meet the amazon...

ever since arriving in bali i have been surrounded with the most beautiful creative energy. one of the sources is leanna, who is not only an inspiring photographer (who has a way of making you feel naturally beautiful, in front of her lens) but a gentle, fee-spirited, golden amazon.... and i can't wait to share more of our work)

little things that make her smile:

flashing eyes from strangers... 

beautiful flowers in an environment that doesn't look like they belong...

children's giggles... 

colorful food...

march 2015, changgu, bali... all photos by me

i can't get no... (you know how it goes)

yesterday i knew... even before getting out of bed... that it was going to be one of those days..... the kind of day (i have some times) where nothing will be to my satisfaction......... my morning cappuccino...  my outfit... other people........

(when i was honest to myself) i did quickly realized that i was actually unsatisfied with myself.... (basically the opposite of this). i looked around and found myself in a place that could easily be compared to paradise and i felt silly for feeling any kind of discomfort at all. i paused and felt the sun on my skin and it automatically put a smile on my face.

some days are just a bit off..... and that is natural........ as long as you (as my mom would say) "snap out of it". look around you will see little things that make you smile... beauty is everywhere.

open... to change

the other day when i got really side-tracked about moving to a new planet... i actually started out by wanting to tell you about how my fitness routine has changed, since my move to shanghai. i was fully aware that it would not be the same as back in new york, where it consisted of yoga, pilates, running and zumba. (incase you didn't read about it yet... here  you can catch up on all of that.) well (just like my make-up) it changed from versatile... and rather time-intensive to quite minimal. now it is it's yoga... only... mostly in the mornings... pretty much daily.... at home. yes, i was totally surprised that i had the discipline... and know-how to be able to keep up my practice. and i also want to note that i do not practice yoga with a superficial (lacking a better word) motive (not going to lie though... i do appreciate a nice yogi-body), but because nothing helps me more..... my body... my mind... my spirit..... and really aaaaanything. (i hope i didn't go too yogi on you there...... )

but what i am trying to say is.... be open to changes and switching it up. your beauty routine... your diet (used in the actual sense of the word, not in the "i'm on a diet" way.)... your work-out. who knows what your taste buds will discover..... what new beauty products you will find....or you will learn about yourself.

when the morning-sun shines onto my mat, i could not be happier and doing yoga in #mycalvins is a bonus.....

and, (this iiiis for my yogi-readers) do you want to know the very best tip i can give you if you are also interested in practicing at home? the answer is this wonderful online-sight (that, i am sure i will be raving about much more, in the future)... www.yogaglo.com. i will stop myself from telling you all the reasons why it is sooooo good, but (believe me) i never would have though that on-line yoga classes were for me.... or any good at all, for that matter. (let me know,if you do want me to tell you more about it or tips how to use it)

little wet nose....

incase you haven't smiled today (not forgetting my new years resolution)... maybe this little visitor at my office can help you out.

kinder riegel..... little things that make me smile

my mom texted me a video of this kinder riegel commercial that runs on tv in germany. for some reason i always just loooved this commercial (which my mom found so random and amusing. it is actually quite random because i am not exactly the... romantic type. but this commercial always made me feel warm and fuzzy inside). i had forgotten all about it and her sending it to me definitely made me smile.... maybe it will do the same to you.... so here it is:

 

 

 

how about sending someone you love a random-little-something that shows them that you are thinking of them and make them smile on this spring monday.

keira's facial... little things that make me smile

took this picture last fall. still makes me smile......

max's coffee... little things that make me smile

remember the nice food-cart-guy i told you about that makes me smile every morning? well his name is max, and this morning he toped himself by giving me a free coffee....

 

haaaaad to instagram it 

 

sunday… morning… downtown…

i loved today… and today loved me right back.

beside the sun bringing out the most beautiful side of new york… and new yorkers……. a big reason for my i-want-to-hug-the-world mood was starting off the day with an incredably lovely visit to great joins spa. i finally used the gift certificate i got for my first birthday….. and booked a facial for sunday morning.

on the way to the spa i walked through the morning-light flooded streets of downtown manhattan. the very streets that, just a couple of hours prior, ware packed with intoxicated ladies in too-high heals and men in any variation of plaid buttondowns…. waiting for the next free cab… having group discussions on which bar to head to next… or devouring a dollar-a -slice pizza.

all pictures from my sunday morning stroll taken by me.

my day continued being incredibly wonderful….. filled with sun… friends… memories… happy faces… spending money on myself... yoga… and sushi.

i hope u have had one of those green-lights-all-the-way days lately.

i would love to hear what this would imply, for you. 

food cart guy… little things that make me smile

i pass this food cart every morning on 14th street… on my way to work. i often look at the pastries and fantasized about sinking my teeth into the sugary… sticky… greasy… doughy heaven…….. but that's besides the point.

when i pass this food cart the man in the picture says "i like your glasses!". the first couple of times i didn't realize that he was talking to me, but now i smile back at him and say "thanx!". no matter how down i am feeling that day.... he aaaaalways makes me smile.

he did want a kiss for letting me take this picture....

mint party… little things that make me smile

 

i had my nails painted in absolutely shore by essie.... and the whole time i was thinking "this color reminds me of something......" a couple of days later i put on my avocado and oatmeal facial clay mask.

christa...

 there are so many reasons why i love christa. for one, she has a huuuuge heart and she hast this warmth about her. she is incredibly smart and has a similar view about... the world, as me. she is one of those people that you could never lie to... and would never want to ...or have to, for that matter. because she is so easy to talk to and is probably the most un-judgmental and humble people i know. i can laugh with her... and cry with her... and ask her for advice. christa is one of the few people who i believe when she says that she thinks i am more beautiful without make-up, because she will also be brutally honest when she dislikes something.

 

as if that wasn't enough reasons..... i looooove her cooking. the way i always describe it is: "you can taste the love". there is no way i could ever sit at the round wooden table in her kitchen and not have seconds ....ok, who am i kidding? i always have three servings.... no lie.

and then after dinner we play yahtzee!

 

little things that make christa smile:

sunshine - children's laughter - raindrops on the window, when they look like diamonds - swimming - quiet moments - when the remote control works (which it apparently, it was not while i was asking her about her little things) - nature in its smallest details

 

 

photo of christa taken by me, in munich, 2012

musicians hand... little things that make me smile

this is that hand of the musician that sometimes plays in the mornings, at my subway stop when i go to work. the other day he randomly rode the train (going home) with me. somehow it was a special moment for me... seeing him off-duty... close up... and i just had to take a (secret) picture....

seen on the f, in new york... photo by me

karl …little things that make me smile

is this card not the greatest card ever? unfortunately the photo doesn't show that the sunglasses are plastic tied onto karl's face. (i lifted them and peaked underneath ... he has no eyes. ...incase you were wondering)

 

my wonderful sister sent it to me for my ny-birthday. not only does this card makes me smile, but also the lovely words my sis wrote inside.

 

 

my nail color (a dark-dark-green) is sephora by opi in dark room, with a matt top coat.

 

 

send someone you love a card and make them smile!

mid-week quote

i have been feeling a little down lately ….let's blame it on the weather.

 

hmmmm, is it maybe time to dye my hair? (yes, this is meant to be a teaser)

 

what do you do when you are feeling blue?

mid-week quote

from my pinterest board....

 

 

rainbow-time …little things that make me smile

sometimes i have a rainbow visiting me at the office….. sometimes on my co-worker's face….. to day on my keyboard. 

 

camel pooping lights …little things that make me smile

if you follow my life...style board on pinterest you might have noticed that i really like strings of light to give the room a comfy-feel. when i was looking for my very own, i knew that i wanted the lights to be very little (not the christmas-y ones) and i wanted the light to be warm. it took me for eeeever to find the perfect one….. 

i found it in a random garden and home improvement store in the east village. (no, aaall the light stores on bowery were no big help…). the package specifically said "warm light" and it doesn't have a big ugly black cable between the lights. it is a silver wire (which would also make it easy to wrap around things) and the lights are little bubbles on the wire. aaaaand they are led, so my tree-hugger heart is happy too.

 

it's also really good for a spontaneous photoshoot….

 

and my mom gave me this funny little camel. i forgot where she got it from though....

 

 

what random little things do you have in your room, that always make you smile?



put a smile on my face

for the sake of my new years resolution…….

my friend took this picture of me, after i had chipotle… it never fails to put a big-ole smile on my face.

smile!

i usually am not one to make a long list of new years resolutions... i try, but i can never think of really good ones. but i made one this morning ...on the subway, on my way to work.

 

i was on the f, chamomile tee with honey in my hand, and thought to myself "its 2014... that's crazy. but somehow also nice... a new year started. i shooould think of some good new years resolutions... other than: by the shoes....." 

 

in my head i wished everyone a happy new year. i looked at their faces.... and everyone looked so sad. ok ok, most of them (like me) were probably going back to work, after the holidays and a glooorious new years eve celebration. but still. that's when my new years resolution came to me: smile more.

 

notice the little things that make you smile.

because, what is more beautiful than a smile?

my burlingtons… little things that make me smile

ever since i was little... i have had a thing for socks..... (ask my mom).

now, burlington socks is all i wear.

 

choosing from all of these colors always makes me smile, and is one reason to be less sad, that it is not summer anymore...

 

 

picture of (part of) my burlington-sock-collection, by me

 

 

do you have something in your closet, that makes you smile every time you wear it?