Tag / personal

By On In Thoughts539 Comments

  • Should I wear sunscreen everyday? I know it’s highly recommended by, well, everyone. But during winter I’m always extremely low on vitamin D. I still haven’t figured out whether or not I should start wearing sunscreen on my face (next to my tinted moisturiser that has SPF 15). Obviously I know that sun exposure is responsible for most of the visible ageing of your skin but the internet hasn’t provided me with a clear answer yet. I should probably consult my doctor.
  • A new The Gentlewoman is out, featuring one of the most important contemporary female artists, Cindy Sherman. I need to pick it up this week. It’s the only magazine that I read. I haven’t missed an issue since the first one in 2010. You know, the one with Phoebe Philo on the cover (fun fact: I was super careful with that first edition and then my cat puked all over it).
  • I scored my ultimate dream bag with a discount (!!) a week ago. It had been on my long term wish list for years and I promised myself I could buy it once I had received a permanent employment contract which I signed in February. When it arrived I took it out of the dust bag, stared at it for 5 minutes and then put it back in the box. I don’t know, it was such a big purchase that the actual object scared me for a second. But D. convinced me that I worked hard for it and if I loved it, I should keep it. Last week I was sick and only got to take it out one day. I was more disappointed about that than the fact that I was sick, LOL.
  • While we are on the subject of work, I need to make a plan for the upcoming year. I know that everyone is very happy about the way I do my job but slowly but surely I’m starting to feel more ambitious. I didn’t get the chance to explore different directions at my previous job so now that I have to opportunity, I want to take full advantage of it. I do find it scary, I admit. I always want to believe that doing the job will take you places but unfortunately it takes more than that. The only ‘negative’ feedback that I receive is that I’m too modest about my accomplishments. As a result people tend to overlook me. So that’s one of the things I will work on.
  • Why is decorating your house so much more difficult than getting dressed? It’s kind of the same idea right? I decided to order this lamp when H&M (successfully) lured me back onto their website with a 30% discount code. We have this vintage Scandinavian/modern design thing going on. It probably sounds more fancy that it actually is though. But that lamp should fit right in. Anyway, this month we will be living here for two years and the walls are still bare. I can’t seem to make up my mind. So that’s something I want to take care of this spring.
  • I need to exercise more often. I don’t work out in the gym anymore but that doesn’t mean I should live a sedentary lifestyle. So my Fitbit is back on my wrist reminding me every hour to take a short walk. Which is a great excuse to get away from behind my computer at work. It’s so easy to sit there for hours straight. My main goal is 10.000 steps everyday which is approximately 8 kilometres.
  • And finally, I’m compiling a list of maximum 5 things that I’m interested in buying this spring/summer. I’ve covered everything that I need in terms of clothing and accessories. So anything that I might buy is something that I covet and not necessarily need. By the way, as per request I’m working on a wardrobe overview of 2018.
happy new year
By On In Personal147 Comments

Time flies by, even when you’re not having a lot of fun… Happy New Year everyone! I hope everyone has had a few wonderful days with family and friends. Unfortunately I was not so lucky and I spent my Christmas and New Year’s Eve in my bed or on the couch with a nasty stomach flu. Story of my life, really. But I’m doing much better and look forward to start blogging again. It’s been a while due to all kinds of circumstances. Mostly because we lost some people in the second half of the year who were really important to us. So I had to push the pause button on this blog.

Thankfully, I also had some lovely experiences last year such as moving into our new house in March and starting my new job in April, in this house we were planning to add a granny house to rent, and to get the highest quality build, it was important for us to work with a designer to make our Granny Flat Designs become a reality. That was quite a stressful time but also very exciting. In the summer I met with Sovannary from Defarjenary. I realized once again how nice it is to be able to meet likeminded people through the internet (and my blog in particular).

I could have done better in the shopping department, to be honest. Let me know if you would like me to do an 2017 overview of my (favorite) purchases. My last purchase of the year was the A.P.C. striped t-shirt from my previous post that I found on sale with 30% off. I’ll be heading to London again this month and hope to try on that A.P.C. denim skirt that I also mentioned. But mostly of all, I hope to purchase Rihanna’s Fenty Stunna lipstick. I’ve heard so many good things about it. Any other products or stores that I need to check out while I’m there?

Thank you all for reading and for the lovely comments that I have received over the years. I really appreciate it. How was your holiday season?

 

on style and self-possession
By On In Style241 Comments

“If you strip away the stereotypes and contradictions about her, one of the fundamental qualities associated with the French girl is her sense of self-possession. She is entirely, unequivocally self-contained. She is focused on living her full life, following her own agenda and cultivating her actual self, rather than reinventing herself or pining away to be someone she’s not. Throughout her life, she invests herself in learning and experiencing, not to change who she is, but to become more fundamentally and more fully who she truly is.”

Entre Nous: A Woman’s Guide To Finding Her Inner French Girl

To be honest, I’m completely over those French girl stereotypes but when reading the excerpt above, it reminded me of Archana’s comment on my 5 piece French wardrobe overview post and more specifically the fact that I decided to wear a black jumpsuit instead of a white dress for my wedding: “But I cant help admire the ones who do what they desire.” This has always been something I take pride in: I refuse to give in to the pressure to be someone that I am not. Not only when it comes to style but also in everyday life. From a very young age I knew that it is impossible for everyone to like you and your actions or beliefs. So you might as well just be yourself, follow your own path and surround yourself with people who like and love you for who you truly are.

Style-wise I try to stay away from trends unless they fit my own individual style which is simple and fuss-free. As much as I would like to experiment at times, in the end I usually go back to my trusted uniform; jeans, a simple t-shirt / sweater and sneakers or ankle boots. Which is fine because I aim to build a wardrobe that is functional, timeless and a reflection of my personality. I know that some people consider this blog too intense in terms of shopping, planning etc. but I don’t think there is anything wrong with wanting to dissect your personal style and preferences. The better you get to know yourself, the easier it is to get dressed in the morning and to feel put together, which leaves more time for the things that are truly important in life.

Image: Knobbly Studio x Laurie Franck

daarboven-tumblr
By On In Personal3,494 Comments

It’s been a couple of weeks since my last update. Ever since I cut down on shopping – yes, even more than before – I feel like there’s simply not that much to tell. I still very much enjoy this blog and will continue to post but I don’t want it to solely focus on consumerism. That said, I don’t know what I should focus on as I won’t be doing much traveling (saving to buy a house) and while I personally have a great passion for art, I totally understand if you guys don’t. So instead of going outside and live life to the fullest while overthinking my blog, grandma here decided to pick up Tumblr. I’m still trying to figure it out but it seems like fun. I’m sure some of you guys are on Tumblr as well, so please share your page below so I can follow you and waste my precious time on yet another social media platform, haha.

Also, I know that some readers have a similar blog of their own and I’m wondering how you guys feel about consistently writing about (potential) purchases, outfits etc. I enjoy reading and writing about it but I don’t want to encourage unnecessary shopping.