Christmas in Barcelona.

Happy holidays lovelies! I hope you enjoyed quality time with your family and friends, ate some amazing food, got some fabulous gifts and had lots of rest during days of Christmas celebration. 

Last couple of days I haven't been posting as much as I could content wise as I was busy preparing my first Christmas dinner, cakes, sweets and decorating the house. Since this was our first Christmas in Barcelona and actually first Christmas together for my boyfriend and I, we kind of had to start from scratch, buy all decorations, figure our our own traditions and apply some we learned growing up from our families. 

It was actually quite nice to cook on my own and enjoy Christmas in vanilla scented candle smelling house, with this gorgeous Christmas tree, my dog Papi and boyfriend by my side.

We spent most of the Christmas day at home, eating, playing games and opening presents. I got my boyfriend a cozy, warm and soft bathrobe, some funny and sexy stocking stuffer and a new generation electric shaver and he got me latest version of iPad with pink covers of course! I am absolutely obsessed with it already! Papi also got some dog treats and toys for being good and not eating to much of the house decor.

Day after Christmas we spent again with mostly lounging at home and in the evening we went for a walk and dinner here in gorgeously decorated Barcelona.

How was your Christmas darlings? 

"Christmas, my child, is love in action. 

Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas."

Dale Evans 

Holiday gift guide for HIM & HER.

Photo via Lulus.com

Today I have started my Christmas gifts shopping here in Budapest and this year I actually decided to do it on a more organized and controlled way. First I made a list of closest family and a couple of best friends who I want to buy gifts for and ordered what I need to order online since most online stores require you to make orders before December 19th in order to have gifts delivered by Christmas.

 Then, since I don't know the city well I googled and researched the shopping malls and found the one with most stores I would like to visit and went there with the list and predetermined budget. I withdrew the exact amount of money in cash and first went to do the customised gifts which required printing, engraving etc. so these can be done by the time I am done shopping and then I bravely walked through absolutely packed hallways and stores of the shopping mall. Usually, I prefer to shop on the work days in the morning when not many people are in the stores, due to my busy schedule, still taking over a new position at work and living in between Budapest and Barcelona I will not have this luxury this year.

The first rule for me for Christmas shopping is 'Don't panic!', a second one is 'Start early!' and third one is 'Don't overspend!', Christmas should not be about things so when you shop you shouldn't get things just to get them because it is Christmas and you need to get something to everybody. 

Sit down in peace, have a cup of coffee or a tea and think about people you care about and what are their interests, what is that they said they maybe lost and might want to have back, what are the thing they are saving for to which you can maybe contribute a bit or if you are on a really limited budget and spend a lot of time with these people just make a nice collage of photos from fun times you had together in the past year and put it all together in a creative frame or an album you will take time to decorate on your own.

Bellow are some fun gifts I was looking into which might work for your loved ones as well. :)

GIFTS FOR HER 

Dear male readers, no matter what you do, always remember make it personal, emotional, make it smell nice, always write a note to go with the present!

Luxurious scented candle by R-Nichols | Oprah's favorite| price: $45| burns 60 hours (delivers to Europe)

Ženski rokovnik - ladies only planner available for sale in each dm store in Croatia and online 

Price: 80.90 kn

Jeffrey Campbell bedazzled loafers via Nasty Gal | Price: 94.19 Euro

For busy women on a run this is a very practical gift!

Cream Quilted Olivia Butterfly Twists ballerinas via Butterfly Twists | price: 25 GBP.

Swarovski  Entwined Glamour Bracelet | price: $ 70

I have this bracelet and love it! It works both with casual and evening wear and it looks really luxurious.

GIFTS FOR HIM!

Ladies, In my experience men want practical gifts, nothing overly couture and to trendy. If you think about it, they ask quite frequently 'What is this for?' Make sure that their gift is in-line with their interest, useful and fun, cause as Coco Chanel said: "As long as you know men are like children, you know everything."

Sherlock Holmes PlayStation game, it is strategic, none violent and you can play it together :)

 Price: $ 49

Clinique men's cosmetic pack | price: 80 Euro

Customised bath robe | price: $69

Men's manicure set | price: $30

If you are not sure what to get for the lady in your life or a friend or you don't have time to go shopping, you can always write a card and get a gift card online and print it out on a nice piece of paper and put it in an envelope together with a card, just make sure you also write a nice personal note. I have great experience shopping from NastyGal, Lulu's, LuisaViaRoma and Asos. 

The same might apply to the men in your life, if they have a hobby they are very passionate about for example my dad hiking or my boyfriend dad - crossword puzzles, then go for a gift which corresponds with their interests.

I hope you found my gift guide useful lovelies! Have a lovely Christmas shopping!

The color of love.

I asked you, my lovely followers on my blog's Facebook page recently what colors, smells, food and drinks remind you most of Christmas, Martina, Korana and Ana said color - red. I feel the same way. When I think Christmas, no matter how 'to be expected' and 'typical' it might sound I automatically think - red. Not so much Santa suite red and Christmas decoration red, more so Valentino silk or satin gowns red, Alexander McQeen lace and velvet red and sexy New Years Eve Chanel lipstick red.

Alexander McQueen

Currently I am addicted to burgundy lipstick which I just got from Chanel recently, it goes well when I want to add some drama to my day look and looks amazing with evening looks. I love to wear red maxi gowns with gold sandals or shorter red dresses with back booties.

“Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. 

That, or a kick-ass red lipstick.”

 Gwyneth Paltrow

Gucci

Valentino

“As she always did on any really important day, Penelope Hayes wore red.”

Anna Godbersen, The Luxe

Marchesa

Valentino

Topshop

My suggestion is to overdose on red during holidays as this is and always be a stand out, 'all eyes on me' color, just be sure to be able to handle all of the attention red dress or detail will bring upon you ;)

What is your favorite red piece you own? How do you feel wearing it?

“When in doubt, wear red.”

Bill Blass 

Swarovski brings sparkle to your holiday season!

 Some years ago while interning in Showroom Seven New York I was admiring custom editorial pieces of costume jewelry made with Swarovski Elements, they would make an average girl turn to glam diva in a snap of a necklace clip! 

I remember coming home from work and telling my boyfriend how bedazzling these pieces were and not all of them were so expensive either, so year later when he got his first real job he would  get me at least one Swarovski jewelry piece a year while we were together, I still have all of them. My favorite are black leather crystallized bracelets.

Imagine my excitement when I was contacted to participate in promotion of this lovely Swarovski Elements Advent Calendar on companies Facebook page. 

I got this elegant Entwined Glamour Bracelet by SWAROVSKI CRYSTALLIZED™ as part of this partnership and I have been wearing it every day since I got it. It really goes with every outfit as it gives a touch of glam to casual day outfit and an additional sparkle to an evening look.

Now, you are probably wondering how this lovely Advent Calendar works, just like you unwrap different candy piece with an old school chocolate calendar same mechanics are applied here, the difference is that here, every day you can come back to this calendar, reveal, share and comment various luxurious items bedazzled with Swarovski Elements, all from gorgeous Casadei shoes, True Religion jeans, Coach rings to Godiva's chocolate and truffle collection shared in first 10 days of December.

This calendar also features a bit sparkly contest where the final winners awards in the grand prize drawing are grown up girls candies - SHOES! Times two! As there are two final winners!

Here I am not talking about any shoes but rather a pair of SHEYLA Stilettoes of Kennel & Schmenger bedazzled with SWAROVSKI®ELEMENTS or as a second prize a pair of SOHO Sneakers of Kennel & Schmenger made with SWAROVSKI®ELEMENTS (both in size 5).

This is an international contest, all you need to do is like the Swarovski Elements Facebook page, enter their Advent Calendar application tab and click on the bottom to enter the brand prize drawing where you need to fill out your email and name. Hurry up, contest ends on Christmas! :)

Good luck lovelies! 

Do you have a Swarovski piece which you wear daily? 

*The raffles will be live from December 1^st until December 25^th, 2012 at 12:00 a.m. CET. The selection of the two (2) winners takes place through a random generator. All winners will be contacted via the email address provided to get their shipping address to send out the prize no later than January 31^st.

All that glitters...

"Some girls are just born with glitter in their veins."

                 As month of December kicked in I instantly got in that holiday spirit! I know it is cheesy and all but I really can't help it, I really like this time of year (minus the cold weather).

 In my dictionary 'holiday spirit' stands for Starbucks peppermint mocha (skinny of course), frozen nose when walking down the street, chunky, soft and warm woolen scarf which my my made for me, smell of chocolate cookies and cakes in the kitchen, opportunity to bust out my woollen hats and fabulous glittery maxi gowns and heels (which I envisioned my self wearing much more often at point of purchase, justifying price per wear ratio).

With all of the above said, please bare with me if you are not so much into holiday celebration stuff as I am as this month I will be focusing my fashion posts on maybe a bit less practical but so much more fun and dreamy fashion pieces.

Today's post therefor I am focusing on all that glitters! I have been waiting for opportunity to post this one so I hope you like it :)

Glittery turban.

Blazer, Nasty Gal: 138 USD

Dress, Nasty Gal: 78 USD

"Personality is the glitter that sends your little gleam across the footlights and the orchestra pit into that big black space where the audience is."

Mae West

Ellie Saab SS 2012.

Ellie Saab SS 2012.

Chanel.

Of course, every true fashionista needs to have at least a pair of 'Cinderella' like glittery holiday shoes.

Casadei heels bedazzled with Swarovski crystals via LuisaViaRoma

Booties,Nasty Gal 215 USD.

I hope that you like my selection of glittery casual and dressy things to wear, I will be posting more high and low mixed items on my Facebook and Twitter pages as I am putting together my holiday shopping list so stay tune! There will be some presents going out for you as well lovelies! ;)