wise words for the weekend

i'm not gonna lie: getting engaged has propelled me into full-on wedding plan mode. i couldn't help but smile when i came across these cute and funny wedding invites. feels like maybe we should be able to say this every day. or is that too corny?
photo via ohsobeautifulpaper

bottega louie

i had been reading a couple of los angeles based blogs before our trip to california, dutifully noting down every address that popped up on them with beautiful snapshots and delicious descriptions of brunches, lunches, dinners and treats. bottega louie was on my list and i was excited to go there, but i was suprised just how... french everything looked there. i keep forgetting that what we are so used to over at this side of the ocean, is foreign to the other side. it's funny when traveling to the other end of the world reminds you of everything you love close-by.

we teepee

teepees are having a moment, it seems. i really like them as decor for garden parties: little hide-outs where you can feel like a kid again, sharing secrets with your best friend. i wouldn't mind doing just that at one of the above locations.
1 ad agency chandelier's surf shack for its clients, staff and friends / 2 el cosmico in marfa, texas

mama shelter

when i started thinking about appropriate hotels for the bachelorette party i co-organised, there were really only two contenders. i had had a lovely experience at hotel amour before, but they were fully booked (weeks in advance!) so we ended up at mama shelter. everything you've heard, everything you've read about the starck-designed hotel: believe the hype. it's a super cool place, the service is very friendly, the restaurant downstairs is a sight to be seen (and experienced). i especially loved the kiehl's amenities, campy lighting fixtures everywhere and the bizarro gift shop in the lobby.

just a small tip though: be careful to book a room on a high floor if you're staying during the weekend - the bar gets really noisy and the rooms on the first two floors aren't exactly soundproof.

wise words for the weekend

because honestly, it's not all it's dreamt up to be.

image via wordboner

hit the showers

yesterday sure didn't feel like the official start of summer in belgium, but i am in full on denial mode and remain convinced that nice weather will eventually come to us. or, more likely, i will go after it in the spanish pyrenees and geneva (and it better be waiting for me there!) in the meantime, i can't stop drooling over these outdoor showers that i've pinned lately. ideally to be combined with a swimming pool, probably, but so much fun (and so beautiful) in their own right, too.

1 minimalist cascade shower by belgian company atelier tradewinds / 2 doug aitken's garden shower as featured in the new york times / 3 the australian residence of architect brian zulaikha and artist janet laurence, via dwell / 4 the shower at stone creek camp by andersson wise architects, via archdaily

merci paris

i had a blast last weekend in paris. from the moment when my best friend chose me to be maid of honor (one of two, actually) i knew her bachelorette party was going to take place in her favorite city in the world. we put together a little trip to see a different side of paris: staying at the super cool mama shelter, snapping photobooth pictures at bonton, eating at merci (and fruitlessly stopping by rose bakery, merce & the muse and wanderlust, all of which were fully packed and sadly couldn't seat our group of eight). we also stopped by daniel buren's monumenta 2012 at grand palais (impressive!) and tim burton's expo at the cinémathèque (so, so cool). it all made me realise just how much i love paris.

those watching closely see me wearing my beloved sperry top-siders and cheap monday skinny jeans

this and that

i came across talented embroidery artist izziyana suhaimi a while ago, and for some reason i thought of her when i spotted that peter pilotto dress over at ln-cc. i'm super into textures right now, and i love the contrast between black and white and the colorful details in both pictures above.

the saguaro

on our way out of palm springs, we stopped by the saguaro - a hotel a bit further down the road. i had seen the pictures, but i was still amazed by all the colors once we arrived. we took a little tour in the garden, and i loved how even the flowers were color coordinated with the buildings. and it seems like this color therapy is infectuous: how cool is that neon door of a neighboring villa?

mad gallery

when i first saw their ad in a magazine, i didn't even realise it was for a watch brand, but i loved mb&f's catch phrase "who said geneva is boring?" geneva is actually getting less and less boring to me the more time i spend there. it's not an easy city like paris or berlin - you really need to make an effort. so when i read a little article about mb&f's flagship store, which doubles as a gallery for fun and exciting art and design objects - i decided to go take a look.

it was definitely the most fun we've ever had at a watch store: playing with mechanically tapping metal hands, moving lights, and super cool toys for adults - my fiancé was completely taken with the little car in the last pic. shop manager hervé was super nice and told us all the little stories behind the different designs and techniques. so if you're ever in the neighborhood, this place is definitely worth a visit.