Spring really sprung last weekend so Mister Chifff and I felt obliged to finally get some work done in our garden. Yup, that’s right. The happy Chifff couple owns a real garden now! And as they so rightfully say; gardens are not made by sitting in the shade…

We moved to our current home at the end of summer 2009. And we never felt the urge to do reorganise the big, and I’m the first to admit kind of neglected, garden. Well, we did have a great birthday party/ housewarming in the sunny garden. And some fun BBQ evenings. But that’s about it. We never before had the luxury of our own garden, when you live in the centre of Amsterdam that’s like seeing a fata morgana…

Last weekend we just gave it a go and headed to a real garden centre. Wow, I never could have guessed there’s so much to choose from when it comes to plants, floras and other garden decoration! Violets, daisies, roses, forget-me-nots (did you know there are more than ten different varieties of  forget-me-not!), lavenders, conifers, syringas, cyclamens, chrysanths, primroses; a whole new botanical world was revealed!

I’m usually quite good at deciding what I like and dislike, but in this particular case I had to deal with flowering months, ground cover or flowering plants, shadow or sun species and I lost track pretty soon. I figured it out in a split second; this was certainly not my cup of tea. I told Mister Chifff he had carte blanche concerning this gardening thing, if he would like some advice on the colour scheme; he’d know where to find me…

With Mister Chifff doing his job in the soon to be perfectly designed and of course flourishing garden, I had some quality spring time of my own. I dragged my laptop outside, settled into the most comfy garden chair in the sun  and wandered off into the nice web world of Anthropologie. I once got myself a real cute pair of ochre wedges in this lovely web shop, but I never knew they had so much fun, springy home stuff as well!

Just scroll down and see a few items I’d really like to add to our home, to make it feel like spring inside & outside! (too bad we still have to make a lot of savings…)

]]> http://www.chifff.com/2010/03/22/roses-are-red-violets-are-blue/feed/ 1 http://www.chifff.com/2010/03/17/kick-start-the-summer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=kick-start-the-summer http://www.chifff.com/2010/03/17/kick-start-the-summer/#comments Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:36:16 +0000 chifff http://www.chifff.com/?p=431 Continue reading →]]>

With the sun peeking shyly around the corner in Amsterdam, I can’t stop thinking about fast-forwarding this early days of spring and kick-starting the summer!

Well, ok. Mid-spring will do for now. Short skirts, tank tops, flowery dresses, summery shoes, my favourite leather jacket and of course, absolutely essential:  flashy sunglasses. But what will I  do with my specs that have been glued to my nose since September? No idea, but I’ll figure it out! Perhaps I’ll get used to my contacts again in no time…

For now I’ll just stick to daydreaming about lovely summer spots like in the picture. Just 167 days and I’ll be chilling in that chair on that exact same beach!

Before reading on, it’s important you’re aware of a certain flaw in my existence. I don’t know what went wrong or when it went wrong. While having my first cry on this planet at birth, bouncing around the playground during childhood or exploring my boundaries as a teenager? It doesn’t matter, at this point we can’t do anything about it. This flaw is irreparable. I’m the lousiest decision maker you’ll ever know…

Whether it comes to deciding what to cook for dinner, which outfit to pick in the morning or even which flavour I prefer for my cup of tea; when it’s decision time it’s hell on earth. For me. And for my loved ones. “Should I buy these heavenly high heels in black or blue? If you were me, would you go for the raspberry cheesecake or the raisin scone? I can’t decide on the name for my sweet little cat; do you prefer Jules, Mouse or Jojo!? Tell me, should I wear my new LBD to this party tonight, go for the bright shorts with the over-knee boots or just hop into my more casual jumpsuit?”

Starting to get the picture? Time to switch to the real deal and tell more about the tonnes of questions I’m dealing with, since the end of August…

When?
In spring, with the risk of a typical Dutch rainy day? In summer, with the risk of a typical Dutch rainy day? In autumn, with the risk of a typical Dutch rainy day? Or in winter, when it’s probably really cold and slippery?

Where?
While considering the aforementioned risks, going abroad is real tempting. But which country? France, Italy, Spain or should we take it to a whole other level outside of Europe? Or is it better (i.e. wiser from a financial perspective) to stay close to home? And if so, is it preferable to go to the countryside or to stay in town?

What to wear?
That depends on the choices made in the when & where sections. Will it be steaming hot or extremely cold? Or something in between? Should I wear an outfit in my favourite colour? Do I even have a favourite colour? And, do I prefer a casual look or is over the top the way to go?

Shoes?
You know me, I’m a real shoe person. So, this is the million dollar question. Choose sky high and almost mythical heels? Or wear shoes less mythical but just as pretty in which you can walk the walk and talk the talk, 24/7? In which colour? Should they match the outfit? Or should I stick to my regular style, wearing shoes in a completely contrasting colour?

Hairdo?
If you’ve read my HAIRassment blog, you will already know I’m really fickle when it comes to my hairdo. So, of course, right now I’m obviously completely clueless about what to do with my hair. Curls, braids or just plain straight? Up or down? Casual or chic? With cute accessories like bows, clips and bands or without?

Make-up?
For a girl who only wears a hint of make-up (never leaves her house without mascara on her lashes, and only uses some bright red lipstick on occasion) this is another tricky decision to make. Go for the usual a.k.a. casual stuff? Or visit a pro and let them help out? And of extreme importance in this matter: when is ‘over the top’ too much?

I could go on and on forever, summing up all these harsh decisions-to-make. Invites? Guests? Photos? Treats? Drinks? Dinner? Trip afterwards? Dress code? Car? Decorations? Music? Flowers? Seating arrangements? Time schedule? Hotel stay? Accessories?

At the end of the day, all these questions are of secondary importance. It all comes down to 1 answer only…

“I do!”

I know, last week I posted a really cute summery peep toe. The cold and snowy weather made me long for better (read: warmer) days…

And even though I still think that the winter is the worst season ever and even though I still believe that warm, fuzzy summer thoughts will chase the cold, I couldn’t help falling in love with these, not exactly summerlike, boots!

The stud wedge boots by Pixie Market will match most of my outfits perfectly. One thing I’m not so sure of; will the eye candies fit in my overcrowded shoe cabinet?!

Earlier this week I just thought; if we’ll ignore it, it’ll go away. Just don’t pay attention and it’ll be gone before we know it…

Too bad, this mantra didn’t work out that well. Five days later: the slopes are still slippery & snowy, the temperature is still below human standards (if we were polar bears we’d have the time of our lives!).  Grrrrr.

But when I take a look at this summery sandal by ASOS, the temperature rises… Simply love the colour blocking, the peep toe and (last but not least) the price. Let the good, sunny times roll!

Most definitely rock steady for summer, especially with a Jason Wu pair of sunglasses… Don’t know about you guys!?

Bring on the heat (please do!!) and let’s all hit the Modo eye-wear store and pick one of these lovely shades by Mister Wu. Too bad it’s so hard to choose, they’re all damn cute!

Got my eye on my first summer fling…

Perhaps you missed all the fuzz about Miranda Kerr. When you’re familiar with the fashion/celeb scene or just a sucker for tabloids, that would be quite impossible, but I’ll help you out. This Australian Victoria’s Secret model (sometimes better known as the girlfriend of hottie Orlando Bloom) was the talk of the day this week. Witnessed during a photo shoot for the Australian Grazia, peeps were appalled by missy Kerr’s appearance.  She looked shockingly thin!

What could be the reason for the Australian’s sudden weight loss? The formerly curvaceous model’s rib bones could clearly be seen as she posed on a rooftop. The paparazzi had their story; Kerr was trying to make the transition from commercial to high fashion model, and to the gossip journalists this appeared to be the reason for her dramatic weight loss. The pretty model tells that’s all crap. Kerr says she hasn’t lost any weight and she blames it on the exaggerated poses for the shoot, which made her appear thinner than normal.

The truth will lie somewhere in between, but that’s not why I brought this story up. I had to think about something similar which happened to… me! Well, I might not be some well-known supermodel, or date a famous actor, but it turns out that a lot of people suddenly have an opinion about you when you lose some weight.

I wasn’t exactly Tyra Banks in her heavy weight period but after a life without any diet ever, this summer I felt the urge to lose a few pounds. Just to see if I was able to. And of course, to feel a little bit more secure in my bikini at the beach in the South of France. With a little help from (the guide of) a diet guru I managed to lose that few pounds, may be even some more than I’d hoped for. And I felt certainly secure, running up and down the beach in my bikini. Too bad no one warned me that the same bikini would be a size too big after that weight loss!

Another effect I didn’t expect to happen; a lot of people surrounding me just had to tell me their thoughts about my tiny-little-transformation. Of course I liked the “wow, you look so great” remarks. Who wouldn’t?! But, how about “ouch, your arms seem a bit anorectic to me”, “please be careful, don’t get too skinny sis, I can almost count your ribs” and “I liked you better with a few pounds more”?? There was even a friend of a friend saying about me “oh my, I never knew that she was such a pretty girl!”. Damn, I’m so freaking glad I’m not that supermodel, or girlfriend of a famous actor. If my friends & family exaggerate like this, what would the tabloids do to me!?

Just to set the record straight: you can’t count my ribs (silly bro), my arms sure as hell don’t look anorectic and my friends are sweet but a bit cuckoo. And I still looooove chocolate chip cookies, cheesecake, tiramisu, cupcakes, French fries, cheeseburgers, milkshakes and lots of raspberry mojito’s. Winter (aka the season without bikinis but with big sweaters) is coming up, so just bring on the hot chocolate with whipped cream!

De lente is begonnen en dat lijkt in mijn omgeving wel weer het startsein te zijn geweest voor een massale uittocht, de Nederlandse grenzen over. Mijn Fashionscene wederhelft is weliswaar net terug van een maandje Indonesië en ook mijn andere collega heeft zich na een trip Zuid-Afrika weer tegenover me genesteld, maar toch.

Vriendinnetje C. zit in Istanbul, vriendje P. in Madrid, nicht D. gaat dit weekend voor de 2^e keer op wintersport  en broerlief ligt gewoon op een hagelwit strand in Isla Margarita! Gelukkig heb ik ook iets in het vooruitschiet; over iets meer dan een maand zit ik in het vliegtuig richting ‘Buena Vista Social Club’ Cuba…

Ik maak deze reis naar het land van de rum, sigaren en salsamuziek niet in mijn eentje (ik ben niet zo’n lonely traveller), samen met 5 meiden ga ik twee weken genieten van alles waaraan Cuba rijk is. We hebben alleen een ticket geboekt en we zijn van plan een groot deel van het eiland te bekijken, dus enige voorbereiding is best handig. Waar ga je slapen? Hoe ga je reizen? Welke steden/plekken doe je wel aan? Welke niet? Hoe lang van tevoren moet je je visum regelen? Wat neem je mee? Allemaal vrij voor de hand liggende vragen, zou je denken. Dus niet voor mij!

Op zekere leeftijd denk je er toch wel ongeveer uit te zijn over hoe je als persoon in elkaar zit. Je kunt je zwakke en sterke eigenschappen benoemen en je weet wel zo’n beetje hoe je op bepaalde situaties reageert. Nou, ik leer nog elke dag hoor. In dit geval heb ik weer een behoorlijk slecht ontwikkelde kant van mezelf leren kennen: het voorbereiden van vakanties.

Misschien wist ik het ook wel al ergens diep van binnen, maar wilde ik het gewoon niet toegeven. Want met de auto op vakantie gaan naar Zuid-Frankrijk, met als doel in leuke herbergjes/schattige hotelletjes te slapen, maar voor de zekerheid een tent achterin gooien en vervolgens bijna 2 weken op een camping staan met ook enkel en alleen die tent als kampeeruitrusting… Geen geweldige voorbereiding toch!? Best friend E. was wel zo slim geweest een gasstelletje mee te nemen, maar hadden we ook iets van pannen bij ons!? Helaas pindakaas.

Of wat te denken van een reisje naar Brasil? Met hetzelfde allerliefste vriendinnetje me elke ochtend afvragen waarom het weer regent. Regentijd in de zomer!? Oh, zomer bij ons is hier regentijd… En inentingen halen? Waarvoor!? I made myself clear, tot in de puntjes voorbereid op vakantie gaan is er niet bij met mij. Maar dat maakt het ook wel spannend toch? Heb ik dat cruciale ‘ding’ wel/niet meegenomen!? Is die o zo belangrijke reservering nu wel/niet bevestigd? 1 factor is overigens constant: ik neem echt altijd teveel spullen mee als ik op reis ga.

Tijdens de Cuba meetings die we tot nu toe hebben gehad heb ik me van mijn beste kant laten zien. Een gidsje gekocht, gelezen, doorgebladerd in de winkel!? Nee, nee en nog eens nee. Bedacht waar ik graag heen wil? Don’t think so. Mijn gedachten over de vervoersmogelijkheden laten gaan?! Uhm, nee dus. Gelukkig hebben mijn reisgenoten juist een sterk ontwikkelde ‘ik ga op reis en neem mee’-kant. Mijn mailbox bliept om de dag dat ik weer een nieuwe Cuba info-mail heb binnengekregen, de excelbestandjes met kostencalculaties, af te leggen kilometers en meeneemlijstjes stapelen zich op. Volgens mij heerst bij mijn travel buddies nu de mening dat ik een complete reis no-no ben die nog nooit een voet over de grens heeft gezet. Of moet ik de uitleg “Cuba is een eiland” in een andere context plaatsen…

Het maakt me eigenlijk ook allemaal niet uit, ik vind het heerlijk dat zoveel lieve vriendinnen zich zo geweldig aan het inlezen en voorbereiden zijn. Weet ik in ieder geval zeker dat ik op de juiste plaats van bestemming aankom en niet per ongeluk in Mexico het vliegtuig uitrol!