dusseldorks

29.01.2012

2012-01-29T18:22:00.001-08:00

lego art at the morristown museum. buy local!

28.01.2012

2012-01-29T18:21:00.000-08:00

it is the first week-end since we moved here when we don't have things to solve or places to be, so we finally took a walk in our lovely morristown. full of cute family shops, an overwhelming selection of frozen yoghurt joints and a very patriotic town green.

27.01.2012

2012-01-29T18:18:00.000-08:00

this is my german (figures) next-door neighbour, nicole, and tonight she took me out for some impromptu bar hopping. as she put it, "welcome to JERSEY!!!".

26.01.2012

2012-01-29T18:16:00.000-08:00

my curio shelf arrived in the mail today! i can now display my "alice in wonderland" stuff. well, some of it - the teapot is too big and my book is too heavy. i'll just have to acquire some smaller collectibles. or a bigger shelf.

25.01.2012

2012-01-26T08:05:00.000-08:00

timo's been building paper toys of the characters from "adventure time", his new favorite cartoon. it is pretty cool - and co-written by steve little, stevie in "eastbound and down".

24.01.2012

2012-01-24T08:42:00.000-08:00

after a few pretty selfish days i am spending my tuesday cleaning and making chicken soup. during the week-end timo made the most delicious sundried tomato and meatball lasagna, so it's my turn now.

23.01.2012

2012-01-24T08:40:00.000-08:00

walking home from the train station i passed this castle thingy that's right next to our place. i missed my babies so much!

22.01.2012

2012-01-24T08:38:00.001-08:00

coney island 3D.

21.01.2012

2012-01-24T08:37:00.000-08:00

my first american snow! we are now walking around in park slope and we'll go see "the girl with the dragon tattoo" a bit later.

20.01.2012

2012-01-24T08:35:00.001-08:00

penn station, my home away from home. because my husband is so awesome he gave me a mommy break, so i am spending the week-end in ny with my oana friend.

19.01.2012

2012-01-24T08:34:00.000-08:00

forget castles and towers. this is my crowning lego achievement: a rainbow between two fluffy clouds.

18.01.2012

2012-01-18T18:19:00.000-08:00

we're snuggled up on the sofa watching breaking bad and burping mexican.

17.01.2012

2012-01-18T18:16:00.001-08:00

american word for this white piece of machinery: friend.

16.01.2012

2012-01-16T16:39:00.001-08:00

i didn't buy any shoes today. and they definitely were not paris hilton shoes.

15.01.2012

2012-01-15T15:41:00.000-08:00

timo - now murderer.

14.01.2012

2012-01-14T17:13:00.001-08:00

i love applebee's. i also love timo's tony soprano impression as he eats his stuffed meatball fettucine.

13.01.2011

2012-01-14T08:15:00.000-08:00

today we went to new york via the weehawken ferry and spent the day with andreea and milla. when we took the ferry back, the sun was setting and the view of nyc was breathtaking. it takes a serious camera to capture that though, the iphone has its limitations.

12.01.2012

2012-01-12T14:44:00.001-08:00

if you hang around toys all day, every day you will eventually start looking like them.

11.01.2012

2012-01-12T11:34:00.000-08:00

today i spent 8 hours trying to unlock an iphone so i could finally have a phone over here. as my brother said, i am now officially a hacker. with a phone. fiona's bump slash bruise is looking much better too.

10.01.2012

2012-01-12T11:32:00.000-08:00

timo and paul discuss guitars post dinner at their place, while fiona bites into the oranges on the coffee table.

09.01.2012

2012-01-12T11:29:00.000-08:00

today fiona learned how to climb the sofa and my footstool. she was so proud of herself! she promptly followed that up by falling down face first and getting her first head bump. congrats.

08.12.2012

2012-01-12T11:26:00.001-08:00

today raluca and paul are coming over for sunday roast. it will be the baptism of our dining table.

07.01.2012

2012-01-12T11:24:00.000-08:00

here's one thing that drives me crazy about america: the showerheads are fixed in the wall. i don't get it, how are you supposed to get everywhere properly, or even clean the tub? i'm baffled. either way, today was an ikea day again because a shower curtain was very much needed.

06.01.2012

2012-01-12T11:21:00.000-08:00

i know, not another sunset picture. but let me tell you, the sky here is amazing every freaking evening. i don't know if it's because everything is so low and there is so much sky visible all the time without the pollution of the cities, but it is stunning almost every night. and i love me some sky.

05.01.2012

2012-01-12T11:18:00.000-08:00

one of my new year's resolutions is to start dressing a bit girlier. i decided this before we left germany, so my luggage was packed accordingly and my shopping here has been done in the same direction. my awesome american walk-in closet is now filled with airy dresses and lacey-frilly blouses. these ones bought today.

04.01.2012

2012-01-12T11:13:00.001-08:00

stuck in the house, -14 degress today (!!!). our home is slowly coming along, i kind of like that we have so little furniture. moving from one country to another really shows you how little you actually need.

03.01.2012

2012-01-12T11:11:00.000-08:00

today i went out for a walk with fiona, not realizing it was -7 degrees outside. we only got as far as this awesome hotel nearby where i would like to stay at one point. they have this huge conservatory where they kept their christmas tree and every time we drove by it looked so cozy in there, softly lit by the fairy lights.

02.01.2012

2012-01-12T11:07:00.001-08:00

one of the coolest things about driving into the city is the fact that at some point you have to cross one of the bridges. such awesome pieces of human work, bridges. the view isn't exactly bad either.

01.01.2012

2012-01-02T08:27:00.001-08:00

it started with our first breakfast this year: it's gonna be the champagne lifestyle for us.

31.12.2011

2012-01-02T08:26:00.000-08:00

new year's eve in brooklyn with my very dear friend oana. timo made pasta and meatballs and then went to bed early because he is a bit sick. good bye 2011!

30.12.2011

2012-01-02T08:24:00.001-08:00

i have claimed my place on the new sofa, next to the window and the lamp. timo gets the rest of it.

29.12.2011

2012-01-02T08:23:00.000-08:00

my last hotel breakfast waffle. today we check out.

28.12.2011

2012-01-02T08:20:00.000-08:00

today i realized that most of my christmas presents were "alice in wonderland"-themed. this leather bound edition i got from timo's parents is probably my favorite.

27.12.2011

2012-01-02T08:18:00.000-08:00

glow-in-the-dark skeleton onesie: 2 bucks 20 cents. post-christmas sales in america: priceless.

26.12.2011

2012-01-02T08:16:00.001-08:00

the morning after the night before in yonkers, with andreea and aziz's family.

25.12.2011

2012-01-02T08:15:00.001-08:00

...and to all a good night!

24.12.2011

2012-01-02T08:14:00.001-08:00

today we moved into our new place. we even have a small tree. bring on the holidays!

23.12.2011

2011-12-23T18:00:00.000-08:00

the clouds are on fire! tonight's sunset was amazing, much more so than could be captured on camera, but i tried.

22.12.2011

2011-12-22T12:54:00.001-08:00

the beauty has a cold. although outside it's warm and sunny we are held prisoners inside by boogers. boo.

21.12.2011

2011-12-22T08:06:00.000-08:00

toy shopping! since we left most of our stuff in germany for now, today we went to toys'r'us to get booboo toys. in bulk. what fun!

20.12.2011

2011-12-21T07:19:00.000-08:00

if i would organize a christmas tour of new york city, what we did today would be it. see the decorations on 5th and 6th avenue, the tree at rockefeller center, go ice skating here, have lunch at the rockefeller center cafe, walk to fao schwarz, indulge in toy shopping and end the day with hot chocolate in a cute cafe on the edge of central park.

19.12.2011

2011-12-21T07:15:00.000-08:00

i think my favourite thing in our new apartment is the bathroom. it's what the french would call "coquette", a mix of tame pink and white with really retro fixtures. very atomic age.

18.12.2011

2011-12-18T18:25:00.000-08:00

yesterday we got the keys to our new place, so today we dropped off some of our things there. so here it is. our new home.

17.12.2011

2011-12-18T18:22:00.001-08:00

today at friendly's fiona decides she'll have the whole dessert menu.

16.12.2011

2011-12-16T15:37:00.001-08:00

le christmas is in le air in our little hotel compound.

15.12.2011

2011-12-16T15:36:00.001-08:00

had wendy's for the first time ever today. and then fiona made me break down and cry in the middle of a bookstore.

14.12.2011

2011-12-16T15:35:00.001-08:00

milla and fiona converse on the subject of which is better - a toy motorcycle or a real one.

13.12.2011

2011-12-16T15:34:00.000-08:00

botarel took us out for a blue cheese cheeseburger in burger heaven, and in turn fiona taught him how to use a phone.

12.12.2011

2011-12-16T15:31:00.001-08:00

today we went to ikea to buy furniture for the new apartment. that place is extremely exhausting. and i thought i loved shopping.

11.12.2011

2011-12-12T18:24:00.001-08:00

crazy sunny brunch in montclair with paul, raluca and friends.

10.12.2011

2011-12-10T17:54:00.001-08:00

who ate my steak and lobster tail? oh yeah, that was moi. today we went shopping and we signed the contract for our new apartment. very excited about moving there!

09.12.2011

2011-12-09T17:53:00.001-08:00

today we walked brooklyn bridge. but more importantly, i made my beautiful friend oana pose by the wallpaper in billy's bakery. and then we ate red velvet cupcakes.

08.12.2011

2011-12-08T17:16:00.001-08:00

there's a barnes&noble right next to our hotel, so today i packed booboo up and we went to spend some time in the bookstore. i can't even begin to discuss how much money i would need to buy everything i want from here.

07.12.2011

2011-12-07T18:11:00.001-08:00

since fiona has started standing by herself two days ago, this is her favorite "toy". she even stands on the sofa. i am so proud of her.

06.12.2011

2011-12-07T17:54:00.001-08:00

we spent the day in the city with my friend andreea and her new baby girl, milla. it was really good to just hang out and catch up - the first day since we moved here when i relaxed and stopped thinking so much about all we still have to do.

05.12.2011

2011-12-05T17:19:00.001-08:00

i'm not proud of myself, but i watched this all day today. all day on mtv and not even ONE single music video. just this. but far more important - fiona took her first steps today! i cried.

04.12.2011

2011-12-05T17:17:00.001-08:00

as of today i have no more excuses. i have to get organized and start getting some work done.

03.12.2011

2011-12-04T07:57:00.000-08:00

fiona got some really sweet winter outfits today. i think both of us need to get a bit girlier. nothing wrong with that.

02.12.2011

2011-12-02T15:27:00.000-08:00

louis vuitton and i don't have much in common, but this window display i saw today is amazingly beautiful.

01.12.2011

2011-12-02T15:24:00.001-08:00

first day in nyc. i'm not gonna lie, it was intense.

30.11.2011

2011-12-02T15:20:00.001-08:00

good morning, 'merica!

29.11.2011

2011-12-02T15:14:00.000-08:00

there's trickery afoot on the plane to newark.

28.11.2011

2011-11-28T06:07:00.000-08:00

back to timo's parents' house for our last night in dusseldorf.

27.11.2011

2011-11-28T06:06:00.001-08:00

best card ever. good one, nico and jules! brought a smile to a rather grim farewell session.

26.11.2011

2011-11-28T06:05:00.000-08:00

zons, waiting to cross the rhine by ferry. people of the sun.

25.11.2011

2011-11-28T06:03:00.000-08:00

it's such a dark day, but the booths at the christmas market break the monotony with little bursts of color.

24.11.2011

2011-11-28T06:02:00.000-08:00

last girls' night before we leave. tapas and karaoke, because we do it in style. well, our style anyway.

23.11.2011

2011-11-28T05:59:00.001-08:00

visiting jules in her campus today, i discover a surprisingly delicious pizza in the cafeteria. fresh cherry tomato flavour bombs ahoy!

22.11.2011

2011-11-28T05:58:00.001-08:00

our small window under the roof lets in some grey light on a really cold day. we didn't even leave the house today.

21.11.2011

2011-11-28T05:57:00.000-08:00

christmas market! well, the tiniest one in the old town.

20.11.2011

2011-11-28T05:56:00.001-08:00

jules and fiona enjoy the anime exhibit in bonn.

19.11.2011

2011-11-28T05:55:00.000-08:00

timo struggles to finish my crispy pig leg with mash and kraut as we have lunch with jules and nico.

18.11.2011

2011-11-28T05:54:00.000-08:00

today fiona took her first ever carousel ride! a very important developmental landmark, i'm sure you'll agree.

17.11.2011

2011-11-28T05:53:00.000-08:00

the christmas markets opened today, and are already filled with tourists.

16.11.2011

2011-11-28T05:52:00.000-08:00

the sun sets over benrath.

15.11.2011

2011-11-28T05:51:00.000-08:00

sitting on the sofa, watching diana's light catcher making rainbows on the walls.

14.11.2011

2011-11-28T05:49:00.000-08:00

we are staying at diana's place for a few days while she is on holiday in venice. fiona already made friends with her brush and paints.

13.11.2011

2011-11-28T05:48:00.000-08:00

happy birthday, paul! thanks for the tasty brunch.

12.11.2011

2011-11-28T05:47:00.000-08:00

"good morning" bed, complete with baby.

11.11.2011

2011-11-28T05:46:00.000-08:00

went shopping for some presents at the designer toy store and then stopped for a sushi lunch at our place with booboo.

10.11.2011

2011-11-28T05:45:00.002-08:00

fiona meets the nutcracker. i think she likes what she sees.

09.11.2011

2011-11-28T05:45:00.001-08:00

dinner at nico and jules' tonight. this is not what we ate.

08.11.2011

2011-11-28T05:44:00.000-08:00

scaring the poultry in the park.

07.11.2011

2011-11-28T05:43:00.000-08:00

this day is as cold as this door.

06.11.2011

2011-11-28T05:41:00.000-08:00

today diana prepared a romanian feast of slow cooked pigs' feet, mash and honey carrots. melts in the mouth. fiona even got her own plate and spoon for the first time and she used them, when she wasn't on the phone of course.

05.11.2011

2011-11-28T05:40:00.000-08:00

timo and fiona watch teletubbies, this afternoon in her grandparents' livingroom.

04.11.2011

2011-11-28T05:39:00.000-08:00

girls' night out! cocktails, karaoke, dance, the works.

03.11.2011

2011-11-28T05:38:00.000-08:00

i stay out of the house a lot these days. just me and booboo, roaming the streets drenched in this sunny autumn.

02.11.2011

2011-11-28T05:37:00.000-08:00

still not used to living here. i know the area pretty well, as i lived here for a while when we first moved to dusseldorf, but it's just weird. probably because we are "in transit".

01.11.2011

2011-11-28T05:36:00.000-08:00

we now live in a really small apartment until we ship off. look at this: we even get vintage lux soap.

31.10.2011

2011-11-23T07:56:00.000-08:00

"good morning" say timo's mom's hanging angels.

30.10.2011

2011-11-23T07:55:00.000-08:00

we moved out of our apartment today, and in with timo's parents for a few days. the bee was expecting us.

29.10.2011

2011-11-23T07:54:00.002-08:00

lunch in the city, very german, at shinken toni.

28.10.2011

2011-11-23T07:54:00.001-08:00

late evening walk in our park.

27.10.2011

2011-11-23T07:53:00.001-08:00

last few days in the house. not a balcony view i'll have for much longer.

26.10.2011

2011-11-23T07:52:00.001-08:00

really? 'coz it's not even november yet.

25.10.2011

2011-11-23T07:51:00.000-08:00

i love autumn. it's pretty.

24.10.2011

2011-11-23T07:49:00.001-08:00

my coke at tonight's dinner, lovingly iced by timo.

23.10.2011

2011-11-23T07:45:00.000-08:00

lovely sunday lunch with our friends aaron and nadine in their new home, filled with beautiful things like antique vanity tables, quirky art and little plush monsters.

22.10.2011

2011-11-23T07:44:00.000-08:00

at this point we are living in constant expectation of our departure to the states. it's overdue and we're tired, in so many ways.