Baby, it's freezing outside!

Winter's here! It has always been one of my favorite seasons, but in one particular way definitely not. Somehow, every single year, I end up jumping from dry spot to dry spot between the floods of snows in my ballet flats. The perfect boots and I have been playing hide-and-seek since forever (obviously I'm always it).. I'm almost sure that my body temperature is 2 celcius degrees lower than usual during the cold months. What's to say? Winter clothes and I.. Well, we just never really hit it off. Boots and thick knits and coats.. The chemistry between us was just never there.

Why? I'm actually not quite sure. It just feels wrong (I used to have the same thing with black shoes.. it was just wrong when they were on my feet.. Sometimes it still is).. I guess that would categorize me as an emotional dresser? But honestly, I just hate how I feel like I have to compromise me and my style to stay warm. Yes, I do own boots and heavy coats but I feel so unrefined and michelin man-like whenever I walk outside in cold-proof outfits.

And the funny thing? I actually think winter attires can look amazing. Some people really know how to assemble an outfit beautifully with lots of layers and different materials. Below, a small selection of picture proof thereof. And I love all of these picks and sincerely wish I could dress like that. I just cannot imagine me wearing it. It's strange, aint it?

l'Officiel editorial dating back to somewhere in 2006


jeisa chiminazzo in november uk harper's bazaar


marina perez


clémence poésy + ekaterina kiseleva


streetstyle by sartorialist and garance doré


unidentified streetstyle


ingrid and elise of anywho


poor attempts at staying warm during this fall

However, I do have my eye on this Margiela coat but I'm still considering if whether or not I should actually press buy. As for boots, I'm clueless. Anyone who has any fabulous ideas for somebody with sz. huge feet (1o) and a strong boot-aversion to overwin? I know, I'm difficult (all this talks for a exchange at a university in Singapore for my 3rd year, though. I'll put it on my con-list right away).

Final question: How do you stand the cold? Anyone with me on this one or do you, like half the Danish population, gladly put on your boots as soon as the temperature dives below 15 celcius?

Different kind of layering

Honestly, I'm not a tent kind of girl and I don't think I ever will be.. but this idea, I must admit, is simply terrific. I was just browsing Cristobal Palma's photography when I fell across this project called Wall House by FAR Frohn&Rojas Architects. It's constructed in Santiago, Chile in 2007 and the whole idea is that the construction is based on four different layers.. A concrete and cave-like core, then a circle of shelving, after that a polycarbonate layer and finally a fabric membrane. Can I have someone set this up for me at Roskilde next summer? Pretty please?








See more about the project here!

Excel art

Some people consider this art. Some categorize it as a time-killing activity. I'm not quite sure what my verdict is but it's awesome either way. Danielle Aubert has been killing time in Excel for 58 days of which the results can be seen in her project appropriately named 58 Days Worth of Drawing Exercises in Microsoft Excel as Rendered for Web. Do have look, it's excellent (no pun intended)!

Outfit du Jour

I never wear heels to classes but today was the exception to the rule. Or let me rephrase: when I receive fabulous, new shoes that I fall deeply in love with, there is an exception to the rule. Honestly, I wore this to my mom's birthday last night and I couldn't be bothered to bring flat shoes to change with (the usual shoe space was occupied by a small Prada purse to have with me during the dinner).. But fortunately (and surprisingly!) these shoes are extremely comfy. I could run a marathon in them (if it wasn't for my poor physical shape that is).

The postman came...

..while I was busy with a 72 hour corporate finance exam and neglecting NaBloPoMo. Sorry about that. But on topic: I was inspired by This World Tonight to buy these Gucci inspired heels. They're amazing and I love them. Just as much as the TI83 silver edition I bought as well. Calculators was never this much fun!

Bentolicious

During my travel I found that one of the cute, little differences between Denmark and Japan is how they like to present their food. For instance I love how they always include lots of colors in every single meal no matter where and what you eat. And in front of the majority of restaurants you find charming plastic presentations of the dishes found on the menu (plastic food is quite an industry out there, I later found out). And on our first trip by train from Tokyo to Takayama already at the station, we quickly found out how popular bento boxes were: the bento stalls were counting almost as many as soft drink vending machines! Once on board shinkansen, seeing how delicious our fellow passengers' lunches were looking, of course we had to try it as well - quite a success!

Later on, in Osaka, I fell across this little book dedicated to bento boxes only and of course I had to have it. It's filled with tons of ways to assemble a bento and the images are so alluring and mouthwatering. Of course, right after buying the book, I bought a cute, little box for myself, too! Seriously, if my mom had made me lunches like these when I was a child, I would never had thrown them out. They're so adorable and pretty - almost even too much to eat.






You'd like to know more? Personally, I have this blog in my google reader - or go even further and discover a world of lunch boxes on Flickr!

Remember these?

I had temporarily forgotten about their existence but I saw a bunch of candy necklaces today at my local supermarket lying among peanutbutter and cheap dressings in the out-of-category section. Of course I had to pick some up. What better thing to brighten up a boring, grey and otherwise depressing day?





- Images from Flickr.

Look what I made!

I've rarely been this proud of myself! As earlier mentioned I had decided to make one of my good friends a cake for his birthday which is today. I'm hardly a domestic goddess but this turned out so well. I opted for a soccer theme since he's quite taken with that and especially Manchester United (we all have our own flaws, right?) - fortunately I had another really good friend helping me drawing up the liquorice field lines correctly.

On a completely different note, I just wanted to say thanks to all of you readers out there who visit my humble blog. Both those who leave comments and those of you who don't (even though it's always interesting to see who's reading).. I was only wondering one thing, is there anything you would like to see more of? Less of? I'd love to here your thoughts and ideas!

Latest obsession

..All of Matte Stephens' work. Click here to see more!

Souvenirs from retail heaven

..casio watch (inspired by vanillascented).. and a large stack of japanese magazines and books (more about those later)..

You think I'd go all the way to Japan to not shop? I don't think so! I'm still in complete awe of the selection in well, everything you can possibly imagine. And just as exciting, actually witnessing the matching buying power - especially in these troubled times, actually it didn't seem that the customers could be bothered thinking about financial meltdown at all. Life's too short and there are plenty of unbought Gucci bags out there! Right? Not that Gucci is really my thing, I actually ended up buying mostly pieces of Japanese origin (and my Visa card is still hurting)..


..comme des garcons cardigan and wallet/makeup clutches (i couldn't decide on just one color.. oops)


..tsumori chisato shopper.. i thought it was adorable..


..navy zucca dress.. a great everyday piece.. kind of low-cut in the back and ties with a bow..


..muji flats.. I got these in black, too!


..layered dress from extremely cheap but adorable store called 3 minutes happiness..


..navy silk shorts from zucca.. they look like a skirt when worn..


..and finally a shawl/scarf from Muji in action..

Tōji Temple Flea Market

I just love flea markets! My grandmother had a strong weakness for them and always dragged me along and I guess that managed to rub off on me. I love the thought of buying old things that already have a history. Obviously I had to go when I completely by coincidence found out that Japan's oldest flea market (and one of the largest) takes place on the 21st of every month by the Tōji temple in Kyoto. Unfortunately we had to catch a train to Osaka but I did manage to squeeze in more than an hour (I think I could have spent half a day there, though). Not only could you buy old things like furniture, ceramics, clothes.. there was also food, tools, fabrics.. Highly fascinating and definitely recommendable should you ever happen to be in Kyoto on the 21st of a month.









And this is what I managed to pick up.. Of course at heavy overprice but to my defense I must say that bargaining in Japanese is not really my thing.. (All I managed to learn was the most essential.. Konichiwa (hello), arrigato (thanks), cohi kudasai (coffee, please)).. I bought a children's kimono (or I guess it actually is a yukata? - same genre, less formal) and some old photos..

4 + 6

Before exam madness and fall break I was tagged by Danica of Coccinelle so here we go (I apologize for the delay)..

4 things I did today
- Had coffee with my dad at his office at 7.15am before his work day started (I hardly ever see him anymore)..
- Took advantage of printing facilities there to print out 76 pages on exchange possibilites next year.
- Went to Magasin to browse for magazines and newspapers.. I bought the new Jalouse and the IHT.
- Remembered to water my plants (big deal!)!

4 things on my to-do list
- Look for a job which is relevant to my education.
- Plan a trip to South America next year with one of my best friends.
- Finish packing my suitcase for the weekend where I'm visiting a friend who lives in Odense (I wrote this post on Thursday, actually)..
- Find a good recipe for a cake containing lemon since I'm baking one for a dear friend's birthday next week (any suggestions?)

4 of my guiltiest pleasures
- Browsing supermarkets.. I can spend hours doing that.. Supermarkets is probably the closest I come to having a fetisch..
- Spending an ungodly amount of time jumping from synonym to synonym on thesaurus.com.
- Popular music from the 90s.
- Ice cream in large quantities.

4 random facts about me
- I like to attend random lectures at my university (anything but SPRØK will do)
- When I need to really relax, I bake. I don't feel much like eating it so I give it away usually.
- I like my own company a lot and am not afraid to say that sometimes I actually prefer it.
- I was always fascinated by the sky. When people walk on the street many people look at their feet. Apparently I like to look up instead. And then I love to observe the stars and their constellations.. I'm dreaming of finding something like Soir de Fête's constellations globe.

***

Next I was tagged by The Search for Chic. The rules are to mention the person who tagged you, then mention 6 unimportant things that make you happy and then pass on the tag to 5 more blogs..

6 unimportant things that make me happy
Sitting in my window watching the traffic and the people on the street go by.
Experiencing new and delightful places in my own city (yes, that does happen)
Scrapbook-ing.
Fleamarkets on warm summer days.
Tasting something I haven't tried before.
The start of the year in Provence when the mimosas are blooming.

I'm tagging: Chic Comme une Parisienne, Heart in a cage, A pretty face, Lumière, and Daydream Lily!

Adding animals

I already told you about my little zoo but it just keeps and keeps expanding and is actually getting rather large. The first animal I'm introducing to you I realize is.. well.. slightly odd.. It's a rat! His name is Marc Jacobs and me, this world tonight and another friend stole (I prefer to say adopted) him from a halloween setup in a cinema. Less strange and much more adorable is the cardboard zoo calendar I bought in Tokyo. I only just assembled it yesterday and it fits right in here in my flat. Now I just need to figure out names for the animals..

Vertical village

If you've read some of my previous posts concerning architecture, I guess it's really no surprise that this project has caught my attention (and fancy!).. Not only is this to be constructed here in Copenhagen, it's also sufficiently cubic and un-elegant to make my skirt fly up.. What can I say? Quadrilateral shapes and me just have a very fine relationship.. But let's get to the facts, this building will be made up of 60m2 units or "pixels" which will actually be able to be moved around the core of the building which will contain both retail space, offices, a hotel and assumably also some of the most pricey flats of the entire city. Source of inspiration? I'm guessing Tetris!

Breakfast at Tsukiji

There can be good things about jetlag, I have recently discovered. Traveling against time is always more difficult in my opinion and while in Japan I found myself waking up at 4 in the morning no matter when I had gone to sleep, since my inner clock had a hard time adjusting to Tokyo time. I would had have to anyways when going to Tsukiji, though. Tsukiji is a huge wholesale market area which is especially known for its fish market which is the largest in the world. Daily they handle more than 2,000 tons of goodies from the sea but everybody told us that the fun would already be over at around 7am, so we had to leave early. Actually we were there at 5am already and the hectic atmosphere was definitely telling us that all these people had been up for longer than just a while. Everywhere there were men in wellies and blue shirts.. in trucks, on scooters, with trolleys.. busy making the logistics happen. I tell you, never in my life have I seen this many polystyrene boxes before! Once we reached the inner market it was like going to seafood heaven, a complete sensory overload. Stalls offering everything from prawns with turquoise roe, the most beautiful clams, multiple kinds of baby sardines (they looked the same to me, though).. and then there were all those I didn't mention (since I don't know their species, I'm not that much of a seafood expert, my apologies!).. Have a look for yourself though.. Doesn't it look utterly amazing?








..However, the main attraction turned out to be the tuna auction. There were hundreds on them in either frozen or fresh condition, lying on the floor and while a man was auctioning them off, they were drawn on with red marker. Do notice how they cut them open by their tail, I guess it's on of the best place to check their quality? In any case, this was highly fascinating to me.







..and afterwards we enjoyed some of those 200kg-each-tunas in a slightly smaller portion for breakfast!

Election art

I couldn't help but think this was kind of funny. Gum Election is a guerilla art project which has managed to spread all over the globe from New York City just since October, encouraging people not only to vote but also not to spit out their chewing gums on the street. Now, personally I don't chew gum but if I did it would be right there on McCains face. Obviously I can't vote either but if you can, make sure to do so!
(Click here for more sticky things on powerful men)

Shinkansen stills

Now, let's get down to business, lets talk about Japan! And not only do I have the most amazing memories from this country, I also have a laptop full of pictures only waiting to see the light of the virtual world. We traveled around by train which was a fantastic way to see what the country actually looks like. Never in my life, had I imagined the nature to be this beautiful and diverse. It was simply amazing. There's no way that these pictures really could ever do it justice but it's what I managed to capture of it through the windows of the train at very high speed. These are some of the few that turned out well.






..and last but not least.. my personal favorite..

This is... a favorite recipe I would like to share

Isn't it funny how the best things turn out to be some of the most simple? I think it applies to both outfits and cooking and this dish is an especially great example hereof. When I was in primary school we made this once in cooking class (do notice my childish scribbles on the recipe) and I've cooked it on a regular basis ever since, adding just a few adjustments. The flavours match each other perfectly and on top of it, it's a beautiful dish with great colors.

Grilled tomato bruschetta
Serves 4 as a starter, 2 as an entrée..

4 slices of rustic, Italian bread
4 large, ripe tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 deciliter + a few extra drizzles of good olive oil
2 tablespoons of dark balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon of muscovado sugar
A few cloves of garlic
1 can of artichoke hearts
Lots of fresh parsley



First, turn on your own on with its grill function at around 200 celcius. Next, half and core the tomatoes and put them into a dish, peel side up. Stir together oregano, oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper and pour the mixture over the tomatos. Afterwards, put the tomatos in the oven for 25-30min and turn them around halfway through as well as pouring some of the lovely marinade over them again. While the tomatoes are in the oven, chop parsley and artichoke hearts roughly. When the tomatoes are finished (they should be soft and almost have collapsed by now), drizzle the slices of bread with a bit of oil and grill them until nice and crisp, should be around 6-8min. When that's done, it's time to assemble it all: first rub the bread slices with the garlic cloves and then put two pieces of grilled tomato on each slice. Then top with artichoke hearts and finish off with parlsey. Bon appétit!

Back to blogging!

Hello?.. 123.. *taptap*.. This thing on?

I'm now back from Japan, done with exams and ready to blog! I do realize this blog kind of needs an energy boost and therefore I decided I'm participating in NaBloPoMo.. (anyone else joining in on this?).. So, to kick off this month of daily blogging: an outfit (which I wore earlier this week)! This usually isn't my style but I was in such a girly mood. I've been very into more androgynous clothes lately but sometimes I just need to release the pretty girl inside of me, too.. The skirt, by the way, is from Monoprix's childrens department, which I think I briefly mentioned before.. But I'm off for now.. À demain!