Sunday 31 October 2010

happy halloween!


images via
bottom-left: unknown source
bottom-right: Betty Grable

Saturday 30 October 2010

red & romantic

photo credit:  Joseph De Leo for Country Living

Friday 29 October 2010

colour shopping

I've been busy but not too busy for some imaginary shopping. Here are some items on my wish list, and some are there because I liked the colour.

Have a wonderful weekend.


blouse: GAP
boots: Sixtyseven
  French Press coffee maker: BODUM
Le Creuset casserole pot: Habitat
Lenora Dame locket: Accessories Online
Moroccan leather pouffe: Serena & Lily
A History of the World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor: Amazon


Tuesday 26 October 2010

for the gentlemen

I suddenly felt like posting something particularly for men. If you have a home office then maybe it's time to make changes or just buy one or two new items to add to your already lovely space. In my opinion, all men should own a beautiful expensive pen.

Let's go imaginary shopping!


 notebooks: Moleskine
Apsley desk, Artemide lamp,
memo holder & wastepaper basket: John Lewis

Monday 25 October 2010

let's play!

This is one of the prettiest spaces I've seen ... the colours, brightness ... mon dieu. I love the rugs and the chairs' fabric, which of course is from Designers Guild (remember my dream sofa?). And look at that green chandelier, which can be seen in the image below!

Apparently, this is the games area in the apartment of actor Anthony Edwards and his wife, cosmetics executive Jeanine Lobell. Decoration was in the hands of Rafael de Cárdenas.

View the gallery.


photo credit: William Waldron
stylist: Carlos Mota

Sunday 24 October 2010

sweet sunday

photo credit:
2: unknown source
3: Manvi Drona-Hidalgo/Mochatini via A Bloom in Time

Saturday 23 October 2010

polka dot fever

A foodie friend of mine is crazy about polka dots, and by crazy I mean crazy. I got an email from her this morning saying that she has been sleep deprived lately because of noisy neighbours. I had to do some imaginary shopping online just to cheer her up.

These are things that would be perfect in her kitchen.



kettle & toaster: John Lewis
Built getaway tote: Mulberry Hall
Emma Bridgewater bowl: Mulberry Hall
Emma Bridgewater baker & notebook: John Lewis and Mulberry Hall

Friday 22 October 2010

cosy bathroom

I'm very much into cosy bathrooms, and by cosy I mean romantic. I'm not talking about overdoing things by painting the walls pink and adding flower decorations. I'm just talking about a few small items to add that romantic touch and feeling of warmth. Sometimes it's enough just to buy new towels, a soap dish or a nice jar to store cotton wool pads. And if you have curtains you can buy vintage tie backs.

waste bin: Amazon.com
soap dish: Powder Blue
towels: The White Company
glass tiebacks: The Vintage Garden
bath rack & glass jar: Graham and Green

Tuesday 19 October 2010

dream sofa


I want to marry that sofa! It's from Designers Guild and the collection is called 'Hayward', available with all kinds of fabrics or Italian leather. One day, when my children are older or have moved out, I'm getting one in the exact same colour.

Monday 18 October 2010

colourful fabrics

It's that time of the year when I want to make a nice cup of tea, grab a blanket and 
a book, get comfy in a chair and stay there until spring. I want a chair with patterns 
and colours.

via House to Home
via one haute mess
via Pottery Barn

Saturday 16 October 2010

wonderful walls

I love this living room's beautiful colour combination; how the different shades of grey furniture stick out in spite of the wallpaper. Then we have the rich colours of the pillows, blinds, and other small items, which create that perfect look. As a Filofax lover I couldn't help noticing the colour of the Filofax on the small table next to the sofa.

via Www.Interi0rDesign.Com

Harlequin has the most beautiful collection of stylish and glamorous wallpapers and fabrics. Be creative and colour your walls without painting!




via Harlequin

Friday 15 October 2010

perfect getaway

I'll keep this simple: I love that house. 

A cypress shower? Yes, please.


photos via Marie Claire Maison

Wednesday 13 October 2010

13 for luck

The post I had lined up seemed so insignificant compared to what is taking place in Chile.

Today isn't about pretty things; today is the day we celebrate life. 
When this is written five miners have been rescued. 

From now on the number 13 will be for luck, at least in my mind. 


photos via BBC News

Tuesday 12 October 2010

k&a recipe: french chocolate cake

Today I posted a new recipe of mine on kitchen & aroma: french chocolate cake

photo credit: CafeSigrun

love you too lennon and bridges

As most of you know John Lennon would have turned 70 years old on 9th October had he still been among us. Yoko Ono, Sean Lennon, and Ringo Starr spent that day in my home country, Iceland, where they lit Yoko's artwork, the IMAGINE PEACE TOWER, in the small island of Videy. (The photo of Lennon is kindly borrowed from John Lennon.)

The tower was first lit three years ago, on Lennon's birthday, and each year it stays lit until 8th December, the day Lennon was shot to death in 1980.

This year the Plastic Ono Band also held concerts in Reykjavik, where Ringo Starr and others joined them on stage. The Icelanders have embraced Yoko Ono; I read somewhere that the concerts were sold out in 10 minutes.

Of all the tributes I've seen honouring the late John Lennon on his birthday, the one from Jeff Bridges is my favourite. Jeff Bridges is so natural; free of superficiality. I find it impossible not to be affected by the joy in his heart (remember his Oscar acceptance speech when he finally won this year? By the way, at that moment, my heart was bursting with joy).

Over to you, Jeff Bridges!

Monday 11 October 2010

comfy living

That green lamp, all these soft colours, and the stairs! 
I'd love to have all this in my home.


photo credit: Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn

Friday 8 October 2010

mayor in pink

The Mayor of Reykjavik, Iceland, wore pink today to promote breast cancer awareness. 

How awesome is that photo?!!

via Dagbók borgarstjóra (his profile) on Facebook

Thursday 7 October 2010

paris fashion week

It's time to talk a little about the Paris Fashion Week. My best friend is heading to Paris today to celebrate her birthday so I just want to say: Happy Birthday tomorrow Mooney and enjoy Paris!

Let's make the images do most of the talking.

I cannot get enough of that red Valentino dress; so simple and yet so elegant. I think the colours of the Spring 2011 collection are absolutely fantastic.

photo: Benoit Tessier via guardian 



Chanel, Chanel, Chanel. What can I say, I'm in love.



Sarah Burton's debut for the Alexander McQueen Spring 2011 collection. I absolutely love her design and I think the late Alexander McQueen would have agreed. May he rest in peace.


photos: Dominique Charriau & Pascal Le Segretain
via guardian

Nina Ricci and beautiful colours; feminine to the core. I love love love.



Tuesday 5 October 2010

to sir, with love

Sometimes I feel the world is in need of a Mark Thackeray [Sidney Poitier] figure.


YouTube: from To Sir, with Love (1967)
Director: James Clavell

Sunday 3 October 2010

beautiful autumn

Antwerp is at its best today. The weather is divine: sunny and already 21°C. I'm sitting at our dining table looking out the large window and admiring the trees of the Nightingale Park, which is almost at our doorstep. Some of the trees are still green; others are already wearing their autumn coat. Then we have the evergreens, the beautiful cypress trees in our neighbours' gardens. I wish I could share this with you but my camera is broken, so I have to borrow some autumn treats from others.

Paris ...

photo credit: Nomadic Vision
London ...

photo credit: Friday Food Club
Somewhere ...

photo via PicsDigger

Saturday 2 October 2010

the pink ribbon

Fortunately, there sometimes is good news from my home country, Iceland. The selling of the Pink Ribbon Brooch to fight breast cancer is one of them. Every year the Icelandic Cancer Society sets the goal to sell about 40,000 ribbons (Iceland has a population of only 300,000) and uses the proceeds to buy better cancer diagnosis
equipment. The ribbons are a beautiful piece of jewellery by Icelandic designers.

There are two versions of the jewellery, one less expensive that is sold in shops all over the country and one more expensive that is sold in a particular jewellery shop. The 2010 brooch is the design of product designer Ragnheidur I. Margeirsdottir. The less expensive piece is available in two colours, soft and bright pink.

Below is the more expensive silver brooch.


The 2009 ribbon is the design of Sif Jakobs. She also designed earrings and 
necklaces for those who wanted to support the cause but didn't want the brooch.


Hendrikka Waage (her website is under construction but here is the Facebook page) designed the 2008 ribbon, which I'm a proud owner of. I have it pinned in a black sweater that is like a coat so the pink colour of the brooch sticks out. In foreign countries, strangers have asked me where I got my ribbon, and when I tell them the story behind it they seem to like it even more.

One final thing. If you are a Facebook user then I'd like to point out a good cause on Facebook called: Turn Facebook Pink For 1 Week For Breast Cancer Awareness. It would be nice to see that happening, so please spread the word.