Donnerstag in Deutschland

Hello hello.

How are things going? Fall has started in Germany and I am not a fan. I I hate the rain season. Need to dig out my cute umbrellas again. Things have been pretty quiet over here. We've just been busy working and trying to plan out our Paris trip and my trip to New York. I've been looking at bridesmaid dresses online. I found one that I like at J. Crew but want to wait until I can try it on in person to see what size I should get. I borrowed a suitcase from a coworker and have already started packing for New York. We come back from Paris on the 29th and then I work on the 30th and then start trying to hop out on October 1st so I want to be as packed as humanly possible before we leave for Paris since I will have very little turnaround time to do laundry and pack.

We went bowling with a friend of ours on Sunday. She is the girlfriend of one of our good friends who PCS'd a few months ago, and this is our second time seeing her on our own without him, so it was nice to catch up with her and know that she still wants to see us even though he's not in Germany any more. It wasn't a particularly good day for any of us, but at least I broke 50. I know it sounds lame, but I quite literally suck at bowling and have bowled a 12 before. More than once. Glad that didn't happen again. Terry's goal was to break 100 and he managed to score exactly 100.

Yesterday was a hard day for me. It's always difficult being anywhere outside of New York on 9/11 especially since I was there that day and September 11th each year reminds me that I belong in New York more than anywhere else.

The bazaar started on base today. We went there today to check it out and to eat there. We like going there for dinner since that means we don't have to cook. I wanted to get some Polish Pottery and a Reisenthel shopping tote that clips into a shopping cart but wasn't really in a shopping mood. We wanted to get a pretty sign that said "Herzlich Willkomen" from a vendor there who would paint our last name on it, but she would not let us pay by credit card- technically against the bazaar policies- so we left. Maybe we'll come back and get it on Sunday. I also got an Etsy order today that I placed back in June. It shipped June 19th and only just arrived here today. It took so long that the seller refunded me on July 31st. I messaged the seller to let her know that it came in and asked her if she wanted me to pay for it. This is why you never send anything to an APO via First Class

Lynn- I found out from my boss that the tablecloth I got with the gold Star of Davids on it is the last one in the company. She's checking to see if they can get any more in or can get something similar.

Now we're watching Once Upon a Time. Trying to get caught up on our shows before the new seasons start. Are there any new shows you've heard of that we should know about? I'm debating painting my nails again. I painted them today but Terry doesn't seem to be too crazy the color. I wonder how he'll feel about navy blue.

Hope you're having a good week. Send more pictures of Zoe.

Confessions of a Lip Product Junkie

If there is one thing that you should know about me, it's that when it comes to lip products, I have issues, serious issues. I am a compulsive buyer when it comes to almost any and all lip products- gloss, balm, pot, tube, etc. I must have it. Currently, as I write this, there are no less than 6 lip products on my desk next to me. About 5 or 6 years ago, when a certain Tarte lip balm came out, I got on a waiting list (for freaking lip balm y'all- it took like 2 months to get it) for it because I had to have it. If I am ever out somewhere and I ::gasp:: forget a lip balm or gloss, assume that I will be hightailing it to the nearest store to pick something up. In the past few months I have amassed an ungodly average amount of lip products, and here are my winners and losers.

DermStore Lip Quench- 

A while back, my mother asked me to send her my Sephora wish list so that she could surprise me with some things. This was a rare instance in my life in which I didn't need anything, so I sent her a list of the lip products (plus one random nail file) that I had been wanting to try. This one made the list. As a product, in my honest opinion, it's not bad, but not fantastic either. What struck me the most was how ungodly expensive it was. It's no longer for sale on Sephora so I can't look up their price, but it is on the Dermstore site for $12. The tube is so tiny and the product comes out so quickly, that I just assumed it was one of those 100 point samples or something. All I can say is that I am really glad my mother bought this one for me because I would have been very disappointed in the size/amount of the product had I bought it myself.

eos Smooth Sphere Lip Balm-

Normally I am a huge fan of these. They are cheap, tasty, and work great. You get a lot of product for your money and the look on someone's face when they see you using is priceless. The Honeysuckle Honeydew is a staple in my book. Despite my mass collection, I managed to actually finish off this one. I purchased the Summer Fruit with high hopes for it. While it is just as moisturizing as all of the other eos smooth spheres, the smell of this one was just too much for me. It smelled/tasted overly sweet- kind of reminded me of melted gummy bears. No thank you.

MAC Viva Glam VI Lip Glass-

I purchased this one after Classic Annie raved about it on her blog. It did not disappoint. (Also- bonus points to MAC for having free shipping on any order. That is something that will turn me into a return customer.) It's a great shade that I love for evenings out.

Dior Addict Lip Gloss-

I was lucky enough to receive 5 of these brand new in 5 different colors for free. A coworker's niece works for a makeup store chain here in Germany and receives tons of makeup for free from companies. More than she can ever use. Coworker came in one day with 2 or 3 huge bags overflowing with makeup, perfume, lotion, etc. for us to go through and pick out what we want. I got 4 Dior Addict Lip Glosses, one Lip Polish, and one Skinflash Radiance Booster Pen. I like to think I made out like a bandit. Even without the freebies, Dior is one of my favorite makeup companies. These products are all great with wonderful colors and textures. Sadly, they do have the price tags to match, but if you are looking for a splurge, these can't be beat.

CHANEL Lip Gloss-

Chanel is my mother's go-to makeup brand and one of only two lip gloss/lipstick brands she uses. (The other being YSL- anyone care to guess where I get my expensive tastes from?) She purchased this lip gloss- color #69 (go on- make the joke, you know you want to) and gave it to me when I was back home in January. Holy amazingness. This really is one of the best there is. Thank goodness my mommy buys me lip gloss that I am too cheap to buy myself.

Vanilla Coke and Mezzo Mix Lip Smackers-

Proof that I don't only buy expensive lip products. Sometimes, all you need is the comforting scent of a Lip Smackers tube. I posted about the Mezzo Mix Lip Smacker previously (basically it's a German soda that's a mixture of Cola and Orange soda), and on our last trip to the supermarket, had to branch out and get the Vanilla Coke one also. I'm honestly not sure which one I like more. All I know for certain is that I will be buying quite a few of these before we leave Germany for good. To the best of my knowledge, they are only available in Deutschland. If you live here, you can pick them up for a whopping 1,99€ at DM, Real, Globus, Douglas, etc. If you don't, don't fret. I have a feeling some of these may be a giveaway very soon.

Josie Maran Argan Love Your Lips Hydrating Lipstick-

Ironically enough, I am not a huge lipstick person. Maybe it's because I can never find the right color for me, or the texture, I just don't know. Give me a tinted lip balm or some nice lip gloss any day. When I saw the beauty vlog that Blair's Headband and Teddi, Set, Go! did, I was intrigued when Teddi mentioned this lipstick and knew I had to try it. I added it to my Sephora wish list and my mother bought this for me in an "I Miss You" moment. (See a theme here? This is what happens when you are an only child and live in a different country from your mother.) If you can see from the picture, it's essentially a lipstick core with a lip balm outside. I got it in Happy Honey (pictured) which is a perfect neutral and is not as dark as it is in the picture. The texture of this is amazing.

Clinique Chubby Stick in Super Strawberry-

To be perfectly honest with you, I'm not really sure why I bought this one, but I am glad I did! It is kind of like a giant colored pencil or a crayon and is so fun! The color is super strawberry and it's a bit bolder than what I normally go for, but I really like it. Again, feels like a balm and is a great color.

Rosebud Perfume Co. Rosebud Salve in a Tube-

Of course I've used Rosebud Salve for years. Obviously. If I can be honest here, I am not a huge fan of rose-scented products in general and I much prefer this balm's cousin, the Strawberry Lip Balm. I am pretty much a sucker for anything strawberry. See above. 

I was curious about the lip salve in a tube so I added it to my Sephora wish list. Mommy purchased it. It's just as nice as the original balm which really is a classic, but I think I still prefer the tin. No real reason- just personal preference.

L'Occitane Shea Butter Mango Flower Lip Balm-

In my opinion, L'Occitane is up there as one of the top skincare brands. There isn't a store that's close to us (I think the closest one is in Frankfurt, but it seems like every time we go to Frankfurt, the store is closed) so when we were in Brussels and there was a store on the Grand Place, I went in to get some more hand cream (one of the best products ever) and I saw this at the register. It smelled nice so obviously I had to get it right then and there. I am sad to say that I am almost out of this one. Maybe when we're in Paris, I can get more.

Bite Beauty Superfruit Butter- 

My latest Sephora purchase. I am impressed so far. It is not cheap, but feels amazing and the packaging is also so luxurious and nice. The little specks look like they would feel rough and scrubby, but they are not at all. I love how smooth and creamy it is. Definitely worth the price tag.


So now that you've read all about my favorites (and least favorites), I have to ask, what are some of your products? Obviously, I need more like I need another hole in my head. 






**Disclaimer** This is not a sponsored post. All of the items in this post were either purchased by me using my own money or received as gifts. I have received no financial consideration from anyone for this post, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Donnerstag in Deutschland

Shana Tova! Hope your year is off to a good start. Saturday, Terry and I went to the wine festival in Bernkastel and met up with some friends there. We went on a boat and watched the fireworks. We ate a lot of yummy treats- potato pancakes, fire roasted salmon on a brötchen, a cheese skewer with grapes, sugared almonds, chicken satay. thank goodness kosher calories don't count! 6 bottles of a 2008 Riesling followed me home. I have good taste. Sunday, we just spent the day hanging out at home and ordered a pizza. Monday I had to work which was pretty fun since because of a German law, I got paid double. Yay. I spent the rest of the week getting ready for Rosh Hashanah. I made 3 honey cakes, an apple cake, a honey cream cheese dip, sugar cookies, and a salmon horseradish spread. We ordered bagels from a kosher bakery in Berlin. We brought all the food over to our chapel and had a pot luck meal after services. Today we did services in the morning and then I worked.  Now we're eating pierogies for dinner and watching How I Met Your Mother. Not much excitingness over here this week. Told you our lives are boring.

Rabbit Rabbit

Rabbit Rabbit!

Happy September!

Some things I am looking forward to this month:
*Rosh Hashanah- the Jewish New Year starts on Wednesday night. We are ordering kosher bagels from a bakery in Berlin and I am making sugar cookies and challah and some dips/spreads to take to our congregation for a communal meal after services.
*Terry's birthday- my husband is turning 29 this month. He asked me not to get him anything and to instead take him out for a really nice dinner in Paris, but I have to do at least something. Plus, a newly married friend and her husband will be in Frankfurt on his birthday. We were not able to make it back to the States for their wedding, so we are excited to see the newlyweds in person!
*Jimmy Buffett concert- September 26th, Jimmy Buffett is performing a concert in Paris and we were lucky to be able to get tickets. We both love Jimmy Buffett and even danced to his music at our wedding (but that is a story for another day). I saw him once in concert in Virginia and T has not seen him perform at all so we are both over the moon excited for this! Fins up!
*Of course it just wouldn't be a trip to Paris without some of this:

Looking at their website, it looks as if there are two new flavors that I simply must try- Pink Pepper and Gingerbread in addition to my beloved Salted Caramel macarons. Also I had one of the tastiest (and not to mention priciest) salads of my life at the Ladurée in Paris and London. A salad topped with smoked salmon and caviar y'all. So tasty. There will of course also be a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower and lots of baguette and croissant eating.

In addition to everything that I have going on this month, today marks 6 weeks until I get to watch my best friend say "I do" and become a Mrs. I am so thrilled for her and her fiancé and can.not.wait. (And no, I do not yet have a bridesmaid dress.)

I managed to plan out my trips so well that right after I get back from Paris, I have precisely two days to unpack, work, do laundry, and repack before G-d willing getting standby seats on a flight to the States. Oof.

Wishing you lots of luck and fun and excitement for the month of September!

What are you most looking forward to this month? And dear G-d, please don't mock/tempt me by saying Pumpkin Spice Lattes.

New Blog Feature- Donnerstag in Deutschland

This is a weekly email that I send to T's parents about our slightly mundane and uninteresting lives. (Some weeks are more interesting than others.) It started out slightly as an inside joke in the family and now we've all taken it a bit seriously. I thought it might be fun to post these on the blog as well. Enjoy. (I most of y'all are not in Deutschland, but feel free to post about your weeks and your Donnerstags, Thursdays.)
*************
Currently as I write this, I am sitting on our patio drinking a fruit beer from Belgium and eating a banana ice cream treat that has an edible peel. A. May. Zing. G-d bless German engineering. Overall it's been a pretty quiet week over here. Tuesday, Terry's squadron had a Commander's Call and since I'm Key Spouse I got to go. It was pretty boring especially since I speak Civilian and not acronym. He was nominated for NCO of the Month but didn't win sadly. (I was totally ready to take 101 celebratory pictures with my iPhone.) Wednesday, my boss was out sick and since I've worked there the longest pretty much, I got to be in charge. It was fun letting my bossy side out. We booked our train tickets to Paris but still have to figure out how we are getting back. By taking the train from a border town in France instead of Kaiserslautern, we save about 70-75€. Also Vera Bradley had a 59% sale yesterday so I was able to buy the travel bag I've been wanting for my trip in October for super cheap. Score. Today Terry took leave which means he gets to enjoy a 5 day weekend. There was a Stolpersteine laying today in front of 8 homes in Kaiserslautern so we went to that along with our Rabbi. It was very nice and touching but we missed most of it since it was mostly in German and we could only make out key words such as Nazi, Gestapo, Auschwitz, etc. For two of the homes, the children survived and their children came from France and the U.S. to witness it. Very moving. In total, we walked about 6 miles (and got a 15€ parking ticket in the process. Oops.). Afterwards, we got lunch and iced tea downtown and went to the grocery store. (The place we ate lunch in had a Hello Kitty gelato flavor and I asked for a taste. Hello Kitty apparently tastes like yogurt with a strawberry ribbon and white chocolate shavings. Wonder how they came to that conclusion.) Dinner tonight was salmon filets in a garlic sauce on the grill and rosemary-garlic potatoes on the grill. Terry is going to lose to me in a round of Jeopardy while we finish our beers then we will most likely head back inside to watch Royal Pains.

x's and o's,
-Masha


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Loving Lately

Here are a few things I'm currently loving.

Mezzo Mix Lip Smacker-

Mezzo Mix is this amazing tasting German soda that is a mix of Cola and Orange soda. When a friend posted this on her facebook, I knew I had to have it. I bought this for 2€ at our grocery store and I can't get enough of it! I may have to buy a whole case of these before we leave Germany.

J. Crew Factory Warmspun Intarsia Hen Sweater-

How cute is this?

Vera Bradley Grand Traveler-

I am finally heading back to the States in October (can.not.wait) and since I am flying solo this time and don't have a husband to schlep all of my things for me, I have been looking at getting a spinner suitcase and a travel bag that functions as a large carry-on that has a trolley sleeve. I am borrowing a suitcase from a friend and will be purchasing a Vera Bradley Grand Traveler for myself before my trip.

Lego Salt and Pepper Shakers-

Our first winter in Germany, Terry and I spotted these in the Lego store in Frankfurt. I love cute, quirky, fun salt and pepper shakers and fell in love with these. I mean, you can stack these two! And they were only 5€! My husband being the party pooper said no and that maybe he'd get them for me for Hanukkah. By the time Hanukkah rolled around, they were sold out in every single freaking Lego store in the whole entire world. Way to drop the ball on that one. He frantically tried scouring eBay but they were going for obscene amounts on there. I can not justify paying $25-30 for something that originally cost $5/5€. I randomly decided to go on the Lego website recently and I discovered that they are back baby!!! Can't wait until they get here.

this adorable Ibis commercial-

Ibis, a European budget hotel chain, put out this commercial recently. They put 30 bunnies in a room on the top floor of their London hotel and filmed them just being cute and doing bun-ish things on top of a fluffy bed. I dare you to watch this without saying "awwwwwwwwwwwww." It really does make me want to stay in an Ibis now.

New York State Necklace from Prep Obsessed-

When I first saw that Prep Obsessed started carrying state necklaces, I knew I had to have one. In case the Lilly Pulitzer New York city Murfee scarf and bangle and New York Yankees baseball cap didn't make it blatantly obvious where I'm from, I had to get this as well. Can't wait to get mine. (If you would like to get one of your own or anything else from Prep Obsessed, you can use coupon code PGMW for 10% off your order.)

Monogram Salt & Pepper Shaker set from C. Wonder

I'm pretty sure this was designed specifically with me in mind.

What are you loving lately?

not a Viking

I posted earlier this month about participating in the Viking Challenge. It is an annual event held here on base. It is a 24 hour team walk to raise money for the Fisher Houses.  Since I first heard about it, I wanted to participate. For various reasons (travel, inability to find a team with empty spots in it, etc.) I couldn't participate the past few years. When a friend of mine posted on facebook that she was organizing a team, I jumped at the chance to join! I got so happy and excited. I fundraised as much as I could and I even got my mother-in-law to send us decorations and fun accessories for the day of. I could not wait to participate.

This past weekend, Terry and I went to Nuremberg for the weekend. On Saturday, I woke up with both of my feet swollen and developed a rash that started around both ankles and went up my legs. It was so painful and hard for me to walk that we ended up having to cut our trip short and didn't get to see all of the World War II sights that we wanted to. After seeing my doctor on Monday, I was told to rest and keep my feet elevated and to stay off them as much as possible. I was hoping that by tomorrow, I would be well enough to at least walk a few laps. The rash has thankfully gone away but unfortunately, after being out today, my feet have started to swell up again, and I had to come to the painful realization that I just can not walk tomorrow.

I am proud of all of the work that I've done in fundraising and am very grateful to all of my friends and readers who have donated in support of me. I know that this was something that I could not have planned for and did not do on purpose, but I can't help feeling like I'm a failure and that I let my team down.