the Instas

the yawn/ the grin

the Dutch tradition/ the Dutch tradition

Banksy book/ Topshop in Holland! 

Flowers has been a great Dutch tradition. My mum and other girls & guys mums probably have been on some flowerarrangement-course and they are often quite skilled. I'm not, so good thing the flowers are sold in pre-arranged sets too. But it's still the 'gezellig' (=cozy) thing to do, having flowers in your house.

Updating the hair for autumn is quite a (Dutch) female tradition too. Some stay blonde because they are used to it, is a better lure for men, reminds them of their childhood or just makes them appear softer. I personally ventured into highlights this summer, but I didn't feel sexier with them at all. I gotten roots (something I really frowned upon by others but found out that 2weekly highlighting is such a drag). I think you have to feel happy about your hair to feel beautiful and the blonde was not my way to that.  Christophe Robin, a famous French hairdresser, often advises women to stay close to their own shades, and that's what I am now.

Holiday Cats

Blue Eyes was spotted on the streets of Havana...

Friday Catwalk

There's something slushy about posting pictures of your feline companion, but due to a lack of boyfriend[s]* I think he has the prettiest eyes... 

[*ps: I normally don't go for multiple boyfriends as can be quite normal these days (eg among party-people), so I listed this option for the people who like to juggle their dating experiencia]

FingerFood

Studies show that strict dieting leads to sudden hunger pangs...

Groceries

January means a return to normality with some grocery shopping

(with special attendancy to the fish-section)

4 Standouts of 2012

I'm gonna be entirely unoriginal on this front and sum up some favourite moments of 2012:

1. Blogger Community

I sort of grew as a blogger: Quite unexpectedly. I gotten feed and comments on my blog and my outfit posts. My way of approaching fashionblogging in an original (read: weirder) way actually struck better than if I would have gone standard. And why would I go standard? After all: It's my Art.

Anyway, I'm among other (blogger)women these days and even though commenting on the really succesful bloggers who get more than a 100 comments per post, I still like to see their lives are going well, and how they dress accordingly to it! And the ones that are just as talented and have fewer comments are a brilliant read/outfit-check as well.

2. TRAVEL

My name is still MlleWanderlust, although I wanna change it into MsWanderlust, less French and more age-including than mademoiselle (they basically hesitate between calling me Mademoiselle (miss) or Madame (misses) so I might leave that one out). But still Wanderlust because I love to travel...

My greatest travel discovery has been France (read/see pictures here). I'm not talking about Paris. Paris isn't France and I wanted to explore the real France a bit better: and I did. So cute knowing that whole Holland goes to France for years and I have skipped it for so long. It has been quite fun to visit some parts of it, but I consider it a difficult country too with habits that sometimes gotten lost in translation.

3. Company: Freja

I had been looking for an adoption cat since summer '12 and found him this autumn: LOVE at first sight! He grew from a docile cat into a really active, jumpy, affective and sometimes teasing fuzzball, and I love him the more of it.

4. Somewhat excessive Consumerism:

GOSH, I remember last year's post saying I'd discovered all designers and intended to spend less? NO WAY...too much cash flew out to Givenchy, Chloe, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga and Hermes.

I am not going to promise to spend less, because I might do the opposite again when I make such a promise. Just going to try to tone down and get lovingly with Topshop and the likes again. After all, I like the brands but I found out they are not the best thing ever. E.g. I sold my Givenchy Antigona after not loving it enough, which was the best anti-consumerist thing I did in 2012!

 Ps: What were your 4 highlights of 2012?

Sunday tales

Mmm, my week was completely mix-n-unmatch. Sometimes that happens.

 So the good parts:

1. Freja goes online to find a mate, or, he selects some good shoes for me...
2. Spotting #happydutchbikes for instagram
3. Finally, my Rrhea Ring...such a cool brand (see video below)

4. Strong eyes, fierce nails..& the hair says *F* you, gonna fluff *(ok respect!)

Sicily in Instagrams

1. The stunning nature in Sicily 

a. on the road in the middle of the island ][ b. Valderice ][ c. San Vito Lo Capo

2. Pets in Sicily

a. She approves my latest purrrrchase ][ b. Stray doggy is not sure about me: being both frightened as wagging it's tale

3. Driving and Cars:

a. Hill-tastic ][ b. Not hilltastic, but Lisa Marie Fernandez Garance made me feel like a moveeeee star

4. Beach-ing

a. Patent London Soles taking a break ][ b. Granita coffee & Chocolate & pepper (!!) icecream

5. Random

a. Camping at the beach ][ b. testing the water

Sicily

 

 Marni for H&M pencil skirt for some Italian-ness, Zara top, Cos: bucket bag (sort of Givenchy Pandora small without the pricetag).  

Sorry, little focus because my camera needs fixing

I know I will get some raised eyebrows when I said I went to Sicily for business, but the only familia I have are Dutch people so don't worry. I had some time for play and I sure did have a good time. I was amazed because I had not the slightest idea it would be this beautiful and so unlike the other parts of Italy I have been. I told my friend that Sicily is my latest Island-crush (together with Jamaica which I haven't seen since 2011, I have long distance relationships with islands). I will show more photos from it soon.

Sergio, the guy who rented the apartment told me I was lucky with the weather, and I sure was with 24 degrees celcius at daytime. It was good enough for a swim in Mediterranean waters still warm enough to dive in. I finally had the chance to wear my Lisa Marie Fernandez Garance, because I gained a bit of weight on the right places since I bought it (the tatas) so I didn't look too much like Karlie Kloss unedited (link here)

I had a new girlfriend staying over; normally, I'm not into one-night stands, but she won me over with her hungry eyes. She stayed on the couch, though:

She was really affectionate, only a bit rough with her nails.

However, I'm still into men...there were some awefully goodlooking men racing around the island: I literary raced with one of them and he was massively surprised seeing a woman behind the wheel. And if the typical Italian bloke had good sense of dressing up, the Sicilian variety takes it up a notch. So fashion girls, get your new destination booked (ps: I haven't seen many Chiara's around there, but some women were fab dressers as well)

Anyway, it was wonderful!

Some music to accompany with it:

Purrrr*Pose

After that dominatrix-inspired shoot in feisty Amsterdam, I returned to my own city and got sweet again.

I often try to interact with the feline, but catlovers know they are the ones to be pleased and not the other way around. This gorgeous redhead wasn't that amused with the camera-exposure.

She's still doing a stare-over-the-shoulder pose for the camera, purrr-fect!

  

(sorry about the hair: it's better during the saint ][ sinner shoot when I had it curled/blowdryed/glossed etc it but work has to be done too and this is just after a long day. )

the Stare

taken in Rome by Samhorine @ instagram