Valentine's Day is Coming

I think I've mentioned this but I'll say it again: I am not the fan of Valentine's Day. But my daughter will be on school vacation around that time and she has become aware of the significance of the holiday. And last year she had me convinced that Valentine's Day is best celebrated with children. They have the best perspectives on any life event. So I have downloaded loads of images to inspire me. I am thinking of hosting a Valentine's Day sleepover for Hazel. We'll see..

The Illusion Museum and Snow Fun

It's minus 2. What do you do in a cold country in the winter? Stay in doors all day? Absolutely not! It's been fun so far. At the Illusion Museum in the old town in Vilnius both the young and old will be facinated by the tricks to the naked eye. My daughter and I walked on the ceiling of a bedroom, sat underneath a toilet and robbed a bank.

Then it snowed. So we made a snow man with carrot for a nose and lumps of coal for his eyes. Problem is Fred (our dog) kept snatching and eating the carrot and we kept replacing it. Two carrots in we started to chase him away.

 My daughter started her ice skating lesson. Also great linen. I head out to work in three weeks. So I bought a pretty dress to wear to work in the Caribbean. There are great linen shops for both men and women in the old town in Vilnius.

Winter White

Secretary Clinton's outfit is on-point. White in the winter? Absolutely. I loved all of Olivia Pope's outfits on Scandal precisely because of the colour scheme- buttery creams and white. And it's hard to find a white or cream coat in the winter sometimes. If you are looking in Europe, try Guess or Massimo Dutti. I am at the United Nations this week for work and I am wearing white leather and cream to work with a white over coat. Yeah, that's just how us "nasty" women do it...go to work, ignore men and their "nasty woman" comments and get stuff done!

The Beret

I was browsing at my new supermarket yesterday---I love Lithuanian supermarkets, great packaging and all--and I came across a piece of head gear I'd never worn. I love hats and I've been told I carry them off well. But I'd never worn a beret. And right there in the supermarket were a selection of berets. I bought one and will be sporting it all winter.

Cold Weather Wear

Formal, casual, weekend,colours, textures and patterns. Hope these inspire your weekend style.

All Pictures from Pinterest.

Summer is a State of Mind

 

Frost bite be damned! I know my friends and family on the East Coast of the United States have been buried under ice since Saturday. And I know I am headed back to rain, cold, sniffles, gray and maybe ice in Brussels this week. But I am bending my mind and making like it's summer. Starting with this summery needle and thread lace dress from ASOS.

 

When  I went to college in New York City I attended with some Asian women who used to go out partying swaddled in a puffer jacket, skinny jeans and stiletto boots. Totally appropriate winter wear when there was no ice on the ground. But as soon as they got in the club they would remove the puffer jackets and BOOOM!!! They were wearing the tiniest spaghetti strap dresses made out of the thinnest and finest fabric. Those dresses were worn over jeans too. It always blew the minds of the guys in the club to see so much bare skin and chest in the winter. It always blew my mind that those women were such savvy dressers. I could never pull off a dress worn over jeans pants.

 

 

 

Those Asian women had edgy flair. And those college days make me yearn for a summer dress I could wear in the winter. Sort of my middle finger to the messy late start to winter. Where was the snow at Christmas when you needed it? 

 

Plus it wouldn't hurt to steal off to the ABC Islands either. In case you want to wear the dress with an appropriate pair of winter shoes, check out over the knee boots at Public Desire. If you're feeling the winter blues, then take advantage of this post and  you're welcome.

If you feel inclined you can read another travel post here; or another post about me here.

Winter Blues

 

I don't think it's fair for me to have winter fatigue because I have been in sunny Florida for almost two months now. But the thing is I am going home to Brussels soon and it's gonna be all gray skies, drizzle, more gray skies. And worrying about whether there are terrorists hiding in my neighbourhood. For. Real. So I am looking for ways to cheer up my little front yard with colour. So maybe some colourful perennials, some hellebores mixed in with some greens and some statement pots of differing heights with uniform colours. Barring the plants, the picture above from Mary Mcdonald's home is a good inspiration.