Do it for yourself! | 22

INNER BEAUTY

DAY 22

Notice the beauty of small moments

Instead of waiting for the big things to happen – marriage, kids, big promotion, winning the lottery – find happiness in the small things that happen every day.  Little things like having a quiet cup of coffee in the early morning, or the delicious taste and smell of a homemade meal, or the pleasure of sharing something you enjoy with someone else, or holding hands with your partner.  Noticing small pleasures on a daily basis makes a big difference in the quality of your life.

Don´t let life pass you by. The only thing we know for sure is that life goes on. Don´t wait for the big stuff. Dream about them, but cherish the small stuff in the daily life to be happy. 

[Text in blue by source Marc & Angel, the rest completed by IOB. Original Pinterest image via thefashionbunkerblog.tumblr.com]

Oh lazy day...

OUTER BEAUTY

Have a lazy Sunday! 

(That´s what I´m going for...)

[Pinterest image via daily.designcollector.net]

Do it for yourself! | 21

INNER BEAUTY

DAY 21

Be attentive to your stress level and take short breaks

Slow down.  Breathe.  Give yourself permission to pause, regroup and move forward with clarity and purpose.  When you’re at your busiest, a brief recess can rejuvenate your mind and increase your productivity.  These short breaks will help you regain your sanity and reflect on your recent actions so you can be sure they’re in line with your goals.

As a type A-personality I cannot tell you how important this has become for me, to be attentive to my stress levels. This works. If you´re attentive you can pause much sooner and don´t need get stressed out at all. If you don´t know or pay attention to your own unique stress levels and capacity you don´t know when to stop before it might be to late. But this needs to be worked at on a regularly basis. 

[Text in blue by source Marc & Angel, the rest completed by IOB. Original Pinterest image via thefashionbunkerblog.tumblr.com]

Do it for yourself! | 20

INNER BEAUTY

DAY 20

Listen to your own inner voice 

If it helps, discuss your ideas with those closest to you, but give yourself enough room to follow your own intuition.  Be true to yourself.  Say what you need to say.  Do what you know in your heart is right.

We only need to give this some time. It only takes time and the ability to listen to your own inner voice to get clear on most things in life. Not everybody loves meditation, but try just to still your thoughts and unplug yourself for a while. My best tip; take a long bath. With nothing to read or other distractions. Light some candles. Do nothing. Just be still. When you get up, you will be clearer on what you want and need to do to follow your heart. 

[Text in blue by source Marc & Angel, the rest completed by IOB. Original Pinterest image via thefashionbunkerblog.tumblr.com]

BON Party...

It´s time for theme party...
and I´m sort of taking my inspiration from the most glamorous family in Texas...

Lucy - very cute. Denim on denim it is. But no to the braids...

I´m sort of aiming for my favourite Sue Ellen's big bouncy hair...they sure knew their hair back in the 80's

This would be a dream outfit but maybe not cowboy-ish enough...

But these fierce ACNE limited edition over the knee (it´s a first:) cowboy boots will be the highlight of my own Dallas ranch girl look, along with that bouncy Sue Ellen hair...

Have a great weekend, folks!

OUTER BEAUTY
This weekend we´re invited to a big birthday bash by dear friends, taking place at a restaurant in gorgeous summer setting in Stockholm. That would leave it to a great and rather normal party, only the hosts of this party didn´t think that was enough and required a wild western costume theme from their guests... Not a very frequent theme in my wardrobe... I had no costume inspiration at all, staring at the invitation. Until last minute when I remembered that there was a certain Texas family to take notes from...I mean who better to copy big bouncy hair from than Sue Ellen? And luckily my über fashionista friend had these beautiful veery long cowboy boots to add to my outfit. So hot rollers for the hair and a lot of Elnett hairspray extra strong (absolutely the best hairspray on the market) and some denim on denim. And, while I´m prepping my hair, later feeling slightly out of place in my borrowed boots, probably having a blast, I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Do it for yourself! | 19

INNER BEAUTY

DAY 19

Help those around you

Care about people.  Guide them if you know a better way.  The more you help others, the more they will want to help you.  Love and kindness begets love and kindness.  And so on and so forth.

[Text in blue by source Marc & Angel, the rest completed by IOB. Original Pinterest image via thefashionbunkerblog.tumblr.com]

A modern royal castle

The grand entrance. Photographs on the walls by Ralf Turander from Drottningholm and Ockelbo. Photograper: Klas Sjöberg/Kungl. Hovstaterna. Copyright Kungahuset.se

The cosy library. The fireplace is from 1930. Klas Sjöberg/Kungl. Hovstaterna. Copyright Kungahuset.se

The big lounge with fireplace from 1930. Klas Sjöberg/Kungl. Hovstaterna. Copyright Kungahuset.se

The livingroom with a photograph from Ralf Turander on the wall from the Bernadotte Library. Klas Sjöberg/Kungl. Hovstaterna. Copyright Kungahuset.se

OUTER BEAUTY

On the topic beautiful homes this definitely fits the category. This is the Swedish royal castle Haga. The home, just minutes away from Stockholm city, has recently been tastefully redecorated and modernised, well equipped for the young Swedish royal family. 

[Photos published according to rules and Copyright Kungahuset.se. 
All photos by photographer Klas Sjöberg/Kunglia Hovstaterna]

Do it for yourself! | 18

INNER BEAUTY

DAY 18 

Forgive yourself and others

We’ve all been hurt by our own decisions and by others.  And while the pain of these experiences is normal, sometimes it lingers for too long.  We relive the pain over and over and have a hard time letting go.  Forgiveness is the remedy.  It doesn’t mean you’re erasing the past, or forgetting what happened.  It means you’re letting go of the resentment and pain, and instead choosing to learn from the incident and move on with your life.

Forgiveness is probably one of the most important cornerstones in a happy life. When you forgiving someone, you set yourself free. And don´t forget to forgive yourself. That will make all the difference. 

[Text in blue by source Marc & Angel, the rest completed by IOB. Original Pinterest image via thefashionbunkerblog.tumblr.com]

Living in the now

The short lived beauty of the Cherry blossom

INNER BEAUTY

Many of us try to live in the now. I say try to. Living in the now is an art form. Needing to be cultivated though. The mega success book that explains it all is the classic The Power of Now by Oprah's favourite author Eckhart Tolle. Although the book is really great, it can sometimes get a bit lengthy. However, the essence is something to think about. I find having a-living-in-the-now-mindset particularly helpful to keep me from worrying (too much) about the future or not getting too nostalgic looking back on life. Also, life passes by so quickly (just have a look at your kids), I don´t want to get old having spent this time of life "somewhere else". So, here and now today. Here are some quick words about the importance and beauty of living in the now, and not missing the reality of life, as Eckhart Tolle recently told Postively Positive:      

"The answer lies within rather than in obtaining more possessions, or achieving this or that, or changing the world out there. It´s a transitional stage from the normal state of consciousness, where all the solutions and problems are seen as external, to realizing that whatever we experience as our external reality is a reflection of our inner state of consciousness. The old mind pattern—the deeply ingrained pattern that always looks to the future for fulfillment and salvation—still tends to operate. This mind pattern assumes that the future is going to be more important than the present. It ignores the present moment, does not honour it, and does not give it its due. The future does not exist, because nobody has ever experienced it. You can only ever experience a present moment. The future is a mental projection that you are having in the present moment. I’m not talking about the practical aspects of the future, like booking a flight or planning what you want to do this year, but the psychological future. That’s where we can get trapped. If you are always focused on the future, you miss the reality of life, which is the present moment."

Do it for yourself! | 17

INNER BEAUTY

DAY 17

Look for the silver lining in tough situations 

When things are hard, and you feel down, take a few deep breaths and look for the silver lining – the small glimmers of hope.  Remind yourself that you can and will grow stronger from these hard times.  And remain conscious of your blessings and victories – all the things in your life that are right.  Focus on what you have, not on what you haven’t.

There´s always a silver lining. (Not in big emergencies but you know what I mean). But it can be hard to find or sometimes we don´t really want to see it. But it´s still there. 

[Text in blue by source Marc & Angel, the rest completed by IOB. Original Pinterest image via thefashionbunkerblog.tumblr.com]