Homeward Bound

In two weeks Coco will have her first step (lie?) on American soil. We are flying home for a visit and I cannot wait! Our itinerary includes Spokane, Portland and Eugene. J and I met in Eugene while attending the University of Oregon and we are already waxing poetic about pushing our little baby through campus in her pram. We're also drooling thinking of all the fantastic food we are going to eat: Cafe Siena breakfast, Burrito Boy tacos for lunch, McMenamin's Captain Neon Burger for dinner. That is a lot of yum to pack into one day. Hurrah!

In Portland we're staying at the Ace Hotel. We reserved a "standard back" room because they're the quietest rooms and have a bathtub - two musts when traveling with a baby! I am looking forward to the hip decor, superb location and Stumptown Coffee in the lobby. Heaven! We have a long list of people to see in Portland and I will be so thrilled to introduce Coco to each and every one of them. 

{photo of University of Oregon Memorial Quad circa 1940 from Flickr}

Fish Out of Water

Lately I've been feeling a little blue on Tuesdays. Coco and I go to Baby Swimming on Tuesday mornings. Don't get me wrong, it's really fun and so amazing to be in the water with her. She looks very sweet in her swim diaper and she coos and giggles at me in the warm water. In our class are five other mommies and babies the same age as Coco. That's what has me feeling blue. 

All the other mommies know the songs and can sing to their smiling babies. I don't know the songs because I didn't grow up with them. So I hum along as best I can, but on occasion, Coco would rather look at an actually singing mommy, or the jolly singing instructor, rather than me. :( During the class all the other mommies joke and laugh with each other. I just focus on Coco, which is lovely, of course, but I do feel left out. In the locker room after class when we're all dressing and nursing our babies, it's the same. I understand snippets here and there of the conversation going on and I'd love to join in talking about whether or not my baby will take a bottle (she won't!) or about how torn I feel about returning to work in the Spring (I'm losing sleep!) but my German is nonexistent outside of ordering food in a restaurant. 

It leaves me feeling a little blue because it reminds me that although this is the most settled and grounded I've felt in my adult life, I'm an outsider. I don't belong here. It's a rather strange paradox. It also makes me look at life at home differently. In the future, when I'm living in American again, I don't think I'll ever be shy again. Suddenly it seems that when others speak your language, you're automatically on the inside. I wonder if that will change for me after being back in the States for a while. I also wonder how long we'll end up living here.

Have you ever lived in a place where you didn't speak the local language? Did you learn it?

{photo from here}

Separation Anxiety

Whenever I have to be away from Coco for any stretch of time, I get serious separation anxiety. This happens even when she's with a very trusted friend, or (dare I admit it) her dad! It's not that I fear for her safety, or worry that something will happen. I mean, I am a mother as in mama bear so naturally I feel protective of her. Mostly I think I just miss her so much!

I'm so thankful that I won't be going back to work full time anytime soon. I don't think my heart could stand it.

Goodnight Moon: An American Phenomenon

In our house growing up, we always read before bed. I remember being a little girl and reading Goodnight Moon with my mom. I loved how peaceful and relaxing the book was with the rabbit and the red room. When I got pregnant, Goodnight Moon was one of the first books on our registry. Naturally, it's a classic! 

Well, apparently it's only a classic in America. My British friend, Charlotte, asked me if I had Goodnight Moon when Coco was about six weeks old. "No!" I exclaimed, "I put it on our registry and no one got it. We really have to get a copy soon!" Charlotte exclaimed right back, "Every American mum I know has Goodnight Moon. I just do not understand that book at all!" What?! It had never (ever!) occurred to me that children in the English-speaking world had grown up without Goodnight Moon. I still have a hard time wrapping my head around it.

Thankfully, Coco got her very own Goodnight Moon for Christmas from my sister Amy, who is an amazing photographer, and her husband Tod, who is an English professor and poet. Phew! Order restored.

What are your favorite bedtime stories? Do you still read before bed?

{black and white photos from here and here}

Little Darling

I can't get over how Coco smiles. It's never a grin or smirk. She goes full tilt every time. How sweet is that?

Spring Fever

Every year, once Christmas and the New Year have passed, I am ready for spring. This is inconvenient for the obvious reason that winter has actually just begun! Dear me.

A recent pop over to jcrew.com didn't help my spring fever at all. Doesn't this bold, jaunty ensemble have you craving daffodils and Cadbury Creme Eggs? 

Aside from the leopard print bag, which is not my cup of tea, I love every piece of this outfit, head to toe. Swoon! Maybe when I find a new job and I'm preparing to go back to work, I'll make this my consolation prize for being away from my sweetie a few days a week. 

Do you get itchy and impatient for spring? How do you cope with spring fever?

{photo from here}

Outdoor Nap

It seems that when we're out and about, Coco always falls asleep in her pram. She sleeps so soundly in there. So when we arrive home, it's always with a little reluctance that I wheel her inside where it's too warm for her down suit, knowing that she will soon wake up. Conversely, if I try to undress her, she always wakes up, so it's a no win situation. 

I read this post a while ago and it's been in the back of my mind that I could let her nap outside for some time now. But I haven't had the courage to leave my little baby alone outside, naturally! Then today, I figured out how I could make it happen.

I put the fully-loaded-with-batteries baby monitor in with her.

Then I covered her pram with a blanket and parked it where I could see it from the kitchen window. 

I was more comfortable with it given that the door to our building is facing a courtyard and down a pathway from the street. No one passes by here or walks through here unless they're my neighbor and I know them. And because we're on the ground floor, I could leap out the window (which I sat next to the entire time!) if I needed to for any reason. 

Finally, thanks to our fabulous baby monitor, I was able to hear if she stirred and even see the temperature where she was sleeping as I sat by the window and took care of some work on the computer. 16 degrees Celsius is actually quite warm. The thermometer must have been getting some heat off of her head because it was not 60 degrees Fahrenheit in Zurich today!

She only slept for about ten minutes! ;) But now that I've got it all figured out, I'd do it again. I think those Danes are onto something with the idea of napping in fresh air. 

Would you let your baby nap outside? What would make you comfortable or uncomfortable with the idea? 

Resolve

I've never been very good at resolutions. I tend to take on too grand of ideas and then it's disappointing when they of course don't work out. One year my grandiose idea involved joining a gym (how original!) and one evening post-swim a man remarked in the steam room that he couldn't wait for February because by then all the New Year's resolution people would have quit coming regularly and the gym wouldn't be so crowded. How sad that he was totally talking about me. I was hardly going at all by March. That is embarrassing! But really, what was I thinking? I don't work out! :)

So, this year I've taken on a whole new approach. Something small, manageable, realistic and attainable. Becoming a mother has changed my perspective on all things. I have come to know (and accept!) that the house cannot be perfectly tidy and clean at all times. I know that if I don't give myself at least twice the time I think I need I will be hideously late. I've realized that I can only do so much and that prioritizing is the only way unless I want to be miserable. 

My 2012 resolution reflects all of this. I feel proud in a miniature way! I have resolved to floss everysingleday of 2012. 

Did you know that you can get Cupcake Floss? It tastes like frosting! I might just have to try it out one of these 366 days. (And this really made me laugh!)

Naturally, I have other resolutions I'd like to see happen in my life. For example, figuring out an effective laundry schedule, finding a way to blog on a regular basis, maximizing my time with Coco, reducing clutter, making more meals from bulk foods, organizing everything in my life. Eeeek! Talk about overwhelming. That's why I'm going to give the flossing a whirl for now. Maybe I can get to a few of those Herculean ideas later. 

Do you typically make a new year's resolution? Do you tend to stick to them? What's your secret - will power or reasonable resolution? I'd love to hear about it and how it works for you!

A New Trick for Coco

Today Coco and I are relaxing and enjoying a sunny day in Zurich. We took a walk and now she's engrossed in some tummy time. Something rather exciting has been happening on and off during tummy time lately. Suddenly she finds herself on her back! It's exciting for me, but more frightening her her at this point. Soon she'll love it. It's hard to believe how quickly she's changing everyday.

When did your baby roll over? We're you completely surprised?

Washing Cloth Diapers in Switzerland

After a massive amount of troubleshooting, I have nailed down my method for washing cloth diapers here in Switzerland. The key? Extra water because it's a front-loading washing machine and uses less water than a top loader. The second issue I ran into was finding a suitable detergent. Zurich has somewhat hard water and really different detergents than are available in the US. I've got it all squared away though. Coco's diapers come out clean as can be. Honestly, I'll put my face straight into one and give a good sniff just to be sure there isn't some lingering odor in there somewhere. There isn't!

Having an intricate diaper system would make me switch to disposables, so I keep things simple. I do a dry pail with the Kissaluvs antibacterial liner. I use a watering can to add water to the washing machine. 

Here's my washing method:

1. Turn the pail liner of diapers inside out into the washer. Set liner aside on top of washer. Run the diapers only on "Mini-Programme" (a quick 30 minute cycle at 30 degrees celsius) adding 10 liters of water as the cycle begins. No detergent. This is just a really thorough rinse.
2. Put the pail liner in with the diapers and run on "Blancs/Couleurs" at 40 degrees celsius adding 10 liters of water the wash cycle. Use 1/2 packet of Durgol water softener and one 7 gram scoop of Filetti Sensitive powder. Why 7 grams? Because I use the scoop that came with our French Press because we never use it. We just pour a bunch of coffee in there until it seems good. The scoop that came with the French Press is 7 grams, which is just the right amount of detergent for cloth diapers as it turns out! ;)
3. Dry the diapers on high. Hang dry the pail liner and any covers.

I'm pleased because it's so simple. Do you use cloth diapers? What is your washing routine?

Babies Dressed Like Babies

Omgosh! Doesn't that sweet baby in cozy white woolens make you swoon? I am completely in love! Before Coco was born, my mother remarked that she doesn't like it when people dress babies like grown-ups in miniature jeans and collared shirts. "Babies should dress like babies," she said. Well, I'll admit I've had my fun dressing Coco in jeans and mini adult clothes. Then today when dressing her in something a little less bulky so she'd fit in her bunting for our walk, I got what my mom was saying. 

Just look at how sweet her little body is in those leggings. And the knee-high socks pulled up over the leggings! Oh it's so adorable. Mini adult clothes actually hide that irresistible baby shape, which is criminal to say the least! I vow to only dress Coco like a baby as long as she remains a baby. And that won't last forever. Then she'll be wearing jeans for the rest of her life.

Nøstebarn is a Norwegian company that has woolen baby clothes perfected. As Coco begins to grow out of her current stock (sniff!) and the temperature drops, I am devising a warm, woolly winter wardrobe for her that will be simple and include lots of leggings and knee-high socks. And white. Because don't babies look so beautiful in white? 

{top photo from here}

Sweet Slumber

This morning I put Coco in her bassinet so I could assemble her darling mobile and what did she do? She nodded off all by herself. I know that while my little sweet pea is sleeping it's my golden opportunity to do things I can't do while she's awake, like eat or go to the bathroom or throw in a load of laundry or (gasp!) make the bed, but sometimes I can't pull myself away. I love watching her sleep. Her little nose is so cute and she looks so peaceful. It's overwhelming this mother's love.

A Whole New Life

With Thanksgiving approaching, J and I have been thinking a lot about how thankful we are for our life together and marveling at how different it is compared to one year ago. In the space of one year, we are living in a new apartment in the city, J has a new job that makes him genuinely happy and we are parents! Omgosh, that is a serious amount of change in one year. I can safely say I've never had more to be thankful for.

I never intended for Folio Rose to be much about my personal life. Once I was pregnant I even considered starting a second blog, but I don't have the time to write two blogs and I just neglected this one! Now that we've welcomed our beautiful daughter into the world, I want to share about our life with her here. So that is exactly what I'm going to do! 

Revel in Ruby

Kate Spade's color of the month for September is ruby. I am quite smitten with those Franca ballet flats in red satin and the Supercalifragilipstick cosmetics case. It's quite the coincidence that Kate Spade's color of the month should be red in my birthday month! I spent the last few years of avoiding everything red and recently I've found myself incorporating it back into our home decor and my wardrobe. 

Do you like red? Is it too bold or flashy? Would you wear red satin ballet flats?

{photos from kate spade}

Love Notes

This week J is in the mountains with his class. They're hiking, taking a torch-lit night walk, having a talent show and movie night and staying in a Swiss chalet with fantastic views. How wonderful!

I was very inspired by this post so before he left, I tucked sweet handwritten love notes into his pack. Everywhere! I tucked them into rolled socks, the inside of his stocking cap, inside shoes and books and, of course, into pockets. Last night when we talked on the phone, he told me how delighted he was to find them throughout the week. Hurrah! 

He gets home tomorrow evening and I can't wait. To celebrate his homecoming, we're having cheeseburgers, fries and salad. Yum! Does your spouse travel a lot for work? How do you cope with the time spent apart?

My Two Homes

During my trip home to the US, I was repeatedly surprised at how confused I made myself and others by referring to "home." As in, "It's so good to be home," or "I need to buy some Cream of Mushroom Campbell's soup to take home with me." All I can figure is that I now have two homes. The US will always be my home and right now Zurich is definitely home. Crazy!

It was a bit disappointing to arrive home to rain and 61 degree weather, but there was a huge rainbow to greet me!

This time around, I've had some of the worst jetlag I've ever experienced in my life! I literally slept *all day* today! This evening, after I woke up, J and I took an evening stroll through town, had ice cream cones at Mövenpick and then dinner by the lake. We had the best seat in the place and the mountains were all pink with alpenglow. Swoon!

It's always hard to come back after being at home where everything feels so comfortable and familiar and English is spoken freely. Most of all, I love having time with my family. Coming back this time I even cried going through airport security! :( But now that I'm back it feels good to be home. I definitely missed my darling J and being back with him, everything feels right. 

Do you live far away from "home?" How do you cope with the distance? Will you move back or are you staying for good?

Vacation

Folio Rose has been on vacation for the past week, but I'll get back to posting tomorrow when things slow down a bit. I'm at home in the brilliant USA having the absolute best time being surrounded by friends and family and enjoying dining out at all my favorite restaurants. I needed a good dose of that!

The beautiful Sam at Navarre in NE Portland.

Zells in SE Portland. One of J's and my favorites.

Speaking of the lovely J, he is having the time of his life riding his bike through France along country roads through lavender fields and camping next to moat surrounded castles in Provence. He tells me his French is getting very good!

J's beloved Bleriot. Note the tent on the back.

A tree-lined street in Provence.

We are each having our own respective good times, but we agree that we miss each other terribly.

Darling reader, have you and your other half ever vacationed separately? Did it make for an extra emotional, lovey and meaningful reunion? Or would you never do it again?

Tiny Bathroom

I've been thinking very seriously about shower curtains since reading this post a couple weeks ago. The bathroom in our new apartment is super tiny. This means I need to think fast because I've got the grand opportunity to get a stylish shower curtain (without breaking the bank) while I'm home visiting over the next few weeks. 

Here are my current picks, which I find like, but which may or may not coordinate well with our Pink Dogwood and White Lacoste towels.

Simple and clean from west elm, but I do worry that the white would be too bright and draw attention to the contrasting flooring.

This Marimekko stand out from Crate&Barrel would definitely add some pop and excitement, but the colors might mean hiding the pink towels or buying more white ones?

If J and I were little children, I'd definitely choose this one from Dwell Studio, but we are grown adults so it is much too juvenile. Ultra cute for a modern kids' bath though, don't you think? Speaking of being children, J and I love to think about what fun we would have had together as little kids. We're pretty sure we would have gotten along really well even then.

I'm also fond of this embroidered curtain in the light blue from Pottery Barn. They used to (as in this morning) have an embroidered shower curtain with dots instead of the parallel lines. I preferred that one, but perhaps it sold out today. Either one is clean and crisp, which I love.

As you can see in the picture below, the bathroom truly is miniature. The toilet is to the right of the tub and immediately to the right of that is the wall. Mini, indeed! I want to make sure I choose a shower curtain that will draw attention away from the not-so-attractive tile floor but will still coordinate, lest I should accidentally draw more attention to the floor through accidental clashing. Yikes!

This photo was taken just as the previous tenants had finished clearing out.
It's looking a little grungy, yes, but it's bound to be sparkly clean for us when we move in tomorrow! 

So far I haven't found a shower curtain that I absolutely love and am ready to buy. And I'm thinking that the curve around the tub may mean we need two. This was the case in our last apartment in Portland, but in the end I opted for two overlapping clear liners and just one shower curtain. No matter what, it's very exciting to be moving into and creating a home we will live in for the next three years. Tomorrow I get the mailbox plate engraved! 

Faithful reader, what do you think? How can I add a little drama and intrigue to this boring bathroom? Am I crazy to wish to make it inviting and to look a little bigger? 

{shower curtain photos from here, here, here and here}

Fan Dreams

This sticky humid weather we've been having has me dreaming of fans. Forget air conditioning! Almost nowhere (and I really mean that) is air conditioned in Zurich. At the grocery store, there is a little bit of air conditioning, but when the temperature gauge hits 87 with 96% humidity, it's pretty much miserable and steamy everywhere you go: work, school, shops, train, tram. Not so fun. 

Even still, air conditioning is terribly overused. What the world needs now is fans. Lots of fans! Here are a few of my favorites.

Industrial and sleek from Restoration Hardware. I'd love to have this whirring overhead while I go to sleep at night. 

Don't discount the power of a paper fan. These little cuties are compact folded up in your handbag and incredibly effective at getting the air moving. You can choose solid colors, or one that's airbrushed with a Mt. Fuji-esque motif or this really cracked me up. 

As for the desk, I could just die over this gorgeous vintage Emerson fan from Vintage Fans. My goodness, talk about combining form and function. I'm definitely swooning over this one!

What's your weather been like these days? How do you beat the heat? 

{photos from here and here and here}

Safe Haven

For centuries Switzerland has been known as a neutral place. It was a good place to be during the first half of the 20th century when Europe was war torn and embroiled in conflict. And for me, it's a good place to be now because it gives me a lot of distance and a chance at protecting my life and my marriage from my some completely toxic and utterly poisonous people. 

They still try though. 

If you have anyone in your life that land, sea and mountains can't block out due to the beauty and wonderful of a little modern invention called Gmail, I've got a trick for you! Go into Mail Settings, then click on Filters. Click on Create a New Filter. Then enter the email address of the person you would like to block. From there, you can check little boxes to create directions for Gmail to follow every single time an email is received from that individual. It's fabulous!

After the rather unpleasant experience of seeing a certain individual's name appear in my inbox this morning, I skipped reading the email and I set up a little filter instead. Any time I receive email from her, Gmail knows to do the following: Skip the Inbox and DELETE! It felt so good I set up an identical filter for another related person. Switzerland may have been the fortress of days gone by, but let's face it, nowadays we need an electronic fortress. 

Darling reader, do you, or have you ever had, a relationship that was so toxic you simply had to cut the person out of your life completely? How did you do it? 

{photo from here}