Blogger Bitching

Holla! Have you been windowshopping at ASOS? That crazy contest ends tomorrow at noon PEOPLE! Get shopping!

I bought this dress a few months ago for 1 euro at my favorite vintage shop (T2, haha I mention this shop way too often). It had weird stains in the front of the skirt, but I figured for 1 euro I could at least take the gamble to try and dryclean or dye it in order to salvage it, because I really loved the classic silhouette. None of that was necessary though, with a simple bit of handwashing all the stains came out perfectly! This pretty frock would never have been left hanging in the shop long enough for it to be marked down to 1 euro if it hadn't been stained, so I'm thanking the staingods for assisting me. I'm still thinking of dyeing it because, even though I love the color, it doesn't really suit me much. Makes me look sort of pail and sickly, no? What color should I dye this? Should I dye this at all?

Anyway, I hadn't gotten around to wearing it yet because it has been hellacold, and this dress SCREAMS summer to me, but yesterday I suddenly envisioned it with a leather jacket. As you can see, I ended up wearing it with a knit cardigan instead of a leather jacket, but my point still stands!

The necklace is a new H&M buy. I don't understand how anyone could ever dislike H&M. H&M provides us with the opportunity to buy AWESOME,  on trend stuff for low prices. These kind of birdclaw necklaces used to be all the rage like a year or something ago on the blogosphere, but I wasn't about to shell out at least 50 bucks for one of these to be delivered to my doorstep. A few days ago I walk into H&M and there these were, for only 4.50 euro! It actually comes as a silver birdclaw clasping a gold ball, but I removed the gold ball because I like it better this way. I'm supercreative like that.

Like probably every other blogger in the world, I stumbled upon Sofia's piece on the negative sides of blogging. What do you guys think? I'm not a huge fan of all the bitching and moaning going on on lots of other blogs. People nag that they don't get popular like some people do, they nag that they get negative comments, they nag that they aren't able to keep up with certain bloggers that buy/have everything, they nag that the internet promotes certain beauty-standards over others, and so on and so forth. My opinion on the matter is: DUDES, if you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. You're not entitled to becoming famous just because you post your shit on the web, you aren't untouchable, and whenever some whiny kid wants to bitch about you, it isn't really going to hurt you. It doesn't really mean anything unless you contribute meaning to it. It isn't necessary to have lots of money if you want to run a cool blog. You can't buy an eye for style, and there are LOTS of cheap ways to practice fashion if you are inventive enough. You don't have to look like a model to have a good blog, you just have to provide good content. 

If you have been feeling down due to things Sofia mentioned, ask yourself this: who are you blogging for? Yourself or AN AUDIENCE? I have noticed the same thing on chictopia: nagging on the forums because this one young girl had the AUDACITY to tell someone they didn't really like the other person's outfit. Come on. Ignore/delete: problem solved! You can nag when you have like, medical issues or something. DUDE
If you don't blog because you love to blog: stop doing it. Your content will suck anyway if you don't enjoy blogging. And if you really want an audience to share your blog with: pimp the hell out of it by visiting other blogs and spreading the word (but not in that "follow me i follow u" crap way ok). Make friends, and the followers will, well, follow.

Peace out.

PS: none of this is meant to "call out" Sofia, I like her honesty and her remarks are quite right. It isn't about those "problems", it's about how you deal with it. How you deal with LIFE. I have been noticing SO many nagging bloggers lately and I just wanted to address that fact. Get a bit of perspective, people. Having someone call you fat or something online is not the end of the world.

dress: T2

cardigan: Zara

tights: Pimkie

boots, collar,necklace: H&M

belt: boyfriend

stern look: from me to the naggers

smile: because I'm not really a hard ass. Figuratively of course, I do actually have quite a hard ass.

Naranja

So this is the bundled up 'fit I ended up wearing to hit the sales one last time, and to eat SUSHI. After those weird first weeks of January feeling like spring had sprung, winter has returned full force. I still have to get my head around the fact that I'm back to layers and knits and boots, even though I'm SO ready for spring. Oh well, I should just be glad I have some more time to wear my pretty wintercoats. Wintercoats are so much better than lighter jackets. Light jackets are for pussies. This coat is SO ridiculously warm. It just strenghtens my belief that old, vintage clothes are far superior to modern highstreet stuff.

I know this outfit is weird but the colors are sorta within the same color family, so it works for me! And the oranges match my hair! Ohyeah.

I didn't end up buying anything in the sales yesterday, but I did sneak in a visit to my favorite vintage shop where I bought a simple black floral dress, and I tried on this beauty:

it looks sort of crappy in these pics, but it is gorgeously floaty and seventies princessy in real life. It fit me like a glove, but I had to be honest with myself: I would never wear it. It grazes the floor if I wear heels, so it's really long. And ridiculously overdressed. But stunning nonetheless! If I ever get married, I'll probably go for something along the lines of this dress but with a different neckline.

My obsession for fifties silhouettes and shirtdresses for S/S2011 is still going strong. I'm prowling etsy every chance I get. Here are some of my new faves!

I want to marry Etsy.

dress, socks, tights: H&M

coat: vintage (T2) 

boots: ASOS

scarf: Pimkie

cardigan: Zara

Wednesday I'm in love

 

 

I had one outfit left from before I cut and ombre'd my hair so I had to post it before it would got really confusing. Don't worry, I didn't get extensions or dye my hair back. Although seeing these pictures makes me want to see what my ombre hair will look like in a few months, with longer hair! My hair looks so nice in these pics, I almost miss it.

Yes, I'm following the blogger-herd: I ordered that pretty little perfect peter pan babydoll dress off of ASOS after seeing approximately 99% of the blogosphere rock it. I can't find it on the ASOS site right now, but I ordered the petite version (as opposed to the normal fit) because it wasn't sold out yet in black/cream. It is quite short but not inappropriately so, so I'm glad I took the risk since I consider myself average rather than petite. When I first tried it on I was a bit iffy about it, not sure whether I loved it or not. But when I saw it in these pictures with my NEW LEOPARD LOAFERS I fell in love at second sight. I haven't told you about these shoes of mine yet: I bought them this week at Zara. I tried em on a few weeks ago but they were still quite expensive, and not really my size either. But when I saw them with my outfit I realized I had a STARTLING lack of leopardprint shoes in my life: they are the perfect way to make a perfectly normal outfit satisfyingly ridiculous. Mine remind me of old rich man slippers. COOL RITE 

I love em to bits! And they were only 19 euros! SCORE

They are HAIRY and shiz! And they look so expensive!

Boyfriend and I had a lovely meal of sushi like I told you guys we would. I'm absolutely stuffed: the restaurant is an all you can eat venue, and you can order the entire menu up to four times, but you have to eat everything you order (or pay extra). We over-ordered just slightly, but we ate everything because we hate food going to waste (and because it was SO good). For those in or near Antwerp: it's in the Keysercenter, just out of Antwerp Central station, past Wagamama on the right. And this time I DID remember to take pictures of the food. So I'm sorry for those on an empty stomach, but there's a nom picture overload up ahead.

middle one is a crab and corn sushi, one of my faves of the night

these sesame and garlic mushrooms were one of my faves too: I've never had mushrooms this succulent

Can you believe I'd never had dumplings before? I'm hooked.

teriyaki beef is SO GOOD

To end the night I wanted to be experimental: while my boring boyfriend picked vanilla ice cream, I went for green tea ice cream. It was delicious and the perfect way to cleanse the palate!

It is HELLA cold outside right now so I bundled up in layers, but that is tomorrow's outfit! Enjoy your evening, ladies and gents!

PS: watching Billy Elliot right now. It's not the greatest movie ever made, but I LOVE boys who dance ballet. Billy Elliot is hot. Even if he's like eleven years old. Does that make me a creep?

 

dress: ASOS

cardi, loafers: Zara

tights: Pimkie

necklace: Urban Outfitters

coat: H&M

PS: forgot to tell you guys I was almost subtly mugged in the Sushi place! Some hobo sat down next to us, and it appears he was a regular since the waitress came to warn me to watch my purse. I placed it under my chair, with my feet on the strap, and before long I felt it sliding away. At first I just thought it was slouching down or something, but when I put it back in its place the hobo suddenly left. He had obviously been trying to nudge it from under my feet. Crazy, right? Poor dude didn't even get to eat sushi.

PPS: I also was a total klutz and put down my elbow straight in a plate of sliced duck (and sauce). My cardigan feels quite icky now.

Ombryfuckingod

I did it! I got my hair done! I love it! I want even weirder hair now!

Don't you LOVE it? My friend slash hairdresser gave me the EXACT haircut I asked for, for a fraction of the price it would've cost at my usual salon. I will most definitely be using her services again. If anyone of my readers lives in the neighborhood (Waasland, Oost Vlaanderen):  let me know and I'll hook you up with her number! It immediately inspired me to dress a TEENSY bit edgier with my leather jacket. Very British, and I love it. I will have to watch out in order not to look like the umphteenth Alexa clone out there, but I'm convinced I have some flava flav of my own. My ombre ends are more gingery than hers ANYWAY. I love ginger. Not the food, but the color. I quite dislike the food, actually.

Have you guys seen the ASOS competition on facebook? It has gotten even crazier: one person and 4 of their friends win a year supply of free ASOS stuff. If I'd win I would probably faint, seriously. I entered myself and my boyfriend so I have two shots at winning, haha.

I have a small event that might interest girls from around Antwerp: S.Oliver is having a party tomorrow (29/1) and you're all invited! Between 2pm and 4pm, the s.Oliver store at the Meir is having live styling of living mannequins, and an extra 20% discount on everything that was already on sale! I might drop by in the late afternoon because the boyfriend and me are going to the city to eat sushi, and while he gets some extra work done at the office I'm hitting the shops for one last time of sales hunting. And then we'll eat sushi. Nomnom.

Still LOVING the hair!!!!

jacket, sweater: Pimkie

tights: H&M

bag: Zara

shoes, skirt: vintage (T2)

PS: on the hunt for vintage shirtdresses for summer. This one is on my list:

Silk. I can imagine it being heavenly cool and crisp in the sveltering summer heat. And I'll pop my collar and wear it with flats and vintage style sunglasses. And bright lips. If I pass my exams, I might buy this one for myself as a congratulatory gift!