The Ladybug Lives Life Off the Wall at Swing’n’Milan

Last year I missed a very important weekend in Milan because I was out of town: two events that I really wanted to attend to be precise. The first event was Swing’n’Milan, an event completely dedicated to the beautiful ’30s & ’40s dance Lindy Hop (swing). This event started last year- apparently with huge success, and I got an idea of what’s happening around the swing movement in Milan when I went and saw for myself how many people were there and how many of them were serious Lindy Hop dancers.

I admit, I am very bad at it: I can’t swing, but I started my very first steps during the free class for the beginners, like me, event on Saturday evening. It was funny as hell and I am still looking for the perfect dance school in Milan to start soon. By the way… do you have an idea of how many swing schools there are in Milan??? Loads!

Although I am not a dancer, I enjoyed the event very much: many bands took the stage during the two-day event and I saw the NP Big Band on Saturday night. People dressed in perfect vintage style were dancing to the rhythm of Lindy Hop in a lovely atmosphere full of vintage stalls of every kind: from the lovely girls of Place Minuit (one of my favorite retro shops in Milan) to the vintage pieces of Memory Lane and Telma Vintage, to the perfect retro barbershop (our friends from Bullfrog), to the lovely vintage corner full of American cakes by our friends from the Vintage Bakery!

Also, the location was near perfect: the Great Gatsby styled dancing room of La Pelota had the energy I believe was felt in the old black and white footage I’ve seen over the years.  Well… at least until the end of the night, because like every night, at the closing of the ballroom- the party moved to a secret destination to sustain the atmosphere of an era past!

For the event I wore a lovely denim sailor dress from Pepaloves, brogues from Lazzari Store and a vintage bag that I found on Ebay!

The Ladybug is Deep in Sensuous Løve: A Five-Sense Experience with Løv Organic

One of my best habits started last winter was dedicating a little hour of what is pure lush for myself: a cup of tea and a cupcake in a bakery. One of the places I enjoy this treat most is the Vintage Bakery in Milan. This is the place where I tasted, for the first time, Løv Organic teas and infusions.

Needless to say, I became immediately addicted. Then, one day, I decided to get more informed about this oasis where I found my weekly dose fantastic tea- which led to big discoveries! First of all: I learned that although the name is Scandinavian, Løv Organic is absolutely French. Løv in Scandinavian means leaf and the label is inspired by this area of the world dominated by nature- where modernity and respect for the environment always go together. Also, Løv Organic gleans from the Nordic culture the penchant for a minimalist design, easily re-usable tins which encourages consumers to adopt an eco-friendly attitude (for example by selling re-fillers for tins and by avoiding plastic in their packaging). Moreover, the tea bags are unbleached and free of staples or glue and made of organic fibers like corn. They allow the tea leaves to unfurl and release all of their aromas naturally. The little bird representing the label is the symbol of nature needing protection and the only form of “fashion” is the use of bright colors for their tins (which, of course, I’ve started collecting as they perfectly fit my kitchen!!).

But the most important of all that is: Løv Organic products are 100% organic!

As if this wasn’t enough to fall in love with them, Løv Organic offers the most varied and ample choice of blends: from every kind of tea (black, white, green, red) to rooibos to infusions, it is almost impossible not to find your perfect blend. Of course I found more than one and I keep making great finds!

I was also introduced to rooibos thanks to their delicious Rooibos Vanille when I was looking for something to drink at night different than the usual infusions as I found some teas were too strong for me and messed with my beauty sleep. Rooibos is a plant that only grows in South Africa and it has a sweet, fruity flavor. It is considered to be the national drink of South Africa. It is perfect for night time because it is caffeine free and also rich in antioxidants; it also has anti-spasmodic and relaxing qualities. In my rooibos research I started with Løv Organic, I also discovered the green rooibos- which is more rich in antioxidants because it is not fermented.

I tried Vanilla Rooibos first and I fell in love with it because of the marvelous perfume of bourbon vanilla, making it perfect for a late sweet treat. Only recently I tried the new blend Almond Rooibos, a combination of rooibos and deliciously flavored almond. It is caffeine-free and the taste of almond is so intense that reminds me of the perfume of almonds of my native island (Sicily). This is also one of my favorite night drinks.

Lately, I am pretty much into two new blends. While at the Løv Organic event in Milan, during the Milano Food Week, I tested the amazing Lovely Night: a delicious blend rich in ingredients known for their relaxing properties. It has traditional linden, chamomile and verbena associated with soothing plants from South Africa like honey-bush and rooibos, plus cinnamon and licorice mixed with the delicate aroma of pear. If you suffer with a bit of sleep troubles, I really recommend it.  It not only it helps you fall asleep and do so as a stone, but it is also a sweet treat after dinner, and better on the hips than a cake!

The second blend I’m pretty much into is the Blueberry Coconut white tea: white tea is the one that undergoes the least amount of treatment which makes it very rich in antioxidants, polyphenols and vitamins. This one is a precious White Downy tea, with a velvety flavor of coconut, blueberry and cornflowers. It is sweet, exotic and sexy at the same time: yes, Løv Organic has some of the sexiest blends that I have ever tested (and you know how many teas I have tried!).

If you are in Milan you can easily find Løv Organic in town, but now they have a dedicated shop at number 3 on via Victor Hugo. If not, you can easily buy their blends online at www.lov-organic.com

 

The Ladybug Does Charity with a Cherry on Top: Damsels in Distress at the Vintage Bakery and the ABR Market

Some weekends, rare they may be, I’m really in the mood to wake up (quite) early in the morning and go out. Though I must admit, the motivation is to visit events that I don’t want to miss!

A couple Saturdays ago, I was indeed very active in the morning as a divine event was going to happen in a lovely place (I mean isn’t every occasion perfect when it involves a tasty cupcake from the Vintage Bakery?!).

My friends from the Vintage Bakery, one of my favorite venues in town to sip great tea with yummy handmade American cakes and pastries, were hosting a temporary shop from Anita and Elsa, aka Damsels in Distress, a pop-up vintage store that will be online soon and possibly also be a physical presence in town! You can like their FB page, Damsels in Distress, to know which events they will attend and where you can buy their great stuff.

It was nice to meet them and it was great to have my favorite organic tea with my adored red velvet cupcake!

In the afternoon, I headed to a very special secret market… The ABR Market is a charity event, unfortunately happening only once a year, where you can find vintage and second hand, mostly designer, clothing and accessories for ridiculous prices! The aim of the event is to help kids who leave school early, but it is also a great occasion for us to make charity from our little bargains!

I bought these two pair of boots for 20 euros each: a pair of black Chelsea boots (almost new) and a pair of never worn navy Moon Boots for the snowy days! I was so excited with my new finds that I couldn’t believe my own eyes! This is how a perfect Saturday sounds to me!

The Ladybug Becomes the Ringmaster: Il Circo delle Pulci in Milan (Circus Station)

The Circo delle Pulci in Milan is now on the list of my favorite recurring events in Milan: I always love their locations, atmosphere and sellers even if sometimes I still have something to say about the pricing… I know, it’s my regular complaint but believe me; I hate when stallers overprice their beauties, especially when it comes to vintage.

This time the location for the event was the former train depot of Porta Genova, where the Circus Train stopped for a beautiful event in a dark surreal atmosphere where food, creativity, handmade goods, vintage and music mixed in a perfect combination!

The fun and great decorations were part of the game and I thoroughly enjoyed the circus atmosphere that reigned all over the place! This time there were a bit more handmade goods and handcrafts. And the Italian DaWanda site (the biggest European platform dedicated to handmade) was launched with grand pageantry- offering discounts to those who registered for the circus. If you have never tried you should definitely have a look as you may find real beautiful and unique handmade pieces.

I also bought a lovely ring from Buttons, the lovely stall of Cristina Rastelli, who creates beautiful jewels from vintage buttons: I fell in love with this beautiful silver ring with an oval white button, so I couldn’t resist!

I must say that it was hard to resist the food too: our friends from Vintage Bakery were there with their delicious cupcakes and the local cuisine (yes, I mean polenta and gorgonzola!!) was present too. And of course… liters of beer!

For the day I wore a white vintage ’80s cardigan with lapin and small pearls (from Deuda Vintage at the Padova Vintage Festival) as a jacket, black Zara top and shorts with Max & Co. black riding boots. I added a black clutch from Topshop and a vintage emerald green hat from Humana Vintage in Milan.