Branching out

My newest article for Scriptus is a bit of a departure from my usual fashion pieces -but then again, it is about literature, one of my great loves. I hope you enjoy this piece even though it's a change of theme. It's titled "Reasons not to Ban Mein Kampf".

New lease of life: earrings

It's funny how changing your hairstyle makes you reconsider your style as well, right? I already talked about this here a little bit -somehow, the way I style myself is a little different now that I have bangs, and things that didn't work for me before now look good. Maybe it's because I'm afraid they'll make me look like a little schoolgirl, but ever since getting them I like to add a little bit more 'drama' to my look: messy hair texture, smokey eyes (lazy girl style, obviously) and... earrings!

green shiny round earrings that I think make my outfit a bit bohemian along with the round glasses

Leftover idea: Avocado 2 ways

For those times where you've got avocado that's not the prettiest or that you just don't know what to do with...

savoury: avocado dip. My dad's recipe: this is a creamy but zingy dip. Blend your avocado with greek yogurt, a generous dose of olive oil, some mustard, lemon juice and salt and pepper -all to taste, just try it and adjust :)

we made this with a friend to accompany out grilled beet and feta burgers -delicious :)

sweet: chocolate mousse. Yes, you can make delicious, healthy mousse from avocado and no, it won't taste 'green'. Blend with cocoa powder (I'd start with about 2 tsp per avocado half and add more if desired), sweetener of your choice and maybe a spalsh of (plant-based) milk to make it creamier. You can flavour it with coffee, vanilla extract, orange zest, cinnamon, cardamom -mmm...

before and after...

Weekly inspiration #4

This week I'm thinking about...

-Bum bags. Prejudices about tacky tourist attire aside, they are possibly the most practical way of schleping the essential things you need around. Add a serious makeover and rebranding courtesy of Celine and you have an unlikely contender for the new it-bag. If I could find one that was affordable but still chic (read: in leather or maybe canvas and without thirty zippers and/or waterproof material) I would be very tempted to buy it. I'm already dreaming about endless hands-free walks in the summer. After all, what do you really need besides some money, your phone if you feel like being reachable and a pair of sunglasses? Plus, I like the way a minimalist bum bag can be part of your outfit and act more like an accessory -like a cool belt- than an encumbering add-on.


-Flares. I need a new cut of jeans in my life -if you think about it, mom jeans came into fashion a couple of years ago already and so did cropped lengths, so it might well be time for something new! Personally, I would wear them as a nod to the 70's, maybe with clogs, a crochet top and even mini braids on my hair-, but they're also good as a 'smart' jean with a tailored shirt and they lengthen your legs if you wear them long with heels (the oldest trick in the book, I know). It'll be weird getting used to having so much spare fabric around my calves again after years of skinnies, though. Also confusing: not all flares are the same, some are extremely wide, some tiny, some high-waisted, some low. I trawled ASOS a little bit and I like the shape of these (although I'd buy them in blue denim).



-Graphic novels. Although university work is preventing me from reading much at the moment, I read the graphic novel Maus for a course and I thought it was brilliant. It is about the Holocaust, so not the lightest, most mood-lifting read -yet at the same time it reads really quickly because it's basically a comic strip. I admired how this text approaches the memory of the Holocaust in a very self-conscious, openly subjective way. Aside from earning Art Spiegelman a Pulitzer prize, Maus also legitimized the genre of the graphic novel as something that can qualify as 'serious' or 'quality' literature. Personally, I'm just beginning to explore this genre, and now seems like a good time to start given my lack of time for 'real' books. I think I know what my next read will be: one of Guy Delisle's graphic-novel-formal travelogues. I have already read Jerusalem and I thought it was great. It made me feel like I grasped the spirit of the city, problematized its dynamics with a sense of humor,  showed what everyday life there was really like for the author... and, of course, made me really want to visit! He regularly moves to different places and he's (so far) published graphic novel-format works on Pyongyang (North Korea), Shenzhen (China), and Burma -which one should I pick?

Breakfast musings

It's Sunday, let's talk about breakfast! Breakfast is one of my favourite moments of the day, as long as I don't have to rush. I get to eat in my PJ's, have a great coffee and browse the internet. I've turned it into a little ritual and I love it!

Work in progress

So, in case you were interested, I cut my hair. It's not exactly what I imagined, but then again things never are, right? I now have bangs for the first time in my life.  It still feels a little weird (especially when I'm biking and suddenly they get blown off!) and I'm also not entirely convinced that my hairdresser did a very good job cutting them, but I do like them! 

Weekly inspiration #3

Here's what I'm thinking about this week:

Scented candles: they're one of those things I used to think of as the ultimate luxury item, but they are incredibly useful when your kitchen is in the same room with your bedroom! I received a couple as gifts last year and now I just need them. They make cooking smells go away, turn my room into a little sphere of its own, and make for a special bedtime ritual.  I really recommend giving a good scented candle a try! I just bought the Studion one from & other stories. It smells like fig leaf (OK, so it's copying Diptyque, but I'm not complaining!) and the scent is not artificial at all, nor is it overbearing, so it's the right touch for me. But these things are very personal, so find what you like :)

my beautiful yoga selfie

Sportswear. Amazingly, I've stuck to my resolutions about doing sports this year (no-one's more surprised than I am... even though it is only yoga, it's better than nothing!), so I think it might be time to finally buy some actual sports clothes: My one pair of leggings has holes in it, but I didn't want to be that person that says they'll do sports, buys a whole new kit and then never ends up using it, lol. Thankfully sportswear is very in fashion lately -even netaporter.com has a special sports boutique now!- so finding something practical and stylish shouldn't be impossible... For now, I like the idea of a back-revealing tank top and I really like a couple from the adidas by stella mccartney line, but honestly I don't think I can justify spending 80€ on a tank top so I guess I'll have to keep looking...


The written word. Writing is one of the most powerful things in existence. It can convey so many things, and can be subtle, intricate, beautiful, and earth-shattering at the same time. It's experienced differently by each of us yet we all share it. I really wish I had more time to write, and I also miss reading things outside of my university curriculum. I get my fix by reminiscing from my creative writing course and revisiting postsecret.com every week (we had an assignment where we had to pick a postcard and write a story inspired by it) and by reading Ariel Levy's incredibly moving nonfiction prose. I love this woman's writing and I love that it is for once a woman's writing: I just took a look at my Goodreads account and virtually all the works of literature that I've read in the near past were written by men. Lesson of the day: the patriarchy can sneak up on anyone (and I should make a conscious effort to read works by women). So today being women's day, it only seems appropriate to share this work -yet it's also neccessary to add that I would share this story any day of the year, because regardless of her gender, this person is a great writer.

image via postsecret.com

Soup that will actually keep you full

I love, love, love soup. It's warm, it's healthy, it's tasty, it's comfort in a bowl. Like a hug from the inside (weird, huh?). One thing I really don't love, though, is finishing my meal and feeling hungry immediately after... Here is one that will keep you full and happy until the next meal -tried and tested by yours truly.

Pappa al pomodoro is delicious italian tomato soup that you fling stale bread into. It turns into this soft, beautiful pappa, soaking up the intense flavour of the tomato, the soft garlic, the aroma of the herbs and the velvety feel of the olive oil -and there's quite a bit of it in this dish, but hey it's good for you! Bonus points from me because it's a recipe you can make with things you probably already have lying around: tinned tomatoes and old bread.

the finished product -recipe (loosely followed) here (PS: I'm reading Mythologies for my bachelor's thesis -stay tuned for updates!)

Bonus leftover idea: Turn that lonely carrot/onion, that half can of beans and/or those random bits of pasta into a filling, italian-inspired soup with some tomato, italian herbs (basil, oregano, thyme...), maybe a splash of red wine and some simmering ;)

   

Quickie outfit

Just a quick post to show you what I've been wearing: 

-new coat courtesy of a friend who's crazy enough not to want this camel mohair beauty

-short(er), messy hair (&I'm going for a haircut today so watch this space!)

-the ankle boots I showed you

-my typical Cristina-imitating-Patti-Smith uniform: black Weekday skinnies, black blazer, random tee. 

-the fringed wool scarf that's saved me this winter. I really think this is something to invest in -if you have some $$ to spend the ultimate version is the Acne Canada, but COS also does some great all-wool ones (here) -basically trust the Scandinavians because they know what they're talking about.

Weekly inspiration #2

Some sweet inspiration for the weekend! This week I've been thinking of...

-Hair. To be perfectly honest, I'm always thinking about what I 'm gonna do to my hair, but anyways, I'm happy with my shorter hair*, but I  feel like I still haven't nailed the haircut -I've been toying with the idea of... bangs.

I watched the film Respire recently, and while I don't particularly recommend it, I got one thing out of it: I fell in love with Lou de Laâge's hair (OK, her whole look actually). It's that very carefree, effortlessly wavy, totally kryptonite French hair with long bangs that could be bangs or could be parted bangs/face-framing bits (whatever you call them). What's even greater is that you can easily style it to be more bohemian/70's or rock-chic -two of my favourite 'vibes' because they're both about effortless sex appeal. Irina Lakicevic (first two pictures) now also has the same type of haircut -sometimes parted, sometimes straight bangs- and recently cut her hair shorter which I really like as well. Should I go for it...?

-T-shirt dresses (or knit dresses): just something really simple to throw on over some tights and ankle boots -and feel like I still have my PJ's on... I'm tired of pants! I found this one on asos.





-Girls: it's back on and *drum roll* I'll be analyzing fashion and identity in the series for my bachelor's thesis. Exciting stuff!











*I cut my long hair a couple of months ago and (after I got over the initial shock) I started to really appreciate how much healthier it looked and got excited about playing more with volume and texture... if anything I want it even shorter now! I happened on a pre-haircut picture and what I'd thought was my protective-mantle, princess mane had actually become more like a sad curtain with frayed edges -the horror!