VIDEO | VLOG #2 Visiting Maokong, Taipei

Finally it's here! a second vlog! This vlog should've been online about two weeks ago, but due to some 'technical' difficulties (my laptop wouldn't recognise my phone) it was delayed.

So two weeks ago I went to see Maokong in the Maokong gondola. The gondola is known for their transparent cabins, the crystal cabins. You'll be able to see below you while riding the gondola. So you have a great view of everything. Since it was nice weather, my friend Christina and I decided to go see this after having our morning coffee. It was such fun and I'd recommend it for those who are visiting Taipei to get a perfect view of the city. 

Enjoy this beautiful view with me in this vlog!

x J.

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PERSONAL | Having faith

This is going to be a post that is (maybe too) personal for me. I wrote this post two weeks ago but never posted it. I thought now that time has past and things are settling a bit, I'd share it with you.
It's something about having faith. Some of you may or may not know that I often go to church. Maybe not every week, but I still consider it often. When I go and pray, I pray for all sorts of things. I pray for my family and friends, for the people in need and so on. I often do a quick prayer as well, I must admit I sometimes do a quick prayer for a good grade because I didn't study enough before a test. When you're alone in a foreign country, living abroad especially in a country where they don't speak English and they don't use roman alphabet, you tend to feel lonely and that's where you turn to praying. In my case, I was in the church. I prayed for courage and strength. Courage not to be afraid to ask and talk to locals despite not knowing the language. Courage to be able to live alone. Especially, courage to believe in myself. Courage. Courage. Courage. I remember saying this word (in Dutch) over and over again in my prayer.

Later that day, I went home. I really didn't feel like doing anything. I just want to stay locked up in my room watch some Youtube and just stay inside till the next day despite the lovely weather outside. I didn't even feel like getting some food. Everything was just a bit overwhelming. I got exhausted of trying to figure things out on my own. I was on my laptop and I can't even remember why but I picked up my LonelyPlanet book of Taiwan. I was just skimming on it and then I stopped and read 'Taiwan Design Museum'. I immediately had this urge to go. I just had to leave my place, even though it was already 3PM and it closes at 6PM. I packed my bag, grab my camera and left. I was there within 45 minutes. The museum was okay. It wasn't so big and half of the exhibition was something I've already seen, so I was done within an hour but at least it gave me a bit of my energy back.

But it was that temporary exhibition of GQ that brought me back again. This exhibition wasn't part of the museum and was a building apart. I didn't know beforehand. As you may have already seen in the video. It was about dreaming big and who you want to be. It was very inspirational. There was this wall. It had all those weird buttons on it, about 20 or so. This girl explained to me (mind you in Chinese, I just nodded with my head as she showed me) that those are all different stamps. You have to pick one out of the 20 buttons without knowing what it is and stick a piece of paper in it. She gave me one paper. On the strip was written 'What do you need?'. I chose a button, put my paper in it and pressed on it. I didn't really think of much when I was doing this.

I pulled it out of the button and read 'courage'.

It could be just a coincidence or it could be something else, but at that moment nothing felt greater than reading that piece of paper. It could've been everything but it decided to be the one word I needed to hear. It was a reassurance I needed that I'm not alone on this and that it all will be okay. I can say now everything's brighter and a lot more fun! I kept the piece of courage in my daily planner as a reminder for myself that I am capable and everything is possible if you just have the courage.

click read more for the pictures

x J.

OOTD | From maxi dress to maxi skirt

I was soo frustrated when I took this series of pictures because the lighting sucks soo much in my current room. I have no natural lighting and can only depend on the ceiling lamp for my light. I also don't have a tripod, so I should probably invest in one. So I felt like dressing up the other day, because it was sunday. People around here wear flats or sneakers all the time, which sometimes made me feel pressured to do so as well, but I'm persistent to keep wearing the things I like and would wear back at home.  

So this skirt was actually a H&M dress which I DIYed into a skirt. I remember buying this dress with my friends and they couldn't understand why I liked it so much, they called it the 'soepjurk' which means the 'soupdress' because I was drowning in it. And while I was in that store my 'kinda' crush was passing by and stopped to say hi while I was holding my 'soepjurk'. I remembered seeing his 'disapproval' face while he looked at that dress. Which was kinda embarrassing, but I didn't care and bought it.  It was a maxi dress had long sleeves and was just not good for my height, but it was the print that I liked so much. After having it in my closet for probably 5 years unworn, I decided to make a maxi skirt out of it. I love it now, only if I did a better job at sewing it.. Now I have to wear it with this belt otherwise it will just come down.

Skirt | DIY H&M

Shirt | H&M

Belt | H&M
Heels | H&M

Jacket | Bershka

Look at that... H&M should seriously sponsor me haha

What do you think of this outfit? Have you ever had an embarrassing encounter

with a crush while shopping? 

x J.

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INTERIOR DESIGN | Micro-apartments!

I don't know if it's just me but I've always loved watching room/apartment tours videos, maybe because I've always fantasied of having my own living space. I would see home stuff and have to refrain myself from buying, because I don't have my own space. So this morning, I stumbled upon a tiny apartment tour on Youtube from this random video. And ever since that video, I've been hooked on Youtube looking at apartment tours. Not just your regular apartment tour but micro-apartment tours. I think it's just fascinating how much space you can create on a tiny area. It also makes me want to create my own tiny space to live in.. Unfortunately that will have to wait until I get a proper job.

So in the mean time, let's envy those people who have created such awesome spaces. Here are my favourites. The videos are quite long, but it's totally worth it!

Let me know in the comments if you're able to live in a tiny space.

OOTD | First week of school and being interviewed

Hey guys! So here's an outfit I took the other day. Casual but I like wearing my raincoat, so when I saw that the weather was gloomy and probably going to rain. I grabbed my chance!

Also. I just finished my first week of school and I've already learned a lot! I met some new people and got to write some Chinese characters. We do have a lot of homework everyday because I'm taking the intensive classes, which means 5 to 6 hours of homework, hence the tired faces I'm making. But it feels good to be studying again and the language is less intimidating now, I know some characters and can speak some Mandarin (even though it's really basic).

Also, I recently got interviewed by Astriela, who's a blogger for 'Netherlands Street Style' about my blog and what I think about Dutch fashion.You should check the blog out for great Dutch (fashion)bloggers and you can read the interview here.

Raincoat | RAINS

Blouse | Primark
Skinny Jeans | Bershka

Shoes | Nike Thea

Backpack | Fjallraven

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VIDEO | This is how I spent my weekend in Taipei

Here with another video, don't worry I'll be posting outfit pictures soon as well. But last weekend was filled with cultural activities, so you can imagine how much I filmed and I had to put in a video of course.

I visited three cultural attractions. First one is the 'National Palace Museum'. This museum was filled with all kinds of historic scriptures, ornaments and art from wayyy back. First let me give you my backstory. I know absolutely nothing about the history of Taiwan, which is shameful I know. So when I got there I was kinda lost. I was seeing all this old ornaments without really knowing what it's about and the museum was packed. And I mean really packed. There were probably 10 tour groups at a time. So walking around at your own pace was quite difficult. There was this area about an emperor ordering frenchmen to make copper plates which really blew my mind. You could watch a short (not really though it was about 45min and without sound) film about how art played an important role in eternalising accomplishments of emperors at that time. And how France was important to them. This suddenly made me realise how real this was. How much history everything had. So my time there was quite pleasant. 

Second thing was the Chiang Kai Sheik Shilin Residences. This place was packed as well. As the previous attraction, I didn't really know much about the place. I went there with a family whom I'm acquainted to (to make it short) and she told me several things about the place, which I guess is pretty important for Taiwanese people. We went to see the flower garden. It was supposedly the last weekend that they'll be exhibited. So we went there. The flowers weren't that spectaculair, but it's quite nice to see a bit of nature and green. I was more interested in the buildings and people there actually.

My favourite cultural activity, which you probably can guess already was the Songshan Cultural and Creative Park. It was a really last minute thing to go to. I was just browsing in my LonelyPlanet guidebook and after I saw it, I was at that place within 45 minutes (roughly). I went there with a purpose to visit the Taiwan Design Museum and (if I could make it) the Red Dot Museum. The museums were situated in an old tobacco factory, which made the inside kinda industrial and interesting. There was this Deutsch Design exhibit and European Design at the (International part) of the museum, which was fine but I've seen it quite often already. You could see some stuff for Braun and Alessi, nothing I haven't seen already. Which was a bummer but nothing I can do about. Other designs were interesting though. I don't know if I've missed anything, but I was done looking around after an hour, so I went outside and walked around the area a bit and saw this other exhibit by GQ. This was most definitely my favourite. It was interesting and inspiring. It reminded me a bit of the 'Kunsthal' at Rotterdam. It was about dreaming big and having the courage to do so. I didn't want it to be a long post, which it already is. But I wanted to expand on my experience of this particular exhibition in an other post.

I like the way the video turned out. I think this is more up in my alley than the vloggy type of videos. I'm just still so awkward on video. I'll learn in time though. Let me know what you think of the video in the comments below.

x J.

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GRWM + TALK | First week in Taipei

Say whaaattt? Another post? I thought it would be nice to sit down and talk to you guys a bit about my first impressions and findings in the first week in Taipei. So I filmed a Get Ready With Me video while blabbering about random stuff. Stuff about Taiwanese people, Food, MRT system and having a Chinese name. Not exactly how I wanted this video to be, but practice makes perfect right? Enjoy this video! And let me know your thoughts on this video in the comments below :)

x J.

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OOTD | Hello new pants!

Hi guys! I'm back with an outfit of the day! I'm slowly getting used to everything here in Taipei and starting to feel a bit more myself. My parents aren't here anymore so I'm by myself from now on, which means more time to take outfit pictures! I bought this uber cute pants on sale at Forever21 here in Taipei. it was 475NT which is approximately €13, such a deal! I decided to wear more patterns in my outfits and I think this is a good start. It's quite chilly in Taipei so I'm wearing my leather jacket today. I planned to walk around a bit around the neighbourhood and around my uni. 

What do you think of this outfit?

x J.

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Quick update | Taiwan winter essentials

I've been 'living' in Taipei for almost a week now and I say 'living' in between quotations because up until now it just feels like going on a holiday. In case you haven't seen my latest vlog, I was travelling to Taiwan with my parents. I'm 23 years old and my parents still worry over me, so that's why they wanted to join me for a few days first. I've been busy with arranging school, getting a bank account and getting a Taiwanese phone number. I've also been exploring the neighbourhood, the metro system and visited some night markets. In the next vlog I'll be talking to you about my first impressions and show you a bit of Taipei. In the upcoming days I'm a free agent and will be able to do this vlog!

But first. I thought it would be fun on my thoughts on how to dress for Taipei in the winter season.

The weather is nothing like in the Netherlands.. at least for what I'm experiencing at this moment. The weather in the afternoon is hot but still windy and sometimes even rainy.

So this Rains raincoat is perfect for the weather in Taipei. The material of this raincoat is light, so it doesn't get too hot but still manage to break the wind and shelter you from the rain. I'm so happy I got this eventually over the ones from Stutterheim which I was dying to have. Another thing I have been into lately is wearing a plain black cap. I just think it makes the outfit a tat more interesting and it will help me through the rain as well.

As I'll be going to school, this leather laptopbag is a musthave. I think the model is classic and timeless. I think it will suit with any outfit. I found this one from Burkely at marington.nl. They have other classic and timeless designs on the website. They are a bit pricey but for genuine quality leather it's okay to splurge sometimes.

Even though I know I can walk on my trusty ankleboots which I've been wearing non stop back in the Netherlands, it is so much better wearing sneakers around in Taipei. You'll be walking a lot even when you're planning to take the MRT, you'll find yourself walking more than you think. And it's so much easier when you have to take the stairs etc. 

Another thing you must have is a camera. You'd want to take pictures. There's always something interesting to capture on film. May it be the people, food (almost everytime it's the food) or just the streets of Taipei, you'll regret not taking it with you. I must admit I've been lazy to grab my camera when I see a great opportunity to do so, because I'm thinking myself I'll be here for a while, I can take the shot another time. But be honest, you won't do so till it's too late. Or the lightning or the moment isn't right anymore. So don't hesitate to take the shot! This is also a reminder for me.

What do you think of my musthaves?

x J.

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TAIWAN VLOG #1 | On my way to Taipei

I'm having some trouble with jet lag, which is a bad thing cause I have to be up early but a good thing since I can finish my first Taiwan vlog... Which isn't really about being in Taiwan but more about travelling to.

Couple of thoughts that went through my mind since I've arrived;

1. It's hot (I've been told that it's going to be cold, despite the weather forecasts)

2. Don't get run over by cars/bikes

3. Foodies!

4. I wish everyone just assume I can't speak Mandarin, so I won't have to embarrass myself first

5. How much is it in euros?

6. So cheap!

7. I wish I had a film crew

I'm now at my second night in Taipei and it still feels like I'm just on a holiday.

See you in the next vlog!

x J.

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OOTD | Last week before leaving

As I was curling my hair with a curling iron in sections, I decided to like this look. So I'm rocking the 'half up knot wavy like a surfer dude' hair. This is also my last week in the Netherlands for a while, so my schedule of meeting (mainly eating) with friends before leaving is quite tight but really nice to spend some time with them. I've been spending money as well on last minute stuff I think I need for in Taiwan. And I still need to pack.. Seriously I have been watching Youtube videos on how to pack, but still am not moving my ass. About my outfit, I felt like wearing black. To make it not too goth, I wore this electric blue jacket I got from the Calvin Klein sample sale. It makes the outfit look less boring.. I hope. That's it for now!

x J.

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PERSONAL | I am not a label

Usually I don't post about these kind of topics but I felt it was important to me enough to share it with you guys. Enough about that famous instagram model, who I've never heard about before she supposedly revealed social media secrets.. Talk about what really matters. I leave my thought about that matter in another post maybe. What I really want to talk about is this video I've stumbled upon on Facebook. You know when something just clicked. You just keep nodding your head because you completely agree with anything that's been said. This is what Prince Ea did to me with this video about 'labelling people'. It's something that's been bothering me a while.

I hate it when people have this prejudice against a certain label. Like when people ask me if I eat rice everyday because I'm Asian, I mean would that person be asking that if I was a caucasian? But what I hate the most are people who pity themselves for being a certain label. They feel offended for every criticism they get and blame it on their 'label'.  There was this interview about a new movie, the 'white' producer said to the 'black' interviewer that it was important to have a diverse cast for the movie but not necessarily in the crew. As you would've guessed. People were all going mad about what he had said. The interviewer responded with "Wow, ok", was clearly offended and people on twitter were already bashing on him. But if you listen closely and just let him explain a bit more, it's actually logical. You shouldn't base your crew upon racial diversity, but you should base it on skill. Who wouldn't want to have the best director or scriptwriter regardless of their race. The only thing that needs to be considered is to give everyone a chance to apply for the job.
People get so easily offended and are so touchy about their labels that it's sometimes hard to reason with them.

At first I couldn't put my annoyance into place. But after watching this, it suddenly was all clear to me. It's the labels! I hate being, using labels or even thinking in labels. It's hard not to do so, because we are already so used to it that it's almost impossible not to. Almost, which is why this message is so important. Labels won't go away within a decade, but as cheesy as it sounds, it all starts with changing yourself first. It won't be easy and probably something to easy forget. But try to remember before you judge someone, is it because of their own 'me' or is it because of their 'label'. Or just repeat this video over and over again so you'll be reminded. Seriously though this video is on point.

Imagine what great things will arise if we put labels behind us.

If there were no labels to hold us back. No label to define us.


What do you think of this message?


x J.

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PERSONAL | Final Countdown to Taiwan

Here's an update on my plans to go to Taiwan for 6 months. You can read more about why I'm leaving the Netherlands here. Now first thing's first. My plan to study abroad was really last minute. Usually people plan these things at least a year ahead. But as always I like to do things last minute.. And I arranged everything within approximately 2 months? And it's not like I've been on it full time, But it's definitely possible if you want to study abroad last minute. If you have enough saved up or have your parents (partly) support you financially.

I'll be taking classes at the Mandarin Training Center, which is like a special school for learning Mandarin provided by the National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU). I chose this school because it's one of the most well known ones and I've read some reviews about the courses. Not all reviews were positive but it's a risk you'll always be taking when you're studying abroad.  So after I applied for this school I needed to wait a month to receive the admission letter from the school through the post mail. A month, that means that I only had a month left to arrange all the other stuff because without this original letter I can not apply for my visa. And if I cannot apply for my visa, it's pretty much useless if I buy a planeticket and accommodation already and cannot enter the country. 

HAUL | CK sample sale

Just like at the beginning of the year, I went to the Calvin Klein Sample sale last week. This time there was no Karl Lagerfeld like the previous one but still okay. I had nothing in particular in my mind to buy but still managed to get some nice stuff. 

As I went inside I immediately went to the bags area, I've learned from the previous sample sale that bags are the most sought after and are more 'limited'. As I was there, nothing really caught my eye and was kinda disappointing, so I roamed around for jackets and other stuff. This electric blue summer jacket caught my eye. I'm currently obsessed with everything blue, especially dark blue. It's not something for the winter weather but it's still wearable for the fall weather, since it's made of this scuba material.

As I was walking around my sister called me and told me that they're restock the bags area with different bags every now and then. So I went back and basically guarded the racks. I had literally 10 bags in my hand but managed to cut them down to two bags. And I absolutely love these two bags I've found. It's not made from genuine leather so each bag was 30 euros. 

Lastly, I bought my first push up bra from Calvin and I must say I get the all the hype now. It is the best bra I've ever tried on. It feels so luxurious and it looks good on. It was only 13 euros and I'm so bummed out I didn't get more.

Overall it was a success. I didn't get like an overbearing load of stuff but I'm really happy of the stuff I did get!

What do you think of my haul?

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VIDEO | Dutch design week 15

About a week ago I went to the Dutch Design Week. Each year product designers, photographers, artists showcase their work at this event. The event is held throughout Eindhoven, a city known for technology and creativity, a week long. You can follow workshops and listen to lectures for all things design and future trends. I like to see other people's work and get inspired by it and just be around people who appreciate it as well. I was quite surprised seeing so many people strolling around. It made me also aware of how much I actually miss studying Industrial Design. 

Out of everything I've seen (Unfortunately I didn't get to see everything because of lack of time) my favourite product must be the 3D to 2D foldable chair by Jong Ha Choi a graduate of the Design Academy Eindhoven. It's so simple yet so brilliant. I didn't get to film the folding process but by folding the chair you can basically put the chair like a 2D picture on the wall. This means more chairs in smaller spaces. This boy is going places.

At an industrial building I found 'Shylights' by Studio Drift. It's probably the most amazing thing I've ever seen with my eyes. After seeing this video about Shylights, it made me love it even more. It almost brought me to tears when the lamp unfolded, no joke. I could seriously watch it over and over again. Like seriously every piece they make is a piece of art and has a story to tell.

I'm so bummed out I didn't get to see more stuff, it is also almost a 2 hour ride with the train so it's not that I can go and take off to Eindhoven. Next year I definitely have to plan 2 days for the event!



Do you like the video?

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STYLING | 3 steps with the lace up front top

It took me a while but here's how I style the lace up front top for a night out in the city look. I like the combination of a 'sexy' top with a boyfriend jeans. It makes the outfit look more effortless and comfortable which suits the city vibe well. You can never go wrong with a leather jacket (yes even in winter times) and ankle boots. 

What do you think of the outfit?

x J.

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PERSONAL & OOTD | Finding Marie Kondo

I have a lot of clothes. Not surprising really, my parents know that, my friends know that, my wallet definitely knows it and of course you guys probably know it as well with all the hauls I'm posting on the blog. But enough is enough. I've been feeling suffocated by the amount of clothes I own. And I've noticed that my wardrobe didn't make me happy anymore but just makes me confused and frustrated in the morning. As I'm getting older I also noticed the types of clothing I prefer and certain looks I want to achieve. I also want to achieve a more minimalistic lifestyle. It certainly doesn't help achieving it with having garments in my closet that I wore in high school. It will give me a clear vision for my style by detoxing my wardrobe.

So last sunday (my only day off) has been about decluttering my wardrobe. My intention is to do my wardrobe first and work on other stuff phase by phase. At this stage I'm quite pleased at the amount of boxes (read the plural noun) I'm getting rid off. I know a lot of bloggers and Youtubers are doing a capsule wardrobe or the project 333. Now I'm not going to follow that (all though I think it will be fun to do it for a month or so) because I know that it's not something right for me (maybe in the future). I like to have some choice in the morning but the main problem I have with my current wardrobe is that I feel that a lot of garments aren't "me" anymore. And just be smarter while shopping. A method I'm going to apply is the "Konmari" method complied by a Japanese woman named Marie Kondo. Now I haven't been able to read it (I'm going to asap) but I've watched a video made by Youtuber Lavendaire. She really explains the method well and really inspires me to do this as well. So now I'm done with procrastinating and just decluttering everything! Marie just has a really beautiful and metaphoric way to describe the steps she takes on how to say goodbye to your stuff. She sounds really delicate and such an inspiring woman. So I'm definitely going to purchase the book. It's called the "The life changing magic of tidying up". Wish me luck.
I've added the video of Lavendaire below. If you're interested go check it out!

The outfit I'm wearing is pretty basic and super casual since I wasn't planning on going anywhere but just tidying up

bomber | VILA
Jeans | Primark
Sneakers | Nike

x J.

HOW TO | Homemade Feel Good Tea!

At this time of the year where transition between the warm and cold weather is quite significant, especially in the Netherlands, it's quite easy to fall ill. Like having a cold, the flu or maybe you just feel less energized because of the cold and gloomy weather. Luckily for me, I've passed the cold a few weeks earlier and that's mainly because of this homemade tea!

I've learned to make this tea from my brother. I really don't know where he got it from or maybe he came up with the idea himself, but I thought I'd share this "Feelgood" tea with you guys! Because sharing is caring and it really helps me get through the colder days. 

The spices that are used for this tea are mint leaves, ginger, cinnamon, lime and honey.
I really like the combination of these spices and they're all beneficial for your health or if you feel ill! Mint leaves is good for your digestion and contains antioxidants as well.

Ginger helps clearing your sinuses if you have a cold and can give help you from nausea.

Cinnamon is loaded with antioxidants as well and may cut the risk of heart diseases amongst other health benefits.

What do you think of this recipe?
What is your remedy to endure the cold weather?

x J.

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NEW IN | Missguided lace-up front bodysuit

Ever since I saw this top on May from OhMayGod on her instagram, I knew I needed one as well. But since I'm quite busty I was quite concerned how it will look like on me.

It can go either way.. really trashy or just really fashionable. And a little detail of the design of the top can make it or break it. For example I don't really like this one from NastyGal  since it is a bit more revealing and the little rings make the top look more cheap. This one on the other hand from Nelly, I do like. The only thing is the pricing of that one. So I put on my detective glasses and went online searching for the perfect top/body for less. Since I didn't really know how you call this model I literally entered every term I could think of on Google to search for that particular model a lace-up front top, tied-up front, criss cross top, a 'lattice' (I've never hear of it before) and every variety of each term. The most common term used for this is probably the lace-up front, so if you want to Google it up then look for this term.

After some digging I came across with this lace up body from Missguided, the perfect bodysuit! I like that this is a body and has a ribbed texture to it. I still find 30 euros on the pricey side but since I've never ordered on Missguided before I used the new20 discount where I get 20% discount. I couldn't decide between black and white, so I got them both. There's no delivery costs to the Netherlands on orders above 60 euros, but since my order before the discount is above 60 euros I don't pay for delivery! In the end I had to pay 25 euros for each bodysuit.

I'm quite pleased with the quality and fitting of the body and can't wait to wear this out! But I'm still not comfortable wearing something so revealing.. So it's getting used to it. I'm planning to do a 'How to style' video on this, so keep an eye on the blog!

What do you think of this upcoming trend?

Would you wear it?

x J.

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PLOG | Little thing called regret

Today I went to Rotterdam to do high tea for my friend's birthday at 100m high. Which isn't really high compared to other buildings in countries like the States but here where almost everything is flat, it makes quite a nice view. I was quite surprised at the pastries we got, it was quite good for the price of €19 and was satisfied. It got more expensive though when we entered the Euromast, you have to pay €9,50 to enter the exhibit. The entrance fee made it not worthy (I'm a cheapskate). That's why I was so bummed out afterwards that I didn't film anything to at least make the most out of it. I forgot my camera because I was in a hurry and was already running late. I didn't think of filming on my phone at that time.. 

But things happen and I tend to get too hung up on that sort of things. Like I shouldn't have said that instead I should've.. Blablablaa. It's kind of frustrating that it keeps on running in your head and you can't really help it, so that's why you have to write this post at 2AM. And this is just another case of something called regret.

So the lesson I've learned today is to never forget to bring your camera.

Yes, even if it's going to the bathroom. (Just kidding..don't bring it inside, it makes people uncomfortable. Unless you use your phone as a camera..)

To make me feel better here are some pictures of today. 

Have you ever experienced something similar as well?

xJ.

OOTD | Such a rainy day

I've been wearing this shearling jeans jacket ever since I got it at Primark, especially since the weather is perfect for it. The only thing is that it isn't suitable for rain but there comes the Senz umbrella in hand. 

What do you think of this quick and easy outfit?

jacket | Primark
plaid shirt | Forever New
pants | Pieces

ankle boots | H&M

bag | Parfois

umbrella | Senz

NEW IN | Shearling jean jacket

Guess where this jacket is from.

To be honest I'm not ready to bring out the winter coats out of my closet. Since Fall/Autumn in The Netherlands usually is just cloudy most of the day with a hint of sun sometimes, it's not responsible to just put on a lightweight jacket. Usually I just wear a leather jacket and put on a scarf if it's get chilly outside but sometimes it's just nice to grab something and go.  

This jean jacket is perfect for this. The jacket is fully lined with this shearling fabric so it's still warm inside but doesn't look like a snowstorm is coming. I'm planning to replace the black leather jacket with this shearling jean jacket, because lately I've been wearing leather too many times.

The best part is that the jacket is from Primark! For only 23 euros. Did you guessed it correctly?

I was looking for a pair of pants (which I still need to buy) but came across this jack. 

Outfit will follow soon!

x J.

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VIDEO | What's in my backpack?

Yass another video for you guys. I'm on a roll! Today's video is a "What's in my backpack?" video. I've wanted to do this for a while but never really gotten into it. I hope you like the vid since it's a bit different than the usual but I like to be a bit unusual :). 

I've been searching for a nice backpack to replace my Fjallraven kanken one for some variety in my outfits. So it was such a coincidence when people from Marington asked me to do a productreview on one of the many bags they're selling. I came across this suede light grey backpack from MiPac and it's exactly what I was searching for! I was looking for a backpack to carry my stuff if I want to go work on my blog or some project elsewhere. One that I can wear without feeling like a highschool teenager (I'm referring to the times when I went to highschool myself, not to the kids nowadays looking much older than they are). This model is quite simple which I like and the light grey color makes any outfit look more clean. The suede material differentiate the backpack from other backpacks and makes it more expensive looking.

The only thing is that I like wearing backpacks that look like they've been worn for several years or that they've been through a firestorm. And this backpack is still a little bit stiff, so I need to break it in. I've been wearing this bag for several days now and so far it's getting less stiff which I'm happy about. I'll be showing you how I style this backpack in a future post soon!

Comments below on what you think of this video.

 Do you like this backpack?

Oh and don't forget to subscribe on my Youtube channel for more of these vids! 

Buy backpack here | Click here

Other interesting backpacks | Click here

X J.

OOTD | Heading to the city

When at least five people a day comment on your ripped jeans (not this jeans though) even though the holes are intentional and when you go to your part time job and someone (that someone being my brother) ask you not to wear teen clothes mentioning my ripped jeans, you know you need to buy some new pair of jeans. I've been looking in my closet but can't seem to find some regular skinny jeans, it might seem weird but somewhere between the ripped jeans trend my regular skinny's are disappearing. To be honest, I'm pretty much over the ripped jeans, it's getting a bit boring and winter is coming so it's not so practical. So I'm heading to the city to find me some good pair of skinny's.

Today's outfit is simple yet comfortable. I'm wearing my boyfriend jeans with an offshoulder top. I like to pair these jeans with some ankle boots or heels and this time I choose this fringed boot. I fell in love with it at first time while I was in Valencia. It's by the Italian brand 'Primadonna' and cost only 20 euros. I couldn't leave that behind!

Are you still on with the ripped jeans trend? How do you like this outfit?

Top | Primark

Cardigan | Primark

Jeans | Pull & Bear
Bag | Parfois
Boots | Primadonna

x J.

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VLOG #1 | Foodtruck Festival

Okay, bear with me guys.. So as you can see I made my very first vlog! Since I'm planning to go to Taiwan for a little while, I thought it would be nice to do some vlogs there because I'll have some free time there. To practice a bit, I decided to vlog yesterday. I went to the Foodtruck festival in my neighbourhood with some friends of mine. I seriously have my respect for those who frequently vlog! When I was editing I can't believe at how many weird faces I constantly was making.. It certainly makes you more conscious of how you look on a daily basis. Ah well, I'll get used to it and hope to improve each time.

The only thing I was still contemplating about is vlogging in English or Dutch? I decided to do my first vlog in Dutch since it will be easier for me to get used to first. But I'll still might switch up.. I don't know, what do you guys think?

So onto the vlog itself, I went to the Foodtruck Trek Festival yesterday with some friends of mine. It is the 3rd one I've attended (Yes, I like food way too much). It was such a pleasure for my tastebuds but not so for my wallet but we still had a lot of fun. The atmosphere was just so fun even though it rained for a bit.

So how do you like the vlog? Should I continue to vlog in Dutch or switch it up in English?

x J.

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WISH LIST | Stutterheim raincoats

pictures taken from Stutterheim

I'm obsessed with raincoats. Partly because of the rainy weather here in The Netherlands and partly because Kanye West is currently rocking them.. (*insert sarcastic laugh) I like that the basic raincoat usually is unisex and so practical, you can still it over your leather jacket and don't get wet.

The one I'm drooling over is by the Swedish brand 'Stutterheim'. They're handmade and made from oilcloth which makes the coat more sturdy. And because of this it comes with a painful, stab in the heart, a can't afford it, price. It starts from 225euros and go up to 400euros I think. My favorite one is the 'Stockholm' line which you can see on the pictures.

Now I need to find out if I can spare some money for this one here..

What do you think of the raincoat trend?

x J.

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PERSONAL | Real Talk

I thought I share with you a piece of my mind right now, what I've been going through and 'partly' the reason why I'm not so often blogging anymore. And maybe something people can relate to.

There's one point in your life that you either have already dealt with or probably going to in the (near) future (or maybe not for the lucky ones). I call it the quarter-life-crisis. I'm dealing with it right now. After I graduated from my bachelor's degree, I started thinking about what I wanted to do next. Usually you continue with the master's right after you graduate from you bachelors. At that point I started to question everything. I felt like I'm doing these things because it's what the rules are and what people expect me to do, but not something I know I want.

Something I can use to reach my goals.

But what are my goals? What do I want to achieve in my life? What's my passion?

I've been struggling with this my whole life maybe not as 'deep' as that but it's in the little things when I need to make decisions in my life, not life decisions but small stuff like what to choose from the menu or what shoes to wear. I've always been the hesitater. And it's become so far that I start doubting myself in everything I do. Another thing is that I like to do pretty much everything from sewing and designing clothes to setting up my own foodtruck. Combine both things and you get a hot mess alright. What you get is me telling 'I want to be an illustrator' one day and 'I want to design furniture' the other, without doing something really about it. Not going after it is probably the worst thing I can do, cause you definitely fail if you don't even try. But I still want to find something that I truly feel passionate about.

So how do I extinguish 'liking to do something' to 'following my passion' ? I've been reading this book by Po Bronson called "What should I do with my life?" (yeah how more accurate can it be?), it's a book full of stories about people who have faced the same question. One story stuck with me. Noah has been struggling with finding what he's passionate about. He had ten jobs in 8 years spread over six cities in four different states. He believes that everyone has a unique gift to give the world, so what's his? Where is his passion at? He asked this question to the author and the next thing the author said is something I find inspirational and something I can hold on to.

"Some people are born into their passions. Some never get them and don't care. But I think if you're really struggling to find it, it's almost certainly for a reason. I think the depth of your struggling, is the sign there's something there. Something in you that's trying to get out."

It's okay to not have everything figured out yet, but it's something I need to keep looking for. Try something else, do something new, meet new and interesting people.

So what now? I almost don't dare to say it, because then it's official and something I really have to go after. Okay, here it goes. I'm leaving for Taipei. As in Taiwan, as in a different continent, as in a different culture, as in a different language for at least three months (probably six months). For some it may be nothing really, but for me it's scary as hell. I've never really lived alone and never been far from my family and friends, so doing this is a big step for me and I believe that it will do me good. I'm planning to study Mandarin there beginning from December, but I'll have to be there mid November already. So a lot of stuff to arrange beforehand and I hope everything will go as planned. I'll still be posting here about fashion but I'll include my journey to Taiwan as well.

Have anyone of you struggled with this as well? And how did you deal with it?

x J.

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