Whiter than white


White is everywhere this summer. Everyone loves white. It's crisp, innocent, sexy and fresh. It shows off your beautiful tan. It makes you stand out from the crowd. It makes you look (and feel!) young. And no, it does not make you look fat! No way! Just choose the right style and make sure it fits and you are going to look fabulous!


Photo sources: style.com, Vogue US, Vogue Paris, Vogue Espania, jedroot.com

Good bye, Michael!

Well, I must say I am a bit late with my post in some respect. I woke up on Friday and heard the news while reading a message from my friend. I thought I was a bad joke. I couldn't believe it and for a moment there the world felt quite shaky. But I had to get ready and go. I didn't have time to write anything at all.
I still find it hard to believe that Michael Jackson is gone. Forever. I've never been what I call a true fan, but his music was always a part of my life, which made that particular moments of life rather special. I'd say a lot more, but I think I'll keep my opinion to myself now because here it's all about fashion and my opinion is not going to bring him back to life anyway. Instead I am going to put some of my favourite videos here featuring Naomi, Iman and very young Tyra. And share a moment of melting cloudy sadness that fills heart and soul and turns into tears as it slowly comes out... R.I.P.






See you soon!


I was going to write a quick note tomorrow morning, but I am not sure if I will have time for it because, just as any woman, I plan things that would never fit into certain time frames (usually set by men, including my husband). Not like I am disorganised or anything - I just exist in a different dimension when it comes to getting ready and having plenty of beauty sleep.

Tomorrow we will be going away until Monday. Nothing too exciting, it's work/study related stuff. The good news is that we are staying in a lovely little cottage that's got a beautiful garden and the weather is meant to be nice, so I do hope we will get a chance to spend a few relaxing moments outside.

Anyway... What I am trying to say here, without being too boring, is that I will be back on Monday. Please miss me because I am going to miss you a lot.

xxx


Photo source: anthropologie

Award and 6 things that made me happy

Today I received this adorable award from Rocaille - thanks a lot, darling! It was such a nice surprise! So now all I have to do is to pick up 6 things that made me happy today. It's 1pm, so my day is still in its full glory, but as life is pretty busy at the moment (good busy, actually) it's filling up with little happy moments like there is no tomorrow.

1. It's a warm and sunny day and even early morning that's usually borderline gloomy was gorgeously dewy and refreshing


2. Charlie, the neighbours' cat came to be fed (it was her second breakfast, I believe) and played with (love this little fatty!)


3. I had a morning consultation with a client who is a real pleasure to talk to and I was also very happy with the progress she made so far.


4. I received a parcel from the outnet. Something very beautiful I am going to blog about later.


5. Delicious berries are in season, so for lunch I had an indulgent fruit salad made with strawberries, blueberries and raspberries (plus bananas, apples and grapes) - such a burst of flavours!


6. We are going out tonight and I will have a chance to dress up (can't wait!)


Now here is a list of nominees I would like to pass this award (and the happy things rule) to:


Carrie @ Couture Carrie because I can't wait to read her answers and see a beautiful photo collage she'll most likely to create

Anna @ The Style Diet because I adore her

Evi @ Absolutely Lady Like because she is such a sweet person and I love her blog (Darling, I know you are busy, so whenever you have time)

Hanh @ Life in Travel because I enjoy reading her blog and because she's got an amazing style and the most beautiful shoe collection I'd love to borrow (and keep... :) )

Ocean @ Ocean Dreams for seeing beauty in every moment

Nata @ Natalya's Beauty Blog because she is very creative and talented girl (and yes, VERY beautiful)


Love you, girls.
x

2010 Medium Length Hairstyles Trends

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Medium hairstyle is suitable for all women. Popularity medium hairstyles never stopped. It is still very hot today. There are a variety of styles medium hairstyle of ladies. You can think of textured bob hairstyle or a layered haircut. We are sure that you can find a medium hair style, which can agree on a unique flavor.


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There are a lot of things that you can make a medium hairstyle. If we also want to create a unique taste of the medium hairstyle, go through the following proposal.

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If you have a medium length hairstyle, you can quickly and easily change the hairstyles compared with a long one. It also offers more flexibility in comparison with short hair.

Karl Lagerfeld designs for the National Ballet

"The Dying Swan" has always been one of my most favourite ballet performance. I first saw it when I was four or five in a movie about Anna Pavlova who worked with Mikhail Fokine who created the solo ballet dance in 1907. Accompanied by Camille Saint-Saens's The Swan (the thirteen movement of the Carnival of the Animals) it was incredibly moving, beautiful and very sad.
Anna Pavlova

Since then I saw this magical dance many times as it was always performed after "The Swan Lake". Should I also mention that as a little girl I always dreamed of having this costume? I even created something out of what was available (probably, my grandma's curtains) and vividly remember attaching a finishing touch to the top bit - a big ruby brooch, which was also borrowed from my grandma (I don't think she ever found out though).



This year Karl Lagerfeld designed a dream costume for Senior Principal Dancer Elena Glurdjidze who performed the Dying Swan as a part of the English National Ballet's season of Ballet Russes at Sadler's Wells in London in June. The costume took 3 women and 100 hours to make and is a work of art, a true masterpiece. As a part of her final fitting, Elena danced The Dying Swan for Lagerfeld in his Chanel studio. The video of the beautiful dance was made by Karl Lagerfeld himself and you can watch it here.

"As a child I was already impressed by old images of Anna Pavlova dancing the ballet," Lagerfeld said in his interview, adding that, "the Ballet Russes were an influence for me". It looks like the history is repeating itself as Lagerfeld seems to be following the steps of Coco Chanel herself, who supported Sergey Dyagilev while he was staging The Dying Swan in 1919.

Here I also include videos of Anna Pavlova and Maya Plisetskaya (I adore her and think that her Swan is the most beautiful ever).







Translation: ....the Dying Swan became famous. This short 2-minute dance was choreographed for a young ballerina Anna Pavlova in 1907. The Dying Swan was an impromptu idea and is considered to be one of the most inspirational Fokine's works, a dramatic symbol of rebellion against death.


Sources: youtube.com, chanel.com, vogue.co.uk, bloomacious.com

Tasha De Vasconcelos: French women's secrets


Yesterday I mentioned Tasha De Vasconcelos who I really like. I just think there is some special feminine softness about her, she sounds and looks so sensual and warm and has amazing style. This gorgeous woman is almost 43!

As a model she worked for Calvin Klein, Escada, Van Cleef and Arpels, Dolce and Gabbana Parfums, Balenciaga, Banana Republic, Pantene, Organics, Harrods, Silhouette, BEIERSDORF, NIVEA and magazins including Vogue, ELLE, Tatler, InStyle and many more. She also appeared in several movies and documentaries as well as France's Next Top Model in 2005.

Many of you would probably recognise her from the latest Nivea DNage ad.

Some time ago I watched a programme about shopping in Paris where Tasha shared some of the secrets she learned while living in Paris. And since I can never get enough of la parisienne topic, here is what I carefully noted down.

According to Tasha...
a) French women always dress for men, but choose their clothes and accessories that tease their imagination and rather than show everything off.

b) French woman always leaves her house looking pretty (just in case she happens to meet a man). Even if she goes to the boulangerie next door to get some fresh croissants. She will always make sure to wear a pretty cardigan, a scarf and slim trousers or even better - a skirt.

c) every woman must have a skirt in her wardrobe, ideally, one of the skirts should be la petite jupe (above the knee and feminine)

d) French women eat very little, not only because they want to stay slim, but mainly because any French woman wants to keep a man interested in her as someone he can discuss things with, not just a pretty woman with her mouth full.

e) for every French woman beauty begins with great skin and great hair cut for which she will visit a hair salon on a regular basis.



Q and A

Lovely Couture Carrie posted this questionnaire on her beautiful blog yesterday and I was one of the lucky people she tagged!
So this is my turn to do Q&A and if you feel like doing the same, then consider yourself tagged.
What are your current obsessions?
My puppy (who will be joining us on 5 June), Kevin Murphy hair care products

Marni bracelets

and Bottega Veneta sandals.

What are you wearing today?
Pretty low key today as spent most day at home studying and only popped out for a few minutes to a local grocery shop. Old favourite dark blue Diesel Zinc jeans, Armand Basi silk top (with an abstract print of white, dark chocolate and turquoise petals), Zinco dark chocolate cashmere & silk shrug and Keds trainers in chocolate brown with white flowers.


What's for dinner?
Roasted chicken breast and a massive leafy green salad with tomatoes, cucumber and peppers and balsamic dressing. Oh, yes! And a Bendicks minty chocolate.


Originally I planned to have prawns, but then our neighbour’s cat Charlie came to visit. Twice. Last night and this morning. After she left most of the prawns were gone.

Which countries would you like to travel to?
Italy, France and Belgium. I have visited Paris and Bruges several times now and am in love with these places. I would love to visit Florence and then – Venice.


What language would you like to learn?
French. Then – Italian.

What is your dream job?
I am doing it right now working as a nutritional advisor and studying to become a nutritional therapist.

What is your favourite magazine?
Vogue, US, Russian or Paris. Not crazy about UK Vogue at all. I also buy InStyle US occasionally and can be tempted by ELLE US or France.

If you had £100 now, what would you spend it on?
A set of Aubade Fleurs De Pommier lingerie.



What is your favourite fruit?
Persimmon.

What's the last thing you bought?
That Armand Basi silk blouse I mentioned above as it was on sale, so I couldn’t resist the temptation.

What are you listening to right now?
Carla Bruni’s Comme si de rien n'était

What is your favourite ice cream flavour these days?
Pistachio. And I prefer gelato to ice-cream.

What do you think about the person who tagged you?
Oh, I adore Carrie. I think she is gorgeous, has a great sense of style and is a very warm and kind person.

What’s your must-have piece for summer?
Tulip shaped chocolate brown dress that I bought last winter or in early spring.

If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Paris, of course!

What’s your favourite quote these days?
Style is primarily a matter of instinct.

-Bill Blass

Who do you want to meet right now?
My mum and dad who live in Russia and my best friend, who is in the States.

What's your favourite piece of clothing in your own closet?
My Taffy dress by Diane von Furstenberg. I fell in love with it as soon as it first appeared and then was lucky enough to buy it. It makes me feel beautiful.


Favourite designer at the moment?
As far as the summer 2009 is concerned I love Versace.


What do you consider a fashion faux pas?
Wearing clothes that don’t fit properly or are too small. Buying clothes because of the labels.

Do you admire anyone's style?
I like Inès de la Fressange, Tasha De Vasconcelos and Victoria Beckham.

Describe your personal style.
It’s very classic and feminine. I choose clothes that would last several seasons, well-cut and made with good quality fabrics and buy them because I LOVE them, not because something is in fashion or has a designer name on it. I can live with very few dresses, skirts, trousers, tops and coats, but I am a true collector when it comes to lingerie, scarves and shoes.

What are you going to do after this?
Sit in a garden with my laptop and have a cup of Lady Grey tea.

Sources: net-a-porter, style.com, amazon.co.uk, kevinmurphystore.com, vogue, aubade.fr

Celebrity Dresses

The halter neck dress is a classic outfit that can be highlighted and accentuated with designs and accessories to keep up with the latest trends while still having the classic halter neck look. If you want proof on how glamorous this halter neck dress can be, then take a look at Marilyn Monroe's figure flattering white dress in The Seven Year Itch.

Every year, at events thrown by celebrities, you will always see women wearing this flattering dress. A lot of people were seen with different variations of the halter dress on the British Soap Awards. Some wore them in short mini styles, while others chose the long maxi outfits.

Even Gwyneth Paltrow has been seen wearing this halter dress in striking black color with a cut out design in New York during the recent premiere of The Iron Man.

Even at casual outings, the halter neck dress can be converted to a perfect summer dress for the occasion. It's perfect for traveling because it is a light travel buddy. It can be worn as a cover up for your favorite bathing suit or dress it up for a romantic dinner under the moon. It is perfect for all occasions.

This style is very versatile and can combine and mix well with new trends and other styles, like maxi dresses and backless dresses. If you want to elongate your frame, then combine it with the empire waistline cut.

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Style Fairy Award


I will be very brief this time (although it seems like I've kept my posts short for a while anyway).

Today I would like to award the following girls with my Style Fairy award:





Mademoiselle Frou-Frou @ Frou Frou Fashionista

Little Miss Chic @ Fashion Moment


Dear girls, it was a real pleasure to discover your blogs, so beautiful, stylish and inspirational. And I'd also like to thank you for your attention and kind comments you left for me. I hope you like my little award. You are my true STYLE FAIRIES. xxx

Lets eat!

Continuing the gastronomical theme... Bon Appétit!













Sources: Vogue, jedroot.com, tfs