In need of a Holiday

Sweet readers,

This will probably be all for me this year. I missed out on some blogging-time the last couple of weeks. I'm working on a big project (that keeps getting bigger). I'm excited and scared about it at the same time... And of course there's my regular job (television never takes a break) and my family that needs my attention too. I sometimes feel I take on too much, but I can't help myself, I'm greedy when it comes to combining work & play: I want it all and I sometimes pay the toll. I will tell you all about my project in the new year. Until then, I wish you Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year. May all your dreams come true...Many thanks for reading my blog and I hope I will hear from you again next year!

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Shopping bag

I won the fabulous Greetz from Tiz give-away! Last week I got this beautiful shopping bag by mail and I'm so happy with it. The gift-wrapping was also very cute! And it's so much more fun to go out grocery shopping with this bag at hand. It's really big, so it definitely comes in handy. Thank you again, Tiz, I love your style! Do check out her blog and Etsy shop!

Christmas Gifts part 2

The Rockabillies by Jennifer Greenburg. This book has inspiring pictures, I could live in it. Available on Amazon.

I love body butter by The Body Shop. I have a whole collection of them and I use them almost daily. At christmas time they have limited editions, can't wait to check out this one: spiced vanilla. A perfect scent for under the Christmas tree no doubt...

Got a man that's just a little bit extravagant? Well how about buying him some spitfire cufflinks....he will need a buttonless shirt as well of course.
Merc

Swallows, owls, ...birds are always elegant. Check out these bracelets.
Tricolour

I know it's not done to have coloured wine glasses. In my opinion this set would make any wine taste great! If you give this present to the lucky receiver before Christmas dinner, they can go right onto the table, hehe.
House Doctor at Deens

A girl needs a good make-up mirror to get her eyeliner straight! Anything Rice is irresistible.
Kleine Zebra

Christmas Gifts Part 1

I'm finally here with my Christmas Gift tips! I'm always in for some cosy family time, candlelight and presents! People often ask me tips on what to buy for presents, well here are some ideas:

Vespa is pretty for the ladies and cool for the lads! Makes waking up a whole lot easier...
Club

Manhattan nailpolish. Especially this shade (L59). I bought this last Spring and the colour was ugly. I tried wearing it again in the Autumn and it looks amazing! I've been using it ever since, it looks retro and it makes a nice change from always having bright red nails. I get so many compliments when I use this colour, so I buy it all the time to give to someone. A real hit, but do put on 2 coats to let the warm brown colour come through.
Kruidvat

Ok ok, this I also bought for myself, but it would make an original present. I love these knitted sweaters. They're knitted from original 1940's patterns. A design I just can't find in regular shops...must buy online!
Rocket Originals

Through the Looking Glass-Diary 2011. I saw this in a shop and have been thinking about it ever since. This diary is so cute, it has pictures in it from the original Alice in Wonderland. A perfect little gift.
Teneues or Club



Ginger. Love it or hate it. People in my family can't live without it. Why not make a ginger surprise package? A porcelain Ginger grater, some fresh ginger and my lovely Ginger Tea recipe:
Squeeze the juice of a tangerine into a teacup. Grate some ginger and let it cook in boiling water for a couple of minutes depending on how strong you want it to taste (ginger can get spicy hot). Add the ginger tea to the tangerine juice together with some fresh mint leaves and a couple of drops of honey. Delicious!
White Porcelain Ginger Grater or in most health food stores

Happy Lights. Big light strings of cotton balls. They are available in lovely colours and they really set the mood. I got a purple and green one for my birthday. You can hang them, put them in a bowl, drape them over the coffee table, whatever you feel like.
Happy Lights

 

 Stick around for part 2...



Tattoo Convention - last weekend

Last weekend we worked at the Brussels tattoo convention. The theme was fifties/rockabilly, how perfect is that? I had the best time, while the boyfriend was working, hehe! Not only were there about a hundred tattoo artists, there was also a little market for me to stroll around in for two days and some awesome rock'n roll bands to go see. I love the moment just before the doors open, everything is quiet, everyone is ready and we usually take a walk to say hello to old and new friends. And then thousands of people come in... Here are some pics:

Hope you're having a lovely weekend!

Cake Mascara - retro eyelashes

Maybelline ad for cake mascara

I wear mascara. I wear it everyday, no exceptions, oh no! If I don't wear it, people ask if I'm either tired or sick... Mascara makes me look awake. I have an extensive collection, all black ones. My favorites are MAC zoom lash, Max Factor False Lash Effect, Bourjois Liner Effect and ArtDeco All in One. All of these give your eyelashes a bit of a retro look. I never use one at a time though, I usually use two of them togheter. I love using MAC togheter with Max Factor for example, Mac gives me the black pigment I want and Max factor just gives the lashes a cleaner, neat look.

MAC Zoom Lash



Max Factor False Lash Effect



Artdeco All in One

Bourjois Liner Effect

But what I really want to try out is Cake Mascara: mascara from the pre-wand and tube era, this was put on the market in the fifties. You apply it by using a seperate brush and dissolving some water into the pigment. I read some wonderful reviews about cake mascara on the net. And  before I order it in the USA I would still like to try to find it closer to home somewhere in Europe. So if you have any idea where to find it, please go ahead en reveal your secret! I would love to give it a try!

Lola Cosmetics - Cake Mascara

Paris was perfect

La tour Eiffel

metro station

Paris was lovely! The weather was absolutely fantastic, we were so lucky. I didn't have time to stop by Ladurée for macarons, instead I bought them at a little patisserie and they were delicious! We were only staying for 1.5 days, because we were there for a surprise visit for my friend. But I loved soaking up the atmosphere. Paris is such a lovely combination of old and new, history is always around the corner. 

Moulin Rouge

Paris has a lot of little shops with just one sort of item for sale, I wish we had more of those around here. For example I found shops that just sold angel statues, all sorts and sizes and a vintage perfume bottle shop.

Vintage perfume bottle shop

The most memorable part for a shopaholic like me was the visit to the flea market of St.Ouen, Les Puces de Saint-Ouen . We came by train so buying some awesome chairs wasn't an option.



These would have looked so good in our living room



need some beads?



I'm definitely coming back here to stroll around.

Arc de Triomphe

And get some more macarons!

I also wanted to let you I'm working on a new webshop post, where to shop for your holiday shopping (and mine, hehe!).

Going to Paris!

 

This weekend we’re popping over to Paris to surprise a friend for her birthday! Needless to say, I’m already looking forward to the visit. We’ll be staying in Montmartre, the place to be for strolling along the flea markets and watching the street artists in action.

photo by Jean-Paul Margnac



The last time we visited Paris, we went to Duc des Lombards, a stunning jazzclub with live music. Listening to the music, sipping some champagne...we still often reminisce about that evening.

Paris always brings out the romance in people!

This weekend I'm dying to visit Ladurée, an authentic Parisian tea room and bakery, and taste their famous macarons. Which I have never eaten by the way, I think it's about time! 


  

You'll read all about it when we get back!

Comforting ideas for gloomy days

As much as I love Autumn, the lack of sunlight tends to make me a bit melancholic at times. I have a few comforting rituals to turn gloomy Autumn evenings into something cosy. These ideas work for me every year, if you're also in need of some cocooning, maybe they work for you to!

Uplifting aromatherapy. I love burning essential oils. My favorite scent is tangerine (which can be expensive so I often replace it by orange), orange and pine. Try mixing some tangerine or orange essential oil with a couple of drops of pine oil. It smells like christmas presents! 

Louis Prima. What about some soothing New Orleans swing jazz? Louis Prima's rocking tunes and funny lyrics always make me smile.

Roasted sweet potato with red pepper and rosemary. This simple dish makes me feel better even thinking about it. It's easy, comforting and homey. I first made it by accident, from some leftover ingredients I had lying around. I've been making it ever since. 

Preheat your oven at about 180°C. Peel and chop the sweet potato into thick chunks. Chop the red pepper into large pieces. Add a generous amount of olive oil into a baking tray. Toss in the sweet potato and pepper together with some sprigs of rosemary and some seasalt and freshly ground pepper. Leave in the oven for about 45 minutes or untill the sweet potato is cooked. Serve in a big bowl with some rice...perfect for eating in front of the TV, while watching all three Godfather movies in a row.

The Godfather. Every now and again, I'm in dire need of a godfather fix. Epic drama, cool characters, the bad guy is actually the good guy and Al Pacino looking devastatingly handsome. Need I say more? And if you know the story by heart already, you can start detecting the little details Francis Ford Coppola put in. I always try spotting the oranges and the related events that occur when an orange shows up on screen. It's fun, try it!

Well, this is how I brighten up the gloomy cold evenings. I hope this inspires you to make your own feel-good rituals.

How do you blog?

I wish I had more time to put into blogging. There's always so much going on, I usually write posts rather hastily. That's why I'm always trying to do several things at the same time. I find it useful to paint my nails while working on my laptop, if you type carefully your nails will dry at the same time you're typing! Multifunctional me! I'm also drinking coffee and I'm writing in my trusty Moleskine notebook while the girls are fabricating some girly pink artwork next to me. I wonder, how do you blog?