Cheers to a super weekend!

Lovelies, cheers to the last weekend in May! Can you believe it? Crazy! What are you up to this weekend? Tomorrow we are meeting friends and going for a street food festival, but tonight it's all about The Mentalist and biscotti for me. I've just started to watch it and even though I'm only on the first season, I can't get enough of it. Are you watching it too? Have a relaxing next two days and I will see you Monday morning. But in the meantime, here is a bunch of cool links for your weekend blog-hopping-fun! xo

A few signs that you need to pack your bags and travel:)

Sassy little cottage in London.

Speaking of London, Madeleine’s series of swimmers in the London Fields Lido is incredible!

Are you terrified to give birth?

We should totally start eating more chocolate.

Gasp...

Breaking up with your ideal-self.

Brilliant!

What an incredible micro cabin!

Oh my!

The science of sleeplessness.

Hawaii wanderlust!

Ever wondered how to suck an egg into a bottle? (Giggle).

Are you too busy?

Brilliant backyard swing project.

True!

12 hours in Paris! Let's go:)

The way food tricks our brain.

This spot is truly picture perfect, isn't it? Have you been?

Waiting.

And fancy a blast from the past?
- Three years ago today.
- Two years ago today.
- One year ago today.

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

(Photo via Jesse Parsons)

This Week's Gems

The perfect summer jeans...

Two super sassy bracelets!...

What a pretty iPad sleeve, don't you think?...

This set of napkins is made for summer evening dinners with friends!...

Dandy little everyday necklace...

This is one seriously good dry shampoo!...

I'm totally smitten with those little carved rock studs!...

Take a Friday midday break with this amazing teapot...

How awesome is this birthday cake topper number?...

Don't you just love this planter? Btw: it's self-watering!...

The perfect glasses for summer backyard parties!...

The sweetest necklace for someone who has a case of travel wanderlust!...

This wooden hair tie would look amazing on a messy French bun!...

Ha, banana holder...

Happy Friday, lovely ladies! What caught your eye this week? Any great finds or buys? xo

P.S: Fancy more gems?

A quick fix face mask

Lovelies, does your skin get red-ish and shiny far too often, especially during the warmer months? Here is a homemade egg and lemon juice mask that can help clear your skin in a matter of a few weeks. My friend Lola, swears by it! Supposedly, egg whites tighten the pores and contain proteins that both repair skin and absorb excess oil, while lemon juice exfoliates, heals, nourishes and refreshes your completion. Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it?

If you fancy trying it, here is the full how to: Separate the egg white from the yolk. Whisk together the egg white with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and apply it to your clean, dry face. Keep the mask on for 10 to 15 minutes. Once the mask starts cracking, wash away with warm water. Ta dah!

What's your skin type? xo

P.S: Plus, all-natural beauty routine for sensitive and acne-prone skin.
P.P.S: And this awesome sleep salve.

(Photo via Ignite Light)

Summer Mint Iced Tea

Lovelies, do you like mint iced tea? Ever since I have a mint plant growing by my kitchen window, I’ve been hooked on making my own tea. It’s one of the most fuss free plants to care for as long as you water it every two days and give it a bit of sunlight. It’s amazingly cooling on summer days and instantly refreshing with every new sip.

Best part? There is so much more than meets the eye. We all know that mint refreshes your breath but it also regulates your digestion, makes your brain work better, helps with nausea and headaches and its smell makes for the perfect relaxant. Who knew, right?

So if you fancy a little pause, make a whole pitcher and get sipping with your friends this weekend! Cheers:)


Mint Iced Tea
(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:
- a handful of fresh (and washed) mint leaves
- 4 cups of boiled water
- juice of one lemon
- sugar or honey (optional)

Place your mint leaves in a teapot and pour over the hot water. Let it brew for 10-15 minutes before pouring your mint tea into a jug while discarding the mint leaves. Add the lemon juice and the honey. Mix well and let it cool off before placing it in the fridge for a few hours so it gets cold. Serve with sassy mint leaf ice cubes or lemon wedges. Ta dah!

Ah, the simple things in life! Would you try it? xo

P.S: Also, iced green mango tea and beauty-boosting ice cubes.
P.P.S: Plus, a few other jazzy takes on water.

(Photos and recipe by exPress-o)

Summer dessert under 3 minutes

Last night we popped over to friends for dinner and I discovered my new favourite dessert. Yup, after homemade fish tacos, Lola treated us to mango slices sprinkled with lime juice and a dash of salt. One of the simplest and prettiest dishes ever but super refreshing and summer perfect! Somehow the salt brings out the mango sweetness, while the lime refreshes it. Have you ever tried it? What’s your favourite summer dessert?
 
P.S: Clementines in wine.
P.P.S:Vanilla ice :)

(Photos by Kacie and Honestly Yum)

Denim Shorts: Thumbs up or down?

Will you be wearing denim shorts this summer? Seems that they never go out of style, do they? I’m pretty partial since I adore them and when paired with breezy button-downs, they make the perfect uniform for weekend barbecues or evening bike rides. Easy, comfy and summer ready! Thumbs up or down? xo

P.S: A nifty little guide to understated summer in style.
P.P.S: Summer wishes :)

(Photos by/via Who What Wear, Brit + Co, Nylon pinksy, Street Style Seconds, Vanessa Jackman, The Sartorialist and Garance Doré)

You Are What You Eat

How would you define your eating habits?

Ever since I read Alex’s 30 days paleo challenge, I once again realized that what we eat makes for who we are. Here is my logic: if you nourish your body with good, fresh food that agrees with you, you are contributing to your overall wellbeing and happiness. I’m the first one to admit that drastic diets scare me, but looking at people around me, I’m realizing that no matter what diet or health plan you’re on, the most important is how it makes you feel on the long run.

For example, as soon as Alex started her paleo journey, she noticed huge changes to her energy level, her skin got beautifully glowy, and she felt strong and happy. After her challenge came to a finish, she decided to keep the aspects of the diet she felt were helping her leading a better life, while added the things she missed - like chocolate or brown rice.


Others swear by cutting down on dairy or going all gluten free. I know things like that work for some since my best friend, after years of struggling with bloating and bad skin, finally feels healthy and is full of energy after she stopped eating gluten altogether. Balazs and I experimented with vegetarianism, cutting out sugar or dairy, but we came to a conclusion that the best way for us is to eat as fresh and clean as possible without depriving ourselves.

To our surprise, our bodies chose our diet on their own. It’s still a learning process every single week, but it's amazing to see how our body tells us when we shouldn't eat something. For example, the other day I bought a box of those yummy coffee shop donuts out of an impulse craving and I spent the whole night regretting it. Solution: I will surely pass on them next time around! On the other hand, each time we have a smoothie in the morning instead of coffee, we feel energized for much longer.

This made me realize that we truly are what we eat. Do tell me about your diet! What do you eat, how do you prepare meals? How often do you eat out? I’d love to hear your tips on happy, healthy diets that work for you. xo

P.S: Foodie confessions.
P.P.S: Vegan before 6pm?

(Photos by Kinfolk and Garance Doré)

Kitchen Sink Diaries

What's in your kitchen sink right now? Morgan West has this awesome kitchen sink series in which she gives glimpses into a space many of us normally overlook. I love how surprisingly intimate those photos feel - almost cheeky in a way, like getting a look into something private! Her series is full of awesome sinks including Food52 and Molly Yeh's.

What's in mine? There are two coffee cups, a cream-coloured ceramic bowl after my morning granola, a French press with a bit of leftover coffee and 2 lemon peels after our morning lemon water. Your turn...xo

P.S: Remember this one?

(via Sho & Tell)

Summer Side Braid

Blimey, doesn’t this look like the perfect summer hairdo? I love how understated and romantic it is. Just imagine wearing it with a flowy white dress, nude ballerinas, sun-kissed cheeks and pale pink lips. (Here is the full how to).

Lovelies, would you give it a go? How long is your hair right now? xo

P.S: Plus, this little do and this sassy summer bun!
P.P.S: Tons more hair goodness.

(Photos by Emily for The Wonder Forest)

All natural beauty routine for sensitive and acne prone skin

After my recent post on going natural with my beauty ritual, many of you asked for tips and tricks on all-natural beauty routines for different skin-types. So today, we are starting a brand new series dedicated to inspiring ladies who already made the swap and can't get enough of the amazing results.

First up is Monica from hola! design. She recently moved from NYC to Miami Beach. She works as a web designer who also has a talent for snapping gorgeous photos :) She is super lovely and just looking at her pictures makes me want to jump on a plane to Florida!

Here is Monica's natural beauty routine:

Finding a beauty routine that suits you takes a lot of trial and error. After trying countless of products (and spending a lot of money) I’ve finally found what works best for my sensitive and acne prone skin. Today, I’m happy to share with you my easy-but-effective skin care routine. The best part? It’s all natural and super affordable!

Step 1. Cleansing with Hemp Seed Oil

After years of skepticism, I’ve finally jumped on the oil cleansing wagon. I use organic cold pressed hemp seed oil because it has a comedogenic level of 0, meaning it won’t clog your pores. In fact, hemp seed oil will reduce the size of the pores and eliminate blackheads and pimples. And, since it’s a green color, it reduces skin redness.

How to:
Apply oil to your face and rub as regular cleanser. Wet a cotton cloth or square cotton pad with warm water and remove make up (if you wear a lot of makeup you may have to repeat this step). Rinse with lukewarm water and pat skin with towel to remove any excess oil. If your skin feels dry, you can also use hemp seed oil as a moisturizer.

Step 2. Toning with Green Tea and Apple Cider Vinegar

Green tea has a lot of anti-aging antioxidants and helps repairs the skin, while apple cider vinegar kills bacteria, unclogs pores and balances skin’s PH, among other benefits. The two together create a miracle toner that leaves the skin soft and brighter.

How to:
Simply brew green tea and once it’s cooled add organic apple cider vinegar* (1 part apple cider vinegar, 2 parts green tea). Pour in a small bottle and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Apply to clean skin with a cotton pad.

Don’t use regular distilled vinegar, it’s very harsh on the skin.

Step 3. Honey & Rice Flour Mask (Weekly)

Rice flour helps prevent sun damage and wrinkles; Asian women have been using it for centuries! Honey is very nourishing and soothing on the skin, leaving it smooth and hydrated. Also, it’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatory so it works wonders on acne prone skin. These two ingredients, combined, make an amazing face mask.

How to:
Put 2 tablespoons of rice flour in a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of honey. Mix until incorporated. You can add lemon juice, green tea, water, more honey or milk to make it smoother if it’s too thick. Apply to face in soft motions to exfoliate gently and leave it for 10-15 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water.

And that’s it! That’s my beauty routine. I've been following this regime for almost 3 months and the results have been wonderful. I encourage you to make your own beauty products and let your own natural beauty shine!

Thanks, Monica! What do you think, lovelies? xo

P.S: Beauty-boosting ice cubes.
P.P.S: And this all natural berry lippy.

(Photos and layouts by Monica for exPress-o)

Yogurt Cup Popsicle

Yippee, this past weekend felt like the beginning of summer, didn't it? The temperature was well into the 80s, blue skies and the little breeze by the evenings came in super handy as well. The best part is that today should be equally amazing with a little shower here and there! So if you feel like cooling down, try freezing your favourite yogurt cups and have them as popsicles after work! We have been doing just that with Activia yogurts all weekend long - so healthy, totally delicious and super refreshing! xo

P.S: Lolly!
P.P.S: Don't forget to follow me on Instagram:)

(Photos by exPress-o)

Cheers to a long and beautiful weekend

Cheers to a long (and sunny) weekend! What are you up to? If everything goes well, tonight I should be eating stinky cheese and sipping wine and listening to live music. Besides that we have no big plans, just relaxing and Instagraming. It's my 3rd day of it today and I'm already pretty hooked and overwhelmed but in a good way. Thanks for following! Darlings, have a relaxing, beautiful and yummy three days and I will see you back here on Tuesday morning but in the meantime, here is a bunch of awesome links for you to check out. Have fun!

The avocado theory. Giggle, perfect analogy if you ask me.

Ah, the sweetest proposal. Made me cry, laugh and go aww...

How to make bubble tea at home.

After reading this post, I want to go blackberry picking.

Our new obsession!

WOW, from a garage to this!

Bacon pineapple burgers. Oh yum!

Brilliant!

12 stages of burnout.

I LOVE this Father's Day gift guide!

5-minute makeup!

To sock or not to sock?

Two options...I like this!

One of each, please!

Love this coffee table.

Girl pilots:)

Cookies and cream popsicles.

Loft goodness.

Face the foliage.

Swoon, 9 dreamy picnics. (Nr.3 for me, please!).

If I could live anywhere in the world, I would live here. You?

My perfect Sunday...What's yours?

And fancy a blast from the past?
- Three years ago today.
- Two years ago today.
- One year ago today.

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

(Photo for my Balazs of his beloved Budapest Chain Bridge via Alicia)

This Week's Gems

This Breton tee couldn't be more adorable!...

The perfect summer necklace. Isn't it sassy?...

Beautiful little soap that smells like mandarin, grapefruit and litsea...

Sweet little everyday heart studs in rose gold and silver!...

Genius! Fill those push pops with ice cream and you are ready to go!...

How beautiful are those  soap bottles?...

This engagement ring makes me swoon! So special...

This cookbook seems perfect for summer cooking:)...

Lemon wreath = love!...

Aww...sweet little gender reveal tea cup!. There is one for a boy as well...

YUM, espresso coffee marshmallows!...

Gasp, how snazzy is this rose gold beauty?...

Totally smitten with those candle holders...

Lately, I can't get enough of Lisa Golightly's work...


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

P.S: Fancy more gems?

(8th image via Family Style Food)