The Rococo Roamer: March 2014

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Nancherrow

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Inspire Me Please

Dog Culture in Germany Vs. My Dog

I really wanted to title this Dog Culture in Germany Vs. Dog Culture in America. But what I'm comparing dog culture in Germany to is my dog Louis, which isn't an American dog, but also wasn't raised by Germans. B and I bought him from a French Bulldog breeder in Germany and he's never even been to the States yet. But, he was raised by Americans and definitely acts like an American dog. (And I am not saying that every American dog is not well trained and that every German dog is). Let me explain.

Germany has a really great dog culture

They love their animals and take them everywhere...because they can. I don't know about Northern Germany but in Bavaria, dogs are allowed at some malls, in restaurants, stores, trains, buses, and generally any place that a well behaved dog can go. They are not however, welcome in certain places like grocery stores. Just look for the signs. When I got Louis, I was excited that I could take him everywhere, but in actuality he is not well behaved like a German dog. Also a cool thing about German dogs is they get their own passport which is great for keeping track of their records.

How dogs act in retaurants in Germany (Source) + This dog not giving a shit Vs. Louis begging + being needy

He isn't calm and aloof like German dogs

If you are looking at him, his butt (not tail) is wagging and he is drooling on himself wishing you would come over and pet him. German dogs seem not to give two sh*ts about who is around them. This also applies to the above image.

He's going to do what he wants

Maybe this is because he's only about a year old or. Or because he's a bulldog and they are notoriously "bull-headed" but if he doesn't want to walk he's going to stop in the middle of wherever we happen to be like in the middle of town. He will just lay on the ground like he's dying and it's funny but also embarassing. He also doesn't like to wear his harness so he will roll around on the ground trying to get it off. I've literally had people point and laugh. It is funny so I don't mind but come on, Louis! With that said, I'd find these spoiled behaviors not so endearing in a human child.

Well behaved dog Vs. Louis throwing a tantrum

He's not okay without a leash

One of the biggest things I am impressed with in the German dog culture is that there are tons of dogs that follow their owners around town without a leash. The owner can be way ahead and here is this dog, slowly but surely following his/her owner. Sometimes the dog is even leading the owner like it knows exactly where it is going. Louis would never be able to do this. They must do some intense training here because it's pretty awesome. Germans, what are your tricks for this? I've actually witnessed a training in progress once when I saw a man who was watching his dog from blocks away. The dog knew his owner was watching and he just waited there. Even as his owner went in and out of stores. Amazing. Louis would run away or get friendly with everyone.

Louis taking me for a walk

He knows three commands

Louis isn't a dummy. He knows a few commands like "sit", "lay down", and the ever cute "high five." (He's really good at lay down by the way). But beyond that I don't think he will learn much more and it's probably because he's spoiled. He's so ridiculously cute that he gets away with everything which I think is something common with American owners. On the other hand, German dogs are usually well behaved. When I take Louis to the kennel, the lady that takes him is also an amazing dog trainer. We don't take him to obedience school there just "puppy camp" but one time we picked Louis up and the lady told us she tried to teach him a few tricks. We asked her if he learned anything. She said, "nope." Typical Louis.

This dog is well trained Vs. Louis who has mastered the art of couch napping (and he looks pissed I woke him up).

He's a jerk to other dogs

So embarassing and I will attribute this to him being a bulldog and still having his nuts, but he tries to dominate every dog he meets. He's a total asshole to other dogs. He's annoying and in their face and worse he even tries to hump them. Maybe it's time to get him snipped. I'm embarassed when I bring him around these well behaved German dogs and he's trying to dominate them. We have two neighbors with Dobermans and he really thinks he is a suitable match for a fight.

Louis being a total d*ck.

He thinks he's people

And this might be our fault. He sits on the couch. He needs his ass wiped like a baby which is totally gross but necessary. He sits upright sometimes and it's goofy. And I think he can talk.

Louis sitting like a human

In Germany there are tons of Frenchies

This is another positive about German dog culture IMO. There are Frenchies everywhere. I'd say they are easier to find than even German Shepherds. B and I get so excited when we spot one. Recently, Louis met one of his kind for the first time and it was the cutest thing ever. They just sniffed each other and smushed their faces together. It was adorable.

Two Frenchies meeting is magic

All behaviors aside, he's pretty perfect

Though I long for Louis to walk besides me without a leash or stop trying to hump the neighbors dog, he is pretty awesome. He's seriously the funniest dog I've ever had.

I love Louis

So what do you think? Are your dogs well behaved or are they spoiled? And what is the dog culture like where you live?

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Expat Diaries

My Birthday

Source

So today is my birthday. I'm starting to get to the point where I don't want to tell people how old I am even though I know I'm not "old." It's weird to start identifying yourself as old because I can't remember a defining moment when I started thinking I was "getting old." I was reading Rachel's (@ With Love Rachel) post about how she celebrates her birthday for a whole week. Well I don't think that's ridiculous at all. I celebrate mine the whole month, mostly because it's at the end of the month.

On the other hand, B doesn't even want to celebrate his birthday though I organize something for him each year. He thinks it's pointless to make a big deal about your birthday and I tend to agree...but, It's not like I'm that girl that goes around telling people over and over that it's my birthday or expects a bunch of presents. I just like to spend the whole month reflecting and scheduling trips for myself. Why not? It's a good excuse for me to travel and spend money on things I otherwise would have told myself to pass up on. I love the idea of reflecting on my previous year and seeing what I've accomplished... or haven't accomplished yet.

But the older I get the more I feel I should be doing. I feel like, "Why haven't I traveled more?" "Why haven't I become a CEO of a company or started my own business yet?" "Why am I not at my birthweight?" "Why can't I spend my entire paycheck on Amazon?" "Why do people keep asking me when I'm having kids?" "Why haven't I recorded a rock album yet (even though I'm not a musician)?" I know some of these are outright ridiculous, but I still think about them. I know I've accomplished a lot of things so far, but these dreams are so appealing. As we get older why do we tell everyone "we are turning 29 again?" Is that really helping anyone? Do you all think about these things on your birthday? Anyways Happy Birthday to me! And seriously, why haven't I traveled more? ;)

Where I'm Traveling in 2014

It's March and by now I feel I have more of a handle on what my travel plans will be for the rest of the year. One of my favorite things to do is plan trips, It's so exciting! I wish I was a travel blogger that actually got paid to do this but until then I need my 9-5. As you may know I have a Travel Bucket List with all the places I've been to last year and all of the places I want to visit before I leave Germany in a year and a half. I'm going for 30 countries and so far I'm about half way through so that makes me right on track.

This year I have a lot of travel that is already booked, waiting to be booked, or still swimming around in my head. I'm dreaming big and I'm dragging B along. The best part of this year is that I will finally get to go to my top two dream locations; Spain and Iceland. So let's get down to it!

This is Happening

Bratislava, Slovakia

I am going this month for a short but sweet day trip. I never thought I would go to Slovakia but the opportunity was there and I am glad to take it. If you have been there please give me some suggestions on what to do for the day!

Dublin, Ireland

This is going to be a really special trip because I will be joining my alma mater in Dublin for a Penn State game! I've been away from home for a year and a half now and it will be good to see some fellow Penn Staters! And it's in Dublin, I mean, it can't get any better than that. One of my friends from school is even going with. Can't wait. Is anyone else going to the game?

Metz, France

This one is a last minute plan but it's 100% happpening. I'm only going for a day trip to see the area and visit the Les Puces Des Metz (flea market). What else is there to do in Metz??

Spain

Spain has been on my list since I was younger. I took Spanish for 10 years and a lot of my studies were about Spain so I feel like I've been waiting for this moment since 6th grade. I'm actually going to Spain twice this year, can you believe it? I'll be taking my last class for my graduate degree in southern Spain and while I'm there I'll be branching out to visit cities like Madrid, Seville, Gibralter, and more. I'll be visiting Barcelona later in the year.

Iceland

It's finally happening guys and I know for sure because I just booked tickets a few days ago. I talk about Iceland an unhealthy amount and I've been wanting to go there since I was like 13. I have a list of things I want to do there but please share with me your must sees. I'll be there during summer time. I've been having a great time reading all those Iceland related posts and Kiki's blog, Unlocking Kiki.

Germany

Even though I live in Germany I wanted to include it on the list because I will be visiting several cities all over Germany this year. Also, many flea markets throughout Germany, not to mention the new Christmas Market destinations I'll go to.

This will Hopefully Happen

The above trips are confirmed! Some of the other places I have in the works, but are not confirmed are Portugal (I really hope this happens), Austria, Milan, Switzerland, Budapest, and possibly another go at Prague.

I Might Have to Keep Dreaming

Finally, I don't know how I can possibly fit anything else into my schedule but if I can, these are on my keep dreaming list for this year: Thailand, Morroco, and Berlin. I know I know, I live in Germany I should be able to just go to Berlin, but I live in southern Germany and Berlin is still quite a drive. I think I'm secretly saving it for a last minute thing. And who knows, I may decide to switch things up and go to a totally different place than mentioned. I've learned to take things as they come and not wait around for the perfect moment.

So do you have a Travel Bucket List this year? And, do you have any pointers for my upcoming destinations? Share in the comments.

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Nancherrow

Weekend Reads

5 Ways to Create a Wall Art Gallery

5 Ways to Create a Wall Art Gallery

I have another Furniture Fashion update for you guys. The article that I am featuring this week is all about wall art galleries and different ways to create and display them. With all of the modern art I've been seeing everywhere you've gotta have a place to put it all and these galleries are a great idea. Check out the article below for the full article and more lovely pictures. Oh and have you liked the Furniture Fashion FB page by the way? There are 230,000+ likes! Get all your modern interior design inspiration right to your FB feed. Also, look out for my next post where I'll be revealing all my planned European travel destinations for 2014!

Source

*Reader comments are disabled on this post so you can comment on the original article. Thanks.

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Missed Connections; Flea Market Style

I go to a lot of flea markets and antique stores and looking around can be just as fun as buying something. I see a lot of stuff that I would like to have, but just don't need or have room for it. For every item I buy, there are tons and tons more that I ignored. But some of those items I've thought about later and said, "maybe I should have bought that?" Here are some of those missed connections.

1) The West Elm Knockoff Santa Fe Type Rug

This would have looked great in my kitchen. In fact, this was something recent that I ignored so I'm pretty sure this could still be a thing if I wanted it to.

2) The Typewriter

I've come across a lot of typewriters in my travels. See here. But where would I put it?

3) The French Style Chair

I could kick myself for not buying this white turquoise and gold French looking chair. It would go perfect with a recent purchase of mine. What was I thinking?

4) The Bavarian Painted Shranks

Though these are pretty, I know I'd never want something this massive (or gaudy) in my house.

5) Globe Bar Cart

How cool is this? I could offer guests drinks from a globe. But the price tag was 350 euro and I'm not that crazy.

6) French Clock

I loved this clock but I can't mount it to our exterior on our home. I liked this image so much I used it for my Google + Community picture.

7) Cheese Art

Anything with cheese on it I feel compelled to buy, but it wasn't there when I returned a month later. Thank goodness.

8) Tea Cups

I definitely have enough tea cups and I don't drink out of any of them so that's probably why I didn't buy this lovely set.

9) Settee, Chair, and Stool Set

Oh the horror. This was something that I wanted so bad when I first moved to Germany. Thank goodness again that it was sold by the time I was seriously considering buying it. It's so ugly and would have been clogging up my guest room. Dodged a bullet with that one.

10) Gold Birdcage

I actually still wish I would have picked this one up. Even in hindsight.

12) French Style Armoire

This one is still available every time I go back to my favorite antique store. It's a repro. I really like it but I know I don't need it.

13) Nurnberg Image Linen Box

This was something I agonized over at the Tongeren, Belgium Flea Market. It had this beautiful vintage image of Nurnberg on it and I live pretty close to Nurnberg so I wanted this keepsake. But I broke one of my own flea rules and didn't buy it when I saw it. It was gone when I came back around for it later in the day.

So I'm really actually glad I didn't buy most of this stuff. I definitely don't like too much clutter and stuff in my home. I wish I could just be buyer for other people...There's a thought.

So what do you think? Is that stuff best left behind or are there some things you would have wanted to snatch up too?

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Bloggers Please Read; Concerning Feedly

Okay, I hadn't planned on posting today but I need to see what's going on. I'm pretty annoyed with what I've come across today. I looked at my blog traffic sources and noticed that a lot of my hits were coming from Feedly.com. I knew that Feedly was some sort of a reader like bloglovin or GFC but I had never used it.

To my dismay I plugged my blog name into Feedly's search engine and my blog came up. Every post that I have was magically available as a feed for readers. This was news to me because I had never added my blog to Feedly's user base. So why is my blog on Feedly?

Not only that, but I could see no discerning characteristics that the content on Feedly was from my blog besides my name. There was no sidebar, no blog design, nothing. This to me screams content stealing! Also, I noticed that there was no place to link back to my blog to leave a comment. And I had subscribers I didn't even know about because they weren't mine, they were Feedly's.

Go ahead, plug in your blog name and see if Feedly has also hijacked your content. I bet you they did. I found this article that explains what is happening. I use bloglovin and I know at least they take you directly to the owners original blogpost. This is not however, how Feedly works.

So my question to you is... Is Feedly hijacking your content too? What do you think about this? Are you upset? Any suggestions on what to do in this case? Also, if you are one my the subscribers on Feedly, please follow me a different way (i.e. bloglovin, GFC, Twitter, Google+) that actually attributes my blog instead of stealing my content.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to your comments :)

Monthly Inspiration: Victorian Furniture

So I've talked about Rococo furniture and I've talked about Baroque furniture. Now, I'm going to talk about Victorian furniture. A lot of times people get it confused with Rococo and Baroque. Hopefully I've given you a better idea of what the differences are. There are many reproductions or revival pieces of Victorian furniture, but the genuine pieces are from around 1850-1910. The name would then stem from Queen Victoria of the UK. Whereas it's probably pretty difficult to find or even afford a genuine piece of Rococo or Baroque furniture, owning a genuine piece of Victorian furniture is more feasible.

This was not a time of minimalistic tastes. I would describe the Victorian era furniture as "beautiful clutter." There had been a lot of different changes with furniture before the Victorian era and also remember that depictions varied by country. But by the time the Victorian era rolled around they were going back to the designs of Rococo and Neoclassical and even Gothic and Asian. Staples of Victorian furniture are curvy but heavy lines, ornate tufted upholstery, and painted or stained furniture. But there were even different styles of Victorian furniture within that period and it is hard to pinpoint just one influence. There were also a lot of new techniques of furniture making being used at this time. The Victorians loved to ebonized their furniture. That's why you can tell a lot of times when something is painted black that it may be from the Victorian era.

The great thing about Victorian furniture was that a lot of it was not just made in Europe but the US as well. You can find many Victorian style "doll house" homes in the US. My wedding happened to be at a Victorian Museum in Pennsylvania. I was a little obsessed with this Rococo inspired Victorian settee. You can see more images from my Victorian inspired wedding here.

Woods of choice were Mahogany, Walnut, and Rosewood. Some pioneers of Victorian furniture were:

Charles Eastlake of America. He strayed from Rococo style
John Belter of America. He loved Rococo style
Alexander Roux of France. Rococo style.
R. J. Horner of America. Loved elaborate detail.
William Wooton of America. Loved Secretary Desks!
George Hunzinger of Germany. Renaissance Revival Style.
Holland and Sons of England. Known for Gothic Revival.
Gillows of England. Produced many Victorian styles of furniture.

Here are a few pieces of genuine Victorian furniture:

Pair of Rosewood Victorian Balloon Back Type Chairs from 1850

Victorian carved Walnut Army Chair from 1850

American Victorian Mantel and Mirror from 1880

Victorian Walnut Bedframe from 1870

Ebonized Victorian Writing Desk

Here's a great cheat sheet to see if what you have is Victorian or a repro. But buying a fantastic revival or repro is often more affordable and equally pleasing to the eye. It just depends, I would say, if you are more of an Antique Collector or Interior Designer. If all else fails take it to be appraised. And you might want to think twice before you paint over a genuine piece.

Do you own any genuine pieces of Victorian furniture?

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Link Goodies #3

1) Okay I'm i'm kind of obsessed with this video. A 19 year old Finnish girls show us what other languages might sound like to foreigners by speaking gibberish. She's pretty freaking amazing. The American accent is hilarious. OMG I hope we don't sound like that. I love learning about languages so this was very cool.

2) This one is adorable. Are you a knitter? Do you love penguins? This is a call for any penguin loving knitters to help out these adorable little creature by sewing them little pullovers. They are recovering from oil spills and need a barrier to stop them from picking at their damaged skin. I wish I could knit.

3) For USA travel. Here is the one thing you must do in each state. Haha my home state says go to a "mud sale" which is apparently an Amish auction. I have never heard of this! But it sounds right up my alley haha.

4) Etsy Love. I love every purse in this shop, especially the shoulder bags.

5) Here's a list of 5 really cool and "out there" camping spots. I've already had the igloo on my dream list but the hanging tents are right here in Germany. I have to try this!

6) You might have seen this list of unbelievable places that are hard to believe exist. So many amazing spots. I think the only feasable one that I might end up getting to visit woud be the Tulip Fields in The Netherlands. Have you been to any of these places?

7) I'm always on the lookout for a new European Flea Market. Here is a fun list of the top 15 mega fleas to visit in Europe. I'm going to the one in Munich for sure!

8) I know this has been all over the internet since a couple of days ago, but I just can't get over how funny the perception of An American Party is by other countries. I had no idea this was a thing. But if I can shed any light on the red cups, I'll say that they are perfect for beer pong and Americans use plastic cups because its easier when you are drunk (no breaking and cheap). The red solo cup just happens to be readily available at every American grocery store so that's what is bought. But, there is a country song called "Red Solo Cup." So maybe we are obssessed after all ;) Either way, it looks like these foreigners are having a blast.

9) Frenchie Fix! Here's video of some Frenchies and piglets playing together. They are so adorable. It also makes you think about how much alike dogs and pigs really are.

10) This comic strip of a man losing his dog is sad but was so light hearted and funny it really puts things into perspective about the short time we have with our best friends.

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