Travel | Vienna's Fairytale

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I have to be honest with you guys, I'm tired.. tired of school, tired of deadlines, tired of doing the same thing every single day. 

I want to get out of this stressful period, and go on a trip. I want to relax and experience new things.

So, lately me and my boyfriend are thinking about going to Vienna this winter! 

*sigh*

Just thinking about going to Vienna and turning my thoughts away from all the homework and deadlines makes me tingle inside!

I want to experience all the beautiful and crazy architecture, like the Hundertwasserhaus...

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... and feel intellectual in the National Library. 

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I want to walk through its fairytale-like streets and alleys...

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... and be amazed by the greatness of St. Stephen's Cathedral and other churches.

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And ofcourse.. I want to shop!! I haven't been on a decent shopping spree in ages (sorry to my boyfriend hihi). 

Have you ever been in Vienna?

What did you like the most?

Have nice day today!

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Travel | Lovely Leiden

Happy sunday everybody!

I started going to university three years ago, which meant I had to move from a little town in the east of The Netherlands, to a city in the far far west. I moved to Leiden, and I instantly fell in love with it. So today I wanted to give you a little photo impression of this beautiful city. 

Windmill 'De valk' (The Falcon)

Oude Vest

Galgewater

De Rijn

Another view on 'De Valk' 

Oude Rijn

De Burcht

View on the Hooglandse Kerk

Just a nice view of the city

View on the city hall

View on the Nieuwstraat

Another view on the Hooglandse Kerk (I love it, it's so fairytale-ish)

The front of the city hall

Have you ever been to Leiden?

What is your favorite city?

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Review | Books ♡ October/November

Books have never played a big role in my life. I always find myself having troubles with choosing a book and when I finally do have a book, I sometimes just forget that I'm reading it, and when the story isn't exciting enough from the beginning I just put it away and leave it on a shelf to catch some dust.. 

BUT, a few weeks ago I thought to myself: "why just not start reading again" and I decided to pick up some books and this time I would keep reading even if the first five pages aren't that appealing. So let me give you a quick overview of what I have been reading since then. (Disclosure: I am in no way experienced in giving proper reviews so bear with me as I just let you know what I think.) 

KITCHEN - Banana Yoshimoto

"Kitchen is the story about Mikage, a young woman who is left without family after her grandmother's death. She moves in with a young man (whom she barely knows) and his transsexual mother. Death, loneliness and love are the main themes in this story, just as in Moonlight Shadow, the second story in this book." 

I bought this book for two main reasons which may seem a little stupid; 1) it's written by a Japanese (and because I'm studying Japanese it appealed to me), 2) it was dirt cheap, I got it for just €1,-. 

After reading it, I can't really say whether I like it or not. The book was really well written and easy to read, but it lacked something. Normally I like my books to build up to some kind of climax where all bits and pieces fall into place and everything becomes clear, but this book doesn't really have that. Especially the first story is more or less a description of Mikage's life without anything substantial happening. Fortunately, the second story does have a moment supreme, but I won't tell you because I don't want to spoil it! 

So I'd say that this book was easy to read, but I'm not sure if I would read anything more of Banana Yoshimoto. 

HAVEN OF OBEDIENCE - Marina Anderson 

"Twenty-something Londoner Natalie Bowen is envied by many, but her personal life is a disaster. Men can't cope with her career succes and Natalie thinks she'll never find real happiness. 

Then she hears about an exclusive weekend retreat called The Haven, a place that specialises in introducing people to pleasures they could never have imagined. Shocked at the idea, but unable to resist finding out more, Natalie decides it's time to put her fears behind her. 

Once at The Haven, Natalie meets the enigmatic and disciplined Simon, a man who is used to getting what he wants. And Natalie may very well have met her match..."

On the front of this book is a sticker that says: "Devoured Fifty Shades?" Well yess, I actually have! So I was super excited to read the book, but it turned out to be quite a disappointment. I got the feeling that miss Anderson just wanted to profit from 'Fifty Shades's' success. There was a lot of sex, and when I say a lot, I mean A LOT! Now, I don't mind the frequency, but the book just lacked sexual tension. The main character, Natalie, is forced to have sex with complete strangers.. and she does it.. without much hesitation. Err.. isn't that a little weird? In Fifty Shades fireworks were basically shooting from every page, the main characters were longing for each other so bad! But in this book? Hardly. 

Such a disappointment this book was.. :( 

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS - John Green

"Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten."

I bought this book because there was such a craze about it. After hearing so many positive things about both the book and the movie. I decided to buy it and give it a try. I haven't finished it yet, but my expectations are high! I also haven't seen the movie yet, so don't spoil it for me, please!! 

Until now I really like this book, I feel like Hazel has a similar character to mine and the way that Augustus is portrayed makes me smile a lot.
I can't wait to read more of it! But again, please people.. don't spoil it for me! :D

Do you have any suggestions on books I should read? 

Which books did you really like? 

I'd love to know!

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Personal | Anti-bucket list

People always seem to be talking about their bucket list, a list of actions they think they should do before they die!

BUT.. in my opinion there should also be something like the 'anti-bucket' list, things you hope you never have to do before you die. 

So for today I thought I could lay out some of the things which are on my anti-bucket list. 

I hope I will never...

1. Run out of tea (same goes for chocolate and candy)

2. Eat spiders and/or insects.

3. Eat a whole fish (the head & fins just creep me out!) 

4. Sit home without a job

5. Get an incurable disease

6. NOT go to Japan anymore
7. Not travel in general
8. Lose my beloved stuffed animal (I love you Loekie)
9. Be drunk (getting tipsy is okay, I guess)
10. Lose my lipbalm! (Oh god no!!)

Pfewww! That was it I think! It's not a lot..  I noticed it was much harder to come up with things I hope I'll never have to do rather than things I DO hope I'll ever do.

What's on your anti-bucket list?

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Personal | I suffer from...

Helloooo!!!

So today I decided to talk about something that has been a part of my entire life and since there was a little 'incident' the other day I decided to just put it out there..

I never really thought about it that much, but one time, when I had to make these official photos for my passport (you know.. the ones you can't smile in), I found something wasnt quite right in my picture, it looked like I just killed something or someone (or at least was planning to)...

So what's my problem?
I suffer from... bitchy restingface.
*sigh*

Wanna see it? Okay.. but trust me, I'm not as bitchy as I look! REALLY!

Brace yourself!

One... two..... THREE!!

WHAAA!!!

Yes folks, my face scares people away! or.. actually, it gives me unwanted attention.

My entire life people have been asking me why I look so mad, or have been telling me to smile from the other side of the room by using some sort of sign language.
I can't help it guys! This is just my face!

So anyway.. what happened the other day, you think? Let me tell you.
I was sitting in the train, with my boyfriend just minding my own business. The train just arrived at a station and this man walked by on the platform and for a split second our eyes met. I turned my eyes away fast but this man decided to stop, knock on the window and at first gave me a very angry look, but then he folded this face into this overly forced smile and made me do the same!
.....I was dumbfounded! I gave him a quick little smile and he replied with two thumbs up and just walked away!

uhm.. what just happened? Do I look that angry that this man had the uncontrollable urge to correct me?

Does this ever happen to you? Please tell me that I'm not the only one.

Bye xx

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Wishlist | Winter Wonder Land

Hi everybody!

Happy sunday! Hope you'll have an awesome one!

Even though Christmas is still a few a weeks away, I decided to set up a small winter wonderland wishlist! It has items which will make my winter super cosy and my house smell delish! 

So let's goooo!!

1. The Body Shop 'Red Musk' Eau de parfum. Normally I really like fresh and fruity fragrances, but since winter is coming I thought it would be nice to have a more spicier parfume. I already got to have a little sniff from this gorgeous perfume in the store, and I instantly fell in love! It smells super spicy and warm which is perfect for the winter. 

You can buy a bottle of 100 ml at the Bodyshop for €55,-  

2. LUSH 'Pearl Massagebar'. When I was shopping with my mom I found this massagebar at the LUSH store. The smell of roses... *sigh* I love it! It's perfect for giving yourself a moment of relaxation (or someone else!) I HAVE TO HAVE IT! 

It costs €10,95 for 50 grams. 

3. H&M Pile-lined Ragg Socks. I am a sucker for warm socks! During the winter my feet can get super cold, sometimes I can barely feel them. So these types of socks are my saviour! I already own four other pairs of these, but I just want more.. no I NEED more! They're perfect!

You can buy a pair of these socks at the H&M for €9.99

4. H&M Fleece Pyjama bottoms. I love love love the print of these pair of bottoms. It's so Christmassy! During the cold days you'll find me wearing comfy pyjama bottoms all day long! This pair of bottoms are great and the fleece will keep me nice and warm. 

You can buy one pair of pyjama bottoms for €9,99

5. HEMA fragrance sticks 'Oriental'. So.. to be honest, I already own these fragrance sticks and at the moment they are filling my bedroom with the delicious smells of orange, musk and roses. Hmm.. I love it! However, the perfume is almost entirely evaporated :( So I need to have new fragrance sticks!

A small bottle of perfume costs €5,-, you can also buy a bigger one for €11,-

6. 'Cranberry Ice' Yankee Candle. Lately I have seen and heard a lot about these Yankee candles, but I still don't have one for myself. So I decided that this one should be on my winter wishlist also. I figured that I'd like the 'cranberry ice' candle the most, since I've already had other types of cranberry scent candles and I really liked those. 

A large jar of 625 grams is going to cost me €26,30

I'm hoping so bad that some of these items will be in my possession this winter! 

What's on your winter wishlist? 

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Review | LUSH Turkish Delight & Popcorn Lip Scrub

Hi everybody!!

It is already November and it's getting colder and colder every day, which means that I'll be craving for long, hot showers even more than I already do. And what could be any better than to pamper myself with a delicious shower smoothie from LUSH! 

I present to you the 'Turkish Delight' shower smoothie. *Sigh*.. I love this smoothie so much! 

It's very soft, it just melts on your skin and the smell of more than a thousand rose petals will make you feel super fresh and clean. It'll even make your bathroom smell like a flowergarden, yummy!

I thought this product was quite pricey (€31,50 for 200 ml), but the smoothie is very thick and I only need a little to wash my entire body, so it'll last for a good while. Also, everything is made by hand, so ofcourse this will show in the amount of money they'll ask for it.
Even though this product is so delicious, I will not be using this every single day. I want it to be special and extra pampering on nights when I really need it. ;)

 As you can see it's quite thick and slightly pink, and yep, you can also see that I've already used it. Haha! When you buy it, it won't look this messy, I promise! 

Apart from the smoothie, I also decided to buy the Popcorn Lip Scrub. In the autumn and winter I tend to get very dry and chapped lips, and since I had never heard of it before (shame on me, I know!) I thought: "What the hell, I'll just try it". 

As this little container already makes very clear, it is a Popcorn Lip Scrub, and it actually tastes like popcorn. It contains sugar and salt to scrub your lips (so it both tastes salty and sweet, I don't mind licking it off my lips :)) and Jojoba oil and coconut oil to make them feel extra soft. 

This little fella cost me €9,65, which is also quite pricey for my taste, but .. ah well.. I just did it (I'm such a badass!). 

After I used it for the first time, I actually noticed that my lips were softer and that most of the dry, chapped skin was gone. I finished it off with a little lipbalm and my lips were ready to face the cold, dry weather again! YESS 

As a rookie in the world of LUSH I still have to try lots of products, so if you've got any suggestions, I would love to hear about them.

What is your favorite? 

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Tag | 25 questions tag!

Whoee my first tag guys! So much fun, at least.. I thought it would be fun! :) It's the 25 questions tag which will teach you some random facts about my life. 

Enjoy!

1. Do you have any pets? 

No unfortunately not, but I think I would really enjoy the presence of a cat or a dog though.. 

2. Name 3 things that are physically close to you at this moment.

A bowl of cereal, a pillow and the remote control.

3. What's the weather like right now?

I'm writing this early in the morning, so it's still a little foggy, but it's alright. I think it'll be a great day, and warm for this time of year too, around 17ºC.

4. Do you drive? If so have you crashed? 

Yes, I do drive and no, I haven't had a crash before. But a little while ago, I did get my first speeding ticket. First one in 4 years! Yes.. I'm proud haha!

5. What time did you wake up this morning?

At 7 a.m.

6. When was the last time you showered?

Last night at around 7 p.m. I like showering at night, it's my relaxing moment.

7. What was the last movie you saw?

I can't really remember, I'm not really a 'movie watcher'.. 

.

.

.

OH WAIT! I remember!

It was a really bad movie on tv.. 'Clueless'

8. What does your last text message say? 

I don't really write text messages anymore.. but I do use Whatsapp, and it says: "Ik wil ook!!!!" ("I also want some!")

My boyfriend told me he was eating chocolate.. of course I wanted some too!

9. What's your ringtone?

It's a really cute background tune from the anime 'Lucky Star'. I love that anime..

10. Have you ever been to a different country?

Yes.. Yes I have. I have been too Japan, Thailand, Laos, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Italy, England, Ireland, Norway & Finland. 

I love traveling!

11. Do you like sushi?

Yes, I like sushi sooo much! It's one of my favorite foods!

12. Where do you buy you groceries?

At the Albert Heijn.

13. Have you ever taken medication to help you fall asleep faster?
Yes, multiple times, but the last time was maybe a year ago.. maybe even longer. In my teenage years I had a lot of trouble falling asleep.

14. How many siblings do you have?

I have one younger sister and one younger brother. I love them both so much!!

15. Do you have a desktop computer or a laptop?

I own a brandnew ASUS laptop.

16. How old will you be turning on your next birthday?

I'll be turning 24!.. I'm getting old people! I should seriously consider starting anti-wrinkle cream or something.

17. Do you wear contacts or glasses?

None of them, I'm so lucky to own a pair of great-working eyes!

18. Do you color your hair?

Occasionally I do. As a matter of fact, I just colored it a few weeks ago.. I got tired of my own boring haircolor so I colored it to a deep brown color.

19. What are you planning to do today? 

Even though it's a sunday, I'm going to work today. I work at a shop where you can buy really cute and gorgeous accessories. I absolutely love working there, my collegues are the best, and some of the customers have the best stories to tell.

20. When was the last time you cried?

Uhm... I have no idea. I don't cry that much. It must have been a really long time ago.

21. What is your perfect pizza topping?

I don't really have a favorite, but as long as it has mozzarella in it I'm happy.

22. Which do you prefer? Hamburgers or cheeseburgers?

A little bit of both, but I think I like hamburgers the best.

23. Hav you ever had an all-nighter?

Noooo! Never! I'm physically not capable of doing an all-nighter. After around 8 p.m. I get really tired and I can't concentrate on anything. I'd rather get up at 5 a.m. and start working early. Yes.. I'm a morning person! :)

24. What is your eye color?

My eye color is a mixture of brown and green.

25. Can you taste the difference between Pepsi and Coke?

Oh yeah! I really do. I like Coke a lot better than Pepsi, Pepsi tastes.. fake? I don't know, I don't like it. Haha. 

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