I recorded video for this post first before I went to hospital to deliver my daughter Anabela but since I went to hospital to deliver her three weeks before my due date now after I went through it all I went ahead and recorded a new one since I realized that some things I didn't need and some I missed to pack.  
Since I have a lot of girlfriends who are pregnant now I think they will appreciate reading and watching this just to check if they have all they need. You may want to read my birth story  to see how it all went for me. I was fortunate to deliver Anabela in a very well equipped private hospital in Barcelona but I still needed to bring the things I listed bellow to make my stay more comfortable.  Usually if women delivers naturally she stays in hospital for 3-4 days max, if there are some complications with mum or with a a baby you may stay longer but you want to be packed and ready for at least 3-5 days so you don't have to send your anyways confused and excited partner to look for pads in the store! :) On top of your own bag you need to bring a bag with stuff for your baby. Watch my video post  where I am sharing what I packed for Anabela. I ended up not needing so much clothes as she was premature so she needed to stay in incubator for 3 days but all the other things I packed were really useful.

CLOTHING

- 3x pajamas with breastfeeding clips on tops and loose fitting bottoms - 5 sets of underwear - 3x nursing bra's and/or tops - Slippers & flip flops - 1x cotton robe with pockets (to carry your phone and breast pads) - 1x outfit to go home in - Your favorite pillow and/or a blanket Shop here:

COSMETICS

- Cosmetic bags with all of the essentials (shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, face cream, body lotion,  hairbrush, hair ties, tooth paste and tooth brush) - Heavy duty sanitary pads, regular night pads and small daily pads (2 packs each) - Maternity disposable panties (these were a lifesaver for me!) - Nail-polish remover - Make up bag

BREASTFEEDING ACCESSORY

-Silicon nipple (comes in small, medium, large) - Electric breast pump - Nipple cream - Breast pads Shop here:

SNACKS & VITAMINS

- Gums or mints - 3 boxes of granola bars or protein bars - Favorite juice or coconut water - Prenatal vitamins, calcium & iron supplement (or whatever else you were taking during pregnancy)

DOCUMENTS

- Your whole pregnancy documentation including trimester reports and ultrasounds  - ID and/or passport - Your birth plan (email me  if you would like me to send you mine to review)

FUN/WORK

- Your favorite book/magazine - Laptop (if you decide to work day after delivery like I did :)) - Chargers for your phone and/or laptop - Camera if you decide to take photos with your baby & family at the hospital

Have you also had baby recently or are expecting to have it soon?  What did you pack in your hospital bag?
XoXo

My baby girl Anabela was exactly three weeks yesterday. These three weeks today seem like they just flew by but during our six day hospital stay I felt like every minute lasted forever and I just wanted to take my baby and go home.

MORNING LIKE ANY OTHER

It all started on the morning of February 16th. I started my morning like any other with an early shower, my morning coffee and drafting new blog post with quick salad recipes (I haven't yet published) and walking Papi. 
The plan for the day after I finish work around five o'clock was to pick up balloons and cake for my boyfriend's birthday and finish wrapping his presents. We decided to celebrate in the evening of February 16th, day before his actual birthday as he was traveling to important tournament early in the morning.

NO DRAMA MAMA

While I was walking Papi I felt light cramping bellow my already quite large belly. It felt like period cramps so as I was stepping into my apartment I called my doctor to tell her I feel light cramps, nothing very painful (at the time I was 36 weeks and 5 days). 
Doctor said it could be anything at this point, fake contractions or real ones as I am approaching my delivery date so I should just come over to her office (as I live 10 minutes from her office) so she can take a quick look.
I took a cab to doctor's office, she took a look and said "Your water broke, you are dilated, nurse will take you downstairs to delivery room, you will have your baby today." As she was preparing some paperwork quickly I walked around her office as I felt cramps/contractions becoming stronger but not super painful and we concluded that my water broke when I was in the shower so I haven't noticed anything.
I texted my boyfriend that I have a very special gift for his birthday so he should pick up my bags from home after practice and meet me at delivery room 'pronto'. I got a lot of comments after publishing  video post on what to pack in baby hospital bag  saying how I over-prepared/over-packed for the hospital and how I was ready to early.... and there you go! I had a premature baby! 
So better be safe then sorry ladies, once you enter your second trimester, get those bags ready! You don't want to call your boyfriend/husband from the hospital while having contractions and try to explain him what to pack and where to find it in your home or worse in the store.  

EPIDURAL RULES

A nurse brought me to the prep-room before delivery room, introduced me to the team who will introduce the mobile epidural (it didn't hurt a bit and I am usually afraid of needles), talked me through the details and helped me complete some paperwork. My team of doctors came to say hi and walked me through the details of what will happen in delivery room. They said I will give birth within an hour and brought me my phone so I can notify my boyfriend to hurry up.
I was given epidural and I stopped feeling contractions, I still felt my legs and everything but I was really relaxed. I mean REALLY relaxed. I was a bit anxious, but not scared. 

QUICK DELIVERY & RECOVERY

My boyfriend Ante arrived just on time to check me into the room, leave my stuff there and be back down on time to go with me to delivery room. He stood behind my head during delivery and held my head and my hand. I am so so happy he was there because he gave me strength to push through during those few minutes when it really mattered and when I felt stronger pain.
Overall my delivery was very short, between 15-30 minutes, all together with a taxi ride, doctor's check up and a prep I was done in 3 hours. I had no tearing and no stitches (luckily). Doctor said he contributes my quick and not so painful delivery to a few factors: strong core muscles (from being an athlete), premature thus a bit smaller baby and good prep during pregnancy.
My preparation during pregnancy which included: taking vitamins, trying to eat healthy, exercising and sleeping well, doing my Kegel exercises and perineal massage during last trimester, practicing breathing and writing a delivery plan (if you would like to see mine you can email me) and communicating my delivery wishes to my doctors. 

FIRST LOOK AT ANABELA

The first seconds after I delivered Anabela and she started screaming I felt a huge relief, relief that the pain and pushing was over (as you know I wasn't to bubbly pregnant women) and relief that she was live and well! Immediately after they placed Anabela on my chest Ante and I counted her fingers and toes. We looked at each other, then looked at her. It was strange, new, thrilling... love at first sight! She was/is perfect! We were just trying to realize that all this is real, we have became parents. All of a sudden we are a family of four (Papi is our first furry baby).
Due to some respiratory problems and out of precaution as she was a bit premature doctors kept Anabela in incubator for the first three days and then three more days under the lamp for jaundice, both of which is common for premature babies. I stayed in my hospital room and went to breastfeed her every three hours and then we finally took her home after six days.
I would like to write a 'disclaimer' saying that I was fortunate to be able to deliver my baby in a private hospital in Barcelona -Teknon with very kind and professional team of doctors and so I really have no traumas but only positive memories of my delivery and hospital stay. 
Thanks to my supportive boyfriend and great care I really feel extremely fortunate and I always say I really had a 'royal treatment' for which I am extremely grateful as I know this is not a standard everywhere and for every mum and it definitely should be!
XoXo

Valentine's day has always been about celebrating love, relaxation and awaking different senses for me no matter if you are in relationship or not. It's not about expensive presents and it's not only about sex. It's definitely about indulgence. You will unlikely feel the extreme sensation of love (or lack of it) tomorrow just because it's February 14th but why not put an effort, use your imagination and make your Sunday just a bit more extra fabulous tomorrow?

FABULOUSLY SINGLE.

If you are single, use Valentine's Day to pamper yourself, sleep in, listen to your favorite music, relax or go for a spa day with your best friend. Why not? 
You should love yourself, celebrate your love towards your fabulous self and you definitely deserve it! Finish the day of wearing your favorite dress and a red lipstick just because. Prepare a great home made dinner or go out to a fancy restaurant and eat it with an expensive glass of red wine followed by decadent rich chocolate desert (no counting calories please).

COUPLES IN LOVE

Valentine's Day is not about expensive presents. It's easy to go to any store and buy chocolates and a perfume. Opt for a more personalized gift, really take time to think about what your partner loves and why, if it's a chocolate, what kind of chocolate? Try to personalize her/his gift. Maybe add her favorite flowers to the mix or make/purchase a set of bracelet with each others names engraved or important date for your relationship. You can find a fabulous ones on  Etsy.

GIVE A GIFT OF TIME AND ATTENTION.

More important then choosing a present is certainly to give a gift of your time and attention (no cellphones allowed). Look each other in the eyes when talking, don't talk about heavy topics, reminisce about great memories you had together and talk about making even more fabulous plans for the future.

SET THE MOOD.

It's great to plan a romantic day but don't over plan it so it becomes stressful and overbooked so you have to run from one place to another. 

For example, last year my boyfriend had practice during the day on Valentine's Day so I cooked my boyfriend's favorite food for dinner and decorated the bed with rose petals and red heart balloons and each ballon had a polaroid photo of us tied to it. On top, I played romantic music, set dimmed lights and prepared sexy red lingerie. 

DIY YOUR OWN GIFT.

As a gift for my boyfriend last year I made a red velvet cake for him as he is not to big of a fan of sweets and I made a DIY large glass jar with colorful notes and 125 reasons why I love him written on the notes. I tied a red silk ribbon around a jar and set it in the middle of the rose petals covered bed as a gift.

WHAT TO WEAR

Clothing is emotional and believe it or not men do remember what you wore on important occasions. The other day my boyfriend mentioned and in detail described an outfit I wore on one of the days which were special in our relationship.
It's great idea to wear the dress/outfit you wore first time you guys met (if you still have it), or maybe a dress you wore when he proposed etc. If not, you can always choose a sexy little black or red dress and accessorize it with stilettos and red lipstick. 
I personally love to combine red with pink so I think my Valentine's day outfit will be in this color combo.
I hope I gave you some useful advice or helped you brainstorm  on how to spend fabulous Valentine's Day!
XoXo

“Small place whose light is just barely brighter than the darkness of space.”
Pierre Louis Maupertuis 

Justicia Ruano established her name brand in Barcelona back in 2009. after a rich career in fashion design world working for other brands she wanted to reinvent the existing offering of luxurious garments with her own unique vision of femininity.

JUSTICIA RUANO SIGNATURE STYLE

Justicia Ruano collections are recognizable by carefully curated selection of fabrics, materials and patterns as well as the slow fashion process of making each garment with special attention to her signature details.

Her brand is a true cosmopolitan ready to wear brand catering to modern women and it's sold in major cities and countries all over the world from New York and Lebanon to France, Italy and Taiwan.

FESTIVAL OF FABRICS

Vinyl with Chantilly lace, mohair splattered with lurex, dappled gold silver and bronze fill coupé, a real patchwork of textures is what you could see in Justicia's Fall/Winter 16/17 collection named Orion.
The evening wear pieces were made out of silk brocades and crepes with bejeweled embroidery, structure and languor, matte and glossy effects - a festival of fabrics with controlled volumes celebrating feminine figure.

I personally adore feminine design in high quality fabrics which is not overly seasonal in style thus Justicia Ruano is a perfect brand for me. Her pieces are very detailed but still super wearable even for business dinners without being overly flashy while each piece is definitely also red carpet worthy.

My favorite pieces from Orion collection are most definitely bronze tuxedo jacket dress and black open back jumpsuit with lace details.

If you like Justicia's work you can find her designs in selected boutiques all over the world. The full list is here.
XoXo

During the last couple of month I didn’t travel as much as I usually do due to my pregnancy and I am having a real itch for traveling, especially to warm countries. One of the countries on my ‘wish list’ which I added to my Summer travel plans is most definitely Cuba. 
Cuba is the largest island in the Caribbean just south of Miami in the Antilles group of islands. The country’s tropical location means you can expect mild temperatures throughout the year.

Cuban Climate

Cuba’s dry seasons lasts from November to April, in the other months, brief but heavy rain showers fall almost daily. The temperature is usually in low and high 20s throughout the year. As a rule, the temperature in the east of the island is hotter than the west.

Havana is Cuba’s capital.  I remember many gorgeous, colorful Vogue editorials shot in gorgeous Havana. All so colorful, alive and picturesque. It’s possible to lose days in the historical Habana Vieja part of town. The cathedral here has been described as ‘music set in stone’ and just a few steps away; you’ll find the Bodeguita del Medio, where Hemingway and Nat King Cole used to drink.

Cigars, Caddies & Che Gurvara

Cuba is one of the world’s most unique countries. Thumb-thick Cuban cigars, Ernest Hemingway, rum, salsa, Che Guevara in his black beret as a symbol of civil resistance and Cadillacs that sag on their suspension in the streets are just a few of the icons of this distinctive country.

Havana - The City of Columns

Havana is Cuba’s capital.  I remember many gorgeous, colorful Vogue editorials shot in gorgeous Havana. All so colorful, alive and picturesque. It’s possible to lose days in the historical Habana Vieja part of town. The cathedral here has been described as ‘music set in stone’ and just a few steps away; you’ll find the Bodeguita del Medio, where Hemingway and Nat King Cole used to drink.

The City Of Varadero

Two hours’ drive east of Havana, there’s Varadero. The first tourists arrived in this beach resort in 1870. Most of the hotels here fall into the 4 or 5-star categories. Some of the most attractive and romantic locations include candle-lit restaurants in caves and cocktail bars overlooking the sea.

What to wear when In Cuba?

For visiting the beach I recommend floral vintage swimsuit & matching bright color accessory to blend in with the colors of the city.

For the dance night on the town I would recommend wearing passion red dress and sky-high silver heels.

10 Interesting Facts About Cuba

#1 - Cuba is often called El Caiman or El Cocodrilo (Spanish for alligator), which is what the island looks like from an aerial view.

#2 - Grade school is mandatory for every child in Cuba between the ages of 6 and 15. Uniforms are universally required with different colors for each grade level.

#3 - Fidel Castro erected a statue of John Lennon from The Beatles in 2000. Castro admired Lennon and believed he was a true music revolutionary.

#4 - Cuba is the most populated country in the Caribbean, with more than 11 million residents.

#5 - Cubans don't typically write their recipes down. Instead, they are passed down from generation to generation-through stories and shared experiences.

#6 - Cuba has the highest doctor to patient ratio in the world. There are so many doctors in Cuba that doctors are often sent abroad to countries with a great need of medical professionals.

#7 - Dance is very important in Cuba, the birthplace of classic dance styles like the Bolero, Mambo and Cha-Cha.

#8 -A rare prehistoric fish called the Mangar is now only found in Cuba.

#9 - Cuba has a 99.8% literacy rate, which is one of the highest in the world.

#10 - The only cars that Cuban citizens can own legally are cars created and bought before 1959. After this year, the Cuban government seized all of the cars, and owns them all to this day. Most of the pre-1959 cars in the country are from the United States. 

The United States embargo against Cuba (in Cuba el bloqueo) is a commercial, economic, and financial embargo imposed on Cuba . It began on 19 October 1960 when the US placed an embargo on exports to Cuba except for food and medicine. 

The US president Obama has been working to improve relations with Cuba since December 2014, when Obama and Cuban President Raúl Castro announced the restoration of diplomatic ties between the two nations. Since then, U.S. and Cuban embassies have reopened in Havana and Washington.

Have you ever been to Cuba? 

If so, let me know what you recommend to visit.

XoXo

Spanish fashion designer Txell Miras got inspired by Manuel Pandalis portraits and catholic nun's modest dressing motifs for her Fall/Winter 2016/17 named "Conventual".
Dressing of priests and nun's in Catholic religion is very rigid, dark and basic in fabrication while it becomes more festive and intricate in details when celebrating masses. Txell Miras was fascinated and inspired by this simplicity and decided to research, play with and reinvent the structure and patterns of the clothes or rather say uniforms which haven't been reconsidered and reworked for ages.
For the presentation purposes Txell kept the layering effect which she over-dramatized with large silver crosses and head covers on models with no make up. She added a touch of modesty with hand knitted high neck round and tight infinity wool scarves in black and white.
She used Manuel Pandalis portraits of faces, added a un head cover and priest neck collar to create dramatic black and white face print for the capes and over sized tops, skirts and jacket.
I am particularly fond of the black boxy coats and vests in with what appears to be a mix of wool and velvet mix fabrication with large square pockets.

All of the individual pieces presented are very versatile and wearable. Even though I am not a fan of low crunch pants I very much liked black, skinny suede zipper pants with braiding on the hips.

The show ended dramatically as it started with church bells ringing and models lying down on the floor to listed while the rest of the defile passed by.


XoXo

Photos via 080 Barcelona Fashion
Spain is the home of most successful mass market brands like Zara but it's also really rich with young, fresh designer talents many of which design, up cycle and create brand new artisan pieces. There is a fine balance between fast and slow fashion with the second one being really noticeable in the city of Barcelona where you can see more and more locals but especially tourist looking for unique (mostly leather) handmade artisan fashion pieces and accessory.
Independent fashion and accessory designers in Barcelona have a lot of talent, they design and hand make high quality, affordable, ready to wear fashion collections but are still learning how to properly do the business and promotional side of owning a business. Many don't speak English well or any other languages but Spanish and do not have hire professionals to do their promotion and wholesale side of business for them.
The vast talent was already visible the first day of 080 Barcelona Fashion, the event which is heavily supported by the city, it takes place in beautiful historic buildings and it's usually really well organized. 
CELIA VELA is a female Spanish designer based in Barcelona where she also has her own store. Celia is showing her seasonal collections on 080 Barcelona Fashion event. She is inspired with Japanese aesthetics while her trademarks are femininity, sophistication and an attention to details. Celia is also known by her gorgeous wedding collections with beautifully made artisan lace details.



Celia's Fall/Winter 16/17 collection features her signature bejeweled back detailing on knitwear and loose, wool black and white squared coats bejeweled with brooches which remind of Chanel suits. I particularly like marsala bejeweled velvet jumpsuits.


Watch Celia Vela's full Fall/Winter 2016/17 show here:

Miu Miu 2015
As Meryl Streep as editor in Devil Wear's Prada comments (almost every Spring collection everywhere): "Florals for Spring? Groundbreaking!". Why don't you give a try to beautiful bird print this Spring?
For a while now I got my eyes on a number of brands carrying fabulous bird print button up shirts, dresses and sweatshirts or if you want to go more 'couturish' feather skirts, dresses, hats (or just like Carrie from S&TC the whole bird) and shoes, pieces which you can wear with t-shirt and not necessarily only for celebratory occasions like New Years or as part of an evening look.
My personal favorite bird print is certainly swan and swallow print. Both prints, especially swan print was ultra popular last Summer but I plan to rock it this Spring as well, especially in pastel blue and pink colors.

SWALLOW PRINT

Shop more swallow print items:

SWAN PRINT

Shop more swan print items:

What is your bird of choice lovelies? :) XoXo