Featured in NYC Issue by OFF COLOR

                

Last night, my dear friends from the online magazine Off Color dropped their 4th issue about one of the most amazing cities on this planet!!! Katrin, one of the two sisters, just came home from her short trip to New York and wanted to share with you what she has experienced. Not only do I share my love for the city with them, but I was happy to be featured in this issue again :) This time, I was asked to answer a few questions about what? Yes, of course, the city!!!

Inside you will find a NYC guide, some cool stores to visit and hot shots from people she met there, but I don't want to talk too much. Dive into it and let the pictures, texts, mood inspire you from the city that never sleeps and where Off Color was born.

Thank you for featuring me in this issue again :) I think you guys did an amazing job ♥ Please, keep up your work, do what you love and stay strong. Embrace the difference and stay true to yourself. Words from the NYC Ghost story:

You've got the resources, two hands and a brain.

You can make it anywhere.

Mindful Monday: Stress as my Friend?

             

As everyone of us, I am still dealing with stress and I guess, this will not pass away that easy and fast, but I am definitely feeling better now because I listen more and more to my body's needs. Today, I've just found this super interesting Ted Talk in how to turn stress to your best friend as the Health Psychologist explains. Please take 15 minutes of your time to learn about how to deal with stress. It might save your life and the only thing you have to do is: believe. 

Chasing meaning is better for your health than trying to avoid discomfort.

Food Friday: Rye x Whole Spelt Flour Bread

Oh boy! I've just checked the Bread Recipes and the last one I've posted was in August 2013!!! Really need to post more of them because I'm always baking new ones with different ingredients or specialities :) This time, I've tried out a mixture of two flours, whole spelt flour and actually rye flour. I don't know why I've never done this before, but since I'm adding more rye flour to my breads (oh yes, I've tried this one out a severeal times, didn't want to give you a-never-tested-recipe), the result is more rich, dark and delicious!!! We've tried out only rye-flour before, but the bread was too dense and too heavy on the stomach. This is the perfect mixture now :) Have a try!

Ingredients:

250g whole spelt flour,

250g rye flour,

2 cups (150g) different seeds'n nuts

like almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds etc.

500ml luke-warm water,

1 package yeast,

2 teaspoons salt,
2 tablespoons vinegar (balsamic, cider).

1. Mix the flours in a big bowl, form a small hollow (dt.Mulde) in the middle of the flour mixture and place small parts of the yeast in that. Add salt and vinegar. Pour the water gradually in the bowl while mixing the dough with a spoon, or hands (how you prefer).

2. Step by step you can add the seeds and nuts, keep on mixing until all ingredients are evenly distributed in the dough. This is the step, at which you can add anything you want :) Chia? Thin Carrot or Zucchini slices? Pesto? I've tried it! Go for it ;-) But be aware that you might need less or more water, see how it turns out. The dough should be a bit moist, but not too much.

3. Prepare a baking sheet and form a bread ;-) Have some oats on top if you like. Put it in the not-preheated!!! oven for 60minutes at 400°F (200°C). 

Et Voilà :)

Your freshly baked, homemade and superhealthy bread is done! Enjoy with hearty or sweet spreads, I promise you'll love it ;-) And baking bread was never that easy!!! ♥ 

More Recipes to come under Breadlove :)

The Brother's Sweater

As the title says, I've did it again and borrowed this light-grey sweater from one of my family members. When I woke up this morning, I've checked my schedule and did not feel like wearing something too fancy for school and my date with a dear friend. 

Hmm.. what to do when most of your clothes are still in the washing machine? Look around and see what you can find :) This morning, it was my brother's sweater and I've knocked on his door - he was still sleeping - and asked for permission like 'Hey there, can I have your sweater?' Haha, he answered with 'Just do it then!' :D I guess, he was a bit annoyed because it was 6.30am, but had no problem with me wearing his stuff. He really finds it weird that I like wearing Men's Clothes :D :D Teenagers -.-' duuuh :D

Having this relaxed and sporty item, I've tried to work everything around and put my personal touch on it. Oh and layering also mattered because the weather here is changing every second. So I first put my Urban Outfitters Tank Top with the NYFucking City Print on and then a more chic-item - the dark-grey sweater from Vero Moda - really don't know how to say it, but I usually wear that in a different combination, see here and then actually some blue jeans, which I didn't like, you know how it is, right? ;-) I've changed my mind and my running thermal pants made it to this outfit. Black sneakers, golden Vintage jewelry from and &Other Stories and a bit of Neon by Maugold did the rest ;-) Today's outfit was more comfy and sporty, but still had an edge, you like it? :)

This is one of my favorite summer shirts because on the day I've got it, the Urban Outfitters Store in Soho, NY had a promotion event going on and they were printing shirts and bags with different NYC prints for the customers for free!! :) Read more about my last days in NY back in 2012 :) Oh and you should go out and play ;-)

Thanks for the pictures K - OFFCOLOR.

Mindful Monday: Let's hit RESET.

It's been ten days since my last post and I have been struggling and coping with stress. I am not going to tell you and complain about how busy my schedule is but rather give myself and you the best tips ever to reset the clock and breathe. This will be quite different to my last destress-post because THIS actually works better for me, will it for you?

1. Delete the s-word from your vocabulary.

2. There is never a must-do,

but rather an 'I CAN' do.

You do not need to run errands, clean dishes, 

writing papers, going to the doctor etc. 

Switch your thinking and the world will look better. 

What about: Hey! Today I CAN write the paper if I want to.

 Maybe.. I am and you are grateful for that?

Even the possibility of doing so?

3. Do not listen to others,

only YOU know what is best for you.

If you do not want to be social, don't be. 

Your best friends will understand when you need time for yourself. 

Why pushing and forcing? 

You don't want to go to school? 
Skip a day, no, not the entire semester, 
but honestly, if you really really feel like it, do it then.

Inner drive?

Yes, then work.

Do not distract yourself with Facebook, 

twitter, instagram, yes, I know it's hard. 

Set timers or have a log? Who wants to spend his/her whole life on a social network platform rather than being outside with actually real people, right?!

 

4. Turn away from negativity,

embrace positivity and smile more.

5. Take a day off, or two, or three, ..

to listen to YOU and YOUR needs.

6. Go out and play.

For me that means having the freedom to say: 

Okay I have done enough for today, I go skating now! 

Everyone of us has to find his or her own balance in life, but when my heart races, I feel pressured, and finally my back hurts from sitting too much at the desk, it's time to RESET and find my inner focus again. What are your tips on resetting and how do you keep the balance of working and playing? :) More tips are welcome, but go out, enjoy some sun and have cake! :) xx

The Vintage Military Jacket..

..from my dad's. When we celebrated the new Lunar Year with all the other Vietnamese people around town, I noticed that some of the fathers were wearing those kind of military jackets. Big, slouchy, square-shaped and khaki. It was really funny seeing them with the same 'uniforms'. So, I spoke to my dad the other day: Hey, where did you guys have those jackets from? I want one, too! =D My mum was laughing.. and my dad was like: Well, yeah, I have another one, just bought it a few weeks ago from an old lady, who was in the military. Oh really?? You aren't kidding? 

Here it is: the oversize Vintage Military Jacket! When I first threw this on (my instagram followers already saw it ;-) ) I wasn't sure about whether or not to keep this item. I luckily didn't pay anything for it and really needed to get use to this big jacket, but hey, step out of your comfort zone and try something new, right? :) I've thought since this jacket is a bit bigger in shape I have to pair it with something slim. I chose my Vintage Object Jumper, my patterned Zara pants, the Zara boots, and the Urban Outfitters Backpack for school :) Oh, not to forget the black fleece jacket underneath from Mazine, a German streetwear brand, to keep me warm these days. Bracelets are also from my dad's and & Other Stories.

How do you like it? 

Should I keep the Military Jacket or return it to my dad? :)

Mindful Monday: Shopping Challenge Month #1

I'm back!!! Yes, why is that?? Well, I have been working on papers the last weeks and college just took over my life, but now I'm back on the blogosphere (this word is so! weird, but kinda like it =D) Anyways, how was my very first month without shopping so far? I have to say it wasn't that bad.. I'm trying to stay away from any stores, but honestly I had a moment when I couldn't say no to step into the Zara store, just to have a look. Yes, a tiny little bit of the past sale season. What happened??? I've started whining and told my friend: why?? :-( Why can't I shop RIGHT NOW? =D Okay, I felt like a dog, who was waiting for my owner to pick me up and leave this place again. I've told her: please don't show me your items, I will wait at the front door. Ridiculous right? =D 

By the end of the month, friends came up and asked whether I wanna join them to sell stuff at a flea market and if you know me, I'm always in when it comes to fleas and second hand ;-) So, I picked out clothes from my closet which I haven't worn in ages or which were new, but never worn, especially clothes from my time in the U.S. ;-) and the three of us had a blast there. Many girls came to our table and fell in love with the items. We've also sold shoes, unused beauty products, jewelry and handbags, oh and we've had a 1 € basket for scarves and shirts :) It was so much fun! How did it feel afterwards?

Oh my, I felt soo relieved that lots of my unused clothes got new happy owners because honestly they were just hanging around.. Besides I made a good amount of money to save up for a big trip this year!!! It is definitely easier to save up and to spend less when you have big plans. Travelling is always something I want to spend more money on rather than spending it on clothing! Therefore it was totally worth it and the next flea is waiting for me :) What about you? Are you into fleas, too? Do you own stuff that you don't really touch or wear? Sell them! Oh and at the end, I didn't buy anything this month, but swapped something! More to come, so stay tuned xx

Happy New Lunar Year ♥

Hey guys! :) 

Long time no post from me, why?! Well, as a media and communication student you're always busy with studying, papers, and classes and yay, I have been working on last papers until the next semester starts - actually next week =D But anyways, I just wanted to keep you updated and say: 

Happy New Lunar Year ♥ 

In Vietnamese: 

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới :)

Therefore, last weekend, I just had to take a few hours off to enjoy a bit of celebration with my family and asian loved ones :) It's crazy how much food vietnamese people can eat! So, we had big dinners for three days in a row like christmas, you know ;-) I've enjoyed spending more time with my parents and eating super-delicious food :) And see what the fortune cookie had in store for me:

Always smile in the morning and 

fortune will smile on you! 

Right now, I'm honestly trying to slow down, to breathe and to take breaks because my body is telling me to pull the brake again. I am back on meditating and yoga again, are you into it, too? :) xo

Recap: Berlin Fashion Week Outfit

Oh just forgot about these :) Well, this was my outfit for the 1st day of Berlin Fashion Week A/W 2014 two weeks ago. That day, I wasn't really sure what to wear because the day was packed with a hair appointment, shows, dinner with friends and the blogger bazaar. Comfy, cozy and classic was my mantra then. I paired a black basic sweater with Zara pants, the Zara boots, the H&M leoprint coat, my vintage Kenzo scarf and my first-designer love a Zac Posen handbag :) It's again an all-black outfit, but right now, I'm actually trying to wear less black, so stay tuned ;-) 

Slow down and breathe guys,

xoxo.

Mindful Monday: Speed - In Search of Lost Time

                  

Last week I came through this movie by Florian Opitz about our precious time and how life is becoming faster and faster. Why I've watched it?

Often, I find myself stressing out and rushing throughout everyday life. Just recently, when I had to catch the train back home from Berlin, I was super nervous and rushing my boyfriend to move, I really stressed him out and at the end, we had another 20 minutes of waiting for the train. Yeah, poor me, I'm always like this. How to get rid of? Well, I usually meditate and do a lot of yoga to calm me down and on my smartphone-screen it says: Slow down. Breathe.

But I forget, you know, I honestly forget to breathe. My heart is racing, I am short-tempered, I feel inner stress and the only thing, I want to do is: be on time and get things done. On time for what? I pack my day full of to-dos and it's just hard to keep the right balance of resting and working. So, I really recommend you to watch this movie. For all Germans: click here, it is for free until Wednesday, spare 97 minutes of your life and let it inspire you and make you think about what is really important! For all English-speaking readers: the above movie is only a trailer.

This movie reminded me of a few important things again:

Take care of yourself.

When I'm sick, it's actually because of my stress, 

I overwork myself and than I'm stressed again because I am unproductive. 

Now, I'm telling myself: hey! 

It's good to do NOTHING sometimes 

and to take time to heal myself.

Focus on the most important task of the day.

Have it your No.1 priority and do it.

Have digital breaks.

No smartphone, no internet, no distraction. 

No facebook, no instagram, no twitter,

no checking mails.

Slow down and really breathe.

Your to-dos can wait, 

your body and mind cannot.

My mantra for this week: 

dear stress,

let's break up ♥

Food Friday: Vegan Banana Pancakes ♥

Oh my! I really do have a thing for vegan everything although I am not one. How come? Just so, I love trying out vegan food and cooking and baking with meat/egg/milk-substitutes :) Right now, I'm having a semester break, but not really, anyone who understands me? Yeah, I still have to work on papers'n stuff, but there's never no time for cooking delicious meals :)

Earlier this week, I was lusting for some banana pancakes, so I've tried out some recipes and this is how it turned out.

Ingredients:

1 cup of whole-grain flour (spelt etc.)

4-5 teaspoons of brown sugar

1 teapsoon baking powder

1 pinch of salt

1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon (depending on your taste)

1 cup of soy milk

100g almonds

2 ripe bananas

1 teaspoon vanilla sugar

1 banana or 1 apple to slice up separately

1. Smash the ripe bananas and mix them with all the other ingredients. If the almonds are too chunky or too big for your taste, you can also chop them up.

4. Slice up the banana or the apple into squares and add them to the dough. You will love the big pieces in your pancake later ;-)

3. Put some oil (olive oil, coconut oil) on a pan, heat it up and put two-to-three spoons of dough onto the pan to form one pancake. Depending on your pan, two to three small ones will fit in. Thinner is better and faster, and don't forget to turn them around ;-) Serve pure, with some honey or jelly. 

 Et voilá, that's it! 

Enjoy and happy weekend :)

Blue x White x Ripped Off

Yesterday was the first day of snow here in Berlin, and these pictures were shot just two days ago. Crazy, how the weather changes that fast! Anyways, it's still super cold up here and I'm trying to keep my feet warm :) But guess what I'm wearing this moment, yeah these pants again... Right now, I'm totally digging my ripped-off denims because they are really comfy and not too tight compared to my other jeans :) and in the pictures I was actually trying out new poses for more outfit posts ;-)

I had no intent to wear blue and whites, but after putting on the jeans, I felt like wearing this shirt from a New York flea market. It's really just a loose-fit tee and I rather wear it in the summer, but that day I paired it with one more layer and a fleece (which are covered by the coat) and yeah, I admit black shoes, the grey-leoprint coat and a black scarf had to join =D I'm really trying to wear less black, but a good amount of my closet consists of dark shades ;) Oh and I think, I didn't show you that Beanie before.

So how do you like this outfit?

Vintage Tee. H&M scarf and coat. Hollister pants. Goertz Chelsea Boots. Nixon Beanie. Vintage golden necklace.

Keep warm guys, xo

Impressions Berlin Fashion Week A/W 2014 #4

 

After an amazing dance-night at Les Mads x Wald Store Party at Cookies, I went to the UMASAN Runway show Friday morning. I've already told you a bit about this special brand by the twin-sisters Anja and Sandra Umann. They create unique vegan pieces which are inspired by the Japanese cutting techniques, as well as traditional yoga and the connection between mind, body and spirit. 

Furthermore they consider sustainability and longevity. They do not believe in trends, but rather timeless styles in black. Black is no more the color of darkness, but of light :) Their show was really different, but definitely exciting! Artists were dancing with grace and strong expression while the models showed the new collection. Have a look at my favorite pieces and watch the full video. Unfortunately the sound on the video is not the one of the show.

                    

That Friday, it was also the Fashion Blogger Café by styleranking, a meet-up event for all bloggers out there to catch up with friends or to get in touch with new ones, and also having the opportunity to participate in blog-related workshops. Some pictures here:

To sum up this season's Fashion Week, I was happy to have the

opportunity to go to all these shows and fairs :)

It was nice to learn about new brands, new collections or even designers, 

but I have to say that Umasan and the Fashion Show

by my friend Anh were the highlights of this week! 

I've also enjoyed a delightful company by some of my blogger

friends and would be happy to see you guys soon! :)

Thanks to my dear friend, who danced the night away with me

and thanks to anyone who is reading this post ♥

Happy week and stay tuned! xx