A Million Things To Love

ROME: MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN THE WORLD

2026-09-06T12:23:00.000+03:00

There are cities I like, cities I admire and cities I would happily return to. And then there is Rome.

Rome has never occupied the same category for me.

I love it with the completely unreasonable attachment normally reserved for people, not places. I can criticise it, complain about it, point out everything that does not work and still become absurdly happy the moment I see a Roman street, an ochre wall, a pine tree or a piece of travertine in a photograph.

Part of that comes from the obvious thing: the history. But Rome is not fascinating because it has old buildings. Plenty of places have old buildings. Rome is fascinating because the past was never properly cleared away.

Everything is sitting on top of something else.

A Renaissance palace incorporates an ancient wall. A medieval church occupies an earlier Roman building. A Baroque façade hides a much older structure. A perfectly ordinary street suddenly reveals a column that has been standing there for nearly two thousand years.

The city does not present history neatly, period by period. It piles everything together and expects you to deal with it.

That layering is probably what I love most.

Rome never feels like a historical reconstruction. It is too messy for that. People park scooters against ancient masonry, hang washing near buildings that appear in art-history books and drink coffee a few metres away from things other cities would probably place behind several barriers and an admission desk.

And then there is the colour.

Rome does not really belong to white marble, despite the way antiquity is often photographed. My Rome is warm stone, faded terracotta, dusty pink, yellow plaster, dark green shutters, cypress trees, umbrella pines and that peculiar late-afternoon gold that makes almost everything look more expensive than it actually is.

I also love Roman interiors and courtyards for the same reason. They very rarely feel designed from scratch. They feel accumulated.

A marble table may sit beside a contemporary chair. An eighteenth-century mirror reflects a modern lamp. A courtyard has fragments of sculpture, enormous plants, worn stone and something completely mundane tucked into a corner. There is beauty, but not the anxious kind of beauty where everything has been arranged for a photograph.

None of this means Rome is an easy city. It absolutely is not.

It can be noisy, chaotic, dirty, badly organised and infuriating. Things close when you finally arrive. Transport develops its own philosophy. Something you desperately want to see is inevitably under restoration.

I love it anyway. Possibly partly because of that.

A perfectly polished Rome would probably be unbearable. The cracks are part of it. The city has been rebuilt, abandoned, reused, looted, restored and altered for centuries. Expecting it suddenly to become orderly feels almost disrespectful.

That may be why I keep returning to Rome for inspiration when thinking about homes and gardens too.

It reminds me that beautiful spaces do not need to be sterile. They need layers. Objects with history. Plants allowed to become enormous. Stone that shows its age. Things collected because somebody loved them, rather than because they matched.

Perhaps that is ultimately what Rome represents for me.

Not perfection.

Continuity.

People have lived, built, decorated, planted, ruined and rebuilt there for thousands of years. Every generation has left something behind, sometimes beautiful and sometimes disastrous, and the city has somehow absorbed all of it.

I could probably make a list of a million things I love about Rome.

But if I had to reduce it to one, it would be this: Rome makes the passing of time visible, and somehow makes that feel beautiful rather than sad.

Love to watch: I Am Dragon

2026-09-03T12:18:00.000+03:00

A princess is in the middle of her wedding ceremony when a dragon appears, picks her up and carries her away to a remote island.

You have to admit: that is a fairly efficient way to get my attention.

I went into I Am Dragon expecting something pretty but probably silly. Instead, I ended up genuinely loving it.

It is romantic, strange, visually beautiful and unapologetically fairy-tale. And sometimes I don't need a film to reinvent cinema. Sometimes I would simply like a dragon, an impossible island, beautiful clothes and two people I actually want to end up together.

Apparently that is not too much to ask.

Beauty and the Beast, but make the beast a dragon

The basic story has very familiar fairy-tale bones.

Princess Miroslava — Mira — is taken from the life she knows and carried to an isolated island. There she meets Arman, a mysterious young man who seems to be just as trapped there as she is.

Obviously, things are not quite that simple.

And yes, the story inevitably invites the Beauty and the Beast comparison: a young woman, an apparently dangerous creature, isolation and a relationship that changes as fear gives way to understanding.

But there is something about the dragon mythology that makes it work differently for me.

The beast is not merely an ugly prince waiting for a woman to discover his inner beauty. The dragon is genuinely dangerous. Arman is afraid of what he can become too.

That gives the romance something I did not expect from this film: tension without making the love story feel unpleasant.

It is ridiculously beautiful

This is probably what surprised me most.

The film looks gorgeous.

Not expensive in that glossy fantasy-film way where every surface has been polished until it stops feeling real. It is beautiful in a much more tactile way: stone, water, rough fabrics, pale skin, firelight, wind and enormous empty landscapes.

The island feels isolated rather than merely scenic. The world outside it feels like something out of an old illustrated fairy tale. And the production design gives everything just enough fantasy without drowning it in visual effects.

And yes, I noticed the clothes

Of course I did.

The costumes are exactly what I want from fantasy: recognisably inspired by historical clothing without feeling like somebody raided a museum costume department and became terrified of changing anything.

Mira's clothes are especially lovely because they belong to the visual language of the film. There are layers, embroidery, soft fabrics and dramatic shapes, but nothing feels like a generic “fantasy princess costume.”

Even when the plot pauses, I am perfectly capable of entertaining myself by staring at sleeves.

The romance actually works

This is where the film could very easily have lost me.

Fantasy romances sometimes seem to believe that if two sufficiently attractive people stare at one another beside dramatic scenery for long enough, the audience will simply accept that they are desperately in love.

No.

I need to see why.

Mira and Arman are allowed to become comfortable with one another. There is curiosity before romance. There are small moments, teasing, fear, trust and the gradual creation of a strange little life together.

That is what makes it charming.

The film gives them enough quiet time that when the emotional stakes become larger, the relationship does not feel as though the screenplay has suddenly informed us that they are soulmates.

Also: dragon

I realise this is not sophisticated criticism.

But dragons are cool.

There. I said it.

I have seen enough brooding princes, tortured billionaires, emotionally unavailable dukes and men who own suspiciously enormous apartments despite having no obvious employment.

Give me the dragon.

Would I watch it again?

Absolutely.

Not because it is flawless. It isn't.

But it understands exactly what kind of film it wants to be: a beautiful romantic fairy tale with a slightly darker heart. It does not spend half its running time apologising for being romantic, and it does not feel the need to turn every sincere moment into a joke.

I appreciate that more than ever.

So yes, years later, my recommendation remains the same:

watch the beautiful dragon movie.

At worst, you get two hours of extraordinary scenery and costumes.

At best, you may discover that Beauty and the Beast was simply missing a significantly better beast.

Offerings in Ancient Greece: Insights into Worship and Ritual Practices

2026-09-02T21:28:00.000+03:00

One of the things I love most about ancient history is when it suddenly stops being about kings, wars and dates and becomes about somebody wanting something very badly.

A safe journey.

A healthy child.

A good harvest.

A victory.

Or perhaps simply the feeling that the gods had been kind and deserved a thank-you.

And so people left things behind.

Ancient Greek religion was built partly around this relationship between humans and the divine: you prayed, sacrificed, poured a libation or dedicated a gift. Sometimes you were asking for help. Sometimes you were thanking a god for help already received.

The result is one of my favourite categories of archaeological object: the votive offering.

Because suddenly the object in the museum case is not merely an object. Someone chose it. Someone carried it to a sanctuary. Someone believed that leaving it there mattered.

You could give the gods almost anything

The grandest religious offerings could be spectacular. Cities and wealthy individuals dedicated statues, precious vessels, weapons and expensive works of art. Sanctuaries accumulated enormous quantities of valuable objects over time.

But worship was not reserved for rich people with spare bronze statues.

Smaller votives could be terracotta figurines, miniature animals, small vessels or representations of the thing a worshipper was asking a deity to protect or heal.

And I think I find those smaller objects even more interesting.

A monumental statue tells you that somebody had money. A tiny handmade offering can tell you that somebody had hope.

Then there was sacrifice

Animal sacrifice was one of the central rituals of ancient Greek religion. Oxen, sheep and goats were among the animals sacrificed at sanctuaries, usually at an outdoor altar rather than inside the temple itself.

And contrary to the slightly gruesome image the word sacrifice immediately produces, the entire animal was not simply burned for the gods.

Much of the meat could become part of a communal meal. Religion, festival and dinner were not necessarily separate activities.

And something to drink

Then there were libations: liquid offerings poured for the gods or sometimes for the dead. Wine is probably the one we imagine first, although other liquids could be offered as well.

Special vessels were used for the ritual. A phiale — a shallow bowl — could be used to pour the offering, and extremely elaborate examples survive.

I love the simplicity of the act.

You have a drink. The god gets a drink. Everybody understands the arrangement.

At the foot of Olympus: Dion

This is where northern Greece becomes particularly interesting.

At Dion, beneath Mount Olympus, the Macedonians created one of their most important religious centres. The place was especially associated with Zeus Olympios, and the Sanctuary of Olympian Zeus became a major setting for royal ceremonies.

Philip II celebrated victories there. Alexander the Great performed ceremonies there before beginning his campaign into Asia.

The setting almost seems unfairly appropriate: the great mountain associated with the gods rising behind an actual sacred landscape used by Macedonian kings.

It is very difficult for archaeology to compete with scenery like that.

Pella was considerably more complicated than “Alexander lived here”

Pella usually enters the popular imagination because it became the Macedonian capital and is associated with Philip II and Alexander the Great.

But people also worshipped there.

Archaeologists have identified sanctuaries connected with Demeter Thesmophoros, the Mother of the Gods and Aphrodite, and the local healing god Darron.

The sanctuary of Demeter is particularly wonderful because archaeology gives us a glimpse of actual ritual. Pits in the sanctuary contained animal remains, including piglets, sheep and goats.

And there it is again: history becoming strangely human.

Not simply “Pella was the capital of Macedon,” but people gathering, making offerings and asking divine powers to intervene in the same basic human problems that worried people everywhere else.

Aigai: kings, tombs and gods

Before Pella, there was Aigai — the first capital of the Macedonian kingdom, today associated with Vergina.

We tend to think immediately of the extraordinary royal tombs, especially the tomb traditionally identified with Philip II.

But Aigai was not simply a royal cemetery.

It remained a sacred centre of the Macedonian kingdom even after political power shifted to Pella, and archaeological remains include sanctuaries as well as the palace, theatre and enormous necropolis.

That combination fascinates me: politics, religion, family memory and royal power all occupying the same landscape.

The things that survive

Obviously we can never reconstruct every thought behind every offering.

A little bronze animal does not come with a note saying: Hello Zeus, I would really appreciate some assistance with Thursday.

But that is precisely what makes votives so compelling.

They sit somewhere between archaeology and emotion.

The person is gone. The prayer is gone. Whatever happened after the prayer is usually gone too.

But the gift survived.

And thousands of years later, we can still recognise the impulse behind it:

Please help me.
Thank you.
Remember me.
Let everything be all right.

Apparently there really are some things about humans that require absolutely no translation.

The Borgias Appreciation Post

2026-09-01T16:12:00.000+03:00

Have you watched The Borgias?

If the answer is no, I am going to make the same recommendation I made years ago: please correct this immediately.

Jeremy Irons being magnificently Jeremy Irons as Rodrigo Borgia. François Arnaud stalking through Renaissance Italy as Cesare. Holliday Grainger somehow making Lucrezia look increasingly formidable while wearing enough silk, pearls and embroidered velvet to bankrupt a minor principality.

What more do you need?

The series ran for only three seasons, from 2011 to 2013, and I remain offended by this fact. It was lavish, melodramatic, murderous, occasionally ridiculous and extraordinarily beautiful. In other words, exactly the sort of television I am genetically programmed to enjoy.

And before the historians come through the windows: no, I do not watch The Borgias as a documentary.

The real Borgia family is infinitely more complicated than the collection of poisonings, affairs, conspiracies and spectacular entrances television naturally prefers. But historical drama does not have to replace history to make me interested in it. Sometimes it does the opposite.

You watch one episode because Jeremy Irons looks fabulous in papal red, and three hours later you are reading about the conclave of 1492.

This is how they get you.

The costumes. Obviously.

Honestly, I could remove the plot entirely and still watch this series for the clothes.

The costumes are not simply pretty historical dresses placed on attractive actors. They are part of the visual storytelling. Lucrezia in particular changes enormously across the three seasons, and her wardrobe changes with her.

At first there is softness: pale colours, delicate fabrics, loose hair, an almost deliberately innocent quality. Then everything becomes richer, sharper and more controlled. The jewels get heavier. The silhouettes become more commanding. The little girl surrounded by people making decisions for her gradually learns how decisions are made.

And it wasn't merely me being distracted by embroidery. The costume work was genuinely award-winning.

Costume designer Gabriella Pescucci and her team won Emmys for the series, which feels completely reasonable once you look at virtually any scene. There are brocades, velvets, elaborate sleeves, ecclesiastical robes, jewellery, headpieces and approximately seventeen million metres of fabric moving beautifully through candlelight.

My professional analysis remains: oooh, pretty.

Cesare, unfortunately

Then there is Cesare Borgia.

I would like the record to show that I am perfectly capable of understanding that a character is dangerous, violent, morally questionable and generally a terrible romantic prospect while simultaneously possessing functioning eyes.

François Arnaud's Cesare begins the series trapped in clerical robes he clearly does not want and spends three seasons becoming progressively more dangerous, ambitious and dramatically dressed.

This is called character development.

And Lucrezia

Lucrezia is probably the reason the series becomes more interesting rather than less interesting as it goes on.

She starts surrounded by men who assume she is useful primarily as a daughter who can be married strategically. She watches. She learns. She discovers very quickly that being underestimated is its own form of power.

And Holliday Grainger gives her enough warmth that the transformation never feels like someone suddenly flipped a switch marked evil Renaissance woman.

She simply becomes better at surviving the world she was born into.

The real tragedy: three seasons

The most irritating part of rediscovering The Borgias is remembering that it simply stops.

Creator Neil Jordan had conceived more story, but Showtime ended the series after its third season. So you get all this gorgeous escalation — alliances changing, Cesare becoming Cesare, Lucrezia discovering exactly how much power she can wield — and then:

Goodbye.

Rude.

Still, three seasons of The Borgias are considerably better than no seasons of The Borgias.

Watch it for the performances. Watch it for Renaissance politics. Watch it because the historical Borgias are fascinating enough to send you down an entirely separate rabbit hole afterwards.

But most importantly:

watch it for the clothes.

Party Like a Boss with Papperless

2019-09-30T19:40:00.001+03:00

Halloween is round the corner and this year we are going Paperless - save the paper with this cool services that ill make your parties unforgettable and you planet footprint at a minimum. Here are some of our absolute favourites!

INTERIORS: A NEW LOOK AT CONTEMPORARY STYLE

2019-09-12T15:27:00.001+03:00

Can one really decide between the contemporary designs and classical pieces? I for sure can't - and this mix and match is always making me feel so nice. From long chandelier to a modern swing in your living room what is your biggest desire?

Monday Reading: Abandoned Palaces

2019-08-05T18:00:00.000+03:00

From imperial residences and aristocratic estates to hotels and urban mansions, new book Abandoned Palaces by Michael Kerrigan contains remarkable pictures of ostentatious buildings that have fallen into ruin.

General Joseph Howland (1834–86) was born into stupendous wealth in New York, his family having made its fortune in the China trade. He gave much of it away, as a lifelong philanthropist, endowing libraries and hospitals in the vicinity of Beacon, but the estate at Tioronda in New York, pictured, was a present to himself.

'Dona Chica' was the title popularly given in Palmeira, Portugal, to the local landowner's Brazilian born wife, Francisca Peixoto Rego (1895–1958). Swiss architect Ernst Korrod (1870–1944) was commissioned to create a home appropriate to her prestige and beauty.

From ancient Roman villas to the French colonial hill station in Cambodia that was one of the final refuges of the Khmer Rouge, the book charts the fascinating decline of what were once the homes and holiday resorts of the most wealthy.

Learning from your mistakes

2019-08-04T23:03:00.003+03:00

It's never easy giving up those stubborn habits that make you go on the wrong path over and over again. No mater how hard you try when building new habits or building a new paths for yourself you will make the same mistakes. It's not something you do, but what we all rather do.

A habit is ingrained in yourself and will forever try to get you back to when that said habit was at its peek. Let's say you are trying o watch less flix, guess what - all the new movies will bombard you to watch them. No, there's no conspiracy, just the lack making you notice each and every single one of them.

So, how do we learn after all?

1. Build new rules

But don't follow them strictly. It would be amazing if all our new habits would form in an instance but the truth is, they don't. So don' be bothered if once in awhile you slip up ( ok, maybe more that once, but you get my point). Don't give up on eating healthy just because you had a donut yesterday and don't cancel your subscription to learning Spanish just because you can't seem to remember anything.

2. Give it time

You'll hate me if I tell you will need 4 years to do anything but ... it's the truth. I wouldn't want to be the one telling you nothing will change in a month, it would be nice but most certainly it won't. Some things happen over night but most of them take time and often time effort. No, its nothing supernatural but its long and it has its up and downs.

3. Enjoy your success

Small steps are still steps. That's one of the things I've learned. Some will say you shouldn't take each step as a success but I do. I enjoy each and every small step I take or rather I make myself realise and enjoy it. Cause life it's not the end but rather the journey.

So, tell me, what mistake you last made?

You Will Love this Renaissance-style property

2019-08-03T22:29:00.002+03:00

The historic Owlwood Estate, which sits on 10 acres of land in the enclave of Holmby Hills, has been inhabited by some of Hollywood's most prominent figures since it was built in the 1930s. The Italian

Renaissance-style property, which neighbors Sunset Boulevard and the Los Angeles Country Club, was designed by architect Robert D. Farquhar, and regularly served as a secluded hideaway for screen legend Marilyn Monroe, who frequented it as a guest of her rumored lover, Joseph Schenck, the founder of 20th Century Fox.

These dolls will change your view on art

2019-08-02T23:09:00.001+03:00

Who knew dolls could be an art form? I most certainly didn't and you can imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon these couture inspired little things. I was completely blown away by the level of artisanship and detail these true artists offer.

Popovy SIsters, art and form

My "research" began with the Popovy sisters whom I found through an interview they made early last year. It's easy to get lost in their work and wonder if its a simple doll or a new view on fashion and humans. One of the most beautiful detail of each Popovi doll its their detailed hairstyle, you can see all the work by following their YouTube channel. I highly recommend you do.

Nigel Chia, haute couture for dolls

It's a sad day when you realise some dolls have a better wardrobe than you have. But that is true with each and every DeMuse doll.

His main goal for the future of the brand is to transform Nigel Chia name into of one synonymous with innovative, contemporary with high fashion vibe.

You can also purchase his clothes in normal size :D.

3 Great Ways to Start Writing Again

2019-08-01T21:43:00.000+03:00

I've struggled with writing for over 20 years now and I often shared with you the pain it has brought, from doubting myself to stop all and never look again on my stories. The problem is never ideas or ways to express the process but rather writing in itself. It might seem like a silly thing but the hardest part of writing is writing itself, having that moment when you and your ideas blend and become a "real" thing.

Why? When you write freely you don't know whether what you are writing is ok or not and you end up rethinking every single word you type. So what I do is trick myself into the process.

1. Write whatever, whenever for a "minute"

Well maybe a bit more than a minute but allow yourself the freedom of writing no matter what. You wrote something yesterday and now you have no idea how to continue? Worry no, write something completely different and stop worrying you won't finish. Yes, most certainly you won't, but at least you will exercise your writing.

2. Let spelling do the trick

As you might already know, english is not my mother tongue (far from it), so my "writing" English is nothing posh or elegant,. it's rather bland and repetitive. But the thing is, I will never "get better" if I never practice it! So let your worries aside and write in whatever language you like, either you are an expert or not. You will make mistakes but you will also get better and better each day. Also, if you find yourself stuck, use as many languages as you know :D, that might "unstuck" you for a while.

3. Try to reach for the end

One of my biggest dreams is to have a published book, so I try to surround myself with books (that comes as such a surprise, said no one ever) and to picture the end in mind. Yes it's part of the whole positive vibe community but it's a very useful way to help you realise you are actually working towards a goal. But avod to give yourself deadlines that you can't keep up. Wello talk about that more in my future articles.

Let me know if you will try any of these tips and please share your writing struggles!

Say hello!

xoxo

Singapore dream home

2019-07-29T13:18:00.002+03:00

This Singapore dream can become yours with a bit of wishful thinking and a considerable bank account.

But that doesn't mean we can't all dream about it. I've personally become pleasantly impressed with Singapore and it's amazing landscape and even do I don't fully love the modern vibe of architecture, this place is purely mesmerizing.

Hello again

2019-07-29T13:14:00.001+03:00

Dolce and Gabanna Alta Costura 2020

When I first started blogging the world was a different beast, it was easier to just take your words and create a story. Now, most likely your words will never reach anyone. This thought has made me anxious, unwilling to write and for a couple of years i was completely lost.

It's hard to desire the writing process ye be unable to do it.

RETURNING TO BLOGGING

Macedonian Gold Trasure, Greece ( Thesaloniki Museum)

So I decided to return to what I know best... giving my own two words about the thinks I love and find extremely interesting. I won't put to much pressure on myself as I don't want to overdue it like in the past, but I will try to post as much as I can and I would love to learn more about what you want to hear about and what interests you as of late.

Keep in touch.

xoxo

Kally

Wedding Dream: Platinum by Demetrios

2017-09-01T23:11:00.002+03:00

Dreams do become reality in the new stunning 2018 bridal collection signed by the prestigious Demetrios house. The collection features all the classic bridal styles and some new removable accents such as overskirts and capes.

Antonia is a fierce fashionista. This striking, beaded tulle, sheath dress features such daring beadwork with illusion details both on the neckline and the button up back.

Ashlyn is the definition of sophisticated glamour. Featuring a sheath silhouette and a delicate illusion high neckline, the look is made up completely of spectacular beaded lace. With more illusion detail on the back, it is finished by a buttons and loops. Ashlyn is a gown that has two looks, with the addition of a removable tulle train

Augusta is a hopeless romantic. Featuring a princess silhouette, quarter-length sleeves, and an illusion neckline with lace additions from front to back. The tulle skirt is the real stunner, with cascading 3-d florals along the entire skirt including the cathedral train.

Books: Palazzi Of Rome: Splendor and Pride

2017-06-02T22:17:00.002+03:00

Carlo Cresti created the perfect guide of Rome's palaces and amazing villas. This is a perfect table book and also a great gift, but for Rome lovers this is as close to a Bible as you can get. I encourage you to purchase it and fully enjoy it. It sure brought me much needed happiness and hours of delightful lecture.

Palazzi of Rome presents the most magnificent Roman villas and palaces. Brilliant photographs capture the atmosphere of the buildings in their full grandeur and exquisiteness.

They lead readers past decorated façades and guide them through elegant halls and artfully arranged gardens. The texts explain how closely the history of the famed dynasties - the Borgheses, Farneses, Colonnas, Corsinis and other old families - is intertwined with their ancestral seats, and how for centuries the higher Roman nobility designed their palaces in the City of Cities as fitting reflections of their own glory.

A True Gem in the heart of Rome

2017-06-01T23:33:00.003+03:00

As all of you know by now my heart belongs to Rome - the eternal city and the most gorgeous city in the world. So I was thrilled to find this true gem @ Lionard.

It's exactly in the heart of the city of Rome, a stone's throw from the Colosseum, the Capitol and the most famous squares of the city, you will find this magnificent luxury penthouse for sale. The exclusive location, with unrivaled views of the impressive Altar of the Fatherland and the most precious historic monuments and buildings of the city, makes this penthouse a priceless property.

Located on the third floor of an elegant building, the apartment is on one level with a total area of about 450 square meters.

Now as soon as I get the money that's where I'll be. How about you guys if you would have to choose your favorite city what will that be?

How to fall back in love with your life?

2017-03-09T17:23:00.001+02:00

Oh life is such a beautiful thing.. when you look back at it! Cause when you actually live it, it sure seems like a pain. We feel happy when something ends and we look forward to the next moment forgetting immediately how much we hated the road.

So how can you fall back in love with your life?

1. Be more grateful

Keep a daily journal with the things you are grateful for and the details that make you happy ( yup you guessed it A Million Things to Love is my diary :) )

2. Be more present

Take a moment to enjoy small things that happen daily. And i mean enjoy it - take that 45 minutes to watch your favorite TV show without thinking of what you will cook for dinner, take 20 minutes to read your favorite books and immerse yourself in reading without thinking of that issue at work.

3. Find a new hobby

It doesn't have to be expensive or over the top - sometimes the smallest new hobby can give you a new view on life - take scrap booking for example.

Happy places

2017-03-09T17:10:00.002+02:00

Gelatto anyone?

Living a happy is living in the moment and enjoying every single piece of happiness you get. Sometimes it might be a beautiful flower or a tiny smile from a baby. It might be small or huge but all that matters is that you will take and milk it until go to bed.

Milano's is the perfect spring trip

The Vittorio Emanuele Galleries are perfect for a high end snack

Sometimes we believe happiness is like a college degree, we got it, we put it on the wall for everyone to see and it will be yours forever. And happiness is anything but that. Happiness is living in the moment and enjoying it all, not thinking of what was and what will come; just acknowledging the moment and enjoying it.

Galeria Vittorio Emanuelle

So tell me lovelies what is your happy place today? Mine is dreaming of a short weekend in Milan and an amazing flower garden ready to bloom - it's march so it won't be long.

Duomo di Milano

View from the rooftop of the Milan Cathedral

Roses, pure bliss in such a wonderful flower

2016-11-01T22:41:00.002+02:00

Roses are a great way to brighten up your day and I have to admit I find myself buying roses more often than any other flower. Even do I love fancy bouquets some of the most beautiful roses I find in my wonderful garden. But since fall has long made my roses shrink and await spring, I will have to enjoy these amazing images. What are you favorite flowers my darlings? And most of all what flower brings you most joy?

Listen: Alessandra Amorosso's Latest Single

2016-09-17T17:34:00.001+03:00

Alessandra stuns with her chic and crisp look in her latest video. To say Venezia is an amazing post to shoot a video is an understantement. Perfect for the end of the summer Sul ciglio senza far rumore is the track to listen today <3

Love weddings: Make a statement

2016-04-07T15:20:00.004+03:00

Weddings are straying away from the norm these days in a lot of ways. Whether it’s a punk rock theme with a skull cake,or a forest-theme out in the open air. There’s one part of their special day that no bride wants to forget though, and it’s the feeling she has when she finally looks in the mirror on the morning of her wedding.

That’s why so many brides are choosing to stray away from the traditional wedding setting by making a statement of their outfit. There are plenty of ways to do it, you just have to get creative, and here are the top ways to go about it…

Statement hair

Whether it’s a fishtail plait braided with flowers and crystals or an up-do with attitude, many brides are looking to their locks for inspiration as to how they can get a truly unique look. Consider your theme for some inspiration, as it can be a good way to tie everything together. For a 1920's theme, go for pin curls and a feather fascinator. If you’re going for a plain and simple dress, why not embellish your hair with a lace headpiece instead? If all your groomsmen are wearing bow-ties, I wonder what your guests would think if you turned up with your hair in a huge bow-tie?

Be bold with makeup

Don’t afraid to go bold with colours. A dark red lipstick can look stunning against the pale tones of your outfit, or why not look into some funky eye make-up that matches your wedding colours? Whatever thoughts you have, discuss them with your stylist first. If you’re living in the North West, you’ll be able to find a highly-qualified and experienced hair and makeup artist in Manchester, who also has training in theatrical work. If you’re thinking of going bold, this is the best kind of knowledge you can have on your side.

Update the veil

Who said veils had to be long, white and boring? Your outfit should make you feel happy and comfortable, so if you want to move more towards the crazier veils, then what’s stopping you? Again, you can look to your theme for inspiration. If you’re going down the tea party route, why not have a little Mad Hatter’s hat made to match your dress? If you’re having a ceremony on the beach, why not go for a starfish clip with a blush pink, shortened veil across the face?

Theme up your dress

You only have to remember one thing about your dress: it’s yours! You can do whatever you like to your dress and it will still be “the one”. If you want to customise it and make a statement with it, then don’t be afraid to. Add a belt of ivy leaves and matching headdress for a summer garden wedding, or talk to your dress maker about adding some colour with a lace overlay.

I hope you found these tips useful – how did you make a statement on your wedding day?

I promise myself

2016-03-27T17:29:00.002+03:00

Love dish: take a sip

2015-12-30T10:45:00.000+02:00

Combine the tea, ice, syrup, and milk in a blender or cocktail shaker; blend or shake until frothy. Place pearls in a tall glass. Pour tea mixture over pearls, and serve with a fat straw.

Top 5 amazing women of 2015

2015-12-13T14:22:00.001+02:00

1. Mary Barra CEO, General Motors

Who said the automobile industry is for males only Here is Mary Barra that managed some of the most difficult PR crisis for General Motors and came out winning. Mary is married and has 2 children and graduated for Stanford.

My definition of 'innovative' is providing value to the customer.
Mary Barra

2. Christine Lagarde, Managing director, International Monetary Fund

When you get your first mandate as managing director of IMF in a full blown out of proportion scandal you might have some difficulties. But madam Lagarde was fierce and on point from the first day. Accordind to her slow growth has become a reality and for me slow growth is still growth.

Grit your teeth and smile. In the face of adversity, go. They don't deserve you.
Christine Lagarde

3. Sheryl Sandberg, COO, Facebook

The former Google executive joined Facebook in 2008 and became the first woman on its board four years later. Sandberg helped the social network scale globally, go public and expand digital revenue.

“In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.”
― Sheryl Sandberg, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead

4. Elizabeth Holmes, Founder-CEO, Theranos

Elizabeth is the younger self made billionaire and even do she came under attacks lately we are sure she will come out on top. She is a briht and strong female and proves that you can manage to have succes in a mans word if you follow your dreams.

I think that the minute that you have a backup plan, you've admitted that you're not going to succeed,
Elizabeth Holmes

5. Marissa Mayer CEO, Yahoo

The Yahoo chief's pay package jumped 69% to $42 million in 2014, making her one of the country's highest-paid CEOs. Since taking the helm three years ago, Marissa Mayer has upgraded content and pursued an aggressive acquisition strategy aimed at boosting mobile revenues.

You can't have everything you want, but you can have the things that really matter to you.
Marissa Mayer

Love colors: a touch of green

2015-11-26T10:43:00.000+02:00

When it comes to favorite colors green is always the one that pops - might not be everyone's cup of tea but you gotta admit it's elegant and timeless.