happy halloween!

images via

top: GoreMaster.com

bottom-left: unknown source

bottom-right: Betty Grable

red & romantic

photo credit:  Joseph De Leo for Country Living

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

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!

pen: Conway Stewart

 notebooks: Moleskine

Apsley desk, Artemide lamp,

memo holder & wastepaper basket: John Lewis

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.

via ELLE DECOR

photo credit: William Waldron

stylist: Carlos Mota

sweet sunday

photo credit:

1: Kia Gregory via The Bride's Cafe

2: unknown source

3: Manvi Drona-Hidalgo/Mochatini via A Bloom in Time

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

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

think pink

I'm all about furniture these days because we need a new sofa and at least one armchair or a daybed. I'm inclined to buy a sofa in shades of grey or brown and then spice things up with colourful pillows and curtains. But wouldn't it be wonderful to be romantic or plain wild and go with pink?

via Anna French

via FF

via DecorPad

Lili Diallo via New York Magazine

Graham and Greene via FF

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.

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

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

perfect getaway

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

A cypress shower? Yes, please.

photos via Marie Claire Maison

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

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!

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

via Coastal Living

if i promised you the world

I'm in a romantic mood. It's Sunday and we just enjoyed coffee and my chocolate tray bake with whipped cream instead of the traditional Sunday pancakes, which, by the way, we had yesterday.

I was listening to music on YouTube when I suddenly remembered a beautiful song by an Icelandic artist called Magni. He was Iceland's hero for some time, when he appeared on the reality TV show Rockstar: Supernova and made it to the finals.

Anyway, I found Magni's song, If I Promised You the World, on YouTube in a video made by someone who is a big fan of the BBC TV mini-series North and South (2004). I haven't seen any episodes but this wonderful video makes me want to get a hold of them. I haven't read Elizabeth Gaskell's North and South but I read Mary Barton a few years ago and enjoyed it very much.

on You Tube

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

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 

via The New York Times

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

via The New York Times

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.

via The New York Times