HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009

a big thank you to all of you!



card by poustovit.

Pass The Bubbly Please

Ah. The New Year is upon us - where did the time go? One more reason to celebrate with friends and loved ones, and one more reason to dress up and look fabulous. I'm sure you have all found your dresses already but I just passed by the store window of BCBG the other day. BCBG has always attracted me, there is something simple and ethereal about their dresses, and their cutting (for me at least, is superb).

Their dresses make you feel almost old hollywood glam or simply modern chic. I know they're rather simple, definitely something you've seen before, but talk about excellent draping! I don't know, there's something about them that makes me fall in love.

Love the velvet bodice of this dress!

This dress is actually much more beautiful in person.

Aughhh...I need to get this - look at that sleeve detail!

So simple, so lovely (especially the colour). Hm, I will advise you not to wear a headband that the model demonstrates...

Ok, kind of generic I know, princess cut blah blah blah. But the material! And a colour that would look great on all skin tones.

What are you doing for New Year's? &equally important, what will you be wearing?

GETTING CRAFTY AT HOME

What I like about the holidays is the fact that you, after having visited all your relatives and such, mostly have no actual things you have to do, but a lot of time for yourself (hopefully). I actually worked throughout Christmas (but did get to spend the Eve with my family) and started my holidays as late as today. But one evening when I couldn't get any sleep I still did one of those things I've been planning forever, one of those thing you do at those days when you have nothing more important to dig in to first (love those moments); I revamped my ugly old kitchen stool.

Here's before: rusty, old and dirty (it's actually "inherited" from my parents, I guess they bought it in the early 80s...). Also note my pink brush :)


And after:


I painted it in a shining white colour and put some of the tapestry from the wall in the old flat on the steps, after which I put a layer of the white paint on the tapestry too. I finished by painting a mix of glue and water on it to make it washable and water resistant.

Turned out quite well -and it always feels good to be able to revamp something old instead of throwng it away and getting something new!

Good Golly Boots!

I found (and purchased) two pairs of boots this weekend.

Yes, two.

They are comfortable ... and I love, love, love them.

Steve Madden - Legion


INC Brook Riding Boot - mine are chocolate brown and aren't so shiny.


Oh sales how I love thee.

Merry Christmas To All, and To All A Goodnight

Merry Christmas everyone! We hope you had a wonderful evening and a beautiful day! Were in good company with family and friends, wrapped up warm - or dressed downright cool! - with good food, wherever you are!

This spread instantly made me want to layer up with colours and scarves - I actually decided that I had too much black in my closet! Is that even possible? Love the fresh faces and the braided hair. What wonderful winter inspiration - take the look of fall and bring with you into winter, enough of the dull greys and the generic black. I can't believe I just said that.







Image source: Elle Italy by David Burton

WELL BOYS AND GIRLS, IT'S MERRY CHRISTMAS THEN!

I hope you all have a great Holiday, either way you may spend it!


Last year I cosed up the old flat with a lot of lights in time for the season, this year just the star will have to do since I'm living in a much smaller place now. But it's real cosy this year too - we even got some snow here in time for Christmas Eve! And I got anchor shaped gingerbreas from K.
Christmas ahoy!

If you read my blog last year already you may recall I'm a friend of rather tacky Christmas Cards, the kitchier the better. Last year I photoshopped my cats into packages filled with candy and glitter. This year I've made one for the blog (oh my), which means, you!

You can also cut out the heart and hang it me and my cats your christmas tree (no seriously, don't!! :)

Happy Christmukkah!

Something to drool over on this special day....Yes, I'm in love with red pumps! But just to add some variety, these are not Louboutins (remember the Turkey day pumps?), but from Stuart Weitzman. Dear Santa.....

Happy Christmukkah everyone!

Psst! I heard Bloomies is having a big sale on the 26th!

Image Source: Bloomies

IN-BETWEEN-AND-WAITING-POST

Oh my , seems I'm about to take it off! :P
Photo: Rik Stavale/©Helsinki Burlesque

I'm a patient person in general.
But secretly I can't stand waiting. Hate it.
As a kid Christmas was all about waiting (not for Baby Jesus I'm afraid but for the gifts you know).
Nowadays I wait for other things, and lately I've been waiting for pictures from a photoshoot, but most of all from two of our/my latest shows. Knowing how busy I am myself it's understandable that it takes time for our photographer to come up with the pics too. (But mostly when I finally get a hold of the pictures I tend to have really weird facial expressions in 90% of the live pics anyway, so it's like being a child waiting to get a dollhouse and receive a pair of knitted socks instead. Blah :).

Well, while waiting for our own pictures I'll just have to settle for some random ones taken by others... (the one above however is from Helsinki Burlesque's flickr. Full of funny rubber faces of me there, eh).

I'LL TAKE A SUNDAY TOMORROW TOO PLEASE

I like most songs and videos with ships in them.



Today I'm going to dress up pretty, eat well and spend the day with people I really like. And in the evening I'm going to listen to soft and whiny music and do some drawings. Every week should have two Sundays, at least!
I have a day off tomorrow so I'll let that be my second one :)

Ctrl BG: A Shortcut to Financial News 12/21

After MUCH drama, the fall of the auto industry in the US has finally been avoided- at least temporarily anyway. In the end, Bush signed over $17.4 to Chrysler and GM on Friday in return for non voting warrants and more oversight on executive pay etc. In the end, they made a full circle and the money will be coming from the TARP fund, which brings up the really intriguing question of whether the government has opened the pandora box and now other industries will be lining up to get a share of the rest of the TARP fund. Paulson has already asked Congress to release the rest of the $350 billion TARP fund early, when just a few days ago he said that it will not be necessary. Just when we thought we figured out how the TARP is going to work, they change their minds. This does not bode well for the government, because it makes them look like they have no idea what they're doing. Maybe they don't! On the other hand, the wider purpose of TARP is to support the financial market stability, and I daresay, it will probably not be very stable if the auto industry went bankrupt!

On the sidelines, the Madoff scandal continues to unfold, revealing many influential individuals exposed to this fraud. The S&P cut the rating of 11 US and EU banks, including Bank of America, Barclays Bank, Citibank, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase Bank, Morgan Stanley, Royal Bank of Scotland, UBS and Wells Fargo Bank. I guess if ratings must be cut, at least there is safety in numbers. What are you going to do when everyone goes down?

Outside of the States, it looks like the land of chocolate and waffles is not doing very well. Belgium's attempt to bailout Fortis got frozen as Prime Minister Yves Leterme tendered his resignation after having reportedly politically meddling to sway a court ruling. Apparently this is the third time their government collapsed. I had no idea.

WANTED: LEOPARD GLOVES

Sometimes loosing the most material and otherwise non important things can still make you very sad or deeply frustrated - I had these really nice wool leopard printed gloves with a perfect lenght and a perfect slim fit that I stumbled upon in H&M a couple of years ago. I quite recently lost one of them and now I've been searching everywhere in stores here to find a similar pair but without result. I can't seem to find any proper ones on the internet either; they are either too fancy (like velvet or so, ment for evening wear) or then too ugly or cheap looking (like made of fleece or so) fleece. *sniff sniff*

Anyone got any hints?

(the picture is old. It was in the blog once earlier in a post that had nothing to do with gloves. Just in case anyone thought it looked familiar :)

The Girl With The Short Hair

Last year I went from that was down below the middle of my back, to a really bad short japanese-boy-rockstar cut. My hair grows fast so while I was mortified & stuck with pinning it back and trying to tie it up in all sorts of ways, with ribbons and clips, it eventually grew back to past my shoulders by September of this year. Being stuck with thick, thick hair I got fed up and went to go get it cut again into a straight across, above the shoulders/longish bob.

Then, I went home and chopped it all off to have it super short in the back, with an A-line cut in the front. Kind of like Victoria Beckham, but less extreme and shorter. How does it feel? Totally awesome. Here are some cuties that might inspire you to cut it short.




The best part is that you figure out fun ways to do your hair, it's just easier to take of! Best part? If you can work the curling iron and get a bunch of curls, it's completely adorable. It definitely becomes a deciding factor on how you style your outfits.

What are your thoughts on girls with short hair?

As for my next hair cut? I'm definitely going to go for a Shannyn Sossamon look.


Image Source: Garance Dore

CRACOW FASHION AWARDS

cracow fashion awards is the biggest fashion competition in poland.the show is organized by polish academy- cracow school of art and fashion design. the main aim is to promote young designers into their further carrier.
the rewards inscluded cash prizes, interships with leading designers & companies and promotion in fashion magazines.

for 2008 the council of fashion designers has awarded first prize to peggy pawlowski for her collection " gavroche".














photos by adam wesolowski

Other prizes were awarded to:

Aleksandra Lenkiewicz "Electro shock"
Ewa Walkowiak "Mon dieu!"
Magdalena Magiera "Peoples voice"
Klaudyna Chlipała "Temptation"
Katarzyna Polak "Cosmic Girl"
Beata Modliborek "Oko Tokio"
Jakub Ziemirski "Urban chillout "
Elzbieta Trusiewicz " White tag"
Paulina Blachura "Braking the waves"
Tomasz Jakowienko "Retro Minimalizm"
Anety Rapacz "Black suns"
Monika Skobel "Zebra"
Natalia Leniartek "Finesse"
Beata Piskorz "Between"

HOPEHOPE ADVENTS CALENDAR NR.18

today ostblock offers you an apéro and 10% discount on aw 08/09 collections and 10% on all pictures from milk&wodka.
don't miss it!!!!



at this moment i would like to say thanks to hopehope to invite ostblock to be part of their advents calendar.

WEDNESDAY

I'm quite hopeless, I know. I went for a bit of Christmas shopping the other day and ended up doing some thrifting finds for myself instead. I came home with this woolen pencil skirt (my explanation to self: nice and warm for this time of year) and leather bag (explanation to self: had to get since it was in such mint condition).


Skirt & Bag - thrifted (well obviously, just mentioned it there above...)
Cardigan - Lucky13; a gift from mom some Christmases ago
Shoes - the same old 67 You's as always

Btw, the only good this about climate change is, ummm, well, there is none, but if there ever were (you want to look at the bright side of life right?) it'd be be the fact that it is dry enough here in December for me to still wear shoes like this!

(Even though just as I was walking outside, thinking of this, it started to snow. Just a little bit, in a nice way. My feet and shoes survived : )

Little Frivolous Somethings

When I was a kid, Christmas was about finally getting that one toy I've wanted all year long. When I grew older, it was about finally getting that one big fashion item that I've been craving for since all season. Now that I'm a bit older and (hopefully) wiser, I'm beginning to think that maybe that perfect Christmas gift is not about getting that big ticket item, but about getting that little frivolous something that will make you smile. Because really, I'd like to be present when a big ticket item is bought for me- just in case anything goes wrong. Besides, you'd be really broke if you bought something big for everyone you loved!

When I say frivolous, I do not mean something completely useless. It has got to be something that I would actually use, that little something that I've been meaning/wanting to buy but have put it on the backlog because there are more practical things on my list (like toothpaste, vacuum cleaners and Tweezerman tweezers- though if all else fails, these would not be a bad idea. At least they're useful!). Here are a few things on my backlog:
Essie nail varnish set. I am a HUGE fan of professional nail varnish (they go on SO much smoother and chips less!), Essie in particular. One can never have too much nail varnish, because they come in so many different colors and your favourite ones will start to dry out and coagulate after a while. I am especially loving this little gift set from Essie, because it encompasses all the classic colors one MUST have in their repertoire. They are also in delightfully small bottles that are actually more easy to carry and well, just the right size. I have personally never finished a bottle of nail varnish. Plus, did I mention that they are only $15 (they are usually $6-7 a bottle)!

The next thing on my list, are Shu Uemura fake lashes. Frivolous? Yes, for $20, they can only be used for one night. But fun? Definitely! I'd love to know what it feels like to have ridiculously long and perfect lashes for one night. This would also be the perfect time to give them out, because what better time is there to try fake lashes then New Years Eve? Speaking of New Years Eve, I have a vision. A vision of myself in a simple dress (of undecided color as of now) with a low side bun accessorized with this fabulous piece of purple feather (right). And if that plan should go awry, I can be masculine chic, in this adorable hat (left). I can even use this for Halloween next year! Spending $18 on literally a piece of feather is definitely not practical, but it will definitely draw a smile from me :)
Other random cute things on my list is a munny and a lego Ipod speaker. I don't really need ipod speakers, but I definitely wouldn't mind one that is so small and cute! And actually, I have a Munny. But mine didn't come out as I would like it to, so I'd love a second chance to decorate a Munny (including markers and other decorating materials would also be a nice touch).
Not exactly "little" , but I've always been very intrigued with lomography. I love taking pictures and I'd love to try out the different effects of lomography. The camera is not too expensive at $50 (compared to real digital cameras anyway), but if you factor in film and developing etc, it is actually a very expensive random hobby. Like those polaroids back in the days!

The purple frame (left) is not just a random piece of art. It is a mini DNA portrait! HG and I saw it on CNBC's list of weird gift ideas and our inner nerds are awaken. You really cannot get more personalized than a picture of your own DNA composition. And for someone to go to the effort of collecting your DNA sample and then go have it made.... that's a LOT of effort.

Then there are classes. Cooking classes, dancing classes, it would just be FUN to take a random class with friends even though you will never be able to replicate that 5 layer chocolate cake you just made at home. My friends just did a Christmas Cupcake decorating class, and I am SO jealous, because it looked so much fun. I wish I was there! Sur la Table offers cooking classes for $69 and I'm sure there are lots more similar places that I don't know of yet. Whatever you want to learn, there will be a class for it somewhere!

And last on my list is a really cute and big stuff toy. Something cute so it'll look good on my bed and something big and cushiony so I can lean on it while I read. I know, I am a kid at heart :P 8 more days til Christmas!!!

Image Source: Essie, Sephora, DNA 11 and Urban Outfitters

JUST LIKE THAT

When my future children grow up they are going to be just like Kitty Daisy and Lewis!


If I'd be a talented cool and stylish teenage musician I might get pissed by someone slighlty older than me calling me cute but I'm still going to do that because I think they are. Supercute. And cool.

Oh boy, oh boy

How do you like your boy to look? Mine is the usual jeans and t-shirt kinda guy, but I like a little styled grunge to be honest!

A little flannel can go a long way. Too much flannel can be tacky and "OH LOOK I AM A HIPSTER."

Perhaps a little too trendy with the scarf and all - but nonetheless a rather eye-pleasing outfit! I love the checkered shirt.

I love this. I love the coat. He looks so... historical!

Casual, cute, playful! Lego belt!


Umm...yes, hello and hello.

Boys with style are big in my book - a little character like a neck scarf or a sharp looking jacket can make all the difference. Just enough scruff balanced out by the perfect amount of tidiness. And of course, excellent manners. Chivalry is not dead and of course style for men is alive as ever. Just a few things that make me sigh.

So tell me, how you would you like your man to dress?


All photos by The Sartorialist, which I love and adore. Who doesn't?

Ctrl BG: A Shortcut to Financial News 12/14

It's been a stressful few weeks for US auto makers. Last week, they handed in their proposals to be reviewed by Congress. I'm not sure about the details, but it was along the lines of major cut backs, and the Ford CEO vowing to work for $1 a year if Ford had to take money from the government (they are currently only asking for a loan line for emergency). At the beginning of the week, the senate approved a bailout. On Thursday, it was blocked by opposing Republicans, who thinks that it will be better for the big 3 to pursue a prearranged bankruptcy instead and also because the Unions wouldn't back down from a wage cut (beggars really can't be choosers...). Supporters argue that no one wants to buy cars from a bankrupt car company, which is a very valid point (think of the warranty/repair issues!). On Friday, Bush had to step in vowing to save the automakers from collapsing, with the TARP money (which they originally didn't want to do). A lot is at stake. The automakers claim that 1 out of 10 jobs in the US is connected to the auto industry. That would be devastating to the already weak economy.

A very good example of this trickling effect, would be GMAC the auto financier, which just got approved to become a bank holding company last week. Unfortunately, becoming a bank holding company is not as easy as GS and MS makes it out to be and they're struggling to raise the capital needed to do so. They are trying to renegotiate with debt holders to swap the debt for a smaller amount of debt, cash and preferred shares. If this doesn't work then they are highly likely to go into bankruptcy.

The other big news this week was Bernie Madoff $50 billion fraud. This former chairman of the NASDAQ stock market and Wall Street legend, is allegedly the perpetrator of a $50 billion giant ponzi scheme. According to Wiki, a ponzie scheme is a fraudalent investment operation that pays abnormally high returns to investors using the money coming in from subsequent investors. Apparently lots of the super wealthy have been fooled by this scheme. It is amazing how much you can get away with, with a good reputation and an affable character!

It appears though that the markets is already immune to these scandals, because the markets ended (by a tiny bit) up this week!

RED & GREEN (ME THE KIND OF CHRISTMAS EDITION GOING ON)

If I've worn red and green before hoping not to remind people of Chirstmas it's totally ok to get some gingerbread or Christmas three vibes at this time of year from that colour combination. (50% of my nutrition this week has consisted of gingerbreads. I'm going to turn into the gingerbread woman soon or something!)

Blogging can be serious business, ummm, at least according to my facial expression...

(...and this picture is just here so I can show off my biiig hairdo)

Have a great weekend :)

Top - S&M dress worn as shirt; Skirt - MissSixty; Belt and tights - Old H&M; Shoes - Blueberry

AGGA B

agga b is young fashion designer & stylist from poland.
she uses black and white color palette. dresses are often a-line, simple & classic shapes with unconventional, textured detailing( the patent piping on a sleeve, origami inspired collar or blouse with thick ruffles...). made of luxurious material (waxed linen, italian blend cotton).






"i'd rather be respected by few, than well liked by many," agga b.