The London Food Hotspot: TAB X TAB

Back with what I do best: writing about brunch. It's been a while since I shared my favorite brunch spots in London. I always love to try out new bakeries and cafés - almost as much as writing about them, so I thought it was time to share one my favourites.

In the heart of Notting Hill, on Westbourne Grove to be exact, is where you will find TAB X TAB. An airy café where you can try the most delicious coffee, brunch and cakes. It's close to my other faves Sunday in Brooklyn and Granger & Co, so you will always find a good place if either one of these places have an long queue - which always happens on the weekend.

As it was an early Spring day, we took a spot outside to soak up the sunlight and enjoy the warmer temperature. This weather also calls for iced lattes, so that's exactly what I ordered.

Besides my shot of caffeine I went for the creamy mushrooms and scrambled eggs on sourdough toast with some avocado on the side. I never used to be a fan of mushrooms when I was a kid, but I have really grown to love them over the years and this dish was no exception. I loved the creaminess of the dish and I have tried to recreate it at home, but failed miserably every time. My friend ordered the sando (which at the time was with chicken) and also loved her dish.

Overall, I loved my stay at TAB X TAB and will definitely be back for more brunch soon. The food is amazing - can't wait to try their French toast - and being in Notting Hill it's close to all the other gems that the area has to offer.

Have you been to TAB X TAB?

Celebrating New Year's Eve 2021 in New York City

Exactly four years ago I visited New York for the first time. It was a dream come true to finally walk around the city and experience it myself. My love for New York has grown more and more since and I had this dream to one day spend New Years Eve there and in 2021 this finally happened! 

I still can't believe that after two years I was finally strolling in the West Village with a coffee in my hand, eating pancakes at Bubby's and taking it all in. Since I am now at home - still experiencing holiday blues - I decided to write it down for you all - and a little bit for me since I love reading my old travel posts.

Day 1

After arriving, meeting up with my NYC partner in crime, going to Whole Foods for some snacks and waking up way too early - hi jetlag I have not missed you - we decided to go to Bubby's for breakfast. I previously visited their location near the High Lane, but I think that is closed, so we decided to try their café near the Ghost Busters building. It has been three years since I ate their famous, fluffy pancakes and I have been thinking about them ever since. You can imagine my excitement when they arrived and it was everything I thought they would be.

After that delicious breakfast we walked around my favorite neighbourhood: the West Village.

There is just something about the atmosphere there that I can't get enough off. Oat latte in hand, we popped into Magnolia Bakery for some banana pudding, took some pics at the Friends building and walked on the High Line. We then went to Bleecker Street Pizza to eat a slice of their delicious pizza, following by yet another coffee at Blank Street and some cookies to-go at Chip City. Whilst sipping the coffee we decided to people watch in Washington Square Park. I love soaking up the city, watch all the different people and have a look at what everyone is wearing - one of the problems of working in fashion. We ended our day very jet lagged at Flat Iron Building, Ulta Beauty and Sephora and decided to go back to our hotel to watch Brooklyn and Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist.

Day 2

The last day of the year started at The Wild Son Lunch Counter in the East Village. I visited The Wild Son before near the High Line, but I think that location is closed, so we decided to check out the other side of town. I went for the blueberry waffle - as you expect - and my friend Claire chose a wild rice bowl. It was delicious and as we were sitting outside - most restaurants have build these huts to eat outside - it felt so surreal that this was the last day of 2021.

I think that you cannot go to New York in December without watching the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center. The gorgeous tree was a bit overshadowed by all the tourists so we quickly decided to walk towards Central Park Zoo as we both had never been there. I am going to be honest here that I kind of expected it to be like the Madagascar movie, so it was a bit of an underwhelming experience. Zoo's always make me feel sad as well, so after a short break - we already walked tons - we went for yet another walk in Central Park, eating hot dogs and pretzels, and taking in the gorgeous trees.

Something that I didn't realize before is that NYE parties in New York are really expensive. And although I would have loved that experience, I always prefer a more chilled down New Years Eve. Which is why we went to The Smith in the East Village for lots of food and drinks. It was such a nice experience to celebrate it like a local and ring in the new year with champagne, party poppers and so much more. It will definitely be a New Years I am never going to forget.

Day 3

The next morning we woke up bright and early once again and went for a more casual breakfast at Blackseed Bagels in NoHo. I don't know if it was the evening before or the jetlag still kicking in, but it was one of the best bagels I have ever tasted. Just the right amount of bread topped with eggs, cheese and bacon - the best combination in my opinion.  

After that delicious breakfast we popped over to MoMa museum to soak in the culture and art. I had been before, but they put up so many new things that it was very nice to explore again. After that we rushed to the movie theater to watch Spiderman No Way Home. I have actually never watched a Spiderman film, but I was pleasantly surprised by how good it was and the ending was so sad I had to wear a new face mask because of all the crying. Still feeling very emotional - the rain didn't help either - we went back to the hotel as I actually fell down the subway stairs that morning - is it really a holiday without me falling? - and I had difficulty walking. We ordered some ShakeShack and watched Dirty Dancing 2, which in my opinion might be better than the original film.

Day 4

We started our day off right in Brooklyn at Five Leaves. A cosy café right in the middle of Greenpoint. Again I had to go for the pancakes and when you see the pictures you can understand why. They were so fluffy, covered in strawberries, banana and lots of maple syrup. Nothing beats Bubby's but I have to say that these will definitely make my top five. 

We then hopped on the Q-train to Coney Island. I definitely want to go here in the summer as I think it will be more lively with the amusement park and restaurants being open - it looked like a scary ghost town now - but it was still nice to see what it was all about, eat hotdogs at Nathan's and breathe in some fresh sea air. It's crazy how close it is to the actual city and I would probably be there on the weekends all the time to relax. 

After our relaxing day at the beach, we travelled to the Target near the Barclays Centre, which is my favorite Target as it is HUGE. After browsing - I bought way too much food once again - we had a quick break before going to dinner at Serendipity. Unfortunately for us we didn't book and they had no space available. Luckily I remembered this cute Italian place on the Upper East Side where I ate the last time I went to New York. So after quickly going to Levain Bakery - the BEST cookies - we went to Uva and enjoyed a lovely evening with bruschetta, truffle pasta and lots of red wine. 

Day 5

This day was a bit ruined by stressing about our pre-departure covid test, but we still started the day off right at Clinton Street Baking Company. I - again - went for the blueberry pancakes with maple butter which was delicious. We then spent about 3-4 hours on queueing for a test which was a bit unfortunate. Since our day was basically ruined for all the other things we intended on doing and it was freezing outside, we decided to go to Sephora, Ulta Beauty and The Strand to buy the last bits. I got my hands on this gorgeous Tarte blush, Shape Tape concealer and a Rare Beauty foundation which I cannot wait to use.

For dinner we ate ramen at Momofuku Noodle Bar, which was so good and with that in our bellies we went to Times Square to soak up all the lights and get that New York feeling. Especially at night I am amazed by all the lights and how bright they are. Crazy how it takes the most touristy place to remember how amazing New York really is.

After way too many photos we ended the evening by a walk on Brooklyn Bridge. I took a few photos, but they don't do the real thing justice so I can only advice to do this walk yourself - maybe not when it's windy and cold, because I was really struggling with the temperature this evening.

Day 6

Sadly this was our last day and I was not ready to leave yet. Especially after not being able to visit for such a long time, it felt like I was coming home. To end the last day on a high we visited Bubby's - again - for pancakes. I honestly cannot describe how good the pancakes are and it felt as the perfect 'last' breakfast. With a chai in hand, we went to Dumbo and walked the Brooklyn Bridge in the daylight. I do prefer it at night, but the pictures do turn out better during the day. Especially since it was a sunny, blue sky kinda day. 

After this we went to the last restaurant that I wanted to visit on this trip: S'MAC. This cosy restaurant is located in the East Village and serves the best mac n cheese. Again it felt like a perfect ending to a perfect day. Especially since we stocked up on more Levain cookies on our walk to the hotel which I ate when I was back in London. It was then time to take the AirTrain back to JFK and exchange the buzzing city life for another lively city: London.

As I am typing this I am starting to miss New York again (especially since I went to see Hamilton on the West End last week and all I can think about how it really is 'the greatest city in the world'. Hopefully I will be able to visit soon, but for now I will just reread all my other New York posts to make me excited all over again.

Have you ever been to New York? What has been your favourite things about the city?

The London Food Hotspot: Sunday in Brooklyn

New York has a special place in my heart - together with pancakes - so Sunday in Brooklyn was a café I had to visit. It was one of those places that I wanted to go to when I was in New York, but since the city has so much to offer I never managed to make it. 

The café originally began its story in Williamsburg, NY but decided to open up their first international café in London after their succes in the US, and since travelling is still a bit difficult at the moment I am very happy to experience a little bit of New York, even if it's only for two hours.

Located in Notting Hill, close to other favourites such as Granger & Co and Tab x Tab, it's the perfect spot for weekend brunch, cozy dinners and early breakfast. When you set foot in the café you immediately get an airy feel with bright windows, earthy tones and lots of plants. Add a suburb menu on top and you have a killer combo that translates well to every country. 

On weekends it can get a bit busy, so after an hour or so we were given a comfortable seat near the big window. I already knew I wanted to try their famous hazelnut maple praline pancakes with brown butter and ordered a latte on the side. My friend went for the egg sandwich and a mocha. 

The food arrived quickly and I must say that it was a really good pancake! It kind of felt more like a cake with lots of Nutella and I immidiatly regretted getting two. There is an option to order one, two or three pancakes and since I thought one looked a bit sad I went for two. Safe to say one would have been fine as well, but if you ask for a box you can take the leftovers with you - which is what I did. The egg sandwich was also really good, so overall we really enjoyed our meal there. 

If you are looking for brunch with a New York feeling, Sunday in Brooklyn is the place to go. I really enjoyed my time there and would only wish it wasn't as busy on the weekend, but I guess other people must be a fan of it too. Hopefully I will be able to visit this café in New York soon, but until then I am happy that we have this spot right here in London.

Have you been to Sunday in Brooklyn already?

How to style the small Chloé Tess bag

It is time to introduce my third Chloé bag to the world - read all about my first baby here - and share with you how I have styled it and if I would recommend purchasing it. You are probably thinking: 'Wait what? Third bag, but where is your second?' and I will get to that in a bit, I have honestly been loving the Chloé Tess so much that I haven't worn my second bag as much, but I will introduce you all to her soon.

I purchased the small Chloé Tess bag back in April 2020 on FARFETCH. I actually got it on sale and with my staff discount it was such a steal that I couldn't resist. Fun fact: someone else bought it first and it wasn't as heavily discounted anymore, but then for some reason it was back for the original sale price and I couldn't click faster on the 'buy now' button. Safe to say I'm very happy that I did buy it as it has been my favourite bag of all time.

So why do I love it so much? For starters it's the perfect size. Despite the fact that this is the smaller version - the medium looks very bulky to me - it is quite big. All my daily essentials fit into the bag and I honestly don't need anything else. The shoulder strap makes it easy to carry around and it's the ultimate finishing touch to every outfit. It is a bag that makes a noise, so if you like quiet accessoires then this is not the one for you, but I can live with that. And it's also the perfect addition to any food photo, check exhibit A when I went for brunch at SUNDAY in Highbury, London.

My ultimate way of styling it is either over a midi dress with some Birkenstocks in the summer. Or over my kick flare jeans, oversized blouse and black trenchcoat. I probably could be dressed in the most laid back look and this bag will make it look very luxurious.

Would I recommend buying this bag? 1000 times yes! It's my most favourite designer purchase as it is such a good everyday bag and goes with every look. I have been eyeing up other colour combinations as well, but I am trying to control myself and not end up with too many Chloé bags - although how many is too many, you know?

What do you think of the Chloé Tess bag?

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The Amsterdam Food Hotspot: TOKI

Coffee was never one of my go-to drinks. Don't get me wrong I like the warm and cozy taste, but the dependence that people have on the drink wasn't something that I wanted for myself. A couple of years ago during summer I was working on my thesis and got this obsession with iced almond latte's. For three days straight I would drink about three large coffees a day - I made them in this mason jar that I had - and I felt like the typical student, sweating away over uni work and drinking coffee to keep going. On the fourth day I woke up feeling the grumpiest I have ever been and immediately stopped. I think that's the closest I have gotten to having that 'I need my morning coffee' feeling that people always say they have. Plus I felt like it didn't give me more energy at all so I switched back to water and tea.

Fast forward to me stumbling upon TOKI. A small café near the Haarlemmerdijk in Amsterdam. Usually when I am out and about I always order a chai latte, turmeric latte or green tea, but at TOKI I wanted to give it another shot - mainly because they serve the coffee with a tortoise spoon and it would look so good in pictures. I ordered an oat latte and a slice of their banana cake, and sat down in their airy space full of terrazzo tables. It was a Friday after all so I opened my laptop to do some work - it was a Covid free world back then - and observed the people around me. It's a proper local café where you can do bit of work on your own, meet friends for a chat or grab a quick coffee to go. When the latte and cake arrived I wasn't disappointed at all. I LOVED the coffee, which was surprising to me and the cake was the cherry on top. The creamy topping and moist cake go so well together and I enjoyed every single bite as I sat there typing away.

Since then - this was december 2019 - I have been back a couple more times and always go fo the same combo: an oat latte and a slice of banana cake. I know they have plenty of other baked goods and lunch foods, but once you try the banana cake you honestly don't want anything else. The staff has been super friendly and helpful every single time I've been there and even when it's busy - people in Amsterdam love coffee -they pay attention to every little detail. 

I'm very sad that I cannot visit Amsterdam as much as I used to, but when I am there I always pay TOKI a visit. On your own or with friends, I'm sure you will love this gorgeous space as much as I do. They also opened a café in Berlin which has the same kind of relaxing atmosphere as their big brother in Amsterdam. So if you are ever in Amsterdam - or Berlin - don't forget to go for a coffee and banana cake break at TOKI, I'm sure you won't regret it. 

Have you ever been to TOKI?

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The London Food Hotspot: Franks Canteen

With the lifting of some restrictions on the 12th of April coming closer in the UK - which is also my birthday, lucky me! - I want to put more focus on cafés where you can eat outside. I'm actually very excited to go out for food again and have a drink at the pub, so this will be perfect to get me - and all of you - excited. Today I want to put the spotlight on everyone's favourite: Franks Canteen.

Hidden away in Highbury is where you will find this local gem. I actually visited the café back in October 2020, right before all the restaurants had to close again. The café itself is very tiny, with only a few areas where you can sit, and all the way in the back you will find the counter with fresh cakes, chocolaty babka's and local ingredients for you to purchase.

We found a spot available outside and immediately sat down at a mint green table with matching chairs - already a plus in my books. We had a closer look at their menu, my friend had been there before and couldn't stop raving about the croissant French toast - yes you read that right - so I couldn't resist ordering that as well, accompanied with a fragrant green tea. 

Whilst chatting away and catching up, the food arrived fast. The sugary French toast is served with mascarpone, syrup, bacon and a lemon wedge - a perfect combination if you ask me. The croissant flavour was really surprising as I never even thought about creating French toast with a buttery pastry, but this definitely changed my mind. 

I demolished it as it was the first thing I ate that day and sipped my tea taking in the neighbourhood surroundings. It's not the best French toast I have eaten in London - that crown is for Burnt Toast in Brixton - but I will definitely return to Franks Canteen for the cozy vibes, good food and minty chairs.

Have you ever been to Franks Canteen?

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The Manchester Food Hotspot: Ezra & Gil

If you are doing a bit or research about where to eat in Manchester, Ezra & Gil is probably one of the most named placed on the web, and there is a good reason for that: it's bloody amazing.

On a cold Sunday morning - when eating out was still a thing - my friend and I decided to try out Ezra & Gil after a successful Saturday before at Eveline café. When I set foot in Ezra & Gil a warm, cozy feeling got over me and it immediately made me feel at home. It's a huge space with warm, brown splashes of colour, massive tables, comfy window seats, the smell of food and the sound of laughter that fills the air with so much joy.

We got our hands on a window seat and quickly had a look at the menu, sweet or savoury: they have it all. My friend and I both decided to go for the French toast and we we're happy that we did, alongside my chai latte - which was the best - I enjoyed the fluffiness of the bread and the sweetness of the mascarpone topping.

One thing I love the most about window seats is to look outside and watch all the people go by. Manchester has an interesting mix of people and it's nice to see such a different culture, compared to London and Amsterdam. We went out for dinner the night before and were honestly quite shocked with the drinking culture - 7pm looked like it was 1pm in Shoreditch haha - but that didn't spoil the fun for me as Manchester is full of cute vintage shops, red brick buildings and lots of art.

It's a perfect weekend getaway, especially from London on the train, and I'm looking forward to visit again soon when the pandemic is over to discover even more hidden gems and to pop into my new favourite café for a chai latte :).

What are your favorite spots in Manchester?

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The London Food Hotspot: Burnt Toast

Since living in London I have been on a mission to try out the best brunch places in the city and although I'm currently not able to go outside to have brunch, it wont stop me from sharing my favourite cafes in the city. The gem in today's post is without a doubt one of the winners. Of course I'm talking about Burnt Toast, a cosy café right in the heart of Brixton.

I never visited Brixton before and I was pleasantly surprised with the unique vibe and colourful atmosphere. For a Saturday afternoon the queue wasn't too bad and we waited for around 20 minutes - which for London standards is actually a steal. You are seated outside, which isn't too bad in the summer time. I haven't tried it in the colder months, but I'll do anything to eat this French toast even if it means I'll be cold for the rest of the day - that's what tea is for am I right?

Burnt Toast is famous for their French toast, so that's what we ordered. And despite the name of the café, the actual French toast is not burned. I almost chose the pancakes (which I heard is AMAZING as well), but something in me said that French toast was the way to go and boy how I was right. I went for berries, my friend went for bacon and when the plates arrived, all covered up in maple syrup and honey comb, I knew I made the right choice. Taking that first bite was something I never experienced before with French toast. The bread seemed to have caramelized whilst baking and the combination of flavors was superb. In combination with my green tea, the lovely weather, friendly staff and good company you can say it was one of my best brunch experiences.

Once this epidemic is over you know I'll be running over to support this café and eat a plate - or two - of their French toast and probably the pancakes too.

Have you been to Burnt Toast before?

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My first designer bag: the medium Chloé Faye Day

If 14 year old me knew what this blog post was about she would die and 26 year old me still kinda does, because yes you read the title right: your girl finally got herself a designer bag!

As I'm writing this I actually bought two more (do keep in mind that I bought this bag last year and I just never wrote a blog post about it. I'm not THAT crazy on spending money) but I couldn't introduce you to the newest baby in my life without writing about the other one. So here she is: my Chloé medium Faye Day bag, a gorgeous handbag made from black leather with silver and gold hardware.

For me this purchase symbolizes a lot of things. It was a treat for myself, getting my bachelor degree, moving to another country, having this amazing job and just surviving on my own in a big city. I bought it on sale and added my staff discount (one of the perks when you work for a luxury fashion company) and even though it was still a lot of money, purchasing it was one of the best decisions of my life.

I contemplated between this model and the classic Faye and although I love them both I ended up going for this version, mainly because the zippers gave it a little bit more of an edge and I thought I would get more use out of it. That's also why I picked the black colour. There are so many different colours to choose from, but for my first designer bag I wanted a classic that I would love for the rest of my life.
The bag is safely stored in the dust bag that it arrived in and I do sometimes feel a bit stupid for not wearing it enough. One time it was raining and I forgot my umbrella - you can just never trust weather reports can you? - and I was basically covering up the bag with my blazer, because I didn't want it to get wet. People probably thought I was crazy, but I was protecting my most valuable possession haha. 

One year after I'm still happy with my first ever designer purchase. My second and third designer bag - also a Chloé - will make it's appearance on the blog very soon, as I can't wait to show it to you. But for now let's appreciate this gorgeous gal, shall we?

What designer bag is on your wishlist?

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The London Food Hotspot: SUNDAY

If there is one café that I have loved during lockdown it's SUNDAY. I visited this place for the first time a couple of years ago when I wasn't even living in London and I was just visiting for a few days - even then this café was super popular, and for a good reason.

The café SUNDAY is located in Barnsbury near Highbury & Islington station, hidden away off the main road, but still a not so hidden gem. On weekends it's known that there is at least an hour waiting time to get a table - I know this, because I was in that queue - but in the end, once you take a bite full of fluffy pancake you forget all about that. The cafe is small, yet cosy and it's the friendly neighbourhood café that everyone loves and I can definitely see why. They also launched their own brunch book last year with their famous recipes and I'm very happy to have added that to my cookbook collection.

Ever since the lockdown happened, I have been craving their pancakes and since all I do is walk and go for coffees I didn't mind the exercise from Hampstead all the way to Islington. I've actually done this twice already since the first stack of pancakes only made me want it more. I ordered the pancakes with caramelized banana - obviously -, an oat chai latte and a slice of their blueberry crumble cake. The pancakes are super fluffy and remind me of the pancakes I had at Bubby's in New York City. The blueberry crumble cake was amazing too and I definitely prefer that over the coffee & walnut cake that I had last time. 

I also highly recommend the courgette fritters, which is usually the dish that I go for if I am in a savoury mood - or to share when I'm with a friend. Every time I've been there the people that work there have been super friendly, which makes me like the place even more. 

It's save to say that the pancakes from café SUNDAY are my favourite in London and I will probably go for a walk again this weekend to get some more, either in Barnsbury or here in Hampstead where they have their second location (it's currently closed because of the pandemic). In these crazy times it's important to support your local cafés and I will 100% keep doing that!

What is your favourite café in London?

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The London Diaries part 1

You are probably wondering (or not) why I abandoned my own little bubble on the internet that is my blog, and to be honest I don't really know myself either. I would like to say life got in the way and instead of being a student with lots of time on my hands, I am now an adult managing a fulltime job and enjoying everything my new home has to offer. Although I could not really consider it "new" since I've been living here for almost two years now.

Before I moved it was quite the year for me. A lot of stuff happened in my personal life but besides that, it also had some good moments in it: going to New York for the first time and loving every single pancake minute of it, finally graduating uni and now having a bachelor degree in Arts, getting a new job, moving to the city of my dreams and living on my own for the first time. Now that I think about it, it's quite a lot for such a short amount of time and I needed a breather from anything internet related and focus on my life offline. 

My time in London has been wonderful so far (if you don't count in the global pandemic). I've met so many new people that I now call my friends that I would've never met if it wasn't for my move across the pond. I'm so grateful for the progress I've made on a personal level (still not going to the gym though, but that will change in a few months - hopefully) and I feel like I'm ready to share my experiences on this platform again. I won't be committing to a certain amount of posts a week, since I think that is what killed my love for blogging in the first place, but expect some occasional posts about food, travel, fashion, beauty and anything else that pops in my head.

Thanks for staying with me and I hope you enjoy reading my posts as they come along.

X Marjolein

a November Day in Amsterdam

Hi! Welcome back to a post on the blog that I know is long overdue. I want to say that I have a good explanation for why I disappeared for two months but honestly I don't. I feel like recently I have a love/hate relationship with anything internet and social media related and I was just busy with getting my sh*t together. Which honestly, aren't we all?

But jokes aside, I am back to some occasional blogging -no #blogmas this year since I am moving to London next month. Say what?- and I can't wait to share what else I have been up to in the last couple of weeks. Starting with my go-to outfit that I honestly wear all the time.

I was in Amsterdam last week to have a good bye brunch with one of my colleagues since I quit my job at Topshop (I wasn't lying when I said I really turned my life around) and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share my love for my fluffy coats and kick flare jeans.

Starting with my well-loved blue leopard faux fur coat that I picked up for €20 at IJ-Hallen, a flea market in Amsterdam. It is my favourite coat and I like the fact that no one else has it. I used to have this H&M coat and I would run into people with the same coat on. That always made me cringe.

I paired that lovely coat with my rainbow jumper from Monki which I picked up in a sale when I was in Stockholm. The colours and glitter make me so happy and if I could point out a shirt that describes me it would be this. Although sometimes a black band tee passes that test too.
Next up, my Topshop Dree kick flares. I wear these all the time and thank god I ordered a new pair because I am going to rip these pretty soon. I have never ripped jeans before –with that I mean not in a cute knee way but right on the bum- and I hope to never experience that in my life.
To finish my 70s rainbow leopard look I wore my white Chelsea boots from Topshop. I got these on a buy one get one free sale and I wear them all the time. I also love these with a black vinyl skirt and the Monki jumper. Maybe not this time around but when it's a bit warmer that’s the most fab combo there is.

So what's to expect next? Lots of London content since I am moving there next month. More food, since all I do is eat and probably me rambling on about my grown up 9-5 work life, because even though my Instagram life looks glam, in real life it's definitely not.

Also if you read this and you are from London, please give me a shout so we can meet up, go for brunch and take cute insta photos. :)

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The Utrecht Food Hotspot: Frenchie Café

 One of the best things about living in The Netherlands is that everything is close by. Within three hours you are already leaving The Netherlands, so it's nice to be a tourist in your own country sometimes.
I thought it would be nice to change the Amsterdam scenery for a bit and go to Utrecht. I met up with one of my friends there and we had a big old catch up with lots of food, as you do. We first ate pancakes at a café that I will talk about soon and after that we walked to the newest hotspot in town: Frenchie Café.

It's not like we were hungry but when I am in Utrecht I like to do as much as possible, since it's not a city I visit regularly. So there we both went, to see what all the pink velvet fuzz was about.

Frenchie Café reminds me of London so much. With the round marble tables and long pastel pink couch it's like I am eating cake at Saint Aymes or Feya. We took a seat at one of the tables in the middle and had a look at the menu. Unicorn pancakes, avocado toast, acai bowls and freak shakes: This place is brunch heaven! 
We ordered a fresh ginger tea, a cappuccino, a cupcake and an acai bowl (you know, to be healthy). The food arrived fast and was presented beautifully with gold cutlery and everything. It made me love the café even more. The acai bowl was delicious and the cupcake (made by Life of Pie Amsterdam) was very tasty. We sat there chatting away when all that's left were some cupcake crumbs.

The prices were completely fine compared to the London cafés I mentioned earlier and if you are ever in Utrecht (escaping all the tourists in Amsterdam) I highly recommend having a seat on the pastel pink sofa and ordering all the brunch foods!

What is your favourite brunch food?

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10 things I learned in NYC

My travels to New York have been the most exciting and interesting trips of this year (and of my life to be honest). I hopped on a plane across the ocean to see the city that never sleeps all by myself and as someone who had a lot of ideas of what the city would be like, I still learned a lot. Mainly because I was doing it all solo. So here are all the things that I learned about NYC (and myself!).

1. Anything can happen in New York

They always say New York is the city where dreams come true and although a lot of people probably don't feel the same as they've seen their goals crash and burn, the skyscrapers and city vibe definitely give you the idea that you can make anything possible.

2. NYC is the city of extremes

I feel like this applies to a lot of things. The weather can be 15 degrees with lots of rain one day and -8 degrees and sunshine the next day. I have also never seen so much poverty and high class people with Starbucks cups glued to their hand. Especially that massive difference made me quite sad when I was there.

3. Compliments. And I mean A LOT of compliments

I think American people are much easier in socializing than Europeans. Although I have learned from actual Americans that a lot of the so called compliments and being 'nice' is a bit fake, I thought it was refreshing to have a chat here and there since I was travelling solo.

4. You get lost on the subway more than once

On my second trip to New York I kind of felt like a true New Yorker. In the way that I didn't feel as anxious as I did the first few days I was here. I had already been in the city before, knew my way around and definitely understood the subway system. Until ya girl ended up in Queens on a train with screaming children eating smelly crisps. I got out on the first station and boarded the next train back to Manhattan. 

5. You can do everything if you set your mind to it

Going to New York by myself was scary and exciting at the same time. I remember the first day I arrived. There was snow everywhere, it was dark outside by the time I got to my hotel and I felt utterly exhausted from my first ever long haul flight. I remember wanting to go to the supermarket to get some things, but wandering around in the dark in a city that I didn't know was scary to me, so I didn't. On my second trip I dropped of my suitcases at the hotel, changed out of my sweaty airplane look and hopped on a train to Target. Oh, how times change.

6. Manhattan is BIG

On Google Maps it looks small but those blocks are hella long. I don't mind the walking but after a few days I do get tired and I might hop on the subway to make it easier for myself. Especially if I'm in The Village and I want to go to the Upper East Side.

7. Just do it

Not a sponsorship for Nike, but I do love this quote. So many times I was contemplating if I should do this or that and honestly you are not going back to the exact same place as you were before, so just do it. This means asking that stranger on the Brooklyn Bridge to take a photo or entering a café that you saw on Instagram but there are actually no people there. Life's too short to do it another time.

8. It's okay to be alone

A lot of people can't be by themselves and that’s okay. I don't mind it at all and I do think it's quite refreshing sometimes since it's only me, myself and I. You have to figure things out, find the way and there is no one who can do it but you. New York is also the best city for travelling solo, since so many people do things by themselves.

9. Everything looks like a movie set

Since most Hollywood series and films are shot in New York I kind of had an idea what the city would look like. Turns out the real deal is even better. All the buildings are amazing and make you feel so tiny. Especially The Village is my fave since the Friends building is there. Got to love a bit of Friends. I am actually wearing a Friends jumper as we speak!

10. Be proud of your choices

When I told people I was going to New York they all got excited. When they asked who I was going with I already knew how they were going to reply. ''Oh really? All alone? Don't you get lonely? How do you get your way around the city?'' I got used to it after a while but it's still annoying that travelling solo in 2018 gets that sort of backlash. Just let me be!

I made a New York City Guide with everything you need to know. Find it here!

What did New York teach you?

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The London Food Hotspot: Dominique Ansel Bakery

The ice cream that is taking over the world right now is from Dominique Ansel Bakery and you must be living under a rock if you have not seen a glimpse of this watermelon soft serve with dark chocolate seeds on social media.
It was just my luck that I visited London around a rather sunny weekend, which means that I basically stuffed my face with ice cream all day -no complains here-. Starting off with this fruity creation from Dominique Ansel.

The Bakery is located a few meters away from Peggy Porschen Cakes -the other pink gem full of carbs and sweets-, so my friend and I started our sweet tooth journey there and then walked over the floral building that is Dominique Ansel Bakery. 
At 10:59 precisely we walked into the shop and after having a look at the menu we saw that the watermelon soft serve is only served after 11:00. The guy behind the counter started laughing that we were here at exactly the right time, but I swear that we didn't plan it. I was not going to say that we just stuffed our face with cake and tea at the pink café next door and this was the next stop on our food travels -I mean I love eating, but I have a little bit of dignity left, you know-.

The soft serve is made from fresh watermelon juice, sugar and lime juice. They swirl it around in a fresh slice of juicy watermelon and imitate the seeds with dark chocolate look a likes. The What-A-Melon Soft Serve doesn't come cheap and with £6,50 takeaway/£7,70 eat-in, it will be one the most expensive ice creams I have ever eaten. 
After way too many photo opportunities outside I took a bite and a sweet, watermelon explosion is what happened next. Because of the hot weather it started to melt quickly and I was very happy with the little boat it was served in. Till the juice actually started to drip through the boat. I took a few bites of the watermelon and threw the rest away since pink dots where dropping on the pavement and my shoes. Doesn't mean that I didn't like the ice cream any less.

If you are in London on a hot sunny day -or cold and rainy- and are in the mood for something sweet I highly recommend popping into Dominque Ansel for some watermelon or other baked goods that they have lingering around. I know I will next time I'm around!

Have your tried this amazing soft serve already?

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