Life Archives - Page 5 of 6 - Mr. Salt and Pepper

Miami Vice

4th May 2017

If Miami hasn’t got it, they haven’t invented it yet!

For those who follow me on social media know that I’m currently getting severely tanned in South Beach, Miami! *sorry not sorry* From bottomless drag brunches on Ocean Drive to daytime pool parties with the LA squad (people I met in LA last year) – my first weekend in Miami was truly unforgettable!

We’ve spent our first few days exploring South Beach and Downtown Miami. We went to Pérez Art Museum Miami and learnt more about dying languages of the world. Who knew that Livonian language is close to extinction?! Well, I didn’t know! *traces back his Baltic roots to find out whether he has any Livonian relatives*

Here are several facts about Miami (from my point of view, so far):

There are more Spanish speakers than English speakers.
Americans are extremely friendly, so they will come up to you and talk to you out of nowhere.
Outside of South Beach, no one really walks in the street…
… and everything is much more spread out.
7/eleven is your best friend!
Food portions at restaurants are fairly small…
… but everything else is huge!
Most Americans think that I am British. *blimey*
The weather stays the same throughout the day. Therefore, it doesn’t get any cooler at night. *puts his jumpers and light jackets back in the suitcase*
Wynwood is the only place in Miami where you don’t have to pay to look at the art.
Roosters in Wynwood are something else!
The first Burger King opened here in Miami, yet we still haven’t had a burger in America… It’s Day 7!
Air con is the best invention, ever.

SHOP: Pink Floral Viscose Print Shirt from Primark | Basic White T-shirt from Zara | Chino Shorts from H&M | Accesories from Topman

Life / Style

Millbank Haze

12th April 2017

Confusion boy.

Everyone has a coming out story. It is one of those personal achievements when you’re finally starting to live your truth and be more open to the world. After years of hiding my feelings towards it, I finally came out to my friend and family as…. *wait for it* a Blogger! For some, it may come as a huge surprise, but I’ve spent most of my early 20s being confused about what I really want to do in my life… and I think I’m finally going in the right direction. Don’t you think?

Content creation was always there. However, finding the right platform for it was a huge challenge for me.

I started blogging and managing websites when I was just 14 years old. From fan pages to forums, I was thrilled to create engaging content and building large communities online. In 2007, I started video blogging, which REALLY established me in my home country – Lithuania. *come through, potato dumplings*

With daily viewership reaching a staggering 15,000, my online presence was way bigger than my mindset. Everything happened so fast that I didn’t know what to do with it! The New York Times featured some of my work, whilst fans sent me daily video responses on Videogaga (Lithuanian version of YouTube). *I even made an appearance on MTV!* Video blogging opened so many doors for me… but unfortunately. I didn’t take any of these opportunities.

My biggest fear back then was me. I was so scared of the outside world. People started to recognise me in the street and that freaked the hella out of me. Everything seemed so uncertain – I wasn’t sure whether people are going to shake my hand or punch me in the face. There was so much bullying online that I had no desire to continue. I completely stopped blogging and focused more on finishing my studies. Back then, living life being me was something out of reach and impossible.

In 2009, I moved to the United Kingdom, and – after a while – I started to open myself to others. The feeling was great! With socialising and partying taking the centre stage, I didn’t have time to think about blogging… Until now.

After years of working for a digital media agency and several publications across the UK, one day I thought to myself “right, I need to create something for me, a platform that would unleash my creative spirit and add value to it“. Suddenly, I had a flashback of the past 13 years and I was like “blogging is what I need to continue“. So, after months of researching and planning, I give to you – Mr. Salt and Pepper – the UK men’s lifestyle blog!

Cranes in vacation.

It seems like the embroidered appliqués of exotic birds are taking over my blog this season – but for all the right reasons.

The other day, I was scouting around Millbank with my best friend Alex and snapped a few pictures of this look. First, let me tell you one thing – I was never a fan of vacation shirts. I always had this perception of them being too tacky and out of date. However, this shirt from Urban Outfitters completely blew my mind!

I was channelling tropical vibes with this laid-back shirt in burnt orange. It features a relaxed fit with a button front and notched collar, topped with crane embroidery on the chest. I mean, what’s not to love?! I paired it with a white linen jacket and militaire chinos, both from Zara. This is an ace holiday look that can also work as a daytime summer wear in the city. Staycation anyone?

SHOP: Loom Crane Vacation Shirt from Urban Outfitters | Linen Jacket from Zara | Basic Chinos from Zara | Green Slip On Shoes from Primark

Style

Plants and Leaves

29th March 2017

Thinking about Fruits and Plants…

This week, the temperature in London is expected to go up as high as +20C. As always, Londoners will take full advantage of this weather by basking outside with an ice-cold beverage.

Speaking of drinks… Recently, I teamed up with evian to produce a series of lifestyle images for their “Fruits and Plants” range. Their style guide was simple: sunny days and vibrant colours. Hmmm… I hear myself thinking that this might not fully work in London. Simply, because it tips down pretty much all the time! *sorry, not sorry* Even though I love a little bit of rain, I had to take every opportunity to capture evian drinks in lovely weather. Therefore, I was waking up at 6am every morning to capture the essence of awakening.

I stopped by my local florist shop on Store Street. The weather was unseasonably warm for this time of the year, so I took full advantage by showcasing my new favourites. For this occasion, I paired my favourite Diesel Leaf Printed Jersey Shirt with Skinny Cropped Trousers from Nöak. The raspberry-and-verbena-flavoured evian looked really good with this look and so did I, right? *fishes for a compliment* I have a feeling this look will be a staple of mine once the spring weather decides to stay!

What do you think? Is this something you would wear?

SHOP: S-WESTY Leaf Print Jersey Short Sleeve Shirt from Diesel | Skinny Cropped Trousers from Noak | Black Buckle Slip Ons from Primark

Life / Travel

Mother’s Day

26th March 2017

Happy Mother’s Day to the most fabulous woman in the entire world!

Last week, I flew to Lithuania to see my family and spend some quality time with my lovely mother. I don’t really travel back home much. Therefore seeing everyone for a cup of coffee is always a treat.

This time, I got to see my grandfather who recently moved back from Chicago, after living there for 18 years. He was the only male figure when I was growing up: he taught me how to ride a bicycle and build my own tent. On Saturday, we spent all afternoon talking about politics, American culture and my life in London. We both agreed that there’s not much going on in Lithuania, especially for those who lived abroad for a long period of time.

On Sunday, we drove to Vilnius to do some sightseeing and get a little bit cultural. We went to my favourite bar in Užupis – Šnekutis. They do the best Lithuanian cuisine and everything is extremely cheap. You can have a starter, main (potato dumplings!!!), snack and a pint of beer for about €6. I mean… Quite ridiculous!

Visiting Lithuania is always an eye-opener for me. I realise how far I have come and how different my life could’ve been if I stayed there. Back in the day, I used to be veeery shy. I felt like I couldn’t be myself or be different. My mother raised me and my brother all by herself.

When I was 12, my mother told me that there’s only one place on earth where all my dreams will come true. That place is called London. Mothers can sense everything about their child and she was absolutely right!

SHOP: Wool Mix Double Breasted Overcoat In Rust from ASOS

Life

Rock the Case

16th March 2017

Tech-savvy morning routine.

I lead a very busy lifestyle and technology helps me to get through the day. As a freelance Content Developer, most of my day-to-day tasks happen on my smartphone: I answer emails, tweet, read the news, edit pictures and double tap on my favourite Instagram posts. *cheeky face* I’m so super glued to my iPhone that I even dream about it. Don’t believe me? Then take a look at my morning routine, endorsed by many of my close friends:

Press snooze on my 7am alarm and debate whether I should go to the gym now… or after work… or ever.
Wake up after the third snooze of my 7am alarm. The first thing to be grateful for: chilled wake-up sounds added in the latest iOS update!
Be confused for at least 30 seconds about what is going on in my life.
Spend at least 15 minutes getting lost in the ‘rabbit hole’ that is my Instagram feed.
Toss on whatever clothing piece is on the floor near my bed and walk to the kitchen.
Have my daily freshly-squeezed lemon juice.
Prepare a simple breakfast such as porridge or a toast.
Add everything onto MyFitness Pal. Squander 5 minutes doing that.
Shimmy my way over to the bathroom, hoping that no one else is in there… Then quietly play “The Great British Breakfast” playlist in the shower.
Go back to my bedroom to dress and leave… BUT instead, inevitably end up watching random videos on YouTube: starting with the latest Apple rumours then moving onto the best untucked moments on RuPaul’s Drag Race. Wasting no less than 15 minutes doing that.
Realise that I have to leave in 5 minutes and there’s not enough time left to order Starbucks or take a selfie.
Quickly pick my favourite iPhone case and storm out of the flat.

This is pretty much me every morning. Sounds pretty ridiculous, right? I’m sure you do exactly the same!

Finding the right iPhone case.

iPhones are great devices that keep us connected and make us more productive. However, these devices are also prone to all kinds of damage, from surface scratches to complete destruction.

From the minute I receive my brand new smart phone, I am very conscious about getting a quality case for it. I spend hours online browsing through thousands of styles and quite often I end up being without one. *sad face* It’s not easy to find an accessory for my phone that fits my personality and is also very durable.

Luckily, I discovered caseable. Their mission is to celebrate individuality. They combine design and protection, functionality and art, to produce custom smartphone hard cases for almost every device possible. As much as I would like to create my own case, I am not so creative as to design one myself (very self-critical here, for now). Instead, I browse through hundreds of artist designs available at caseable. Their design catalogue is very diverse. Therefore, I always find something that perfectly adds up to my quirky personality. This time, I chose “Kiss” by Mark Ashkenazi, because it features a cartoon of two men kissing (obviously), whilst the colour theme matches my current styling mood. I’m all about bright reds, navy blues and crispy clear whites – just like the cardigan I’m wearing right now!

Make sure you check caseable out and use code ‘MRSALT2017‘ to get 20% off your order. Valid until the end of April.

#RockTheCase

SHOP: Smartphone Hard Case from caseable | Red Cardigan from Zara

Thanks to caseable for sponsoring this post.