VENDREDI!

hello there again,
and happy february too! my goodness time flies, and i don't think i really realized how fast january went by and yet it was so full and busy. life has fascinating that way isn't it?
well, i hope you all will make a fascinating weekend.

{via}

what plans do you have?
how about putting on a pretty hat and heading to the theatre? my brother picked front seats at "acting shakespeare", and i love to dress up a little more for a play.
or heading to an interesting gallery to see some new exhibits and then look for a tiny cafe you didn't know about. discovering neighborhoods is always interesting.
catch a local concert, or cook something that intimidates you.
plan a trip to a place you haven't been before, and if you have no better excuse than looking for an adventure out of the blue, this article may have a few more to convince you.

whatever you choose, enjoy it.

xoxo

ROUND AND ABOUT

what is the weather like where you are?
in new york it has been terribly dreary, so naturally we have missed the sun dearly.
plus, with the upcoming fashion week and the buzz about warmer days wear.
out of all of it, here is what i'm stuck on:

{source}

round shades!
they add a certain je ne sais quoi to a girly face...

TUESDAY GOODY BAG*

we have talked about french style,

and admired picasso posing in his classic stripes. you must have noticed the pattern by now, but i am going to say it anyway...i am flirting with the breton shirt.

it is a classic, simple, chic and comfortable piece you can't go wrong by. we've seen it on coco chanel, audrey hepburn, picasso and james dean ranging from elegant to clean-cut.

here are some of my favorites out there...

invest in a classic quarter sleeve {1} {2} {3} that you could wear practically all year long. pair it with skinny trousers in red or black, with...

MONDAY MUNCHIES*

do you recall how, recently i decided to try and commit to cooking or baking at least one thing i haven't tried before, from various cuisines all over the world?
well, this was the very first weekend i stuck to it and am really anxious to share it all with you!
the menu consisted of grilled pork with creamy mustard sauce with string beans vinaigrette as a side dish and tarte chocolat for dessert.
are you ready? loosen those belts, you'll need the room!

for the pork you will need:

PLAYTIME*

just on the brink of the weekend,
and regardless of the fact that the cold has us hiding in home shivering, friday brings a fidgety feeling that asks for fun.
it asks for cozy cafes with fun cups, flowers for the saturday morning table, magazines, art and some red wine of course!

i love to wake up on saturday morning and play some soft, happy songs,
while preparing a yummy breakfast with some fresh baguette, butter and homemade apricot marmalade. to make it, all you need is:
peeled, ripe apricots,
with the same amount of sugar
(or a little less if you like it a bit more sour) and just a tiny bit of water.
for example, one pound sugar would be needed for one pound apricots.
you must boil this mixture on medium to high heat in a deep pot, until the marmalade is not watery but rather sticky and heavy instead. be careful to put it in a jar only after it has cooled down enough and make it at least a day before in order to have it for breakfast.
then, wear a classic breton shirt, and go for a nice walk around the neigborhood or indulge in some diy! also, weekends are perfect for trying some unique recipes for lunch or dinner with friends and family, like french cuisine!
last night in fact, as i was grocery shopping, i decided that i will try to devote one day per week to try at least one recipe that i haven't tried before.

what do you have in mind for the weekend?

xoxo!

ON STORIES

we were speaking of books and stories yesterday that travel you through their words and perhaps illustrations. what about the pictures that travel you?
there are pictures and artworks that portray entire stories within their colors, textures and lines.

{paris}

for example, the paintings of van gogh, vibrant in color and movement absorb you when looking at them and it is almost as though you are in the scenery. so when i look at the café terrace i imagine walks in small, stone parisian paths with petites pattiseries and trying everything possible. as audrey had put it...

TUESDAY GOODY BAG*

yesterday, i was looking for a gift and became very nostalgic while searching through the books of my early childhood. i remembered stories with woodland creatures, and cottages, with strawberry pies and tiny paths, so naturally my window shopping mood is analogous to that this tuesday.

i wonder, would you go along with me?

{a} {b} {c} {d} {e}

the first stories i was ever acquainted with as a child were aesop's fables that my mother read to me in greek of course. as a matter of fact, it was the first time my mind ever...
understood the concept of symbolism (yes i always was a bit curious). for anyone that hasn't read any of them, they are short stories whose characters are mainly animals that match certain human personalities (e.g. sneaky fox) and get into situations that lead to a moral. they are saved since antiquity and played such a great part in the greek culture that some folk sayings and euphemisms were inspired by them which last until today!

i would love to cozy up and go through them again while eating some italian biscotti i've become obsessed with lately. i used to read them to my little  nephew when i would babysit him and he'd get so absorbed he would sometimes forget to swallow.

also, old stories and fairy tales have such wonderful ways of incorporating and portraying nature that reading through them you almost feel that lost connection, or even a will to take a trip and get lost in a cottage in some tiny, little village somwhere for a while. 

what stories did you love as a child? the grimm fairy tales? hans christian andersen? fairy books?

xoxo

MONDAY SMILES*

hello there, and happy week everyone!
this monday i am happy to say i am off work but i still realize how dreary mondays can be.
so i have a picture that might make you crack a pretty smile to brighten up your space with...

{vogue}

i recently discovered the charms of "downton abbey", yes i am a late bloomer aren't i?
well i am officially part of the group that is hooked, plus it keeps my mind off of things for the little free time left within my week. so when this picture on spanish vogue popped up on pinterest...well it made my noon. i hope it makes your monday a little funnier as well.

just one tip, if you haven't watched it yet and are planning to, watch it from the very - very - beginning.

xoxo

SWEET FRIDAY*

ahh...friday again.

when the evening hits i get a feeling of hominess and a twitch for some fun sweets.

this weekend, as i already mentioned, i have our friend's baptism to attend to, for which i made cupcakes!

now, cupcakes are bound to make you feel better if a friday afternoon isn't enough.

{a} {b} {c} {d} {e} {f}

i must admit though, vanilla cupcakes are like a blank canvas, you can do so many things with them. this time i wanted to go for a greyish pink or lilac icing and you will never guess what i used instead of food coloring...

ready?
blackberries! 

what you need is a few blackberries to mush over a net (so the seeds don't mess with the texture),

i'm just noting all of this in case you would like to try some for the weekend and share it too with some friends. 

also, right under the collage wishing you a sweet weekend, you can find the six recipes for the really delicious and fun pastries!

to accompany this sugar dusted mood here is a lovely song!

and for those of you who like wearing pastries as well as eating them you might want to take a look here!

xoxo lovelies! i'll let you know how it went :)

HOME CHIC*

as i promised yesterday,
today let's indulge in some more parisian chic for our homes!
minimal chic, classic yet modern, light colors in tiny apartments - sometimes it is fun to bring a place into your place through stylistic changes. don't you agree?

{1} {2} {3} {4} {5} {6} {6'}

when it comes to chosing larger pieces like sofas, chairs, shelves...opt for lighter colors in nude or greyish tones to lighten up your space and make it look brighter and cleaner.
you can add color by...

OUI OUI*

i've been indulging in french literature and films lately,
and naturally, i have been influenced stylistically. so let's indulge in some french style now that everyone is starting to channel spring and how about some home fashion to go with it?

{1} {2} {3} {4} {5} {6}

the mariner shirts remind me of coco chanel, so paris instantly springs to mind. then pairing it with cropped, skinny trousers or bright, classy red shorts. of course...

BLOWING OUT THE CANDLE

happy week to all of you. i hope your weekend was lovely and fullfilling!
as i promised on friday, today is going to be a rather different post than usual.
you see, recently i turned 25. let's celebrate it together, shall we?
instead of sitting around with wine thinking of all the societal pressures placed upon you every year after reaching your mid-twenties (shudder) i sat and thought of things i would love to get done! in other words...let's daydream a bit and talk short term dreams!
books, films, trips, people, places...anything really.

i want to finish reading: "the poetics of space"by gaston bachelard, especially now that i decided to pursue my research more persistently.
i want to finally see...

WOO HOO!

hello lovelies!
finally friday today,
the end of a week when i kept saying "i'll go to bed early tomorrow" and of course it never happened!
therefore, i salut you this fine friday,
with drooping eyelids yet excited enough to say

{girl pic}

so if the weather does indeed continue charmingly, i would love to go for a ride,
and maybe...

BRITISH HUMOR*

continuing in the brit scheme from before,
and having watched another hugh grant film,
i thought i might indulge you in some british humor coming from some charming actors.

this one gave me a laugh.
it is true though, if you really think about it, you have either got it or ...well,  not really.
and how about this one...

TUESDAY GOODY BAG*

truth of the matter is,
my "i should visit" list is growing and growing.
the most feasible of the trips is to providence, which i am planning for...soon. (i'll get to see brown up close yikes!) but here is one i've been craving...
london!

when you have a really good friend in the uk, (cambridge in my case)
just plan to take the plane and go for a visit. while you're there it is a sin to miss london!
under this train of thought some things have caught my attention...

BLANC DREAMS*

i am not particularly fond of monochromatic spaces,
they can easily end up looking bland or sterile. however, watching the vienna new years program, i came across a white baroque interior - i was instantly captivated.

{1} {2}

apart from the fact that the overall image looks like the actualization of a dream,
here is what i found irresistible...

FIRST WEEKEND!

the first weekend of 2013 is practically here!

what will you be up to? are you planning anything special?

{via}

whatever it is, i hope you have fun.

however...i have a surprise for you...

JANUARY REFLECTION*

i am not sure what exactly it is about january that makes me exceptionally nostalgic and wanderlust. does anyone share the same experience?

perhaps it is due to all the changes it encompasses - the new year, my birthday, same as two of my most beloved people. 

perhaps it is the wintery and chilly weather, the snow that usually accompanies it, or maybe the fact that so many of my life's major moments, until now, have occurred around this month.

whatever it is, here are some beautiful pictures that make me daydream even more...

{via}

vienna.

a city i have long dreamt to visit, a city whose art and architecture i have studied quite a lot and the city that hosts the vienna orchestra new year concert that i never miss!

this is a place where...

NEW YEAR PASTIRES*

happy new year again!
i hope you all had fun, drank lots of wine and chamagne and ate lovely treats!
today i would like to share with you our sweet yearly tradition,

our vaselopita!
each new years, as soon as the clock ticks twelve we cut this cake and whoever gets the hidden token (inside it) is lucky! this year i decided to decorate it a bit different and...