love for schoolgirl

lovin' it fashion ed. 006 - random current favorites

2012-02-22T23:45:00.003+01:00

haaay! sorry that i have been so bad with my personal fashion posts. i am so busy at the moment and tired as well because of school. but i have a lot of goals at the moment that i hope to accomplish. concerning my blog, one of my goals is to start posting more personal outfit photos. i would really like to photograph my outfits almost daily if possible. but until then, i have a few photos to share for inspiration. i would definitely wear all of it. it's not all schoolgirl inspired, but hey, school isn't 365 days a year.

hallo! tut mir leid, ich bin wirklich schlecht mit meinen "personal Outfits" posts. ich bin gerade so beschäftig und müde wegen der schule :( aber ich habe gerade viele Ziele die ich auch erreichen will! eine von meinen Zeile, die mit blogging zu tun hat - mehr Outfit Fotos zu posten! ich will fast täglich meine Outfits fotografieren... wenn möglich! aber na ja, bis ich wieder selbst fotografieren, habe ich ein paar Fotos für Inspirationen. definitiv würde ich alles tragen. alles ist nicht schoolgirl-inspiriert, aber Anja, man geht nicht 365 Tage in der Schule.

lg, Rae

this outfit makes me want it so be summer so badly already! blazer, denim shorts, classy striped top, and girly shoes? what is not to love?

extremely classy outfit i would definitely wear to do some sight seeing!

i am always a sucker for dark black biker/rocker chick styles. the flowy top sweetens up the outfit just enough as well.

amazing proportions, cuts, fabrics, and colors.

leather jacket with oversized sweater. black and white. can't go wrong.

leather jackets, long hair, and hats.

this outfit is so cute. i love the pop of color from the blouse.

90s no doubt/courtney love baby doll dress and a 70s-ish jacket.

very schoolgirl. how could i love love it?

japanese street fashion never fails to inspire me.

summer house dresses!

perfect. i love the hardness of the leather jacket UNDER the soft coat.

this outfit is very similar to a lot of my outfits. very blair waldorf during the constance billiard days.

after seeing this photo, i have become convinced that i need to own a pair of red shorts in my life.

clean, simple, classic, chic.

playground love

2012-02-17T15:05:00.003+01:00

Wylie Hays by Claire Thomas for Luv AJ

Even though a bunch of other blogs have already posted images from this Lookbook, i thought would post it as well. the fotoshoot for Luv AJ (an accessories company) was shot at iconic Venice High School (Think: Grease, A Nightmare on Elm Street, American History X, and so on). I find the jewelry all completely beautiful, but I am more interested in the mood of this photoshoot and the high school feel. The well-known school bathroom, the football field bleachers, and the cafeteria. add to the mix some cheeky outfits and a stunning model with amazing hair. Exactly what i think of when i think of High School with a fashionable twist. Welcome to the American high school. i introduce to you the public school schoolgirl.

Obwohl viele andere Blogs haben schon dieses Lookbook gepostet, dachte ich, dass ich es auch posten würde. Der Fotoshoot für Luv AJ (eine Accessoire Firma) wurde an der ikonischen Venice High School gemacht (Denk an Grease, A Nightmare on Elm Street, American History X, und so weiter). Den Schmuck finde ich super schön, aber ich interessiere mich mehr für die Stimmung des Fotoshoots und die High School feel. Das bekannte Schulebadezimmer, die Football Field Bleachers, und die Cafeteria. Dazu, freche Outfits und eine wunderschöne Model mit super Haar. Genau was ich denke wen ich an High School mit einer modisch Twist denke. Wilkommen bei der American high school. ich stelle der public school schoolgirl vor.

lg, Rae

PINK LADY: Luv AJ Lookbook from Claire Thomas on Vimeo.

2012-02-15T19:38:00.004+01:00

hey everyone! i am really busy at the moment with changing my living room around! Earlier everything was really "cute". i still love cute stuff, but one day i just came into the living room and thought everything was ... too cute. maybe it is just a phase, but at the moment i want to make everything more elegant and "chic." i am going to pack up all my old decor and bring it to the cellar this weekend. that way i will always have the possibility of switching everything back. but everything will soon be black, white, and grey, but still feminine. when everything is finished i am planning on laying on my sofa, relaxing, and watching a film. i think that means i will be ordering "Cinderella" on amazon.de soon!

hallo alle! ich bin gerade richtig beschäftig mit ... mein Wohnungszimmer zu wechseln! früher war alles richtig niedlich. ich mag niedlich Sachen immer noch, aber ein tag kam ich in dem Wohnungszimmer rein und dachte ich ... man, alles ist aber ZU süß ... Zucker süß. vielleicht nur eine Phase, aber gerade will ich alles ein bisschen eleganter und "chic"er machen. ich packe alle meine Sachen ein, und bring die alte Sachen zum Keller diese Wochenende. denn habe ich immer die Möglichkeit, zurück zu wechseln. alles wird bald schwarz, weiß, und grau, aber immer noch feminine. und wenn alles fertig ist, habe ich reisen bock einfach auf meinem Sofa zu liegen, entspannen, und ein film zu gucken. ich glaube betitele "Cinderella" von Amazon.de bald :)

p.s. expect photos of my new living room soon!

p.s. ich werde bald Fotos von meinem neuen Wohnzimmer posten!

lg, rae

somewhat recent purchase

2012-02-10T12:03:00.002+01:00

hey guys, i hope everything is going well! i just wanted to share with you a somewhat recent purchase i made a few weeks ago! i am now the proud owner of a limited edition quilted alexa! i could not be more happy. i have always wanted to own one. i have to admit i do still have my eye on a classic alexa as well!

lg, rae

2012-02-07T22:14:00.001+01:00

hey guys, i am really sorry that i haven't been posting as regularly! school has been taking up so much of my time, and i have been doing a lot of sleeping and meeting with friends as well. anyway, the weather has dropped dramatically, so now we are finally experiencing winter, but the upside, is that with colder weather and snow comes sunshine! so i had an excuse to wear my new sunglasses last week (as well as a new winter hat!)

hallo hallo! es tut mir sehr leid, dass ich in letzter zeit nicht so viel gepostet habe! schule nimmt meine zeit weg! ich schlaffe auch viel nach der schule und ich habe auch viel mit freunde getroffen. deshalb finde ich nicht zu viel zeit für bloggen! übrigens ... winter ist plötzlich hier. das wetter ist total kalt, aber mit sowohl kaltem wetter als auch schnee kommt auch die sonne! dafur hatte ich eine ausrede, um meine neue brille und mütze zu tragen!

lg, Rae

2012-01-31T23:16:00.000+01:00

hey guys, i hope everyone is doing well! unfortunately, i have been sick. today i stayed home, and will do so tomorrow as well. just veg out and try to regain some energy. in other news, i just had to share this photo with you guys. it's from february's ELLE france. i must say, i am in love with everything about this photo, and this outfit. a great color scheme, scarf, and cuts keep this outfit classic, but the floppy 70s hat, sky-high heels, and dark jewelry, not to mention the belted high-wasted shorts give this outfit a stylish and edgy touch that just pulls everything together.

lg, Rae

2012-01-27T00:28:00.002+01:00

sorry i have been so MIA! lots of work, and very busy at the moment, but hopefully i will find time to post next week!

lg, rae

visual stimulation 006 - interior design

2012-01-22T01:24:00.000+01:00

lg, Rae

2012-01-16T18:27:00.000+01:00

hey hey! everyone doing well? i am tired and i have homework that i still need to do, but i just thought i would share with you guys my favorite ring. i bought it from ASOS.de. it is a small rabbit, and i love it! if you are interested, you can find the find here: Ring with Rabbit ears in Gold.

hallo hallo! na? alles gut? ich bin müde und ich habe Hausaufgaben dass ich immer noch machen muss, aber ich dachte ich würde mein lieblingsring dir zeigen. ich habe es von ASOS.de gekauft. er ist ein kleiner Hase, und ich liebe er! wenn du lust hast, kannst du das hier kaufen: Ring mit Hasenohren in Gold.

lg, Rae

today's outfit

2012-01-13T00:03:00.000+01:00

hey guys! so, here is my outfit from today! it's a bit dressy, but i find that i am always either very dressed up, in comparison to most people, or dressed comfy/a bit rocker-style. so this outfit is really quite a typical normal day outfit for me. and like always, i am wearing one of my "library sweaters." (i have three of them in black, cream, and wine) they are super comfy, and i always am reminded of long "study nights" at the library with lots of books and a warm cup of tea when i wear them. because of my "schoolgirllove," i would call such an outfit a "university-outfit."

in any case, i hope that everything is good with everyone! i am really tired, and i still have to do my homework, but the good think is that tomorrow is friday! yessss.

hallo! naja ... hier ist mein outfit von heute! es ist ein bisschen "dressy," aber ich bin entweder immer ganz "dressy" angezogen (im vergleich zu anderer Leute) oder ganz "comfy"/ "rocker-mäsig." also, solche outfit ist ein ganz normales outfit für mich. und wie immer, ich trage mein "library sweater." (ich habe 3 davon in den farben schwarz, creme, und wein) sie sind super gemütlich, und ich denke immer an lange "study nights" in der bibliotek mit vielen Bücher und ein warmer becher tee dabei, wenn ich sie trage. wegen meiner "schoolgirllove," ich würde solche outfit ein "uni-outfit" nennen.

sonnst, höffe ich dass alles mit euch gut ist! ich bin sehr müde und muss immer noch hausaufgaben machen, aber naja, morgen ist freitag! joohoo!

why hello there!

this photo is quite blurry, but for whatever reason, i quite like it.

one more. and in case you were all wondering, that small plate on the floor is a water plate for my kitties.

and of course, one must always keep the time!

lg, Rae

recent purchases 001 - weekday and h&m

2012-01-11T19:02:00.000+01:00

hey everyone! i hope everyone is doing well. i am in my second week of the 2nd semester at goethe institute for german. things are going so well this semester. i am extremely impressed with my teacher. although i do honestly believe that in her heart her intentions were good, our teacher last semester was impatient, played favorites, and did not teach us much at all. no one in the class had the motivation to come everyday. this teacher, however, is prepared, interested in her students, answers our questions, and has the ability to teach and be clear. i want to come to class every day because i know if i do not i will miss something, whereas last semester i knew i would be sitting in a room for 4 hours to "learn" something i could easily teach myself in 20 minutes. sad, but true.

anyway! after class the other day, i stopped by WEEKDAY to pick up a few new items. i have been purging my closet of all the things i do not wear, and although i own more than i should (well not compared to others but for my own personal comfort!) i am left with some holes in my wardrobe. it appears as though WEEKDAY has become one of my favorite stores, in fact. I also picked up a faux leather jacket from H&M last week when out shopping with maja, since i have actually been wanting one for a while, and it has been on my list of things to get. all of these items, save the motorcycle jacket and blouse, are all nice basic casual pieces, that work perfect for lazier days.

i thought i would go ahead and share with your my purchases. i have been always sort of hesitant to do these kinds of posts, because they are inherently consumeristic and materialistic, but i mean the clothes are undoubtedly a part of fashion. plus, lately i can't get enough of haul videos on you tube or haul blog posts so i can live vicariously though others, haha!

a black t-shirt with a pocket on the front and a zipper on the back. this shirt is great for a relaxed causal day, with leggings or with black shorts and black stockings and my slouchy black uggs and an overused sweater. sometimes during winter you just cannot be bothered to freeze to death, so this is a perfect comfort outfit. but the zipper detail still makes it a bit unique/fashionable.

i fell in love with this blouse when i found it. i have a rather large collection of blouses, in fact. i really love blouses so much, and they are a main staple in my wardrobe. i love wearing them with shorts and tights or tucked into skirts. i can never seem to get enough of blouses though, as they all seem so different to me :P

i actually picked up this shirt in the mens department. i have found that rather than buying an XL in the women's department, it makes more sense to buy a small in the mens. an XL in the woman's department is cut to fit a larger female's frame, meaning if the style of the shirt is supposed to hit at the hips and be a bit flawy, the XL might be longer, but it will be that much wider. a men's S is long enough to be oversized, but narrow enough across to fit in a more flattering way. i am actually wearing this right now - wore it today with black leggings, my motorcycle jacket (pictured at the end), a black scarf, and a black oversized librarian sweater over that, with my short slouchy black uggs.

this sweater, on the other hand, was found in the women's department, and IS cut to be oversized and long but still a bit narrow. i already had this sweater in a lighter beige color and realized it got a tone of wear on the days i wanted to be cosy, warm, and oversized, so i decided to pick it up in a darker grey as well.

this motorcycle jacket was picked up at h&m last week in ku'damm when out shopping with maja. it has actually been on my list of things to get for a while. i have been wanting one ever since looking at some photos of jenny humprey's outfits on gossip girl. although my style tends to bounce from a more edgey/rocker look to a proper prim school girl, but the edgy/rocker look is just the proper prim school girl's alter ego - the bad ass chick smoking in the bathroom and cutting class, haha. but also, i really love jenny's style in gossip girl along with blair. it's edgy and rockerish, but still thought out and fashionable - upper east side rocker style, i guess you could call it!

that's it for my purchase. i did also buy a loosely knitted black swaeter, but due to the thinness of the yarn and looseness of the knit it did not photograph well! what are some of your most recent clothing purchases?

lg, Rae

2012-01-08T21:11:00.003+01:00

hey everyone :) today i decided to try something a little bit different with my makeup, seeing as one of my new resolutions for 2012 is to become more adventurous with makeup, and learn to switch between a few different looks. although i didn't have enough time to really try and copy the look completely, i was really inspired by amanda seyfreid's character, sylvia weis in the movie In Time, which i just saw at the kino with my friend maja last night. everything about sylvia's style had my mouth watering. from the perfect outfits, to the shoes (although i kept questioning how anyone could really run for that long in heels), to the makeup. the style of the character was impeccable. completely fashionable and on mark, dark, elegant and yet also vulnerable and innocent. although this fit the character completely - representing the world she was brought up with but her innocence and lack of knowledge of the dangerous world outside her "time zone."

(24/7 urban decay pencils in underground and zero, 24-7 urban decay liquid liner in perversion, NARS eyeshadow duo in cordura, giorgio armani highlighter shadow not pictured)

the makeup was really beautiful as well. very dark eyes, which for most of the film were completely rimmed in black. not everyone can pull off black completely around the eyes, but with her striking haircut and blue eyes, it fit the character perfectly. the darkness fit the theme of the film as well as the rich society in which she came from, but her watery blue eyes contrasted perfectly against the dark black, allowing her innocence and vulnerability from having never really experience live without security shine through. i myself was thus inspired to do a darker eye makeup look with completely rimmed eyes in black. i think it is a hard look to pull off with very small eyes, because completely rimming your eyes with black can make your eyes appear smaller than they are. but with bigger eyes, the look works really well, since it makes the eyes appear a bit smaller. this can take you from having a very cute and innocent look, to a much sexier and darker one. my eyes are actually rather large. combined with my specific eye shape, i am often left looking more childish, innocent, and younger than i would really like to appear. although "cute" is nice sometimes, so is sexy :) i figured with completely lined black eyes, i could go for a more mature look. the great thing about this kind of makeup when worn properly (the bottom line has to be very thin and crisp) is that it looks completely put together and clean but gives your look an element of mystery. it's like the perfect LBD (little black dress), but for your eyes.

lg, Rae

leave a comment below, and i will get back to you! thanks :3

new year, new name! formerly sickbunnyy

2012-01-08T15:49:00.003+01:00

hey everyone, just wanted to let you know that after much consideration, i have finally changed the name of my blog! i am no longer "sickbunnyy," but now "love for schoolgirl." i still really love my old name, and maybe if i do not like this one, i will change it back, but i think this name represents me fashionwise, and i think it has a cute ring to it. in a few days, the url change will be complete, so you can now find me at: www.loveforschoolgirl.net! the content of this blog will still basically remain the same, with just a few more fashion-geared features in the "schoolgirl" direction, so please update your bloglovin or blogger!

lg, Rae

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

2012-01-05T22:22:00.007+01:00

my almost! makeupless face and new hair.

hello everyone! today i made a spontaneous trip to hoshi coupe in hackesher markt to get my hair colored. i decided to go back to an all over color, and thought a chocobrown would be more flattering against my skintone anyway. here is a photo of the new color. i have my hair pinned back, because i am trying to experiment with some new hair styles. i have also been so tempted to cut my hair short in the last few weeks, because i have been quite bored with myself lately (haha), so changing the color was the first step. learning some new hairstyles should keep me from cutting my hair for a while as well. i think shorter hair actually flatters my face more, but i keep dreaming of waist length hair, and longer hair just makes me feel so much more feminine and confident. i am also experimenting with different makeup looks. here, i am just wearing some long fake eyelashes since my own are so unfortunately short. skipped the eyeliner and darker shadows. it's a really clean and innocent look, but i quite like it. nothing like a new hair color to start off the new year!

speaking of the new year, i have come up with a few resolutions that i am really going to try to stick to and make it a point to keep after for the year. i surprisingly hate looking back on the year and doing NYE blog posts. maybe it has to do with some personal events that happened for the better half of last year that makes me not so keen on looking back. however, i do love looking forward, and i love the feeling of a fresh start. it's mostly psychological of course. nothing really separates 31 december from 1 january, but the concept is a positive one. i also like the fact that it is intrinsically intertwined with self forgiveness and positively moving forward! so ... onto my resolutions!

try really hard to maintain a positive outlook even in the most dire of situations. mentality and mindset make all the difference in how situations are handled, and therefore their outcomes. it's cheesy, but true: smile and the whole world smiles back at you - or at least most!
make it a daily habit to progress with my music skills and personal music.
progress with german, make it into the graduate program this year (although this has more to do with timing than hardwork! so this may or may not be possible)
become a neater and more organized person - stay on top of keeping my flat clean!
work on my impulse shopping D: / consumer habits in general
read regularly.
be inspired by something seemingly normal daily.
remind myself that i am a good person worth of love and respect - self love and self respect! (this should be on everyone's new years list!)
(edit! how could i forget!) start to go to the gym regularly, not only to get my money's worth since i am paying, but to do something good for my health, body, and self-esteem!

and in terms of blogging:

blog regularly - try to bring my camera or some sort of camera with me at all times
however, sometimes blogging and making sure to have blog content makes it hard to live in the moment when out with friends, so avoid this habit, and sometimes go out and forget about blogging all together.
i know 3 and 4 are opposites, but try to keep a good balance of both

and in terms of fashion/beauty:

learn how to finally do things with my hair. (i am so bad at hair. i do nothing with mine)
learn some new makeup looks to add into rotation instead of just sticking to one.
learn how to shop better (haha)
photograph outfits daily or nearly daily
actually wear all the clothes in my closet and drawers

oh, while i was at the hair salon today, i flipped through the latest issue of ViVi magazine, which just happens to be my favorite magazine on earth. i photographed some of my favorite outfits for inspiration and to share with you guys! enjoy!!

a bit gal-meets-mori

the perfect dress length

schoolgirl look

animal print, denim, creepers, and a blazer. can't go wrong with this combination!

love the bold color.

just a friendly reminder to self about proper skirt length, since i am so petite, and get swallowed up in the length of skirts all the time.

a bit of a boyish private school vibe going on

a big fan of oversized sweaters at the moment.

blouses and skirts. failsafe.

little known fact: i never wear jeans or pants, and hardly wear leggings, so i am trying to get inspiration from outfits i like in an attempt to maybe spur me to start wearing pants once in a while. i just find them so uncomfortable. i much prefer skirts or shorts with tights.

i am so crazy over the tights over in japan. i love the small hearts below the knees with the leg warmers and creepers. such a good look.

again, AMAZING tights. minnie mouse!!!

well that is all i have for you guys right now! hope all is well, and leave me a comment down below letting me know what your new years resolutions are! i am curious to hear!

lg, rae

2012-01-03T18:44:00.002+01:00

i hope everyone had a wonderful new years! mine was completely crazy, and i am STILL recuperating! haha. i am really sorry for my lack of blog posts lately! i promise to be updating more regularly very soon! :) okay, now time to cook some dinner and watch some simpsons!

lg, ae

2011-12-27T00:23:00.004+01:00

i hope everyone had a wonderful christmas, or hannukah, or any other sort of celebration you may have celebrated! i wanted to announce the winner of my giveaway! unfortunately, not many people entered. i was a bit surprised and slightly disappointed, but what matters is that those who entered touched my heart with their lovely comments! and i can happily say i am glad to know you guys are enjoying my blog! it gives me the motivation to keep blogging :) the winner is sunshowerlover. i will be leaving a comment on your blog, dear! hopefully there will be a better turn out next giveaway!

lg, Rae

decopic 001

2011-12-23T00:57:00.006+01:00

christmas me.

i just wanted to share with you some recent and fairly recent random photos taken with decopic from my phone. decopic is a fairly fun app which allows you to quickly edit your photos and make them look a bit more interesting or fun.

ornaments at a small christmas store at the christmas market at alexanderplatz!

sunday brunch at ALEX!

the best pasta i ever ate. lemon mint pasta with shrimp!

my christmas tree (with a totally gimmicky graphic, haha)

lg, Rae

a very merry christmasparty

2011-12-19T22:38:00.004+01:00

hello everyone! as promised, here are some photos from my christmas party. it was a lovely quiet evening. unfortunately, not everyone could attend - the weekend before the actual christmas weekend always seems to be full of party invitations, since everyone will be celebrating actual xmas with their families. i am left with so many sweets and cookies though - too much for me to be able to eat my way through! looks like i will have to through a 2nd party - a "hey guys let's finish all the food from our first party" party, haha. (sadly i am looking really tired in these photos and after a bit of glühwein i was not looking my best, so please ignore my tired eyes in these photos!)

lg, Rae

ties!

2011-12-19T15:11:00.002+01:00

hey guys, i hope everyone is doing well! i know that i have promised to post photos from my lovely christmas party, and hopefully i will have time to do so later in the evening. however, i thought i would just make a really really quick post, to show you guys one of my new ties. i am so in love with it! :) i bought a few in other colors as well. i also ordered some catholic cross-tie style school ties as well, but i really love these big bow-ish japanese ones!

lg, Rae

2011-12-18T02:17:00.002+01:00

i hope everyone is doing well! just wanted to say a quick hello! tonight i had a christmas party at my flat. it was entirely lovely, but i definitely ate too much, and have enough cupcakes and cookies and other sweets to last me into next month! i will post photos tomorrow!

lg, Rae

things i love about berlin 002

2011-12-13T19:19:00.004+01:00

(photographed by me, alexanderplatz 2011)

weihnachtsmärkte! one of my favorite things about berlin, although not exclusive to berlin, are the christmas markets during christmastime. they begin to pop up at the end of november (you will see the small houses beginning to be put together), and start to open early december. christmas markets are full of food, glühwein, sweets, candies, and other small stalls selling christmas related things, winterware, candles, carousels (like the one pictured above), etc. the christmas markets are quite varied as well, so depending on your taste and interests, certain christmas markets will be better suited for certain people. there are very commercialized christmas markets, more traditional christmas markets, and behind alexia, a big shopping mall in alexanderplatz, the christmas market here resembles more of a small pop up carnival. unfortunately, it is usually overrun by drunken teenagers, so you will not find me there. my absolute favorite christmas market in berlin, is the one located in Gendarmenmarkt Berlin! if you are ever in germany around christmas, make sure to check out the markets!

lg, Rae

visual stimulation 005 - films

2011-12-11T23:16:00.004+01:00

just some images from ten of my favorite films. enjoy :)

(from top to bottom: rushmore, where the wild things are, james and the giant peach, marie antoinette, kamikaze girls, ponyo, the science of sleep, spirited away, fantastic mr. fox, the royal tenenbaums)

lg, Rae

amazing coordination

2011-12-08T22:44:00.003+01:00

i just came across this photograph, and had to post it. everything about this outfit is so entirely perfect. i wish i could recreate this outfit terribly.

Lg, rae

p.s. i really hope you guys well take a look at my giveaway and enter :)

2011-12-04T13:46:00.000+01:00

wow! it has been just a little over a year since i started my blog, but really only about a month ago since i have really started to make it a stronger priority to try and post every day. i always told myself that i wanted to thank my readers, because i appreciate the fact that what my blog offers interests you guys. i always said to myself that once i reached 100 followers i would do a giveaway and make a special thank you post. it isn't that the number of readers is what is so important, but it at least gave me some sort of goal, and a reason to try to make this blog the best that it can be.

it also is the perfect opportunity to get a little text heavy, and touch upon the subject of blogging and why i blog as well as why i love reading and following other blogs. so first, let's talk about fashion blogs, because this is something near and dear to my heart:

in all honesty, with so many fashion and makeup blogs out there full of haul videos of clothes, makeup, accessories, etc., the blogging world can seem like a large community of self-involved, superficial, and vain people - that is, if you choose to look at it that way. of course, there are, i am sure, some blogs out there which lack true depth and some bloggers out there who only care about material items or followers. BUT! what i always keep in mind is that a fashion blog is just that - a fashion blog. it is a blog dedicated to fashion. it is simply one facet of a person's life. loving clothes and makeup and hair and shopping does not automatically mean you don't inform yourself politically, socially, and environmentally, don't have other hobbies, and only live from purchase to purchase. just because something is not included on a blog does not mean it is not important to the blogger.

and furthermore, who said fashion has to be only superficial? Robert Givhan said it best:

"It's always a bit discombobulating when people raise their voices in anger because they've gotten wind that designers are making and selling $25,000 dresses. After all, it's not as if the existence of a dress that costs as much as a car negates the availability of cute $25 frocks at Target. And it isn't as though edicts have been issued that all women must now dress like one of the superheroes on Balenciaga's runway.

For personal and sometimes tortured reasons -- I can't have it so no one else can! -- observers declare that they just don't understand the attraction of these strange and expensive clothes. That would be a fair argument if those same complainers lashed out at people who spend thousands of dollars on Redskins season tickets, vintage wines, first-edition books or midlife-crisis cars. But those industries don't stir nearly as much ire from people who are uninterested in them.
Everyone has a passion that is lost on others."

for me, fashion is art. it does not have to be something solely superficial. when i choose my outfits in the morning, there is always some idea behind why i combined certain pieces together, and it goes beyond which textures and colors and patterns look nice together (although this alone, it an art in itself!). i generally have some sort of inspiration behind it, whether it be an editorial i recently read, or some street fashion photos i recently saw, an old hollywood star, eras, etc. fashion for me goes beyond just what i put on my body. i constantly scour magazines and blogs and other sources for inspiration, and want to understand the history and intensions behind garments, colors, fabrics, etc. as well.

but there are a million different kinds of blogs out there as well, and not all blogs conform to one category - for instance i tend to consider mine a personal diary, as well as a fashion blog, with other things thrown in here and there. some people blog about their travels, others blog about their thoughts and ideas. in this sense, not just fashion blogs, but all blogs could be seen as vain and self-absorbed. who am i to say what i write on the internet should be published and read by others? well, along this line of thinking, who is anyone to say that what they say on a daily basis to people should be internalized and respected? the point is, blogs are self-expression, just like fashion, just like creating music, just like writing poetry or novels, just like creating artwork. and we are all worthy of an outlet for our expression.

furthermore, i often see blogs as actually something quite selfless. to run a blog takes time and dedication. bloggers lug heavy cameras around so they can give their readers quality photographs. bloggers jot down ideas for entries on napkins while sitting at dinner with their friends, or type some quick notes on their phones while riding the train. and not only that, but bloggers feel a responsibility and a loyalty to their readers. i don't like going on for too many days without posting. not only that, but bloggers are allowing other people into a snippet of their world - albeit a world in which they WANT others to see (they may leave certain elements out on purpose) - but even so, even if that world is slightly created, bloggers are giving their readers a place to go to. in a sense, many blogs are just as much a form of escapism as television, movies, or novels.

one of the reasons i love reading blogs myself so much is that i love being allowed/let into other people's lives. my favorite blogs are actually lifestyle/fashion blogs because they allow me to get to know the author behind the words and photographs. i hope that as i continue to blog, loosing and gaining followers along the way, i can always remain true to myself, and true to my readers, and that i can continue to bring you content you enjoy reading, and that may inspire you and brighten your day ever so slightly :)

which brings me to my BIG THANK YOU ...

as a small gesture of appreciation to you guys, i would like to offer a small gift, which falls nicely right around the holidays!

How to enter: it is super simple!

1: you follow my blog either through bloglovin or blogger*

2: leave your name and a comment about your opinions on blogging (until december 15th!)

3: let me know what you would like to see more of on my blog

4: name and email address!

*AN IMPORTANT NOTE! this blog giveaway is a thank you to all of you who read my blog and support me, and isn't about gaining more followers for the wrong reasons. therefore, i really do not want people to simply follow my blog just because of this giveaway. but! if you are a new reader, or just happened upon my blog and really do enjoy it's content, feel free to follow, and enter to win :)

Lg, rae

1st advent

2011-12-01T23:00:00.004+01:00

i hope everyone is doing well! last sunday, my friend kjetil and i went to maja and emil's flat for a small party to celebrate the first of advent. we drank glögg and ate swedish sweets. each year, they come out with a different flavor in sweden for glögg. last year's was saffron glögg, which maja was able to buy from ikea. it was so sweet. i actually like it much better than the glühwein, however in principle, they are pretty much the same thing. emil also had us play this really entertaining game he and a few of his friends invented. you take a cardboard box, like a cereal box, and put it on the ground. each player has to try to pick up the box with their mouth, hands behind their backs. the catch is that you cannot let you knees touch the ground! and once everyone has a turn, the box is cut shorter and shorter until it is just a small square on the ground. i'll be playing this game at my christmas party this year for sure! speaking of christmas, i really need to get to decorating. tomorrow my friend krutsch and i are going to go to the store to pick me up a tree. i can't wait to decorate it. expect pictures, for sure :)

lg, Rae

schoolgirl fashion 001 - little girl goth

2011-11-29T17:48:00.009+01:00

love for school girl - little girl goth

whether this means in an ivy preppy direction with a cable knit sweater and collared blouse underneath, a bit of a tomboy preppy look, a private school upper east side blairesque style, japanese school girl influenced, or a bit of a gothic wednesday addams looks, my biggest influence when it comes to my fashion choices lately has been inspiration from school girl style. (of course not every outfit of mine is so inspired, but most of them do include some schoolgirlesque element.) i'll be posting all of my "schoolgirl inspired" styles, first sharing with you some of my favorite darker more gothic inspired school girl inspirations as i am extremely into what i would call a gothicy if-wednesday-addams-were-a-japanese-school-girl. think, blacks whites, collared shirts and dresses (pointed or rounded), tiny gothic elements, creepers, and baby pinks with black. (some images are repeats! because i just love them so much) this isn't your typical catholic school girl look, or industrial goth look, it's just a bit gothic and school girl inspired. it's feminine, but just a little bit creepy.

lg, Rae

2011-11-28T22:32:00.006+01:00

hey everyone :) i just wanted to share with you one of my favorite photos of snowfall. i really cannot wait until the first snowfall this year. my toes are are itchy with anticipation. in fact, i really cannot wait for the first snowfall of every year. there is something so magical about snow. maybe it is the way it blankets everything silently making the entire world look dreamy and pure. i really do love how silent and slowly the snowflakes falls. there is something so peaceful about it. of course, there does come a point at the end of january and the beginning of february after the chirstmas cheer is gone where i want nothing more but for the snow to melt and go away, haha. this winter has been surprisingly and happily much milder than the last two winters here in berlin. although this is great news, in terms of temperatures and comfortability, because it means no freezing, it also means no snow :(

lg, Rae

what i wore for the last 3 days ...

2011-11-26T21:04:00.004+01:00

change of plans! looks like i am just going to stay in tonight and catch up on some much needed rest! perfect opportunity to blog then, right? i had photographed a few outfits i had not been able to post yet. the photos are in chronological order from thursday, friday, and saturday. a bit of an eclectic mix, but showcase 3 of the 6-7 styles i generally cycle through. on thursday i started the morning listening to 90s music - a bit of nirvana and rancid. (rancid used to be one of my favorite bands back in high school), which explains the slight 90s grunge punk influence (the vest - rancid and the oversized sweater - Cobain). although, the 90s in general has been influencing and inspiring me for a while now. friday was a bit of a tom boy preppy camping look. sometimes i love just dressing functionally and comfortably with some masculine boots. i kept the look preppy though, by adding a peter pan collared blouse under my sweater. today was a pretty typical feminine look for me - a skirt, blouse, and cardigan combination never seems to fail me. this time, i switched it up a bit by throwing a blazer (that i recently bought from h&m) on top! i ended up changing my shoes though to oxford wedges which were a bit more comfortable to walk in, since my friend kjetil and i planned to do some walking today. we ended up wandering around the christmas markets and having some tea and coffee at starbucks. i will post some photos tomorrow :) enjoy your evening! i plan to catch up on reading some news and maybe finishing watching Alphaville, which i started watching last night.

Lg, rae

cosy sweater evenings and pretty macarons!

2011-11-25T21:25:00.011+01:00

hey everyone! i just received my yes style package in the mail today, and received this sweater (which i am wearing in this photo. not the best photo, but you can see how chunky the knit is!) along with this blouse in white. shopping on yes style is sometimes really overwhelming. there are so many items and so many different vendors and companies, but the clothing is generally really cute, and sized well for me since the vendors all come from china, korea, and japan. (i often have the problem in europe that the smallest sizes still do not seem to fit me properly, and then i just look like i am wearing ill-fitting clothing!) it also means you can get access to certain popular styles over in asia that might not have made their way over to the west yet, or may never really catch on over here. they also have an amazing assortment of blouses, and i basically live in blouses. i am also really into oversized sweaters at the moment, especially because winter is really beginning to settle in, and nothing is cozier than curling up with a blanket, a cup of tea, and a book in a big oversized sweater/sweater dress.

(here is a full-sized view of the sweater dress)

other than that, this week has been insanely busy, with meeting friends, eating out, homework, etc. tonight i will just take it easy, but tomorrow and sunday are also really busy days, so this is about the most downtime i will be getting! hopefully i will find some time in between to blog. i have a lot of outfit posts to catch up on, and a lot of fashion inpiration posts to make, not to mention some more posts about berlin, and maybe some more text-heavy posts as well! anyway, i hope everyone is having a lovely friday!

oh! and before i forget!

earlier this week, my friend jan and i were working on some music and he was kind enough to bring me this lovely macaron! it tasted as lovely as it looks!

Lg, rae

pasta, pizza, and salad for lunch

2011-11-24T18:03:00.003+01:00

hey everyone! i hope your week has been going well! today i was not in class, but i did meet up with Kadirya, Lilla, Felicita, and Julia for a wonderful lunch. unfortunately Kadirya had to leave early, but she let me finish her pasta, haha. these wonderful ladies go to school with me at goethe institut. they are really all such lovely people with warm hearts, and it is so fun to get to know everyone, because we all come from different countries and have different experiences and cultures, but get along with each other wonderfully. just more evidence that cultures do not have to be barriers between people! at the moment, i am with nikolas at st. oberholz. just finished studying, and am now using the time to share with you the photos from lunch today. i am about to meet melissa for dinner - we are going to sushi circle tonight. hope you all are having a great night as well, and a HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all my american readers!

Lg, rae

free people holiday lookbook 2011

2011-11-23T15:48:00.001+01:00

as i was on the free people website today, i completely fell in love with this look from the holiday lookbook, and had to share. the colors are stunning together, with that dark rich charcoal grey coat contrasted with a lacy white blouse, and actually anchored with a bright and colorful skirt and a thin black bow around the collar of the blouse. the different fabrics and textures all work so well together as well. I think it is the classic nature and simple cut of all the pieces - a clean blouse, a pencil skirt, and a classic blazercut jacket - that allow this look to remain fashionable but loud in a stunning and fashionable way. i am also so in love with this A

angora color block cardigan. it looks so soft, and i love the gold detail.

oh! and i know i have been really lacking in my weekly and weekend updates! i wasn't sure if it was something you all enjoyed seeing, since they are usually so image heavy. let me know, and if you guys do like it, i will start doing them again!

also, please leave me links to all of your blogs, because i would really like to check them all out!

Lg, rae

2011-11-21T19:36:00.003+01:00

double post today!

here is a look at what i wore last thursday and today to class. quite typical. high wasted shorts and full skirts. last thursday was still warm enough for thin tights, but as the weather is getting colder it means thicker tights and layered socks. not only are thigh highs and knee socks adorable, but they definitely add an extra bit of warmth. today's outfit was inspired by private school fashion. i have been really into school girl styles lately, and have even ordered a bunch of japanese school ties and catholic school cross ties to incorporate into my outfits. just gotta wait until they get shipped to me!

Lg, rae

lovin' it fashion ed. 005 - socks

2011-11-20T12:38:00.007+01:00

i hope everyone had a great weekend. mine was super busy with hanging out with friends and going dancing! since sunday is usually my rest-day after a full weekend, i thought i would take a minute to share with you my love for socks. ankle, knee-high, or thigh-high. with boots, creepers, oxfords, heels or wedges. they can add that extra touch of femininity to an already girly outfit, take a dark gothic outfit and make it a bit sweeter, or take a simple outfit and give it that extra oomph. whatever style you are going for, you can't really go wrong by adding socks into the mix. here are some of my favorites.

Lg, rae

2011-11-17T18:39:00.002+01:00

hey everyone, i just got home from studying for an exam with my friend nikolas at st. olberholz. truth be told, i am a bit burnt out, and i am not looking forward to this exam. although, a friend is coming over in a bit to watch a film. i need a bit of a break anyway, and i think a deserve one! i have been basically doing non-stop german since 8:30 this morning, save a lunch break with nikolas and felicita. anyway, i just wanted to share with you what i wore yesterday (thus the title is a bit misleading, but oh well!). purple cropped sweater from free people, shorts from some store at the mall, my jeffrey campbell boots. socks and tights from h&m. although the temperatures are starting to really drop, which means no more bare legs, or at least much fewer days i will be willing to brave bare legs like this!

Lg, rae

2011-11-16T21:24:00.004+01:00

i just received a surprise package from amazon.de from my mother (who lives in america). i was so touched and it made my heart warm to receive it! not only was i amazingly happy because i love audrey hepburn, but it was such a thoughtful gift, since my mother took the time to send me something and it was something that is personal to me and my interests.

Lg, rae

2011-11-15T15:20:00.002+01:00

hey everyone. i just got home from a day at language school and lunch with one of my classmates. here is a picture of what i wore today to class. vintage shorts, american apparel denim shirt, abercrombie sweater, urban outfitters cardigan for extra warmth, black tights, and creepers. in addition to wearing skirts with blouses, my other go-to outfit is actually a pair of high-wasted denim (in blue or black) and a blouse. Causal but still clean. i actually tend to wear this cardigan with almost everything. probably the most useful item of clothing i have ever purchased in my life! what is that one item you wear again and again that you just cannot live without?

Lg, rae

auditory stimulation 002

2011-11-14T20:40:00.002+01:00

just wanted to share this lovely version of bon iver's "skinny love," performed by birdie.

Lg, rae

favorite people 002

2011-11-13T20:56:00.003+01:00

i just recently came across this picture and just had to share it. i absolutely adore audrey hepburn. after all, she is a timeless beauty and style icon, with a very kind heart. i am a huge lover of audrey hepburn films as well - charade is one of my favorite! i am assuming these series of four photographs are some behind the scene wardrobe shots from breakfast at tiffany's, judging from audrey's hair. the woman really does look magnificently stunning from all angles, doesn't she?

Lg, rae

2011-11-13T10:55:00.004+01:00

i am heading out in just a few minutes for brunch with kersten, followed by possibly seeing jan, and then studying with kadirya at starbucks for our german test on monday, but i thought i would go ahead and quickly show you all what i am wearing today. a skirt from american apparel, blouse from h&m, white tights from american apparel, and Jeffrey Campbell boots. in general, you can usually find me in some variation of this outfit wearing a skirt from american apparel and a blouse. it is sort of my go to outfit when i do not want to be bothered by thinking too much, haha. i am sure you all have one too - what is your go to outfit?

Lg, rae

things i love about berlin 001

2011-11-12T15:11:00.008+01:00

if you were to ask me what my favorite food in germany is, i would answer, without a doubt and without hesitation, flammkuchen! especially with spinach and salmon. flammkuchen is similar to pizza, but without any tomato sauce. it is a rolled out piece of bread dough either in the shape of a circle or rectangle and cooked in a wood fire oven. toppings vary from savory to sweet. if you are ever in germany, i suggest you try some! my personal favorite is the flammkuchen at intimes in fshain, berlin because the bread it a bit thicker than usual.

Lg, rae

fashion influences 001

2011-11-11T17:43:00.002+01:00

some stunning photos of anna karina.

her style will never cease to inspire and influence me.

Lg, Rae

day & night

2011-11-09T22:52:00.004+01:00

today i finally got a chance to wear my new polka dot bow tie, which i was quite happy about. the first picture is what i wore to class today - red tights, black shorts, a denim tank top and grey sweater with black mary jane wedges. for dinner this evening, i changed things up a bit, by swapping out the sweater for a black blazer and toned down the colors with black opaque tights and different wedges.

Übersetzung: meine Klamotten von Heute.

photographs taken with Nikon D300 dSLR. Post-processed in photoshop.

Lg, Rae

favorite people

2011-11-08T22:12:00.006+01:00

i just thought i would share this stunning photograph of one of my favorite ladies. not only do i find williams to be a stunning actress with immense talent, she is also sweet, intelligent, and has a quiet grace and beauty to her, as well as some strange sadness that always seems to dominate the many characters she has played.

Lg, rae

lovin' it fashion ed. 004 - random current favorites

2011-11-06T20:23:00.007+01:00

i hope everyone had a great weekend. i had a pretty busy weekend, meeting people and having a good time. no photographic evidence of the weekend, unfortunately, so here are 10 of my favorite fashion related photos from tumblr. femininity, goth, thigh-highs, and pastels.

Lg, Rae

nyc part 1 summer 2011

2011-11-03T18:27:00.004+01:00

(part 1) here are the first batch of photos from my trip back home this summer from pret and the chelsea street markets. i usually fly into virginia, spend some time at home, and then head up to new york city to spend time with my friends, stop over in new jersey to visit my relatives, possibly make a stop through philly, and then return back to virginia to relax and spend more time with my family, and then head back to germany. i try to fly back home a few times a year because family and friends are really important to me and because, of course, i get homesick occasionally for certain things that just do not exist over here. i love berlin a lot, but my heart will always lie between two continents.

my favorite place to grab a quick bite to eat in nyc, near union square.

i have never tasted any otter ginger ale that compares to the ginger beer from pret.

popcorn!

one of my best friends, dianna

yours truly.

delicious biscuits from sarabeths at the chelsea street markets

in retrospect, i really should have bought one!

some of the most beautifully packaged chocolates ever.

a new york city food coloring book. i really wanted to buy it so i could color in the pages and hang them up in my apartment, but the line was really long.

crêpes at the chelsea street markets

me and my crêpe. i am nothing without crêpes in my life.

amazing cupcakes at this cupcake shop at the markets.

secret: i actually enjoy baking cupcakes and looking at cupcakes more than eating them!

playing housewife in anthropologie

really cute disposable placentas at anthropologie

Übersetzung: Erste Fotos von NYC summet 2011

photographs taken with Nikon D300 dSLR. Post-processed in photoshop.

Lg, Rae

auditory stimulation 002

2011-11-01T20:14:00.006+01:00

Gotye - Somebody That I Used to Know

hey everyone, i hope your week has been going well. tuesdays are always strange for those of us that are in school or work monday through friday. the week has only really just begun, but the next day is the middle of the week already. i started German language classes at Goethe Institut last monday, so i have been really busy and really tired. nonetheless i have been meeting some really wonderful people and it also feels so good to be intellectually challenged again after being out of school for the past two years. however, waking up at 6:30 every morning isn't really so wonderful. at least i have a great itunes playlist to keep me company on the ubahn on the way to class each morning. one of the songs that i can't stop listening to is the song above, by Gotye. Enjoy!

Lg, Rae

lovin' it (fashion ed.) 003 - random current favorites

2011-10-31T18:40:00.016+01:00

a list of 10 things i am loving right now:

ONE: bows

something i have sort of loved since the beginning of time is wearing bows in my hair. it just adds that little bit of femininity or girlishness to an outfit.

TWO: petticoats

i have recently been getting into wearing petticoats under my skirts due to my recent interest in japanese lolita fashion. petticoats just seem to make everything just a bit more fun and magical.

THREE: knee-high socks

i might be a little bit biased, because i do sort of love dressing like a little girl, but i absolutley love knee-high socks with shorts, dresses, and skirts. there is just something so cheeky about them.

FOUR: Lacy socks with creepers

i love the mix of feminine softness with a dark gothic edge.

FIVE: bows, and school ties

lately I have been really inspired by a mix of masculine elements and feminine elements as well as school girl uniforms and preppy collegiate fashion. this has translated into my love for bow ties, cross ties, and japanese school bows.

SIX: Blazers

again, drawn from my love for collegiate preppy fashion.

SEVEN: Cable knit sweaters and collared shirts

ivy league fashion inspired. loving cable knit sweaters tucked into skirts as well.

EIGHT: blouses with cardigans

nothing looks more lovely or sweet than a peter pan collar with a cardigan.

NINE: Transparent blouses

immediately brings a bit of class and elegance to an outfit and just makes everything look a bit more dressy. perfect tucked into a pair of high wasted shorts.

TEN: Pastels

probably influenced by my love for Spank! and Fairy Kei, i am really into outfits completely made up of soft pastel colors.

Übersetzung: Inspirationen für Mode!

photographs found on Tumblr.

Lg, Rae

happy halloween!

2011-10-30T22:06:00.005+01:00

i hope everyone had a great halloween weekend. although halloween is technically on monday, we celebrated this weekend on saturday night. we started at ZMF and then a few of us ended up at White Trash and danced all night. halloween is actually my favorite holiday, only rivaled by christmas. i usually begin planning my costume months in advance. prior years included: amadeus from falco's music video, Rock Me Amadeus, Wednesday Addams, and zissou interns with my best friend olivia.

here are some photos from the evening. they are a bit blurry since they were taken with my phone, but rather blurry photos than no photos! what did you do this weekend, and what did you dress up as?

sunny and i waiting for the ubahn

melissa, me, sunny, and azura

kadirya, me, anna, anna's friend (i am unsure of her name D:), melissa, sunny, and azura

Übersetzung: Fotos von Halloween!

photographs taken with the Samsung Galaxy SII.

Lg, Rae

Amsterdam part 2

2011-10-27T18:56:00.003+02:00

as promised, here is the second half of my photographs from Amsterdam. unfortunately, my favorite part of our holiday - visiting the Van Gogh museum - was not recorded in pictures, as cameras were not allowed in the museum. disappointing, because one of my favorite things to do at museums is to photograph my favorite pieces. i made up for it, though, by scribbling down the names and dates of all of my favorite pieces. i had never really specifically been interested in Van Gogh or his artwork, but after visiting the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, i think it is safe to say he has become one of my favorite artists, and reading a biography on Van Gogh is on my list of things to do.

i think that when you study fine arts academically, it changes the way you look at artwork forever, and you tend to appreciate it, or question it through a very different lens than the art admirer who has not studied the medium. i do not find Van Gogh to be one of the best technical artists, or even the best at faithfully representing an object, group of objects, people, etc. however, in terms of emotion, one would be hard pressed to find another artist who is able to convey feeling through painting as poignantly as Van Gogh. it seems as though his desire or intrinsic nature to paint his emotions through objects was really enhanced after he was exposed to the French Impressionists and discovered pointillism. The bright colors and brush strokes inform his emotion, and remain so free, and yet contained as the brush stokes themselves remain wild and free, but are restrained in that they make up one object and are bound by the boundaries of being a branch or being a flower. The ability for his work to be both unrestrained and yet contained at once is why i am personally captured and deeply moved by Van Gogh. as an art student, something that i found very interesting was the constant relationship between being technically skilled and conveying the emotion of either the object or subject matter.

i tend to be a very technical drawer, which is important as well in faithfully seeing and rendering, however, there are times when the technical side is not nearly as important as the emotional portrayal of a theme or object(s). in one of Van Gogh's many paintings of peasants, for example, he painted abnormally large hands on the woman to visually express the physicality and difficulty of her labor. i would even go so far as to say the large hands physically weigh the woman down, representing the oppression physically and socially of her occupation. i am still questioning if the merit in a piece of artwork can be found through both it's technical reliability and skill AND its emotional portrayal of the subject matter simultaneously, because it seems to me that in order for one to be successful the other must take a backseat.

each day we walked over this bridge to get from our hotel to the public transportation

some food kiosks and small souvenirs outside of the Rijksmuseum

hi hi :)

i always seem to love photographs of shoes

unfortunately we didn't have time to visit the Rijksmuseum,

but i snapped a photo of the gate anyway

my mother at dinner

i fell in love with the whimsy of this shop window

funny name for a print shop, if you are american.

a bike on one of the many bridges over the canals

the famous Amsterdam canals

my mother ate at this pancake shop over 25 years ago when she was with my father in Amsterdam, and amazingly it is still there and still unbelievably popular - with good reason! - the pancakes were marvelous!

Übersetzung: Fotos von Amsterdam teil 2!

photographs taken with Nikon D300 dSLR. Post-processed in photoshop.

Lg, Rae

auditory stimulation 001

2011-10-24T12:06:00.006+02:00

gotye - eyes wide open

Lg, rae

food and fashion

2011-10-22T20:57:00.007+02:00

for the better half of my life, the kitchen has been a place i generally have avoided. i only spent lots of time in it during the holidays when i felt compelled to bake lots of cupcakes and cookies - and as far as baking goes, i enjoy doing it and the desserts i come up with are not bad! cooking, on the other hand, has always been another story. frankly, i was never really any good at it and because of that, it only seemed to stress me out, leaving me with a huge mess on my hands and a subpar meal. recently, however, i have been starting to cook a lot more, and as a result, have become more comfortable in the kitchen. it has been one of my goals/new years resolutions for a while to become not only comfortable with cooking, but to enjoy it and make food that tastes delicious. so far, it appears as though i am beginning to succeed. here is tonight's dinner: summer roles with homemade peanut sauce!

(mmmm!)

today was also melissa's fashion show. her clothing line, Mademoiselle Opossum, pulls a lot of inspiration from japanese fashion, specifically lolita and fairy kei, but what sets it apart is that it has a very distinct Berlin twist to it. her clothing is all hand made with love and care and is absolutely beautiful. a few of us had to model two outfits, so it got pretty hectic in the back, but that's all part of the fun.

the fashion show took place at a convention (we will be there again tomorrow!), where melissa was also selling some of her handmade jewelry, accessories, and more clothing. anna and i met up at alexanderplatz and headed over a few hours before the show to help melissa with her stand and keep her company. thus, in keeping with the pastel candy colored theme, i dressed accordingly! earings, necklace, and dress are from I'm Your Present, baby blue cardigan bought today at the convention, grey cardigan (underneath) from abercrombie and fitch, tights, from Spank! fairy kei (albeit a bit toned down and with my own personal twist) is one of my favorite fashion trends out of Japan, so i was very excited to dress up like a petit four from head to toe today!

p.s. there is a great post over at fashmob showcasing a few different styles of coats for winter. take a look!

Übersetzung: Abendessen und Mademoiselle Opossum's Modeschau!

photographs taken with Nikon D300 dSLR. Post-processed in photoshop.

Lg, Rae

visual stimulation 004 - interiors

2011-10-21T00:30:00.007+02:00

tomorrow i am going to ikea with sunny, so i thought it fitting to share some of what has influenced my personal designing sensibility in creating my own personal space (pictures to eventually follow). i am a bit of a perfectionist, so i do have to admit i am never completely satisfied with the spaces i create - which explains the lack of photos of my flat here. but lately i have been very motivated to paint the walls of my living room and bedroom and would like to do something about the bareness of my walls and lack of curtains around the windows.

i am an extremely aesthetically driven person which explains my love of interior design (as well as visual art, and fashion!) and my need for designing and filling the places in which i live with a specific sensibility that pleases me and makes me feel at home. aesthetics are important to me mostly because of the feelings, atmospheres, and moods that they create, whether it be in the combination of colors, textures, objects, and furniture in a bedroom; the lighting, filters, and subject matter of a photograph; the unison of items and fabrics and colors in an outfit; or the strokes and intensions of an artist displayed on his/her "canvas". it's why i go to art museums to find artwork that speaks to me visually and emotionally, or why i watch certain films repeatedly.

i want my room to look and feel like pieces of a wes anderson film, spike jonez's Where the Wild Things Are, sofia coppola's Marie Antoinette and a general Late Baroque sensibility, Amélie's bedroom, Van Gogh's paintings after he shied away from the dark muted colors of traditional Dutch painting and became inspired by the French Impressionists, Mrs de Florian's "sleeping" apartment, and the cardboard city of Science of Sleep all pieced together to make one space i can be happy to call my home.

i hope some of these images could be inspiring to you all as well.

hopefully i will get around to taking some photos of my own flat soon.

Lg, Rae

2011-10-12T22:47:00.002+02:00

i will be away in munich from thursday to monday morning, so expect more posts next week! and lots of photos from munich ... in addition to all the photos i still need to post! have a great weekend everyone!

lg, rae

amsterdam, part 1

2011-10-11T10:04:00.008+02:00

i guess i am working my way backwards, as Amsterdam was the last place I visited this summer (the first was Paris, then New York). My mother came back with me to Berlin after my holiday in the states, and it was during her stay in Europe that we decided to take a small weekend to Amsterdam, just the two of us. our stay was entirely lovely and relaxing. i have a lot of photos from our trip so i am breaking them into two parts.

we stayed at a lovely hotel called the Piet Hein, and visited the Van Gogh museum and the Anne Frank house (both of which I unfortunately have no photographs of because photographs were not allowed), did a lot of walking, a bit of shopping, ate some great food, and on the last day visited the Heineken brewery. it was a lovely and relaxing vacation, and i would be excited to go again eventually. here are photographs from the first half of our trip.

we arrived very late in the evening on the 21st of september, so we set out early the next day (thursday) to visit the tourist office, and do some exploring.

along the way, we found this lovely store, which i absolutely fell in love with.

their business card.

they had such lovely house ware, and i would have bought that tin box in a heartbeat, but it would have been difficult to pack.

same with these lovely dishes.

cloth flowers hanging outside the door to het grote avontuur

my dear mother.

we had a great lunch at a restaurant called STOUT!

we also travelled over to tiffany's where my mother bought me a lovely necklace, which i talked about in a previous post!

the following day we visited the anne frank house and had pancakes at this wonderful pancake house that my mother had actually first visited over 20 years ago when she was in amsterdam with my father! stay tuned for photos from our last day in amsterdam!

Übersetzung: Amsterdam fotos!

photographs taken with Nikon D300 dSLR. Post-processed in photoshop.

Lg, Rae

lovin' it fashion ed. 002 - Fred Perry Laurel Collection

2011-10-10T12:31:00.006+02:00

Just wanted to share some of my favorites from Richard Nicoll's Laurel Collection for Fred Perry. I am completely obsessed, and can't wait until some of these items go on sale so I can add them to my wardrobe!

Lg, Rae

2011-10-02T13:48:00.005+02:00

before posting about the holidays i took this summer, i thought i would make a separate post about my new tiffany's necklace. one of the most exciting parts of our holiday to amsterdam was the beautiful lock that my mother bought me. it is so magnificent, as is everything from tiffany. and i do not think i could ever tire of the classic tiffany teal blue bags and boxes. is it silly to say i was almost just as excited about the box and bag as i was about the necklace?

Übersetzung: Ein Geschank von meiner Mutter!

photographs taken with Nikon D300 dSLR. Post-processed in photoshop.

Lg, Rae

2011-10-01T19:00:00.002+02:00

hey guys, just wanted to let you know that i am back from amsterdam and will be staying put in berlin for a while. i will be making a short weekend trip to munich in over a week, but as far as regular blog posts go (or at least my intensions to post on a regular basis again!) i should be back for a while!

i have so many photos to share with you all from paris, nyc, and amsterdam, and will be making posts about each place in the next week!

Lg, Rae

new york, berlin, amsterdam

2011-09-20T17:22:00.003+02:00

clinton street baking co.

new york, summer 2011

hello everyone! i recently came home to berlin, and am setting out on a short holiday with my mother to amsterdam. i will have a lot of photos to post from travels soon. in the mean time, please enjoy a few from the clinton street baking co.

darling jenny.

Übersetzung: Viele Fotos von The Clinton Street Baking Co.!

photographs taken with Nikon D300 dSLR. Post-processed in photoshop.

Lg, Rae

hello strangers!

2011-08-15T01:00:00.005+02:00

hello there! i really have to apologize for being the worst blogger lately. and i am even presenting you with a low-quality photobooth picture of me! i am hoping to start posting regularly again soon, especially with all the backlogs of photographs i still have to go through - all the ones from Paris! - but hopefully i will be doing so soon. i am also going to try to post more regularly, even if that means shorter posts. i used to be worried about pigeonholing my blog into just one thing - fashion/lifestyle - but this is MY blog after all, so expect more text-heavy posts, and creative endeavors to soon appear here too :) for now, i am going to be on a bit of a continued hiatus, but expect more in a month!

in the meanwhile, if you still want to keep up with me a bit, check out my tumblr. it is mostly reblogs, but maybe some of it can inspire you as well!

Lg, Rae

2011-07-10T01:59:00.000+02:00

leaving for paris in a few hours! be back in a week!!!

2011-07-07T11:49:00.005+02:00

here is my weekly recap from last week (27.6 - 3-7)

on monday, marcus and i met for crêpes and planning out the week. marcus is currently extremely busy with studying for exams, so we haven't really been able to spend much time together. so this week we decided to plan out the week ahead of time, which is a smart and strees-free way to make sure we are still able to spend some time together .

my crêpe and my planner (the bite marks on the corner are from my cat, hummel).

that evening, i popped over to anna's place for a lovely dinner.

and watermelon for dessert.

anna's lovely kitty!

on wednesday i met up with camilla at Müggelsee. camilla went swimming in the lake, but lake temperatures tend to be too cold for me, so i sat on the shore and read a bit. afterwards, i grabbed sushi before heading back into the center of berlin. that evening, sunny and i met for dinner at GOODTIME. the food was really delicious, although quite expensive.

müggelsee.

my book, daily planner, and handy.

a snack before heading back into berlin.

s-bahn.

my feet waiting for the tram.

waiting for the tram.

spring rolls. not as good as i thought they would be, though.

sunny.

me.

although the spring rolls weren't that impressive, i was really happy with the pad thai. probably the best pad thai i have eaten in berlin thus far. too bad it is so expensive.

walking around berlin after dinner.

berlin at dusk.

on thursday, i went shopping for birthday gifts for anna, and also picked up this silly wig from claire's. too bad it looks extremely fake in person.

on friday, anna had her birthday party at a friend's place. here is anna with one of her presents:

no photographs, but on saturday i spent the better half of the day at olympiastadium doing some advertising for my company at a cultural festival. unfortunately, it was extremely rainy and wet, so we were basically sitting there freezing the whole time. afterwards, i picked up a new travel bag and wallet and some sanrio stuff at kadewe.

on sunday my dear ruby came to berlin. it was also extremely cold and rainy on sunday, so ruby's first blick of berlin was that of a dark, gloomy and cold city. after dropping off her luggage at my flat, we headed out to cha cha for a late dinner/early lunch.

the lovely ruby.

a sweater in june? sadly, yes.

my meal. always the same. i am sure you are all really sick of seeing various versions of this photo.

Übersetzung: Viele Fotos von meiner Woche!

photographs taken with Nikon D300 dSLR. Post-processed in photoshop.

Lg, Rae

003

2011-07-04T09:12:00.005+02:00

yesterday, ruby arrived to berlin. we had lunch at chacha and dinner at papaya and watched BABYS until we fell asleep. unfortunately, the weather here has been rainy, however things are supposed to brighten up by wednesday. then on sunday we leave for paris. so, in honor of my upcoming trip to france and disneyland paris with one of my best friends, here are some lovely pictures of disneyland paris.

source

Lg, Rae

oversized denim shirt

2011-07-03T01:02:00.007+02:00

Lena

i'm going to make this post short and sweet bcos i still have so much to do in preparation for ruby's visit. ( i know i promised a disney-themed post soon, in honor of our upcoming trip. please do not worry, i have not forgotten! i have just been insanely busy.) i completely love this photograph of lena, and coincidentally just picked up an oversized denim shirt myself this weekend. looks like i will be trying to re-create this outfit soon.

Lg, Rae

weekday recap 005 & weekend recap 008

2011-06-29T12:29:00.003+02:00

sorry, this was supposed to be posted yesterday, but in any case, here it is! my weekday and weekend recap from last week (20-26 june).

i met up with sunny, melissa, and anna for karaoke. on monday nights, you only need to pay a 3 euro entrance fee, and then can sing to your heart's delight. true, anyone can come into the karaoke booths, and there aren't any cheesy videos like the karaoke places in nyc, but as long as you have a good group of strangers saddled alongside you, it's great fun. unfortunately, i wasn't able to take any great photos, so you will just have to believe me when i say it was a blast.

i grabbed lunch with camilla at Papaya before teaching my afternoon kita class, and had dinner with Anna at AKI TATSU on Bergmannstraße. The food was delicious, and the boss was really nice. Bergmannstraße is a great place to hang out in general, and actually reminds me a lot of NYC due to the atmosphere, some of the architecture, and the way the storefronts are set up.

in the elevator, on the way to the U5.

my feet in the u-bahn station. the closest thing i have from this week to an outfit shot.

crunchy wantons.

my main meal.

and the lovely anna preparing to devour her meal.

i had dinner with sunny at ... chacha. i know, sadly typical. although delicious as ever. afterwards we walked over to DUSSMANN, probably one of the biggest and most comprehensive bookstores in berlin. i love going to bookstores and just finding a spot to sit - on the ground or in a chair, and page through book after book.

sunny :)

my dessert!

the best iced tea in the world.

a great quote.

on thursday, i grabbed dinner at a great italian restaurant with melissa and two of her friends. we even scored some free dessert at the end - each of us got to order a dish of our choice. i ordered tiramisu of course. (sorry, no photos!)

melissa and i met up again for dinner at MAKATO. delicious as always.

my food unfortunately came out surprisingly fast.

seaweed salad.

tofu with miso dressing.

ramen.

we also flipped through FUDGE. i am in love with the hairstyle of the cover model.

marcus and i went to Trebus in Brandenburg. there is a lovely lake in trebus, which is relatively quiet since it doesn't receive a lot of traffic from berliners. afterwards, we grabbed dinner at AKI TATSU, since i enjoyed it so much on tuesday. i actually ordered the exact same menu, but why ruin a good thing?

i spent the day relaxing at home, and talking to ruby (one of my best freinds). ruby is arriving in berlin on sunday and will be staying until the 16. we wanted to also take a trip somewhere in europe while she is here, so we spent sunday planning out our trip. we will be spending 6 days in paris - 3 in the city, and 2 at disneyland. which means, i will be in disneyland on my birthday this year. to say i am excited would be an understatement.

Übersetzung: Viele Fotos von meiner Woche!

stay tuned for a disney-themed post in honor of my upcoming trip!

photographs taken with Nikon D300 dSLR. Post-processed in photoshop.

Lg, Rae

lovin' it fashion ed. 001 - 5 looks i love

2011-06-27T14:05:00.008+02:00

hey there readers! the lifestyle aspect of this blog is swimming along solidly. however, the fashion aspect of this blog has been falling short as of late. my fault, really. i have been a bit lazy to be completely honest. therefore i thought it was time to do a fashion-related blog post and get back on the ball. admittedly i have also been so lazy about photographing my daily outfits, which gives you a partially skewed view of how i dress. thus, i put together 5 of my favorite looks right now that i tend to cycle through in my own daily wear. hopefully they can be of inspiration to you all as well:

Well, that's about it! Hope you enjoyed :) i also changed things around here a bit again, and am more satisfied with the layout and design, so take a look, and let me know what you think!

stay tuned tomorrow for my weekly recap.

collages made and edited with photoshop and wacom Bamboo drawing tablet

Lg, Rae