Dress: H&M (see more of the dress here and here and disguised as skirt here)
Advice from a palm tree…
~ Soak up the sun
~ Stand tall & proud
~ Remember your roots
~ Drink plenty of water
~ Be content with your natural beauty
~ Enjoy the view
Three thankfulness tales
Skirt: Yes or No, Top: Tally Weijl, Ankle Boots: Stravers-Shoes, Bag: New-Yorker
“Slow down and enjoy life. It’s not only the scenery you miss by going too fast – you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.”
– Eddie Cantor
I am enjoying life to the fullest when you are reading this. I will either be on my way to Venice or already exploring the canals, small streets and Italian food, together with my husband. We have chosen to travel by train, because that is super relaxing and you are rewarded with stunning views of the alps and of Venice (the latter we have heard, not seen yet). On top of that: travelling by train is very sustainable.
You will probably remember that my husband surprised me with this romantic get-away on Valentine’s Day. Well, there is more to tell about how he came to that idea. He (or better said “I”) had some help from a rather unexpected source: a 12 year old pupil of mine…Read on to find out more!
Second-hand is trend and good for creativity and sustainability
Skirt (15 !!! years old): Steps, Top (3 years old): H&M, Necklace: a gift, Ankle Boots (new):Chigo
“We make the world we live in and shape our own environment.”
– Orison Swett Marden
Second-hand clothing is becoming increasingly popular, thanks to our full wardrobes and a growing awareness regarding sustainable consumption.
When you have followed my blog for a while, you will have noticed that most of my items aren’t new. I am not an overly big spender on clothes (please tell my husband this when you see him😉). That’s partly because I like what is in my wardrobe already, partly financially (I am a teacher remember) and partly for environmental reasons.
When you’re in for tips that boost both creativity and sustainability, please read on. I have found some simple steps to edit your (too) full wardrobe and have gathered some inspiring ideas to implement sustainable consumption in your life that is not about buying less clothes.
A try-out using accessories and using the word “try”
Jumper: Street One, Trousers: Tally Weijl, Boots: Unisa, Accessories: unknown (al items are pretty old…)
“Saying I’ll try really means I am not really committed.”
– Robin S. Sharma
In this blogpost I show you how I tried out 3 different accessories with the same jumper. Mind you: try out. That is something else than “try”. “Try out” means experimenting and drawing conclusions from it, whereas “try” means….yeah, what message does the word “try” actually bring across? Read on to find out…
A super snow shoe walk to boost body & brain
“Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far.”
– Thomas Jefferson
The same Friday that I published my blog post about hiding the Xmas extras we went for a super snow shoe walk. Not because I wanted to bring the “walk your talk” quite literally into practice, but because there was an abundance of freshly fallen snow and you should always take your chances when they present themselves, right?!
How to hide those Xmas extras…
Dress: Only, Boots: The Little Shoe Shop, Hat: H&M, Top: Tally Weijl, Necklace and Bag: ? (gifts from my mum)
“Walking Your Talk Is A Great Way To Motivate Yourself. No One Likes To Live A Lie. Be Honest With Yourself, And You Will Find The Motivation To Do What You Advise Others To Do.”
– Vince Poscente
I am a blogger who “walks her talks”. That means that I have enjoyed lots of yummy meals and cakes during the holidays and…tada…being 40+, this has had some effect on my beautiful belly! I can imagine that some of you may recognise this and that’s why I show you several stylish dresses and skirts that have this extra bonus of hiding your belly pretty well.
New Year: a new sweater & new year’s resolutions
Coat: Yes or No, Skirt: Esprit: Boots: Stravers Shoes, Sweater: H&M (new)
“What the New Year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the New Year.”
– Vern McLellan
In my case it is this new sweater to start with…I use it in this week’s blogpost as a way to explain why you should stick to only one New Year’s Resolution. The one that matters to you. The one that makes a difference. The one that will determine what the New Year brings to you.
I will also show you three different ways to style it, since all good things come in threes!
Looking back and looking forward with a thankful heart
Cardigan: Street One, Top: Yes or No, Jeans: H&M, Boots: Chigo, Sunnies: Cerjo, Necklace: ? (but very nice!)
My Christmas holidays are the perfect moment to relax and to reflect. This year I am in Switzerland during my holidays, enjoying the beauty this country has got to offer in winter. Lots of winter walks and skiing, followed by cosy evenings with my family or friends (see this previous blogpost).
The reward of resilience: 3 impressive and inspiring stories of 3 wonderful women
Skirt: H&M, Top: Yes or No, Shoes: Vans, Sunglasses (new): Cerjo
On the 11th of the 11ht at 11 hours it will be a century ago that WWI ended. This summer we visited Verdun, one of the most notorious battlefields. We walked through a beautiful and peaceful forest, which once was a terrible battlefield full of mud, explosives and hungry, wounded and dead soldiers. It was an eery feeling, knowing that in the grounds of this fairy-tale forest lay the remains of 80.000 soldiers…
I got the feeling that in this horrible war, few soldiers had the chance to decide whether they were going to be a victim or a winning warrior. They just had to fight.
In our daily lives we fortunately often have the choice: to fight or to give in, to give up. Two months ago a friend of mine posted an article on linkedin about the reward of resilience. It is so impressive and inspiring that I want to share her story here, along with a few others, to show you the power of persistence, the reward of resilience and that we, fortunately, have a choice: do we want to be a victim or a winning warrior?!
Fresh & Foul, Stone & Sand, Music & Maths: 3 inspirational stories for you!
After reading my own blogpost about the awesome autumn cakes I couldn’t resist baking one (again). Having lots of apples at home, I chose to bake the apple fudge cake. You only need two apples for the recipe, so I picked 2 good looking apples and started cutting them into pieces for my cake. The first one was absolutely fine, juicy and fresh. The second one however, one that was just as good looking as the first one, was bruised and mushy inside. That reminded me of a powerful metaphor. Since it has been a while that I have posted a story on my blog, I decided to do so this week. And because it has been so long, I have selected not 1, but 3 inspirational stories for you. Enjoy them!