The Art of gathering around a table

It has become a tradition that every year on a Saturday in October I invite some of my friends over for dinner and I don't just mean a potluck, casual kind of thing, but really I go all out with several courses and cook it all from scratch. All in the attempt to bless my friends, to show my gratitude and to just gather them around the table to share a meal.
This is not going to be a typical events post where I tell you about all the details of the planning process and decorations because to be honest it was quite simple: a few white candles, a forest themed (foxes and bears) invitation, a great mix of music and most of all good food!
If you know me well you know without a doubt that I did put a lot of effort into the planning aspect and I did. As a favor I made a mixtape "The Soundtrack of my Life - Herbst 2013 Edition" which I will show you on Thursday.
But let me say this: I believe there is a beauty and a power when friends gather around a table to share food and company.
There was one moment during the night where I just sat there in total bliss. I looked at each one of them and felt like the happiest person on this planet. So blessed with friends.
We are loud and we can go from the deepest of conversations to the funniest. I laughed so much that night.
There was no program, no games, no movies that night. It wasn't neccessary and I believe it is not always neccessary. All you need is a few people. food and conversation. Let the conversations roll out. Let people share their hearts, let emotions come through and hearts to be seen.
Every year I ask what everybody is thankful for and everybody just shares their heart. That was such a beautiful moment because we were all open and honest and got to see a bit of the other person.
It is these moments which energize me, which make me keep going. In these moments I feel extremely loved and cherished. These moments make all the effort worth it, make all the work and planning seem like nothing because you get to experience the beauty of people gathering around a shared table.

So I guess I just want to encourage you to invite your friends over. Create a cozy atmosphere where people feel comfortable and safe. Put some nice music on, light some candles, cook or ask them to bring something. Whatever it is, gather, talk, share your hearts, be real, honest, transparent and authentic. In other words, be you and let your friends see it.

Especially now as the season changes and it gets colder, don't hide in your house or apartment, but use it as a place for people to feel home. And especially during holiday season don't be too stressed out and busy to spend time with your friends. Make an effort and I promise you it will be worth it. Relationships are always worth investing into.

Anyways... if you have any question on how to go about this on where to start,what to cook, how to create such an atmosphere, leave me a comment and I'll try to answer your question.

xoxo

Ramona



* picture taken by my friend Melina

art.

I have said it many times on this blog how important I believe art is in general and in the context of the Church.
Lately though I have realized even more how important it is that I surround myself with art.
I remember spending time with my two friends, forgetting about time, seeing the world through their eyes with colors and shapes and shades. They both moved to New York City (what were they thinking???  - just kidding) and I cannot wait to see them in November during Thanksgiving week.
Two weeks ago when I visited Dresden the famous Semper Oper was open to the public the day we went and got to go inside and listen to some beautiful opera music. After that we walked passed the Frauenkirche when I heard piano music. I could not but follow the sound.
In the middle of this huge square sat a man with his grand piano playing beautiful music for everyone to hear.

So there I stood and listened as tears started streaming down my face. There was no way I could stop it. I was just moved by the music and by everything I was surrounded with. And I wasn't ashamed of my tears.
It was that moment where I realized how important it is for me to have art in my life in the form of visual art, music, dance, theater, poetry. It helps me stay creative, it helps me see the world through different eyes and it inspires me in many ways.

xoxo

Ramona

A rustic Wedding with a lot of Culture

Can I just say how much I love weddings. My heart always skips a beat. Last Saturday two of my friends got married and oh what an honor it has been to plan this wedding. I feel so honored and this wedding definitely made it into my list of favorite weddings.
There ist something so beautiful about two people commiting to a covenant. No decorations, details or flowers could ever be as beautiful than when two people who love each other decide to spend the rest of their lives together. It is romance in its purest essence. That is what makes a wedding special and beautiful.

Now about the planning, the wedding and all the details. This one was a very virtual affair I must say due to the fact that the bride still lived in the States and the groom here in Germany. Therefore all of the planning went over email (good thing I had a class on virtual teams in university - who would've thought I'd need it!) and in essence the groom was kind of the planner on site.
We started the planning process in February and had 7 months for everything which was plenty of time. We actually did not have an official meeting with the three of us until 2 weeks before the wedding, but I had a skype meeting with Claudia and lots of emails followed. The two already had an idea about how they wanted their wedding to look like and a few variables.
It's always so interesting to see the process from the first inspiration board to the acutal wedding where you really have narrowed it down to what you really want.
They wanted their wedding to be a bit more rustic, natural and with both their cultures (Bolivian, German) and their personal love story (from Australia to the States to Germany) flowing into the details of their wedding.
As always I created a pinterest board for them and then gathered a lot of the first ideas and the colors to create an inspiration board for the two of them.

If you have read any of my other events you will know how much I emphasize the importance of a concept. It not only helps you stay focused but it also makes the events look like everything belongs together.
Two things I cannot stress enough when it comes to planning an event, party, wedding are:
1. Don't try to do it all at once with all the ideas you have.
2. Make a checklist and narrow it down from things having to be done first to the last tiny details. That way you will not get lost in the process.
Start with the date, the location and the Save the Dates/Invitations and go from there. That combined with the concept you have in mind gives you a great framework to work in.
Lukas and Claudia chose to get married in an old church in one of the villages and have the reception at the "Zum Fröhlichen Landmann" which is a hotel and restaurant which used to be a farm and one of the oldest ones in the village. It is basically on top of a mountain in the Southern Black Forest and surrounded by pure and beautiful nature.

The ideas for the invitations definitely came from all the travels they had made with meeting in Australia, visiting each other on other continents. We created a bit of a logo for them which then was used on all the other paperwork as well.
Before I go into the details of the wedding and show you all the pictures I just want to give you the concept a little bit. Claudia wanted the main color to be lavendar combined with very soft yet rustic elements. Lukas' sister has such a gift for decorating and made all of the bride's dreams a reality. There was one day a few weeks before the wedding where the whole family and bridesmaids met for a day to craft all the little details. And that joined effort is what made it so amazingly beautiful.

 I still totally swoon over this ceremony. The romance and love were so tangible. It was beautiful.
The time from before the wedding until everybody arrives at the reception place is always the most stressful because everything comes together. People need to be coordinated and everybody is excited and nervous. My attempt and one of the most important things for me at the day itself is to make sure that the couple can lean back, relax (apart from the obvious nervosity) and just enjoy the day with their family and friends.

Like I said before all the decorations were hand made by the groom's sisters and all the bridesmaids. On each table guests had the opportunity to fill our some questions for the couple. There were purple paper straws for the water and for each woman a fan if it got too warm. The flowers were rather simple, lots of lavendar and white roses.
I personally love the "Senor", "Senora" signs. We tried to include both cultures into the wedding as much as possible so the favors were tea from Bolivia.

One of the things I also really loved about this wedding was that it wasn't just two people becoming one but it was two families, two cultures, three languages emerging. The sermon at the ceremony was translated into Spanish and Lukas' parents prayed over the couple in German and Spanish. After the couple had danced their first dance together, the couple together with the bride's parents danced a traditional dance together and I loved that. That melting of two cultures.
It was just an amazing wedding and I am so happy for the two of them. To be part of their special day and to have been given the chance to be involved in the planning process fills me with great pride. Thank you, Lukas and Claudia for including me.

xoxo

Ramona

PS: I will try to get some offical photos from the photographer and also share them here.

2 1/2 months

As a lot of you know I have not been working the past 2 1/2 months. I am going to start my new job next Monday and the time in between my jobs was a gift which I am so thankful for. It has been a time which I haven't had since graduating from High School.
I took the time to figure some things out because I really felt like I was at a turning point in my life. A point in time where I needed to sit down and ask myself some of the hard questions like "Who do I want to be?" "What kind of legacy do I want to leave?" "What is my calling?" "What do I want to do with my life and in my life?" "What are my dreams, visions, what's the life I see?"
I spent quite some time exploring these questions. I spent time in the Word, time in prayer, just time with God, thinking, dreaming, seeing things.

And now looking back at these 2 1/2 months I see how God was at work. He made a cut on April 30th and gave me time, just simply the gift of time. And in this time I became more myself. I became me again. I know now what I'm supposed to do. I know now who I want to be and although I have no clue what the future holds and when I'll meet my future husband for that matter but it's not important because I found myself in God. Fully loved. Fully accepted. Fully free. I have a calling. I have dreams. I have a vision of something that could be and all I want to do is the best I can today so that the future will enfold. I want to be faithful with that which God has given me in my hands now.

So here I stand looking ahead and I am happy. I allow myself to just be.

On top of all of that I did some amazing thing. I had the time to catch up on things, watch movies, house and dog sit for a family. Then my friend from Alabama visited for almost 3 weeks and it was like recess and camp altogether. I also spent a week in Fuerteventura, Spain. So... next week I'll fill you in on some pictures so be sure to check back here then.

xoxo

Ramona

The beauty of silence

There were so many things I wanted to say about this. So many feelings and thoughts I had. I wanted to talk about slowing life down, about watching movies which are set in the 1800s and how life was slower and quieter and yet words would be the opposite of the beauty of silence. Therefore all I am saying is this picture and all that comes with it.

xoxo

Ramona

Definitely, Maybe

This week one of my former work colleagues forwarded this article about the "Generation Maybe". I thought it was really good and very true in many parts. The 20 somethings and 30 somethings know a lot, they are well prepared, well educated but massively overwhelmed by opportunity and chances of what they can do.
Read the article here (it is in German for all you English speakers so you might have to copy-paste it into google translator).

xoxo

Ramona

On Dancing.

Most of you know of my love for dancing. Not only is it a great workout but a way of expressing myself. A way to let go and just be free in the movement. It is about knowing your body, knowing how it moves.
Most of you also know that I don't go out dancing in clubs and such things so my only dancing happens in the dance studio, at home or at weddings. Whenever I watch a dance movie it really excites me.
Sometimes I get so excited about the dancing that I shout out in joy!

This last weekend I watched Step Up Revolution and I know some of you might say "really, another one of those", but truthfully I really like the movie because it focuses on dancing as a form of art being used to make a statement.
And honestly: The dancing is amazing!!! I mean amazing!

So I thought why not share some of it with you here because that is where my thoughts are today anyways (there and at a lot of other places too).

xoxo

Ramona

Feeding my romantic soul

Most of you know that I am a hopeless romantic and that I have chosen to stay one despite heartbreaks, despite being disappointed and despite the world telling me something else.
That might be one of the reasons why I love Pride & Prejudice so much and why I have been watching The Lizzy Bennet Diaries a lot excessively lately.

Another reason could be that I think that the story of Pride & Prejudice is still extremely relevant especially for 20somethings.
I don't know about you but I very often identify with the story and the characters.

Today I want to share one episode of the Lizzy Bennet Diaries. It gets me every single time. The way Mr. Darcy speaks with Lizzy. His body language, his words, what he brings out of her.

So without further ado let me feed my (and your) romantic soul a bit today:

Do you know what I mean????

xoxo

Ramona

Three Words

One of my favorite bloggers Kathleen recently wrote about how her and her husband choose certain words to define their following year. I liked the idea for I am not one to make big new year's resolutions. I usually sit down and for the first or second week of January I take every area of my life and take one day at a time to pray and think about this area. Then I form visions, dreams and goals for this certain area. This year the areas were:
1. my personal life apart from anything else. What's the vision for my life, what are my dreams. What do I, Ramona want to achieve in this following year.
2. my minstry. God has called me for certain ministries in the church and I want to be a builder of His house. I want to make His house beautiful. What are His dreams and visions and next steps for the things He put into my hands?
3. my job and everything that comes with that. How can I grow as a leader. How can I bring things to the next level. What are some of the goals I am setting for this year.
4. my relationships, meaning friendships, family, collegues etc. How can I be a better friend? How can I be the friend they need? What are the things I can grow in to become a better person for them. What are my dreams for these friendships? How should they be growing?

And then finally I sat down and made somewhat of a bucket list. A list of things I wish for this year. And because I really liked Kathleen's idea I did choose 3 words for this year:

GROWTH
LOVE
HOPE

I want to grow in every area of my life...
I want to be full of love, to give love, to show love, to bring love and to be God's hands and feet whereever I go...
I want the glass to always be half full. I want to risk things and trust in myself, trust in people and never loose my optimistic and hopefull spirit.

What are some of the words and things you want to dream about? What are some of things in your heart for this year?

xoxo

Ramona

Phases of transition

Today I biked out to my favorite spot in the fields. The place where I decided to work at Elemenz. My place of rest, of contemplation and serenity where I spent my summer days having this breakfast and journaling.
I have almost been into my job for three months now and was thinking about how I was transitioning, how I am still transitioning. And that is something which takes time. Time we sometimes don't want to take and as we wish to already be at that point of arrival, that fulfilment we often have to fight through some battles until we're there.
In university I learned about cultural shocks and the different stages there are or when a new team is formed we learned about the different stages until that team can fully perform its potential.
I too believe that when starting a new job or a big live change which brings transition with it there are several stages:

The exploration phase
In this phase you just start out, everything is new. You are exploring the new territory, getting to know the place, the people, the routines. It is a fun phase where you pour yourself into it all. You just give, give, give and try to figure it all out as you go. There is no stopping you, no tiredness, no giving up. Just pure adventure and excitement.

The stormy phase
This is probably the most difficult one because you're out on the sea, you have left sight of the shore and you are sailing to new lands. But storms are coming and you start seeing all the problems combined with you insecurities, your lacking knowledge and you have no idea how to get out there. You would like to hide from the storm. You feel like you can't take it anymore. You are tired from fighting against the waves. You are tired from getting water off your ship doing everything for it not to sink. It is cold, dark, stormy and it is easy to lose vision.
In this phase it is of utter importance to endure, to press through and fight through the tiredness, fight against your body and mind telling you to give up. You have to remember the reason why you sailed off in the first place, you have to remind yourself of that first flavour, that first time, the adventures and you have to remind yourself of the vision you have, the reason why you're doing all of this.

The settling phase
The storm is calming down, you start knowing what you're doing and things come easier. You learn to manage your time better and make quicker decisions. Your new position and responsibility start suiting and fitting you more. You are learning and discovering and taking it one step at a time. You see the goal ahead, you see the work and you just start where you are and keep going.

This last phase probably describes best where I am right now and how things are happening. It is a good phase to be in and I cannot wait for all the things which are ahead and the things yet to conquer and I will just keep on going.
It is funny because I used to laugh at my professor in university who said that when you start a new job as a manager you have to cut down everything else for the first three months. I thought he was so radical and didn't agree with him at all. And although to a certain extent I still disagree I can see now where he is coming from and what he meant.

But new lands are ahead. I have a clear vision and a heart beating full of excitement for all that's to come.

xoxo

Ramona

Stockholm, Sweden

Last week I spent a few days in Stockholm. I mainly went there for the Hillsong Europe Conference but also used the time to visit the city as I have never been there before.
This trip definitely turned into a culinary tour throughout the city as I wanted to check out as many restaurants and cafés as possible to see how they do it in another country in order to be inspired for Elemenz. So before I went I had contacted Emma from Emmas Designblog and looked through her Stockholm guide and we went to quite a few of her recommended places.
I have absolutely fallen in love with this city. It is so relaxed and beautiful with the cobblestones and the waterside. It was really fun to spend the time with friends and to experience it all together. It magnifies the whole experience and makes it really special.

 

 

And so with the map in our hands and winter coats on we set out into the city to explore. What I loved was being there in the Fall with all the trees in colour, the air crisp and the sky clear. We walked from the city center to the Old Town where we wanted to go to Stockholm's oldest Café which was done the way old Cafés in Vienna are. One more reason for me to go.

On our walk to the café we discovered the beauty of Gamla stan where one antique store follows another. We went from oohs to aahs every two minutes. We talked with the owner of one of the shops who told us about how he finds his antiques and about him almost meeting Prince Charles. That night we set out for an amazing meal at one of the places I had researched. The restaurant was called Gastrologik where we shared the most amazing meal. It was prepared with such delicacy and served beautifully.

This whole day was filled with so much fun and great conversation. Stockholm is not a gigantic city which I loved. It stilled felt like a small town and people were so friendly and open that they charmed themselves right into my heart already.

The next day we set out to the neighborhood called Södermalm where we enjoyed a great view over the city. There used to be a elevator up there but is was out of service. Apparently there used to be a law in Stockholm that prohibited buildings made of wood so the once remaining from the time before are special.

Of course I had set plan for a place to go for dinner also recommended by Emma. The lunch place was called Urban Deli and we all loved it! We loved the atmosphere, talked about Elemenz and really enjoyed the food and warmed up after walking in the freezing air for hours. From there we walked a few blocks to a café called Chokladfabriken where we just simply ordered 15 different pralines and all switched trying them whilst sipping on hot chocolate dark, light or light with marshmallows. The atmosphere there was so calm and relaxing and very stylish like apparently everything in Stockholm. I loved how things were really thought through and had a concept and a style to them like this window for a cheese shop. Just a simple cheese shop but it looked so much cooler than that (I mean cheese doesn't have to look cool it is simply amazing!)

 That night conference started and every break we would go outside, enjoy more amazing food or coffee or be like kids, running around, playing hide and seek. I actually loved that so much. I felt free and refreshed and inspired. I once read a quote that the creative adult is the kid that didn't grow up and that is really how I feel most of the time. I always want to have that childlike side to me, that running around, playing hide and seek in a city laughing until your belly hurts, stuffing each other with leaves kind of a person.

The trip to Stockholm was amazing and conference was so uplifting and exactly what I had needed. It felt like coming home from a bubble. A bubble in which I refreshed and was more than inspired. Now I am looking forward to the fullness of Fall. I am looking forward to all that's ahead and I can't wait to set foot into Elemenz tomorrow. I can't wait to see where it's going and what God's plans are for it because they are so much bigger than I can anticipate.
So for now I say farewell to the beautiful city of Stockholm which I carry in my heart now. I shall return to thee one day.

xoxo

Ramona

A modern Wedding with a Vintage touch

Most of you will remember this bridalshower we threw a couple of weeks ago for one of my best friends, Clarissa.
I was privileged to also be the wedding planner for her and last Saturday was the big day. The day Chris and Clarissa got married! And as promised I want to show you a few pictures and explain a couple of things when it came to planning this wedding.
When it comes to weddings or any kind of event it is very important to me that the whole concept works, that every little detail we plan in there makes sense and overall fits the concept, the colours and everything we wanted it to be. The other thing which is important to me is that the wedding/event represents the couple and their style, their personality and what they want.
So after a first meeting with the two of them I sat down and created a pinterest board for them where I continuously put in ideas for their wedding. The second thing I did was creating a inspiration board with colors so that we always had something to give to people contributing to this wedding.

The first two things to look for (after choosing a date of course!) are the venue for the reception and starting the design process for the invitations.
The concept we went with for the wedding was something very modern combined with vintage touches. This represents them both the most as Chris like things to be modern while Clarissa likes vintage playful designs.
As a reception venue they chose a building by Zaha Hadid which is here nearby. It is in a beautiful place surrounded by green, trees and an old gravel plant. The perfect mix for a modern wedding with vintage touches.
For me personally the invitations are one of the most important things in a wedding mostly because it is the first thing your guests will hold in their hands. It is the first impression of a wedding and it shows what they can expect.

The invitation design was done by the groom together with a friend who loves doing designs and he was also the one who drew the map for directions. We included little details like the letter Chris wrote to Clarissa for the engagement into the design to make it really personal.
When planning a wedding or any kind of big event the most important thing is to not get tangled up in all the little details which seem to come your way. It is important to keep an overall picture and to stick with the concept. Once you have that you exclude mostly everything else which doesn't fit with the concept. That helps you being really focused. For weddings I try to put the tasks and things to do in a time frame like 6-8 months before the wedding, 3-6 months, 1-3 months, 30 days before the wedding. That way I only complete tasks which fit into the time frame. For example flowers and decorations are something that is just fun to do and look at and be inspired from but I will not even start planning that until 3 months before the wedding because other things like finding a venue, a church and designing invitations are more important before that.  Of course while researching you find things you like and you pin them but it is just very important to stay focused and complete one thing after another.
When talking to vendors I find it very important to brief them the best you can. Show them pictures, communicate as much as possible so that you get the result you desire and your wishes fulfilled.
We are privileged to go to a church with a lot of very talented people. That is why a lot of the things were done by friends like all of the decorations, the cake, the make-up and the photography.
On top of that Clarissa's maid of honor is a very creative and talented person herself who came up with some great ideas for the night.
But now let's get into their big day and I will try to explain more details with the pictures.

Chris and Clarissa got married in a beautiful church on a hill in Haltingen. The church was probably built in 1139 and is very beautiful and warm from the inside. We kept the decorations very simple and used olive and pistachio leaves and lanterns on the benches. Instead of sitting on chairs the couple sat on a old grey bench surrounded by green plants and a big lantern at their side.
As it is tradition in our region they had a small standing reception right after the ceremony and then drove off to the reception place to take photos.

While the two of them were off taking pictures I used the time to take a few pictures of the decoration and set up before the guests arrived.

 As you can see there is a lot of concrete in the building and so we used wooden elements and very simple fresh flowers for decorations. The round gift tags were tied around the napkins and the favors were wrapped up in beautiful green and pink paper. Guests could put their gifts into a big suitcase. There were two stations for the guests: A desk to write them a card or a letter and a photo station (inspiration from here) where we took Polaroids and hung them up (similar to here).
After a while guests arrived and before they entered the venue we had another standing reception with snacks and drinks and two friends played the guitar and the cajon.

Everybody was just having a good time, taking pictures together or with the couple and hanging out outside on one of the probably last real summer days.
Then once everybody entered the venue it is always so important to me that everything is set, music playing, candles lit, atmosphere right.
And that is how it was - it was beautiful. The food was buffet style and the cake was made by a family friend who is amazing! It had three layers, one with chocolate, one with cream and one carrot cake which clearly was my favorite.

Then guest were asked to take Polaroid pictures and write to the couple, there were a few speeches and a lot of dancing later.

It was really just a great time with tons of fun and good food and friends and made the day really special for Chris and Clarissa.
I hope that this day was exactly what they had in mind for their wedding. I hope that when they think back and remember their wedding it will put a smile on their face. The cool thing is that they have all the Polaroids now to look at and marvel about that time together on a late Summer evening.

Now, if you have any questions about the wedding or how to's or anything, just leave me a comment and I will try my best to answer those questions.
Feel free to pin the pictures if you want to.

xoxo

Ramona