Preparations for tomorrow has started already as we are having some friends over for dinner. But there´s one thing I haven´t even thought about yet; what to wear. I found the perfect hostess shirt on sale the other day, but I´m afraid it will get dirty when handling a big turkey and all the rest of the food. These jeans are another sale bargain though.

Jeans: Nudie
T-shirt: Threadless
Jacket: Secondhand
Boots: Vagabond

I love the street I live in now. Even though it´s just a few blocks from where I used to live, I´ve made several new discoveries. Today I found a new favorite shop selling dried fruit and cookies from Iran. I felt like buying everything in the shop and send it to all my friends and family.

The tights are blue, but it doesn´t show well in the picture.

Dress: H&M
Tights: H&M
Shoes: Mango

All kinds of folkloristic prints made a huge impact on the runway, among them were African inspired prints.

Oscar de la Renta, Diane von Furstenberg twice, Pollini, Just Cavalli and Pollini again.

I was browsing through Etsy the other day on the lookout for jewelry. That site is huge and it´s nearly impossible to get a good overview of all the designers, but I did come across one that stuck out; 1ofmykind. The designer seem to have sold a huge amount of jewelry, so many of you may have heard of her before, the rest of you can expect some real treats. I especially love the earrings and necklaces. If you´d like to get one of your own, all Style Bytes readers get 10% off if you tell her upfront. This goes both for the Etsy shop and the web shop.

One of the best things about Christmas is the sale. When shopping for Christmas ornaments yesterday I also came across these shoes, and it was love at first sight. The sales woman did a mistake and I got them 50% off instead of 30%. What I really need though is a pair of black boots, something that has proved to be harder to find.

This was the start of a well thought through outfit when going out shopping for Christmas tree ornaments. Then I looked out the window and went for the comfortable solution instead. My parka, with pockets stuffed with everything I need, and chunky heels.

Dress: Vintage Sonia Rykiel
Scarf: eBay
Coat: H&M
Shoes: Skopunkten

Merry Christmas to all of you!

My husband´s aunt stopped by bringing a bag full for vintage stockings and panty hoses that she had collected over the years. Even the packages are beautiful to look at – I wish more stockings came wrapped like these today! The stockings themselves came in different shades of brown and gray, from more reddish brown to asphalt gray. They are going to come in handy!

I was out doing the last of the shopping before Christmas, but I of course forgot a present for Molvin.

Coat: H&M
Hat: Secondhand
Muff: Secondhand
Scarf: Unknown
Boots: Vagabond

I also found this coney fur coat where I bought the potato tights. I´ve been searching for something like this for quite a while so I was quite pleased to come across one. The lining was a little ripped from the shell, but I quickly fixed that myself.

After more than two years of blogging, I have never had a guest blogger here, so it´s time for the first one out. Vicky is a freelance writer, relationship and beauty expert, and soon-to-be writer. She dishes out beauty, dating, and fashion advice in GotACrush.com and here´s a great article from her on 10 cosmetic products you should´t live without. After the first five, press “more” to read the rest.

It seems like every day there is a new cosmetic product that’s out on the market and it can become very difficult to keep up on the latest styles, little own deciphering which one looks best on you.

Luckily, there are 10 key cosmetic products that every woman should own, as these are what will really enhance your natural beauty and get you looking your best.

While it’s fine to try out a variety of different colours and effects with your make-up, try and keep these ten pieces relatively constant to ensure you always look great.

A Lengthening Black Mascara

When you ask the vast majority of men what the one thing they notice when they look at a woman is, you’ll often receive ‘her eyes’ as your response.

Using a good lengthening black mascara will help enhance the look of your eyelashes, which creates that eye opening appearance that will get you noticed.

A White Eye Liner

White eye liner can really work wonders for your eyes if you use it at the very inner corner. By placing a small white line there, regardless of whether you carry it around to the outer corner, you can again make your eyes appear larger and give you a more awake look.

Since white will work well with almost any colour of eye shadow, you can use it with all the looks you are trying to create. Don’t be afraid to use another eye liner colour as well, just keep the white liner area limited to the very innermost part of the eye.

Some Shine-Free Powder

Having some shine-free powder that you can carry around with you when your face starts to get shiny is a great way to keep your look matte, preventing an oily appearance.

Do make sure you don’t overdo the shadow though, otherwise you’ll get a ‘caked’ on look. Just gently dab it with a puff over the areas that cause problems (usually the T-zone).

Lightly Coloured Lip Gloss

Gone are the days when you want to sport deep, matte lips. Now, the definition of kissable lips is a slightly wetter look, giving a full and supple appearance.

If you prefer to wear a lipstick, place just a dab of gloss in the very centre of the lips. This will give your pout a hint of shine, while still allowing the stronger lipstick colour to show through.

If you’d prefer to just go with a gloss, rub it all across the length of your lips, being sure it’s evenly distributed.

A Good Make-Up Remover

Next, just as important as creating the right make-up look is removing that make-up look from your face. Having a good quality make-up remover is essential for keeping your skin clear from blemishes and for preventing fine lines.

Be sure to use it every day without fail and you should soon start to notice a real improvement in your appearance.

(more…)

There´s a lot of food related posts these days, but it´s Christmas! We made chicken pâté today which is going to be enjoyed on home made bread along with smoked salmon and other treats.

One of you asked if I have a very warm place since I wear dresses; this picture reveals the answer.

Skirt: H&M
Shirt: H&M
Tights: H&M
Shoes: Bianco

I got these tights at a thrift shops today. The color had the intriguing name “potato”. So I just had to get them. Doesn´t look much like potatoes to me, more like the sand on the potatoes when they come unwashed.

Dress: Zara
Tights: Secondhand
Necklaces: H&M, Paraphernalia and Secondhand
Shoes: H&M

Today I´m having a little of my new favorite cheese, Saint Albray, and a glass of wine while I wait for my husband to cook me dinner.

Shorts: H&M
Shirt: Mango
Sweater: Gina Tricot
Tights: H&M
Brooch: Gift from dad
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs

I´m not sure if it´s in the current issue, but I was interviewed for the German magazine Play Vanilla and I just got it today. I took German classes for four years when I was younger, so I understand most of it; everything sounds so much funnier in German. These are just the images, the article itself is mostly about my personal thoughts on fashion and my own favorites.