Month: April 2014

Fashion

Big love for my mini bag

Image | Posted on by carlybe

Big love for my mini bag

My stepsister was kind enough to get me this mini kanken bag for my birthday. I don’t know what it is about these bags, but I’m a little obsessed. I love the colours they have to offer, and I think they are just the cutest accessory! I was really torn about whether I should go for a colour or a neutral, but ultimately, I leaned on the side of longevity and chose the neutral. These bags have quite a price tag attached to them, so I wanted something that would stand the test of time. If I had chosen a different one, I think I may have opted for one of the yellow bags they carry. I know the bag seems tiny, but it seriously fits everything my purse can. I can fit a scarf, my phone, wallet, keys, a book, a water bottle, and few snacks (never leave the house without that ;)) Im very happy with my new mini backpack, it is perfect for me because I am always on my bike. I would be keen to buy this bag in a different colour in future, but I think I would opt for the larger size for my next purchase! Check out their website, and see all of the great things Fjallraven has to offer 🙂

Travel

Dutch specialty

Image | Posted on by carlybe

Dutch specialty

If you are in the Netherlands during spring the tulip fields are a must see! You can either treat yourself to some fancy gardens, aka The Keukenhof, or you can hop in a car and go explore for yourself. My family and I opted for the second option, and it did not disappoint! We found a few different fields that were open and the farmers didn’t mind you coming in to take pictures. It is really incredible to see the tulips all perfect in lineups according to their colours. It is such a magical view. Even just seeing it from the road is beautiful, but it is much better to get up close and personal. My favourite type of tulips are the parrot tulips, they have a fusion of colour on them, rather than just solid colour. I would highly recommend purchasing some parrot tulips, they are really special. The Dutch have really mastered the art of tulip planting, try to catch the growing season if you are making a trip to the Netherlands!

Uncategorized

Quarter Century

Image | Posted on by carlybe

Quarter Century

I recently celebrated my 25th birthday, and I really couldn’t have asked for a better day! My sister was visiting Amsterdam, so I was lucky enough to have her at my party. I invited a few of my friends, and we went to a park near my house for a picnic. After that, we headed over to a small gin distillery that is inside of the park. It is the most beautiful spot! The distillery serves their product out of a gorgeous old house that overlooks a pond. I tried an apple infused jenever, and my friends went for the cherry version. Both were delicious! I can’t wait to return here on a sunny day, it is such a special place. If you want to hop by and take a look for yourself, head over to Flevopark!

Food and Drink

Egg innovation

Image | Posted on by carlybe

Egg innovation

Really, this isn’t much different than frying a couple eggs, but it does look much cuter 😉 I decided to be all Pintrest inspired and give these egg cups a try. Firstly, make sure you cut the peppers level, because I didn’t and the majority of the egg spilled out of one of the cups. I ended up just letting it cook and eating it separately, but still, it would have been nicer if it stayed in the pepper! I seasoned up the eggs and let them fry, but it took so long to cook the egg through. Soooo I got lazy and pulled them off the pan and let them finish in my toaster oven. I added a little cheese on top, just for extra deliciousness. They were tasty, but nothing exceptional haha. I think they are just meant to impress people. Regardless, it was nice to try, but I wouldn’t be rushing to recreate them.

Beauty

Brow success!

Image | Posted on by carlybe

Success!

I have been dancing around the idea of fixing my brows for a long time now. I finally decided that I would stop being lazy, and go check out some makeup options for revamping my brows. I won’t lie, I’m kinda obsessed. I know this sounds silly, but I had no idea how much your brows bring out your face. At first, I was concerned the colour was a little too dark for me, but then it completely grew on me. It was soo simple! the lady in the store sampled a medium brown tone powder on my brows, and it seriously did wonders. Im going to go back soon and look for a slightly cheaper version of what she sampled on me. The product she used was 30 euros, and I think thats a tad excessive. Im going to go experiment with some different products to see if I can recreate the same look. If you have any suggestions of what to try, feel free to let me know!

Uncategorized

On display

Image | Posted on by carlybe

On display

I didn’t bring a jewellery box with me to Amsterdam, so I have been storing all of my pieces in a few different pouches. A few days ago I decided Ive had enough! Everything was always tangled, and I could never find the pieces I wanted to wear. So, I went out and bought a cheap jewellery stand, and a little dish to store my rings. Seriously, the best 4 euros I have ever spent. Now I can easily see my options, and it makes all of my pieces look so pretty 🙂 My bracelets are still tucked away in a pouch because I couldn’t decide what I wanted to put them in, but for now, this is a good start!

Food and Drink

Looking for a change?

Image | Posted on by carlybe

Looking for a change?

Are you tired of toast or cereal in the morning? I have been eating toast with banana and peanut butter for what seems like years, and I’ve decided my life needs a change! This morning, I took out some ingredients from my pantry and decided to make something simple and delicious for breakfast. I ended up with four ingredient pancakes. I mixed about 3/4th of a cup of whole wheat flour with one very ripe mashed up banana, and added about 1/2 cup of a mixture of equal parts rice milk and water. I lightly mixed it together and threw them on a pan with some coconut oil. Just to add an extra boost of flavour, I made a sauce to go on top. I used a big spoon of natural peanut butter, and two big scoops of apple sauce, and voila! I had healthy, hearty, fresh pancakes in the morning. It was a much nicer way to start my day, and it didn’t take that much extra time 🙂 You don’t need a lot of ingredients, and the pancakes cook quite fast. They are a little flatter and chewier than normal pancakes, but they are still delicious, and filled with natural ingredients. Give it a try! I think you will appreciate a change in your breakfast routine.

Gimme Gimme Gimme

Posted on by carlybe

The sales are in the air here in Amsterdam. I floated into H&M and was delighted to find so many things still available in my size. I guess that is one of the plus sides to being so small in a country filled with tall people. I went full homing pigeon mode when I was there, and I picked up a few items within minutes that I knew I was going to keep. After trying them on, because everything in H&M is so hit or miss, I realized that I had scored big! None of the things that I bought cost me more than 15 euros, so that was quite refreshing on my budget, and I went home a happy camper. I purchased a black crop top with a sheer overlay, a white crop top in a silky material, and a black and navy striped crop top that has a sort of canvas feel to it. I guess you could say I went sorta themed with this excursion. In my mind, it is practically summer. So I think it is time to start crop top season 😉 I haven’t decided if I am going to keep the navy and black crop, so I didn’t take a photo of it, but here are my other two purchases…

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P.S, excuse the wrinkles, I have yet to wash it!