Some of the most amazing photographs I have ever seen are taken with cheap plastic cameras. It was not until I discovered lomography that my photography passion really developed. With my lomo cameras I feel relaxed enough to take the kind of photos I want to take. A lot of people want to try out this exciting way of photographing, but at first it seems a little overwhelming to figure out how to start. Here is your guide to get started with lomography.

1. Choose a camera

Different cameras will get you different results. Check out the kind of pictures the different cameras take on flickr. Also, read a little about each camera on the lomography website. From my own experience, I really recommend spending out on the Lomo LC-A. It takes amazing photos and feels a little more solid than the other plastic cameras. I can also recommend the Diani Mini for those who would like a small and cheap camera to bring everywhere.

Think about what kind of film the camera takes when you chose. I have a Holga that I don’t use much, since 120 film is so expensive to develop here in Norway. There are 35mm adaptors for both the Holga and the Diania if you want to have the option to use both.

Also consider other cameras. You can find most kind of vintage analog cameras (as well as cheaper lomo cameras) on ebay, as well as other stores. It is not really about the type of camera you use, you can get the same kind of pictures from any vintage point and shoot camera. See if you can find a camera at your local flea or op store!

2. Buy film

For beginners, I recommend not spending out for expensive film just yet. Be prepared to fail in the beginning! A few rolls where you forgot to take off the lens cap is totally normal.

I recommend the regular lomography film. A good ISO to start is 400, it works in most light conditions. If you want regular colored results, go for the color negative. If you want radiant, bright colors, try to cross-process slide film. Buy slide film and ask your lab to use c-41 chemicals. It gives you interesting, saturated results!

Also, if you want to go for different kinds of film, make sure you check that your local lab can develop it for a regular price. Some b&w films are more expensive to develop.

3. Shoot

Shoot from the hip! Seriously, try to follow the 10 golden rules of lomography. Everything you need to know is there. Try not to think too much, the best results are always accidents. Also try some of these ideas:

Try multiple exposures. I always get the best results with multiple exposures. It gives such interesting pictures! If you have a LC-A (or any other camera with iso settings) set your ISO setting to twice the number of your film (eg. if you use ISO 400 film, set it to ISO 800). This will give you the best results, to ensure your photo doesn’t end up too bright.

Try the splitzer. You can buy one from Lomo or make your own with some cardboard. The splitzer will save a part of your photo for the second exposure. This will give you the opportunity to divide your photos in parts.

4. Develop

Find a lab that understands what you are looking for in your pictures. If you want your photos to be as raw as possible, you should ask your lab to don’t edit anything. Most labs automatically edit contrast and saturation, and this will often take away some of the unique feel you get in your lomographs.

In my experience, you can save a lot on getting your photos straight to a cd. If you are using them online only, this is a great way of saving. Also, you could consider investing in a negative scanner. This way you can get your lab to develop and then you can scan yourself. This will save you some money in the long run.

For black & white, I recommend trying to develop them yourself in a darkroom. It is so much fun! I think everyone should try this at least once! If the task of setting up your own darkroom seem a little overwhelming, ask your local photo club if they have a darkroom. They might also host introductory classes.

5. Share

Share your photos! You can of course upload your photos to your blog or share them on Flickr. But did you know that Lomography also has a sharing facility? Here you can share your photos with dedicated lomographers. You could also consider making your own portfolio on carbonmade and sites like deviantart.

I’m also a big fan of sharing photography in other ways than online. Make your own photo album, printed photo book or hang them on your wall. What about creating a photo wall like they have in the lomography stores? I also love the idea of sharing photos with friends and family by sending them a photo in the mail. The point is basically; don’t let your photos end up in a drawer og in the wast corners of your hard drive.

A last tip: Never forget to take a back-up if you are storing your photos digitally.

I hope this guide was helpful if you want to start having fun with lomography! Remember; it doesn’t have to be costly, all you need is a simple toy camera and some film. If you are interested, but not convinced, you can find more information on lomography here: Lomography Magazine, Flickr Lomography Group, A guide to Lomography and The Complete Beginners Guide to Lomography.

If you liked this article, why don’t you subscribe to my feed and help me reach my goal? Thank you!

Did you find this helpful? Do you have any more tips? Please share in the comments!

When one of my readers, Essie, requested a post on perfect days, I was thrilled!

Who doesn’t dream about that perfect day? Still, a lot of people don’t really know what their perfect days would be like. Dreaming takes you nowhere! You have to work to reach your goals, and I have created a little recipe to help you on your way:

Essential Tips

- Only define a perfect day in terms you can control! You can’t plan for sunshine or only nice customers at work. You can’t control everything, and you shouldn’t rely upon external factors to define your day. Plan your perfect day when it comes to what you can control, and you’ll see that you can handle the uncontrollable way better too!

- Similarly, don’t rely on others to make your day! Don’t think that a perfect day could only be spent with your boyfriend, best friend or family member. Rely on yourself! This doesn’t mean that you can’t include spending time with friends and family, just don’t let them ruin your day if they let you down.

Recipe for a Perfect Day

1. Imagine. You have to spend some time figuring out what would be the perfect day for you. There is no universal recipe for the perfect day, you will have to figure it out for yourself. If you could do anything tomorrow, what would it be? Forget about school, work or other commitments. At this stage, even forget about economical restraints. Visualize your perfect day.

2. Write it down. Get it on paper, fast! You don’t want to your plans to be vague and general. By writing it down, you are forced to make your thoughts more concrete and narrow it down. Write your own recipe! You can also make lists of your perfect days in terms of seasons, occasions and economies. How about that perfect spring/summer/fall/winter day? Perfect work day? Perfect day off? Perfect low-budget day? Perfect indulge day? There are no limits! Plan!

3. Analyze. Spend some time analyzing your plan(s). What makes these elements the important pieces of your perfect day(s)? For me, I know inspiration is a vital essence. Maybe the alone time is yours? Or family time? It could be anything, really. The important part is to figure it out so you can use it later.

4 . Integrate. If your perfect day is not possible to realize during the first couple of days, integrate some of the elements into your daily life. Are there any gaps in tomorrow’s schedule? Could you do something in your lunch break or after work? Make use of what you have already identified. If the most important part of your dream day is to spend time with friends, make sure you do that tomorrow. Even a phone call might help lift your mood! If your trigger is inspiration, read a magazine or spend 20 minutes creating an inspiration wall. There are so many possibilities to make parts of your dream day come true, even if you don’t have any free time in the next days.

5. Just do it. No excuses now! You have already figured out what you want to do, created a recipe, figured out what you love and made plans on how to integrate it tomorrow. Now you just have to do it. Make it a top priority! Let nothing ruin your plan. If you have school/work and other commitments, make sure you set a date when you have no obligations to have your perfect day!

6. Repeat. What makes a perfect day changes over time. It changes with our life situation, our priorities and our schedule. This means you can repeat this exercise once in a while. Make sure you keep what you have written down, and eventually you will have a whole cook book with amazing perfect day recipes!

My perfect day

I would wake up early, and start the day with the radio on and  a cup of tea, followed with a nice breakfast.

I would start the day with a visit to a museum. I prefer contemporary art, and we have a great museum here with a great collection. A trip to the natural history museum would also be great.

Then I would go to a cafe and sit down with more tea and a cupcake. I would take notes in my pretty notebook and read an exciting novel.

After lunch I would visit some of my favorite stores. Not necessarily for shopping, but for inspiration. While walking from place to place I would take lots and lots of photographs. In particular, I would like to spend hours at the city’s biggest bookstores. Maybe make a wish list of books.

I love to eat great food, so the evening would consist of home cooking with candles, a lit fireplace and a glass of wine. After dinner, it’s time for reading blogs and maybe write a little post for my own blog. And then I would relax with a novel before bed.

What would your perfect day be like?

Come back for my next post on how find time and make your perfect day a reality.

Barcelona Harbor, taken with Lomo LC-A

I have noticed that my most popular posts are the articles I have written. These are also the most challenging posts to do, but I really do enjoy writing them! This has got me thinking, and I’m wondering if you would like more of these posts?

If you haven’t done it already, check out some of my articles to understand what I’m talking about: 10 ways to make your work day lovely, 10 tips on how to relax after a long day, How to live in the moment, How to wear interesting jewellery, and 14 Ways to Beat the Blues.

If you do want more posts like these, please tell me if there are any specific topics you would like me to cover! :)

I would also like to use the opportunity to welcome all my new readers. You are awesome, and I really appreciate that you’re reading and interacting! :) If you would like me to come over to your blog and say hello, please leave a comment, and I’ll come right over.

Click for source

We can all feel a little sad and depressed sometimes. Especially in winter, I know it is just part of life. When you feel sad, it might feel like there are no solutions and nothing can ever make you feel better. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to lift yourself up and feel better? Here are some tips to help you feel better instantly. You don’t have to do everything on this list, but chose what feels right to you. Some things may work better for you than others. The important part is that you consciously decide not to feel sad anymore and do something about it! I know that sometimes when I’m sad, I don’t want to feel better, I just want to lie somewhere in my dark misery. But it’s time to realize that we are in control of our own feelings, and if you want to be sad, you will stay sad. And if you want to do something about it, well, then try some of these tips:

Body

• Get up. I know how comfortable and safe it is under that blanket, in that bed. But do yourself a favor and get out of bed. I know it’s hard. One foot first, then another. It’s impossible to begin to feel better if you’re still going to lie in bed or on your sofa.
• Straighten up. Lift your hands over your head and stretch. Try to be as tall as you can be! Then pull your back straight up and your shoulders back. Take a few steps imagining you have a bucket of water on your head. I know that when I’m sad, I want to make myself as tiny and invisible as possible, but now that we have decided to feel better, we need to get rid of that feeling. Take your space! It’s all about breaking the sad feeling and the sad habits.
• Change your clothes. It’s hard to feel better if you are still wearing your comfort clothes. Get out of your comfortable, but oh so boring, depressing clothes and change into something you feel nice in! Put on your favorite dress, a skirt or a pair of jeans you look good in. If you want to stay comfortable in what you are wearing now, at least put on some nice jewellery. It’s harder to stay sad when you are wearing pretty clothes, isn’t it?
• Erase the evidence of crying. Put some cold water on your face, reapply your make-up or wear sunglasses. You’ll feel so much better when you don’t have to be reminded of your sadness every time you look yourself in the mirror. After you have done this, smile at your reflection. Even though it’s a fake smile, it sends signals to your brain. Pretend to be happy, and you’ll be happy!
• Treat yourself. A cup of tea, cocoa, ice cream or chocolate. Or maybe you feel better by eating fresh fruit instead? Just don’t overdo the comfort food, or you’ll end up feeling worse. A small sensible portion should make you feel happier in an instant!

Mind

• Let it go for now. Tell yourself to take a little break from being sad. Make it just 15 minutes. There’s no point at thinking about what is making you sad right now, because you have scheduled time to do that later. For now, take a little break from it all. Take a few deep breaths. Really feel how your spirits rise and your sadness drifts away into the shadows. Isn’t it good? If you can’t seem to be able to let go for now, just pretend you are happy for a while. Use your best acting skills and fool yourself into thinking that you are happy today.
• Put on an upbeat, happy song. Oh, I know you want to put on heart-aching, sad music today. Sometimes when I’m sad, I am longing to hear those sad lyrics, because at least somebody must know how I feel. This may help you feel better, short term, but for long term, it is not helping at all. Put on the happiest and most up-beat music you know. Lisa Mitchell does it for me. And the Pointer Sisters’s Jump (for my love). Just dance!
• Do something silly. Do something silly, and you just have to smile at yourself! Dance and sing loudly, blow soap bubbles (use dishwashing detergent and something round), play dress up, take silly pictures of yourself, you name it. Gala Darling‘s Sad Trombone List may be useful here!
• Write a love list. Write a list of ten things you love right now. Or ten positive things in your life. Or 10 persons you are grateful to have in your life. Just force yourself to think about something else for a little while. Who knows, if you give it a chance, it might actually help!

Life

• Call a friend. If you are feeling better by now, call a friend and talk about something that makes you happy. Plan something together like a picnic or a party. If you still feel sad, tell your friend about it. You’ll be surprised of how much a friendship can grow if you just open up and share everything.
• Start something new. Sign up for a new class or start a new hobby. Do something that you have always wanted to do, but not yet started. When you have something to look forward to, and your life is changing just a little, you’ll feel much better!
• De-clutter. What really helps me when I’m sad is to de-clutter and clean. It has a therapeutic effect for me, because as I clean my home, it also feels like I’m de-cluttering my mind. And it makes me feel good when I can relax in a tidy and nice apartment afterwards! Also, by sorting through things, you might get your anger out by throwing stuff you don’t really like away, and you might come by a treasured item you thought was lost. If your apartment is as messy as mine can be sometimes, cleaning up can be quite a treasure hunt!
• Take a walk. By doing something physical, you can get a different perspective on things. Personally, I like to take long walks around my city, just looking around a new neighborhood, discovering a new cafe or shop and just being outside breathing fresh air. When I walk, I find that my thoughts about the subject becomes more calm and rational. If you have a bad day, try to be outside as much as possible. Maybe there’s a forest or park close to you somewhere?
• Do some art. Play music, draw, paint, write, photograph. Just set yourself one goal when it comes to this. No misery, ok? Transforming your emotions to art is a good thing, but not today. Playing the saddest music or painting black canvases are only going to make you feel worse today. Make some cheerful art instead, and you’ll feel much better!

I hope you feel better! If you want to procrastinate a little more, or need more inspiration see also Mermaid‘s How To Pick Yourself Off the Floor and Gala Darling‘s Being Happy!

Unknown photographer

I often find myself living in the future. When I’m done with this, then I’ll finally do that, when I’m working full time, then I’ll be happy, when I finish this task, then I’ll let myself relax, if only I get good grades, then I’ll take my time to enjoy life a little bit more. It goes on and on and on. I have finally realized that this is keeping me from being happy now. I really want to do something about this and learn to live every day .Step one, is to realize that this is how you think. Step two is to learn to live more in the moment. Here is some very simple advice that I’ve been trying to live by recently:

1. Breathe. Breath is the very essence of our living. We don’t really have to breathe, it just happens. This is not where I tell you what happens to your body when you take a deep breath. No need to know that stuff, really. Just do it! Right now when you read this. Take a moment and close your eyes. Then take a deep breath with as much air as you can possibly get in there at once. Try inhaling through your nose. And then exhale slowly through your mouth. Feel your body relax and your energy to rise. Repeat frequently!

2. Slow down. Don’t move so fast! It feels sometimes like the world is moving too fast, and so are you. You don’t have to participate in this, though. Maybe you can let go of some commitments? Learn to say no? You’ll have more time to do what really matters to you. Try not to stress too much, if you realize that you are stressed, slow down! Your life won’t pass you by, if you lose this opportunity, there will be another. I recommend the lyrics from Billy Joel’s Vienna:

3. See. Try to really see the world around you. Do you see something you haven’t noticed before? Do you see the beauty in the small things around you? A good way of practicing to really see is to carry a camera around with you at all times. When you are trying to find something to shoot, you are also training yourself to see the world differently. Look around you right now. What do you see that is interesting? An unusual color combination? Try to repeat this all through your day and it will soon become a habit!

4. Smell. Try to appreciate the moment through smelling. Smell is really closely connected to memory and it happens often that you suddenly remembers something if you smell a certain smell. Like the way lilies remind me of work and the smell of vanilla scented candles remind me of a place I used to live. Try to smell things that don’t really have a scent too. How does the rain smell like? Or your home when you enter it?

5. Taste. When you eat, try to really taste every bit that you take. It’s so easy to forget! To enjoy life in the small moments, it’s essential to enjoy every bit of food that you eat! Don’t forget to try new tastes though! Try a new vegetable, spice or fruit the next time you go shopping, I’m sure you can find something you have never tasted before. How is it like? Another great way to least to use your taste buds is to learn more about wine, tea or coffee. Can you taste the smoke in that wine? or the berries in the coffee? You won’t know until you try!

6. Touch. To really enjoy all the small moments in life, practice to touch. Touch everything from the softest mohair to the hardest rock. Feel the warmth of your lover’s skin. Be present when you touch something, and you’ll soon learn to enjoy the smallest little changes in texture.

7. Listen. Can you hear the raindrops fall outside? Can you hear the wind in the trees? Or your refrigerator? Try to listen carefully and with all your body. Put on your favorite song,what do you like about it? Try to listen through it carefully. Maybe you’ll notice something new in the melody. A little motif that is repeated? I believe that quality of life is in the small things. Like waking up to your favorite song. Or walking to work with loud happy music on your ipod. If you want to listen to something exciting, open this website and put on your favorite song simultaneously.

8. Be creative. Create something that is unique to you. You don’t have to be an artist to appreciate being creative and it will really help you to live in the moment. Be passionate about what you make or what you do. If you haven’t found your way of being creative yet, don’t worry. Just try some different things and who knows? Suddenly you might find your destiny.. ;) Personally, I like being creative with writing and photographing. And I love creating music even though I’m not good at it at all! If you want to create something, remember to live in the moment and appreciate what you do right now, not long for the future where you’ll be better at what you do… (This is where I often fail..) Being creative doesn’t mean you have to create something though. Maybe there’s something you can improve at work or in your home, a new way of doing things perhaps? Or you can be creative and walk a different path from the one you walk every day.

9. Be impulsive. I believe that this is the most important lesson if you want to learn how to enjoy life right now. No one loves to do the same routines day after day. It won’t help you to see if you only see the same things again and again. Be impulsive! Don’t think too much, try something new, something a little out of your comfort zone. Is there something you would like to learn, but haven’t yet? No excuses, do it today! Sign up for a class or do some research! Yes, right now!

10. Quiet your mind. To be able to use your senses to their full capacity, we sometimes need to quiet our minds. I really see the need for this after getting a lot of inspiration online. Sometimes there’s just too much information at once! This is where I turn off my computer, the tv, the music, my phone (and sometimes even the light) and just relax. I prefer to sit on the floor and just breathe (like you just did on number 1 up there). I don’t know if you can call this to meditate, I have never been good at it really. But I find that it helps me relax and calm down and afterwards I feel lighter and more focused. If you can meditate properly, do that, and if it’s not your thing, then find your own way of calming down. The important part is to turn off all sources of media and just give yourself a break!

If you like this advice, you might also like

10 Tips on How to Relax after a Long Day, 10 Ways to Make Your Work Day Lovely and How to Wear Interesting Jewellery.

Source Unknown

We all know it can be exhausting to be working a lot over a long period of time. Sometimes when I’ve been working hard, I can find it hard to relax even though I’m really tired. However, I believe that spending quality time outside work (or in my case, my studies) is important to improve your performance. Whether it is physical labour or hard thought-work, we all need to relax at the end of the day. Here are 10 tips on how to relax after a lovely day of work:

1. Tidy or clean. It may sound strange to start a tip on how to relax with advice to do even more work. I know tidying and cleaning can be exhausting in itself, but for the purpose of relaxing better, I really recommend to spend about 15 minutes to clean the room where you’ll be spending quality time. Just put everything into drawers and closets (you can clean them later) and clean the empty surfaces. Use a detergent that smells clean, and you’ll fool yourself into thinking that there’s no house work to do tonight. It’ll be so much better to relax when you are not constantly reminded of what you need to do or should have done.

2. Turn down the light. Not only will this make sure you don’t notice the cleaning you should have done, it will also make you more relaxed. When the light is low, there are less sources of distraction. All colors seem more gentle and it makes it possible for you to relax your eyes as well. Light candles instead of electrical light! Spend a little time on making yourself comfortable. It’s all in the small things!

3. Use scents. For relaxing, I really recommend using scents. Personally, I love lavender. I have a small bag of dried lavender next to my bed that I sometimes put under my pillow. So soothing! I can also recommend using scented candles or an oil burner. Other relaxing scents include chamomile, ylang ylang, clary sage, bergamot, frankincense, and sandalwood. Scents work differently from person to person, and you should experiment to figure out what works for you!

4. Eat good food. When it comes to relaxing, it is important for me to enjoy a good meal. Try to make the process of cooking a goal in itself. Use the best ingredients available and make the food as tasty as you possibly can! You’re gonna thank yourself later when you sit down and eat the treats that you made. Just make sure you don’t stress with cooking just because you have to. If you’re exhausted, you should consider ordering food just for this night. But don’t make it a habit! It’s not good for you in the long run. I suggest browsing the recipes on Smitten Kitchen. Yum!

5. Have a glass of wine. If you can drink it legally. I find red wine in small amounts very relaxing with food or a good book. If you can’t or won’t drink alcohol, I recommend chamomile tea. It’s very relaxing, making your body feel heavy and relaxed. Tea is great to combine with a long bath!

6. Invite a friend. Nothing can take your mind off work as a good friend can! Make sure you don’t talk about work all night but do something fun together! After work, your friend is probably tired too, so don’t plan on doing everything at once and save the adventures for later. Catch up over a cup of tea, play a game or watch an episode of your favorite tv series. The important part is; it’s good for you to be social after a long day of unsocial work and your friendship will really benefit from you taking time to be together.

7. Do something that takes your mind off things. Books. A movie. Making art. All are great to keep your mind off everything and let your body relax. For books, I really recommend Shantaram, Norwegian Wood and Never Let Me Go. For films, I really like Lost in Translation, Vicky Christina Barcelona and Once. I can also recommend to create something visual. Be creative! This is really important if your work doesn’t give you the opportunity to be creative during the day. Creativity helps us develop ourselves!

8. Wear comfortable clothes. I really do believe that the clothes we wear can help us accomplish something. If I want to feel good, I put on pretty clothes. That’s right, I relax better in a skirt than in a comfy pajamas. For me, relaxing is all about doing the small things that makes me happy. Give yourself time to be you. Wear the clothes that help you accomplish this and you’ll be on the right track!

9. Write down work-related thoughts. As I wrote in 10 Ways to make your work day lovely, I find it very helpful to write down my thoughts that are not related to what I’m trying to do. Likewise, I find it very relaxing to write down all my work-related thoughts. It helps me let go of the work, as I know that I won’t forget something important. It’s a very effective way of decreasing stress for me.

10. Sleep. Get to bed early. After you get home, spend some time with friends or some quality time alone, have a nice meal, do something you like. You’ll probably be very relaxed and comfortable. Now it’s time to sleep! It is important to get a good night’s sleep if you are planning on being productive the next day and to have the energy to do something nice after work. If you are working hard for a long period of time, enough sleep is essential to keep you going. Close your eyes. Take a deep breath. Feel your body relax and let go.

]]> http://www.thefreedomexperiment.com/2009/11/21/10-tips-on-how-to-relax-after-a-long-day/feed/ 7 http://www.thefreedomexperiment.com/2009/11/11/how-to-wear-interesting-jewellery/ http://www.thefreedomexperiment.com/2009/11/11/how-to-wear-interesting-jewellery/#comments Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:25:51 +0000 Mausumi http://www.mausumi.com/?p=254 Photo by Unknown

I love interesting jewellery. I don’t own much unique clothing, so I tend to distinguish my style by wearing unique and interesting jewellery. Accessories can update any outfit, make it trendy, romantic, minimalistic or individualistic. I don’t feel complete without at least a necklace or earrings, I almost feel naked! My relationship with pretty jewellery goes way back, and my love has grown with my collection. I love collecting and adding treasures to my chest!

Where to buy

• Flea markets are great for buying unique jewellery. In particular, I seem to find a lot of pretty brooches and necklaces when I’m going through boxes of old stuff. I also love antique markets, but they tend to have prices in the upper end of the scale. Stay away from the items behind glass. They are almost always too valuable or over priced. I usually go for the boxes of random items, this is where the cheap treasures are! I almost never look for something of value when I go jewellery shopping, for me it’s all about the prettiness. Who cares how much your necklace is worth if it’s not pretty? Do look for quality though, silver (often marked 925 or 825) is my favorite. You can feel the quality by the item’s weight and the details in the seems.
• Trendy items are best bought in high street stores, as the trends and the items are not likely to last very long. I buy cheap earrings, bangles and necklaces that are trendy, but I never buy or wear a trend that I don’t like! I think jewellery should match your personality, not make you look like everyone else. By buying only what you love, it becomes less a trend and more a part of your style!
• If you are looking for a life-long personal item, these are generally best to receive as gifts! (I wish…) But who said you can’t buy yourself a little gift that can forever remind you of an accomplishment or a certain day? When buying such pieces, I recommend going for the classical stuff; gold, silver, pearls or even diamonds! I would also recommend to keep the style classical, as trends will change quickly. However, the best personal jewellery is the piece that is perfect to you. Just think it through, as items like these are often investments and not cheap! A good tip: you can get vintage jewellery engraved at most jewellers. How about making the jewellery even more personal by engraving a date, a name or your favorite word?
• Ebay and etsy are great sources to find unique pieces. Just make sure you study the photos and the information given before you buy! And remember to be safe and use paypal!
• I love buying jewellery when I’m abroad as I usually find something different than back home. Go to flea markets or buy souvenirs, it will remind you of where you bought it! I love shopping for jewellery in small individually owned stores. They tend to have individual brands and work by upcoming artists!
• Here are some of my favorite stores online: Roundabout Designs, Björg Jewellery, airfurfeathers, Pret a Portobello and Buddug!

How to wear

I believe it is with jewellery as it is with clothes. Something that looks good on one person might not necessarily look good on others. You have to figure out what works for you! I can tell; I look stupid with both earrings and a necklace. That’s just me, however, others look very neat when wearing both. Personally, I tend to go for the necklace+bracelet or earrings+bracelet combination for daytime, and I feel like I can put on more for evening. I also love to have multiple necklaces in a similar style or multiple bracelets (but always just on one hand). I always sense when I’m adding too much accessories, I feel that each piece is not getting the attention it deserves! Here are some general tips:

• Less is more. If you don’t usually wear jewellery, I’m sure you can agree with me here. Think about why you are putting each item on. Do they mean something to you? Does it make you look taller? Or more sophisticated? Or do your necklace just rock? Think about why you are wearing jewellery that particular day and you’ll often see that less is more. Unless you are using all your necklaces at once to look awesomely cool. Be yourself!
• Don’t mix silver with gold. I don’t really like this rule. I think silver and gold can look great together, at least with the right pieces. So the rule is; don’t follow the rule. Mix colors to your own liking, but do it consciously!
• be creative. Can’t find the right piece for you? Make it yourself! Creating jewellery is easy and a lot of fun! All you have to do is buy or gather small items of your desire, such as: coins with holes, nuts, paper, small figures, stones, leaves etc. All small items can do! How about miniature dolls house pianos or toy animals? You can also be creative with what you’ve already got, use a brooch as a necklace, a necklace as a bracelet etc. Or replace chains with ribbons or leather thread, only the imagination is the limit!

How to care

• Keep the chains apart to avoid tangling. There are so many ways to store jewellery! Hang them all up on the wall on a row, use a jewellery tree, or store them in a romantic treasure chest.
• Store silver in air-tight containers. Then you don’t have to clean before you can use!
• Clean and rinse regularly. Use silver or gold polish, but be careful if your jewellery is made of combinations such as silver and pearls. Silver polish can leave marks on pearls! Clean other materials with a little gentle soap and water.

Photo by Much Love

I’d love to get your feedback! What is your most treasured piece? How do you wear it? And what’s the name of that store you can’t resist?