GUM's Art Installations

I'm thankful for GUM Department Store's art installations. The idea is relatively new and it's such a good one - definately provides extra entertainment and artful education to one's shopping or cultural routine both for locals and Moscow's guests!

The photo above is taken during one such art installation dedicated to Moschino fashion brand and the history of its boutiques' best display windows worldwide. And if you know me, you know I just couldn't ignore the chairs!

FootbalLOVErsary

This summer marks my and the Netherlands' 10th footballoversary - 10 blissful years of my love and unconditional support of their beautiful play! It was year 2000 and the European Cup when I first saw the Dutch at play and fell in love with their graceful football, and it was them who inspired my interest in football and established my sophisticated football taste.

They set a high standard of the style of play for all the future football clubs I saw at play, and the only other team that was able to steal my heart was FC Barcelona. Keeping in mind this year's Spain VS Netherlands final and how many Barca players there are in the Spanish national team, today's final game is all the more remarkable to me. I hoped for this final and as much as I love Barcelona, when it comes to national teams my heart belongs to Holland. And no matter the outcome of the match, today I'm giving thanks for and celebrating my love of outstanding football. Happy 10th Footballoversary, the Netheralnds!

THANK YOU TOO! / Contest! /

For 8 months now you've had a chance to follow me on my thankful journey, and you've heard it all - from me giving thanks for peanut butter to me being thankful for feeling uninspired... Now it's your time, time YOU tell me what YOU are truly thankful for! So hold back no more! I'm thankful and happy to announce our thankful collaboration with Hugo and Joachim of the Thank You Too project: we've teamed up to provide you with a fantastic thankful opportunity! Tell us about your most thankful experience - it could be something someone said or done for you that made you feel so appreciated and grateful, or it could be something that happened to you and changed your life, making you realize things you're still thankful for to this day, it could be anything, the rule is one - it needs to be a story of sincere and heartfelt gratitude. In 2 weeks time me, Joachim and Hugo will choose THREE winning stories and reward them with a Thank You Cards Booklet each! A Thank You Cards booklet is an amazing idea - it's a set of 30 business card sized cards with words of thanks printed on them. Each card can be taken out and left in a place where it can be found by a stranger or your loved ones. It's a perfect way to make someone smile and feel appreciated, and I believe it could be a great conversation starter if you look to make a thankful connection with someone who caught your thankful eye too!..

To be eligible for our very own thankful stories mini-festival, submit your thankful stories in the comments to this blog post, and this blog post only! Please, include your name and your email address. I can't wait to read your stories!!!

The 'Thank You' Project | Thank You Too
The 'Thank You' Project on Facebook | Thank You Too on Facebook

No Mean Muggin'

When it comes to design, I'm not only crazy abour chairs, showers or even eggs, I've long had a thing for mugs too. My own little collection really started back when at 11 I was presented with a mug that had a face with a sticking tongue sculpted on it by my school bestie. I still have that mug and have been known to be buying loads since... I'm not as crazy now and clearly see that most of those I own are not remarkable at all, but I still love a good mug when I come across one, so this post is to say thanks for mugs and cups designs and for how cheerful drinking from them makes me feel!

P.S. The one pictured is by Villeroy&Boch (the Flow collection) and, unfortunately, I don't own it.

It's the Simple Things In Life We Forget

I've just been thinking lately how the change in my own attitude towards things have changed my perception of the world around me and my overall level of happiness. I used to easily forget about the simple things, simple joys of life, and then wonder why couldn't I feel more cheerful. Then things changed and I started noticing and looking up to the simple things... It's a daily habit now to let myself feel glad about a good cup of tea, to let myself smile at the thought of wearing leopard tights, to allow myself feel happy about sitting on my beloved chair... I'm now able to be thankful for the simplest things.

Desire

You know what, regardless of what THEY say, I am thankful for having desires and for wanting things. We only desire beautiful things when we are healthy and feeling good. Once you get sick, really really sick, all you want is either die or get back to life, but you certainly don't wish for new shoes or a sports car - suddenly all fancy things don't matter any more, and all you want is health. So, all of the aforementioned makes me think that wanting things is healthy, therefore good for you. But just like with any thing out there, everything is only good in moderation though.

Swear by Me

Now that I have the photos, I can get down to giving all due thanks to Wendy Brandes for my own set of her spectacular Swear Rings! (Check me out on Wendy's blog for the close up of the rings!) Wendy's awesome to work with and her designs are truly gorgeous: I loved my rings before I even ordered them, but I truly fell head over heels in love once I received the package - they're even better in person!

The rings were sent via UPS and were delivered at the speed of light, wowing both me and Wendy, so thanks go to the UPS people too. Also, thanks to my friend Masha for standing behind the camera, and to Mr. Rhett Butler for adding some cuteness to the shoot! And last, but not least, thanks go to mother nature for the good weather! It was a windy day with not much sun, but it still was warm and beautiful and a great day in general.

Her & Me

So, my priceless chair has finally arrived! And maybe I should actually be thankful for it taking so long and getting here so late - the store offered me to pick a gift as an apology for all the waiting, so I left with the set of those awesome Miriam Mirri for Alessi heart shaped spoons I've been drooling over for a while. Woohoo, thanks!..

Spending Habits & Shopping With Mom

I don't have a problem with spending big money, I have a much bigger problem with spending money on something that doesn't cost much, especially when it comes to clothes, shoes and food. That's why I'm really thankful for those shopping sprees with mom - she's my opposite when it comes to spending, and she really helps me out big time when offering to pay for some less expensive items here and there. Thank you, mom!!!

Eggs & Chairs

I'm realizing I really have a thing for eggs, or rather starting to develop such thing. I'm totally in love with eggs as a food product - it's hard for me to imagine my breakfast life without scrambled eggs most days of the month; then we have fish eggs which I am so thankful for being able to have on the cheap (compared to most countries in the world); then there we have my dream shower and it's egg-shaped; then there's the famous egg chair, which I like and have been really wanting a miniature copy of lately... Then we have Wendy Brandes and her 'Chicken in Egg' locket, which I just LOVE (I could care less about the cuteness of the hen, but that golden egg just rocks my world, and the fact that it can be opened totally blows my mind). And so I was thinking about eggs a lot today (the whole Easter craze must have something to do with it too), and, just like with chairs a while back, I realized this new weird pattern of mine has already showed silent signs of developing before - I remembered being fascinated with this egg statue I came across in Barcelona...

Not too sure what to make of it, but taking into consideration that Salvador Dali had quite some obsessions and eggs were one of them, and Antoni Gaudi is believed to had thought of an egg as of a perfect form, maybe I'm onto something here! Only one thing is certain now - I am thankful for eggs!!

Ray Bans

I haven't even got a chance to wear my new Ray Bans outside yet, but the purchase has been making me so weirdly cheerful for a few days now, that I just can't ignore such thankful blessing. THANK YOU, to whoever that thank you is supposed to go in that case!..

Flowers

I had a bit of an occupation change today at the office - had to help arrange (or rather arrange than help) flower bouquets for the upcoming Women's Day here in Russia (March 8th), and dealing with flowers made me think of this one super nice looking bouquet I had delivered to me to my workplace last year... from the anonymous, uhm, admirer. All this time later, I'm still thankful for it. I actually think it's the coolest looking bouquet I've ever gotten.

Art Galleries

Huge national museums are definately cool, but there's just something about these small boutique-like art galleries. They feel so exclusive, charming, homey, cozy, sophisticated. I attended one such gallery's exhibition opening night yesterday and what touched me the most was how everyone interacted so cheerfully and seemed so friendly, even though most saw each other for the first time. It felt a little like an extended family gathering, which can be a little awkward but still feels comfortable. Everyone was saying hi and smiling at each other, nodding heads at the new arrivees from afar and making eye conact. The event was welcoming, sweet and warm, despite the glamorous appeal of wine and champagne glasses, appetizers, neatly dressed public, security guards and very expensive pieces of art right in the midst of it all. Definately the kind of experience to be thankful for!

Back to Chairs

Well, just like I said, I coudn't promise you no more posting about chairs... And the whole Pharrell's chain thing totally reminded me of my encounter with his Perspective's chairs at the Emmanuel Perrotin Gallery in Paris. I remember I really wanted to see the chairs in person when I saw the first photos of them... And how awesome was it to find out they were right there on display when I was in town! I was definately thankful and I still am. How do you like the chairs?

Shower Me With Love

Let me be weird and be so thankful for hot showers. Ohh, how I love these. Please let me share my dream shower with you too: I would totally love to have THIS in my future dream house. I would never ask for another, seriously.

The Barcelona Chair

My first personal encounter with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona chair took place at Living lounge in Milan last spring, and ever since then I could never miss an opportunity to praise its ridiculous comfortableness once asked either about chairs or my Milanese impressions. I think that night there is exactly the time when first seeds of this approaching designer chairs obsession were planted - I find myself developing some unhealthy interest in the subject. Anyways, before I write an essay, let me get down to thanking. Thank you, dear Ludwig, for creating a perfect chair!

P.S. I'm afraid I can't promise no posting about chairs in the future... It's taking over me!..

Underneath My Clothes

I'm declaring my love and appreciation for lingerie! Love shopping for it, love wearing it, love taking it off, love having something really fancy underneath a simpler outfit, love making men go 'wow'... And I should stop now before it's gotten too personal, ha. LOVE beautiful lingerie, who's with me?

2009: the Good, the Bad & the Sexy

As 2009 is almost over (just 5.5 more hours to go here in Moscow) I'm taking a look back on it. The year brought enough of sorrows and there were some lows, but all in all it's been a good one. Funnily enough, it really seems like this time around the hurts and tears got compensated with material goodies - designer stuff and designer aspirations, travels and friends' visits. So, at the down of year 2009, I want to give thanks for the new pairs of designer shoes, clothes, little goodies and now a chair, my room redecoration project, all the partying and dining in designer hot spots, my both trips to Italy and Spain, Jack's visit in January, followed by Savo and Fabio's visit in August and Ruben's and his crew's visit in September. Looking at it now, the tears were worth it in the end. Thank you. I'm so ready for the new year to be the best year so far, so bring on 2010!

Her

I am soooo thankful I was able to afford a 'Him & Her' chair by Fabio Novembre for Casamania! I know not everyone likes or gets the design, but it's so me - I knew I had to have this chair ever since I saw one in some magazine in April. I so cannot wait for it to arrive here in February, this is going to fit perfectly into my newly redecorated room! I'm getting the 'Her' one in brown, matte finish. Yay! :-)

Photo courtesy of Settimio Benedusi.

You can take a look at more pictures of the chair here.

Shoe Matters

I miss wearing my Chloe wedge shoes too much - winters in Moscow don't allow for such dressing. But remembering now how much effort and energy was put in finding those shoes in the right size and color that past summer, I realize I'm really thankful I did find them and have the privilege to own. All of that might sound funny though, but oh my, I'd wanted those too much ever since I saw them in that magazine. Love love love them.

/photo courtesy of a friend of mine