Crystal clear

Hello you,
Hope you are all doing great and that you're keeping warm or cool depending on where you live.
Where I live in northern Sweden it is cold (not very, but enough to not be able to photograph outdoors), and I'm keeping warm with blankets and hot cups of tea.

When I was a kid I loved rocks, stones and crystals of all kinds. I used to collect some and at times I would get them all out and arrange them in order of colour, just look at them and be joyful. The little things really make me happy, and I was like that as a child too. The littlest thing could amuse and preoccupy me.

Top: Book of Deer (here)

Jeans: Forever 21 (old)

Lipstick: Bésame Cosmetics (here)

This lovely top from Book of Deer with a crystal print reminded me of my box of rocks, and I went searching for them in my old stuff, and to my surprise, my box was still there, with crystals and stones of different shapes, sizes and colours - all living in harmony. It made me happy.

This unique and dreamy top also makes me think of the 70's, and I imagined that it would be what I would wear on the cover of my soul-rock record. Arms outstretched above me, my curly mane billowing behind me, a cross between Freddie Mercury and Erykah Badu. Well, I sure wish anyway...

I think I'm going to go arrange my rocks now.
I hope you all have a fantastic week, take care of yourselves.

Much love,

New Year, Good bye 2016

Once again it is New Year’s Eve!
I hope you all have a very Happy New Year and I wish you all the best!

Last year I summarised the year that had passed in a blog post, and I thought I’d do the same thing this year. But before that let me just mention my outfit of tonight!

I am wearing this skirt that is ridiculously beautiful and I feel fantastic in, from Tatyana. I saw this skirt on Instagram and knew I had to have it. It reminded me of something... I couldn't quite place my finger on what, but I was serious about owning it.

I was lucky enough to get it on sale, and I was even luckier to have it arrive in time for NYE. As I was getting ready I put on this V-neck top and bam! It hit me! It reminds me of the beautiful outfit that Grace Kelly wore in Rear Window (which happens to be one of my favourite Hitchcock's). Google it! It's uncanny!

I decided to keep the rest of the look completely 50's, so I wore my perfect Besame Red lipstick from Besame Cosmetics and finished it off with a loose powder (Vanilla Brightening Powder, also Besame). You'd think I was sponsored by Besame Cosmetics but unfortunately I'm not. Their products just feel very authentically vintage.

To top it all off I actually googled retro hairstyles for natural hair and got a brilliant hit. I found this blog post on the blog Bobby Pin, and I adore the hairstyle. It is really hard finding vintage and retro hairstyles for naturally curly hair. Most hair tutorials start with much looser curls than I have. So if you have any ideas for retro hairstyles for natural hair please leave me a comment!

On to the 2016 round-up...

While 2015 was one of the hardest years of my life, 2016 has been one of the best years! I have not recovered from my illnesses, and probably never will as they are all chronic, but I have gotten to a point where I manage my mental illness in a way that enables me to live my life.

I’ll be honest - I’ve had crap times in 2016 (as those of you who have followed me might remember). Days where it’s been impossible to get out of bed. Weeks where my anxiety has been so high and my OCD has made it so hard to get out of my apartment. I’ve even had months during this last year where I’ve felt so very low and uninspired in life. But it has all been isolated times surrounded by, in large, better times.

Top: Topshop (old)

Skirt: Tatyana (here)

Heels: B.A.I.T. Footwear (here)

Pearls: Borrowed from Mum

I started this year feeling better than I had for a decade. Last year ended with me being on a high. I was on good medication and I was continually working with a psychologist fighting against my OCD, anxiety and depression. In 2016 I have been entirely free from suicidal thoughts, and that, my friends is a major step in the right direction. I am back to work, full time! Which makes me so happy I could cry. I have bad weeks, and days, but all in all I am back to my previous self. I recognise the person that I am.

I still have OCD. I still have my obsessions and perform my compulsions, but as I mentioned - it is manageable now. I can lead a life at the side of being sick. It’s not all about my illness anymore. All of this, getting back to being happier and healthier has made me realise how important health is. And I’ve decided I want to end this year with a message of hope.

If you are doing unwell, whether physically or mentally, believe me it can get better! It’s not impossible! Get as much help as you can, and be as open as you can be - a healthier life is possible. I went into 2016 feeling hope and joy, and it has treated me well. I will continue to fight in 2017 for a happier, healthier life. And I wish all of you find your joy and happiness the same way I have.

Thank you so much to everyone that I’ve interacted with! You are all incredible! It still means everything to me that you are here and are willing to listen to my story. I also want to say that I am here and willing to listen to your story too! If anyone suffering from any mental illness feels the need to talk, I’m here! Talk to me! Because talking about it really eases something.

Here’s to 2017! May it be all you hope for and more!
And for the last time this year - Much love to all of you,

Idols

Hello all you wonderful people!
Christmas is only two weeks away, and we've just had the most celebratory day in the science world - the Nobel day.

When I was a kid I remember we were asked once who our "idols" were. This way in the late 90's/early 00's, and most girls my age answered Britney Spears. I don't think that there's anything wrong with that. But I distinctly remember thinking "What's so idol-worthy about being a pop singer?", what can I say I was naive, and didn't quite understand that people have different goals in life. My goal was not to be a pop singer. No, I wanted to be a scientist. So when the question came upon me of who my idol was I answered "Albert Einstein". He was one of the most famous scientists of all time, and to the nine year old me - he was a true idol. I wanted to be just like him, become a person known for their great intelligence, make immense contributions to the world of science and, of course, win the Nobel prize!

Needless to say, I love the Nobel day! So all in all December is a great month, with advent calendars, Christmas music, presents, a bunch of cosyness and the biggest science party of the year!

On to my outfit, this is an entirely Book of Deer outfit, and actually it is also entirely AW14, but I got both of these lovely pieces that I had been pining for in the Black Friday sale of Book of Deer.

The lovely, warm, nice, soft, velvet jumper is available in some sizes, so make haste if you want it! The jumper is amazing, as you might have noticed by my description of it. I love everything velvet, and this jumper has a bow, which we all know elevates things to perfection! And the skirt is such a lovely ice-cold grey colour, and it has wee bears on it! How awesome is that?

Jumper: Book of Deer (here)

Skirt: Book of Deer (here)

Tights: Primark

Are any of the rest of you interested in the Nobel prize? I'm both Swedish and a scientist so it's close to home, but what do you guys think of the prize? And what did you think about Bob Dylan getting the literature prize?

Have a beautiful wintery Sunday!
Much love,

Fiery Red

Hello there,
Hope you are doing great. My blog has taken a backseat, and it's not because I'm busy or anything (I'm still in my holidays). No, not busy at all...

Pokémon Go has entered my life.

I recently bought a smart phone and Pokémon Go got available in Sweden just a week ago. So I am spending my time catching Pokémons. I started out with a Charmander, which for those who may not know is a lizardy/dinosaury creature with a fiery tail. It's really cute.

Are you playing Pokémon Go? Are you also stuck in that world? And which Pokémon did you start with?

When playing Pokémon Go you walk a lot, so you need wear comfortable clothes and shoes, but this outfit that I'm sharing today, even though it may not be the optimal outfit for Pokémon Go represented the Charmander quite a bit in my opinion. The vivid red skirt reminds me of Charmander's blazing tail.

Beret: ModCloth (old)

Top: Vivien of Holloway (here)

Skirt: Vivien of Holloway (here)

Petticoat: ModCloth (here)

Flats: Asos (here)

Have a lovely day!
Much love,

Le Meow

Hello everyone! I'm back!!
I haven't been very good at updating the blog recently, but that will change starting... Now!

I had a (big-ish) presentation at my department about my research project, and I had been preparing for it forever! I felt like I learned how to breathe again after I finished the presentation. My nerves were all over the place, and for months I had it at the back of my mind, so it is definitely a load off my shoulders!

Do you guys get nervous when having a big presentation? How do you "attack" it?

I personally had to almost pretend another persona for myself. I'm not the kind of person that want attention, and I don't take much space. I'm a fairly small person by personality, not physically (although I'm only 1,57m so I'm not very big...) and I think I'm rather mellow.

So when all eyes are on me, I feel like I'm not loud and big enough to carry it. It is definitely something I have to work on though, because in my field we have to present our research and results regularly.

Beret: Larmoni (here)

Dress: Larmoni (old)

Cardigan: ModCloth (old)

Flats: ModCloth (old)

A word about my outfit. I decided to call it "Le Meow" because I always feel like a beret gives an outfit a French feel. And the meow is obvious. This lovely dress from Larmoni was an instant buy for me. I just had to have it when I saw the cute print!

Much love,