Spots and Stripes

An oversize polka dot shirt and a striped circle scarf - if this combination doesn't cheer you up, well, there's the spring sunshine!






































And I've found another set of steps to take pictures on.
I'm starting to become "The Blogger Who Only Takes Pictures of Herself on Steps".






































I'm also up for the title "The Blogger Who's Obsessed With Polka Dots". This is my Boyfriend's vintage shirt and it's been beckoning me for months... Now I stole it, haha! 






































I could hardly wait to wear this coat again, it's easily my favourite piece right now. This cut seems to be worn by old ladies only, but I couldn't care less. It makes me feel like a character from a book - or from a cartoon. :)





















Sunshine can make pictures so crisp! I only cropped these pictures and didn't bother Photoshopping them at all, and they still look so nice and sharp! Ah, the season for much better outfit pictures is approaching. :)

Wearing: Promod lace shorts and boots, Zara top, 

my Boyfriend's vintage shirt, DIY circle scarf, DIY earrings and Calzedonia tights.

Photographic Time Travel 1900-1910

There is something magical about old pictures, they really seem like special objects as they bring back a slice of life that’s long gone. Especially amateur, or family photos of old…



































There’s and amazing website, Fortepan.hu, which collects amateur photographs from 1900 to 1990, which you can browse and enjoy and also share if you feel like it! The creators collected old negatives and slides, saved pictures from being lost forever. Luckily for us, one day they started to scan and publish them online for everyone to see. So now time travel really is possible for us! All we need is some free time to immerse yourself in the everyday life of the 20th century...































These pictures are from Fortepan too, from between 1900 and 1910. Looking through the pictures, (and let me warn you, you can get lost in this website for hours and hours...) I saw the past century come alive and felt instantly transported. It’s amazing to see how people weren’t any different from us a 100 years ago, really. You see laid back, smiling girls or clumsy ladies, ashamed of looking into the camera, or looking piercingly straight into it, stolen moments and carefully organised scenes.



































Not only can you pan the history of 20th century Hungary through the eyes of everyday people, the evolution of fashion is also fascinating!

































Look at the pleating, the ruffles of the hat and the dainty but long necklace! Swoon!






















What a wonderful little room, with the dressing table and pictures on the wall… Of course the fingerprint gives it extra charm!





































Don’t you think these girls made their dresses themselves and they’re really proud of them? (Also, what’s up with the flying piano?)




















I bet the Sartorialist wishes sometimes he could travel back in time and take some streetstyle pictures like this! These girls seem to walk with such confidence!



























This wedding picture is so sweet… Just look out for the guest of honour, the dog. :D























This picture is my favourite of them all... Such happiness, such ease.
I've got new imaginary friends.

I could go on and on about each picture and choose more and more, every detail spins a whole story for me. So go on and visit Fortepan and have a browse. You can also read more about their project here!
I rather enjoy time travel, so you might see similar posts in the future. :)

Spring?

Scratch that, after a few clear days it's been snowing all day today again.
Winter is giving it one last try!




























But I'm wearing flowers and enjoying the unexpected sunspots on my pictures...
Spring will arrive eventually!






































This vintage leather skirt I picked up when one of my favourite second hand shops was closing down became one of my most worn pieces. As well as trasporting me to the 70s, it's keeping me warm while the last breath of winter lasts.





















By the way, at the moment the below picture is a much closer representation to how I actually look like when I walk the streets of Budapest... With an extra pullover and a huge scarf added. :)

Wearing: Thrifted blouse and leather skirt, H&M flowers, Calzedonia tights, 

Promod boots, New Yorker coat.

Pavia, Oh, Pavia!

Travel - the only valid reason I see for waking up at 3 in the morning.






































This is where I'd disappeared to for a few days! Pavia, Northern Italy.






































The weather was quite wintry, and it seemed like a permanent haze hung over the area, so my pictures are all a bit dreamlike.



My sister won an Erasmus grant to study at the university here, and I accompanied her to help her move. Pavia is gorgeous, and the university is so atmospheric. The second oldest in Italy, it was founded in 1361. How amazing! Above is one of the inner gardens of the university, and below is my sister, Anna, walking by the university buildings.




























I'm sure she'll love it there! (She already does! :)

We also went into Milan for a day, where I really enjoyed the letterings of signs...





















































And was quite creeped out by the famous Duomo, which looked really mysterious in the haze...





















It also has a row of mummified priests inside, nicely dressed up, and some weird carvings on its walls. How bizarre is this web-toed creature with a huge, cute bow?




















































So I went to Milan and didn't look at any of the posh shops, but instead I'm writing about imaginary creatures on church walls. If this blog wasn't already called Quaint, I would rename it right now.

Illustrated Shoot - Peacock

Peacock feathers remind me of Art Nouveau, of lean and soft lines, gentle waves, pleasing symmetry and the most beautiful deep and broken colours. Of gardens with winding paths that lead to sweeping green grass where birds flaunt their colourful attire. Of misty evenings when hazy shapes lurk in the shadows...





































And if we’re talking blogs, of Pandora, of course.






































And the headpiece fixation continues... I created this one from two separate headbands bought in England, which I couldn’t resist, as they immediately made me yearn for beauty. That’s a good thing. :)






































The weather is terrilby wintry nowadays, yesterday snow was swirming everywhere during a few blizzards through the day and cars went slower than strolling people. Hardly weather conditions that beckon you to take pictures outside! So sorry, but indoors pictures it is for a while!

Wearing: DIY headpiece created from Primark headbands, gifted gown,
mismatching nail varnishes by Miss Sporty and Essence.

Valentine's Pictures

I was called in by my photographer friend, Zsófi Raffay to style a Valentine’s day shoot…




















Featuring the Red Fish.









































No, not really. :)
We just couldn’t resist playing with him, though apparently he’s a male fish, so this attire might as well have been a Mardi Gras outfit for him.

In truth, I helped Zsófi with a special shoot Edina requested. She’s a mum of two, and was keen to create some beautiful and sexy photographs for Valentine’s day. (She said they’re 80% for her and 20% for her husband – we agreed that was a completely rational ratio. :)




















It was a first for me as I’ve never styled a barely-dressed shoot before, so I was pretty nervous beforehand! However, once I met Edina and we had some giggles and pooled all the pretty props we’d brought, we had great fun! There were lovely lingerie, thigh-high stockings, colourful gowns and feathered boas, headpieces, pearls, a mask and some more traditional pieces of clothing too, so she can show off some pictures to all of her friends.

Here she is in the famous headpiece, isn't she simply gorgeous?









































I’m not gonna share all the pictures with you, sorry, but let me tell you, Edina is absolutely wonderful on them! It turned out that she’s a natural talent for coy poses. :) It’s great to see a lady relax before the camera and start to shine! It’s all worth it when you see the pictures and read what others comment on them – we all deserve to see ourselves as beautiful as we really are!

Before - After

Enjoy Valentine's day lovelies, make yourself shine, let's say 80% for yourself, 20% for others! :)


Pictures by Zsófi Raffay
Make-up by Ági Pacsuta
Styling by Me :)