EASTER DECORATING IDEAS.

Let's celebrate the season with festive spring and flowery décor! Even though Easter decorating isn't such a challenging affair as decorating for the winter Holiday season, just a few cheerful pastel colours, friendly bunnies, and baskets overflowing with Easter eggs will help you to fill your home with style and joy! Whether you choose to be whimsical or sentimental, you'll certainly love the adorable touch you've given to your home.

• Decorations for the house:

Egg/floral wreaths: there's no better way to make a first impression than an egg garland with a grapevine frame hanging on your front door. Also a faux-flower wreath can look surprisingly fresh, especially if matched with a black and white bow. 

Fresh flower spring bouquets: Arrange a bouquet made with fresh ranunculi, bulbs, garden flowers, double bloom tulips, sweet peas, and lilac branches in unexpected containers such as a bucket or mug and place them in the hall for a joyful welcome to your guests.

Decorative eggs: it's impossible to have too many eggs at Easter. Collect several coloured and speckled shells for pretty centrepieces that last. You can also put them in clear vases with matching feathers and place the latter in strategically visible corners together with bunnies and egg-shaped candles. Another option is a traditional egg tree made with branches from the backyard and a few decorated eggs for a traditional yet original springtime display. 

• Decorations for the table:

Floral centerpieces: create a gorgeous spring table centerpiece with white tulips and elegant ribbons, or add fragrant florals and eggs to a wicker basket. If you like galvanised chic,  instead of the usual glass vase, you can go big by planting bulbs such as hyacinths, daffodils or muscaris  in a large galvanised tub for a rustic touch. 

Napkin decorations: a white tulip and coordinating ribbon or faux ferns and small nests are all you need for a chic and springy napkin ring. 

Eggshell/Bunny place holders: grass seedings will add the finishing touch to the complete Easter motif of bunnies, eggs and nests.

Impressive confectionery: for your dessert, choose either a delicious and showstopper Easter cake or cute cupcakes with memorable fresh-flavoured toppings, or sorbet-coloured macarons to take your easter party to the next level.

So, Happy Easter, dear Readers! I wish you to enjoy your spring parties with family and friends! 

THE BOLDEST TRENDS FROM SPRING/SUMMER 2018 CATWALKS.

Hi guys, let’s cheer up! It’s Spring! Forget the first gloomy, rainy weeks of March, and keep your spirits up while updating on the key looks from S/S 2018 catwalks to have on your radar for the following months. And you can bet your bottom dollar that they will not pass unnoticed!

1) Sparkles: to say that sequins and sparkles will be a big deal next summer is an understatement. In every fashion capital, glitter prevailed during the fashion week. I suggest you to style yours with a leather jacket, shirt or cardigan to give them daytime longevity.

2) Pastels: there’s no spring without pastels, so whether lilac, pink, lemon or duck egg blue, expect to see an array of fashion prettiest shades next season. If you don’t like to appear delicate and helpless, but prefer to add some edge to these saccharine colours, consider tailoring in ice-cream hues or wearing them in unexpected ways.

3) Checks: it looks as if heritage checks are going nowhere for the season ahead. Every brand tried to reinterpret this classic in a new and less traditional appeal, and above all, in a bright and summer-ready style.

4) Plastic: perfect for British summers, waterproof plastics in varying shades is a predominant look for Spring/Summer 2018, and this trend is expected to be everywhere in 12 months’ time.

5) Fringes: fringing made a surprise comeback this season and far from its most obvious and tired rock-festival-style interpretation. I must admit that this new sophisticated, empowered appeal makes it a favourite trend for me, having already some fringed skirts and jackets in my wardrobe from past seasons to mix and match with new pieces.

6) Bold colours: next Summer will be very bright indeed, if the catwalks are anything to go by. From New York to Paris, the shows were awash with vibrant, bold shades to suit every colouring. Personally, being not very willing to wearing all bold colours, I will stick to a few favourite ones such as orange, blue and green, which suit better my lightly tanned complexion and blonde hair.

                       

7) Sheer: Transparency is a headlining trend and a summer favourite, especially if you choose sheer dresses and skirts revealing cycling shorts and full briefs.

8) Ruffles: ruffles added a feminine air yet again this season, with several designers incorporating them in their respective shows. Just use them as details in your daily looks, to avoid a carioca effect.

9) Cinderella shoes: if next season’s glitzy sequinned ready-to-wear is too much for you, then perhaps a sparkling Cinderella pair of shoes is an alternative, either Mary-Jane-style or with more pronounced heels.

10) Brocades: this trend, which is so remote from sobriety, will be omnipresent in shop windows during next months in different lively coloured creations, from dresses to shoes. Since I like would like to follow this trend, but only in moderation, my choice will certainly fall on accessories such as brocaded slippers or bags in bright colours, two must-haves perfect for enlivening any jean + tee outfit.