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iceland

Icelandic Seals
cute animals

Arp! Who Goes There?

Iceland is home to a variety of animals that you don't see every day: puffins, reindeer, tiny horses, and seals.
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Iceland is home to a variety of animals that you don't see every day: puffins, reindeer, tiny horses, and seals. If you ever make it to breathtakingly beautiful Jökulsárlón, the island's largest glacial lagoon, head to the southern side of the water. There, a colony of a few dozen seals will inquisitively observe your every move. These guys (and ladies) came within 15 feet of the shore, only to dive underwater as soon as they knew I was on to them. Aside from the occasional sound of ice breaking apart, it was just me and the barking seals — a total one-with-nature morning. Check them out to see why I'm still laughing over their little faces.

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The Icelandic Bank Kraupthing Commercial
commercial

Bank Commercial Uses Clips of Mother Theresa, The Matrix to Score Customers

Talk about a marketing strategy gone wrong.
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Talk about a marketing strategy gone wrong. Business Insider posted a commercial that the now defunct Icelandic bank Kraupthing released before the worldwide economic meltdown. You'll see video snippets of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, Nelson Mandela being sworn in as president, the moon landing, some war footage, and yes, The Matrix. The ad might make for some kind of feel good inspirational message, but it definitely doesn't work well as a bank promo.

Black Swan Makeup Details, Back-to-Basics Beauty Gifts, and More
Makeup

Best of Bella: Black Swan Makeup Details, Back-to-Basics Beauty Gifts and More

Check out our newest BellaTV update, then read some of our top stories from the week that was: Journey to Iceland's world-famous Blue Lagoon Spa.
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Check out our newest BellaTV update, then read some of our top stories from the week that was:

What Is an Icelandic Horse?
cute animals

These Icelandic Horses Make My Heart Melt

If you've never been to Iceland, there's a good chance you've never seen one of these Icelandic horses up close.
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If you've never been to Iceland, there's a good chance you've never seen one of these Icelandic horses up close. After all, by law, no imported horses are allowed in and, once a horse leaves, it can never return. Lucky for us, BellaSugar took off for Iceland to check out an awesome spa and snapped these photos while she was there.

Ranging from 730 – 840 pounds and around 54 inches high, they have short legs, just like BellaSugar's beloved munchkin kitty, Milo! While we'd consider them pony-sized in the US, Icelandics are always called horses possibly because of the breed's spirited temperament and large personality . . . and the lack of a word in Icelandic for "pony." Let's just agree and call them cute.

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See the rest of the pictures and read more

Blue Lagoon Spa in Iceland: Pictures and Travel Guide
Editor's Pick

Take a Journey to Iceland's Blue Lagoon Spa

Not many countries can claim a spa as its main tourist attraction, but in Iceland's case, it's easy to see why so many people flock to the Blue Lagoon.
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Blue Lagoon Spa in Iceland: Pictures and Travel Guide

Not many countries can claim a spa as its main tourist attraction, but in Iceland's case, it's easy to see why so many people flock to the Blue Lagoon. The milky blue waters of this geothermal spa draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, and it's as relaxing as it is picturesque. I'd heard of this beautiful place, but never dreamed I'd see it with my own eyes. So when the Blue Lagoon invited BellaSugar on a trip to see the spa, what could I say but "já"? Read on for a tour of this must-visit spot, but you've been warned: once you've seen Iceland, you'll want to go there. (I'm planning my next vacation already.)

Sunrise Lava Path The Blue Lagoon It's In The Water Unusual Treatments Winning Skin Drift and Drink
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Interview With Inside Job Producer Audrey Marrs
government

Inside Job: Unraveling the Economic Collapse

It's important for people to know how and why our global economy came crashing down in 2008.
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It's important for people to know how and why our global economy came crashing down in 2008. Inside Job, a documentary by Charles Ferguson, makes the concepts behind the financial meltdown easy to digest. At the same time, it's hard to swallow the fact that several key people in the government worked for the best interests of the banks and not the greater good of the American public. In fact, the financial crisis wasn't created in the last few years. The seeds were planted decades back and were largely brought about by the merging of Wall Street and the government. Too many finance executives took high-level government positions, and supported the wallets of bankers.

In addition, the film not only highlights the intermingling between the interests of banks and the government, but also unexpectedly reveals the links to academia. Many prominent professors wrote papers on topics in which they were given financial incentive to skew it a certain way. In fact, a current professor at the business school of Columbia University, Frederic Mishkin, wrote a paper touting Iceland's financial stability in 2006 that he was paid $124,000 for. Iceland went bankrupt October of 2008.

I talked to Audrey Marrs, producer of Inside Job, who had also worked with Charles on a previous documentary called No End In Sight. To find out what Audrey had to share about the film, read more after the jump

Icelandic Volcano Eyjafjallajökull Is Getting its Own Perfume
Perfume

Unpronounceable Icelandic Volcano Gets Its Own Fragrance

You probably remember Eyjafjallajökull, the ash-spewing volcano in Iceland that grounded flights all over Europe some months ago, but did you know that it's getting its own perfume?
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You probably remember Eyjafjallajökull, the ash-spewing volcano in Iceland that grounded flights all over Europe some months ago, but did you know that it's getting its own perfume? Icelandic brand Gydja is coming out with a citrusy fragrance called Efj (a handy abbreviation of the volcano's name) that'll be made with water from the Eyjafjallajökull glacier. The line's designer, Sigrún Lilja Gudjónsdóttir, says the ads that accompany it will feature "the power of nature and the power of the goddess," since Gydja means "goddess" in Icelandic. So will you be interested in giving this scent a sniff, or are you more a Vatnajökull kind of girl?

Iceland's 101 Hotel Provides Elegant, Artistic Lodging
Art

Home Away From Home: 101 Hotel

Ready for a trip to the top of the world?
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Ready for a trip to the top of the world? Many visit Iceland for its wealth of hot springs, its experimental rockers, and its huldufolk. Whatever your reason for flying due north, you can be guaranteed a good night's sleep if you stay at Reykjavík's fabulous 101 Hotel.

Recognized as the first boutique hotel in Iceland, owner and designer Ingibjörg S. Pálmadottir put her Parsons School of Design degree to good use when designing the hotel's look. Using clean lines, local artwork, and a palette rich in blacks, whites, and grays, the hotel exudes a cool, Nordic vibe. Don't worry though — the cool vibe doesn't extend to the interior's temperatures, thanks to heated oak floors, a roaring fireplace in the lounge, and an onsite sauna.

Pálmadottir has filled her hotel with works by artists including Brynhildur Þorgeirsdóttir, Böðvar Gunnarsson, Daníel Magnússon, Gabríela Friðriksdóttir, Hulda Hákon, and many other native artists whose names you may have trouble pronouncing. There's no difficulty in understanding the talent of the artists, though, nor in the hotel's natural ability to provide an elegant, welcoming, and beautiful stay for its guests.

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Take the full tour.

Preview of Gourmet's Quick Kitchen Magazine and Other Food Fun From the Web
Link Time

Yummy Links: From Baby Carrots to Cocaine Cocktails

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Trip to Iceland
community

Trip to Iceland

Peep this post madmoiselle shared in the I'm Addicted to Mixing/Matching Outfits w/ Sugar Lists!
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Peep this post madmoiselle shared in the I'm Addicted to Mixing/Matching Outfits w/ Sugar Lists! group.

I have always dreamed about a trip to Iceland. It's my dream country. Musicians like Sigur Ros, Bjōrk and Emiliana Torrini come from there. So I'm really excited about Iceland's culture. And I also love the nature. It seems so quiet there. And If I will go to Iceland someday, these will be the things I wear. But now I wear stuff like this in my place when it turns minus 20C.

Twenty Lace Tank Dress Notte by Marchesa Lace and silk-sateen peplum dress Nightcap Dreamcatcher Open Back Maxi Dress ASOS Cowl Back Dress with Embellished Cuff Keepsake Need Your Love Lace Dress in Mint
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