Europe, Part 2 · Aachen and Trier

(For part one, visit this post!)  As I mentioned in my previous post, in order to have more cohesive posting, I saved our first day's travel to share in part 2. :-)  So here we go- days 1 and 3!

Our flight into Frankfurt went smoothly and we arrived bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and rearing to go after a refreshing night of 2 hrs of sleep!  OK, not quite... but we were eager to get out and explore!  Previous experience has taught us to push through the first day with as little napping as we can get away with, so we put just 1 item on our itinerary for the day: Aachen Cathedral.

It was a 2-3 hr drive to Aachen and our path took us through many scenic vistas and past lots of tempting castles.... Oh for all the time in the world to stop at every place that catches your interest!

We were hoping to make it to the cathedral in time for their once-daily English tour, but finding a parking place meant that we were rushing with just minutes to spare in order to catch the tour!  As it turned out, we *just* barely made it, but I'm so thankful we did!  Admission to the cathedral is free, but that means that they aren't spending any money on placquards or informational literature.... so if we had been just a few minutes later we really wouldn't know anything at all about what we were looking at!

Charlemagne lived in Aachen in the late 700s and started building this cathedral in 796.  The exterior is quite a conglomeration of different styles as it's been added on to over the years.  The central, original portion is octogonally shaped and decorated with brilliant mosaics- a different theme for each section!

The mosaics are not original; in the late 1800s, it was deemed appropriate to decorate the cathedral "as a Byzantine cathedral would have been decorated".  While I certainly commend them for their artistry and taste (it was one of the selling points to include it in our itinerary!), I must say that it seems a mite presumptuous to think that 1,000 years later, we could have more insight into popular aesthetic than Charlemagne himself.... ;-)

Charlemagne's throne still stands in its original place- on the second floor, looking out over the center.  The throne was the place of coronation for over 30 German kings throughout the centuries.  Kind of surprisingly unpretentious, don't you think??  To make up for that- it was made from stones from Jerusalem. ;-)

The master tiler had a "signature" that he would always include in his mosaics- a tiny mouse.  Can you spot it?

The center of the cathedral has an elaborately gold-tiled ceiling and an original immense brass chandelier weighing... I-forget-how-many tons. 

 Aachen was Charlemagne's favorite church, and his remains are housed here.  This elaborate coffin was made a few hundred years after his death, when The embellishment on the exterior depicts German kings and emperors along the sides, and considering it is being displayed prominently in a church is rather sacrilegious, when you come right down to it!

The nave of the church was added on in the medieval period and all the walls were decorated with gorgeous paintings.  Unfortunately, in 1944, Aachen suffered bombing and the tremors destroyed all of the stained glass in the nave.  The cathedral was open to the elements for several years and in that time, irreparable damage was done to the painting.

  

It still remains in some portions, but only as a reminder of its former glory. :-( 

The stained glass was replaced in the 50s, but unfortunately in the modern style. :-/  I really, really don't care for that style of stained glass in the slightest!

The massive iron doors in the front of the cathedral are original, and probably only survive because no one through the millenia was able to easily cart off their 2 tons of weight each. ;-)

Our tour was thoroughly interesting and helped banish all thoughts of jet lag from our minds!  Dad had to stop by a local shop to get our cell phone ready for use in Europe, so the rest of us took the opportunity to try out a bakery. :-)

 (see- they don't really look all that jet-lagged, do they?? ;-))

Our 3rd day was spent in Trier, Germany.  Before planning our trip, I was unaware that Trier was actually one of the main capitals of the Roman Empire!  I do love Roman stuff, so we had to make the trip! :-)

There are quite a few reminders of the former Roman grandeur which, considering they are over 2,000 years old, is just incredible!

Unfortunately, there was also a huge fashion show going on that day right in the middle of town, so that effectively destroyed any hope of getting photos of the charming architecture.... you can see the crowds starting to assemble and the cat walk at the far end of the street here!

Our first stop was Porta Nigra- the last remaining of the Roman city gates.  It survives in remarkably preserved condition considering it has been in almost constant use.  From hermit's residence to church to near destruction by Napoleon, it's seen quite a lot of refurbishment and redecorating! 

This is part of the medieval addition when it was turned into a church.  You can make out the addition on the left of the picture above- the original gate was symmetrical.

The interior has been divided into 3 floors, and the stone has been carved decoratively in most places.

And beautiful views from the top floor!

Our day in Trier was a bit dreary, but thankfully we missed any rain so it was an enjoyable day for site-seeing after all. :-)

Next up: the Cathedral of Trier! (also, this is the church visible in the above photo) This place was so, so massive- I had the hardest time getting it (mostly) all in a picture!

The Rococo stucco-work in the front dome was stunning!

Next stop- Constantine's Basilica.  Again- immense.  The basilica was built in the early 300s and despite some remodeling over the centuries, is now back to its (semi)original state.  I think it's amusing how modern the design looks!  Coupled with the fact that it certainly doesn't look like it's 1700 years old...

.... In contrast to that, the Roman baths definitely *do* look their age! ;-)

Unfortunately, there was major restoration/cleaning work going on at the time, hence the lack of pictures.  Giant scaffolds and tarps really do make it difficult to get the "feel". ;-)  One feature that was quite fun about these baths is that the underground network for steam, etc. still survives and is open for exploring!  Fun!

Our last stop of the day was the Roman Amphitheater.  The amphitheater has been through a lot over the years... stone seating disassembled for building houses, the whole thing filled in as a garbage dump, etc!  I do wonder what prompts you to fill a ROMAN RUIN with garbage... but then again, I certainly can't boast any attraction older than 200 years in my area so I have a much different perspective. ;-)

The underground network still survives and is tour-able via the stairway holes visible.  The glass tiles in the surface of the amphitheater floor are modern additions to provide light to the network.  Also, the rooms and passageways accessible through the doors in the walls are also restored for exploration!

Thanks for visiting!  I hope to be back with the next installation soon... we're on to Alsace, France next!

Europe, Part 1 · Rhine and Moselle Area Castles

Well, here I am finally getting around to posting the first batch of photos from our Germany (and France, and Switzerland, and Austria...) trip!  Our trip was absolutely wonderful....

The time since I've been back has been taken up in attending to all the details around home that were neglected while we were away as well as catching up for the next several weeks since just 2 weeks after I flew home, I flew out on my next adventure. :-)  That officially started this week, but I'll touch more on that later.... for now, here's the first installation!  I'll try to keep these coming fairly regularly, as it's best to write about these things before all the little details are lost to memory. :-)

Also, the usual disclaimer for my photos.... as you all know, I'm no photographer.  So let's just say that the photos really don't due any of this justice!

I decided to start out on the second day of our trip just to shake things up a bit!  We stayed for the first few days in Traben-Trarbach, which are charming twin towns on the Moselle River in Germany.  

They were so quaint, and we loved their unaffected charm.  The vines growing along every street were grapevines, which are completely appropriate given that this was the heart of Germany's wine country!

Our home: we stayed in vacation home rentals all across the country, and this one was in a refurbished boarding house overlooking the town.

Our day was spent driving along the Moselle and Rhine rivers, drinking in the beautiful scenery and stopping at 3 castles along the way.  These 2 rivers are known for their plentiful castles/ruins, so choosing just 3 to stop at was no easy decision!!

Our first stop was Cochem Castle.  The castle sits upon the highest hill in the town and dominates the landscape majestically.  The original castle was destroyed by the French in 1689 and remained in ruins until a wealthy merchant rebuilt it in the 1860s.  He remained true to the original design outside and decorated the interiors to his liking.  The mosaic/painting (can't remember which it was...) on the largest tower is a nod at the medieval love of painted walls, while the rest is stone to cater to the aesthetic ideals of the 19th c. :-)  The castle was their family's "summer abode"- just imagine that!

Like many castles in Germany, this is on a substantial hill, so this flat-lander had quite impressive leg muscles by the end of the trip!  Or was it just that this flat-lander was quite impressed by her lack of leg muscles?  I can never remember....

We were informed that this statue on the left is actually a lion with its helmet visor down, not Kermit the Frog.

I remain dubious.

Oh my.  I do love me some German architecture.  Be prepared for an unabashed onslaught of "cute!", "adorable!", etc in my retelling of this trip...

... because, really- THIS IS IMPOSSIBLY CUTE!!!!

So much time, energy, and thought went into every single aspect of this castle... it's just awe-inspiring to think about!

The interiors of the castle frequently featured elaborately painted ceilings.

The dining room was decorated much more "modernly", but was still rather attractive. :-)

I loved this little nook off of the dining room!

The panoramic views from the balconies were stunning!  As you can tell from these photos, the Moselle is a beautiful, calm river that winds tightly back and forth through steep hills and cliffs.

Driving along the river was one of my favorite parts of the trip- the road runs right along the river and there are charming villages every few miles as well as grapes growing along all the hills- even the very steepest!  I'd love to take a boat cruise someday to be able to enjoy it at a slower pace, too. :-)

Sigh.  I need a castle.

Our second castle was the magnificent Burg Eltz.  Unlike Cochem, this castle is original (well, it's technically the second castle, but it has been around since the 1200s!) and not situated on the river!  Its very un-strategic location in a valley is why the first castle was destroyed and after that, the family subsequently focused their efforts on developing allies and using their influence and connections to avoid sieges and fighting instead.

As you can see, it was a wise move because over 800 years later, this castle is still standing while every other castle in the area was destroyed. :-)

The castle has been in the family for 33 generations (just- wow.) and the current owners still visit every week.

The inner courtyard to the castle is so charming!  I love all the different rooflines and architectural elements!

A common feature I discovered on many castles is the painting on the underside of the gutters!  Now that's some serious attention to detail.

Our arrival timing worked wonderfully, because we were just in time to catch an English tour!  Hooray!! :-)  Unfortunately, photos are not permitted inside.  It was a wonderfully interesting castle and we were so pleasantly surprised by how extensive the tour was!  Although by the time you see it from the outside, it's quite apparent that it would take hours to traverse the whole of it!!

We went on the walking path going down to the castle, but chose to walk up on the bus path so we'd have better photos.  There were many places to stop off along the way, and I was so pleased to find the "iconic photo" spot since I didn't find it for Cochem. :-) If you ever visit, I'd either recommend just walking both ways on the bus path, or doing the opposite of us as the bus path is steeper so it's nicer not to walk up it! ;-)

In order to reach our next castle, we drove along a portion of the Rhine.  We happened to have a booklet about castles along the river which made for an enjoyable way to pass the time- as soon as we'd spot a castle and read the brief history of it, there would be another castle just coming into view!  Wow!

Our last stop was the fairytale-worthy Rheinstein Castle!  Due to the street signs taking us the long way to Burg Eltz, and then taking longer than expected at the castle, we weren't sure if we'd actually be able to make it to Rheinstein before they closed! (granted, 3 castles in one day is optimistic, but that's how we roll when traveling overseas ;-))

We pulled up a mere 40 minutes before closing, and the castle was high up on a cliff above us!  Much huffing and puffing later (what was that I said about leg muscles? I think the same thing applies to lungs...), and we made record speed to get up the many (many!) switchbacks in time to make it inside.  Since we were so limited in time, we didn't have time for the booklet about the castle history, which was a pity.  However, the castle itself was so charming that it was a delightful visit nonetheless!

The castle, like so many others, was a ruin until the 1860s when it was rebuilt into an idyllic castle.  I am so glad that it was such a fad to do so- it's hard to imagine what the country was like 200 years ago when so many of the castles were just ruins!  Then again, I'm not too much of a purist when it comes to castles... I just like them to be pretty. ;-) 

Unfortunately, due to our constrained time, I didn't take many photos.  After all, my attempts wouldn't do it justice, and really- the memories are more valuable anyway. :-)

Most all of the rooms of the castle were open for exploring, and we were the only ones there- it felt like it was our very own personal castle!! :-)

The castle is built on many different levels on the side of a cliff, so the views are amazing!  We were free to wander all over, even up to the top of the towers.  The tower on the left required many more stairs than it looks like to reach, and they were getting quite precarious by the end!  You can see the view down into another courtyard on the right (as well as an unfortunately modern addition....).

Sadly, there weren't any good, photogenic views of the whole castle to give the overall feel of how amazing it was, so I'd highly recommend looking up images online- it really is rather impressive.  Seriously, go do it NOW! ;-)

We ended the day quite tuckered out and still recovering from jet lag, so we heartily enjoyed a warm meal at a local restaurant in Trarbach!

My Own 1940s Simplicity 1587 Dress · Re-vamped

Well, this is technically the second post about this 1940s dress.  I posted back in December about it and, if you'll recall, I gave the impression of being rather underwhelmed by it.  I was.  I wore it a couple times in the fall without a sweater covering up half of it and hated it.  I wore it in the winter with the accessories you can see in the other post and was reasonably pleased with it.  But by the time spring came along and the sweater was pulled off.... I hated it.  It made me feel stupid.

Sigh.  I hate it when that happens.  You try to step outside of your comfort zone... and are rewarded by reminders of why you *have* that comfort zone in the first place! :-P

I tweaked the fit.  Changed the bodice gathers to darts so it was more fitted and a bit closer to my usual styles.  That did nothing.

Eventually I had an epiphany- I hated the sleeves!  I used the short sleeves that came with the pattern because I loved the way they looked on Kathryn and my sister but let me tell you- all sleeves do not flatter all arms.  I substituted the short sleeves from Butterick 5281 and I'm so pleased I did!

I have narrow, sloping shoulders so if you're in the same predicament, I'd highly recommend steering clear of the Simplicity 1587 short sleeves!  Even with shoulder pads, they emphasized my sloping shoulders. :-/  My theory about these new sleeves is that since they don't fit closely at the bottom and they're pretty short, they give more illusion of width at the shoulders- a much needed feature for me!

This dress is still rather atypical for me- shorter skirt, blousy top, and shoulder pads.  I'm reconciled to it, and I *almost* even like it.  I do however have a reputation amongst certain circles of hating the 1940s to maintain, so I won't admit that I'm actually pleased with this dress. ;-)

Keyhole opening in the back- always a great use for those "loner" buttons that seem to be far too common in button collections! ;-)

A vintage buckle from our stash ended up being the perfect shade of berry and even matched the button used for the keyhole opening.  Score!

Here are some fun estate-sale accessory finds!  This bracelet is a major favorite of mine!  And... just happens to match the dress perfectly.  Score!

The clutch doesn't quite match as well, but it was so fabulously fun that I just had to buy it (ok, only being $1.50 helped that decision too....) and had to include it in this shoot. ;-)  It makes me feel like Esther Williams!  Which is about the best feeling ever, in my opinion.

It even has a fun little strap in the back so you can hold it without covering up any of the embroidery!
For photos of this outfit however, it was giving a rather disturbing illusion of a magic trick so I held it like a normal clutch. ;-)

Without a doubt, the turning point to liking this dress was due to a wonderfully fortuitous antique mall find!  This hat (and 2 other 1940s hats!!) were just waiting for me one day at the beginning of spring.  I had just been bemoaning the fact that my one-and-only 1940s hat was felt (black felt, no less) and would be unsuitable for spring attire.  This color goes wonderfully well with the dress!  Ok, that might be a stretch.  But it does coordinate quite nicely, AND it's a good color for me.  So that amounts to the same thing. ;-)

I love this hat SO MUCH.  Basically the dress is just an excuse to wear the hat. ;-)

My first pair of Miss L Fire shoes.  Man, I still love these shoes!!!

We discovered on this shoot (yet again) that I am SO AWKWARD with posing.  Ugh.  I wanted a "1940s girl in the city" kind of look.... and wow, am I ever challenged in the "look natural" department.  These photos are as good as it gets, folks. :-P  I'm glad you all keep coming back despite my awkwardness. ;-)

· Photos by the ever-wonderful Kathryn- thanks, dear! ·

· A Gold Dotty Birthday Dress ·

When I first saw this Michael Miller Glitz border-print, it was love at first sight. :-)

I dreamed of getting it, but the price tag was quite a bit more than I usually like to spend.  Plus, there was that little detail about a New Year's resolution I made to "use 5 stash fabrics for every 1 new fabric purchased this year".

(I know.  I make absolutely ridiculous New Year's resolutions.)

However... true love conquers all- even silly resolutions. ;-)

I had a momentary set-back when I saw Charlotte's dress from this fabric (also a birthday dress- funny coincidence!) and decided against buying the fabric- I didn't want to be a copy-cat, after all!  And so the life of a Certifiable Agonizer continues....  I eventually decided that buying the fabric for the dress would be my consolation gift to myself for my upcoming birthday.  I justified the expense by using some hoarded birthday/Christmas gift money from past years. :-)

I debated about going into the drama on here of reaching my first "dreaded" birthday, but I decided to go ahead and touch on it briefly. ;-)

For a variety of reasons, I had a rough year.  And it just kept getting worse.  With my birthday fast approaching, it also happened to mark the beginning of a new phase- the mid 20s.  So essentially, my life was moving on much more rapidly than I expected and I was depressed.

I also have illogical, preconceived opinions about a certain numbers.  And I just don't like the sound of 24.  I know, it's weird.  And inexplicable! ;-) But there it is.

All that compiled to make me rather dread August's approach!  But, 24 comes to all of us and it was rapidly approaching me.  This fabric seemed like a good way to soften the blow and give me a reason to look forward to my birthday despite myself. :-)

As it turns out, God was faithfully working, even throughout my struggles- which really isn't surprising after all... but the timing was wonderfully perfect. :-)  At the beginning of August, I began to feel much better about this whole Birthday thing. :-)  It seems unreal to think that I'm already in my mid-20s, but now I'm encouraged when I think back to all I've seen, done, experienced, and learned in all the years I've been given, and I'm so thankful for the many personal reminders of God's care and leading.

I've still got a long path ahead of me, but I'm thankful for the fresh page that Four and Twenty is bringing. :-)

Enough of all that- back to the real reason you stopped by! :-)

I used Butterick 6927 (a reprint that has since gone out of print) as a base for the bodice, and added a full skirt onto it.  The skirt included in the pattern is stunning, though- I really need to find the perfect project to make the dress in its entirety!

I love the practicality of this fabric!  It's a cotton, so it's breathable and comfortable as well as easy to wash and maintain.  However it also has metallic accents so it's perfectly dressy enough for just about any situation. :-)  It's a great dress up/dress down fabric. :-)

We found this triple-strand of gold pearls at an estate sale earlier this summer, and they're the perfect match!  Score!

The surplice bodice has pleats that are sewn down and release at the bust for a fitted, flattering look.  I decided to go with pleats on the skirt to keep a cohesive theme for all the elements of this dress. :-)

I'm absolutely adoring the craze for all things gold dotty this year.... I could just buy it all!!

This neckline is so super clever!!!  I love it!  The sweetheart shape is formed by a pleat that releases toward the shoulder- I'm so pleased when patterns include details like this that are so difficult to draft on your own!

I was obsessing about exactly how to position the bodice on the fabric- I felt that placing the bodice right along the densely-dotted selvage would make the bodice too densely gold and that would upset the overall proportions a bit.

I placed it a couple inches from the selvage, which in turn meant that I had a strip of border *just* wide enough for a matching belt- hooray!

Birthday shoes!!  We recently found Hotter.com, and we're sold!  Leather, several vintage-looking styles.... and cushioned insoles. :-D  These rank among my most-comfortable shoes now!

I always take advantage of hiding pockets in my full skirts!  After all, you never know when it'll be handy!

Actually, you do know.  They will *always* be handy.

The ribbon binding finishing off the inside of the neckline and sleeve hems was part of the splurge that was this dress. :-)  I do love an excuse to buy gold dotty things, and since I needed ribbon to bind off the neck anyway.... why not just use something frivolously appropriate?!  Since I had leftovers, I used them to finish off the sleeve hems, too!

If this ribbon is anything like my other polka-dotted ribbons, the dots will come off in the wash.... So I'm just making sure to enjoy them extra much before then. ;-D

When I first spotted this fabric, I knew it would be a perfect candidate for an "upside down" border-print skirt!  I've admired the look of border-print dresses that have the border at the waist, radiating out toward the shoulder and hem, but most of the prints available are only intended to be used with the border at the hem.  I'm so, SO pleased with how this skirt turned out!

Another perk to this print is that I was able to cut the skirt from Simplicity 1459- the pieces are flared and pleated, and I love the effect that gives!

· Photos by Kathryn- thanks dear! :-) ·

· See you later! ·

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I wanted to let you all know that in lieu of my usual posting,  I'll be MIA for the next 2-3 weeks while I'm jetsetting with my family over to Europe!

We're all excited about the itinerary- several different countries and lots of castles and mountains! :-)

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It's a new area for all of us to explore and (eek!) foreign languages for all of us....  It'll be an adventure!

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I'll see you again in 3 weeks and until then, I'm planning on posting to my instagram so follow along there and say Hi!

(Caveat- As you may know, I'm really rather technologically illiterate.  So I'm planning on posting- we'll see how well the plan succeeds. ;-D )

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