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Eyebrows frames the eyes and gives the face shape is what's generally been said about them. And it's true, I have aaalways been a huge fan of eyebrows and it is one of the first things I notice in someones appearance! There are so many styles and so much that you can do, or not do with them and there is no one perfect formula for everyone. Lately I have been tired of my eyebrows so I decided I would finally take the plunge and reshape them. It is seriously a teadering task as it takes ages for them to grow out and I have to look like a cave man  If you have seen any of my older posts you can se that my brows was much thicker before, and around last summer I reshaped them a bit thinner with a higher arch. And now it's time for a new change! 

In search for a photo of the kind of eyebrows I had got in my head that I wanted I turned to Pinterest and other sources to look at vintage and vintage inspired eyebrows to show to my beautician friend who is going to help me. And golly, there are so many different brows out there!

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When I think of Elisabeth Taylor, I think about eyebrows. Hers are classic, dark, not too thin, elegant and arched. This is the kind of brow I have been going for the last year. Classic, not to strange but still well thought out. I think these are the brows that would suit most girls and they are gorgeous, but I'm up for a change!

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The glamorous Dorothy Lamour sports the brows that were in fashion a bit earlier in time. High, curved and thin. These are quite dramatic and I wish I could pull them of, but I tend to find that you have to live a life in black and white to make them work and not to read like 90's over plucked teenage brows. One modern vintage lady who despite this definitely makes them work fabulously is fellow vintage blogger Riikka who also wears inspiring finger waves and beautiful vintage fashion.    

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Here we come a bit closer to what I'm looking for right now. I want my brows to be a bit thicker in the arch and thinner in the front if you know what I mean. With her big beautiful eyes Lucille Balls eyebrows gives her an open and clear eyed look. One modern lady who rocks something similar is vintage gal Emma Sundh. She has those high brows, a bit rounded and thicker in the arch and it suits her lovely blonde looks just perfectly. For me they are however a bit too small and thin to work though.

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Ok, so everybody knows about Frida Kahlos eyebrows, or her unibrow of you want. 

This photo is from 1939 and I just love it. Together with the fawn she looks like a fairytale character. She is a big inspiration for me with her flowers, patterns and colours especially since she makes me aware of the possibilities to showcase my latin heritage in a vintage way. 

Since the eyebrows are so typical and famous for Kahlo I pick her up in this blog post to showcase

 how important brows can be in a look. A few hairs in the middle of the eyebrows on a woman and "Tadaa" you've got something weird and spectacular. (In the last sentence I'm being ironic if you could not tell.) I think she is beautiful and that her eyebrows does what eyebrows should, they compliment her face, her style and gives her an edge.   

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Another pair of dramatic and stylish brows belongs to the classic model Dovima. I could actually go for something like this and I love the final upwards motion of them. It's not what I'm looking for right now but there might come a time when I change things up this way. These brows make me think of Marina, hair stylist and Instagrammer with a vintage flair. Hers does not have that upwards twist at the end but they are full, dark and stylish.

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In this photo from ca 1945 Gene Tierney wears a flawless makeup paired with some perfect eyebrows. These are just perfect and I so wish they would suit me. But, since my face shape is a bit more elongated than Tierneys this might give me a too surprised look and also my brows does not grow in a way that makes it possible to satisfactorily get this shape. 

That's another thing you have to be aware of when you are reshaping your brows, what is possible with what you've got? If you do not want to use a lot of makeup to make your brows work your choices gets a little slimmer, depending on what you have.  

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Finally, of course Marilyn Monroes eyebrows. This photo from the 60s, although a bit fuzzy, shows quite clearly what I am looking for right now. Smaller at the front, thicker in the arch and not too thin. Now I just have to wait until my eye brows has grown out, big sigh..





Psst! I apologize but some of the sources might be bad in this post, I've found all photos through Pinterest and sometimes it can be a real challenge to find a good source there. 

Photos from a blue and frosty paradise

The frozen sea and the trees at the beach.

I'm back from my short trip up to Haparanda, the north of Sweden. It was both good and a bit hard for me to go. My family on my mothers side stems from this region and it was a couple of years since I'd been there. The places and fragrances brought back so many happy memories that due to the nature of my trip became a bit frayed in the edges by sorrow. But the cold air, muted sounds, the scent of my grandmothers house and the soft snow did it's best to surround me with love and beauty. 

It is always interesting to return to your roots as something inside you awakens. And even if it's just a small sensation deep down in the pit of your stomach, it is important for every one of us. 

To feel our history, our belongingness in a continuance of space and time.

On Saturday we went out to the archipelago and to the gem of a cabin at Santasaari that another side of the family owns. I have never been there in winter and all my memories surrounding this place are connected to summer. Bathing in the sauna, swimming in the sea, staying up late and watch the midnight sun, read comic books, get itching mosquito bites and the scent of Finnish sausages roasting on a stick over the fire. 

It was still the same lovely place but now embraced by a soft layer of snow and it suited my mood so very well. To see it in summer for the first time after being away for so many years, and after everything that has happened in my family, would have been to hard to bare. 

The cold and magical airiness of snow and the feeling of everything sleeping under the covers of winter, just waiting to burst out for another summer, was refreshing instead of sad. It held within itself a promise, a promise of summers to come and of new happy memories to be made. And, that time and space continues even though it feels like the world has stopped turning for a while. It was like conditioner for the soul and a breath of air after keeping my mouth closed tight for a long time.

A place to heat the water.

The fireplace indoors.

The heart, the cabin.

I hope these photos show even a glimpse of what I felt when I was there and also I am happy to show you a little taste of my cabin clothes! Fully dressed against the cold with three cardigans, a shawl and comfortable shoes but still (of course) with a bit of flair in form of a liner and a red lip!  

Finally, thank you to to all and everyone who was there, I am so very grateful to have you all in my life!

(And, on another note. My last post was my 100th! Yay!)









     

   

Of to the North!

So my friends, I will be flying up to the north, north of Sweden tomorrow! My mother comes from the small town Haparanda which is beautifully placed just by the Torne älv (Torne river) and the Swedish/Finnish border, so you can literally walk over to Finland if you want. I will be going there, sadly, due to a funeral but I have a lot of planning and fixing left to do before I am ready to leave. 

This is the first time I'm going to fly with Bengta and also I want to pack some crochet projects and other bits and bobs so that I can keep myself busy until Monday. I have a hard time dealing with grief (something I might write about later) so I need things to work on with my hands. I find that it helps. 

I might not be able to post anything on the blog due to bad internet but you are always welcome to follow me on Instagram (where my name is simonastreet) where I try and post more regularly.

Til' later, lot's of love and hold your dear ones close.

Back in town

Hey darlings!

As usual my updates on the blog has been very sporadic. I have had a lot to tend to when I came back from Washington and I also got sick. Influenza, sounds as horrible as it feels. But, now I'm back and I have a ton of material in my camera, notebook and wardrobe that I want to show you guys! 

And, I have lot's of tips for you vintage shoppers that might end up in Washington. I had a lovely time and let me tell you that I'm really U.S. smitten. I just love the whole atmosphere over there! 

Well, more on that later and soon (I hope) because I am dying to drop some lines about my wonderful vacation and the awful trip back home! 

Until then mes amis, take care!

7 summer treats!

Hi babes!

Thought I would share some of my must haves for the summer (before it's over) so I made this little compilation for you. Hope you like it!

1. Estelle & Thild cleansing gel. This one is absolutely wonderful! It is soft, does not dry out the skin and is also a very clean product. It's a swedish company who makes different skin products and all of them are marked with the highest ecological certification available! I have used their skin care line for normal skin for some time and I just love it!

2. Lime Crime lipstick, colour: Retrofuturist. Vegan, creamy and bright. Need I say more?

3. Petit whale barrette This is the cutest little barrette! I like to put it a little bit hidden into my pincurls so that it is a bit of a surprise and so it looks like it's "swimming".

4.Kure Bazaar nail polish, colour: Kerria. Seems like I have some kind of ecological theme going on but I'm always trying to be concious of the products I use on my body. That's also a part of why I love vintage so much, it is nature friendly! Well, I recently bought this nail polish and I must say that I really like it. The formula is up to 85% of natural origin and they don't do animal testing. This colour is bright and does really suit sunkissed summer hands!

5. Sweet 1960's straw pillbox hat. Hats are amazing! I do not own that many myself and but I am slowly trying to build my collection because they can really change an outfit, protect your hair, save you from bad hair days and give some shade. If you're not as crazy as me or if you just started with hats this one is a really good choice! Sweet and simple but still very special. Hmm, maybe I should pick up this one for myself?

6. Strawberries. An absolute must for all summer days! Here in Sweden it's a really big thing when the stores starts selling Swedish ones and I'm always first in line. For me these are so typical for my childhood when we went out to the countryside to pick our own!

7. Perfect emerald green deadstock 50's dress. Oh If I only had a bit more cash! This one would be on it's way to Uppsala right now! But instead maybe it will join in on one of your summer adventures?



     

Friday!

Since my vacation is over this is my first "normal" weekend off! And what will I do? If the weather allows I will be sunbathing and eating picknick from my new (old) picknick basket! 

What are you up to babes?

Doing the tourist thing

After going to Paris for a couple of times I finally did one of the most touristic things you can do. I visited the Louvre. As an arthistorian I should off course had visited it sooner but I've always thought that it seemed so big and that I really wanted to take my time visiting. But this time I thought I would make my first visit.

First of all, the architecture is amazing. We visited the part that was the apartment of Napoleon the third and I got so inspired. It is really interesting how every corner, no matter of it's importance, is heavily decorated with ornaments and paintings. That is why almost every photo is of architecture or furniture. The art, the paintings, sculptures and collections at the Louvre are of course immense and breathtaking. But, they don't do that well on photographs. You have to visit yourself. Take in the scale and grandeur, the small and intricate, feel the climate-controlled enviroment and smell the dust, people, gold and paint. I walked around recognizing paintings and artists that I only seen in books as if they were old friends. "Aha, so it's here you are."

At the end my eyes were tired and my brain overloaded. It sounds horrific to say that I just walked past the Mesopotamian and Babylonian collections and that I walked almost straight through a big hall were Giotto and Michelangelo were sharing the wall space. But the space was so big. As I thought, I will have to come back. Quite a few times that will say. To be able to take in, see and feel all of it. And I'm not complaining. 

Paris will forever own a little piece of my heart. 

7 quickies!

Loved this little post that I saw at Karins Konstgrepp. Thought I would steal the idea!

Mood: restless 

Cardigan: cozy

Ring: birthday present from Anna

Have: to much on my mind

Will: try to get out of bed

Want to: go back to Paris

Thinks: that I should practice my french 

Flamingo hat

Flamingo hat: H&M Unicef collection
Vintage 50's dress: Dear Golden
Vintage silver owl brooch: Birthday present from Jonna

I found this hat at H&M about a month ago and thought it was marvelous! It also had a matching dress, but since I'm not 10, it wouldn't fit me. Too bad! They had about 4-5 different fun hats to choose from and since it also was a collaboration with Unicef, some of the money went to charity. Well, the hat followed me home and I'm keeping it in my collection of masquerade clothes!

This week I have been relaxing and taking it slow in the sofa. Sometimes you just need that time to unwind so that you can come back with more energy then before! I'm very good at planning to much stuff into my days and agreeing to everything I think sounds fun. If I don't have a project going on I become very restless..That's why it is so important for me to sometimes slow things down. Some really boring time in the sofa will give you the energy you need for all the fun projects you can do!

This weekend I'm working but hopefully I will be able to take a turn through IKEA and buy that bedframe I've been wanting for so long! So when I'm busy at work, take som time, relax and don't be afraid of being boring for a little while!

Ps! Did you know that the awesome vintage shop Dear Golden is having a 25% off Holiday sale right now? All that prettyness i's killing me!

From the sick bed

Lipstick: Chanel, "Monte carlo"                                   

Dress: Milk teeths

Hello ladies and gents!

Right now I'm just talking it easy and trying to recuperate after pulling out my wisdom tooth yesterday. I had a small inflammation that wasn't going to get solved if I didn't remove the tooth. So scary! Well, I pumped myself up with a white-chocolate chip cookie at work (since I knew I wouldn't be able to eat anything for a couple of hours after) and Erik followed me for moral support. He's not so good at being supportive though, mostly he just tell's me to toughen up. But I thought I was tough, just a little scared..

This made me think of my love of vintage. There are so many thing's I think was more beautiful before and so many things I would like to have seen and experienced! And my dentist has got this beautiful old dentist chair in her waiting room. It's very pretty and elegant but at the same time I can't imagine that vintage-dentistry was the same! So, I'm very happy over how far dentistry has come! In the beginning of the 20th century I would have been very very drunk to be able to do this and then I probably would have gotten an infection from the unclean tools. And the tools would have been a knife and pliers. Not so nice! So I love many thing's vintage but I'm also happy to have some modernity in my life. 

And when my teeth get's better I'm going to sip a wonderful cup of tea from one of my vintage cup's while having pin curls in my hair and wearing a Japanese 70's blouse with a 50's cardigan. 

Cause even though I'm happy over the progress medicines made, I just can't stop loving my vintage!

(Ps! Tomorrow I'm going to our capitol Stockholm, check me out on Instagram, where my name is simonastreet, to see what I'm up to!)  

Zooooom!

lipstick: Chanel, "Monte Carlo"

vintage pearl and aurora borealis necklace: Maejean vintage

vintage orange psychedelically printed 60's silk dress: thrifted

vintage light brown Valentino di Pietro handbag: Rut&Raul

Woah, I've been a bad blogger, I know. Well so much has been going on it's crazy! 

Well, I celebrated my 25th birthday last friday and let's just say it will take some time until I plan a party again. It was so much hard work but I hope everyone enjoyed the party! First I had a dinner with some of my closest friends and then we headed over to the club. During the dinner I couldn't really relax so I actually had the most fun at the club. One amazing thing about the club is that I've started a soul club called "Four get overexcited" together with my boyfriend and two friends! So, my birthday party was actually also the premier of the club, and it went so well! Everyone complimented us on the music and our two dj's (Lady Midnight and Karl Marthon) who are big soul collectors and also good friends loved the vibe and Lady Midnight even promised to come back and play again, and he is quite hardcore in to his stuff so even though we are friends I know he would tell me if he weren't happy with the evening. 

This was amazing and I would like to thank them and everyone who came! Thank you so much! 

I also got some sweet presents that I will share on the blog when I come around to it! And off course I will post some pictures, even though I was a bad photographer who mostly danced and hung out with my lovely friends.

Well babes, otherwise I'm working my ass off and trying to come back on the creative train. This picture was actually taken at the wonderful hotel L'hermitage in La Baule and I can fell that my french nerve is tingling  Maybe I will have to go back soon. And, by the way, thank you soo much for your wonderful comments! It really warms my heart to hear from you and read what you're opinions are on different topics!

Lot's of love!

And she's gone..

This Saturday my dear friend Sara moved to Chili. For the last couple of months we haven't seen each other so much but that doesn't matter. I still miss her! She's one of those friends you don't have to talk to every day but you still know where you have her. And even though she's only going to be gone until January, I can really feel the distance. 

For you who doesn't know my father is Chilean and I've told Sara that she is always welcome to visit my grandmother who lives in Santiago. And I really hope that she knows that I'm serious. 

When she comes back we really have to catch up and do some creative stuff together. She is amazing with a camera!

Sara moved together with another awesome girl, Fanny. You can follow both of them in their blog Somos feministas (it's in swedish, but we have googletranslate, haha)!