But, there has been some things that atleast cheer one´s mind up a bit. The wallpaper that we ordered for our daughter arrived last week, although in the wrong colour palette. I made a call to the store, and thankfully the right one will arrive at the end of this week, which I am really thankful for. Usually it takes 2-3 weeks, so we were in luck.

The wallpaper is from Nina Campbell, and is called Perroquet. Molly is getting the first one in her room. I think it is very pretty, and doesn´t feel like the typical choice for a toddler. She loves flowers, so I hope she will like it as much as I do. The wallpaper is inspired by the floral  boutique Odorantes in Paris. It is one of Nina Campbell´s favourites. The second one really shows where she got the inspiration from. The boutique has dark grey walls that really makes the beautiful flowers stand out, along with some taxidermy.

This is what Odorantes looks like. Paumes has a book of floral boutiques and florists in Paris, and Odorantes is one of them. They have lots of other books (and stationary as well),  that are worth taking a look at.

Finally I have chosen a wallpaper for the guestroom. It is from Designers Guild, their Royal Collection.

Arundale Chantrey, in Wedgwood. The actual colour is somewhere inbetween those two images. It is a pale, soft blue colour. The inspiration was from a scene at the Petit Trianon, in Marie Antoinette.

Both rooms will have walnut parquet flooring, and I can´t wait until they are finished!

I became aware of his work when he started to work for Givenchy, and felt that he brought something new and exciting to the fashion world. There are so many moments that are stuck in my mind, from his collections. There are the “bumsters”, the dress from the f/w 2002 collection that basically everyone wore, the McQueen logo:ed jeans, the outfit that makes me think of “Birds”. And there is more; the kendo masks, the oyster dress, the dancers..the list can go on forever.

Everything Alexander McQueen did was creative and filled with imagination. He created dreams and fantasies, and the runway shows were true exhibitions of art. It was exciting to see what he had to show every season, and he never dissapointed. Alexander McQueen was a creative genious, and a true artist.

What is surprising though, is how I feel about this. Since I got the news, I have been feeling down. Sad, to be quite frank. Not how I usually feel when someone I never even met has passed, but more like if it was someone I knew quite well – something between an acquaintance and a close friend. One thing is clear though; the world has lost a brilliant man, and designer. There will never be anyone like Alexander McQueen.

The hologram showing Kate Moss, in McQueens f/w 2006 show. First time I saw it I got goosebumps, and I still do. Ethereal, supernatural and purely breathtaking.

Then there is the complete opposite, the video for Lady Gaga´s “Bad Romance”. In it she pays hommage to both Kubrick and Hitchcock, but mostly it is about Alexander McQueen. At times, she is dressed head to toe in his s/s 2010 collection, and when wearing something else, she has McQueen shoes on. There are also some references to a few of his older collections as well. All in all, it is a great showcase for what Lee could accomplish.

Alexander McQueen, the man with the beautiful name,  will be missed.

Here are some recent purchases I have made:

Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, the latest movie from studio Ghibli, directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It is inspired by The Little Mermaid, but slightly different. 

Only Yesterday, another studio Ghibli movie, but directed by Isao Takahata. This is slightly more grown up than Ponyo.

I discovered studio Ghibli when Spirited Away got released, and I was amazed. Since then, I have been trying to see as many animes from them as possible, and also collecting them. Studio Ghibli creates these wonderful, magical worlds, even in the more realistic movies. They are filled with wonderful details, great stories, lovable characters and pure magic.

The Polaroid Book, from Taschen. This is a book with polaroids from different photographers, like Helmut Newton, David Hockney, Andy Warhol, plus many more. It´s a decent book, not overwhelming, but not bad either. It is fun to have if polaroid photography is an interest, and it´s not expensive.

I love your style, by Amanda Brooks. This book is a tool if one is in search of a style, more exactly to define one´s personal style. The writer gives some useful tips and tricks for that purpose, and also writes about her own style. It is filled with inspiration, and photographs of style icons, such as Françoise  Hardy, Catherine Deneuve, Jackie Onassis, Sofia Coppola, Kate Moss, Carine Roitfeldt, Chloë Sevigny and many others. There are inspirational sections for different styles, and what defines them. I bought this mainly because of the photographs, but also as an inspiration. I like that it´s not focusing on what not to do, but more on experimenting and that a lot of things can work as an inspiration, like art, films, music or whatever one takes fancy in. On the other hand there was a lot of focus on the writer, and she clearly loves fur. And by that I mean she really loves it. I don´t know if this will help anyone finding their own style, but it is a fun read, and the photos are a huge plus.

Vogue Paris. I don´t buy as much magazines as I used to, but sometimes I just have to.

Also, while I was at this consignment shop, I spotted something in their window. It was a chocolate Mulberry Baby Roxanne. I asked about the price, which was very good. I also asked if it was authentic, which they said it was. For five minutes I was trying to decide on if I should buy it, but after a while I took a closer look at it and started to think that it might be fake. So, I finally decided on not to buy it. When I got home, I did a little research and it turns out I might have been wrong, and that the bag actually may have been the real deal. Now I am thinking that I should have bought it. Which is weird, since I would have chosen something else If I could pick whichever bag I wanted.  Not that I don´t like the Baby Roxanne, I do, but it´s not on my wishlist and I would prefer something else. I guess it is probably better that I save my money, and spend it on something that I really do want.

Other than that, the snow has kept on coming. Which is great when one is a kid, or while being on a ski-trip. Not so great for a house owner who has to shovel snow two times every day to keep the driveway clear.

This is what it looks like at the moment. I do love snow. It makes everything feel more clean, the air fresher and mutes all noice. But to be honest, it´s enough now.

Stress, is the word that comes to mind when I think of these two weeks that has passed. After procrastinating for a long time, my to do-list had grown immensely, and it was time to actually do something about it, instead of just thinking about doing things. Along with deadlines came stress, sleep deprivation and migraines, but I finally shortened the list. There are a few things left, but the worst part is over, and soon I can relax.

I have been thinking about things to get for spring, because my wardrobe needs a dose of something new. I definitely want some dresses, other than that I just don´t know. Also, when the ground is covered with snow, and the cold is unbearable at times, spring is nothing more than a fantasy.It feels like it will never be warm again, and the grass will never be green again. Thankfully, that is not the case. The question is when, when will it happen? Sooner than later, I hope.

My little girl is getting big. Today was the first day of her acclimatization period at preschool. It was quite exhausting spending a full day with a bunch of small children, but it was fun as well. Four more days of that, and the she is on her own. I am sure she will have a great time, but as a first-time parent I can´t help but being a bit overprotective. I know she is in good hands though. So, from next week, I will have more time for myself and time to do everything that I have been postponing. Exciting times lie ahead!

This is a list of some of my favourite things from this past decade.

Movies

• Brokeback Mountain
• Lost In Translation
• Sideways
• Spirited Away
• Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
• Almost Famous
• Ghost World
• The Royal Tenenbaums
• Les fabuleux destin d´Amélie Poulain
• Kill Bill vol 1&2
• Marie Antoinette
• Låt den rätte komma in (Let the right one in)

Music

• Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
• Daft Punk – Discovery
• Air – Talkie Walkie
• Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
• Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion
• The Knife – Deep Cuts
• Jenny Wilson – Love and Youth
• The Radio dept. – Lesser Matters
• The Strokes – Room on Fire

Books

• Middlesex – Jeffrey Eugenides
• Låt den rätte komma in – John Ajvide Lindqvist
• SC 2003, Some Pictures from this Past year – Sofia Coppola
• Marie Antoinette: The Journey – Antonia Fraser
• Summer Crossing – Truman Capote

Vogue Paris Dec/Jan 2004, guest edited by Sofia Coppola & Lula magazine, nr. 5, Oct. 2007, guest edited by Kirsten Dunst

Getting my driver´s license

Molly

Buying a house

Visiting Paris again

And from 2009:

Getting peonies for my garden, on my birthday

Trying Ruinart for the first time

Seeing Phoenix, Air, Madonna and  My Bloody Valentine live

Wearing my Anna Sui silk dress, and my Repetto ballerina flats

My friends and family

Another year has passed, and a decade has ended. It has been both good and bad, mostly good. It feels very strange to think of it though, that another decade has passed. It feels like such a long time in theory, yet it feels like this decade only started maybe two years ago. It is strange that it never felt like this when I was in school. Maybe it is a side effect of being and adult?

This year I started writing this blog, and it was a new experience. I didn´t really know in which direction I was going with this, and still don´t know. I just saw this as a learning experience, and a way to share my thoughts with other people, and take part of their thoughts. I know I have a lot to learn, and that it is probably better with more updates than less. Next year will hopefully be a better year when it comes to inspiration, but nonetheless I will try harder than this past year.

This post is about something else, though. I want to take the opportunity to thank everyone that has been reading this blog. It means a lot to me, and I appreciate it very much. I do hope everyone has a wonderful new years eve, and an even better year to follow. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Happy New Year!

With that said, I just wanted to wish everyone a merry christmas. I hope the holidays will be filled with joy and festivities