2011 in pictures

I simply can´t believe that the New Year´s Eve is already here. 2011 went away so fast, it´s almost terrifying! It was such a busy and dynamic year full of challenges and changes. I lived in three different coutries, moved to Austria even If I didn´t speak a word of German (but it´s slowly getting better), I started to write articles for Chic Galleria, I got engaged and became blonde. As I say, quite a busy year :) I spent a fair amount of time in the kitchen, developing my passion for cooking and baking. I changed the name and the layout of my blog, and I couldn´t be happier with the results. Santa brought me an amazing Singer sewing machine, and I can´t wait to start designing and sewing my own clothes. I could go on and on, but I prefer to let the photos do the talking. Here is my year in pictures. Ready for the photo galore? You can click on each picture to get back to the corresponding post.

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Friday´s Fancies #28: New Years Eve

New Year's Eve is definitely one of my favorite days of the year. You know me well: I'm not really a big party animal and the best New Year's Eve I can imagine is at home, with my fiancé and my closest family, and with loads of delicious food and champagne bubbles. The thing I love the most is that perspective of a fresh start, that conviction that I can leave the old year behind and look forward to all the fabulous new things that lay ahead! These new beginnings hold so many wonderful promises and I'm ready to believe all over again that everything is possible! Aside from Christmas, for me this is the best time of the year. So why not to celebrate it with style? This week I've completely blown off my Friday's Fancies imaginary budget and I'm really proud of it. Those stunning dresses and fabulous shoes are definitely among the most beautiful things I've seen this year!

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Perfect Party Makeup

I´m still not sure what my New Years Eve outfit will be (nor do I know what I´ll be doing for that matter, my fiancé is taking care of the organization this year so it will be a surprise), but I´m already pretty sure what my makeup will look like. I´m a huge fan of smoky eyes, but I never really got to love the classic, black version. Maybe it´s because it always looks so harsh on me. I love to experiment with various color palettes, and greys and greens are definitely my favorites. This time, I´m going for an unexpected Union Jack combo: silver, blue and a hint of magenta. Can´t wait to see how it turns out! Several coats of jet black mascara are a must, as well as a swipe of fuchsia gloss. Essie´s Size Matters is my new favorite, and it´ll look wonderfully festive with a glittery copper top coat.

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Christmas Green Sparkle

Orsay top, Asos skirt and bag, Dorothy Perkins shoes and belt, Forever 21 bracelets, earrings and necklace, Bijou Brigitte ring

I can hardly imagine Christmas without some sparkle and this beautiful sequined pencil skirt has proven to be surprisingly versatile. I paired it with a simple black top and colorful accessories, but it would look equally fabulous with a crisp white button-down or a sharp black blazer. Do you have your special Holiday go-to outfit?

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Christmas snapshots

To me, Christmas is definitely one of the most wonderful times of the year. I'm always so happy to get back home and spend some time with my little family. I'm more than enjoying the quiet days, the lack of obligations, the fact that I have nowhere to be. For the past few days I've been tasting all the delicious meals and sweet treats, drinking more eggnog than I care to admit, catching up on all my favorite magazines and blogs and reading by the lights of our Christmas tree (this book has really got me captivated!) Here are a few snapshots from my Christmas weekend. I really hope you're all having a fabulous time!

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Merry Christmas!

My dear friends, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas! Enjoy this special time full of happiness and bliss with people you love! 

xx Ivana

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Friday´s Fancies #27: White Christmas

When I arrived to Slovakia yesterday, I was welcomed with a fresh coat of snow, and I couldn't be happier. Christmas without snow is kind of sad and dull since I have so many beautiful childhood memories running around in the garden, making snowmen and snow angels... To celebrate this beautiful white Christmas, I more than enjoyed putting together a fabulous white outfit. I was instantly drawn to this sleek, stunning and feminine dress. To me, it epitomizes Christmas glamour in its most glorious kind. I would accessorize it with a bunch of metallic items and sparkling jewelry. I'm sure that if you appeared dressed like this, nobody would see the Christmas lights :)

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Sweet gifts

You know me well: I´m a huge lover of everything sweet, and baking is one of my biggest passions. 

I´ve always loved the idea of giving home-made sweet treats as a gift. The best part is, you can personalize every package according to everyone´s taste and preferences. These past two weeks 

I´ve been making tons of truffles, like it´s nobody´s business. Chocolate, eggnog, rum, kirsch, you name it. And even if it´s very hard to give them away :), I´ve made a few little packages I´m planning to give to people I love. This is what I call sweet Christmas!

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Eggnog Pralines

I have a huge weakness for truffles and pralines. When you lived in France and Belgium for a few years (like I did) it´s really hard to escape them. But until this Christmas I never ventured into making them from scratch. Maybe I just thought that it would be difficult to make something better than Godiva. But I´ve found a very tempting recipe and since I had a bottle of Mom´s delicious Christmas eggnog in the fridge, I just made the leap. And I couldn´t be more surprised and delighted with the results. The eggnog with pecans make for a delicious combination of flavors and a hint of rum is all it takes to make it perfect. Covered in white and milk chocolate frosting they are almost too pretty to be eaten (but only almost, since they´ve been disappearing pretty fast :) They will surely be part of the special Christmas diner I´m preparing for my fiancé tonight. Since we can´t be together on Saturday, we´re having our own Christmas Eve tonight, with foie gras, champagne and gifts...It´s such a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas together, regardless of the date!

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Gingerbread house

I´m simply unable to imagine Chrismas without the smell of the beautifully decorated gingerbread cookies. When my Mom starts to make tons of them, that´s when I know that Christmas is just around the corner.
But believe it or not, this is the first time that I actually tried to make a gingerbread house. I´ve been eyeing them here and there on the internet, but it was my trip to Vienna Christmas market that made up my mind. I was really impressed and inspired by the huge gingerbread house I saw there and I really wanted to try it for myself. Of course, my gingerbread house is nowhere near as huge, but I´m still pretty giddy with the results! It´s cute, colorful, and it makes me happy everytime I see it.
What about you? Did you make your own gingerbread house this year?

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Rachel Zoe Moment

Orsay blouse, Levi´s jeans (similar here), Tally Veijl faux fur vest (similar here), Dorothy Perkins floppy hat and clutch, Asos shoes, Forever 21 rings and bracelets

When it comes to my style icons, Rachel Zoe very often tops my list. Not only she has one of the most fabulous and enviable closets in the world, she also lives and breathes for fashion, and that´s definitely something I can relate to. I´m nowhere near enough to having such an inspiring and successful career, but seeing her hopping around in her 5-inch platforms, juggling everything from fashion, to marriage, to motherhood, is very empowering. She proves, that when you live what you love (and you glam it up, while you´re at it), everything is possible. And this outfit is kind of a homage to Rachel´s impeccable 70s´- inspired style. After all, when it comes to faux furs, floppy hats, sequins and tons of jewelry, what´s not to love?

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Vienna Christmas Market

When we moved to Austria, one of the things I was really looking forward was visiting the Christmas markets. And while all the Graz markets (they say there are 8, but we only managed to find five, so the challenge is still up) are beautiful and inviting, when I think of a spectacular Christmas market, I think of Vienna. It´s so old and famous, and I can hardly believe that I had to wait for 25 years to see it! But it was well worth the waiting. I don´t know what I loved the most: the delicious kirsch punch, delicate white Christmas ornaments, all those sparkling Christmas lights or a giant gingerbread house... But I´m pretty sure that spending some quality time with my parents and seeing them happy and content again, was definitely the best part of this trip! I´m already looking forward to the next year :)

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Friday´s Fancies #26: Sparkle & Shine

You know me well, I love myself some sparkle and shine, so I couldn´t be more excited when I found out that this week´s Friday´s Fancies theme actually WAS Sparkle & Shine. Imagine one happy girl virtually shopping for another awesome outfit! 

And since Christmas is just around the corner, and it´s imporant to find gifts not only for your loved ones, but for yourself as well, I chose not one, but two sparkly dresses. One black, one nude, I simply wasn´t able to choose just one. And why should I? I´m pretty much aware that I went completely crazy with that clutch (anything that equals two months rent is beyond my usual craziness :), but this Bottega Veneta number is so gorgeous and fabulous! It´s such a timeless piece and I could pair it with everything in my closet (and in my dreams, obvi). And this orange accessories galore has made me completely giddy! There´s something so charming about this beautiful color. And I love the fact that it is not your usual Christmas choice, so it feels fresh and unexpected. Add some fun and colorful nailpolish (frog green for the ring fingers, hot pink for all the others), and you have another perfect party outfit. I´m in love!

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Dress like a star: Green leopard

Animal prints come and go, but a nice leopard will never go out of style. It is one of the most stylish and sexy prints, but it can be quite tricky to pull off. In this case, the line between sexy and embarassing is really thin. I´m convinced that "use with caution" is the best advice to follow. Don´t go over the top, don´t mix leopard with another leopard and when it comes to accessories, stick to one color.

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Pear and Nutella Crumble

I´m a huge crumble lover (as seen here and here). It´s such an easy recipe to whip up, with countless variations, and always dangerously delicious. I tend to turn to crumbles each time I´m in a need of an amazing comfort dessert that doesn´t require hours of preparations. And you know me, when there is Nutella involved, I don´t hesitate :)

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Guest Post at Daffodil´s: Perfect Party Outfit

I was really pleased and thrilled when Kate asked me to write a post for her lovely blog. It´s the first time I´m guest posting and it´s such a wonderful experience! I´ve been reading Kate´s blog for a few months, and the thing I love the most about it is that it always puts me in a good mood and makes me smile :) Her writing is so intelligent and funny! When I have kids one day, I really hope they´d be as beautiful, joyful and happy as her two little angels!

Kate has given me a free hand in choosing the topic and I´ve decided to put together not one, but two fabulous party outfits. The Holiday season has been officially launched, and that means there´s going to be a lot of partying around. And when I say party, there definitely has to be some sparkle involved! Whether your style is sleek and sexy, or elegant and feminine, I have something for everyone. And the best part? All the items are under $100 (except for the teal shoes, but they´re so fabulous that you won´t even notice the price tag :). This proves that you can look like million bucks even without breaking the bank!

If you want to know the styling secrets behind these two outfits, be sure to head over to Kate´s blog Daffodil´s.

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Basic rules for decorating your home

Photos via Better Homes and Gardens

Decorating your apartment is never an easy thing to do. There are so many aspects to take into account (like the size, the number of people living there, whether it’s a rental, etc.), and there are too many things that can go wrong… But it’s also an amazing opportunity for you to express your own personal style, taste and aesthetics. Decorating your home is a continuous process that never ends. You can’t pull a room together in one day, nor you can find all you need in one quick trip to Ikea.

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Currently obsessed

You know me well, I simply love shopping. Especially online shopping. I love the endless possibilities it provides, the opportunity to check out the entire stock if I want, without the disadvantage of crowded and messy malls. And obviously, I love making shopping wish lists (as seen here). There are too many fabulous options out there, and it´s so difficult to keep up with all my coups de coeur. Solution? Enter Currently Obsessed. This site is such an amazing way to keep track of all the dresses, shoes and accessories I´m coveting right now!

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Friday´s Fancies #25: Holiday Party

I must say, I´m really not your classic party girl. On a random Friday night, you won´t find me jumping up & down on the dancefloor, definitely not. I´d rather meet my friends for a drink and for a great deal of chit-chat, or I´d organize a diner at home where everyone can feel comfortable, without all that hype...But that doesn´t mean that I don´t love myself a cute little and stylish party outfit! On the contrary, glittery and sparkling items have allways had a special place in my closet, and I´ve been collecting them like it´s nobody´s business!

I could imagine myself wearing this outfit to any Christmas party we´ll be attending this season! I mean, what´s more perfect than a stylish one-shoulder dress, hot pink courts, a stack of glittery accessories and spartling nails? Nothing, I know :)

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Chic Galleria: 10 ways to update the decor of your living room

Photos via Style at Home

 

Your living room is most probably the focal point of your home. It’s the room where you spend your free time, where you chill out, read books and magazines, watch the TV. It’s also the space where you entertain your guests. You want this room to express your style and taste and to feel cozy and inviting. At the same time, you don’t want it to become boring, that’s why it’s important to switch things up every once in a time.

Giving your living room an update needs not to be complicated and expensive. On the contrary, it can be a really amusing and refreshing exercise. Of course, you can repaint the entire room, but are you sure that you want to put up with all the mess? I don’t think so.

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Nutella & Banana Tartelettes

I love Nutella. I have to have it every morning with my coffee and brioche, otherwise my brain is not working properly. And frankly, who could blame me? And if there´s something I love even more than my chocolate spread breakfast, it´s experimenting with Nutella in the kitchen (as seen here). I bought a cookbook entirely dedicated to this delicious sweet treat, and I love flipping through it and getting inspired. I whipped up these cute little tartelettes on Sunday, and they were definitely a smashing success. You surely can´t do better than Nutella and bananas (French already know that, they and their famous crêpes)!

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Glamorous Night

The workdays being long and crazy, you should give your good night preparation some serious thoughts. I´ve always loved the idea of glamorous prepping for bed and this is how my perfect and ideal evening would look: a long bubble bath illuminated with candles, followed by luxurious body cream and rich and efficient eye and face creams that smooth the soft lines and evacuate stress. A shimmery golden oil would moisturize my hair while I would put on a soft and plush lip balm. Lavender sachet would perfume my sheets and bring me only the sweetest dreams. A sprinkle of shimmery golden powder would be the perfect finishing touch before slipping into a silk nightgown and putting on a soft, silky eyemask...and I would feel like a glamorous Old Holywood diva. I´m a firm believer that if you feel glamorous in the evening, you will wake up happy and beautiful in the morning...
What would your perfect night-time ritual look like?

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Lace & Stars

H&M skirt (similar here), New Yorker t-shirt, Asos Metallic Portfolio clutch, Tally Veijl belt, Bata shoes, Forever 21 necklace and bracelets, Spleen rings, Essie nail polish in Raspberry, Sephora Traffic-Stopper Copper top coat, Sally Hansen Strobe Light nail polish

First of all, thank you so much for all your sweet and lovely comments and congratulations on my yesterday´s post. It is true that even three months later I´m still getting used to the fact that I´m engaged. It feels so beautiful and crazy at the same time! But nothing could make me happier than the idea of spending my life with my soulmate and my best friend... 

Of course, if you have any great wedding planning advice, feel free to share :) I would love to hear about your own experiences! Good, bad, crazy, incredible, share ´em all!

I hope you all have an amazing Monday!

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Wonderful little things

Yummy treat for the weekend: Banana Tartelettes (recipe coming soon!)

After quite a busy week I can finally enjoy a relaxed and quiet weekend, watching 24 on DVD, picking up sweet treats from our Advent Calendar, and catching up on the latest issue of Vogue US. 

On Saturday evening, we finally went to see The Breaking Down, and I simply adored it. I don´t even know exactly why, but that film made me genuinely happy (the wedding, maybe? :) and I can´t wait for the second part to be released! 

Happy second Advent Sunday to everyone!

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Words worth reading: The last time I saw Paris

"You have an eye, a touch for beauty."


"This woman, in a simple white shirt and charcoal-colored skirt, midnight blue scarf draping from her slender neck, projected an unmistakable quiet chic."


"No personal words were exchanged, but it was clear Madame Palain had a level of sophistication that made Claire´s New York crowd seem like little girls playing dress up. It wasn´t any single thing, like the manner in which she held her fork or sipped her wine. The florist enchanted with her ease and polish. Being the center of her attention felt an honor. She challenged Claire to be clever in her thoughts, to pick through the jumble of words in her head to find the one that expressed perfectly what she meant to say,"

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Christmas Gift Guide: Foodie

The French have this one beautiful word for her: une gourmande. She loves to cook and bake, and her collection of cookbooks is evergrowing. She loves to taste new and unexpected combinations. She always knows the best restaurants in town, and she loves to share a bunch of excellent recipes (like that fabulous creme brulée that´s been running in her family for ages). 

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Friday´s Fancies #24: Fashionably Inspi(RED)

This week, Friday´s Fancies have a special message for you. Once again, fashion serves as a reminder of an important cause (do you remember our pink galore, dedicated to raise the breast cancer awareness?). Thursday marked the World AIDS day, in order to remind us that a lot of work still needs to be done in this area. Join (RED) works restlessly to eradicate this disease, and all of us can participate. Let´s hope that we can all help to create an AIDS free generation very soon!

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Christmas Gift Guide: Beauty Queen

Everytime you´re looking for her, you´ll most probably find her in a beauty department, trying on a new shade of lipstick or checking out new nail polishes. Beauty products are her biggest obsession, and she still believes in miracles some of them promise. She follows religiously all makeup trends and she always must be the first to try them. She´s always wanted to be the girl recognizable by her perfume, but she keeps switching them almost daily, because she simply can´t resist them! 

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Big Changes

I have one big surprise for you on this first day of December. I´m sure you´ve already taken notice of the modifications made to my blog and maybe you´re asking: Why? I´ve done a fair share of thinking for the past few weeks: about my blog, about my passions in life, about the things I love and things I love to do. And in the end, I´ve realized that the old blog name didn´t cut it anymore. 

One of my favorite quotes says "Live what you love", and that´s what I´ve decided to do with my blog. I love every single minute I spend writing my posts, putting together outfits and collages, cooking and baking, decorating our new apartment, taking pictures of it all and sharing it with you. And I simply adore waking up to all your sweet and lovely comments, mails and tweets. It´s such an amazing, rewarding and humbling feeling to know that you like what I do. And I thank you for that from the bottom of my heart!

I´ve chosen Macarons and Pearls, because they epitomize perfectly what this blog is about: my passion for fashion, food, home decor and everything glamour. Macarons are one of my favorite sweet treats and definitely the biggest challenge in my kitchen. And the pearls...well, what´s more fabulous and glamorous than a long strand of pearls around a woman´s neck? 

These changes are my take on a personal growth, my attempt to learn more every day, to be better today than yesterday. I really hope you´ll like them. Please, feel free to join me in my quest for a glamorous life. 

Don´t forget to follow Macarons and Pearls for more stylish and glamorous updates:

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