Thursday, December 24, 2015

Merry Christmas

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"Shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)

With these words I am wishing you all a reflective, refreshing and wonderful Christmas. Remember that Jesus is the Light of the World!
May 2016 be a year of generosity, fulfillment and love.

xoxo

Ramona


Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Slowing down, Christmas gifts and giving back

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Every Christmas season I come to this point where I start planning my gifts and parties and decorations where I just stop hold up for a moment and ask myself where I want to go with it all meaning "am I going to allow the season and its business or the commercialization of the season to take over? Or am I going to put things in place and give gifts in such a way that it is meaningful, reflective and points to Jesus?"
Because it is quite easy to fall into it all. I don't think that giving gifts is wrong. I just think by having another attitude and by having moments which slow me down I counter the culture of commercialization. I know this is personal and I am not changing a whole culture with it, but I don't mean to. I am changing my culture and the way I perceive the season.

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This year slowing down the season meant taking two afternoons to be creative. My neighbors came up and we made wreaths together, drank tea and talked about creativity and Christmas and the other time they came up and we baked Christmas cookies together. We had community together, we talked, we lit candles we celebrated Advent and nothing slows you down like having to wait for baked goods to come out of the oven. Later that afternoon we met the rest of the neighbors out on the street and made a fire. We sat there together as the it flickered and talked about food and life. We talked about Jesus and the beautiful gift he gave us. Because that is what it is all about and everything we do should always point to him!
This year the verse I chose for my Christmas cards was all about being light and shining and being generous with our lives. I still feel so very blessed about where I live and the apartment I have and I don't take it for granted. On the other hand I want to give it back to God by being generous with my life and keeping open house. That is why my flatmate and I have people over all the time. We host parties and gatherings and Connect groups and movie nights. That for me is giving back from what I have been given.
So it was a given that Melina and I hosted our annual Open House Adventsparty. And again it was so cozy and fun and loud and felt like Christmas was in the house. There is nothing like community and being together with friends.

But now for the presents. I think giving presents on Christmas is another way to show and give back what Jesus has given us. His ultimate gift of forgiveness and reconciliation with the father.
So yes I do buy gifts but I try to make them meaningful or they are gifts of time or gifts of dates. And I also make a lot of gifts like the banana breads I make every year for my friends. This year I also made bath salts and granola for stocking stuffers.

At the end of the day it is all about your attitude. Be reflective of this Holiday, take time apart to meditate on this time and be a blessing for others.

xoxo
Ramona

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Thursday, December 17, 2015

Thursday Tunes

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I love Christmas and I also love Christmas music. Come December 1 I turn on the Christmas music. I always try to find new interpretations of old song or ways to incorporate non Christmas songs into the season to bring a nice diversity to the music.
So I thought I should share this playlist with you with my current favorite Christmas songs. And since I am a big Elvis fan you will find not only one but two Elvis Christmas songs. I called the playlist "rustic romance Christmas" because it features some truly romantic acoustic versions of well known songs as well as some good vintage pieces you wouldn't want to miss.
I strongly suggest not hitting the Shuffle button but listening from start to finish (it makes the most sense).
As always you can listen here or listen and follow directly on spotify.




xoxo
Ramona

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Thursday Tunes

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A few weeks ago I promised you a playlist for all your kitchen adventures and today I am finally able to share it with you. I tried to put together a good mix of fun, romance, vintage and pop music for you to dance and cook and clean and have fun in the kitchen. The playlist is kitchen approved by me. I listen to it all the time.
Listen and follow it here or directly on spotify and have fun.



xoxo
Ramona

PS: Come back next week for my Christmas Soundtrack Edition.


Monday, December 7, 2015

Movie Monday

I wish I had the words to describe how absolutely beautiful today's movie was. Far from the Maddening crowd is an adaption of Thomas Hardy's famous book and definitely one of those movies which I will remember for a long time.

I want to try and say a few words about this movie:
The actors are perfectly chosen with Carey Muligan and Matthias Schoenaerts. Chemistry is everything.
The lighting in the movie is stunning.
I loved the many detailed shots and closeups and intricate looks. It was exactly what the story needed.

The movie is intense and there were moments when I almost couldn't handle it anymore but there is so much truth to take from this movie about life and relationships and love and marriage.

xoxo

Ramona


Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Thankfulness and hosting an Erntedank Dinner Party


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Over the last years my love for the table has grown immensely. And when I talk about the table I don't mean tablescapes. I don't mean candles and cutlery and plates and serveware. Although they are important they are merely a framework for the shared community, the conversations, the encouragement, the life and the friendship which happens when people gather around a table.
If you have been a long time reader of this blog you know this and you might have seen the previous years of hosting my Erntedank Dinner Party (German Thanksgiving) here, here and here. This year was special though because for the first time I was actually able to comfortably seat everybody at one big table. When I set the table I just stood there and looked at it thinking to myself how very blessed I am with this table, this apartment, this life and mostly these friends. I put a lot of effort and work into this dinner party as for me it is saying thank you to my friends. In a world where studies show that less and less people care and spend less and less time with each other because everybody is getting more self absorbed. In a world where we are so concerned with Facebook Friends and Instagram likes gathering people around a table just for the sake of community is not only completely counter cultural it is also in my opinion a necessity. And as it says in John 13 we should love one another and people will see Jesus by seeing our love. So I am making it my duty to gather people, to do what Jesus did, to love one another and make a difference.
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Recently I was thinking about friendship and the question for me was who do I want to be sitting at my table. For you it might be something else, but for me it was the people with who I can just be myself with. I don't spend a whole lot of time with each of them and yet I call them my closest friends because I can be myself. I know when we do spend time it is always precious and always fruitful and life giving and I still feel like we are ever going deeper in our friendship. So can I just say thank you? Thank you for being the people you are. Thank you for being yourself with me and allowing me to be me. Thank you for the many years of friendship and learning to accept each other as we are. Thank you for the ups and downs, the tears and laughter. It is in an honor for me to share life with you and make a difference in this world together.
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Although the tablescapes, music and food are the framework to what is actually happening at the table they are still very important to me because when throwing a dinner party to bless people there should be a certain degree of excellence and effort.
So I do want to break it down for you and make it applicable to your situation if you are planning a dinner party There are 3 things which in my opinion are important for a successful dinner party:
1. Food
The food you make should kind of be the center of attention as the title dinner party already suggests. I will share my menu with you at the end of this post, but I don't believe you have to be a star cook to throw a great dinner party (I'm certainly not one). What is something you are really good at making? Is it spaghetti, is it a casserole? Make that and make it great. Serve it in your nicest bowls, make a simple salad with it and you're good to go. I personally believe in the importance of appetizers because it gives your guests something to eat and do while they all arrive and makes everybody feel a little bit more comfortable. Keep it simple by serving some roasted nuts in a bowl or set out some charcuterie.
2. Timing
I personally cannot stand last minute running around trying to fix things or getting ready in a hurry. I rather plan ahead and take my time, bust some dance moves in the kitchen, sit down in between, study the recipe again, etc... plus I'm a total planner and that might not be your personality. Yet I still urge you to make a timeline of things you want to finish and a timeline of your food. Believe me when I say you will be much more relaxed and able to actually sit at the table with your friends and that's the whole point, right?
3. Atmosphere
Ok, so this point is very important to me and includes, lighting, music, scent and decorations so basically all your other senses. I am a very strong believer that the way a room is set up changes the atmosphere which has a huge influence on how comfortable people will feel. Like with everything else it needn't be the prettiest flower or the most extravagant thing in the world. I hosted this dinner party for years in our tiny apartment with little room to host the guest and it was always cozy and nice. The key is lighting some candles, turning off some bright lights and putting on some music. This year for example I simply foraged some flowers from the fields I pass by everyday and added some eucalyptus.

Ultimately it is all about you gathering some friends. Let the food nourish the bodies and the conversations nourish the soul and spirit.

xoxo

Ramona

PS: I will be sharing a playlist with you soon with some great tunes for cooking.

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Menu
Amuse:
Bacon Wrapped Dates with Blue Cheese
Amuse-Gueule de Roquefort
To pass:
Salad with apples, goat cheese and walnuts
Buttermilk honey bread served with sage butter and homemade butter
To share
Caramelized beetroot tarte tatin with Crème Fraiche
From field and garden:
Roast beef and red wine gravy with potatoes and haricot beans
Sweets:
Gingerbread sorghum cake and cream cheese mascarpone frosting
All natural red velvet cake with goat cheese thyme icing
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Monday, November 16, 2015

Movie Monday

Since I haven't been watching too many movies lately or at least not ones to share (read: Pitch Perfect 2) here it has been a while. But today I am going to share a wonderful piece, a true story of World War 2 and art: Woman in Gold
I think most people actually know the famous painting by Gustav Klimt called "Frau in Gold". The movie is centered around the story of how this picture was returned to its lawful owner.
Helen Mirren is exceptional per usual and overall this movie takes snapshots out of history just the right way. Also really well done is the way language is portrayed.
I strongly suggest you go ahead and watch it.


xoxo
Ramona


Monday, October 19, 2015

Movie Monday

I cannot believe I never shared this movie with you. And yes again I am sharing a sort of sports movie, but you should not miss out on it.

I'm not going to say much about Invictus other than I wanted to jump up in my seat shouting, "Amen and Hallelujah". There is so much we can learn from this movie.
Clint Eastwood put together a great cast, amazing music and a well balanced story between sports and politics.

xoxo
Ramona



Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Single and ready to Mingle

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I took this picture last Saturday as we celebrated my brother in law's birthday. The brunch in the woods on this perfect fall morning was amazing. All my friends were there, there was a fire, food, friends (the perfect trio if you ask me) and babies everywhere. There was this moment when my sister took a picture of all the young dads with their kids. I stood and watched when a friend passed me and said, "that's the moment". He didn't mean the moment of a picture being taken but the moment you realize you are not part of that "club". You kind of stand on the outside looking in and wonder when that train passed and why you are not on it.
It is in those moments where it is so easy to fall into the pit of loneliness and I would be lying if I told you I never feel lonely or desire to be married. In all honesty this summer has been pretty tough on me when it comes to being single. But what I have found is the importance of spiritual nourishment. I mean sure I can throw myself a single party with Ben & Jerry's and a romance movie or listening to Bon Iver's "Can't make you love me" on repeat and I'm not saying this never happens or is completely wrong I would just like to point out the fact that it isn't very wise and doesn't give me a whole lot of perspective. So in those times I try to draw ever closer to God. I turn on worship music and just allow God to soothe my soul, to carry me through this.
If you were to ask me for THE key to staying a happy single when all of your friends are married with kids this would be it. To draw closer to God because ultimately - and this goes for anybody regardless of your relationship status - only God can fulfill and complete us not another person.
At the same time I believe we need to realize that our relationship status doesn't define who we are. We find our definition, our purpose in God and He has a unique plan for us and that means that our live happens NOW. Not when I'm married, not when I have children so stop postponing your life to better times. Live now, live your calling, go travel, see places, buy the house. And while you are living it God will be moving and putting things together and I don't just mean relationally but in general as we live in faith God is transforming us into the person we're intended to be.
And the best thing is you don't have to do it alone. Go invest into friendships, into people. Make that a priority in your life. Invite them to your place, fill your walls with good food and laughter and conversations where you open up your heart and you help each other draw closer to God. Because then these people also become accountability partners. We need people who we are accountable to because honestly we are not immune to temptation because we are not immune to our own desires and emotions. The question is what are we going to do about it. Can I just suggest you don't compromise your standards for what seems convenient or feels good?! I would rather stay single than make compromises. I'd rather wait for somebody who I can not only build a life with but build the church with, build people with and make a difference for eternity.
And for that we need to draw closer to God, be in His Word and surround ourselves with friends and mentors and people who we allow to speak into our lives.

That said I just want to encourage you. You are not alone. Look around you. See where God has already brought you and allow him to continue His good work in you. See what amazing people He has placed in your life.

Being single isn't a bad thing and it surely isn't a wrong thing. It is just the season you're in right now. And others are in other seasons of their life. And we all know every season has their purpose.

xoxo

Ramona

More posts on being single:

Why am I single?
Epic
To build a home
Lessons learned
Solo Valentine's




Monday, October 5, 2015

Movie Monday

I am very picky when it comes to romantic comedies and it takes a lot for me to like them mostly because they have become so bad over the years containing too much bad language and losing a lot of humor.
Having said that The Proposal is nothing like that.
It is one of my favorite romantic comedies and I have watched it many times already and still laugh at every single scene. It is funny, good with the romance, witty and not too typical. Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds have great chemistry.

So anyways, go watch it again and again and again. Best line: "Margret, stop talking!" This line gets me every time!

xoxo

Ramona





Thursday, September 24, 2015

Thursday Tunes

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A few years ago I started organizing my music into seasons and started with Fall because it came really easy to me to capture the mood and atmosphere of the season in music. And although this year saying goodbye to Summer is a little harder than usual Fall is here and I think I'm falling in love with it all over again. The clouds and the golden light, the way the trees turn into color, the burning of candles and the smell of warm plum crisp and hot tea. I put together a Soundtrack that is truly a Soundrack to accompany you on a walk through the forest or snuggled up on your sofa. It can also serve as background music for your next dinner gathering with friends. It has some soft piano pop, some funky tunes, some mellow Indie and some folk.
Listen and follow here or directly on spotify and create your own memories with it.


xoxo

Ramona




Monday, September 21, 2015

Movie Monday

Films in which the Indian culture collides with our western culture are always a pleasure to watch and a good study of culture and society. In fact during my semester abroad in Santa Barbara I wrote a paper about it and compared different movies like Monsoon Wedding and Bend it like Beckham with each other explaning diasporas.
So wathcing The Hundred Foot Journey yesterday was not only pleasure and entertainment but a reminder of cultures within cultures.
The movie was directed by Lasse Hallström and you can sense it because there is always a certain feeling to his movies and he has a way of using light. The movie was enjoyable, entertaining, captivating and I loved the feeling it kept for the senses when it comes to food. Cooking and preparing food was portrayed culturely but also as something magical, something that evokes the senses and takes you to other places. Food is memory.

xoxo

Ramona




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Monday, September 14, 2015

Movie Monday


I am very picky when it comes to romantic drama or romantic comedy and this may come as a shock for you but I cannot watch romantic movies too often because they tend to mess with you and build up false expectation and I have chosen to not allow that. But ever so often a beautiful romance movie comes my way and I just know it is a keeper.
The Age of Adaline is a beautiful piece of a movie. It has this peace and calm about it which I really loved. It is very well done in how it captures different times. The wardrobe in the movie is exceptional and the acting beautiful. This movie just leaves you in your seat for a couple of moments to gasp for air because you were so captured by it. It just has this stunning ambiance about it I cannot quite describe it but I suggest you go and watch it and get your own picture of it.

xoxo

Ramona


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Monday, September 7, 2015

Movie Monday

There are movies and then there are movies - the one's which only come along ever so often and last week was one of those times when you sit in the theater and it is late but you just don't want the movie to stop because it is so good.
Guy Ritchie's The Man from U.N.C.L.E  has that very rare combination of being very well done and developed, having a great story and being authentic, having great cinematography, the perfect amount of suspense combined with a good balance of humor, satire and seriousness. Add to that the brilliant acting and chemistry between the cast. So although we all probably have to wait until December to watch it again I suggest you put it on your movies to watch list because you won't regret it.

xoxo

Ramona

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Thursday, September 3, 2015

Thursday Tunes

Lately spotify has been suggesting quite a lot of duets to me, I am starting to wonder if it is a sign... so I have decided to dedicate this week to some beautiful duets. Some I have just recently discovered and some are all time favorites. Some are fun and some are really romantic although we can probably guess what side we're leaning on here.
Anyways, if you're not yet following The Soundtrack of my Life on spotify I suggest you hop over there, subscribe and get new music regularly.
Have fun this week.



xoxo
Ramona





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Monday, August 31, 2015

Movie Monday

Growing up my sister and I weren't allowed to watch a whole lot of TV so the very few things we were allowed to watch were cherished. We often would watch movies on Sunday afternoons as a family. These films would include German post war happy movies, pirate movies, movies like the 10 commandments, Ben Hur, Robin Hood, Rocky etc. but we also grew up watching Lois & Clarke, the new adventures of Superman and I loved it very much. Needless to say to this day I am a big Superhero fan/nerd whatever you want to call it. Funny enough though I have not posted one single Superhero movie on here. But I consider this a good thing because I watch a lot more than Superhero movies.
Anyways this one deserves a spotlight on here because let's face it IT IS SUPERMAN and although all of Christopher Nolan's Batman movies and all of the Marvel Universe are awesome and I watch them on a regular basis (not The Dark Knight because Clowns and me are not friends) I really think this one should be mentioned on here for you to watch.
I love the costumes, I love the atmosphere and the general feeling of the movie. I like that it really goes deep into the story taking as much as possible from the actual comics. I find the actors a great choice and since it's Monday and Movies and Man of Steel should we actually call this a #mcm? What do you think?

That's all. Go watch Man of Steel.

xoxo

Ramona




Friday, August 28, 2015

Seasons

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For a long time now I have sorted my music into Seasons of Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer because I think that every season brings its own flavor, its own feeling and atmosphere and its own adventures. Obviously the same goes for life in general because I really believe we also need to see it as such where we go through different seasons. I have experienced that so often. Sometimes there would be a season of stretching and changing and it brought out what was inside and then there would be seasons of blessing and overflow and bounty.
I think we need to embrace all of the seasons. We need to take them as they are and decide what we're going to do with it. Are we going to allow God to work within us in each season that comes our way? Are we allowing him to either cut things off in our lives, to challenge us or bless us and give us rest? Obviously we all want the season of blessing and rest but we can only get there by pruning and cutting off and getting rid of old baggage in order to bring out a bountiful blessing.
So as this summer is slowing down I am using the time of rest that is still left to prepare for everything which is ahead in the fall, harvest and work and bringing out the best colors but also to prepare for whatever God has next. Shouldn't we always have an attitude of "God, your will not mine"? Whatever it is he is going to put on your plate next, allow him to do so for He has greater plans than the ones in front of you. Allow him to prune you for you to become the person you were intended to be. Allow him to speak to you and with you so that He can reveal His mighty plans to you.
Happy End of Summer

xoxo

Ramona



Thursday, August 27, 2015

Thursday Tunes

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Well hello there and welcome to another Thursday with awesome music and the end of the week approaching. I have decided to make the Thursday Tunes even easier for you and created a "The Soundtrack of my Life" playlist on spotify for you to follow. I will update it as regularly as possible and will share it here too. This week we're calling it "Summer Rock 'n Roll" because this music got me dancing all week while I was preparing dinner and enjoying what is left of Summer.

It has been a great summer and funny enough I have been listening to a lot of country granted though I was BBQing a lot and what suits it better than country right? Right.

The band in the playlist is called Vintage Trouble and they are pure soulish Rock 'n Roll and Blues and they have been on repeat for days!
So whatever you're doing right now, cooking, cleaning, working out, working... push play and get in a good mood!

xoxo
Ramona


Monday, August 24, 2015

Movie Monday

I know this place has been a bit quiet lately and I don't like that but honestly I was just simply enjoying my summer having many guests, throwing many a BBQ and just spent a good amount of time with friends.

But as the fall is slowly approaching I have every intention to be more present with this blog and share movies and music and stories and inspiration with you throughout the next couple of months.

So lets's start us off with this movie I watched on the plane to Birmingham: McFarland, USA.
When I was a teenager I was the biggest Kevin Costner fan and I've watched Robin Hood so many times I cannot even recount.
And still today I really like him a lot as an actor. This is your "typical" sports movie but I thought it was pretty special and I will admit to crying on the plane when I watched it.
What I really like about it was the intercultural communication, the subject of family and the understanding between cultures and languages.
I also think it is a great family movie so go watch it!

xoxo
Ramona




Friday, July 31, 2015

Sweet Home Alabama all Summer long

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My favorite way of traveling is visiting friends and becoming part of a culture. I love to step out of being a tourist and step into the lives of people listening to their stories and create memories.  This year I had the wonderful opportunity to not only travel to the South but also visit one of my closest friends. It is with this trip that I now have seen all major parts of the US so #'merica, right?
I was asked many times what my favorite part of the trip was and I think I can summarize it in this:
It was a trip of firsts. First time tubing, first time rides on the boat and on a jet skis, first time blueberry picking, first time in the South, first time eating sorghum syrup, first time pedicures and last but most certainly not least first time shooting (yeah you heard me right!). And in between all of these adventures and amazing things to try my friend and I ate our way through the city and I got to meet a whole bunch of new and amazing people. I guess what I loved most is the fact that we ate local only. If you know me you will know that I am a big advertiser of locally owned businesses especially cafes and restaurants and love supporting them in any way possible.
All in all I absolutely fell in love with Birmingham. More than I could have ever imagined. Walking into Church of the Highlands felt like walking into my own church - home.
I put some links to the amazing restaurants and cafes we went to after the jump. So go enjoy.
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Urban Standard
Trattoria Centrale
Continenal Bakery
Alabama Biscuit Company
Superior Grill
Chez Fonfon
Sprout & Pour
Church Street Café
Urban Cookhouse

Until next time Birmingham.

xoxo
Ramona

PS: See more places I travled to here
 

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