Category: lifestyle

September 23, 2015

Temporary Flat Tour

Mismatch vintage chairs and table inspiration in Airbnb apartment Barcelona
Cactus, jam jar and candle ornaments inspiration in Airbnb apartment Barcelona
Blogging and work space in Airbnb apartment Barcelona
Inspirational inspo life poster in Airbnb apartment Barcelona
Recycled old vintage retro vegetable crates made into bookshelves in Airbnb apartment Barcelona
Recycled table with lava lamp 90s in Airbnb apartment Barcelona
Simple simplistic bedroom with balcony in Airbnb apartment Barcelona
View from Airbnb apartment Barcelona
Wooden retro chair in Airbnb apartment Barcelona
Hello lovelies!
So as you may or may not know, I recently moved from Paris to Barcelona for a change of scenery and to mix things up. Starting out in a new city is always difficult so it’s nice to have a great base from which to set yourself up from. Cue Airbnb scouring of flats until we found these gorgeous two rooms in a flat share with a lovely German girl. 
I always love flat/bedroom/office space tour posts so I thought I’d share with you where we’re going to be living for the next month. Of course I cannot take credit for much of the interior design here but I hope it’s great inspiration for you!
My favourite feature of this flat is the mixture of chairs around the beaten up wooden table. I am instantly drawn to cafes that are decorated with completely un-matching furniture so this is definitely something I would plan to do in my home. I love the use of old materials such old vegetable crates turned on their side for bookshelves – such a simple and cheap way of decorating your home but it looks so awesome! Of course I had to christen the dining table/office space with a mini-cactus and I am planning to get some good-sized one when we get our own place. Finally, can we just talk about the floor? How amazing are the colourful and rustic tiles that features throughout? Just love it. 
So there you go – just a little tour of where we are living right now. I cannot wait to get my own place, put my mark on it and show it off to you lot! 
Coucou! Je sais pas si tu sais mais je viens de déménager de Paris à Barcelone pour changer un peu. Il est toujours difficile de commencer dans un nouveau pays du coup c’est une bonne idée de trouver une base géniale au début. On a trouvé la notre sur Airbnb bien-sûr – nous avons une chambre et un salon à nous et nous partageons la cuisine et la salle de bains avec une allemande chou. 
J’aime toujours des postes qui montrent l’appartement/la chambre/le bureau de quelqu’un du coup je voulais faire une, même si je peux pas trop m’attribuer le mérite pour le décor, l’inspiration est super pour toi et pour moi aussi!
La chose que j’aime la plus de l’appartement est l’usage de plein de chaises différentes autour de la table en bois. Je kiffe les cafés qui se meuble avec des meubles complètement alors je ferais pareil chez moi. J’aime bien qu’on utilise les veuilles boîtes de légumes pour mettre les bouquins – super simple et pas cher du tout mais elles sont belles comme ça! Bien-sûr qu’il fallait mettre un mini-cactus sur la table et j’achèterai des plus grands quand j’ai trouvé “chez moi”. Et finalement, il faut qu’on parle du sol – comment ils sont trop beaux les carreaux?! Je les kiiiiiffffffe. 
Er voilà! Un petit tour d’où nous restons en ce moment. J’ai trop hâte de trouver mon appartement, de le décorer moi-même et puis le montrer à toi!

Izzie x
June 30, 2015

Paris Guide: Marché des Enfants Rouges

Marché des enfants rouges Paris, market marais
Marché des enfants rouges Paris flower and food market marais
A couple of weeks ago, my mum was visiting and we decided to check out what was on offer for lunch at the Marché des Enfants Rouges, just around the corner from my flat in the 3rd arrondissement. I have heard great things about the food here but have always been put off by the hustle and bustle and complicated (but actually not complicated) system of getting a table.
Parisians eating outdoors at Marché des enfants rouges Paris
Where to eat good Lebanese food and falafel in Paris Marché des enfants rouges
The Marché des Enfants Rouges is now a listed historic monument that was set up in 1615 (!!) and takes it name from from the orphans dressed in red taken in by the Hotel-Dieu de Paris hospital. Legend has it that a medium predicted that the surrounding houses would collapse if the market was ever destroyed and luckily it recently escaped demolition. Now, after that history lesson, let’s talk food. 
Falafel, humous, lebanese mezze at marché des enfants rouges Paris
There’s lots of choice of food, from fresh italian pasta to sushi and burgers but we went for the Lebanese counter. We just grabbed a waiter and she sorted us out with a table in no time. Between the three of us, we shared a mezze platter for which we chose lots of falafels, humous, aubergine chips, tabouleh, cold moussaka and greek salad. All that for 45€, which I admit is quite steep but that’s split between three people and it’s filling enough to be your main meal of the day. 
Where to eat good Lebanese food in Le Marais Paris

As well as having various sit down food places, the market does serve as a traditional market with lots of food stalls where you can buy fresh fruit and vegetables. I also love the photography shop, which is great for rummaging through boxes of random old photographs.

Photography shop in Le Marais, Marché des enfants rouges Paris
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June 14, 2015

Recipe: Sweet Potato and Chickpea Cakes

Vegetarian recipe: sweet potato and chickpea cakes burgers patties with humous
So this is the first recipe I have done on the blog! Lewis and I are both vegetarians and seeing as sweet potatoes and chickpeas are big players in our diet, we thought why not combine them?! I have wanted to share this creation for while because it’s super yummy and you can make a big batch and save it for the rest of the week. So let’s get cooking!
Ingredients, what you will need to make vegetarian recipe sweet potato and chickpea cakes burgers patties

You will need 
– 2 medium sweet potatoes 
– 1 large can of chickpeas 
– 1 onion 
– 2 cloves of garlic 
– 1 egg
– Flour
– Oil
Vegetarian sweet potato and chickpea cakes burger patties recipe mixture

1. Grate the sweet potatoes and fry in oil until soft. Set aside in a large bowl.

2. Fry the chopped onion and garlic and add to the sweet potato mixture.

3. Briefly whizz the can of chickpeas in a food processor (or mash them with a fork if, like us, you’re not lucky enough to own such a machine or just fancy a work out). Add to the mixture bowl.

4. Add one beaten egg, seasoning and flour (enough to bind the mixture) and mix together.

Making and frying sweet potato and chickpea cakes burgers patties vegetarian recipe

5. Now for the fun part! Heat a fair amount of oil on a high heat in a frying pan.

6. Create the round cakes by scooping mixture onto a wooden spoon, shaping with your hand and sprinkling with flour.

7. Put the cake in the frying pan, flour side down and sprinkle the upward side with flour too.

Frying sweet potato and chickpea cakes burgers patties vegetarian recipe
8. Continue until all the mixture is used!
9. Then I pop the cakes in the oven on a low heat to keep them warm while I fry slices of aubergine and cook some rice to go with the cakes. Serving with humous is highly recommended.

Sweet potato and chickpea cakes burgers patties vegetarian recipe serve with salad, humous, rice and fried aubergine

10. Enjoy and bon appetit! I would love to hear from you if you try this recipe! x

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April 12, 2015

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty

“There was so much repression in London fashion. It had to be livened up.”
For me, one of the most exciting aspects of fashion is pushing boundaries. Going beyond what is expected of you and your limits, making peoples’ heads turn and changing the world. Alexander McQueen did exactly that.

Alexander McQueen started his immense career in fashion in 1985 with an apprenticeship with Savile Row tailors at the age of 16. The first designs at the V&A’s incredible Savage Beauty exhibition show how important this training was for McQueen – through his knowledge of traditional tailoring he was able to deconstruct shapes and create unique cuts. 
In the next room we are transported from the grey walls and these comparatively modest designs to McQueen’s Romantic Gothic collection, which was inspired by 19th century Victorian gothic and combines horror and romance.
“I want to empower women. I want people to be afraid of the women I dress.”
We are dared to respond to the question: is this aggressive or dark romantic? Perhaps it is neither. Personally, I am not offended by models in leather face masks and bondage straps but I do find the use of bizarre animal body parts and hair slightly extreme – although being a vegetarian I’m probably biased and I tried to overcome this by just looking through fashion eyes. Of course, this was just the warm up…
McQueen was driven by a fascination with the beauty and savagery of the natural world and this is seen at its most extreme in the Primitivism room. Individual alcoves made of skulls and bones, which reminded me of the Paris Catacombes, displayed designs made of anything from horse hair, leather and baby crocodile heads to wool and beads. 
“I find beauty in the grotesque, like most artists.”
The Cabinet of Curiosities is arguably the centrepiece and you just don’t know where to look first. In each cabinet there is an extravagant design, mad un-walkable  shoes or a crazy headdress. On various TV screens there are clips from theatrical McQueen catwalk shows, which I just could not take me eyes off. I would love to go back and watch a show of his, they look out of this world. In the next small, dark room we experience something quite magical – the hologram ghost video of Kate Moss set to the music from Schindler’s List from the finale of his Paris show in 2006.
Nature was McQueen’s greatest influence so it is not surprising that he used raw materials found in the natural world in his designs. How incredible is this dress made from sea shells?! Probably not very comfortable but beautiful to look at! He also used real flowers that withered onto the catwalk, which is both beautiful and sad. Alexander McQueen’s last fully realised collection before his tragic suicide in 2010 is called Plato Atlantis and was clearly inspired by nature, in particular, sea creatures. 
The scale-like sequins, jelly fish motifs and metallic colours make up what is considered McQueen’s greatest achievement. It is a tragedy that we lost such a talented fashion designer when he was at the top of his game and I am sure every fashion lover wonders where he would have taken us to next.
Go and visit Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty at the V&A, it is a must-see! The exhibition is on until 2nd August 2015 – get your tickets booked now!
Izzie x

Image source: Vogue
August 30, 2014

The Fifties

Glamour is what makes a man ask for a woman’s phone number…it is also what makes a woman ask another woman for the number of their designer!
Lilly Daché (French Fashion designer)

Chanel / Dior / Chanel

At the weekend I went to a great exhibition at Palais Galliera, as known as the fashion museum. The exhibition was called “Les Années 50” and looked at French fashion between 1947 and 1957. After World War Two there was a scandalous change to French couture which would change fashion forever. Tight bodices, clinched waistlines, flattering necklines and flowing full skirts set the style for a new femininity and was miles away from the straight and restricted dress of the Second World War. This was dubbed the ‘New Look’ and designers such as Christian Dior, followed by Yves Saint-Laurent, Cristóbal Balenciaga and, later, Hubert de Givenchy dominated the fashion scene of Paris in the 1950s.

Dior / Jacques Fath
Fashion designers in the 1950s just loved creating evening dresses, putting all their fantasy and imagination into them. Think lots of velvet, lace, satin and jewels with bustier necklines and long gloves, it was the most elegant part of a designers’ collection. This Jacques Fath dress above has actual seeds of corn sewn onto the bustier, which is just enchanting. 
It was in the 1950s that the classic summer dress, that we all know and love, was born. The young wanted a free and liberating wardrobe for summer, whether it was spent in the city or by the beach. Colourful afternoon dresses, flowing skirts and beach outfits were worn next to the skin for ease and comfort. This was just the start of the ready-to-wear trend that established itself for good in the 1960s.
Lingerie also makes a comeback in the 1950s with push up bras and petticoats being the essentials for any wardrobe. Plain stockings are replaced with embroidered or printed tights that went with the outfit. The previously worn corset is remembered in the girdle, which would soon be banished during the 1960s, not re-appearing again until the 1980s. 
So just a little fashion history for you there. Get yourself to Palais Galliera if you can, this exhibition is running until 2nd November 2014.
Izzie x

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