My 2020

The year of Our Lord 2020 is finally coming to an end. And what a year it was!.. From the bush fires in Australia, Black lives matter protests, presidential elections in USA, presidential elections and its aftermath in Belarus, to the COVID-19 pandemic that stopped the world in its tracks - this year had it all and more. Globally, it was a year full of challenges, but as the midnight is drawing nearer it is the time for me to rethink what kind of year 2020 was for me personally, as the tradition of this blog behests. 

I am (NOT) Driving Home for Christmas

Oh, Christmas, my favorite holiday! Even during the pandemic, I still have kindled a small hope that I'll be able to see my parents and continue our family's tradition of spending Christmas Eve and Christmas itself together. Alas, as it turned out, this year we had to repeat the Easter scenario and meet our loved ones via Zoom. As I was tucking away all the gifts that someday (probably when the quarantine restrictions will be lifted) are going to be delivered, I decided to roll up my sleeves and try to make the most of this (gloomy) situation. 

DIY: 1940s Cape

This year I have rediscovered passion for making my own clothes. Not only it is more sustainable nature vise, but also I can make clothing items that I would not be able to purchase anywhere. For example, this 1940s cape that I begun to make in October and finished in the last days of November. 

Saying Goodbye to Your Pet

2020 sure is something. Somehow I have hoped that personally, it is going to be a year that I am just going to cross out of my life, because little happened besides sitting in my own flat and zooming my eyes out. However I was sorely mistaken. Just more than a week ago, on the 5th of December, I had to say goodbye to my beloved pet cat Puka. Although the loss is still affecting me a lot, I decided to dedicate this blogpost to those who have a terminally ill pet and are in a situation where they have to choose what to do: to try and to combat the ailment to the last minute or release the pet into the Fields of Eternal Hunt.

Christmas Wishlist

It's only a month until Christmas and this (disaster of a) year my only wish is to spend it with my family: safe, healthy, and cozy in my childhood's home. However, as it is a tradition in this blog, I let myself to dream a bit and compiled a Christmas wishlist (as it proves greatly effective in lessening the headache for my family members when thinking about what I would like). Even if these are the things that I am planning to get myself sometime in the future whatsoever, it would be lovely to find some of them packed under the Christmas tree. 

How I Started Buying Men's Clothing

November is almost over and although temperature keeps above the zero most of the time (morning frosts are rare this year), constant rain and lead-coloured clouds makes one to look for warmth and cosines. Yes, it is the sweater weather time, so I went and dug out all my packed away knits, looking for something nice to wear while the quarantine continues and all our days slowly merge into one. I was taken aback that although I have quite a lot of warm and lovely sweaters for outing purposes, I almost have nothing to wear day-to-day at home, both to look representable enough if the need of a Zoom call arises, as well as to feel comfortable while cooking dinner or lounging on a sofa with a book. What's more, although I have some nice looking knits, they have their own problems, mostly many of them being too... short. That's why today I went for a quick second hand store shopping spree and as the title of this post suggests, I ended up in the men's section of clothing. So here's an explanation how and why did it happen.

Home Workspace Upgrade

Working from home is slowly becoming the new normal and I could not be more happy! Don't get me wrong, although I love my workplace (who wouldn't want to work in a palace?), during the past couple of years I've been carefully upgrading my own work corner in our flat, because I need a certain aesthetics to be able to function properly. Today I have made some changes and additions that I thought might be interesting for some of you as well, hence this post!

DIY: Fancy Deer Wall Decoration

Autum is here, so it's time to get crafty! As my obsession with deers is not going away, I decided to make a small wall decoration with a figurine that I have found in a flower shop (while shopping for an entirely different thing, of course). So here's what you can call a tutorial on how to make something similar by yourself!

The Fires of October

In my thirties, I have finally understood that I am completely an autumn person. Somehow when I talk to people on the topic of this particular season, they usually point out that they like those sunny days with golden and red leaves slowly falling with every gust of wind. Alas, the rainy part of autumn is not that much admired: it makes people gloomy, and drenched. But I disagree! Although the skies might be leaden, it is the perfect weather to stay indoors and listen to some good music, light up some scented candles and read or watch a movie (or series of your preference). Accompanied by countless cups of tea, autumn is more than bearable, it is thoroughly enjoyable! At the same time, when an opportunity of a bright day arises, one must enjoy it to the heart's content! This is precisely what I did this Saturday, when me and my husband's family decided to visit Joniškėlis manor and its park. 

What is Dark Academia and Why We Should Embrace It

As the autumn finally settles down outside our windows, it's time to delve into one of the topics that caught my particular attention. The Dark Academia. 

Considering myself as belonging to the world of academia, I decided to analyze what does this phenomenon consists of and... am I a part of it?

Madame en Vacances: Vintage Outfits for Holiday

During the past year my closet has seen some changes: while couple of years ago I have owned only a few pieces of vintage clothing, today original vintage or vintage-inspired pieces are slowly replacing my modern clothes. It's a slow process, but I am working towards my goal that is a closet full of garments that I love to wear and enjoy while doing it. So if last summer when I went on vacation I took only a couple of vintage clothes, this year I decided to challenge myself and to pack a full bag of old-timey outfits.

Madame en Vacances: Discovering Nida

 2020 being a total mess, my husband and I decided to play it as safe as possible and chose to spend our vacation in our own country, Lithuania. We picked Nida as our destination and I could not be more happy, because even though long long time ago I had stepped on the soil (or sands, to be more precise) of Curonian Spit, I have never been to Nida before. So, after leaving our dearest pets in my parents' care, off we went.

Bye bye, July

Last days of July is when the summertime sadness hits me. The sudden realization that just one month separates us from autumn is always overwhelming. And since I am still editing photos from our vacation at the seaside, I thought that it would be appropriate to say goodbye to July with the moments from couple of weeks ago, when one incredibly bewitching evening was more than suitable to frolic in the fields.

Fragrance Discoveries | Tilleul Friction de Nuit by d'Orsay

In 1999 the perfume house of Parfums d'Orsay created Tilleul Friction de Nuit, a fragrance for women. Needless to say that I was completely unaware of the fact. That, however, changed last year when I stumbled upon a sample of this particular scent. What's so special about the fragrance? Well, I am glad you asked!

Vacation Sewing Project: The Reveal

Today's the last day of my vacation, as well as the day when I  am finally able to show what I've been working on for the past two weeks! My more detailed description of the making process is on the previous blog post, but now let me just share some photos that me and my husband took today, early in the morning. 

Vacation Sewing Project: Recreating 1930s Dress

Summer is already here and since current pandemic messed up my carefully assembled plans (a trip to Sweden, to be more precise), I was left with three weeks of vacation and no decent plan what to do. So I conjured myself a challenge that involved lots and lots of sewing. Yes, my dear friends, I decided to recreate (I am using this word in a very broad sense) a dress from 1932. 

Welcome to My Garden

If fifteen years ago somebody would have told me that in my 30s I would voluntarily spend my free hours planting seeds, watering plants, and pulling weeds, I would have definitely asked that person are they in their right mind. But here I am, burning my neck in the scorching sunlight while getting my hands dirty, and feeling happy as a clam! So what has changed?

In Pursuit of Culture

Sitting at home is all cozy and nice, but since the quarantine restrictions are eased (at least here in Lithuania) and the situation is more or less under control, today me and my husband decided to visit an exhibition at the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania and to brighten our morning.

Empties Pt. 2

Once again I have accumulated a small batch of empty bottles, containers, tubes, and other kinds of vessels, whose contents I've used previously this year (well, some of them are from the last year and I saved them exactly for the sake of this post. This girl's a  bit of a hoarder, you know...). So, these are the skincare or beauty products that I put into use so quickly that I even forgot to write about after purchasing. But were they yay or nay? 

Visiting the Republic of Paulava

If you never heard about the Republic of Paulava, don't fret. This tiny self-proclaimed country existed only for 26 years and... in the 18th century. Located in Šalčininkai district, this republic was recognized by the Grand Duke and King Stanisław August Poniatowski, had its militia, coins, and even Constitution. Its former capital, the Merkinė Manor still stands, although mostly in ruins, making it the perfect spot to explore for the ruin lovers, such as myself and my husband. So this morning we decided to go on an adventure (of course, not forgetting our masks and hand sanitizers) and visit this charming Republic of Paulava.

Spring Revelations

The spring is in full swing, as well as the quarantine here in Lithuania. It's already week 6 and, apparently, we're going to stay at home till the 11th of May (if the quarantine wouldn't be extended again). The days of sheer panic, buckwheat hoarding (the Lithuanian equivalent of the toilet paper), and lack of hand sanitizers are in the past. Now, I'd say, we are in this "well, this is how I live now" stage, where putting on a mask before leaving home is the new habit, and silently praying not to meat anyone while landing down the stairs is the new mantra. And, yes, I am exaggerating, but the fact that this whole situation had an impact on how we carry on with our daily lives is undeniable. Nevertheless, as I am continuing to spend my days (mostly) in our flat, it got me thinking that my life is finally having a pace that I am happy with. And let me explain why.

Easter 2020. Quarantine Edition

Since this whole spring is being spent in self-isolation, as the Easter was drawing nearer it became quite obvious that me and my parents will have to celebrate it separately. Thus I was challenged by baking all the mandatory dishes and painting Easter eggs. I am happy to announce, that it all turned even better than I expected!

Korean Dramas to Binge-watch

Korean dramas or K-dramas are my guilty pleasure. It all started years ago, when my sister showed me You Are Beautiful (미남이시네요) and I later googled out the guys who performed in it (thus discovering the world of K-pop and diving further down the rabbit hole...). Because our current entertainment is limited to the internet and TV, I thought that I could share the list of my favorite dramas with you. Especially since some of my friends are now craving to watch something for distraction from this badly directed episode that is currently our reality, so why not K-drama?

What a Nice Idea!

I have always admired creative and crafty people. Not only they follow their drams and vocation, they also share their works with others, thus brightening our days and lifting our spirits. This is a story on how I met one very special girl, who can turn fabric to loveliest blossoms and is as much fascinated with Peter Pan collars as I am! With her works taking more and more space in my jewelry box, I think it's time to talk about the Nice Idea!  

Fragrance Discoveries | Byredo

Dear spring is here and even though many of us are contained in our flats or houses due to the pandemic, there are still many ways to enjoy the season. I begun with pinning some ideas to my Spring Moodboard on Pinterest, buying some fresh flowers, and a new scent from Byredo. Currently, with three different aromas in my modest perfume collection, it's about time to elaborate more on why am I so fond of this Swedish company and their fragrant creations.

Introvert's Tips on How to Endure (and Even Enjoy) Self-quarantine

The world is in shambles. Well, at least that's the image I get after reading some news or scrolling through my Facebook feed and seeing my friends' posts. There are people fighting over the toilet paper, or buying all the bottles of liquid soap that were available at the store, leaving nothing for the others. And it's quite understandable, since most of the people are in sheer panic. Many countries are already in lockdown, or are going to enter one soon, Lithuania being no exception. From tomorrow, 16th of March, my country will officially be in quarantine, letting no one in or out of the country, requesting people to stay at home, closing shops and restaurants, leaving only food stores and pharmacies open. Being an introvert par excellence, I thought that I would like share some of my tips on how to handle and even enjoy this mandatory staying-at-home experience.

Vilnius Book Fair 2020: "You should live without formulas, be open to the world." (Jonas Mekas)

On this day, at this time one week ago, I was at The Book Cinema Hall, watching A Chronicle of Amorous Accidents (Pol. Kronika wypadków miłosnych, directed by Andrzej Wajda, 1986). It was the second day (out of four) of the Vilnius Book Fair, and my only day off at this event, since I volunteered to stand behind the counter this year again. And here's how it went...

Wearing (Modern) Vintage: Tips and Tricks

With an amount of vintage clothes that inhabit my closet growing larger, I decided to talk about my passion that I've been kindling for years. Here are some tips and tricks on how to curate your wardrobe with clothes that are (or look like they are) from another decade or even a century. 

My Morning Routine: Skincare Edition

My search for the perfect skincare products continues, so this time I am introducing the current "residents" of my bathroom's shelf. Four bottles, three different brands, and the list of pros and (some) cons. Let's start!

New Habits and other plans for 2020

Couple of weeks ago I was celebrating my birthday and as a gift, I asked my husband to take me to Kaunas, because I wanted to visit the M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art. And while I was standing in front of one of his most famous works, "Rex", I started thinking about the pretty grim future that awaits us (perfect illustration would be this sculpture called "Extinction" by Algimantas Kensminas), if we continue to ignore climate change and do nothing. With parts of Australia burning, Venice being flooded and then left almost dry, and the past decade being declared as warmest on record, it's hard to pretend that everything is ok. Heck, even here in Lithuania is pretty obvious that something's not right - we are having an incredibly warm January, with temperatures rising to 8,6 C, and snow is necessary to restore the depleted water sources that are still recovering from record-breaking droughts last year and the year before... So with all this in mind, I started to think how can I change my habits in order to produce less waste, especially plastic, how can I live a comfortable life but also be calm that my actions are not affecting the nature? And that's how my personal 2020 challenge was born. 

10 Years. A Review

2020s are here and I think the best way to start it is by doing a short review of this past decade of my life. If these ten years would be made into a movie, it would be a coming of age story where the heroine would struggle to prove to everybody (but mostly herself), that she is worth something. I think it would get an average rating on IMDb and somebody would write that the movie is fun to watch because most of the situations are relatable. Jokes aside, let's do a quick run through the pages of my life during these past ten years.