Home Envy

I'm decor-thirsty, and I can't do anything about it. Well almost nothing. I can surf the Internet for dream houses and be envious for their huge surfaces and amazing views. The view I have right now is more than decent, Brussels is a nice city, but sharing a studio with one's sister doesn't leave much space for creative freedom.

What home I'm dying over right now?

Veronica Etro's Ibiza residence, with its old-timey charm, sunny atmosphere and classy decorations that don't over clutter.

Visible rich wood beams, a gold-framed mirror and refreshing off-white walls make for a comfy inside to the 17th-century villa.

The lovely sitting areas with lots of colourful pillows make for perfect hanging-out spots for laid-back parties. 

Photos by Ditte Isager for Harper's Bazaar. 

What do you think, loves? What's your dream house?

Well this is hilarious.

I never thought this would be something I'd say about a Lanvin ad campaign, but this video is simply hilarious, and the pictures are pretty amusing as well.



Frankly, Lanvin doesn't really ever need marketing campaign of any sort, so this fun idea will just create more buzz around Mr. Elbaz's wonderful creations. Photographed by Steven Meisel, Karen Elson and Raquel Zimmerman are beautiful and awesome as ever and the whole thing just proves that Lanvin pieces are not only strong investments but also practical, ha.

What do you think, friends? Is this genius or would a traditional campaign work better? Which is your favourite ad this season? For me, this is a strong contender.

Best City

If I were a judge on a contest called "Best City of the World", Gent, Belgium would win hands down. I wouldn't even have to think for a second.

I first visited Gent two years ago on my first trip to Belgium and as soon as I got off the train I felt like home. There was something in the air that said "Welcome" and I loved it so hard, I didn't want to leave.

I had a chance to go back a few days ago, and loved it just as much. It felt almost better than the first time, even though you wouldn't expect to recapture that same joy. I even confessed to my sister, over the famous Belgian fries (did you know they claim they are the true inventors of the French fry? based on the taste, I kind of believe it) that I plan to own property there in ten years.


She said "You do realize you'll be only 29, and perhaps not afford several houses?". I replied simply "I'll buy my first home here then." And I do intend it. Truly.

My pictures don't really do it justice, because it was already evening and what you're seeing are slightly edited versions, to add some light, but if you ever have a chance to visit, don't hesitate. It's wonderful. It's A+ and then some.

Gent is really nice - not overly big, but big enough, fashiony, young, vibrant, cultural, pretty. It's got everything.

What about you, friends? What's your favourite city?

It's serious.

Signs of alarm, my friends. I was basking in the sun the other day, lying like a lizard in the sun in the middle of a gorgeous park in Brussels when this met my eyes:

A dry, crunchy, brown leaf. My mind raced to the word 'autumn'.

And it had a distant relative with a similar skin tone!

Dead leaves?! Seriously? That's a Fall thing, a cold thing, a September thing. 

But no, it's happening. Autumn/Fall is coming and there's nothing anyone can do about it, except putting on more clothes. Which brings me to my actual topic. You don't have to go full-on grey-ish, scary clothing specifically designed for the cold. Yes, the evenings are no longer charmed times of the day, when the breeze kisses your bare skin, tired with the day's blazing sunlight. But you can cheat! You can cheat, by layering wonderful, pretty summer clothing with pieces that are soft and comforting and are, in a way, humanity's safety blanket when the 'sad' (read: cold) times come. 

For instance, layer your cute, floral, summer dress with a big comfy cardigan, throw on some tights and you're cute as ever even if it's chilly and it's not really suitable weather for drinks at sidewalk cafe's.

Belt the (open) cardigan for a feminine look and grab your prettiest bag. Order your favourite drink. You're good to go.

slowcatharsis.blogspot.com by lovecraft featuring ballet flat shoes

What about you, friends? How do you fight the changing weather? Or are you secretly a fan of cold? (I used to be one, now I'm old and whiny).

I've been set loose in Brussels...

... and I love it!

The capital of Belgium (and the European Union) is really a beautiful city, completely underrated if you ask me. I've stayed here before two years ago and thought it was nice, but this time around it's like 'wow' all over. I don't know if it's the new neighborhood or the fact that I'm here to stay (for at least three years, OMG) but it's absolutely gorgeous. Green, ever-moving, young, diverse and hip.

And these were taken just on a walk around the neighborhood. The city bustles with old buildings (in excellent state) and modern buildings and just generally sights to be seen.

 

It also just so happened that the Royal Palace was exceptionally open to the public on a Monday (it's open to the public all summer, except Mondays). It's a beautiful place, sober on the outside and as luxurious as it gets on the inside. We're talking dozens of crystal chandeliers and gold on the walls/ceilings, not to mention Belgian millinery and other things like a gorgeous harp.

I can't wait to explore the fashion side of the city, I've already seen a lot of fashionable people - I just have to get up the nerve to ask them if I can take their picture (in French!) and I'm good to go. How about you, friends? Do you dare ask stylish people if you can photograph them? Are you into streetstyle?

Hello, friends.

Let me start off by saying thank you for all the comments - it really is an inexpressible joy to go in my inbox and find all the lovely words. I never thought I'd come to see a post with 12 comments. I know that sounds modest to most/some of you, but it's a never before seen feat for me.

I am currently in Brussels, loving the big city life with my sister, hitting festivals and visiting the Royal Palace, among others (pictures to come!).

Oh, and guess what?! I'm staying here for college! Woo!

slowcatharsis.blogspot.com by lovecraft featuring a leather clutch

A perfectly light outfit - dressed up with heels and jewelry and spiced up with strong colors!

How about you, darlings? What have you done this weekend? Any festivals? 

Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Actually the entire title would be Perfect Vegan Chocolate Chip Raisin Oatmeal Cookies because that's what they were. After quite a few people unfairly congratulated me for these cookies I felt guilty and decided to really make some and post my results.

I may have cheated a little bit my having a chef for a mother, but I promise I did most of the work. Including chopping up industrial dark chocolate as we couldn't find chocolate chips (oh the joys of living in a small-town-Romania). 

They had crunchy outsides and chewy insides, the perfect amount of chocolate and raisins and a nice touch added by vanilla essence.

This one was warm (duhh, runny chocolate) and just perfect to accompany some milk. Too bad we were being vegan for two weeks, as per the Christian Orthodox fasting going on at my mother's request. It was awesome with warm unsweetened green tea though, so my involuntary veganism for two weeks showed me it's not hard at all. I'd go vegan if I could give up cheese haha.

P.S. I'm packing to leave for University right now so I don't have time to actually post the recipe, but if someone is curious, I will add it later. Well wishes for tomorrow are lovingly accepted!

It's that simple.

If you were looking for a sign, this is it.

source visible haha.

New (re)discoveries

You know that feeling of finding a piece in the back of your closet, a piece you used to love, but somehow forgot about? It's like buying/receiving it all over again and you promise to never let it go again!

I had this happen to me just the other day! I've been digging through all the storage space in the house looking for things that I'm taking with me to college (eeep, Sunday!) and making an inventory, because obviously I can't take everything.

Anyways, I'm a bag freak. I'm extremely, extremely specific about my bags and clutches and purses and though I don't own an impressive number, each and every one were chosen attentively or received from very darling people.

This bag lay abandoned in the very back of the closet. I got it a Christmas gift from my sister, but had all but forgotten about it because of needing larger bags during the school year and sticking with them everywhere. It's a perfectly medium-sized vintage leather bag with intricate floral and stitching detail. 

Seriously, the press-on detailing is rad. 

How about your, darlings? Have you lost and rediscovered closet treasures or are you completely aware of everything you own, all the time?

Have a refreshing Sunday

Is it me or are Sundays all about recharging our batteries? No household chores, no errands to run, and, heh, there is no mail on Sundays. But all this recharging can turn into ennui if it's not at least a little bit active, so here's what I think would be nice ways to recharge.

Make authentic mint lemonade like they do in the Middle-East. 

Sure, about half the world is suffering from heat right now, but no one does heat control like those who would get chilly in what most of us call hot. Picture and recipe here.

If it's not that hot, finally perfect that chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Everyone makes/eats/loves these. I've been searching for a good, easy to make, preferably vegan chocolate chip cookie (how come we don't call these ccc's?) recipe for a while, and I seem to have finally found it. Will try. Picture and recipe here.

You could also finally clean out your computer. No, seriously. I got the blue screen of death today, you guys. My heart stopped for a second as my beloved laptop promptly restarted. I breathed again and swore to be more gentle to it (you know, no more than five tabs open in Chrome, turning it off once in a while, finally getting a cooler, actually seeing the desktop background from all the files, simple stuff). 

How about you, darlings? How do you keep your Sundays from being ruined by boredom?

Super Style: Kate Lanphear

Kate Lanphear is the epitome of class and cool in the fashion industry, and her neutrally-coloured, punk-influenced outfits have contributed to her gaining a cult following on the Internet and not only. Kate is the Style Director of Elle USA.

She first gained my attention with her bleach blonde hair (which actually had neat black ombre touches when I first took notice) and soon she became one of my favourite fashion people!

Here's my reinterpretation of her flawless style in a casual outfit.

Super Style: Kate Lanphear by lovecraft featuring leather jackets

Chilly afternoon.

You know in the summer, when after a slew of really hot, sweltering days, you get one that is refreshingly cool? It can't be called cold, not even chilly by normal standards, but the air is crisp and makes you feel, I dunno, pretty?

That's the sort of afternoon we're having in Alba Iulia (I dare you to look!) and it is just lovely. Makes you remember how enjoyable life is, and you feel okay with actually doing stuff. Which is why I made mint tea, my mom made crepes and I also decided a blog post was in order.

I leave you with a handful of pictures that capture the exact feeling I'm having about the lovely atmosphere, which I found here.

Dream Wedding

I was tagged on Polyvore to do a set about my 'dream wedding'. And it sent me thinking... about how much goes into such an event, and how much of it is fashion. From flowers and cake to bridal gown, tuxedos and bridesmaid dresses, it's a huge production.

My dream wedding is surprisingly girly, it even took me by surprise when I put it all together and this came out. I guess I have nothing to do but embrace the femininity...

 

Dream Wedding Tag by Lovecraft(aka Jo) featuring paisley shoes

What about you, darlings? What is your dream wedding? Have you ever thought of it? (I know I hadn't.)