BLUE FLORALS & ZARA SALE FINDS

Having a capital city as small as the one we have in Luxembourg means that Christine and I are often very limited in places to shoot outfits whilst we are in the city centre. One of our favourite places to go is the Place Guillaume if there aren't too many people milling around. Another favourite is on the Rue de l'Eau. On this particularly sunny day we decided to wander down closer to the Montée de Clausen to shoot this outfit. The small square in front of the MNHA (Musée National d'Histoire et d'Art) also has a cute little cafe which Christine and I have yet to check out. We have a little list of places we have never been to in Luxembourg City but would like to try - including restaurants. We have already ticked off Brasserie LOL on rue Chimay, a couple of doors up from Golden Bean.

This top that I am wearing here was one that I found in Zara whilst in London a while back. I fell in love with the print as well as the blue and white combination of colours and how this top is semi-backless. The two bits of fabric at the back hang loosely which is great for those really, really hot days but not so great when there is a gust of wind! During the same shopping trip I also found this grey textured skater skirt and I of course had to pair the whole look with my favourite bag.

French coming soon... 

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SARDINIA SAILING PHOTO DIARY

It has certainly been a wee while since have spent time behind my laptop screen dedicating myself to fully to a blog post. I got back from an amazing trip in Sardinia a couple of days ago and it was so refreshing to not be thinking about uploading - hurray for scheduled posts and having an awesome best friend.

We set off from Portisco after getting our boat the previous night. I have to say the first day was really rough. We were all wearing our life jackets, holding on as the boat swayed whilst I utterly failed at holding onto my breakfast. That night the boys decided to stay in Porto Cervo which was not in the itinerary but we did get to catch the World Cup final whilst we had ice cream. After the first couple of rough days the weather became a lot better and our journeys smoother.

Each morning we would start off our day with a small breakfast and each time we set off I was so mesmerised by the views. I absolutely loved being out there on our own! One of my favourite days was when we sailed by Tavolara (check out this instavid). Later on we anchored near a fish farm where we  were promised dolphins haha. We took out the dinghy and, luckily enough, we spotted a pod of dolphins within minutes of motoring out! Two friends jumped in to see them under water and they went up to their faces. Okay, so, perhaps they were just a metre away, but how often do you get that close to wild dolphins! Two of us stayed in the dinghy and were able to see the dolphins swim directly below us. It was so surreal. Once all the other boats started to notice them I think they got a bit spooked because we didn't see much of them after that.

Another favourite moment of mine was when I slept under the stars. I had never done that before! And what better place than to do it on a boat in almost complete darkness? I just love staring up at the stars. It was such a beautiful night.

It was such an amazing trip and it was so great to hang out with old friends as well as make new ones. It was definitely a trip that I will never forget. I already miss these guys and being on the boat! If you ever get the chance to go on a sailing trip with friends do jump at the opportunity to do so. You will not regret it.

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Cela fait un bout de temps que je ne me suis pas installée devant l’écran de mon laptop à me concentrer sur un blogpost. Je viens de rentrer d’un séjour incroyable en Sardaigne, et il était vraiment reposant de ne pas penser à la necessité de télécharger des blogposts – grâce à des téléchargements préprogrammés et à une meilleure amie fantastique.

Nous avons quitté le port de Portisco après être montés la veille à bord du yacht. Je dois l’avouer, le premier jour la mer était très agitée. Nous avions tous mis nos gilets de sauvetage et nous sommes restés bien accrochés tandis que le bateau penchait d’un côté à l’autre. Malheureusement, je ne suis pas restée accrochée à ce que j’avais dans mon pauvre estomac! Le soir nous avons jeté l’ancre à Porto Cervo, qui ne faisait pas partie de notre itinéraire – mais nous avons mangé des glaces en regardant la finale de la Coupe du Monde. Après deux jours inconfortables, le temps s’est amélioré et notre progrès est devenu plus serein.

Nous avons commencé chaque jour avec un petit déjeuner léger, et chaque fois que nous avons pris le large j’étais émerveillée par les vues autour de moi. J’adorais être en pleine mer! Un jour – c’était vraiment un des meilleurs - nous avons navigué près de l’île de Tavolara (voir cet Instavid). Nous avons jeté l’ancre à côté d’une installation de pisciculture où l’on nous avait dit qu’il était possible de voir des dauphins. Nous avons lancé le canot en caoutchouc et après quelques minutes nous avons aperçu un groupe de dauphins. Deux d’entre nous ont plongé dans la mer pour regarder les dauphins sous l’eau. Curieux, les dauphins se sont approchés et les ont regardé de près. Eh bien, peut-être à une distance d’un mètre – mais c’est rare d’être si près d’un dauphin sauvage. Les deux autres qui sont restés à bord ont pu voir les dauphins qui passaient sous le canot. C’était une expérience surréaliste. Mais d’autres bateaux commençaient à arriver et les dauphins, peut-être effrayés, ont disparu.

Un autre moment que je n’oublierai jamais, c’était quand je dormais sous les étoiles. Je ne l’avais jamais fait auparavant! Il était formidable de dormir sur le pont d’un yacht dans une obscurité presque totale. J’aime vraiment regarder les étoiles. La nuit était superbe.

J’ai fait un voyage fantastique, et il était formidable de passer du temps avec de vieux amis et de nouer de nouvelles amitiés. Je n’oublierai jamais ce voyage. Mes coéquipiers et notre vie à bord me manquent déjà. Si vous avez la possibilité de partir en mer avec des amis, il faut saisir l’occasion. Vous ne le regretterez pas!

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SEVEN FAVOURITE INSTAGRAMS

When I first got my iPhone over a year ago and first downloaded Instagram I had no idea how obsessed I would become with it. It was an instantaneously accessible source of inspiration and pick-me-ups for when I was feeling like a bit of a glum bum. I have been meaning to do an Instagram favourites for so long but for the past year I continuously discovered new and lovely pages that it was a little challenging to pin-point a selection of favourites. I now follow over 500 people and so sometimes it can be difficult to see people's updates but there are a few that I find myself going back to on a regular basis. So, in no particular order.... 

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Il y a plus d’un an quand j’ai acheté mon iPhone et téléchargé Instagram pour la première fois, je ne pouvais pas imaginer à quel point je deviendrais obsédée par l’appli. Elle m’offre un accès instantané à des sources de motivation et à des remèdes contre les jours de cafard. Depuis un bon moment je voulais faire une liste de mes favoris, mais je continuais de découvrir de nouvelles pages exceptionnelles et je ne pouvais pas relever le défi d’en sélectionner mes préférées. Actuellement je "suis" plus de 500 personnes et quelquefois il m’est difficile de suivre leurs mises à jour, mais il y en a certaines qui m’attirent de façon régulière. Voici donc la liste (sans ordre particulier):

@emma_o

First up is Emma, whose Instagram I think I found from her liking a couple of my pictures. I absolutely love her minimalistic style, healthy food suggestions and of course her handsome little man Oscar who could melt anyone's heart. I was also featured on Mothrs, a website with a community of mothers supporting each other (read more about it here).

La première, c’est Emma. Je crois d’avoir trouvé sa page Instagram après qu’elle a liké certains de mes images. J’adore son style minimaliste, ses suggestions pour manger sainement et bien sûr Oscar, son petit bonhomme adorable. Emma et Oscar ont apparu sur Mothrs, site qui rassemble un groupe de mères qui s’entraident (pour en savoir plus, cliquez ici).

@blueberrypancake

This account is a new found love. Over the last 6 months, Christine and I have gradually developed an obsession with dachshunds, or sausy dogs as we like to call them. One day when I was going through "#sausagedogs" I found Amanda's page and instantly fell in love her colourful posts and her little four-legged friend, Leif. Come on, how cute is this photo? Or this?! I just cannot handle this cuteness overload. The 28-year-old from Toronto has been a vegetarian for the past 10 years or so and has recently switched to a vegan diet. For recipes, health tips, home decor, fashion and DIY, check out her blog here.

Je viens de découvrir cette page. Depuis six mois Christine et moi nous développons progressivement une fascination pour les teckels – nous les appelons les saucissons à pattes! Un jour je recherchais #sausagedogs et je suis tombée sur la page d’Amanda. Tout de suite je suis tombée amoureuse de ses posts vivaces et de Leif, son compagnon à quatre pattes. Comment tu peux résister à cette photo!? Ou à celle-ci!? Trop mignon!! Amanda, canadienne de 28 ans de Toronto, est végétarienne depuis dix ans et récemment elle a adopté une diète végane. Consultez son blog (ici) pour des recettes, la décoration intérieure, la mode et le bricolage.

@caleycb

I first met Caley back in my second last year of high school when she first moved to Luxembourg from Canada. It is crazy to think how long ago that was! Even though it makes me a little sad that we do not see each other as much as we could and should do, I am endlessly jealous of her city trips and globe trotting escapes. With photos documenting a lot of her trips, her Instagram page is hands down one of my favourites to go back to to cheer me up on a rainy day!

J’ai rencontré Caley à l’avant-dernière année du lycée quand elle a déménagé du Canada au Luxembourg. C’est fou de penser comment le temps s’est passé si vite! Je trouve un peu triste que nous ne nous sommes pas rencontrées autant que nous aurions pu – ou dû! – le faire, et je suis constamment envieuse de ses voyages un peu partout dans le monde. Elle affiche des photos de ses voyages sur Instagram; sa page est donc de loin une de mes pages préférées. Les jours de pluie, j’y vais pour me remonter le moral!

@iamkidpresident

So how many of you remember this Pep Talk video uploaded by SoulPancake on YouTube in January of last year? I remember when I first saw it, I cried. I was going through a little bit of a dull few months with blogging, exams and life in general and watching this video made such a huge difference on the outlook I had on life. Robby (kidpresident) has such an incredibly infectious laugh (as you can hear here) and I cannot get enough of the goofy updates.

Vous vous souvenez de ce discours de motivation que SoulPancake a téléchargé sur YouTube en janvier de l’année dernière? J’ai pleuré quand je l’ai entendu, car je traversais une période difficile avec le blog, des examens et la vie en générale. Ce vidéo-clip a vraiment changé ma façon de voir la vie. Robby (kidpresident) a un rire incroyablement contagieux (écoutez ici), et je ne me lasse pas de regarder ses mises à jour bizarres.

@iamgalla

Adam, Adam, Adam... I had been reading Adam Gallagher's blog for so long and I remember his Instagram page was one of the first I followed. I absolutely loved Project Handsome which Adam ran on his blog that featured different well-dressed men talking about how they deal with the intolerance  towards handsomely dressed men and how they proceed forward "confidently, stylishly and handsomely." The Ryan Gosling of the blogosphere has impecable and exquisite style, and he can pull off a sleek tailored suit or a casual NYC walk-about outfit. I do love his gorgeous face, I shall let you know when I eventually meet this man, my future husband haha.

Je rêve d’Adam, Adam, Adam…. Je lisais le blog d’Adam Gallagher depuis toujours, et sa page Instagram était parmi les premières que je suivais. J’étais fascinée par le Project Handsome de son blog, où une série d’hommes élégants et bien habillés a raconté comment "faire face à l’intolérance envers les hommes habillés avec recherche et comment avancer avec confiance, avec brio et avec élégance". Ce Ryan Gosling de la blogosphère, au style impeccable et raffiné, peut porter un complet parfaitement ajusté ou bien une tenue décontractée à la new-yorkaise. J’adore la beauté de son visage - je vais vous le dire quand je rencontrerai ce bel homme, haha, mon futur mari!


@intothefold

I remember I found Camilla's blog thanks to Kristiana when her and I first met the half American/half Danish gal at one of my first ever blogger events (see here). The English is so wonderfully written and I cannot hesitate to agree with Kristiana whenever she says how it is one of the few blogs that actually entices the reader to actually read rather than simply glance over the visual content. See her blog here and do check out her Instagram for tummy-ticklingly witty captions and beautiful photos.

J’ai découvert le blog de Camilla grâce à Kristiana. Nous avons rencontré cette blogueuse, moitié américaine et moitié danoise, à un des premiers événements du monde du blogging auquel j’ai participé (voir ici). Elle a une maìtrise parfaite de l’anglais et je suis tout à fait d’accord avec Kristiana que son blog est un exemple rare d’un blog qu’il faut lire au lieu de regarder simplement les images. Vous pouvez trouver son blog ici, et n’oubliez pas de regarder sa page Instagram pour des captions hilarantes et des photos superbes.

@thenewclassic

Last but not least, we have Iggy Azalea. I become instantly obsessed with her song Work when the video first came out on YouTube in March last year. I fell in love with her even more when she posted this reaction video about going on tour with Beyoncé.

Dernier point, mais pas le moindre: je vous présente Iggy Azalea. Je me suis raffolée de sa chanson Work quand le clip est sorti l’année dernière sur YouTube, et je l’ai aimée encore plus quand elle a posté cette vidéo réaction au sujet d’une tournée avec Beyoncé.

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And that's it for now! Perhaps in a few months time I will have another batch of favourites but I am a creature of habit and so I find it quite difficult to regularly do favourites themed posts. I would love to know your favourite Instagram pages and please do leave the links below!

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ADC OUTFIT

After our hair treatment, my best pal and I decided to take some outfit pics in my favourite park (with the Cinquantenaire arch) just as the sun was going down on us. I am really missing this sunny and breezy weather in Brussels! I really hope that my last month will be filled with lovely outdoor lunches and after-no-work drinks haha.

Here I was wearing my Motel Savannah dress in rich cobalt blue with one of my favourite necklaces from Galibardy. I have mentioned this jewellery brand a couple of times on here before but I have no idea why they haven't exploded yet. I love their quirky designs! Especially this little takeaway coffee cup.

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Après notre visite au salon de coiffure je suis allée avec mon amie inséparable faire des photos de ma tenue à mon parc préféré (avec l’Arc du Cinquantenaire) au moment du coucher du soleil. Le climat ensoleillé et venteux de Bruxelles me manque terriblement. J’espère vivement que mon dernier mois là-bas sera rempli de jolis déjeuners al fresco et de moments de détente non-après-le-travail!

Ici je porte une robe Motel Savannah d’un bleu cobalt profond et un de mes colliers favoris de Galibardy. J’ai déjà fait mention ici de cette marque de bijouterie et je ne comprends vraiment pas pourquoi elle n’a pas encore décollé. J’adore ses créations originales, et surtout cette petite tasse à café à emporter.

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ATELIER DE COLORATION - CHRISTOPHE ROBIN

A while back Christine and I were invited to have hair treatments at Christophe Robin's Atelier de Coloration (Rue de Namur, 65a - 1000 Bruxelles) and as soon as we walked in we could not help but notice how incredibly warm, cosy and welcoming it felt. It did not feel like we were at hair salon, but at home in a quiet little serene bubble. We were introduced to the different products that we could have our hair treated with and we were both amazed to see a hair scrub, something which I had never come across before! I also love that none of his products contain parabens or silicone, that gives the impression of silky soft but really it is only masking it and because it coats the hair, silicone can prevent any penetration of oils or other nourishing treatments.

The Christophe Robin products also do not contain sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS or SLES - a cheap cleansing agent) which is a godsend because it has been proven as an irritant and may cause issues with sensitive scalps. I have also read that continuous use of shampoos containing SLS may lead to hair loss but I cannot for the life of me remember where I read this.

It was so lovely that there were also volumising products for fine hair which better suited Christine's hair type. I have never been much of a beauty person but with more questions and compliments (thank you by the way) coming in over Instagram and through comments here on the blog about my hair, I am slowly developing an interest in well-rounded hair-care. Discovering the Christophe Robin products was definitely the place to start! I was gifted a day cream for my hair at the end of our experience but I think I need go back and buy one of the hair scrubs because the products are absolutely divine. You can have a browse of his products here or check where they are sold here.

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Récemment on nous a invitées, Christine et moi, chez l’Atelier de Coloration Christophe Robin à Bruxelles (rue de Namur 65a, 1000 Bruxelles). Dès notre arrivée nous étions impressionnées par l’accueil chaleureux et le décor très cosy. Nous n’avions pas la sensation d’être dans un salon de coiffure mais d’être chez nous dans une ambiance calme et décontractée. On nous a montré les produits divers pour traiter les cheveux, et nous nous sommes émerveillées de retrouver un scrub lavant capillaire, produit que je n’avais jamais rencontré auparavant. J’aime aussi le fait qu’aucun produit Christophe Robin ne contient du silicone ou des parabens. Le silicone donne l’impression d’avoir des cheveux souples et soyeux, mais son effet est d’enrober les cheveux et d’empêcher la pénétration d’huiles ou d’autres soins nourissants.

En plus, les produits Christophe Robin ne contiennent pas de laurylsulfate de sodium (LSS), produit de nettoyage peu cher, qui est un irritant et peut causer des affections de la peau chez les personnes sensibles. J’ai lu quelque part que l’utilisation prolongée de shampooings qui contiennent le SLS peut entraîner une perte de cheveux – mais maintenant je ne me souviens plus où je l’ai lu!

C’était chouette qu’il y avait aussi des produits volumateurs pour les cheveux fins, plus adaptés aux cheveux de Christine. Je ne me suis jamais interessée excessivement aux produits pour les cheveux, mais à cause des questions et des compliments sur Instagram - un grand merci, d’ailleurs – et des remarques sur mes cheveux parmi les réactions à ce blog, je commence doucement à cultiver un intérêt pour des soins de cheveux complets. La découverte des produits Christophe Robin m’offre un bon départ. A la fin de notre visite on m’a donné en cadeau une crème de jour pour les cheveux, mais je veux y retourner acheter un des scrubs capillaires, qui sont Absolument Fabuleux. Vous pouvez regarder les produits Christophe Robin ici ou rechercher un point de vente ici.

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I SCREAM

When Christine and I met to take photos of this outfit it was such lovely weather outside that it even called for a cheeky ice cream to share - we felt a little too guilty having one each! It was actually a super chatty ice cream man that suggested we have a taste. It was refreshing enough but I had to tie up my hair because it was just too warm. I keep moaning about having to get my hair cut but I really do because having my hair up no longer feels like it is actually up. I have decided, though, that I will cut my hair in March of next year for reasons which will later be explained. A little clue: it will be around the time of RAG week at university.

French coming soon...

DAISY BABY

There are some days when my mind is just very blank, and it is during these days that I find it a little difficult to write up a blog post. I have been experiencing this quite a bit lately and I am pretty sure it has something to do with having finished my placement. Even though I like to think that I adapt quite well to new settings and find it relatively easy to settle in and make myself at home, I do not think I have realised just how much changing my environment has on me!

After 10 months of work I have become so used to sluggishly pulling myself out of bed, grabbing my breakfast and heading on out the door to take the metro to work, and getting off at Avenue Louise to be greeted by the humongous building that is the Palais de Justice.

You would think that this new found freedom, so to speak, would allow Christine and I to meet and shoot more often but as I mentioned in this post, Christine has started her new job! For which my reaction was indeed:

But it does also mean that  she is at work all day leaving us time to shoot at the weekend or after work, and then not leaving her much time to edit all the photos as well as simply relax after a day of sitting at a desk. I have no idea how we are going to manage things when I go back to England at the end of September but I am sure we will be able to find a new way to work - hurray for the Internet!

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French coming soon...

WIMBLEDON WHITES

With all this Wimbledon madness going on it seems only fitting that we put up an all-white look along with a pop of colour from this red Marc B clutch bag. A combo which reminds of the famous wimbledon season dessert: strawberries and cream. A sweet dish that always reminds me of the time my dad and I made the channel crossing by ferry for my first year of university. It is so crazy how time flies! I can still remember my first few weeks of settling in and now it has already been a week since I finished my ten-month york placement in Brussels.

I have mentioned here and there that I am in Scotland at the moment and if you are planning on takin a trip up north to this region remember to pack white/light-coloured and/or long sleeved clothing. There are midges everywhere. Another great thing to bring with you is Avon's Skin So Soft cream. Even though it was not intended on being a insect repellent, it seems to have an effect on the midges and keeps then away!

French coming soon...

BLUE ON BLUE

When I first bought this blazer I knew it would be one of those pieces that could go with anything. I have worn it to work over a crisp white shirt with some black trousers as well as with some super baggy jogging pants (see on Instagram here). The blazer can be quite dressy but it also looks awesome with ripped and raggedy looking denim shorts like these from Bershka. Here I would usually say "and to keep up with the casual look I am wearing my Dunlop velcro trainers..." but in reality I am actually wearing these trainers all day errrrday. I am so sad that they are getting so worn and torn. Hopefully they will survive some walking trips around the small village in Scotland that I am in right now. Yup, I'm in Scotland. I arrived on Sunday to watch my brother graduate with a masters on Monday morning, and now I am in the middle of nowhere where I am leaching off the WiFi of the cutest little cafe that the familam and I always come to. Heads up, sporadic blog posts may be expected.

Quand j'ai acheté ce blazer je savais tout de suite que je pourrais l'associer à n'importe quoi. Je l'ai mis pour le boulot, avec une chemise blanche impeccable et un pantalon noir, ou bien avec un pantalon de jogging large et déchiré de Bershka (voir sur Instagram, ici). Normalement, j'ajoute ici "et pour maintenir le look sportif je porte mes baskets à velcro Dunlop", mais je dois avouer que je les porte toujours, tous les jours. Malheureusement, elles deviennent usées, déchirées. J'espère qu'elles survivront aux promenades autour du petit village écossais où je me trouve actuellement. Eh bien oui, je suis en Ecosse. Je suis arrivée dimanche et le lendemain matin j'ai assisté à la cérémonie où mon frère a obtenu sa maîtrise en génie chimique. Et maintenant je suis perdue en pleine nature, où j'ai réussi à trouver un petit café pittoresque qui est l'endroit préféré de toute ma famille: le café a une connexion Internet gratuite! Mais attention - malgré la connexion mes blogposts seront peut-être moins fréquents.