PURE HOME- FASHION: LACY BOLERO

  My Cozy Rosy Dress has become my favorite home wear. But sometimes days aren´t quite warm enough for the dress alone, so I needed to make something to keep me warm in cooler weather.

It took a while to figure out whether to make a large scarf, a cardigan, or a bolero. I think this works well, and is a bit more surprising than a regular cardigan. Also a bolero does not cover the dress as much, keeping the main focus still on it. I went for a soft peach color to give variety to the outfit. Plus it suits well the straw hat I always wear outside when it´s sunny.

To my own surprise I have felt really good dressing in this romantic way. The bolero is equally romantic to the dress, so they go well together, complementing each other.

A simple length of satin ribbon keeps the bolero in place. The brown fabric showing from underneath the peachy main one is the same I used to make the petticoat to the Cozy Rosy Dress. A little detail, which binds the outfit together.

In the back the collar broadens my shoulder line nicely. The fact that the bolero ends at my waist emphasizes the hourglass-figure which, to my standards, is what us women should aim for. That´s what makes us feminine and separates us from men.

The fabric is literally full of holes, so even in a more humid weather it still breathes well, and doesn´t get sweaty.

  Hopefully this bolero will become a favorite too, just like the dress!

NELLAND LIVING: STRIPED BIKINI

  The second issue of Nelland Living is up at PaganPages.Org!

I have finally started my swimming season, and this year it happens in a diy-bikini. Read more here.

RICE PUDDING

  For a change I made rice pudding for afternoon tea.
 (You can see the rest of my eating plan for Litha here.)

This dinner is healthy, gentle, mild, nurturing, low-cost, and fun. Who says dinner has to be savoury?

Cherries! I have always loved them.

My rice pudding is simply chilled rice porridge. It´s amazing how the texture and the feeling of the whole dish changes as the temperature drops. Easy and quick, that´s my style. I don´t have excess time to spare on cooking. But I do want to eat and serve home-made food, the freshest there is. And since I´m not rich and famous, I need to do it all by myself... =)

 

The recipe for rice pudding:

1 liter soymilk
2 dl coarsely ground whole grain rice
pinch of salt
(some water, if needed)

+ Pour the milk in a kettle, whisk in the rice. Bring to a boil, gently, whisking slowly but constantly to prevent burning. Once the porridge comes to a boil, let bubble a few times, then remove from heat and cover with a lid. Let stand and go outside to enjoy the summer.
  When you´re hungry, come back in and add little salt (and water if the mixture is too thick) and mix it in with the whisker.
  Ladle on bowls, top with vanilla sugar or jam, or any of your favorites, and munch on accompanied with fruit of the season.
 Have another bowlful too, this will not make you fat!

LITHA FASHION: MINNIE MOUSE

  Minnie Mouse is a classic. She is a stylish little missy, and has remained that way for all these decades. Her dress has changed over time, but I´m adoring the red and white one with polka dots on it. It fits perfectly my Litha style, but instead of copying, I made my own, more modern, version of it. (Truth be told, I did not even look at one single picture of Minnie when designing this dress. It is all about the overall image and vibe in my head.)

Black, not white, dots on red. White polka dots are too bright for everyday wear, this way is more subtle. This dress is made with my newly discovered new favorite pattern, with which I have also made my Cozy Rosy Dress and The Little Blue Dress .

How a garment looks from the side profile is equally important than seeing it from the front or back. Many store-bought clothes do not fit me well when seen from this angle. A good reason to custom-sew my own! The shoes are ones I wear on a daily basis. I know high heels would look better in pictures, but since Nelland is all about the real world, I want to show things the way they really are.

A thin strip of embroidered cotton lace shows from beneath the hem bottom. This look is a modernized version of  that of Minnie Mouse´s, so I kept the petticoat and pantaloons department very small. But it is there, to soften and brighten up the look.

Not much jewellery is needed, only small white studs in my ears are enough. With this look I need to be extra careful not to look like something torn straight out of a comic book! The black leather bow on my head I have had for years, and it suits perfectly here. It brings to mind Ms. Mouse´s black ears. =)

The details in a close-up. A little goes a long way. Thanks to them, no necklace is needed.

Makeup is 1950´s style, like is the whole of my Litha collection. Eyes are lined with black liquid liner, and lips have a red coat on. Those are the main focus points. I used no blush, since I have a nice healthy tan on, which in itself gives enough color. The brows are defined with a little greyish brown, and made slightly heavier than usually. On the lids I used matte ivory on the inner corner, and medium brown on the outer corner, blending well. Black mascara on the eyelashes is a must, and can be applied somewhat heavier than normally, due to the eyeliner. This is a very classic makeup.

  I wish I could stay as stylish and ageless as Minnie Mouse, for the upcoming decades!

MAGICAL LITHA NIGHT

The shortest night of the year always feels magical. Happy Litha!

PANCAKES AND CREAM

  It is Litha, a time for celebration! This is what we have indulged in today, as the main course of the meal:

Oven baked pancake with whipped cream and home-made apple sauce. My boy ate so much he started feeling a little sick.  =)

The recipe:

2 dl soy flour
4-6 dl gluten-free flour
1,2 liters soymilk
1 dl sugar
a pinch of salt
1 zucchini, grated finely

+  Mix all and pour into an oven tray lined with a baking sheet. Bake at 220 Celsius for about 40 min.
  Top with whipped (vegan) cream and apple sauce.

    This is not completely all bad for you, since it has the zucchini in it, and is low in fat. Cooking the batter in an oven needs no added fat, and I presume produces less carcinogens since it doesn´t burn. =)

 

FREEDOM FASHION: STRIPED TEE

  This is for those cloudy, or rainy, but warm days of summer. When I feel a little mellow, but still enjoying the fact that it is summer, and there is no need for a cardigan, let alone a jacket!

A classic striped fabric, but with a bit more interesting color. Earthy blue and green flow freely in the contrast colored stripes, next to the grey ones. I admit, I did fall for it in the store, and then decided it has a place in my wardrobe.

The kimono sleeves again... With this striped pattern they give an, even bigger than usual, illusion of a wider set of shoulders (to balance out my lower half  =).

Forest green and sky blue play together in this shirt, just like they did in nature on the day of this photo shoot. An easy combo to pair with denim, the base material of my Freedom Collection.