Tuesday, October 27, 2015

RITUALS LOTUS SECRET SCENTED CANDLE

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Monday, October 26, 2015

10 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT ME

I hope you all had a wonderful Fall Break. Mine ended this morning when waving my boyfriend goodbye on this beautiful October morning. We woke up early because he had to drive all the way to Friesland. I have been a little absent over the course of the last week. I went on a city trip unexpectedly and I didn't wanna be working on my blog at the same time. But now I am back. And in full swing! I'm kicking off this week with a meaningful blog post. I want to encourage you to write down ten things you love about yourself. For some this might be challenging, for others not so much. But your life will be a much lovelier thing if you can learn to love yourself first. I already wrote down my list which you can read below. 

1. My angelic patience. I always have a listening ear and a shoulder to cry on. You don't see me mad or impatient.
2. The thick long hair I got from my mother. It means a lot to me. I use it as a way to express myself.
3. My endless positivity. Nothing will ruin my day. Simply because I won't let it and I choose to see the bright side of life.
4. My long nails. They are strong and healthy. It looks neat and taken care of.
5. The freckles in my face that double in number during the summer months. It is both cute and delicate looking.
6. My choice to live a vegetarian life at the age of ten. I am still so happy with this lifestyle.
7. Sense of humour. I am one of those people that laughs at her own jokes way too loud :)
8. Photography talent. I enjoy photography so much and I am hoping to become better at it every day so that maybe I can even turn it into my full time job.
9. The fact that I can entertain myself very well, I am never bored and am happy to be all by myself. I always need my alone time when I come home from a party, school or work.
10. My voice. I am no Christina Aguilera but I love to sing and I know how to put my feelings into the words.

Now it's your turn. Grab a piece of paper and write down ten things that come to mind. Come on, I know you can do it <3
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Wednesday, October 21, 2015

MY FAVORITE TV SERIES

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Monday, October 19, 2015

I LOVE ROCK - iPAD MINI CASE BY PURO

The other day I went grocery shopping with a friend. She had to run errands and we ended up at the drugstore for shampoo. While she was picking out her necessities, I walked through the aisles not looking for anything in particular. I wasn't even on the lookout for a new iPad case but when I grabbed this off the sheIf I was sold. My old case that I'd been using since the beginning had become a little smudgy. That's what happens when you're in to white-colored accessories. When I saw this studded model by Puro I could already imagine how great my Instagram pictures were gonna look! The crazy mind of a blogger girl...
 Through this video I found out that my iPad case belongs to the Puro ROCK Collection.  In Puro's own words: "A cascade of sparkling studs plays a starring role in this ROCK Collection, to give your device a definite and glamorous touch! Golden rhombus-shaped or silver dots-shaped studs by PURO are the ideal accessory for those who want to look like a star, without sacrificing the design and the maximum of protection."
I have to say I agree with the description given by Puro. It is a very on-trend case while being the shield your iPad needs. If you are like me, you take your device with you everywhere you go. I bring it to school, on the train, to grandma and when I go away from home for a couple of nights. It then just sits in my bag along with all my other belongings. I always try to place my iPad between two bigger objects so it is double secured.
This case has an elastic to make sure the flap stays put over the screen to protect your iPad mini from scratches. This flap has a little magnetic something built-in which makes your iPad go to sleep when you close it, and lit up when you open the case.
I really really like the way the studs look on the outside of the flap but I am afraid to see how short long they will last. My experience with glued-on studs is not so good. Especially when you use your iPad a lot and, like I said before, take it with you in a bag. But we will see how it goes and if the studs manage to exceed my expectations. Only time will tell!


I got my I Love ROCK Puro iPad case at Kruidvat for only €3,99 where it was originally sold for €15,99. What kind of tablet do you have? And how did you dress it up? ;-)
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Sunday, October 18, 2015

INSTAGRAM FOR YOUR PET

A lot of you may already know that I am the (co-)owner of three instagram accounts: respectively @marjoleinevelien @rakkerthecat and @maylowbc. The first is my personal account where I share lifestyle, fashion, food and travel photography complete with witty caption. I would love it if you'd follow me there! But today I wanna talk about the other two accounts. These are so called petstagram or instapet accounts and I'm sharing with you 10 tips and tricks on how to make your pet a popular instagram celebrity! It is not only fun to capture your animal and get tons of enthusiastic comments on your photos. There is more to it: You will be creating a timeline with amazing photos of your furry friends adventures.
My cat Rakker is a seven-year-old black and white European shorthair. Maylow is a three-year-old Border Collie. Maylow is officially not even my dog because he lives at Daniels house but I treat him like he is my own pup! And I know he loves me all the same. These two #petstagram accounts will be todays example on how to quickly make your pets Instagram account popular. I am not claiming to have super popular Instagram accounts but I do know how to get there and see results fast. Pet owners are naturally really proud of there pet. For me it makes perfect sense you want to have lots of followers on Instagram because you want everyone to see your amazing photography and be in touch with like-minded people. When you have an #instapet account, this also applies because you want the whole world to see how cute, funny, clever or freaky your dog, cat, horse, pig or chick is.
While it takes a lot of work to get thousands of followers, and your own goals might be different, I can tell you that Instagram gets a lot more fun when more people are following you! I have a few important things to say before we get into my tips and tricks for making your pets Instagram account a success.
  • Always make your pets state of mind your number one priority. You can do this by making sure your pet enjoys being your supermodel. I found that sometimes my dog and cat deliberately turn their heads the other way. I think it’s their way of saying: “Not now”. 
  • Don’t wake your pets for a shoot because animals are really fond of their sleep. Wait for the right time
  • We sometimes play dress up wiht Maylow. Don’t go overboard on this one. In the photo below you can see him during Halloween 2014. We made sure to give him compliments and treats for his good work. For Rakker there isn’t much dressing up because he just refuses, haha. And I respect that. Which is why I use props in his photos instead of items that touch him. I usually catch him in one of his famous lazy poses when he least expects it #candidcamera
  • Reward you pet for co-operating with you by giving him or her something you know will hit the spot. Rewards don't always have to be treats. For Rakker it is a good grooming session, Maylow enjoys playing with tennis balls!
So now that we've established some ground rules for making an Instagram account for your pet enjoyable for both you and your beloved furry friends, let's get into my 10 tips on how to quickly get popular on Instagram!
  1. Take good quality photos. This goes for any type of Instagram account because they simply get more likes. High quality photos are the number one thing to get insta-famous fast! However it's far better to post nothing than to post a bad photo. This doesn't mean you have to shoot with a DSLR. You can use your phones camera for taking good photos. Light and angle are key!
  2. Make your account public. I cannot stress this enough. People will want to see your photos before they decide to follow you. 
  3. Make a list of popular hashtags in Notes that match your pets breed and race. This way you can just copy+paste the hasthags with every photo you post
    #bordercollie #sheepdog #dogsofinstagram #instapet #happypaws etc...
    #catcorner #catworld #igcat #catsofig #cat #kitty etc...
  4. Follow similar accounts with more followers than you. Interact by letting them know you post the same type of photos and you look up to them. Just start by saying hello, add a nice compliment to your favorite photo on their account
  5. Speak in cat-chat or dog-slang. In other words: meows, yowls and other vocalizations will be your new conversation fillers
  6. Make fun of humans, this will definitely boost your pets Instagram account because humor is the second best thing to get people to follow your account
  7. Personification, give human qualities to your animal. For example, in this photo we pretend Maylow is reading the newspaper as if he were human
  8. Find something that makes your pet stand out from all the others. You can do this by zooming in on an aspect of your pets appearance or by taking a certain type of photos or maybe you can choose to only post black and white images. Or just let them play and you will have super spontaneous photos. The possibilities are endless!
  9. Post regularly. With Maylows account we try to post at least three times a week. But it would be better to post daily and even better to post twice a day! Your presence on Instagram shows your followers how active you are. If you don't post, your account is more likely to shrink than to grow
  10. It's important that you post the kind of photos that your target group wants to see. Interact with your followers to find out what they post and like
    I have a lot more tips for regular Instagram accounts so be on the look-out for upcoming posts regarding that topic. If you have other tips let me know in the comments below. Also be sure to let me know if any of your pets are on social media and don't forget to tell me their usernames so Rakker and Maylow can make new friends!
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Friday, October 16, 2015

GUESS OVERNIGHT BAG IN NUDE

 Let me introduce you to my favorite bag: the Overnight Tote by Guess in nude. I won't ever throw or give away this bag. It is so beautiful and moreover it has sentimental value as I got it from a special someone; my brother Stefan. He gave it to me as a 22nd birthday present in December 2013. I have to admit, there was a time when this beauty was put away in the dustbag but that was only because the handles looked and felt a little fragile and I was afraid it would break. Lesson learned: don't carry stuff around in your handbag that is too heavy.
 But I recently started wearing this bag again as it is quite big and really versatile. And its looks are awesome! Another thing that I really like is the fact that it is a faux leather model. Even though I'm not vegan but vegetarian, I do like to invest in quality items that are produced without hurting or killing animals. 
 The bag has some minor damages such as a few nips from scratching a wall. It really hurt, to see my baby's wounds for the first time. But there is a wise saying and it goes something along the lines of: you can see it's been lived in. Well not literally, obviously, but this bag has come with me to many occasions, formal and informal. And everytime I find how easy it is to combine this bag. There isn't one coat I own, this bag doesn't go well with. It's an allrounder. 
I remember picking out this bag in a store with my mother. The moment is still clear to me because we encountered it unexpectedly in a chic store we had never visited before. It was such a huge present to receive for my birthday and I am still really happy and thankful for it. 
 I am happy Guess has chosen to add a small tag instead of those huge ones that are kind of in your face. This is nice and subtly done.
I think the color is pretty special. We all know nude colored heels, but I don't often see bags in this color range. Downside is that you can see every little spot or scratch very clearly on the material. What is your favorite bag?
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Thursday, October 15, 2015

STARBUCKS WHITE RASPBERRY CHOCOLATE COOKIE (but better)

Okay, I'll admit it. Even though I'm not blue, I am a cookie monster. I was super disappointed to find out Starbucks was discontinuing my favorite cookie: the White Raspberry Chocolate Cookie you will be missed. I even complained about it on Twitter but to no avail. Starbucks stayed silent. So what better thing to do than to recreate (and exceed) this heavenly bite? I did so today and I am sharing the recipe with you now. It's super easy, just follow my steps and you'll be in for a treat!
What you will need for 15 cookies:
  • 200g all-purpose flour
  • 300g white chocolate
  • 140g dairy butter
  • 100g cup white sugar
  • 100g cup light brown sugar
  • 100g raspberries
  • a small bag of vanilla sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • a pinch of salt

What I always do before I start baking is putting everything I'm gonna need within reach. Here you can see all the ingredients. Make sure the dairy butter is at room temperature and if you're using frozen raspberries, those to! Take half of the chocolate and break it into tiny pieces. Cut those pieces into even smaller ones (1cm) that will mingle well in the dough. Mix flour, butter, sugar (all three kinds), salt, baking powder and egg until well blended.
Add chocolate pieces and raspberries to the dough and mix carefully. Leave a couple of raspberries to the side for garnish. You want the raspberries in the mixture to remain in tact for the biggest part. Knead the dough with your hands. Sprinkle flour on the surface and turn the cookie dough into a role of some 4 cm thick, then wrap it in cling film. Allow to rest at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. 

 Here is a cute picture of my cat I wanted to share. Whenever someone is in the kitchen, he always joins them. Sometimes he is hoping to catch falling crumbs, other times he just likes the company and watching the outside world go by. Today he did just that.
 Help. We're about to go in the oven!
Preheat oven to 180°C/360°F. The role I cut into 15 equal pieces and I pressed them flat like the cookie shape I desired. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cookies start to turn dark. 
Now that the cookies are out of the oven, they need a little time to cool down and get crispy. In the mean time, melt the rest of the chocolate a bain-marie. If you don't know what that is, it is a technique to cook delicate stuff or melting things such as butter or chocolate. Once the chocolate is fully melted, dip half of the cookie in it and push tiny pieces of raspberry in when the chocolate hasn't cooled down yet. Put the cookies in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. Et voilà!

Take that Starbucks! Ha. You should never have discontinued your best cookie because now I outdid YOU. PS. Starbucks, if you ever need a cookie taster/photographer/social media expert, I'm your girl!
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Wednesday, October 14, 2015

A BRACELET BALLET

I don't wear a lot of jewelry on a daily basis. There are two pieces I wear everyday. A silver ring that I got from my parents and a pair of subtle earrings that I pick out each morning. I sometimes add a nice watch and that's it. But there are days especially in Spring and Summer when I wear a lot of bright statement necklaces and bracelets. In these photos you can see my favorite arm candy all year 'round. I like beads, animal prints, gold, silver and tassels. Basically any type of bracelet! When it comes to jewelry I don't care about brands but I do have a preference for items from Costes, Sacha and H&M. Mainly because those stores are always on trend and not super expensive which means I can invite different pieces to my arm party each season!


My two trick to effortless but put together bracelet stacking? Match items that you wouldn't think of pairing at first! Don't be shy, you can definitely pair different colors, textures and sizes. But make sure there is only one eye-catcher, that gets supported by the other ones. 
The cute black bracelet holder is from Xenos but you can practically find a similar one in any store. 
How do you keep your bracelets organized?
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Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Turtleneck Dress | FALL FASHION PART II

 This look is one of my favorites during this time of year. I don't like wearing jeans all the time. Give me a pair of tights or leggings and I'm really happy. There is just something I like about dressing up feminine. It makes me feel good, gives me confidence. I got this turtleneck dress at Jane Norman a couple of weeks ago. It was on a hanger which didn't do it any justice. When I tried it on I was amazed by the fit. It is bodycon but not super tight. It brings you a Kim K vibe but more classy #nohateThe grey color makes the whole look super sophisticated and it's easily paired with different colors as you can see. This one was definitely going home with me! For this photoshoot I was looking for some nice stairs until I found this brick wall and thought the cement layers between the red bricks complemented the vertical pattern ànd color in my dress really well. The material of the dress is kind of thick so it'll keep you warm through winter. Turtlenecks make your hair look longer, which is a plus for me. And you can do all kinds of fun things with it. For example you can pair it with a statement necklace that will get all the attention because there is no skin showing. The turtleneck is also an excellent layering piece. You can add a cardigan or simple long tee with a high round neck. Fold the turtle neck neatly over to create a cool effect.
I would really like to hear some ideas from you. How can I pair this piece in multiple ways? Right now I'm headed to the gym in a less fashionable outfit, haha. But still I think my gym attire is quite on point. Would you like to see?

Are you into the turtleneck dress?
OUTFIT DETAILS
Turtleneck Dress| Jane Norman (here)
Tights| ZARA
Scarf | C&A (here)
Hat| H&M
Bracelet| J-Club
Black Boots| Van Haren
Bag | Paperchase (similar here)
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Monday, October 12, 2015

OUI OUI, PARIS!

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Sunday, October 11, 2015

UNE PARISIENNE NÉERLANDAIS

Une tenue Parisienne. Pardon my French ;-). But it is precisely what I'm showing you today: the outfit I chose to wear to NSMBL Une Fête Parisienne festival 2015. First things first, let me just say how much fun we had yesterday! I will definitely be uploading some more photos of the event itself this week. So stay tuned for that. 
Today I'm taking you with me on a journey of a French Dutch girl at the beginning of an alley leading to a beautiful manor house and its surrounding gardens.
I'm wearing a faux suede skirt and cream colored blouse from H&M. I wanted to wear polkadot tights to give the outfit more of a French feel. My Rieker black ankle boots were an easy choice because they are so comfy and go well with the rest of the look. My nude colored bag is from Accessorize and  even though it is small, it has multiple compartments so I can take everything that I need with me (not taking into account several purchased items and product filled goodiebag). I topped off the outfit with a white fur collar which is a fake, obviously. The combination of color and fabric makes me feel so chic!
 I love little black polkadots. So playful! Of course I had a ladder in mine at the end of the day. I felt it creeping up along my leg like an insect, ew! So the one displayed in the pictures is in the bin now. It was good knowing you for this one day, ephemera!
A closer look at the details. Pink nailpolish for the win! I also found out something about myself. I almost never wear golden jewelry except for this white watch which has some golden detailing. Usually I go for silver jewelry because it looks better on my skin. Do you have a preference?
Even thought the sun is shining in these photos it was a pretty chilly day. I put on a black beret to protect myself from the cold. And berets are typically French, right? Win-win! So the fun thing is that I actually got my father to show me the right way to rock a beret. He knows this from his time in the army where he had to wear a bordeaux beret all the time. Who knew you could get some serious well-grounded fashion advice from your good old man? :-)
Ps. the photographer of these pictures was my mom (merci beaucoup!). She did such a good job don't you agree?
What did you wear this weekend? Une très belle soirée!
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Saturday, October 10, 2015

WHITE SALON TABLE

Some of you may have already spotted this new acquisition of mine in yesterdays post. My mom and I were at the local thrift store handing in clothes, books and bags that we no longer used. The moment we went back to the car to go home she asked me: do you want to take a look inside the store? So we parked the car and walked inside unsuspectingly of the rough diamond gem they had in store for us. We blinked our eyes in astonishment when we got to the furniture department. There it stood, among ugly old junk which made it really stand out: a wooden salon table painted in white with the most beautifully crafted legs #futurehousetreasure!
It wasn't a hard decision. Even though I had just cleared out my room to create more space, I knew I couldn't let this opportunity go to waste. But of course I didn't have any money on me. My mother offered to buy me the table as a gift for me and Daniel. Thank you mom, so sweet!
 As this post goes online, I'm on a train to Amsterdam with coffee and my friend (again). On the table I placed all the accessories that put me in the mood for this Parisian themed day. A postcard, candles, Ladurée bag, pink rose, jewelry and faux fur. I listened to Carla Bruni and put on my best outfit which you can see in tomorrows outfit post. Do you like the accessories I stalled out?
You should really give Tina Dico's song 'Sacre Coeur' a go. So beautiful! And totally Paris-worthy.
 I also really like the fact that this table has a hidden drawer. So I can put away some things to prevent the table from becoming a mess.
What do you think of white furniture? I personally love it. It gives such a clean, bright and airy feel to any room!
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