm fighting a terrible cold with strong hot toddies, episodes of Portlandia (how have I never seen that show before!?) and hot soup.  Thank heavens me and the Bear are off to the US at the end of this month, so we need to hang in there until then.  Just like my cold, I hope 2012 gets better soon.