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In Art

In Love with Minuki

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Minuki Taina Plush

Minuki is taking over with a friendly, fluffy invasion. The little blue creatures with its big eyes, heart-shaped noses and arms wide open are always ready for a cuddle.

Minuki was dreamed by the mind of Taina, a Swiss-Finnish street-art artist whose mission is to make the world a more colourful place. This is something Taina and I have in common: We try to fill the world with more colour and cuteness found in our imagination. I knew Taina’s art on walls of the city before I finally met the girl behind it and long before we joined forces. If you remember the cover picture of 1999’s movie “American Beauty”, then you can imagine how our talk went: “You know, just like that, just a bath in Minukis instead of rose petals.” Roses have thorns, Minukis not, so its quite an upgrade.

And what was just a faint idea became real: On a foggy Saturday in Saint Gall, a bus full of Minukis arrived at the studio of photographer Daniela Bologna, maybe the happiest blue ocean ever. I just couldn’t wait for a second longer to jump into this pool full of cuteness as soon as the set was ready.

Minuki is proof that monsters don’t have to be frightening and nasty. They may look different to humans. They might have a big belly, but they don’t mean any harm but just want to cuddle. Like me, like you, like all of us (even the strange humans who would never agree). So if you are already frightened about all those Valentine’s Day ads, just like I: Maybe a Minuki can be your date this year? He is no drama, no fights and doesn’t cheat on you, blue love is powerful and true.

Minuki is designed by Taina and can be bought at Unuh

Pictures: Daniela Bologna
Produced with the help of Greta Schoop (who is on one picture as a model too)

In Fashion

Being on Pictures

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I believe that looking at your own picture is like figuring out who you are. Again and again, since when do we ever have an answer to this difficult question? It’s that looking-glass effect that gives us a glimpse of how others see us, a perspective we will never be able to claim.

I remember a scene from my childhood, I think I was four or five. My parents and I were driving through a street next to a field of banana trees in Cyprus and we stopped to have a look at the bananas. I wanted to have a picture of myself with the bananas so so much, but my father said no and put me back in the car. Oh, I turned the journey into hell: Crying so much till he decided to make a turn and drive back to the field to take that picture. I can’t recall him cursing, but I guess at least in his thoughts he must have. I still have the picture of course.

Maybe this was a key moment for something that became important in my life: I like to be in pictures. As mundane as it sounds, I just like to be the picture girl, not just since the beginning of the selfie culture, but since I was born. Actually, I don’t enjoy selfies as much as one would think. My thing is rather to have a picture that is a world between four edges, that is perfect in all its details but still has a certain intimacy. A picture of the world I imagine with me in it: Colourful, beautiful and bold.

What is this fascination about the camera I sometimes ask myself? Why does it fill me with joy to see moments I have imagined frozen in time, clothes in action, another version of myself I haven’t seen before? Do I become the more me the more times the pixel form my face? Why do other people feel like the camera seems to steal their identity and I feel like it helps me to claim my own identity?

Once I read a quote somebody said about Ladi Di, it said that she needed to see herself in the magazines and it was like she only existed when her picture was printed. Am I like that too and if is it a bad or a good thing? Maybe it’s not for anybody to judge including me!

Pictures: Philipp Mueller

In Personal

Meet Sara from the Past

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Wet Plate Photography

With those portraits, I make a time travel to 1850. Say hello to the version of a Sara that was revealed with wet plate photography. For once not in my beloved colourfulness, since we go back to a time before colour photography was invented.

I felt like my own grandmother having her only ever portrait taken. I had to sit still with my head on a headstand, while photographer Farid Laid prepared everything very carefully. A perfect light set-up was necessary before we started.

Farid Laid was inquisitive to see how the chemicals would react on my pink hair because with this technique, you can’t be sure what happens. We first did a few tests on glass plates until Farid said we were ready for the metal plates. The image was directly exposed onto the metal wet plate, inserted into the wooden large format camera. It took us more than five hours to make five or six pictures. What a difference to modern digital photography!

After taking a picture, it had to be developed in a darkroom immediately—a fascinating few seconds when the image appeared on the plate exposed to chemicals. The photos also needed to be varnished, and Farid said there was the danger to ruin them until the last second.

Farid is one of the very people who still work with wet plate photography, and he told me a lot about how he makes his own chemicals and his constant search to improve his practice. I was honoured to experience this unique process and be part of it. It’s entirely different from all pictures I had ever taken before. Ripped of colours, unretouched and pure. A wonderful time travel experience!

Pictures: Farid Laid

In Personal

To the Lovers

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Valentines Swarovski Love

Dear Lovers out there, today is your big day. If you are among the lucky ones who found somebody to love and they love you too, please tell them how much you value it. Make their eyes sparkle as much as you can.

It’s hard for me to write this text because it seems that love doesn’t want to be with me. While I feel that I have so much to give love still likes to stay away. But I want you to remember that if you were found by love, never forget to take care of it. Please don’t make the mistake of taking it for granted. Love doesn’t appear in your life and stays without asking you to continuously work on it. Please go any length for that if you have the opportunity.

Love is a precious thing, and I believe the most important in life. If you are in love and it’s reciprocated, use Valentine’s Day and every opportunity you have to celebrate the gift you received!

Yes, you can buy flowers, jewellery – like the sparkling set I wear from Swarovski – open a bottle of champagne and organise breakfast in bed. But in the end, it’s not just about those things. All those details can be wonderful ways to express your feelings in addition to how you express your love with your actions and how you treat the people you claim to love in good and bad times.

Please stop saying Valentine’s Day is too commercial for you out of laziness or niggardliness, start to invest in your love today and every day. I believe this is a better investment than stock, art and expensive watches without any doubt. And I don’t just mean it materially, the most significant gifts you have to give are time, stability, honesty, kindness and forgiveness.

Lovers, I envy you, to be honest. I wish I had somebody who would allow me to bring some sparkle into their day too. I’d be delighted to fill their days with little surprises, entertain with stories as well as songs and start a huge collection of shared memories. I wish my Valentine’s Day would be a celebration of love. So if yours is, please enjoy every second while I might stay in bed and dream of better Valentine’s Days…


Earrings & Bracelet: Swarovski
Pictures: Betty Heart

In Personal

What We Did Last Summer

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Photoshoot grass pink hair
Photoshoot grass pink hair

The snow can’t wipe away the memories of what happened in that magical summer in our hearts. Close your eyes for a few seconds until you hear the sound of the birds and feel the grass on your naked skin getting louder and louder.

Remember that perfect moment when all was peaceful, and the connection between you and earth was a comforting bond. When it was just you and me. I feel like I can almost touch this moment; it’s still so vivid and clear. I treasure it and keep it close to me in all its beauty. Oh, you sweet melancholy!

I imagine holding the magic to make it happen again if you agree to believe in us. In my daydreams, the snow melts the instant you turn around and there it is: The tickling grass, the wind playing with my hair, the freedom to be and the lightheartedness of a moment of pure and utter happiness. I hear the sweet sound of you laughing, and I wish it were not just in my head.

Why is it that we either wait for the most beautiful moments to happen, or they are memories? Why isn’t there a pause button so we can stay in a moment forever and not let evanescence win over the perfect beauty of a moment without worries?

But you are not here, and the snow feels cold and harsh on my skin. The warm memories disappear and leave me feeling frozen inside. Wherever you are: I do remember that summer, help me to bring it back. I don’t accept the possibility of this being an impossibility without giving it a million more tries. It will work, it has to work because I am still me and you must still be you.

Pictures: Philipp Mueller

In Lifestyle

Check your Iron, Be an #irongirl!

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Sara is in Love with… Iron girls

When I was asked to write about iron deficiency I immediately said yes because it’s something I live with since I was a child. I am not alone: Iron deficiency is very common, especially among women and therefore it’s important to raise awareness! It can be treated easily and has a huge impact on wellbeing and health.

What is iron and why do we need it?

Iron is a mineral vital to the proper function of haemoglobin, a protein needed to transport oxygen in the blood. A shortage can lead to a reduced quality of life and even serious health problems.

My story of living with an iron deficiency:
The early years

Since I was a kid, I had issues with iron deficiency. I think it was discovered for the first time when I was at school and my teacher noticed that I was unusually tired and had difficulties to focus during lessons. I also remember that I often slept during the afternoon when I didn’t have school. When I went to the doctor, he tested my blood and after the diagnosis of iron deficiency, I was treated. My energy level increased and I tried to eat more food that was a good source of iron.

Health Iron Deficiency

My story of living with a lack of iron:
The return of the deficiency

I consider myself a person who eats consciously most of the time. But the last few months have been very challenging and stressful and I didn’t take as good care of myself as I usually do. It took me a while to realise that the iron deficiency was back. For weeks I thought my sleeplessness, low mood, anxiousness and constant exhaustion came from the stress. A friend came up with the suggestion that I should check my iron. I went to the doctor, she tested my blood and told me that my iron storage was completely empty. I am taking supplements for three weeks now and it’s amazing how much more balanced I already feel.

Iron & veganism

Often people believe that a vegetarian or vegan diet is a cause for an iron deficiency. I’ve become a vegetarian when I was about fifteen and now I am vegan for a couple of years. I disagree that this diet has to lead to a deficiency as long as you eat balanced. There are a lot of good vegan iron sources such as beans, lentils, quinoa, nuts or tofu for example.

What can be done against iron deficiency

So my message is: If you think you suffer from symptoms from the list below, go to your doctor for a check-up! Iron deficiency can be treated easily and has a huge impact on your life!

Symptoms
of iron deficiency

unusual tiredness
brittle nails and hair loss
sleep disturbances
headaches & dizziness
restless legs
paleness
states of exhaustion
sensitivity to cold

More information:
check-dein-eisen.ch

In Personal

No Christmas Without Our Swarovski Tree

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Swarovski Tree Zurich
Swarovski Tree Zurich

There is no Christmas without the glittering Swarovski tree at Zurich main station! Since I was a child, seeing this tree has been the big highlight of my festive season. A lot of things about how I choose to celebrate Christmas changed, what stayed is my love for the iconic tree by the Austrian jewellery brand.

Year after year, I am excited until the beloved tree with its crystal decoration is back. It’s my favourite tradition to be on the platform at Zurich main station when they turn on the lights with a show. For me, this event is the beginning of the festive season.

This year, I participated in the exciting event with my dear friend and blogger Jesca Li and Switzerland’s Next Topmodel candidate and style inspiration David Beer. We had a lot of fun and sweet mulled wine. We created our own eucalyptus wreaths and couldn’t get enough of gazing at the ten-metre high tree in awe. It’s so cool that our tree is the role model for all other Swarovski trees in cities such as Dubai, Milano and Moscow.

We were surrounded by a lot of other people in a merry mood and since Swarovski lovers gather around the iconic tree we saw a lot of jewellery sparkling on the ears and necks of the visitors. Of course, Jesca and I were wearing Swarovski too to spark delight.

I wish you a beautiful Christmas time and may all of your wishes come true. I have one wish I’m gonna share with you: I’m dreaming of being the lucky one who is pushing the button to light Zurich’s Swarovski tree one day. One may wish and dream…

My Outfit
Dress: Maria Escote, Coat: Shrimps, Earrings: Swarovski, Headband: Bombini Studio

Pictures: Debora Zeyrek
This post contains sponsored products.

In Personal

Help: My Blog Got Stolen

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A few days ago, I stumbled upon the page fashionmaggie.com and was shocked: The page turned out to be a doppelganger of saraisinlovewith.com. They copied all the content I created in the last seven years, all pictures, texts, my branding, and even my logo. The only thing they changed is that they call the page Fashion Maggie instead of Sara is in Love with…

When I discovered this, I felt heartbroken and hurt since my work is an important part of who I am. Creating the unique and colourful Sara is in Love with… universe is my passion and I invest a lot of time and effort into what you see on this page.
 
When your car gets stolen it’s considered a crime, so you go to the police and ask for help. But what do you do when your intellectual property is taken without your consent? I tried a lot because I can’t tolerate this behaviour: I contacted a lot of people including the provider of my copycat, the company who sold them the domain, Google, an organization that deals with internet crime and spoke to a lot of people who work with the internet.
 
I talked to people in Panama, the US, Russia, Switzerland, and the UK, following the trail of my blog thieves and it is frustrating. Everybody keeps on telling me how terrible this is, but that they can’t do anything and that somebody else is responsible. Everything I achieved is that Google removed their advertisings from the clone page, but it’s still online and every time I think about it my mood darkens.
 
I really hope I can find a way to make this blog clone disappear because I am afraid of the harm it might do to my reputation and my page rank. I just want to say that it is truly not ok to steal another person’s content and declare it as your own, it’s theft! I think it’s even worse than stealing a handbag since Sara is in Love with… is my creation, my biggest project and there is much more of me on this page than in anything else I own. So please: Let my content be mine!
 
In Personal

Dear Mama, You Are My Sunshine

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Sara is in Love with… Swarovski Mother's Day Collection Kuoni
Sara is in Love with… Swarovski Mother's Day Collection Kuoni
Sara is in Love with… Swarovski Mother's Day Collection Kuoni

In collab with Swarovski and Kuoni, I present this year’s Swarovski Mother’s Day collection. The theme of the collection is “You are my sunshine” and I express the bond I have to my mum with a letter to her.

Dear Mama, Among all the important people in my life, you claim a special place. I want to thank you for being so bold and deciding to bring me into this world. I can barely imagine what it means to say yes to filling the universe with a new life. You used to call me your little swan, almost like you always knew that this strange kid would turn out well and become a woman that makes you proud.

I share a lot of things with dear people – moments, stories, experiences, laughter and tears. But you are the only person who shared her body with me and this is truly remarkable and connects us like no other. I imagine sometimes it must have been difficult for you to see this daughter who was not like you in a thousand ways and you might have wondered why I was the way I am. You always supported me in many ways and let me make my own experiences. When they turned out to be wrong decisions, you were there until I was ready for new adventures.

Sara is in Love with… Swarovski Mother's Day Collection Kuoni
Sara is in Love with… Swarovski Mother's Day Collection Kuoni

One of the most important things I learned from you is to go my own way no matter what people think. I have thousands of memories that connect us, let me pick one especially dear: I am so grateful that we travelled a lot together as soon as I could walk, collected memories and spent the most beautiful hours on the Nile when I was a kid.

This time taught me to be curious, open-minded and to embrace different cultures and views. We discovered the pyramids, spent weeks sunbathing at the Red Sea, went to places your teenage daughter wanted to see because she read about them in magazines. You trusted me when I tried to explain the taxi driver in Cairo that I wanted to go to an island in Cairo he never heard of, you sat next to me on a long train journey through the whole country and you made the ship crew cook vegetable soup for me when I was sick.

You never learned a foreign language, but you communicated with anybody no matter where in the world. Your smile won them over and it usually took a few minutes until our table in the tea house was filled with laughter and jokes. Sometimes we all didn’t know what we were laughing about and it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that you were successful in making people burst out in laughter and fill their life with sunshine.

I choose this memory for today’s post because the sparkling jewellery reminds me of the warm Egyptian sun we enjoyed together. The pieces sparkle in the light like a pharaoh treasure, while they are delicate and elegant. Mama, I hope reading this makes you smile, happy Mother’s Day!

P.S: I am sorry I put your flowers on my head, but know you understand my eccentricity. I promise I’ll get you more beautiful ones. 😉

Sara is in Love with… Swarovski Mother's Day Collection Kuoni

Pictures: Marco Borromeo. Jewellery kindly gifted by Swarovski, I was not paid for this post and the content reflects my own opinion. Pictures are my own.

In Fashion

V-DAY: End Violence Against Women

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Sara is in Love with… V-Day blogger end violence against women
Sara is in Love with… V-Day blogger end violence against women
Sara is in Love with… V-Day blogger end violence against women
Sara is in Love with… V-Day blogger end violence against women

Let’s not celebrate the 14th of February as a commercial event and get told by shops to buy flowers, perfume, and sweets as proof of our love! Let’s celebrate love all the time and make a difference this 14th with V-Day, the global activist movement to end violence against all women and girls – transgender and cisgender and those with fluid identities!

Tell the world we don’t accept harassment, oppression, rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation, and sex slavery. We are women, we unite and we shall support each other!

According to the United Nations, one of every three women does personally experience physical or sexual violence during her life. 1998, author and playwright Eve Ensler started the V-Day movement after experiencing sexual trauma and the desire to reclaim her own body. The V stands for Victory, Valentine, and Vagina according to her. She created a play called the “Vagina Monologues” and took a step further into action to start a movement as a call for women’s rights.

Since its start, the V-Day movement has raised more than $80 million for their anti-violence programs and safe houses in The Congo, Haiti, Kenya, Egypt, and Iraq. V-Day organizes thousands of events in over 140 countries.

The vision of V-Day is a world where women live safely and free. The organization is fighting for it with art, by spreading lasting social and cultural change, by giving local women who know their community a voice and leadership and by looking at the intersection of race, class, and gender to understand violence against women.

Find out more about the movement here: vday.org
Join the first V-Day event in Zurich: vdayzurich.ch

Sara is in Love with… V-Day blogger end violence against women
Sara is in Love with… V-Day blogger end violence against women
Find out more about the movement here: vday.org Join the first V-Day event in Zurich: vdayzurich.ch
Sara is in Love with… V-Day blogger end violence against women
Sara is in Love with… V-Day blogger end violence against women
Sara is in Love with… V-Day blogger end violence against women
Sara is in Love with… V-Day blogger end violence against women
Sara is in Love with… V-Day blogger end violence against women

My Outfit
Dress: Sara Al Ojayan, Bag: Mama Tierra, Bag Strap: Tauta Home, Headwrap: Hanimanns,
Earrings: L.O.M., Flamingo Ring: Animazul, Sunglasses: Gucci, Shoes: Kat Maconie,
Kneesocks: Becksöndergaard, Coat: Lazy Oaf  

Pictures: Marco Borromeo

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