spruced by marlene

I wanted to wait until I’m back home in Berlin to post this, until I could open my own copy of the book, but damnit I’m too impatient!

„Der Berliner Stil” is now out, a book by Angelika Taschen about, you guessed it, Berlin style. Her co-author, co-conspirator and allround co-star is the wonderful Alexa von Heyden. Sandra Semburg took the pictures and if you know her photos already, you know the book will look beautiful. Even more so because Melanie Petersen designed the layout and filled „Der Berliner Stil” with her lovely illustrations.

You can probably imagine that it was a thrill and a pleasure for me to take the author picture of these four fabulous women.

I mean, wouldn’t you want to read a book about style by them? I know I would. You can buy it here.

My goal before I leave Majorca: find out how to correctly pronounce Uterqüe. Uter-what? Uterqüe. Okka first told me about the brand a couple of years ago after she went to Majorca and I’ve managed to find one of their shops pretty much anywhere I’ve been in Spain since. As if I’d keep a small detail like the language barrier from shopping. The brand’s style is classic but playful and a little eclectic, great for special accessories and shoes, and I’m loving their clothes more and more, too. Last week, I found a set of pants and jacket, based loosely on a classic tux, but in black brocade. Makes me feel like I’m wearing a glamorous pyjama. I haven’t had a chance to wear it outside the changing room yet – too hot. But I also couldn’t resist these sunglasses in the shop. Very Cary Grant, I thought. A man I imagine also wore glamorous pyjamas lots.

Uterqüe have an online shop. Which is double good news. One, you can buy it outside of Spain. And, two, nobody looks at you like you’ve lost your marbles when you’re trying to pronounce the name and all that comes out is: Üterütüt.

Was it Thursday? Could’ve been Friday. We were on the beach, sunlounger to sunlounger, Steffi turned to me and said: „Mhmmmm.” I smiled and answered: „Mhmmmm, mhmmmm.” Then we both looked back out to the sea and all of a sudden the to-do lists were deleted from my thoughts. Even the ones I’d made for this holiday.

Two weeks would be plenty of time to get stuff done. For instance, I could sort through my complete picture archive, when I have the laptop with me anyway. Clean up my inbox. Give myself a perfect pedicure, I did bring six different nail polish colours with me after all. I could plan the next 57 or so blog posts. Generally: plan. The work for the next couple of months. Life for the next couple of years. This holiday. We should visit the north of the island, too. Discover remote beaches that no-one has even heard of. Find even more picturesque shops and good restaurants. Take more pictures. Do more!

All of that – gone. With one „mhmmmm”. Even if I spend the next seven days on this same beach, with this exact same view of the sea, and ocassionally fall asleep, it will have been a perfect holiday. Not one that I can write the ultimate Majorca travel guide about. One where it doesn’t matter, not in the least, that I can’t.

At some point during the last week all to-do lists turned into a list of dos. Things that I didn’t get done on Majorca, but that simply happened, without plan, without much thought, without looking at my watch, just like that.

Read More »

Something I (deliberately, maybe) didn’t mention about packing for a holiday: I always pack too much. It’s inevitable. When I then open the suitcase at my destination I discover – okay, silk dresses that need to be ironed were perhaps a touch too optimistic.

But there are a few things I was really happy to find in my suitcase, because I’ve worn them almost every day to the beach already. My black bikini from Princesse TamTam. A very old and well-loved white shirt from H&M as a cover-up. Turkish towels, so very perfect for hanging out by the sea. And my new sunglasses. Another thing that’s inevitable: you’ll always find things to bring back home. So leave room when packing (and, no, I never remember to do it).

And although I didn’t put her in my suitcase, I’m so glad to be on holiday with this girl. Not just because she takes lovely pictures of me.

I have discovered a new favourite colour for summer: „ridiculous blue”.

Happy greetings from Majorca, folks! Where my pace is suddenly very slow and the internet even slower. See you again in a few days. Maybe.