Sunday, March 25, 2012

BLOZECHT! (True blue ..)

Blue is my favorite color. Our company logo is electric blue.

I like all shades of blue, from a brilliant Tiffany turquoise to a dark ink navy. Needless to say that I am ecstatic that blue is the color du jour for nails. Last fall, Chanel set the mood with “Les Jeans”, a denim inspired trio of nail polishes and judging from the Fall/Winter 12/13 fashion shows, this beauty trend is here to stay, for now at least.

Here are my picks:

Collage: Timeless Pieces --- All copyrighted photos belong to their rightful owners

Butter London No more Waity, Katie $14
Dior Vernis St. Tropez, $23 
Essie Go Overboard, $8
OPI Dating a Royal, $7.50
China Glaze Blue Island Iced Tea, $4
Chanel Coco Blue, $29
Rescue Beauty Lounge, Bikini Bottom, $18
Nails Inc London  Baker Street, $9.50
Zoya Ibiza, $8

Click on links for additional information. Selected nail polishes can be found in Europe and in the US. Need additional information, send an email


Sunday, March 18, 2012

ENG BRETZEL VIR DECH! (Twists and turns ..)



Picture courtesy of www.oberweis.lu - Oberweis is patisserie/confiserie in Luxembourg

Did you receive a pretzel today?

In Luxembourg, we celebrate “Bretzel Sonndeg” (Pretzel Sunday) on the fourth Sunday of Lent ("Halleffaschten"). It is tradition for men of all ages to buy the twisted confection for their beloved. If the girl is inclined to return the affection, she will gift him with a decorated egg on Easter. As mentioned in a previous post, since this year is a Leap Year, the roles are reversed and the ladies will be the ones giving out the pretzels.

The "Letzebuerger Bretzel" (see picture) is a deliciously sweet pastry topped with almonds, nuts or chocolate and coated in sugar. You can find it in bakeries and supermarkets.

Throughout time the looped pretzel was used as a symbol of love and prosperity in many traditions and festivals. On May 1, young men in Germany used to paint a pretzel on the door of the adored. It is also speculated that the term “tying the knot” originated when a pretzel was used to represent the unity of marriage. Today, in some areas, people give each other sweet pretzels on New Year’s Day for good luck.

The bread pretzel is considered in Christian communities a Lenten and Easter food (devoid of any forbidden ingredients). Many suggest that the pretzel’s shape is reminiscent of arms folded in prayer.

Some historians say that the pretzel is one of the oldest snack foods. Popular legend has it that in the 6th century an Italian monk (sources differ as to the time and place) made them out of leftover bread as a reward for children who learnt their prayers. By the 12th century the pretzel was an emblem of bakers. In the 1500s, pretzel bakers of Vienna were awarded their own coat of arms (depicting a pretzel and a lion) after saving the city from the Turks.

The first pretzels were soft but today they come in many different variations, cold, warm, chewy, hard, sweet or savory and in all shapes and sizes.

Pretzels were first introduced to the US in the 18th century by German and Swiss immigrants. American pretzels are a popular snack, they are often soft, bread-like or hard and crispy sprinkled with salt.

Tidbits:
  • Pennsylvania is the center of the pretzel production
  • April 26 is National Pretzel Day in the US
  • In 2002 President George W. Bush choked on a pretzel and fainted but quickly recovered.
  • Marge Simpson owned a pretzel franchise in Episode 11 Season 8 of the Simpsons (The Twisted World of Marge Simpson)
  • The expression “these pretzels are making me thirsty” is a Seinfeld reference (The Alternate Side), meaning, this makes me angry
  • The pretzel is a move used in swing and square dancing
  • The word “pretzel” is used to describe an idea, an attitude or an image
Stories are aplenty but undoubtedly “Bretzel Sonndeg” is a lovely tradition and this twisted pastry is a delectable treat.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

DAT GRENGT AS GUDD FIR D’AEN! (Happy St. Patrick’s Day ..)

March 17 is the day of St. Patrick.

Originally a religious holiday for the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick’s Day is nowadays associated with All Things Irish by many revelers around the world.

If you are in the US and you don’t wear green on St. Patty’s Day you might get pinched. Legend has it that wearing green makes you invisible to leprechauns. People started pinching those not wearing green to warn and remind them of these impish little elves and their wicked habits.
Have a Guinness and have fun!




1.   Chan Luu wrap bracelet; chanluu.com $240 (shipping to Europe available)
2.   Guerlain Vetiver Eau de Toilette; sephora.com $71 (available in the US and in Europe)
3.   Coach shamrock key holder; coach.com $38
4.   Black Fleece button down collar shirt; mr.porter.com $150/135 (available in the US and in Europe)
5.   Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars for men and women; nordstrom.com; converse.com $36-$45 (Nordstrom ships to Europe)
6.   Lucien Pellat-Finet hemp watch; aloharag.com $955 (shipping to Europe available)
7.   Timeless Pieces wool/silk scarf; $199/152 (FREE shipping to Luxembourg)
8.   Four leaf clover growing kit; lovestogarden.com $9

Click on the links for additional information. Problems finding an item in Luxembourg? Send us an email mail@timelesspieces.com




Thursday, March 8, 2012

OH MADAME, DIR RICHT AWER GUDD! (Scent of a woman ..)

“A woman who doesn't wear perfume has no future.” 
Coco Chanel

My name is MG and I am a perfume lover. I started wearing perfume at the age of five when I sneaked into my Grandma’s bedroom and proceeded to literally “bathe” in 4711, a refreshing old-world cologne. When questioned, I vigorously denied the obvious. It became a ritual for me (the splashing of cologne not the lying) which was graciously tolerated by my beloved Boma. 

Stock photo
My taste in perfume has evolved through the years and I still do not leave the house without a bottle in my purse or luggage (a smaller bottle these days due to the stringent travel regulations and restrictions). I ardently follow news about imminent releases and launches and eagerly test them but of all things I have a peculiar fondness for the classics. I like full bodied oriental fragrances with rich aromas. Musk, leather, sandalwood, frankincense and patchouli are among my favorite accords. My constants are Shalimar (the original not the re-issue) and Bois d’Armenie by Guerlain while Tabac Blond by Caron, Rahät Loukoum by Serge Lutens and others are rotated depending on mood and season.

I wear scents that suit my taste and happily cross the perfume gender divide. My latest obsession is the intricate and compelling Bel Ami by Hermes (again not the re-issue but the original).

On a related side note, J’adore by Dior was the best selling perfume in France (according to the NPD Group) in 2011. It surpassed for the second year in a row the grande dame of perfume sales, the iconic Chanel No 5

There are so many incredible scents on the market and hundreds more are released every year. We all have our idiosyncratic list of favorites but when it comes to personal style there is no “right” or “wrong”. My Grandma would certainly agree.


Picture courtesy of dior.com

Please click on the links for additional information. 



Tuesday, March 6, 2012

D’FREIJOER KENNT! (March-ing into Spring ..)

Are you ready to shed some layers? Here are our March picks for a smooth transition into spring.

Please click on the links for additional information. If you have problems purchasing an item in Luxembourg, contact us via email 





  1. Inhabit cable knit cotton/linen sweater; inhabitny.com $428 netaporter.com 503 (ships to Luxembourg)
  2. Rick Owens inset legging; barneys.com $1,670
  3. Scosha bracelet set; scosha.com $195
  4. Zadig et Voltaire tunisien t-shirt; zadigetvoltaire.com  75
  5. All Saints Damisi boots; allsaints.com $295 (available in Europe 210)
  6. Hayden Harnett Barnard cross body bag; haydenharnett.com $495
  7. Timeless Pieces bi color cashmere shawl $799 (FREE shipping to Luxembourg)
  8. Sheswai formaldehyde free nail polish in badass and stoned; sheswaibeauty.com $16
  9. Hermes belt Rafale; hermes.com 780    

Sunday, March 4, 2012

AN DE SPIEGEL KUCKEN! (Mirror, mirror on the wall ..)

According to an article in Luxemburger Wort: A number of people expressed the view that Luxembourg was too small to be attractive, meanwhile conservative, provincial and bourgeois were among the damning descriptions attached to the country. Indeed, in total 82% of respondents said that Luxembourg suffered from a flawed perception, which it needed to rectify.

Does Luxembourg need an image consultant or is this just a case of a poll given inflated prominence?

As an insider/outsider (Luxembourg native and a US citizen) and someone that has conducted business in many countries, I have a different take on this.

Too small to be attractive? True, we don’t enjoy the same name recognition on an international level as Singapore or Dubai; in fact many people in the US (and other parts in the world) have no idea that Luxembourg is an independent sovereign state. Some confuse it with Liechtenstein or worse think it is a city in Germany or Belgium. Not many Americans could point to Luxembourg on a map.

Luxembourg - Pont Adolphe - courtesy wikipedia.com
There is no denying that Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries in the world; much smaller than most US States (approx the size of Rhode Island) but that has not stopped us from becoming an key international financial center. There is also no denying that we live a fine life in Luxembourg, far finer than most people on earth. Our GDP (per capita) makes us the second richest country in the world. Things could be worse.

Are Luxembourgers labeled conservative in regards to politics, religion, morality or society? The Wort article does not specify. Since Luxembourg is a secular state and a Constitutional Monarchy under the system of Parliamentary Democracy, the poll probably refers to social conservatism. It is a fact that Luxembourg does not have the funky liberal flair of California or the free spiritedness of a Latin culture but neither does Russia (the recent anti gay legislation in Moscow comes to mind) nor does Japan, a culturally homogenous and vastly conformist nation.

Luxembourg, seat of  European Court of Justice and host to various EU institutions has a distinct international flavor. Its population is cosmopolitan, multi-lingual and multi-cultural. We have a first-rate education system and a literacy rate of 100 percent. Our children are tri-lingual by the age of 15 switching effortlessly between the languages in comparison to other countries where kids are seldom encouraged to become fluent in any other language. Luxembourg also has an open-minded and foreigner-friendly attitude (one third are nationals of other countries).

As for being called bourgeoisIs Luxembourg Europe’s most trendsetting or fashionable place? Surely not, but Luxembourg is a country where small works. It is quaint, green and picturesque, it is safe (regularly named THE safest place in the world), offers its citizens an elaborate social safety net and it might just be one of the only places left where you can raise a family and live the proverbial “white picket fence” dream. Given the current global economic malaise and the unstable political climate in many parts of the world, I would venture to say that many people would gladly trade places with us.