I counted and calculated a bit and realized that when Weekend Reads turn 1, it will be around #40, and not 52, which means I've missed entire three months! That's crazy! I know at times I was too busy to write the post (like last week - sorry!), but still, two months... that's a lot. I publicly promise to try and be way better in Year 2!

Also, from this month on, I'm planning to deliver a lot of content you will hopefully like and I'm super excited about it. I've landed an awesome collaboration I'm going to share about soon, and I'm so happy about it! I hope you will find it useful too, but more on that to come. Keep your fingers crossed because I've got SO MANY plans for the upcoming fall that I might use some good thoughts! 

I wish you guys a wonderful weekend, and now dig in these links. 

How to Survive a Shopping Ban

Last week I shared my thoughts on why I started my shopping ban. It was pretty much stepping into the unknown. It was a challenge I wasn't sure I could endure up to the end, so I allocated a six months' period pretty randomly. I thought: let's say six months, and if I cannot make it, well... that's it. Nothing too serious.  The initial idea was six months without buying clothes, but soon I extended it, so it was six months without buying clothes (except for one pair of jeans because I really needed it), decorative cosmetics (which shouldn't be too hard, as I use minimal make-up), nail polishes (ok, harder, because I'd been eyeing a shade or two), glossy magazines (hard!), candles (sad, because I was really used to their lovely light in the evening), flowers (super hard, as buying tulips in the Netherlands is the most natural thing, plus it's incredible how much they always brighten the desk), jewelry (not that hard, but then again, I had to remember not to buy it!), Starbucks coffee (at that point not that hard because Groningen had Starbucks at the main railway station and I almost never went there). In a nutshell: I was banned from buying things I didn't absolutely need.

Why I Started a Shopping Ban (And Why You Might Too)

As I mentioned on the blog a number of times, I'm bad with money. OK, well, I'll always be a person who prioritizes rent over anything else, and you can be 200% sure that I will never end up in a situation where I cannot afford to pay this month's rent because I bought an expensive pair of shoes. I'll never, ever get a loan so I could afford a vacation. If I cannot afford something, I cannot afford it and that's it, end of the story. But me being bad with money applies to those situations when I can afford something. Come a paycheck, and I'll be the queen of the world! Clothes, shoes, nail polishes, magazines, flower bouquets, cute mugs, trinkets that will make my home prettier, accessories that will make me feel so. I want it all!

Aaand that's where the paycheck melts.

Weekend Reads #30

Hi everyone, how's your Friday going? If you're working, hang in there a few more hours, because you know what follows! This week has gone super fast here and I think someone's put me in a time accelerator, because this is crazy. On top of things, I feel like I'm not achieving everything I want to and everything I should, so that's another reason I hate this time flying by so quickly. But at least something's happening... I guess. What are your plans for the weekend? I'm meeting a friend from Geneva today afternoon and hopefully taking her to a food market... in case a certain website isn't outdated.

#MBFWB: Green Showroom

For the past few years human nutrition and lifestyle in general have been going through incredible changes: it's as if we finally realized eating healthy only benefits us; we realized the good we get from the exercise; we ditched junk food... OK, most of it. (A pizza a month is good for the soul, isn't it?!) But after taking care of ourselves, we also decided to look at the big picture and look after Mother Earth. I've heard of people going vegetarian or vegan not necessarily just because of their love for animals, but because growing plants is more Earth friendly than farming. Recycling is becoming a thing. Sustainability is becoming a thing. So a lot of fashionistas and designers out there decided to take this path too. Let's create kind fashion!

#MBFWB Day 4

Aaand here we go with the fourth and the last day of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin. Honestly? I was kind of sad when the last show was over. The four days were fabulous, lovely, wonderful, hectic, painful (heels!), hazy. I enjoyed the shows, the beautiful people, and the wine! Of course I enjoyed the wine. So after this first experience, I can only express hope that it's not the last! OK, now, who will hire me as a (fashion) journalist?! :)

Weekend Reads #29

I'm working really hard today to deliver all the fashion news from the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin, both to you nice people reading the blog (if this is your first time here, welcome! Great to see you!), and Plezir Magazin, which basically enabled me to attend the #MBFWB as an accredited journalist. But I do realize that fashion isn't and has never been the primary topic of this blog, so I'm not forgetting about you if you're not into it!! That's why I had to count in the time to publish this post. I hope you have a great weekend! (Yeah, I know it's halfway through, but with this schedule and a room this messy, as I haven't been able to spend time in it, can you blame me? Phew, thanks!)

#MBFWB Day 3

Day 3 of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin was so much fun! I spent it mostly running from one location to the other, sipping wine and eating nothing. No wonder people in fashion are skinny, there was free alcohol everywhere, before the shows, after the shows, but not a single bite could be found. Maybe all the alcohol makes you forget you're hungry.

#MBFWB Day 2

Firstly: I wanted to write about each day in the following night, like I did for Day 1, but obviously, I thought too high of myself. Fashion Week is actually quite exhausting, so coming home every night I only wanted to sleep, just to wake up the next morning and having to leave soon because of the first show of the day. Plus my computer is so infected with I DON'T KNOW WHAT that basically disables me to do anything on the Internet. I spent two hours yesterday trying to fix it, and I thought I had, but now it's back again. I think I'm gonna scream. :( 

On day 2 of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week I only had two shows to attend, so I decided to explore the other things connected to the Berlin Fashion Week, but not necessarily in cooperation with Mercedes-Benz. Not really sure what I’m talking about? Don’t worry, me neither, but the thing is there is this official Mercedes-Benz website, where you can also find info on NY, Istanbul and Sydney Fashion Weeks, because Mercedes-Benz is their sponsor. On the other hand, there is a Berlin Fashion Week website that offers other events as well.

#MBFW Berlin: Day 1 (And a Few Other Words)

{If you're interested only in the IVANMAN and VEKTOR shows, please scroll down, as I'll be sharing some personal insight into the whole me-at-the-Fashion-Week story that you might not be interested in. :) }

Step outside of the comfort zone, they said.

Take a leap of faith, they said.

So I did. I applied for a press accreditation for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin (which is a long name, so I'll keep referring to it as #MBFWB). 

First of all, I didn't want to apply at all. I just shared something about not standing a single chance on Twitter, and then a lovely lady that shares my love for fashion encouraged me to at least try.