It's all in the details

Details of an outfit I wore a few weeks ago.

Christmas Tag

photo credits: 1. Maku, 2. Kotivinkki, 3. Emlocke, 4. No onion please, 5. Min lilla veranda

I came across this tag on Niina's lovely blog 'It seems pretty obvious' and I thought it would be fun to do. (and I got to make another Christmas mood board, yay!) I'm not personally tagging anyone but feel free to tag yourself if you feel up to it!

Dreaming of Christmas

11 days until Christmas! Time has passed so quickly...

My sweet 20

Checking out my birthday presents

As many of you may have noticed, it was my birthday on Saturday. Goodbye teenage years, hello twenties. (not that I feel that much different than last week when I was still 19)

Click 'Read more' for the whole story and more pictures!

Birthday outfit inspiration

1. LUO short dress from VILA, 2. Little Lulu black-silver from Minna Parikka, 

3. Vanamo/Twinflower earrings from Kalevala Koru, 4. Glitter tights from H&M

As I promised in the previous post, here's some of my birthday outfit inspiration. D bought me the dress as a birthday present and this is an outfit I built around it.

Birthday preparations

Differences between Finnish and Dutch birthday parties. Click below to read the rest!

Purple lace

Dress, sweater: second-hand

This is the outfit I wore to D's sister Sanne's 18th birthday party on Saturday two weeks ago. 

Life lately

The girl from the land of a thousand lakes

30 pieces will do for your wardrobe

Click below to see the rest!

Satin and white socks

Shoes: Primark, Earrings: Snö of Sweden, the rest: second-hand

The last outfit pictures from over three weeks ago, soon you'll see more recent ones! These pictures were taken by my lovely sister-in-law-to-be Sanne, who also did my hair. I really love the braid, especially because I am hopeless with braiding.

I wore this outfit to a more casual wedding anniversary dinner. D's stepfather's parents had their 51st wedding anniversary over three weeks ago on Saturday, and they invited the closest family over for a homemade dinner. It was a really nice evening, learning Dutch has definitely been worth all the effort and trial, as I no longer have to sit there smiling and having no clue what the others are talking about. I can actually participate in the conversations, even if I don't always know how to convey my thoughts. But hey, it's still progress!

The cashmere sweater has been featured a lot in my latest outfits, but I can't help it, I'm in love with it! Cashmere is definitely one of my favourite materials so I was overjoyed when I got the sweater from D's stepmother. I love it when people recycle their clothes to me.

Oh, and the heels. I don't think I'll be featuring them a lot on my blog, as they aren't very comfortable. I love wearing high heels, but these are a real pain to wear. I guess D and my grandparents have finally managed to brainwash me into wearing sensible and comfortable shoes. My feet should be happy too.

What's with these staircases?

Pants: H&M, Shirt: second-hand, Sweater: second-hand, Socks: handmade by my grandmother

Thanks Lena for taking the first picture! 

More old outfit pictures, now from Friday two weeks ago. A very basic outfit, I often pair these pants with the cashmere sweater shown in the picture, although usually I don't go for two prints in one outfit. I simply felt like stepping out of my comfort zone a little, and in my opinion the end result isn't even that bad. I only wish it hadn't been raining so that I and Lena could have taken the outfit pictures outdoors.

A picture of me knitting for you as well, to give you a little sneak-peek of my woollen jersey. (more pictures on my instagram)

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Lisää vanhoja asukuvia, tällä kertaa perjantailta kahden viikon takaa. Aika tavallinen asu, minulla on usein nämä housut päällä yhdistettynä kuvassa näkyvän neuleen kanssa, vaikka yleensä en kyllä yhdistele kahta erilaista printtiä toisiinsa. Tällä kertaa teki vain mieli kokeilla jotain erilaista, ja mielestäni asu onnistui ihan hyvin. Harmittaa vain, että ulkona satoi niin ei saatu otettua asukuvia ulkona.

Ja todella hieno kuva minusta neulomassa villapaitaa. Saattepahan vähän esimakua siitä, että millainen neule on kyseessä. (lisää kuvia instagramin puolella)

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Meer oude outfit foto's, van vrijdag, 2 weken geleden. Een standaard outfit, ik draag deze broek wel vaker met de kasjmier sweater in de foto, maar normaal gesproken gebruik ik niet twee prints in 1 outfit. Ik had gewoon zin om uit m'n comfort-zone te stappen en ik vind het resultaat niet eens zo slecht. Ik had alleen liever gehad dat het niet zou regenen, zodat ik en Lena de foto's buiten konden nemen.

Een foto van mij tijdens het breien, om je een sneak-peek te geven van m'n breiwerk. (op instagram kan je meer foto's zien)

So soon: getting engaged early in the relationship

D and I got engaged when we had been officially in a relationship for five months. We were in a long distance relationship, and it was D's third time to Finland, which means that we had spent less than three weeks with each other "in real life." I was 17, almost 18, and he was 19.

Many people would think that such a short relationship, a long distance relationship too, is no base for an engagement, yet here we are, exactly two years later, still together, still engaged, looking forward to the future.

It was D who proposed to me, very romantically too, and I said yes. Why? Well, even after only five months I knew D well enough to know that we are very compatible. We have the same views on life and politics and such, he's my best friend, he had already been through some pretty rough times with me and he is the type of guy who I want to share my life with. He also lets me be myself, which is a freedom I haven't had with many people. With him I don't have to feel bad for seeing things a certain way and with him my future plans don't get pushed down. D has also taught me so much about myself and he has helped me to grow up to the person I am.

True enough, if we hadn't been in a long distance relationship, we wouldn't have gotten engaged so soon. As far as I know, often the first phase of a new relationship is spent in a pink haze of cuddling and kissing and such, which is fine, and the future of the relationship doesn't even have to be considered. It doesn't have to get so serious so soon. But in a long distance relationship, the future is the key.

No-one really likes long distance relationships. It sucks to only see each other via webcam and it sucks even harder to be deprived from physical closeness. Holding hands and hugs and casual kisses and so on. When those things have been taken away, all you have left is talking. Talking talking talking. Pretty soon the heavier stuff comes up. You go through your life story and get to the bottom of what you want from the future. What you want with this person. Is s/he worth all the negative feelings and loneliness?

So it's relatively safe to say that after five months D and I knew each other better than many couples who have been together for longer. Of course, we lacked on other aspects, and we still haven't lived together. But that might be a good thing too. Long distance has made it possible for the both of us to live our own separate lives. It's important to hold on to yourself and not get lost in the process of becoming a couple. If you don't look out for yourself, you won't be able to make yourself happy, and if you aren't happy, you can't make the other person happy either. Happiness in a relationship is the happiness of two people combined. You can't suffocate yourself or the other person, for the sake of the relationship.

Now, for the first time in 2 years and five months we are giving a "normal relationship" a try. Living apart and seeing each other in the weekends and evenings. It's different and while I do think it's essential for me to experience the Netherlands on my own too, I do want to move in together with D. I want to have our own little home, our tiny apartment somewhere. But right now it's not possible so I'll make-do with what I have. Evenings and weekends. Only 100 kilometres between us.

But, when are we going to get married? That's what being engaged means, right, the promise of getting married? Someday. The only thing I know is that we will get married one day. Later than I'd hope, probably, but that day will come. Where and when and how are just the questions I don't have the answers for.

If we don't even know when we are going to get married, why get engaged so young? Surely we could just be in a relationship without getting the wedding vows involved? We are young, yes, but as I already mentioned, in a long distance relationship the future becomes a pressing subject quite early. It gives hope and certainty to have the rings, to know that one day in the hopefully-not-so-distant future we will live together and be married and live our lives together with all the ups and downs. Growing old together is something I'm looking forward to. It won't be easy all the time but luckily I have the best teammate I could ask for.

I do apologise if this post became a little heavy and long and sappy. (congrats if you made it here) I just have a lot to say on the subject, even if it's a bit more personal than my normal blog posts.

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D ja minä menimme kihloihin viiden kuukauden seurustelun jälkeen. Olimme kaukosuhteessa, ja kosinnan aikana D oli Suomessa kolmatta kertaa, eli olimme viettäneet aikaa "oikeasti" yhdessä alle kolme viikkoa. Minä olin 17, melkein 18, ja D oli 19.

Monet ovat varmasti sitä mieltä, että noin lyhyen seurustelun jälkeen ei ole mitään asiaa kihlasormusostoksille, varsinkin kun on kyse kaukosuhteesta, mutta tänään me vietämme D:n kanssa 2-vuotiskihlapäiväämme, edelleen yhdessä ja suunnittelemme innolla yhteistä tulevaisuutta.

D kosi minua, erittäin romanttisesti, ja minä vastasin tietenkin kyllä. Miksi? No, ihan siitä syystä, että jo viiden kuukauden aikana olin oppinut tuntemaan D:n sen verran hyvin, että tiesin meidän sopivan toisillemme. Meillä on samanlaiset arvot, ja monia yhteisiä mielenkiinnon kohteita. D on minun paras ystäväni, häneen voi luottaa vaikeinakin aikoina (minkä hän oli todistanut jo ensimmäisen viiden kuukauden aikana) ja hän on juuri sellainen henkilö, jonka kanssa haluan jakaa elämäni. D myös antaa minun olla oma itseni, mikä on minulle erittäin tärkeää. D:n seurassa minun ei tarvitse piilotella mielipiteitäni, eikä hän lyttää minun tulevaisuudensuunnitelmiani. D on auttanut minua oppimaan asioita itsestäni, ja hän on tukenut minua kasvussani henkilöksi, joka tänään olen.

Myönnetään, jos emme olisi olleet kaukosuhteessa, emme olisi menneet kihloihin niin pian. Minun käsitykseni mukaan useimmissa ei-kaukosuhteissa ensimmäiset kuukaudet menevät vaaleanpunaisessa kuplassa ihastuneena ja käsikädessä kulkiessa, mikä on tietenkin aivan okei, ja ihanaa. Suhteen tulevaisuutta ei tarvitse niinkään vielä miettiä, siitä ei tarvitse ottaa ylimääräisiä paineita. Suhteen ei tarvitse vakavoitua niin pian, mutta kaukosuhteessa tulevaisuus on todella tärkeä osa suhteen hyvinvointia.

Kukaan ei voi pitää kaukosuhteista. On kamalaa nähdä toista vain tietokoneen ruudulla ja on vieläkin kamalaa kun ei pysty koskettamaan toista. Ihminen tarvitsee kosketusta, kädestäpitämistä, halailua ja nopeita pusuja poskella. Kaukosuhteessa niitä saa vain, kun ollaan "oikeasti" yhdessä, meidän tapauksessamme noin joka toinen kuukausi viikon ajan. Muu aika meneekin sitten puhumiseen, kun ei muutakaan voi. Puheenaiheet käydään läpi aika nopeasti, eli vakavampiin aiheisiin päästään nopeammin. Sitä tulee käytyä läpi oma elämäntarina ja kaikki mahdolliset pilvilinnat, myös se, mitä suhteelta halutaan. Onko toinen todella kaiken ikävän ja yksinäisyyden arvoinen?

Lyhyestä virsi kaunis, voidaan siis aika turvallisesti sanoa, että D ja minä tunsimme toisemme paremmin vain viiden lyhyen kuukauden jälkeen kuin monet muut kauemminkin yhdessä olleet pariskunnat, jotka eivät ole olleet kaukosuhteessa. Toki meiltä on jäänyt kokematta asioita, joita ei-kaukosuhdepariskunnat kokevat, emmekä me ole vieläkään asuneet yhdessä, mikä voi olla toisaalta ihan hyväkin asia. Kaukosuhde nimittäin antaa kummallekin osapuolelle enemmän vapautta. Kumpikin voi elää omaa elämäänsä, selvittää omin päin, että mitkä asiat oikeasti kiinnostavat töiden ja opiskelujen ja vapaa-ajan suhteen. On tärkeää muistaa pitää kiinni itselle tärkeistä asioista myös parisuhteessa. Onnellinen parisuhde muodostuu kahdesta onnellisesta ihmisestä. Pitää pystyä vastaamaan omasta onnellisuudestaan ennen kuin voi yrittää tehdä toista onnelliseksi. Ei saa uhrata liian paljon itsestään parisuhteen vuoksi.

Tänään, tasan kaksi vuotta kosinnan jälkeen, olemme hiukan erilaisessa tilanteessa. Ensimmäistä kertaa kokeilemme D:n kanssa millaista on olla nk. normaalissa suhteessa. Asumme erillämme ja näemme toisiamme viikonloppuisin ja toisinaan iltaisin. Ero kaukosuhteeseen on suuri, enkä voi oikein sanoa, että kumpi on parempi. Kaikista eniten haluaisin jo muuttaa yhteen D:n kanssa, johonkin pikkuhuoneistoon, mutta valitettavasti se ei ole vielä mahdollista. Pitää vain ottaa kaikki irti siitä, mitä meillä on. Iltoja ja viikonloppuja. Vain 100 kilometriä välimatkaa.

Mutta palataksemme alkuperäiseen aiheeseen, milloin olemme sitten menossa naimisiin. Sitähän kihloissa oleminen tarkoittaa, että ollaan menossa naimisiin. Jonain päivänä tulevaisuudessa. Ainoa asia, jonka tiedän varmasti, on se, että joku päivä menemme D:n kanssa naimisiin. Milloin, missä ja miten ovatkin sitten vaikeampia kysymyksiä.

Jos asiat kerta ovat niin epäselviä, saattaisi joku huomauttaa, miksi olemme sitten ylipäänsä kihloissa, ja vielä näin nuorina. Varmasti me voisimme olla "vain" seurustelusuhteessa, ilman hääkellojen kaukaista kuminaa. Nuoriahan tässä ollaan, mutta kuten jo aiemmin mainitsin, kaukosuhteessa tulevaisuudensuunnitelmat astuvat kuvioihin jo kovin aikaisin. Kihloissa oleminen antaa toivoa ja varmuutta tulevaisuuten liittyen. Helpottaa tietää, että jonain päivänä D ja minä asumme yhdessä ja olemme naimisissa ja elämme yhdessä niin myötä- kuin vastoinkäymisissäkin. Odotan innolla yhteistä elämäämme. Aina ei varmasti ole helppoa ja mutkatonta, mutta onneksi minulla on kaikkein paras partner-in-crime.

Pahoittelut ylipitkästä ja siirappisesta postauksesta. (onnittelut jos jaksoit lukea tänne asti) Aihe luonnollisesti herättää minussa tunteita ja ajatuksia, ja halusin niitä nyt sitten täälläkin jakaa, kevyempien postausten vastapainona.

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D en ik gingen verloven toen we nog maar 5 maanden met elkaar hadden. We hadden een langeafstands-relatie en D kwam voor de derde keer naar Finland, wat betekent dat we elkaar nog maar 3 weken 'in het echt' hadden gezien. Ik was 17, bijna 18, hij was 19.

Veel mensen zouden denken dat zo'n korte relatie, die ook nog eens een langeafstands-relatie is, geen basis is voor een verloving, maar hier zijn we, precies twee jaar later, nog steeds bij elkaar en kijken we uit naar de toekomst.

Het was D die mij vroeg, op een romantische manier ook, en ik zei ja. Waarom? Nou, zelfs na 5 maanden wist ik al dat D en ik goed bij elkaar zouden passen. We hebben dezelfde kijk op het leven, op politiek en meer, hij is m'n beste vriend, hij heeft me door meerdere hele moeilijke perioden in m'n leven geholpen en hij is precies de man met wie ik m'n leven wil leven. Hij laat me ook mezelf zijn, wat een vrijheid is die ik niet met veel mensen heb gehad. Met hem hoef ik me niet slecht te voelen als ik iets op m'n eigen manier doe en m'n eigen plannen voor de toekomst worden niet in de grond gedrukt. D heeft me veel over mezelf geleerd en hij heeft me geholpen om te groeien naar wie ik nu ben.

Eerlijk is eerlijk, als we niet in een langeafstands-relatie zouden zijn, hadden we niet verloofd. Voor zover ik weet is de eerste stap in een relatie een roze gloed van knuffelen en zoenen, wat prima is, en de toekomst van de relatie komt niet echt ter sprake. Het hoeft niet meteen zo serieus te worden, maar in een langeafstands-relatie is de toekomst het uitgangspunt.

Niemand houdt echt van afstandsrelaties. Het is stom om elkaar alleen via de webcam te zien en niet fysiek bij elkaar zijn is een rotgevoel. Handen vasthouden, knuffelen en zoenen enzovoorts. Als je dat wegneemt is praten het enige wat je over houdt. Praten praten praten. Het duurt niet lang voordat de zwaardere topics komen en je gaat door het verhaal van je leven en zoekt grondig uit wat je wil in de toekomst. Wat wil je met deze persoon, is hij of zij het waard om door de negatieve gevoelens en het alleen zijn te komen?

Dus het is aannemelijk om te zeggen dat D en ik elkaar beter kunnen dan veel andere koppels die al langer bij elkaar zijn. Natuurlijk komen we tekort op andere aspecten en we hebben nog steeds niet in hetzelfde huis gewoond, maar dat is misschien ook wel goed. Lange afstand heeft het mogelijk gemaakt voor ons om onze eigen levens te leiden tot op zekere hoogte. Het is belangrijk om jezelf te blijven en niet jezelf kwijt te raken wanneer je een koppeltje vormt. Als je niet voor jezelf zorgt, kan je jezelf niet blij maken en als je niet blij bent, kan je de ander ook niet blij maken. Blij zijn in een relatie is de blijdschap van twee mensen bij elkaar. Om de relatie heel te houden moet je de ander ook z'n zin geven.

Nu, voor het eerst in 2 jaar en 5 maanden proberen we een 'normale' relatie. We wonen apart en zien elkaar in de weekenden en soms 's avonds. Het is anders en ondanks dat ik denk dat het goed is om Nederland zelf te leren kennen, wil ik graag samenwonen met D. Ons eigen huisje, ons eigen appartementje ergens. Op dit moment is het niet echt mogelijk, dus doen we het met wat we hebben. Avonden en weekenden. Maar 100 kilometer bij elkaar vandaan.

Maar, wanneer gaan we dan trouwen? Dat is wat het betekent toch, verloven? De belofte om te trouwen? Ik weet het nog niet. Het enige dat ik weet is dat we ooit gaan trouwen, op een dag. Later dan dat ik zou willen misschien, maar de dag zal komen. Waar en wanneer en hoe zijn vragen waar ik nog geen antwoord op heb.

Waarom dan zo vroeg verloven? We hadden natuurlijk ook gewoon een relatie kunnen hebben zonder elkaar te beloven om te trouwen. We zijn ook jong, maar in een langeafstands-relatie heb je het eerder over de toekomst. Het geeft je hoop en moed als je een ring hebt, omdat je weet dat in de toekomst, hopelijk erg nabije toekomst, we samen zullen wonen en getrouwd zullen zijn en onze levens leven met wat daar allemaal bij komt kijken. Samen oud worden is waar ik op hoop. Het zal allemaal niet makkelijk zijn, maar gelukkig heb ik de beste partner waar ik om kon vragen.

Sorry als dit een beetje lang en zwaar is geworden, ik had gewoon veel te zeggen hierover, zelfs als het iets persoonlijker is dan wat ik normaal post.

Knitting inspiration

1. audrey hepburn knitting, 2. skappel knit, 3. the knitting girl, 4. aran knit, 5. yarn, 6. knit pattern, 7. knitting needles

Those who have been following me for the past weeks, might've noticed that I've taken up knitting. I'm currently knitting a woollen jersey, but I'm constantly gathering inspiration for my next project. And since a picture says more than a thousand words, I gathered a knitting inspiration board for you. 

Oversized knits, traditional patterns and neutral and feminine colours are currently getting me excited. When knitting, I like to choose a good quality yarn and a relatively timeless pattern, because considering how much work knitting is, it's only logical to make sure that the finished product is worn more than once.

Besides, knitting is relaxing and very satisfactory. There's just something about making things with your own two hands.

Climb the stairs

curve used 'digital film' by julia trotti

Coat: Primark, Scarf: made by Sanne, Sweater: H&M, Skirt: second-hand, Collar: DIY, 

Shoes: DinSko, Bag: Cambridge Satchel Company

Another older outfit, this time from Wednesday two weeks ago when I went walking in Zeist with my German friend Lena. I'll post pictures of the walk itself later.

Not sure if this is my best outfit ever, but it was comfy and sort of cute, so I guess that's what matters the most. The main reason I wore the denim skirt was that with white tights the grey pullover/dress would've been way too short. Like Blair Waldorf says, tights are not pants.

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Taas vanhempia asukuvia, tällä kertaa kahden viikon takaiselta keskiviikolta. Kävimme saksalaisen kaverini Lenan kanssa kävelemässä Zeistissä, ja Lena otti myös asukuvani. Lisäkuvia kävelyretkeltä laitan tänne myöhemmin.

En ole aivan varma onko tämä asu nyt kaikista onnistunein asuni ikinä, mutta ainakin se oli mukava päällä ja jokseenkin hauska, eli ihan ok asu loppujen lopuksi. Farkkuhame minulla oli päällä, koska muuten harmaa pitkähihainen/mekko olisi ollut aivan liian lyhyt valkoisten sukkahousujen kanssa. Kuten Blair Waldorf sanoo, sukkahousut eivät ole housuja.

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Nog een iets oudere outfit, deze is van woensdag twee weken terug, toen ik met m'n Duitse vriendin Lena in Zeist ging lopen. Ik zal later meer foto's van de wandeling posten.

Ik weet niet of dit m'n beste outfit ooit is, maar het was comfortabel en leuk, dus ik denk dat het daarom gaat. De reden dat ik de spijkerrok aan had was omdat de grijze pullover/jurk te kort zou zijn met de witte maillot. Zoals Blair Waldorf zegt: een panty is geen broek.

Cambridge Satchel Company: My dream (bag) come true

Back in August I expressed my coveting for a Cambridge Satchel Company satchel bag. The bags have been all over the blogging world, which usually wouldn't have swayed me that much, but this time one bag seemed to tick all the boxes. Good quality, proper materials, ethically made without child-labor or underpaid labor in some third-world country. Not to mention the good looks.

For those who aren't familiar with Cambridge Satchel Company, we are talking about a British company founded by Julie Deane, a mother of two who loved her old school satchel so much that having noticed the lack of such bags, she started manufacturing them herself in Britain. An inspirational story, especially because it was the fashion blogging world that helped the Cambridge Satchel Company break into the high fashion scene. (see this video for the whole story)

I was drooling over the bag for well over two weeks, until D finally got tired of listening to my sighs and told me to place an order. I ordered the 15" batchel bag in beautiful tan leather with my initial S embossed on it. The bag cost me (without shipping costs) 118£ (that's 145 in euros, and 189 USD) which I consider very reasonable as we're talking real leather and proper craftsmanship. It took the company 22 days to make and ship my bag, which is a lot faster than they promised on the website. Usually it takes them a month to make the bag, five weeks if you want it embossed, and another week to ship it so I was extremely happy to get my bag so soon.

So my batchel bag is real leather, and handmade in Britain, and I must say, the quality is truly impeccable. Every stitch is well aligned and after almost a month of carrying the bag along through better and worse (weather) the only signs of any wear are on the buckle straps, but it's only natural for leather to soften over time. Normal vaseline does wonders too, any minor scuffs are gone almost immediately. It's like magic.

As for the size, the 15" bag fits my 13" MacBook with a jacket just fine, and A4 folders and papers fit nicely too. The only thing is that the bag is quite stiff and narrow, thus you can't fit that much stuff in it. But if I leave my laptop home, I can fit a Nikon D80 in it with my wallet and other stuff without any major problems. Also, the bag is surprisingly light to carry, even with a laptop or a camera in. The shoulder strap doesn't dig into my shoulder and so far I haven't noticed any signs of wear, even if I have abused the bag a little every now and then by exceeding the 2,5 kilo limit stated on the website. On that note it's probably a good thing that the bag can't fit that much stuff, otherwise I'd kill it by dragging my whole room around in it.

All in all I am very happy with my new friend, and so is D, he even wanted to order one for himself but unfortunately 15" is the largest size available and Cambridge Satchel Company doesn't offer the possibility to customise the size. Not that we are whining, as we found this out by getting a speedy and kind email reply to our question. Good service and good quality, just what I was looking for!

A very non-photogenic Monday

curve used 'digital film' by julia trotti

Coat: Primark, Scarf: made by Sanne, T-shirt: borrowed from D, Pants: H&M, 

Sweater: second-hand, Shoes: Primark

Mondays aren't my favorite days but last week I was looking even worse than usual, probably because I was falling ill. By afternoon I was running a fever so that's the reason for the zombie-like look. The only reason I'm even posting this is because I want to give my readers the right impression, and not just the pretty images. We all have sick days, and on those days nothing is nicer than an overly large t-shirt and a messy bun.

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Maanantait nyt eivät yleensäkään kuulu lempipäiviini, mutta viime viikolla näytin maanantaiaamuna tavallistakin kuolleemmalta todennäköisesti, koska olin tulossa kipeäksi. Iltapäivällä minulle oli jo noussut kuume, eli siinä syy zombiemaiselle lookille. En ensin ajatellut edes postata näitä, mutta pitäähän lukijoiden saada minusta oikea kuva, ei vain niitä onnistuneempia otoksia. Kaikki ovat joskus kipeitä, ja sairaana ei ole mitään mukavampaa asua kuin ylisuuri t-paita yhdistettynä sotkuiseen nutturaan.

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Maandagen zijn niet m'n favoriete dagen, maar afgelopen week was nog erger dan normaal, waarschijnlijk omdat ik ziek aan het worden was. Aan het eind van de middag had ik koorts, dus daarom zie ik er uit als een zombie. De enige reden dat ik dit post is omdat ik m'n lezers een goeie indruk wil geven, en niet alleen de mooie plaatjes wil laten zien. We zijn allemaal wel eens zien en op die dagen is er niks lekkerder dan een te groot t-shirt en een losse knot.

Red-white-blue

curve used 'digital film' by julia trotti

Coat: Primark, Scarf: made by the lovely Sanne, Dress: Vila, Sweater: second-hand, 

Shoes: Primark, Bag: Cambridge Satchel Company

My outfit from last Saturday, a sort of transitional outfit, considering that I was wearing a summer dress. The scarf I got from Sanne, an instagram/twitter friend of mine, who posted a picture on twitter a few weeks ago. I really liked the scarf in the picture and half-seriously asked if she'd like to make one for me as well. To my delight she did say yes, and last Friday I got the gorgeous scarf delivered. I've been wearing it almost 24/7 ever since.

Another notion of my outfit, one that I realised only when I started sorting out the pictures, is that I'm wearing the colors of the Dutch flag. But then, Dutch people (and plenty of other countries) have a good taste, choosing a combination of red, white and navy blue for their flag. So classy!

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Viime lauantain asu, eräänlainen siirtymäkauden asu, mekko kun sattuu olemaan kesämekko. Huivi sen sijaan on uusi, sain sen instagram/twittertutultani Sannelta, joka postaili pari viikkoa sitten kuvaa virkkaamastaan kaulahuivista twitterin puolella. Ihastelin sitä sitten ja puolitosissani kysyin josko hän haluaisi tehdä minullekin samanlaisen, ja ilahduksekseni Sanne sanoikin, että toki hän voi toisenkin huivin virkata. Huivi saapui minulle viime perjantaina paketissa ja nyt olen vilukissana kulkenut huivi kaulassa melkein 24/7.

Toinen huomio asuuni liittyen on valitsemani värimaailma. Huomasin tosin vasta kuvia lajitellessa, että olin pukeutunut Alankomaiden lipun väreihin. No, hollantilaisilla (ja muutamilla muillakin mailla) taitaa vain olla hyvä maku, kun ovat valinneet punaisen, valkoisen ja tummansinisen lippuunsa. Klassisen tyylikästä!

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Mijn outfit van zaterdag, een beetje een tussenoutfit, want ik had een zomerjurkje aan. De sjaal had ik van Sanne, een instagram/twitter vriendin van me, die een foto op twitter had gezet een paar weken terug. Ik vond hem echt geweldig en half-serieus gevraagd of ze er ook een kon maken voor mij. Onverwacht zei ze ja en afgelopen vrijdag kreeg ik een prachtige sjaal. Ik heb hem nu 24/7 om.

Nog een puntje, toen ik de foto's aan het uitzoeken was realiseerde ik me dat ik de nederlandse vlag kleuren aanhad. Maar ja, Nederlandse mensen (en een hoop andere landen) hebben een goede smaak, door te kiezen voor rood, wit en blauw op hun vlag. Zo'n leuke kleuren!

How to make the most out of fast fashion?

vintage laundry machine ad, closet, cotton, measuring tape, inspiration scrapbook, credit cards

Changing your shopping style isn’t easy. You might want to invest on more durable pieces but you are lacking some wardrobe essentials while your budget is tight. Let’s face it, these are hard times budget-wise. Luckily there are a few tips I can share with you, to help you make the most of fast fashion and your budget. These tips will also take you a few steps closer to having the wardrobe that perfectly reflects your personal style.

Know your wardrobe

Sounds simple, right? Unfortunately the case often is that people have no idea what their closet has swallowed. I am currently in the lucky position that I only have a certain amount of clothes in my closet: the clothes I brought from Finland and the clothes I have bought since so it was very easy for me to sort out the contents of my wardrobe. (although my project is only half-way done, my wardrobe in Finland still awaits me)

But for those who haven’t quite gotten there yet I recommend cleaning out your closet. Make a list of what you have, take pictures of everything and sort out the clothes you like. Pay attention to the clothes you love, how do they look, how do they feel, what kind of clothes fit your style and body etc. Donate away the clothes you don’t want to see in your closet, or if you are blessed with enough storage space, store them away. In a few years those clothes might be the ‘it’ thing once again.

Gather inspiration

This is the fun part. I currently have an inspiration folder on my computer, and as I browse blogs and websites, I gather pictures there. Pinterest is also a valuable tool for this. 

Pay attention to what catches your eye. Colors, shapes, combinations etc. This should help you to figure out your own personal style, as long as you concentrate on the things you would wear yourself on everyday basis.

Make a shopping list

If you made a list (and took pictures) of the contents of your closet, this list will be a lot easier to make. What clothes do you already have? What clothes do you still need to finish off your perfect wardrobe? List them.

Note that this list isn’t the “groceries for the week” kind of shopping list. This is a long-term shopping list, unless you are lucky enough to have a limitless budget.

Figure out your budget

On which items are you going to skimp and which are investments? My advice is to invest on timeless classics that fit your style and skimp on the things that update your style to the latest trends. This is also a good time to consider where you are going to go shopping. Does it have to be a fast fashion store? Are you feeling up to some second-hand shopping? Do you have any friends in your size with the perfect sense of style? They might be interest in cleaning out their closets as well. Or do you have to buy it pre-made at all? Maybe your DIY-skills are good enough for making it yourself...

Do your research

Instead of rushing into the closest Zara or H&M, I advice you to take a look around, online or in person. See if anything catches your eye and see if that something is on your list. (don’t add it to your list, as tempting as that might be) 

Also, pay attention to materials (wearability, it’s important to be able to wash the clothes in normal temperatures!) and country of origin. Search for possible customer reviews. Fit the clothes if possible, and/or return badly fitting clothes. Taking these steps will help you to figure out if it’s really worth the purchase. You don’t want to end up filling your closet with clothes you won’t wear or that are of lousy quality. 

Usually it’s a good idea to sleep on it, and see if you still want the item the next day, or week. Good things come to those who wait, although in the world of fast fashion, the item you might want to purchase could be sold-out the next day. Still, this shouldn’t drive you to handing out your money immediately, it’s good to remember that there will be something similar in the next store. If not, too bad, it wasn’t meant to be. The disappointment will only last for so long, and soon you will be drooling over something else.

Take proper care of your wardrobe

So you found the things you wanted? Good, but that’s only the beginning. Now it’s your job to make the clothes (and shoes etc) last. 

Every fashion-loving person should learn to do the laundry. I personally enjoy doing my own laundry, and so should you, if you want your clothes to last. Follow the instructions. Wash with similar colors. Don’t leave the clothes wet in the laundry machine and so on. If you wear the clothes for one day only and there are no obvious smells or stains, no need to throw it in the laundry bin. Hang the clothes on the balcony or outside, or indoors and open the window and brush them with a clothing brush. Personally I’d also advice to avoid perfumes and smoking, your clothes will stay fresh a lot longer without strong scents lingering on them. Washing puts a strain on the fabrics and less strain obviously results in clothes staying good for a longer time.

Laundry is one thing, storage is just as important. Don’t throw your clothes on the floor (so guilty of doing this!) and keep them folded or hanged neatly in your closet. Clean your closet regularly, you don’t want any dust or mould gathering in there with your clothes.

This was only a quick look into the matter, and I will be writing more posts about the subject. Hope these tips will be useful to you!

A well-spent Wednesday

curve used 'ambers' by julia trotti

Pants: H&M, Shirt: H&M, (men's department, I stole the shirt from D) Cardigan: Esprit, Scarf: SIX, Socks: knitted by my grandmother

Having Wednesdays off is such a luxury. Seriously, having a day off in the middle of the week is heaven. Just when you are starting to get over-worked, you get a whole day off, all for yourself.

Usually I go to town to my knitting circle and to meet a German au-pair friend of mine, but yesterday, when it dawned on me that the sound of water wasn't coming from the bathroom but from outdoors (well technically I wasn't that wrong, rain is sort of the same as shower) and when we add to that that I wasn't feeling very well, I decided to stay home and take it easy.

So my day was well-spent with blogging, knitting, reading magazines (a treat to myself) and drinking tea. With lit candles and the sound of raindrops on the roof.

A perfect autumn day.

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Keskiviikkovapaat ovat todellista arjen luksusta. Ihan oikeasti voin sanoa, että vapaapäivä keskellä viikkoa on suorastaan taivaallista. Juuri kun rupeaa väsymään töiden alla saa kokonaisen päivän vapaaksi ihan omaan käyttöön.

Yleensä menen keskviikkoisin kaupungille neulepiiriini ja tapaamaan saksalaista au-pairkaveriani, mutta eilen, kun tajusin, että juoksevan veden ääni ei kuulukaan kylpyhuoneesta vaan ulkoa (tai no enhän minä niin kamalan väärässä ollut, tuollainen sademäärä ajaa jo suihkun virkaa) ja kun lisätään siihen vielä, että minulla oli jokseenkin huono olo, päädyin jäämään kotiin rentoutumaan.

Päiväni sujuikin siis loistavasti blogien, neulomisen, lehtien (saa sitä vähän hemmotella itseä) ja teen parissa. Kynttilät ja sateen ropina loivat omaa tunnelmaansa.

Täydellinen syyspäivä.

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Woensdag vrij hebben is zo'n luxe. Echt, een dag vrij midden in de week is geweldig. Net wanneer je overwerkt begint te worden, heb je een hele dag voor jezelf. 

Normaal gesproken ga ik naar de stad naar m'n brei-kring met mijn Duitse au-pair vriendin, maar gisteren, toen ik realiseerde dat het water wat ik hoorde niet de douche was maar de regen (technisch gezien hetzelfde), bovenop het feit dat ik me al niet echt lekker voelde, heb ik besloten om gewoon lekker thuis te blijven en het rustig aan te doen.

Dus mijn dag was vol met bloggen, breien, tijdschriften lezen (cadeautje aan mezelf) en thee drinken. Bij kaarslicht, met geluid van waterdruppels op het dak.

Een perfecte herfst dag.

Autumn

curve used 'digital film' by julia trotti

Coat: Primark, Shirt: Vogue NL, Pants: H&M, Shoes: DinSko, Bag: Cambridge Satchel Company

Last Wednesday's outfit and the debut of my new precious batchel bag. Isn't it gorgeous? I could spend hours just staring at it and gently caressing it. Obsessed? Definitely, but I can't really even feel ashamed for it because after all, this is my first (but not last) proper quality bag. There's no going back to buying cheap bags that die within a year!

Fast fashion

via

Plenty of talk about this topic, but nevertheless, I wanted to add my two cents and so on... Fast fashion, (click for the wikipedia article) meaning, the big international chain stores selling massive amounts of clothes for budget-friendly prices. No need to name them, we all know them, and we all, or at least the most of us, are guilty of indulging in buying a pair of pants or a shirt simply because it was so cheap.

For someone with a love for clothes and fashion, the phenomenon of getting the latest trends to the stores for a cheap price would seem ideal, except that it's not a) healthy, b) budget-friendly and c) good for the environment.

First, getting everything you want is not healthy. Most of the time you want things for the sake of wanting them. I certainly do. Good thing I have some self-discipline, and when my self-discipline fails, I have D to return me to the reality. If I got everything I wanted, I wouldn't be any happier than I am now. In fact I'd probably be a lot less happier, because I would forget how to appreciate getting something you have wanted for a long time. Thus, fast fashion is bad in the sense of making it possible to grant our every fashion wish when what we really should do is to learn to be happy with what we have.

Secondly, buying a lot of cheap clothes and such is actually more expensive on the long run than saving up for a more expensive piece of clothing. Of course, shopping a lot is never budget-friendly, and shopping in more expensive shops is obviously less budget-friendly than shopping at H&M. Depending on your budget, of course. Another reason why cheap doesn't mean budget-friendly. (like my dad says 'poor people can't afford to buy cheap') In order to get the prices down you have to skimp on the quality. Quality of materials, quality of work. Poor quality doesn't last for long, sending you on another shopping trip. Not that all cheap is automatically poor quality (for example I'm quite happy with H&M for the most part) but generally speaking, if you decide to shop fast fashion, you can't expect quality.

Third, massive amounts of clothes means massive amounts of pressure on the environment. Combined with the poor quality of fast fashion finds, we have created a cycle that needs to be broken and soon.

Being a blogger, and an avid reader of blogs, I subject myself to a lot of consumerism. I see things, I get inspired, and I want to get the same things for myself. Fast fashion seems to be the solution, but in all honesty, it hasn't made me especially content. I keep on craving for more and more. Not sure why and when my eyes were opened, but from now on I will avoid shopping fast fashion. Realistically I won't be able to stop it immediately, and old habits break hard.

But, from this day forward you will see less H&M and Primark finds, and more DIYs and thrift-store finds. Time to slow down and move to more satisfying form of expressing my own personal style. You will hopefully benefit from this in form of tips and inspiration, and if I manage to inspire someone to make the same choice, I'll be more than happy. If not, well, I won't be judging you. It's hard to change, for me this is an ideal moment because my life has been full of big changes so this change in my shopping habits doesn't feel too drastic.

For further reading, as I only scratched the surface on this topic, I have gathered you some links I found interesting. I also just bought the largely spoken-about book 'Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion' by Elizabeth L. Cline, which I will review for you as soon as I receive it anytime in two months.

Ethical Fashion Forum
Ms. Magazine Blog

The winner!

Sorry I didn't get to post this earlier, I had my Dutch lesson last night and I was too tired to post anything when I got home around midnight.

Anyways, without further ado, the winner of my 1-year-blogging anniversary give-away is...

La Lara!

Congratulations to the winner and a big hug to everyone who joined the give-away. Stay tuned for another one, it shouldn't take too long until I reach 200 followers via GFC!

Girly colors

curve used 'digital film' by julia trotti

Coat: Primark, Pants: H&M, Shirt: second-hand, Shoes: Primark, Necklace: H&M

My outfit from Saturday, I was really enjoying the fact that I had more than enough time and inspiration in the morning to do my hair and make-up and put together a cute outfit.

Only too bad the necklace died on Sunday... we'll see if D is able to fix it.

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Lauantain asua. Oli ihanaa vaihteeksi laittautua oikein ajatuksella ja ajan kanssa: hiukset, meikki ja kiva asu.

Harmi vain, että kaulakoru hajosi sunnuntaina... Saa nähdä saako D sen korjattua.

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Mijn outfit van zaterdag. Ik vond het erg geweldig om tijd en energie hebben voor mijn haar en make-up te doen en ik denk dat mijn outfit was ook een succes.

Jammer genoeg dat de ketting is zondag stuk gegaan... ik hoop dat D kan het weer vastmaken. (oh, en dit is mijn Nederlands zonder de hulp van D... geen correcties, zodat jullie mijn niveau beter kunnen zien)

Wednesday weakness

curve used 'digital film' by julia trotti

Hah, I know you were expecting this post tomorrow on Thursday! 

Anyways, this week's Wednesday weakness is not-so-surprisingly candy, Werther's Original, to be more exact.

Creamy, sweet... the perfect combination, and no, this isn't a sponsored post, although if Werther's Original did find it interesting to sponsor me, I'd jump at the chance! I can always dream...

Sorry for any cravings this might've caused.

Tuesday tag

Something different than my photography challenge this time, simply because I haven't had any time to take pictures. (or insert another lame excuse of your choice) Besides, I wanted to do the 'Before I die' tag, before I die... or completely forget about it. Lame jokes, sorry, I'll stop trying to be funny. The pictures are all from weheartit, and in no particular order of importance! (and yes, I'm aware it's Wednesday already... clearly my inner clock is running a day behind)