7 Dorm Room Essentials Every Student Needs

Hey everyone,

In less than a month the summer holiday is over and the study days begin. Summer is my favorite season of the year for so many reasons. The days are longer, the sun shines, going to the beach with friends and the list goes on. Although, I have to admit that I kind of like it when it's getting darker earlier in the evenings. Maybe many of you have graduated high school and are of to starting as a freshman in college this year. It's an exciting and new chapter and I'm excited to start mine in September. You'll learn so much more new things, get to meet so many new people, and you'll grow as a person. It's also a step towards becoming more independent. Maybe you have decided to move out and get your own dorm room. I'm still not sure if I'm going to move out, but it's sure fun to have more freedom. It's also a great excuse to start shopping for some cute decor for your new place. There are so many things you already need to think of when going to college. To make it easy, here are 7 dorm room essentials every student needs. Let's get right to it! 

SOURCE 

COMFY PILLOWS

Besides wanting your room to look nice, it's also important that it's comfortable. You're probably going to study there or inviting your other roommates over from next door. Pillows are just inevitable for a movie night in and make your room look cozier. 

FOOD BLENDER

I use the blender almost every day. You can make so many different smoothies with it and it's also very healthy. My favorite smoothie would have to be with yoghurt, blueberries and ice cream. Besides the ice cream it's healthy.. When you're in college this can be a quick and easy way to eat lots of fruits or vegetables. 

HEADPHONES

My favorite headphones are the Bose Silent Noise cancelling. They really cancel or the noise from outside and you feel like it's only you and the movie or music that's playing. It's very handy if you want to study and block out the noises as well or just want some me-time. 

MIRROR

What is even a dorm room without any mirrors?! Every dorm needs at least one mirror, just to check once in a while if your makeup is still ok, to fix your hair or in the morning to take a look at your outfit. And besides, mirrors do make a room look bigger.

PICTURE FRAME

This gives your room that extra personal touch. You're probably going to have a lot of new experiences, and the best will become memories you'll always want to remember. I have to confess that I don't that much pictures, but from now on I'll take a picture of an experience I want to remember years later. 

LOVESAC

I got to know this brand trough a Youtuber and I really want one too now! Lovesac is a brand that sells beanbags. I used to have a beanbag many years ago in my room and it's really comfortable. I think if I would go to a campus I would definitely want to have one in my room! 

CHALKBOARD 

Starting your year well organized will save you from getting stressed quickly. You can write all the important tasks that need to be completed on the to do list chalkboard. It's best to not use this as a planner only, you still need to write the homework assignments in your normal planner. Just keep this for the big events or birthdays coming up. 

There are of course so much more dorm room essentials that every college students needs. A few more essentials are:

Laptop

Polaroid Instax 

Laundry hamper 

Desk lamp

Slippers

Journal

Hair dryer

Window panels

Travel mug 

Lucite makeup organizer 

Extra pairs of sheets

Microwave
Cozy blanket

Thank you very much for readings today's post! 

If you're going to college than I wish you good luck  but for now enjoy your summer!

QUESTION TIME - What is your dorm room essential you can't live without?

Have a lovely day,

Isabella ❤

Stay Cool & Stylish This Summer

Hey everyone,

Can you believe it's almost August?! Time really flies but there still is one full month of summer left before university starts. I've been on a family vacation to Sardinia already, went on a few city trips and basically a summer holiday is the perfect time to organize your life a little bit. And not to forgot a holiday gives you plenty of time to go on a shopping spree. If you're like me you can just shop all day long and then look in your closet and say you've nothing to wear. I think it's just a thing all girls and women have. If you want to stay cool & stylish this summer than read further! 

I'm very happy that I discovered a new fashion store online, it's called Yoins. Yoins believes that every woman has to have the chance to express herself trough her clothes. Clothes that us so much about a person, it reflects your personality, your mood and your vibe. Yoins aims to produce high quality and affordable fashion for everyone. With Yoins you are not just following the crowd, instead you are choosing the trends and styles you love. The store has a great mix of trends from the catwalk, to  trends from the street. 

ACTIVEWEAR 

Staying fit during summer can't of course be done without the right clothes. When I'm working out, wearing clothes where I feel good and pretty in makes me feel more confident. And that's just a thing in general, not only when working out. Yoins has a great collection of gymwear that you can wear this summer. I absolutely love this White backless self-tie t-shirt for the gym. White is an easy color that you can combine with anything. It looks cute with a sports bra underneath and has a round neck. 

Because I already have a few pink fitness tops, I choose blue floral printed sports top. It's cute in combination with black and is padded and has the support you need to enjoy working out. Don't forget to check out their fashion activewear sale for women online!

SUMMER DRESSES

Dresses are girl's must have for summer. During winter I never really wear dresses, except for a party or special occasion. On Yoins you can find many fashion dresses for women for each occasion. Summer dresses are just a lot easier to wear and combine. They make you look girly and effortlessly stylish. I'm really loving off the shoulder dresses lately. This striped pattern off shoulder dress is perfect for those sunny and hot days. With the right accessories you can even transform your look from casual to chic for a date night. The dress looks cute with heels, a bright colored purse and a necklace. 

This is a pink striped off shoulder dress which is also very cute for summer. I love the ruffles on the top and the tie waist makes you look great. This dress is also cute for both casual days at the beach or for a night out. Just style it how you want and in your own unique way.  

Thank you very much for reading today's post! Going shopping is fun and remember to always be yourself and dress the way you want. 
QUESTION TIME - WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ITEM?

Have a lovely day,
Isabella❤

The Guide From Semalt: Nine Steps To Planning Website Content

It gets difficult for website owners to plan and develop content for their users, while collaborating with others. However, it is still always possible to manage website content efficiently Max Bell, the Customer Success Manager of  Semalt, advices following nine steps as a guide for getting and publishing the right content 

1. Evaluate Current Copy 

Before anything else, an evaluation of the current copy is prudent as it identifies errors or things that need to be updated. Classifying the content and assigning specific objectives for these groups makes it easier to ensure that the site delivers valuable material only. 

2. Identify The Target Audience 

A business should know who it is speaking to before creating content. Understanding or identifying the target audience help to provide clarity during the planning. It gauges whether the information one intends to include is necessary or clear enough. It also identifies the primary, secondary, and tertiary audiences to ensure that the site caters for all its visitors.

3. Use Sitemaps

Sitemaps act as blueprints. Without it, a site may not accomplish all its objectives or assign content to its relevant page. Many different programs and software suites exist to help design and organize information on a website. Such examples are such as the Organization Chart in Microsoft Word and the free cross-platform XMind tools. Begin with bulk content to see if a single page can contain it all or may need subpages. By doing all this, it becomes possible to prioritize and rearrange items on the website.

4. Collaborating with Others

Involving other people in reviewing and editing guarantees that content contains no grammatical errors and makes sense to others. Collaboration allows other parties to contribute. Single files for all content limit the possibility of these interactions and content developers need to avoid it. Google Docs and JumpChart are website content collaboration tools that allow multiple users to provide feedback. 

5. Telling Versus Selling the Story

Some people feel that their websites present a chance to talk about the business's story. Contrary to this, it should tell the stories of other people who may have benefited from engaging with the products or services offered on the site. All that matters is evidence and said in an understanding manner. The product or service needs to fill a need gap, with easy-to-read points as to the benefits that accrue to the user.

6. Write for Humans and Search Engins

The business should not insert many keywords in content, to the point that it loses its meaning or becomes unreadable. Including these terms throughout the text naturally ensures that readers will see the content. Also, using semantic keywords to replace core keywords does not change the original meaning of the material.

7. Make an Action Oriented Copy

At the end of the content, there should be a text telling visitors what step they should take next. An email address or contact page link allows an easy action for consumers while the business is still at the top of their minds.

8. Visual Appeal

Including supporting images, charts, and illustrations ensures that the copy looks as good as it is useful. Breaking text with larger pull quotes or testimonials, or using bullet lists comes in handy for users that opt to look through texts. The typeface of the copy has a significant role to play in ensuring the legibility of the copy.

9. Deadlines

Setting concrete deadlines for individuals and teams makes sure that projects remain on track. One way to do this is to group content creation into relevant chunks and work on one at a time. The about section should be among the first since it sets the tone and identifying what to focus on as the project progresses. Deadlines help establish when to submit the work for review with stakeholders, and when to compile all content into the site.

Conclusion

Website planning requires time to plan and implement the strategy. Through this way, it gets easier to present quality and error-free content on a site.

10 X Cute Festival Dresses To Wear This Summer

Hey everyone,

It's summer and that means we're in the middle of the festivalseason. Dancing every weekend on your favorite songs all night long, spending time with friends and basically just having a good time. I've never been to a festival before but that's going to change this summer! I already saw many festivals and now it's time to choose the best ones with the best programs. But you can't go to a festival in your daily casual outfit of course. The fun part is going shopping and choosing what outfit you'll wear that day. When you're going to a festival wearing a dress is perfect. You can easily dance and move in it. It's important that your dress is cute and looks nice. But it's just as important that you feel good and comfortable in what you wear. Here are 10 cute festival dresses to wear this summer! 

I tried to choose dresses from brands that are not too popular. Every item is unique in it's own way and there are endless possibilities to style the dresses. Accessories change your outfit from casual, to glam and to chic. The dress are not really typical festival dresses but they are a little bit more unique and different. 

Dress 1   // Dress 2 

Dress 1  // Dress 2

Dress 1  // Dress 2

Dress 1  // Dress 2

Dress 1  // Dress 2

Thank you very much for reading today's post! I hope you enjoyed it! 
Question time - WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE DRESS?

Have a lovely day,
Isabella❤

Clip en Go: Klaar Voor De Zomer Met Een Nieuwe Haar Look!

Hoi allemaal! 

Ik hoop dat je ook aan het genieten bent van het mooie weer?! Ik ben net terug van een weekendje Rome en ben alweer mijn volgende trip naar Rome aan het plannen. Rome is een van mijn favoriete steden, ik ben er ook opgegroeid en het heeft toch iets speciaals. Naast het bezoeken van musea heb ik natuurlijk ook veel geshopt en erg veel pizza en pasta gegeten. Ik zal gauw een blog post plaatsen waarin ik al mijn kleding met jullie deel. Vandaag wil ik heel graag iets delen over clip in hair extensions. Misschien heb je er wel al eens over gehoord en je kunt er echt alle kanten mee op. Lees gauw verder hoe jij snel en makkelijk een nieuwe look voor de zomer creëert! 

Op OxYExtensions.nl vindt je allerlei soorten haaraccesoires en natuurlijke hairextensions. De webshop heeft een erg goede service en de producten zijn altijd van goede kwaliteit. OxYExtensions biedt producten aan voor een betaalbare prijs zodat iedereen er op zijn best uit kan zien. Wat ook erg leuk is, is dat de webshop een gratis kleuren match service aanbiedt. Zo kun je nooit de mist in gaan en ben je vrijwel verzekerd van de perfecte kleurencombinatie voor jou haar. 

Wat zijn Clip in hair extensions? 

Eigenlijk zoals de naam het al zegt zijn clip in hairextensions een manier om langer en voller haar te krijgen. Het zijn stroken met haar die je bevestigt aan je eigen haar met clipjes. Het is een DIY en het doet geen pijn en beschadigt je haar ook niet. Heb je altijd al gedroomd van lang haar dan zijn deze extensions een makkelijke en supersnelle manier om dat mogelijk te maken. Clip in hairextensions zijn in heel veel verschillende kleuren, maten en materialen. De extensions op OxYExtensions.nl zijn allemaal gemaakt van 100% echt haar. Persoonlijk vind ik dit ook iets mooier omdat het er dan iets echter uitziet dan wanneer je synthetische extensions gebruikt. Het voordeel van echt haar is dat je het ook zelf nog kunt kleuren en krullen. Ik heb zelf wel eens iets gehoord over clip in hair extensions maar ik heb me er nooit echt in verdiept. Ik heb best wel fijn haar en voor een feestje zou ik zeker een keertje de extensions willen uitproberen. Hieronder zie je links iemand zonder extensions en rechts met extensions. Het haar heeft net iets meer volume en ziet er heel mooi uit voor bijvoorbeeld een verjaardag of op een feestje. 

Clip in extensions donker kastanje bruin

Als je donkerbruin haar hebt zoals ik dan is deze kleur extensions perfect voor een natuurlijke en volle look. Je kunt kiezen uit twee soorten maten extensions, 38 cm en 50 cm als je iets langer haar wil. Als je het leuk vindt kun je zelfs een kapsel creëren met highlights door een andere tint te kiezen dan je eigen haarkleur. Deze extensions geven je haar een natuurlijke glans en meer volume. 

Heel erg bedankt voor het lezen van mijn blog! Ik hoop dat je nu een beetje inspiratie hebt opgedaan voor een nieuwe haarlook voor deze zomer. Misschien wil jij nu ook wel clip in hair extensions uitproberen, klik hier om jou extensions uit te kiezen.

Wat vind jij van clip in hair extensions? 

Liefs,

Isabella❤

Make Time For Your Skin With Garnier Skincare Products

Hey everyone,

From the end of May untill beginning of June Garnier drew attention to the importance of cleaning your face. Taking good care of my skin has always been very important for me. Sinds I was around ten years old my mom learned me to create a skincare routine that suited my skin as a teenager. Now years later I can't thank her enough. There are still many girls and women out there that don't wash their face before going to bed. Waking up with a full face of make-up from a party or even just leaving mascara on is bad. 

I didn't wash my face for a week and this is what happend

I was curious to see what would happen if I stopped washing my face everyday. My skin is quite oily around the t-zone and the rest is I think normal to combination skin. On the first I didn't notice any differences, but I did put a lot of sun cream because I spent a day at the beach. Usually when I come from the beach I was my face with a cleansing product but now I only washed it with warm water. The next day I woke up and my skin was even oilier especially around my nose. I also started to get a few small breakouts on my forehead and around my mouth. On this day I also applied sunscreen and my daily moisturizer. My skin felt like I layered to much creams on top of each other and it didn't feel very good. Basically the next few days until the end of the week were the same, I started getting small breakouts and my skin felt bumpy and did not look so good. After this week I realized how important cleaning your skin is. 

NO MAKEUP NO FILTER, JUST BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO EMBRACE WHO YOU ARE AND HOW YOU LOOK ;) #schoongezicht

Why you should clean your face

But why should you take the effort to clean your face? Most women and girls fear aging. The sun damages your skin more than you think and the results are visible years later. Wrinkles start to appear earlier, skin gets dryer and too much sun can in some cases lead to skin cancer. Cleaning your face is just like protecting yourself from the sun. Your skin ages everyday, aging is just a thing we can't avoid. When washing your face before going to bed you help keeping your skin looking young longer. During your sleep your skin uses oxygen to repair and when you have a layer of makeup on it blocks the oxygen. Another reason to clean your skin daily is because you help prevent it from getting dehydrated. Hydrating your skin is the key to avoiding fine lines and waking up with a fresh skin the next morning. Other things you avoid by taking good care of your skin are acne, large pores and irritated skin. 

Garnier SkinActive Hydra Bomb

This moisturizer is perfect if you are in need of some extra hydration. It's a cream you can use daily with spf 10 and with a light texture. A big plus is that because of the light texture I often wear the cream as a primer, a basis for my makeup. My skin is quite oily and I was a bit afraid that the cream would make my skin even oilier. But that is luckily not the case! You feel immediately that your skin is fresh and hydrated. I do want to say that this cream contains ingredients like alchohol, perfume and silicons that you can better avoid if you have a very sensitive skin. 

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Gel Wash
This is a newer product from Garner and comes in two versions, a gel with a green cap for sensitive skin and one in pink for a normal to combination skin. The product is comparable to a face wash, the gel removes all the dirt and makeup from your face. It's also very practical because it comes in a pump so you never use too much of the gel at once and it's more hygienic. I've used it a couple of times but I didn't notice any differences to my skin. My skin did become soft afterwards but that didn't last very long. I can't say it's a great product but the gel is also not very bad. If you like an affordable and easy to use face wash than it's a good compromise. 

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water I like this product a lot better in comparison to the cleansing gel wash. The cleansing water is very mild and soft for your skin because there is no perfume, dyes and parabens. The product does what is promises and removes makeup pretty good. Personally I like to remove waterproof makeup with a cleansing oil, but when you're lazy this cleansing water is also very good. I also have a bottle in pink in a smaller size. 

I kind of expected the products to do more for my skin, especially from the gel wash. Garnier uses quite a few ingredients that are aggressive for your skin and you have to watch out for if you have a very sensitive skin. This ingredients can also do the opposite of hydrating and can dehydrate your skin. I'm still going to use the Garnier skincare products for sure but in combination with other natural skincare products. Brands that look carefully at what ingredients they put in a cream or gel. A fifty dollar cream doesn't always have to be better than a 10 dollar one at the local drugstore. I'm definitely not an expert but there are many experts online that write about what ingredients you have to avoid and which not to choose a good product. Some good skincare brands I like are La Roche-Posay, Jetske Ultee, Dermalogica and Jurlique. 

Thank you very much for reading today's post! I hope you enjoyed it! 
QUESTION TIME - DO YOU WASH YOUR FACE EVERYDAY?

Have a lovely day,
Isabella❤

Unique Gift Idea: Engraved Wooden Watch

Hey everyone,

It's almost June can you believe that!? After all the exams and stressful weeks I can now see the summer holiday has officially started. I'm really looking forward to starting a new chapter in my life, going to university, meeting new people and see what the future holds. Summer holiday also means more blogging! For today I would love to show you something very cool. Want to know what I'm talking about, read further now!

Creative Use of Technology is a creative company run by three people. Their different backgrounds of architecture and city building introduced them to 3D printing. All the unique qualities combined made the perfect team with endless possibilities that the technologies could bring. From this point on the company was born in 2012, a creative company that lets the customer be creative as well. On their webshop you can find all things wooden, you name it they have it. From wooden lamps, to necklace, to watches and even wooden phone cases. 

I was lucky enough to receive a wooden handcrafted watch. I choose a brown leather strap, but there are also watches completely from wood or in colors like blue and black and all 100% natural. The wooden watches are made from bamboo and come in two different sizes, 43 mm and 36 mm. Both watch sizes are for men and women. The part that really made the watch special to me was that I engraved it. It's custom made and you can choose your own font, size and can even add a cute heart of other symbols you would like to have added. There are so many possibilities and fun quotes to add to the watch. After searching on Google and Tumblr I came across the quote: 'It's Time To Shine.' It's the perfect quote and I really like it. Sometimes it can be challenging to find a gift for someone that's different. A wooden watch is a great gift for your friend, yourself or your loved one to make them feel extra special. It's an affordable and unique gift you'll love for sure! 

I absolutely love my new watch and I'm happy I discovered this company! I never thought I would like a wooden watch but this company showed me the opposite. Ithe watch is really light, and easy to wear and I'll never be late again! Because wood is a very natural shade you can wear your watch with almost every outfit. With the right accessoires you can transform your outfit from your look from casual to glam for a night out. I would love to add more wooden items to my collection. Next on top of my wishlist is a wooden phone case from Creative Use of Technology! 

I hope you enjoyed reading today's post! For an original and special gift you're at the right place. Don't forget to visit the webshop of Creative Use of Technology for many more wooden decorations and ideas! 
QUESTION TIME - What do you think about a wooden watch? 

Have a lovely day,
Isabella❤

Summer Hurry Up Please!

Hey everyone,

Summer is my favorite season of the year. Bonfires, sand between my toes, warm weather and not to forget wearing cute summer outfits are all things that make summer the best time of the year. You can never be too early to start shopping for some summer outfits and in my recent post I showed you all my Zara must haves. If you haven't seen it yet you can check it out here. Brands that I really like right now are the fast forward and budget friendly brands. Especially Zara has a great collection and variety of items that you can always find something different and unique. 

Recently I discovered a new brand called Costes. I can't remember anymore how I found out about it, but I think while on a trip somewhere in Holland and saw a shop from Costes.  It's a Dutch fashion brand but are currently expanding and are soon opening a new store in Antwerp. You can find anything from sandals, to date night outfits to jewelry. 

In July I'm going on a family trip to Sardinia in Italy and of course going on vacation means going in style. A bikini is definitely a must have for every beach lover just like me. It's quite difficult too find one that fits good and is right for your body type as well. Most times when you're not looking to buy something you find something. I was looking on the webshop of Costes and came across a very cute pineapple bikini. The bright yellow is perfect for summer and the pattern makes me think of somewhere tropical. Bright colors are really in this summer and with a tan the bikini will look even better! I was in doubt wether to buy the top and bottom both in a small it luckily I bought the bottom in a medium. It fits quite small so I think I could even fit into a large, I just don't need to eat to much pizza haha. Last year I can remember I bought my bikini at Sam Friday, it's a lingerie brand just like Gilly Hicks and the bikini was in grey and light blue. Although I love those shades too, I wanted to try something new and bright this year. 

Thank you very much for reading today's post! I can't wait for summer to arrive and hope you are excited as well! 
QUESTION TIME - Did you already find your perfect bikini?

Have a lovely day,
Isabella❤