WALK THE WALK

To start off, I have to thank my dear friend for taking me with her for this experience. Thanks to Dr. van der Hoog ,she had won a catwalk training with model-, fashion expert and founder of Bdifferent,  Kim Vos. An amazing energetic, inspiring, warm and strong woman.  She has the quality to make you feel right at home and  "special" too (this sounds corny, I know but it's true).  The location was a great bright studio with the most amazing, raw, red bricked wall.

With a group of eight we thought about our personal qualities but also about how other people (friends or strangers) perceive us. The input for this, was a walk up and down the studio. After writing this down she added her opinion to this and strangely enough she was right on the spot with almost every person. After channelling this back to the group two words would be chosen and written on your arms. On the right, a quality that you poses. On the left a word that can guide you, to the kind of person you want to be.  After completing this we started walking and working on our techniques. Shoulders back, belly up an in ...etc.
 

 

When it was time for a break we had an amazingly healthy lunch. Totally my thing and I enjoyed it very much.

Green gazpacho, fresh fruit, Home made humus and baba ganoush, A lentil, goats cheese salad and a spinach goats cheese salad with falafel and other vegetables.   
 

Proceeding we started getting more into the walking and practising this in different types of ways. For example, walking like a boy or walking very toughly (my favourite). We also participated in a activity where you had to look at yourself and pick out things you like about yourself. After this your partner tells you their favourite part of your body/face. A great practice for boosting up your confidence because you don't allow yourself to think negative thoughts. You learn to give certain thoughts their own place and accept them. Things are what they are.

Ok, before I become to hazy. We finished with a trial of walks ending with a real catwalk run threw. All and all it was a great experience that will stick for quite a while. For which I would like to thank my friend, Kim Vos and Dr. van der Hoog. Whom also provided all of us with an amazing goodie-bag stuffed with great products. I have already tried some and I must say I am quite amazed about the quality of their products. Especially the sensitive face mask is lovely!

RHODODENDRON EYES

Previous week I had a fotoshoot with a student for a school assignment of hers.  A joining my makeup was done. The makeup artist used a bright pink and softened is down with a beige colour. I wish I could tell you exactly what she did but, guess what.., my eyes where closed. Padum tchhssss. I used to believe using a magenta colour makes my eyes look tired but this worked out quite well!! Here you see the result.

Ps: I wish my eyelashes where this long and intense. Unfortunately These ones where faked especially for the shoot.

BIT TO BITE

One of my favourite things is to go out for a bite to eat. Although I enjoy cooking myself, it always makes it a little bit better, when there is an element of surprise. You (almost) never know how it's going to turn out on your plate. This always makes me kind of anxious. What makes it even better is, when you have smaller bites so you can eat more different things. Also known as Tapas. Quite a while ago I went to a new restaurant called "Stan & Co." that turned up in the centre of Utrecht. It has an American vibe with rough brick walls, advertisements, light signs, woods and metals. I thought the food was very nice but also very pricey. Although they work with "green" materials and suppliers a simple caprese from this format should not have cost more than 5 euro's. So my conclusion: fun for once but not again.

 caprese with Mozzarella, fried basil, tomato and flake

 Yakitori with sesame seeds and noodles

 salmon with avocado cream and black sesame seeds

 Flat bread with rucola, pesto and seranoham

Scampi's with lemon

Cod with lentils

steak rolls filled with rice served with mango chipotle

TRIANGLE

Today I have a nice DIY to make a nice mural for your room. For quite a while I had one of my paintings hanging but as it hung there since 2010 I got fed up with it. So time for something new.

And here is how you do it:

 STEP 0: STARTING IT

- scissors
- glue
- magazine clippings
- a white canvas
- cutting ruler of Stanley knife
- cardboard
- a marker

 
STEP 1: FITTING IT

Take the cardboard and make a sample shape. I chose this triangle shape with the measurements of 15 to 18.  Once you have the sample you can place it on one of the magazine clippings to figure out which part of the page you want to use. If you really like the page you could use it twice by placing the cardboard sample smartly. Once you have placed it mark the corners as shown below.




STEP 2: CUTTING IT

Take the cutting ruler or a Stanley knife and cut from mark to mark to make the triangle shape. 

STEP 3: PLACING IT

Puzzle how you want to arrange your triangles. Take in mind how you place black, white and colour, or dark and lighter images a posing to each other.  When you have a composition you like and start gluing make sure you spread the glue evenly to prevent bubbling of the thin paper or glue smudges.
You can cut the images off at the edge or you can stick them round the curve. I chose for the last. When you are done you could also spray paint it with lacquer to prevent colouring of the images by the sun. Don't paint it in the ordinary way because you could wipe out the images by painting it with a brush.

 

good luck, I hope you try.

TRUE EXAMPLES

Many of us have admired our mothers or grandmothers while looking at a photo book.  They portrait empowered women dressed accordingly to the time and style of when the picture was taken. But then something happens. Fashions change, children are born, work takes over and style just becomes a thing implemented when special dinners and birthday parties occur. To be blunt and yes I am generalizing. I think this is something many Dutch women suffer from. I like to call it comfort dressing. Attention to style and individuality subtract. What may happen is that clothes are worn that where in style back in the day and often don’t suit anymore, or older women fall into the pattern of what is expected of the particular age group.  As for I can say the typical Dutch granny wears beige sandals, beige/kaki or navy blue stretch pants and a striped shirt with woolen cardigan. Hair firmly done with a perm and makeup or nail polish is out of sight. I have caught myself thinking I will not end up that way. I want to become that stylish granny that has to restrict her granddaughter from raiding her closet and jewel box every other weekend.  So for now some lady’s that certainly set an example. 

MUSIC MAFFIA

BRAID ME

FINK FABULOUS