Happy Birthday Blog

My blog turns 1 year old today! I wanted to extend a heartfelt thank you to all those who continue to loyally read GypsyMe. This blog is a way of expressing myself through my passion for writing and my insatiable appetite for life. I write about traveling the world, meeting fascinating people, fashion trends I pass on the street, regal events I manage to sneak into, love stories, my published work, projects I'm involved with as well as the films and music that give me goosebumps.

Most have already noticed GypsyMe is not topic-specific and this is for the simple reason that life doesn't just have one genre. There are far too many unique and beautiful things that come into my life and I don't mind breaking the blogging rules so I can write about them all in one place.

Whether you read my blog weekly, monthly, skim through the posts and stop only at the topics you fancy or simply just look at the pictures, know that I greatly appreciate your support. I would love for all - be it a family member, friend, acquaintance or even a complete stranger somewhere in the world who enjoys reading what I write about - to become an official follower of my blog. It's free and quite simple to sign up. All you have to do is provide a urine sample, blood type and a carbon fiber of hair (just kidding). Just go to the right hand side of the page under "Gypsies Who Dig My Blog" and click on "Become A Follower".

If you connect with a specific post, agree or disagree with my opinions or just want to browse the blog, please know I'm interested to hear what you have to say. This blog is a form of expressing myself, but it can also be a form of expressing yourself. It makes my day a little bit brighter knowing people read about the things I adore and enjoy the pictures I post. If you prefer to leave a private message, feel free to email my personal account at ctousek@hotmail.com.

Love,

Me

DIY Victorian Cabin

Hearing about creative people doing creative things will never get old. I was looking at some interior design blogs recently and came across one woman's whimsical retreat.

Turns out Sandra Foster's dream of having a romantic getaway finally came true. With a clear vision, some manual labour and lots of bargain hunting, Foster transformed an abandoned hunting cabin into a fairytale cottage. The 9 x 14 foot space lacks heat, a toilet and a kitchen. Instead it has more important things such as a crystal chandelier, a cabinet full of antique china and a tiny loft area that holds a bed fashioned for Cinderella, Snow White or even Sleeping Beauty.

With a $3, 000 budget to renovate and furnish the sweet spot, Foster relied heavily on her own carpentry skills. She also scoured many secondhand shops to score cheap finds for the Victorian-inspired decorating.

She lives on a 14 acre property in the Catskills area of New York with her husband Todd. Because the little cabin is not equipped with proper amenities, the two love birds reside in their 1971 trailer nicknamed "The Groove Tube". The Tube isn't located very far from the cabin though. She needs only to cross a picturesque stream and climb a small hill to reach paradise again.

Think You Can Wait

OK I confess- I am slightly obsessed with The National. They have easily earned their spot in my top 3 favourite bands at the moment. I'm finding it difficult to listen to anything other than Matt Berninger's sonorous voice lately. Not only has that baritone voice become a defining characteristic of the band, but he has also been referred to as the sexiest voice in indie rock. Berninger's wife is one lucky lady. If I was married to this guy, he would definitely be singing and talking our days away!

The band which formed in Ohio recently recorded a song for the new indie film Win Win starring Paul Giamatti . It has been said that the song "Think You Can Wait" was written after the band saw the movie and became inspired by Tom McCarthy's themes of "very normal and good people trying to do their best and the struggle to be good."

Most National songs are melancholic because they hold a lot of emotion and depth. I can appreciate a really great slow song and although they depress some people, I find them to be quite relaxing. It's the perfect sound to unwind to at the end of any day.

If you like this song I highly recommend listening to their latest album - High Violet. Specifically "England", "Conversation 16", "Sorrow" and "Runaway".

Room Service

It seems like anything Karl Lagerfeld touches turns to gold. This was the case when the world famous fashion and perfume designer was commissioned to brainstorm a campaign for Dom Perignon.

The short film he directed is based on a contemporary fairy tale where two solitary and seductive hedonists cross paths at one of Paris' finest hotels - George V hotel. Eva Herzigova wears three of the most stunning white dresses, drips with jewels and indulges in the sweetest of French desserts. The stranger next door, Brad Kroenig, isn't too bad on the eyes either. Lagerfeld shot photographs of the couple's erotic encounter while Johan Renck shot the film.

Not that Dom Perignon needs the extra attention or advertisement, but perhaps the campaign was created to show the world its true origin? With Dom being tainted in every hip hop and rap video around, thugs and strippers don't exactly portray the class behind the beverage. Sometimes we have to be reminded of the sophistication and glamour that an incredible bottle of vintage Champagne can bring.

Weekend Words

In With The Old

It was another hard day at the office for me. This whole gig of trying on beautiful clothes and working with extremely fun photographers is really difficult sometimes. In case you didn't catch on - I'm being sarcastic :)

Awhile back I modelled a series of vintage outfits for photographer Michelle Belsky. The shoot was styled and photographed in studio. Pieces included fitted blazers with high shoulder pads, Parisian silk dresses and high-waisted pleated pants to name a few.

I adore wearing vintage pieces in my daily wardrobe. I often mix and match vintage and new clothing to create an original outfit. The materials are rich and high quality and I can rest assured I will never show up to an event with the same outfit as anyone else.

Viva la vintage!

P.S. Thank you for all the "likes" this received on Tumblr.

Real Men Wear Pink

They're lean and mean. They're rough and tough. They're most likely bruised and battered. And they come ready for battle dressed in pink.

Years ago when the president of Stade Francais Paris was trying to promote his rugby team, he looked to the fashion world for help. Max Guazzini wanted to create identifiable jerseys and some say use new uniforms to boost ticket sales. He first picked three lightening flashes which are now the club emblem and soon after opted for Barbie/bubblegum pink coloured uniforms for his burly and sweaty players to sport.

What better way to cause a little chatter in the macho rugby league than have his team's away uniforms in the rarest colour for any sportsman to wear - pink?

That year the team sold more than 20, 000 replica jerseys and obviously got a lot of attention by media and fans alike. The following year Guazzini had fashion designer, Kenzo, create another pink jersey. I guess real men aren't afraid to wear pink...

I'm Yours

It's Tuesday and if you haven't smiled yet, then let this rising star serenade you via YouTube. He may not know many of the words (OK he doesn't know ANY of the words), but his cuteness and facial expressions make up for it. He surprisingly keeps a good pitch though.

And people wonder why I want Asian babies one day...

Dare to be Different

If we all looked the same, dressed the same, thought the same and even blogged the same the world would be such a boring place, don't you think? So cut out the monotony and spice things up a bit gypsies. Do something out of the ordinary today and everyday.

Happy Monday to all my devoted readers!

Flower Power

Holy Begonia! I am really ready for spring now that I saw Kelsey Genna's latest collection titled Begonia House. It's fun, flirty and chock-full of floral details. Can you believe the designer is only 19 years old?

The dresses would be the perfect thing to slip into (when the weather heats up of course) that will have you smiling the rest of the day. But, I must admit it's the high-waisted dusty rose pants with the over sized flower accent that are my favourite. Lately I've been wearing lots of vintage high-waisted pants passed down from my mother. They are extremely comfortable because of the extra room around the hips yet they give a really polished and high fashion look with pleating and tapered legs. I always pair mine with heels so my legs seem never ending!

Enjoy this wonderful collection from New Zealand.

Weekend Words

I'm on a never ending hunt for inspirational quotes... Thanks for this one Marilyn :)

Happy weekend blog readers & always make sure to look at every situation as a positive one!

XOXO

Neon Black

Voila! Officially released last night - Neon Black by the Candy Coated Killahz.