Month: January 2021

26.01.21; Chapter 25 Over and Out

January 28, 2021

As a January baby born in the midst of winter here in England, I’ve always resented the date on which my birthday falls. Being a sun worshipping beach bum, my last few birthdays down under in Oz during the height of their summer and falling on their famous ‘Australia Day’ holiday, were far more my kinda vibe for a celebration. With plans to escape to Dubai for my birthday this year postponed due to lockdown, I had to settle with the reality of my 26th birthday back at the place I call home nestled in the quaint Hampshire countryside.

We were treated to a dusting of snow last weekend, turning our little village into a winter wonderland. A welcome change to the grey dreary days we’ve had most of this year so far and an excuse to get out amongst it and capture some snaps.

A few days later, January 26th came around and it was time to bid farewell to chapter 25 and officially enter my mid/late twenties. I was overwhelmed with so many kind messages and love sent my way wishing me a Happy Birthday. I spent the morning pampering, taking a long hot bubble bath and getting glammed up in my birthday suit of course.

It may have been yet another day at home in lockdown, but I can never resist any excuse to dress up and show my favourite clothes some love. So I wore my new split front flared pants from Topshop, white Zara square neck top and plenty of gold jewels, including these awesome statement rings from Cali Tiger and Cinco.

Hair loosely styled into a low bun and nails painted for the occasion, I was ready to pop the prosecco and dig into a cheese board! Treated to wonderful gifts from my family, friends and boyfriend, I feel very blessed to have been able to have such a special day despite circumstances.

I was over the moon with my new C’est Normal overshirt from the boyfriend and I’m obsessed with this pair of charcoal-blue square toe mules I got as a gift too. Ultra unique and stylish, I just can’t wait to wear these killer heels on a night out as soon as we are free again!

Soon enough it was time to get cracking on the cocktails and with a brand new kit from my sister, I was excited to see what magic I could create. First up on the menu it had to be Espresso Martinis, a speciality of mine when bartending back in the day, so we were in for a treat!

Following a few practice runs I would say I pretty much nailed my martinis. The perfect amount of sweetness combined with coffee liquor and decrotively finished with that thick creme – delish!

The family certainly enjoyed theirs too and later on we shook up some mojitos also. I was treated to Wagamama takeaway for dinner, so I ordered my favourite Kare Burosu Ramen – udon noodles with silken tofu and veggies in a curried broth.

A truly unique and much quieter than usual birthday for me this year, but no less enjoyable and fun regardless. I guess the biggest lesson I’ve learnt in my 25th year is to not take the little things in life for granted and enjoy the moments of each day…

Time is now and that is all we really have, so go get it ❤

Dani’s Daily Edit; My Passion Project

January 22, 2021

I’ve always been a busy bee and found it hard to not be doing something that gets my brain working, those creative juices flowing, or my body active and exerted physically. Even as a kid I remember asking my older sister to set me tasks and activities (often related to animals at this stage in life), then into my teenage years I would love scrapbooking and collecting magazine cutouts to make collages and inspire my fashion designs.

Later in life my focus became dancing and performing, a passion which kept me occupied every evening after school and took me on to train professionally in my degree at dance college in London. Inevitably I saw lockdown as an opportunity to get my teeth stuck into some new projects, the initial one being my YouTube fitness channel back in the summer. Now we find ourselves in lockdown 3.0 and with the new year upon us, so I decided to launch a fresh Instagram page devoted to my love for all things style and fashion – @danisdailyedit

With my wonderful wardrobe which I’ve fondly built and curated over the years, I thought it was time to show my clothes some love and embark on this fun little project. Not to mention we have nowhere to flaunt our newest garments at the moment, so its also a great excuse to get dressed up everyday and not hold back from experimentation out of my comfort zone.

I enjoy styling my pieces in different ways and revamping the old with the new as we continue to see trends come back around. Take this old tartan fleece skirt I had from years ago, worn simply with a modern square neck top, sheer tights and boot heels, this look channels that 90s chic yet minimalist style.

I continue to seek inspiration from magazines, blogs, Pinterest and Instagram as well as iconic film characters. After watching the new Wonder Woman 1984 movie, I was in awe of Diana Prince’s spin on 80s fashion. From an era of power dressing and bold silhouettes, Wonder Woman herself shows us how its done with tailored flares and collared shirt layered with a belted waistcoat and oversized blazer. Hair slicked back, sleeves rolled up, hands in pockets; we know this woman means business! I too certainly felt the power when recreating this killer look.

Of course there are times when I prefer to keep things a little more casual and comfier for those days spent at home and running errands. You can never go wrong with a pair of ripped boyfriend jeans paired with a baseball jumper, sneakers and a classic cap – ideal for bad hair days 😉

I tend to keep my look simple yet cool and chic. Quality jeans in a few different fits are a must in my wardrobe as I feel most comfortable in trousers. However a basic maxi skirt or dress is also essential for achieving cool girl vibes with minimal effort, but maximum comfort.

I should note at this point that yes, I do own far too many clothes and perhaps it’s time to streamline my staple pieces using a capsule wardrobe approach. I do admit though, I find this very tricky as I’ve collected some of my most unique items from various resources such as when I lived in Australia, numerous holidays abroad or vintage markets in London. I like my pieces to have a story to tell and bring me the joy of when I first purchased or got gifted them.

Alongside the fashion I’ve also been inserting snippets of my jewellery, accessories and interiors on the daily edit. I want my aesthetic to reflect my creative mind influenced by the eclectic, exciting life I’ve led so far. This is where style and fashion prove themselves as separate entities; fashion is for a time, style is for life.

I believe each day we put together an outfit, we almost embody a new persona depending on the fit, shape, length, material, colour etc. Whilst I’m more likely to choose my default ripped skinny jeans and chunky boots with a tee layered under an oversized shirt, I like to mix it up and feel a bit more feminine occasionally too, in a cute dress or fitted cigarette pants and smart blazer.

It’s always super exciting and motivating to get started on something new, I can barely help myself thinking of the next outfit post. I like a challenge and this definitely keeps me on my toes as I aim to post every single day, even if I am just wearing sweats and a hoody or workout gear!

Dani’s Daily Edit may be young, but I like to think this little passion project is an expression of my past and present self in the language of fashion.

Kicking those January Blues

January 18, 2021

Happy Blue Monday… a contradiction in itself, but I won’t let statistics and the media tell me to feel my most depressed on this one specific day!? I have happy days, I have productive days, I have lazy days, I have low days; they come and go in ebbs and flows, it’s called life. January is always seen as a month to start fresh, set new goals and almost repent for the fun you have had over the festive period. However I would like to share a different perspective on this seemingly dark, unwelcome month to help kick those blues.

I guess the simplest way of putting it, is to let yourself be. Depriving yourself of the things you love during these winter months is of course going to make you sad and depressed. Setting unrealistic goals which are unreachable will only result in disappointment and feelings of failure. Instead be kind to yourself by feeding the mind, body and soul with all the good stuff: take a bubble bath, read a good book, go for a walk in nature, buy a bunch of flowers, dress up in your favourite clothes, go grab a coffee from the drive-thru, have a glass of wine, indulge in a yummy bar of chocolate – whatever brings you pleasure in life. It’s important to strike a balance and get an abundance of nutrients during the winter, so make sure to maintain a healthy diet whilst treating yourself to these goodies too!

I like to come up with a list of intentions for the week ahead as opposed to solid goals and targets. These are usually things which focus on self-care to navigate my day and help nourish my future self. I want to be more present in my day, so aiming to do more meditation, reading and journaling on the daily is a must. Getting outside during daylight hours is always a mood booster and great for practicing complete presence in nature and appreciation for your surroundings.

So don’t be blue this Monday, simply write out a few weekly intentions and go do something today that brings you happiness and joy ❤

Soul Sunday; For the Magic Makers

January 11, 2021

For me, there’s few things more soul soothing and mood lifting than reading poetry and finding inspiration in beautiful photography. So I was thrilled to receive my copy of Sjana Elise Earp’s hardback book ‘You Will Rise’ all the way from Australia.

Having suffered from anxiety and depression, Sjana has rediscovered compassion and love through yoga, travel photography and writing. I’ve been a longtime follower of her journey through Instagram, where she shares her words of wisdom and incredible travel and yoga photos. Hence the book is a stunning collection of these pictures and her poetry collated from some of the most challenging and dark times in life, through to her moments of love, acceptance and enlightenment.

When the package finally arrived in the post, I couldn’t wait to enjoy my Sunday evening diving deep into this magical book. I set the mood with some candles, fairy lights and a glass of French rose wine to help ‘seek, soothe and soar’ into the realms of my imagination.

And of course, I dressed comfy and cosy for a cold English winter’s evening in my Puma essential joggers, South Beach cropped green hoody and fluffy socks – comfort is key!

This is going to be a wonderful addition to my coffee table book collection. Full of incredible photography as well as thought provoking and uplifting words, it’s perfect for dipping in and out of to get that dose of magic you may need to guide you at anytime in life.

As Sjana writes, this book is for the light seekers, the sensitive souls, anyone who has ever loved and lost and the magic makers. Her words dig deep into the spiritual connection we have to this earth and illuminate a path of guidance back to ones own truth.

Link to buy the book – https://www.bookdepository.com/You-Will-Rise-Sjana-Elise-Earp/9781760897864

NYE 2020; We Will Rise

January 4, 2021

We may have waved farewell to the challenging year that was 2020, but we still have a way to go before the world can find balance once again. That said, the past year has taught us a number of valuable lessons, the most signifiant for me being not to take the little things in life for granted. Whether its simply taking a trip to the shops and grabbing a coffee with a girlfriend, or getting together with family and friends to share all the wonderful festivities of Christmas, I will cherish these times that bit more now that we’ve experienced a life without those moments of joy.

Like most of the rest of the UK, we celebrated our New Years Eve at home and the Nieuwenhuys family know how to party, so we were in for an evening of fun with plenty of booze at the ready! I love any excuse to dress up too, so I spent the day pampering myself and getting glammed up for the night. I wore this cute seventies inspired outfit: ASOS flared jeans, Topshop lace bralet, Stradivarius check blazer, ASOS maroon lace-up heels and my favourite accessory pieces, including a new ring from Cali Tiger.

I know it’s been a tough year for many which makes me even more thankful for my secure family home, supportive friends, amazing boyfriend and of course my job. I may not have been able to progress to where I’d of hoped to in my career by this point, but maintaining my role as Events Assistant at the Four Seasons Hotel with the hope that business will return, is something I’m proud of during such unstable economical times. It’s important we celebrate the little wins like this and focus on the positive knowing that things could always be worse.

Crystal coupes lined up on the gold mirror tray and champagne chilled and ready to pop, I couldn’t wait to get the evening started! We ordered takeout from our favourite local Italian Mama Mia and following our pizza and pasta feast, we got Jools Holland’s Hootenanny show on the TV to get us fully in the party spirit.

The night went in a flash and before we knew it the countdown to 2021 was on. My Dad and boyfriend had an absolute blast setting off the fireworks, it was practically our own private show with all the boxes they had purchased – we certainly saw in 2021 with a bang!

So before we say hello to 2021, let’s take a moment to reflect on the year that’s been and not forget the lessons we have learnt from the most unique and challenging year for the entire world… from this I’m hopeful, we will rise. HNY ❤