Ivy hearts styling...

Ivy hearts styling..., originally uploaded by ivy style33.

....wether interiors, exteriors or fashion, she loves to style!
....and most of all she loves to style with a clear mind and a smily heart!...she's happy for her initial studies and major in Psychology (and minor in Philosophy ) and sees that provided there is health given, there is nothing that can stand between a person and his/her true passion!

Having been passionate about style all my life, the only reason I hadn't studied it at the beginning was that major life issues in my immediate environment called for understanding, and studies on the subject mentioned were a priority.

Years of personal analysis followed ( as to practice in my own self what studied) and all comes down to the one and only truth: we are all born with some talents and passions and there's nothing better than perfecting them as soon as possible....but should life bring it this way, that there is a delay...it is never too late and actually, late is better than never!

I have come to conclude that there is a special quality in styling that fascinates me and this is that of balance.

I know that decorating is very often about astonishing results and evoking ohhhhs and wooows, or needing to impress even a little bit with some possesions. This is fine and quite often I myself do admire such spaces, but somehow I prefer to live and create simple interiors, that are powered by the personalities of the people inhabiting them.

Balanced interiors of course needn't always be in neutral palletes, as much as balanced people needn't always be quiet! They can still be expressive and get super enthusiastic about things, still there's something about the way of expressing that holds a certain balance....

Always...not too much....and not too little...who knows maybe a new wave will emerge....after minimalism and maximalism....balancism!

If we think about it, we are all amazed or affected by balance in so many ways....dancers and acrobats wouldn't be able to perform without balance...buildings wouldn't be able to stand straight, cyclists wouldn't be able to ride their bicycles or motorcycles, there would be no musical harmony and of course there would be no day and night, no seasons....everything in the whole of existence seems to be based on balance....but we people are sometimes so dependent on our need to impress, that we choose fancy or extreme ways - in our interiors / outfits/ behavior - which are definetely much more notable and exciting...and probably easier to achieve...

Do they make us happy though?
Could it be that the key to happiness is also balance?

The adventures of a powder pink blouse

...or the small adventure that we women sometimes go through, in order to choose an outfit. 

Now, on a small parenthesis here, I know that I do not usually post about fashion here, but since I'm so interested in the overall concept of styling in all its possible domains, I thought I give it a shot also here, other than my flickr account where there's a set of pictures devoted to styling and fashion....through my eyes always...the focus being mostly inside, even when we talk about or are involved in more - seemingly - superficial actions & things...

So, to go back where we started from...the adventure of choosing an outfit...I'm sure it has happened to many of us, in different ways. Sometimes it happens in a second, others there's a little bit more time needed or simply...a little time to go shopping in our own wardrobe, giving a fresh new look to clothes living in our closets for years, by making new combinations, adjusted  to our current moods and influenced a tiny bit by current trends.

....not too much...not too little...as balance in general is the key to successful styling....in colours, in texture, in shapes...and of course in the way we feel!

This is the outfit I chose to wear yesterday, which was actually the second idea in the raw, among the one with  the jean skirt and the one with the colourful floral bag. It is Springy but in a rather quiet way, as I believe it fits better to April, while the latter one fits better in May...

I like to take my outfits gradually from one season to another, as much as I also like a sense of continuity to exist from one day to the other, from one outfit to the other...

Everything in nature happens gradually and there are natural circles for everything...

In autumn for example, the colour of the leaves changes gradually until they fall and flowers bloom and aquire their full colour day by day in Spring.

Part of the essence of styling is that one is in accordance with nature's cycles by adjusting the outfits chosen and by going through stages, like participating in a charming dance!

Styling of course, should most of all reflect the personality of a person and focus on the positive physical characteristics, whichever they may be. Others are more gifted and others are less. The key is to accept ourselves for who we are, including our bodies, our minds, our hearts, our thoughts, our immediate environments and even the countries we live in.

Dressed up like being on vacation on an exotic,a Greek, or any other island, while actually being in the middle of a city, doesn't exactly promise successful outfits!...this is my humble view on the matter of course...

There's the right time and place for everything and success lies in being in accordance with them.

But the most important element is to be in accordance with our true selves. Then we wear our clothes, rather than them wearing us and elegance doesn't depend on spending huge ammounts!

Smart shopping, ability to recognise quality over label ( not that they do not coexist of course!) and a consistent style which adjusts to seasonal trends with small additions, all contribute to building a wardrobe to keep over years and making us proud, looking back, for our choices.

For me, it started 10 years ago, in my mid  20s, after I had experimented and enjoyed various styles, youthness being my aliby.

Hippy chic and bohemian chic were my most beloved styles, but over the years I reached to the point of being able to elicit through styles, the predominant one, being my personal one: this which expresses my whole existence.

As much as there are various styles that can be named both in decoration and fashion, I strongly believe that there should be exactly as many styles, as there are people and as there are homes!

I'm fanscinated by decoration, fashion and styling as seen in magazines & books but am mostly fanscinated when I meet extremely stylish people on the street, who know how to dress themselves and seem to be in contact and in peace with who they are. And the same goes for their homes.

Interior design can also stand for designing our inner selves, the key to true, long lasting happiness, which doesn't depend only on our temporary successes.

So here we reached again, down to the depth of it all, even having started talking about styling and fashion, that everything in life depends on our relationship with ourselves and the point to which we are aware of what is going on inside. 

To me, most liberation and evolution takes place not when we recognise our good sides, but when we are also wise enough, sincere enough and brave enough to face these parts of us that are less shiny and happy, when we take the time to face our "deamons".

Funny enough it is then that they become smaller and smaller until they disappear....keeping them in the dark, out of fear or pride or whatever other reason, will only feed them to grow bigger...which in the end will return to one and only place: ourselves and our lives. We have the power in our hands and we should use it wisely!

Vintage wallpaper...

...a giant, wooden wishbone
...a mini shelf with a small glass vase and candleholder collection
...and blossoming branches collected on a sunny Sunday afternoon...

It's not much...but it means the world to me.
I like styling that evolves and grows with the inhabitants of a place...aka "organic" styling...

All have an important meaning for a reason...

->The wallpaper from Albert Van Luit (1965) was a very lucky and unique find years ago ( among with a few other rolls), in the attic of one of Athen's oldest wallpaper shops.
I got inspired after returning from my first trip to Amsterdam about a year ago and rolled it out, as a piece of art.

-> The wooden wish bone was found in our garden by my father and given to me, after saying how much I liked it.

-> All of these are "standing" above the couch that my partner had chosen many years ago, before we met and which I could have also chosen myself.

-> The milky glass candleholder (on the left on the shelf) was my first lucky win on Ebay when I came to Germany (1 euro!)

-> The golden/honey coloured vase is another vintage, lucky find from DDR.

-> The blossoming branches are the ones collected today on a sunny afternoon walk, ones that I was longing for since months...


What simple things mean the world to you?...which simple gestures, actions, activities, objects?
Which of them were part of this weekend?...did you find beauty in life's joyful simplicities?....If yes, which ones?...If no, which ones would you like to live, encounter in the upcoming days and near future?

Summer accessories to be . . .

....soon to be used, enjoyed and loved : )

The lovely raw silk scarf sent to me by dearest Madhu, has definetely found its perfect escort in the " face " of this wooven blue purse, purchased last summer and already very beloved.

The brass flower is a ring, which at the moment I doubt I' ll actually wear coz of its very big size. Still, I chose not to resist its beauty ,as I even like it as a home decoration...just placed somewhere...

These accessories are to go together with this   

summer strapless dress from the Organic Cotton H&M Garden Collection, purchased from Munich for a possible family event to be attended, during this summer's vacation in Greece.

-> Golden beige raw silk scarf: from the 

     Britishindia Malaysian fair, attended 

     by lovely Madhu  - our precious baking queen - for me : )

-> wooven purse with golden clip lock:

     H&M Summer collection 2009

-> brass flower ring : H&M Summer 

     collection 2010

Eco friendly shopping . . .

means that we carry our own reusable shopping bags, which can usually be folded into tiny little things fitting everywhere, at the same time saving our s t y l e s, as trully what can ruin a lovely composed outfit worse than a mixture of various, multi coloured plastic bags?

Style is an a t t i t u d e, expressed in every single moment of our lives. And should we possess it, it simply affects every domain of our life.

Style is not:
-> being rich
-> buying expensive stuff wether we can afford it or not
-> being unapproachable & snobbish
-> copying other people's styles but
finding our own individual ones, by getting in touch with who we really are, while at the same time allowing ourselves to get inspired by others.


The bags used here are and can respectively be found as described:


-> black one: H&M Spring collection 2009 but a similar and rather nicer one is launched in the 
    new Spring collection.
-> black - grey - beige - graphic one, which fits in a tiny pocket : from reisenthel, a German 
    company which can be found  online here
-> blue & green flowers one: part of the "eco - carry" collection, aiming to the protection of 
    sea life, produced from 100% recycled bottles and manufactured in an ethically audited 
    factory, as they say. It was found in a shop in the old city center of Mainz, but as this might not 
    be of help for many of you, more info can found  here: design-collections.co.uk

Happy Friday & a lovely weekend!

These tulips are seen so often these days, especially here on flickr....they have also been coming in the Penthouse's environment since almost a month now,...again and again...in variations but mostly pink and white.

Yesterday's grocering bag had also two bouquettes, one in white and a pink one with white petal edges. They inspired some styling play this sunny morning and the outcome can be seen above. A favorite design - toy horse came out of its drawer to add some playfullness, as Spring certainly calls for that.

Eventhough acting like a child when we actually are adults is rather inappropriate and uncharming, being playful can bring some charm in our daily lives. Moreover, it's a nice reminder of other precious characteristics of children's personalities, such as purity, genuine interest and enthusiasm.

So, the wish for this weekend is to be responsible adults, cherishing the child inside us and bringing some of its qualities in our everyday lives.

The above tablescape was a temporary one and pictures of the one as it actually settled and is now, are to follow.

Hope you are spending a lovely Friday and will enjoy a great weekend!

Style...your way!

Style...your way!, originally uploaded by ivy style33.

Style...your way!

....just wanting to emphasize, that the most important thing for all of us, is to find our personal style in everything!
...not only in our homes but also in dressing ourselves...and actually in every aspect of living and life. Eating, thinking, behaving, travelling...everything that is part of life! 

I know it's hard in the era of multi media and trends and "musts"...but being creative, honest to ourselves and engaging into activities that help us learn more about who we really are, are good antidotes.

So,yes, to being inspired by any means and in every manner....
And mostly a big YES to discovering who we are, who we want to be,
what brings us in peace and how we can be the best we can both for ourselves and the people we love, as much as the whole world out there.

If we have one big obligation for enjoying the gift of life and being here, alive, is to be the best US we can ever be. Coz, if WE don't, who else will be for us?....if we are busy trying to be like somebody else, who will be us?...there is not one single person that doesn't have the potential of being a wonderful one, in his or her own way.

One basic " ingredient " to more and more reaching there, is Acceptance. Both of all the pleasures life brings to us, but also the hard times.

Lately, I ve been making posts about being grateful for a certain small thing in life.
Today I 'm grateful FOR my life.
...all we need is to consider all the misfortune that billions of people are facing daily in the world....then all of us, having the luxury of spending time here, can be nothing less than simply grateful.

I 'll close this post by saying that I 've decided to be donating to charity for as long as I can, 33% of the earnings of the things that I 'll be making and putting in the Etsy shop. It needs a lot of work that I still have not done....but these days are devoted to that.

Every month there'll be a new cause or institution to donate to. But for the first months, I think that the people in Haiti can use all the help they can take. I know that this contribution will be close to being unworthy of calculating, but must admit that I do it also for me. I 'll be feeling better knowing that I add a slight little something and then my crafting sessions will have a deeper meaning for me and reason for doing them.

There'll be an announcement about when this will exactly start. The most important thing is that proof can be provided to all of you, about the contributions actually being done to the causes we will be choosing. Suggestions are welcome : )

All of my life, I had been saying....if I got rich, I 'd be able to help the world...well... I have already become almost 35 and am still anything but rich, speaking of actual assets. But I feel so rich inside and am so grateful for all and everyone that is around me, that this is the right time.