{Inspired by Anaïs Nin}

Do you ever experience encounters with writers whom you immediate think could have been your best friend if you had lived in the same era? I do, and one of the writers I instantly knew I shared some kind of bond with was Anaïs Nin.

Especially her legendary diary has been a wonderful source of encouragement to me, and I really think more people should become familiar with her, and not just through her erotica. What I particularly like about Anaïs Nin is that she does not judge people - she observes, analyzes, and interprets, but never judges them. And that is something I think we should take to heart; integrity and respect for everyone's different opinions and values. This is just one of the reasons why I respect and look up to Anaïs Nin so much.

So a small, and so not adequate, homage to the talented and boundless muse and writer, I give you some images of the things which I associate with her and her work.

'If what Proust says is true, that happiness is the absence of fever, then I shall never know happiness. For I am possessed by a fever for knowledge, experience, and creation. I think I have an immediate awareness in living which is far more terrible and more painful. There is no time lapse, no distance between me and the present. Instantaneous awareness. But it is also true that when I write afterwards, I see much more, I understand better, I develop and enrich' 

'You cannot possess without loving'

'The romantic submits to life, the classicist dominates it.'

{images via Pinterest and Tumblr: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7: Van Gogh, 8}

All quotes from The Diary of Anaïs Nin Vol. 1

Favourite Things of the Moment

At the moment, I am completely lost to the fresh spring feeling my lilac soap gives me each morning. So welcoming in stead of this frenzy of a fall with too much to do. However, a most amazing contribution from school is my first meeting with Jean Rhys' works. How utterly amazing! If she was a religion I would be a convert..

She has the same gift as I pointed out with Florence Welch from Florence + The Machine, of writing with such precision - knowing fully what to tell and what to leave unsaid - that within her works there unfolds many stories. Stories which you don't see at the first glimp. Heartbreakingly beautiful and excellent. If you have not, then please make Wide Sargasso Sea your next read.

I could almost taste the colours and see the scents she describes.

(how I hope I get that for my oral exam! It would be the most awesome exam ever..)

To cool my exhubiant emotions after such a narrative, I am in love with my new Guerlain eyeshadows. They are quite creamy so this set will last a long time. I choose the more secure palette of greys, blues, and browns with a touch of cobber. A brilliant mix of the sea and the auburn hues of the falling leaves all around.

And last but not least, my Eiffel Tower-necklace from Accessorize to keep reminding me of my plans of one day settling in Paris.

To keep my eye on the goal. Makes me remember that the issues I am dealing with are all just means of an end to get me to Paris and help me become the best that I can be.

Do you have small tokens or items that reminds you of your dreams?

{all images are mine}

I just won....

The most wonderful giveaway over at the even more wonderful Tabitha Emma. A special Parisian print offered by French photographer MaGalerie who makes the charming and pastel-fuzzy pretty photos you can imagine. I am so happy and can't wait for the package to arrive!

Please check out both Tabitha Emma and MaGalerie's blogs and shops.

You can't help but falling in love with their charming style..

There was so many wonderful prints to choose from but I finally managed to decide upon this one:

But these also came close... But check her out, I would be very surpriced if you couldn't find anything you liked!



{Images 1, 2 by TabithaEmma} {Images 3, 4, and 5 by MaGalerie}



Pretty Balloons & Paris

Feel like celebrating a little bit since I have just finished a paper that was driving me mad! It feels soooo good being done with it.

And now I can allow myself to dream a bit more seriously about one day moving to Paris.. this dream coming true is so much closer now.

So here's some pretty balloons and a little bit of Paris too..

Images via here here and here



Inspired by Vianne Rocher from 'Chocolat'

I finished 'The Lollipop Shoes' yesterday and loved it even more than I thought I would.. And this is going to be a very heavy posts of pictures inspired by Vianne Rocher. I will not spoil any future readers the surprices and suspence so I'm not going to comment on the pictures, but let's just say that I love the folk tales envoked in Joanne Harris' novel.

May these photos bring out a little sunshine in stead of the rain.. (It has rained for two days now.. bummer!) And now I wish I could make a little magic sign or trick to pass the greeting further along.. Nevermind, enjoy!

Images found here 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 and 14

Chocolat

Currently, I'm reading Joanne Harris' sequel to 'Chocolat' and loving it! Usually, I'm more of a vanilla girl (my body lotion and favourite recipes contain vanilla) but after reading the incredible details of chocolate making in 'Chocolat' and reviving those images whilst reading the sequel, the only outcome of this could only be images of chocolate posted on this blog..

I like chocolate, don't get me wrong! I like the flavour, the colours, the options for what you can use it for, the sound, the memory, the thought of chocolate.. However, I do not like the cheap stuff that is more sugar and milk than chocolate. In addition, the setting of chocolate is also important to my experience of it. The wrapping paper, the box with little ribbons, the cafés that serve it and so on. My favourite is rich warm chocolate with a dash of chili and vanilla, and sometimes with a little whipped cream on top. Second to that, is white chocolate (that doesn't really have that much to do with chocolate when considering the bean) but there's a lot of vanilla in it..

Some weeks ago, I saw a documentary on chocolate and its origins. I discovered that thanks to chocolate we have weekends!

Apparently, it was when the Quakers started chocolate factories and created cities around the factories for their workers that the weekend was invented due to their religious beliefs. I also think it said that social benefits and other stuff that we take for granted as part of the welfare has origins back to the Quakers' chocolate factories.

When I see displays of chocolate, I am often slightly disappointed. Its too cool in a way, no warmth or sensualality to it. I guess, I'm more "back to basics" and the Mayas in this matter because I crave chocolate the most if I see it against warm colours oozing with sex and mystery, and leading your thoughts to more sensual matters. It is an aphrodisic after all.. Why don't the producers use that?!

This picture comes close to how I would set up a chocolaterie.. Warm sensual colours evoking forgotten longings and dreams in dark and semi-sweet chocolate with small splashes of white chocolate..

I can look at this picture for a loooooooong time...

I just like pretty labels and this one contains chocolate and Paris - what's not to like?

If only I had some cream I'd go make myself a lucious cup of hot chocolate right now.

Denmark is currently experiencing several talented chocolate makers, however, none with the warmth and sensuality that I like so much but with the Scandinavian cool (here: white and crisp) aesthetics.. However, it does taste like heaven..

Among these brands are Summerbird, Sct. Michelsen, Eliza, Magasin Chokolade, Frellsen and probably many more..

Images found here: 1 2 3 4 5 6 and 7 



Parisian Vibes

On Saturday, I was in great spirits and after the lovely farmers' market on Ingerslev Blvd (see yesterday's post) I decided to explore the neighbourhood. I still have to extend my comfort zone around my flat but I guess that will come more and more this spring and summer. Anyways, I played around with my camera and suddenly found myself looking more or less at Paris if I tuned it to sepia! Awesome! And I remembered seeing somewhere a blog-post that said "Take a bad picture in sepia or b/w and add a quote in helvetica - that's a bloghit." Awesomeness incarnated! 

So here's some snaps from Odensegade and the area around Sct. Paul's Church in Aarhus but without quotes in helvetica.. Enjoy..

Odensegade looking down at Skt. Pauls Kirkeplads (Sct Paul's)

Pretty historicist-style windows and door frames in the following pictures.

The little park just behind Sct Paul's. Lovely in the summer and early fall with the trees going bananas with colours..

A pretty building on the corner of Hans Broges Gade, Skt Pauls Kirkeplads and Odensegade.

Pretty windows. I always find the top windows the prettiest from the outside, however, chances are huge that there's no lift in the building and I think I counted five stories.. That's a work-out!

Three dogs playing with their owners (SO CUTE!!!!) in the park at Marselisborg Allé just down from Odensegade.

  Sct. Paul's from the front. Very Romanesque but much later.. The church is not following the traditional orientation with the entrance portal being faced West, here's its faced North due to the traffic. The Church is so recent that they had to construct it around the already existing streets in order to get the permission. But it looks quite nice when you are coming from down town and going uphill to Frederiksbjerg (the area of all the pictures I have shown). It sort of greets you, I think.

Well, anyway, this was just some silly shots from a lazy Saturday with a little Parisian vibe (at least to me)..
All images are mine.