Yay! I have a cross stitch iPhone case!

I mentioned before that my über-generous husband gifted me an iPhone for Christmas. It would not be completely wrong to say that one of the reasons I was coveting one was so that I could get a cross stitch case for it. I had seen some very cool designs before (I liked this one, this one, and this one) and I was on the internet like a flash to order one for myself. 

It came ready with a few stitching charts and several colours of embroidery thread, but I decided to go with my own design. I chose me some matching colours from my thread stash and stitched a simple red heart on a background of multi-coloured stripes. The heart is a bit of a trademark of mine and the colours are some of my favourites. I really like how the case turned out. It even looks somewhat neat from the inside, which reminds me of chromosome code.

The only downsides to the case are that the rubber stretched a little bit while I was stitching and that the cotton now takes on the smell of my hands... The other day I was wondering were the garlic odour in the office came from until I realized I had used the phone to take a photo of my dinner the night before, for which I had minced garlic! Hm.

To make my design, I used 3 strands each of DMC shades 321, 413 3685, 646, 898, and 3345, plus Anchor shade 170 in addition to the yellow, blue and black thread that came with the case. 

I am now thinking of ordering a few more cases in different colours, just to have a bit more choice. I think it would be nice to be able to match my new obsession phone with my moods!

© Text & Photos - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated).

Nothing Like Being In A Bookstore

This wonderful little film was made by Sean Ohlenkamp and his wife Lisa. They "spent many sleepless nights moving, stacking, and animating books at Type bookstore in Toronto". 

I trained as a bookseller in Germany, and worked amongst books for 6 years. I miss it, and the video makes me happy. There is nothing like spending your days surrounded by floor-to-ceiling book shelves and knowing exactly were to find what your customers are in search of. 

I have to admit that I do order a lot of my reading material online now, but whenever I go and visit a shop, I am always filled with slight excitement while browsing the shelves, looking at the displays, just possibly finding my new favourite read! 

Hooray for real bookstores! Enjoy the video!

{via}

Lisa and Sean have books at home, too.

 © Text & Photos - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated).

Fine Tuning: Adam Cohen - Like A Man

Son of THE Cohen. Softer & a little more poppy. Still good.

{via}

HAPPY WEEKEND!

  © Text & Photos - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated).  

Sweet Rice & Pineapple Bake

I made this dessert for the dinner party that I went to for New Year's Eve. Marco and I were invited to my friend Abi's house and the party had been loosely themed by her. Mexico was the word. Abi asked me if I could bring a sweet. Churros and chocolate would have been lovely and quintessentially Mexican, but I would have had to fry them at the dinner, which I was not really too keen on. I wanted something that I could completely prepare in my kitchen and that could be served without any hassle. I bought two Mexican cookbooks right after Marco and I returned from our vacation there two years ago, and I found a suitable dessert in on of them. 

I decided to make Torta De Piña De Los Virreyes (Pineapple Cake Of The Viceroys???) from Diana Kennedy's The Art Of Mexican Cooking. Diana Kennedy is for Mexican food what Julia Childs was for French cuisine, so I trusted her taste when I read that she absolutely "fell for this one." She also writes that the dish will taste even better if made the day before, so that's what I did.
The dish had a texture similar to baked rice pudding, just a lot more fluffy from the egg whites, and a lot more moist from the fresh pineapple chunks. Raisins and nuts gave it a nice bite. It required to be doused in a sweet lime and cinnamon syrup before eating. To make this, the original recipe asks for piloncillo, which is raw cane sugar. I used the Indian equivalent, which is called jaggery and can be found in Indian grocery stores or a good supermarket. Don't be alarmed when you try this sauce on its own, it is strong! But it will flavour the rice beautifully and taste just perfect once you eat it all together. For the true spirit of Mexico, stick some flowers on your head, wear some dangly earrings and pretend to be Frida Kahlo, like I did... 

Sweet Rice & Pineapple Bake(adapted from Diana Kennedy - The Art Of Mexican Cooking) (Serves 8)
Need:
For the Syrup:
500ml water300g raw cane sugar, broken up1 cinnamon stick1 lime, juice and grated zest1 small pineapple, cut into very small chunks
For the rice mixture:
140g pudding rice280ml waterunsalted butter to grease the baking dish 30g blanched almonds, cut into slivers60g raisins5 eggs, separated30g pine nuts
1 tbsp icing sugar to dust
Do:
First, put rice and 280ml of water in a small pot, cover and bring to the boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat and leave to simmer for 10 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed and little craters start appearing in the surface of the rice. Stay near the pot to make sure it does not boil dry. Test rice is done, remove from heat, fluff up and set aside to cool.
To make the syrup, put the water, sugar and cinnamon stick into a saucepan and heat over medium while stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add lime zest, turn up heat and bring to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Turn heat back to medium, add the pineapple and cook until the pineapple begins to soften, about another 10 minutes.
Drain the pineapple, retaining the sugar mix. Discard the cinnamon stick and set pineapple aside in a big bowl to cool. Return the sugar mixture back to a high heat, add the lime juice and boil uncovered for about 15 minutes, until slightly reduced and syrupy. Set aside to cool until ready to serve.
Turn your oven up to 190°C. Grease a deep, medium-sized baking dish (approximately 25cm x 10cm x 5cm) Add the cooled rice, the almond slivers and the raisins to the pineapple in the big bowl and mix well.
Slightly beat the egg yolks. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they begin to stiffen and form very soft peaks. Fold in the egg yolks. Empty the egg mixture into the big bowl with the rest of the ingredients and gently fold under. The eggs will collapse a little bit, that is okay.
Carefully transfer the mixture into your prepared dish, sprinkle with the pine nuts and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes, until puffed up and golden. To check if the dessert is ready, slightly shake it, the egg mixture should no longer be wobbly. Set aside to cool. 
Leave in fridge over night if serving the following day, but bring back up to room temperature before portioning out.
Before serving, dust with the icing sugar. Pour a good amount of the syrup over each portion before eating.

© Text & Photos - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated).

Where I Am From

Thanks to Fourteen Countess for inspiring this post. Thanks to my family for shaping my identity. It's not always easy, but it is always memories.

I am from a workshop in the garage and a craft room in the basement, from cups of cold milk with Nesquik and a parade of Volkswagens. 

I am from the white semi-detached with the pretty front yard and the yellow windows. From the antique furniture, the wooden panelling and the oil paintings. I am from this house, filled with the sound of the radio and good intentions.

I am from the beech tree, the rock garden and the pond with the goldfish that the cat would watch every day. I am from the swing my father built and the sandpit and the fort. I am from swallows and gooseberries and lady bugs and pink clusters of flowers and frogs croaking in the night.

I am from sleepovers in my brother's room, from camping by the sea, cycle rides through summer meadows and candles on birthdays, from quiet strength, from Martha and Alfred and Lina and others that should be remembered.

I am from the treacherous relief that alcohol brings and a sense of justice that is not always fair. From I’ll give you something to cry about and from you should have done better. 

I am from baptism, confirmation and church visits on Christmas Eve. I am from the discovery that all of that is probably not for me, and from the search for alternatives.

I'm from the flat land of the German North, from wind and rain and sea gulls, green pastures, Holstein cows and the swell of the waves. I am from Poland, uprooted by a war. I am from a cornucopia of cakes, from family barbecues, a vegetable garden, M&Ms handed back from the front of the car and from homemade bread and health food stores.

I am from the man who refused to leave his home and instead found work in adverse conditions. From the woman who got up early every day to milk the cows, the family who lost almost everything in a house fire and the little girl that tied her sled to the farmer’s horse-and-cart. 

I am from old leather-bound photo albums kept on book shelves and from slides that come out when nostalgia strikes. I am from a variety of collections and a variety of relics representing forgotten hobbies. I am from jewellery chests, old clothes, old records and boxes of yet-to-be-sorted prints, from cramped attics with doll’s houses and from pictures hung in frames along the staircase. I am from the notion that there is a lot to preserve, I am from a point at which history stops or begins.

 © Text & Photos - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated). 

Shoes, Glorious Shoes

Life has taught me two things: 1) I will never be able to resist a cute shoe. 2) It is near impossible for me to take a good photo of a shoe while I am wearing it.
When it comes to shoes, I am an absolute girl. I love them! I have way too many, deposited in the hallway, the shoe cupboard and various wardrobes around the house. Still, I keep buying them. Here are my latest acquisitions, sorted by necessity and practicality.

This is a pair of shoes I actually 'needed'. I wear flats all year long, with jeans, and skirts, and pants and dresses. Flats are my go-to choice for comfort. I have a brown pair that I really like, but sometimes brown just doesn't do it, especially when you are trying to achieve a more smart casual version of comfort. I had been looking for a pair of black flats for over a year. Due to my distinguished taste and current fashion, I was not able to locate flats that were to my liking, until I found these at Jones Bootmaker in fall. It was love at first sight, but not at first size. I am wearing an 8, and none of the branches I checked in at had that in stock. Desperation! I contemplated on doing a tour of all the Jones stores in London but finally acted like the genius  that I am and asked in the branch near my office if they could try and transfer a pair from another shop. And they could! Happy ending.

I know these look like UGGs, but they're not, okay?! And even if they were, that would be alright with me. No hating! I had been flirting with this style for a while, but good gosh, were they expensive. Also, I already have a pair of boots. But not with sheepskin lining, you see?! So when I saw a friend wear a very similar-looking boot at a party, I asked her where she got them. The brand is Bronx, and my friend bought them last winter. Apparently Jennifer Aniston had a pair just like them. So I did not have very high hopes of still being able to find the style this season, but again, I got lucky. I found them available for mail order - at a discount. Again, they fit! Thank you, Next!

I love, love, love this shoe! It's made from a gorgeous tapestry fabric and has the most beautiful soft bow across the top! I've had this pair for a few weeks though, and am yet to wear it. It is winter and the weather is not really right for fabric shoes. I rarely dress up. I don't truly do well in heels. Why did I buy the shoes? Did I not mention they look like tapestry! Man, do I have to explain everything?! Plus, they were crazy reduced at Office. I could not bear the thought of them not coming home with me. Honestly, I'm quite happy just looking at them, stroking the fabric from time to time. I have them displayed on the dresser in the bedroom at the moment.

So that's it from me, the impulsive shoe lady. What about you? Are shoes just something that keeps your feet dry when it rains, or does your footwear tell a story? Do you ever buy shoes on a whim, or are you more controlled than I am? How many pairs of shoes do you own? Let's put it out there! 

© Text & Photos - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated).

Vancouver - Food

I hope you have eaten, because these photos make me hungry every time I look at them! One of the things that I most look forward to when I'm going to Vancouver is the food! That's in addition to hanging out with Marco's folk, the fresh air and the beautiful scenery, obviously! During our last visit we had quite a few family lunches and a big Thanksgiving dinner. On top of that, we went out to eat a lot, too.
There are many markets that offer fresh produce, giant Chinese grocery stores where you can buy life sea food, plus health food stores and cupcakeries. Every supermarket has bulk bins filled with everything from rice to gum drops. The quality of the fruit and veg that you can get is so much better than here in Britain. I already told you about La Casa Gelato, and what better way than trying 218 different flavours of ice cream could there be for enticing your taste buds?! You can find traditional diners, cool coffee shops (Vancouverites LOVE coffee!), Italian family restaurants and Pho kitchens, vegan eateries and Haute Cuisine. Whether you want junk or high class, you got it.
One of the most popular fast food joints is Tim Horton's, who are famous for their doughnuts. I cannot count the times that Marco and I have stopped at a branch after a day out, to get a Boston Cream and a coffee. There is a branch of diner chain White Spot that serves you your food in the parking lot, with the tray suspended from the rolled down car window. Apart from the big shots, there are many great small ventures, as well. There are root beer floats and huge plates of nachos and Poutine and pancakes and Eggs Benedict. And maple syrup, of course! 
What I like most is the great variety of Asian food available. What with the Pacific on the doorstep, the sushi can be delicious even at hole-in-the-wall type restaurants, and we go for at least one all-you-can-eat sushi pig-out fest every time we visit. In October we also tried Dim Sum and I loved it!
I hope you will enjoy this very small glimpse into what Vancouver has to offer for the serious eater. 
Bon appétit!

FOOD SOURCES:

{Mum-In-Law's}

{Tanpopo}

{Various Shops & Bars On Denman Street}

{Blenz}

{Umami Sushi}

{Tim Horton's}

{A&W}

{Fortune House}

{Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory}

{Sister-In-Law's}

© Text & Photos - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated)

Fine Tuning: First Aid Kit - The Lion's Roar

Have you heard of these girls?

A recent find, but an instant love.

Have a good weekend!

{via}

  © Text & Photos - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated).

Vancouver - October 2011

Hey! Guess what!? There are yet more photos of last October's trip to Vancouver that I have not shared yet. Today I am taking you round Stanley Park on the Seawall. I'll show you the skyline, totem poles, water planes, seals and a beautiful beach. I never tire of this city, so I am just gonna presume you don't, either... 

© Text & Photos - Annika - All The Live Long Day (unless otherwise stated).