Update | cold days, hot sale

Hurray, I'm back! It's been quiet on the blog... When I started SASHIONBLOG in August 2015, I had the resolution to really blog regularly. I did quite a good job if I may say so at the start, haha, but now it almost seems like the New Year's resolution to go to the gym often... On the 1st of January, the gym is packed with people working out. On the 2nd day of the new year, a few people have already given up on their resolutions and a week later... Well, it's like new year didn't even happen.Resolutions are hard to keep up. So I didn't blog regularly. But in the end, what's more important: high quality content, or regular updates written with an "oh well I have to post SOMETHING..." state of mind? I guess we all know the answer to that.

An almost perfect vintage movie couple

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have already seen a sneak peek of this shoot. Rinske and I took these photos with selftimer on the day we turned in this red Aygo (featured in the pic) for a white Yaris. As far as I know, Rinske has been dreaming about this car for a long long time. I remember her talking about it when we just started dating, back in 2012. Years go by so fast!! This shoot started out as a joke, but I guess it ended up more serious than we at first thought. Getting rid of our old car may have been a bit more emotional than we wanted to admit. But hello, it's been our (mostly Rinske's) loyal mate for 8 years. Somehow I kind of forgot about this shoot - we did it about three months ago, hence the short sleeves and the freezing cold milkshakes. So, with "better late than never" in our minds... Let's take a look at the shoot!

Bye bye Spaceboy | David Bowie style

Most of you probably already noticed it in the news this morning, on social media or through friends / familiar faces. David Bowie passed away yesterday, after fighting cancer for a year and a half. To me, personally, this came as a shock. His twenty-fifth (his twenty. fifth.) studio album was launched on his 69th birthday only a couple of days ago and that same day it arrived at my home - I pre-ordered it, fan as I am, hehe. And I've had it on repeat ever since. I can barely believe the news is true. As a fashion blogger, I thought it would be nice to pay a tribute to my personal hero by giving you a round up of his - in my opinion - best style moments. Because just like his music, his style was ever changing, ever evolving.

Outfit | Something about sale shopping

Almost every piece of clothing I own was either bought in a second hand store or when it was on sale. There's just a few items for which I paid the full price. But hey, you gotta do something when you're a poor student with an addiction to new clothes. Thank God there's sale almost all year round these days.

Time flies when you're having fun - a recap of 2015

/br>They say time flies when you're having fun and oh em gee, how that is true. I woke up this morning and suddenly realised today is the day the Secret Santa Giveaway ends. As I'm typing this, the giveaway has ended and we're starting to gather all the names of people who joined our spectacle. We'll announce the winners soon, so if you've entered - stay tu-hu-huned, because magical things will happen soon. But back to business. This year has brought us a lot. It's brought us the sudden fame of Justin Bieber (who's going to his concert?!), a second child of Kim and Kanye (I'm still sad he isn't called Wild or South) and the realization that global warming is real. But what has it brought me? I decided to give you a small round up of the ten best things that happened to me in 2015 - small and big.

[closed] Secret Santa Giveaway | Have you already entered?

Merry Christmas everybody!!! I hope your day(s) will be filled with good people, good food, good drinks and maybe even some good presents. Enjoy these days to the fullest and be merry and bright! :DToday I wanted to remind you about the Secret Santa Giveaway I'm hosting this year, together with fellow bloggers Mira Tells and Ook Anna Doet Dingen. The three of us have created packages worth over €100, filled with the best stuff you can find on this very planet. For today I thought it would be fun to shine little light on the other packages, because you've probably (hopefully!) already seen my own package. In case you've missed it, click this link to check it out. And click the 'read more' button to see the other pacakges! ;)

Christmas | Gift wrapping inspiration (part two)

The past week has been all about last minute things. Last minute gift shopping, last minute outfit planning and last minute gift wrapping. Christmas is right around the corner and there's only a couple more days left until we're gathering with our families, eating way too much food, drinking way too much wine and opening way too many gifts. I've already showed you one gift wrapping inspiration post, but today I've got another one for you. This one is, in my opinion, much more Christmassy, with the ornaments, the trees and all the sparkles.

The best the kid's departments have got to offer right now

When it comes to shopping, I never really stick to 'just the women's department'. I love browsing through the men's department (the sweaters are amazing: an oversized look with a super soft inside), but I always stop at the kid's department as well. When I was young, I used to wear Hello Kitty t-shirts and Daisy Duck tops, but oh how the times have changed. Kids these days are super fashionable. I even see a kid now and then looking better than I do. I don't know if I'm particularly happy with that, but it does remind me to check out the kid's department more often. So that's why I browsed through the Mango, Zara, H&M and Bershka websites, to find the best items we all can wear as well!

Christmas | Gift wrapping inspiration

December is the most expensive month of the year. With Christmas and in the Netherlands also Sinterklaas, we've got to empty our wallets in order to buy the best gifts for our loved ones. When you don't have lots of money (poor poor students as many of us are), it can be quite hard to find those gifts.But have you ever thought about what happens after you finally find those gifts? Well, you'll have to wrap them. And I've never been quite good as gift wrapping. When I was younger, I used to hand the gifts over to my sister, so she could wrap them nicely. But since a couple of years, I've really learned to appreciate the art of gift wrapping. We've got many many washi tapes at home (as you might have noticed right here), so gift wrapping became more and more fun when our collection of washi tapes and labels grew.For today's post I decided to give you some inspiration for the gift wrapping of your Christmas presents. I'm showing you some classic, two to three toned wrappings. Have you ever knew you could create such beautiful gifts with, for example, plain white paper?

[closed] Secret Santa Giveaway | Win awesome stuff worth about €100

After months of planning, stressing and the greatest packages arriving at my home, I can now finally announce that the Secret Santa Giveaway is alive and kicking!!! Secret what?! Well, I've teamed up with two other bloggers to present you a surprisingly cool giveaway, where you can enter to have a chance on one of three cool packages filled with stuff, all worth about € 100!! How it works, you ask? And what's in that package of yours, then, you ask? Well, read along and get yourself mixed in the Secret Santa Magic!

This is what happens when I'm sick at home

Ohhhh those fall / winter days. The flu kicks in and before you know it, you're in bed for one day, with barely enough energy to get up and get your laptop to watch some tv shows on Netflix. As I don't have a Netflix account (I'm probably the only one in the world), I had to find something else to keep myself busy (I simply can't sleep for an entire day, as appealing as that might sound). I found that something else in online shopping. And before I knew it, I had a basket filled with clothing, shoes and accessories and the amount of money in that basket was afwul. So I decided to make some collages for you guys. This is the best Asos has got to offer right now. According to me, myself and I.

When you get to call a church your home

When it comes to interiors, I fancy quirky, crazy interiors. Something pretty, but with a twist. Can you imagine the joy I felt when I walked into a church, seeing a wedding being prepared and hearing someone talk about how he (temporarily) lives there? Just imagine it. Sven lives at the Metaalkathedraal (English: metal cathedral), a former church and metal factory. Nowadays it's used to host lots of different, cultural happenings at. And photographers, watch this: the Metaalkathedraal can be your next, gorgeous photoshoot location. And oh, don't get me started on the interior. As Sven told me all about the church and Abel Tattje, the owner, told me all about the interior, I couldn't help but gasp about all the pretty things I saw. Give. Me. Everything!

This is what happens when you let your girlfriend decide what youshould wear

Recently I've read about a million "my boyfriend / mother / cat dressed me for one week" posts. I love those posts. The outfits are awesome - sometimes awful, sometimes gorgeous, but always awesome in their own (horrible) way. As I don't have a boyfriend and my mother doesn't know my enitire closet by heart, I can't post an article like that. Or can I? I do have a girlfriend. And who says letting your girlfriend decide what you have to wear isn't as awesome (or horrible) as when you let your boyfriend decide?! So I told Rinske: "next week you'll be in charge of my outfits, ok?" So she asked: "Is this another blogging project of yours?" "Well yes, of course," I told her. And what she said then, should have scared me off right away. "So you'll really wear ANYTHING I say you'll have to wear? Like, outside?" I hesitated, but said yes. And so it happened: my girlfriend decided what I had to wear. For one week.

Homewear 2.0: feel pretty with the Cool Crib Collection

Move over onesies and snuggies! Slouching on the couch is amazing, but sometimes, looking pretty is just better. I seem to have caught a bad case of the winter blues (even though I tried everything to avoid them), so right now, I'm doing everything it takes to feel better again, get new energy and find new inspiration - as I really need that.

Dressing up is one of the things that helps me the most. Not just when going out, but also when staying in. Looking in the mirror and seeing myself in my ugliest sweatpants and sweater doesn't make me happy. Looking in the mirror and seeing myself in a pretty dress and a bathrobe with pretty lace details... Well, it just makes me happier. It's a bit of luxury, but in a very comfortable way.

A little while ago I visited the Are You Swedish? showroom. They gave me an amazingly large mug, and a notebook and after seeing the Mary J night dress and the Lil Kim bathrobe, I couldn't resist to get my hands on those items as well. The fabric was so soft and the lace details were so pretty... I needed them in my life. Slouching 2.0 was about to start: I was gonna fill the mug with tea or coffee, wear the items and feel pretty, sit down and write amazing ideas in my notebook. I was inspired by the Are You Swedish? Cool Crib Collection mindset:

Home is where dreams start. Where ambitions are born. Where businesses are dreamed up. Where BIG plans take their first babysteps. Where BOSSES dream. And then do. And then make it. Sky is the limit.

But then.... Winter blues kicked in. Bu-bye inspiration. But did I really want that? No. I've got ambitions. I don't want to stop creating stuff, whether it's blog posts, pictures or drawings (I really need to start drawing again). I want to create. So I slipped into this dress, put on the bathrobe, filled the mug with some much needed coffee and started brainstorming. #AYSSLCforSUCCES!

And that's where I am now. In my bathrobe, with the notebook (which unfortunately I totally forgot to put in the pictures. But you can still see it here and get your hands on one here!) and my laptop. Refinding my inspiration, drawing, making collages... And sometimes failing, but standing up again. I've got ambitions, I've got plans, I've got new energy. I'm finally kicking those winter blues out of my life!

I've made some new plans and I'm getting more and more excited. Today I've got a day full of meetings, one of which will take place at the Magna Plaza in Amsterdam, where Are You Swedish? just started a concept store. They also started one in Rotterdam, at Indie Brands, so I'll be sure to visit that store as well. And of course I'll take my camera and notebook. I bet I'll find some new inspiration!

What helps you when you're a bit down? Does dressing up help you as well, or do you have some other techniques? ;) Help each other out, haha! And how do you (re)find your inspiration?

Monday's Major Throwback

In the five years I've been blogging, I've posted lots of outfit pictures online. As I started this blog last August, I haven't really collected lots of outfits on this blog, so I thought it would be fun to do a throwback with some outfits I wore over the years 2011 - 2015. And of course I'm answering whether I would still wear these outfits. Let's go!





2011: my very first year of blogging
2011 was the year in which I loved bright pink jeans. I saw lots of bloggers wearing these jeans, so I just had to get myself a pair as well. I wore it about one time, took these pictures and later on decided they just weren't really my cup of tea. Oh and those short blazers aren't really me as well. They just don't suit me. I'd rather wear a long or oversized blazer!

YES to the outfit on the right! I love the bow tie, it's really cute. And those shorts are awesome. And the heels!! I still have them, but they're not as pretty anymore. I think I have to throw them out, but I just don't want to. Why? Just look at this picture. The heels are awesome! And thick, so they're not even that uncomfortable.



2012: the year in which I didn't post any fall / winter outfits
When going through my archives of 2012, I noticed that I didn't really post any fall / winter appropriate outfits. So that's why I chose these two summer outfits. I love both of them. The one with the playsuit is SO cute. I actually sold the heels and I'm thinking of selling the playsuit as well: it's quite short and I haven't worn it in two years. But when I see this outfit, I really want to keep it. What do you guys think?!

I love the other outfit as well. The pictures turned out great (thank you golden hour!) and the outfit is still one of my go-to outfits. Whenever I don't know what to wear, I throw on these floral pants and this perfect H&M top. And with adding my long boohoo.com blazer (keep reading), I make it entirely fall appropriate.



2013: The good year
Sooo this is what I call a good year! My outfits were on point, I could barely find one I don't like anymore, so I chose two top outfits. First the summer outfit, with a Pieces top with feather print, H&M shorts I've had for ages and these gorgeous Inkkas sneakers. I guess you could call these beauties the start of my sneaker addiction.

The fall outfit is perfect. I threw the coat out last year. I still loved it, but it was just torn apart. I wore it a lot, so it had holes all over the place. Too bad, because the color is gorgeous! I did sell these leather pants though: they didn't really fit me well as you can see in the pics. And I would probably wear a loose top with this outfit instead of this tight top. But furthermore: great outfit, if I may say so myself.



2014: Colorful hair, but not so colorful outfits
In 2014, I went for a more plain and simple style. All white, all black, all grey.. That's basically all I wore. I like the idea of all white for fall, with a pair of brown shoes. And the outfit on the right is on point as well. The sneakers give it just a hint of color, which I loved back then - and I still love it. I should wear these sneakers more often..

P.S. I was going for pink hair this year, but it was a lot of work to keep it pink (I had to use a color conditioner every two week to keep it pretty and shiny), so at the end of the year, I decided to go back to blonde. I guess you could say I've had a hell of a hair history, hehe.



(the first half of) 2015: fun shirts
The first half of 2015 was all about fun shirts. I started shopping at the men's department again and that gave me some pretty cute shirts. Like the Simpsons shirt, which I actually found at the boy's department. Turns out I can fit in the biggest boy's size quite good. Yay! Kid's departments are often filled with cute tops and sweaters with prints you won't find at the men's or women's department.

The other shirt is form the Hema x MOAM collaboration. The new collab collection will be out soon and I'm sure I'll try to hunt the newest Hema sausage shirt again. Dutch people will probably understand.

I'm a style schizophrenic
I guess you could say I'm definitely a style schizophrenic when you look at all of these outfits together. I do like seeing how my photography got better... And how some items I've had for ages will never grow old. Like these ones I showed you a little while ago, for example.

So. Do you really have a definite style?! And have you changed your hair this much as well? Or am I really just the only one who changes her hair every, say, half year?

Shopping | In the style of Balmain x H&M

Didn't get your hands on the items you wanted yesterday? Or didn't you save enough money for the collection? Or are you - just like me - a student with a chronically low budget? Stop crying! Today I've got a special treat for you: a shopping post in the style of the guest designer collection Balmain x H&M! So get your wallet and you heart ready: these awesome items might stop your heart for a minute. And after that, your wallet will probably be (more) empty (than it already was).

costes gilet €89,95 | h&m top €39,95 | invito boots €79,99 | accessorize earrings €15,90 | boohoo.com dress €36,77

h&m velvet pants €29,99 | c&a handbag €19,90 | forever21 boots €44,00 | h&m skirt €34,99 | new look belt €6,00 | accessorize ring €19,90 | river island earrings €17,00 | asos dress €70,59 | mango clutch €15,99 | river island backpack €33,00 | new look clutch €29,99

zara coat €99,95 | stradivarius necklace €9,95 | h&m dress €49,99 | new look boots €59,99

For this post, I selected some items that look a lot like the original Balmain x H&M items and I also selected some items that just got that Balmain feeling. Some baroque-like items, some velvet items, some sparkly items. The one that looks the most like a Balmain x H&M item is, to me, the Zara coat. Don't you think it looks a lot like the Balmain x H&M coat?!

When it comes to the items I love the most, I'd go for the River Island statement earrings. And the Accessorize earrings. I'd completely forgotten about Accessorize until I started searching for earrings like these. I guess I should take a look at their website / in their stores more often... They do have pretty things for sale!! I also really love the H&M turtleneck top. I've already got a similar top in sparkling blue, but a golden one would be a great addition to my collection!

If this post hasn't given you enough shopping inspiration, I'd definitely recommend you to keep an eye on the coming H&M collections. Their regular collection already has some great prices Balmain look-a-likes, but after the launch of the real deal, they usually get more guest designer inspired pieces. And considering the immense popularity of this Balmain x H&M Collection, there will probably be more items coming soon!

Did you get your hands on any of the items?! Or will you start shopping / wait for the coming H&M collection? ;)

A new store in town: conceptstore Collectiv.

I've got some exciting news for you!! There's a new concept store in town: Collectiv. At Collectiv., 20 creative entrepreneurs got together to sell their stuff. From bags to banners and from clothing to coffee... They sell (almost) everything. And today, the 4th of November, is their official opening party. And you're invited! So if you don't have any plans for tonight, get your sassy ass to The Hague to celebrate - and shop!























Collectiv. is a brand new conceptstore in the centre of The Hague. The store is a cacti valhalla, an interior design heaven, a great place for a piece of cake and coffee and an amazing spot to buy the newest addition to your closet. 20 different entrepreneurs make for a creative mixture of pretty and sometimes handmade objects.

The furniture of the store is done by multiple sotres. One of them is De Verbaasde Ree, a vintage furniture store, and another one is Meessie. Meesie sells industrial furniture and bell jars with pretty things like butterflies. Combine your new furniture with musthaves from Gekkiggeit (the best and most original quotes on plates and tiles), a lamp from Hangin' Lamps (vintage stuff turned into the coolest lamps), a hand-drawn print from Knäppa and lots of other stuff you'll find at Collectiv.!

Besides musthaves for your interior, you can also get yourself a new outfit. Cotton Candies sells the best sweaters (Dutchies might have spotted these sweaters in the soap opera Goede Tijden, Slechte Tijden) and buy your new jewellery at My Treasurehunt.

Getting enthusiastic? Imagine I haven't even told you about all of the entrepreneurs yet!! There's so much more to see at Collectiv., so you should definitely stop by when you're in the neighborhood. And after you're done shopping, you can sit down on a comfy couch and get yourself a coffee from Pop Up Espresso and a sweet treat from Sprinkles Bakery.

Tonight you're in for a great party, as it will be the official opening night of the store. So, do you prefer a nice weekday party?! I bet you do. You can browse the store as long as you want, while you're dancing and listening to the music of Dutch singer Tim Akkerman. So let's just round up everything you need to know:

Where to find Collectiv.
Collectiv.
Prinsestraat 5A
2513 CA, The Hague

And when's this opening party?!
Wednesday the 4th of November 2015
From 17:00 - 21:00
No invite / RSVP needed :)

Will you be there?!

We're gonna sip some tea like it's her birthday

Hurray! Hurray! Hurray! Today is my girlfriend's birthday! She just turned one year older and even though she doesn't really like that, I decided to celebrate with some cute edited pictures and another outfit of hers.

We shot these pics in Amsterdam a little while ago. On our way over there, I decided that that particular day should be her birthday gift. She gave me a day of shopping for my own birthday last July and I loved that gift, so I decided to give her the same (we both love shopping a lot). And seriously: it's the best gift ever! You should all show this to your boyfriend / girlfriend, because a day of shopping at someone else's expenses is the best gift ever!

grandma's skirt (definitely vintage) | h&m sweater | dolcis boots

Before we went shopping, we took some outfit pictures in a great scenery. We ended up parking our car in Amsterdam for €1,00 for the entire day (P+R is the best!) and used the public transport to get to the city center. We first went to the negen straatjes and on our way there, we saw this pretty spot. And since there was literally no one there, we took out our camera and started shooting these pics. And I edited the pictures on the very top of this post with Aillis, formerly known as Line Camera. They actually don't pay me to say I love the application and do some namedropping :)

What do you think of this outfit?! And do you have some other great gift ideas? I still need some ideas for next year - you really can't start brainstorming early enough.

REPORT | Swan Market Rotterdam

Last Sunday, I spent LOTS of money. I must admit I really wasn't planning on spending that much money. I just went to an amazing market in Rotterdam, to see how my girlfriend was doing on selling her home and handmade stuff. As I walked around the many different stands, I knew it was gonna be a hard day. But when I arrived at a vinyl stand, I was sold. And out of money. I bought two David Bowie albums, and later on I found the best lamp I've ever had.

To be honest: I never really liked the Swan Market. I thought it was just ok, but I was never a fan. But recently that vision has changed. Want to know why? And want to know more about that lamp I bought?





















The Swan Market was held at the Van Nelle Factory, one of the most prominent industrial monuments of the Netherlands (as Wikipedia told me). I spent the entire day staring my eyes out. The factory was gorgeous and all the stuff that was for sale... My oh my.

I visited the Swan Market a couple of times before and I wasn't really impressed back then. I just visited the market for a couple of hours, wandered around, looked at all the stands and then left. My opinion? "Boy, everybody sells the same and the prices are way too high." Especially for a never-not-broke student like me. But when Rinske started selling her stuff at the Swan Market, I started staying there to help and support for longer days. And that sure changed my vision.

When I used to stay for about two hours, I didn't really get to soak up the atmosphere. I was there just for me and for the stands, and that was all. But last weekend I found out that the atmosphere at the market is amazing. Even though a lot of people sell the same category of stuff, it's all different in it's own way. You can compare it with fashionblogs: nowadays, there are SO many fashionblogs. But every blog is different, because all the people behind them are different.

Many people sell postcards, illustrations or vintage stuff, but every stand has it's own signature. I'd definitely recommend you to go to this market, just to soak in all the creativity and talk with the sellers / entrepreneurs. They're all so passionate! When you're going to the Swan Market, I'd definitely recommend you to stay a bit longer. Grab a drink, walk another round... I bet you'll like it even more than you maybe already did!

So, that being said... I also wanted to tell you about the best lamp ever. I bought a camera lamp!!! You can already see it on the photos above and I've also shared it before on my Instagram page. I really love it: it's a camera on a tripod, but then turned into a lamp! I bought it at Mot Vintage. Be sure to check out their website, they sell amazing stuff (like some super cute mini school charts with cacti)!

Have you ever visited the Swan Market? And what was your opinion?!