Room tour | Living room space

Hello everybody! Happy Friday!!!
The weekend has arrived and school is done for the week. What are you going to be doing this weekend?

Three weeks ago I decided I wanted to change my room. Nothing major, no paint was involved in the process. I am someone who loves changing up my room, so I was actually surprised my room had been 'the same' since we moved into our new house back in March 2011!

Since I had been feeling a bit under the weather the past two weeks, I went easy last week... I wanted to put more effort in this weeks post, so I hope you guys enjoyed this post!!

I think that living rooms are meant for personal stuff. A house (or room even) should reflect who you are. By framing pictures and putting it on shelves, statuettes of places you've been (I went to Africa in 2008, hence the elephants and giraffe). Or memories made with friends (my old pair of Converse signed by Ryan and Nash from Hot Chelle Rae). I also use my TV cabinet to keep books I've read, scrapbooks, picture books in the open parts. I use the baskets to store files, creative stuff like pencils and stickers and chargers for my camera and laptop. 

The space behind my TV is used to store small notes, USB sticks, lights for my bike, etc. The smaller stuff that can leave a dresser or table very messy :)

If you want a full bedroom tour let me know in the comments below :)

Do you change your room often?

Love, Danielle

10 Inspiring Quotes

The internet is an amazing place, we all know that.
I personally love scrolling trough Pinterest (follow here), looking up quotes or DIY's :) So for this week's post: My favourite inspiring quotes!

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To me this quote reminds me to relax. To not worry about every little thing.

A Gap Year | Application Process

Hello everyone!
Part 3 of my 'Gap Year' series is a little later than I had planned it. Truth is, a lot has happened and is still happening.

In my second part I told you all about my dad accepting my choice for Australia, and me getting involved with a second organisation as the first was not able to sent me.

Monthly Favourites | August

This month I have been using a lot of different products, and I've liked a few more than others! I also put a bit of summer in this now that September has come and the cold weather is approaching. So let's take a look at some of my favourites from this past month :)

WELLA flex hairspray #3.

 I've found this hairspray again. I had been using it a lot before I donated my hair last year September but stopped using it after. Now that my hair is becoming longer, I find myself using it a lot more often again!! I like that you can spray as much as you want in your hair, I spray it on my arm from about 25 cm, it doesn't get really hard. It holds, but it's not visible. At the end of the day, I comb it out and shape it back the next day without adding more hairspray. I use this spray when I curled my hair or to hide fly-away's on the top of my head.

Nivea Hydrating and Cleaning Mask for dry or sensitive skin.

I use this as my third step when I take my make-up off. I put on this mask 3 times or week, and let it sit for 10 minutes. The packing says 5 minutes, but I've found that leaving it on for longer makes my skin feel really soft in the morning. The creamy texture with tiny scrub-balls feels very nice and it's easy to cover your skin. I personally like to use a lot when I put it on, but two or three fingertips is enough for a normal skin type. 

It's never been tested what kind of type my skin is, I just prefer products (in some cases) for dry skin because it's more gentle in use. (And you can skip a few days if you're not feeling like sticking to your daily routine!!) I would not recommend using the product if you have little wounds in your face, because it will itch and feel like your face is on fire. (Zits or spots are not a problem! It may calm your skin, preventing new ones to pop out.)

Dove Original Deodorant Spray.

I've been absolutely loving my spray's on hot days. (I've read that it's not very good for your health breathing them in :( ) On holiday there were a few days where we were walking or going somewhere, and there was no stopping in sweating. I've been carrying a travel-sized deodorant with me in my backpack, and I've felt fresher instantly! This one smells really fresh, and has Vitamin E, making my skin feel extremely soft. The travel-sized one sadly is still somewhere between France and Italy, but as soon as I got back home I purchased a bigger bottle!

Dove nourishing hand cream.

Another product by Dove I've enjoyed this month. I've used this hand cream whilst I was on the train to France (dry air is not the best way to leave your hands in for four hours), and on the trains (a total of 10 hours of traveling) and plane home. My hand have never been the most moisturized, and being in situations with dry air sometimes makes my hands feel like they are about to break. Putting on a little bit of this (intense) nourishing cream has helped a lot whilst traveling this summer. I've also found that my hands have been warmer and have gotten less paper cuts or other cuts when I was using the hand cream.

Vape Derm Herbal: After Bite Stick.

This Italian product has 'saved' my life. The night before leaving France, I was stung by mosquitoes. Not just a few, say... 36 times. My legs were covered and it would not stop itching and burning (allergic reaction). As soon as we arrived in Italy we found a store and bought this stick. It instantly calmed down my skin and the itch was getting less and less by day. No more red bumps covering my legs :) !!! I've used this for a total of 7 days before my legs were not itching anymore, which to me is a short period of time thinking about all the bumps I've had.

OPIA Vanilla Pod Candle from Primark.

When I got home, I came home in an empty house. Not the most happy and comfortable setting to face, but before leaving I got my hands on some scented candles from Primark. One of them turned out to be amazing (I once fell asleep with it because of the relaxation (or exhaustion...))!! The first Vanilla candle is coming to an end, lasting me for over 4 weeks of every night scents, and that for a Primark product and price!! (nothing bad on Primark products!!) I've been using this in my bedroom or the living room, and after blowing the candle out, the room is left with a nice vanilla scent :)

Local Market Bracelets.

Our campsite held a market for locals every Monday and Thursday. On this market were salesman from the area, selling their fruits and vegetables. And of course, for the tourists mostly, their figurines, necklaces, rings and bracelets. I am quite the bracelet person, wearing them with as much as possible and all together on one arm. My friend and I wanted to get something as a memory of this summer, and we both bought the purple one (she got it in red, but the same design). The other two I purchased at the same market, but a few days later. They had caught my eye, but I was not planning on buying them. Until the next day... I waited for Thursday and they were still available :)

I hope you liked this months favourites!! Leave a comment below telling me your favourites from August, I always love reading them and am always up for trying new products!!

Love, Danielle 

Summer 2013 | Holiday

This summer vacation was one of many firsts. First new thing: I was not only going to France to stay with my friend and her parents for a week, I was going there by myself. By train. My parents said goodbye to me in Brussels, Belgium, and as my train left the station, I was on my own for the next four hours.
After being lost in my book for most of the train journey, Louise and her parents were waiting for me in Lyon and picked me up.

The first day was clouded, to say the least. It was raining, and thunder and lightning strikes filled the sky. (At one point that night, Louise, her dad and I were lined up outside trying to capture some of the weather)
The next day the sun was out, but had a hard time shining through the clouds. We packed up and spent the day in the car, driving to Aubres, where we would be staying for three nights.
After three nights of relaxing by the river and listening to the sound of crickets, we drove further south to our final campsite in France. We headed to the beach close to Nice, and spent the day there. After two nights spent on the most 'nature oriented' campsite I've ever been, Louise and I packed our stuff and broke down our tent. Our week in France was over, and before we knew it we were driving to Ventemiglia, Italy to get on the train that would eventually bring us in Pisa.

Italy was where we would be spending our second and last week of vacation, on a big campsite (it was almost a complete village) with my parents.
After arriving in Pisa, we had to drive for another 2 hours before we arrived at the campsite. The first few days were spent by the 5 pools (!!!) because of the extreme temperature. On Tuesday we woke up early and got our tourist on, by going to Pisa. Of course, the most touristy pictures were taken by the tower. In the afternoon we drove to Lucca, and visited some churches. The rest of the week we went to the beach and to a market a couple villages away. Before we knew it, the second week was almost over and it was time to pack our bags again.
On Friday, my parents drove us to Pisa Airport, and vacation came to an end.

I've had the best two weeks away from home, and learned a lot!

Love, Danielle