The Roaring Twenties

The Roaring Twenties by Maudline featuring an art deco pendant

One of my favourite eras of fashion and decor, I have a particular weakness for the automobiles of the inter-war period. They are epic in design!

Advent Wreaths 2010

So, the first snow has fallen in Aarhus and leaves everything looking very pretty. In addition, the Christmas season has started officially with today being the first Sunday in Advent, and some inspiration to those of you who are running late with the wreaths (like me!) here's my favourites from around the Internet this evening. Enjoy..



A very Scandinavian chic and natural wreath. Image



A purple and feminine wreath. I do like the angle-moose though! Image

Danish interior design brand Ferm Living's take on the Advent wreath together with the Danish magazine Femina. Easy, chic, and simple - love. Image

The rustic version. Would be wonderful in a fire place like in the photo or on a large wooden dining table. Image

Again a more rustic and natural version. I seem to have a preference for those with dried flowers and in forest hues. Image

 The easy-going and quick version. I like her idea with the electric lights together with the candles. Probably looking great right now in the darkness. Image

 Great use of Christmas ornaments that you love too much to only have on the tree late in December. Also great for odd pieces of ornaments and decorations that don't seem to fit in anywhere else. Image

Probably my favourite of the lot. An Indian-vintage-colourful-and-fun Advent wreath. If it glitters and shimmers I love! Image 

 

Lanvinian Treasures

So finally, I got to upload my photos from yesterday. Don't know what that was about. Anyway, here's my already cherised items from the Lanvin <3 H&M collection. I'm looking forward to all the Christmas parties where I can step into the holiday looking quite fabulous if I may say so..

 I am quite in love with the bag you got to carry your goods home in, especially this side of it.

 The hangers and the dress bag to protect the clothes. When the sale assistant packed the clothes I almost felt like I was buying haute couture. Silly what a dress bag can do right?

 I bought this t-shirt. I guess my general shopping rule is if there's glitter and tulle it'll be going home with me..

 The shopping tote gives a percentage to charity of the purchase price. I can't remember how much right now but I always like when I can get a nice item home with me while supporting good causes. And it was quite cheap, around £3 so there's no excuse not to buy if its not sold out. And its pretty so what other reason does people need?

 I had to get my hands on one of the dresses and this was the one, it suits my own style and its in my size so no need of dieting or shapewear.I think it can work with both a tux jacket or a chunky knit cardigan because its so pretty and feminine. And only limited jewellry due to the beading around the neckline. I think, I will wear it in the weekend to my aunt's birthday. Can't wait!

And as always, I bought the shoes. I was actually in need of some new red stilettoes. My old ones from Friis & Co. are soon more white than red, so this was the perfect time for new shoes. I did look long on the loepard printed ones as well but they were half a size too big and I already have a pair of leopard printed peep toe stillettoes so I let them go to someone else who maybe will cherish them more and wear them more than I would have. No point of buying clothes if you don't want to wear it. Ok, that doesn't apply to antique frocks let's say from the before 1930 but other than those it shoud be loved and worn almost to shreads.

First Day of Snow

Today, I went down to H&M to see if I would be lucky enough to get my hands on some of the Lanvin-styles which may come as a surprice here on the Internet.. I would have loved to show you my treasures but for some odd reason my pc doesn't want me to upload the photos so you'll have to wait untill tomorrow. After conquering the H&M store, I strolled down to the Women's Museum in Aarhus to get some lunch and to avoid the cold.

  

They have one of the best cafés in Aarhus and I highly recommend it. Everything is homebaked and a lot is organic too.. I had three(!) cups of coffee and a sandwich (the curse of cheap refills!). I really like the setting of the café, its decorated with odd furniture and small windows with pieces from their collections of clothes and accessory for women as you can see on my photo. The great thing about the café is that you don't have to pay to get in to the museum you can just go for the café. Its opened everyday in the summer season, and in the winter its only closed on Mondays. You can check it out on the museum's website; http://www.kvindemuseet.dk/ Its in Danish, English, and German.

Also, the museum itself is a very great visit in its own right with interesting exhibitions, especially the history of fashion-ones are very popular, and though-provoking ones as well. The 20th Century is covered in greater detail but in their permanent exhibition they tell the story from Pre-historic to present day.

At the moment they have two special exhibitions, one with two female sculptures and artists, the other is about rape and the taboo surrounding it. Translated to English its titled "Its not you fault" pointing out the feeling that many rape victims have. That it is their own fault and that they themselves could have prevented it which is absolutely crazy! So its nice to see a museum and public space going against the Madonna-Prostitute mentality that many people have even today. This exhibit closes on February 15th 2011 and the other closes on January 3rd.

Marilyn hair

I have been thinking about cutting my hair for a while now and I don't know whether to take the plunge and get myself a Misfits-Marilyn-do.. 

I love her bangs and her hair looks so thick, but I don't know whether it would be something for me. Well, I guess the worst thing is if I hate it, I just have to wait untill the bangs are long again. 

But what do you think of her hair in Misfits? Personally, I thinks its her best look of all, and that cherry wiggle dress just gets to me.. 

Well, here's some pics of the look I think I may be going for this winter..

Oh yeah, and the problem of saving and finding pics from a Google search is that you forget where exactly you found the pics, so if anyone know, please let me know.

 Note: all the photos are originally by Eve Arnold.

Get ready for the Sabrina Moment

The designers have this season not been at their best, at least not in my humble opinion. Especially Chanel disappointed me a lot with the RTW show. It all looked as though it would be beautifully arranged and respecting the female body taking the invitation into account (I saw it on The Cherry Blossom Girl blog), but I don't think it came near at all. I know that Largerfeld never did like curves on women but he usually designs a lot of clothes that could be managed even with more than just the bone on your hips. This season he choose to dress all the models in shreads and somewhat unfinished garments, which is a pity 'cause I liked a lot of the fabrics and the fact he used feathers in many of his designs. Props for that.. However, the only looks I actually liked was theese...

 Things went a bit better when Galliano came around. I have always adored his colourful and fun designs that don't take themselves too seriously. Fashion should be fun most of the time. Nevertheless, I had the same somewhat restrained feeling about his designs this season. Perhaps it's because it takes a lot to come close to the Haute Couture show with all the flower petal gowns, which is one of the best and most beautiful shows I have ever seen and just in the spirit of Dior himself. The RTW line showed some good looks but somehow not finished, except for theese two..

I like the 40's Vargas Girl feel to the looks even though theese don't really go with the nautical theme that was going on.

So, almost in desperation, I turned towards one who always deliver style whenever whereever... Oscar! And my my, did he come through in my hour of need.. I think he may have come across some old photos or drawings for Audrey's character in the movie, Sabrina, beacuse I feel many of the gowns are up-to-date versions of the b/w one in the movie, or is it just me? On another note, I do think that Audrey could have stepped into these designs any day and proven my point. I don't get why women shouldn't look as beautiful and stylish as possible, or that designers don't at least respect the bodies they design for.. And then it's nice to know that there's a man like Oscar in the world. Here's my favourites from his RTW and the last two are from his RTW Resort show, enjoy...

All images from Elle.com

Karen Blixen

As you know, I'm reading Winter Tales by Karen Blixen and thought I should share some images of her and her homes in Denmark and Kenya.

We are very proud of her here in Denmark, one of the great Danes and we feel a little jump in our hearts whenever she's mentioned in abroad medias. I wont go into great detail about her due to the numerous sites and references to her on the internet and in printed media.

I do love when women are celebrated for their wit, intelligence, and strength in stead of just their beauty. I don't know whether I think of her as a beautiful woman (she wasn't ugly though) but I have always seen her as more of a character than thus.

As mentioned in my previous post, I would very much like to visit Rungstedlund, and her farm in Kenya, but I want to even more so after seing these pictures. I'm dying to see her study in real life. I think I could spend a week in there.

Well, enough said, so without further ado.. Karen Blixen everyone...

Karen Blixen as a young woman in Denmark, image from udenrigsministeriet.dk

 Karen Blixen in Africa, image from skole-it.dk

Karen Blixen in 1959, the year people claim she was cheated for a Nobel Prize. Image from guardian.co.uk.

For more about that story please click here. You should also note that the coat she's wearing in the picture is from a leopard she shot herself! Even though I don't really like the notion of real fur, I do think its kinda cool and typically of her.

Karen Blixen's farm in Ngong Hills in Kenya, image from copenhagenet.dk

Her beloved Rungstedlund in Denmark, image from horsholm.dk

 Another view of Rungstedlund. Image from copenhagenet.dk

Her famous study where she wrote most of the time. Image from copenhagenet.dk

She has also appeared on the bank notes of Denmark. They are now replaced with images of bridges which many in Denmark think is a shame.

The people from top down, Karen Blixen; Carl Nielsen (composer); Johanne Louise Heiberg (actress and taste-maker together with her playwriter husband); Niels Bohr (physist who worked together with Einstein), and in the end the artist couple Anna and Michael Ancher (painters from Skagen)

The pages on the right shows the back of the notes which pictured some ancient finds which I think is now at the National Museum in Copenhagen.

Image from kommunikationsforum.dk

She also has a rose named after her. How wonderful to have a personal rose, and a white one! I love white roses.. My mum has one in her garden, and it smells so sweet you wouldn't believe it. Summer and power at the same time, if you can imagine that..

Image from 24.dk

Rosendahl has for a couple of years made a collection of Christmas decorations in honour of the baroness, and I love them. They are the perfect combination of fuzzy and simple at the same time. I just wish that the top star was more like the heart shown here.

Images from hjallerupisenkram.dk

Hope you enjoyed the little gallery on Karen Blixen, and I wish you all a very lovely day.

Love from The Dandelion Chronicles