Just because.... prettiness is in the simple things
Happy weekend ;)
Happy weekend ;)
{my carry-on must haves ...}
It's the weekend and I'm finally getting ready & packing for my trip to Europe next week! I can't believe it, and I don't think I will believe it until I'm actually there. Doesn't it always feel that way?
Here are a few of my carry-on must have's that I'm starting with, simply because I won't dare to forget them!
My iPad with the grey magnetic cover & black and white striped Kate Spade sleeve/ iPhone with gold polka dot Kate Spade cover/ My passport! Can't get very far without that/ Sunglasses from Aldo/ Reading material, I'll be taking the latest Style at Home (it's taking all my strength not to peek through it ahead of time!) as well as this cute book which I have been waiting to read (not pictured above)/ Kate Spade wallet, health insurance and fancy looking euros in tow!/ Hello Kitty mints are a must/ Makeup case stacked with goodies (listed below)/
I always need my handy buki brush (a fav)/ La Source hand therapy/ Mac Pro Longwear lipglass in Whoops!/ Mac Pro Longwear in Night Rose (literally lasts all day)/ mini Nini Ricci perfume/ Crest floss/ and my bareMinerals Matte mineral powder, I've got crazy oily skin so while other travellers bring along moisturizers and facial misting sprays, I'm carrying around my secret weapons: blotters like these and my mineral makeup!/
What are some of your must haves? Got something I should add to my list?
Here are a few of my carry-on must have's that I'm starting with, simply because I won't dare to forget them!
My iPad with the grey magnetic cover & black and white striped Kate Spade sleeve/ iPhone with gold polka dot Kate Spade cover/ My passport! Can't get very far without that/ Sunglasses from Aldo/ Reading material, I'll be taking the latest Style at Home (it's taking all my strength not to peek through it ahead of time!) as well as this cute book which I have been waiting to read (not pictured above)/ Kate Spade wallet, health insurance and fancy looking euros in tow!/ Hello Kitty mints are a must/ Makeup case stacked with goodies (listed below)/
I always need my handy buki brush (a fav)/ La Source hand therapy/ Mac Pro Longwear lipglass in Whoops!/ Mac Pro Longwear in Night Rose (literally lasts all day)/ mini Nini Ricci perfume/ Crest floss/ and my bareMinerals Matte mineral powder, I've got crazy oily skin so while other travellers bring along moisturizers and facial misting sprays, I'm carrying around my secret weapons: blotters like these and my mineral makeup!/
What are some of your must haves? Got something I should add to my list?
How to make a personal studio {IKEA blogpost}
Today you can find me on the IKEA Live website with a blogpost about my studio. I wrote this one over a year ago but it somehow got lost when their new site went online. The other day I found it in my folders with the pictures from back then when I just finished it {two tables and a room}
That my sisters picture is in it feels extra special to me. She passed away 2 years ago and tomorrow her daughter will fly to Ibiza, to bring her to her final destination. The sunny island she loved so much... strange how a post I wrote so long ago popped up at this very same moment.
The look of the room changed several times since I first wrote this and ofcourse I added most of the latest pictures.... do you always like the latest changes to your home as well?
IKEA blog June:
I have always been intrigued by beautiful pictures. Photos of Interiors, simple black and white, graphic or fashion pictures, I love them all. I have a big inspiration folder on my laptop and tons of magazines and clippings with beautiful images.
When I come across a picture I really like, I print or cut it out. Most of the time it ends up in a mood board on one of my walls. But I also really like to frame some and use them in my studio. I attached Ribba picture rails on two walls to display things. One with a curtain wire under it for little notes or pictures I come across. I like the simple way of just hanging a piece of paper with a beautiful image or a sweet note on it.
The Ribba shelves are great to display all kind of things. Books, a picture of someone you love or admire, just whatever makes your heart beat faster. Try to place them in little groups and different ways to make it interesting to look at. Just putting four of the same frames next to each other can be pretty boring after a while.
The pictures above my desk are of all kind of things. There are black and white graphic posters. advertising posters from musea. And on the picture rail I made little groups of two or three cards or pictures together. Some of different heights - from big to small next to each other, either framed or not. I also added other things like the wooden stamps to it. And on the table I add larger frames against the wall.
I think you should put up only things that inspire you or means something to you personally.. For me that is a big black and white picture of my sister made in the sixties and a card of a French actress she admired in front of it .. Placing those two together brings back memories of how my sister used to love those old movies and played certain scenes out of it that made us laugh together. It is something that is special for me and I think that those that is unique and special for you will give your studio that personal touch.
That my sisters picture is in it feels extra special to me. She passed away 2 years ago and tomorrow her daughter will fly to Ibiza, to bring her to her final destination. The sunny island she loved so much... strange how a post I wrote so long ago popped up at this very same moment.
The look of the room changed several times since I first wrote this and ofcourse I added most of the latest pictures.... do you always like the latest changes to your home as well?
I have always been intrigued by beautiful pictures. Photos of Interiors, simple black and white, graphic or fashion pictures, I love them all. I have a big inspiration folder on my laptop and tons of magazines and clippings with beautiful images.
When I come across a picture I really like, I print or cut it out. Most of the time it ends up in a mood board on one of my walls. But I also really like to frame some and use them in my studio. I attached Ribba picture rails on two walls to display things. One with a curtain wire under it for little notes or pictures I come across. I like the simple way of just hanging a piece of paper with a beautiful image or a sweet note on it.
Creativity text on clipboard by Vosgesparis
The Ribba shelves are great to display all kind of things. Books, a picture of someone you love or admire, just whatever makes your heart beat faster. Try to place them in little groups and different ways to make it interesting to look at. Just putting four of the same frames next to each other can be pretty boring after a while.
The pictures above my desk are of all kind of things. There are black and white graphic posters. advertising posters from musea. And on the picture rail I made little groups of two or three cards or pictures together. Some of different heights - from big to small next to each other, either framed or not. I also added other things like the wooden stamps to it. And on the table I add larger frames against the wall.
I think you should put up only things that inspire you or means something to you personally.. For me that is a big black and white picture of my sister made in the sixties and a card of a French actress she admired in front of it .. Placing those two together brings back memories of how my sister used to love those old movies and played certain scenes out of it that made us laugh together. It is something that is special for me and I think that those that is unique and special for you will give your studio that personal touch.
All photos Desiree for Vosgesparis
{shorts story ...}
I'm off to hunt down a summery pair of shorts for my trip to Europe, and there are sooo many lovely styles that I wish I could buy 10! From scallops to lace, solids to prints, it's going to be hard to be restrained. But better to pack light in case I find tempting pieces while I'm there ...
Row 1 - Feminine & Pretty
Row 2 - Tailored solids
Row 3 - Stripes & Prints
Have you been falling for this fantastic summer trend? Any favorites?
Ott and The All Seeing I ( Live )
We all enjoy listening to psybient and ambient dub music in the relative quiet of our homes or through the use of headphones. This is a given. While I love listening to ambient music at home I always enjoy a live music experience too, from rock to blues to jazz and many forms in-between.
However when it comes to the live psychedelic ambient music experience it's fair to say that a solo producer sitting behind a mixing deck or set of CD mixers isn't always the most amazing experience. Psytrance and techno - no problem, I can dance my ass off all night to those guys. But put an ambient producer in front of me for 4 hours and I tend to nod off pretty quickly or head off to the veggie burger stand.
Fortunately a trend of late has been addressing this very problem - the live, on the road, psybient band showcase ! Shpongle are well known for using elaborate stage designs and sets complete with psychedelic dancers, lasers and all sort of craziness. Shulman has been touring the last year or two with his group of stage sound wizards.Peaking Goddess Collective, Younger Brother and Cosmosis are a few more acts that come to mind which have been bringing their sounds to fans via live stage formats.
Some very exciting news that come out this week is that psychedelic dub producer Ott has also decided to go on tour with a full band. The group is known as "Ott and The All Seeing I" , and what a group it is ! Don't confuse these guys with "The all seeing I" of late 90s breakbeat UK chart one-hit wonder "The beat goes on" fame. This is Ott and his mates - and what a band it is ! Ott will provide the bulk of the electronic sound magic with Naked Nick ( Nick Holden, who had provided input on a number of Ott's most popular tunes ) on guitars and vocals, Chris Barker ( from Umberloid , has worked on previous Ott and Shpongle albums ) on bass and Matt White on drums.
The group will be playing live versions of Ott's material from his albums Blumenkraft, Skylon, and Mir. Dig that ! The tour is set to kick of in October this year along the eastern U.S states with a west coast tour occurring shortly thereafter. Complete tour dates will be announced around July 10th.
Update !! Here are the latest tour dates :
Date City Venue Country
08/11/12 Beech Mountain NC Gnarnia Festival United States
08/12/12 Tidewater OR Beloved Festival United States
08/16/12 Asheville NC Asheville Music Hall United States
08/17/12 Logan OH Rootwire Festival United States
08/18/12 Stephentown NY Bella Terra Festival United States
09/29/12 Norridgewock ME Heads in Harmony Festival United States
10/03/12 Baltimore, MD Soundstage United States
10/04/12 New York, NY Club 39 United States
10/05/12 Cambridge, Massachusetts Middle East Club United States
10/06/12 Philadelphia, PA City Bisco @ Mann Center for Performing Arts United States
10/07/12 Syracuse, NY Westcott Theater United States
10/10/12 Chicago, IL Bottom Lounge United States
10/11/12 Minneapolis, MN Studio B United States
10/12/12 Lawrence, KS Granada Theater United States
10/13/12 Boulder, CO Boulder Theater United States
10/14/12 Fort Collins, CO Aggie Theater United States
10/16/12 Dallas, TX Tree’s United States
10/17/12 Starkville, MS Rick’s United States
10/18/12 Knoxville, TN The Valarium United States
10/19/12 Athens, GA Georgia Theatre United States
10/20/12 Atlanta, GA Terminal West United States
10/21/12 Nashville, TN Exit / In
black + white + grey
I just love it when items at my local H&M Home department go on sale... Although I love the black and white theme in my bedroom I do add some blues and grays now and then. Especially last week when the light was really bright (in between the big grey rainy moments) I felt like soften it all down a bit and re-bring the grey bed-linen in. Instead I bought two simple light gray pillowcases to give it a soft touch for the summer.
If you do not have a H&M in your town you can always find some greatBedlinen through our sponsors !
{house tour: catherine sheppard}
Did you spot the home of LA stylist Catherine Sheppard on the Glitter Guide last week? It's such a pretty & feminine space:
Isn't it pretty? Love all those neon touches, how trendy! And the lucite coffee table is high on my wishlist. To see even more of Catherine's home go here.
Pineal Gland Activation
In the past few years a lot of research has been conducted into the mysteries of the pineal gland and how one might activate it's hidden powers. Or so the pseudo-science would have us believe. Having read a number of books regarding the pineal gland and it's possible functions I am still, like much of the scientists, researches, healers, doctors, shamans, clairvoyants and third-eye enthusiast alike, still somewhat confused as to what it's actual purpose is.
The popular scientific belief is that the pineal gland is part of the endocrine system and is used to regulate the production of melatonin which in turn is used to modulate our sleep cycles. It is also active in sexual development. Seems fair enough to me. However when you put this research against what people on the other side of the fence put forward - such as the pineal gland being a third-eye into the wonders of the cosmos or even a form of alien technology used to control our evolution into a higher alien like lifeform then one is left wondering where to even begin when making the right informed decision.
Another meme is that governments of the world have been systematically dulling our spiritual consciousness by adding fluoride to our water which in turn calcifies the pineal gland and reduces our ability for original, imaginative thought processes.
Further fuel is added to the fire by the research of respected scientist Dr Rick Strassman whose research into the psychedelic drug DMT ( which occurs naturally in all living things ) lead him to conclude that it's production is centered in the pineal gland and that the gland releases large amounts of DMT prior to death and is responsible for what many term a Near Death Experience ( something my mother experienced actually ). Anyway, what I wanted to present today is some ideas I ran across recently about the possibility of 'activating the pineal gland' or 'exciting it' to a state where one might experience something on the level of a psychedelic trip or form of 'mind opening' so to speak.
The idea is that because the gland is constructed of a piezoelectric crystal matrix it should be possible to excite this crystalline structure to allow it to 'tune in' to a frequencies of trans-dimensional lifeforms ! Sounds pretty incredible right !
The first method of activation is through listening to sounds at a certain frequency and you need to look no further than YouTube to find a plethora of pineal gland activation videos, some with over 2 million views ! There are also a ton of companies online selling "mind power mp3s" CDs and so on. Personally I wouldn't bother with those CDs as I suspect it's the same as what is available on YouTube anyway. Here is one to try :
The second method is also a sound based method, however in this case you don't use headphones or music. All you need to do is cover your ears while making the sound "nnnn" for a few minutes then switching to a "mmmm" sound and finally saying "ngngng" for a few more minutes. I guess this is closely related to the ideas of chanting "ohm" to open up chakra lines and the like.
The next method I have seen is a physical method where one taps the back of your head in a series of rhythmic trance inducing patterns that apparently resonate with the frequency of the gland and open it up to all possibilities. Here is a video that explains the process in some detail :
This final method I've seen is through focusing thought and light to activate the gland. In this idea you need to sit in a comfortable position with your back as straight as possible. The room you are in should be completely dark so as to trigger the pineal gland to begin the production of melatonin. You need simply focus all your thoughts onto the pineal gland at the center of the brain. While you are focusing your thought you need to remain as calm as possible, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth.
So there you have a few things to get started with. All in all I'm still not sure what to make of it. A lot of the so called research I read on the topic make liberal use of words such as "apparently","possibly","could it be","don't you think" which always raises a few red flags with me. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the topic so if you have any experience in this area please feel free to add a comment below.
As a closing thought I'd like to offer you this link to the movie "From Beyond" in which scientists make a device that allows the pineal gland to resonate and open a portal to a hostile alien universe ! Perhaps the pineal gland is best left alone after all ....
My Sister's Bridal Shower
In case you were wondering why I have been MIA I have been planning my sister's bridal shower! We had so much fun and it all turned out great, have a look...
DIY vases and frames
the dessert table
compacts for all the guests
homemade money box
my beautiful mother, my gorgeous sister ( and bride to be!) and me
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