le plus belle

Hi there! Test week just started and it might sound too weird to believe but I'm feeling more zen than ever. When I came home today I felt really drowsy so I thought that maybe it'd be a great idea to take another power nap but since naps actually make me even more tired after taking them, I decided to go for a run. The current wheather here in the Netherlands is quite enjoyable so it would've been a shame if I stayed inside all day. What was supposed to be a quick run, ended up as a super long run. Energy boost to the max!

Last Friday after school, I did some shopping with a friend of mine and (only) got this cute belt and the H&M magazine. This has to be their best edition so far, I love the photoshoots and the new spring/summer collection! If you haven't read it yet, you should definitely get one when you have the chance to!
 

Putting all the blame for this bad quality on my camera. Can't wait till I finally have enough money to buy myself a digital SLR camera! I'm slowly getting there, just need to hustle some more. 

Dolla, dolla, bill y'all! 

Love, Claire

wishlist of a blogger

What do you think? 

Love, Claire

(P.S. You might wanna click on the picture whether to see it in a higher quality or to read the text more easily. It turned out a bit smaller than I expected it to.)

questions actually worth answering

HI GUYS I'VE MISSED Y'ALL! I'm aware of the fact I haven't blogged as much as I actually should but I just didn't really feel like it. Such a lame excuse, I know but all that matters is that I'm back right now with a shitload of inspiration. However, I thought that it'd be kinda fun if I answered some random questions so you can get to know me a little bit better. Let's get personal!

 Apart from blogging, what do you like to do in your spare time?

Taking naps with some John Mayer to listen to, getting sweaty whether it's from playing field hockey, tennis or working out in the gym, reading (only books in English, though), spending time with family or friends, partying until the break of dawn, playing the guitar or the piano, singing and dancing (I'm Hannah Montana) and those are all the things I can think of right now. 

If you married rich and your spouse gave you $100,000 a week, what would you spend it on?
I'd first save the money and then buy myself an apartment in NYC and maybe also one in Paris with a balcony and an Eiffel Tower view and then I'm probs gonna spend the rest on clothes. And yes, I'll also donate a part of it to charity!

Name a favorite of each: food, drink, color.

My favorite food is sarawak kek lapis (google it haha) without a doubt, my favorite drink would probably be something from Starbucks but when I'm at home I drink a lot of tea, especially green or chai and my fave color is pink. 

Name a favorite of each: book, movie, tv show.
Book: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Movie: Oh gosh there are so many movies I'd be able to watch for like a hundred times but my favorite one must be a either a Harry Potter one or The King's Speech.
Tv show: Geordie Shore! Or Feuten (a Dutch programme about a fraternity).

If you were given the opportunity to spend 48 hours with absolutely anyone (living or dead), who would you spend it with and what would you do?
PRESIDENT OBAMA FOR SURE. In those two days I'd beg him to adopt me and if he approves we'll just only have to fill in the adoption papers and then we can have some daddy-daughter fun time but if he refuses to adopt me (which would surprise me because let's be honest, I'd make an amazing third daughter of the President of the United States), I guess I'm gonna need those 48 hours to persuade him.
Austin Butler would be fine too.

What is the strangest thing you have in your room? (You are not allowed to explain why you own it.) 
Weenie linguine a.k.a. penis shaped pasta.

 What is one of your favorite song lyrics? (Who is it by?) 
''All I ever wanted was the world.'' - Marina and The Diamonds, Primadonna. Because it's something I could've said and it's actually true. All I ever want is the world.

Have a lovely weekend! Much love, Claire

THE MRS. CARTER SHOW

My biggest dream ever came true in about six hours ago. 

BECAUSE THIS GIRL IS GOING TO SEE BEYONCÉ ON THE 21ST OF APRIL! 

I got tickets for her extra concert that will be held the day before the planned one because I needed to buy eight tickets (the maximum) so getting tickets for her concert on the 22th was almost impossible. 

I'm so beyond ready to see Queen B with my friends and our moms! Yep, our moms are coming with us because they're hardcore Bey fans as well. My mom knows all her songs off by heart (believe it or not but her fave one is Diva. Sassy birth giver alert!). 

Seriously, I'm so happy right now like UGH. I've already seen Jay-Z and Kanye West during their Watch the Throne concert and in two months I'll also be able to add Beyoncé to my list of people I admire big time and saw in real life. Not just on the internet or on the television but in REAL LIFE. SOMEBODY PINCH ME.

Did any of you also get tickets for the Mrs. Carter World Tour? 

Lots of love, Claire

too weird to live, too rare to die

Just some outfit inspiration collage (simplicity is the key!) and a collage of my face times four, happy Wednesday!
(Actually feeling bad for my face on the fourth pic, wut? GROOL)

Much love, Claire

viva la naked

My new favorite eyeshadow palette besides my Chanel Mystic Eyes palette, the Naked 2 palette by Urban Decay! (How many times are you able to say ''palette'' in only one sentence, a book written by me.)

At the moment I'm doing yet another attempt at studying, the greatest pastime on a Sunday! (In case you don't speak sarcasm, IT IS EVERYTHING BUT THE GREATEST PASTIME!) I know for a fact you'd all agree if I said blogging and guzzling litres of tea is much more fun.
By the way, have you heard Jay-Z's new album (a collab with Coldplay!) called Viva La Hova yet? You should definitely give it a shot! All I can say is that Blue Ivy has a hell of a dad!

Love, Claire

it's been a while

Shame on me for taking a break of more than two weeks. All I can say now is that I'm back and I'll promise you to blog more! For those who were wondering what I've done during those weeks, here's a short update. I've booked a summer vacay to Blanes with some friends, I passed my Cambridge exams with an A (!!!), did some shopping for my new bedroom, got my scooter license and had two new twin cousins (a girl and a boy, so cute!). Welcome to the family Eva-Vidá and Camiel!

Unfortunately, I didn't allow myself to shop that much because I need to save money so I only bought some little things including the two items below. 

 Ugh, I know the quality sucks big time. Excusez moi!

Love, Claire

latest h&m order

black leather trousers // leight beige cotton jacket with leather sleeves // denim shorts with hard-worn details

These pair of leather trousers are probably my fourth pair, I'm a proud addict of leather!

So, what do you think of them?

Love, Claire

deux mille treize

Long time no see, Blogger! Yesterday, I got home after an ah-mazing week in Paris and Disneyland and I wish we could've stayed a little bit longer to celebrate New Year's Eve there as well (in front of the Eiffel Tower watching the fireworks for instance!).
No need to complain though because I've got a fantastic night ahead of me. In a couple of minutes we (my family and I) are leaving to have a super yummy (and kind of late) dinner at my friend's house together with hers and after midnight she and I will be heading for my house again because I got the permission to throw a party to celebrate the beginning of 2013! I'm still having a moment over my outfit which I've been totally stressed about during a quick shopping trip on Champs-Élysées (including matching nail polish from Chanel  I bought at Galerie Lafayette!) because I just couldn't decide what I was going to wear. And now that I finally got the outfit I feel absolutely great in, my camera is nowhere to be found (I've been looking for it for probably an hour!) but as soon as I've found it I'll take some pictures and post them on here! Gosh, I'm so mad at myself  for being an incredible sloven.

I thought that it'd be fun though to show you some things I bought lors de ma séance de shopping à Paris (I have no clue whether that sentence was correct or not, Google translater probs).

A mug with my favorite Disney character on it, Thumper from Bambi! The French Vogue including a calender of 2013, a new lipstick from M.A.C. in Costa Chic, the Naked 2 palette by Urban Decay, knitwear from Zara and a sequin dress from TNFC that I also wore on Christmas.

~

Looking back on 2012- there is so much to be greatful about. I am incredibly lucky to have all this amazingly considerate and loving people in my life and I wouldn’t change one minute of it. 

Bring it on 2013- I can handle it!

 I hope you've also had a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious 2012 and that 2013 will be even better! 

Lots of love to all of you! 

study time

Hello there lovely readers! Excuse me for not posting anything in the last four days but I've been really busy with school lately which sucks big time. Boo you, test week! I'd rather spend my whole weekend laying in bed with my precious laptop and my Starbucks mug filled to the brim with cinnamon tea without having to study for all these important exams like Latin and history. Well, I'm doing exactly the same right now honestly but in fact, I do have to study (I just prefer wasting my time watching dumb YouTube videos of people getting into ridiculous and pointless fights and sneezing pandas).

However, I've had a sick party with my friends last night. For a moment, some of them even forgot it was December and jumped into the pool (three out of five are feeling quite ill right now, haha). But for now, it might be a clever idea to finally open my Latin book and get some work done.

Much love, Claire

deck the halls of boughs with honey

Happy Holidays!
Lots of love, Claire

get fit or die trying

As some of you might know, I (try to) work out and run every single day just to tone everything up. If there's any chance you're also interested in exercising or are planning to do so, I thought that maybe it'd be a good idea if I shared my workout routines with you! 

Other great exercises to blast your butt: 

Victoria's Secret Bombshell Butt Workout

Pippa's Butt Workout (pilates)

Beyoncé Bootylicious Bum Butt Badonkadonk Bonanza Workout

Some routines you might also like to create those abs:

Victoria's Secret Model Ab Workout

Miley Cyrus Ab Workout (pilates)

Abs All Night Challenge
P90X Ab Ripper X (I do this whole routine every Monday and Thursday)
Part one // Part two

The ''Call Me Maybe Challenge'' and more leg exercises:

Call Me Maybe Challenge (also good for your bum)

Drive By Inner Thighs Challenge 

Perky Butt 'n Long Lean Legs (pilates) 

Repeat all of these exercises three times!

Make sure to do a warm up and a cool down (for like five minutes) before and after your workout as they help reduce muscle stiffness. 

Call me crazy but I think that nothing feels as satisfying as sore muscles, rather sore than sorry!

Lots of love, Claire

tonight, we are young

Just another post including a random picture I took today and tonight's playlist before I'm heading for my friend's house (through a thick layer of snow the streets are covered in: wish me luck!). Enjoy!

I guess you first have to click on the collage to read the titles of the songs, whoops.

And now I'm in a super hurry! Love, Claire

p.s. Hallelujah, this is my 50th post!

decisions are stupid

Aren't these fur hooded coats pretty? I found them on sheinside.com and they immediately caught my eye but I just can't decide whether to order the navy or the green one! So please help me out!

Which one do you like the most?

Thanks in advance! Much love, Claire

young and wild at heart

I just received this picture (click!) of my friend and I think it's safe to say that she literally knows me too well.

Have a an amazing weekend now that you're still young and wild at heart! Carpe diem et noctem!

Love, Claire 

happy girl status

Pinch me because I must be dreaming! You know I told you about Sinterklaas (click!), right? So tonight we celebrated it and my dad got us (my little brother, my mom and me) the best present ever: A TRIP TO PARIS! It's been four years since my last visit to this wonderful city but the whole atmosphere and just everything there is to die for. So we'll be in Paris for a whole week, also with Christmas and Boxing day, and the last two days we're staying in the amazing Disneyland Resort Hotel! When my dad revealed this present to us, my little brother and I just started screaming like little kids because we were so extremely pumped. 22 more days, countdown!
We also got Call of Duty Black Ops II (I'm an addict. I made it to level 48 by slaughtering zombies in Black Ops I, not gonna lie.) and I got a new off-white silk duvet covers for my bed, also known as my dream cloud.
But for now, I just can't wait till our trip to ma cherie, Paris!

To all my fellow Dutchies
What did you get for Sinterklaas? I hope you've had a good one with a lot of cosiness and joy!

Much love, Claire

(c) this picture was found on weheartit and edited by me

the fourth of december

Only seventeen days left before the world ends and I don't even know what I'm going to wear!

Lots of love, Claire

princess by vera wang

Honestly one of the most luscious fragrances! 

Created for the playful, unpredictable, independent woman who treats every day like an event and adventure. This is a woman who likes to make her own magic, this sheer, flirty blend of water lily, lady apple, mandarin meringue, and golden apricot skin are melded with sheer floral notes, accented with dark chocolate, and finished with a pink frosting accord, amber, warm woods, musk, and vanilla - a whimsical treat.

Highly recommended! 

Love, Claire

winter wonderland

IT'S SNOWING FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME THIS YEAR AND I'M WAY TO EXCITED 
HI HA HO

p.s. I can't believe I just made a post out of this delightful happening, oh well

(c) this gif was found on tumblr

tumblr all day, every day

I'm sorry for not posting anything in the last two days! I went shopping for ''Sinterklaas'' gifts (also known as Saint Nicholas, a traditional Winter holiday figure in the Netherlands. He's quite similar to Santa Claus although he doesn't have a reindeer sleigh to bring the kids presents and sweets with but a white horse and ''Zwarte Pieten'' to help him. Click here to find out more about him!) with my friends and went out for dinner afterwards. Then we headed for one of my friend's houses and watched ''Taken'' whilst enjoying a mug of Swiss Miss hot cacoa with marshmallows. Which might explain why I haven't blogged yesterday.
My Cambridge English exam went really well so I'm keeping my fingers crossed while hoping to get an A!

I remember promising you to make a post about two of my Tumblr accounts so there you go, these are my two blogs on Tumblr, enjoy!

#1 cara-sari.tumblr.com is actually my main blog, I've been blogging on there for over two years

#2 red-lacqueredsoles.tumblr.com a blog that consists of inspiring pictures of outfits, jewelry, make-up and such

Do you have a Tumblr? If yes, just leave the link in a comment and I'll follow you!

Have an amazing weekend! Love, Claire

my favorite bloggers

Just a quick post I promised you to make! I've got these really important Cambridge English oral exams tomorrow and I couldn't be more nervous. If you get an A or a B on your certificate, based on all of the exams you did (also including the reading, listening and writing exams which will be held upcoming Tuesday), you might get accepted to one of the best institutions of higher education abroad after you've graduated from high school. Being the geek I am, I just have to get an A!

Note to self: stop wandering from one topic to another! 

So these are my current favorite bloggers (not including ''blogspot blogs'')

♥ Martine Pedersen, Thea Celine Kilstad, Erica Mohn Kvam and Kristine Ullebø

♥ Anna Edwin, Tiril Dale, Andrea Badendyck and Amanda Ones

♥ Aurora Mohn, Mathilde Holck, Marianna Mäkelä and Kenza Zouiten

Much love, Claire

it's always summer somewhere

Hi lovely readers! First off, I promised you to upload some pictures of the purchases I did last Friday but I left my camera at my friend's house. My bad! I'll try to take and upload them as soon as we're reunited!

A while ago, I noticed that one of my favorite bloggers (making a post of them asap!) Aurora Mohn posted some of her backgrounds (which are actually really similar to inspiration collages and I can't get enough of making these) so I thought that it'd be fun to create some as well and share them with you. I made all of the following backgrounds with Picasa 3 and I found most of the pictures I used on my We Heart It and my Tumblr (I'll also make a post about my two Tumblr accounts near upon so no link this time, patience is a virtue!). They're all quite summery but I'm already planning on making a bunch of autumnal or wintry ones. Hope you like them!

 My current background // http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/4204/backgrounddu.jpg

// http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/3660/collages1k.jpg

// http://img802.imageshack.us/img802/5025/collages2.jpg

Lots of love, Claire

i bet that we could light up the sky

This week has been such a hectic week for me so I have to say I'm quite relieved it's finally weekend. Today I did some shopping after school though and I bought some things I'm super happy with including one of my wanties on the wishlist (click!) I made a while ago.
Tomorrow I first have to play a field hockey game and in the evening I'm going out with my friends after we've stuffed ourselves with tacos. Taco night, baby!
Oh, and make sure to take a quick look at http://sigmabeauty.com because this is the last day they'll ship their brushes to any place in the world for free! I've heard so many positive things about their brushes and read a bunch of good reviews so I decided to just give it a shot! I ordered this concealer brush and this powder brush.

What are your plans for the weekend?

Love, Claire

blue jean drama queen

This morning when I was getting dressed while being in a super hurry, I was trying to squeeze into my favorite jeans pulling one of the loops when I heard the sound of fabric tearing apart and my heart just paused. Yes, I actually destroyed my most beloved jeans and I'm still freaking out. My mom comforted me a bit by telling me she knew someone who could repair them so that they'd look brand new again so I'm keeping my fingers crossed! 

I now crown myself the blue jean drama queen!

Love, Claire

the industrial-strength concealer

The industrial-strength concealer, also known as Boi-ing by Benefit. I love this stuff. This is the best concealer I've ever tried and I really think it will be my only one forever! I don't have that much to conceal, but being the insomniac I am, getting rid of those annoying under-eye circles (sigh) was always a pain (seriously, people have asked me if I'd gotten beaten up before because I only got three hours of sleep since I had to finish an imporant essay). I have tried so many concealers over the years and they have all disappointed me as they all usually either don't cover spots and dark circles or they look chalky and cakey on my skin but definitely not this one. I wear shade '02' which is the medium one and it blends in with my skin tone perfectly. It's also a big plus that it only takes a small amount of product for it to cover everything. So although it looks like you aren't getting much for your money this will last you for months. The Boi-ing concealer is totally worth the €23,40 I payed for it! The only thing I'm not entirely thrilled about is that it comes in a pot. I'd prefer it more if it came in other packaging, but since I enjoy the product so much, I don't mind.

I almost forgot to apologize for not posting anything yesterday. I've been such a busy bee all day long! In the morning I first went to a polo tournament nearby with the fam bam (such a great and super fast game to watch!) and a couple of hours later I had to play a field hockey match which we won (there's a 99% chance we're going to end up in the first place this competition). In the evening I went out for dinner along with some girls from my field hockey team (there was a huge chocolate fountain!) and we went clubbing afterwards. Like I said, such a busy day but so much fun as well!
How was your weekend?

Lots of love, Claire

the joys of cuddle season

I just got home after hours of shopping with a bunch of friends. Despite the fact that it was so cold outside, I've had a really good time. We first went to Starbucks to warm our hands up and to get ourselves a nice cup of hot coffee (and we might have treated ourselves to a brownie as well) and then we headed for the shopping district. I managed to get myself some super cute looking undies from Accessorize and a pair of Dr.Denim jeans I've been looking for for ages! They're just regular dark wash skinny jeans but they fit me perfectly.

Have a wonderful weekend and make sure not to forget to enjoy the joys of cuddle season!

Much love, Claire

alexander wang rocco duffel bag

I got this bag a little while ago and it's still one of the favorite bags I own. It's only a dupe of the Alexander Wang Rocco Duffel Bag just because there's no way I would be able to afford the genuine one (it costs $895 and you can find it here). The bag itself is actually quite simple and the studds add that little rock 'n roll touch other bags lack.

I bought the dupe of this Rocco Duffel bag on this site for only €64,95 ($82,70) but unfortunately it's currently out of stock.

With love, Claire