Although I'm being overwhelmed by a new school-environment (and pace), I obviously couldn't slip or miss a Weekly List of Loves on the day of Loves itself! That would've been foolish, right?! As you might've noticed I haven't really had time to produce or conduct anything for here (and the coming weeks will probably look as saddenly empty -but don't be despaired! I'm cooking some thoughts and hope to serve them nicely on a plate in the near (not so near) future). However I thought a List of Loves must be a easy-peasy task to fulfill, because -again- the day of today being Valentine's Day and whatnot, love must be flowing from my keyboard!

I'm not really a big Valentine's Day fanatic (although I've referred to it at least five times by now and will be referring to it quite a lot more during the actual listing of the loves). Yes, yes, it's all consumarism and American-ideology and aggresively put through your throut by money-obsessed pigs making you only realise how lonely you are and that there's no such thing as love. Or at least that's one way of looking at it. You could also say that it's a tradition or ritual based upon Christianity and the Roman Empire (like almost every other 'special' day). Or, well, it's just another day to 'remind' you of the existence of your loved once (in case you'd forgotten) and give the hopeless romantics some room to play around with. Or naturally just consumarism. Who cares anyway?! It's just a little bit of fun and that certainly can do no harm these days...


Kiko Milano especially brought out for Valentine's Day a Valentine's Day Collection. Who'd thought? Would've been quite 'shocking' or at least amusing if they'd came out with a Halloween Collection... Just saying. The collection is called Best Friends Forever and has a small range of products to offer you in its limited edition format. From Mascara shaped as a heart, to perfume shaped as a heart, to face powder shaped as a heart, to lip pencils shaped as... well... as a pencil and -last but not least- to lipstick shaped as a heart. Like, the actual product is shaped as a heart, which makes it -for me at least- quite challenging to put it on neatly, but who cares IT'S SHAPED AS A HEART. That's like, taking it to another level! This isn't just Valentine's Day, this is Valentine's Day EXTREME. Anyway... I've thus gone for the brightly coloured, creamy Endless Love Lipstick in the colour #03 Cute Cherry. It's very pigmented but as I said a pain to put on neatly... Maybe if I put the heart upside down? Or would that just be sad?

What's up Doc? Have you seen the new (don't actually know how new this one is, but as it's V-Day themed it must be sort of new, right?) Valentine Collection by Dr Martens? If not, check it out [here]. I'd love to have a pair of those! Not only shoes but also bags have been shaped and curtsied by Doc to make a luscious eye-popping heart shaped collection. I love it.

Adored Vintage is an online vintage/vintage-inspired clothes, accessories and -as of shortly- home&decor shop run by the most amazing Rodellee. If I should summarize it into one word, it would be #GOALS (yes, in capital letters (and yes, with # included)). Not only the products she offers, but also the complimentary blog is something we (yes, WE) can learn a thing or two from. For instance [this] post on antique Fraktur love letters is just LOVELY (yes, again, in capital letters). Or [this] post on engagement pictures from the past. Everything is just LOVELY and thoughtful and inspirational... just... #GOALS

The 'good' thing about these days is that it mostly just lasts for a day. The day after today will be as 'normal' as 'normal' can be. AND probably all of the mentioned above products will be in the sale (just saying). ;)

What's on your list of loves this week?

Love,
Dominique

In theme with yesterdays List of Loves: Going behind the scenes and getting a glimpse of someone's living situation. Very a-muse-ing!

The way someone lives and has organized or decorated his/hers home is one of the most telling or 'open' one can be about his/hers personality, I think. I can't bare the thought what secrets my room must convey to the eyes of others. Most probably that I'm really messy but organized at the same time (this due to the piles of mess I've actually organized by 'sort'. Say pile of clothes, pile of books, pile of paper, pile of notebooks and many more. I never seem to de-pile and over the years they've only grown bigger and bigger... *sigh*).
The king of the room -or rather: documenting 'the room'- must be Todd Selby from the oh so famous, hardly to be needed mentioning but oh so amazing The Selby. I've actually have had the pleasure meeting the man himself two years ago (two years ago?? Blimey...) in Amsterdam. I say as if it being nothing, but as you can read [here] it was a whole lot of nothing (nothing in this sentence meaning OMFG IT'S TODD SELBY FROM THE SELBY AAAAAHHHH!). Nothing. Just nothing.


It's amazing how some people -as for instance documented by Todd- can live their lives in such incredible surroundings that are not only inspiring and home-y feeling to them, but also giving the same gratification -maybe on a different level- to the ones who just sees the pictures of it. Witness to this endless spiral of inspiration may firstly be the popularity of such websites as The Selby and similar blogs where people share their living space (*ahum* my mum [here] *ahum*). The main difference between them and you is naturally that you're the observer or maybe even the analyst of their situation.

The actual space of a room is hard to capture through the lence of a camera, but I find that the atmosphere -when done right- is oh so captivating by just one click. The personality, especially a person+living room combo, just shines through in every 'move' they make. I love how you can sort of capture someone's excistence this way. A prove of their being by mere objects that say so much and nothing at all! Just a small piece of the puzzle that can make the picture complete in so many different ways (also, just to add, I absolutely love when people 'comment' on their apartment/house/room. It always seems so delicate and personal and... touching, I guess. As if you get to touch the room with the words they're saying and get a better comprehension -again- of their excistence).

To end with:
'When you can't have it all, you sure can have just a glimpse, a smell or rather: an impression', must've been the thought process at British Vogue when coming up with their Youtube-series 'Inside the wardrobe' (click [here] to go to the playlist). Basically they show you a sneak peek inside the wardrobe of a famous well-dressed (naturally debatable, but still well-dressed) person. Think of for instance Caroline de Maigret, Suki Waterhouse and Lilly Allen. And basically it's all I've dreamed of! I want to roam around in other people's closets forever and ever and ever. That's like the best thing that could happen to me! Well, that and a cup of tea would be nice. Now you're at it, can I get a cookie with that?

During the writing process of this blogpost, I've actually have taken it upon myself (and my mum. Sorry mum) to clean out the piles. The only piles filling my room at the moment are those on the shelves! (and naturally my overflowing desk. What to do with the overflowing desk??). And it's always funny but true how much influence your surroundings has on you (if only my desk would be 'pleasingly neat yet showing signs of living'). It's funny how you're not only (mostly) the 'boss' over the way your living space looks, but that your living space in return can be the boss over the way you feel and act. Food for thought, indeed, luckily I've got a cup of tea and cookie at hand in my 'pleasingly neat yet showing signs of living' room. *sigh*

Love,
Dominique

Stickybaby! Words on clothes LOVE LOVE LOVE always... *sigh* I came across Stickybaby on Instagram and immediately fell for their aesthetic. It's... well, basically it's just cool. Just plain cool. One of a kind items and custom orders using vintage pieces sewn 'Still Lost', 'Miss You Bad', 'Special Girl' or other greatly paired words on. LOVE LOVE LOVE! Go check them out [here] to dig up some inspiration and start slamming words on every jacket you own! It's an otherwor(l)dly takeover!

Nie moj cyrk, nie moje małpy. I came across this Polish proverb on Pinterest (owh yeah, I'm all over social media at the moment) and it really hit me, struck me and all kinds of other abuse. It means: Not my circus, not my monkeys (aka: not my problem). It's so easy yet so forgettable! Maybe something I should put on the back of a jacket... *wink wink* Fun fact: I'm I don't know the actual figure-% Polish. So it's always nice to learn something new from my long distance-heritage.

Who doesn't love Tavi Gevinson? More importantly: who doesn't love Tavi Gevinson's apartment? It's everything a (teenage) girl can dream of! I mean the words 'Planet Queen' are on main show in the living room (*scribbles down the words 'Planet Queen' on the list of words to sew on the back of my jacket*), the walls are covered with art, pictures and all kinds of deliciousness and... thoughtfulness is I guess the best word to describe it. Go see it for yourself [here]. And while you're at it, go check out the other videos they -Nowness Magazine, just to fact check- have made (have you seen Florence Welch's house???). Oh, I just love to snoop around and get glimpses of the way someone lives...

What's on your list of loves this week?

Love,
Dominique

Being busy with the 'polaroid machine' as you can see... (aka what amazing wonders the internet can provide you with). ;)

Love,
Dominique

Pinterest -but not just Pinterest, but mostly Pinterest- has made me 'remember' all of the great and grandeur of the Chanel pre fall (or Métiers d'Art) show in 2013. YES, yes, the future looks bright at la Maison de Chanel, but... but.... just look! How could I ever forget? Pre fall 2013 was a very good year to be Chanel (well not the actual person. No shaming, but the beloved Coco has been dead for quite a while. Rotting in the ground isn't really an aspiring goal of mine. Maybe in some years to come, but for now I'd like to keep it up with the living instead. Controversial, I know.).


Lets face it: Pre fall 2013 basically is a triumph or celebration to Scottish heritage (naturally intertwined with the Chanel history - Our dear Coco has spend some time on the Scottish Highlands with her sweet Hugh Grosvenor, second Duke of Westminster). It's Scottish, it's French, it's Mary Queen of Scots, it's EVERY (like almost every, but EVERY) tartan you can imagine, it's -as Karl puts it- "Barbarian Romance", it's theatre, it's a bit much (NEVER A BIT MUCH), it's atmosphere, it's... *sigh* DRAMATIC (I love dramatic) and it's -as always- Chanel.


Fashion critic Sarah Mower perfectly -I think- summarized the collection/show:
The interweaving of the threads of a double history -gutsy, outdoorsy, layered casualness played off against high Elizabethan-accented ruffled necklines, doublet corsets, and ballooning sleeves- gave the 'Paris-Édimbourg' collection a multidimensional groundness and authenticity.

Makes your mouth water, doesn't it?


I'll call it: many a-look presented on the catwalk (can you call a Chanel show 'catwalk' or refer to it as a 'catwalk'? I mean, it's a bit harsh considering the work that goes into it by calling it just a 'catwalk', isn't it?) is student appropiate. Well, that is the tartan-loving a bit dramatic student we're talking about. *frightfully puts hand up* Big coats and long scarves you can hide in combined with seemingly weightless blouses that lifts you up by the arm, tucks you in by the neck and gives you just that extra motivation during long boring lectures. Who's taking notes anyway? With those sleeves? With those fabulous sleeves?

Love,
Dominique

*Yes I stole that from that Vogue article mentioned below (AND how original is also being mentioned in a Harper's Bazaar article I've read -also mentioned below), it's a bloody good pun, though.


Sources
http://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/pre-fall-2013/chanel
http://www.vogue.com/fashion-week-review/862416/chanel-pre-fall-2013/ 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyowoW0OwtA&index=155&list=PL5EE65D01F6E3FD33
http://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/fashion-week/g2412/chanel-prefall-collection-2013/?slide=1