Lovely Cards

I loooove getting things in the mail! Seriously, I think I'm one of the few people who still send letters and postcards on a regular basis (although I have to admit, I haven't sent anything in a while.. and I'm not happy about it). This is what was waiting for me when I got home today - two lovely cards from two different countries. One from my friend Gígja from Iceland and another one from Simone from Taiwan, who also sent me really cute washi tapes (soo exciting!!! :). Thank you guys, you really made my day! 

Guest Post - Washi Tape Christmas DIY

Today's post is a bit of a blogging milestone - it's the first guest post here at Third Culture Cool. I recently asked Jana from Mode de Boulangerie, one of my favourite Czech blogs, whether she'd be up for writing a guest post for my blog. Needless to say, she was more than happy to do so, and in return I contributed to her blog (I compiled a Christmas gift guide, check it out!).

I guess Jana is a mind-reader because her guest post DIY is washi-tape-themed (and you all know my obsession with the latter ;). (English version in italics)

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Dobrý den! Dnes jsem tady na návštěvě a proto jsem chtěla přispět něčím, co mě baví, co mám ráda, co mě tak trochu vystihuje. Ráda se obklopuji krásnými věcmi a snad se mi v tomto duchu daří zařizovat i naše bydlení. Proto jsem se rozhodla o příspěvek typu DIY, který mi bude navíc blízký i tématicky. Tvoření ve spojení s interiérem mě neskutečně naplňuje a je to můj největší koníček hned po mém blogu. Tvoření s washi páskami je velká zábava a když si tím ještě zkrášlím bydlení, tak to vůbec nemá chybu. Kdo mě čte pravidelně ví o mé posedlosti po parůžcích. Miluju jeleny! Proto, když jsem viděla tento obrázek, bylo rozhodnuto.

Hello! Since I'm a 'guest' on this blog, I wanted to contribute with something that I like, something that's 'me'. I like to surround myself with beautiful things and I tend to decorate my house keeping that in mind. This is why I decided to do a DIY guest post which would also be close to my heart thematically. One of my biggest hobbies - apart from blogging - is working on the interior of my house. Working with washi tapes is a lot of fun and when I get to make my house prettier when using said tapes, it's even better. My regular readers know that I am obsessed with antlers. I love deer! This is why, when I saw the photo below, I knew what I wanted to do.

Pro toto vánoční období mi bude ozdobou jelení hlava vytvořena washi páskami. 

This Christmas holiday, my place will be decorated with a washi tape mounted deer head.

Thank you so much, Jana! Isn't this a really cool idea? And really easy as well (perfect for people who aren't such skilled crafters.. *cough cough*.. ME). This year, I won't be able to make this mounted deer head (not enough space). Hopefully that will change sometime in the near future.

First photo by Therese Winberg, styled by Linda Åhman, via PLAZA Interiör.

Washi Tape Obsession

I've got a brand new obsession - washi tapes aka masking tapes. I guess I'm 'kind of' late to this trend (cough cough :), but if it weren't for my friend Risa, I wouldn't have gotten so obsessed in the first place. She sent me my very first Paperchase washi tape (the blue one at the very bottom). And then I read a post on one of my favourite Czech blogs, which was talking about a really cool Czech washi tape e-shop. And the rest is history... Obviously my collection is still very humble, but hopefully it will grow in the not-too-distant future. :) The thing is, I'm not really a 'crafts' person. So what do I use the tapes for? Well, I love paper, stationery, notebooks... So far, I've used the tapes to decorate my Moleskine notebooks and also to spruce up some of the weekly entries. Also, washi tapes are really useful when it comes to wrapping presents. I'm sure you've seen loads of pictures of presents wrapped in simple brown paper and decorated with washi tape - it looks amazing! I plan on wrapping my Christmas presents that way this year. :)

What do you think, are you just as obsessed with washi tapes as I am? Or maybe you're even more obsessed (seriously, that video gives me major washi tape envy!)?

P.S.: Check out a really easy washi tape DIY from one of my favourite blogs (I know, I know, I seem to have many faves... I read a lot of blogs though! :).

Moleskine Store in Prague

A few days ago I visited the Moleskine store here in Prague and I was struck by how amazing the interior design was. I had actually already visited the store when it first opened about a year ago, but I didn't get to appreciate its full glory due to the fact that the place was PACKED. But when I visited the store this week I was actually the only customer there, and apart from checking out all the new additions to the Moleskine family, I got to admire the interior.

I really love the all-white theme as well the shelves which make the notebooks look like works of art. The drawings by young Czech artist Martin Kubát also give the place more character so that it's not 'just another Moleskine store'. The place comes complete with a hipster bike but sadly the latter isn't featured in the photos below. :)

I think a lot of Czech stores - and interiors in general - could learn from this place. I feel like a lot of stores here in Prague are super impersonal but I guess people are only just beginning to realize that visiting an original and nicely decorated place will make the customers want to stay that much longer.

And yes, I did conclude my visit with a purchase of a Moleskine notebook. Oops!

Photos by Dorota Špinková for Moleskine Czech Republic: 1, 2

Lazy Days

1. For those who come from nothing - street art here in Prague by Pasta Oner.

2. Lovely building in a narrow old street.

3. Got my business cards today! I'll be needing them for a super duper secret project I'm thinking of doing in the next couple of weeks. OK, it's not that big of a deal, but I'm excited. Stay tuned! :)

Tom Hiddleston love

'Never, ever let anyone tell you what you can and can't do. Prove the cynics wrong. Pity them, for they have no imagination. The sky's the limit. Your sky, your limit.' 

-Tom Hiddleston

I love this quote. I mean, Tom Hiddleston said it, so it's amazing by default. :) But seriously, Tom Hiddleston isn't just one of my favourite actors... He inspires me with his positivity. He's acknowledged the fact that he's had to work hard to get where he is today and, at the same time, you can tell he's grateful for all the opportunities that have been given to him. To me, he's a true star. Oh and he loves Miss Piggy... need I say more? Love you Tom!

(Clearly my Moleskine diary loves Tom too ;).