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Month: December 2018

Christmas survival guide: how to deal with toxic people in the festive season

Oh, the Christmas spirit! The silver shining bells, heartwarming copious meals, fairy lights and drinks by the fire… We all love Christmas, right? If only!

Unfortunately, together with all the festive songs and colorful socks, most of us also get another present – the traditional visit of that relative/friend/coworker whose only check off list is to be the biggest killjoy ever.

You know who I am speaking about, for sure. I am referring to that uncle who comes all the way from his little village in the countryside just to let you know your homemade gravy is dry over dinner, or that lovely friend who will create a wave of drama because, in her opinion, your party dress looks better than hers and she is not engaged yet…  Seasonal classics, right?

Now, if you are lucky enough maybe you will be able to avoid that person this year and simply enjoy the holiday. For others, though, things might not be that easy. Maybe the person is a close relative, maybe your best friend or significant other.

The problem with the conventions about Christmas is that society expects us to be generous, even at the expense of our own well-being -which frequently translates into seasonal anxiety.

 What to do when you are between a rock and a hard place, then?

Well, you could wait until someone forwards your stocking to you, yell “Dobby is a free elf” and run for your life. It could be slightly impolite and maybe not very sophisticated, though.

I have experienced this myself frequently too. Most of my Christmas since my husband and I became expats five years ago have been just us, and we like it that way too. We are relaxed people, who love to celebrate at home and not to over-stress about our social agenda. However, we have got family and friends we also love to visit and this is when things can go wild: mix up a narrow time to schedule all your social events and a bunch of people who do not necessarily know or like each other, and voilá – here you go, your own Netflix festive drama.

As years pass by and I become older but also (I HOPE) a bit wiser, I have developed a few strategies to keep my mental health intact, no matter what. The main concept they all articulate around is quite simple: you need to be a bit selfish. Some people will simply frown upon this thought but I do not care. Sometimes you need to take care of yourself first.

There are no universal rules here I can provide you with, but I will attempt to help you with some tips that work for me most of the times. I hope they truly help you wherever you are.

To me, the first and more important step is to identify the enemy.

Knowledge is power, and if you know who you are dealing with, there are more chances you make it. Is your brother-in-law a misogynist who will spend the night making ladies jokes? Is your colleague a complete moron who makes everyone at the Christmas party to feel miserable? Identify the criminal and then choose the best strategy to deal with him/her.

Now, in my opinion, the next basic step when it comes to surviving a toxic environment is to choose your battles wisely.

As I previously said, the problem is society expects generosity from us on the festive period, but this can be used by some people as an excuse to abuse others and expect no aftermaths. I usually make a decision based on the type of person I am confronting: are we speaking about someone who does not think twice, who drinks too much prosecco during Christmas dinner, or a narcissistic who enjoys hurting others?

It might look like this is a superfluous detail, but believe me: it is not.

It can mean the difference between an unfortunate conversation and a catastrophic scene.

 I will illustrate it with a personal example: many moons ago, during some Christmas drinks with friends, a girl who I did not know very well casually commented my dress was almost a bit too glittery. Since I do not take things personally, I replied it was actually no such a thing like too glittery in Christmas. We both laughed and everything was left behind (or so I thought). But that night she also said my makeup was a bit too much, and the way I used the cutlery was peculiar… I was quite shocked by the subtle insistence of this woman who I barely knew to make unpleasant comments to me. Why, in the name of God, was she behaving like the ultimate evil queen?

Later, I had the chance to know her a bit better, and I realized the reason she repeatedly tried to tease me that very first night was her clinical narcissism – since I dared to outface her, in her opinion I needed to be punished.

Narcissists, you see, are not well-meaning loudmouths but people whose personality is based on one single idea: they are always right and their whole self-esteem depends on the perception others show to them. They need to be praised publicly and any behaviour they perceive as threatening must be punished. Also, they can use the pain they inflict as emotional fuel.

So what do you do when you find yourself trapped on a social event and you realize you are the target?

This is the most important advice I can actually give you: Do NOT take it personally.

It is not about you, is about them. They are going to look for a reason to represent drama, no matter what. So do not help them by showing you are offended. Since they can use your reaction as a source of gratification, try to take a step back and keep your mind cool and clean as much as possible.

 A valid strategy can be to switch the topic of the conversation. But if the person persists, maybe you should consider initiating a different chat with someone else.

 I will not lie – sometimes toxic people do not react to this strategy and insist on their behaviour.

If redirecting the attention focus to something else does not help, maybe it is time to introduce someone else in the chat, preferably someone who does not belong to the immediate social circle of the narcissist.

Usually, they need to keep a facade of kindness in front of strangers, so this can immediately interrupt the negative feedback.

If for some reason none of the aforementioned strategies proves helpful, please always have an emergency plan. If it is necessary in order to preserve your mental balance, you can even use what I humorously call extraction protocol. In case you missed it, in the context of military tactics language extraction makes reference to the process of rescuing someone when considered imperative that the subject is immediately relocated out of a hostile environment and taken to a secure area. In other words, time to play Dobby and to become a free elf.

There are several action lines you can follow here: get an emergency contact who can pick you up last minute if required, pretend you are late to that super important meetup or establish a security word to leave the place with your significant other (my personal favourite). Whatever you do, do not feel guilty. You tried your best and there is no need to be someone else mat. Simply keep calm, and leave the place as soon as possible. You will feel better in no time, I promise.

 At the end of the day, please remember one thing only: the most important gift you can be given in Christmas is respect, love, and mental peace. Do not feel obligated to remain in a toxic environment in behalf of the festive spirit.

 You truly matter.

 

December 20, 2018December 20, 2018

Allegra Caro16 Comments

The Vintage Guide: Madrid city break

salondesfleurs

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I have got a confession to make: I HATE city break guides.

Yes, I know. I can hear your thoughts from here – why in the name of God are you writing one then, huh?

Well, the point is I hate the kind of 48 hours city guides crammed with tourist traps and famous over-priced restaurants that feel more like a check-list marathon than a holiday. You know what I am speaking about, right? I mean the type you could easily think is a Lonely Planet appendix, and whose writer has rarely spent more than the aforementioned 48 hours in the given city, which makes the content… well… mostly superficial, to be honest.

Now, I am not suggesting you should be a total native to write a city guide at all, but I do believe visiting at least a bunch of times can provide you with a bit more of perspective when you are trying to provide assistance to others. As a blogs reader myself, it is not unusual for me to spend a few hours looking for content on the cities I am visiting before a weekend abroad. However, more frequently than not I only get disappointed by the tips I find.

Last month, I was searching for some cool recommendations for Madrid, a city I have visited quite a lot already but which I was expecting to wander around like a native for a change. All I could find nevertheless was classic basic advice like: visit El Prado, the city center street food markets and Gran Vía… No offense intended, but I think most writers could do better with a bit of will AND research.

So after visiting Madrid myself (and quite a bunch of times, as mentioned before) I thought I could share some favourites of mine: not the sort of tips you would get from most guides, but more like a personal approach on what to do if you wish to avoid the check-list marathon style and simply enjoy a couple of days living like a local. So if you are here looking for basics about what to see in Madrid, maybe you should keep looking, sorry. Instead, these are my favourite tips to enjoy the charming vintage vibes Madrid can offer.

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My favourite places to eat in Madrid

I do not consider myself a foodie, but I do like my food. So obviously, this is one of the top targets on my priority list when travelling. People will tell you Spanish food is wonderful (and in all honesty, it is) but you do not need to spend a small fortune on a five forks Michelin Guide restaurant to enjoy. So where do I enjoy my meals when in Madrid?

Tea time – Being a teatime and general snacks lover, it is not rare for me to try different tea rooms when visiting a new city. My favourite place in Madrid used to be The Ritz, but this year it is closed due to renovation works. In exchange, I recently discovered Le salon des Fleurs, a little tea room and flowers shop which offers the most tempting cake you can wish for. In my last trip, I tasted their homemade buttercream violets sponge cake and I can tell you it was delicious. Also, their shop is absolutely gorgeous, and a very grammable place if you ask me. If you have a craving for churros, please visit Maestro Churrero, you will want to come back.

International couisine restaurants – Many people are only interested to try the national couisine when travelling, and it is very understandable. However, I believe if the food is good, there is no reason to choose.

Being a Spaniard myself, I rarely take the chance to eat Spanish food when visiting Madrid, but I prefer to take advantage of the high-quality international offer. In my last trip, I discovered a couple of new fantastic places. Ginza is an authentic Japanese restaurant at the national congress neighborhood whose sushi Bentos are to die for and whose prices are truly reasonable. Greek and Shop has got both a wonderful Greek shop and restaurant in their little place at Malasaña neighborhood, all the food is homemade and they offer a delicious daily fixed menu for about 8 euros. If you are all about Brazilian food, you can visit Tapioca Chill in La Latina (do yourself a favor and order some coxinhas as a starter!) Do you fancy some Mexican? The tacos at Slow Mex are to die for!

Serrano merry go round

Madrid city break guide

My favourites places to shop in Madrid

If you are into fashion, Madrid has got a lot to offer. My personal favourites are vintage shops, but they are not the only ones. When having a walk at the golden mile in Serrano, I always make a stop at Guantes Varadé: a wonderful artisan shop based on gloves manufacture – you only understand what “to fit like a glove” really means when you try one of their pairs (no pun intended). Of course, I always take the chance to have a look at some of my Haute Couture places, including Miu Miu, Chanel, and Dolce and Gabbana, but they need no introduction, do they?

My favourite places to visit in Madrid

If you are around Serrano, as I previously said, there is a lot to see: block some time for window shopping and also to see the little Belle Epoque merry-go-round in the closest corner to Gucci shop.

If you have got a soft spot for art and history but you have already visited the biggest galleries, I can recommend a little and not that well-known museum: Museo Cerralbo was the official residence of the Marquise of Cerralbo (1845-1922) and keeps an exhaustive record of his private art collection. Also, the amazingly well-preserved nineteenth-century manor house deserves some credit by itself.

I would also definitely suggest to have a look to the Botanical Gardens (they are breathtaking during Autumn) and wander around El Paseo del Prado.

I promise you will not regret it.


Madrid is a city with a lot to offer not only to the ocassional visitor, but also to its locals. If you are spending some time there, please take the chance to wind down and enjoy its charms.

And have a very happy city break in Madrid!

December 12, 2018February 21, 2019

Allegra Caro26 Comments

How to dress like Dita Von Teese

Fun fact: Not many people know that the etymology for the word glamour seems to have its origins in the Scottish term gramarye, meaning magic or spell.

(Well, maybe it is not SUCH a fun fact – I am sure you will excuse my pedantry, this is what happens when you spend too much time surrounded by books and not by real human beings, especially being the kind of an introvert who would rather eat her aforementioned books than talk to a total stranger for five minutes… Please, do not punch me with a book on the face… But I was trying to tell you a story, surely?)

Once a naive English language student, I learned this etymology by heart and immediately started associating it with a very personal memory: all those rainy Saturdays of my childhood, when my mum used to make us hot chocolate and play an Old Hollywood classic movie on TV.

Those actresses on them – ruthless, fierce, awesome – had nothing to do with the cute beauties in the 80´s or 90´s films. They were, I was and still am convinced, the quintessence of glamour.

The point is, glamour is indeed a sort of spell – you don´t really need to be gorgeous, but to become kind of a human magnet. It is more about personality than about beauty.

And then, about the same period, I heard Dita von Teese on a late-night show, saying glamour is not about youth, age or race. This idea truly resonated with my own perception on the matter. To me, iconic figures such as Bette Davies, Marlene Dietrich or Mae Wong represent this concept, but they did not fit the classic beauty standards at all. Just as Dita does not fit them.

The reason why people are fascinated by her is the way she represents herself in front of the others. The persona she has carefully crafted and created. More than once she has declared she started as a plain-Jane from Michigan. However, she managed to tailor herself a charm armour no-one would be indifferent about. To me, this is the whole point on glam. She found out her own thing and went ahead.

Now, when I suggest the topic of this post, I am not telling you to turn yourself into a Dita wannabe.

As she did, we should all go and find our own thing. Nonetheless, there are some outfit formulas she relies on which I find universally approachable and stylish, and this is what I really wish to share with you.

How to dress like Dita von Teese:

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Outfit formula 1: The Sophisticated Lady

There is something indefinitely elegant on the combo formed by a well-tailored circle skirt and a simple turtleneck. Pair it with some nice heels and fine accessories and you get a look which can be used for any smart event, day or night.

ditavertical2Outfit formula 2: The Naïve Girl

Same skirts can be used with a nice blouse or cardigan and flats for a more casual look. It allows you a bit more movement freedom for daily errands (count me in for this, always), plus it can be always toned up with a couple of fancy earrings or a quality bag.

ditaoutfitformula3

Outfit formula 3: The Bombshell

Well, most of us might never see the red carpet closer than we do on the MET gala pictures, but if are going out for a date this outfit formula totally counts. A pencil dress is a classic we usually underestimate, but with the right shoes and accessories, we can all experience a bit of that vintage glam Dita likes to share.

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Outfit formula 4: The Librarian

Looking for an everyday look? We have seen the burlesque queen wearing a simple pencil skirt and cardigan frequently. You can match them with a nice scarf and glasses too for an easy daylight outfit. Clean, simple and classic – a combination which never fades.

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These were some ideas on how to bring a bit of old school glamour to your wardrobe. Which of them would you adapt to your own style? Have you got any favorites?

In the next chapter of The Prêt-à-porter series…

The High Maintenance Dilemma: Is elegance a bad thing today?

Stay tuned for more monthly style tips!

December 10, 2018January 15, 2019

Allegra Caro21 Comments
The best red trenchcoat

My signature style: The Famous Red Trench Coat

Red trenchcoats for women

 

When I was a child, I had a dream: I wanted to be an old Hollywood actress.

Yes, I know. You are not allowed to be one unless you have got a time machine, right? Well, that is only a little insignificant detail when you are eight years old. And as Scarlett O´Hara once said, I used to repeat myself: I’ll think about it tomorrow.

Unlike most children, I did not wish to become a ballerina or an astronaut but to be like one of those glamorous ladies on the movies my mother watched every weekend. I was fascinated by Anne Baxter in The Ten Commandments, and Dietrich in Shanghai Express.

I loved everything about them: their elegance, strength, expressiveness… and of course their style. I held my breath when they wore silky dresses, berets, or those iconic forties trousers, and I naively thought that someday I would look just like them.  Oh, the youth foolishness!

The funny part is, as much I liked everything from the ’20s to the ’50s, I LOATHED everything from the ’60s onwards. And I especially disliked trench coats with a passion. To me, they were old pretty things Brigitte Bardot would wear in some sad French film. Nobody would style them in a classy way in the twenty-first century, though – and consequently, they were pointless.

Many years afterwards, while living in London, I frequently spent my cold October mornings navigating through South Kensington on my way to V&A, where I would happily wander for hours. There, I crossed paths with many chic Londoners who were completely proficient on the trench coat styling department. I slowly started realizing it was not required to be a Bardot – or a Dietrich, or a Hepburn for the matter – to look good on a trench coat (hey, who would have guessed, right? Mind-blowing!)

And one fine day I entered Debenhams, tried on a very nice one… and had the biggest disappointment EVER. I am quite sure this is not what you were expecting, but it is what happened. The aforementioned trench coat, so elegant and flawless on the hanger, looked like a potato sack on me and the rich camel tone made my skin look like sour milk someone forgot on the kitchen counter for about two weeks… Such a lovely image, isn’t it? Needless to say, I left the shop at once and never came back. 

Women red trench coat

 

And then, approximately one year ago, I was Vintage shopping in Budapest with my husband: on a certain second-hand shop, there was a women trench coat section with some nice designer pieces and I decided to give them a second chance. I found a decently preserved Dolce and Gabbana specimen, and although I did not buy it due to the size being slightly too small for me, I finally fell in love with the concept.

Actually, I changed my mind so much about it that any time we find a trench coat while shopping I adopt an entirely new personality. Sebastian refers to it as Possession, though… “LOOKZ!” I would invariably say, “It´s a trenchcoat! Can I have it? Can I?” And I would keep repeating so until my I would try it on or leave the place for good.

Last year I started incorporating new elements to my style on a still work in progress process to define it. One of the finest investment pieces I decided to add was this red trench coat which I love to wear with a black pencil dress. It is versatile, it can be toned down with some flats for a casual look, and the pop of colour makes any outfit interesting enough. It can be worn in a classic/retro way, but it is truly timeless. Plus, it is RED. Like, the perfect poppy colour tone I die for.

I am still not an Old Hollywood actress (C’est la vie, I guess) but I am quite sure that most of them would approve the trench coat.

The best red trenchcoat

wearing

Trench Coat: Heidi Klum (old). Similar one at Burberry.

Dress: Poema/ Shoes: Top Shop / Bag: Deichmann

 

 

December 5, 2018December 5, 2018

Allegra Caro28 Comments

Sexo en Nueva York: lecciones que desaprender en su 20 aniversario

¿Sabes esa sensación de vértigo en el estómago, seguida de palpitaciones y sudor frío que experimentas cuando algo desagradable te coge por sorpresa? Pues leyendo el otro día este artículo de Vogue, tuve uno de esos ataques repentinamente: al parecer (¡horror de horrores!) han pasado ya veinte años desde el estreno de Sexo en Nueva York.

Tras recuperarme del susto inicial —cosa que me llevó algo más de media hora y una dosis de helado que jamás admitiré públicamente— tuve que aceptar lo inevitable; puede que en 1998 aún llevase coletas, pero la mujer del espejo tiene ahora alguna línea de expresión y, como prometía Gardel, veinte años no son nada.

La verdad es que echando la vista atrás (y tras un número algo embarazoso de re-visionados) se impone el admitir que Sexo en Nueva York ha envejecido un poco peor que yo, y desastrosamente en comparación con la propia Sarah Jessica Parker. Y si bien sigue siendo una historia hilarante en la que deleitarse una tarde de pereza cualquiera, algunas de las lecciones vitales que a finales de los años 90 resultaban modernas e incluso reveladoras, se han quedado algo anticuadas y desprenden incluso un sutil aroma rancio, como a vestidor mal aireado. Quizás el tiempo transcurrido tenga algo que ver, o quizás sea sólo el propio acto de madurar y ver las cosas desde una perspectiva algo más cínica. Sea como fuere, las aventuras de Carrie Bradshaw y las otras sospechosas habituales se me antojan ahora un poco menos espontáneas, menos libres de prejuicios y clichés de lo que yo las recordaba.

A diferencia de la fantástica Julia Felsenthal en su artículo de Vogue, yo nunca quise parecerme a la amiga Carrie. No porque no la considerase glamurosa o absurdamente sofisticada, sino porque sus niveles de auto-sabotaje emocional me inspiraban el más paralizante de los terrores. Tuve tiempo, desde luego, de cometer mis propios deslices y sucumbir a una o dos liaisons que me pasaron factura en su debido momento, pero salí de ellas razonablemente indemne y decidida a evitar a toda costa a los Mr. Big que pueblan el mundo. Y esto me lleva a la primera de todas las lecciones que en mi opinión deberíamos desaprender de S.N.Y.

El amor todo lo conquista

Esta idea tan bonita, tan edulcorada, recubierta de purpurina y horas del perfecto metraje de Hollywood, tiene su encarnación más despiadada en la malsana relación entre Carrie y su sofisticado ejecutivo. Salen, rompen, engañan a la inocente esposa (a la que deshumanizan basándose en la cruel noción de que, después de todo, sólo es una modelo) para volver a cortar y terminar juntos en un ridículo final parisense. Como si esta historia de dolor y humillación no fuese suficientemente perturbadora, asistimos al repetido proceso de auto-vejación que la buena de Charlotte York se inflige en la búsqueda del perfecto príncipe republicano. Al menos para Charlotte la historia termina bien: el abogado con el que se casa carece de modales o esa cuenta bancaria soñada, pero la trata como a un ser humano. A fin de cuentas, es más de lo que la frecuentemente envidiada Carrie consigue.

Desde luego que las demás secuaces de esta glamurosa pandilla no se quedan atrás, pero por lo menos parecen algo más dueñas de sí mismas. Se podría decir que las repetidas aventuras sexuales en las que se ven envueltas las convierten en mujeres liberadas de prejuicios, hasta que una se da cuenta de que no lo están tanto…

Esa cosita llamada Bifobia

Sorprende que habiendo sido concebida por Darren Star, frecuente portavoz ficcional de la comunidad gay, encontremos sesgos claramente bifóbicos en esta serie. Aquel episodio en el que Alanis Morrissette besaba a Carrie podría haber sido uno de los más memorables, pero se quedó en una declaración de prejuicios en toda regla. ¿Hay algo más apolillado que definir con frívolo desdén una orientación sexual como una fase pasajera? La falta de diversidad resulta, como mínimo, sospechosa; y no hablo sólo del sexo.

La inexistente cuestión del multiculturalismo

Y a esto quería llegar: hablando de prejuicios incomprensibles, ¿soy la única persona a la que le parece raro que en una serie ambientada en Nueva York (cuna indiscutible del multiculturalismo) todos los personajes protagonistas sean blancos? En concreto y muy a pesar de mi agrado hacia nuestro girl squad, no puedo dejar de preguntarme por qué todos sus miembros son mujeres caucásicas. ¿Es que las mujeres asiáticas o hispanas de Manhattan no merecen ser representadas? ¿O hay algo intrínsecamente clasista en no retratar a una mujer racializada comprando en Manolo Blahnik?

Me gustaría poder decir que en 2018 las cosas son muy distintas, pero basta con echar un vistazo a otras series del estilo (evoquemos Girls, por ejemplo) para percatarnos de que ciertos prejuicios son tan difíciles de eliminar como una mancha de Merlotte de tu vestido favorito.

El síndrome de Peter Pan

No menos pegajosa es la frecuente infantilización de nuestras heroínas en la que los guionistas caen con frecuencia. Recuerdo con especial rencor ese episodio en el que Carrie tiene un imprevisto financiero y está a punto de acabar en la calle. Hasta aquí, podríamos decir, todo normal. A fin de cuentas, ¿quién está completamente a salvo de un tropezón o una racha de mala suerte? Excepto, quizás, porque Carrie ni siquiera sabe cuánto dinero se ha gastado en zapatos. No me lo estoy inventando.

De verdad, ¿vais a hacernos creer que una mujer adulta no sabe sumar? Una mujer de Manhattan, en 1998. No tengo más que alegar, señoría.

Lecciones que desaprender de Sexo en Nueva York

Podría continuar largo rato hablando de los coletazos de Transfobia en aquel capítulo en el que Samantha se muda al mercado de la carne, los estereotipos sobre la comunidad gay, el clasismo descarado de los personajes etc. Pero prefiero parar aquí, antes de que este artículo transcienda esa categoría para ir a transformarse en un manifiesto.

A pesar de todo, esa no es la intención con que lo he escrito.

Para bien o para mal, Sexo en Nueva York forma parte de mi vida, como de la muchas otras personas que participaron de ese breve periodo dorado de la televisión que fue el fin de los años 90.

Quizás estemos ante un icono de la cultura pop al que se ha sobrevalorado durante demasiado tiempo; quizás por el contrario sea una modesta pieza de arte sobre la naturaleza humana en el siglo XX. Lo más seguro es que la respuesta esté a medio camino entre ambas.

Puede que tengamos que esperar otros veinte años para poder juzgarlo.


 

December 3, 2018December 3, 2018

Allegra Caro2 Comments

Hi, I am Allegra!

A thirty-something Spanish expat with a love for Haute couture, books and period dramas. Way too many little black dresses in my closet. You can read more about me here.

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December 2, 2019December 2, 2019

Allegra Caro

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Trying to keep it positive with a chilled morning routine on this freezing early Winter. ❄ Being Spanish it has been difficult to me to get used to dark winters but it's a small price for living in such a wonderful place like London. ___ Today on the blog, I am sharing a normal day in my life as a Londoner. (Link in bio.) __ Leave a comment with your tips to survive Winter!
Happy Sunday everyone! 🎉 We're making some plans to go for a Christmas Market today. I can't honestly believe it's the first day of the holiday season (where did time go?) and I am a bit sad Autumn is over. 👋🍂But we will put the tree up in a couple of days and that can only be a good thing. What are your plans for this wonderful Sunday? ___ #londonbylondoners #londoninfluencer #londonblogger #londonbloggers #regentspark #londonstreetstyle #londonfashionblogger #fashionbloggersuk #ukfashionblogger #whatiamwearing #londonstyle #londondiaries #littleprettylondon #lifestylebloggeruk #londonlifestyleblogger
I am the kind of person who enjoys being super productive when the opportunity arises and—case in point—with Sebastian gone for a couple of days, working was my number one priority last week. Of course, Mr. Murphy’s Law had a different plan for me. 🤦‍♀️ ____ By Thursday afternoon, it became quite obvious I was not going to spend the next 48 hours writing without distractions. Instead, there were going to be loads of honey lemon ginger tea, countless tissues and an embarrassing number of The Spanish Princess episodes (hello Starz, could you please stop producing addictive Tudor’s period fiction? I try to have a life of my own, you know?). ____ The point is, sometimes life gets in the way: 9-5 job, children, sickness…—you name it. If you haven’t established an emergency plan or routine, the chances are you will end up stressed and with a to-do list as long as your arm. ____ HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO KEEP YOUR BLOG RUNNING WHEN YOU ARE BUSY OR UNABLE TO FOCUS? THESE ARE THE MOST VALUABLE LESSONS I’VE LEARNED ALONG THE WAY. (Link on bio!)
By now, I've spent so many days indoors while recovering from the flu, I don't ever remember how it felt outdoors. 😷 ___ It's been four endless days of soup, ginger tea and @thespanishprincessstarz (which kept my spirits high despite of the plague). Hence, I am taking Sunday easy today. How is yours going?

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