December First

Yayyy, it's finally December! Fall has seriously flown by and now we're suddenly in the coziest month of the year, how crazy is that guys?! I've been waiting for this time of the year since Summer ended. I secretly feel like a kid getting excited to start eating a huge lollipop haha. I get so happy from all the sparkly decorations, the music and just the general cozy and warm Christmas feeling. Each year, on the 5th of December we celebrate Sinterklaas in Holland, and as always, the next Sunday after, me and my sister put up the Christmas tree and decorate the house. But that's for Sunday, until then I'll just stick to listening to Christmas songs.

Even though is has been raining every single day for the last two weeks, the fact that Christmas is just around the corner, makes the cold and the darkness a little more bearable, don't you think? :)

Have a lovely day everyone! xx

Random Snaps

Hey guys, just a quick hello. With November around the corner, Fall really is here now. Leaves change color and fall from trees, cozy coats get out of the closet and it's finally time to start burning candles again. That's the fun and most romantic part of this time of the year. Can you believe we're just one week away of November? Crazy, right?! Despite all the cozy things, I can't really think of that cold though, brrr. Last week was pretty cold already, but luckily this week, the temperatures will be much better. And with the sun shining.. Oooh everything looks so pretty outside, don't you think? Anyways, here are just some random snaps I shot the other day. Have a lovely week! <3

Birthday Girl!

Woooo it's my birthday and I'm turning 23 today! I have no idea why, but 23 seems like the perfect age! Probably because 23 is still very young and playful, but more in an adult way. Like people take you more seriously or so haha. I'm so looking forward to this upcoming year, I'm curious where it's gonna take me. Bring it on!

Anyways enough with the talk about getting older, today's all about celebrating my birthday, which already started last night. Yesterday was the last day of the International Four Days Marches (such a pity!), so we needed to celebrate that as well in the city center of Nijmegen. At midnight we rang in my birthday with good music, great friends and delicious drinks. Oh what a night! One of my closest friends came over from the south to party and today she's also staying. We're still laying in bed - whoops - resting from a great night out. I'm not sure yet what we're gonna do today. Maybe going out for lunch in town with my besties? We'll see. Tonight family and friends are coming over to celebrate my b-day. I was hoping to sit outside tonight, but the weather isn't going to be what it actually should to be - warm, sunny and + 25°C.. Nope, instead it's grey, rainy, there's too much wind and it will only be 18°C today. Where's the Summer if you need it?! Ugh, it sucks. But well, I won't let this weather ruin my b-day today anyways. Having my beloved ones around me and reading all of your lovely birthday wishes are already enough! :)

Have a wonderful day everyone! xoxo

Basic Summer Party Look

Aaand again it's the week of the International Four Days Marches of Nijmegen (Nijmeegse Vierdaagse in Dutch). Every year some 46.000 walkers from all over the world come and participate this event. During this event (basically four days of walking 30, 40 or 50 km), there're parties everywhere in city center. And not only these four days.. Nope, the parties start on Saturday and end on Friday. The whole year I'm looking forward to these parties, so this week is BIG for me haha. So I guess you can imagine where I'm hanging around these days! :) I've been telling myself every year again 'I will participate that march myself next year', but  I haven't managed to do so.. yet! One day.. one day. This year's the 99th edition, so next year this even will be even be bigger! Can't wait already haha. If you would like to read more about this event, read my blog post from last year. You can find it here.

This is an outfit I wore last night. Bit of a basic festival look.. a casual skinny jeans with a printed shirt that I bought yesterday and a pair of Nike sneakers. With all the beer splashing around I'm afraid of wearing dresses and pretty shoes haha. Have you ever been to these parties? And what would you wear?

P.s. do you see that my hair is dark again? For the very first time my beloved sister dyed it instead of the hairdresser. I was a bit scared in the beginning, but it turned out to be exactly what I wanted. I'm a happy gal again!

Hope you're all having a great week as well! Tell me your plans in the comment box down below, I'd love to read it! :)

Sushi Friday

Hii all! I just wanted to say a quick hello and wish you a great Friday! I'll spend the evening eating sushi at a restaurant with one of my best friends. We've been trying to plan this dinner several times already and we've finally managed to find a date, so you can imagine how much I'm craving for some sushi right now. I've been out enjoying the lovely weather all day, or actually all week! Even though even walking the stairs makes me sweat already with these temperatures, the run and the pilates workout I did this morning did me so good! I always feel so motivated and energetic after my workouts. With a happy summer feeling and my new dress on, I'm ready for some yummy sushi!

Aaand the doorbell just rang. My friend's here, so I've got to go now. What are your plans for the weekend? Enjoyyy! ♥

Happy July!

Happy July everyone! Wow, I never thought we would start this month with hot, hot, hot weather! The forecast even tells us that these temperatures will rise and stay for at least two weeks! This is Summer, Holland, this really is Summer! I just hope the nice weather continues for like two months at least!

July is one of my favorite months of the year. Maybe I'm biased, but I really like this oh-so-amazing month. Let me first admit that my birthday is in July, and even though that may or may not be the reason for loving this month, it's definitely a bonus. And then Summer, who doesn't love that?!

Here's a list about why love this month:

• The warm weather; like I said, it's been so warm the last couple of days.. Oee, I love it! The tanning season has begun.. burn, baby, burn!
• The sense of joy; I'm not sure what it is, but if I wake up in the morning and I see the sun's rays peeking through my window, I'm getting this instant happy feeling where after I just want to jump out of bed and do this happy dance. Not that I'm actually doing this though.. don't want to embarrass myself in front of the mirror haha. Are you familiar with that certain feeling?
• The holiday; who isn't fond of that?
• The activities; swimming, tanning, sporting, car washing (did it myself yesterday :-)), picnicking, driving around with the cabriolet, city exploring, going out for drinks or ice creams, relaxing at the lake.. you name it!
• The food and cold beverages; ice creams, fresh juices/smoothies, home-made salads, and not to forget fruit, I l-o-v-e fruit! I never go a day without it. Now for summer I'd like to make myself naturally flavored water, it's so fresh and healthy too.Thinking about it.. maybe I should write a post about it, would you like that?
• The clothes; light and bright shorts, skirts, dresses, tops, rompers, ballerinas, sandals.. Yes, we're allowed to show our pretty arms & legs ladies!
• The entertainments; in three weeks the International Four Days Marches (de Nijmeegse Vierdaagse in Dutch) start again. A week full of festivities and parties in the city of Nijmegen. Bet I will be spending my whole 'no-work-week' in that city, especially Friday since I'll be ringing in my birthday that evening. And about the marches.. someday, I will walk it myself. Read more about this event here.
• And at last but definitely not least; good times, making memories, and enjoy that amazingly happy Summer feeling as much as possible!

Now it's up to you! What are your plans for this Summer? Anything exciting coming up? Let me know in the comment box down below, I would love to read it! :) Have a lovely week everyone! xo

Big Blog Reveal

The day has come, it's my Big Blog Reveal day! Yay, I can finally launch my new website! As mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I wasn't really happy with my current blog situation. After some considerations and brainstorming hours, I've decided to refresh my entire blog, starting with changing the name and lay-out. From now on, this blog continues under the name C. Avenue!

C. Avenue? Well let me explain.. C stands for, chic, classy, charismatic, cheerful, curious, and - yes indeed, my name, Carian. Basically, an avenue is a wide street lined with trees, but the word actually comes form the French term ''avenir'', which means to come, to arrive. This has nothing specifically to do with my blog, but an avenue is also a way of accomplishing something and since I fully support that way of thinking, I launched my personal blog under the name C. Avenue. It's my creative outlet, my inspired avenue, sprinkled with style, beauty, lifestyle, travel, decoration and every other thing that makes me an extremely happy gal!

I'm very glad I took this decision.. I really hope you like it too and I hope to see you at my new address: www.thecavenue.blogspot.com. Have a lovely week everyone! :)

P.s. Don't forget to follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Bloglovin', Instagram and Pinterest! I would love to see you there!

RAINY SPRING DAYS

This Spring has been a weird mix of grey and sunny days. Fortunately, it hasn't been too cold for this time of the year, but I still would love to see the sun a little more. It's almost June, meaning that we're getting closer to Summer, so I'm just telling myself that warmer and sunnier days are just around the corner. I was planning on doing an outfit post today, but the pictures somehow didn't turn out as good as I hoped. Don't really know what's going on with my Canon, so I'm trying to figure it out now. But hey, those pretty flowers in the pictures down below really bring that Spring feeling around us, don't they? I just had to take some pictures when I saw them popping out of the grass, so pretty. I'm heading to the train station now to hop on the train on my way to Den Bosch. I'm finally meeting up with my friend whom I haven't seen for like two months or so. Waaay to long if you'd ask me, you can imagine there's lots of catching up to do. What are your plans for the weekend? Happy Fri-yay! <3

HAPPINESS

As cheesy as it sounds, I believe that happiness can be found in even the smallest things. From the moment you start appreciating the little things in life, life becomes richer. Nowadays, many people are able to have so much that it becomes a habit of having it, whereas many others in this world can only dream about having it. Habits get bored and people are suddenly not 'happy' or - better called - satisfied anymore. Appreciation vanishes away and people want more and more in order to become 'happy' again. But where does it end? That's why I'm convinced that nobody should base their happiness on what you have, where you are and whom your with. I believe in the smallest things in life and you're the one who can control the thoughts about it. If you start appreciating even the smallest things, you'll be much more satisfied and happy with the things you do have.

So, what are the little things that make me happy at the moment:

• Waking up in the morning feeling refreshed after a good night's sleep
• Morning tea/coffee and breakfast
• A clean and tidy home
• Sports and morning walks
• Good music. For example, when go for a walk with my dogs in the morning and the sun is shining, I love to put my earphones on. The mornings are, somehow, always so peaceful, so silent. When one of my favorite songs starts playing, the feeling can't be anything other than super good. I suddenly forget the negativity around me and I just enjoy the moment.
• The smell after rain.. ''Petrichor (n), the scent of rain on dry earth.''
• Beautiful pictures that inspire me (Amen to Pinterest)
• Movies & series. I'm waiting for Pretty Little Liars and Suits to continue their seasons again. I recently finished Breaking Bad and started watching Orphan Black, it's such a good story I got addicted after 3 minutes! Do you know it? What are you favorite movies and/or series?
• Fresh flowers, I love peonies and tulips.
• My loved ones on good health and happiness
• My dear family and friends around me
• Laughs until my stomach hurts. We all love that, don't we?
• That feeling when you come home after a long day and you change your clothes to sweatpants, put your hair up and you can relax with no-make up on. 

What are the little things that make you happy?

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London Photo Diary

Hi guys! I'm so sorry I haven't been writing any posts for the last two weeks. I'm trying to find a couple of proper excuses, but I honestly can't come up with anything good. Guess I've been a bit lazy and had a little lack of inspiration. Not such a good start of the year, as I told myself to keep up the good work. But I'm back now and since I still owe you some pictures of my Christmas trip to London, I want to make it up sharing them with you today.

I already gave you a little sneak peek in this post and told you that I visited London for the first time. This city definitely didn't leave me disappointed. I could probably fill all the pages of my notebook about how much I love London, it is such a great moving city. It was quite hard to pick out the best pictures for posting since I took more than 400 (!) pictures. Felt like a true tourist haha! So I warn you for the photo bombing right now. I would say, let the pictures speak for themselves and go visit that city as soon as you can! :)

Happy 2015!

2015 is here! Hope that every single one of you rang in the new year with lots of sparkles, joy, and happiness. 

We have 365 new days, 365 new chances. Make the best of it! Happy New Year!!

Image: Pinterest

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! I really hope your having a wonderful day, spending it with your loved ones with amazingly delicious food, lovely presents, and lots of coziness. For some people Christmas is the most difficult time of the year, so my thoughts go out to those of you. Even though it's a hard day, make the best of it. Enjoy these days to the fullest! <3

I've enjoyed my Christmas morning with my family, having brunch and opening presents while listening to Christmas music. I came back from London yesterday evening and I'm still pretty exhausted from the trip. But you know what? I really don't mind, because it was all worth it. I instantly fell in love with this city! Sparkling streets, cozy pubs, people wishing you merry Christmas, yes London is the city of Christmas. I'll tell you more about my trip soon! 

For now, I'm going for a walk with the dogs and start preparing our Christmas dinner. A big hug for everyone out there! Hope you're all having a very merry and jolly Christmas!

Beauty Night Out

Happy Friday everyone! I just wanted to tell you quickly about the Mari Experience by Dorien I went to last night. Together with my mom and sister I attended this event where professional Dutch stylist Mari van de Ven shared all tips and tricks about hair and make-up with us. Some women were chosen to go on stage, one got a complete new hairdo, another woman got foundation applied on her face and someone else got a total smokey-eye look. A new hairdo or what kind of colors suit you best concerning the make-up, depend all on the person. Big eyes, small eyes, narrow or wide.. What kind of a person is it? It all the depends on the details to get the best out of you. It was great to hear these tips from such a good stylist. It was very useful too!

Images by Dorien

And then out of the blue, another Dutch stylist, Lucien Beijerinck, pointed in my direction. What me? Or is he pointing to the woman behind me? Nope, it was definitely me. As I got on stage Mari showed the public how to contour the face to create the illusion of symmetry. What a little bronze here, and a pop of highlight there can do!

Images by Dorien

Mari wouldn't be Mari without doing something with the hair, so to put a cherry on top of the cake, he created an edgy updo. An updo that would go great for Christmas, New Year's Eve or for a great night out. I absolutely loved the updo, I felt so cool haha! Oh and Lucien answered my long-waited question, 'what kind of haircut would a professional stylist recommend me?'. Well, he said that he wouldn't change a lot, but that strong bangs would make my look complete. Who knows what will happen the next time I'm hitting the hairdresser.. 

It was such a great evening, we really enjoyed a mother-to-daughter-to-sister night out. The Mari Experience show from yesterday is also recorded for the Dutch TV-show 4Me. This show will be broadcast on the 9th, 16th and 23rd of December on RTL4. Eek! I'm going to be on the Dutch TV, such a weird feeling!

By the way, I took some shots of my look after the show, I'll show them to you guys later! For now, I wish you a lovely weekend!

Rome On My Mind

Oh boy, how much I miss Rome. Exactly today five (!) months ago, I waited for my flight to take off, to head back home to my family and friends. Wait.. what?! Five months ago?! Well.. yes indeed, I can’t believe myself either. The period of time that I’ve been back is the same period of time I spent my time abroad in bella Roma. This is yet another confirmation that time flies by so fast. I still see myself walking in the early evening after work - the sun still burning on my shoulders - passing the ancient Colosseum while I'm on my way to Campo de' Fiori, where I meet up with my friends to wine and dine Italian finger-licking foodies. For some Italians that's just the normal way of living, but for me that was enjoying life to the fullest. I still remember my last day and night like it was yesterday. Every day I think about my time there and I just can’t let it go. I barely can’t bear with anything that holds a memory and since my time in Rome consists of perfect memories only, I think you’d understand why this city is still on my mind Every. Single. Day. Wish I could snap my fingers and be transported back to Rome, back to my life there. But yeah, life goes on, I know that. We'll see what happens in the future... :)

Happy Tuesday!

What a beautiful Tuesday so far. Even though it's really grey outside and there's a light drizzle of rain every now and then, I'm having a good day. The reason is probably because I had a great run and workout this morning and also because I've accomplished some things of my - still - to-do list. 

Now I’m going to prepare myself for the evening, because I’m going to Amsterdam to see Enrique Iglesias' concert with special guest Demi Lovato tonight. I'm singing along with his new CD the whole day already haha. I'm so excited to see him! Last week I bought a new shirt that has a v-neckline and some leather details. I think tonight’s the perfect night to wear it for the first time. I’m still considering whether I should wear it with a pair of blue or black jeans and with what kind of heels.. Let’s see!

Autumn Leaves

'An early-morning walk is a blessing for the whole day' is a quote I can totally relate to at the moment. Now that it's Fall and the leaves are falling down, I'm happy to be living in the woods because now I can enjoy my morning walks with the dogs even more, especially when I put my favorite music on. The crunch the leaves make under your feet, the crisp air that cools the skin, the foggy days, the rustic colors and the cozy sweaters, socks and layers.. oh how much I love it! 

By the way, talking about my favorite music, I must admit that I've been listening to Ed Sheeran non-stop lately, he's such a great singer-songwriter. His songs are so touching and they give me goosebumps all the time. Last week he gave a concert here in Holland. Unfortunately, when I wanted to buy tickets, his concert was already sold out. A real bummer, but hopefully I have more luck next time.

Photo of the Day

Coffee, nail polish and a brand new issue of LINDA., a Dutch magazine for women.. A relaxing moment after my morning run and my daily workout. I ran a little more than 8km straight this morning and that smile on my face is not going away. It feels so good! My goal is to reach 10km straight, without any pauses. I'm getting there, I just need a little more practice. :) Maybe I should do a separate post about my runs and workouts. What do you think?

I'm having a day off from work today, because later on I'm meeting up with my Dutch friends whom I met when I was doing my internship in bella Roma earlier this year. I'm so excited to see these girls after 4 months. We really need to catch up a lot!

What are your plans for today? Have a relaxing Thursday everyone!

Hello October

Time flies by so fast, I can't believe that it's October already. I mean, in two months it's Christmas and in exactly three months we ring in the new year! Can you believe it?

Anyway, before going too fast, let's just talk about this time of the year. We happen to have a pretty warm beginning of the Fall season here. In August I really thought Autumn would come early this year, but September has been – lucky enough - surprisingly warm. As much as I love Summer, I can hardly wait to start wearing cozy knits, jackets, scarves and boots again. I recently cleaned out my closet, got rid of anything that I didn't wear or that I didn't like anymore - don't worry, I donated it all to a charity :) - and replaced the empty space with some new things. My Fall preparations already began in September, but in my opinion the cozy season really starts in October. Today's October 1^st, so I think it's great idea to show you my first official Fall outfit, including my new trench coat I told you about in my previous post.

Have a lovely October everyone!

Trench Coat / Zara

Jeans / Kuyichi

Bag / Bulaggi

Watch / Michael Kors

Double Pearl Studs / Karma