. back . or so .

Hello,

I pretty much have been absent these past few months. I simply had nothing to write about. I'm still not sure I have anything interesting to say. I came back to South of France, to my parents, after a year away in Minnesota. It was such a personal and professional enrichment, a vibrant year, where I learned a lot about myself, made some real good friends, saw amazing places and fell in love with cities... 

All this makes the return real weird. I don't know what is my next step, I don't know what I want, I don't feel like doing what's expected of me anymore, I want change and creativity, I want life. I love moving around but sometimes I'd like to settle, though I have no idea where.  There are so many places I am linked to in some way, so many other places I would like to discover. How does one decide that kind of thing?

Friends are getting married, babies are on their way, other move in together, and here I am, trying to embrace that late twenties single life - this hasn't changed forever-, going to cantastorie concerts in a church or making salted butter caramel paste...

Sounds kind of lame, but it's pretty good after all. I don't have nothing to worry about, some people don't have that chance in life.

Hopefully I'll be more active and inspired in the future.

To whomever reads this. Take care. Love. Nina

. absence .

I have been away form blogging for quite a while now. A couple of things have been going on around here. I applied for an internship in the U.S, got accepted and then moved out of my appartment. I'm living with friends until I leave Paris and my time have been all taken by paperwork nightmare...

. t i m e .

I rarely post photos of myself, but today I think I can :-)

 1989

 2010

 2011

2012

2013

2014

 Today!

. le pain quotidien .

My friend Léa processed one of my B&W roll.

Back in november(?) I baked some leavened seedy bread, here's the process:

Recipe:

500g plain flour

1tsp salt

2 tbsp dry leaven (yeast)

seeds to your taste ( I put sunflower, linen, pumpkin seeds)

350ml lukewarm water

•In a large bowl combine all elements and knead until you obtain a flexible but non sticky dough.

•Let it rest for about 50 minutes under a humid cloth.

•Chase the air from your dough and put in your baking pan.

•Let it rest under a cloth for at least 1 hour in warm place (on top of a radiator for example or next to the fire place).

•Pre-heat your oven at 220ºC and bake your bread for 45 minutes then lower the heat to 180ºC and bake until you get a nice golden crust and baked inside (if you pick a knife in the bread and it comes back clean it is ready).

•Let it cool for a bit and enjoy a slice with butter...

* Simple pleasures *

Pour les frenchies:

500gr de farine de blé complet AB
1c.à.c de sel
2 c.à.s de levain bio (épeautre ou blé) AB
Des graines (tournesol, lin, courge...)
environ 350ml d'eau tiède

• dans un saladier combiner tous les ingrédients et pétrir à la main jusqu'à obtenir une pâte souple mais pas collante.

•Laisser reposer environ 50 minutes sous un torchon humide.

• chasser l'air de votre pâte et former votre pain (j'ai utilisé un moule à cake) puis laisser gonfler pendant une bonne heure couvert dans un endroit chaud (près du radiateur/poële ou au soleil)

• cuire dans un four pré-chauffé à 220ºC pendant environ 45 minutes, puis baisser la température à 180ºC jusqu'à ce que ça soit cuit (croûte bien dorée et l'intérieur non collant: piquer avec un couteau pour vérifier, s'il ressort propre c''est que c'est bon)

• laisser tiédir et déguster avec une bonne couche de beurre...

. fake insta two .

Vincennes - Montreuil - april 2014

. fake insta .

My phone would not allow me to post on instagram, but I can still use the app to transform some shitty iphone3 snaps...

Spent the most lovely day with S., A. and M.

 [heart]

A favorite place around my neighbourhood, looks like we are in Mexico or California!

 

Vincennes - Montreuil - april 2014

. new .

Here comes the time, when you make resolutions for the new year. I actually rarely make any, but this year, i'll have one to focus on: be positive. 

I wish you all a happy new year, full of friends, emotions and adventures! 

May your dreams come true. 

Love.

This photo is from last summer in Procida, a small island near Naples. 

I just got a roll developped, so you'll see some more sunshine in the next days...

. Goodbye Madiba .

My grand-mother left us a year ago today. She was a role model for me and many others, just as Nelson Mandela who passed away yesterday. Learn from your ancestors and pass it over to the next generations... 

 

" Personne n’est né avec la haine pour l’autre du fait de la couleur de sa peau, ou de son origine, ou de sa religion. Les gens doivent avoir appris à haïr, et s’ils peuvent apprendre à haïr, ils peuvent apprendre à aimer car l’amour jaillit plus naturellement du cœur humain que son opposé." 

  

"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

R.I.P Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.

. short and long .

Hello, hello, it's been so long. Yes, i know, just can't find no time for nothin'... Only today in my life's despair, i decided to cut my fringe off and straighten my hair, to see how it'd look. There is this very cute little haidresser in rue Mouffetard, so i gave it a go. Hope you like it. x

. monday .

hello, i'm back from a two weeks break in the south. One week of holidays spent mushroom picking and seing friends. The second spent working on a music project, singing with our vocal quatuor Alinéa 4 and the band I Fratelli Tarzanelli. We created, invented and reworked 9 songs that we recorded for a soon to be pressed cd. It was an incredible, fulfilling yet exhausting experience. But I'm extremely proud to have finaly accomplished something I really wanted in my life. Now, I'm back in Paris and became completely addicted to the online magazine Freunde von Freunden. I just spent about 2 hours scrolling through the photos and interviews which I find very inspiring!

. swing it baby .

hello on a sunday. yesterday friends and i have been to the Electroswing night at the Cabaret Sauvage in Paris. we had such a ball. i definitely want to learn how to dance!

. froid .

Have a nice weekend. Here it's a the first crispy, fall, cold day. Wrap a blanket around my shoulders and sip tea is what i'll do...

Image from found

. new home .

Hi! I moved into a flat a month ago. Let me show you some snaps of my little home. 

Have a nice weekend. x

Paris' grey skies and a crane.

. bon weekend .

This photo I found on found, seems coming straight out of a mafia movie. Imagine the hero escaping by jumping on this train... I'd escape for the weekend if I could. I hope you are!

. drive, baby, drive .

Hey! I just found out I passed my driver's licence! Now I just need THIS car...

. hello again Paris . soon .

Today, I found out I was accepted at university in Paris for my French as a foreign language  teaching course. Within 3 years time I'll be a certified french teacher anywhere in the world! From now on, I'm on the hunt for a flat and a job in this beautiful city. If you hear of anything, please let me know! 

Thanks.

The photo is from three years ago, when I visited my dear friends there. I can't wait to beat the pavement with those girls again!

.27.

this is me, twentysomethin years ago. today i my birthday and the sun is (finally) shining.

.see far.

Stretch your neck further up, look at the future, look at the others, they are here for you, you are here for them too...

photo from found

.alla finestra.

Sitting, the rays of the sun burning my back, it is a good feeling, a sort of rebirth. Paolo Conte sings into my ear, last night's lack of sleep makes me feel in a dreamy-drowsy way and I like it so.

Tra le tue Braccia

Scuserai
questo inverno di foglie
e i pensieri che
vanno scalzi per lontane vie
via da te...via da me...

è un privilegio stare con te,
dolce persona vicino a me

Sentirai tra le dita
il respiro e la voce mia
che ti invita al mare,
o quel che sia...
sentirai, sentirai...

è un privilegio stare con te,
tutto è distante
niente lo è...

è un sortilegio
vivere in te
dolce persona vicina a me...

.weekend.

bad weather. drinking ti-punch. cooking poulet au citron. babysitting. wishing for warmth.