Inspired Idea: You and The Sea

Sometimes the most unlikely pairings make the best combinations (Harold and Maude. Need I say more?). In this case, seashells and sparkly costume jewelry.
One of my girlfriends has recently been redecorating her beach house and used this lovely pairing as an alternative vase filler. Instead of filling vases and apothecary jars with standard flowers or pebbles, try surprising the eye with something interesting that reflects you and the space.
Her beach house has a light and airy yet glamorous feel with a touch of French countryside casual, so this seaside-bijoux combo is perfect for the space. If shells and sparkles aren’t your thing, get creative and mix up some tiny treasures that make you smile.
Here are a few suggestions to keep in mind when filling apothecary jars and vases:

1. Keep like colours together.
2. Remember scale. Try not to combine huge pieces with tiny bits—it usually doesn’t work.
3. Use larger items for larger vases and smaller fillers for smaller vases.
4. Group like-object filled vases together. Better yet—group filled jars or vases in odd numbers (like groups of three) and varied sizes for a stronger effect. 
5. Opt for simplicity. If you mix too many things together, it gets busy. Stick with one to two item combos.

Do you have a cool filler combination to share? If so, send me your ideas and I will feature my favourite in a follow up blog. Brownie points for picture submissions!

Saskia XO

The 100th Anniversary of The Titanic

At 11.40pm on the night of 14 April 1912, en route to New York and on her maiden voyage, the RMS Titanic struck the iceberg that would ultimately lead to her sinking less than 3 hours later. At around 2.20am on the morning of 15 April, RMS Titanic disappeared beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, a disaster that resulted in the loss of more than 1,500 lives, almost two-thirds of the people on board. 


As a tribute to this centenary year, myself and a couple of my girlfriends went to see the new movie which came out in 3D. Although the movie is absolutely heartfelt and devastating enough already....it can never aim to capture the sorority of the actual event. Therefore, as a lover of the film (and a complete and utter history geek...yes), I went home to google the facts about what the event really mounted too.


Here's what I found:

• There were 6 ice warnings received by Titanic on the day of the collision. They were all ignored by the wireless operator who was preoccupied with transmitting passenger messages. On the night of the collision, because the moon was not out, and the water was so still, it was very difficult to see the iceberg. A less calm water would have caused breakers around the iceberg making it easier to see it from afar.
• The iceberg that the Titanic struck was not a very big one. It did not even come up as high as the bridge of the ship.
• An iceberg exposes only 1/10th of it's mass above water. With the other 9/10ths of it's mass below water, It makes them impossible to budge. Even with a force of a ship like the Titanic.

Collision / Damage

• The Titanic was traveling 22.5 knots while cruising through iceberg laden waters. Just .5 knot from her maximum speed capability.
• Murdoch (the captain), had ordered the engines reversed which had, ironically, sealed the Titanic's doom. Like all ships, the Titanic turned more quickly the greater her forward motion. Had the Titanic proceeded ahead and turned, it is most likely that she would have avoided hitting the iceberg all together.
• Though the damage in the hull was 220 to 245 feet long, the most recent evidence shows that there was only a 12 square foot opening (the size of a refrigerator) in the hull allowing water inside the ship.
• The "watertight" compartments of the Titanic's hull were not actually watertight. They were open at the tops, which aided in her demise.
• The ship could have stayed afloat had only four compartments flooded... Five became flooded.

Survivors / Casualties

• 1,503 people total died, including passengers and crew.
• Only 705 people survived.
• 1,178 lifeboat seats were carried aboard.
• 2,208 lifeboat seats were needed.
• One of the first lifeboats to leave the Titanic carried only 28 people; it could have held 64 people.
• There were 472 lifeboat seats not used.
• 300 dead bodies were pulled from the sea the next morning. They were found floating in their life-jackets. Many other floating bodies were not found because they had drifted off.
• There were many dogs aboard the Titanic. Two of the dogs survived.
• Charles Joughin was the only person to survive the ice cold Atlantic water...He reportedly had been drinking heavily.
• Of children fatalities, only 1 child from first class died, while 49 children from steerage died.
   

The Final Moments

• The band played music up to the last few minutes before the ship went under. None survived.

Titanic Today

• The Titanic lies 12,600 feet (over 2.33 miles) at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
• Because the front section of the Titanic went down nose first, the bow is buried 60 feet below the ocean floor. The huge gash is also buried. (Recent technology has allowed visual access to the damaged area of the hull)
• The Titanic was rediscovered on July 14th, 1986. 74 years after it sank.
• Since the death of Millvina Dean, May 31st of 2009, there are no longer any living survivors of the Titanic tragedy. Millvina Dean was just nine weeks old at the time of the Titanic's sinking.

My prayers and thought are with all of the victims in the devestating event.


I hope this post was somewhat interesting! Enjoy the rest of your weekend :-)


Saskia XO

Friday Favourites!

Happy Friday the 13th! I hope your “unlucky” day actually turns out to be extra fabulous. Here are some of my favourite recent finds to make you smile as you head into the weekend. Enjoy!

Favourite Quote:

Favourite Combo (knit+gold):

Favourite Treat:

Favourite Dream Bathroom:

Favourite Photograph:

What was your favourite find this week?

Have a wonderful weekend!

Saskia XO

Fall in Love with....The Tuxedo Jacket

Designers rolled out their best le smoking jackets last spring, so this year take advantage of this femme fatale trend by sporting a tuxedo jacket for both casual and formal outings. Like a classic blazer, the tux is versatile and really easy to wear.

Longer and more relaxed styles are ideal for daytime when paired with a long tunic and skinny jeans. For more elegant events, opt for a tailored tux with a sharper fit.


The great thing about tuxedo jackets is you can pair them with matching trousers for a full-blown tux effect, or you can mix it up by wearing them with contrasting separates. In some cases, it’s even fun to layer a tuxedo jacket over a lightweight (or cocktail) dress depending on the colours and fabrics you are working with.


If you decide to give the tux trend a spin, I suggest balancing the masculinity of the jacket with ultra feminine touches such as a red lip, pink nails or a pair of sparkly heels.


Here are some links to a few tuxedo jackets I am currently eyeing…
BCBG Novelty Tuxedo Jacket
Haute Hippie Oversized Tuxedo Jacket 
ADAM Cropped Tuxedo Jacket 
Rag & Bone Wool & Cotton-Blend Tuxedo Jacket
Top Shop Black Satin Collar Tux Jacket

Have you tried this trend before? If so, share the links to your favourite tuxedo jackets in the comments below or tell me which of my selections (above) you like best.




Saskia XO

Slim Tip: Surviving the snack Attack!

When it comes to snacks, most people instantly think, “Chips! Cookies! Oh goody—pudding cups!” No. That’s what I call a “snack attack.” Snacks are not meant to be mini-meals. They are supposed to tide you over until your next meal. The silver lining? They can actually help you achieve a slimmer shape. Snacks prevent overeating come mealtime. I honestly snack all day long. It helps me stay satisfied. (Don’t you always make the worst diet decisions when you’re famished? I do.) Needless to say, instead of starving yourself between each meal, have a nutritious snack. It will help get your metabolism pumping and your body burning calories too.


Instead of those chips and pre-made snack packs, opt for one of my favourite healthy snack 
suggestions:

Grapes & Grahams: Take one graham cracker and split it into two squares. Spread each square with a light layer of cream cheese. Then sprinkle eight halved grapes over the top. It sounds strange, but it’s so delicious!


                          





















Pear/Apple & String Cheese: To curb your sugar cravings, have a piece of fruit with a side of cheesy protein (my favourite type of protein). Cheese is packed with calcium and according to good old WebMD, calcium “can help adjust your body’s fat-burning machinery.”

      

Greek Yogurt: Have a cup of Greek yogurt. If it’s plain, drizzle a little agave nectar over it and top it off with a few berries or slivered almonds. Greek yogurt is packed with protein, which will keep you feeling 
full. Plus it has a lot of calcium too!

                          

Hummus & Veggies: This is my favourite snack. The hummus is made from chickpeas, which is rich in protein and fibre. It’s low fat and filling. Perfection!

What’s your favourite snack?

Upload and submit a photo of your favourite healthy snack with a caption explaining the ingredients. I’ll feature my favourite submissions in a follow up post!

Saskia XO

Closet Colouring

One of my favourite ways to update a space is with paint. It can completely transform a room and it’s relatively inexpensive if you do the painting yourself. For most people though, the challenge isn’t the actual painting, it’s picking the colour.

A few days ago I was talking with an interior decorator that said before she paints someone’s home, she goes into their closet and looks at all the colours they wear. Because we tend to buy colours that compliment our own skin tone, we also gravitate to similar shades when decorating our home. Based on the colours she discovers in their closet, she is then able to help them select the perfect paint colour. This makes sense because if you’re going to be surrounded by a colour, it’s going to reflect on you a bit. And who doesn’t want to look their best in their own home? In a nutshell, you should pick paint colours that compliment both your skin tone and your closet.

I thought this was really interesting and figured you might find it helpful too. I honestly never thought of it! Once I finally selected a paint colour for my room, guess what I did? Went into my closet to make sure it went with all my clothes, of course…

What colour are your walls? If you were to paint them a colour, what would it be?

In case you’re wondering, I went with a really pretty blush colour for my wallpaper. Surprise, surprise…

Saskia XO

Mani Monday!

Morning bloggers of the vast and ever wonderful blogging universe!
Today, I would normally be a bit down, as I am sure most of you out there would have been engulfed by the Monday Morning Blues...however this particular Monday is bank holiday!! So in order to reflect my somewhat happier mood, check out these fondant fancies....

Cheetah print nails have been around for some time now but I have never actually done a tutorial on them. I got a lot of requests after last week’s Mani Monday heart tutorial, so I'm going for it...after all it is bank holls!
TOOLS: 2 toothpicks, black nail polish (American Apparel “Hassid”), gold nail polish (American Apparel “Gold Flash”), clear coat.
PREP: Use any colour your want on the base of your nails. Make sure they’re fully dry before starting on these spots.

1. Take your toothpick and tap it on the table or counter a few times to flatten out the tip. That will make your toothpick more like a dotting tool. Flattening the tip will help you pick up a little more nail polish.
2. Create two little puddles using the gold and black. (Dipping your toothpick in the nail polish bottle is quite messy and you don’t want to leave your nail polish bottle open for too long either.)
3. Dip your toothpick into the gold and make a messy oval “blob” shape on your nail.
4. After the gold dries, surround them with black. Leave an opening between the black here and there.
5. Now let’s see it closer up! Free-hand a gold “blob” shape.
6. After it dries, take black and start surrounding the shape on one side. Think of it like putting messy parenthesis around your gold blob.
7. Now do your messy parenthesis shape on the other side. You can even join them together on one side if you want.
8. Do assorted shapes. Leave various gaps in the black polish. None of the spots should look the same. Once everything is dry, go over the spots with a top coat.

Nail strips are great in cheetah print as well, but so often the stores run out of that pattern. Hopefully this will come in handy! Please tweet me some photos of your spots @misssaskiax

Happy Bank-Holiday-ing!

Saskia XO