Oof. That’s the previous week in one word. And in a few more words: Work, work, work. Also: work. This week is no different. I’m trying not to go into full-on panic mode – why does a day not have 38 hours, WHY? – and look up from my desk occasionally and out the window. Because you know what else happened last week? Spring arrived. Glorious, sunny, barefoot-in-sandals temperatures spring. I’m high on this weather and I might even be wearing my sunnies indoors, if it didn’t make me look like a fool. These sunglasses here are from Very French Gangsters, a kid’s brand from France. Yeah, a kid’s brand. So the offspring get to look cooler than their parents. I discovered them at Lunettes a little while ago. I’ll show you more from my visit to their new store later this week. Until then, here are a few other things that have been distracting me from work.

*So that you grown-ups don’t feel left out, here are some sunglasses for you from Swildens that I like a lot.

*If you’re spending as much time at your desk as I am at the moment, and even if you’re not, these metal tins from Artilleriet would be nice to look at.

*Fine, I’ll admit it. I cry at commercials. The new Dove campaign about how women see themselves turned me into a complete mess.

*And because of the incredible thing that is the internet, there’s a spoof out already about how men see themselves. Laughing tears.

*Did you know that fabulous Paris store Merci now has an online shop? Hooray!

*The my own summer ring from “I need more rings” is one of my favourite pieces of jewelry. The girls now do the ring in gold as well. And they’ve done a neat little film to showcase their work. Bravo!

*Jenna Lyons is my hero. This portrait of her on Fast Company sums up why.

*This couple.

*I wrote about my love for pointy flats for Glam last week. The column (in German) is here.

*Soundtrack of the week: the self-titled new album from Junip, especially Line of Fire.

Alright, back to work. See you soon!

*Out and about with Sandra today, who kindly snapped this picture of me. This oversized black coat from Cos has been my companion all through this winter and I’ve loved wearing it. But I also hope that this week will be the last week I’ll have to. Come on, sun!

*Until summer comes, I’ll be listening to this song. A lot. Swinging Party from Kindness, found on one of the excellent playlists from Swedish brand Whyred on Spotify.

*And here’s a another song for sunny days: Evening Ceremony by Active Child. (via Reigen)

*Favourite recent blog discovery: Thug Kitchen. A take no prisoners approach to cooking with kick-ass recipes. Literally. To quote: “We all know your punk ass doesn’t eat enough greens.”

*Also, Des Hommes et Des Chatons. Because: men and kittens, what could possibly go wrong with that? (via Raetherei)

*A week without mentioning & Other Stories? Not as long as they keep doing such great things like the collaboration with bag designer Clare Vivier. Stunning.

*The “Just Cool” moodboards on They All Hate Us are, well, just cool. Here’s the latest. Big fan of the blog in general. Damn, those Aussie chicks and their style.

*I want to see this movie right now. We’ll all have to wait until June. Until then, here’s the trailer for Before Midnight. (thanks for the reminder, Okka)

*I wrote about my love for the classic “I heart New York” t-shirts for Glam this week, recently re-ignited by the current 3.1 Phillip Lim collection. Share the love here.

*You know how I said that I’m trying to be more considerate in my spending and invest in classic pieces? I still couldn’t help myself against impulsively buying this coral tunic from Zara this week. Because it looks like a promise of summer.

Have a good week!

*I went to Konk this week to take pictures of the store and its lovely owner Edda, which I’ll show you next week. Here’s a little preview from the changing room. In my parallel reality I have a dressing room with a chair like this in it.

*Can I ask you for a big favour? I’ve had to set up a new facebook page for the blog and it would be great, if you could take five seconds to go to the page and like it. That way you won’t be missing out on updates and new posts when I shut down the old facebook page. I’d really appreciate your support on this. Thank you!

*I’ve stopped counting how many times someone forwarded me a link to both the When You Live In Berlin and the When You Really Live In Berlin Tumblr this week. And now I’m sharing them with you, because they made me weep with laughter. I’m sure you’ll get a kick out of them, whether you live in Berlin or not. I dare you not to be instantly in a better mood when you see this.

*Another internet sensation: the What Ali Wore fashion blog. Photographer Zoe Spawton deserves all the praise and attention she’s gotten for showcasing 83-year-old Ali’s wardrobe with its over 100 suits. It’s for discoveries like this that I love the internet.

*And speaking of stylish men, I wouldn’t mind owning the outfit this guy on The Sartorialist is wearing. I get just as much inspiration from men’s wardrobes as I do from women’s and he delivers style with enviable ease. Simple perfection.

*Mr. Porter’s The Journal is such a cleverly done online magazine. Personal highlight: “The Way I Cook” series. This week features Mimi Thorisson’s recipe for calvados apple tart. After I wrote down the recipe, I spent half an hour on her blog Manger. Do you know it? Can you believe her life? I suddenly want to move to a farm in France.

*You can’t improve much on t-shirts and jeans from All Saints and the rest of their collection is getting better each season. I’m loving the spring/summer lookbook.

*I have a new style crush and her name is Leslie Fremar.

*I’m obviously biased, but with a name like that how could I not be a fan of the new København scarf from Petersen?

Have a good week!

*This winter is driving everybody nuts. I read today that an American lawyer is trying to sue Punxsutawney Phil because spring didn’t arrive when the groundhog had predicted it would. I’d like to have a word with that clairvoyant rodent myself. It’s been groundhog day for fashion around here for months now. Every morning, I put on thick socks, jeans and a jumper. Sometimes jeans, a jumper and thick socks. Or, when I’m feeling particularly adventurous, two jumpers, thick socks and jeans. If spring ever arrives, I will probably have forgotten how to wear other clothes. Although I tried and at least put on a pair of jeans that had been lying in my closet for years – with open-toed sandals, but obviously just for the picture –, as I started writing a new style column for Glam this week. I have to thank Ari for asking me. And for trusting me enough to kick things off with that delicate question: Bootcut jeans – yes or have I gone crazy? The column will be published every first and third Friday of the month. The first one is here. (in German)

*Okka asked me to recommend a new fragrance for her this week. And I’m still blown away by how many great suggestions her readers had, too.

*The lovely Marie from Blame It on Fashion, Funda from By Funda and Lotte from The Style Cavalry have teamed up for new online magazine Luelle. It’s predictably lovely (and written in Danish).

*I like peeking into other people’s closets. I really like the concept that you can shop the closets of well-heeled ladies on Vaunte.

*It’s entirely possible that I’m enjoying this shop so much at the moment because I’m spending a lot of time indoors, in the future ideally with more products from Neest.

*The wonderful Morgane Sezalory has expanded her fashion collection and is now selling it under the name Sézane. And unless I’m mistaken, the La Superbe jumper has my name written all over it.

*Unquestionably one of the best-looking online shops out there, LN-CC has finally arrived in Germany.

*An idea as simple as it is beautiful: Maria Popova publishes a quote from a favourite book and matches it with a song on Literary Jukebox every day.

*Maybe you noticed that the blog has only had one author for some time. And maybe you already saw at the top of the page that Spruced is “by Marlene” now. What stays the same is that I will continue telling stories about fashion, design and beauty here. James has started writing his own blog and it looks as good as could be expected from a guy who makes such beautiful bags and clothes. You can find it here.

*I’m remodeling a room in the apartment into my new office space. Am I correct in thinking that any reasonable person would not start with such minor details as, say, a table on which to actually work, but with decorating the room first? Yes, that’s what I thought. This print arrived from Sweden last week. “All is pretty” seemed like a good mantra for an office and I think I’ll put it up on the wall facing the table, so that I can look at it while I work. You know, once I actually get a table.

*I’ve been browsing a lot of design blogs during the remodel and one that I kept coming back to is The Brickhouse Tumblr, because I’d move into every single one of the beautiful spaces collected there.

*I didn’t make it through the entire Oscars telecast this year. Steffi and I, whose couch I was parked on for the night, were having a hard enough time staying awake for the snoozefest that was the red carpet, debating whether stylists are now paid to make stars look exceptionally boring. For me, there were two exceptions who got their money’s worth: Charlize Theron and Jessica Chastain. Holy smokes! And since I like a good look behind the scenes, I enjoyed following how Charlize found her dress on The Coveteur and Jessica on Harper’s Bazaar (how adorable is that picture of her with her grandmother?).

*And speaking of behind the scenes: a good alternative to being in Paris for the shows is following the photos of the moment series on the T Magazine blog. Superb images, especially the backstage series from Chloé.

*Firstly, can I please win the lottery? Secondly, can I have every single coat from the Céline show? Thanks.

*And speaking of Céline and coats: this picture of Daria Werbowy in a cream coat is my inspiration for dressing this spring, as is the rest of the campaign. In my imaginary world, my hair looks exactly like that (but, no, I still don’t get the weird sandals with fur lining either).

*Ever since I saw this picture of Elin Kling on Sandra’s blog, I want to wear neckerchiefs this spring, too.

*I’ve told you how much I adore I love you before. And how could the man behind that brilliant song make anything but a wonderful Tumblr? Woodkid, I might love you, too.

*And finally… folks, you might not see me for a couple of months – because I will permanently move to Pinterest. Yes, I discovered it about two years after everyone else. Why did I not join before? Probably because I was afraid I’d become instantly addicted. And I have. You can find me here.

Have a good week!

Ah, Sunday. What a lovely day – to get sick. The cold I’ve been having some tough negotiations with over the last few weeks finally got the upper hand today, so I spent the day in bed, laptop on my belly, stack of magazines beside me, thinking about… bulbs. Specifically, where I could find the kinds of bulbs I saw at the Capsule fashion fair a few weeks ago and really liked. And how I’d put them up in the apartment when I found them, since I’m apparently a traditionalist when it comes to lighting, as I only have lamps with actual lamp shades. Just one bulb over, say, the living room table? Or hang a few in a row in the dining room? What do you think? Do you have any exerience with bare bulbs? How did you decorate them?

*Something else I did today: Watch the Hollywood Reporter roundtables online. The magazine gets a bunch of actors, actresses, directors etc. together every awards season and sits each group down for an hour-long chat. My favourite this year is the directors’ group, with, among others, the delightfully crazy Quentin Tarantino, the lovely Gus Van Sant and the who-knew-he’d-be-such-a-great-director Ben Affleck.

*The Vanity Fair Hollywood issue weighs approximately eight pounds this year, but it’s worth every strained muscle from carrying it home for the Bruce Weber portfolio alone. The way he sees it is actually what I hope Hollywood looks like.

*They don’t make ‘em like her anymore. And I loved this story about the infatigable Lee Radziwill in T Magazine.

*There’s a piece by Suzy Menkes in the same issue of T, in which she laments, very eloquently and entertainingly, what a circus the fashion shows have become since blogging has turned into a huge business. While I don’t agree that you need to work for a magazine to have an informed and valid opinion about hem lengths, I think she’s right in saying this about how the fashion world has changed: „There is something ridiculous about the self-aggrandizement of some online arbiters who go against the mantra that I was taught in my earliest days as a fashion journalist: ‘It isn’t good because you like it; you like it because it’s good.’” Discuss!

*On a related note, there’s a fantastic slideshow in New York Magazine showing street style stars before they were stars.

*The new issue of The Gentlewoman is here! And it’s got Queen Bey on the cover.

*More good news: Weekday have finally opened their online store.

*After seeing the Goodhood store on Freunde von Freunden, I definitely want to visit next time I’m in London.

*Have you heard? Phoenix have made a new album. The first track is getting it’s world premiere on Radio One, 7pm GMT, Monday. Am I excited? ONLY A LITTLE BIT!

Right, now I have to lie back down.

Have a good week!

P.S. And here’s the new Phoenix song, Entertainment. After listening to it 20 times, I’ve decided to love it. What about you?

*I like getting presents. Who doesn’t? But I like giving presents just as much. So by giving me this awesome gift, Okka also gave me the inspiration for a great present for a fashion nerd. This fashionary is part dictionary, part address book, part weekly planner and I now use it to collect ideas for this blog. Also as an excuse for dropping sentences like “Who else knows the difference between a French and a Western cuff?” Like I said: nerd.

*Zara seems to have copied, I mean: been very much inspired by the Saint Laurent collection for the new season and that bustier is exactly what the bikini top looks like I want for summer.

*You know you want to see David Beckham running around Los Angeles in his skivvies in the new H&M campaign. Even if he used a stunt double (for shame, David!).

*I also want you to see what his wife came up with for her fall/winter ’13 collection she showed in New York this week. Look 28 from Victoria Beckham is pretty much perfect for swanning into a fancy cocktail bar.

*My favourite thing about New York fashion week so far is that Sandra is there to capture it all with her camera.

*My second favourite thing is that the Fug Girls are writing about all the shenanigans once again for New York Magazine.

*And my third favourite thing is this beauty look from Emily Weiss.

*I’m not going to tell you how many times I’ve watched the video to Woodkid’s new song I Love You this week. It’s too embarrassing. Suffice it to say that it’s one of those songs you won’t believe nobody else came up with before, it’s at once familiar and just brilliant.

*Here’s one of my favourite places to spend imaginary money right now: Swedish design shop Artilleriet.

Have a good week!

*Berlin Fashion Week is two days away and since I’m somewhat doubtful that the outside temperature will change from -8 to +28 degrees before then, my wardrobe choices feel, well, limited. I’m trying to see the positive: Less choice means less fretting. I will mostly be wearing this coat from Cos, which seemed like an extravagant buy at the time – it’s warm (sensible), it’s also soft pink (not so sensible) -, but which I’m glad to have now. It’s a nice change from my usual black.

*And speaking of coats: If the money fairy comes for a visit, I’ll have this camel coat from Stella McCartney Pre-Fall. Or, since I’m dreaming already, maybe the one in red?

*Excited about the news that H&M’s new brand “& Other Stories” is opening shop in Berlin soon. The teaser videos look promising.

*The Golden Globes are tonight. Who will win? Who cares! What will they wear? Hopefully many, many, many ridiculous gowns. I’m not going to stay up to watch, although I hope there will be lots of YouTube clips of Amy Poehler and Tina Fey hosting. Which I’ll watch tomorrow morning straight after I’ve read the Fug Girls commentary on Vulture for breakfast.

*By the way: Is there a more dangerous job out there than celebrity stylist during Awards Season? Harper’s Bazaar has a behind the scenes diary by stylist Anita Patrickson. The slide show is worth looking at for the fifth picture alone.

*„So how is it that she has been transformed into something unpleasant from the Twilight franchise?” Charlotte Higgins reviews the official portrait of The Duchess of Cambridge in the Guardian.

*Do not look at the home story with Johanna Schulz on Ohhh… Mhhh… unless you want to re-decorate your entire home. I repeat, do not look at these pictures unless you want to re-decorate EVERYTHING.

*Oh man. Mr. Porter launches its new video series “A Saturday with…” with Morgan Collett from Saturdays Surf NYC. Let’s all go surfing, shall we?

*I’ve been thinking about getting one of those hand-embroidered t-shirts from Maison Labiche for a year now. But I can never make up my mind what I’d have embroidered. What would you get?

Have a good week!

*I’m not going to take it as a sign for the coming year that I spent the first weekend of that year working. Nope. Instead, I’m taking the woman on this card as an example – and try to relaaaax. The card arrived as a Christmas greeting from Anoushka Matus. Charming, no? Anoushka, by the way, is a hugely talented illustrator, as you can see on her website.

*I also think that 2013 should be the year of leopard print. Ideally worn in the shape of a coat like the one from Stella McCartney’s resort collection. Or this one from Zara. Or the one in picture on the current startpage at The Kooples.

*Who wouldn’t want to live like Claire Cottrell, portrayed this week on Freunde von Freunden? I’ll take all of the flower arrangements, a selection of furniture and the dress of her back, too, please.

*The search for the perfect grey sweatshirt has led me to this one from Cardigan, a brand I discovered on MissMoss. It really is damn near perfect.

*Addicted to Tumblr just a tiny bit at the moment. Like the one from Into the gloss. And from Self Service. And from Shelter. And how about 291. Or Requisites. And, of course, the Petersen Tumblr. As well as, again and again and again, Wearing the pants.

*Apropos: What Dianna Lunt is wearing on Citizen Couture would be a great addition to Wearing the pants. As well as to my wardrobe, ahem.

*Don’t even try to convince me that there’s a better or more charming actress in Hollywood right now than Jessica Chastain. The role as muse in the W portfolio suits her, too. Especially staged by Rineke Dijkstra.

*The more you look at it, the funnier it gets: This picture accompanying the article about meggings (yes, men’s leggings).

P.S. I’m in the middle of putting together a photo book of pictures from Spain for my family. Why can’t I find something a great as the photo books from Artifact Uprising in Germany? Or maybe I could. Any ideas? Tips?

Have a good week!

*It’s like Mary read my mind when she came up with this colour for the Uslu Airlines x Stil in Berlin lipstick, a deep oxblood (just another name for burgundy – as the laws of fashion dictate that colours get renamed every season). The colour looks a bit Morticia Addams like this, but great when you put it on and as dramatic as its name. You can find the lipstick at Uslu Airlines.

*Kate Moss speaks! And speaks and speaks and speaks to Vanity Fair about, well, everything, including her regrets about going topless as a young model. With quotes like these – “I’d lock myself in the toilet and cry and then come out and do it. I never felt very comfortable about it. There’s a lot of boobs. I hated my boobs!” – I’m actually interested in reading the rest of the interview.

*I wondered how to make nail polish last earlier in the week. Then I found this step-by-step for a good manicure on Journelles. Ha!

*Gwyneth Paltrow and I might not share many things in life, ahem. But we do share an appreciation for Max Greenfield (“New Girl”). She let him take over Goop again, this time to share his Emmy experience, which includes such gems as this: “The artist Michelangelo once said, ‘My only regret in life is not dressing the statue of David in a Tom Ford suit.’”

*Can we agree that casting Nicole Kidman as Grace Kelly is right up there on the list of all-time wrong casting decisions?

*And, on the list of my own all-time “so wrong, but oh so right” shopping decisions, I bought myself a winter coat in soft pink wool from Cos this week. Soft pink. For winter. That sound you hear is January laughing in my face.

*The folks at Editer really do edit their online magazine very well. Case in point: Paul A Young’s recipe for hot chocolate was a huge improvement on my week.

*One more week, one more book I’d love to have: “Habitually Chic: Creativity at Work” by Heather Clawson. Here’s a look inside.

*So, when your man comes in and asks why you’re looking at the Ryan Gosling look book so intensely, just say you’re researching his new wardrobe. (Holy smokes!)

Have a good week!