Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Owl Things Considered

I've come across some really special owls! They are beautiful and otherworldly and I adore them! Christophe from KriSoft makes absolute magic with paper mache. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if his creations came alive at night.


Every owl seems to have it's own personality, adornments and even comes with either a belly button or coat buttons! And there are lots of different colors too. My absolute favorite is the lovely pink one below, with it's cute little star.


The shop isn't limited to owls either, there are lots of other beautiful creations ranging from existing animals to fairies (like the gorgeous one above!) to creatures from Christophe's own imagination. So be sure to check out the shop!

Friday, December 5, 2014

Lovely Movies: the Giver

So I was a little sick AND working on a knitting project. What better time for a random movie? Having read and enjoyed a Lois Lowry book early this year, The Giver seemed like a nice movie to watch before starting on the book.


Do I still want to read the book now? Yes! And the rest of the series, because I want to know what happens next. And also because although I quite enjoyed this film, I am aware of the fact that books are usually better.

Here's the trailer, though thankfully the actual movie is a lot calmer and less chaotic:

Have you read the books? Are they in fact better than the movie? Or was it a decent adaptation?



Thursday, December 4, 2014

Mixed Shelf #20

Still making my way through my library books. I finished two out of five, and am now busy reading the children's books I picked up. So far so good, but I have to admit I have many, many pages left to read before they're finished.


Wanting: Keeper of Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
This is a new series that is bound to get big soon. Lots of people have been raving about it, and it has a ridiculously high rating on Goodreads. Anyway, it's a magical middle grade book about two telepaths that need to work together. You know I love middle grade, and if a book is so well-received by adults as well, I really want to read it!


Reading: Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver
Sticking with middle grade... I just picked up Liesl and Po from the library. I read one Lauren Oliver ("Before I Fall") and though it was an ok read, I did not love it. However, this is off to quite a promising start. And one thing I love about books for younger audiences is that they cut out all the standard teen issues, and just leave the magic.


Waiting: Lockwood & Co. by Jonathan Stroud
I bought this at a book signing, and though I was so excited to buy it, I have to admit I haven't started it yet. And I won't have time to read it this year, but I might be able to still squeeze it into this winter. Can't say if it's good yet, but Jonathan Stroud was just wonderful. Really friendly and enthusiastic! So I almost recommend this in advance.



Have you picked up anything from the library recently? Or read any fun middle grade?

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Plans & Goals: December


December is here. The last month of the year. The last chance to cross things of your yearly goals! …or a chance to just hibernate and enjoy the holidays. If I'm honest, I hope to do more of the latter. And maybe these things:

  • Cast on something with the yarn from the swatch above.
  • Show you some finished knitting projects I haven't posted yet.
  • Write a Christmas song.
  • Read a graphic novel.
  • Go see Mockingjay. I've come this far, right? Better stick with it!
  • Catch some post-Christmas bargains in shops I otherwise can't afford.
  • Experiment with cooking again.
  • Send out some awesome gifts to some awesome friends.
  • And just enjoy my first Christmas in my own home!

What are your plans for the last bit of 2015? Do you have anything fun planned for the holidays?


Sunday, November 30, 2014

Looking Back on November

The beginning of November seems ages ago! Yet, the month still seemed to go by very quickly. Anyway, it was a strange month... I had to cancel a lot of my plans, but I also still got to do a bunch of fun things.


  • I reviewed a beautiful dress that was sent to me by eShakti.
  • Visited Ikea for some things I needed. Though I failed to get the most important things from my list...
  • Started memorizing some Christmas songs to play on guitar.
  • Got excited for Christmas and made both a wishlist and a gift guide.
  • Had a lovely giveaway with Love n Lavish.
  • Went to a classical concert with a friend.
  • My blog had its 5th anniversary!
  • Received a gorgeous jewelry set from ADesignJewelry in the mail.
  • And kept myself busy with some unintentionally color-coordinated entertainment. 


How did November treat you? Did you do anything worth mentioning? Tell me!

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Christmas Gift Guide

After yesterday's Christmas Wishlist, I thought it would also be nice to post a cute Gift Guide, to hopefully give you some fun ideas of things to get for your friends or family members. So let's get started!

Twenty Fingers is a shop I've been eyeing for ages, and they have the perfect winter/Christmas brooches! They also make brooches with mittens or socks, but my favorites from the winter collection are these animals.


This set of bowls from Belinism would be cute all year round, but it happens to have some Christmassy colors that make it very fit for the Holidays as well. Not for all budgets, but they sure are beautiful!


Winter is cold -at least, in most places!- and gifts that help keep one warm are quite a good idea. Especially when they're cute. And this hot water cover by ZippityDooDah definitely is. And it's even made from recycled materials!


Though it can be very nice to receive Christmassy gifts, I know certain things are a little too traditional for some people. Maybe they would like this cute santa tote bag by helloDODOshop. It's modern and very cute!


A wonderful gift for owl lovers would be this sterling silver owl pendant from Jewel Be Charmed. I'm pretty smitten with it myself! I love how the back is very detailed too. They're so endearing, these little owls!



I think Wassupbrothers' creatures are perfect in any season, but there are some furry ones that are especially great to cuddle up with at Christmas and during the entire winter, like this amazing Henry the deer!


Lastly, I'd like to show you Anna Wiscombe's wooden Christmas collection. It's absolutely stunning! And perfect for people that prefer a more subtle and natural color palette for their home. These decorations are very sophisticated!


I hope this gave you some nice ideas for Christmas gifts! Or maybe you found something to put on your own wishlist.

Are you busy getting ready for Christmas too, of do you do everything later on in December?

P.S. Perhaps I should also take this opportunity to mention that I have a ton of Christmas items in my own Etsy shop too. So if you need to shop for any bookworms, look no further. (And all designs can also be made as brooches!)

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Christmas Wishlist

You know what? I feel like Christmas today! The holidays are right around the corner, so why not post a wishlist?!

I love Meluseena and own a few things from the shop already, but I am seriously smitten with this Snow White locket! The illustration is so beautiful, as is the color palette. To top it off, you can even add free charms!


I still don't have a rolling pin. But ValekRollingPins makes the perfect ones! I try to only have really cool kitchen essentials, and an embossing rolling pin would fit right in! My favorite is the floral one, but there's one with owls too!


These already made an appearance at the beginning of the month, but I just love them. The US Anthropologie is now carrying them too, and they're also still available in the UK store (creamer/sugar bowl), sold seperately, but they're especially cute as a set! Ah, they're so precious! And I think they look a lot more expensive than they actually are.


How quirky and fun are these cat socks? And I love their little frames. Also, can't go wrong with those colors!


I really love raccoons! And I've also always been a sucker for pink, mint green and white together. So this wall hook by Micush was pretty much made for me. It has such a pretty shape too, and the illustration has so much depth.


And this wouldn't be my wishlist if there weren't any owls involved, so I thought I would end with some amazing clothes by Marty May. I would love the cardigan (in XS) and/or the t-shirt (in S) below! They are grown up, yet still cute.


So those are all the things I have my eye on…. What are you hoping to receive this Christmas? 

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Mixed Shelf #19

I'm trying to finish all my library books before they are due. Thankfully they're all fun, and easy to read. And I didn't notice as I was picking them, but all books are quite magical as well. So I'm sticking with that theme today.


Wanting: Among Others by Jo Walton
A fifteen year-old girl tries to escape some things in her life, she finds solace in books. However, apparently there's quite a lot of magic in her world as well. And her very own mother uses it, though not for good… Anyway, I've heard many wonderful things about this and I'm pretty sure it's exactly my kind of book. Also, fairies! Need I say more?


Reading: Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen
Earlier this year I read my first Sarah Addison Allen. When I saw her latest one in the library I got really excited, and without even reading the back, I took it home. So far it's just as good as I was hoping. Not a lot of magic yet, but I'm pretty sure that will show up soon. And although I am looking forward to that, I'm currently not bored in the least.


Waiting: The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
This one has been waiting on my shelf for way too long. But I watched the movie this week and really enjoyed it. The extra dvd interviews made it clear they skipped some events from the actual book. And I look forward to finding out what those are exactly… So I guess that poor paperback won't have to wait much longer till I actually read it.



Are you reading something fun at the moment? Or do you have any magical recommendations?

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Lovely Movies: Boyhood

When Boyhood was about to be released, everyone was talking about it. Because of the hype some people were quite disappointed. I was not one of them. I thought it was great! It was so well done, almost like watching a real life.
The fact that you see the same actor while he grows up -and the rest of the cast age as well- definitely helped do that. Also, the acting was really good. There were so many realistic people, and a lot of character development.


The father, especially, grew on me. Even though I hated him in the very beginning, he had a great storyline and turned out to be a decent guy. His storyline was also the only one that had a proper ending, I think. Most of the others are kind of left to explore their own path in life. Which is good, but I wouldn't have minded an even longer movie.

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Mixed Shelf #18

The weather is still perfect for hot chocolate and children's fantasy books! The plots are usually too strange to juggle reading multiple books, so I'm pacing myself even though I'm itching to start on lots of fun stories at once.


Wanting: Fly By Night by Frances Hardinge
I recently heard some amazing things about this book. A lot of strange things happen in this story, it's supposedly quite the roller coaster ride. But I also hear it's beautifully written and has a great protagonist, who loves to read in a world where reading is viewed as something quite evil. Also, the illustration looks absolutely amazing! 


Reading: The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland (etc…) by Catherynne M. Valente
The first time I sat down to read this book, I was a little disappointed, but from the next time on I started to really enjoy it. It reminds me a lot of Alice in Wonderland (although I have to admit I have yet to read that as a book) Also, it's such a gorgeous book to look at! It's actually the first in a trilogy, so if I enjoy the remainder of this one, I can read two more!


Waiting: The Fairy-Tale Detectives (The Sisters Grimm) by Michael Buckley
I fell in love with these covers! Also, I love fairy tale retellings. Throw the two together and I simply can not resist it. This is the first in quite a long series and we'll see how far I get. But I'm sure looking forward to starting on the first one. A pretty recent addition to my book collection, but I don't think it'll have to wait long before I read it.



What are you currently reading? And do you recommend any series from this genre?

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

In the Mail...

Melissa recently hosted a giveaway on her blog So About What I Said. Up for grabs was a beautiful jewelry set by ADesignJewelry in exactly my style and colors. I'm so very happy I actually won! And it just arrived!


I love purple and often wear it with green. Fluorite has both of those colors in it, and it's such a nice combination with the ceramic beads! That floral touch is wonderful! I am also impressed by the beautiful closure with shop logo.


ADesignJewelry has a lot of unique necklaces in loads of different styles and in all the colors of the rainbow. Some are more classic, others have an ethnic feel. And a lot of the pieces are made with gemstones even.


Anyway, I'm so happy with my necklace and earrings! I can't wait to wear it and match it with the clothes in my wardrobe! I can already think of some fun combinations, but I'm sure I'll discover some unexpected ones over time.

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Owl Things Considered

I suspect Midori Takaki has a thing for owls too, because I already spotted a bunch in her shop. But she does some amazing ceramics in general. And she has items for different budgets too (from big sculptures, to small figurines, to postcards).


Looking at her work is like peeking into a dream. I really like how she combines human elements and animals. Also, if you'd like to stay up to date on what she's creating, you might want to subscribe to Midori Takaki's blog.








Monday, November 10, 2014

Drumroll, please...

There was much excitement over the Love n Lavish giveaway. Together you earned over 800 entries! Of course, only one lucky lady -she's already notified via email!- will receive both pretty necklaces. So without further ado…


If you didn't get lucky, be sure to check out Sil's beautiful Etsy shop. It is filled with lots of different necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Here is a little glimpse of some of the other items she has to offer. Aren't they wonderful?!


There are even a bunch of items on sale right now! So you'd better pay a visit to that shop section as well.

Sunday, November 9, 2014

"That's What People Say…"

Most of you have probably heard of the Shake It Off/80s-aerobics mash-up that's going viral right now. I'm usually not very keen on Taylor Swift's music, but I love Shake It Off. Especially after having seen this genius video:


Isn't it amazing how the song and the aerobics routine sync up? I don't even think there was any extra editing done...

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Don't Forget...


Only twenty-four hours left to join in on the Love n Lavish Giveaway! The winner will walk away with two cute necklaces. So check out the giveaway page for more info, or join in with the Rafflecopter below:


Friday, November 7, 2014

Lovely Movies: Chef

I keep on catching amazing movies in the last week they're showing, and I'm always so glad I didn't miss them. This was definitely the case with Chef. I was convinced I was way too late, but I got lucky and managed to still see it!


It was, without a doubt, one of the best movies 2014 had to offer. Jon Favreau did an amazing job! He wrote it, directed it and gave us some phenomenal acting as well. As did the rest of the fantastic cast, including the kid.


The moment this movie comes out on DVD, it's mine. This is one of those stories that makes you all excited about food and cooking again, and even life in general. It's the perfect cheer-up film for any rainy day!

P.S. This movie also shows that Scarlett Johansson and Christina Ricci can look eerily alike. Who would have thought?!

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