Edinburgh photo diary

Hello there! I’m blogging from the beautiful historic city Edinburgh. As I already told, I’m going to be a delegate at the Model United Nations (MUN) which is held at the University of Edinburgh. Tomorrow is the official start of MUN, that’s why we had enough free time today to enjoy the city, eat at traditional scottisch places and for some sight seeing. Here’s the photo diary of my amazing first day in Edinburgh:

View from the plane, it looks so unreal!

The MUN girls at Calton Hill, where you have an amazing view! We’re actually with a really small group of 7, but they’re all so nice and it’s a lot of fun hanging around with the group!

A traditional tea party, which was very delicious as you can see – especially the caramel shortbread.

And I made some time for make-up shopping, I purchased some very nice products from MUA and Sleek: a highlighter, blush, mascara, two lipsticks and an eyeshadow stick.

Me and the girls standing at ‘Edinburgh’s disgrace’. It’s called a disgrace, because it was supposed to be the national monument, but they didn’t finish building it. I don’t think it’s a disgrace, it’s breathtaking!

Enjoying delicious chicken nachos at the University’s Library Bar. A very nice and cosy place to hang out and grab a bite or drink.

The first day in Edinburgh was a great success. Tomorrow is big and busy day, MUN begins officially and after that we’re going to eat and spend the rest of the night at the Balmoral hotel. (just google it, you’ll be flabbergasted)

Already fan of Edinburgh :)?

Travel inspiration

I love to travel. Who doesn’t? My next trip is to Edinburgh, with two of my friends and the international student union of my University! I’ve never been there before and I’m very excited. In Edinburgh I will participate as a UN delegate at the University of Edinburgh, where I represent the Economic and Social Council of Vietnam. Next to that, there will be enough free time to discover Edinburgh. We have a couple of very nice things planned there: sight-seeing, shopping, a 5 star dinner at the famous Balmoral Hotel and more! I’ll not reveal too much, because I’m going to write a blog about my adventures there. If you have tips or suggestions, let me know! Here’s some travel inspiration: 

An awesome UK suitcase from SuitSuit

How cool are these notebooks from Marc Jacobs?

Travel essentials

Packing stress? This Lous Vuitton app helps you packing your suitcase!

I’m really looking forward to it and you can expect a photo diary from me this week! I’ll keep you posted :)!

Copycats

It’s better to fail in orginality, than to succeed in imitation. Stealing someone’s creativity is a wrongful act in the Netherlands. I’m writing my bachelor thesis about Copyright Law and that was my inspiration for this blog. We’ve all been copied by someone. Think about that friend who stole your fashion style or that person who stole your ideas or creativity for a project. It’s really annoying isn’t it? But you can see it as something flattering, because you’re someone’s inspiration. Still, it’s a good thing that copyright law excists to put a stop on copycats. Did you know that Lancôme has copyright on the scent of their perfume?

Even celebs cope with copycats. Although it’s not crime to wear the same clothes, I can understand that you can be really pissed if someone else is wearing your uber expensive unique Lanvin dress on the red carpet. I’ve collected some serious copycat material:

Rita Ora and Rihanna wearing the same floral jumpsuit. Only Rita’s wearing it sporty and Riri more classy.

The beautiful latinas Jennifer Lopez and Eva Longoria both wearing a black leather dress and black pumps. They both look beautiful, but if I have to choose, I think it looks better on Eva than on J.LO!

Jada Pinkett Smith and Kim Kardashian wearing the same saucy white dress.

Lauren Conrad and Fast and the Furious actress Jordana Brewster are wearing the same floral embelished romper. So did LC, it are both different rompers, but frome the same line. It looks good on both of them!

Angelina Jolie and Christina Aguleira with the same black dress.

So, who do you think looks better in these outfits? And have you ever been copied?

10 reasons to love summer

It’s February and I’m already looking forward to my favorite season: summer! Here are the 10 reasons why I love this time of the year.

1. Wonderful beach days: swimming, tanning, eating enjoying your view and the warmth of the sun on your skin while reading a good book and/or listening to your favorite songs.

2. Salads taste a lot better when it’s summer. In the winter I really don’t feel like eating salads a lot, but in the summer I would like to eat salad almost every day. Like this salad with veggies and beef, jummy!
3. Picknicks and barbecues in the park. So cosy and so much fun!

4. Campfires

4. Plumping down at a cafe terrace with a cold ice tea and some snacks. I could sit all day at a cafe terrace, while talking, drinking, snacking and watching people walk by. Good life!

5. Fresh fruits and vegetables. The summer season is the best season for greens. Strawberries, mangos, raspberries, pineapples, (water)melon and other tropical fruits, I already look forward to eating them every day and make some healthy smoothies!

6. Tanning. I always look a little pale in the winter, sun always gives my skin a rosy cheeked look and a healthy glow.

7. Outdoor exercises, for example going for a run. In the summer I often go for a run after a long beach day and then take a very long shower. After that, I really feel reborn!

8. Traveling and vacations. I went to Turkey (Alanya) with my bf last summer. We had a great time and the beaches were beautiful! 9. Cheerful people. People are more happy and cheerful during when it’s sunny. Summer, hot sun, slow, quiet afternoons, and vacations. What more does a human being need to be happy?

10. Watching beautiful sunrises and sunsets. This sunset picture was made during our trip to Ohrid, Macedonia.

Already excited for summer?

Persian passion

There ain’t no better moment than today to show my love for Persian food. And as you all know, I’m a real foodie! Next to spending the day with my love, I also enjoyed my favorite (Persian) dish, made by my mom. She’s the best cook and she has some serious masterchef skills. That’s why I wanted to post something about the Persian kitchen and culture, two things that I grew up with.

Characteristic for the Persian kitchen is rice, almost every dish is served with rice. The big quantity of the food is also very typical for Iranians. In our culture eating is not only seen as a primary necessity of life, but also as a social occasion. Hospitality is a great part of the culture. When for example ten Persian people come together to eat, there’s always food for twenty. It occurs frequently that other families, people or neighbours join spontaniously, so there has to be enough food. Better be safe than sorry!

It’s really the opposite of the Dutch culture. When Dutch people make food, they make exactly enough for the number of people. It’s not costumary that other people join dinner. Honestly, Dutch people lack a lot of hospitality in comparison with Persian people. When I was in primary school, I experienced the weirdest and oddest thing ever. I was invited to eat at one of my classmates, when the mother of my classmate seriously weighed the meat, it had to be exactly 80 grams, not 1 gram more. I had never seen something like that, I was really flabbergasted!

It’s time to introduce you to two of my favorite Persian dishes:

Koobideh is a minced meat kebab, the name koobideh refers to the style that the meat is prepared: originally meat was placed on a flat stone (precisely a black flat stone) and was smashed by wooden mallet. It’s really delicous and served with a mix of white rice and saffron rice and a barbecued tomato.

The second one is called ‘tahchin’. It’s a rice cake that includes rice, chicken fillets, yogurt, saffron and egg. My mom made this dish today because she knows that it’s my favorite, so sweet! Coming home to my parents is always being wined and dined. I’m really blessed.

Last but not least, make some place for (a lot of) dessert, jummy!

Now you know something about the Persian culture and food. I’m also very curious about your costums, so, where are you from and what’s typical for your culture and/or kitchen?

Accessoire party

Accessoires, what girl doesn’t love them? Bags, earrings, sunglasses, watches, (statement) necklaces and rings. They all give every outfit a finishing touch and my guess is that every girl propably wears at least one accessoire. There are so many great combinations possible with accessoires, I’ll show you some of my favorites!

These earrings really make a statement and show some great attitude, really love them! I found similair ones on Lionette.

Beanies, one of my all time favorites! My saviour in times of cold weather and next to that, they look fashionable too! I love the white/beige one, I have a similair one that I bought at Monki, but I couldn’t find it, so I’ve hunted one down at Asos.com.

Wearing rings is always a good idea, they give your look that something extra! Especially the combination of regular rings, with midi and pinky ones, as you can see on the picture. The rings on the second picture are from Topshop. (Too bad there is no Topshop in the Netherlands)

Round glasses, it’s beginning to become a real hype! I’ve already seen a lot of bloggers wearing them and I begin to love them more and more, so maybe it’s time to get one pair of my one. These glasses with a metal spectacle frame are from Zara.

I’m really happy that leopard is making a comeback! I love leopard, but it has to be subtle in a way that it’s not dominating your outfit. Too much leopard can look a little ‘trashy’ if you know what I mean. I love this leopard clutch in combination with the soft colours, it’s really elegant! I found this one on Asos from Jas M.B. 

Last but not least, transparent clutches, you have to love them! I wouldn’t use this clutch as a every day asseccoire, but I think it’s really cool for a special occasion, like a party or a dinner. Also, I always have a lot of stuff with me, so I think it wouldn’t fit in such a small bag, but I like the idea! The clutch on the second picture is from Zara.

These accessoires are all so awesome one by one and I would totally rock them. However, there are some every day accessoires that I can’t miss, like a tote bag for all my stuff, my Michael Kors watch and golden plated heart shaped necklace I got from my grandmother.

What are yours? 🙂

Valentine fine

Valentine’s day, it’s origin dates back to 270 AD, where a young roman priest called Valentinus –  also known as Saint Valentine –  broke the law of Claudius the emperor and followed the law of love. In his time, it was illicit to marry soldiers, because Claudius didn’t want the soldiers to be distracted by their home front. But Valentine broke his law and married soldiers in secret. Unfortunately, the secret didn’t last long. Claudius gave the order to torture Valentine and eventually Valentine was decapitated on the 14th of February.

Nowadays, people give their loved ones special attention on this day. Although I love to spend this day with my loved ones, there are 364 other days were you can show your loved ones that you love them, it’s more spontaneous and I think the suprise element makes it more fun. Still, I love the gesture and it’s a great occasion to give someone some extra attention. That’s why I’ve hunted some Valentine items down!

This classy dress from Zara is perfect for a Valentine’s date. With some high heels, a clutch and statement jewelry you’ll be totally ready to rock the night!

Valentine’s day is not only for love couples, but also a great moment to show your love to your friends, family and even to your pets. Everybody drinks tea of coffee, so I think your friends and family will be very happy with a nice and/or funny mug! Every time they enjoy their daily cup of tea or coffee they will think of you. Here’s some mugspiration (personal customized mugs are even more awesome):

And I found the sweetest thing to show some Valentine love to your pet. This hand knitted red hearted scarf from Etsy is so cute, cheerful and will keep your cat or dog warm these cold winter days.

Whether you’re going to celebrate it or not, it’s never a bad time to make cupcakes. These red velvet cupcakes are delicious and look ‘Valentinish’. A great excuse to pamper yourself or your loved ones while watching a good movie. Tip: please don’t watch Blue Valentine, although Valentine is in the movie name, it’s a very depressing, non valentine movie (and yes, even when Ryan Gosling is the main character), so watch a feelgood movie like ‘Ride Along’, ‘Valentine’s day’ or ‘Due Date’ instead.

 Click here for the recipe

I hope you all have a great Valentine and that you’ll not only receive love on the 14th of February but also the rest of the year! Lots of love from me! ❤

New York Fashion Week

Although it’s freezing, snowing and ice cold in the Big Apple, nothing stands fashionistas from all over the world in the way to attend this year’s New York Fashion Week. Designers get the opportunity to present their Fall 2014 collection, so people from all over the world can get inspired by them! Not only the designers are inspiring, but also the people who visit NYFW look amazing. Here are some NYFW looks:

One of the designers who presents her Fall 2014 collection is Rebecca Minkoff. She moved to New York at 18 to pursue her dream and become a fashion designer. She has become synomyous with her cool and casual chic items. What makes her shows special and unique at the NYFW is that she always has a music element in them, she integrated music into her show and this year was no different! Aluna George sang live during her fashion show. The music shows ‘attitude’, it’s all about songs you can walk down a runway to or down the street at night, on your way to a party.

 Aluna George at the Rebecca Minkoff show NYFW 2014

Next to Rebecca Minkoff, other designers will also exert theirselves to the outmost to present their Fall 2014 collection. You can think of: Manolo Blanik, Victoria Beckham, Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs and All Saints. Who is your favorite designer?

I want to end this post with a special story, what has nothing to do with NYFW, but with something I experienced this afternoon. Today I saw a sweet cat wandering in front of my door. He was so sweet and really liked to be cuddled. There was nothing wrong until I saw his paws were shaking and he also had no collar. I found the whole situation alarming, so I decided to put a post on Facebook group, where people from around the city usually offer free goods. There’s a big number of people member of this group, so I thought it would reach a lot of people and luckily it worked!! The owners of the cat recognized their cat ‘Tonie’, who was lost for 7 days and they were on their way to pick him up. In the meanwhile I fed him some tuna and he kept nuzzling up against me, so cute! The owners were very happy to have their cat back and really had missed him!!

Miu Miu fashion video

There’s a first time for everything. I wanted to do something different today, so I decided to make my first fashion video. To be honest, I didn’t feel well these couple of days, I’ve been a little ‘fluish’, so I made videos and wrote my blog on a saturday night, with a big cup of tea, PJ’s and a cosy blanket. I was inspired by Miu Miu, an Italian high fashion brand headed by Miuccia Prada. I think Miuccia Prada really loves cats, because cats appear frequently in the collections, and I happen to love cats too! The people in my close circle know that I adore cats, if I have a bigger place, I will absolutely have my own kitty!

Ashley Madaweke, actress in of my favorite series ‘Revenge’ and blogger on Ringmybell, rocking these beautiful black Miu Miu heels.

The most beautiful Miu Miu items in my opinion are the sunglasses, I love the cat-eye frames they have and the sophistication they show, that’s why I put two bloggers (Chiaria Ferragni and Negin Mirsalehi) in the video wearing Miu Miu glasses. The rest of the video is inpsired by the spring and summer collection 2014. So here it comes, the very first video I’ve ever made:

In the video
Spring/summer collection Miu Miu
Blogger Chiara Ferragni, The Blonde Salad
Blogger Jules Sarinana,Sincerelyjules
Blogger Negin Mirsalehi

Is Sarah Jessica Parker going to be the new Anna Wintour?

Sarah Jessica Parker, also known as ‘Carrie Bradshaw’ from the succesful serie Sex And the City. Next to her great acting skills, she’s also very active in the fashion industry. This week she launched her own shoe line and gave us a sneak-peak of her great SJP collection! Parker is also very close to the most powerful woman in the fashion industry: the American VOGUE’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour.

Anna Wintour has a lot of power. And that’s very handy when it comes to someone she doesn’t like. For example the famous Kim Kardashian. Wintour has never put Kardashian on a VOGUE cover and how badly Kim (and Kanye) want(s) that to happen, Anna thinks she’s just not VOGUE-worthy. She even cutted Kim out from a picture at the MET ball. But that’s not the case with Sarah Jessica Parker, she has made it into Wintour’s fashionable inner circle. They enjoy private lunches together, Sarah has been consulted on a stunning array of VOGUES’s big moves over the last several months and Anna Wintour hosted a great fundraiser in SJP’s house for the very own president Obama! Is Sarah Jessica Parker going the be the new Obama of fashion? I hope so! I’m really fond of her, I find her absolutely VOGUE-worthy and think that she has the potential to become the new head of VOGUE.

SJP actually called one of her shoes ‘The Carrie‘

Pay attention to the black Manolo Blahnik shoes when you watch this video, SJP has exactly the same ones in her new shoe line!! She called them ‘The Diana‘.

Check this link out for the best Carrie Bradshaw quotes!

It’s not sure if Sarah Jessica Parker is going to be Anna Wintour’s replacement, but I really think she deserves it and that she has the whole package to become the new ‘Obama’ of fashion. What do you think?