At First Sight...

J'adore! To finish this hot Tuesday on a high note, make all the recently heartbroken and single ladies believe in love again and give all the happily in love girls a dose of stomach butterflies, here is a little heart-warming story of the smooching couple on the photo above:

"In the winter of 2011, photographer and furniture designer Ana Kraš flew from her home in Belgrade, Serbia, to Los Angeles, where she’d been sent by a European magazine to photograph artist-musician Devendra Banhart. Within five minutes, he asked her to marry him. Despite her initial impulse to flee, she stayed - and the two have been together ever since." (And now married).

Sweet, isn't it? Do you believe in love at first sight? How about soulmates?

P.S: Here is their tumblr and here is their full story. Plus, a great interviews with Devendra.
P.P.S: Six decades of love, and fancy a few first date tips?

(via Bullett)

The Anti-Worry Mantra

Are you a worrier? Does your mind get overwhelmed with if's, should have's and maybe's? Till recently that was me! In a funny way, it always started off with a little-tiny worry about a very insignificant minor detail and over the course of the day it escalated till it completely overtook my whole mind. Can you relate?

Anyway, about two months ago I read an article in Red Magazine with this nifty little tip from Martin and Marian Shirran's book and it totally changed my thought-process on worrying. Here it is:

'A thought can only take up as much space in your head as you allow it' 

Brilliantly simple, isn't it? Martin and Marian suggest saying this mantra to yourself anytime you feel like your worry is starting to escalate and by repeating it you will stop your brain from allowing the thought to build up.

For example, you might worry about a work project that you have just finished since you noticed that your boss wasn't too impressed with it. Normally, you will go home and start worrying about all the little details you might have done wrong or should have changed and by the end of the night you'll convince yourself that you'll loose your job, get reprimanded or even be removed from the project itself. But for real, your boss was probably just grumpy because of something else. Instead, just repeat that mantra for a few times till your brain calms down and moves on with your day...

It works like a charm on me! Would you try it? What are your anti-worry tricks? xo

P.S: Here is a fun little article to find out what type of worrier are you.
P.P.S: And here are a few tips on how to cope with stress.

(Photo via Modern Hepburn)

Travel Lust: Castel Meur in France

Holy Moly! Does it get any better than an idyllic coastal setting, beautiful views of Plougrescant, a cozy spot in north-western France and a charming little house squeezed comfortably between two gigantic boulders? To me, it’s the perfect summer weekend setting with long walks, dipping toes in the water, evenings laying on the grass and counting stars. The house itself was built a whopping 150 years ago between the rocks to protect it from the very high winds and storms that are very common in this area. The best part is that the family who built it still owns it and they even live there. Awesome little gem, don’t you think? xo

P.S: Also, this tree house on Loch Goil in Scotland and this fairytale house in Wales.
P.P.S: Remember this cool office cube?

(via Ebb &Flow. Photos by Joerg A. Shneider, Maloo, Tupeutla, via Viso Terra & Armchair Travelogue)

Summer Staple: Crisp Breezy Shirt

My friend Anna says that every girl should have at least one crisp shirt in her closet, especially during the summer. Do you agree or disagree? She says that it's not just that they are the classic staple but they are also the first go-to piece on those I'm-running-late-mornings when suddenly you realize that you don't fancy anything in your closet. Her morning-fail-proof-outfit is: white men's shirt with neatly rolled up sleeves, cigarette jeans, flats, lipstick, a dash of blush and a bit of lavender essential oil on her neck to get rid of the morning pre-meeting nerves. Ta dah! What do you think? xo

P.S: Plus, this little nifty guide to understated summer in style.
P.P.S: And how to wear your hair like a true Parisian.

(Photos via/by Vanessa Jackman, Glamour, Fox on the run, Luisa, Mr. Newton, Emerson Fry)

Intimate Glimpses Of The Shy Giant

Whenever I need a little easing into the day, I find myself browsing through photos of whales or jellyfish. For some unexplainable reason I find them utterly mesmerizing. Do you feel the same way? So, a few days ago my heart literally almost burst of joy when I stumbled upon Bryant's brave yet oh-so intimate glimpses of the shy, somehow very sensitive and incredibly beautiful giants, the Minke whales! For a 30 feet (9 meters) scary body, they surely have the most endearing eyes, don't they? Would you be brave enough to swim with whales or take part in whale watching? xo

P.S: Remember this awesome dude?
P.P.S: And the flamingos:)

(Top photo by Andrew Peacock and all the others by Bryant Austin, via Design Taxi)

Dolce far niente

Since it's already well into the 70s and the sky has the most swoonworthy shade of blue, I feel on this particular Monday it's time to take a sweet pause, so I'm planning to sneak a little dolce far niente into my morning. Just me, the cooling breeze and the wet grass in the park nearby. Is there anything better than barefoot walks on a cool morning grass? What are you up to this morning?

P.S: Little moments.
P.P.S: Are you fully present in the moment?

(Photos via Marte Marie Forsberg)

Cheers to a cool weekend!

Lovelies, what are your plans for the weekend? Tonight, Balazs and I are invited for Friends marathon night! We'll get to enjoy all our favourite Friends episodes, plus we'll have some of Joey's sandwiches, Phoebe's chocolate chip cookies, Monica's candy and hopefully not Rachel's trifle :) My friend Sofia is organizing the night, so it should be really lovely. Which Friends episode do you like the most? Darlings, have a beautiful next two days and as always here are a few great links for your weekend blog-hopping-fun!

Holy moly, an incredible photo of Lunar eclipse over Hungary!

Ha! French women know how to shape their brows...

A dash of swoonworthy English roses.

An interesting read: is it better to walk or run?

Don't forget to pick up a few blooms in season this weekend.

10 nifty secrets for better cooking. (nr.6 is my favourite).

Crikey, eggs baked in (wait for it) avocado. Have you tried it?

Genius!

Would your dad fancy a Father's Day picnic?

A great summer uniform.

Have you ever thought about making your own mustard? (It's so easy-peasy-lemon-squeeze)

Blue and white = the perfect summer combo.

Who knew that a porcelain milk carton vase can look so beautiful?

Sassy floral camo jeans.

Spinach and cheese = scrumptious dumplings.

Cheers to summer!

Have you seen the wedding gown of the Princess of Sweden? So beautiful!

The scientific 7-minute workout. (Everyone seems to love it!).

And have you seen Brian's blog before? I can spend hours browsing through his photos.

Darlings, see you Monday morning. xoxo

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

(Photo of Gentoo penguins on the Sea Lion Island in the Falklands by Michael Lohmann via Awkward Situationist)