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I’m having one of those days I hate everything about myself. I mean: I hate my clothes, my hair, my room,… Especially when I look at other people’s blogs and they look all so beautiful and glamorous, I feel so boring! Also, I love looking at beautiful houses, rooms and decorating stuff, but when I look at my own room, I feel so sad!
Of course you can’t have a gorgeous room in a few days (unless you participate at Extreme Make-over or something like that, but that’s not likely to happen), but whenever I see something I like on the internet, I save it on my pc, so I can look at it from time to time and get inspiration from it. Most of the pictures are too expensive for me (now), but it’s always fun to watch and dream, isn’t it?

Yes, I could start saving, but I already do that (does €5 per week counts?), and that’s for going on holiday, or for emergencies (yes, shoes are an emergency!) And even little decorative stuff is quite expensive these days (for example, a small photo frame for €20? No, thanks…).

Sometimes I find something I like for little money:

A cute clock-telephone:

My retro-inspired radio (I don’t listen often to the radio, but it looks nice, no?):

Two polka dot cups:

And that’s it! Pretty meager, isn’t it? I know I shouldn’t buy too much for my room now, because next year I’m moving to another place, but I don’t like it looking boring.

Inspiration:



A lovely hotel in Paris... source



IKEA inspiration! I love the mirror, dressing table and cupboard.



Carrie and Big's bedroom from SATC



I like this idea, but it's a little too pink and girly for me! (source)



I'm in love with this bed... (source)



Coco Chanel's apartment! (source)



Blair Waldorf's bedroom (Gossip Girl)


Some furniture I like:

The 'Chesterfield' couch



source

I love this AGA cooker!



Innova 'Dream' espresso machine



I want this telephone...

 

... and this Jukebox!

Most pictures are meant for when I have my own house, but I just want to show you what my style is like.

I guess the photos speak for themselves, no? I would say I like retro styles very much, but also the Art Déco style and a little touch of Arabic/Oriental style… But I’m afraid it will look eclectic, but not in a good way. Do you understand what I mean?

I would love to go to vintage shops and search for things I like and that are not very expensive, but I don’t know where to find such stores around here…

Anyway, my mum has bought a book called ‘the Interior Guide’, because we want to redecorate our living room, I think I’ll browse through it sometime, to get inspiration!

What did you think of my ideas?

Siel x

Shoe Challenge #1: Rouge & Noir

Finally I found the time to post my first Shoe Challenge! It has been a very busy week already… Anyway, first the photos…

What: Next red t-bar shoes (via eBay)

With: New haircut!, Black dress: H&M, red cardigan (in case it gets cold): Zara, red coat: L&L, black tights: no idea, the only pair I found that wasn't laddered!

When: Saturday, February 19, 2011

Where: Going out with my boyfriend for Valentine’s day

First I want to apologise for the bad photos. The outdoor photo was taken by my boyfriend, but there was a lot of wind and my face looks a little bit, uhm, weird. I also wanted to show you that I did wear something under the coat, so I took some photos inside the house, but with no tripod or someone else to take photos, it turned out really bad quality. Next time I’ll try to make some better photos!

A better view of the dress:



Again, weird face...



I really, really love my new coat! I found it in the sales in January, and it was only 10% off, but I begged so much my mum finally bought it. For now, I want to keep it for ‘special occasions’, but next winter, you’ll see me wearing this a lot, I warn you. And it really looks much better in real life than on the pictures: it’s a bright red colour and so elegant and… Sigh ;) When we arrived at the restaurant, we had to leave our coats in the hallway and I couldn’t resist checking a few times if My Precious was still there, haha!

The shoes:

These are my most recent buy from eBay, only 8 euros or something like that. They’re really comfortable and so cute! I think I’ll wear them a lot, in fact, I wore them today too:

Another bad picture, I’m sorry! My room looks very messy, but I didn’t have time to go out and ask a friend to take some photos.

So, this was my first Shoe Challenge! I hope you liked it. See you soon!

P.S. An hour ago, it was snowing a little here (yay), but now it’s raining again, gah. So, I ran into the supermarket and bought a huge box of cookies to cheer myself up ;)

Siel x

My shoes!

Finally, I managed to get a photo of all my shoes together, and here they are:

What can I say about my darlings? Yes, I only have 1 pair of boots. Maybe that’s shocking, but I just can’t seem to find a pair of boots I really like. I got these purely because in winter, you have to wear boots (says my mum), but I already regret that I bought them…

Also, only 2 pairs of flats: one pair of black ballerina’s that go with everything and are useful in summer, and a pair of All Stars. Kind of suprising if you compare them to my other shoes, no? I got these from my boyfriend as a birthday present 2 years ago, and although my style has changed since then, I just have to keep them. I sometimes wear them, though: for walking or when I’m very lazy and don’t want to wear heels (doesn’t happen much actually…) But I'm keeping them for the sentimental value.

Most of the other shoes I bought during the past year, except for the red patent ones (they look a little bit orange on the photo): A few years ago, I was desperately seeking a pair of red court shoes (I hadn’t discovered the Paradise Of Shoes called New Look yet) and I was so happy I found these for only €20 or something like that. Although they’ve started to hurt my toes a little bit, I can’t throw them away. I shouldn’t be so emotional attached to my shoes, should I?

If I have to pick my favorite pair, I think I'll go for the blue suede ones: I'd seen them in the store, and fell desperately in love with them. But I left, and the next couple of weeks, I couldn't stop thinking about them and regretting that I didn't buy them! But a few weeks later, I went shopping with my boyfriend, and I saw them in the window! I had to try them on of course. So, my boyfriend bought them for my birthday... I'm a lucky girl ;)

As you see, I did keep the beige shoes I showed you in a previous post: I've worn them around the house, and they're very comfortable! And the more I look at them, the more I like them. They will be useful in summer, I think...

 

Now I have to try to wear them all in one year! That should be very easy normally, given the fact that I only own 11* pairs of shoes…

*Yes, I know there are only 10 pair on the photo. Remember those sandals I talked about last week? Couldn’t find them! Not very important, though: I only wear them in summer when it’s really hot…




Me and my shoes (4 pairs missing...)

 Siel x

Friday

What I loved this week:

 - Thinking of moving to another room/apartment (I don’t know how to call it in English, ‘student room’ or something like that. A room with bed, desk, lavabo etc. and shared kitchen, toilet and shower), because I don’t really like the one I’m living in this year. It’s very small, and on the second floor, with a very narrow staircase (such fun when you have to take a suitcase up there!) and there are other little things that bother me. I will miss my roommates, though… But, I have my eye on a room/apartment that is very big and has a private bathroom! And an elevator, OMG! The next step is convincing my parents…

- Drinking delicious cocktails to celebrate my exam results on Monday!

- Having to read 3 Arabic books this semester (the Dutch translation, though: I’m not that good in Arabic yet): A great excuse to start reading again!

- Amber’s Shoe Challenge: I love her style and her great shoe collection! She’s an inspiration…


 What I didn’t like (this list will be much longer, I think):

- Watching Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and OMG, Dumbledore died! (I already watched all Harry Potter movies some times, but I’m still shocked)

- Trying out a new recipe and it tasted disgusting. There goes my reputation of kitchen goddess! (not really) The funny part: I was doing the dishes after I had thrown my meal into the bin and a roommate entered the kitchen, saying “Wow, it smells delicious here!”

- Already having a lot of schoolwork.

- Realizing that I don’t have enough clothes. Every morning I stand in front of my wardrobe, desperately seeking something to wear. I hate going outside wearing jeans, t-shirt and cardigan, it’s so boring…

- Going home by train: I go home for the weekend in a few hours, and I already know my train will be delayed. Because he always is. Love public transport!

Hope you have a great weekend!
Siel x

First day of Shoe Challenge: fail

Yesterday was the first day of the Shoeper Shoe Challenge, and I was all ready and prepared. Except for the fact that I forgot to bring my camera to Leuven (where I study and stay during the week). Because I am stupid. Anyway, I got my exam results and they’re great! No re-examinations in August! I was so nervous, and they first made us listen to a whole explanation about what to do when your results are bad etc. Totally not depressing! I’m so glad and a little bit proud of myself too. Maybe I could reward myself with, uhm, a pair of shoes? (Kidding!)

(I did see a real bargain on ebay, though. Hmmm…)

First of all: about the Shoe Challenge. You can read all about it here, and I have to say I’m excited to participate! I’ve always admired Amber’s sense of fashion and her fabulous shoe collection, so I’m very happy she set up this challenge. As for me, I only have 10 pairs of shoes, so it won’t be very difficult to wear them all in one year! Although I’m afraid the number is going to increase…

So, I would like to present you my shoe collection, but there might be a few little problems:

- I forgot to include a pair of sandals (I mean, who thinks about those sandals in winter?)

- I also couldn’t include the shoes I left at my room in Leuven and the ones that just arrived today from ebay! (yes, I really like ebay. They were a bargain, really!)

- Did I mention I forgot my camera?

So that picture will have to wait to wait till the weekend…

But now I need your advice. I bought these shoes from ebay, and although I liked them on the picture, I don’t like them so much in real life. I don’t know whether to keep them (and feeling sad because I might never wear them) or selling them on ebay (I can’t return them, unfortunately). What should I do?

Coming to you soon with my Shoe Challenge!

Siel x

Love & Hate this week

What I liked this week:

- Clearing up my music collection on my laptop and discovering some great music I haven’t listened to for ages.

- Sleeping till 11 o’clock! In my defense, I went out the night before till 3 o’clock in the morning, so I’m allowed to do that. That’s what I tell myself ;)

- Searching for a holiday destination with my boyfriend. I want Barcelona, he wants The Ardennes. In my defense: I want to go somewhere WARM, because it’s the only holiday I have this year, so I don’t want to spend it sitting in our chalet because the weather is awful. So, Barcelona it will be ;)

- Seeing De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig in concert: normally I don’t like this kind of music, but my friend asked me to go with her, and I enjoyed it after all! If you’re interested, here are some of their best songs, I must tell you that the lyrics are quite vulgar sometimes!

Sterrenstof
Deze Donkere Jongen komt zo hard

 - Discovering some great blogs:

• Vixen Vintage:I really like Sabrina’s style and sense of fashion! She only wears vintage and looks like she ran away from the 30s-40s-50s era. If I only could have some of her beautiful dresses… sigh.
• Imelda: A blog about a girl from Belgium! A totally different style from the blog above, but I like her style of writing, and I spent more than two hours reading all her posts!
• Dial V for Vintage: (Also a Belgian blog, hehe) This blogs really wants me to go and make my own clothes! Sadly, I don’t have the time and talent to do that… Maybe in summer holidays I’ll ask my grandma to teach me!
• Freelancer’s Fashionblog: I didn’t read much of this blog yet, but I like the hair tutorials (although it takes me ages to make it so perfect like on the tutorial), very retro!

What I didn’t like this week:

- Waiting for my exam results! My first exams at university, I’m really nervous to know my results! Monday is the big day…

- Watching Breakfast at Tiffany’s (because everybody says it’s such a great movie): OK, I liked the clothes, but the movie was boring, I fell asleep on the couch, whoops. I was really disappointed! Still love Audrey Hepburn, though.
- Having a cold: sneezing, a runny nose and watery eyes: very attractive!

Have a great weekend everyone!
Siel x

Weekend

Hi everyone!

It has been a great weekend for me! It already started on Thursday, when I finished my last exam. Finally done studying for 4 weeks or longer! I went to the shops and bought a few things to reward myself. On Friday I slept very long and stayed in bed till 11 o’clock. Then the bell rang, but by the time I got up, put on a sweater and ran to the door, the postman was gone (with my shoes I bought on ebay – don’t tell my mum, haha!) and had left a message that I should get my package at the post office, gah. At least he got me out of my bed. Now I could start tidying up my room, because it really was a total MESS. I love a tidy room, but I never manage to keep it tidy for longer than one day! Or actually, a few hours…

(how my desk looked before and after – sorry for the blurry webcam pic!)

In the evening I went to a rock ‘n’ roll/ swing party called ‘Radio Modern’ with my best friend. We had a great time! Everybody was dressed up like they did in the 40s and 50s, there were some great music bands who played swing and jazz music and we had a little dancing lesson. I really loved the music and the atmosphere there!



(Photos found here, © Tim De Boeck)

On Saturday, I volunteered to help backstage at the show of the dancing club of my sister. There were a lot of cute little kids of 7-8 years old I had to help with putting their costumes on, make-up, and just take care of them. I had a lot of fun with them, and they gave me a big hug when I left! Can’t wait till next year to see them all back…

On Sunday then, we went to my uncle’s to celebrate his 50^th birthday. It was very funny because everybody gave him beer or wine as a present! We ate and laughed a lot.

Yesterday I went shopping with my friend, we went to Antwerp. I didn’t buy much, actually:

(red cardigan from Zara, striped tank top from H&M, polka dot cardigan from New Look, Idole d’Armani perfume and Lush ‘Joy of Jelly’)

I can’t go shopping and come home without something with polka dots! And no shoes this time, amazing (I wanted to buy a pair, but they didn’t have my size anymore). I also bought a Valentine present for my boyfriend, but I can’t tell what it is in case he reads this...

I also found this gorgeous dress in a retro store called Vegas, but unfortunately it was too expensive for a poor student like me!

On the way back to the train station, we passed a store called SN3 and they had two pairs of Louboutins in the window! Sigh… Someday they will be mine!

Now I’m off to watch a movie and relaxing with a big box of chocolate!

See you soon!

x Siel



My own blog!

So, I decided to start my own blog! I've been thinking about it a few months, but as I'm participating in Amber's Shoeper Shoe Challenge, I thought this was the opportunity to get one. I don't know yet what I will be talking about here, stuff I like, things that happen to me, and shoes, obviously...

As you notice, this blog is in English, although I live in Belgium and speak Dutch. But I thought writing in English was the best choice because:
- I can improve my English this way
- I read a lot of blogs that are also in English, and since they inspired me to make my own blog, it would be nice if those people can also read mine!

Hmm, maybe I should start to tell something about myself, so you actually know who's writing all this...

My name is Siel, I'm 18 years old now and a first year student at university. I study Arabic language and culture. What? Why? is what people always ask me when I say I study Arabic - all I can say is I love languages, history and other cultures, and I have traveled to Morocco and Jordan and I'm really interested in the culture. It's my first year, and I enjoy it!

I named my blog Shoes, Polka dots and lots more, because those are the 2 things that first popped into my head when I thought of what are my favourite things. 
I also like fashion, but not the oh-this-is-the-new-trend-I-should-totally-have-this kind of fashion. I really like the retro/ vintage inspired style (althought it's hard to look like that every day), and Dita Von Teese is my style icon. I think that says it all... :)

I have a boyfriend that I love very much, and although we live quite far from each other (not the other side of world, of course, just the other side of the country. Luckily Belgium isn't that big!), we are already together for more than two years! Yes, I really surprised myself :)

So, that's it for my first post, I'll try to write here a few times a week, we'll see how it goes!

I hope you'll enjoy it!

x Siel