"A dog can detect a teaspoon sugar diluted in a million gallons of water: two Olympic-sized pools full."
Currently reading Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know by Alexandra Horowitz. A bit tortuous when the family pup is half a world away, but nonetheless enlightening about dogs and their awe-inspiring talents.
Photo via Jdenredden
Weekend Links is a collection of the interesting bits and pieces that I’ve come across on the streets and online. The weekly post is my chance to share with you a few things from the week, in a list compiled during the weekend. I hope you enjoy them as well.
A few things I enjoyed over the last week: 1. Seeing Ingrid Nelson's pavement series (pictured above) 2. Discovering a new neighborhood spot, Café Kostverloren 3. Looking forward to two film festivals in March: Movies that Matter and Food Film Festival 4. Reading the new online magazines Wayfare and sisterMag 5. Remembering 29 ways to stay creative 6. Exploring Seaview, an underwater version of Street View (pictured below)
If you have read small sight for a while, you probably know that I love baking. The best part being the eating of baked goods, naturally. Since I first started experimenting with baking, I have been successful with many recipes and failed with many others - learning a thing or two in the process.
I learned that melting butter does not make anything easier. I learned that baking soda and baking powder produce two distinct results and mistaking one for the other only creates disaster. And I learned to trust my instincts when it comes to measurements.
Given my love for baking, I have decided to bake our wedding cake. With about 1.5 months until the big day, I plan to try several cakes over the next weeks and, with the help of my unsuspecting colleagues, determine a winner. Vanilla bean cake? Buttercream frosting? Chocolate raspberry filling? What is your favorite type of cake?
Photo sources: cake buffet, cake 1, cake 2, cake 3, cake 4, cake 5
Weekend Links is a collection of the interesting bits and pieces that I’ve come across on the streets and online. The weekly post is my chance to share with you a few things from the week, in a list compiled during the weekend. I hope you enjoy them as well.
A few things I enjoyed over the last week: 1. Watching Treeless Mountain, a Korean film directed by So Yong Kim with two seriously cute girls (pictured above) 2. Sharing a Valentine's Day meal at one of my favorite restaurants in the city 3. Baking some yummy half-wheat chocolate chip cookies 4. Reading The Year in Food (via anthology) 5. Cooking with celery root and making a tasty soup 6. Finishing Jonathan Franzen's Freedom and loving it 7. Viewing the Elderly Animal Project by photographer Isa Leshko (pictured below, via natsumi)
"Diligence is the mother of good luck." - Benjamin Franklin
Lately I have been thinking about good fortune, hard work, and daring deeds. About taking risks and emerging on the other side, not only unscathed, but also on solid ground. Or sometimes not. I think what I love most about this quote is that, tucked within luck, there is a reminder that we must strive for it.
Packing two suitcases and moving to the Netherlands was a big risk, one in which I have turned out to be fortunate, for the most part. On a much smaller note, I used to be cynical about blog giveaways. No one ever wins do they? At least not me. But recently, I heard about a girl who won over $1000 worth of goods from giveaways and I thought it was time I try my hand. And, I won one! It's silly, but the small stroke of luck that came - once I actually made an effort - made my day. Big or small, what have you had luck with?
Image via Eye Poetry
Weekend Links is a collection of the interesting bits and pieces that I’ve come across on the streets and online. The weekly post is my chance to share with you a few things from the week, in a list compiled during the weekend. I hope you enjoy them as well.
A few things I enjoyed over the last week: 1. Receiving a package of sweet and simple invitations from Follow Studios (pictured above) 2. Sipping fresh mint tea with Margot at Beter&Leuk 3. Seeing more from Eugenia Maximova's photo series Kitchen Stories from the Balkans 4. Finding a free download of the audiobook The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim 5. Wishing for a week in Montana after watching the footage from Preston Kanak (pictured and embedded below)
[vimeo vimeo.com/35769757 w=500&h=400]
After almost two weeks with temperatures below freezing, the warm will return next week, thawing the canals and melting away the last drifts of snow. The wintery weather has hit Europe and North Africa (!) hard. In Amsterdam, the frozen canals have everyone bringing out their skates and throwing parties on the ice. Although I conquered my fear of biking on the snow and ice several years ago, I spent the first few days of freeze walking around the city in my trusty Oregon hiking boots, enjoying the quiet of the city and the crunch of the snow beneath my feet.
This morning, I headed to the Amsterdam City Hall for the announcement of the winners of the annual World Press Photo contest. The past two weeks have been a blur of interviews, website preparations, and, of course, looking at tens of thousands of photographs. Tonight I will celebrate, not think about photography, and get some much needed sleep.
Now it is time for everyone else to enjoy this fantastic collections of images. The jury awarded 350 images by 57 photographers. Some of the singles that impressed me include the photos by Samuel Aranda, Damir Sagolj, Denis Rouvre, Vincent Boisot, and Jenny E. Ross. And for the photo stories:
Never Let You Go by Alejandro Kirchuk
Interrogation Room by Donald Weber
Rhino Wars by Brent Stirton
Pastoral by Alexander Gronsky
Child Brides by Stephanie Sinclair
Weekend Links is a collection of the interesting bits and pieces that I’ve come across on the streets and online. The weekly post is my chance to share with you a few things from the week, in a list compiled during the weekend. I hope you enjoy them as well.
A few things I enjoyed over the last week: 1. Hearing about the levitating self-portraits of Natsumi Hayashi (pictured above, via SG1) 2. Reading the Freunde von Freunden interview with Colette Olaf, the first of the Amsterdam series 3. Watching the herding of reindeer in Norway 4. Listening to Ana Tijoux's new album, which rocks, of course 5. Spotting the Decadent Pigeon Project, an artsy apology of the sometimes shameless bird 6. Purchasing teardrop vases from the newly-opened Mignon Kitchen Company (pictured below) 7. Entering the fantastic giveaway on Honey Kennedy
The temperature finally dipped below freezing here in Amsterdam. After a taste of Florida's warmth and sunshine, I am dialing up the coziness for the rest of Amsterdam's winter with wool socks, fleece sheets, and furry blankets. Here are a few essential ingredients for a successful hibernation.
Faux fur blankets, mug cosy, and a warm drink.
Woolen hot water bottle, cable knit slippers, and a good book.
Or maybe just a giant scarf. Here's to staying warm!
Top photo via
The last week has been an experiment in cooking with kumquats. A colleague brought me a bag full of the small, oval fruit from Spain and it was actually the first time I had ever seen or tasted them. Kumquats are delicious when eaten raw with the skin, but also bring a burst of citrus to recipes, such as kumquat bread, kumquat marmalade, and kumquat spritzer. I think kumquats would also make a nice addition to a salad or when sauteed with tofu and veggies.
The numerous bowls filled with kumquats also have added a splash of color to my home, much needed in late January.
Weekend Links is a collection of the interesting bits and pieces that I’ve come across on the streets and online. The weekly post is my chance to share with you a few things from the week, in a list compiled during the weekend. I hope you enjoy them as well.
A few things I enjoyed over the last week: 1. Looking at Andrew Dickinson's photo series from Kyrgyzstan (pictured above) 2. Reading an article about the 150th birthday of Edith Wharton and the persistence of stories about social artistocracy 3. Seeing a Shanghai wedding photographed by Chris Spira (who will be shooting our day!) 4. Wishing for a sprinkling of snow 5. Spotting the art prints by Wit & Whistle - $10 of proceeds will be donated to a community development non-profit in the Central African Republic (pictured below) 6. Immersing myself in the tales of English monarchy while listening to the audio book Elizabeth I by Margaret George
Playing on the beach in Florida. A perfect mid-winter getaway to visit family and soak in the sunshine. We swam, ate Cuban food, shopped (successfully!) for my wedding dress, drank margaritas, and had a wonderful time together. I am so lucky to have a fantastic family that I love to spend time with. Sometimes I wonder why I live so far from them, but then I remember what adventures we can have when we travel to reunite.
Tomorrow morning I will wake up, pack the last items in my suitcase, and head off on a flight to Miami. I wasn't expecting to spend the second week of 2012 in Florida, but I am going to join my mother, older sister, and two nieces at my grandmother's house for an impromptu reunion. While I am excited at the thought of sun and sand, living abroad means that time with family is rare. I can hardly wait to spend time talking with my abuelita, swimming with my nieces, hugging my mom, and laughing with my sister, cousins, and aunt. Farewell to cold Amsterdam for the next week.
Painting by Christopher Scott (via)
Weekend Links is a collection of the interesting bits and pieces that I’ve come across on the streets and online. The weekly post is my chance to share with you a few things from the week, in a list compiled during the weekend. I hope you enjoy them as well.
A few things I enjoyed over the last week: 1. The beginning of a new year, hello 2012! 2. Spotting an embroidered octopus pillow. Awesome (pictured above, via) 3. Finding writing inspiration with the daily themes from Figment 4. Getting a post-Christmas music fix with the lovely music of Charlie Haden and Hank Jones 5. Seeing photographs of gold fireflies dancing in the evening light in Japan (pictured below)
One week ago, we went from 2011 to 2012. Perhaps it's the plethora of blog posts about New Year's resolutions, but I find myself thinking more this year about what has been and what is to come. The highlights of last year were the engagement, the trip through Turkey, and two trips to the Pacific Northwest. On a professional note, there was a new website, an iPad application, and a lot of interviews. What made the year so sweet really were the moments that tied all the major events together: meals shared, books read, sleep savored, working out, short trips (Berlin, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Cologne), and laughter with family and friends.
And what is to come over the next year? A wedding, traveling to new countries, and more time with family and friends. I have some small resolutions, but I think that as long as we can pull off the wedding with the least amount of stress and enjoy a long honeymoon in the autumn, I will consider this year a success.
Photo via
Lost in the photography of Vladimir Longauer, an Irish photographer capturing quiet scenes in medium and large-format film.
After a very peaceful Christmas, I went on a short trip to Ghent with my cousin Vanessa who was visiting for the holidays. Ghent is a small town in the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, which I visited earlier in autumn while on a work trip. The city looked so quaint that I thought it would be the perfect post-Christmas destination. Vanessa and I ate waffles, drank a sufficient amount of Belgian beer, dined at a cozy restaurant, discovered a fantastic club with a live electronic band, climbed to the top of a small castle, and spent a lot of time just wandering and looking.
A torrent of rain and wind has hit Amsterdam hard the last days, but a short reprieve has come this evening. Good timing after today. While standing on the sidewalk waiting to cross the road, a car sped by and splashed a huge puddle on me. There I stood with my mostly destroyed umbrella, wearing wool tights and my favorite shoes, soaked but laughing.
Photo via olivia bee
A year of reading, with 27 books enjoyed in 2011. Here are lists of what I read from January - May and from June - September. And now, the last batch of the year: the books I read in October, November, and December.
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Stout. A portrait of a woman in a small coastal town in New England told through a series of shorts stories from her perspective and through the voices of those in her community.
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brönte. This classic never gets old.
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. A biographer records the never-before-told personal history of a famous author at the edge of her life.
The Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto. A look at the history of Manhattan Island in the hands of its first occupants: the Dutch in New Amsterdam.
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham. A humorous tale of the consequences when one couple decides to forgo Christmas for one year.
The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón. A story of a family who moves to a mysterious house on the coast of Spain. The children discover the dark secrets of its past inhabitants.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. The first book of The Hunger Games trilogy tells the story of Katniss Everdeen, living a totalitarian society in which two children from each of the 12 districts are sent annually to compete in a game for their lives.
Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. The horror of the first book is on repeat when a second game is announced to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the games. Katniss finds herself back in the arena competing for her life.
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. The final installment in which the capital government becomes the final opponent. I listened to trilogy as audio books and was immediately swept up in the action and lives of the characters. It was a perfect way to enjoy the dark, winter months.
I already have a small collection of books for the next month or two, but would love some recommendations. Which books did you enjoy lately?
Photo by azrasta