A Day on Hampstead Heath

 

In August, my friend Jo and I went to the Heath in Hampstead to do a little photoshoot. Actually we wanted to try and find the Pergola – the perfect background for a fashion shoot – , but that proved to be almost impossible as it started to rain and we realised the Pergola was at the other end of the Heath. We went to the fun fair, had a little picnic (with Charbonnel et Walker truffles) and took pictures of the Viaduct pond. We also tried to hide from people to take photos of ourselves..

It’s tea time!

If you are cold, tea will warm you.  If you are too heated, it will cool you.  If you are depressed, it will cheer you.  If you are excited, it will calm you.  ~Gladstone, 1865

Outfit Details:

Dress:  Camden Town vintage dress

Shoes: Camden Market floral print flats

Tights: H&M

Bunny necklace: Bijou Brigitte

Lips ring: Bijou Brigitte

Pearl bracelet: Etsy

Photo Fashion Illustrations

A Vivienne Westwood catwalk model.

The beautiful Mia Wasikowska for Miu Miu. In my opinion the perfect face for Miu Miu.

‘Very French’ Tote Bags

Yes, I am obsessed with bags. Yes, I do love designing them. The only problem is that I don’t have a sewing machine..yet, so the bags featured in the photos are handmade. Each one took about two weeks, but I didn’t work on them every day. My next project is a dress for spring, with lace and flower pattern. I’ll definitely buy a sewing machine before that though!

I designed the checked bag already two years ago. It was my first self-designed bag and I still have it. The other (purple) one is one I only recently made, for a friends birthday. I have a new idea on my mind which I’ll try soon. If anyone wants a bag designed for them, just let me know!

Winter Wonderland Photoshoot

Memories of 2011

2011 has been an utterly fantastic year for me. I’ve travelled all over Europe to amazing places and countries like France and Italy, and my little inner Shopaholic definitely got her money’s worth as shopping as something I did every single month of the year. I can look back at an absolutely wonderful and successful 2011 and look forward to a 2012 full of adventures.

January:

I started the year, celebrating on New Year’s Eve with my family in Germany, which means I basically started the year eating. I started writing this blog in January and want to thank you for the 1,610 views it has so far. I also went shopping in Dresden in January. Otherwise it was a bit unspectacular and quiet in Jan.

February:

A friend of me came to London and I went on a sightseeing tour with her, showing her the best places in London for shopping, relaxing etc. We ate sushi on the stairs in Trafalgar Square. I went shopping with a friend, a friend of said friend and the cute son of said friend’s friend. Frozen yogurt. Hampstead Heath. Shopping for a new purse at Lulu Guinness. Camden. Fantastic Victorian history photoshoot near Harrods, with champagne. Meeting Prince Harry. Going to Hamley’s with my friend (she wanted to move there). Primrose Hill walk.

March:

Sitting at the lake near my parents house in Germany and watching frogs. First try to bake cupcakes. Cuddling with my bunny. Drawing. Beautiful sunset in Dresden. Drinking tea at Steigenberger Hotel de Saxe. ..And shopping.

April:

Watching the Royal Wedding on the big screen and crying. Getting a Crystal Heart from Swarovski. Walking in the park. Eating dinner at a sea themed restaurant. And, of course, shopping!

May:

Paris. Marvelling at the art in Montmartre. Having a fantastic view over Paris on top of the Eiffel Tower. Versailles. Walking through the garden of Versailles. Shopping at Louis Vuitton. Buying Karl Lagerfeld coke and seeing a huge replica of my little bottle in the Coca Cola museum. Seeing a wedding in front of the Eiffel Tower. Buying Minnie Mouse ears at the Disney store. Attending the opening of the Abercrombie & Fitch store on the Champs-Élysées (naked guys, yum). Bateaux mouches on the Seine. The Louvre. Eating cake in a tiny little café in a backstreet.

June:

Visiting a friend in Berlin. Hotel Adlon. Bubble Tea in Berlin. Shopping in Dresden. Travelling to Prague. Seeing the Czech ambassador.

July:

Seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 in the cinema in London in 3D at 3am after coming back from Germany. Walking through London at 5am. Shopping in Camden and in Harrods. Lola’s cupcakes. In Richmond with the boss. Bubble Tea at Bubbleology in Soho. Lulu Guinness. Berlin Fashion Week. Shopping for hats in Berlin. Walking through the rain. Enjoying the sun in Camden. Gossiping with the boss. Buying my Chanel 2.55 bag.

August:

Travelling with the car through Germany, Austria, Italy and Slovenia to Croatia (over 7 hours!). The mountains in Austria. Small streets in Italy. Sunset in Croatia. The yacht harbour. Eating ice cream every day. Staying at a great villa. Eating weird fish in restaurants. Seeing Jon Bon Jovi on his private yacht. Travelling with the yacht to Venice. Shopping at a shop which sold vintage Chanel in Venice. Pigeons on Piazza san Marco. Drinking a cappuccino in Café Florian on Piazza san Marco and paying 6€ for it. Diving in the sea. Sitting on the beach, enjoying every single minute.

September:

Going to Prague again for research for my book. Drawing fashion sketches. Being at home in my bed.

October:

Picking up cupcakes in West Hampstead, made by Karine of Ohlala Bakery. Shopping in Camden. Legally Blonde, the Musical at the Savoy Theatre. The Luxury Wedding Show at the Saatchi Gallery near Sloane Square. Catwalk. Vivienne Westwood. David Fielden. Candy Anthony. Amazing wedding dresses and cakes. Champagne. New Lulu Guinness bag.

November:

Staying at a hotel in Germany for the weekend. Berlin. Spending a day in Tropical Islands near Berlin. Swimming in the ‘sea’ and the lagoon. Amazing flowers and animals. …And (what else) shopping.

December:

A new nail colour every day. Spending Christmas with my family in Germany. Fireworks. Celebrating the new year with friends. Being overdressed at the New Year’s party. And…SHOPPING!

I wish everyone a Happy New Year 2012!

It’s London time

I came back from London on Monday last week after I stayed a week at my friends apartment in Swiss Cottage. It’s been exciting and fantastic as always. To be true I really can’t await the day I pack all my stuff and move there into a lovely little apartment in Hampstead…or maybe a 4-bedroomed mansion would also do. Haha.

My friend Anne and I arrived in London on February 16^th after having endured all Ryanair guidelines (I guess I’m one of very few people who can live with a carry-on item with the dimensions of 55cm x 40cm x 20cm for a week…). After another 2 hour bus drive the 2 of us were warmly welcomed by my London friend and we went to her flat (by taking our luggage through half of Swiss Cottage at night).

On Thursday my London friend had to go to work again, so Anne and I were left on our own. As Anne hadn’t been to London before, I decided to do some typical tourist thing with her: sightseeing. Thanks god for the Jubilee Line, we went from the Swiss Cottage tube station to Westminster to London Bridge to North Greenwich and back to Westminster to find something eatable (I decided for Tesco sushi in the end and we sat down at Trafalgar Square only to be attacked by some aggressive pigeons minutes later…). All in all it was a fun day, although we spent more time at the tube than anywhere else I guess. But as long as you always get a seat, that’s okay.

The following day we went shopping to Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Kurt Geiger, Hamleys… etc with my London friend, her friend C. and C.’s 1-year-old son, who is incredibly cute by the way!

On Saturday my London friend had a surprise for me…a photoshoot! But not just any photoshoot. A Victorian era themed photoshoot with the most amazing dresses and jewellery and the best champagne! What a surprise, I totally love her for that! After the photoshoot, which was at the History Studios in Knightsbridge, we went straight to Harrods with its fantastic Food Hall, the Shoe Salon (I practically had to pull my friend away from a pair of Alexander McQueen boots…or was it D&G? Can’t remember. …Maybe because I had to pull her away from pretty much every pair of shoes they had!) and so on. We also went to Lulu Guinness that day and although I didn’t even intend to spend any money in there, I knew I’d buy something there as soon as we entered the store. The staff was nice, but I always feel a tad too observed in designer stores. Don’t know, I’m rather the quiet ‘leave-me-alone’ shopper…  Anyways, I bought the Black Mirror Mini Frame Purse ~Don’t Forget to Powder Your Nose~. It’s so unique and lovely, I adore Lulu for her perfect ideas.

My London friend also wanted to pop in to the Vivienne Westwood store on King’s Road. We both bought necklaces there, she bought one which looked like a duck…although later we figured out it’s in fact a little bird, not a duck.

Sunday was my last ‘real’ day in London since we took the 1.15pm plane back home on Monday. My London friend decided to take me and Anne on a little tour through Hampstead and Camden and to be true, I still can’t choose which one I like more. Hampstead’s very much like a village, very quiet and lovely looking. And some of the stores and restaurants there are really amazing. Try Yogurtry’s frozen yogurt! I had natural frozen yogurt with caramel topping there, Anne had strawberries. Soooo yummy! Hampstead is the place you’d love to move to, but Camden…Camden is just wow…like really WOW! Every time I’m there I get all excited, no matter how often I’ve seen the dresses and jewellery and everything before. It’s just simply fantastic there, although I wouldn’t like to live there anywhere near Camden market. Way too many people every day, too noisy and too…weird. But on the other hand, I love all things weird…