Fashion Rose

The END

2011-11-15T22:33:00.001+01:00

I know most people don't write good-byes to their blogs, but I will. I've written 'Fashion Rose' for the past 3 years and it's become a part of my life. I started this blog while I was 14 years old and not very good at English. My blog shows how I grew up, and it will always be connected to this period of my life. I hope everyone enjoyed reading my blog. I wanted to say thank you to all my readers, and everyone who inspired me. Now I will start with new projects, which is very exciting. So, good-bye Fashion Rose!
(you can find my new blog here)

Autumn Fires

2011-10-12T22:10:00.005+02:00

Leaves are falling and the weather is getting pretty cold... It is time to face the fact that summer is over now. The important question is, how must we survive winter season? Here is my list with essentials.

1. A warm coat. This hooded faux fur coat from River Island looks cosy, and I guess you should buy this one if you want to look like a teddy bear (there is nothing wrong with that). I also love capes for fall; they are elegant but sweet. The blue duffle coat is from Topshop. Then there are the coats that Oliver and Jordana are wearing in the movie 'Submarine': very cute. The blue and red matches their school uniforms perfectly.

2. Ear muffs! My ears are always cold so ear muffs are the perfect solution. On top of the practical aspect, I think they look endearing.

Ear muffs from Topshop

3. Hot chocolate is truly a necessity of life during winter time.

4. Winter shoes. I am currently obsessed with Clarks desert boots. I do not know if they can handle violent winter storms, but I think I do not really care. I just like their classic form. And they look quite comfortable! (at least more comfortable than ten inch heels). Desert boots come in various ways; from quirky prints to lace, and even ones with knitted adornments. I like!

5. Your boyfriend's hoodie keeps you warm and reminds you of him.

6. I want to end on a more glamorous note. Of course you will need pretty dresses this winter! For New Year's Eve, Christmas, and every other party! I am very fond of the silhouet of the 20s, so I adore the dresses that Marion Cotillard wears in the movie 'Midnight in Paris'.

So, what do you think? What are your winter essentials?

Colours Of Dreams

2011-09-20T09:30:00.001+02:00

I have witnessed this trend for a long time now and I always liked the way it looked, but it is until recently that the idea sprung into my mind to apply this concept to my own hair. Don't know what I'm talking about? Just see these pictures.

Dip dyeing hair is a trend I think started with Proenza Schouler in 2010. This look perfectly embodies the dreamy surfer girl, in a Lula-like atmosphere. I have googled this (a lot) and there are many DIY videos that clearly explain how to do this yourself. Like this one from Free People:

I also found a post about dip dyed hair on Lauren Conrad's beauty blog. So, what do you think? Should I dip dye my hair, or is this hair revolution something that only looks good on models? I have naturally light blond hair, so it is not necessary to bleach it (I guess). I have been thinking of maybe trying pastel blue or lilac... I have found a web site that sells these colours here, but I am not completely sure of buying hair dye on the internet. I think I'll try to find a store that sells this brand in my own town first...

You're my favourite flavour

2011-09-15T22:28:00.003+02:00

I love movies. And not just 'normal' movies with actors and actresses and happy endings, but also small films, documentaries, commercials, music videos, etc. I love the way they can communicate a certain style, atmosphere or feeling using just moving images and sound. A year ago I made a video for an art project at school; I will soon post that video, but first a little movie inspiration!

Seven Henrietta Street

This is a film for Kate Spade New York, by the amazingly talented director Kinga Burza. The description reads:

'This is the story of a charming girl

she laughs out loud, sings off key and believes in taking chances
she is quick and curious and playful and strong
she lets her imagination run away with her
she has never been one to stick to convention
she is fond of daydreams that take her places
she can order a cocktail in six different languages
she feels that understated is overrated.'

Everything just makes sense in this film; the way that the light falls, the colours, the girl, the clothes, the song...

Young Blood

This is the music video for the Naked and Famous' song Young Blood, directed by Campbell Hooper and Joe Kefali. It is great how the video perfectly captures the recklessness of young people, and how the music and the images work together. I get very happy when I watch this vid, and in some way get excited for the future that lies ahead of me. I guess the message of this music video is to just be young, do what you want to do and not be afraid of taking chances.

Miss Dior Chérie

I adore this perfume commercial by Sofia Coppola! The combination of balloons, flowers, macarons and beautiful Paris really does it for me. This film always makes me want to jump a train and head to this city, while listening to Brigitte Bardot songs and smelling like Miss Dior Cherie...

Undertow

Warpaint has truly stolen my heart with their psychedelic tunes and dreamy melodies. I saw these mysterious ladies perform at Lowlands (music festival) and they were absolutely great. This music video for their song 'Undertow' was directed by Shannyn Sossamon (what a name!) and is set in this old white house in the countryside, where the sunlight plays with your hair. Plus, it features two adorable children...

Well, please let me know what you think of these videos, and tell me your favourites!

Blog, blogger, blogst

2011-09-10T13:12:00.000+02:00

I already told you guys that I was writing an article for the DUF workshop here, and because the launch of the magazine is today, I thought it would be great to show you guys the final result. Unfortunately, it is written in Dutch, so I guess most of you won't be able to read it. That's why I chose to translate a part of the text in English; that being my interview with blogger Hayley Hughes.

'My blog changed my life'

Meet Hayley. An experienced blogger, stylist and editor for the online magazine On the streets of Sydney. Thanks to her blog, she now works with professional photographers, models and magazines. We spoke to her about the blog-o-sphere, freebies and the future of blogging...

'Fashion Hayley' is a very personal blog about her life, work and inspiration, but you will also read more serious posts about body image and the sometimes harsh fashion industry. Where I find that other fashion bloggers are just repeating each other, Hayley Hughes has managed to maintain her own spot in the blog-o-sphere by staying true to herself.

1000 followers
The 27-year-old Australian started with blogging in 2006, to document her year living in Tokyo. 'It started as a way to stay contacted with friends and family', she says. Now her blog counts more than a thousand dedicated followers, and has opened a lot of doors. Hayley: 'My blog has changed my life, there are no ifs and buts about it. I wouldn't have had any of the opportunities that have come my way without my blog.' She praises the blog-o-sphere for the support and friendships that arise from it, and loves to be a part of such a modern movement. 'The community is growing stronger every year, with more bloggers joining and learning from bloggers who have been in on the trend for longer.' Furthermore, according to Hayley, social media are essential to establish and maintain contacts with readers, other bloggers, magazines and designers. 'Twitter is a great way to support your blog, but I tend to use facebook less often because I do not notice the return on my readership.'

Freebies
Relationships with PR-agencies and fashion designers are also quite important, because Hayley likes to promote young up and coming designers on her blog. 'I enjoy blogging about them and wearing their unique pieces, as I know that it will help them gain recognition.' She is not against freebies, but thinks that bloggers should choose for themselves with what they agree to. She also accepts ads on her blog, although she advises every blogger to think through what ads suit the blog and the audience.

Tangible
Hayley is very passionate about online publishing. Nevertheless, she does not think that printed media will dissapear. 'Nor do I want it to dissapear. Online media will probably become more and more important as time goes by. People still want to have something tangible to hold in their hands, but they are also going to want to read the comments on an article they just read. I think the level of engagement to online media is the key to what makes it unique. Creating dialogue that the user can get involved with takes it to that next level.'

Competition
There is a lot of discussion going on about the supposed competition between blogs and fashion magazines, but Hayley does not think such a competition exists. 'Bloggers will never take over from magazines; nor do I think they want to. There is enough room for both! Bloggers get just as much from being featured in a magazine as a magazine being featured on a blog. It works both ways: they complement each other.'
In conclusion, does she have any tips for starting bloggers? 'Join the conversation, comment on your favourite blogs on twitter; just start participating in the community! The rest will come.'

Read Hayleys blog on www.fashionhayley.com
With special thanks to Hayley Hughes and all the people from the DUF workshop

What if...

2011-08-24T21:30:00.002+02:00

...fast fashion did not exist?

This is an interesting question to ask yourself. With fast fashion I mean: big chain stores that produce trend-on clothes and sell them for low prices. What would happen if there was no H&M, no Zara or Bershka at all? Would this boost creativity or would it be anti-democratic if fashionable items were not available for low prices?
I came up with this question this summer, while I was visiting Iceland. I went shopping in Reykjavik and discovered the creativity of Icelanders, and their beautiful vintage shops and labels. I felt like I was in fashion heaven. Imagine: a street filled with original, independent stores, that sell the most desirable authentic pieces (the only thing that pinched my dreams were the high prices).
Iceland is a very isolated island. There exists no H&M in this country; if there is fast fashion, the number of stores is limited. I think the lack of these stores is one of the reasons why Icelanders are so creative with fashion. If there is no H&M around the conrner, you will probably shop at the dozens of vintage stores nearby, right? A lot of Icelanders set up their own shop or label, and just try to do their own thing. (Maybe the creativity of young Icelanders is also related to the fact that there is not much to do on the island; in a country where it stays dark the whole winter, you'd have to find something to keep yourself busy.)
At the same time, there is one big disadvantage (I mentioned it before): the extremely high prices. I do not have a lot of money to spend on clothes, so at home, a reasonable part of my wardrobe consists of chain store products. If I lived in Reykjavik, I know I would have had way less clothes. If I am honest, I would have to say that I actually quiete depend on those chain stores, and the way they translate runway trends to affordable pieces. It makes following fashion a lot easier for the average teenage girl, and thus helps democratizing the industry.
On the other hand, independent stores will offer a wider range of clothing and stimulate normal people to get creative with less mainstream clothes. Because we don't want to look all the same, do we? (I witness a fashion face-off almost everyday at school, because nearly everyone buys their look at the same fast fashion stores.)
Anyway, to summarize: although the lack of super fashion chain stores may result in a more varied offer in clothing, I do not want them to dissapear entirely. I depend too much on their low-priced trend-on pieces. But I would love to see more independent vintage stores and labels like they are in Reykjavik!

Read on:

'Project: Iceland Music/Art/Fashion' by photographer and stylist Charlie Strand is a beautiful book that gives a complete overview of contemporary Icelandic culture. I bought this book and I can strongly recommend it: beautiful imagery, interesting interviews and Icelandic tunes on a CD will make you want to book a flight to this interesting, creative country.

I was pleasantly surprised when I got home and found Worn fashion journal no. 12 waiting on my door mat, and even more when I found out that an article on page 34 ('Cheap Frills' by Emily Raine) discussed the same matter I had written something about in my notebook. Emily Raine gives her opinion on fast fashion, and explains why she doesn't buy at chain stores anymore.

Obsessions.

2011-07-03T01:00:00.001+02:00

Ok, so I am totally obsessed with two twings now. The first is this song from a Nikon tv commercial; you will probably recognize it. It is such a beautiful, powerful song, and it is stuck in my head all day!

The song is Radical Face - Welcome home son
The other thing is the Moleskine Style Journal that I bought today. I am actually obsessed with all things Moleskine; I am now the lucky owner of a Moleskine planner, two diaries (one medium, one small) and two cahiers. There is something so classy about the way those journals are composed, with rounded corners and a pocket inside to stuff papers or little secret things in. You should absolutely read the Moleskine history that comes with every Moleskine journal you buy. It is so fascinating that a notebook can have such a story. Like a true fan, I know their mantra by heart: 'Culture. Imagination. Memory. Travel. Personal identity.' Sounds good, non? These journals are the best, most beautiful, meaningful and addicting notebooks I have ever come across. But now they have gotten even better, because this new series of notebooks is released: Moleskine Passions. Which are, obviously, notebooks for your passion. The series include gardening, film, music, travel and baby notebooks, and a beautiful STYLE JOURNAL that I am now holding in my hands. It consists of six themed sections with labels like 'wardrobe organizer', 'outfits', 'trends', etc. And there are also sections that you can personalize with drawings and photographs. Above all, there are stickers! I can recommend this notebook to everyone with a passion for style and fashion. Watch this vid, and you will be sold...

I love to blog..

2011-06-29T14:57:00.002+02:00

Finally, I made a bloglovin' account! So you can all follow me there :)
Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Sorry and summer

2011-06-28T14:29:00.000+02:00

Dear Readers,

I am sorry I have let you down. I have not been blogging for a while (nearly half a year!!) and I know I missed a lot. However, the good news is: I want to start blogging again!
You should know that I made this decision because of a very nice workshop that I am currently following. The idea is to create a magazine with other girls from my age. The workshop is set up by the Dutch bookazine DUF, which focusses on girls (and boys!) who want more than just the usual love, make up and shopping stories you find in other teen magazines. They bring their own funny twist to serious topics, and the visual aspects are beautifully taken care of. You should have a look at their site.
Anyway, I am writing an article about blogging for this workshop, so I felt guilty for not blogging for such a long time. Which means I am back and will try to keep it up for as long as I love doing it!
This article is about the blogging vs magazine thing that you hear about a lot lately. Together with Anne, who writes her own blog about her life, we decided to compare the two media and look at the advantages and disadvantages. I will interview bloggers and editors, and maybe blogging organisations as bloglovin' and independent fashion bloggers. If you have any brilliant ideas, or a strong opinion about this subject, you can leave a comment or email me at rosesweetjulia@hotmail.nl.
Furthermore, Anne will write a humorous column about the future of media, and together we will work on a blogging guide, with tips how to start your own blog, and a dictionary for blogging terms.
I know it is a lot of work for just a few days, but I hope we are able to produce an interesting article!

Because my holiday has begun, and the weather here is amazing, I wanted to show you my fashion inspiration for this summer, comming from the J. Crew spring 2011 show. I am so sick of the never changing grey palette on the street, so I instantly smiled when I saw that this collection showed pink, purple, brown, yellow, green and blue clothes. They even learned me how to love orange!

(all images from style.com)
I wish you all a colourful summer!

Surf's Up

2011-01-12T21:22:00.000+01:00

Yes, I know it's the 12th of January and that winter will stay with us for a few months, but I can't help it to desperately want summer! I'm also totally obsessed with Kassia Meador, a pro surfer, model and photographer. And so I find myself in the middle of winter swooning over these pictures and thinking of bikinis and sun and sea... Here's a taste of her photography:

Cool, huh? You should defenitely have a look at her site. Now we're already talking about surfing, I love this video for Roxy spring 2011:

It makes me want to ride the waves, although I'm terrible at surfing. Maybe I should take lessons during the summer...
However, I am totally sure about my summer soundtrack: Eliza Doolittle! You must've heard from this British beauty. She is so freakin' talented, her songs will make you happy! She has a unique voice, and great style too. She always wears these high waisted shorts paired with cropped tees and sneakers.

I love this vid where she sings the song 'Yellow' from Coldplay in her tour bus driving through L.A.

A surfing road trip, anyone? :)

I wish to embellish!

2011-01-09T17:11:00.011+01:00

A lazy sunday, nothing better to do (not entirely true (read: schoolwork); it's time for a DIY! I'm already looking forward to summer, and because of all the spring fashion, I can't wait until temperatures start rising. As I am currently obsessed with sequined and embellished shorts, I decided to transform my beat up cut off jeans shorts into a more glamorous garment. Embellished shorts appeared on the Balmain runway:

Source: style.com

And also in the Topshop 'Behind the scenes at our spring 2011 shoot' video (watch around 0:50)
All you need for this DIY is a pair of jeans shorts, a lot of old jewellery, brooches and beads, a pair of scissors and needle and thread.

I also used old earrings to adorn the shorts:

This was the result of one afternoon hard work:

I created a casual army look around my new shorts, can't wait to wear this during summer...

Top and shirt: H&M, sunglasses: Ray Ban, shoes: Topshop, bag: vintage, shorts: were once Only jeans.

I can recommend this DIY, it's not difficult and fun to do! Let me know what you think.

I want Lanvin, not flowers!

2010-11-04T20:15:00.006+01:00

You can call out a loud 'Yeehaa!' everyone, because H&M has another designer collaboration coming up. Alber Elbaz, artistic director of Lanvin, designed a collection of stunning party dresses for small prices. Many talented designers went before him; Karl Lagerfeld, Viktor & Rolf, Sonia Rykiel, Stella McCartney, Roberto Cavalli, and in November of last year a limited edition by the brand Jimmy Choo. Although I think it's a very smart move of H&M to produce these collections, because of the extreme desiriability of relatively cheap designer clothes (girls have been literally fighting over the clothes in H&M stores), and I think it is somehow democratic and fair, I feel that not every collection has been a success.

When I looked at last year's Jimmy Choo dresses, that hang abandonned on a sale rack and still were bought by no one, I did not feel excited at all, as I had felt by the collections of Karl Lagerfeld and Viktor & Rolf. In my opinion, the designers of Jimmy Choo failed to translate the exclusiveness and fragile perfectness of haute couture when they took their glamourous dresses and shoes to the masses. Dresses looked cheap because of the use of wrong materials, shoes looked almost slutty because of their metallic colour and heels that were just inches too low.

A Jimmy Choo for H&M dress

You can state that the borders of haute couture and prêt-a-porter are not as set in stone as we once thought. There are no limits anymore. If haute couture brands also produce fashion for 'normal' people, what will happen to luxury? This is why Alber Elbaz says in the H&M Press Release: "What does luxury mean today? Can luxury be exclusive and democratic at the same time? Designer's work is usually tailored to a very small group of people, but the collection for H&M was about trying to translate the dream of luxury to the masses."

Pictures from the Lanvin hearts H&M Lookbook

This is a great concept, and a beautiful goal he sets up for himself: now we can asks ourselves if he succeeded. I looked at the whole collection here (and I can recommend everyone to do the same) and I think the answer is a steady YES. Beautifully tailored tuxedo jackets, ruffled party dresses in outspoken neon colours, cheeky prom-style bandeau dresses, a trenchcoat with zebra prints, and warm fur cover-ups that look delicately soft; I want this! Apart from the party look, you can also find funny T-shirts with tongue-in-cheek illustrations and embellishments. There's also a range of accessories: from lipstick to pearl necklaces to leather gloves and pointed pumps. The men's collection is designed by Dutch Lanvin's men designer Lucas Ossendrijver. It is kind of funky, with glamorous blue shoes and bow ties in bold colours and prints.

The black ruffle mini skirt in the Lanvin hearts H&M Lookbook

My favourites of the women's collection are the ruffled mini skirts, the fur coat and the dark blue dress. I find the yellow dress very bold, but I don't think I would ever wear it in real life!

Bold yellow dresses!

Has the appeal of the 'real' Lanvin decreased? Will the brand be sentenced as cheap now? Not if you ask Alber Elbaz. He says: "what intrigued me was the idea of H&M going luxury rather than Lanvin going public." And I think that's exactly what happened. The line launches on November the 20th. I guess I know what my prom dress is going to be like this year!

Go with the flow

2010-10-24T17:58:00.003+02:00

Sweater: River Island, shorts: Only, wedges: New Look, necklaces: DIY and Accesorize
This is what I wore today. I bought the sweater in Antwerp, where I was with friends for my birthday. Antwerp is a great shopping city with all the big brands and cute little vintage shops. See Antwerp, then die.

You can even have it written on your T-shirt.

2010-09-16T20:06:00.004+02:00

I like it when fashion and music collide. Usually, the people who work in music and fashion, are the people I wish were my friends. Take, for example, Coco Sumner. A successful model with great style, and now the force behind the band 'I Blame Coco'. And, in case you didn't know, she calls Sting her dad.
I know that everyone will be prejudiced now, and say things like: 'Oh, she has a music career because her dad's famous,' and 'Oh, another model-turned-musician'. But that's not fair, because she is really talented. And I don't care whether she is famous because of her dad, and what her other jobs are, I just really like her songs. And admit it, she dresses great.

You know you love her! Check out her music videos:

Pretty Much Everything

2010-09-12T21:09:00.005+02:00

Yesterday I went to an exhibition of the photographer's duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, in the Foam Amsterdam. The amount of amazing photos was simply stunning; 30 years in the business led to more than 300 pictures that filled the walls of Foam. They were positioned in some kind of labyrinth that went on and on. Though I didn't understand all the pictures, the overall feeling was one of bright ideas and very diverse work. From little polaroids to enlarged campaign pictures for Chloé and Balmain, each photo is special. Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin shook up the fashion (and art) world with their innovative use of photoshop, creating a different vibe than the simple, 'real' grunge streamlet that was going on in photography in the 90s. You can't really categorise their work. This is art and fashion, commercial and artistic, personal and for the public.
I tried to photograph these photos, but it was kind of hard because of the reflections. I hope you can appreciate their work anyway.

Ice cream in a desert dream...

2010-09-07T19:07:00.008+02:00

When I saw the images of Vivienne Westwood's fall 2010 rtw show, the first thing that went through my mind was: Cocorosie. The clothes were all a bit messy and thrown together, the models wore moustaches and the whole thing breathed some kind of dark vagabond mood. You can apply this description also to Cocorosie, the band formed by two extremely cool sisters, Bianca and Sierra. Look at these pictures and be inspired.

Runway pics from Style.com

And may I add that I think Vivienne Westwood is one of the most inspiring women in fashion? I mean, look at her hair! It's orange!

If you're curious about Cocorosie's music, check out this video for their song 'Lemonade'. Is it just me, or does Lady Gaga suddenly seem perfectly normal?

Pandas are evil.

2010-08-30T20:02:00.006+02:00

What's on my mind: hats with bear ears. Aren't they the cutest?? I noticed them first at topshop.com, but then I also spotted them at Zara and River Island. I'm thinking about a DIY - just cutting off the ears of a teddy bear and attaching them at a vintage hat... I'll keep you posted!

At the Zara casual fall/winter 2010 lookbook;

A pic from the Topshop 'Into the wild' collection for fall/winter 2010;

Katy Perry wearing a bear ears hat from River Island;
Wool panda hat from River Island.
And here's the outfit I wore a couple of days ago:

Top: Lady Sting, plaid shirt: vintage, shorts: some Chinese brand, tights: V&D, shoes: Topshop.

Make Me Over

2010-08-27T19:09:00.005+02:00

Hi everyone!

As you may have noticed, I haven't been blogging since May. This is because I have been busy, and because I made a backpacking trip with my parents and little brother. We took the Transiberia Express (a train from Moscow to Beijing) and travelled around in China. It was an amazing experience, and I've learned a lot. I can write my name in Chinese!

Anyway, I'm back home and back to school now.

September always seems more like a new year than January does, and with a new school year come new beginnings. That's why I thought it was appropriate to change the design of my blog. Please tell me what you think of my blog make over!

I also have a new style muse, a model who manages to look fashion forward on the runway and off duty. This blue-eyed blonde from Belgium does know about misfortune; in 2006 she got hit by a car and broke almost every bone in her body. But after her recovery, she became greater than ever, and now has walked for Chanel, Givenchy and Prada, and booked campaigns at DKNY Jeans and Mulberry. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you Hanne Gaby Odiele!

The Pretty Reckless has fast become one of my favourite bands. Their music is awesome and Taylor's voice is beautiful!

Softly Spoken

2010-05-27T21:13:00.000+02:00

I've been very into soft, pastel colours and floral prints, as you can see from these three outfits:

Shorts: Bershka, top: H&M, shoes: Converse All Stars, necklace: Jewelz, denim shirt and tights: vintage.

Dress: H&M, belt, tights and necklace: vintage.

Top and skirt: H&M, necklace: Six, jacket: vintage Dior, tights and scarve worn as belt: vintage.
A few weeks ago I went to a beach where there were lots of small beach houses. They were painted in all these pretty pastel colours, and I think these images capture perfectly my dressing mood.

Echoes fade and memories die

2010-05-24T21:07:00.001+02:00

I haven't been in the posting mood lately, but now I've got so much inspiration and things to share that my head nearly explodes! Okay, I'll take it easy, first things first. I made a lot of outfit pictures last week, but I think I'm going to divide them over a few posts. Here's the first one:

Denim cut offs: Only, dotted tights and necklace: vintage, top: pa:nuu, army jacket: Zara.

When I was in Bucharest, Romania, I saw some pretty amazing graffiti and street art.

My new obsession: art tattoos. Seriously, how cool is that?

Come on, cowboy!

2010-05-16T20:18:00.000+02:00

The cowboy/country girl mood is having a moment this spring. Yesterday, I watched Brokeback Mountain (that movie is phenomenal) and it came to me that it actually really matched the D&G spring '10 show. Lots of faded denim, leather shirts and leather belts, cowboy boots and hats, denim and flannel shirts... All accompanied by a great setting and wonderful actors. You can already see most pieces by D&G in cheap versions in stores and on the street. I've already tried on denim dresses by H&M and Zara, and you can find cowboy boots everywhere. Denim shirts can be thrown over anything, and white, embroidered dresses look great with a leather belt tied around your waist. To complete the look, just add a pair of aviators and tie a cute scarf around your neck. And maybe, just maybe, you'll find the perfect cowboy hat...

Life and lessons in Romania

2010-04-20T09:11:00.000+02:00

I'm sitting in an internet cafe in Suceava, Romania, while writing this post. Tommorow, I'll travel by train to Bucharest and I'll stay there for a few more days. I'll be flying home on Monday. It has been a lot of fun these two weeks, and I've learned a lot. But because pictures tell you more than words, here are a few pictures I made:

Romanian graffiti

Romanian food

Inside a church

traditional Romanian fashion

Something completely different; I absolutely adore the jewellery collection Tom Binns made inspired by Alice in Wonderland. Admit it; you would love to find these pieces in a rabbit hole!

Viva Romania!

2010-04-10T22:18:00.000+02:00

I'm kind of freaking out right now, because I'll be on a plane to Romania tomorrow. I still have to pack a lot of things and do a lot of stuff, and it's half past ten already and I have to be at the airport tomorrow by half past seven. This is a project of my high school; we're going to teach English to Romanian kids and teenagers. I'll teach students who're older than me (they're 16/17) which is kind of weird actually, and hard, because English is not my native language. However, this is a great opportunity and I think it will be a good learning experience. I'll be in Romania for two weeks, and I don't know if I'll be able to post anything, so maybe you won't hear from me until I'm back.
To leave you with some fashion-related stuff: I'm very obsessed by wedges currently. I really have to get a pair this spring/summer. Here some wedges-inspiration from Lookbook:

Wedges from Topshop:

Sea of Love

2010-04-08T19:04:00.000+02:00

I really loved this shoot from Teen Vogue's April 2010 issue. The idea of romantic prom dresses photographed on a beautiful dreamlike beach just worked for me. I really got the atmosphere. I turned the pages like a maniac while things like Jane Austen novels, indians, old sailors, Atlantis, summer in Fiji, living on a uninhabited island and sand castles ran through my head.

The outfit I wore today was inspired by the shoot. I gave my white lace dress a less bridal feeling by throwing a grey sweater over it.

Sweater: H&M, lace dress: Topshop, necklace: de Bijenkorf, tights: V&D, shoes and bag: vintage.

Some details of the fabric:

My cameo necklace:

I just can't wait till it's warm enough to swim in the sea... I live near the sea, so when the weather is nice enough, I can just cycle to the beach and be there in twenty minutes. It's one of the greatest things about the place where I live.

Next Stop: Wonderland

2010-03-27T19:48:00.001+01:00

Dear Blogging friends,
I've got a lot of pictures and stuff to share with you. First, I got new Converse All Stars. I especially got them in white so I could let people write and draw on them. The result so far:

*Cochonne is French; it means bitch*

Then, a few weeks ago, I tried to bake Macarons. It didn't go as planned, but they tasted delicious and looked really cute, don't you think?

The things I wore this week were very feminine: a lot of lace, bows and florals. I guess a bit influenced by the Alice in Wonderland vibe. Oh, and I tried to do the all denim trend.

Dress: Topshop, shirt: Zara, denim shirt and belt: vintage, necklace: Six, tights: V&D.

Dress: vintage(customized by me), jacket: vintage Dior, necklace: Jewelz, tights: de Bijenkorf.

Top: Lady Sting, jeggings: Pieces, bow: from a Modcloth dress, denim jacket: vintage.

Dress: vintage(I bought it in Paris), floral tights: H&M, jacket: vintage Dior, studded boots: Topshop.

American Dreaming

2010-03-19T16:09:00.000+01:00

I really like the All American trend. The American Dream Girl is athletic, optimistic, always happy, smiling, looks casually beautiful and has a noncholant attitude. She would rather opt for jeans and a T than glam sexy dresses, but this doesn't mean she doesn't like to dress up. Stars and stripes, lots of denim, college sweatshirts, cheerleading uniforms; you can go anywhere with this trend.
Chloé s/s 2010

Alexander Wang s/s 2010

Lady Gaga in her music video 'Telephone'

Perhaps the girl who mixes and matches this trend the best is Marina Diamandis (better known as Marina and the diamonds). She wears golden cheerleading pieces on stage, denim cut-offs and denim shirts, stars and stripes sequin dresses and borrowed from the boys football jackets. I really like her music; it's catchy and her voice is one-of-a-kind. You really should see her over-the-top music video for her song Hollywood, you can watch it here: Hollywood

Little Miss Sunshine...

2010-03-14T21:13:00.000+01:00

What I wore today:

Skirt: H&M, tights: V&D, belts, top, denim shirt and denim jacket: vintage.
What's on my mind:

High Glitz is a book by Los Angeles-based photographer Susan Anderson. For the past three years, she flew across the States to shoot little girls with big dreams at Child Beauty Pageants. Pushed mostly by their mothers, these barbie girls will learn how to survive in the world of High Glitz. The photos really intrigue me. It's so sad and scary at the same time. It's just wrong. Five-year-olds with fake nails and eye lashes, hair extensions and shaved legs? All perfectly tanned and manicured, with depilated eyebrows? I don't think this can be good to a child. Let's not forget that Britney Spears was discovered at a Child Beauty Pageant. And look what's become of her...

What do you think of Child Beauty Pageants? A great opportunity for the girls, or child abuse?

Hiding in the shadows...

2010-03-08T21:54:00.000+01:00

Maiko Takeda is a Japanese designer who graduated from Central Saint Martins College for Art & Design. She makes beautiful jewellery, and uses shadows to create an unexpected effect when light shines through. Her work is very mysterious and full of contradictions. On her site described as this: "The collection questions whether shadows might obtain a quality in themselves and can adorn the body as jewellery. Although each piece simlply consists of minimal and geometric elements, such as various sizes of circular holes, pristine outlines and foms, when the light shines through the piece, the shadow unexpectedly appears as a photograph-like image of an organic form. The light, the shadow and the body all work together to create an installation work, in which the shadow remains secret but when revealed shows the main part of the jewellery."

I think this is a typical example of fashion meets art. These pieces are like true dream-jewellery. What's your favourite "I want it so bad but I'm probably never gonna have it"-jewellery piece?

Oh, Sweet Spring...

2010-02-28T21:32:00.000+01:00

Yeah, it's almost spring! I can't wait to feel the sunshine on my face... I made a small (okay, okay, it's not small, but I couldn't help myself!) spring wish list. I absolutely want, want, want:
1. a cool multi colored bikini to hang out at the beach; this one's from surf brand Billabong.

2. a straw hat to keep my head in mysterious shadows. Picture from Forever 21.

3. a book full of happiness: "The Goddess Experience" by Gisele Scanlon.

4. retro sunglasses like the ones featured in the Miss Dior Chérie commercial.

5. a cute, tea party floral dress; this one's from Forever 21.

6. brown wedges look great with ultra short denim cut-offs. These are from Aldo.

7. lively paint splattered skinny jeans to make a big statement (Vans)

8. an oversized sweatshirt to wear with knee-high socks or leggings; these are from American Apparel.

9. boyfriend jeans are so cool! I'll keep looking to find the perfect fit. You can find this pair on forever21.com.

10. floral shorts to wear to a garden party or picknick(Topshop)

11. octopus necklace for a nautical look (Modcloth.com)

12. ballet flats, I found these pretty embellished flats at net-a-porter.com.

13. underwear as outerwear; I'd wear this floral bralet fromTopshop with an oversized denim shirt.

So, what do you think? What do you absolutely need for spring? Tell me!

In character.

2010-02-25T16:21:00.000+01:00

In this post I wanted to make a list of my ten favourite female movie characters. These women all have something particular that inspires me, and they play in my favourite movies. Here's my list, in a random order:

1. Clementine
movie: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
actress: Kate Winslet
Changing her hair colour along with her mood, Clementine is the most impulsive women you can imagine. She always says what she's thinking and is afraid of nothing. She likes alcohol and doing crazy stuff like breaking into a stranger's home and laying on ice. What I like about her, is her freedom. She'll never do anything she doesn't want, listens only to herself and is "just some fucked up girl who's looking for her own peace of mind."

2. Amelie
movie: Amelie
actress: Audrey Toutou
Amelie never learned how to interact with other people; maybe that's why she doesn't look at the world the way we do. She secretly tries to save humanity with her mysterious manoeuvres. I like her view on things, she sees the beauty in ordinary things we never look twice at.

3. Cher
movie: Clueless
actress: Alicia Silverstone
Cher, a spoiled brat living her American Dream in LA, has great style (see my post "As If!"). She knows exactly what she wants, and does everything just a bit more classy than everyone else. I like her because of her funny speeches, undeniable logic and confident attitude. Her romantic view on love is something you wouldn't expect from this popular rich girl.

4. Coco Summer
movie: 500 days of Summer
actress: Zooey Deschanel
She's weird but cool in a mysterious way, entirely real but faking everything at the same time. She is incomprehensible and likes to stay that way. Only a few people had the opportunity to see through her eyes and look in her heart. I like that it's impossible to understand her. You'll never know what her next move is going to be. And her favourite Beatle is Ringo Star. That counts for something.

5. Juno
movie: Juno
actress: Ellen Page
She doesn't care what other people think of her. She's in that phase of nearly reaching adulthood, but still having a lot of childish features. Still, she can be a lot wiser than most adults she knows. Why I think she's cool? The girl has a freaking hamburger telephone! And Tara Mcpherson pictures on her walls.

6. Marie Antionette
movie: Marie Antionette
actress: Kirsten Dunst
One thing's obvious: Marie Antionette sure knows how to party! She and her friends are like the Paris Hiltons from the eigteenth century; parties, clothes, makeup, champagne, beautiful food and, of course, the drama. Because despite her richness her life isn't easy. Being only 15 when she married the French dauphin, a lot of pressure is on her to produce an heir as soon as possible. She's so naïve, but has a lot to worry about. I think she feels partying is the only way she can be herself and let go of all her worries.

7. Eli
movie: Let the right one in
actress: Lina Leandersson
Eli is a vampire. And no, not in a Twilight/True Blood/Vampire Diaries beautiful sparkly vegetarian way. In fact, she's truly one to be afraid of. But she protects her friend Oskar well. She saves his life and even kills the kids that have been bullying him for a long time. Well, that's true friendship. Her extras: she climbs trees and turns very bloody if she enters a home where she's not invited.

8. Hermione Granger
movie: Harry Potter series
actress: Emma Watson
Reading my first Harry Potter book at the age of seven, I kind of grew up with the series. Hermione was always my favourite. She's smart, curious and eager to learn. She can be kind of a bitch, but she also has a great sense of girlpower. She stands up for people who're discriminated (house elfs, mudbloods) and isn't afraid to fight for her beliefs.

9. Poppy
movie: Happy-go-lucky
actress: Sally Hawkins
Poppy is always happy. When her bike gets stolen, she's only sad because she didn't have a chance to say goodbye. She's absolutely happy with her life and her job as a primary school teacher. She's never grumpy, always positive and sees the good things in life. I think we all should follow her sunshine lifestyle.

10. Allison Reynolds
movie: The Breakfast Club
actress: Ally Sheedy
She's the most interesting person in the movie The Breakfast Club. She can make the craziest facial expressions, is a bit dark, and does intriguing things with her breakfast. I think her attitude and personal style are very cool, in some kind of grungy, gothic Marc Jacobs way. At the end of the movie she transforms into this cute girly girl with a headband. I liked her better before.

Blog B-day!

2010-02-20T18:23:00.001+01:00

Picture from Ella's Bakehouse

It's my blog's first anniversary! I can't believe I kept up with blogging for so long! If I can tell you a secret: I'm actually a bit proud of myself. I wanted to give a huge thanks to everyone who supported me, who commented on my blog (for the ones that don't know yet, I love reading your opinions) and all my followers.

Today was an interesting day. I woke up in the morning, reading in a magazine that an exhibition called "Voici Paris - Haute Couture" would open today. I discussed it with my mom, and we decided to go. It was amazing. The first room already won me over: six or seven mannequins wearing black and white Chanel dresses, placed on a black, glossy platform. White lacey things hung on the walls, and a big flat screen showed Chanel's ss09 show. The whole collection included pieces from Charles Frederick Worth, Madame Vionnet, Jacques Fath, Paul Poiret, Christian Dior, Coco Chanel, Hubert de Givenchy, Elie Saab, Jean Paul Gaultier, Yves Saint Laurent, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen(RIP), Nina Ricci, Maison Martin Margiela and many Dutch designers, including Jan Taminau, Percy Irausquin, Fong Leng and Mart Visser. So many beautiful dresses, styled mannequins, theme rooms - I didn't know where to look first. I made a lot of pictures, but of course, my camera broke down. So I'll have an excuse to go again! Here are the photos that I made before the incident:

(This is the pink Givenchy dress Audrey Hepburn wore in Breakfast at Tiffany's)

I have a dream...

2010-02-18T17:49:00.001+01:00

Rodarte's AW10 collection inspired by sleepwalking. I wish my nightie looked anything like this...

I really like the white lace thing a lot; that's why I bought this vintage inspired lace dress from Topshop:

I got a free spring/summer zine with my order! J'adore Topshop!

The Art of the Trench

2010-02-16T11:36:00.000+01:00

One of the things I truly regret, and always will, is that when I was in Brussels at a little antique market, I didn't buy the ridiculously cheap Burberry trench. I went for a yellow coat instead, that I've worn with much pleasure, but still. If I hadn't been that careful with my money, I could be the lucky posessor of a beautiful Burberry trenchcoat.

The coat is a classic, that's universally known. I think every herself-respecting fashionista should have at least one in her life. To celebrate the trenchcoat and personal style, Burberry launched the website 'Art_of_the_Trench'. Pictures taken by well-known photographers (starting with Scott Schuman from the Sartorialist) and people like you and me, with one leading thread: the Burberry trenchcoat worn around the world. You can filter through all the images by selecting popularity, gender, styling, colour, and even the weather in the photographs. Backed up by lovely tunes featuring the Maccabees, the Kooks and White Lies, this website is truly inspiring!

Once upon a time...

2010-02-02T10:09:00.000+01:00

The outfits I wore a couple of days ago:

Skirt: Zara, tights: V&D, shirt and suspenders: H&M, vest: my mom's

Dress: vintage, shirt: my friend's, tights, socks and ring: H&M, scarf: my grandma's, bag: vintage
A new discovery: the fairy tale like brooches from depeapa. Cute, quirky pieces, handmade with love. They'll look best with a lacy, princess dress, but they're also great to make a simple tee just a tiny bit more special. You can buy them online here.

Re-write my history..

2010-01-27T16:15:00.000+01:00

Another outfit post :).

Cable knit sweater: Esprit, necklace: DIY, studded skirt: Zara, tights and knee-high socks: honestly, no idea.

I need a new coat, and I'll go shopping with my mom on Saturday. I'm thinking something military, with golden buttons, and in dark colours. Red, brown; maybe blue or green. Here some coat inspiration:

I hate school.

2010-01-24T13:54:00.000+01:00

You know, I'm kind of freaking out when I think of all the homework I have to do today, but instead of doing something about it, I just make pictures and start posting and surfing the internet. Not really the smartest thing to do. Whatever.
This is what I wore today:

Sequin vest: Episode, sweater: vintage, tights: well, I bought them in Denmark. I don't remember the store. Skirt and socks: H&M.
During the Christmas Holiday, I moved my clothes and stuff to my indoor closet: my original closet was getting too small. Here are some (bad) pictures of the results:

I like that I can see every piece of jewellery that I own, so I can match it with my outfit. It's like being in a store, every piece nicely displayed.

I always hope that I learn how to fly...

2010-01-14T19:22:00.000+01:00

I bought this top at H&M, illustrated by Laura Laine. It's from the H&M Divided Art collection. It was pretty cheap: €9,95.

Top: H&M, Jeggings: Pieces, shoes: Converse, plaid shirt: vintage Ralph Lauren.
I'd seen her illustrations before in magazines. She draws cute but creepy women, with voluminous wild hair.

Oh, btw, I've decided to post more outfits. Everyday I'm thinking: oh, I should take a photo of this and post it on my blog, but I always forget. Now I'll promise!

La Vie Parisienne...

2010-01-07T18:34:00.000+01:00

A few days ago, I bought this cute necklace, with a mini Eiffel Tower;

I can't wait for spring! One of my favourite spring styles is "La Parisienne." Featuring pearls, stripes, bows, flowers, flats, and of course the immensely popular dotted tights.

Images from: Lookbook.nu, Topshop.com, Lulamag.com

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T13:16:00.000+01:00

In the last post of 2009, I want to look back at an amazing year. I started my blog this year, and without all the nice comments and lovely followers I don't think I would have stuck with it. I want to thank everyone who supported me and I wish you all a great 2010!
2009 was the year of:
Balmain, most coveted and copied brand;

Vampires; The Twilight Saga, True Blood, The Vampire's Assistant, Interview with the vampire, The Vampire Diaries... Is this frenzy going to last???

Amazing high street designer collaborations: Rodarte for Target, Christopher Kane for Topshop, Jimmy Choo for H&M;

Thirteen-year-old Tavi Gevinson, a great style inspiration of mine; I started a blog because of her. This year she and her blog received international fame, and she appeared on magazine covers and sat front row at many fashion shows;

Green Nail polish; seen on the runway at Chanel and on many celebrities.

As If!

2009-12-25T19:21:00.001+01:00

A few days ago I saw Clueless, the movie based on Jane Austen's book Emma. Alicia Silverstone plays Cher, the spoiled, classy, rich Beverly Hills teenager. The cellphones may be hideously huge, the fashion is classic and up to date. Think Gossip Girl: plaid, headbands, knee high socks, babydoll dresses, blazers, berets, cute necklaces; Cher's like an early Blair Waldorf.

Do you see the similarities?

Favourite quote from the movie:

Tai: Do you think she's pretty?

Cher: No, she's a full-on Monet.

Tai: What's a monet?

Cher: It's like the paintings, see? From far away, it's OK, but up close, it's a big old mess.

Favourite song from the movie:

Supermodel - Jill Sobule

R.I.P. to Brittany Murphy, who recently died. She played Tai in the movie.

BTW, this is my 50th post already! I never thought I could keep up with this blog for so long!

The circus never dies...

2009-12-20T12:50:00.000+01:00

Yeeeah, I'm free of school! Because I have a lot of spare time now, I decided today to match the fall 2009 runway shows to songs. Here's my playlist:

Givenchy> White Lies ~ To Lose My Life

All different kinds of shapes passed the Givenchy runway. It all fitted together because it was all ruled by the dark, elegant, gothic-like atmosphere Givenchy is known for. This song by the White Lies has the same dark feeling.
D&G> Lady GaGa ~ Beautiful, Dirty, Rich

I love this collection from D&G a lot. It was inspired by the Opera, but I don't really like Ave Maria... So I picked Lady GaGa, who describes the lives of the rich and beautiful, exactly the people who'll be wearing these pieces.
Chloé> A Fine Frenzy ~ Think Of You

The soft and comfy pieces showed by Chloé reminded me of sitting in a chair by the fire and drinking hot chocolate while it's snowing outside. A Fine Frenzy makes dreamy, comfy music for quiet days.

Balmain> The Dead Weather ~ Treat Me Like Your Mother

Balmain's rock chick bling style matches perfectly the sound of The Dead Weather. The gun shot metal that you see on skirts and dresses also shows in their video of this song, where they carry huge guns while wearing leather jackets.

Balenciaga> Yelle ~ Ce Jeu

C'est trés Parisien, Balenciaga's 2009 fall collection! That's why I chose Yelle's song Ce Jeu. It's a song for the more contemporary Parisienne, but still. It embodies the French spirit perfectly.

Tell me what you think; did I pick the right songs? Would you've done it differently? Which songs would you change? I'd love to hear from you. I hope you'll have great holidays!

With her feet on the ground, and her head in the clouds...

2009-12-09T19:38:00.000+01:00

Omg, I sure have a lot to catch up on! First, I want to tell you guys about Sinterklaas: a tradition here in the Netherlands. It's like Santa Claus, but not with Christmas; we celebrate it on the 5th of December. We all give each other presents and pretend they come from an old man, Sinterklaas, who's so rich that he buys everyone presents every year. My presents were very cool: an old polaroid camera, a photobook, a fashion gamebook and delicious bath pearls from Sephora. Making surprises for each other is a tradition too; my friend made me this beautiful sculpture with pictures of my blog glued to it:

Pretty cool, isn't it?

Then, I went to see Paramore in Tilburg yesterday. They were so amazing. It was exhausting, though; we had to wait for like two hours until the doors opened, and then there were three bands in the supporting program (Now, Now Every Children, Paper Route and You Me At Six). But when Paramore finally started, it was stunning. It was all worth it. Hayley's voice is so beautiful live, and there were a lot of fans, so everyone could sing along all the time. I tried to make pictures, but like 80 per cent turned out bad because I couldn't get them sharp. But it was so not my fault: everyone was pushing and jumping around all the time!

And, to end with something fashion; December is THE Party season, so I'm looking for a pretty dress. I love the Rodarte for Target collection, but because I don't live in America, it's sadly impossible for me to buy these beautiful dresses:

Dakota Fanning wearing a Rodarte for Target dress in TeenVOGUE.

In American Vogue.

These from Topshop are also very suited for the holidays:

Currently listening to: If I were in your shoes - You Me At Six

Paris Calling

2009-11-30T12:56:00.000+01:00

The girls from the extremely cool all-female French rock band The Plastiscines(the name comes from the phrase "plasticine porters with looking glass ties" in the Beatles' song "Lucy in the sky with diamonds") are taking over the world with their catchy songs and witty lyrics, both in English and French. You may have seen them on Gossip Girl season 3 episode 9 (They Shoot Humphrey's, Don't They?) where they perfectly catch the spirit; they perform with their song "Bitch". I love their music, but also an important reason why I like them so much is because of their sense of style. You can look at the pictures below to understand what I mean.

You should listen to their songs and watch their music videos on YouTube; believe me, you'll be inspired.

Oh, before I forget: I would like to introduce to you a new blog: I'm in love with my radio. A blog about music, made by my cousin, Lisa. She has a great taste for music and her writing is really cool. She deserves more readers! Find her here: I'm_in_love_with_my_radio

Vampire Weekend

2009-11-16T21:48:00.000+01:00

When I first watched the Vampire Diaries, the new serial on the CW, it seemed to me a complete copy of the Twilight saga. But now I've seen a couple of episodes, I actually begin to like it. Yes, it's about vampires. Yes, the human girl falls in love with the vegetarian vampire. But apart from these two things, everything is different. And, btw, the Vampire Diaries books were written before Stephenie Meyer's. In Twilight, everything is about the love between Edward and Bella. They'll love each other for eternity, but it's dangerous for Bella to be so involved in the vampire world as a human. In the Vampire Diaries, things are more like a soap. I'm talking about murder, betrayal, drugs; and it seems like Elena and Stephen don't have to be very careful when they kiss. Add to that the good looking boys, and I think I've found myself a new addictive serial!

Talking about the Vampire Diaries, there're more bloody things going on this week: I'll be going to the premier of New Moon! Me and my friends are going to make it a whole New Moon-night: first, we'll watch Twilight, then we'll have dinner somewhere (we'll have to go get the tickets while we're eating), and then... NEW MOON!

I think I'm not the only one who noticed: What's going on with vampires these days? Everyone's so obssessed about them. Oh, right, I might be one of them too... Whatever. What I'm trying to say is, that every movie, serial, book, song, etc. is about vampires. And now I'm wondering why it appeals to so many people. I think it's a mix between the fact that vampires are goodlooking, immortal creatures with supernatural powers, and the torture they have to face when they try to be good. It's also some kind of Romeo and Juliet thing; "we're in love but we can't be together." That theme is ages old, but still, everyone (including me) loves it. Talk about the power of love...

Make it POP

2009-11-04T19:56:00.000+01:00

Most likely you have heard her extremely danceable song Tik Tok, but singer songwriter Ke$ha has more than one talent: her style is quite awesome. It's some kind of mix between hip hop and grunge styles; she looks like an adventurer who hasn't figured out where she's going to spend the night yet. Add to that leopard printed toe nails, golden sparkles everywhere, smudged mascara and a wild hair do, and you'll get her look. But don't forget to wear it with the right attitude!

Currently listening to: Jay Z ft. Alicia Keys - Empire State Of Mind

(Oh, I want to live in New York!)

Diamonds are a girl's worst enemy...

2009-10-27T09:16:00.000+01:00

...because they make her spend all her money!

An illustration from Nadia Flower, the illustrator of the brand Zoe & Morgan.

I wanted to introduce to you two amazing jewellery brands: Soho hearts and Zoe & Morgan. I love their jewellery because it is always funny, beautiful, girly and a bit dark. Oh, I wish I could afford to buy one of those pretty necklaces! A girl can dream, right?

Soho hearts ad

Soho hearts skull ring

Soho hearts teddy bear necklaces

Soho hearts ad

An illustration from Nadia Flower

Lovely necklace from Zoe & Morgan

Another illustration

Skull necklace by Zoe & Morgan.

Currently listening to: Anya Maria - Satellite Heart

The Art of Fashion

2009-10-11T21:48:00.001+02:00

Saturday, I went to an exhibition called "The Art of Fashion." With art and fashion, the lines get blurred often. Fashion becomes art, art becomes fashion. The exhibition featured fashion designers like Viktor & Rolf, Maison Martin Margiela, Comme des Garçons, Gareth Pugh and Hussein Chalayan. I made a lot of pictures:

Currently listening to:

The Pretty Reckless - Zombie

The Pretty Reckless - If he loves you

Btw, I'm so happy, because I got tickets for the premiere of New Moon in my hometown! Can't wait till November 20th...

Free like a bird...

2009-10-07T20:58:00.001+02:00

Cutest thing ever: birdcage necklaces.

Music moves me

2009-10-03T21:10:00.000+02:00

I don't know if you guys follow the reality show "Taking the stage," but I really love it. It's just so inspiring to see all these extremely talented people who're trying to realize their dreams. I'm a big fan of Mia Carruthers. She writes such original and beautiful songs, and her voice is amazing! She says she wants to be signed at the age of 18, and I honestly can't think of a reason why that would not happen.

You can check her out on YouTube:

Mia-Breathe_You_In

Mia

Jasmine, Tyler and Mia from Taking the Stage

Another music thing that has made me happy this week: Brand New Eyes, the new album from Paramore! I love this band, I love all their songs. Hayley's voice is just so powerful, and the lyrics are always beautiful. My favourite songs on Brand New Eyes: All I Wanted, The Only Exception

and Misguided Ghosts.

And the best: I'm going to their concert in December!! I'm so excited, OMG!! I think they're going to be great live.

Happy B-Day to me!

2009-09-23T21:27:00.000+02:00

Yesterday, it was my fifteenth birthday! I made some raspberry cake and me and my friends hung out at my house.

I got some really amazing presents, especially the one from my parents:

These amazing studded boots from Topshop! I wore them to school today, and the ten inches were a bit like torture for a girl who normally walks on all stars... But they're soooo pretty!!
From my friends, I got many gift cards, New Moon, and leggings in rainbow colours; I always have many holes in my leggings, which irritates my friends. They've been saying for a year that they'll give me proper leggings for my birthday.
In the evening I had dinner with my parents and my brother at a Chinese restaurant. The food was just delicious. It was a wonderful day to celebrate me being finally fifteen!

I'd like to end this post with some amazing party pics from the Juicy Couture ads.

Especially this "Make A Mess" one looks like a true celebration to me!

Goddess Juno

2009-09-16T18:08:00.000+02:00

I think Juno Temple is a great actress. You may have seen this Brit girl in several movies where she plays supporting roles; like Drippy in Wildchild, Jane Parker in The Other Boleyn Girl, in The Atonement and Notes On A Scandal. This year, she plays in the comedy Year One, alongside Jack Black and Michael Cera.

I think her hair is so cool. It's just so wild and crazy!

I think we're going to hear a lot from her. In 2009, she'll appear in at least six movies!

There's this new band I found, called Au Revoir Simone, and you should really watch their music videos on youtube. They're very talented and the videos are all mysterious, creative and dreamy, just like their music.

They do remind me a bit of girl band The Like, except for the fact that their music couldn't be more different.

Watch it here: Dark_Halls

Let the street be your canvas

2009-09-13T13:08:00.000+02:00

To me, graffiti is real art. I've always liked the idea of putting the message of art and creativity into the world via pimping walls, flats, streets and old buildings. Here are some pictures of graffiti that I think are really inspiring:

Yesterday, friend M. and I had a lot of fun with graffiti. That week, we had bought three colours: black, pink and white. We pimped an old closet, but all the paint started dripping! In the end, we thought it was actually pretty cool. But let me tell you this: it's a lot harder to spray paint into something than it seems!

M. made the bunny, I made the letters, the heart and the butterfly.

Our initials and a heart.

My initials.

M.'s initials.

Back-to-school stuff

2009-09-07T19:50:00.000+02:00

Last week I didn't have to work at school, but this week the new school year has really begun. My back-to-school wardrobe looked a bit different than the other people on my school; today I wore a vintage dress that I customized yesterday. It's a dress with lovely blue and purple flowers on it. It was a bit too long for my taste, so I made it shorter and into a balloon skirt. I like balloon skirts, and it's not very hard to make; I'll just put some elastics in the seam.

Dress: vintage, ribbon: Vila, tights: V&D, shoes: Converse, blazer: vintage.

I bought the sheer black tights a couple of days ago, because I saw them everywhere, like on the new Kate Moss heart Topshop collection.

Dreams of Claude Monet...

2009-08-31T21:01:00.001+02:00

I'm very inspired by Monet lately. I stole a book from my father about his work, and found it so beautiful. It matches perfectly the floral mood I'm still in since spring...

Madame Monet and her son.

Holland; where I live!

Women in the garden.

Flowers!

The music that goes perfectly with the paintings in my opinion is Lady&Bird; a side project of Keren Ann and Bardi Johannsson. Their music is very dreamy, very mysterious, and a bit creepy. I just love to listen to it when I'm working on something, it's very peaceful.

The Secret Garden

2009-08-30T13:53:00.000+02:00

Dress: Vila, floral tights: H&M, shoes: Converse, hat and coat: vintage.

Top: Bershka, leggings and coat: H&M, shoes: Converse, necklace and headband: vintage.

Skirt, blouse, hat and belt: vintage, pair of braces: H&M.

"The Secret Garden was what Mary called it when she was thinking of it. She liked the name, and she liked still more the feeling that when its beautiful old walls shut her in no one knew where she was. It seemed almost like being shut out of the world in some fairy place." -The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Chapter 10

Fashion is a religion. Vogue is the bible.

2009-08-26T18:09:00.000+02:00

I can't wait to see The September Issue, the documentary about Anna Wintour and the making of Vogue. Director RJ Cutler followed her while she was busy with the September issue; "September is like the January in fashion." I can't say that I'm not intrigued by the small women with the bob line and the big sunglasses, who is probably the most powerful women in the fashion world. But before I make all these big expectations, let's first see how much she'll open up in the movie that'll be watched curiously all over the world by fashion victims.

Song of the day: The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts-Sufjan Stevens

Garage Glamorous

2009-08-25T17:38:00.000+02:00

I just love this new line from Erin Kleinberg. The soft T-shirts, tank tops and cardigans with chain detailing are so cool. You can wear them with distressed jeans and studded booties, or as mini shirt dresses with sheer black tights, as good friend and model Theodora Richards does for the Lookbook of the line. I wish I could afford a piece!

I just love the outfits that she wears in this vid: La_Roux-Bulletproof; love the song too, it sticks in your head.

Fall Wishlist

2009-08-17T19:10:00.000+02:00

Hi everyone, I'm back! I've had a wonderful holiday in Marocco, where I went backpacking with my family. I've seen very beautiful cities and extreme landscapes, I've met so many nice people and I've learned a lot too. I hope you all had fantastic holidays!

Well, I'm back home, and the new school year's about to begin (I have two free weeks left). For me, that means three things:

1. My birthday, I was born on September 22nd(finally fifteen)

2. The new school year; new classes, teachers, subjects...

3. And, of course, the new fall fashion!! I can't wait to decide how my new fall wardrobe is going to look like....

This'll be my wishlist:

1. Studded boots, like these from topshop;

2. A military jacket to throw over my distressed jeans, like this one from Balmain;

3. A men's blazer to wear with a white lace dress, like this girl on the streets of Paris does;

4. The perfect shade of red lipstick;

5. Bright scarves in all kinds of colours and prints, like this pink one from Marc Jacobs;

6. A big red bag for school, like the one this stylish girl is wearing;

7. I always love the bright, colourfull ads from Juicy Couture, but I just gotta have their newest fragrance: Couture Couture. I collect perfume bottles, and this will be one of my jewels.

The single thing I don't like from all the fall fashion, is the obsession about the extremely high boots. I don't know, it just looks ugly to me. I prefer ankle booties! What do you guys think?

Be Pretty, Be Reckless

2009-07-13T17:48:00.000+02:00

Taylor Momsen's band, The Pretty Reckless, is one of the coolest bands I have heard in years. The little girl from The Grinch rocks out, literally. It seems like the wardrobe changes did change something inside of her, and brought out rockin' Little J. The band makes heavy, kind of dark rock music. As she said: "it's probably not what people are going to expect." And that's right, because people wouldn't expect such good music from a freakin' 16 year old. People will expect some kind of Miley Cyrus/Taylor Swift songs, but they couldn't be more wrong. Taylor can sing, pretty good actually; her rough voice reminds me a bit of Courtney Love. The music sounds like a punky dark mix of the Veronicas/the Clash/No Doubt. They will be opening for the Veronicas until June 30. Their debut album will be released this fall. I can't wait!

You can listen to a demo here:

Blender

Tomorrow morning, 5 a.m., I will be flying to Morocco. I will be there for four weeks, and I don't know if there will be internet, so I may not be able to post. It's possible that you won't hear from me the next four weeks. But I'll be back! I wish you all great holidays and loads of sun!

Walkin' on sounds...

2009-07-12T16:16:00.000+02:00

'Soundwalks' is a project that I was working on this year. A soundwalk is some kind of audio tour, you're cycling a route while you're listening to instructions. The soundwalk can be played on an iPod as podcast. You'll hear a voice that tells you where to go, you'll hear some background information and you'll hear recorded sounds like birds and talking people. At the same time, you'll see beautiful photos on your iPod. It's the cool combination of seeing, hearing and being there at the same time that makes you really experience all the places.

The soundwalks are designed for expats: children whose parents work at multinational companies; who are living in The Hague for some years. With the soundwalks they can learn something more about the place where they live. I made a soundwalk with two friends; it was really fun to do. We planned the route, wrote the script (the script had to be in English. This was sometimes hard, because English is not our original language, but I think we learned a lot of it), recorded the sounds and made the photographs. The soundwalks are not completely finished, but you can sneak a peak on the website; watch example A, that's the one I made.

Soundwalk

Currently listening to: So What - Come With Me

Feeling kinda like Blair Waldorf today.

2009-07-09T19:54:00.000+02:00

shirt: Temt, skirt and headband: vintage, ribbon: found it somewhere in my closet.
The headband, check. The skirt in the waist, check. Plaid, check. I even had a Good Hair Day. Add to that the flats, and Oh Yeah, I felt like Blair Waldorf!

Currently listening to: Vampire Weekend ~ A-Punk

I LOVE Paris...

2009-06-26T16:03:00.001+02:00

Finally I have time to post on my blog again! I'm very sorry you guys, that it took me so long, but I had a lot of work to do at school. The good news is: my list of marks is very good! Now I'm done with school, I can enjoy my summer holiday and I'll spend a lot more time on this blog.

I have to catch you up on a lot of subjects, and one of them is Paris. It was definitely awesome. It was better than the best I imagined. I took a lot of photos, almost 600, so I will post a few of them. These are the first five photos from day one:

Across the street where we booked our hotel, there was a Christian Louboutin store! OMG, we just couldn't stop admiring the shoes...

A close up of the Notre Dame

Inside the Notre Dame

Jesus

The Centre Poumpidou, an interesting building.

There is more! I will post other photos soon.

Paris, je t'aime...

2009-06-14T21:44:00.000+02:00

I'M GOING TO PARIS TOMMOROW!!!!

Omg, I'm so excited! I'm going with school, with my art class. We're going to visit a lot of museums. I've prepared all this stuff and I've been looking forward to it for so long. I even worked very hard at my French! So this is my Paris list:

Movies:

Amélie

Paris, je t'aime

Coco Avant Chanel

French Music:

BB Brunes

Brigitte Bardot

Francoise Hardy

Rose

Yelle

Paris Music:

Paris Théorie - Assasin

I love Paris - Ella Fitzgerald

April in Paris - Frank Sinatra

Free Man in Paris - Joni Mitchell

Paris Samba - MC Solaar

I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris - Morissey

J'aime plus Paris - Thomas Dutronc

Paris is Burning - Ladyhawke

Blog:

My Secret Paris by Lisette, a wonderful blog with all the secret places to be.

I will take many pictures and upload them all when I get back. Oh. My. PARIS!!

The Runway Will Be RED!

2009-06-06T17:05:00.000+02:00

I'm sorry I haven't posted for so long, but I was so busy all the time! I just got sucked up in all the end-of-the-year madness. Apart from all the work from school, I'm also involved in all sorts of projects. This post will be about one of those projects; A Red Line(Een Rode Draad). I became involved with this through school, because I'm in the art class.

The project was invented by Sara Vrugt, a fashion designer. On Saturday, June 13th 2009, three hundred inhabitants of The Hague will parade over a red runway of three kilometers long through the city. All will be dressed in red, and musicians and dancers will acompany the parade. There will be an after party later. With this project, Sara Vrugt wants to make a bridge and bring people together, because there are so many different people with different cultures living in The Hague. I will walk too on the longest runway ever! We all worked very hard at school to get our self made clothing done in time. I made a dress, and I think this is the first piece of clothing that I made all by myself. It was so much fun to make it, and I'm so looking forward to June the 13th!

This is the dress I made:

Check out the website:

A_Red_Line

Lovely Library

2009-05-20T17:38:00.000+02:00

There are a few pictures I owe you guys:

My jumpsuit:

Jumpsuit: it was my mom's, belt: vintage, T-shirt: Didi, tights: V&D.

My graffiti painting:

Talking about graffiti, me and my friends made more than 20 euro yesterday with selling our graffiti art. We were just messing around with aerosoles on wood, and then came up with the idea of ringing the doorbells of my neighbours. We sold all our paintings! Even a legging that we pimped up with graffiti. We had so much fun:).

I went to the library this week, and rented almost all the books of Jane Austen they had. I read Pride and Prejudice and loved it, so now I'm starting with Emma. I like her writing style a lot. I also rented four CD's;

The Pigeon Detectives - Emergency

Best track: Emergency

The Pigeon Detectives - Wait For Me

Best track: I'm not sorry

Santogold

Best track: You'll find a way

Gabriella Cilmi - Lessons To Be Learned

Best track: Einstein

Emiliana Torrini - Me And Armini

Best track: Jungle drum

I also rented music sheets for the Pride and Prejudice movie theme song, Dawn. I just love this song, you can listen to it here: Dawn

I've done a lot of renting this week, because I also went to the video rental store. I rented Into The Wild (Emile Hirsch, Kristen Stewart), Burn After Reading(Brad Pitt, George Cloony), The Beach(Leonardo DiCaprio) and Amelie(Audrey Toutou). I love all these movies. Especially Amelie, it's a movie you absolutely have to see.

Audrey Toutou also plays in a movie I'm very excited about, Coco Avant Chanel.

You can watch the trailer here:

Coco_Avant_Chanel

My mom bought a REAL DIOR JACKET in a second hand store for me. I'm so lucky...

Jeans and top: Only, jacket: vintage.

Thanks mom!
I've been considering to buy the dress on the left at the bottom. But it's 70 euro...:( I don't have that much clothing money...

Matthew Williamson for H&M
This is what I wore today:

Skirt: Pimpkie, T-shirt: Hema, vest: vintage.
I hope you could follow this messy post;). I hope I will be able to stick to one subject next time...

I'm currently listening to:

Born for this - Paramore

Real Street Art

2009-05-15T18:16:00.000+02:00

There's something really cool going on in my hometown, The Hague. There are a lot of electricity buildings from Eneco in and around town, but they(Eneco) didn't take care of the buildings. They were all really dirty and with ugly graffiti tags on them. So the local museum decided to fight graffiti with graffiti, and they asked a lot of graffiti artists and adolescents to pimp up the buildings. They did a great job! When I cycle through town now, I see all this beautiful buildings with awesome graffiti pieces on them. It's real art.

I also took a graffiti workshop with a friend at the museum, and I absolutely loved it! I don't know, there's just something really cool about spraying paint to one work of art. We all got our own panel to spray, and I made an angel character. I will post a photo of it later, because it's really big and I couldn't take it home with me. I have to get it later... I think it will be nice decoration for my room.^^

Awesome vid:

Santogold

A trend that makes me wanna Jump!

2009-05-12T20:43:00.000+02:00

Jumpsuits! I like them so much. They're perfect for summer; they can be put on quickly, they go well with bikinis, and they're airy, so great for warm weather. I especially like them with a playful print, like flowers or tie-dye stuff. They're also fun in plaid. I bought two jumpsuits vintage on a second hand market, one with green and purple squares and one with blue and pink flowers, and I will definitely take them to my holiday destination: Morocco. You see jumpsuits a lot on the runway and on celebrities, but not so much on the streets, because you need a certain attitude to wear them.
On the runway:
Givenchy

Matthew Williamson

Thakoon

Marc by Marc Jacobs

On celebrities:
Katy Perry

Rihanna

Blake Lively

Pixie Geldof

Song: Laura Jansen- Single Girls (I heard this song for the first time today, and I love it!)

Looks

2009-05-10T21:38:00.000+02:00

As promised, here are the outfits that I wore this week:

Blue skirt: Corel, T-shirt: Edc by Esprit, leggings: V&D, belt and necklace: vintage.
Jeans: Only, T-shirt: H&M, bracelets: Made with love, belt: Bershka.
Red dress: vintage, shirt: Temt, necklace: made it myself.
Jeans: Only, T-shirt: Hema; print by me, bracelet: Made with love, belt: Bershka, necklace: vintage.
Shorts: H&M, T-shirt: H&M, leggings: V&D, vest: vintage, necklace: made it myself.
Shorts: no idea, but they're from America, T-shirt: Hema; print by me, vest: vintage, leggings: V&D.
Dress: We, leggings: de Bijenkorf, necklace with bow: made it myself.
Yesterday I made this necklace:
Actually, the fabric from the bow is from an old handkerchief my friend owned; I liked the flower print very much, so I asked if I could have it. I like bows so much, so I made it into a bow necklace.
The jeans that I wore twice this week are new, I bought them at Only's. I was so happy with them, but fate wasn't with me; before I owned them for three hours, I spilled nacho sauce (quacamole) on them in the cinema... Oww... A huge green mark was spreading over my jeans... I thought I ruined them. But luckily, they came clean out of the washing machine; if you don't know it's there, you hardly can see the mark. The jeans are bleached, but I thought about pimping them a little bit... Maybe by ripping them apart, maybe by tie-dyeing them... Tell me your opinion!
Here's a little denim inspiration:

All pictures are from Lookbook.

Song: The View- Same Jeans
I've had the same jeans on for four days now/I'm gonna go to a disco in the middle of the town/Everybody's dressing up/I'm dressing down.

Chanel fever

2009-05-05T19:46:00.000+02:00

I already posted once about this wonderfull fact, but it can't hurt to mention it again: I'm going to Paris! With school, in june. Because I'm in some kind of art class. Today, we had to search for museums or other spots where we absolutely wanted to go to. Well, my friend and I both collect perfume bottles, and she recently bought Chanel N5. She's all obsessing about it. And because of this, she thought of going to the house of Miss Coco in Paris. So we went searching, all over the internet, but we didn't find one thing that assumed that you can visit her house in Paris, or that there's some kind of museum... We were actually really pissed. (So btw, if anyone who reads this is aware that something like this exists in Paris, tell me!)
But what we did find, was quite interesting. It seems that there is a mobile museum, that contains work of artists who are inspired by Chanel bags. So cool! They tour around the world; they went to New York, Hong Kong, London and Moscow. But Paris is their home base. It's a very futuristic building, and if you look at it from above, you'll see that it's shaped like a Chanel bag! I really would like to go to this museum, but I'm not sure if it will be in Paris when I'm there. The entrance is free.
You should defenitely take a look at their website:
Chanel_Museum

Promises

2009-05-03T12:54:00.000+02:00

I bought a lot of stuff lately. I just love second hand markets! I bought this awesome black/white retro TV, and it's yellow!!

Yellow is my favourite colour.

I also bought an old watch, and I made it into a necklace:

It doesn't work anymore, but I think it looks classic and it goes with almost everything.

I bought a lot of new clothes too. That's why I decided to keep up with a style diary. For a week, I will post my outfit every day, so you guys can get an idea of what is in my closet. I will begin with this post; this is what I was wearing yesterday:

Dress and necklace: vintage, cardigan: Only

The dress is new, and I adore it! It cost only one euro. I think the blue and purple roses are so cute, and it will be perfect for this summer.

I hope I will keep my promise!

Inspiring Images

2009-04-25T15:43:00.000+02:00

I bought a copy of British Vogue may recently, and there was one article that really stood out. It was about how one picture could change your life or your career path. There were photographers, fashion designers and stylists that described the image that opened their eyes.
The two most beautiful pictures were:

Patrick Demarchelier: "I love the spirit of Sokolsky's pictures. They're like a dream."

Simone d'Aillencourt by Melvin Sokolsky 1963

Manolo Blahnik: "For me, this picture encapsulated the absolute modernity of the time. I was fascinated and very inspired by how a man who grew up in Edwardian times, and who had captured the essence of every decade he had worked in, could still continue to do so with such sharpness and perfection. The picture shows the intelligence and the artistic capability of one of the geniuses of twentieth-century fashion photography. To this day, together with those of Mr [Irving] Penn, I find Beaton's photographs still just as inspiring."

Jean Shrimpton by Cecil Beaton 1964

In the same magazine, I found a picture that was very inspiring to me: it gave me the absolute feeling of summer and freedom. It came from a fashion shoot in Damascus. The whole shoot is very beautifully taken; in and around the Syrian capital, with shimmering metalics.

model: Stella Tennant

fashion editor: Bay Garnett

photographer: Tom Craig

Gagalicious

2009-04-20T21:16:00.000+02:00

Apart from the fact that Lady Gaga's songs are addictive and so danceable, and that she has great style, she also makes great video's. She blends all kinds of weird stuff, beautiful make-up and cool fashion to one fantastic video. Nails with playing cards on them? Check. A diamond dress? Check. A bow made from her own hair? Check. Television glasses? Check. It's like she's some kind of big magnet that attracts everything that's cool. I especially love her promotion video for her album, The Fame. You can watch it here: Lady_Gaga_The_Fame

"Let them eat cake," she said, just like Marie Antoinette.

2009-04-19T18:09:00.000+02:00

I have seen a lot of movies lately. That's because my friend got this coupon for the video rental store so you can rent five movies instead of three. When we're watching movies, we always come up with some sort of theme to select them. Like, we watch movies from one actor or actress; we had a Leonardo DiCaprio movie night, and we selected movies from Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. This time, we thought it would be cool to select them on the costumes. I just adore hoopskirts, so there were a lot of movies from that time. But we also rented Memoirs of a Geisha - Japanese kimono's!

Memoirs of a Geisha

Pride and Prejudice

Elizabeth and the golden age

Vanity Fair

But the best costume movie in my opinion is, without a doubt, Marie Antoinette:

OMG! I don't think there exists a girl on this planet who wouldn't fall for these dresses.
Just two words are enough: So. Cute.
All the bows, heels, ruches, ribbons, hoopskirts, hats, masks; all in milkshake colours. And the hairstyles are just as fabulous. Even the food is served stylish! I think Kirsten Dunst suits the role of Marie Antoinette very well, she's a good actress. I also think of Sofia Coppola as a great director. There's one thing very obvious; every fashion admirer should watch this movie. So grab your cake and hurry, 'cause you don't want to miss this piece of art!

Btw, it seems like The Duchess, with Keira Knightley, is also a great costume movie. I can't wait to check it out!

Music makes the world go round!

2009-04-09T21:30:00.000+02:00

I've stolen my dad's phonograph, and I LOVE it!

I can't believe it is actually working. It sounds so good! So much better than Mp3's. I think it's quite fascinating to see the LP's go round and round and round...

Oh, and thank God that my dad has a great sense for music, or I would have been hooked up with crappy old music...

I like to listen to the Beatles of course (I'm named after John Lennon's song Julia), the Police, the Rolling Stones, the Clash, Queen, Joni Mitchell and many more. Music makes me so happy!

Btw, this is what I wore a few days ago:

Pants: vintage, shirt: H&M, necklace: Six, bracelet: made with love, belt: vintage, vest: Nii, tights: Zeeman, shoes: Dolcis

"A picture paints a thousand words."

2009-04-02T20:47:00.000+02:00

Here are some of my favourite illustrators. I love them because they make funny, beautiful, dark or silly illustrations. But they do have one thing in common: they're all authentic.

Margot Macé.

Tatsuya Taniguchi.

Sarah Beetson.

Gina Triplett.

Tara McPherson.

Miki Amano.

Lillycat.

Hanoch Piven.

Ana Bagayan

Paula Sanz Caballero.

I wish I had half the talent these artists have!

Currently listening to: Lily Allen ~ 22 Love that song!

Be Inspired...

2009-03-31T18:35:00.001+02:00

Here's a list of people who are, in my opinion, very inspiring. All in their own way. Please let me know who inspires you the most!

1. Lily Allen

I think Lily Allen is inspiring, because she’s such a good singer. She accomplished a lot. She also has a great sense for fashion; I love her vintage dress + high top sneakers + golden chunky necklaces mix! And apart from that, she’s really funny too. The lyrics of her catchy songs are always interesting and they have a message. I absolutely adore her new album "It's not me, it's you". You should give it a listen!

2. Ellen Page
Ellen Page is on my list because of two things. The first is because she’s a wonderful actress. I like her so much in Juno! She just knows how to bring this touchy subject of teenage pregnancy. A serious subject shown to people in a way that's fun. The second because she’s so real. She’s very different from other famous people. One time, she went backpacking in East-Europe, instead of going to glamour parties at the film festival in Cannes. I think she's one of those people who know exactly what they want and what's right for them.

3. Hayley Williams
Hayley Williams rocks! Literally. The female lead singer of all boys rock band Paramore has a fantastic voice. Her bright fire red hair has become her trademark over the years. I noticed that many people around me started painting their hair red. Due to her, I guess. I also think she’s very cool because she’s just herself all the time. I have the feeling that she hasn’t changed that much with becoming famous. She’s still that same girl that joined a band so many years ago.

4. Clémence Poésy
Clémence Poésy is a French actress with great style. She played Fleur Delacour in Harry Potter. She’s on my list because of her way with clothes(well-chosen, architectural and fashion forward ensembles), but also because of her persistence; she refuses to play in other movies than French ones (yes, Harry Potter is not French, but she plays a French girl;))That makes her really special: she could be much more famous if she wanted to, but she sticks to her conviction.

5. Daisy Lowe

Besides that she's truly beautiful and I absolutely adore her hairdo, model Daisy Lowe has the coolest style. Her vintage, messy, and "I'm with the band" look got her in magazines and style blogs all over the world. Leather leggings, cute dresses, ultra short mini dresses, Miu Miu platforms and All Stars: she does it all. Everywhere she goes she leaves an unforgettable impression.

6. Kristen Stewart
Then, last but not least, Kristen Stewart. I think she is one of the most talented actresses now. I especially liked her in Into the Wild, where she plays Tracy; an interesting character. She sings and plays the guitar in that movie too, and I can tell you: she’s also very talented with music. I think she chose her roles well; she has played so many different types of characters over the years.

"Life is like a piano, what you get out of it depends on how you play it"

2009-03-22T19:48:00.000+01:00

I saw that quote somewhere on the internet, but I'm not sure where I got it from. Anyway, it suits this week for me perfectly. Because I play the piano, and I will be playing this saturday at a piano "concours". It's some kind of challenge, and I will be competing with other kids from my level. I think it will be so much fun! I will be playing Clair de Lune (Claude Debussy), a song that I absolutely adore. I'm very nervous because it's like six pages long, and I will be playing it without my music sheets. I hope I don't mess up... But it will be allright, I guess. I've practiced so hard for it.
You can listen to the song here:
Clair_de_Lune

Hmm, I'm still considering my options for my outfit on the big day, but it will defenitely be something black/white. That'll look great with the piano..:)

Lovely Stuff

2009-03-21T18:06:00.000+01:00

These Laurence Dacade lace shoes have stolen my heart. They're so cute, sexy, romantic and desirable at the same time!

I also adore these Temperley leopard print harem pants. I have to buy harem pants, because I'm going to Marocco this summer. It's very hot there, so loose pants are a must. But these from Temperley are also very fashionable.

I'm still figuring out what I should wear with these pants, but I haven't got any Eureka! moments yet. Do you have any bright ideas?

Flowery Mood

2009-03-16T20:29:00.000+01:00

After I saw this pic from Luella Bartley's spring 2009 show, I got all crazy about flowers. They're just so cute and spring! I picked some flowery stuff from my closet and created these three outfits:

skirt that's worn as a dress: vintage, vest: Only, tights: Hema, necklace, bracelet and coat: vintage.

skirt: H&M, tights: bought in Barcelona, jewellery: H&M, Jewelz and vintage, coat and belt: vintage.

dress: it was my grandma's, scarf: C&A, jewellery and coat: vintage.

New Things

2009-03-11T20:55:00.000+01:00

shirt: Pa:nuu, leggings: de Bijenkorf, sunglasses: Ray Ban

Okay, I thought I was going to save my clothing money. But I just couldn't do it! The temptation was too big! So I bought this shirt, that I absolutely adore. It's from the brand Pa:nuu, a very funny and multi-coloured brand:

I'll wear it with my Ray Bans and black leggings. I also bought denim shorts (see my wishlist!)

top: Review, sunglasses: Ray Ban, shorts: H&M

I'm so ready for summer!

I like the Like!

2009-03-07T14:49:00.000+01:00

I'm really liking The Like. This indie rock trio makes such fantastic music. Their lyrics are very cool, their songs mysterious and musing. They're pretty stylish too. Their music videos are perfectly matching their songs. One drummer, two guitars; add a wonderful voice to that and you have fabulous music. Sweet, but kind of evil.

Listen to it here:

What_I_Say_And_What_I_Mean

or here:

June_Gloom

School Outfit

2009-03-05T20:48:00.001+01:00

skirt: H&M, tights: V&D, shoes: Dolcis, belt: vintage, sweater: Review, necklace: Jewelz

This was what I was wearing monday morning... I'm totally in love with this skirt from the moment I saw it. I've got a few weird stares from people at school and my friends think I'm crazy, but I don't care. Isn't it super cute??

Oh, and I'm currently listening on YouTube to this song that Kristen Stewart sings in the movie Into the Wild. It only lasts like 40 seconds in the movie, but it's still stuck in my head all day. Kind of weird...:P

Btw, I think her hair looks way cooler in this movie compared to twilight.

Listen to it here:

Tracy's_Song

Wild Child, Wild Dress...

2009-03-03T21:26:00.000+01:00

I saw the movie Wild Child with a friend, like three days ago. The movie is not very original or good: actually, it's quite predictable and girly girl, but I like it anyway. It may have something to do with the fact that Alex Pettyfer happens to be really hot. And it's just a real fun story, and I think Emma Roberts plays her character well. I absolutely love the dress that she wore in the scene of the school party. It is so elegant, girly and cute! She also wears a necklace of a stop board. How cool is that!

Wishlist

2009-03-01T21:13:00.000+01:00

OMG, I adore these shoes! I saw them in teenVOGUE. I just definitely gotta have them. My mom is going to America in march, so she'll buy them for me then. I can't wait!

Yeah, I don't have any basic denim shorts anymore. I need them for spring. I'll be wearing them with tights underneath it and a sweater when it's cold, and with sandals and a blouse when it's warm.

I saw yellow nails in a magazine. I think it's very fresh, and it makes me looking forward to flowers.

I don't know, zebra printed leggings are just cool. End of story.

These necklaces are so cute! I like bows in any form, but haven't seen these much yet.

So, it seems like I should start saving my money... I need a job, too...

Jan Jansens shoes are coming from heaven!

2009-02-24T20:19:00.000+01:00

Today, my mom and I went to a museum. We had to travel for three hours, but it was so worth it. There was an exposition of Jan Jansen, the shoe designer. There were 160 designer shoes to see. The shoes were all crazy! With such elegant shapes and names like "Avenue's best cover," "Kissing on the couch" and "Snow Rose," I fell in love at once. What I would give to try one of these shoes on! I would pay a million dollars if I had it... I started wondering if they could be called shoes. Of course, that's what they are, but the name doesn't fit completely. It doesn't say enough, like they're more than just shoes. It seems to me that they all are little pieces of art, a sort of mix between fashion and architecture, all unique individuals, handmade. But maybe I'm just a shoefreak...:)

Summerdreams...

2009-02-23T09:41:00.000+01:00

Here are some collages I've made that remind me much of summer... I really can't stand all this bad weather anymore... I don't want rain, I want sun! Loads of sun! So, when I look at these, I can daydream about bikinis and shorts and sunbathing...

I'm sorry they're this bad quality, but since our scanner is defect(our computer crashes everytime we use it) I had to photograph them first.

I used to sketch a lot, but then my father told me that maybe I should try some painting. Here are the results:

Different streets have different songs...

2009-02-22T10:59:00.000+01:00

I'm going to Paris!!! With school, in June. Does life ever get any cooler than that? We're going for five days. I'm so looking forward to it! I've been in Paris before, but I was like seven or something then, and I had only interest for the Eiffeltower and Disneyland Paris. I think maybe I should save up my clothing money, so I can buy every dress or T-shirt or skirt that I like there. They say Paris is expensive... I'm sure we're going to a lot of museums and art galleries(hey, it's still school), but I like that, too. As long as we have enough time left to find all the cute vintage shops!

I already made a playlist for Paris:

Yelle~Les Femmes

Yelle~Dans ta vraie vie

Yelle~A cause des garçons

Yelle~Je veux te voir

Yelle~Ce jeu

Ladyhawke~Paris is burning

Claude Debussy~Clair de Lune(had I mentioned before that I'm in love with this song?)

Brigitte Bardot~Moi je joue

Yeah, there's a lot of Yelle... I try to find more French music, but till now, Yelle is the only one I actually like. She has great style too; she usually pairs shiny leggins with reeboks and a colourful T-shirt.

Since we're talking about cities anyway, I might as well give my list of cities where I really like to go to:

~New York (I've never been there, and they say it's an energetic city)

~London (When I was in England, I was five, and we never went to see London)

~Tokyo (Japanese streetstyle, here I come!)

~Rome (In two years from now, I'm going to Rome with school, because I have Latin in school)

~Hong Kong (I just want to go to China. Chinese people are interesting)

~Rio de Janeiro (City of parties...)

~Reykjavik (I don't know, Iceland just seems cool)

Well, that was my list. I want to go to a lot of other cities too, but that will take hours to write, and everyone will get bored. Here are two pictures of cities that I like a lot:

I like the black-white theme a lot.