GlossyBox: January

Since my trip I've felt the need to change a lot of things up, hence the new layout. I've been wanting to do something with a white background and bigger pictures for ages and this is what came out of my experiment today. Hope you like it too!

Also, my new GlossyBox arrived and it had a really cute Valentine's Day theme.

Due to the holiday it also came with a little extra gift, a pocket mirror. And I really liked this month's items too.

This is an eyeshadow pencil by Golden Rose, I already tried it and really like it.

Carrot face cream! I've heard good things about the brand, so I look forward to trying it.

A face mask with kaolin, which is always very soothing for irritated skin.

A fast drying hairspray.

And, and this is probably my favorite, a Cherry Blossom shower gel by l'Occitane. I have never tried any of there stuff, but am so excited to finally do so. I sniffed it already and it smells divine!

Also, I hear there are 3 more of these box-subscriptions in the making. I think I'll stay true to GlossyBox for a while longer, but there's one that I do really want to try as well. I'll keep you posted!

Spotted

After coming back from my trip I went to buy some food for my cat. At the pet store I fell completely in love with a dwarf hamster! I am now trying to find a cat free place in my house for a little hamster home and if I succeed I will go and get a hamster of my own. As it's very much so on my mind right now, I thought I'd make a little collection.

First up hamster pillows, aren't they adorable?

This is a perfect example of the size and color of the hamster I saw.

But there are so many breeds. Like these golden ones, that are cute too.

This hamster-grocery list is perfect for a trip to the pet store!

A seriously odd invention is this usb hamster that runs quicker when you type quicker. Just when you think you've seen it all...

Love this painting! The rest of the shop is really cool too.

I thought this was an adorable pendant.

This amazing print shows exactly the kind of hamster I am smitten with!

And in the off chance I become a really really caried away and obsessed crazy hamster lady, I could always carry the little creature around in this dress.

Somehow I always thought a hamster was a typical kids pet, but now I think it's perfect! They're cute, you can pet them yet they are quite low maintance and did I mention they are cute?

Have you ever had one? Do you recommend it? Is it completely impossible when you have a cat around?

Lovely Series: Raising Hope

I'm back! And I had an amazing time! I feel all happy and inspired and look forward to blogging again too.

While away I still managed to watch an episode of one of my current favorite series: Raising Hope.

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It's from the makers of My Name Is Earl, which I occasionally watched when nothing else was on, but didn't really like that much. Raising Hope however, is an entirely different story. I love this show!

It's unlike anything I've ever seen, yet it feels very familiar. I easily grew attached to all characters. Plus, it occasionally features Kate Miccuci! Also, for anyone who watched the Sarah Connor Chronicles it will take some getting used to a new Cromartie.

Marvelous Music: Madeleine Peyroux

Madeleine Peyroux was definitely a love-at-first-sight- or listen -experience for me. Her voice is reminiscent of Billie Holiday, but a lot softer. And her songs are always amazing.

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I recently added a new cd of hers to my growing collection, it is quite different from the more jazzy ones I had, but just as amazing.

Can you see how this is the perfect Sunday morning music?

Imagine the early morning sun seeping through the window, a nice and special breakfast, perhaps you even add magazine or book to the mix, while you hear Madeleine Peyroux's songs come from the cd player...

Makes me look forward to the weekend already!

All Natural: Sabon

One of my current favorite stores is Sabon. I don't think it's all natural, but it comes very close and their products sure feel good. Besides they don't do animal testing, try their best to be "green" and they are pretty picky about their ingredients. Unfortunately that does show in their price tags.

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Very high on my ongoing wishlist was a Sabon Body Scrub, and last month that wish was granted when a friend of mine sent me one for Christmas. It has a divine Vanilla Coconut scent, it's lovely to use and it leaves you with super soft skin afterwards.

But that was not all! I also received a Vanilla Body Lotion that really went beyond my expectations. It, yet again, has a delicious scent, it is moisturising and it is the tiniest bit fluffy. I love it!

Another thing I love about these products is that you need to use a lot less than you'd expect. I can see both of these lasting a long way. I'm really happy about that, because I'd rather not part with them anytime soon.

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All their products come in glass jars/bottles and that has pros and cons to it. It might be a bit dangerous depending on what your bathroom looks like, but it's also easier to recycle. My fear of dropping the huge jar full of scrub combined with the size of our shower, led to me reusing a small plastic jar from a Body Shop scrub that I fill up every once in a while with the new Sabon scrub.

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Anyway, if you ever come across one of their stores I recommend you pop in. They have a very antique and authentic feel to them and the employees are always willing to help you try their products. I once let them cover half my face with a mud mask in the shop window of a very busy shopping street, but if you'd rather not look like a fool you can always let them scrub your hands instead.

Spotted

Tomorrow I'll be leaving home to spend a couple of days at the beach. I have a couple of posts scheduled for when I'm gone and there will be a giveaway soon after I'm back.

In the meantime I thought you might like to enjoy some beach themed treasures. Here we go:

I am fascinated with beach glass, that combined with owls is just pure magic.

It can get pretty chilly, so this seems like a necessity, and a beautiful one too. Stunning color!

Ok, now might not be the time to wear this, but during the summertime I can easily see myself wearing this gorgeous dress to the beach. Or to a party, the mall, or even the post office...

I shouldn't even be showing you this book as I so desperately want it for myself. Perfect colors, perfect pattern, just perfect.

With the wind and the salty air a good lip balm is a must.

If ever I decide to knit a cardigan I have to come back for these buttons.

Don't you just love prints like these?

Sea urchins are just as amazing as beach glass, perhaps even more so when worn like this:

Lovely Series: Psych

There are lots of shows on Comedy Central that I always used to skip (such as Scrubs and the Office), that actually turned out to be really good. Sometimes you just have to stick around for a little while and give something a fair chance. As was the case with Psych. I now love that show!

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It's about a very observant and lucky guy that runs a psychic advice business with his long time friend. Together they help solve cases for the police.

I love that it has suspense as well as a whole lot of great jokes. But for anyone who used to watch Judging Amy it will be really weird to see Sean in such a different role.

What is your favorite funny show at the moment?

Playing Games for Charity

Free Rice is such an amazing website that I've known for ages. It allows you to play this little word game that not only helps you expand your vocabulary, you also help give 10 grains of rice to the World Food Programme for each correct answer. Isn't that awesome?

A lot has changed since I first saw the website, you can now sign up and join groups. Or just continue to play anonymously. Also there are different subjects you can choose now, such as literature or geography.

Enjoy!

Interview with Hannah Rosengren

I'm sure you've spotted the amazing bird painting currently residing in the large sponsorspot. Well, today I have a very special interview with the creator of that stunning bird and many other beautiful illustrations, paintings and creative projects. Do not forget to check out Hannah Rosengren's blog for more of her art work as well as other fun and inspirational posts.

Now on to the interview!

How did you get started in illustration?

I originally went to school for Studio Art, but after two years at a liberal arts college decided that I needed to make a change. I wasn’t happy with my work and I wasn’t happy with the department. I’ve always been interested in narrative work and children’s media, and realized that Illustration would make much more sense for me. So, I transferred to art school, and have loved it ever since.

What are your favorite materials to work with?

Currently I’d say my favorite materials to work with are acrylic paints. I also really love working with watercolors, but usually find that acrylics suit my style of illustration. And I enjoy using pen and ink every now and then when I’m feeling fancy.

Do you have any special projects planned for this year?

I always have random ideas floating around in my head, but lately I’ve really wanted to do a series on houses in a picture book kind of format. A lot of my illustration work so far has been pretty stylized and flatly colored, and I want to push myself to make much more detailed work this year.

If you’re in need of inspiration what do you do?

It definitely depends on the kind of inspiration that I need. A lot of the time it applies to a certain project, where I have an idea for an assignment but am not really sure how to make it happen. For example, when I wanted to make felt cardinals and chickadees but wasn’t sure how to approach it, I looked at some of Charley Harper’s work and how he simplified birds to get started. If I need inspiration in general, I’ll go to my bookcase and look through a bunch of my art books at once until something catches my eye. Looking through my giant Gustav Klimt book usually does the trick.

When do you feel a project is finished?

That’s a tough one! With some projects, I never feel like they’re finished. I could change little things about them every day for the rest of my life. But with most illustrations or paintings, I feel like it’s finished when the image in front of me is exactly (or close to) the image I originally had in my head.

Who is your favorite artist or the one that inspires you most?

I probably change my mind on this all of the time, but right now I’d say my favorite painter is Claude Monet, my favorite designer is Andy Warhol, and my favorite illustrator is Arthur Rackham. I’m really inspired by Monet’s sense of atmosphere and portrayal of light, and am always awed when seeing his work in person. Warhol’s color palettes always inspire me, and I love his early commercial work. And Rackham was just unbelievably talented. I love the fantastical creatures he created and the way he illustrated classic stories like Cinderella.

What do you have in store for us on your blog?

Lots and lots of work! My spring semester is full of studio classes, and I’ll also be illustrating a picture book by a local author. In the nearer future you can expect to see pages from my sketchbook for the Sketchbook Project every couple of days, since I’m trying to finish it before classes start.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Just a huge thank you for interviewing me and helping to support my blog! It’s one thing to make work and post it but another to have people actually see it. I’m always excited to get any feedback on my work and I love finding new blogs so I can see other people’s work too!

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Be sure to check out Hannah's blog to keep track of her projects and activities and her website to see her portfolio.

All Natural: Badger

One of my resolutions is to switch to natural products where possible. When you read the ingredients and 85% percent sounds chemical it just doesn't make sense to me to put that item anywhere near your skin. Not to mention what it does to the environment.

So any product I finish I try to replace with something more natural. You'll probably find more of these brands here soon, but I want to kick things off with Badger.

They already had me at their logo and name. This has to be the cutest brand I have ever heard of and everything they make sounds divine!

They have a variety of balms for all sorts of areas and issues. From lip balms to anti-bug balms. And each item comes in the cutest packaging with an amazing illustration.

I love that it's a family business and that they're staying true to what they believe in. They work as a team, are very "green", do a lot for charity and understand the importance of fun.

It's hard to get your hands on any Badger items where I'm from, but I'm definitely keeping my eyes open for these amazing things.

Have you ever tried any Badger products?

Great Reads: Jane Eyre

Even though I love to read I have not read many classics. However, I recently managed to cross one of my list: Jane Eyre.

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I really enjoyed it. It was a little odd at first, as with all the True Blood I was watching I couldn't help but picture Mr. Rochester as Bill Compton. However, halfway through the book I managed to erase that bizarre mental picture.

The more the story progressed the better it got and I found it harder and harder to resist looking up the ending somewhere. It's one of those books that make you want to read all night to find out how it ends.

Anyway, if you missed out on some classics yourself I definitely recommend you still give Jane Eyre a read.

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Also, has anyone seen the new movie? Is it worth watching or should I wait till the book isn't as fresh in my mind anymore?

Lovely Series: New Girl

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It took me some time to truly appreciate Zooey Deschanel, but now I've done it. She just does the best movies and series and I am really won over by the new series New Girl.

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It is quirky and it is very very awkward in the most awesome way possible.

It's one of my current favorite shows and I always look forward to seeing a new episode. Are you watching it too?

Peripeteia

A very odd but beautiful piece of animation I came accross:

What I got for Christmas

I've been wanting to show you what I got for Christmas. I'm dividing it up in a few posts and today I thought I'd share pictures of some of the things my mom gave me.

Let's start things of with some owls! Above: a cute little felt family; and below: possibly the smallest purse I have ever seen. It is tiny! And really cute and convenient too, perfect for those days you only need to bring a little money, your keys and cellphone and a chapstick along. I love it.

If you're a nail polish fanatic you are probably aware of the fact that OPI launched a Muppet collection. Well I received two gorgeous polishes: "Designer de Better"(which is what I'm wearing in the picture) and "Warm and Fozzie".

This amazing thermal "mug" was very high on my wishlist. It's gorgeous and comes in very handy this time of year! There's actually a cat in one of the blossoms on the other side.

And I also got this amazing cat mirror! Isn't it the best? And perfect timing as my old mirror was falling apart.

I am very happy with everything! Hope you got some great gifts too!

And I will be back soon to show you some things that came in the mail, stay tuned...

Marvelous Music: Eleni Mandell

When I have trouble sleeping there are a few CDs I like to listen to. This may not sound like a compliment to the artist, but it is. I adore those CDs and they manage to relax me even under the most stressful circumstances. One of my favorites is by Eleni Mandell.

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Her music is great 24/7 though. I just can not get enough of her CD. Her voice, the melodies, the lyrics; it's like they mixed the best of all of those together. It cheers me up every time.

And it sure beats those ocean songs with wales moaning, right?

What are your favorite relaxing CDs?

Plans and Goals: 2012

Hope you all had a wonderful New Year's Eve! After a night of celebrating, it is now time for some more serious business: Resolutions!

I'm hoping to make this a fun and effective year. Once again I have plans for both the blog and life in general.

Blog:

• Sort some things out layout-wise, maybe change it altogether.
• Start posting more and bigger pictures.
• Hold lots of fun giveaways.
• Do a tutorial.
• Share some more reviews and discoveries.
• Finally do an "in my bag"-post.
• And just keep all the regular posts going as well.

Life:

• Finally get the house in order.
• Get back into jewelry making and other "forgotten" crafts.
• Do more with my analogue cameras.
• Suround myself with the nicest things and people possible.
• Make lots and lots of "Clickables".
• Go "green", even more than I am now.
• Start painting again and maybe work towards a second shop even...
• Get better! Because this disease is getting really old.
• And just stay positive:)

2011

It being the last day of 2011, it makes sense to look back on the year a bit. And I thought I'd make some lists to show you all the cool stuff that happened this year, both on the blog and in real life. So here we go!

BLOG

New on the blog:

Spotted --- Monthly Goals --- Sponsors --- Outfits --- Moodposts

Special on the blog:

My very first Blog Party --- the August Break

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LIFE

I got really into:

toy cameras --- brooches --- Lush --- Studio Ghibli

I tried my hand at:

making chocolates --- Japanese pottery --- driving a car --- PhotoShop

Author encounters:

met Neil Gaiman --- met David Sedaris --- and James Kennedy left a comment on my blog!

Other excited stuff:

made friends with some amazing people --- launched the "Clickables" --- knit my very first sweater

I didn't really think this was an eventful year at all, but looking back I feel quite proud and happy about it! Though I have the feeling 2012 might even be better...

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Also I wanted to thank everyone for reading my blog and being so wonderful! I hope we'll continue to do and experience lovely things together in 2012.

Have a happy new year everyone!

Free January Ad Reminder

Just to let you know there are still some free ads left for January! Get 'em while you can, cause regular prices will apply to the rest of the year.

Email Me to secure a spot and I'll email you back with the ad-size.