HOT PINK COMBAT BOOTS: May 2011

Vintage Bliss - rare objects!

When it comes to thrift stores and vintage goodness, I assumed Germany would be the MOTHERLAND of treasures. I envisioned streets lined with antique shops and discount thrift stores, just begging for me to buy their wares.

Much to my dismay the elusive thrift store has been just that – elusive.

Come to find out people in Europe dispose of their unwanted treasures via ‘FLEA MARKETS’. The first Saturday of every month, the country turns into one big yard sale. Wow – that’s even better since the prices should be low as people will not want to haul their old stuff back home.

Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon this ‘CURIOUSITY SHOP’ on a teeny-tiny back road in a random Bavarian village. I have no idea what the prices were since I was trying to be super-sleuthy with my photo taking.

Check out the unique finds!

Doesn't the dial look odd?

Wood?? Very odd and interesting.

Perfect for the hallway.

I was obsessed with this. It's a cat thing.

Old style without the modern paintings and 'gingerbread'

Isn't this incredible? Probably a bit creepy for the house, but
amazing detail and craftsmanship. Why would a church ever
get rid of this? Stolen maybe?

Gorgeous chandaliers. I would put this in my bathroom.

I can't wait to visit the flea market! What are some of the unique/vintage things you have found?

GERMANY DELUXE GIVEAWAY -we have a winner!

We have a WINNER!

The winner of the amazing box of goodies from Germany is Ms. Lisa from GRANDPARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN. Congratulations doll!

Contact me at hot.pink.combat.boots@gmail.com with your mailing address. I will also send you a short questionnaire so I can customize the contents based on your preferences. Candy, clothes, chocolates - whatever, the contents are up to you!

THANK YOU to everyone that signed up for this HUGE giveaway. I genuinely appreciated all of your comments, posts and tweets! Aren’t giveaways fun?

I’m already pondering the next amazing giveaway for June. Stay tuned for the big reveal!

French Note Cards

I love stationary, and I almost squealed in delight when I found this amazing store in France. Here are a few of the cards I fell in love with:

Perfectly French.

Sexy and innocent - thanks to the doe eyes

Judging or Remembering her youth? - postcard

Classic Parisan Cafe - postcard

My sister is moving, so I bought this card for her big move

Unique, non? Wait till you see the napkins over here. Beyond gorgeous and the vivid decorative patterns are a big deal in Europe. More to come!

Tranny Manny's -a blogger first.

Truly, I can't make this stuff up - this theme seems to be following me this week. Here's the story:

Since I have a mannequinn at home (faux friend Priscilla), I'm prone to notice the different styles of mannequins during my shopping excursions. In Germany, I can't help but notice how 'made-up' they are. In the states I'm used to seeing neutral looking displays, where the focus is intended to be on the clothes and not the mannequin itself. Here.....it's a completely different story.

Check out these odd TRANNY inspired photos (aka Tranny Manny's):

Wow, no one wears that much make up AND poofy hair
with a wife beater tank.

?????????

What is going on here? Is that a tiara with a giant tag?

Ms. Queen Tranny Manny.

Yes, there are normal mannequins too and I have great shots of which I will highlight later. Considering the crazy week, I thought these deserved thier own individual posting. Isn't this funny? Such bizarre advertising!

I'm sharing secrets!

I've been busy! Come find me today at FIT, FIERCE and FABULOUS. I'm sharing my super skinny secrets - and yay for you, no gym is required.

Ahem....here's the real truth:
On Cait's blog I write about green tea, extended side bends and supplements. Those tips definetly work - but between you and me............ I wrote that post about 7 weeks ago and my routine has since changed drastically.

Beer.

My new fitness regime is:

1. Beer

2. Bread

3. Doner Kebap

4. Running and walking lunges, 3 x week

5. Fifi

I'm obsessed with the falafel plate at Doner Kebap. Yes, I eat
the entire thing. Peppers and all. Under the yogurt sauce is a
salad made out of cukes, tomatoes & parsley.

Guess what? The first 2 weeks was a huge disaster (pants too tight, and I was overall a bloated mess), but now by body has adjusted to the changes and my legs are solid, my waist smaller and in general, I'm in better shape than when I first arrived.

I think the big difference is the lack of preservatives used in the food and beer. Riding a bike around doesn't hurt either. So move to Germany where you can eat and drink what you want and still lose weight!

So please visit Cait's blog and read my posting, just understand my lifestyle has changed. Just a tad.

I'm off to ~~the huge Spring beer festival wtih Fifi~~ exercise.

Choos!! (goodbye in German)

Window shopping! See what I see.

I thought it would be fun to show you a walking viewpoint of stores and shops in Saarbrucken Germany. The names of the stores are sometimes odd, and others...........hysterical, especially when considering the translation to English.

Let's stroll!

18?!? Does that mean 19 and 20 are in different countries?
For the record, Forever 21 is so much better.

Germany's version of Sephora/Kohls

Really? What bizarre name for this upscale jewelry store. Schmuck?
Now that's funny.See the guy staring? I get this type of photo
ALL OF THE TIME. I'm not even trying to take his photo.

They spelled it wrong

Very popular over here - and spendy.

There are a ton of these junky Chinese import stores.
I have no idea why they have a French name.

Drug store type cosmetics & home gadgets.
See the orange chair and the lime green wall?

Lime green and bright orange are POPULAR for home decor and kitchen gadgets.
When paired with all white dishes - its gorgeous.

Tons of white pieces for spring and summer

Starbucks, it feels like I'm back at home. This is where I was standing
when faux TRANNY ~~trampled everyone in her path and~~ raced up to me

In the states you get guitar and drum street musicians. Here in
Germany, this guy will bust out tunes on his accordion.
Complete with a free cheery smile.

UPCOMING POSTS FOR THE WEEK:

Dorm room design update (don't get too excited)
Liquor purchases and absinthe - a whole new state of mind
Euro Trash - a photo menagerie, part duex
Germany award winner announcement
Beer Festival with Fifi
Bavarian village goodness
Coffee shops and restaurant photos

Where is Fifi?

Thanks to the fabulous world of having a rental car over the last week, poor Fifi has been locked up in the basement next to the washers.

And you know what? I feel guilty.

I realize she's a bike, but the feeling is similar to when you leave your pet behind while you're on vacation. Even though there is a giant bowl of food and water, you get the pang of guilt as you close the door and say goodbye.

Don't worry Fifi, Le Car is gone so you'll be my bestie again.

I've Been Caught! So busted.

In some of my past posts I've been noting that my camera skills are far from stealthy and some businesses owners have been less than thrilled with my camera use. I have been getting odd looks along with the random stink-eye, but no one has actually 'said' anything to me.

So.....yesterday I was taking photos and after a day of unfortunate looking people (I'll post evidence at the end), I saw two pretty blondes sitting on a bench. I tried to get a quick shot while I was walking their direction - thinking that images of the locals would be interesting for the blog.

Blurry, but it looks like she's looking at me.

Let's take a closer look. Yep, she sees me. Oops.

About 5 minutes later, my friend Sebastian says, "Hey - you should get a picture of the transvestite. She's right behind you". Without turning around, I lift my camera over my shoulder and click (my first time trying this sneaky camera move).

I start walking down the street and look at the photo. Crap! I realize it's the same blonde girl from the bench and she looks pretty pissed in the picture. Transvestite?! What is he talking about? She is actually a pretty girl.

Sort of dark, but looking kinda of mad.

Lightened up the photo .....and yep, she's pissed.

A few minutes later, here comes BLONDE TRANNY (I'll just stick with the term, it's a nickname at this point) storming up to me. Standing about 2 inches away from me (phew, the garlic - holy crap, she has to be Russian) she glares down at me and says very rudely, "BLAH-blah blah, (read: foreign language).

With the most innocent look possible, I sweetly say, "Sorry.........I only speak English".

Now even more pissed, she says (in perfect English) "YOU TOOK MY PICTURE!" and she points at my camera. She says in a very loud tone "LET ME SEE IT, I want to see it. YOU SHOW IT TO ME NOW!!!!

I stand there and look at her dumbfounded. Realizing she's probably 2 seconds from grabbing my camera (Tranny is a giant btw - towering over me, she has to be over 6"). I stall, not knowing what to do.

As a quick way to buy more time I say, "Whaaaattt?" (like I didn't hear her).

She repeats her above statement and is now about to explode. I realize I have limited options, so I fess up and say "I thought your were pretty, so I wanted to take your picture".

My compliment threw her off completely. She stood there for a second letting it sink in. She gave me a 'huff' with her breath, turned around quickly and stomped back to her friend. I think to myself "Whew, major ass-kicking avoided. Close call".

So....the question is: if you are in public, do you have any privacy rights when it comes to things like photography? Papparazzi takes photos of celebrities all of the time.

Also, any ideas why she would be so mad over me taking her photo? That was a big reaction to something very minor. And just to clarify, Blonde Tranny is not a tranny. She is in fact, a ~~giant~~ tall pretty blonde girl ~~with anger issues~~ from somewhere in Eastern Europe. And Tranny.... if you ever stumble upon my blog and see this photo of yourself.......please don't kick my ass. Thanks.

Photo Bonus:
This is what I mean by unfortunate looking people. Not judging, just saying it wasn't an eye candy day. You would never see this in France.

A French Boutique - steal these ideas

I have always dreamed of having my own boutique, and this one I found on the back streets of Metz France was incredibly inspirational. It is a mix of vintage and new items - all artfully arranged in an inviting color palette.

There were some clever display techniques, and lucky for me the owner was on the phone so I snapped display photos of this gorgeous store.

I introduce to you: Les Ames Galantes!

How cool is this entrance?

This is the table at the entrance. Covered with newsprint and lacquered. Brilliant.

A simple screw hook into the ceiling supports a sheer panel - all connected with delicate ribbon ties. So clever. You could do this trick anywhere in your home.

Purses are hanging by nails protruding from the wall. The hanging chain rack was the same thing used to hang the clothes. Just use a larger ceiling hook - and voila, an instant rack for anything.