valeasc world

Paul and Joe Cat-Inspired Make Up

2012-02-02T12:15:00.000Z

I have been a fan of the quirkiness of Paul and Joe Make Up line for as long as I can remember but the new cat-inspired collection is beyond cute. Don't you just love the lipsticks? If you, like me, are a cat lover, you are gonna want this stuff!

First Xmas Gift

2011-12-21T14:49:00.000Z

These gorgeous Miu Miu ballerinas from my lovely husband :)

Office Xmas Do

2011-12-09T16:17:00.002Z

Yesterday we had our office Xmas do, and what an evening that was! We made (and drank!) cocktails, cooked (and ate!) many Italian antipasti, and enjoyed a delicious three course meal in a lovely Italian Restaurant in Marylebone Lane. It was a lovely way to celebrate Xmas with my colleagues and we all had such a fun time. Below are some pictures and videos that capture some of the moments of the evening.

The gang entering the Italian Cookery School

Wondering what we have to do

Putting plastic aprons with names on

Our chef, Stefano, gives us instructions. And boy he was intimidating!

Hands On

The cocktail table was by far the most crowded one! :)


The most suspenseful part of the evening was the flipping of the frittata. But our boys did a great job!

Time to try our drinks and antipasti

Dinner Time. we are all stuffed!

The only Bulgari thing I can afford :)

No expenses spared!

Overall, we had a blast. Thanks very much to everyone, and in particular Sheila and Anna for organising such a great evening!

One more thing...

2011-12-07T17:20:00.000Z

... And *Santa*, if you are still listening, I love these super cute teaspoons:

Dear Santa

2011-12-06T15:40:00.000Z

With these, you can't go wrong :)

1. Orla Kiely Multi Stem Rotating Folio for iPad 2

2. Apple iphone 4S

Is it Spring yet?

2011-12-02T14:27:00.001Z

Winter has not even properly arrived yet and I am already dreaming about Spring/Summer outfits...

I love the new Victoria By Victoria Beckham collection:

My favourite dresses are #1,2,5,7,11,16...Actually, I love them all!!!!

Vows Renewal Outfit Sorted

2011-12-01T10:48:00.000Z

When we renew our wedding vows (it will happen at some point!), I want to wear this gorgeous Chanel Cruise 2011-2012 number. Isn't it just lovely? Now, I need to talk with Rob about dates.... Are you all ready to make another trip to Pescara? Or perhaps the South of France?

Good for "normal" people?

2011-11-30T15:30:00.001Z

I am totally obsessed with Stella's polka dot line but, apart from the price, do you think these clothes are good for "normal" people like me? I mean, what kind of occasion requires a dress like this? If only I could get married again, I would love to wear the cream dress at the Aperitivo Night!

P.S. Message for Gaia: Did you make any of these dresses? if so, when can I come visit you guys? :)

A bag I can afford :)

2011-11-25T16:07:00.000Z

Finally, a bag I like that I can easily afford! Love it.

Joseph Joseph Index Advance Cutting Board

2011-10-24T16:14:00.001+01:00

Back in June my wonderful colleagues gave me a set of John Lewis vouchers as a wedding gift. I was waiting to use them to buy something for the new flat and finally, last Saturday I was able to start using them. And one of the things I bought is this super cool "index" cutting board, which had been on my wish list for quite a while.

P.S. I can hear you Gareth, but you know, we all get excited about different things :)

My New Commute

2011-10-18T16:26:00.001+01:00

Now that we are settled (well, kinda!) at the new place, I am experimenting with my new commute options. Until now I have been walking to the office, which is great, and it normally took me about 45 minutes. It's a bit long but doable and also that was my daily dose of excercise since I don't do anything else!

From Shad Thames to my office I now have the following options:

1. Walk: it takes me 50 minutes. I did it yesterday and this morning and loved it.

{me this morning, walking and wearing my funky Lanvin sneakers}

2. Tube: Tower Hill - Temple. I tried it last Friday and it took me 30 minutes door to door. Not bad.

3. Boat, Thames Clippers. I haven't tried this yet but I reckon it would take me about 30 minutes. Wouldn't it be super cool to commute by boat!?!

4. Bike. There is a Boris Johnson's bike docking station right outside our new building and one right outside the office. Perfect! I have never cycled in London before but, what do you think, 30 minutes should be enough, right?

In any case, it's nice to have options and whatever I decide to do, these are just some of the lovely things I will be admiring on my way to, and from work:

{All pictures are mine. I took them this morning while walking to the office.}

Honeymoon Shopping

2011-10-11T15:14:00.000+01:00

I went to Anthropologie on Regent Street at my lunch break looking for curtains. However, something else attracted my attention...These days I am focussed on the house move but next week it will be all about honeymoon shopping. This playsuit is gorgeous!

Winter Comfort

2011-10-09T19:53:00.000+01:00

It's only a matter of weeks before winter arrives and I am already thinking of all the comfy clothes that I will be wearing around the new house. These ruby bow slippers have just entered my wish list.

Digital Biscuit Cameras

2011-10-06T13:41:00.000+01:00

These are too cute, must be shared.

The Biscuit camera is one of Japan's hottest selling new micro digital cameras. Available in 3 flavors, Chocolate, Wheat and Strawberry, this little keychain cam shoots up to 300 stills, and also shoots video! High res is 640x480, and the video is AVI with no sound. Four Corner Store is the only shop in the US that has them! Comes with USB cord and CD for Windows OS, requires 1 AAA Battery, not included. 42x58mm in Size.

Don't you just want to put them on your breakfast table?

Buy them here.

Solid Hair Conditioner

2011-10-04T12:48:00.000+01:00

Has anybody ever tried solid hair products? These from this etsy shop are simply lovely, I just want to eat them! :)

Bermondsey Street Festival

2011-09-28T14:13:00.000+01:00

Last Saturday it was Bermondsey Street Festival and the area surrounding the street was all dressed up for the occasion. I have been trying to find a flat in Bermondsey Street since the first moment I discovered it and after seven years of living in London, I still love the atmosphere in this little area of the city. The street feels like a village, it's full of little cafes and interesting restaurants and pubs, deli shops, local boutiques, a sweet park with tennis courts and the cool, bright orange building of the fashion and textile museum. Not to mention the new addition to the block, Bermondsey Square with its independent cinema and Saturday morning local farmers' market. So far, I haven't been able to live right there but I have always been very close and just a few minutes away.

So when we heard that the fifth Bermondsey Street Festival would be happening last Saturday, we knew we had to go. The weather was glorious, sunny and warm all day. The street was full of stalls and performance stages, and the park had become an open air food market. Overall, it was just lovely. We strolled, had a delicious roast and enjoyed a fashion catwalk in the tennis court.

Too bad we had to leave in the early hours of the afternoon as I wasn't feeling very well. And I have been home sick since then...

Brissi

2011-09-18T22:12:00.000+01:00

It seems that all I do lately is looking for furniture...And I have just discovered a new shop that I absolutely adore: Brissi.

These lamps will have to make it to my new flat at some point...

Karen Walker

2011-09-15T11:26:00.001+01:00

Yesterday I made an *incredible* discovery: Karen Walker, one of my new favourite fashion designers, is a New Zealander!

New Zealand, here I come!

I Want One

2011-09-12T13:44:00.000+01:00

Amazing handmade ruffle rose cushions from That Funky Boutique.

Fashion Night Out

2011-09-08T22:59:00.003+01:00

In London there is always something to do and as long as you have got good company to enjoy the city with, you are going to have a pretty fun life! My friend Natalie from nhReprise asked me if I wanted to join her tonight to a walk down to fashionable Bond Street for London Fashion Night Out and I am so glad she did! We had so much fun! We met right after work at De Beers and started our ascending walk from there. Bond street was more glamorous than ever. All the shops were open and shining and crowded with beautiful people. So many gorgeous models were wandering around and there was such a great atmosphere. Each shop organised something special and we really enjoyed all the freebies. My favourite shops of the street were Louis Vuitton, Mulberry and Tiffany.

At the entrance of the Louis Vuitton megastore were three models dressed like French maids and holding balloon dogs on a leash, it was such a great way to welcome people in!

Natalie and I were offered a sweet lemonade and wandered around the shop. I saw so many beautiful things to add to my wish list! The shop was super glittery, I loved it.

Inside the Mulberry shop there were make-up artists and beauticians painting nails and faces. I would have loved to have a mini and glittery Mulberry tree painted on my cheek but the queue was way too long. Despite the crowd, I still enjoyed walking around the shop, looking at all those beautiful handbags and luckily I was able to grab a goody bag before leaving, and so did Natalie. The Mulberry tote bag is in itself beautiful but we got even more excited about its content. Inside the bag were a cool fox mask, which we wore right away, Mulberry animals stickers, a Clarins lotion and bright pink nail wrappers.

Our last stop was Tiffany. We were attracted in by disco balls hanging from the ceilings and catchy music, not to mention the flower arrangements that reminded me so much of our wedding's.

In almost every shop there was a photobooth and they all got pretty creative: we saw a London cab at Dior, NYC yellow cabs at DKNY, red carpet style at Jimmy Choo, and a fairy tale inspired photobooth at Mulberry. At Tiffany a long queue of people were waiting to get into a silver, glittery photobooth to have Andy Warhol style pictures taken. Natalie and I decided to join the queue and I am so happy we did. The pictures turned out very cool and while waiting we were served delicious mini hamburgers and lovely cones of popcorn with Tiffany-blue sugar melted on top!

Such a great evening! Thank you Natalie, and thank you Vogue and thank you London! I'll be back next year!

My Type of Bride

2011-09-02T15:37:00.001+01:00

2011 has definitely been "THE" wedding year, with all the royal weddings around the world, celebrities' weddings, see Kate Moss and Lily Allen, and less famous ceremonies (but nontheless beautiful!), like Vale and Rob's (ha ha), and now the ever so cool Sofia Coppola has joined the club.

There have been all sorts of weddings this year. Some were definitely better than others (e.g. Kate Moss's vs Kim Kardashian's!) and some were just super cool (e.g. Vale and Rob's ). The lastest addition on the 2011 brides' list is Sofia Coppola who got married in Italy last Saturday. I have always been a big fan of Sofia's style and I love her choice for a not-very-bridal-dress. For the big day, instead of going all princess-crazy, Sofia wore a beautiful, custom-made, lavender, short Azzedine Alaia dress. I love the high round neckline (my wedding gown had a high round neckline!) and the pleated full skirt. Definitely my type of bride!

I realise that her choice was quite unconventional and am curious to hear your comments. Did you like it? What type of bride are you? Traditional? Unconventional? Glamorous? Romantic? Sexy? I'd like to know.

Dreamy

2011-08-24T21:06:00.001+01:00

The sky tonight, from my little terrace in central London. Worth a picture, and a blog post, I think.

Ball chair

2011-08-24T18:42:00.000+01:00

I still don't know what the main style of our new flat will be. Most probably it will end up being a mixture of everything, as usual. I am looking at all sorts of furniture at the moment: french, retro, modern, Scandinavian, vintage...I am very curious to see what I will choose in the end and how I will mix all these pieces together.

While flipping through magazines and browsing the Internet, I have discovered Bodie and Fou, "...a chic inspiring online boutique for design lovers in search of cool modern styling for the home...". I love the feel of the website and there are so many things I'd like to buy right away from it. But one thing attracted my attention in particular, the Ball chair. I am thinking to keep the colour theme of the decoration very neutral, I am a big fan of white in the house, but I'd love to put some pops of colours here and there and I love the idea of bright pink. I'll need to double check with Rob first though!

What Kind Of Wellies Are You?

2011-08-23T17:02:00.001+01:00

It's pouring down in London today and I wonder what kind of wellies you wear?

Are you a classic type? For this, look no further than Hunter.

Or a designer type? I am wearing these by Tory Burch today, for example:

Are you a cute type? Joules have some great options:

Or are you a funky type? Again Joules have some nice ones.

It's in days like these that I wonder why I am not roasting at the beach in Pescara!?!

P.S. It's currently 40 C degrees in Pescara. My mum and grandmum are coming to London tomorrow and will be staying for a couple of weeks. They will welcome some breeze, right?

A Dorky Reaction

2011-08-19T14:49:00.004+01:00

I was on my way to the office this morning when I bumped into British fashion designer Henry Holland. Instinctively I felt to say: "Oh, Hello!" but then thankfully, I was able to control myself. Wait a second: he doesn't know me??! I felt very sheepish. Two seconds later I am annoyed at myself for not saying anything. I should have said hello, I thought, what's the harm in that!? I recognised him and felt to say hi, I honestly don't know why I stopped. It would have been cool and perhaps he would have liked it, and who knows…we may have become friends and he may have given me free clothes and invited me to catwalks and London Fashion Week…Dreaming apart...

He was wearing his perfect uniform, jeans shorts and a navy jacket and was chatting with a blond friend (why are all his best friends blond? See Pixie Geldof and Agyness Deyn).

Living in London, this is not the first time I happen to see celebrities in the streets; nontheless, I still can't act cool! Damm me! What's your reaction when you see a celebrity? Do you shout at them and ask to take a picture with them? Do you act cool and pretend not to even notice them? Or do you feel sheepish and do not really know what to do?

P.S. Henry Holland fashion line, House of Holland, can be a bit pricey but do you know about his cheaper collection for Debenhams, H! by Henry Holland? The collection has HH's signature all over it, with its funky T-shirts and edgy clothes. Worth a look.

I {heart} you, Shad Thames

2011-08-18T15:42:00.002+01:00

After weeks (months!) of moaning and whining about our failure in finding a nice flat in London, finally, Rob and I have spotted a lovely place that we are both happy to call home. In the last couple of months we have been searching for a new place to live in every bit and corner of the city; we explored new areas which we really like (see Parsons Green) and were open to move anywhere as long as it was a nice spot. Little we knew that our home was just around the corner from where we live now, waiting for us to notice it...

Shad Thames is an area in London we both absolutely adore. The cobble stone, the narrow streets, the Tower Bridge, the Tower Bridge Piazza, the cafes, the little restaurants and boutique shops and all those warehouse conversions are only some of the things we love about it. We looked in the area for a bit but then we gave up when we realised it was really a *wealthy city types* nest. Until, we saw this cute flat in the Vanilla & Sesame warehouse conversion (isn't the name lovely?), in the very heart of Shad Thames., that we could afford. Our new home is less than a minute walk to the Tower Bridge (where Rob proposed, remember?) and just behind the restaurant where we ate the night of the proposal. We like to think that this is our area. Panta Rei, said the Greeks...

All the pictures below are taken from this site. But soon, I'll be taking my own pictures and will document the move and all the new discoveries we make in the area. I can't wait!

Out of the gray

2011-08-11T11:41:00.001+01:00

I was walking to work this morning, as every single day, when it started raining. And for once I was prepared.

It was quite sunny when I woke up, actually, but when I checked the weather forecast at breakfast I saw that rain was on the way, so I took an umbrella, which I almost never do. Around 9.15am, while I was half way to the office it started to pour down and out of the blue all Londoners, me included, took their umbrellas out of their bags and opened them. It was fascinating to see how normal that gesture was. When I was in Pescara, I got used to cleaning all the sand off my feet after a long stroll at the beach; here, in London, I got used to opening an umbrella nonchalantly :)

And then I focussed on the variety of brollies and believe me, I saw it all: bright colours, dots, stripes, flowers, skulls, leopard prints...the range of umbrellas mirrors the range of individuals in London completely. My umbrella, which is in fact Rob's, is so dull: black with a dark wood handle. That's not me for sure!

This lovely umbrella has been on my wish list for quite a while now, perhaps it's time I take a trip to Orla Kiely!

P.S. Speaking of rain, have you see the Renault *Kiss my Glass* campaing? I think it's hilarious!

Casa Dolce Casa

2011-08-09T13:02:00.002+01:00

As house hunting is not going great in London, I am trying to focus my attention and energy on a different and more productive project: the refurbishment of my parents' top floor at their house in Pescara, Italy.

The house where my parents live now is not the house where I was born. We moved there when I was eleven and I have always had a sort of love-and-hate relationship with the place. I equally loved and hated the location; I loved the view, the sea from one side and the mountains from the other and I loved the garden that goes all the way round the house. But I hated the fact that it's a twenty minute drive to the city centre and you need the car to go anywhere. During my teenage days I complained with my parents on a regular basis on how far the house was from all my friends' houses and the fact that I needed to be driven everywhere by them. That until I turned fifteen and received a blue scooter for my birthday. And then, just a few years later, I had my own car, so it was no longer a big deal.

The house was designed by my dad and I still remember all the sleepless nights he and my mum had discussing about the house. It was their dream and they were living it together. Only now I understand how important that moment must have been for them.

I started to appreciate the house only when I got a bit older and I was able to throw big parties in the big garden and invite lots of friends. My birthday is in July, so it really helped to have a nice garden to decorate and entertain friends in. My graduation party was probably the best: there were drinks in the gazebo, a live band playing and the atmosphere was simply magical. The graduation party was in July-2003 and in October 2003 I left for the UK. Living in student accommodation for three years and then in small flats in London really made me realise how beautiful my parents' house is and how lucky I am to have the opportunity to spend my holidays there.

Now that I am married and plan to have kids at some point relatively soon, I think of that house as my house again and how I can use some of the space to create a little nest for me and Rob and our future family.

The house is on four levels, so after some discussions with my parents, we have decided that they will keep the ground floor and the basement and Rob and I will get the first floor as well as the top floor. This might be the biggest space we will ever have, certainly we can't afford that much space in London. I am excited to finally have a space to decorate and make it my own and have been looking at interior magazines and online websites and blogs for inspiration.

I have started from the bathrooms. The place will have two bathrooms, one of which en-suite. I am heading towards Bisazza, who wouldn't? But given their high prices, I may need to re-think things through a little...for now, I can dream of a super girly bright pink bath tub in the en-suite bathroom

and a classier green and gold main bathroom with lovely chandeliers and a white Louis tub....

Thinking of Coco

2011-08-08T13:09:00.003+01:00

Londoners, this is for you: Have you ever seen the fashionable lampposts in Westminster? Have you ever noticed the two cc engraved on them? And their resemblance to the Chanel logo? Well, I have and yesterday, finally, I had an aswer to my questions.

{photo via The Telegraph}

Legend has it that the second Duke of Westminster, Hugh Richard Arthur Grosvenor, had an affair with Mademoiselle Coco Chanel back in the late Twenties. To impress her, he ordered all the lampposts in Westminster to be adorned with her initials, alongside an ornate W - the Duke's crest. Poor old Hugh was left heartbroken when, despite his extravagant gesture, Chanel turned his proposal of marriage down saying: "There have been several Duchesses of Westminster, there is only one Chanel".

A less romantic interpretation, as the the city commissioner of transportation for Westminster City Council reveals, is to consider to the two C's as a symbol for City Council. Not sure what the truth is but I like the Chanel story much better!

And speaking of Coco, did you know that her La Pausa French Riviera house is for sale?

Now, if you could, how much would you pay to be at home with Chanel?

Dyson Ball

2011-08-07T21:18:00.001+01:00

It doesn't happen that often that I get excited over a £300 purchase that doesn't involve shoes or bags! But let me tell you, this little *toy* has made my cleaning days much brighter.

I have been wanting a Dyson vacuum cleaner for a while because it's cool and because it's eco, but until now I haven't been able to justify such an expense. But a couple of days ago our old hoover died so on Saturday afternoon Rob and I headed to Argos and chose and bought its replacement: A wonderful and über-cool Compact Dyson Ball.

I tried it right away once home and this thing is no joke. I love the design, the ball technology and mostly the fact that there are no bags involved, we just need to clean the filter once a month. Easy peasy!

Ella Valentine Eggs

2011-08-06T19:39:00.000+01:00

I first spotted these super cute eggs on the lovely Yvestown Blog where the bright pink box appeared in a picture of the blogger's kitchen. Since then I have been dreaming about these eggs. And yesterday I realised that they are a British product and are sold at selected Sainsbury's stores. How cool is that?

Ella Valentine Eggs are large free range baking eggs and a box of six eggs costs 1.29£.

If you, like me, go nuts for packaging, this is for you! Head to Sainsbury's today and make sure you check Ella Valentine site to download their recipe ideas!

Oh the Sale!

2011-08-03T16:15:00.001+01:00

It's so difficult to resist the sale these days...there are further reductions everywhere!
I have just bought this lovely shirt dress

so me and so perfect for our trip to New Zealand later on in October...can't wait!

Are you going sale-crazy too? What have you bought?

How Will It Be?

2011-07-29T12:02:00.001+01:00

As you all very know by now, Rob and I are looking for a new place to call home. We have seen quite a few properties and we feel that we are getting close (we hope!). Every new flat we see, I picture how our new nest will look and imagine all the nice furniture that we will finally be able to buy. This morning, while browsing the Zara Home website, I have found these lovely side tables that would be lovely in the master bedroom.

Forever 21

2011-07-28T14:40:00.003+01:00

If I could choose, I think I would be forever 23. I was twenty-three years old when I moved to Durham, a little town in the north of England. If I think back to that year, I see myself being incredibly happy and free of any concern. That was my first time living abroad and mingling with people from all over the world. That was the year I met Rob.

But I am not here to talk about age. Forever 21 is actually an American shop and the latest addition to London shopping Mecca, Oxford street. The store is just a few minutes away from Primark on the west side and Topshop on the east side. We see a competition here!

Browsing the site, here are my picks:

1. Floral stretchy bracelet (£10.65)

2. Draped silk top (£19.75)

3. Linen-Blend paper bag skirt (£16.75)

And much more...fancy a shopping trip to Oxford street? I'll meet you there.

Where is the Catch?

2011-07-26T19:58:00.000+01:00

Sorry folks, another post about our desperate house hunting.

Last week I spotted this beautiful three bedroom, two bathroom cottage in Chiswick on the Foxtons website. I immediately fell in love with it. First of all, it's a house and not a flat; it has two bathrooms (very rare!) and a lovely back garden, and oh that kitchen! Now, the thing that surprised me the most was that for once, something I like was within budget. And in Chiswick, a glorious area. Too good to be true. So last Saturday Rob and I headed to the Chiswick to find out where the catch was.

While driving there with our estate agent I was picturing the neighborhood and thought it would be ugly. Yes, that was the answer, the neighborhood must be bad. Quite on the contraty, it could not be more beautiful. The little street where the cottage is is dreamy, with so many nice houses and very leafy. But there is more: the street is parallel to the river and you know my need to stay close to the water (I am a beach town girl, don't forget!). Now, honestly, what's up with this place? And then we realised...

The house is even more lovely in person and that kitchen that attracted my attention is even bigger than I thought. The whole place is superb and very sleek. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the house itself. Except, it's at the very end of the street, next to the busiest highroad ever. This means: noises 24/7 and zero relaxation and use of the garden. Sigh!

Now, how do we go back from this to tiny two bedroom flats?

Not For Sale

2011-07-21T14:22:00.001+01:00

While looking for a flat to rent, I stumbled across this lovely cottage. Isn't it dreamy?

I can perfectly see myself living there, making strawberry jam and knitting all day!

Happy Birthday To Me

2011-07-18T21:39:00.001+01:00

It was my birthday on Sunday and for the first time in 32 years I had not organised a party of any sort.

I have celebrated every single year with members of family and friends since I turned one. This year, however, after the big wedding, I didn't feel to plan anything else. So Rob took over and organised a wonderful weekend celebration for the two of us.

Friday after work we viewed a couple of flats in Chelsea and as you'd expect we got frustrated. So instead of going home straight away we headed to Nandos, to cheer ourselves up! We had our chicken and sides and went home happy. The celebration then began. Rob had bought these lovely little treats that we enjoyed as our dessert

I chose the pink one and Rob had the blue with the glittery winged heart. We watched a movie and then at midnight Rob gave me his first gift: tickets to Mamma Mia! We had been talking about going for quite a while but we never had the chance to do it. We are not too big on musicals, to be honest, but we really liked the movie and love Abba songs. So I really thought it was a lovely gift and a nice way to celebrate.

On Saturday morning we viewed another flat, this time in Shad Thames, an area we absolutely adore and for a change the flat was actually beautiful. It ticks all the boxes, it's just a little bit too far from the tube station and that's why we are still not completely sure. The thing that really makes the flat amazing is its private pontoon overlooking the property's Japanese water gardens. Dreamy.

We then headed to Covent Garden, had a lovely meal and right after lunch when I was enjoying my daily dose of espresso, Rob gave me his second gift: a black 3G ipad! I was so thrilled! How cool of a gift is that??

It was then time to hit the theatre. Mamma Mia is shown in the very heart of Leicester Square, an area I am not too fond of. There are way too many tourists and it's just so cheesy there. To make things worse, it started raining while we were walking to the theatre. Oh well, in perfect British summer style, I guess.

The musical was ok but Rob and I agreed that the movie is actually better. I know, it's strange, usually it's the opposite, isn't it? It's inevitable to compare the famous and super charismatic actors (e.g. Meril Streep) and their performance with the theatre crew. They were good, don't get me wrong, but not amazing, in my opinion. Plus, the movie was filmed in Greece, how do you top that in a small theatre in the heart of London?

The celebration continued. Saturday evening Rob cooked for me. He made smoky bbq fajitas and they were absolutely delicious. I had four!

And finally Sunday, my real birthday. Rob booked a table for lunch at the ever so cool Nobu. We tried different things and they were all very good, especially the lobster and prawn salad. Oh my! I am still thinking about it.

Back home I received some other gifts: a huge bunch of flowers and this cute Orla Kiely dress from my in-laws and another sweet card and lovely Paul Smith socks from my husband.

No birthday is a real birthday without a cake and Rob took care of it. He chose a super indulgent and rich Belgian chocolate cake which we devoured. And yes, I did blow the candle!

Thanks so much my love for taking the time to organise all these sweet things for me! It truly was a wonderful birthday.

The White Fairy Tale Love Ball

2011-07-14T14:46:00.001+01:00

Paris Haute Couture Week ended with The White Fairy Tale Love Ball hosted by Valentino, which I would have loved to attend, if anything, to wear my wedding gown, again.

Speaking of which, a couple of dresses among the ones chosen by the beautiful people who were lucky enough to attend, I think would make gorgeous wedding gowns.

Such as this beautiful Valentino dress that Anne Hathaway was wearing:

And this sweet dress chosen by model Astrid Munoz:

If only one could get married every year...

I wanna go home

2011-07-13T12:13:00.000+01:00

Weather forecast for Pescara, Italy. I want to go home!

La Porchetta

2011-07-11T11:18:00.000+01:00

A Pizzeria in London I would definitely recommend. La Porchetta is a quite cool restaurant with five locations in London (we tried the Upper Street one) and is authentic Italian, but in a modern way, and not like a trattoria that you'd find in Little Italy. I love the chairs, the wallpaper and the artwork but more than anything else I loved the pizza! It was so very good, perhaps the best pizza I have had so far in London!

I'll go back!

Relief and Hope

2011-07-09T22:51:00.001+01:00

This morning Rob and I took a pleasant trip to Highgate to view a flat to rent. We don't go to Highgate that often but we know the area and it is just lovely. However, we had zero expectations for the flat itself; we have been looking at flats for quite a bit now and we have got to understand the *London standards*. This flat, however, was simply beautiful. The location, a lovely house in a leafy street, wood floors throughout, amazing interiors, period features, a fireplace and a cute garden. Seriously, this flat had it all. For the first time we entered a flat in London and loved it. The owner, a nice lady named Sophie, keeps it very nicely and had candles burning for our pleasure. Not to mention the fact that the candles burning were my favourite scent ever: fig leaf, the same ones I use for our own flat!

A couple of pictures of the flat for you:

The only problem with this flat, and the reason why we are NOT renting it, is that there is zero storage space. Seriously, apart from a small built-in wardrobe in the master bedroom and a tiny cupboard in the living area there is absolutely no storage unit and no space to add any extra furniture. Ok, perhaps Rob and I have way too much stuff but I don't think anybody would be able to live in this flat without having storage-space-issues! And perhaps this is why a cute flat like this is still available.

When we left I felt incredibly frustrated. For the first time in months we had finally seen something we liked but yet again we couldn't do anything with it. There is always something with these London flats and I am starting to think we will never find a decent place in this otherwise amazing city.

Rob, however, was able to cheer me up. He had his theory: the place we saw this morning was a) a relief, it means that there are cool places in London we can afford and b) it gives us hope and strength to keep looking!

The hunt continues...

One Word: Stunning

2011-07-08T15:18:00.001+01:00

I absolutely adore the Oscar De La Renta dress chosen by Emma Watson for the *Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part II*, world premiere in London last night.

I don't find strapless dresses particularly comfortable so this round-neck, nude, lace option and the optical illusion it creates is just genius to me. Forget about how much it costs for one second, don't you want it badly? I love it!

Small Details

2011-07-07T14:55:00.000+01:00

While looking for a bigger flat to rent in London, I am imagining how it will look, or at least how I would like it to look.

One of the first things I will buy to feel at home in the new place will be this beautiful magazine holder.

Sextantio

2011-07-06T17:17:00.002+01:00

On the fourth day of our wedding extravaganza we visited a little Medieval village in the Appennine Mountains, just an hour away from Pescara, where we were all based.

Santo Stefano di Sessanio is a lovely little burgh full of history and art and we really enjoyed an enogastronomic tour around the village. Unfortunately the town was badly affetced by the L'Aquila earthquake last year and some of its features, such as the 13th century tower, were destroyed. There is scaffolding everywhere around the village, which of course took some of the charm away. Nonetheless, the village looked lovely and incredibly picturesque.

We left Pescara late in the morning and arrived at S.Stefano around noon. We were meeted and greeted by Luisa, a lovely receptionist of the Sextantio Hotel and taken to Il Cantinone for our aperitivo.

As soon as we entered the room we were all captivated by the beauty of it. The cosy wine cellar was the perfect way to kick off our visit of Sextantio. Sextantio is a brand new boutique concept where bits of the hotel are spread around the micro-village.The philosophy behind the restoration project is to revive old traditions mantaining the rustic simplicity of the Medieval charm but with modern luxury incorporated.

After a delicious aperitivo we were taken to La Locanda Sotto Gli Archi, the hotel restaurant, for an amazing meal, carefully prepared for us by the chef Niko Romito.

I loved everything about lunch, the food, the atmospheare, even the ceramic water glasses and jugs, not to mention the fact that our beloved George Clooney had lunch here while filming The American.

After lunch our tour-guide Vanessa showed us around and told us all the secrets and stories about the village. It was fascinating to listen to her.

We finished the tour yet again eating and drinking in the Tisaneria, or Tea Room, where we tasted herbal infusions and local cakes.

Before leaving we asked if we could see any of the hotel rooms. Thankfully one room was free and we were invited to see it; that's when I decided that Rob and I will have to go back for a romantic weekend.

The simplicity, yet the elegance, of these rooms are just what I look for in an hotel and I would love to have the opportunity to spend a night, or perhaps two, in this amazing and unique hotel. See you soon Sextantio, see you soon!

Right Now

2011-07-04T17:23:00.000+01:00

Right now I fancy a trip to Sicily and for the occasion I would be wearing this gorgeous Stella dress.

One Thing In My Mind

2011-06-30T23:35:00.000+01:00

There is only one thing in my mind these days. I can't stop thinking of the wedding.

It was the best day of my life!

Happy Happy Happy

2011-06-14T12:19:00.000+01:00

{photo from here}

I am off to Italy tomorrow and this is how I feel: Happy Happy Happy!

I am happy because I am going home to sunny Pescara; I will hug and see my family and friends; I will go to the beach and tan; I will eat lots of pizza and will enjoy many aperitivi; I will go to my friends' wedding and I will be finalising the details of our wedding. I can't wait! Finally, all the people we love, from different parts of the world, will be gathered all together in the same venue to celebrate with us. I am sure it will be a very touching and fun day and I truly can't wait!

I will be back in a couple of weeks with news and pics of the wedding. Until then, stay cool valeasc readers!

To my colleagues

2011-06-11T23:29:00.001+01:00

On Friday my colleagues organised a trip to the pub in my honour to wish me a nice trip to Italy and a great wedding day. I thought it was such a lovely idea, and I was touched. They gave me a card and a nice gift. This was totally unexpected.

Despite the fact that my blog has got absolutely nothing to do with my day job, and it's most probably of no interest to my colleagues whatsoever, I know that some of them still read it, which I find cute. So you, colleagues-readers, this is for you: Thank you ever so much!

It is so important to work in a nice environment and I am very lucky to have great colleagues to share my day with. If you think about it, we spend an average 35-40 hours per week with our colleagues; that's a lot of time. My job is definitely not the most glamorous one, I have never heard any of my friends saying: "I am so jealous, I wish I had your job!". However, I do have the best colleagues and this is why every day I am happy to go to the office. I know I will smile and laugh, and that's what counts.

Skull Chic

2011-06-10T11:24:00.000+01:00

Skulls have been having a moment in fashion for quite a while now and I am loving this Links bracelet. Quickly added to my wish list!

Also available in grey and fuchsia.

Champagne? Yes, please!

2011-06-09T12:11:00.001+01:00

I seem to have a particular soft spot for Americans. Of course, I love Rob, and he is American; when I moved to Durham, the first girls I got close to were all Americans. And here in London two of my best friends, Steph and Natalie, are American.

Yesterday evening I met with Steph and Natalie for a drink (actually two!) after work; Natalie had my bridal shower gift to give me and I suggested meeting up at this champagne bar I had been wanting to try for quite a while on the fifth floor at Harvey Nichols. And what a great choice that was!

The bar is simply stunning and very girlie. I love the bright pink and green armchairs and the floreal decoration on the ceiling inspired by Emile Gallé's iconic 1902 anemone design for the Cuvée Belle Époque Champagne bottle. We had such a nice time and I know we'll be back! We drank a peachy Bellissimo cocktail and then I opted for an Havana Colada. Both very nice and very summery. It felt to be at the beach for a little while.

While sipping my first cocktail I noticed that someone famous was sitting opposite us. It took me a tiny bit to figure out who she was but then I remembered. Amy Childs from The Only Way is Essex was there and I must say, she looks much nicer in person.

And before you ask: No, I don't watch that show but I had seen her in other TV programmes, I swear!

While making my way to the fifth floor I noticed so many beautiful dresses but the thing that attracted my attention the most was a cheap bottle of Diet Coke. Yes, people, finally something on my wish-list that I can easily afford.

This may be the cheapest Karl Lagerfeld item on sale and I have got my hands on it :)

Luxe Sneakers

2011-06-06T13:59:00.001+01:00

I wear ballerinas pretty much every day; sometimes, however, if my feet are tired or my outfits are a bit more casual, I do enjoy wearing a nice pair of sneakers. I buy a new pair of sneakers every season and now I am in the hunt for a nice pair of summer ones to use as an alternative to my extensive collection of Toms.

This winter, after a bit of searching, I bought this lovely pair by Gucci:

They are quite comfortable and go well with pretty much anything. They have become my official travel shoes.

For summer I'd like something a bit lighter and so far I have spotted this Louis Vuitton number:

I am not 100% sold and am therefore procrastinating the purchase. I have owned a pair of LV sneakers before and I must say they were not very comfortable. These, however, seem ok; I may give it a try.

What do you think? Do you like them? Any other suggestion?

Little Brogues

2011-06-02T14:14:00.001+01:00

I am simply obsessed with brogues. I have them in every possible colour and always want more. I think they are special and always add a unique and quirky touch to all my outfits.

At Joules there are some lovely brogues for little ones; if I had a daughter, I'd be ordering them right now!

New Zealand in my mind

2011-05-31T23:09:00.000+01:00

We are not going to leave for our honeymoon until the end of October but it's hard not to think about it. I want to start a honeymoon wish list now so that I will be prepared when I'll have to pack :)

This Tory Burch dress is coming with me!

My Stockholm

2011-05-30T17:24:00.000+01:00

Several friends who got married recently recommended taking a pre-wedding trip somewhere to relax and unwind a month or so before the wedding day, so Rob and I were happy to follow their suggestion and took a short trip to Stockholm.

We both really liked the city and these are the things we would recommend:

1. Gamla Stan: this is probably the most peculiar and authentic of all the islands Stockholm is built on. By the way, did you know that Stockholm is made of 14 islands? This certainly makes the city one of the most intriguing I have ever visited. Gamla Stan is the old part of the city, and like any old part of any city, it is the most interesting one. Here you will enjoy the narrowest streets with the most colourful and beautiful buildings. The main square, Stortorget, is simply a gem.

2. Another island I really loved is Djurgarden. This used to be a royal hunting ground and now that it's open to everybody it is the city's greenest space and the most visited one on sunny Sundays. Here you'll have to visit the Skansen, a lovely open-air museum and definitely the Vasamuseet, a must in Stockholm. I rarely get impressed, I must say, but this left me speechless! While wandering around the park, take a break in the most lovely cafe' serving the most delicious homemade cakes: Bla Porten.

3. Visit as many tube stations as you can. They all have some art hidden on the platforms. I loved the white and blue cave at T-Centralen.

4. For some authentic Swedish food head to Nalen. I believe I had the best salmon in my entire life there. And speaking of restaurants, you must book a table at the super cool Gondolen. A tip: book a table as late as you can if you visit Stockholm in summer and you'll get the most romantic and amazing sun-set view. Our table was booked for 9.30pm and the sun was about to set.

I am sure there is more that I could recommend but this is it for now. I'll probably go back and tell you more...

You Are Invited

2011-05-25T11:58:00.001+01:00

As promised, here are some pictures of our wedding invites.

Since we got engaged I knew I would design our wedding invitations. And what a responsibility that is! I first looked for inspiration and then played around with a dozen of styles. I knew I wanted something simple but fun, elegant but not stuffy. I love polka dots and I should have known that I would end up using them. As for the colours, gray had to be one option since our Save the Date cards were all white and gray and I wanted to do something in line with that as I love gray in general, I think it's such an understated, classy and simply lovely colour. I even contemplated the idea of having a monochrome invite but somehow I felt that I needed a splash of colour. As I don't really have a colour theme for the wedding, I thought green would be the best choice as it naturally appears in the flower arrangements. With time, I have discovered that green will be the colour of the night anyway: My mum will be in green and as far as I understand half of the girls will be wearing green too!

The design was then letterpress printed on a vintage Heidelberg press on a thick (425gsm) Saunders 100% cotton paper by the lovely people at Blush Publishing who did an amazing job, I think.

Final touches were the customised stamps from the Royal Mail and the beautiful calligraphy work by njw.

So, you are the judges. Do you like them?

Have you designed your wedding invitations? Did you feel the pressure? I'd love to hear your stories.

Such a Lovely Touch

2011-05-24T15:38:00.001+01:00

Now that all my guests (well, I have heard from 90% of them) have received their invites, I can finally reveal some pictures.

A month ago, while stressing over things at work (I am sure!), I received this lovely picture from the ever so nice and super professional people at Blush showing my wedding invites on the press.

I thought it was such a lovely touch and I can't speak highly enough of these people. I had a blast designing my wedding invites and am definitely going to use Blush again. Thank you guys!

More pics of the invites coming up.

RED Valentino

2011-05-23T15:36:00.000+01:00

On Saturday Rob and I headed to Westfield for some good shopping. I hadn't been there in a while and was pleased to see some new shops. The one that really blew me away was certainly RED Valentino. The collection is so sweet and girlie and I would have loved to splash some money on a dress but unfortunately they didn't have anything in my size.

These are the three dresses I selected:

The Brickhouse

2011-05-21T19:42:00.001+01:00

I have been wanting to write a post about this place since the moment I booked a table; however, now that we have been, I am not quite sure I'll be able to write too many positive things about it.

To celebrate Rob's birthday I booked a table at The Brickhouse expecting a nice four-course meal and some good burlesque entertainment. After all these people have entertained the Arctic Monkeys! The Brickhouse is located in the ever so bustling Brick Lane; a welcoming red velvet curtain is the first thing you spot when you arrive and our taxi driver didn't fail to mention his excitement for "old style places", another word for brothels, I suspect.

Inside the Brickhouse is anything but old style; minimalistic, black and white furniture and a very modern cocktail bar with a wide range of cocktails are there to make you feel at home.

When I booked, I asked for a nice table, specifying that we were celebrating a birthday. They took my request quite literally and we were seated in the front row, right below the stage. This meant that Rob was quite the centre of attraction and touched and sung to from the performers. And I am not quite sure he liked that.

The food was ok. Nothing amazing but fine. My favourite course was the appetiser; I chose a lovely chicory, walnut, stilton and pear salad. My main course, a broad bean, peas and mushroom risotto was acceptable but not great, while the pannacotta was a big disappointment. On a positive side, I really appreciated the rasberry palate cleanser and the cocktails were divine.

While dining we were entertained by Lady Beau Peep and The League of the Extraordinaire. While I enjoyed some parts of the show, I don't mind saying that this wasn't the best burlesque show I have been to. One part of the show even annoyed me, in fact, it bothered Rob too: one of the performers was dressed in a sado maso red mask and black latex trousers and was chained. I really don't like that kind of stuff and I couldn't see the connection with burlesque. Thankfully, his part didn't last long.

Overall we had a pleasant night out and it was nice to dress up and celebrate Rob's birthday out. However, I am not sure I would recommend the Brickhouse to my friends. There are better similar places in town.

Heading home I had a thought: how long do you think it would take to try every single restaurant in London? If only I had the time and money...

Two Things

2011-05-20T10:32:00.001+01:00

My birthday is not for a while but there is no harm in starting a birthday wish list now, right?
Two things I'd love to receive:

These super sweet ballerinas by Tory Burch.
And this amazing bag by Stella. I really need another black bag :)

Taking notes, people?

W London

2011-05-19T21:46:00.001+01:00

Last Sunday Rob and I went with some friends to the new and glamorous W Hotel in Leicester Square and loved it.

The atmosphere is very cool and groovy. The hall is full of glittery disco balls and the lounge is very welcoming. The drinks were delicious, one round wasn't enough!

The hotel also has a fabulous spa and my friend Steph and I are planning a girlie, pre-wedding evening together there. Can't wait!

Machiavelli

2011-05-17T14:33:00.002+01:00

Last week I tried Machiavelli for lunch with my friend Lucia and we both loved it. Machiavelli opened just a month ago in Long Acre, very close to my office, and I have been meaning to go since the day it opened.The interiors attracted my attention and I had a feeling that the food would be good too.

The cafe' is on two floors. We were seated downstairs in a lovely off-cream and very relaxing room. The food was simply delicious; we had a trio of bruschette and then we shared a mouth-watering prawn lasagna and a very good squid fregola pasta.

Machiavelli is certainly not a cheap option for lunch but I will definitely go again, perhaps for another girlie catch-up.

The Kooples

2011-05-15T11:53:00.000+01:00

Don't you just love The Kooples?

A must have for me that I hope to add to my collection soon is this amazingly neo-romantic skull top.

Opinion

2011-05-14T22:06:00.000+01:00

I am window shopping exhausted! Rob and I wandered around London all day today looking for a few things, one of these being a dress I could wear at my parents' Welcome Aperitivo party the night before the wedding (yes, I am still looking!).

I saw this little number and personally like it, it makes me think a lot of my parents' garden in Spring with all the cherry trees in blossom. Rob, however, didn't like it as much as me, so I am asking you: do you like it? Should I buy it? Do you think it would be a nice thing to wear for a bride-to-be? I am thinking to accessorise it with a white flower in my hair and glittery black shoes. Need your opinion. Thanks!

It's Getting Real

2011-05-09T17:05:00.002+01:00

Last weekend I celebrated my hen party in London with a very nice bunch of girlfriends. This, more than the civil ceremony, made me realise that it's getting real, Rob and I are getting married in a month!

My friends organised a wonderful weekend together and I couldn't have asked for a better hen party. It was lovely, it was fun, it was tasteful, exactly what I wanted.

We started the celebration with an Afternoon Teaser at the Volupte. While enjoying a traditional high tea with sandwiches, champagne, scones, meringues and more we were entertained by some talented burlesque performers. I think we all agreed that Amber Topaz was the best, although Matt Ricardo the magician was incredibly funny and my friend Ambra even said that she could marry a man like him.

The show lasted about two hours. We then jumped into our taxis and headed to My Chelsea Hotel, a very girlie boutique hotel in the heart of Chelsea where we had a beauty and spa themed bridal shower. I was treated with luxurious gifts from Liberty and Penhaligons (Thank you friends!) and received a facial with peeling and mask. It was very relaxing and so much fun.

The hotel was very cute, very small and perfect for our purpose. We spent a couple of hours chatting, sipping tea and relaxing in my room. We then got ready for dinner and headed to the hotel bar where we enjoyed Cosmopolitan and Mojito cocktails.

We ended the evening with a nice meal at the hotel restaurant with more chats and laughs.

I am so very lucky: I had the perfect hen party with the perfect company and went to bed so full of joy and touched. Sunday morning we all had breakfast together and then it was time to say goodbye and see you soon in June in Italy for the big day!

Thank you all for making my hen party a day I'll never forget! I love you all!

Fancy denim

2011-05-09T11:57:00.000+01:00

Ever thought a denim dress could be so classy? I love it!

Oh My...!

2011-05-01T11:28:00.000+01:00

How cool are these Marc Jacobs sandals??! Want them!

Disappointment

2011-04-30T14:47:00.003+01:00

I bought this gorgeous dress on asos a couple of days ago and was really hoping it would fit nicely as it would have been a great option to wear while in Italy this summer. I was a bit hesitant at first as I have never worn a bare back dress before but since it's completely covered in the front, it didn't seem too scandalous to me and I was happy to give it a try.

The model is apparently wearing a UK size 8, so I ordered the same. thinking that it would fit but perhaps it would be a bit longer on me as I am not 180 cm tall! It arrived yesterday and this morning I had to return it. The dress is even more beautiful in person, the 3D sequin flowers are simply wonderful, but unfortunately the back is not the only thing that was completely exposed, so were my side boobs.

Why didn't they design the dress a bit more covered in the back? It would have still been fantastic! So disappointed!

Stockholm Getaway

2011-04-29T19:28:00.000+01:00

Rob and I will be going to Stockholm at the end of May as a little getaway before the wedding. I didn't realise how expensive hotels are in this city. I am still looking but this is on top of my list. It's very quirky and arty, right up my street!

Have you been to Stockholm? Any suggestions? What should we see? Where should we eat?

I am very excited and am sure it will be wonderful to take a little trip to such a cool city just a month before the wedding. It will be relaxing and inspiring!

London Beach

2011-04-29T14:27:00.003+01:00

We have been blessed with amazing weather lately. It was particularly hot over the Easter weekend, it's a bit chillier now and cloudy today but overall we can't complain and we haven't seen a drop of rain in weeks!

Last weekend Rob and I took a stroll to our beloved Southbank to find a nice surprise. The riverside has been turned into a lovely beach town. It felt to be home in Pescara and I loved it! A few pics for you.

Fingers crossed it stays like this for a while...

Cute Dress

2011-04-26T23:08:00.000+01:00

I haven't been to Topshop in a while...time to pay a visit? Love this cute dress.

Special Moments

2011-04-21T15:08:00.001+01:00

{photo from here}

Yesterday afternoon I had my first dress fitting. My mum and nana flew from Italy for the occasion and I was very happy to have them around for this special moment. All day I kept thinking of the dress and imagining myself wearing it. I was so concerned I wouldn't like it anymore or worse that it wouldn't fit me well. I left work early and headed to Sloane Square where I was supposed to meet with mum and grandmum to go to the shop. When I arrived they were waiting for me and grandmum was holding a vase of wonderful lily of the valleys. Their smile when they saw me touched me. We were all very excited and perhaps emotional too.

Trying on my dress was a beautiful experience and thankfully I liked it even more than when I bought it, now over four months ago. We all cried, even the shop assistant. It is a very special moment when you wear your wedding gown for the first time, it was special for me but it must be even more special for a mother to see her daughter wearing a white dress and for a grandmother to see her granddaughter all grown up and ready for the big day.

I am very close to my mum and grandmum and I am very happy we get to share moments like this. I love it when the three of us are together, cooking, crafting or simply chatting. Three generations in one room. And I hope to be lucky enough to add the fourth generation into our little circle soon; I know grandmum would love it!

Once Upon A Time...

2011-04-18T19:13:00.001+01:00

Rob and I went back to lovely Durham after over seven years since our Master's days and spent a wonderful long weekend strolling around and revisiting all the *scenes of the crime*! It was incredibly romantic to go back to where we met and I found it particularly emotional to go now, just a couple of months before our wedding.

We stayed at the lovely Marriott Durham and had a wonderful and relaxing time wandering around this fairy-tale town. Durham really is magic and for us it will always be a special place. I can't wait to go back with our kids...one day!

But tell me, where did you meet your partners? I'd love to hear your stories!

Maybe...

2011-04-12T22:30:00.000+01:00

Maybe, I have found the dress to wear at the party the night before the wedding. What do you think? It's very me, I think. Although, I would accessorize it with a different pair of shoes!

SUNday

2011-04-11T12:00:00.000+01:00

Finally, we have been able to join the London cycling gang and I must say, cycling in London is no picnic!

We had a very sunny and warm day on Sunday, so Rob and I decided to hire a bike and wander around our area. We are very lucky to have a docking station right outside our flat; so after spending a few minutes reading the instructions and understanding what to do, we were on our bikes. We went down to the river side, crossed the Tower Bridge and made it to St. Katharine's Docks where we stopped to do some food shopping at Waitrose.

I absolutely loved going around by bike but I must confess that I found it a bit tricky. A) I didn't really know where to go. Please, first time bikers, make sure you remember to keep left, Rob and I had some troubles there. B) Trucks and buses don't really care about you. Make sure you remember that! C) There's too much to admire, crossing the Tower Bridge by bike was very cool but I kept looking around forgetting that I was on the road!

I am sure we'll bike again, especially if we keep getting this amazing weather. Perhaps next time we'll just hire a bike in Hyde Park and enjoy a ride there.

P.S. My legs are sore!

My Lunch Break

2011-04-07T14:00:00.002+01:00

I love Spring lunch breaks! I am very lucky to work next to a park, but then in London you can find a park at every corner. Today I grabbed a bowl of chicken noodles and enjoyed them at the park. Many many other people had the same idea. It was lovely!

Spring Jacket

2011-04-07T11:35:00.002+01:00

I crave this Spring jacket.

If I Could...

2011-04-05T23:55:00.001+01:00

One piece swimsuits are not for me. But if I could wear them, I would definitely buy this one. I love the simplicity of the pattern and the white and pale blue combo just screams Summer!

Mr and Mrs

2011-04-01T22:02:00.000+01:00

The moment we promised eternal love to each other. We are over the moon!

The Benefit of wearing make-up

2011-03-31T22:58:00.000+01:00

Today at lunch break I decided to be brave and go to Benefit to try on some make-up. As you all know by now, I don't wear make-up, never have. I can rock a bright red lipstick but that's all for me. However, the idea of going completely natural on my wedding day is a bit scary; that day I should look as good as possible and my skin should definitely be flawless. They say make-up helps.

A very good friend of mine suggested I'd try Benefit, so I did. I was impressed by how professional and lovely the lady who helped me was. In ten minutes she applied all sorts of things to my face still making me look very natural and best thing of all, I felt comfortable wearing make-up. Long story short, I ended up spending 90£ in make-up, more than I have ever spent in make-up in my entire life.

She first applied this amazing eye-cream to brighten my eyes and fade these huge dark circles that have been with me every day and every night in the last couple of weeks. Then she used this gorgeous foundation faker, so light I didn't even realise I was still wearing it at 11pm in the night. Next was a light touch of concealer, a sugarbomb face powder, some mascara to highlight my eyes and a peachy lip gloss. I was very pleased with the results and I think I may have found another addiction: Benefit products!

Aperitivo Dress

2011-03-28T20:27:00.000+01:00

My parents are organising a Welcome Aperitivo at their house the night before the wedding to welcome all the people coming from abroad. I really like this idea and I think it will help all the foreigners to feel at home and familiarise with all the other English speakers.

While I am quite relaxed about the organisation of this small event, in fact, it will be a very informal, court-yard style party, I am struggling to find the perfect dress.

This one would be absolutely spot on. Too bad with a price tag of 2,990$ I cannot afford it in this world...in my next life I am going to be a spoiled socialite!

First Time At Joules

2011-03-27T12:24:00.000+01:00

It's the first time I buy something at Joules. Isn't this top amazing? I can see myself wearing it with skinny jeans or denim shorts while exploring the beauties of New Zealand on our honeymoon! Yes, we have decided to go to NZ and I can't wait!

A meal NOT for a bride-to-be

2011-03-26T22:15:00.001Z

I was hoping in a sunnier day today to stroll around the Southbank, cross the Millennium Bridge, walk around St. Paul's and then make it to a newish shopping centre, One New Change, that my friend Natalie mentioned to me just a couple of days ago. Instead, it was a quite gloomy and chilly day. This means that I haven't taken any of the pictures I planned to take. Next time.

We originally intended to have lunch at Barbecoa, Jamie Oliver and American chef Adam Perry Lang's restaurant. However, on our way to Barbecoa we were attracted by a sleek burger place, Byron, and deviated there.

After a quick glance at the menu, I opted for a classic cheese burger and courgette fries. Both were delicious, although a bit greasy and heavy.

While devouring my meal, a weird thought hit my mind... as you know by now, if you read this blog, I am getting married in less than three months. I know girls who are getting married in Summer 2012 and are already starving themselves. My guests are on diet. So why on earth am I not concerned about what I eat one tiny bit? I may not put on weight but my skin gets heavily affected by greasy and fried food. In fact, I have a huge pimple on my cheek right now. Why am I not stressing over my weight and look? They say that brides loose a lot of weight in the months before the wedding, I can't say I am experiencing this phenomenon at all. Is it because I am relaxed about it? In fact, am I too relaxed you think? Should I "care" a bit more?

My dress doesn't allow any blemish, it's all silk and it's very thin. And if I won 't be wearing make-up (see previous post), I really cannot afford to have pimples on my face. I may need to add *bride's look* on the list of things to take care of until June 25th :)

Need an Occasion

2011-03-25T17:47:00.000Z

I am loving this dress from BHLDN. I need an occasion to wear it and a couple of hundreds Pounds to spare!

Mum is the Word

2011-03-23T12:24:00.000Z

I am excited to tell you that valeasc products will be displayed and on sale at The Create Mother's Day pop-up shop this weekend. Saturday the 26th and Sunday the 27th make sure you head to Bethnal Green for some mother's day shopping. Your mum deserves the best! See you there!

Asos Love

2011-03-22T17:38:00.000Z

A couple of things I'd like to buy on Asos this month:

{Denim Jacket}

{Ruffle Top}

Make-Up Disaster

2011-03-21T15:06:00.000Z

They say brides should wear make-up and in all fairness, I have never seen a bride without make-up.

I am thirty-one years old and I can say I have almost never worn make-up in my life. I may have applied the occasional eye-shadow in Summer every now and then but nothing major. Oddly, the only thing that I feel comfortable with is red lipstick. So, for me, wearing make-up on my wedding day is threatening, to say the least! Last week I had an appointment with a make-up artist and let me tell you it was a disaster. I explained to the girl that I don't usually wear make-up and most importantly that I don't like make-up. She understood and assured me that she would not mess my face up with a lot of products. She applied foundation and corrector first and then she started working on my eyes. Every now and then she would tell me what she was doing and my friend Ilaria diligently checked her work. Once done she gave me a mirror and that's when I screamed! I couldn't recognise myself. The eye pencil made my eyes look smaller, to me at least, and the whole face expression was different. I didn't like it one bit and I was quite vocal about it.

What should I do? Can I really avoid to wear make-up on my wedding day?

Date Night

2011-03-13T16:29:00.000Z

Rob and I don't really have date nights but we appreciate going out for dinner from time to time and we realise how important it is to keep some sort of romanticism in the relationship.

Last week Rob was away for work from Tuesday to Friday. On Wednesday evening I received a text from him that put me in a rather good mood. It said: Let's go out for dinner on Friday, wherever you want! So, I immediately went to consult my London file to look for the perfect spot. I chose Bistro K. We had never been there before but I trusted Glamour when it said that it is the best restaurant in town for privacy, just what we needed.

The French restaurant is in the heart of South Kensington, an area we don't go to very often. Housed within an Edwardian building, the decor throughout the restaurant is very clean and elegant making it a perfect venue for a relaxing dinner. As with every French restaurant, the menu was a bit difficult to decipher but both Rob and I managed to pick something good. I opted for the set menu (3 courses = £25) which I thought was a rather good deal. We both started with a lovely glass of champagne, we felt to celebrate! And then I had pumpkin voloute' followed by a delicious plaice accompanied with garlic risotto. Unfortunately, and this was a bit disappointing, the only thing that I didn't really enjoy was the dessert. A shame, since I always look forward to a nice dessert at the end of the meal. I had Prune and Armagnac Parfait, I ordered this without even knowing what it would be, exactly, My fault. Rob, instead, opted for pannacotta with rhubarb compote, a much better choice.

However, even if my choice of dessert wasn't the best one, they immediately redeemed themselves when together with the bill, for Rob, they gave me a complimentary box of artisan chocolates. Such a lovely touch!

New Project

2011-03-10T22:06:00.000Z

I have just bought this Martha Stewart Doily Lace puncher and can't wait to work on my next project.

I want to make beautiful cards like these:

Ashley Pahl has an amazing esty shop, one of my favourite, full of cute and lovely items. Lots of inspiration there!

Sweet Dress

2011-03-09T18:37:00.000Z

{Boutique By Jaeger}

I would wear it while holidaying in my hometown, Pescara, Italy.

Spring Outfit #1

2011-03-08T23:19:00.000Z

A couple of months more and I am going to wear something like this. Can't wait for Spring!

Either Way

2011-03-08T17:27:00.000Z

Whether I will be sipping champagne in a winery in New Zealand or enjoying a cocktail at the poolside of the hotel in Santorini, either way I would be choosing this Temperley dress for the first evening out on our honeymoon. Love it!

Is it a sign?

2011-03-07T14:41:00.000Z

The first thing I have seen in the blogosphere today. Is it a sign?

{from here}

Honeymoon Dilemma

2011-03-06T20:39:00.002Z

Rob and I are facing a serious *honeymoon-destination-crisis*. We have been discussing quite a lot about our dream honeymoon destination over the last few weeks, however, we haven't reached a conclusion yet. In fact, we seem more confused now than a month ago. When we first started looking at honeymoon destinations, neither of us had a specific destination in mind; we both wanted a nice location, a place where neither of us had been before and most importantly safe. We originally said "No Europe, No America", simply because we think we would have other occasions to visit these Countries. When the search began, it proved to be quite complicated to find a safe place in this world. Shame. So we found ourselves looking at Australia, New Zealand and the Fiji Islands. After a quick chat with a tour operator, we agreed that Australia wasn't perhaps the right choice for us. Too big to visit in just two weeks. We then opted for a mixture of relaxation and adventure in the Fiji Islands and New Zealand. Not wanting to stress ourselves too much, we then decided to consider New Zealand and New Zealand only. So we settled on two full weeks in New Zealand with a stop over in Los Angeles. Our tour operator worked on a provisional itinerary for us, made a couple of changes to accommodate our requests and then sent it to us. The itinerary is just lovely. However, Rob and I are now having second thoughts about New Zealand all together. It's a very long flight, there will be quite a bit of traveling involved in the two weeks we'll be there, we will need to wait at least until the end of October to wait for Spring/Summer time there (we get married in June!) and it's very expensive. We don't know what to do. We have spent the whole day thinking of options and let me tell you, it's not an easy task to find a place we both agree to visit.

Santorini, Greece, seems to be an exception. We both love it. Santorini has been on my list of places to visit for quite a while and I am surprised I haven't been before. I have been to Greece several times but I have never made it to the Cyclades. I know we said "No Europe" but we could reconsider that...

We have found an amazing boutique hotel, Grace Santorini, that looks exactly like what we are after. What do you think we should do? Two weeks in New Zealand at the end of October/beginning of November or ten days in Santorini (+ other small islands) in July? Otherwise, what else would you suggest?

Manicure: A Five Minute Job

2011-03-03T14:59:00.000Z

Last Saturday Rob and I decided to do some window shopping in our area, although, as you can image, window shopping is never window shopping with me, I always end up buying something, just to feel that it was worth the trip. At some point, we decided to check House of Fraser at Monument and as soon as we entered, a dark suited guy apporached me and asked: "Do you keep your nails natural"? I immediately got very concerned about how my nails looked, "he must have noticed that I bite my nails and cuticles," I thought. So, I laughed and answered affirmatively. He immediately grabbed my hand and started filing my nails. I was about to ask him to stop when I saw how shiny the nails were. I was impressed. So, I allowed him some extra minutes to talk me through the Gadi 21 Minerals Kit, while Rob started rolling his eyes, he knew what would happen next. Long story short, yes, I did buy the kit; in fact, Rob bought it for me.

I have tried the kit at home a couple of days ago for the first time and it's magic: five minutes and you'll have amazing nails and hands. Perfect for me: I don't have time to get my nails done professionally and I don't have the patience to do a decent job on my own at home. This kit is just what I needed: natural but beautiful and healthy nails, you don't even need to apply nail polish, isn't it wonderful!?!

Liberty for Comic Relief

2011-03-02T12:30:00.000Z

My contribution to Comic Relief this year has been this wonderful Liberty scarf. I am tempted to buy a few for next year's Christmas gifts!

The Folly Bar

2011-03-01T23:45:00.000Z

Tonight it was Girls Dinner Out. First of all, let me say, I love girls dinners out; I love hanging out with nice friends, having a drink, letting my hair down and chatting and chatting and chatting! We meet every first Tuesday of the month and we pick a different restaurant every time. It sounds like we have been doing this for ages while, in fact, we have just started. Tonight we celebrated our third girls dinner out and we could have not picked a better place. The Folly Bar, to put it simply, is just my cup of tea. The ambiance is amazing, a mixture of bohemian, shabby chic and modern all together. The venue is quite big and is furnished in a wonderful and quirky way, with a fantastic attention to detail. We were sitting at this very long picnic table with benches covered with bright pink cushions. The food was quite good too, I had a delicious lobster risotto but I want to go back to taste one of their burgers and fries, definitely fries, which they serve in terracotta vases. I will certainly go back.

One piece of advice: make sure you book a table as no matter how big this place is, it gets packed!

Oscars: What are you wearing?

2011-02-27T20:05:00.001Z

I am still a bit undecided, but I think I will go with this Roksanda Ilincic beautiful gown. So effortlessly elegant. I wish...

Package Of The Day

2011-02-26T23:04:00.000Z

It's no surprise that I enjoy shopping online and if there is a good deal out there, you can be sure I am on it. I receive packages on a regular basis at work, certainly more than any other colleague. In fact, if the others receive a package, it's usually work related stuff or at the very least a book. My latest purchase comes from my very beloved Orla Kiely. I may not live in a wonderful flat but that doesn't mean I shouldn't try to make it nicer!

Next package on the way!

Three Countries, One Wedding

2011-02-25T14:46:00.001Z

Rob and I are getting a bit lost. Organising a wedding is always a difficult task so imagine how much more complex it is to organise a wedding between two people from two different Countries, who now live in a third Country, but who will get married in another one. Are you confused? So are we! There is so much bureaucracy, so many things to do, so many directions to take. I am trying to stay calm but I can't wait to be done with this part and go back to the fun bits. I have still got shoes to buy, head-bands to look at, make-up to choose, flower arrangements to experiment...so much to do!! And today we are at minus-four months! Getting close!!

Valentino, I adore you

2011-02-23T13:18:00.000Z

How simply fantastic is this dress from Valentino SS 2011?

London Fashion Week is here, just a couple of blocks from my office and...YES, I wish I was there!