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Friday 31 August 2012

Grand Bazaar

It's time to talk about one of my favorite places to eat at in London. I would even say my absolute favorite - The Grand Bazaar on James Street (Bond street station).
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It's small and incredibly cozy, it has colorful lanterns all over the ceiling and they look absolutely beautiful. I find it very stylish for a small place like that and feeling cozy and comfortable in the interior is always a great deal for me.
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Glass of white Turkish wine is an absolute must there. Well, you could go for red too, just make sure you take the home wine, it's just that I prefer white. And grilled Cyprus cheese! Oh my God, I can sell my soul for it :)
Other food is also delicious and the portions are huge! I'd recommend lamb in yoghurt or chicken shish, also balloon bread and hummus but seriously, there's a risk of eating three days in advance.
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And finally another must - Turkish coffee. I think that's the best Turkish coffee in London. And if you are a bit of a sweet tooth try grand bazaar delight dessert. 



Wednesday 29 August 2012

I Once Had Red Hair




Since I was very busy all this time in Tallinn and also I couldn't really find a photographer I'd like to try working with I decided to post some old pics.
So that was about a couple of years ago and as you can see my hair was atomic red back then. That's because you should NEVER EVER use a brand you are not sure about for coloring your hair. Needless to say it killed my hair, from then on it's L'oreal only for me, even though I think the experience was quite interesting. I then got darker hair, like red wood, and had it for about a year and then got sick of it and went back to my usual ginger which I had been about three years before that and now am not planning to change, as coming out of the dark red was quite challenging and after all nothing suits me like ginger.
The pictures are by Julia, check her out, her professionalism obviously has been growing during the past two years. Also I loooove the portrait above, it is incredibly me, and a friend of mine even drew me.

Sunglasses - Ray Ban wayfarers
Coat - Monton
Skirt - Zara
Top - Bastion
Heels - Cosmo Paris
Nail polish - Artdeco

Artdeco seriously has the best nail polishes in the world, the easiest to use and the longest to last.
Also check Cosmo Paris out - that's the heaven of shoes. 

Tuesday 28 August 2012

Lady Gaga

Last Saturday I went to the Lady Gaga concert. To be honest I'm not a huge fan of hers, like I like her music in clubs but that's about it. Besides I'm not a fan of going to concerts (weird I know) but I'm a bit of a sociopath and I don't quite get the pleasure of thousands of people being crazy about someone who has no idea they exist. So if the concert would be in London I wouldn't go, but since it was in my home town Tallinn and we rarely get shows like that here I thought why not.

First of all we do have one of the most amazing concert fields in the world I think, the acoustics is crazy, well, think about how it sounds in something like that, it's even called "the Singing Field":
(the photo's not mine)

I was surprised but I actually quite liked the band that played before Gaga, called The Darkness, check it out:

(the video's not mine)

Then we had about half an hour of classical music playing before Gaga finally came out, I found it kinda cool and cultural and enjoyed it.

And finally there Gaga was. We had quite cool spots right in front of the catwalk or whatever it was so when she came up there we saw her very close, thought the monster pit might be a little to much for us (I actually went with my mum!) so yeah, we made just the right choice.
Obviously the show was great and I enjoyed it, so I say it's worth seeing, but the absolutely best moment was this:
(the video's not mine)

This was just BEAUTIFUL and I'm amazingly proud that that's how Estonia welcomed Lady Gaga.



Monday 27 August 2012

Sunset

I am still very excited about coming back to my new apartment so I want to share a couple of pictures of the view from my balcony. You should totally understand why I miss it:


Wednesday 22 August 2012

Giveaway info + more

Hey guys, I am in my hometown, Tallinn, now and I have lots happening, changing etc. and not much time to write here. But I have some news!

1. I decided to extend the benefit giveaway I announced a month ago for one more month, as I will remain in Tallinn till the middle of September and you can't buy benefit cosmetics here :( So you can still enter for another month, the deadline now is 19th of September.

2. I will be posting a big introduction of Estonian fashion designers soon, make sure you don't miss it and stay tuned! I might even do it by parts but believe me, you will be surprised!

And an old photo of me in mango fur to attract attention:

Monday 13 August 2012

Home Made Paella

I love cooking because for me it is a very creative process. I love mixing ingredients, creating something new, developing my signature dishes - cooking simple ordinary food is not for me. Today I am going to share with you my ultimate cooking secret. Whenever you feel like being incredibly creative with what you cook or are incredibly lazy and don't feel like paying the grocery store a visit you should cook home made paella. The greatest thing about it is that it only has 3 compulsory ingredients:
*Rice
*Tomato paste
*Spices
All the other ingredients are open to imagination. This is an example of what I add:
*Minced meat
*Carrots
*Tomatoes
*Corn
*Garlic
*Eggs
*Lemon juice
But you can add anything! Any meat and/or seafood, any vegetables, you can try adding any cheese, any spices, even fruits. The top level would be trying adding any other sauce along with the tomato paste. I definitely want to try cooking paella with chicken, pineapples, mushrooms and cheese, maybe with a creamier sauce. Also I would definitely try a seafood one, with prawns, mussels, tomatoes, rucola and whatever else will come to my mind while cooking.

So all you have to do is to cook the rice, get a huge pan, fry everything you want, the more the better, but all the ingredients have to work well together, add a lot of tomato paste and spices and mix it all with rice. Voila!
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P.S. Also what I like about it is that it's light and it can be adjusted to your personal preferences or the preferences of your guests. And it's an independent dish, so doesn't take much time and is all in one.



Sunday 12 August 2012

Liebster Award

So I was tagged by Banini Beauty to complete the Liebster Award. Here are the rules:


RULES
* Post 11 facts about yourself
* Answer the questions the tagger has set for you and then create 11 questions for the bloggers you have nominated to answer
* Choose 11 people if you can (with less than 200 followers) to give this award to and link them in your post
* Go to their page and tell them
* Remember.. no tag backs!

11 Facts About Me (Oh where do I begin?)

1. I studied in a boarding school for 5 years (thank God it wasn't girls only).
2. I graduated from high school with honors when I was 16 and that was pure luck.
3. I love all sorts of detective stories, solving murders etc. I think I've seen all the series and read all the books ever created.
4. The horrible truth - ginger is not my natural hair color. But that's been my hair color for the last six years or so (except my dark red hair period).
5. I don't like changing my preferences - I've had the same phone for about 4 years now, it's Samsung SGH-F480 and it's almost dead by now but I'll use it till the end.
6. My native language is Russian, I speak Estonian and English, intermediate French and very very basic Croatian and Spanish.
7. I play piano quite well (well, I got a 7 on my IB).
8. I dropped out of two universities before I moved to London and began my studies at Kingston University.
9. I have been to India, China, a couple of counties in Africa, but never visited the American continent.
10. I only have two pairs of pants and so many skirts and dresses I can't even count.
11. I take about 30 planes a year.

Questions for Me

1. What events will you be following for the Olympics if any?
I don't follow any events in particular, I just watch the Olympics whenever I feel like it and I have time. I was watching male discus and high jump and gymnastics and a little bit of this and that.
2. Favourite film of all time?
Just one? Really? I'll say it's "Whatever Works" by Woody Allen, not really because it's my absolute all-time favorite, but because I think everyone should watch it.
3. Why did you start blogging?
That's a hard one... I guess I just feel like sharing. And it also helps me to keep track of what's happening in my life and remember first impressions.
4. If you were a biscuit what would you be and why?
To be honest I don't like biscuits. It has to be Jaffa cake with a fruity filling and coated with chocolate, delicious, seductive, intriguing and lots of filling.
5. Must have beauty product?
Must have is something that will suit, help and be essential for every single woman at least, so i have to say it's a descent body scrub, one will always benefit from that.
6. How long does it take you to get ready?
Ages! An hour is an absolute minimum.
7. What is your favorite barbeque food and why?
Pork ribs! Because I love meat!
8. Marmite, Yay or Nay?
You won't believe but I never tried.
9. Worst fashion faux pas?
Is to follow fashion without considering what actually suits You and what doesn't!
10. Item I can't live without is...
I can live without anything, just not everything at the same time.
11. Favorite season of the year and why?
Spring or autumn. I just like it when it's 20 degrees and dry, as long as it's this way I'm fine with every season.

Questions from Me for the Bloggers I Tag

1. What animal do you associate yourself with?
2. What would your perfect breakfast include?
3. What color dominates in your wardrobe?
4. What is your favorite cartoon?
5. One place you would recommend visiting?
6. The weirdest food combination you love?
7. The most genius thing ever invented in your opinion?
8. A book character you could totally fall in love with?
9. Who is your style icon?
10. One thing you'd like to learn (language, skill, whatever)?
11. One quality you absolutely can't stand in people?

Blogs I Tagged

1. Sandra at The Vee Bee Diaries.
2. Ash at Fine little life.
3. Elianna at LOVE ELIANNA.
4. Anna at Timolove.
5. Nora at Hand Drawn Heart.
6. Em at Emc-Dot.
7. Clar at Keeping it Real.
8. Emily at oh my gilded.
9. Megan at Siren Jane.
10. Dunja at lo sono Fashionista.
11. Guilia at GUILIAS.

Friday 10 August 2012

Ophelia

What's up guys? Sorry I disappeared again, I promise that now I'll be posting more-less every day, as I have a lot to share with you.

I am quite obsessed with Shakespeare's Ophelia and anything else she inspired, for example and amazing post-modern drama by Heiner Muller "Hamletmachine":
I am Ophelia. The one the river didn’t keep. The woman dangling from the rope. The woman with her arteries cut open. The woman with the overdose. SNOW ON HER LIPS. The woman with her head in the gas-stove. Yesterday I stopped killing myself. I’m alone with my breasts, my thighs, my womb. I smash the tools of my captivity, the chair, the table, the bed. I destroy the battlefield that was my home. I fling open the doors so the wind gets in and the scream of the world. I smash the window. With my bleeding hands I tear the photos of the men I loved who used me on the bed on the table on the chair on the ground. I set fire to my prison. I throw my clothes into the fire. I wrench the clock that was my heart out of my breast. I walk into the streets clothed in my blood.

Also I love the parallel with Ophelia in Lars von Trier's "Melancholia".
And of course one of the most famous interpretations of Ophelia is the painting by John Everett Millais currently up in Tate Britain:
This is one of my favorite paintings ever and I know a lot about it's history and the model Elizabeth Siddal. She was married to one of the pre-raphaelite poets and painters Dante Gabriel Rossetti. She was madly in love with him while he picked her mostly because she was probably the most popular model among pre-raphaelite circle and he wanted to have her and her beauty, yet remained very egocentric throughout their relationship. For Millais's "Ophelia" Elizabeth was posing in a bathtub for hours and got very ill, she seemed to recover later, yet her health got worse and worse overtime and she died aged 32. Rossetti wrote her a collection of poems and put them in her grave, yet later on he regretted this decision as thought that those poems were destined to make him famous and dug them out of the grave. Needless to say he regretted that decision too and guilt haunted him till the rest of his life.

Now why am I writing all this? Being familiar with the history of the painting I realized, that it is claimed that the landscape for Millais's "Ophelia" was painted quite close to Kingston so I decided to find this place before I move to Greater London. Overall it took me 2 days and about six hours! Seriously, it was incredibly difficult to find. First day I took the wrong bus and ended up in Esher, so I just took a picture of a local church:
So the next day I was walking around Old Malden for hours before I actually found a huge meadow (it was a little dark already) I completely fell in love it, it could be perfect for a getaway on your own or a romantic picnic, I totally see why Millais was painting there.
The meadow is surrounded by Hogsmill river which is the river on the painting (Found it!). Looks similar, huh?
If you want to find this place you need to go to Old Malden, I would suggest Malden Manor train station. Then you should follow Church Road until you reach an entrance into the woods. Then you cross the river and voila - there's the meadow.

Friday 3 August 2012

Masquerade Madness

Quite a while ago I participated in a photoshoot by Alina Sofia and had my make up done by a wonderful, wonderful MUA Nancy Lopez. Make sure you check them out, Alina is currently based in Berlin and Nancy is working in London.
Another thing I'd like to introduce is my favorite blouse ever, one of the most original clothing items in my closet, which was made by very talented designers from Kiev, check them out here. I usually wear it tucked in all sorts of high-waisted skirts so I can wear nothing underneath but a suitable bra.
Closer make up (Nancy is oh-so-amazing!)

Thursday 2 August 2012

Moving

Hey guys, I know I kinda disappeared, I was very busy moving from Kingston to Vauxhall and the internet at my new flat is pretty dodgy too. I have A LOT to write about, but for now I'll just tell you a little story about how I was moving.

To be honest, even though I usually fly somewhere up to eight times a month, I hate packing and it stresses me a lot, so this time was especially painful, as I had to pack EVERYTHING. I still managed to forget a couple of things, but mostly household items, so not a big deal. But this is what my old room looked like while I was packing, crazy, right?
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This is my best travel buddy! Ok, actually I only had it with me in India, China and Tanzania, but this is the best thing ever for moving, you can fit like everything in there, it's almost endless. That's probably the best thing I ever got out of college.
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 Now that's my new flat. I think the mirror is quite stylish and I find it more comfortable to use this one rather than using the one in the bathroom, so you can see all sorts of lotions and make up there. I have to figure something out with that as it doesn't look very pretty, but can't help how comfortable this is. And then some books below, should sort them out really, can't believe I bought so many during less than a year in the UK.
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So there's the sofa and the kitchen. This is a sofa-bed but I don't open it usually as I don't need much space for sleeping. I had a huge double bad in my previous room and it became a horrible mess, it had like everything on it, clothes, gadgets, books, boxes, just because I really don't need all this space for sleeping. It kinda concerns me that I might damage the sofa while cooking so maybe I'll consider moving it.
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The bathroom. I've been dreaming about living in a place with a bathtub for soooo long! I can take bath like twice a week or even more often, I just love it, plus it's much more comfortable to do all sorts of masks this way.
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 Here's a small dining table and the only window in the whole flat, which is also the balcony door. It's not like I need much light anyways, I enjoy it this way.
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 That's the view from the balcony. Yes, it it the River Thames! Though what this picture doesn't show is the fact that there are some building works going on right below and the road is there too. So it's always-always noisy, which kinda sucks, but on the other hand I got used to it pretty quickly so I don't really mind, though I wouldn't spend much time on the balcony either unless I'd feel like watching cars.
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There are a couple of cafes right next to the house, wouldn't say these are great, but some decent English food can be found there.
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