Sunny days in the autumn are just the best!

A sunny day with Rafa in the balcony playing around with my phone's camera (and it's "retro camera" function.)

Hotel booked

Jonas and I are going to escape to Berlin for a weekend in October.  Actually, I have a school trip planned there first, so, he will catch up with me later when I am done with my duties.

We found this really cool hotel called the Michelberger Hotel located in between Kreutzberg and Friedrichshain, so not bad at all.  Also, compared to the prices at other popular places like Circus, it was pretty good, so, not only cool, but different and not so expensive!

The design is unlike anything I have seen before at a hotel.  Well, just look at the pictures (which by the way, are also very cool!  They make the rooms feel used, and populated, which is very refreshing, makes you feel like this is a place you can feel at home for a few days.)

Fine piece of work

I had never heard of Adrian Lohmüler, German artist living and working in Berlin.  Now, after only looking at some pictures of one of his latest installations called Das Haus bleibt still / The house remains still, I can't help but to put him in my list of most inspiring artists at the moment.

All these images come from the artist's website.

Can't seem to put it in a more effective and concise way: "On four floors, water seeps from containers into pipes and collects in the first floor, where it is heated, dropped onto a salt block and finally led over the floor into a white bedding - the white salt cristals form a pattern on the floor." (found in Quite Contrary blog)

True love for tomato and eggplant.

I am not sure of what I want usually, dinner has become a challenge since I have to eat healthy and balanced but there are so many things I really don't want to even look at at this moment!  Like fish, any fish!  So, today, I started thinking about what I wanted.  No meat today either please!  

Tomato.  Always tomato.  I love tomato.  And eggplant.  I could eat eggplant any time any day.  So I decided to make my own version of "ratatouille" or "pisto" or whatever you want to call it.

Onion, red bell pepper, eggplant, and lots of tomato (I cheated here, I had found a readymade Arrabiata sauce in the good supermarket, and I was saving it for a rainy day.  I usually make things from scratch, but this one looked and "sounded" soooo good).  I stirred fried on EVOO (I know, how very Rachel Ray, but really, it's a mouthful!) 1 roughly chopped onion, then added 1 roughly chopped bell pepper, then the eggplant (cut in small cubes ca. 1x1cm), after around 10 min.  I added the arrabiata sauce (spicy tomato sauce originally from Rome), a bit of water, salt and pepper to taste and some basil.  Let it cook for a while... I measure by eye but the idea is to try not to kill the veggies and to let it reduce enough that the taste is intensified.

I made a 50/50 mix of bulgur and quinoa to eat it with. To add a bit more protein besides the quinoa, I made some hummus with toasted pita chips.  All very tasty, fresh and delicious!  This I could never get tired of eating.

Tip:  Sprinkle some feta on top!  Give's it an extra little something.

A Poem

Litany 
by Billy Collins

You are the bread and the knife,
The crystal goblet and the wine . . .
Jacques Crickillon

You are the bread and the knife,   

the crystal goblet and the wine.   

You are the dew on the morning grass   

and the burning wheel of the sun.   

You are the white apron of the baker   

and the marsh birds suddenly in flight.   

However, you are not the wind in the orchard,   

the plums on the counter,   

or the house of cards.   

And you are certainly not the pine-scented air.   

There is just no way you are the pine-scented air.   

It is possible that you are the fish under the bridge,   

maybe even the pigeon on the general's head,   

but you are not even close   

to being the field of cornflowers at dusk.   

And a quick look in the mirror will show   

that you are neither the boots in the corner   

nor the boat asleep in its boathouse.   

It might interest you to know,   

speaking of the plentiful imagery of the world,   

that I am the sound of rain on the roof.   

I also happen to be the shooting star,   

the evening paper blowing down an alley,   

and the basket of chestnuts on the kitchen table.   

I am also the moon in the trees   

and the blind woman's tea cup.   

But don't worry, I am not the bread and the knife.   

You are still the bread and the knife.   

You will always be the bread and the knife,

not to mention the crystal goblet and—somehow—the wine.

Billy Collins, “Litany” from Nine Horses. Copyright © 2002 by Billy Collins. Reprinted with the permission of Random House, Inc.

Thanks Cup of Jo, for posting something so deliciously great!

I got it!

In an older post I said I really liked this summer jacket from Monki, well today I just went and got it!

 Silvi Jacket

While at it, I happened to find this super confy, roomy (specially roomy) and very welcoming winter jacket.  I didn't buy it, but my eye is on it.  I'll sleep on it... I am growing, and by winter, I will definitely need something warm with enough room for the two of us!!

Noomi Jacket

Happy days!

Hello!  I am here again with things to tell.  So far it's been a busy and interesting-full of surprises summer with weddings, concerts, parties, visits and news!

First news to tell:  I am pregnant!  8 weeks today.  It has been one of the reasons for my lack of posts.  I have been digesting the idea and trying to decide whether to tell or not.  Jonas and I ended up deciding to tell, and just enjoy it and to go with the flow.  Anyways, if the worst came to happen (knock on wood!) we will be surrounded by people that loves and supports us all the way.

Second of all, the day we found out about the pregnancy (2 weeks ago) my father came to visit from Costa Rica and stayed until yesterday, so we have been busy, busy, busy.  I do hope from now on I can be more active with my posting, but we'll see how I manage it with school (which starts next Monday!!!!!).

I will have to gather some pictures from the summer, and promise I will try not to become a mommy-blog and to still focus on the things I like and enjoy.  Maybe I will drop something babyish and adorable every so often but I will try not to abuse it!  So recipes will come along, tips on design as well as art and whatever is going on with my projects too... bare with me if you can, I am a bit slower these days! (they call it baby-brain, hehehe.)

For now I leave you with Sufjan Stevens new song from his new EP of the same name "All Delighted People"... it's magic!