this week's study struggles

source: diethoroscopes.tumblr.com

This week has been the most stressful of this whole Uni semester. Papers to write, exams, talks, statistic homework and a lot of studying for next week's exams. I didn't even have time to be at my friends' wedding and I am stuck in the books all of the time. It's starting to get me down, but I have to push through. Five more days to go until the big exams are on. I can do this.

Sorry for not posting at all this week, I'm just using my time to study - or sleep. Or meet some friends for a quick coffee inbetween. Nothing more. Promise, in July there will be more fun on this blog again.

Until then: good luck to all fellow students for their exams! 

Or as Ben Howard would sing: "Keep your head up, keep your heart strong!"

sleepy me

Sunday inspiration

My 25th birthday was one week ago and I can't believe how happy I am to be twentyfive. It might be just a number to some, but to me it's a special number standing for moving forward and finding my way to where and what I want to be.
There are so many social aspects of coming closer to the "big thirty": friends are getting married or having children. I am somewhere completely different, struggling which Master to pick for my future, but that's okay. That's my life.

My usual Sunday morning routine is to grab my shoes, go outside to get the weekend newspapers, get back in, put some good music on, prepare breakfast and enjoy that with my boyfriend or on my own, reading the papers. A very relaxed kind of day and probably my favorite out of the week - if there can be one?! :)
One of my favorite things to do after I've devoured all the travel essays and articles in the newspapers, to browse on instragram or tumblr. (You can find me on insta over there and here on tumblr.)

Here I want to share some of my favorite inspriational pictures or quotes with you today, may they inspire you for new ideas and aventures for the future! ;)

found on sevenly.org

by Hannes Beer

katiedaisy.com

Latte Design (etsy.com)

by Project Type (etsy.com)

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Festival Summer 2014

Due to my study&work obligations I will not be able to go to one of the following festivals, but one can dream! My music taste is completely mixed up* and you will find a lot of different bands and musicians I like and appreciate in this post. Also, the new and upcoming bands are usually playing on Summer festivals, so it's a good opportunity to discover some new music :)

Basically, it's like making plans for going to a festival (without going really).
  *explanation for this is simple: music is my kind of drug ;)
Come on, follow me...


Glastonbury Festival (25th to 29th of June)

If I ever get tickets for this festival, I will start a dancing riot, seriously! It's one of the biggest music festivals in the world, and it takes place near Pilton, Somerset, in england. In addition to musicians it also hosts dance, comedy, theatre, a circus and other arts. It has been held intermittently from 1970 to 2014.
It won several awards for 'event of the year' and 'best festival', basically there are not enough words of my adoration for this.

The line up is so big that it doesn't fit in this post -> here you have the official overview

My favorite picks: Arcade Fire, Lily Allen, Jack White, The Black Keys, Foster the People, Jake Bugg, The Subways, White Lies, MIA,
Anna Calvi (I saw her when she supported Nick Cave&the Bad Seeds - great great voice!),
Lykke Li (my Swedish heart beats for her music - I saw her on a Swedish festival called 'Peace and Love' in 2008 and 2009, she's amazing!),
Crystal Fighters (my favorite Summer band of 2012), MGMT, Hozier, Johnny Flynn, Annie Mac, Foxes, Stromae, Mo

Songs, which I would love to hear at Glastonbury, when the sun goes down:



Be mine, be mine, be mine little rock'n'roll queen! (The Subways)

Lykke Li - No Rest for the Wicked



T in the Park Festival (11th-13th of July)
The first headline act that was announced were The Arctic Monkeys. They will close the festival on Sunday. Unfortunately, this festival has a dangerous underground problem: gas pipes from the 40's are right underneath the field where it takes place. My favorite radio station (bbc radio1) is also present with the radio1 stage. I assume they will also stream or record a few sets during the festival!

The lineup:

Who would I like to see:
Bastille, Haim, Chvrches, Paolo Nutini, Rudimental, Ben Howard, The 1975, John Newman, Nina Nesbitt, Clean Bandit, Ella Eyre, George Ezra (!his Budapest song is just. damn. brilliant.), Example (like him since the beginning), Franz Ferdinand (long time, no see), London Grammar, Kodaline, Sam Smith, Passenger, and so many mooore!

New bands: you can find a really good summary (over here)

Songs which I'd love to here live at T in the park: Ben Howard - Only Love




Rudimental - Waiting All Night (ft. Ella Eyre)



and of course:  Arctic Monkeys - Brianstorm





Reading (&Leeds) Festival (22th-24th of August)
Reading and Leeds festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend.
The Reading Festival is the original and senior of the two, it's the world's oldest popular music festival still in existence. The genres are wide spread: Rock, indie rock, alternative, heavy metal, punk rock

I would love to see there:  Vampire Weekend, Blood Red Shoes, The Hives, The Horrors, The Kooks, Klaxons, Peace and Macklemore&Ryan lEWIS

Songs I would like to experience at this festival live:

Macklemore&Ryan Lewis - Can't Hold Us



The Hives - Walk Idiot Walk (also saw them in Sweden, they have some energy, let me tell you!)






There are so many music festivals going on during Summer - which one would you like to go to?
What is your favorite music festival memory? Let me know in the comments :)

How I keep stress at bay - five tips

These days are a crazy whirl wind of exam study stress, holiday ideas, Master applications and internship talks. Add a 38 heat wave to that and some time to soak in the sunshine, I can't complain really. The only thing I regret is saying "no" to an invite to go to New York with my boyfriends' family. 

Sometimes I have to push myself out of my pre-set standards and kindness way of thinking. Doesn't mean I have to be mean or rude, but rather evaluate certain situations more and appreciate an offer like that - who know when it will ever come again!

While J is on the plane to New York, I am 'stuck' in the hot city mess of Vienna. University chaos all around me. My table is literally full of papers and study cards, difficult to find the right keys on my notebook's keyboard, ay. In Austria, the Summer term at Uni ends with the last day of June. So June is, although it's my mum's and my birthday in there as well, a stress ball.

What do I do to stay focused and don't get overwhelmed by everything in a very stressful month like this?

First, I use breathing techniques. I have went to a budhism grounded mindfulness meditation class last Winter and it taught me a lot about being in the moment and letting thoughts be what they are without judging. I have adopted meditation into my routine as well as some workouts or running two or three times a week in the morning.

Second, be around people you like and who like you. Don't let yourself be distracted by negative and whining people, they are energy suckers, literally! If I feel overwhelmed with a project or work or had a bad day, I try to make more time with my friends and family. They keep me grounded and they are the most fun people to be around!

Third, find some time for yourself every week. Just keep one evening reserved for yourself. For me that's every Thursday, but it can be any day, just what suits you best. Go and eat at your favorite restaurant or take a hot bath or read a book.

Just enjoy the moments of being after a day of rushing around and making sure that you met all important deadlines. Or go on a walk, take a ride on your bike and enjoy some Summer sunshine. We all work enough indoors, it is important to get some vitamin d as well! :)

Fourth, I keep a list of my favorite songs on the go on my phone to cheer me up on long train rides or while waiting around for the next lecture to start. They also act like a safety net if something went wrong and I get moody, turn up the music and dance, dance, dance! 

And last, but not least, I like to enjoy some fruits and veggies every day and really take time to eat. Hectic eating can result in reflux or stomache problems and it is important to me to have time for a good breakfast, lunch and inbetweeners like fruit snacks or a yummy sandwich. This one is the hardest point for me, because I tend to forget time when I am in a study session. Sometimes I plan my meals ahead, sometimes I use time in the evenings to cook and wind down.

I wish you a wonderful week! Let me know what your favorite routine or tip is to keep cool in stressful and hectic times?

#Vienna places: danube canal

As you might know, I am living in the main capital of Austria: the beautiful Vienna
The last few days the sun has spoilt us with it's grace and the dazzling-blue sky is the first thing I notice every morning on my way to Uni.

Although my life is basically a lot of exam stress and organizing my birthday party (I will turn 25 tomorrow, woof!), my boyfriend and I took some time to stroll along the Vienna danube canal (german: Donaukanal). It is a former arm of the river danube and now regulated as a water channel. It also borders Vienna's city centre and has a lot of nice restaurants, clubs and bars to offer (Stranbar Herrmann, Flex, Badeschiff, just a few to mention). We just sat by one of the landing stages and watched ducks swimming by. There is always a cool, easy breeze going on and it is perfectly matched with a watermelon icecream in your hands ;)

Come on, take a walk with me!

Absolutely digging my new sneakers, I have looked everywhere for them. And big shoe envy of my boyfriends' shoes, haha Absolutely love pointed shoes on men, I don't know, maybe it's a Swedish thing to wear them? At least I have seen several of my Swedish friends wearing them or similar ones :)


In case you wondered what one of my window's view looks like - there you go (you better put on some sunglasses before you look at it ... BRIGHT! ...)

Have you ever been to Vienna? What did you do?
If you haven't been here - what do you know about my city? I'm curious! Let me know in the comments :)

>> Happy bank holiday weekend everyone!

#artspiration 2: Vincent van Gogh

The next artist in this weekly art inspiration roundup is no less than a well known one: Vincent van Gogh. He was a post-Impressionist painter of Dutch origin, whose work had a big influence on 20th century art.

Colors & form: He is known for using complimentary, contrasting colors which he used to intensify certain aspects in his work. He is also well known for a unique brushstroke: one that was rapid with thickly painted strokes laid closely together.

When did I first notice his work: When I was 15, my family and I went to New York for a one week holiday. We went to the opera, the cinema and various museums. In Museum of Modern Art I saw the first "real" van Gogh painting, which I will never forget: It is called "The starry night". It depicts the view outside of his sanatorium room window. I was literally standing there for fifteen minutes just staring at the picture. It is electric and fascinating, I absolutely adore it! It is also among his best known paintings and marks an important turn towards greater imaginative freedom in his art.

The Starry Night (MOMA, New York)

The Red Vineyard

The Sower

Road With Cypress And Star

Self-Portrait

The Café Terrace on the Place du Forum, Arles, at Night

Quotes:
He wrote about The Night Café: "I have tried to express the idea that the café is a place where on can ruin oneself, go mad, or commit a crime."

"If you hear a voice within you say "you cannot paint", then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced."

"I keep on making what I can't do yet in order to learn to be able to do it."

magpiepaperworks.com

The Night Café

White House At Night

Biographical:
He had only sold one painting during his brief career.
He created many self-portraits during his lifetime. He painted himself 37 times between 1886 and 1869.
Van Gogh alternated between fits of madness and lucidity in his late stages and was sent to an asylum for treatment. He cut his ear off in one of his fits (a replica of his ear is currently shown in a German musem)

He shot himself at the age of 37.


Why do I like his art:
I like the way he puts emphasis on the color combinations like "there is no blue without a yellow and orange" and emphasizes the beauty of life. His brush stroke is, simply put, genius to me. It's sad and a real tragedy that he couldn't get any recognition for his work during his lifetime. Maybe if he had, he would have had more time to paint...


>> Have you ever seen a Van Gogh painting or exhibition? Do you have any favorite paintings or memories connected to him? 

Missed opportunity. (a story)

Opportunity. A possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances.

When I met you, it felt like meeting an old friend. Sympathy, from the start. Add your big smile and the way you played your guitar - my heart still melts when I think about the moment.
Your band prepared for the gig and I just sat backstage next to you, assisting your manager whenever she needed help. Since there was not much to do for me, I started pestering you with questions. Somebody mistook me for being Swedish, because I used a few Swedish swear words I picked up from the boys last Summer. You laughed. Oh boy. When I felt that smile of yours, it clicked. Like literally made a click sound in my head. My heart subscribed to you in one second.
The weird thing is that it didn't felt like it was strange that we met or got along so well. You even said it yourself, later in the night: "I really like you, you are different than the others. I don't know why, but I like being near you."

When your gig was over, we went to the next place for the after party. You forgot to buckle up. Well, I did that for you, which you didn't like. "Hey, what are you doin-", you protested. The next sentence just cut the row of meticulous moments: "I have a girlfriend." Dang. That stung.
Then you told me how you just got together two days ago and you chased her for such a long time, you didn't even know if you're after her or the chase itself. I just listened and kept my distance.
Wrong timing, one might say?
But it didn't end there.

When we came to the apartment, where the party went on and you guys actually stayed, I started getting hungry for two. I started making ham and eggs at five in the morning. You stood by my side the whole time. "I can help you", you said and asked at the same time: "But please, don't make me eat it, I don't want to get fat." Still laughing about this, because you were actually thin as all Swedes I've met are.

The music was loud, people were dancing and making out in the living room. The clock was ticking. I knew I should get home, there was nothing left for me to do. Plus, I felt uncomfortable feeling so attracted to someone like you. Not that you weren't special. You were damn special and attractive. But you were in a relationship. And I don't get in the way of that. I may be naive, but not ignorant.

Before I found my bag and jacket, tiredness overcame my body and I asked the apartment owner if I could lay down for a moment. I crushed on the couch in the middle of the party living room.
Suddenly people started leaving, the party was over. Somebody turned the light off and people went to sleep on the couches and the floor. Half asleep I put a blanket over my shoulders, when I heard someone right next to me. "It's him. He is there. He wants to talk to you." My brain started racing as if only to survive the built up tension between us. "I'll take my pants off now. Don't do anything silly.", you said. My head moved and looked at you, your grin was beaming in the dark. I muffled a "yeah, okay" and fell asleep again.
When I woke up again, it was 2 in the afternoon, you had your arms around my waste and we were spooning. My head was so dizzy. "Where am I? Who am I sharing the blanket with?" - Then I remembered. Everything. A whole truck of crazy feelings got dumped on my heart. Holy shit. "It's him."

I haven't met you again.
But I will never forget that night or the morning after, when you played Banana Pancakes and smiled in silence across the coffee table.


And this is how it starts. Missed opportunity.
he's got a girlfriend anyway. a girlfriend anyway. 

Sometimes you pop up in my dreams when I thought I've forgotten you ... it's a spinning world.
If you were back in this town in a second universe, I'd love to meet you, any day.