Tangerine fever

I´ve already shared my current obsession with the orange color here (and this blush is just the perfection, I swear :) 

I find this color wonderfully refreshing, plus it´s a perfect hue for the upcoming spring & summer. I know that it´s not the easiest shade to pull off, but if you can find the perfect tone for your complexion, it will illuminate your face and boost your mood.

You can opt for a total look or tone down this vibrant hue with some black accessories. But it´s much more fun to try on one of the hottest S&S 2011 trends: color block. Pair your tangerine dress with a pink cardigan and turquoise wedges for a playful and feminine look. Or wear orange trousers with a green top and a violet clutch for a more casual feel. A swipe of bold orange lipstick will be the perfect finishing touch. 

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A few words

 

We have more in common that I would have expected :) 

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Orange flush

(Photos by Zimbio)

For me, orange color has always evoked spring, flowery meadows and beautiful sunny days. And since yesterday, spring has officially arrived here, I can begin to really enjoy all the bold and optimistic colors which are connected to this time of year. 

It seems that the orange will be one of my favorite colors all this season, not only in clothing but in the make-up as well. When I stumbled upon this photo of Leighton Meester a few days ago, I was positively enchanted. The combination of smoky eyes, nude lips and bold orange blush is wonderfully fresh and a little bit surprising. The orange blush will be a great alternative to my favorite (but too classic) pink Chanel, and I can´t wait to recreate this make-up on my own. This is already on its way from the Sephora :) 

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Wonderful little things

(Sweet reward after an exhausting day at work) 

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Orange & cocoa cake

It´s no secret that I´m an absolute chocolate fan. I need to have a little bit every day, otherwise my brain refuses to work properly :) Of course, it also means that I´m a sucker for any chocolate cake that passes me by. So when I stumbled upon the recipe for this great orange & chocolate cake, I knew I had to prepare it as soon as possible. 

The perfect occasion came during the weekend spent at my brother´s place in Czech republic, and the cake was as good as I had expected. The marriage of cocoa and orange flavors was just delicious, and the little pieces of chocolate (that hadn´t melted in the oven!) brought this simple cake to the perfection. 

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Couldn´t say it better myself :)

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Lace secret no. 3

First of all, I´d like to thank you for all your sweet comments, I loved to read each and every one of them! Today, I´m finally bringing you the last part of my lace trilogy. 

I think that the white lace is the trickiest one to pull off, as it can look too bridal or "country girl". The best way is to tone it down with a tailored black blazer and black pumps (like Keira Knightley); or with some black opaque tights and ankle booties (courtesy of Emily Blunt). 

If you prefer some bolder combinations, you can add a pop of color to your outfit with a wide red belt, beautiful strappy sandals and a cute headband.

So, what do you think? Which lace color do you prefer? Are you going to shop for some gorgeous lace pieces just like me? :)

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Lace secret no. 2

I started my little lace series on Friday with nudes and pastels, and today I bring you the second, darker part.  

Black lace is one of the most feminine and sexy fabrics ever. It looks wonderful day & night, and you can combine it with any other colors. But it still looks its best all alone :) 

Add some nude heels for a soft, feminine feel, or try to pair it with some statement shoes like Sarah Jessica Parker, to add a pop of color to your outfit.

Number 11 is my secret favorite: I would pair it with a showstopping red pencil skirt and a black top. What do you think?

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Lace secret no.1

It seems that the winter is still not going away (it snowed AGAIN this morning, frankly, it´s insane!!!). However, I´ve been trying to forget the cold by diving head first into the spring fashion trends. And I´m sure that we have a lot to look forward. Spring will be optimistic, full of flowers, bold color combinations, crisp white, showstopping metallics and romantic lace.
For me, the lace is one of the hottest spring trends. However, forget the uptight victorian era, in 2011 the lace is modern and sexy. 
I´ve picked for you the best pieces in three colors. I start with the soft nude tones that are perfect for combinig with black and rock accessories: cream dress with a wide belt and strappy sandals; chiffon blouse with dark skinny jeans and sky-high stilettos.
Next time I´ll bring you some sexy black lace. Keep tuned :)

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A mole in the kitchen

I´ve never really been a fan of "baking out of the box". I´ve always thought that the baking mixes are sort of cheat, or something for the lazy people (and no offense there, I´m just widely known to always choose the harder path :). After a few unsuccessful experimentations with the baking mixes I still stick to this opinion, however, there is one major exception to this rule: Dr. Oetker´s Mole-hill. 

Its preparation is quite fast and amazingly simple. The combination of cocoa, whipped cream and bananas is delicious, and it makes our place smell wonderfuly. Plus it´s really funny, don´t you think?   

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Lively Chanel

(Photo source: InStyle)

When I first heard the information about Blake Lively becoming the new face of Chanel Mademoiselle handbag line, I was thoroughly excited. I think it´s really a great idea: for me, Blake is one of the most beautiful and the best dressed girls out there, and she´s always been a great style inspiration. 

I was really impatient to see the pictures, and now that one photo is finally out, I´m really convinced that Blake is the best choice for Chanel. The campaign was shot (as always) by the great Karl Lagerfeld himself, Blake is really beautiful, and I´m not even talking about that GORGEOUS bag! I´d swap my place with Blake anytime :) 

What do you think? Do you like the new Chanel campaign? Do you think that Blake was the best choice for this amazing handbag line?

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Wonderful little things

(Sweet treat: delicious French pastries)

I can´t help but wonder how fast the last week passed. After my wonderful weekend in Paris I got back to my crazy working pace, but I succeeded in squeezinq another funny activity into my agenda: driving lessons. I´ve been a proud owner of the driving licence for 7 years now, but I had maximum 50km on my odometer :) So I´ve decided to do something about it and I don´t regret it! I´ve been having so much fun, mainly because there´s still an instructor sitting next to me, who can save the situation and prevent me from shooting some random strider :) At least now you know that you have to pay much more attention while driving :)
Here are few more things that made me happy last week. Enjoy!

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Paris staycation

I´ve always liked the idea of staycation: it´s such a great occasion to see your own city in a new, different way. You can rediscover the places you considered too banal and touristic, or the restaurants and cafés you haven´t been to for an eternity...

I´ve enjoyed such a staycation last weekend in Paris, thanks to my best friend Zuzka, who came to visit us. During those three days we enjoyed shopping on Champs-Elysées, we got drenched at Montmartre and hid from the rain in Sacre Coeur, we drank a café au lait in a typical Parisian café, we ate an incredible burger at Indiana, we took our pictures et the bottom of the Eiffel tower, we overate at the best restaurant, Chez Gladines, and we topped it off with a delicious Mont Blanc at Angelina.

Thanks to this great weekend I´ve realized once again how much I love Paris and how wonderful this city is. Pictures as an evidence: 

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Something to think about...

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Brownie hearts

Thanks to my boyfriend the Valentine´s Day has been one of my favorite holidays for almost 3 years now. According to my little survey, people who hate it the most are usually single :) To be honest, I really don´t care if this day came from the Americans or from the Esquimaus, I take it as a great opportunity to tell all the people I love how important they are to me.

You ask, why I´m writing this post at the beginning of March? Since I couldn´t be with my love on February 14, we organized our private Valentine´s day last weekend. I´ve had this recipe in my bookmarks for quite some time, and the combination of chocolate and walnuts in the shape of heart was just the perfect thing for a romantic candle-lit diner. What do you think?

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Wonderful little things

(Great tutti-frutti popcorn that makes me smile even at the end of the longest and the most tiring day)

Thanks to my wonderful weekend in Paris I´m a little bit late on publishing, so I bring you my selection of the wonderful little things only now. 

I love short weeks and long weekends: I always have the impression to be on holidays and I can forget the day-to-day routine, even for a while. I made my short week even better thanks to a small shopping spree and several great finds at Bijou Brigitte. And right now I´m really happy that the days are getting longer, mornings are full of light and I hope that in just a few weeks I´ll be able to get rid of my winter coat and gloves!!!

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Cocoa dreams

I really like to connect food with souvenirs. It always brings me double joy: a great culinary experience and the pleasant memories that come back with the typical meals.

One of my friends at high school used to bring us this grated sweet cottage cheese cake. For me, it has always been connected with loads of fun, laughs and secrets shared behind the school desks. Recently I decided to remember these sweet times, and I wasn´t disappointed. Even after all those years (well, yes, I don´t like to admit it, but the time has passed so fast!!!) it tastes wonderful. It combines perfectly the softness of the cottage cheese with the sweetness of cocoa. And on the top of it, its mouthwatering smell lingered at our place for several hours.

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In love with Zara

It doesn´t happen often that I succumb to the whole designer collection. But when I was flipping through the S/S 2011 shoe collection by Zara, I couldn´t help myself: I wanted everything!!! I´ve always loved Zara shoes (and two pairs are already members of my private collectionJ), but this time I don´t exaggerate when I say that I´m really obsessed! Between beautiful platform pumps, cute ankle booties and summer sandals, I don´t even know where to look first! I´ve chosen a couple of the most beautiful pieces, so judge by yourself: 

A pair of exquisite pumps should have it place in every woman´s closet. They elongate your legs and strengthen your self confidence at every opportunity (validated by everyday life J) I would pair them with monochromatic pencil skirt and chiffon blouse, or with skinny jeans, lace top and black blazer.

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Not so ordinary tiramisu

I simply love Italian cuisine: I collect Italian cookbooks, I could eat pizza at least five times a week and tiramisu is one of my all-time favorite desserts (the best one I´ve ever tasted was in a small Parisian restaurant Croccante).

Thanks to my recent commitment it is not a surprise that I wanted to recreate this delicate dessert from scratch in my own kitchen.  But I was willing to try something new, untraditional, so I chose a recipe with chestnut puree.

The result was just about perfect: sweet and smooth, with a delicate rum flavor.

(one lesson learned: next time I should use more chestnut puree, because its flavor is quite covered by rhum). 

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In the mood for violet

Uniqlo dress, F&F tights, New Yorker belt, Marks&Spencer necklace, vintage pumps, gifted earrings

I´ve already mentioned my current obsession with the violet color several times, so I won´t repeat myself. This dress caught my eyes during my recent trip to London: not only has it had just the right color and pattern, but the perfect cut as well. It looks even better with a wide belt and some chic accessories.

It will be great for long summery walks, but since the patience has never been my strong point, I had to pull it out immediately: complemented by patterned tights and a winter coat, this was just the perfect shopping outfit. 

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Italian Job

A few weeks ago I made a decision to master perfectly the Italian cuisine. I´ve bought several cookbooks, read several blogs, and……hmmmmm, how to say it…..the only thing I master perfectly right now is to devour a large pizza :) Last weekend I finally decided to take a stab at my first Italian meal (and spaghetti doesn´t count!). I´ve prepared simple and delicious roasted choicken rolls and I´m already looking forward to my next Italian culinary experimentations. 

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Sparkling something

Those who know me well always say that a sparkling and colorful costume jewelry is just the perfect gift for me at any occasion. The more sparkling the better :) (I´m quite sure I was a princess in my previous life!). All my favorite pieces come from Bijou Brigitte: they´re not only beautiful, but a good-quality as well (which means that they don´t grow black after two weeks and they don´t loose crystals at any smaller move).

But as I´m a curious woman, recently I´ve decided to explore an unknown territory: costume jewelry e-shops. And I think I´ve found a little treasure. Bizuteria snov exceeded all my expectations: their jewelry is wonderfully colorful and sparkling, their prices are really unbeatable and the delivery was unbelievably fast, including a little gift on the top of everything. What more can I ask for? I thnik I´ve started a new collection with these beautiful pieces:

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Home decor

(A little bit of Paris never goes a miss)

Last weekend I was once again playing with the decoration of my room / office. Until recently I was all about my favorite red color, but as I´ve had a huge obsession with the violet for some time now, lately I was buying mainly violet accessories. Fortunately, red and violet fo very well together, so I didn´t have to toss all my red things to trash :) and I could let my inspiration loose. And the results?

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Pink morning

The song that pulls me out of bed in the morning: excellent!!!

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Sweet weekend

As you´ve surely already noticed, I´m a real sucker for everything that´s sweet and chocolate. I don´t operate well without sugar, and I really love to try on new recipes in my kitchen. Luckily, my boyfriend and my family are so comprehensive, and they help me each time to eat everything that I created :)

Since the last time my cupcakes were a huge success, I´ve opted for a small modification: I´ve added raisins to the vanilla batter which made them it even better. On the top of it, I´ve played a lot more with the decoration. I´ve tried on melted chocolate and hazelnuts, and I´ve discovered wonderful decoration tubes you can use to draw various ornaments. 

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Wonderful little things

(Sweet reward: hot chocolate from Starbucks)

This whole week was in the name of work and administrative stuff: every day can´t by holiday (unfortunately!) I´m so looking forward to the weekend (finally, I won´t have to get up at 6h30!!!) that will be 

filled with shopping, new culinary experimentation and home decoration projects. Great weekend to everybody!!!

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A day without Nutella isn´t a good day!

I have a huge weakness for Nutella, and I believe that I´m not the only one here :) Whenever it appears at our place, there´s a constant danger that I will grab a teaspoon and I won´t stop until the pot is empty...There´s no need to explain that it´s not quite a low-calorie diet! But luckily, the last time I managed to resist the urge to devour half a pound of this delicious thing. I rather decided to prepare simple and delicious Nutella rolls.

I needed:

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Cocktail rings

Cocktail rings have been a fashion staple for quite some time now: they can liven up any outfit, whether it is an LBD or a pair of jeans with a plain tee. A great cocktail ring can even help you start a conversation: it´s able to catch the attention and everybody will ask where you got that gorgeous piece. Great gems can be found not only among golden, platinum or diamond jewelry, but also in the more affordable costume jewelry collections.  My secret favorite is the golden rose from the Flower Collection of Alo Diamonds, but until I´m able to save enough money to buy it, I will certainly find great alternative in the collections of Fashion doplnky or Bizuteria snov.   

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London calling

(Big Ben by night)

London has been on my list of dream destinations for quite some time, and when my boyfriend bought us tickets for a weekend in this dynamic city, I was beside myself with joy! Those two days flied away incredibly fast, but we managed to squeeze an unbelievable amount of activities into those 48 hours: see all the essential monuments, make a good thing of winter sales, have a traditional tea at five o´clock, try on some local culinary specialities, get drenched by the rain, buy a teddy bear that looks entirely like Queen´s Horse Guard (with an identical furry hat!) and get lost in the underground (the one thing I learned: be prepared that the tube lines never work in the same way two days in a row...so be prepared for anything!). I really hope that we´ll be able to go back soon, as we didn´t have time for one really important thing: sales at Harrod´s !!!

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Wonderful little things

Even a simple and classic meal can be presented in an impressive way.

Once again the week flew by with a speed of light, but this time I was really happy about it as I was looking forward to spend the weekend with my love. Those two days seemed to be really short, even if we managed to do a lot of things: two journeys to the Vienna airport, my aunt´s birthday party, even a "trip" to the emergency service (as it seems that I´m simply unable to get rid of my tonsillitis :( 

But thanks to my darling and these little things I was able to keep smiling even when I had to stay in bed with antibiotics.

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Violet sparks

This season, violet is one of my most favorite colors. After my last razzia on sales, I came back home with several pieces in this regal color. But my infatuation didn´t end with clothes and accessories. Two nail polishes (s-he stylezone) ended in my shopping basket: pearly violet n.384 and sparkling violet n.438. Both of them look gorgeous separately, but I decided to try something more sophisticated, and I created my own combination. Here´s how to:

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New look for our chairs

Every once in a while (let´s say, relatively often), I look around my place with an irrepressible urge to redo all the furniture and decoration. My last “victims”?  Our old wooden chairs. They have their age, and even if they were still in a good state, for me they were too plain and dull…they desperately needed to change the look! After flipping through some magazines and short consideration, my choice was made: glossy white color and new upholstery in black-and-emerald combination.  

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Quiche forever

Quiche is one of the first meals I mastered when I moved to France. Quickly enough, it became one of my favorite French meals ever. I haven´t prepared it for my Slovak family until recently and I knew well why: clearly, they´ve all fallen in love with it and now I have to bake it at least once a week :)

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Wonderful little things

This past week was in the name of cleaning out my room. Since it has become my office as well, I needed to reorganize it into a more functional and inspiring space. It meant mainly sorting things out and deciding what would stay and what would go. At the beginning my room was horribly cluttered, but when I put the last bag into garbage, I was really proud of me :)

And since so many of my old things ended in trash, it was a perfect occasion to go out for some shopping and replace the old by something new :)

So here are the things that made me happy this week: 

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Hide and seek

Too many things and too little space…in our place, fighting with the storage space is just perpetual. Luckily, looking for new home improvement ideas is one of my favorite pastimes.

Recently, I looked at the large pile of shoeboxes accumulated on the top of my closet, and I decided to give them a second life. I wanted to make them something more beautiful and useful than simple dust catchers. I needed only a roll of pretty pink-and-violet wrapping paper, some sellotape and a bit of patience. In a few minutes, the dull paper boxes transformed into fancy home accessory, which has been serving me as a temporary nightstand for some time (since I still haven´t found a real one that would fulfill all my expectations). What do you think?

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Cupcakes, what else?

So! I´ve finally made up my mind! And I´m not talking only about the new English version of my blog, but also about my favorite dessert: cupcakes !

I wanted to make my own from scratch for so long, it became ridiculous! I´ve read countless "how to" blog posts, I´ve bought a dozen of cookbooks, and finally I told myself: enough theory, the time has come for the real thing :) After one quick trip to the market, I used the following ingredients:

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