a day off work

A glorious day off work. With Scottish dukes and clan chiefs, courtesy of Tatler. Some matcha tea (why did nobody tell me how expensive this stuff is?). And Daisy Lowe's almond power balls.

diy results: mise en dior tribal earrings & earcuff

Tried to recreate two earring trends that have popped up lately with the help of two wonderful DIYs:

a) Mise en Dior tribal earrings

b) Rooney Mara's earcuff

Now, before you judge - the earcuff I did in less than a minute. I saw the video, noticed that I had all the tools at home (16-year old me loved making jewellery for her poor family) & tried my hand at it. Mind you, it's super far from perfect (which is kind of why I like it), but I think I'll buy some golden wire and try again once the weekend and with it more time and patience rolls around.

The Mise en Dior tribal earrings turned out alright in my opinion, except for the fact that everyone except my mom seems to hate them. Best comment so far: "It looks like you have a wart behind your ear." So much for that. For everyone who doesn't have the tools to recreate the pearl earrings at home, you can order a pearl tool kit over here.

"Mistakes and imperfections evoke an emotional response. That's what I'm after. That's what art is all about."

Isamaya Ffrench in i-D Magazine Spring 2014

paris buys

I practically haven't taken off the Pierre Caron bracelet ever since buying it in Paris in September last year. It's very simple - no inscription on it, no nothing. Surprisingly enough, I have found simple, well-made jewellery at reasonable prices extremely hard to find, which is why I treasure the bracelet even more.

The plum-coloured ballerinas I also took back home from Paris. And now that Spring is finally here to stay, they are being worn for all their money's worth. Turns out plum lends itself to a lot of different colour combinations.
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I like on the internet this week:

1. A little spring poetry, presented by miss little lime.
2. These pointed Tabitha Simmons loafer look-a-likes by H&M.
3. 12hrs - a new kind of travel guide.

fine weather

White tulips with tea and a book; strawberries in deliciously rich & ridiculously heavy cream.

"An immense joy came over her. It was indescribable. It had nothing to do with humanity, and most resembled the all-pervading happiness of fine weather. Fine weather is due to the sun, but Margaret could think of no central radiance here. She stood in his drawing-room happy, and longing to give happiness. On leaving him she realized that the central radiance had been love."
Howard's End, by E.M. Forster

the world is quiet here

For me it's back to studying this month as I have a ton of exams at the end of January. As a result, a lot of time will be spent hurriedly eating oatmeal in the morning (prepared the evening before), making tea to-go & fighting for a seat in the university library.

Study prep:

1. Get Shit Done - An Academic Mix: for a calm, scholarly atmosphere.
2. Blueberry Oatmeal | I add walnuts, flax seeds & frozen raspberries.
3. Stocking up on green tea, new notepads, a green (for headings!) & a black pen.
4. Having the best friends on speed dial, in order to whine in unison about how horrible everything is.
5. Libraries as photographed by Christoph Steelbach and Candida Höfer.
6. This is a library.
7. Librarian wisdom: “Pause every once in a while, remove your glasses, think about that last great sentence you read, sigh, sip your tea and then get back to it.” (x)

"It was good to walk into a library again; it smelled like home."
The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova
"If you feel . . . that well-read people are less likely to be evil, and a world full of people sitting quietly with good books in their hands is preferable to world filled with schisms and sirens and other noisy and troublesome things, then every time you enter a library you might say to yourself, 'The world is quiet here,' as a sort of pledge proclaiming reading to be the greater good."
The Slippery Slope, by Lemony Snicket

wardrobe essentials

1. Pearls - I don't even take them off at night anymore, which makes it easier not to forget about putting them on in the morning.
2. Chanel Rouge Noir & a nice transparent nail polish
3. LBD - For going out, fancy dinners, weddings etc.
4. Well-cut blazers - Blazers are the love of my life. End.
5. Black & blue jeans
6. Peacoat
7. Simple black heels, flats & low boots
8. Comme des Garcons clutch
9. Shoulder bag - main criteria: must fit a large book.
10. Dotted scarf - In the winter time I even wear my scarf indoors.
11. Watch from Seiko - Can't afford Cartier so this one has to do.
12. Simple black & white shirt
13. Marinière shirt from Petit Bateau

respite

This holiday season University sadly got a foot in the door & asks for some work to be done. It's all a bit stressful; so very much not what this season and holiday stand for. However, the few days before & after Christmas are reserved for family and as such completely off-limits to any sort of work whatsoever, except 'work' done in the kitchen, of course. Tonight will be spent in the company of a certain Doctor and the Crawleys. I've also taken some time off reading for Uni & finally immersed myself in the absolutely charming world of Cassandra Mortmain, while wolfing down one Lindt chocolate after the other and making a witches' cauldron-worth of eggnog.

How are you spending the holidays?

"I write this sitting in the kitchen sink. That is, my feet are in it; the rest of me is on the draining board, 
which I have padded with our dog's blanket and the tea cosy."
I Capture the Castle, by Dodie Smith