Cute & Colorful Bedding Essentials for Fall/Winter

It's officially Fall and I still can't believe this year goes by so fast! Sometimes it feels like I'm living in a movie haha. Summer is one of my favorite seasons of the year, but since it's Fall, lets just make the best of it right!? It's the season to get all cozy and snuggle under warm blankets and to drink hot choclate on a cold and rainy afternoon. (yumm) Changing seasons is the perfect excuse to redecorate your dorm room. Or if you don't want to redo it compeletely, just some some accesory changes can already do a lot for your room. Since I was a little girl, every summer holiday I wanted to change my room, like painting the walls from pink to purple to grey another holiday. And I haven't even talked about my furniture. I guess it's just a girl thing, and it's fun to decorate. Today I would love to show you some cute and colorful bedding ideas for this fall and coming winter! Lets get right to it. 

Silk Sleep Eye Mask
Not only as a student, but for everyone it's super important to get enough sleep to be productive during the day. Luckily, I'm someone who sleeps well and can sleep through most of the noices and lights too haha. (when I'm in my own bed) But when I'm travelling I tend to sleep worse, because of the change of environments and everything. That's where sleeping eye masks can come in handy! They can help you to relax, and to not get distracted by any light in the morning. They come in so many different colors and patterns, but this mask in light pink/purple is really cute for fall. It's made from soft natural silk with a whide head strap to keep it in place all night. It's kind of a must have travel essential for a good beauty sleep, also to use when you're in your own bedroom of course.

Silk Bedding Set
A sleeping mask always goes in combination with a nice bedding set. During fall and winter you just want to be able to lay comfy in your bed with cozy pillows and blankets. I always love the color pink, from the more darker tones to really soft pink. I found this soft silk bedding set in charm pink that would look really cute in any dorm room! It kind of makes you feel like a princess aha. It comes with four pillow cases and is available for different size beds. Unfortunately I don't have a double or kingsize bed, but it's ok to dream of somehting too right!?

I hope you enjoyed readin today's post! Don't forget to take a look at their webshop to find more must have fall dorm room essentials to make your room a cozy place. 
What is your favorite fall dorm room decoration for fall?

Have a lovely day,

Isabella ❤

Buon Viaggio! 3 X Mooie Bestemmingen In Italië

De zomer al voorbij?! Zeker niet! October is misschien wel een betere periode om op vakantie te gaan. In October gaat het studentenleven weer in volle gang door. Een week weggaan zit er niet meer in, maar een weekendje kan wel! Italie is altijd één van mijn favorite vakantielanden geweest. Ik denk dat dit komt omdat ik zelf ook Italiaans ben en daarom ook vaak heen en weer reis om mijn familie op te zoeken. Stiekem zou ik het super leuk vinden om later in Italie te gaan wonen aha! Lees gauw verder wat voor mooie bestemmingen er allemaal in Italië te vinden zijn! 

Er zijn zo veel mooie steden om uit te kiezen, van Florence tot Milaan tot Genoa en nog veel meer. Als je naar dit land op vakantie gaat, is het altijd handig en slim om een auto te huren, dan kan je heel makkelijk naar mooie streken in de omgeving rijden, die ook wat minder toeristisch zijn dan wanneer je midden in de stad blijft.

TOSCANE 
Pas geleden ben ik een maand naar Toscane, Florence geweest op taalreis, en wat had ik het daar naar mijn zin! In vergelijking met Rome is Florence een stuk kleiner en kan je alles op loopafstand doen. Alleen als het zomer is merk je wel dat de temperaturen in de stad gauw kunnen oplopen tot in de 40 graden. (Dus veel pauze inlassen) De stad is heel mooi, overal zijn monumenten, kleine cafes, designerwinkels en musea. Het is echt een stad van de muziek en kunst. Vanuit mijn appartement, ik zat vlak achter de Duomo, de grote kerk in Florence hoorde je altijd wel een straatartiest of een operazanger. Lucca, Siena, Bagno a Ripoli(Etruskisch) of San Gimignano zijn ook zeker de moeite waait om een keer te bezoeken. Op Neckermann kun je heel veel accomodaties vinden op elke plek die je maar wil. Je kunt bijvoorbeeld als je echt van een drukke stad houdt een hotel vinden in het centrum van Florence of een agriturismo met zwembad iets verder weg.

UMBRIË
Als je wat afkoeling zoekt, dan kun je met de auto of trein eenvoudig naar het Lago Trassimeno voor een dagtrip of zelfs met een overnachting. Als je met de auto gaat dan kun je in plaats van de snelweg ook een meer toeristische route nemen, die via plaatsjes gaat als Arezzo. Je kunt dan bijvoorbeeld foto's maken bij mooie zonnebloemvelden of smalle landweggetjes. Wel is het handig als je al rijervaring hebt. Ik heb dat gedaan voor een weekend en het is een hele rustige omgeving, met bijna alleen maar Italianen. (Al vindt je Nederlands overal wel;) Je kunt er heel veel doen, windsurfen op het meer of Isola Polvera bezoeken met de boot, een eiland vlakbij en daar een wandeltocht maken. Je kunt eigenlijk in alle plaatsen bij het meer heel lekker vers eten omdat alles daar gevangen wordt.

SARDINIË
Als laatste vakantiebestemming heb ik Sardinië gekozen. Ik denk zelfs dat october zeer zeker de beste periode is om naar dit eiland te gaan. Vorig jaar ben ik er met familie begin juli naartoe gegaan, maar eigenlijk was het te heet om dingen te doen. Het is dan ook zonde om de meeste tijd binnen te moeten doorbrengen. Het is een super mooi en relaxt eiland, je kunt er van alles doen en zeker voor de watersportliefhebbers is het super. Ik ben zelf echt een windsurffan, windsurfen is mogelijk op elk strand. Vooral in het noorden noemen ze het een windsurfparadijs, doordat het daar altijd waait. Neckermann heeft accomodaties op leuke en bekende plaatsen, zoals Capo D'Orso, Porto Cervo of Cannigione. De volgende keer zou ik heel graag naar Orosei willen gaan, een plaatsje ten zuiden van San Teodoro. Als je dit je tof lijkt en je nog  Ik ben naar het kleine plaatsje San Teodoro gegaan voor een week, vlakbij de luchthaven van Olbia. Hier heb je het bekende strand La Cinta, kun je boottochten maken of een auto huren en het eiland verkennen en lekker uit eten gaan is ook nooit een probleem. Ook leuk is om fietsen te huren en daarmee naar de supermarkt te gaan, het strand of een stadje dichtbij.

Dank je wel voor voor het lezen van mijn blog post! Ik hoop dat je nu net als ik weer de reiskriebels hebt gekregen?! Vergeet niet om op Neckermann een kijkje te nemen. Als je nog twijfels of Italië het wordt, dan kun je op de site natuurlijk nog veel meer andere leuke vakantiebestemmingen vinden!

Wat is jouw favoriete vakantieland?

Liefs,

Isabella ❤

3 Italian Fashion Brands You Need To Know

Happy Sunday!! I hope you're having a great weekend so far! My week has been super busy, lots of things going on, especially the classes and the studying has been a lot. I still have to find a good routine that works for me, to balance my free time a little bit. But I'm happy it's still weekend because they always pass by so quickly haha. Today I would love to share some Italian fashion brands that you need to know, or maybe have heard of them once but forget about them. I love the fashion in Italy and also in France, the style is very different from here in Holland. I would say more sophisticated and classic. Let's get right to it!

Manfredi Manara

If you want to feel and look like a real princess or queen than this shoe brand is a perfect choice! I absolutely love all the shoe designs! They are really feminine and classic and make a simple pair of jeans or a simple skirt complete. The shoes are of course handmade and detailed with embellishments. I think the fine details make the shoes romantic, especially because the designer uses velvet and satin in almost every shoe design. Manfredi launched his first shoe line in the Spring/Summer of 2017 with great success. He now collaborates with other shoe brands and lives and works in Milan. My favorite pair of shoes would be the pair on the left above, with the red velvet and soft pink bow. They are really cute, also very expensive, but if you save long enough it's worth it! 

Fracomina

This is a very old brand with a long history. It first started in 1931 as a textile distribution company, and many years later it evolved into a fast-fashion business. What I really like about thsi brand, is that the products are unique, not the typical clothes you can find anywhere. The items are all carefully made and the details make the difference. The aim of Fracomina is to design clothes that affordable as well as stylish. Their clothes are classic, with a touch of an international influences. The clothes are casual as well as chic, so with the right accesories you can even wear your outfit to work or a more formal event. I love the jeans of Fracomina, especially with the flower details and the ankle length models are cute! 

ViCOLO

Out of the three brands, this is probably my favorite! How cute is the sweater with ciao bello?! The brand has a lot of praticle wardrobe staples for coming autumn and winter. I also love the checked skirt with the beige sweater combined and the light brown coat. Even the ciao bello sweater looks cute in combination with it. The brand is perfect if you don't like to be ordinary, but like to mix different style and love bolder patterns for a trendy look. They have clothes for any occassion, from a party, to a gala to easy casual outfits to wear during the week.

Thank you very much for reading my post! I hope you enjoyed it! There are still so many cool new Italian brands out there, too much to write them all down. 

What is your favorite Italian fashion brand at the moment?

Have a lovely day,

Isabella ❤

Hollister Workout Outfit Inspiration

Can you believe it's actually September?! How crazy does that sound! Sometimes time does fly by too fast for me. I'm proud because I survived my first week at Uni. Today I would love to share an outfit post here on my blog. Hollister has always been one of my favorite brands. For cute summer dresses, handy t-shirts, basically anything that's classic and casual. My style did change a bit over the years, and I do buy less at Hollister now because most of the clothes are with big logos. Sometimes I feel like the brand has a lot of the same things every season. But it's still my go-to store for jeans and for fitness wear. Now that summer is almost over, it's the perfect excuse to start looking and to go on a shopping trip for new activewear. I always feel more motivated to sport and also more confident when I'm wearing a new outfit aha. 


Hollister Outfit
Recently I told myself when I'm shopping to buy something as a whole, like a complete outfit so it doesn't stay in my closet forever because I have nothing to combine it with. Now that I'm thinking, I really need to reorganize my closet anyway, because half of it are summer clothes, and in Holland, the summer is not coming back soon. I went to Hollister and saw this very cute sports top with the legging. It's really handy because it's going to get a bit chillier and long leggings are perfect for that. They are high-waisted and both the top and leggings are in light grey. They are super comfortable because of the stretch too! Really love them, and I combined it with my Asics running shoes, my favorite brand for shoes etc. I like the blocked detailing on the bottom, makes the leggings look cool and casual, and the white stripe on the top.

What is your favorite brand to buy sports clothes?
Have a lovely day,
Isabella❤

Paris in 72 Hours

Recently I've been to Paris for the first time, and I loved it! August is the perfect time to visit the city because all the people who live there are on holidays. There are almost only tourists walking around and just a few Parisians. That makes the city really quiet and nice. Paris is a little bit like in the movies, the architecture is beautiful, everything is very photogenic and you can take a picture in any corner and it still looks good. Grab a cup of tea and get ready for some practical tips and to see what I did in Paris in 72 hours! 

Place Joachim-du-Bellay

I was visiting a friend who is a Parian himself, so I was quite lucky to have the opportunity to stay with him for a couple of days and to have a personal (and a free aha ) tour guide. I stayed in Antony, a suburb in Paris. It's a very quiet neighborhood and I think the perfect place to relax from the busy city and to study as well. A lot of students have a room there because in just 20 minutes you're in the city center. Because I was there just for three days, I did want to do some typical touristy things because it was my first time.

The Eiffel Tower At Night
I absolutely loved all the lights! It's just for 5 minutes that the lights are on, but so worth it. It's very romantic and you can lay in the grass in front of the tower until it starts. I also didn't think that you could come that close to it. Paris is the city of light, you really start to believe it when you're standing there next to it. My friend told me that if you're planning to go here, don't take the stop that says Tour Eiffel, but one stop by train after. It's much closer and not a lot of people know that.

How cute are those little puppets in the right corner!? ;)

The Sacre Coeur
This is another of those typical tourist places you just have to see once in your life. It's a whole climb upstairs, but so worth it! The view is really pretty, you can see all of Paris, the famous churches, and buildings. To go to this place, you have to exit at Saint-Michel. Then you see a really busy street in front of you and you almost can't miss it. It's a lovely street, with Amorino, ice cream in the shape of a flower and some other shops.

The Louvre Museum
There were a lot of museums I wanted to go to, but it's impossible to visit them all in just three days. The Louvre is, of course, the most famous museum, so I went there on a hunt to find the Mona Lisa aha! After a while, I saw a big crowd and somewhere at the very end, the painting. It's beautiful to see it in real life, not only the Mona Lisa but also other paintings. Next time I want to visit the Rodin and D'Orsay.

Practical Tips
-Download the app called RATP. It's really handy because you can find all kinds of maps on it, including nearby stations. When I was in Paris I often needed to take several trains and metros, so finding out where to go next makes it easier with this app.
-Walk as long as you can. You see much more above the ground and you can always take the metro when you get lost. On your way, you can stop, go to a cute cafe, sit in a park or shop. If you're staying longer in Paris than a long-term pass might be more convenient instead of buying packs. (Navigo Pass)
-Try speaking in French to people first. That makes a much better impression than starting in English right away. Plus French people always great each other, in the shops, the hallway. If you think they are being unfriendly, it can be because you didn't greet them. A simple Bonjour or au revoir does magic.
-Definitely, eat a crêpe in Paris!!
-If you want to experience more of the French culture than August might actually not be a good time for you. Most boulangeries and restaurants will be closed because the people who live there are used to taking a month off in summer.
-Paris has so many cool museums, not just the Louvre. Centre Pompidou is for modern art lovers and Musee Rodin with the beautiful gardens and sculptures. (do it on a sunny day)
-Don't go to a museum or any attraction without skip-the-line tickets. I bought my ticket online and you can go inside directly instead of having to wait at least half an hour.

Paris is a lovely city, in three days I couldn't do all the things I wanted to. I'm definitely going back soon! The city also has many cute shops and little cafes, like the one above. When I'm traveling to a new city, I always want to try to not look like a tourist, but experience the local culture as much as possible. If you want that too than staying for at least one month will help. 

Have you ever been to Paris?
Have a lovely day,

Isabella ❤

Keep Calm And Brush Your Teeth

Dental hygiene is one of the most important things to maintain. Sometimes the importance can be forgotten. I can blame myself for that too. (Oops, I know!) In some countries, people only go to the dentist when they have pain or when something is wrong with a tooth. Prevention is always better than to cure is what I try to remind myself. Going to the dentist just for a check-up is good at least once every year. 

If you're traveling a lot for work, or are a student abroad in the Netherlands or an expat, you can't have the same dentist as back home. It can be quite difficult to maybe find a good dentist in a different country. There is a dentist in Amsterdam called Tandarts Jordaan. I like the location a lot, it's a lively and nice neighborhood and easy to reach.

Tips for choosing the right dentist as an expat

*The first point would be to inform if the dentist speaks in English or can even speak your native language. This is, of course, a must have to avoid any misunderstandings during appointments and treatments. 

*Is there a dental hygienist available? For me, this is also very important that you don't have to go to different places. It's a lot easier when everything is under one roof. And a dental hygienist is definitely essential to healthy teeth. The Tandarts Jordaan in Amsterdam does have a hygienist, which is a big plus! 

*Maybe you're just like me(and lots of other people) and always dread going to the dentist. Just thinking about it gives you chills. This can be because you had bad experiences, or maybe you've heard the experiences of others or the noise during the treatment. In Amsterdam, the team will try their best to listen to your needs and take their time to know how you feel to make you feel at ease. Communication is key! They have a special fear dentist available. 

I think I'll never really be a fan of dentists aha, but having someone who you trust is key to motivate yourself to keep going to the dentist. 

Overall, Dutch dentists follow refresher courses on a regular basis and keep up with the latest. You'll be in good hands in the Netherlands for dental care, it's just that you have to look at a few points to choose the right dentist for you. If you happen to live in Amsterdam than this clinic could maybe be a good option for you! 

Question time - What is your experience with dentists? 

Have a lovely day,

Isabella ❤

Zara Summer Shopping Haul

Zara is one of my favorite brands! The brand always has so many cute things and is actually affordable as well. For me, the clothes don't have to be very expensive. Often after wearing something like a skirt the whole summer, next summer I'm not that into it anymore. Do you recognize that? I feel like this summer I for sure have experienced the sunniest and warm days compared to the past summers. But that means a good excuse to buy more cool clothes aha. I'm currently in Florence and I couldn't come home empty handed of course with so many shops here. I would love to show you the items I bought, let's get comfy and right to it! 

I bought 3 things at the Zara in Florence. I read somewhere that the Zara in Spain and Italy, don't know about other southern countries, that it's about 10% less expensive. And it's true, especially the jeans or t-shirts are cheaper, so that's always a plus! They already have the autumn/winter 2018 collection in store, and maybe you wouldn't think it, but the items are from that collection already. I was looking for a longer skirt for summer, something different than denim skirts. I loved this one! The buttons are really cute, and it's high waisted with an open split in the front in a dark yellow/orange. The split in the front does go quite high, so I prefer to wear it to the beach with a bikini underneath. I combined it with a striped colorful top and has some glitter too. It has the same shade as the skirt and some darker colors. You can also wear this top in combination with a pair of jeans and sneakers. Or you can make it less casual buy wearing heels and other accessories for an outfit to go out. 

This is the second outfit, the same skirt but with a different top. I thought it would be handy to buy 2 tops and 1 skirt. I love that the top is white and the zipper has colorful stones in it, in the color of the skirt. It's perfect for warm summer days, with no sleeves and it's made from really thin fabric. You can also again wear this top on a denim skirt, jeans, shorts. It has a more sporty look and maybe it'll even look good on a pair of sweatpants. 

Thank you for reading today's post! Summer goes by soo fast! It's almost mid-August already. Hope you enjoy your summer and have a nice day! 

Question time - Do you buy new clothes every summer? 

Have a lovely day,

Isabella❤

Tous, A Stylish Spanish Jewellery Brand

And it's almost August! Can you believe that?! Sometimes it feels like I'm living in a movie, because of how fast the time goes. I'm currently in Florence taking Italian classes, just arrived yesterday evening. Florence is one of my favorite cities, it's not too small, not too big and just perfect because everything is walking distance. Before this trip, I went with my family to Valencia, another one of my favorite cities. Everything is so relaxed there and the city is just beautiful. I always go there to the hairdresser Tony & Guy, it's cheaper than in the Netherlands. But also the style and how they cut your hair is different and I like it better. And the two nail polished you see in the picture are from the supermarket called Mercadona, which are super good! But I'll write a full review on that in another post soon. 

I stayed at the Illunion Aqua 4 hotel in Valencia, which basically is above the Aqua 4 shopping mall. Perfect for shopping! You have all kinds of shops there, from the Zara to Calzedonia, to Home decor and beauty stores. I have a high prescription, -5 for my glasses and plus the frame often makes it really expensive. So I tried and went to the local optic store and I came across this pair of glasses from the brand called Tous. I never heard of the brand before, but it's a famous Spanish jewelry brand. The frames they have are all square or round and are really comfortable. I also bought the lenses with it, and I'm super happy because you pay half of what I pay in the Netherlands. And besides that, the frame is just so cutee! Tous also has bags, watches, necklaces and much more things. Some of the things they sell are I think a little bit more for your girls, but you just have to choose the right items. I don't know if they have Tous glasses at the Corte Inglès, the big warehouse. But I'm sure they sell them at every optic store. For the jewelry and other accessories, you can easily find them at the warehouse.

The case for the frame is also cute, in soft pink. I could choose from a variety of colors, blue, green and pink. But, of course, I choose pink to go with the pink/purple frame!  The logo of the brand is a tiny bear, which is also visible on the sides of the frame and on the back of the case. If you're looking for a pair of glasses and for a new brand, than I would definitely recommend Tous.

What is your favorite jewellery brand? ❤