Tuesday 25 August 2009

Aurevoir Bruxelles



Forever changing skies & Great Food @ "Taste of Antwerp"



Walking my cute little doggy in the forest every day...



Even Brussels has big fashion names... and a sort of 'Arc de triomphe'


My holidays up north are over.... a month and a half passed by in a rush! Unbelievable that tonight I'll be back in Milan. But eventhough not very adventurous, Brussels was nice. The weather was amazingly good, got a reasonable fair tan, got some work done for my thesis, had the chance to get creative in the kitchen again, got closer to my parents, had majorly sister bonding, got to read a couple of good books, and got a new treatment for my voice....

All in all.... got renewed energy to kick it big time in the city of fashion for my last 3.5 months down south.

ps: I'll get to the city guides sooooon!!!

Saturday 22 August 2009

Jimmy Choo for H&M



Jimmy Choo for H&M! Pretty sure this ain't new news for lots of ppl but it is for me... and I must say I am THRILLED!!!!!! Because who doesn't want a pair of Jimmy's at a reasonable price?!

And yet again my wishlist is expanded... sigh...

Just another 84 sleeps and they'll be available worldwide!!!

Friday 21 August 2009

Favourite Models: Lara Stone

We all know Doutzen Kroes! One of the most successful Dutch models nowadays. But she's not the only Dutch beauty out there. The Dutch are marching up in the fashion world... And to give you an idea of whom I'm talking about I'll update you each week with a new Dutch beauty. And no, they're not all blond & blue eyed; but they are mega tall... 


Part 1: LARA STONE! 






French Vogue has already dedicated a whole issue on our national beauty last February. But she has also been the face of Calvin Klein jeans, H&M, Jill Sander, Max Mara and Givenchy, opened the Jean Paul Gaultier show, and closed Chanels show last season. And she'll be once more on the cover of the French Vogue next month... . Make sure to keep an eye on this model because it will not be the last that you have heard from her.




Wednesday 19 August 2009

Siblings Fashion part 1: DSquared for MAC!!!



Siblings in fashion is not a new phenomenon... On the contrary it has been quite a successful concept. My favourite designers come in pairs! And part 1 of the revelation of my favs is: DSquared!!! Dean & Dan, canadian twins came to Italy to seek success, and they have managed to get some for sure! Oh my god, their designs are just the right mix between casual chic & haute couture and a touch of rock glam. And they know how to put themselves out there. Not only is their store an exception between the stuck up stores on gloden square of Milan but they have managed to shake up the traditional runway. Putting models, gorgeous models, on the runway as if they were celebrities with a starbucks and a handful of magazines in their hands, is just briljant! I bet other designers wished they had come up with such a refreshing idea. Cos it makes the whole show and the clothes especially, a lot more 'real' to the public and will definitely result in great sales as people will feel the clothes are actually really ready to wear!




Not only have they produced an amazing collection this fall and winter, but the canadian twins are teaming up with MAC! MAC being my ultimate favourite make-up brand working with DSquared is just to good to be true cos my motto: "Once you go MAC, you don't go back...." and the new fall/winter look of the twins, must be a winning combo! I can't wait to go to the stores..


Saturday 15 August 2009

Another Quiet Moment...

I believe it is about time I share a little more about myself and especially about the title of this blog. 'A quiet moment' is as I mentioned in my very first post, a period that I'm going through at the moment. I lost my voice exactly four years ago and haven't recovered it completely ever since. At the time I was already living in Amsterdam for a year and enjoying the student life to the fullest. I got antibiotics and loads of other medications at first because they thought my vocal cords were inflamed. But once I was off the meds, my voice was gone again. A few doctors later, they decided to teach me how to speak again because wrong usage of the vocal cords could have been the cause. Loads of singers have this as well so I kinda felt cool and didn't mind explaining to people what I had, but six months later my voice still wasn't back. To give you an idea, I spoke really really low (just like when you have a terrible hangover after a crazy night), or with a squeek (when I actually was hangover) or I whispered. After a while I was known as 'the girl with the voice' among my student friends.

For two years I saw a dozen doctors at 5 different hospitals, whom all promised me : "I know what it is, and I will cure you!!!" But after a while I simply stopped believing them and I decided to just live my life and consider my voice as a handicap. I started to cope with the continuous comments from people on the streets who'd hear me 'speak' to friends, tramdrivers who'd ask if I'd had a rough night, bartenders who saw me as the ultimate party girl and the never ending explaining of what I 'had'. Because actually, I didn't have anything to explain since the doctors didn't know what I had. So I just told people that I indeed had had a rough night, or that I was simply ill, and I lived my life. Luckily my voice hasn't held me back from achieving my goals as I managed to get several bartending jobs, to become the secretary of my sorority, finish my Bachelor degree with an internship for a non-profit organization, and to get another internship at the marketing department of a Dutch fashion brand called Oilily which was during the last 6 months of 2008. Then I got in at the European School of Economics in Milan and started my master in Marketing. And again despite my voice I learned Italian in order to be able to get an internship which this time, I got at a tiny fashion PR company called Pink&Chic in Milan. I'm starting in September... exciting.

It was beginning of 2008 that I started treatment with a doctor in Brussels who also treated my mom, who has fybromyalgia. He did a bunch of blood tests and started treatment through trial and error. The end of 2008, my surroundings started noticing the difference in my voice and that it started getting better. Now another 6 months, many medications, vitamins, minerals and natural boosters, other bloodtests further, my doctor finally knows what I have. It still doesn't have a name-tag to it, but to keep a long story short, the loss of my voice was caused by a bacteria I caught on my travels to Ecuador. This little bug, although cured at the time, created such damage in my intestinal system that my body started making these toxins that ended up in my bloodstream. The toxicated blood then damaged the enzymes needed for vocal cords to be able to move smoothly and tadaaa, my voice stopped because the cords couldn't move smoothly anymore. Now he's trying to get these toxins out of my body and restore all the bacterial balance in order for my body to regain these enzymes needed for the elasticity in my voice. He too told me: "I know what you have and I will cure you!!", but this time, I believe him.

I am not losing faith nor hope that one day I will be able to speak again... Until then, I'm fighting my way to achieve my dreams within the fashion world, with or without voice, I will get there!

Tuesday 11 August 2009

Newest item on my wishlist...WILDFOX Couture


Just returned from an afternoon stralling in downtown Brussels....
Although my personal financial crisis prohibits me from purchasing anything new, it doesn't hurt to extend the wishlist with another item, or items now does it?! Where t-shirts used to be absent in my closet because I thought it didn't quite fit me well, nowadays I can't seem to stop myself being lured by the most simple clothing that exists. But surprisingly I keep wanting the expensive ones, with prints, studs, glitter and glamour... but the ultimate first that I need to find is a Wildfox Couture one with the roses. Awesome with my new high waist skirts, mean high heels and the boyfriend blazer! Can totally imagine myself wearing one....

Sunday 9 August 2009

Amsterdammed



Heya Party People,
I'm back from my holidays in Amsterdam... It was exhaustingly FUN!!! I got to see all my friends again from back when I was studying there. I haven't see them for almost 8 months, so you can imagine I didn't have time to work on my blog or anything. Together with my two best friends; the Julster and Stef to The Square were once again complete to put Amsterdam upside down.



GAY PARADE!!!
Gays do have more fun....

Me and my friends managed to get on a boat that day. We were on a boat with 40 people, lots of champagne, food and our own DJ and even a dude who played the saxophone. After the whole parade we went for a boat tour until 9pm dancing our little butts off and having the best time ever. Anything after that just didn't seem as much fun anymore so we headed home... amazing day!!











Other Highlights these ten days:
- having the terrible threesome back together again
- dinner with the fantastic four
- lunch with the Jonkortes
- coffee with my old roomie
- dinner with the best brother in the world
- coffee with my tallest friend ever
- dinner with the X who still has a special place in my heart
- hearing Italian in the park
- being recognized in the gym and them noticing my voice is a bit better
- drinking beers with E
- the attention on my new high heels
- working on my tan on the beach with the girls
- dinners @ Julster's
- Julster's cat not being scared of me anymore
- my new bright pink flower for in my hair
- finally buying my Boyfriend Blazer
- filling up my large collection of leggings
- spending without worrying
- having no more money in the end....
- being picked up by my big sis

Yeah these ten days were not the usual holidays of sun & sea, but I had a fabulous time in Amsterdam! Summer 2009 will not be forgotten anytime soon...