I've moved to a new blog

Hello, lovebugs!

I now have a new blog. You'll find me at www.thewayfaringnymphe.com

Hope to see you there!
xoxo Brittany

"Save the Date" Photo Shoot in the Forest

Since my engagement in January, I've gotten a great deal checked off my wedding to-do-list: booked our venue, selected vendors, and begun to make decorations with our display coordinator… although the dreaded guest list has proven to be arduous. Last weekend we took our Save the Date photos (in the forest of course)! My sister Jasmin is a phenomenal photographer, so up the mountain and into the forest we went (in hobbit and elf manner). Here are a few of my favorite outtakes along with the chosen photo. Can you guess which one we selected?

xo Brittany

Montréal: Old World Charm

Hi, starlings!
Yet again it's been a long while. Life's been uncannily busy. A great deal of family came to visit over the past few months, two of my cousins got married this summer, and I took a few trips, including one to Montréal. 

Before I catch up on posting photos from my previous trips, here are a few highlights from the picturesque Canadian city:

Montréal is quite the charmer. The city possesses an unmistakable European feel due to its deeply rooted French origins and stalwart old-world architecture. Our apartment was juxtaposed to one of the city's leading universities, McGill university. We also walked past the hauntingly captivating architecture of Royal Victoria Hospital every morning on our daily walks from our apartment to Parc du Mont Royal. 

Royal Victoria Hospital

The main attraction no visitor should miss out on is Old Montréal's Basilique Notre-Dame. I've seen my fair share of grandiose cathedrals all across Europe, but the interior of this basilica just may be one of my favorites, second to (duh) La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona which rivals nothing else. 

Endless  Oos & Ahs

O

Of course, in accordance with its French roots, Montréal is abundant with bakeries and cafés, and I couldn't resist my daily croissant and latte. If you ever find yourself wandering the streets in Montréal, be sure to stop by my favorite café on Boulevard Ste-Laurent: Café Martin. 

The Old Port is frequented by locals and tourists alike. You'll find food trucks, water activities, and festival grounds.  Below is a photo of my me and my niece zip-lining over the Old Port.

Wheeeeeeeeee

If shopping is your game, I suggest spending an afternoon or two on Rue Ste-Catherine and Rue Ste-Denis. I especially enjoyed weaving in and out of the little boutiques and trendy restaurants on Denis.

Pink hydrant to match my shirt

One of the best afternoons we spent was at Jardin Botanique de Montréal. This botanical garden boasts 190 acres and is one of the most beautiful I have ever been to. You could spend an entire morning and afternoon wandering the grounds, picnicking, writing, reading, taking photos, and just lying in the grass pondering life and purpose.

Dad and Mom

Ignore my ignorant hands. I obviously don't meditate much.

And with that I bid you au revoir and leave you with this breathtaking nighttime cityscape taken from atop from Parc du Mont Royal.

xo B

Oui, Ja, Yes

It's been another month and half since I've last blogged. I'm sorry for the inconsistency, but I'll update more often, I will! Anywho, since I've been away, you've not missed much except for that… I got engaged! 

And I said, Oui! 

On Saturday, January 17, 2015, Anil took me to one my favorite places here in L.A.-- the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens. I did think it was a bit odd that he seemed so keen on going, since usually I have to repeatedly ask him to take me. (He's more of a beach, soccer, snowboarding kinda guy. ) However, I didn't even have to wake him up in the morning to get ready to go-- he was up even before I was! I eyed him and thought, Wow, he's quite eager. That's a first! But I'll take it.

We began our day with a warm butter croissant and a cup of hot tea at the cafe, then made our way to the Rose Garden, which is usually abundant with roses of all colors, but to our (mostly his) dismay, nearly all of the bushes were desolate! No leaves or roses-- they had chopped them all off. Decapitated Roses! (I'm sure the Queen of Hearts was to blame.) It is January, so I suppose that's the norm for this time of year, but apparently Anil had been planning to propose to me there in the Rose Garden. (I was wondering why he looked so disheartened at the time.) We found a corner area of the garden that still had a decent amount of roses in bloom and a beautiful magnolia tree juxtaposed, so it was still magnificent. He took a video of me twirling around the magnolia tree, as I tend to do since I'm a bit mad ("All the best people are."), though I had no idea why he was recording me and my questionable whimsical tendencies.  

From there we spent the next few hours meandering through the paths and trails of the Huntington Gardens and gawking at paintings in the museums. But for some reason he insisted on returning to the bleak rose garden. So finally we made our way back to what was left of the roses, and there, between the rose ration and the magnolia tree, he asked me to marry him! Here are a few pictures from the day:

Hope you enjoy! I sure did.

Yes in every language.

"Ich bin ein Berliner"

Of course, besides the Wall festivities, Berlin is rampant with art and museums and shopping and activities and bizarre places I'm sure I'm not even aware of. I did have myself some fun at the Mall of Berlin. And just walking around the city and taking the U-Bahn and S-Bahn to its different districts is an adventure in itself. Here are a few fun photos of me prancing around Berlin in beanies and scarves and coats, because let me tell you: It was friggin' COLD. Oh, and my sister Jasmin is the phenomenal photographer of this photoset, if you find yourself wondering.

I love the way the textures and patterns of this wall, door, and ground contrast each other, yet are somehow cohesive.

Bears around the city. Here's one in Nikolaiviertel.

Mall of Berlin in Potsdamer Platz. This was halfway through the damage done. In the end, my feet and arms ached, but this was the most incredible einkaufszentrum I've ever been to.

Being original in front of the National Gallery.

Um yes, so this was the most frigid day in Berlin, and I happened to leave my coat in my room and froze my arse off. I  turned to tomato soup and hot chocolate and glühwein for warmth.

We chanced upon this alley and I felt compelled to lean against this wall. Definitely felt edgy that night.































Berlin, ich werde dich vermissen. Bis zum nächsten Mal. 
xx B

The Berlin Wall Came Tumbling Down. 25 Years Later, It's Been Lifted.

Guten Abend, travel bugs! 

Just over a week ago, I got back from Europe. I spent almost three glorious weeks there, which is partly why I've been awol all November. (And gosh, I haven't even posted many photos from my Scotland trip this past June and July, which I was supposed to do forever ago. So here I go with this trip, and then I'll try to eventually get to those dreamy Scotland pictures.) 

I had originally planned this trip last December when I found out that Berlin was going to be holding an immense celebration for the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. I was so intent on making this trip happen that I even set my phone wallpaper to a picture that read: "Du bist verruckt mein Kind. Du muss nach Berlin." This served as my reminder every time I was tempted to spend too frivolously.

My sister Jasmin and I arrived in Frankfurt and spent the first few days with my family who live in Mainz and in a small town called Rümmelsheim. They are some of my favorite people in the world, and my heart is always full when I visit them. We then made our way to Berlin and spent 5 days there. It was my 3rd time to Berlin, but it's such a large, diverse city and is constantly changing, so it was great fun. We then traveled via train to Paris and rented an apartment there for a week. Then we rounded our trip with our last four days with my family again in Germany. 

Es war wunderschön.

So, I'll begin with Berlin.

For the 25th anniversary of the fall of the wall, there was an 8,000 white "wall" of balloons all along where the wall once stood. Every night, the Lichtgrenze was illuminated, and on clear nights, it was even possible to see the light wall from space. The events and art installations culminated into November 9, which marked 25 years since the wall was torn down.

 We started the day off at The Eastside Gallery, which is the part of the wall that is still left intact. It's now covered with art and graffiti. And if you watched CNN at all that day, there was an old Trabant, which CNN converted into an art installation by asking people from all over the world to sign, and I was asked to sign it! Yes, me!

Later that day, there was a huge ceremony at the Brandenburg Gate, which is where the releasing of the balloons commenced. Huge German music acts performed, including Die Fantastischen Vier and Udo Lindenberg. It was a massive event! Just before the balloons were released, the Mayor of Berlin spoke to those of us in the ginormous crowd, "We're the happiest people in the world and we're thrilled that you brought the Berlin Wall down 25 years ago." Then, one by one, those 8,000 balloons were released into the air. 

We met a man named Axel who told us how deeply connected he felt to the event. He said that seeing the balloon wall took him back to the years when the Berlin Wall stood as a barrier and how horrific a time it was, especially since he was separated from some of his family. The day the wall came down, it was his 24th birthday, and 25 years later, he and his wife traveled back to Berlin to see the wall metaphorically lifted on his 49th birthday. What a story.

Seeing the balloons released into the night sky symbolized hope and unity, and though Berlin is still recovering from its Communistic history, it's still being rebuilt and visitors and citizens alike get to witness the rebuilding in action. To be in Berlin for the festivities was simultaneously sobering and celebratory.  I can't believe I got to be a part of it. I am deeply connected to my German roots, and I'm so grateful that this beautiful country no longer lives in fear, but thrives on hope.

xx  B

Some Danish For Your Thoughts

Hallo, Schätze! September and these first two weeks of October have been busy and filled with fun, ergo I've neglected posting about the past month's ongoings. So for this first post, I'll start off with a little music entry.

Yesterday I turned 24, and Anil took to me to the Laemmle NoHo 7 location to watch a film called Copenhagen. This is the main track from the film's soundtrack. It's a Danish song titled "Vi To Er Smeltet Sammen" by Stoffer & Maskinen. You can feel the heaviness and affliction conveyed through the song, regardless of whether or not you speak Danish (which I don't). 

"Vi To Er Smeltet Sammen" Stoffer & Maskinen