Outfitpost | HAPPY NEW YEAR!

In about 2 hours it's official.. Goodbye 2014 and hello 2015! It's weird how fast a year can go and but I'm actually happy to close this chapter and head into a new chapter (sounds cheesy, I know).
This year I've learned some new things about myself and how I want to become as a person and I think that a new year is a great start to gain a step closer to my goals.

Anyway, this outfit is not my NYE outfit, but just an outfit I wore two days back. It seems to fit NYE though. For a semi-formal gathering with friends and family. The flowy top is perfect for hiding that belly you just gained from Christmas and the silver boots gives the outfit that bit of spark that fits NYE. 

Thanks for putting up with me this year through this blog. I hope you had as much as fun as writing posts as you reading it.. May next year bring this blog to the next level and more for you to enjoy!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Lots of love,

xJ.

Top | COS
Pants | Pieces
Boots | Primark 

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3 Looks for 3 occasions | Christmas Celebrations

As promised here are my three outfits I wore around the festivities. This time of the year is always the most stressful time for dressing yourself. There's this dinner with those group of friends another with your family and so on. And all of those times you want to dress appropriately and that can take  time and some serious preparations. Here are three looks I used for different occasions. The first is a pre-Christmas gathering with friends at a fancy restaurant. The second look is one I used for the mass at church. And the third look is an outfit I wore to have lunch with some friends. I hope to have inspired you with these looks for the remainder of 2014 festivities!

 Click below to learn more about each look.

What's your favourite look?

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Merry Christmas, my dear dear readers!

xxx

GRWM | Fancy Christmas Dinner

My friends and I always gather around to celebrate christmas each year. And this year we decided to have a fancy dinner (by fancy, I really mean fancy..). We went to an Asian fusion with French cuisine restaurant to have a 5-course meal, which was more 8 courses if you asked me. Even though the check was a stab in my heart it was worth the money to spend the evening with friends. 

I wore this blue laced dress by Forever21, I have been eyeing this dress for a while but was still hesitating because it was originally priced 30euros, which isn't a lot for a dress but I wasn't sure if the dress would suit me. When it went on sale for 17euros, I immediately put in the online shopping bag, I guess when things go on sale, my previous doubts were gone. Fortunately it fits and I received the dress along with some other stuff just in time for dinner. I knew I could rely on the superb fast shipping time provided by Forever21. (I don't get paid for saying that) 

What are you doing around this festive times?

PS. I didn't have time to take pictures while I'm actually wearing the outfit, but I will do a three-festive-outfits-post I wore around the festivities. So stay tuned for more festive outfits.

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HOW TO | Rudolf the rednosed reindeer hairbun

Christmas is about having a jolly good time. And what better way to make people smile and have them feel the christmas spirit? This DIY/hair tutorial will show you how to transform your hair into a christmas reindeer and will make people smile guaranteed!

A friend of mine showed me a picture of this girl with a similar hairstyle and I thought it was such a cute hairstyle for a fun christmasbrunch with some friends and family.

This tutorial will take about 4 minutes to do tops. Click below to see the full tutorial.
Enjoy!

What do you think of this Christmassy hair tutorial? 

Would you dare to wear this?

x J.

GIFT GUIDE | Smartphone gadgets

It's that time of the year again.. Christmas songs on the radio, all kinds of decorations around the house and if you live in The Netherlands, you'd see 'oliebollen' stands on every corner of the streets. Oliebol is a Dutch/Belgian pastry, which taste a bit like a doughnut, made around new years eve. It's my guilty pleasure around this time of the year especially the ones filled with raisins.

This time of the year is not all about food, although it plays a huge part, it's also about giving.
Giving each other love and of course presents, lots and lots of present. Presents are definitely not only restricted to kids and youngsters, so here's my little Christmas gift guide for us supposedly 'adults' or try to act like one for that matter. These gifts are specifically for the smartphone.

Smartphone Virtual Reality Viewer by Dodocase

This is probably one of my favorite gift to receive myself (or I could just steal it from my brother), my inner geek for gadgets comes out with this. It's a kit to build a VR viewer out of cardboard after you download the app on your smartphone you can start using it right away. Put your phone in the viewer and enjoy the experience. I've played the one where you sit in a rollercoaster and you actually feel yourself moving with it. This kit costs 20 euros.

Selfie stick or selfie remote

This is probably the most used maybe even gained a 'negative' reputation word of this year (or was it last year?), but it still is very useful for those who like to take pictures while traveling or while they go somewhere. There are lots of selfie sticks around but those ones with bluetooth is definitely the best ones out there. Just sync and pair the stick with your phone and your good to go. I think this definitely would be useful in concerts where you want to film the performer, especially if your as short as me. You can get it almost everywhere online, but if you're in a hurry and in need of one right away, you can buy it at HEMA for 12 euros.

Sometimes you want to take a picture of yourself and your friends at a great distance, that's where the selfie remote comes in handy. You download the remote cam app and the camera responds to the sound the remote makes by pressing the button. The reach is not that big though, probably somewhere between 3 and 5 meters. You can buy this at HEMA as well for 10 euros.

That's my gift guide for this year. I hope to have helped you with finding the right gifts for your loved ones!

What do you think of these presents?

xJ.

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NEW IN | silver boots

Did I really just buy another boots? Yes I did and I'm not proud of it but as I was wandering around in Primark, this was the one item that I knew I had to have. I have always wanted to buy silver boots but didn't really want to spend a lot of money for it, since I don't really need new boots, so this from Primark for 22 euros is quite a steal. I love the zipper and the details of the brushed off colours. The silver zipper you see on the pictures is fake though, there's another 'blind' zipper on the other side. I got these in a size smaller, it falls a bit bigger because of the slight pointy nose.

The challenge now is, how am I goint to style these boots? I already have a couple ideas and I can't wait to show you guys.

What do you think of these boots?

x J.

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OOTD | Going all soft blue

I should probably stop wearing the same old fake leather jacket in this weather or start using a different leather jacket. But this one is just so easy to throw on and I like the length and the amount zilver hardware of it. Anyhow, I couldn't resist buying this soft blue sweater when I saw it on the sales rack at H&M. At first I wasn't really sure about the frizziness but it suits the model of the sweater and for the price of 15 euros I couldn't resist.

I'm heading out to a 'winter food truck festival' in Binckhorst, The Hague. So I hope this outfit can keep me warm. 

*Sorry for the bad quality pictures, I only had a phone to take it from

Soft blue sweater | H&M
Fake black leather | H&M
High waist jeans | H&M
Scarf | Promiss
Zip boots | Zara
Fedora | Forever21

What do you think of this outfit?

x J.

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PERSONAL | Cozy days in

It's getting colder by the minute and this weather is making me want to stay in to drink a cup of tea (or hot chocolate my guilty pleasure), wrapped in a blanket and get lost in another world. I love to read books and if you ask me to choose between shopping or reading a good book, I'd probably end up doing both at the same time (multitasking, yo). I totally see it happening. But since I only have limited space in my room and buying books is a pretty expensive hobby, I have been reading ebooks.

The latest book that got me totally hooked on is called 'A thousand pieces of you" by Claudia Gray. I just have to share this with you guys. It's the first book out of the 'Firebird' trilogy. This book is a good mixture between sci-fi and romance and since it's a young adult book, it's probably a bit immature for someone of my age.. but hey a good book is a good book. And boy.. Look at that cover?! How pretty is that?

Anyhow, this book is about a girl named Marguerite who is the daughter of two physicists, who created the firebird, which is a device that makes travelling between alternate dimensions possible. Read the full synopsis here. At first I was scared that the book was too complicated and too sci-fi'yi but ms. Gray executed this quite well by making the narrator (Marguerite) explain the finer details of the effects of the Firebird and make it actually really believable.We've all had that 'what if'-moment in life where you just wonder how your life would turn out to be. Another version of yourself living a different life because in that dimension you decided to study for that test instead of going to that party, how awesome is that? 

I personally don't really like reading sci-fi books but this was kinda cool. I can recommend this book to readers who loves the Hunger games trilogy and maybe even Twilight trilogy (I didn't like Twilight myself though).

I have to warn you though, the next book is expected in november 2015. So if you're excited about the trilogy like me, you're basically screwed by the longg wait.

What books can you recommend?

x J.

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NEW IN | the long journey in finding the perfect zipper-in-front boots

I've been obsessed by shoes with a zipper in front ever since I saw a pair at a vintage store in Antwerp a year ago. I regretted not buying it so much, that it kinda became a mission in life to find one. I've encountered a few in the last year, but I never felt 'right' with it. I think the first pair that really peaked my interest the same as the ones at that particular vintage store a year ago, are the ones from Monki the summer collection 2014. At that time, I was a bit unsure because of the price ( I was probably broke), so I thought I waited it out till the sale.. And of course it flew off the shelves quite quickly so it didn't even make it to the sales or me able to buy it. And there's a similar one currently available at Forever21, here, which I've bought online and decided to return it because I didn't like the chunkiness of it and the material was not something I was looking for.

This one tho.. I couldn't resist. I didn't even know Zara was selling them (I usually look at their lookbook) until I was visiting the shop in Amsterdam. It was something I knew I had to buy even though it cost more than I was willing to spend but I had the money and the shoes were there.. I couldn't resist. I bought a size smaller than I usually wear and it fits perfectly. 

What do you think of these boots?

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ootd | a day in Amsterdam

Today was supposedly a productive day where I would work on uni stuff, but as usual I grabbed any chance of procrastination, so when my sister asked if I wanted to come with her and my mom to Amsterdam, which is a 40minutes drive, I couldn't say no..

The weather outside was chilly but the sun managed to peek-a-boo every now and then, unfortunately the rain as well. That's when I decided to buy this fedora at Forever21 to keep my hair a bit dry, which was a real steal! Originally priced 13 euros down to 8euros. Don't know how long this discount will last, so grab one while you can! I'm wearing a comfy sweater which I'm obsessed with lately (I have it in another colour as well) and paired it with some tights and a skort, which you probably don't see clearly in the pictures. Fun fact about me, I don't like to bring a small bag with me when I'm shopping in a crowded city like Amsterdam. Call me paranoid but when I walk through a crowded street, I just assume that at least 55% of the people there are pickpockets. Blame the multiple times I got pick pocketed in the past and the feeling of anxiety and the thought of you bursting in tears in the middle of the street are just things you don't forget easily. By wearing small bags, you gain more risks of being pick pocketed. So this big leather/suede red bag is perfect for shopping in Amsterdam. I bought it in a stand at the WinterFair a while ago and can't seem to remember the name of the shop. I will come back to it when I remember. After doing some digging, I found the shop's name. It's from a Dutch online webshop Jumpings. I'm sorry to announce that they don't do international shipping..

Anyhow, we visited several stores and I bought a few things along the way that I can't wait to show you guys (will post about it in tomorrow's post). On top of it all, I get to eat at my favourite Thai, which made it a perfect ending of the day.

What do you think of my outfit?

hat | Forever 21
cowl sweater | Forever 21
jacket | H&M
skort | Primark
ankle boots | H&M
bag | unknown  Jumpings

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NEW IN | Costes soft pink coatigan

It was a bit of unexpected haul that day, but I was hanging out in the city and it was one of those days where you want/need to buy something but can't seem to like anything enough to spend the money. So when I saw this pink coat I was quite pleased especially since it's on sale and I have really been digging costes for a while now, so it was a no-brainer that I was going to buy it. There were two other colours available, a bit of a dirty light blue and a brownish grey one. I eventually got the soft pink one since I didn't own any pink coats before. The fabric is a mixture of polyester, wool and mohair, which gives it the hairy look to it. Don't be fooled though, the fabric seems warm and fluffy but it's quite the contrary. The texture is neither soft or rough, somewhat in the middle and it's quite thin. So you definitely need a warm vest underneath it, which makes the weather bearable. That's probably why they call it a 'coatigan' (I've learned a new term, yay). Despite that this coat doesn't really work as a winter coat, I couldn't leave it behind for 45 euros (originally

 90 euros). 

Pink coatigan | 90 euros 45 euros

What do you think of this coat?

x J.

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HOW TO | Layering for the winter

December first.. It means that it's officially winter now (for most of us) and what better way to spend your dark and cold days by wearing knits? 

Where I live it's quite hard to predict the weather (although lately it has been really cold). Sometimes it's enough if you just wear a knit and a thin jacket outside and other days it's like you need to wear two jackets. So today we're going to talk about layering, not just layering but layering for the winter.

But how can you add layers to your knit sweaters without looking like a Michelin man?

We start of with a base outfit, that is basically what you would wear if you don't want to catch pneumonia or catch a cold, in the winter (although it really depends on your high tolerance for cold weather). Then the number of layers is decided. Is it a mild winter day? Then a two layered outfit is enough to withstand the cold and run some errands. More layers means the colder the weather.

Click below for more details for each outfit.

HOW TO | DIY your old coat into a cape

So here's as promised the DIY for the cape.  All you really need is a sewing machine and a little bit of  patience. This DIY will probably cost you 2-4 hours if you're already familiar with sewing. But on top of it all, it's a really fun DIY to do if you have an old coat laying around and want to revamp your wardrobe without really spending money.

 I hope the tutorial can be followed and the pictures are clear enough.. Go on and do the tutorial. And if there are any questions feel free to ask them in the comments below!

What do you think of the DIY?

x J.

OOTD | Because you know I'm all about the capes

blouse H&M, jeans H&M, boots H&M, DIY coat (former H&M)

Wearing capes is perfect a true fall piece. And I've passed on this trend almost every year, because I thought that it wasn't for me. But lately I have been wanting to get one of my own, especially because my favourite style icons frequently wear one (see my Pinterest board). Unfortunately, most ones cost over 100 euros such as this one from Zara. I probably will invest in one later but at the moment am not capable (I'm just a poor poor student ). So while I was looking through capes I stumbled on a DIY by Lana at LanaRed. She used an old coat to make a cape out of it. I thought it was brilliant, such a cheap way and a way to reuse old items. As I was looking through my rack of coats, I remember putting away a coat I didn't want anymore but would be a perfect candidate for this project. Luckily I haven't been able to donate the stack of discarded clothes and could retrieve it. I tweaked the DIY of Lana a bit to my own liking and produced this coat. I'm quite pleased with the result, it only took me a few hours and didn't cost me any money. I will post the process of my DIY in another post soon.

What do you think of the look and my DIYed cape?

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