Coffee. More than just a drink.

Coffee. It's so much more than just a drink. It's our rituals, pleasures, preferences, social interaction and a coy smile from a stranger, all squeezed into a small cup. It has never kept me awake or gave me more energy per se. Why would you drink something just to keep you awake though? Coffee is to be enjoyed, not to be practical.

It's usually the first thing we do in the morning. Pop the kettle on. Turn the coffee maker on. Pop into a coffee shop on the way to work. Enjoy the morning paper over a cup of a takeaway coffee on a train. However you do it, you do it. Hands up people, who doesn't drink coffee? Be it instant, ground, filtered, brewed. Doesn't matter whether it is black or white, hot or cold (preferably hot though). The British culture seems to be heading more towards coffee than tea... Coffee houses prosper rather well at the moment and new ones appear on every corner. Why? You are the answer.

I came across the video below a couple of weeks ago and it made me think about the whole process of coffee making. When it comes to buying coffee I always smell the beans, have a look at where it came from, how roasted it is. And in this video you can see what happens before you sip your favourite beverage. Enjoy! I do recommend watching it over a cup of cappuccino mmm... Happy rainy Sunday!

Victoria Beckham for Elle UK

Oh, Victoria! Could you be any more perfect? VB is the cover star of this mont's Elle UK. She recently has come back to live here for good. Will she miss Eva Longoria, her pal? Possibly, but she is where she belongs - in London, where she works and displays her creations. She is known to be able to work long hours, be an extreme perfectionist and still take baby Harper in her arms and cuddle her endlessly. She doesn't smile because she thinks it makes her ugly. When asked what she wanted to be she responded 'I want to be like Ariel Automatic'. She knew she wanted to be a brand. A brand that would be recognisable all over the world. And, despite the sceptical opinions, she did it. It didn't matter that she couldn't draw the designs herself. She's not just Kim-Kardashian-ish famous (I still can't figure out what KK is famous for...). Everyone knows exactly what VB does and how good she is at it. She not only sets the trends on the runway but also turned out to be a brilliant car interior designer. I'm looking forward to seeing what else she has up her sleeve. No wonder she has recently been called Queen Victoria. I would definitely bow and end up being speechless if I had the pleasure of meeting her!

photo and video by Elle UK

Anja Rubik for Elle UK

My love for Anja Rubik, her work and her style goes way back... She's been on top for many years and even though she's approaching 30 (that's supposed to be quite old for a model, apparently) she is still one of the hottest names in the business. I call her 'the Polish Kate Moss minus cocaine'. What makes her the best? It's her effortlessness. Anja looks so natural in every shot. She's just herself, not trying to be anyone else and that is beautiful.

Below, you can see a video from behind the scenes of Anja's photoshoot for Elle UK. (Mr. Postman, could you please hurry and bring me my copy?) I don't really understand one thing though. How come certain fashion magazines (i.e. Elle) have totally devoted their covers to celebrities? With all due respect, what has Scarlett Johansson (who is a good actress btw) got to do with fashion? Apart from modelling for D&G's 'The One' of course... How come that such a catwalk superstar is being featured and she doesn't get the cover shoot? Dear Elle UK, we can see celebs in Grazia, Hello, O.K. and many more maybe not worthless but worth less publications. Please, give us some fashion!

The power of friendship.

I would like to welcome you to a table. It's my friend's kitchen table. It's no ordinary table through. It stands right in the middle of her beautiful kitchen and is soooo big that lots of happy faces can gather around it. What is it about kitchen tables that very often the most important things in our lives happen there? Right there, in the kitchen. Take a seat and enjoy. Filming, editing and starring by Alicja and myself.



You can also watch it on Vimeo here.

How we work? Iamshoeshopping Video.

Ladies and gentlemen, thanks to my fantastic friend Alicja, you are now able to see how PJ and I work. I very often get asked the same question 'Do you take photos everyday?'. The answer is no - we meet once a week or so and shoot 3-4 outfits at one go. We both juggle work, blog and PJ is still at the uni so, even though I wouldn't mind seeing PJ everyday, this works best for us both. Watch the video below to find out what our photo sessions look like and how we roll. Now you can imagine what he has to put up with... haha. I hope you'll enjoy this short film as much as I do! Thank you ever so much Alicja for making that video happen for us! You can also see her beautiful photography and other films here.

One day in London.

A simple recipe for a great day? Take your best friend exploring to a near-by city/town and make a film. Last Saturday Alicja and I went to the Portobello Road Market and ice skating in London. It was gloomy, it was cold but it didn't manage to wipe the smiles off our faces. Below you can see a little video I made with my camera. It's a great alternative to taking photos, which many people (unlike me) tend not to go back to. A short video is easy to make and can be easily shared with your friends and family. So why not give it a go? As far as my outfit is concerned, you can see it for probably just a fracture of a second but it consisted of a leopard print coat, a denim jacket and black jeans topped up with big black wooly hat- perfect for a cold day out! I hope you'll like the video. There is another exciting one coming to the blog soon...