I'm currently looking for new bag. My problem is when I go to work, I need to carry so many things that I end up carrying two heavy bags which isn't so much fun, and not so comfy on the bicycle. Well, I have looked for sturdy options for a while now. The satchel bags recently caught my eye. This one from the Cabridge Satchel Company for Asos seems to be a nice option. Looks beatiful, but not so sturdy. From Asos White. From Edition Populaire. A pricier, but beautiful option by Steve Mono. Although no Satchel bag, it made... Continue reading

Gardening always belonged to the things my parents, grandparents...let's say, things adults usually do. Well (apart from actually having to admit to belong to that sort age-wise), recently I moved to the very centre of the city in which I live. And since I live in a sort of penthouse, there is a rooftop at disposal. When moving in, it was spring, and suddenly I felt an urge to plant own herbs, salad, but moreover flowers. Well, the last person who lived here left her rose bushes and lavender. So much work has already been done. Still, we planted many... Continue reading

While trying to get my small personal project started (to be honest, the technical part I find quite tricky!), I thought about why I like certain blogs. I mean, it's not only that they are content-wise convincing, but they all also have a great layout. 1. The Coveted Screenshot The Coveted What I like about the page is the nice overview one gets at first glance. The colours are user-friendly. Her logo very clearly positioned. The heart in the brand name, she reuses as font colour. Nice! 2. Style Bubble Screenshot Style Bubble Susie Bubble's page appears more quirky and... Continue reading

The chanson singer France Gall was a seemingly naive child icon during the sixties in France and Germany. Her song "Les Sucettes", written and produced by Serge Gainsbourg, made her a success in 1966. The childish text and melody about lollipops disguises the implied sexuality. When released, it was a big scandal, and still is today, as the comments on youtube show. In this video, the ambivalence is perfectly illustrated. Was she really as ignorant of the sexual undertones of the song, as she always insisted on later? Today, it's impossible to think of such a naive 18-year old teenager. Continue reading

An affinity for details is something the artist Franz Gertsch certainly has. Last week, I went to an exhibition of Franz Gertsch in the Kunsthaus in Zurich. There is however another picture by Franz Gertsch that is in the same musum's permanent collection. I can remember having passively noticed it years ago, when I still was a child. After the exhibition, I went to the other part of the museum where this picture has hung all these years. Franz Gertsch paints in a genre called photo realism. What is extraordinary for me is that the painting succeeds photography; the medium... Continue reading

Champagne is a drink that has an extensive cultural memory. It is very strongly associated with certain images. When ordering a glass, or even more decadent a bottle, of champagne, whether man or woman, certain expectations are raised by oneself and the other people. There is no indifference, when it comes to champagne. It polarises and always is a strong affirmation towards savoir-vivre. I found this bling-bling retro perrier jouet image by coincidence this morning, and instantly wanted to repost it. A book that accompanies a glass of champagne very well is F. Scott Fitzgerald's Tender is the Night. Which... Continue reading

I found this lovely cloth bracelet at a kind of high end flea market in the patio of a club. Last Saturday, I went by quickly to take a look. The girl who sold it to me refurbishes old handkerchiefs into these bracelets. Her recipe it seems is to take an old item to turn it into a new one. No need to say: she handles it by the book! Continue reading

Chocolate mousse is one of the most basic, and at the same time delicious dessert there is. Yesterday, a very dear friend of mine came to visit me. I made chocolate mousse for this occasion. It was, however, a very spontaneous idea, and I just used basic dark chocolate which I already had at home. Well, chocolate is the most important ingredient of chocolate mousse. In the end, the mousse was ok, but I remember having made chocolate mousse with toblerone chocolate which tasted amazing. The basic recipe for any chocolate (white, toblerone, dark, milkchocolate etc) mousse for 4 servings:... Continue reading

Well, I haven't written anything for a long time. I have been working a lot next to my full time studies which left me no time for any free time activities. I really miss being able to stroll through the streets of the city in which I live, Zurich as well as exploring other places. I couldn't read a lot. although I read James Joyce's Ulysses during the past few months...a book that is made up of many smaller books. Anyhow, I want to increase my postings here and use it as a place for my creative output. Stay bookish,... Continue reading

Continue reading

Crystal Palace, 1851, London, Picture by buildinghistory One of the poets I newly discovered is Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The Romantic poets are usually not my field of interest, as I dislike the whole sensebility, childhood, nature dryad, but Coleridge's poetry seem to have a twist (as a side note: maybe it's connected to his opium addiction). In contrast to William Wordsworth, whose poetry epitomizes Romantic poetry, Coleridge grew up in the city. Wordsworth, his intimate friend, felt much sorry for Coleridge not being able to grow up on the countryside. His poem Kubla Khan (1816) begins with an introduction in... Continue reading

Although it is still very cold, and I just bought a new cashmere cardigan, spring will be hopefully due in three months' time. Tommy Hilfiger's spring collection 2011 inspired by designer Peter Som already shows a few inspiring tendencies for this summer. The preppy look, which introduced pastel colours for both sexes, also includes a beautiful powdery yellow for the ladies. and For the gents: the tendency away from the bleak black and grey socks, is even taken further. The socks become an item of statement. To be worn in flippy colours with long... ... and short pants! To sum... Continue reading

My own pictures. Cooking should be fun, as I advocated before. By using wonderfully shaped and coloured tools, the fun can even be enhanced. These salad servers from Ikea always put a complementing colours to the green leaves! Continue reading

Last week, I shared my personal tips to endure the overcast misty winter months. However, this january proves to be different than the previous ones I know at least. The weather has been friendly and the temperatures mild. Yesterday, I went to the mountains to spend some time on the slopes. During a break, I was having a drink sitting there in my thermo t-shirt. In fact, I can't remember ever having been able to do that in the snow, in january! Today, also Zurich was all sunny. I did tip number 3, but instead of walking I cycled. The... Continue reading

My picture. 1. Last Wednesday, I shared the first five tips to battling winter fatigue. Today, I give you the second half of that guide! Here we go: 6. 6. Go to a spa and take a sauna! Being in the hot makes you feel much better. As a positive side effect your body will be more resistant against the flu. 2. 7. Visit an exhibition! There are often many interesting exhibitions in most cities. Whether the exhibition is concerned with art or architecture, archaeology or science depends on your choice. To get an even a better level of understanding... Continue reading

Today, Susie Bubble's video for Monki Television was released. In addition to it being an immensely cute video (see here), it also says something about media. Let's think: a blogger, who has as many or even more readers as some printed magazines, makes a video in the net that is more-watched than some aired tv channels. I like this coincidence. It displays the change in media which takes the direction of an increasingly democratic information distribution. Pictures: Screenshots from the video. Continue reading

This week's poem stems, like the one from last week, from the modernist period, which is commonly agreed to be the time span between the first and the second world war. This means that these poems are experimental and rather aim at exploring a certain feeling. Further, William Carlos Williams belongs to the imagist movement. These poets focus on the visual picture they convey through sharp and precise language. See for yourself: This Is Just To Say I have eaten the plums that were in the icebox and which you were probably saving for breakfast Forgive me they were delicious... Continue reading

Winter is often said to be a difficult season, especially in the northern countries, and I agree. Don’t get me wrong: as always, there is nothing that is only bad or only good, but it can be strenuous when the sun already sets at four in the afternoon, particularly, when the days are overcast anyway. Today, I want to share my tips that usually help me going until spring. 1. Go to the mountains. Sleighing, skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing - there is a plethora of fun activities. In addition, the air is crisp and fresh, and most often you are... Continue reading

Recently, I began to ask myself for how much longer is the cute but nowadays rather redundant diagonal striped sailor look going to last. On the H&M homepage, I discovered this jacket which would speak for a diametrically opposed tendency. I made, however, a screenshot to show that it was amidst the usual diagonal striped clothes. Do you recognise the jacket in the picture? It's the picture on the very right, the top one. I have myself two pieces of clothes which contain both the element of stripe and the two colours red and white. One is a basic shirt... Continue reading

Since I declared yesterday to be poetic, I will continue today with something else more related to the latter part of my blog's name. Today, I looked at John Keat's poetry, and until now I didn't know much about him except that he wrote "Ode to a Nightingale". Well, while reading about his life, I did not only realise that he lived from 1795 to 1821 and thus died when only 26 years old, but that I actually saw a movie sometime last year in the cinema which was about him. It's called Bright Star and is, in fact, one of the best movie I saw that deals with the autobiography of a writer. Let's say Shakespeare in Love is rather kitsch, isn't it? Most interestingly, Fanny Brawne, with whom Keats fell in love, designed and sew her own clothes. This is nicely worked into the movie making her a strong female protagonist to counter John Keat's role. Jane Campion, the director, gave the movie a very special feel achieved through the colours and pictures which enhance to the overall mood together with his poetry. Her movie won the British Independent Film Award and was amongst other nominated for a Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival. Continue reading