The View London Style

My darlings, fancy a bit of London daydreaming? I thought so :)  Ever since last night’s Skype-date with my mom, I can’t stop thinking about The Shard. Have you heard about it? It’s London’s newest skyline landmark that was officially named the tallest building in Western Europe at 1,015ft. Yawza! Tomorrow marks its first opening day to the public and I secretly wish I could be there to enjoy the breathtaking London scenery all the way from the top (72nd floor). Yikes, it’s high but I would totally try keeping my composure and take a glimpse of this remarkable city especially during the night. Swoon! You? Doesn’t it look sensational? Would you be brave enough? xo

(Photos by Mariusz Kluzniak and The view from the Shard via Double Takes, Londonist)

Bring On The Confetti!

How did you (or would you) exit your wedding ceremony? Our friend, Josh and his beautiful British girlfriend are getting married this spring. They are those super easy-going type of people with very sweet personalities. They always try to make everything fun, enjoyable and meaningful. So, for their ceremony exit they are planning a confetti shower with a twist.

They are making tons of cascarones that are basically confetti filled eggs and they are putting all sorts of things inside, like glitter, colourful tissue paper bits and even dried flowers so their exit can be super festive and colourful. And the best part: each guest will get at last one egg to (gently) crack on someone’s head and then toss the insides in the air for the confetti shower! It’s considered good luck :) One thing for sure, it’s going to be hilariously breathtaking! I can not wait. xo

 

P.S: Would you wear a cardigan for your big day?

P.P.S: And this charmingly stunning dress!

 

(Photos via/by Style Me Pretty, Lucy Says I do, HolliB, Sarah Klassen, fellow fellow, Southern Weddings)

Pep Talk :)

Have you seen the kid president before? Well, it’s a cool little dude who tells it how it is and melts my heart in the same time. His whole tumblr is filled with funny videos. So, if you have 3 minutes to spare on this chilly Thursday morning, grab a coffee and enjoy this sweet little pep talk. Don’t we all need a little encouragement every now and then? Well, I promise it will make your morning so much better. I've watched it twice already. (And now let’s dance..:)

So tell me, what would make the world more awesome? xo

P.S: Make someone's day!
P.P.S: Remember this funny video? Or this one?

(via Laughing Squid)

Wednesday Giveaway

Today’s giveaway is from Truly Aesthetic, a swoonworthy holistic, organic and totally eco-friendly body care shop based in North Carolina. Shari, the creator and owner developed this one of a kind body care concept to promote beautiful, authentic living and add a dash of holistic goodness to your everyday life. All her products are made of the finest essential oils, organic and wild harvested ingredients. Her hope is that every time you use Truly Aesthetic goodies they will open your mind, soothe your spirit and most importantly, give your body the ultimate spa feeling it deserves. Bonus: they look amazing and smell divine.  

Today, Shari is offering one lucky person a chance to win a bath salt set from her newest flower line - Bestow Bath Affirmations: a floral menagerie of organic bath salts (value $75). It's a breathtaking mix of essential oils, organic and wild harvested floral masterpiece, perfect for Valentine's Day! Are you craving a good soak now? I totally do:) Just imagine putting some chillaxing music on and spending an evening in a bathtub full of beautifully fragrant bath salts. Bliss!

For a chance to win you should be a follower of exPress-o + like Truly Aesthetic on Facebook, please visit Truly Aesthetic and tell us which product you fancy the most from the shop or/and what are you up to this Valentine's Day. As always the giveaway is open worldwide. The winner will be chosen at random on Sunday night. Good luck! xo

For extra entries:
Follow exPress-o on Twitter, follow Truly Aesthetic on Pinterest, join exPress-o group on Facebook, follow Truly Aesthetic on Twitter, follow exPress-o on Pinterest, follow Aesthetic Grind blog or tweet, blog about the giveaway and please make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry.

Winter Pastels: Thumbs up or down?

My lovelies, we spoke about winter whites but how about winter pastels? Well sure, when we think of the chilly season we usually associate it with tons of soothing shades like grey, brown, black or navy blue, right? Well, recently I read that pastels became extremely popular as they give that unexpected and understated pop of sunshine to our snugly wardrobe. I probably wouldn’t be brave enough to wear a full-on pastel outfit but I love the idea of a mint colour shirt peek-a-boo-ing from under my cozy sweater, or pairing up my favourite pastel jeans with a tweed and a pair of long boots.

What do you think? Would you wear a bit of pastel this winter? Do you already? Or it’s not snug enough for the cold? xo

P.S: Also, bow blouses and winter velvet.
P.P.S: A super beautiful GIVEAWAY Wednesday is coming up. (Psst: Perfect for Valentine's day).

(Photos by The Locals, The Sartorialist, Vanessa Jackman, Refinery, Hanneli, Sirma Markova, Karen, A Portable Package & Stephanie Sterjovski)

exPress-o Film Club: Leap Year

Have you seen Leap Year? Did you like it? I’m embarrassed to admit but I watched it for the 4th time last weekend. It’s a witty and sweet romantic story about a super uptight Manhattanite Anna (the adorable Amy Adams) who decides to do something totally out of her character and travels across the world to Dublin to propose in an Irish Leap Year tradition to her boyfriend of four years, Jeremy played by Adam Scott. Of course her trip is full of mishaps, broken cars, emergency landings, lost suitcases, missed trains, endless rain, Irish dappers, cows blocking the roads and a beautiful ending with the super foxy Matthew Goode (aka the Irish guy who changed her life). Anyhow, if you fancy a whole lot of romance and tons of amazing Irish scenery, this film is totally for you :) Enjoy!

Bits and bobs:
- You might remember Matthew Goode from A Single Man or Watchmen.
- Matthew - the mystery man who's making all the right moves.
- Here he talks about his newest movie Stoker.
- Amy was amazing in Sunshine Cleaning and I simply adored her in Julie & Julia:) You?
- I loved The Mupperts with her as well.
- Here Amy talks about the film.
- She was brilliant on Chelsea Lately. (I LOVE that show).
- You wouldn't want Amy to get mad, believe me:)
- 10 things you probably never knew about her.
- She was nominated for 'best supportive actress' at the 2006 Oscars.

P.S: Plus, a few other films that rock my world right now and 10 feel good films of my 20s!
P.P.S: Plus, how do you feel about travelling solo?

(Photos via IMDb)

SFPH: Homemade Granola

Do you eat breakfast each morning? I try but if it wasn’t for Balazs, I would probably skip it sometimes and use that extra 30 mins for sleeping in or to take an extra long shower. Having said that, I started making my own granola last month and after going through a few different takes on it, I finally found my favourite combination. The best part is that a bowlful of my cranberry-oats-honey-cinnamon-and-almonds mix with 2 spoons of natural yoghurt makes me feel so good and full of energy – exactly like Popeye after his spinach snack :) Also, I always slice half of a banana on top as I read that it stimulates your happy hormones the same way as almonds do. Who would have thought?

Well, if you're thinking about jazzing up your breakfast, here is the full how...

Homemade Granola
(inspired by SCB – 3191 Miles Apart)

Ingredients:

* 6 cups rolled oats
* 2 cups almonds
* 2 cups dried cranberries
* 1 teaspoon cinnamon (You could also use ground ginger, or a combination of the two)
* 1/4 cup brown sugar
* 3/4 cup honey
* Dash Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix oats, cinnamon, almonds and salt in a baking pan and set aside. In a small saucepan warm up the brown sugar and the honey until the sugar dissolves and the consistence becomes smooth. Pour the honey/sugar mix over the oats mixture and stir it well. 

Bake for approximately 20 minutes (it depends on the size of the granola batch and the size of the pan). Check every 5-10 minutes or so and give it a good stir. Approximately 15 minutes into the baking time take out your baking pan and add cranberries. Mix well and place the baking pan back into the oven for the last 5 minutes. Allow to cool and store in an air-tight jar. Ta dah!

Darlings, what’s your granola of choice? Would you try this one? xo

P.S: Remember those apple - granola sandwiches? Or those homemade granola bars?
P.P.S: And a few more of my favourite recipes.

(Photos by exPress-o. Layout by Ana Degenaar - Blog Milk for exPress-o. Thank you Ana for your help with this series).

Travel Lust: Bonifacio in France

Are you as intrigued by unique little cliff edge towns as I am? Lately I’ve been daydreaming about spending a week in a secluded romantic village and this beauty is no exception. It’s called Bonifacio and it's sitting all peacefully on the tip of a French island,  Corsica. It’s one of those places that have such mesmerizing views across the Mediterranean Sea that you can not help but fall in love with. Just imagine packing a bottle of wine, a tray of stinky cheese and spending an evening catching the sunset with your husband by your side. Dreamy! Have you ever been there? Fancy going? xo

P.S: Yikes!
P.P.S: Plus, the teahouse on top of the world!

(Photos by/via Yann Arthus Bertrand, Traveling Colors, Aureus Yacht, SpotCoolStuff and Allard)

Monday Giveaway

Today’s giveaway is from a beautifully understated California based jewelry boutique, Edor. All Edor's designs are full of minimalistic charm and are truly in tune with the modern style. Cindy, the owner hopes that every piece she creates will make the wearer feel like their true self. Isn't that sweet?

Cindy is offering one lucky person a chance to win one of her designs. The best part: the winner can choose their favourite piece from her shop. I'm smitten with those little leaf hoops as they would make even the simplest outfit shine. Also, this necklace makes me swoon each time I look at it. Isn't it charming? (And it would go so well with simple V-neck tees this spring). I also adore this little cutie!

For a chance to win you should be a follower of exPress-o, please visit the Edor shop and tell us which piece is your favourite. As always the giveaway is open worldwide. The winner will be chosen at random on Sunday night. Good luck! xo

For extra entries:
Follow exPress-o on Twitter, like Edor on Facebook, follow Cindy on Pinterest, join exPress-o group on Facebook, follow Edor on Twitter, follow exPress-o on Pinterest, sign up for the Edor newsletter or tweet, blog about the giveaway and please make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry.

Monday = Funday?

Since Mondays are not much of fundays, I thought it would be a good idea to try and make them a dash more enjoyable or at least a bit more bearable. Are you with me? Well, I’m thinking that before we start on our to-do lists for this week, let’s just take a moment and remember the three things that made us chuckle, giggle, smile or made us happy... last week. Deal?

I will go first:

- A little package that arrived last Wednesday all the way from London gave me the biggest happy butterflies. Mom sent us a huge box of Cadbury eggs and mini mince pies. We are over the moon and getting fatter by the minute. Thanks mom!

- A Skype date with my friend Olivia last Friday made me forget about my cold for a while and gave me a permanent smile for the rest of the week. Oh, those girls chats are better than wine :)

- And the best part of last week was that Balazs loved (that is right – loved) my spinach and Gruyere cheese pancakes experiment. You should have seen his face when I told him what’s for dinner :)

 

Now, your turn, darlings! What are the few things that made your week last week? xo

P.S: Happiness...
P.P.S: A sassy and stylish GIVEAWAY is coming up:)

(Photo of the cool bird via Actuelle)

Giveaway Winner

Drum rolls, please!!! The winner of the Mengsel print GIVEAWAY is Kait. Congrats!! xoxo

P.S: Loves, thank you all for playing...New giveaway is coming later today:)

Cheers to a beautiful weekend:)

It's been a long week, hasn’t it? Since I am a bit under the weather, Balazs and I will be spending most of the weekend cozy on our sofa, watching movies, reading and eating soup. How about you, darlings? What are your plans for the next two days? Wherever your feet take you, have a wonderful time and here are a few cool links for your blog-hopping weekend-fun!

Wish I could have those tiles in my bathroom.

I want to beam myself here right about now:)

A beautiful and special wedding in India.

A dash of gold...

Fancy a bite of lemon-thyme cake?

Ballet!

What will tomorrow's meat look like.

Cake! Are you a fan?

Glass bottles instead of planting pots. LOVE!

Yup, I am hooked for life.

Dandy and cute - how I like it!

The super stylish blues.

Those remind me of spring:)

Don't we all?

Grown up tea party - such a sweet idea, don't you think?

Mitchell from Modern Family is so dapper.

A few great ways to boost your enegry.

Only 2 more days left to enter our brilliant print GIVEAWAY! Don't miss it:)

Darlings, see you Monday morning. xo

P.S: Fancy a bit of chit-chat? Join me on Twitter, Facebook or even Pinterest.

(Photo of the amazing NYC sunset via Wind + Whale)

This Week's Gems

I simply can not wait for spring, you? Those flats would be amazing for long evening strolls...

Yawza, how cute is this Sailor's love knot ring?...

Or this super adorable whale ring? (The sweetest thing I've ever seen)...

Ha, what a nifty little peeler:)...

Are you thinking already about spring dresses? Here are the four on my wish list: this, this, this one and the one with whales. Aren't they sassy? (And they are really affordable too)...

A few of you asked about rolling pins, this one looks dreamy, doesn't it?...

Wool socks = toasty winter feet:)...

Just the perfect amount of neon - love!...

What a great cheese board! Yum!...

Now that is one cool clock - and it talks!!!....

Yes, please!

Such a unique and oh-so beautiful necklace, don't you think? It would look amazing with a boatneck top...

Happy Friday, darlings. What caught your eye this week? Any great buys or finds? Do tell:) xo

P.S: Fancy more gems?

Relaxing

Lately, my friend, Sofia and I are mesmerized by jellyfish. How about you? There is something so serene about those delicate-looking exquisite jelly-creatures that I find utterly peaceful. I even heard that some people get so relaxed while watching them that their heart rate slows and they become so relaxed like during an intense meditation. Incredible, isn’t it?  There must be something in it, don’t you think? xo

 

P.S: The Monterey Bay Aquarium has an awesome-looking jellies tour! So if you're in California, you should check it out!
P.P.S: Would you dare?

(Photos by/via My Park Photos, Flickr, Lornel, flow-jo)

The Sexy Sweeping Eyeliner

Loves, would you wear a sweeping eyeliner for a date? I must say that I've loved this sassy look ever since I can remember, you? I’ve been endlessly trying to master the technique and only recently I managed to learn a great little trick from Sali that makes the line crisp, precise and the little flick sexy instead of messy.

 Here it is: Always start with black pencil underneath as the waxy surface immediately stops the liquid's brush from wobbling, making it move in slow, manageable sweeps. You can line your eyes as normal in pencil, then for the flick, imagine the outer corner of your eye as six o'clock. Draw a tiny dot at 10 or two o'clock (depending on which eye you're lining), as far out as you fancy. Then join the dot and the line, forming a point. Trace over with liquid liner to sharpen, filling any gaps.

It takes Sali about 60 seconds to have her eyes ready. For me it’s more like 3-4 minutes right now but I’m a working progress :) xo

P.S: Also, 5 steps to purple perfection.
P.P.S: And a dash of navy goodness.

 

(Photo via Rachel Khoo via Liz Lemonnn)

Wednesday Giveaway

Today’s giveaway is from Mengsel – my all time favourite London based prints and home accessories shop! Luzelle is not only a super talented artist but also the sweetest person ever. All her creations are inspired by geometric and hand-drawn patterns, as well as African and Scandinavian designs. She uses traditional silkscreen printing methods while creating. Even Nigella Lawson has a few of Mengsel designed tea towels in her kitchen. Sweet!

 

Today, Luzelle is offering one lucky person a chance to win her new graphic LOVE print just in time to treat yourself to something awesome for Valentine's Day. The best part: you can choose your favourite colour. Isn't that lovely? I'm utterly smitten with this one. It would go perfectly with my living room but this one totally tickles my fancy as well.

For a chance to win you should be a follower of exPress-o, please visit the Mengsel shop and tell us which LOVE print you fancy the most. As always the giveaway is open worldwide. The winner will be chosen at random on Sunday night. Good luck! xo

For extra entries:
Follow exPress-o on Twitter, like Mengsel on Facebook, follow Mengsel on Twitter, join exPress-o group on Facebook, follow Luzelle on Pinterest follow exPress-o on Pinterest, follow Mengsel blog or tweet, blog about the giveaway and please make sure to leave a separate comment for each entry.

Holland's Flower Garden

Lovelies, fancy a dash of spring daydreaming? If so, you should totally mark your calendars for late March and April as it’s the perfect flower blooming time in Keukenhof Park. This European iconic gem is hidden just outside of Amsterdam. I’d love to beam myself through those photographs and spend a sunny day strolling barefoot down the whimsical and rather romantic pathways, stop for an afternoon picnic amongst rainbow-colour tulips and just enjoy getting utterly lost in all this colourful beauty. Supposedly, as soon as you enter the park the smell of blooms overtakes your senses and you instantly feel magical. Aren’t those photos swoonworthy? Have you ever been there? xo

P.S: Also, the gardens of Marqueyssac in France, this beautiful love tunnel and the Japanese gem that I still keep on dreaming about.
P.P.S: An awesome GIVEAWAY Wednesday is coming up!

(Photos by Canadian in Clogs, Spiegel and via Stephanie, Karyn, Ona)