Arrested Development

I cannot wait until Spring 2013! The Arrested Development series is anticipated to launch on Netflix (read more here). The plans are to launch 10-13 episodes and then a movie! Arrested Development is still one of my favorite TV series ever made (it is almost embarrassing how many times J + I have watched the series).

These art prints are perfect for any Arrested Development fan!

 "Yeah, the guy in the $3,000 suit is holding the elevator for the guy who doesn't make that in four months. Come on." - Gob

What is your favorite TV series?

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Germany Recap Part 2: Jocketa

Despite almost missing out first train (we had to do 3 transfers), our travels to Jocketa went pretty smoothly. Ken bought us some sandwiches for the road (lifesaver) and we even had a few beers for the train ride! In Berlin, Ken purchased a rosemary plant to liven up the flat and we ended up naming the plant (Jan Christensen Dunkel) and bringing him along for the ride!

We made some fun videos at the train stations and finally made it to Jocketa! We were all staying at the Lochbauer Inn. It was a beautiful bed and breakfast and the wedding reception was also held at the inn. Our first night we headed over to the bride's childhood home for a wonderful dinner. Antje's mother's garden was absolutely beautiful! This German celebration is called Polterabend - it is a tradition where the guests break porcelain to bring luck to the couple's marriage. We had the best time getting to meet their families and friends.

 

 

On our second day we enjoyed a lovely breakfast and lunch, then we headed on a hike to the lake. It was a beautiful walk from the Lochbauer and we got to swim, lay on the hill, and even play a killer game of volleyball. We all got ready and then hiked to Antje's family's house for rehearsal dinner - Kyle's parents, Kay and Harry, and Ken prepared a typical Southern dinner with shrimp and grits, low country boil, fried chicken, and all the fixings. Thankfully they had lots of vegetarian options too! The hike was stunning and we even got the see the Jocketa bridge which is the tallest and longest brick bridge in the world (it was rebuilt after the Germans bombed it during WWII).

 Finally Saturday arrived and it was wedding time! We got to the chapel around 11 and the ceremony was at 11:30 AM. Antje's friend, Jule, translated the ceremony from German to English and did a wonderful job. Antje was the most beautiful bride and she radiated happiness. I couldn't have been happier for the lovely couple! After the ceremony, we all had champagne and sandwiches before heading back to the Lochbauer.

 

Once back at the Lochbauer, we all took group photos and then had coffee and cake!

 

Before dinner, some of the older guests and children went on a carriage ride, while the rest of us stayed behind and played games and enjoyed the perfect weather!

After the delicious dinner, we heard the speeches (including one from our dear friend Victor that J brought and Ken read for the newlyweds). Antje gave the most beautiful speech honoring her father who passed away last year - there wasn't a dry eye in the house and I couldn't even understand since she said the speech in German! The couple's great friend, Steve, was the DJ and also planned a beautiful surprise for them filled with candles and sparklers - so fun and romantic! We danced into the night and celebrated the couple and our new German friends!

 

J + I had to call it a night earlier than everyone else (around 2:30 AM) since we had an early train to catch back to Berlin before flying home. We got to enjoy a last breakfast with our new friends (including the adorable Mika ♥)! It was so bittersweet to leave, but we were so grateful to reconnect with old friends and make new ones. We will meet again one day!

Stay tuned for part 3! J + I head back to Berlin, just the two of us, and try our luck at navigating the train systems alone.

xo

The Mountains Are Calling

 Now that it is September (where has this year gone?), J + I can't stop talking about our Fall plans. Every year we go away to a cabin for the weekend and we can't wait to book a getaway. Hopefully we'll have plenty of time for lots of camping weekends and cabins. We cannot wait for fire pits and hot chocolate!

I'd say that this cabin would fit the bill perfectly!

What are some of your favorite Fall traditions? 

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Germany Recap Part 1: Berlin

We are back from Germany and we had the best time! I figured I'd break up the posts in 3 separate pieces - starting with Berlin!

Our flight into Amsterdam for our connection was delayed out of Atlanta, so we had to reschedule our flight to Berlin. When we finally got to Berlin, we met up with our friends and headed to our flat. The flat was incredible - great location and a lot of space! We immediately started walking around Berlin and checking out some of the sights. We saw the Kathe Kollwitz statue that is a memorial to the victims of Fascism. At the memorial, the inscription reads "To the victims of war and tyranny" - it was very powerful. J is a huge fan of Kathe Kollwitz so he really loved this monument. We also saw the empty library that is an underground room with a glass window that people can look through to see empty bookshelves. The empty room is a reminder of when Hilter ordered thousands of books to be burned during WWII.

We ended our first night at an awesome restaurant near our friends' apartment. The groom-to-be's family was also there so it was a nice reunion in Germany!

Our second day was a very busy one. We started with a breakfast of coffee, bread, and nutella from the local grocery. We first decided to visit the East Side Gallery - which is a section of the Berlin Wall that is now a freedom memorial featuring art from various artists all over the world. 

 We enjoyed a quick falafel lunch (so good) and then headed to the Brandenburg Gate and Holocaust Memorial near the center of Berlin.

 After walking through the Holocaust Memorial and museum, we decided to take a breather inside the Tiergarten - a huge park in the middle of Berlin. We laid in the sunshine and just enjoyed the moment. We ended the night eating thai food and enjoying a local bar. Perfect day all around!

 On our last day in Berlin, we went to Potsdamer Platz to go to the Dali museum. We had a pasta lunch then headed to the Kreuzberg neighborhood to grab a beer and head to the local park. We also did some street art scouting! 

We headed back to our flat and then walked to a local vegan restaurant, Kopps. The dinner was incredible! We all enjoyed the amazing food, atmosphere, and Germany soccer game. We ended the night at the Clarchens Ballhaus. The Ballhaus is a dance club from the 1950's and it just happened to be swing dancing night! I had the most incredible time watching everyone dance and J and I even danced to Benny Goodman's "Sing, Sing, Sing" - it felt surreal and magical!

The next morning we took the trains to Jocketa for the next part of our adventure! Stay tuned for part 2!
xo