Let’s get international

International marriages are great and special as long as they work. When they stop to work, they are hell.

If there are kids involved, it is a triple hell. And by international I don’t mean couples whose states share some national border.

A very good friend of mine has an ill child, was abused by her – still husband – and wants to go back home to USA to her family. Experiencing now hard core mobbing from somebody who was once everything to her. And as if that was not already hard enough.
Being alone in a foreign country, your whole family far far away. I met Sarah while she proofread some of my working papers, personally and professionally she was from the day one the best. We started to spend lunch breaks together, I baked something for a birthday of her son and she looked over my texts even after I stopped working there and she was not paid any more for that service from my boss.

After another sleepless night and looking like shit when we met, I organized her a new lawyer. My lawyer. She rocks. She rocks big time.
She will kick ass to that sadistic little piece of shit. My lawyer and I met in an animal shelter volunteering and since I did look and felt miserable she asked for a reason. The next moment I had my lawyer. Much later I found out that she is very expensive (I didn’t pay much) and is known to deal with those complicated divorced from upper high class. Upper high class lives in my city in hordes.

Sarah’s old lawyer was not useless, but was more for divorces like: hi I am Jane and hi I am Mike and we decided to divorce and Jane will take the cat and I will take cockroaches. Could you type this down and put a stamp on it.  Divorces like this.
I love my kick ass-lady-lawyer so much. I used to enter her office weeping and in tears and would come out 10 tons lighter and with a smiles on my face. I will see her again this weekend, because when volunteering at the christmas fair we always take our shift together and have immense fun. Besides she is specialized for divorces where one part is american citizen and she is on the official us-embassy list as one of the best lawyers in the country for familiy law. I didn’t know that until now, but my  friend could not be happier about it. And since Sarah is short with money too – working full time, taking care of disabled son and of everything else, she will have to pay only the amount she can afford. And won’t be sent to a cheaper lawyer.

Soon after her still husband got only one letter from the lady kick ass, he stopped – over night stopped – to call Sarah 30 times per day just to insult her, stopped to send her 30 text messages per day and started to think. To think that the shit just started to get real.

As much as I love Sarah and will miss her, I do wish for her to be allowed to go back home, to use help of her family and get some of her life back. Until then every shitty email he sends to her first lands in the mailbox of our lawyer-lady and then shortly after at the desk of the social worker. New social worker. The old one was her husband’s former wants to be again something and she manipulated the whole thing until it hurt to watch!
Old but still good movie dealing with issues like this is Not Without My Daughter.

Colours

White with white is eternal. As well as white and grey. Or black. But again, colour can work wonders.
Not any colour and not in every combination.
Show your colours! Or take this as an inspiration to create good fashion outfit! Or make up palette.

Design

Exquisite Oil & Vinegar Creations by 5 Olive Oil
You love your home, and you’ve carefully selected everything in it. Make sure at least one item on your kitchen shelves does your aesthetic vision justice—and that goes for your culinary pursuits as much as your interior. Extracted from the first cold press of some Greece’s finest olives, Five Olive Oil pours its beautifully coloured Koroneiki and Koroneiki-Athinolia blend oils into a Red Dot Design Award-winning bottle. Minimally presented in all ways but taste, Five Olive Oil brings the rich history of extra virgin olive oil to a design-savvy future.

Grit Stool by bartmann berlin
Soft felt can transform a room into a space for relaxation, where we can breathe again. The Felt Storage Baskets by Kreuzberg-based label bartmann berlin take stress and tension in stride, creating a more relaxed alternative to hard surfaces. The basket’s stainless steel frame and clear cubist form have a crisp, clean style, a classically modern look with an industrial chic edge. The felt basket with wooden bench top is the perfect place to store books, blankets, laundry, and to pack away the stresses of the workday: inner peace for the home.

Knob Hook by bartmann berlin, different colours
It only takes a few careful additions to transform a blank wall into a vibrant, living space, one that you can breathe in. In their Kreuzberg studio, the designers and carpenters behind bartmann berlin work to make home a welcoming place, and their Knob Hooks are designed to help. Each of the Knobs are poised to handle scarves, bags, and coats while adding a decorative element to the room. Produced by hand of solid ash wood, these playful pieces add a finishing touch to homes full of life.

Soft Triangles pillow Studio LileSadi

Rainy Days von Studio LileSadi

Rainy Days Table Cloth by Studio LileSadi

Magazine rack by we
It’s true that there’s a pure tactile quality to paper that will always be missing from digital versions, but unlike a virtual library, paper sure does create a lot of piles. Founded at the intersection of aesthetics, functionality, and craftsmanship by talented designer Wencke Barfoed, Danish label we creates minimalist storage solutions to keep old school reading material in line. The versatile label’s newspaper and magazine racks execute an expert simplicity in their fine lines, placing the unrivalled tangible nature of paper on display in orderly and stable stacks.

I would also use them to store living room blanket or pillow…

MEME Lab for MEME DESIGN
Analogous to a funny meme in your inbox, ideas in society replicate and spread from one mind into another. Holding the ambition to share its sharp ideas through design impressions, Italian label MEME DESIGN brings life to sheet iron with colourful and influential forms for its collections of contemporary furnishings. Made of 2mm thick powder-coated iron and with modern edges, the practical Round 1-4 Table by MEME Lab complements any space with an airy character and the clean lines of its stance—creative, dynamic and something to talk about.

Dann Sideboard by TemaHome
Sleek simplicity with a distinctly bold streak, Portuguese label TemaHome has spent over 30 years mastering the mix of passion, experience, and creativity behind each of its collections of inspired and timeless forms. One product of this innovative approach is the walnut wood Dann Sideboard by Rodolphe Castellani, which will make any living area a minimal work of art. Thanks to the open compartment and two sliding doors, electronics, magazines, vases, or any other small essentials can either be creatively displayed or subtly stowed away—pure design for style-conscious spaces.

Kinfolk special offer at monoqi.
If you love Kinfolk as much as I do, go grab a copy.

Stories are meant to be told and passed on from generation to generation, much like recipes. But stories need a vessel, otherwise they won’t be heard. Designed as a blueprint for a balanced, intentional lifestyle, Kinfolk preserves these tales and recipes in a beautifully bound, ad-free magazine printed in Canada on uncoated paper.

Modern

Design

Alpha Table Lamp by LJ Lamps. Cat proof! 75 eur. My last table lamp – RIP – was that for sure not.
When the studio is at home, the design that results is uniquely fit to bring light into private spaces. Frank Lenhart and Sascha Janowsky’s home décor designs are tested in their own apartment, giving their label LJ Lamps a leg up on how a piece can bring life into the room. The label’s luminescent creations include the Alpha Table Lamp—an intriguing concrete design with a felt surface on the bottom to prevent scratching and a textile cable. The modern piece was made by hand with precision and dedication, resulting in a unique luminary that shines a light on the fine pores of its stylish industrial material.

No, not a broken version of the first one.

Xmas Tree by Lovi, different colours.
Decorating the Christmas tree is a tradition and a pleasure—one that’s made even more exciting when you use an original alternative to tacky plastic trees or everygreens that drop their needles as quickly as you can say ‘eggnog’. The plywood Christmas Trees designed by Anne Paso for Finnish label Lovi are ready to be put together and artfully decorated by ambitious crafters without the need for tools or glue.

Large Serving Bowl by Magisso
Problems in the kitchen? Magisso understands. The Finnish label is on a mission to help you out with a clever range of user-friendly, stylish products that have been born of actual need—not what some marketing department dictates. Though Finland isn’t famed for its warm weather, the Finns still have the problem of food and drinks warming up too fast once they’re out of the fridge. Never fear, Magisso has a solution. After a short soak in cold water, this cooling ceramic Serving Bowl will keep its contents naturally cool for 2 to 4 hours. And can you chalk up your very own doodle on the outside. What more could you want?

http://youtu.be/dGPpv2Qsz3Q?list=UUBSuDDM-PPZ8wvlveIExfSw

Curved Dishcloth Holder by Magisso
The issue of where to store the damp dishcloth is even more annoying than the one about where to store the soggy sponge. Designed by Miika Mansikkamaa, this stainless steel, magnet-powered holder allows you to keep the offending object within easy reach while keeping things easier on the eyes.

Sponge Holder by Magisso

Cake Server by Magisso
Designed by Maria Kivijärvi and winner of a Red Dot Design Award, Magisso’s most renowned product is a wonder for anyone whose slice of cake always lands in a messy heap. With a gentle squeeze and lift of this stainless-steel server, your piece of cake will be evenly sized and upright every time—effortlessly avoiding those pesky arguments over the biggest portion.

No more fumbling around with a fork like you’re in a bad infomercial while trying to get a piece of cake, the Magisso cake server lets you easily slice a triangle shaped slice out of a cake and place it nicely onto a plate. Simply slice it by pushing down from the top of the cake, squeeze ever so slightly and transfer the cake to a plate with ease. Made of food safe plastic, is dishwasher safe, and comes in a plethora of colors for your choosing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGPpv2Qsz3Q#t=15

 

Ceramic Ice Bucket by Magisso

Sake Set by Magisso
After a short soak in cold water, this cooling ceramic Sake Set will keep the beverage inside naturally cool for 2 to 4 hours.

 

Tea Ball by Magisso
Looking for a small christmas gift what is something else than shower gel and body milk from the supermarket iaround the corner?