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?