Centralia, a spooky ghost town

Centralia, Pennsylvania.
It all started in 1962 with a fire...

"... started by five members of the volunteer fire company when they were hired by the town council to clean up the landfill... The landfill was located in an abandoned strip mine pit and as the firemen had in the past, they set the dump on fire, let it burn for a time, and then extinguished the fire, or so they thought." (source)

They fought the (underground) fire for twenty years. It just kept on burning (it still burns today). With carbon monoxide levels continually rising and risks such as the ground suddenly sinking (in 1981 a 12-year old boy fell into such a sinkhole but was saved), the inhabitants started to leave in the 1980s.

It's now an abandoned ghost town, apart from the 9 or so inhabitants who refuse to leave. It's hard to find because it's been taken off the map and does not officially exist (the US Postal Service has revoked Centralia's zip code.). But it's real. It's a town where streets lead to nowhere. Streets that have no names, nor houses because they have now either been burnt down or demolished.

But wait... was this town allowed to die for a reason? If it doesn't exist, it can't have mineral rights. And it's sitting on some rich coal deposits... That's what some people believe. 

Is Centralia haunted? There have been no known related deaths. But many visitors have talked about the 'strange feeling' that they get when they're there. There are two stories that you can read about here. These people heard a voice out of nowhere... and footsteps in an abandoned house. To believe or not to believe? Sony thinks so... they developed Silent Hill - a popular video game (Playstation) and film - which was inspired by Centralia.

I think... I sort of believe (I want to!) that it's haunted... at least enough that I will stay away from the place. But many go there for that reason! Would you want to visit a ghost town like Centralia? (click for map!)

Happy Halloween! 

Kate Middleton style

Kate Middleton seems so nice and down-to-earth... and I really like her style. She looks elegant in dresses and hats, and stunning in evening gowns. Her casual look - often jeans and boots - is simple but stylish. Nothing too fashionable... but she always looks good. Which is how a Princess-in-waiting should dress, no?

Here she is with William. I used to think he was cute - when he was what, 10 years old or something - but now I don't find him all that attractive. But what do looks matter when he's a Prince, right? 

Because they will get married, I just know it! I hope so! 

Princess Kate... Queen Kate... can you imagine?! Would you want that (kind of life)? 

All via Google Images, Last via.

Rose chandeliers

It's always nice to have flowers around the house... but as lights? These rose chandeliers and round hanging lamps (made to look like a bouquet) are made with Swarovski crystals. I can't decide if I like them or not. Would you like to kiss your significant other under one of these?

More information here.

Perfect Halloween snacks!

How would you like a chocolate covered scorpion that is "similar to Kit Kat in texture"?
Or BBQ worm crisps that "taste similar to popcorn"?
Or toasted ants that have a "nutty, bacon-like taste"?

Or maybe a "crispy and crunchy" oven-baked tarantula? (Mmm look at those long, hairy legs)

For more yummy snacks, visit their website. Don't miss the photo on their recipe page... of something that looks like mashed potato with ants!

I bet you're hungry now, aren't you?!! You have to admit, these would be perfect for a Halloween party. You must let me know if you try any of these!

What's in my bag...

Bag: Dior (remember I showed you that big Dior box? This is what was in it.)
Wallet: Chanel
Cosmetics bag: Accessorize
Key case: Louis Vuitton
Hand cream: L'Occitane
Pen and case: Mont Blanc
Car key: Mini
iPhone: not pictured but always in my bag!

Grain de Rose by Terry

Do you know who Terry is? She developed YSL's famous Touche Éclat. She then launched her own line, By Terry, in 2000. I'm already a fan of her luxurious lip balm, Baume de Rose (it is seriously good, you must try it). So I picked up the Grain de Rose scrub.

"Enriched in ultra-gentle Rosebud extracts, it removes surface impurities, eliminates dead cells deep down and absorbs excess sebum with an extremely gentle, comforting action." 

It's nice to have and use... : 

* I like exfoliators with beads that do not dissolve, this way I can concentrate on 'problem areas'. 

* It smells lovely (if you like roses). 

* It's all pretty in pink (the packaging as well as the product itself). 

But has it improved my skin? Frankly, I don't know... I haven't seen any changes (after two months) so I don't see why I should repurchase this particular product. I'm not an expert on exfoliators, though, because I've relied on on Clinique's clarifying lotion for years (which I do swear by). 

Have you tried this? Do you exfoliate regularly? 

Wedgwood's afternoon tea sets

Teacups are another current obsession of mine... 

Something I want to do more often is invite my girlfriends over for afternoon tea. Wouldn't it be lovely to have some beautiful teacups from Wedgwood? Here is their harlequin collection... which is all about mismatched fine bone china cups and saucers. 

And the cuckoo collection...

And the Queen of Hearts collection...

I do like the simple stuff, too. White with a beautiful platinum banding, for example.

If I invited you over... and let's pretend I had all of these... which teacup would you choose?! 

Perfumed candles by Acqua di Parma

Aren't these candles by Acqua di Parma simply gorgeous? Completely hand-made, they apparently only burn on the inside, leaving the external decorations intact. 

This last one is my favourite! 

What perfumed candles have you tried and liked?

Do blondes have more fun?

This map confirms that there are a lot of blondes in Scandinavia. (click to enlarge) 
So do the guys there perhaps prefer brunettes because there are fewer of them around? (I do have a blond guy friend who always seems to choose girlfriends from Africa, Asia or southern Europe... as in, they always have dark hair.)   

Here is Princess Madeleine of Sweden. Very pretty and very blonde. (Photo: with her brother.)

This is her with her ex-fiancé. He cheated on her (who in their right mind would do that?). Maybe with a 'more exotic' brunette? (um... like a Spanish flamenco dancer?) I was curious. So I googled.

No, he just had an affair with... another blonde (she's Norwegian). 

Do you have a theory on why 'gentlemen (might) prefer blondes'?! 

1, 2, 3, 4

Going Turkish in Zara

Am I the only one who gets upset when there are too many chunks of apple (and not much else) in a fruit salad (ordered in a restaurant)? Well, I was pleasantly surprised when my Turkish yogurt with fruit and honey turned out to be as delicious as it looks here. Not a slice of apple in sight.

I don't normally go to Turkish restaurants but it's worth going back just for the bread! I'm not sure what it's called but it had sesame seeds in it. I had this with butter and honey (it was breakfast/brunch, after all).

My husband ordered the kind of thing that I'm not too keen on eating myself. But he liked it - he said it was typical and it reminded him of his holidays (as a single man) in Turkey - so I thought it was worth showing you the photo! 

And just to throw in another fashion obsession that I'm currently having, here is a look at the military jacket (almost like a cardigan, actually) in navy blue that I got from Zara. 

Obsessed with Uggs

I am a big fan of Ugg boots! I wear mine every winter; I can't live without them. I have a pair of the classic ones and they are so warm and comfortable, my feet worship them. They are ugly, though, I will admit. So I was thrilled when I saw that there are some fashionable Uggs out there now!

I am beyond obsessed with these lovely clog-type boots. I mean, they are warm, comfortable and stylish... so what more could I ask for? Dream boots! I got myself a pair asap.

Rosabella in chestnut

I also tried these on. Very comfortable like the classic boots... but much better looking. They came home with me as well. 

Joslyn in chestnut

For those lazy days at home, I would love to have these cute slippers... 

You can get adorable Uggs in mini sizes, too! These would make a fantastic gift. 

By the way, did you know that you can now get Uggs designed by Jimmy Choo?

Chanel outfit

How (slow) was your weekend?
I'm happy to report that I didn't utter those horrid words - "hurry up" - to my son. Well, it did nearly slip out once but I managed to stop at "hurr-"! (so it doesn't count.)

I'm loving this outfit that Claudia Schiffer wore to a Chanel show. The over-the-knee boots in that colour (and not black) are stunning, the striped top is cute and I'm just swooning over that Chanel necklace! (I just wish she'd done something with her hair.)

Happy Monday! I'm now off to my yoga class :-)