Kids on a Mission

... a mission to litter the street with flowers, while dolled up in festive traditional folk outfits.

These little girls were busily tossing flower petals from their tiny woven baskets, all part of a procession celebrating the feast of Corpus Christi this past Thursday (a national holiday in Poland - also the start of yet another long weekend). Just one of many such processions around Krakow, this one happened to be going straight through my neighborhood.


 
 I remember doing the same thing as a child, wearing a red flowered skirt and ornate velvet vest just like the one above - both were hand-sewn and embroidered by my grandmother. This outfit is specific to Krakow, while other cities and regions in Poland have their own unique styles and patterns. 








It's fun to be able to admire these little works of art 'in action' once a year, walking the streets proudly with their very important mission in mind. Perhaps the only time of year when littering is encouraged. 

Boys get to dress up too - a glimpse of the traditional 'Krakowiak', top left

All images taken by me - Copyright 2012 CozyCity. Please cite if borrowed.

Krakow's Indie Market

Two weekends ago I (along with some friends from out of town) serendipitously stumbled upon 'Targi Dizajnu vol. 3', a sort of artisans market for independent Krakow-based designers.  Apparently this is a seasonal event, where mostly 20 to 30-something artists gather to showcase their various handmade wares, apparel, and accessories. The level of craftsmanship was pretty impressive, especially for some of the stylish hand-sewn purses and clothing items. It seemed like a lot of the designers are available for custom orders, and many are reachable through facebook if they don't have independent websites. A list of links to designers is available here.

A few of my photos from the event:

Upcycled bags by Trashki

Right: Jackets hung in background by Bosque

  

Plush critters by Entala

All images taken by me - Copyright 2012 CozyCity. Please cite if borrowed.

I wasn't able to identify all of the products shown in my photos. If you see your product, please let me know so I can tag you.

Source for: Cozy Loungewear

The habit was ingrained during my days of working in biochemistry and polymer research: Upon returning home from the lab each day, I'd immediately strip off all my 'contaminated' clothing in exchange for clean and comfortable house clothes. Today, even though I'm far away from lab chemicals, I still prefer to change into soft lounge-worthy apparel at home.

Oysho is an excellent source for comfy and inexpensive sleepwear, loungewear, and lingerie - although they don't have any stores in the US yet, there is at least one in Krakow and many more elsewhere. I like them especially for their soft cotton basics, but they're also good at subtle feminine details... and spunky cartoon-animal motifs if you're into that. 

Images: Oysho 1 / 2

Images clockwise from left: Oysho 1 / 2 / 3

Mad for Mint

Mint in herb form has been my beloved go-to tea leaf for as long as I can remember. Mint in color form, on the other hand, has never gotten much of my attention. I never considered it as much of a wardrobe option, nor as a potential wall color. It was usually waved off as one of those 'pastel baby colors', or worse, reminiscent of toothpaste and dentists. Yet now, suddenly, I can't get enough. Mint has managed to sneak its way into my consciousness, spawning a full-blown infatuation with all things minty (including its siblings, sage and turquoise). Maybe it's a longing for real crisp winter weather, or maybe it's a memory of azure waters in the Virgin Islands which I visited a few weeks ago. 

Either way, Mint is surely proving to have great potential as a decorative element, adding both freshness and serenity to a room or an outfit. 


Minty home

Images from House to Home, clockwise from upper left : 1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Minty decor, including a lovely paper cut-out from Poland (lower right)

Images clockwise from upper left : domesticcharm / anthropologie / bialakura / dahlhaus via room6 

  

Dressing for chilly weather

Images from Anthropologie : 1 / 2

 Or for warm weather (ps: if you haven't noticed, mint gets along well with red and coral)

Images Clockwise from left : Doo.Ri spring 2012 rtw via style.com / Dariami / Anthropologie

Mint is surprisingly versatile. It's lovely with warm tones, like light wood or shades of red, but also complements a cool gray or slate. It is at once both wintry and summery, soothing and stimulating.
And if that still isn't enough... go get yourself a bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Yum.