On the left bank

A hot, sunny afternoon spent with a dear friend of mine. I always like to be close to the water... I must've crossed this bridge hundreds of times on my way to the beach when I was younger... That building you see in the background of the third photo is the hospital where most of the people from this town, including me, first came into this wondrous world. Funny when you think about it... All of this reminds me of the old days when we used to hang out all the time and when everyone I know seemed more carefree and spontaneous. We should do this more often... This free therapy thing. Lush nature and good company can do so much for your well-being without you even realizing it. Enjoy your Sunday, and try not to spoil it thinking about Monday!

Timeless

Watches have been among the most cherished gifts for generations and for good reason. Nothing symbolizes the passing down of family values better than an heirloom watch. Perhaps you are shopping for an upcoming wedding. Maybe you opted for eco-friendly and socially responsible koa wood rings to symbolize your commitment and love to one another. With the incredibly reasonable price of the rings, room seemed to be found in your financial allowance for another timeless gift and a watch is an ideal choice. Regardless of reason or occasion for giving, a carefully chosen watch is always a fine heirloom in the making.

Go for Timeless Styling

When choosing an heirloom worthy watch, you want a watch that looks classic and isn’t going to be out of style in five years. Select tasteful and classic styling. Remember, less is far more here. Classic and understated watches are definitely always in style.

Some High-End Suggestions

You don’t ought to spend a king’s ransom to buy an incredibly nice watch. Look carefully at vintage or pre-owned watches if you are with limited funds. They are often offered for a fraction of the cost of new models from the same elite makers (Lange & Son, Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, Patek Philippe and Jaeger-LeCoultre). While not in the stratosphere of the highest haute horlogerie, Rolex consistently make exceedingly fine watches whose reliability and overall quality are the envy in the industry. Even the most die-hard watch snob must admit that Rolex has emerged to the greatest purveyor of high-quality watches. Besides, Rolex is a practical watch that complements any attire which makes it a perfect heirloom watch. 

With a Tighter Budget

For heirloom quality watches, mechanical movements are preferred over quartz due to their perceived longevity. They will last centuries with regular maintenance and so are not dependent on electronic circuitry that can go bad (or go out of production). The German Stowa brand and the Nomos company both make very good watches for the money. Again, consider going vintage. An Omega Speedmaster having a 321 column wheel movement is timeless. It was good enough for NASA and good enough to go to the Moon. That makes it a secure, heirloom worthy gift. One advantage vintage classics have over modern choices: they’ve already proven themselves to be classics. Which will take the guess work completely out of the equation.

Don’t forget you can always get impeccable service for all your fine watches at Rolex service. They have Certified CW-21 Watchmakers on staff and give very competitive pricing.

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Winter's bite

They say this is going to be the coldest winter in the last 100 years. Well, I certainly hope they're wrong.

 

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The waves

I want to... No, I NEED to live by the sea. Life is so much better when there's salt in the air... Oh, and these photos are not new, I'm just reminiscing... Have a relaxing weekend!  ♫ Branford Marsalis Quartet - The Ruby and the Pearl ♫

Il Parco dei Mostri

The Sacred Grove was built in the 16th century by Vicino Orsini, Duke of Bomarzo as a memorial to his wife Giulia. Carved out of the local stone, this Mannerist garden is populated with fascinating huge sculptures of mythical creatures. The architect was Pirro Ligorio (he also completed parts of the St. Peter's Basilica in Rome after Michelangelo's death). After Vicino's death, the garden fell into oblivion. It waited for 300 years to be rediscovered. Many European artists, including my beloved Salvador Dali, were inspired by the garden in the 1930's, but the restoration didn't happen until 1953 when the local art appreciator decided to wake up the monsters. The garden is full of symbolism and philosophical thoughts. There is also notable inspiration from poets like Dante and Petrarch. Il Sacro Bosco is truly one of the most remarkable places I've ever seen. If you're a dreamy soul looking for magic in this world, this is the right place for you.

Escaping the crowds

... in Florence on a Saturday in May is quite tricky, I can tell you... It's been a while since I made an outfit post, so I decided to make one today. This maxi skirt is different from the one I wore in my Welcome to Narnia post, but both of them are DIY. Have a lovely week, lads and lasses!

Welcome to Narnia

A post for dreamers. And maxi skirt lovers. While looking at the photographs, listen to this great contemporary version of the famous song: ♫ The Piano Guys - Carol of the Bells (for 12 cellos) ♫ 

Featured on Skopje Casual

A few days ago my blog was featured on this great Macedonian fashion and style related website called Skopje Casual. You can read the post here. Thanks for having me, girls!

  

Punk chic

I know it sounds lame, but this is my "back to roots" outfit. I'm actually a rebellious little creature, only more diplomatic these days. (Hat and shorts are DIY.) ♫ Refused - New Noise ♫

It's so fluffy

I'm talking about my new unbelievably soft jumper (Pull&Bear), of course. Other than that, my new photo equipment arrived from NYC few days ago and I still can't believe how remarkable and exquisite it is. What a refreshment! I also have a little announcement to make... The blog will get a new name (BELLS and FEATHERS) and domain next month, along with a small redesign. Hope you'll like it. Toodles!