May Favorite Accessory... Straw Hats

For the past two years I have been telling you each month about my favorite bag. However, as the months go by, and the seasons change, I cannot seem to find any new bag I deeply fall in love with. That is why, from now, each month I will tell you about my favorite accessory. 

I am starting this new series with straw hats. How appropriate with this weather! Summer is around the corner, and with the 30°C we have now in Amsterdam I can already take my sunny days accessories out. I have always been into hats, since I was a kid. Caps, Winter hats, every shape, every color, but my all time favorite is for sure the straw hat. It just screams Summer, holidays, the smell and the sound of the sea. And as I said in my Summer lounging favorites post, it most of all protect you from the sun. It is far more natural, and as effective as a sunscreen, for keeping your face from sun damages, but also your hair! 

Yet its protective qualities are not what it is all about. The straw hat is the perfect accessory to pair with any Summer outfit, whether it is a sundress, simply your bikini, or even to spice up a little bit a pair of jeans and a white tee-shirt. 

I have listed you here some options from high street brands - as my hats are all from last year. There are some really good options at the moment for affordable prices, pieces you should rush for! 

Mango Fedora Hat, in Black

Zara Home Rafia Hat with Geometric Design

Asos Straw Metallic Floppy Hat with Sun Kiss message

I just cannot wait to spend my Summer holidays under the shade of one of these beauties! 

xo

Amy

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Dior's Cow Girls in the Rain

On Friday night, Maria Grazia Chiuri presented her 2019 cruise collection for Dior in the dreamy Domaine of the Chantilly Castle. It was pouring with rain, but the show was not spoiled by the weather. It felt like this stormy atmosphere only added to the magic of the show, which was opened by eight Escaramuzas, Mexican traditional cow girls, putting on a show all along the presentation. The tone was set. On the drenched catwalk the models seemed to be far away from Paris, transporting us to the wild Mexican far west. Embellished cowboy hats and large belts, long dresses and floral prints, we jumped into the past to revisit a legendary part of History. As per usual with Chiuri, femininity was cherished in every outfit, even if it only came up in some details for several looks. But the traditional craftsmanship quality so dear to Christian Dior was not forget in this revisited Mexican Far West, a rodeo mood. Embroiled skirts and dresses printed with delicate traditional Asian art inspired drawings, or floral patterns, no a detail was forgotten. This collection, once again, achieved to transport the spectators into another world. From the dresses to the hairstyles, Chiuri created a unique universe where women are celebrated, wearing the most beautiful pieces. A magical show, as only Chiuri do them. 

xo

Amy

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Holiday Dreaming

As I remarked in some of my most recent editor's letters, I am going through some hard times. And the end of the year is not going as smoothly as I would like it to do. So on my time off, I check out some Summer destinations I am dreaming to get away to. I have not been away for Summer holidays in a few years, too busy, too happy to have some quality time at home. Yet this year I want to go. I want to get away and forget about all this stress and mess, forget about the worries and the future. As for the destinations, I have few ideas - dreaming of Italy, eventually because of Call Me By Your Name - and Spain, hot countries where I will struggle with the heat where Summer is always radiant and never disappoints. Yet I do not need to go too far away. I am a proud European, and a strong believer that Rome, for instance, or Barcelona, such touristic spots, or any other southern city, if you get properly lost into its mazy streets, can make you feel like you are on the other side of the earth, and not only few hours away from home. Holidays are for discoveries and relaxation for sure, but when getting away what I am looking for is hours of wandering with him, no maps, all the time in the world, and some spontaneity, leading us to mesmerizing places and surprises. Let's hope this will not only be a dream but become a reality. 

xo

Amy

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Fragrances Loves

Perfume is a major part of my beauty routine, as it is for many people. However, how essential it is, I never wrote a post about my favorite scents. I guess it is mainly because I don't really now how to talk about olfaction. It is hard to find the right words, to describe a scent which you can sometimes only describe through memories and moments. Even if I am aware of my difficulties in this exercise, I still want to give you a - short - list of my all time favorite fragrances and new discoveries. Since I do not really now how to describe them, I will find for you the main notes, as do people like me who can just say, "hm, smells nice!". Non-exhaustive list of favorite perfumes from a non-connoisseur. 

Chloé 'Love' & 'Nomade'

Chloé is my favorite brand when it comes to fragrances, and I had some difficulties picking only one from them, so here is my old time favorite, and my new discovery. 

The first one is 'Love', Chloé. This perfume has a really cute story behind it actually, because, without really realizing it at the time, I got it for my birthday in 2014, at the time where I was falling in love with my current boyfriend. So this fragrance, before evoking to me any notes, reminds me of that time, making me almost nostalgic, but surely happy, every time I wear it. Its main notes are orange blossoms, berries, lilac and iris. A very floral scent which I love to wear throughout Spring and Summer. 

My new discovery from Chloé is their latest fragrance, 'Nomade'. I simply got it because it was from Chloé and I already got all of their fragrances: they never disappointed me. So this new scent was definitely needed in my perfumes collection. First of all, before getting into the notes, I have to say that the design of the bottle is particularly nice and unique. The shape and the suede pink ruban makes it so very feminine and elegant. Once again, as for every Chloé fragrance, it is a very floral scent, mixed with agrumes, freesia, and cherry plum. Very fruity but not too sugary, this scent will definitely be my Summer 2018 favorite and go to. 

Burberry, 'My Burberry Blush'

This scent is all about memories for me. It was my go to when I had my gap year in Basel, and now every time I spray it I am transported back to this time and place. My Proust madeleine in a sense. Once again, it is a floral fragrance - apparently my go to - mixing some of the most elegant flowers and their smell, being bergamot, rose, jasmin and wisteria. A unique scent I will never forget. 

Dior, 'Miss Dior'

This is my first couturier fragrance. My grandmother offered it to me, and I cherished my first bottle, not spraying too much at a time, willing for it to last forever. Today I must be on my third or fourth bottle. This perfume is my go to, a scent that, when I wear it, makes people say 'oh, this is your scent!'. My favorite notes from this complex perfume are for sure the famous Dior rose, jasmin and patchouli. More flowers again!

Gucci, 'Bloom'

Last but not least, my latest discovery: Gucci 'Bloom'. No surprise nor originality here, just another flowery perfume. I will not change. But this perfume is so feminine and so elegant, it is more the smell of a woman than of a girl. Hence why I wear it only on special occasions. It is a very simple mix though, with jasmin, iris and tuberous. Simple but there's no need for more. This fragrance will for sure become a new staple of mine, carrying with its gorgeous scent more recent memories. 

xo

Amy

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Summer Lounging Favorites

The end of the academic year is stressful for every student, whether you have papers to hand in, exams to pass, or decisions for next year to take. This year, I am facing all of those three situations, and it is not that easy. So during my two weeks break at home, before coming back for this last harsh month, I took my time and lounged around a lot. After a rough day outside, gardening until I died, I just went back into the cool air of the house and took the day off. Or after too many hours working on my thesis I just laid down under the trees to catch my breath. Lounging has then been one of my main activity, and I was happy with that. Spring has some Summery colors this year, and the hot temperatures combined to the urgent need for holidays made it even harder to work and to focus. 

Since this new lounging habit became a lovely routine, and will certainly stay one for the two Summer holidays months, I wanted to list you here my favorite lounging pieces, whether it is a pajama short or a picnic blanket. So here are my Summery lounging favorites.

Straw hat 🌺

This is a largely needed accessory when you decide to spend your afternoon lounging in the garden. It protects you from the sun, but obviously, is also jazzing up your style. I went for a Mango one because of its size, extremely big, protecting my also extremely fragile and porcelain skin, and because of its rather unique style, with those embroiled flowers. Both a lounging and a holiday must have accessory.
Flowers Straw Hat, Mango

Sunscreen 🌾

Since I spent a lot of time outside those past two weeks, and since the temperature reached 27 degrees celsius - not really normal for the season where I live - I had to protect my skin if I wanted to lounge in the sun. And the massive hat was not enough. So I purchased a rather fancy sunscreen, after seeing so many good reviews of this product: the Clinique Sun Protector, both for face and body. What I love about it is how not sticky it is, how light it feels on your skin, and how good of a protection it does offer. As I am a blond girl with blue eyes and very pale skin, I tend to burn real easily, yet with this sunscreen I've actually been able to get some colors without looking like a tomato! Definitely worth the money.
SPF 50 Sun Mineral Sunscreen Fluid for Face, Clinique
SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen Lotion for Body, Clinique

Kimono 🍃

When waking up in the morning, or after a cooling afternoon shower, I like to be comfortable. And what's best for that than a light and soft kimono? Zara Home is very good at loungewear, and I am the proud owner of quite a few pieces from them, but when I saw this little number I immediately knew this would be a piece I would spend a lot of time in. It is a little bit on the pricy side, however, worth the investment.
Floral Motif Kimono with Ruffled Sleeves, Zara Home

Pajama 🌷

This is an essential for lounging, perfect for your morning and evening lazy times. I once again turned to Zara Home for this piece, since I am a fervent lover of their loungewear collection. I paired a short, extremely comfy and soft, so light that it will never make you feel too hot on warm Summer nights, with one of their basic coton tee-shirt. This is by far my favorite combination to have breakfast in the sun.
Printed Shorts, Zara Home

Blanket 🌿

It is just so nice to lounge in the shade, sat in the grass with your kimono and your straw hat on, on a hot summer day. But the grass and its bugs are not always the comfiest, and this is where a lounging essential comes in to play: a blanket. Again, I turned to Zara Home, because I just love their linen collection. The one I choose is striped in grey and white, because for me strips scream Summer. The material and the pattern just make me feel like I am lost somewhere in Greece. And it is so comfy for a nap under the trees.
Two-Toned Striped Linen Blankets, Zara Home

For it to be perfect, I would add a nice summer read and a big pitcher of lemonade. Ready for Summer lounging ☀️

xo

Amy

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Gardening Therapy

I went back home for a  couple weeks, and I have been blessed with the weather. Loads of sun and Summery temperatures. It was so nice to stay outside, to stroll around in the garden, to read under the shade of a blossoming apple tree. I just need this weather and to be home to feel joyful, but this time I have decided to do more than just reading and drinking lemonade outside: I did some gardening. I went several times to the garden center with may family, and we purchased so many bushes, flowers and other plants, I was in garden heaven. But even if I loved choosing the plants, and spending way too much time in this huge garden center, this was only the start. Every weekend and bank holidays - God bless May for that - we spent outside planting every of our purchases. Taking off the grass, digging, putting the plant in the ground, watering it, and going on to the next. We spent a lot of time planning our plantations - our garden is rather huge - and to see some colors popping, to smell the flowers newly planted and to see some bees going for them right away was a real pleasure. But let's keep it real, it is hard work. Gardening is exhausting and at the end of the day I slept like a baby. However, how satisfying it is. To create beauty, in a sense. Such a good therapy. You are outside, in the sun, working with nature to make your landscape look beautiful. What's better than that to go back to the essential? And it is always nicer to read Call Me By Your Name, in the sun, surrounded by a beautiful nature anyway

xo

Amy

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My Dreamt Apartment VI

xo

Amy

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A day in poetry XI

Spring

The season of new beginnings

And a time of blooming

Flowers everywhere

Nature coming back to life

And I find it hard to catch my breath

Spring

The most beautiful season of them all

A season for new and fresh starts

A season for us to stop falling apart

And like a tulip you bloom

Finding yourself in your most beautiful costume

Spring

A season that have seen so many poems being wrote on

Where flowers have been signs of hope,

Singing birds a sunny melody

As I crumble,

Feeling like I might be falling down endlessly

Why do I have to be out of rhythm once again?

Why do I have to miss the most beautiful bit of the year?

In the darkness of my room, 

I am missing all of the bloom, 

In the coldness of my shelter,

I am letting go of all this beauty, sweet bitter. 

You do not see it.

The sun is too bright for you to open your eyes

The music of the Spring is too loud for you to hear me cry

But how could I hate you for that

I did not when you left me in the heart of Winter

I did not when you laughed at me last Summer

I did not when you almost give up, a Fall ago

How could I now?

Spring is a too beautiful season, 

And I am nobody to spoil it

Spring

A fresh start for all

For the nature and for you

For the swan on the lake, and the robin in the tree

For the wind warming up, and the sun shining always brighter

And here I am, hoping for rain and thunder storm

Spring

The start for all

The end for us

As if life, when coming back, was blowing against us

As if for the flowers to bloom, our love needed to die

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