{Summer Hiatus}

Hi guys,

First of all sorry for the absense here. But I think I am going to take a little summer hiatus because life has sort of got a grap of me now. 

I have passed my MA thesis with very good grades (HURRAY!!!) and am now applying for jobs and the like, so I am quite busy. And as I don't think that many, including me, would be interested in just viewing the same stuff posted from Pinterest or Tumblr, I am taking a break until I have a more settled schedule. Then, hopefully, I will have time to do more original content and on a more regular basis.

Thanks so much for now, and I hope you all will have a great summer, and hopefully we will catch up again in early fall.

Best,

The Dandelion Chronicles

******************  

{Inspired by} Mary Wollstonecraft

 

In tribute and in the celebration of the International Women's Day, I will take the time to express my admiration and respect to one of the first feminists: Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797). Her most influential work in this field is beyond a doubt A Vindication of the Rights of Woman from 1792. This should be on the reading list of everyone, not just women, and I particularly like her emphasis on the importance of equal education for men and women.

 

Sadly, many of her points in her work are still being fought over today. Women still experience objectification and undervalue. The same thing goes for the stereotypical areas connected to women, even if they are produced or evoked by men.

 

 

I do believe in equal value and worth, and whatever the individual should want to do, the individual should be regarded on the work, not gender (or race for that matter, because so many of her sentiments on gender can also be applied to race). And especially not looks and appearances! It is also about time that the traditional misunderstanding that beauty equals goodness is lost. We can never make a tabula rasa, but let's stop the nonsense about such clearly distinguished and divided sections of the world. No one should be forced to account for them wanting to have children, their desire to be the CEO, not wanting children, getting married or not, or any other personal and individual way to set up their lives and then be met with stereotypes of traditional and outdated gender roles. This is what I fight for and mark on this day, and continue to do any other day.

 

Mary Wollstonecraft was a remarkable woman and I really recommend reading up about her, even just at Wikipedia. She has influeced such a vast number of people with her writings and her life, despite also falling for some of the things she advocated against, and other people's contempt and prejudice. Nevertheless, she tried. And we all should at least try to educate ourselves and inspire the people around us.

 

And so, to inspire for today I give you some of her quotes from A Vindication of the Rights of Woman with the hope and the faith that people will one day be respected and admired for their individuality and not their success in stereotypical conformity.

 

 

“It is time to effect a revolution in female manners - time to restore to them their lost dignity - and make them, as a part of the human species, labour by reforming themselves to reform the world. It is time to separate unchangeable morals from local manners.” 

 

 “My own sex, I hope, will excuse me, if I treat them like rational creatures, instead of flattering their fascinating graces, and viewing them as if they were in a state of perpetual childhood, unable to stand alone. I earnestly wish to point out in what true dignity and human happiness consists - I wish to persuade women to endeavour to acquire strength, both mind and body, and to convince them that the soft phrases, susceptibility of heart, delicacy of sentiment, and refinement of taste, are almost synonymous with epithets of weakness, and that those beings who are only objects of pity and that kind of love, which has been termed its sister, will soon become objects of contempt.” 

 

“Weakness may excite tenderness, and gratify the arrogant pride of man; but the lordly caresses of a protector will not gratify a noble mind that pants for, and deserves to be respected. Fondness is a poor substitute for friendship.” 

 

“But women are very differently situated with respect to eachother - for they are all rivals (...) Is it then surprising that when the sole ambition of woman centres in beauty, and interest gives vanity additional force, perpetual rivalships should ensue? They are all running the same race, and would rise above the virtue of morals, if they did not view each other with a suspicious and even envious eye.” 

 

“I do not wish them [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.” 

 

“The beginning is always today.”

~~~~~~~~~~ 



Good Morning

Good morning everyone..

 

This photo just makes me so happy, and I hope that I can get to be this enthusiastic every morning. However, and sadly though, I am a bit grumpy in the morning so it is no fun to have workers in your bathroom and kitchen for the next three weeks! Especially when you haven't had all the information you need to arrange yourself. Anyways, I just hope that no unforeseen problems will arise and they will be gone soon again.

Yeah, I am really a bowl of fruit loops this morning, ha!

____________________________________________________________________

 

God morgen allesammen..

 

Jeg bliver i så godt humør af dette foto; jeg ville ønske, at jeg var sådan hver morgen. Men desværre er jeg altid lidt mut om morgenen, så det er ikke særlig sjovt at skulle have håndværkere i køkken og badeværelse de næste tre uger! Specielt når man heller ikke får al den information man har brug for hvis man vil prøve at leve i rodet. Jeg håber bare, at der ikke opstår uforudsete problemer og at de hurtigt bliver færdige igen.

Så ja, jeg er bare frk. solskin her til morgen...

 

{image} 

***Happy New Year***

 

Happy New Year to everyone!

 

May 2013 bring prosperity and happiness to all of my dear readers and visitors withour who this blog would be nothing.

 

Thank you so much for following, reading, commenting, and just being awesome here in 2012.

 

_________________________________________________

 

Glædeligt nytår til alle!

 

Jeg håber, at 2013 må bringe fremgang og lykke til alle mine dejlige læsere og følgere uden hvem denne blog ville være ingenting.

 

Tusind tak for at følge, læse, kommentere og bare være fantastiske her i 2012.

 

****the dandelion chronicles****

 

{image sources: 1: link, 3: link, 5: link, 2+4+6 are my scans}

A New Era Dawning...

 

Well, according to some ancient Mayan calendar today is the end of the world - as we know it. So far, it seems people have been more interested in planning their shelters and canned food as if things are getting to be like an H.G. Wells story. I, however, do not think that is what is going to happen. Actually I do not think ANYTHING will have changed at all by tomorrow.

 

But perhaps in stead of planning to run from the nuclear bombs scenarios we could in stead use the time to stop, rest, and think of the world and the people in it as we know it, and ask ourselves - are we living the lives which we wanted and wished for? Can we make this a better world, a softer, more gentle, and caring world? If we all stopped the madness of greed, vengance, and the lust for power, and started tomorrow morning with applying a gentle and forgiving mind set, wouldn't that be like an apocalypse? A new start.

 

If today was to be the last day of the old world order, and from tomorrow morning we would actively start, all of us, to make the world a better place and do good to the beings around us - regardless of looks, religion, gender, sexuality, etc. - wouldn't this be worthy of a new time line?

 

sadly, I doubt anything will happen in either scenarios, but at least I hope people will stop for a second to at least think about the kind of person they are, and then have the courage to choose a gentler way if they don't like what the find. Because, I believe this world needs a little tenderness and a gentle approach if we are ever going to come close to world peace.

I hope tomorrow will the be the first day to actively achieving that goal. At least, I will try to.

__________________________________________________________________________

 

Som de fleste måske har hørt er det i dag Dommedag i følge mayaernes oldgamle kalender. Indtil videre synes folk vist mest at være interesseret i om det bliver ligesom en katastrofefilm med atombomber og astroidenedslag. Jeg tror dog ikke på noget som helst vil være forandret i morgen tidlig. Desværre.

 

For jeg synes, at i stedet for at bruge tid og energi på katastrofescenarier, så skulle folk måske i stedet stoppe op og tænke over hvor de er i deres liv og om de lever et lykkeligt og harmonisk liv. Er det her ikke en chance for at påbegynde en ny tid, en bedre, blidere og omsorgsfuld tod og verden? Hvis alt det gamle had og hævngerrighed blev tilbage i den gamle kalender og verden, kunne vi så ikke fra i morgen påbegynde arbejdet med at fremme det gode? En ny start.

 

Hvis i dag er den sidste dag i den gamle verdensorden, og i morgen den første dag hvor vi aktivt ville begynde at hjælpe og være tilstede for hinanden - ligemeget med udseende, religion, køn, seksualitet og lignende - ville det så ikke være en dag hvor vi dømmer den gamle verden som værende slut og fra nu ar lever vi blidt, enkelt og MED hinanden?

 

Desværre tror jeg som sagt ikke på, at noget som helt er forandret i morgen, men jeg håber dog stadig, at der er nogle, som for et kort sekund stopper op og tænler over hvem de er, og så tør at vælge den blide vej fremover hvis de ikke kan lide det, de mærker i sig selv. For jeg tror, at en blidere tilgang til hinanden er den eneste vej mod  noget, der kan betegnes som verdensfred.

Jeg håber, at i morgen vil være den første dag på vej til det mål. Jeg vil forsøge i det mindste.

 

{image source}  

2 Years Old!

Yep, today The Dandelion Chronicles turns 2! Amazing and unbelivable at the same time. Seems like yesterday I put up my first post and I dread if actual children's birthdays come as quickly. Too soon!

Nevertheless, a little celebration is in order and I will show some of my favourite things from some of the scans I did a while back.

They all sum up the colourful and vibrant world here on the vast Internet-land as well as the joys of tea and cakes with a hint of self-indulging.

 

I hope I get to see lots of you guys in the year to come... I will try to avoid any toddler tantrums!

_________________________________________________

 

Ja, The Dandelion Chronicles bliver 2 år i dag! Hvordan kan det dog gå til og jeg håber virkeligt ikke, at børns fødselsdage føles at komme ligeså hurtigt!

Ikke destro mindre skal der da være en smule festivitas, og det bliver med nogle scanninger, som jeg ordnede for lidt tid siden. De opsummerer nogle af mine yndlingsting med al den farverige og udtryksfulde verden på internettet samt de små glæder, som findes i the og kager.

 

Jeg håber, at jeg vil se masser til jer i det næste år - og jeg vil prøve, at undgå de værste hysteriske tilfælde!

 

 

 

{my scans from various free magazines, Alt for Damerne, and IRMA recipes}



Fall Dreaming

The chilly weather has already arrived here in Aarhus, and I'm tucked up in my apartment enjoying a nice cup of Brazilian coffee which my sister brought me from Samos.. So nice.. Other than that I am planning the next six months of working on my dissertation. I do want it to be good, and even though I am already a little scared I still think the subject is really interesting. Perhaps, I will share some of my findings - or most likely anxiety attacks! - with you here, but for now it is all about the big lines and getting into a good and healthy working habit.

 

This also means that I will try to be more strict about my time on the various blogs/sites because otherwise I will be forever known as the procrastination queen! Not good! But I do plan to update here. I would miss it too much otherwise, I think.

However, the calming and warming promises of fall with gallons of tea, good books, knitted blankets, and warming soups will only be on a lower frequence than what I always dream of in the fall. Only downfall of writing my final thesis in the dark months, but at least I wont have the warm sunshine outside mocking me while I'm stuck inside writing. At least, I hope so..

 

Nevertheless, one last gasp of fall dreaming is still available for me, and if I had the infinite means to do it this is how my fall would look like..

 I would read all of the books on my shelves which I haven't yet read.. So many classics and must-reads! And just for fun and pleasure, not because of a professor's curriculum..

 One of my favourite things about fall is all the fruits coming. Here in Denmark, we have all these old apple sorts and they are just lovely. Some for cruchy snacks, some for baking, some for stews, and so on. And is there a more gorgeous sight than a basket filled with apples?

I cannot explain how much I love this outfit!!! A more stylish fall adventurer is not to be found anywhere... That tartan cape/coat is beyond perfection.

 Another od my favourite things in the fall is soups. There's just something soothing about it which I cannot explain. Also I find these bread rolls functioning as bowls rather amazing. Imagine the softness when you have finished the soup and just tuck in with the bread! Heaven!

Dutch coffee warmers (I think they are called!), perfect little treat to go with your coffee; honey, waffle, crunchy, and warm.. Yummie!

 

Ah well, a lovely fall it would have been.. sadly, this fall is not going to be as picturesque but I will definitely love 'geeking out' for six months. How many times do you get such an opportunity? So no bad feelings and all good kharma.

 

{all images from my Tumblr}



{Sonnet Sunday: Shakespeare XVI}

{my Moleskine}

Today it is a nice warm sun shining down on us. On this day last year, the rays of the sun burst through the windows at the church when the organ started at my father's funeral. It was like my father said that it was all okay now.

Today I start to think so too.

{Happy Birthday to me!}

Or, should I say "Happy Cinnamon"!?

Yes, you read correctly, I am referring to the lovely spice we use in bulks at Christmas. Reason? Apparently, when you turn 25 (which I am - surprice!) you get cinnamon if you are not married (which I am not). And I have no idea why. In addition, it appears to be a fairly recent tradition in East Jutland because not all of Denmark knows about this tradition. I don't even recall my siblings getting cinnamon when they turned 25 (they are 11, 12, and 13 years older than me).

For many many years (since the 1500s), it has been a tradition throughout Denmark to mark the 30th birthday with pepper, because the Danish words for spinster and bachelor contain the word pepper in them: pebermø (literally: pepper maiden) and pebersvend (pepper apprentice).

And if you google the two Danish words you see some examples of what might happen to you if you have very evil friends and family!

God, I hope I am married before 30! Or perhaps counting on my friends and family will be as low-key as with the cinnamon.

I just got a nice bunch of cinnamon buns and my presents had sticks of cinnamon wrapped with the ribbons.

So in honour of myself and the fact that I have existed for 25 years, I give you various pictures of flags and cinnamon.

Enjoy!

Our beautiful flag Dannebrog.

Cinnamon

Mouth-watering no?

These look a lot like the ones I got at my birthday-party from my Aunt.

Okay, just let me die happily in cinnamon heaven now!

{all images via Pinterest}

{*}

(Because there are still no words to describe the pain or explain the reason)

{Image: Aurora Borealis over Tromsø, Norway}
{July 22nd 2011}

{Frail Nature}

Hi guys, long at last! Truth be told, I had my final oral exam last Tuesday and it went beyond expectations, so I am very happy.. Nevertheless, I could feel the strain the stress had taken on me and thus was in much need of place, space, and quiet musings of and on my own. I have been ctaching up on my reading - for pleasure!

I almost started crying one day when I was sitting at a café reading, and realizing that I couldn't remember when the last time I had done that was... So overwhelmed just by finding myself doing one of the things I treasure most in the world. It was kinda scary really.. So I will be taking it very nice and easy this summer before the last battle is at dawn (meaning my dissertation).

These images are of another of my favourite things, branches. Their strength and frailty all at once; the stern boldness as well as the delicate flowers. At this point in my life, I feel very much like such a branch.

A small part of the bigger tree, but the tree wouldn't be without the branches, and yet the branches possess just as much beauty on its own as joined together with the rest of the tree.

{images from my Pinterest and Tumblr}

My Everyday Beauty Essentials

Hi everyone. I hope you are not all miffed about my long absenses once in a while, but school does have a nasty habit of interfering with my life. We have a lot of reading in my Dickens class and I am starting up my final project in another class, so things do get a bit hectic and thus time runs fast. Sadly, I don't feel that inspired by the projects so they aren't something I would blog about.

Nevertheless, I thought I would share with you my favourites in beauty products. These are my everyday products more or less, and I thought that maybe you guys would like to know what a student in Denmark spends her student scholarship on - besides books, pens, and paper.

I am quite the beautyholic. I love beauty products, far better than shoes and dresses. My favourite products would be lipsticks and nail polish. However, I was actually a slow starter with makeup since I was in the local swimming club's elite class, and therefore it was a surprice finding days where my hair was dry! Naturally therefor, I couldn't be bothered with applying makeup and cleansing my face constantly.

So my everyday makeup routine didn't come into being until I was about 17, and high school took the place swimming had had prior.

However, I have always (or since I was 13-14 years old) used daycream and nightcream, and often also eyecream. Otherwise, I think my face would have dried off due to chlorid water and constant showering. But I feel bad if I skip it, and it can be counted on a single hand how many times I have skipped cleansing before going to bed. I hate waking up with makeup smudged out everywhere.

I also tend to use the daily skin care routine, and now also makeup routine, as a kind of meditation and self-appreaciation time. I feel more at ease and the best days are the days where you just know that you look great and don't really need to touch-up constantly.

But anyways, these are my current favourites:

*Tromborg Deluxe face cream (Danish organic brand) I am so glad to have found this one. I feel like a goddess everytime I apply this. And the smell is like heaven.. And even though I am not all-in-green, I do like my skincare to be without the most terrible stuff.

*Guerlain Météorite Perles de Nuit This was my Christmas present from my Mother. I adore the silver pearls and the gorgeous glow it gives. I am quite pale, so this shade is really amazing for my teint. Wish this was a regular colour and not just a LE. Love the packaging as well.

*Chanel Extracils mascara 12. This particular is in brown. I really like the subtle look this gives. Perfect everyday eyes. But it is a constant back and forth between black and brown depending on the rest of the look.

*Yves Roche Luminelle Rouge Dragée lipstick no. 65. I buy from post-order companies like Yves Roche and Oriflame. Especially their lipsticks are quite amazing, and this tone is actually just a tiny shade darker than my natural lip colour, so it is perfect throughout the day.

*H&M Hello Kitty Darling Pink nail polish and Maybelline Blue Ceramics nail polish. I change my nail colours A LOT, but the first is one of my all-time favourites and the last one is a recent purchase which I adore in bottle and on nail.

*Bobby Brown blush in Peony. Normally, I wear pink blushes, and even though this looks rather bold, it gives me the porcelain doll teint without it being too 80s either. And the fact that it is called Peony is a treat in itself!

*Shisheido Lilac Irise eyeshadow. I love lilac tones, and this, as well as Max Factor's Lush Lilac, is one of my daily wears. 

*Wood edt. This is from a Danish equivalent to a 1$ store, but it so amazing! I don't like the citrus scents or the too flower-y scents, so this is more subdued and more interesting. More masculine in a way. I guess that's a good thing since I tend to be very feminine otherwise.

Okay, that came out to be a lot of writing! Hope you injoyed it nevertheless...

{image my own}

{Soothing Rain}

I am just sitting and listening to the rain falling on my windows. A soothing sound and the rythm calms me.

All that misses is a nice cup of tea, heavy on the cream and sugar. Just because it is a Wednesday in January.

I am also looking forward to the start of season two of Downton Abbey on Sunday. Even though, I know that one of the characters die, and I will once again be flooded with tears (it was my favourite!), I will still watch it. Rumour has it that there's a third season in the making - hurray!

Actually, I want to read but not anything for exams. Pleasure reading. However, I fear that then I will never be done with the stuff for the exams and there's just a fortnight until due date for my paper. I have to suck it up until then. At least I am to read David Copperfield and Great Expectations for next semester. Knowing this helps to overcome the exam melancholia.

Are you reading anything good?  

{images via my tumblr}

{Happy New Year} + Weekly Favourites

As promised yesterday, I will use today to wish you, my dear readers and followers, the most prosperous and merriest New Year.

I thank you all for the sweet comments and virtual hugs which I have recieved through this little blog the past year. It is truly magnifiscent to think that I have readers from all continents except the cold one in the South! I would never have thought so when I started this adventure.

Maybe I am naïve but I am still surprised that I get visitors from places where I didn't even know they had access to the Internet.

2011 has been a turbulent year for me, especially since I lost my beloved father in August, but also on other areas. Many thoughts have gone through my head, especially according my future and what I really, deep down, want to do with my life and how I am going to acheive the goals I set for myself.

For 2012, I will try to take the good that I learned about myself and others with me and continue to make an effort in being the woman I want to be. I am finally realizing that there's no point in trying to be someone else.

And that is my hope for you guys too. That you will take this opportunity to stop up for a minute and think about where you are in life and whether it is where you want to be. Are you the best "you" at all times or does the intentions go down the drain in the daily hazzle?

I have learned the hard way, just because I wanted it and freely did it, it doesn't mean it was easy, and will pursue the more simpler approach to what I want and need.

 

But without further ado, here's my last Weekly Favourites of 2011.

Given the amount of time that I put into this feature, I will perhaps change the theme to a monthly feature. However, it has been quite fun and a great resource for me to look at all the things and pick out what it is I really want (if I had the means).

I definately see a more cleaner and simpler look, more quality and minimalism than whims and fun fancies.

Weekly Favourites 52 by maudline

Dress, €707 Acne oversized top, $339 Olivia Rubin printed top, £60 Valentino | Beaded silk-organza gown , £4,427 Sass bide, $795 See by Chloé Flocked cotton-blend dress , £335 Essie | Essie Luxeffects Glitzy Top Coats at ASOS, £15 Chloé flap handbag, $1,795 Seche Vite- Dry Fast Coat, $17

This last week of the year, it seems like we are all looking forward to the summer and beach holidays (lucky Australia!). However, a good quality jumper, handbag, and possible the best top coat nail polish ever (so I have been told) will never be excommunicated from my wardrobe. What do you see that grabs your fancy? Something that will go way into 2012?

Anyways, last thing to say

Cheers in glitter, and Happy New Year!

{sources: 1, 2, 3, 4}

A New Year Approaching

Hi all, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and got to relax just a tiny bit. Mine was easy, breezy, and quiet. Thus I find it most difficult to get myself into exam study mode again. It is way more fun to search inspiration for New Year's Eve..

Usually, I don't pay much attention to this evening and spend it either with a couple of friends or my parents. This year, my friends are throwing a party together with some of their other friends, so I am quite exited, and being the girly girl that I am, I am already planning for glitter, heels, and makeup.

I am also thinking of any New Year's Resolutions for 2012, but I think it is hard to say "I wont..." or "I wil..." I am more of a "I will bear in mind/remember that..." I hate the too clear cut resolutions with no room for breath. I mean, I love chocolate and crisps, nailpolish and lipsticks, but I also know that I shouldn't eat that all the time or use all my money on it. So in stead I go "I will bear in mind that for every lipstick or chocolate bar I buy I could have gotten closer to the Chanel bag or the camera I want."

And I am not one for making resolutions on weight or exercixe, that is bound to fail with me. I get too bored with that kind.

In addition with finals and New Year's and the whole thing called life, I will perhaps be a bit absent here, but fear not... I will return. However, I will make the last Weekly Favourites of 2011 tomorrow and wish you a prosperous new year.

Until then,

have a lovely day...

{image sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7}

****Edit: I have trouble with the link to image 6 but I will try to fix it later.****