I am officially on the band wagon of monthly favorites. Looking out for the little bits and bobs that have perked up my mood during the month is so much fun and I find myself trying new things. I also like that it helps me remember my days better and it’s a great way to create memories that might have otherwise passed me by.

Wolf of Wall Street Soundtrack - House of Cards

1. I saw WoWS when it came out and I even recorded a review about it. While the movie wasn’t my favorite I can’t stop listening to the soundtrack. It is rich and varied and a fantastic listen when you are hours on your laptop working on a project. It’s got everything, from Etta James to Simon and Garfunkel. My favorite has to be the trailer’s track, 7Horse by Meth Lab Zoso Sticker. If you don’t feel like a badass after you’ve heard it, listen to it one more time.

2. I know, I know. I am a little late with Netflix’s House of Cards and I don’t even know why it took me so long to watch it. I have a secret crush on Kevin Spacey because, let’s admit it, Kevin Spacey is the man! The series about corruption and thirst for power in Washington DC is sophisticated and addictive and you can’t wait to see who will be the next to rise and the next to fall. Frank Underwood, Spacey’s character, is the biggest shark of them all yet you can’t help but be completely enthralled by him. The different shades of manipulation and ways of maintaining control make this a very dangerous game you can’t stop watching. I highly recommend it.

Essiebutton- Paris vs. NYC

3. I went over to my friend’s new apartment for a little housewarming dinner and I discovered this incredible book Paris versus New York: A Tally of Two Cities. It is all illustrations of iconic images from both Paris and New York City, showing what makes them fascinating yet so incredibly different from one another. Are you a New Yorker or Parisienne? As for me, I still can’t decide.

4. Estee (aka Essiebutton) is my new favorite Youtuber, Beauty Blogger, Canadian and overall favorite person. Based in London but originally from Canada, Essiebutton has a great beauty channel and a quirky sense of humor. Her videos range from tutorials, Cosmetic line reviews (like Bobbi Brown and Tarte) and recently a spring related series called #Springology. If that weren’t enough, I am hooked to her vlog channel as well. I watch it in the mornings over coffee. In this channel, Estee and her boyfriend Aslan document weekly their outings, travels and walks in the park with their greyhound Reggie. Can’t you tell I’m obsessed?

Estee, if you ever read this, you are the best! Also, let’s be friends (not creepy at all).

Toasted Coconut Margarita – San Francisco

5. I mentioned A Beautiful Mess in my previous monthly favorites because there is simply no better website for inspiration and DIY projects. Their recipes category, however, is not just inspirational. It is pure temptation. Their cocktail recipe for Toasted Coconut Margarita is delicious and refreshing, perfect for the following warm months. Next time, I might make a frozen version of this tasty drink.

6. While I am a big fan of the East Coast (NYC, Miami), I find myself day dreaming about the West Coast. Maybe it’s because summer is around the corner, but lately my day dream city has been San Francisco. It is my goal to live in a big energetic city, even if for a few months of my life. I’ve always aimed for New York City but there is something about San Fran’s mellower vibe and its artistic neighborhoods that might persuade me to change my mind. I’m planning to make San Francisco one of my travel destinations for the next year, fingers crossed.

Those have been some of my April favorites. What have you been loving for the past month? I would love to know.

I hope you have a great weekend!

M xox

My Favorite Things | MARCH

This might be a bit longer than a usual LAZY SATURDAY post, but I figured it’s all going to be about fun, cutesy things, how bad can it be, right?

I love reading posts and videos about people’s current favorites, whether it’s about makeup, a book they can’t put down or yummy burger from a new joint. It’s always fun and encourages me to try new things.

So in a new way for you to get to know me and my interests these are six of the things I’ve been loving during the month of March.

Folks, this might get girly. You’ve been warned.

 1. Her

The Oscars do to me what the Super Bowl does to the rest of the world. I count down the days, snacks (specifically brownies) are mandatory and may God have mercy on your soul if you ask me to change the channel.

I do my best to watch all the nominations before the big event and my winner this year was Spike Jonze’s Her. This was not at all what I expected it to be but I quickly fell head over heels for this story. It’s funny, touching and an accurate critique of our generation’s need for technology and living in the digital era. The movie is complex and interesting from the get go, but what really tangled me in was the chemistry between Joaquin Phoenix’s character with his OS, Samantha played by Scarlet Johansson. 

I do hope you give this movie a shot. The dialogue is rich and meaningful and I think many people can relate to it past the perspective of our future attached to our phones and technology. Deep down, it’s a love story.

www.ABeautifulMess.com

2. Moon Wall

I saw this DIY idea of painting the moon on a wall of your house or room and immediately thought ‘I’m going to do that’. I’m going through a whole decorate-and-change-everything phase at the moment and A Beautiful Mess is my favorite website for daily inspiration on lifestyle, photography and décor (not to mention exquisite recipes).

My bed faces a blank wall so I think I would like to wake up facing the moon… or something like that. It sounded better in my head. I might do that sometime soon but instead of gold, I’ll try it with silver paint.

3. Pink Floyd – The Dark Side of the Moon

Okay, calm down. It’s not like this is the very first time I’ve heard this album. But to my shame, I did hear it from beginning to end only about a year ago.

I know many Pink Floyd songs but I’ve never really ‘heard’ them. I decided it was to study this immortal band and there was no better way to start than with their best-selling album (and bestselling albums in history), The Dark Side of the Moon. 

It is impossible to describe The Dark Side of the Moon in one paragraph. Hell, it’s impossible to describe it one long post. This is more of a drink in hand, one hour long conversation type of thing. The best way I can summarize it is by mentioning the immense sense of satisfaction I felt from listening to such a wholesome, detailed album that, by far, surpasses all the sugary garbage made nowadays. People just don’t make music like they used to in the 60’s and 70’s.

The album is pure genius, from beginning to end. It makes you feel things, every song has a unique mood yet you can’t imagine listening to it in any other order than the one they chose. It’s brilliant and so ahead of its time. If I had to pick one favorite song, it would be Us and Them. Or Brain Damage.  Okay, I can’t. I must stop geeking so hard about Pink Floyd now.

4. The Giver Quartet

I read The Giver for the first time as a reading assignment in tenth grade and I loved it. Just recently, I realized there were more than two books to the series and I had to give them a try once again. And once again, I loved it!

The Giver takes place in a utopian society in which everyone’s role in the community is decided at a young age. Jonas, a twelve year old boy, is nervous about the ceremony in which he’ll find out his fate but discovers soon enough he will have the most honorable job of them all. He will be the Receiver of memories and with such memories he will know the ominous truth and past of his community. 

While people love all kinds of recent teenage trilogies like Twilight, meh, and Hunger Games, so so, I found The Giver to be so interesting and much closer to what our ‘dystopian’ future could be like. It’s entertaining but also a real thinker as to where the human race is headed. 

The four books are not exactly sequels. They tell the stories of different characters living in this fictional world and eventually it all ties together. I hope you give it a read before the movie comes out later this year. That way you can say ‘Oh yeah, I knew about this way before it went mainstream. Let your inner hipster shine for a bit.

5. Lady Grey Tea

I love tea. More importantly, I love tea time. It’s different to a coffee break. Tea time is not a pause from work hours to reenergize. It is relaxation with scones. 

I am more of a loner tea drinker, not by choice, but recently my friend popped by for a chat and we made tea. She came by again the week after with a new tea for me to try. Because I don’t enjoy Earl Grey, she brought me Twinning’s Lady Grey which has a more citrus note than the Earl. It was lovely! It is much more delicate and fragrant than the black tea I’m used to and I love the lemony touch. I take it with a splash of milk and some brown sugar.

My friend now pops by every week for tea and a chat. We feel really fancy. We are obsessed with planning a proper tea party, with scones and sandwiches and French music. 

I told you this was going to get girly.

www.kakslauttanen.fi/en/

6. Kakslauttanen Artic Resort

Since this is a travel and tourism blog, I have to add a place or country as well in these segments.

I have never seen the Northern Lights but they’re an important one on my bucket list. However, I never imagined I could ever be able to see them like this!

This has to be one of the most romantic ideas I have ever heard of in my life (and I am a romanticaholic). Kakslauttanen Resort offers log cabins and snow igloos as accommodations as well but the glass igloos are my top choice. Just picturing curling up in bed with hot cocoa while watching the green and blue streaks of lights of the Aurora Borealis makes me want to start saving up right now.  

The only downside of it is that it’s really more of a romantic getaway idea or a honeymoon destination. None of those are in my recent plans. Oh well… someday.

I hope you enjoyed this ‘Favorites’ post and getting to know all my current obsessions with books, movies, music and travel sites. Let me know what a few of your favorite things are (I tried very hard not to quote Sound of Music throughout this post).

Have a great weekend!

M xx