Ooh #thatwinterspringthing πŸ’« The trees are bar Ooh #thatwinterspringthing πŸ’«

The trees are bare, the colors dull, but the weather nice enough to go outside without having to bundle up in a xl winter coat. I'll be so happy when I don't have to cover up my carefully selected outfits with that one same coat anymore 😍 Not that I wear any nice clothes really, because that little pupper in the picture has a tendancy to ruin them. Something about being very ecstatic to see me when I come down in the morning... when I return from the bathroom... or the kitchen... or the 5 second run to the mailbox... or... you get the idea. Thank goodness she's cute.

πŸ“Έ: Cleydael Castle in Aartselaar, Belgium. It's a private property/golf club, so we didn't dare go any further than the main gate (especially with the dog present). Lots of other hikers did walk through towards and around the castle, so I'm not sure if it is/is not allowed πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ We actually came for the small nature reserve Cleydael across the street.

H A P P Y  W E E K E N D ! πŸ₯‚

#fashtagfriday #feelingfabulousfriday #fridaystyleedit #fridayfashionfreestyle #fridayfashpack #fashclubfriday #thankfrockitsfriday #whatafrock #letsgetfrocked #dressupfriday #alldressedupandnowheretogo #lockdownfashion #dresseduptostayin #whatiworetowalk #happytobemeoutfit #stylesisterhood #sassystyleweekly #theseclothesmakemehappy #shareootdinspirations #simplestylingsimplyme #mineyoursandhersstyle #positivitythroughfashion #mylifemystyle #dailyedit #mystylestory #everydaystylebook #stylemehappy #discoverunder3k #belgianinfluencer
Spring is telling us she's just around the corner Spring is telling us she's just around the corner 🌸

As I laid on the bench in my garden the past few days, a warm winter sun on my face, no coat or sweater in sight, it was hard to imagine that just two weeks ago this very same garden was still covered in 10cm of snow. This will probably be the last snowy photo I share from this winter as it will be time for magnolia, wisteria and wild bluebells soon.

#thursdaystyleisfullofgrace #thursdaystylefiles #mythursdaystyle #thursdayfashionfun #thursdaythredit #thursdayootd #thursdaylook #thursdaystyle #neverknowinglyunderdressed #stampyourstyle #whattoweartoday #wearwhatyoulove #mystatementstyle #winterstylefashion #winterstylefile #winterstyles #winteroutfitinspo #winteroutfitideas #outfitsideas #outfitshot #outfitideasforyou #outfitdiary #byebyewinter #wintervibes #winterwalks #winter2021 #belgianblogger #belgianinfluencer #vlaamseblogger #antwerpblogger
50 shades of white 🀍 House update: the notary 50 shades of white 🀍

House update: the notary sent us a first draft thingy of the certificate and we have received mortgage proposals from the first two banks as well. It starts to feel official now! I  must admit that all this paperwork isn't my cup of tea, so I've been creating inspiriation boards on Pinterest to remind myself what it's all for. Once the paperwork is done and the house is officially ours, we will start the search for an architect. One step at the time πŸ™

A few of you have asked if we're moving, but no, we are not. We are buying the house that we've been renting from family for the past 5 years.

------------

Hat & backpack @fjallravenofficial
Coat & hiking leggings @thenorthface
Boots @drmartensofficial with wool @falke socks

------------

#jalhay #womenwhoexplore #belphenomenal #belgium_outdoor #wallonie #femaletravelcommunity #wearetravelgirls #exploretheoutdoors #lavieestbelge #belgianblogger #ig_belgium #ladiesgoneglobal #girldiscoverers #travelinladies #thegingertravels #visitwallonia #amazing_belgium #dametraveler #highfens #ardenne #antwerpblogger #travelgirlsgetaways #damestravel #girlsthatwander #belgiantravelblogger #mawallonie #visitardenne #sheisnotlost #hogevenen #thediscoverer
Blowing one last Winter wish before Spring arrives Blowing one last Winter wish before Spring arrives β„οΈβ˜ƒοΈ

#snowlover #snowcovered #belgiantravelblogger #winterphotography #belphenomenal #mywintercapture #sneeuwpret #cornersofmyworld #ig_belgium #lavieestbelge #everydaymagic #mawallonie #winterwonderland #goodtimesoutside #coldwinterday #aseasonalyear #weroamhome #winternature #wintermagic #visitardenne #visitwallonia #snowsnowsnow #belgianblogger #thequietwinter #embracingtheseasons #vlaamseblogger #snowlovers #antwerpblogger #winteraesthetic #underthesnow
Are we out of the woods yet? πŸ‘€ Monday Shmonday Are we out of the woods yet? πŸ‘€ Monday Shmonday again so let's put our hair up, drink a gallon of coffee, put on Taylor Swift "1989" and handle it! πŸ‘Š

#embracingtheseasons #belgianblogger #vlaamseblogger #belphenomenal #winteraesthetic #aseasonalyear #goodtimesoutside #mywintercapture #belgiantravelblogger #winterwonderland #antwerpblogger #weroamhome #ig_belgium #mawallonie #wintermagic #visitwallonia #winternature #lavieestbelge #thequietwinter #everydaymagic #winterphotography #snowsnowsnow #snowcovered #cornersofmyworld #underthesnow #visitardenne #snowlover #coldwinterday #sneeuwpret #snowlovers
I 🀍 weekends! Our 13-year-old car broke down l I 🀍 weekends!

Our 13-year-old car broke down last weekend and we have to pick up our replacement car today. Pick-up point is in Turnhout (where I grew up) and I'm thinking we need to make a day trip out of it! The weather forecast is blessing us with the promise of sunshine and very pleasant temperatures for this time of year, so I'm happy as a bumble bee in a sea of lavender.

#searchwandercollect #thedreaminglens #smallmomentsofcalm #thebeautyinwinter #ofsimplethings #alittlebeautyeveryday #myquietbeauty #seeingthepretty #gowildlyandslow #slowsimpleseasonal #tinytinymoments #thesimplelife #aseasonalyear #calmversation #embracingslowerlife #beautyyouseek #whimsicalwonderfulwild #noticewonderconnect #thequietfolk #cornersofmyworld #slowlived #theslowdowncollective #calm_collected #creativefolk #simpleandstill #myseasonalstory #thesimpleeveryday #slowlifestyle #capturequiet #untoldvisuals
Satisfying my travel lust close to home 😌 The Satisfying my travel lust close to home 😌

The High Fens are my favorite place to go hiking in winter. In "normal years" we don't meet a soul out there, but this year the whole of Belgium agreed this was the Fens were the place to be. Maybe the fact that it was the only corner of our country covered with snow had something to do with that 😬 Little did we know a cold front would hit all of Europe just a few weeks later! πŸ₯Ά

To avoid the crowds on the Fens, we stayed lower on the map and parked somewhere between Jalhay and Solwaster. I know the Ardennes quiet well, because I spent the first 16 summers of my life there. I still remember places that are less visited and also just driving around without a plan and stopping by places that look interesting helps (that's what we did on this trip, so don't ask me about the specific location πŸ˜…). How much I hated the Ardennes by the time I was 16, so much I appreciate knowing the region now that everyone is forced to vacation close to home.

What's your favorite way to travel in Belgium?

#jalhay #highfens #hogevenen #antwerpblogger #visitwallonia #amazing_belgium #sheisnotlost #thediscoverer #ladiesgoneglobal #damestravel #lavieestbelge #girlsthatwander #wallonie #mawallonie #femaletravelcommunity #belphenomenal #girldiscoverers #belgianblogger #travelinladies #belgiantravelblogger #visitardenne #ig_belgium #ardenne #womenwhoexplore #exploretheoutdoors #wearetravelgirls #travelgirlsgetaways #dametraveler #belgium_outdoor #thegingertravels
Up to snow good 😝 This little fluffball didn' Up to snow good 😝 

This little fluffball didn't know what happened last January, when we let her out of the car in the middle of a winter wonderland. How unsure she was about the cold mushy mush, so much she loves frolicking through it today. Lucky for her, our very own garden has been covered in snow for the past few days ❄️

#aussieshepherd_feature #vlaamseblogger #aussieshepherdfeatures #miniaussiepuppy #aussomefeature #bergeraustralian #masoftheworld #puppylove #aussieshepherd_shoutout #australianshepherd #showmeyourauss #aussie_corner #aussiepuppy #belgianblogger #australianshepherdofinsta #aussieshep #miniaussiesofinstagram #aussieshepherd #australianshepherdworld #australianshepherds_ #australianshepherdofinstagram #miniaussie #antwerpblogger
When I was a child, I was certain of the fact that When I was a child, I was certain of the fact that "adulthood" was a perfectly defined phase of life that you enetred the day you had 1) a job and 2) moved out of your parental home. As if you'd wake up the next day and be an adult who had everything together, never ate snacks before dinner and always had the last word in discussions. 

I moved out 6 years ago and have worked for 5 years, but I still snack before dinner and am very far from having my stuff together. But finally today I felt a hint of what my child-self dreamt adulthood would be like. I was calling banks to make appointments to discuss mortgage loans and I realized: this is it. I am adulting.

#winterwonderland #wintermagic #winternature #coldwinterday #winteraesthetic #mywintercapture #winterphotography #thequietwinter #sneeuwpret #snowsnowsnow #underthesnow #snowcovered #snowlover #snowlovers #embracingtheseasons #aseasonalyear #cornersofmyworld #everydaymagic #weroamhome #goodtimesoutside #visitardenne #visitwallonia #mawallonie #ig_belgium #lavieestbelge #belphenomenal #belgiantravelblogger #belgianblogger #vlaamseblogger #antwerpblogger
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The Americas, Travel · 6 February 2017

A Day At Dunn’s River Falls in Ochos Rios

Jamaica was the first of the 5 stops of our cruise through the Caribbean sea. I knew little about the country, but rumors were that it’s one of the world’s top destinations for beach weddings. I’m not the beach-y type, but I must admit that I was curious to learn why everybody seems to love the white sands, clear blue waters, palmtrees and dolphins so much. Yes my friends, there were dolphins!

As the ship came sailing in, everyone stood out on the decks taking pictures of the beautiful bay of Ochos Rios. It was my first time seeing this crystal clear blue water and a rain forest so I got really excited to get off board! My eye fell on a little white gazebo that I had seen in one of those wedding destination newspaper articles. It was locked behind a fancy hotel, so there was no way we’d get in there to have a look. I was a little sad about that, but we had a day full of activities planned to keep me busy!

As soon as we disembarked the ship we got surrounded by loud men trying to lure the tourists to their souvenir stalls or into their taxis for rides around the island. Weed galore too (stereotype!). It was in a way a very painful confrontation with the contrast between the way these people live their lives and our luxury cruise ship. The MSC Divina is not your average cruise ship. For example, it has a 100-step Swarovski crystal staircase that supposedly cost $300.000 to build. I’m a social worker and I see poverty every day, but the way the men in the port were yelling, pulling your arms, running after you, … had a sense of desperation that I have rarely seen before. I’m also a redhead and I was warned beforehand by my family and a crew member of the ship that my hair color would attract unwanted attention. To be honest, it all made me feel unsafe.

My in-laws wanted to see the Dunn’s River Falls and after the events in the harbor I felt little for going into the town. It was only a 2 kilometer walk from the port with a steep, short climb at the end. It seemed no biggie. I didn’t realize the harm of 35Β°C weather while walking on the edge of a humid, thin aired rain forest. The heat, lack of fresh air and exhaustion from the climb eventually made me faint at the entrance gates. Then I fainted again when we were walking next to the falls. My family got me to the beach and the soft wind helped me revive a little. There was a big tree that threw a shade on the sand and I sat there for a while enjoying the beautiful view. Then guy came up out of nowhere and asked me if he could introduce me to a Jamaican man for some “sweet loving” as he tried to grab my arm. I was exhausted, nauseous and totally done. My family decided to get me a taxi to take me back to the ship, but to get to the parking lot we had to hike back through the rain forest.

We were doubting to climb back up through the river like the others were doing, but because I had been so sick we figured it’d be a bad idea. Instead we followed the pathway next to the river. I had only seen a glimpse of the falls on our way down and I was curious to see how the people where navigating through them. We were in the forest again and the heat and humidity soon caught me. We headed up faster to make it to the out and open before I’d be out of breath again, but without luck. I sat by the First Aid post for a while – just to be sure – before I felt stable enough to move forward. With other tropical destinations still on our agenda I was starting to fear how the rest of our vacation was going to go… .

In: The Americas, Travel

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Comments

  1. Mica says

    6 February 2017 at 11:51

    Oh no what a horrible experience – the fainting and the scary guys you encountered. I’m glad you were okay in the end – you can get dehydrated and dizzy so quickly when it’s hot and humid. I feel like all I do is drink water when it gets over 30 degrees (which it seems to have been most every day this year so far…)

    Hopefully you had a better time on your other stops!

    Away From The Blue Blog

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Bienvenido A Miami

Hi, I'm Nikki and I'm so happy you've found my little space on the internet! I have an eager heart for blogging, styling and travelling. On my blog I share my everyday outfits, travel stories and style inspirations with a good dose of redhead personality. More about me...

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Ooh #thatwinterspringthing πŸ’« The trees are bar Ooh #thatwinterspringthing πŸ’«

The trees are bare, the colors dull, but the weather nice enough to go outside without having to bundle up in a xl winter coat. I'll be so happy when I don't have to cover up my carefully selected outfits with that one same coat anymore 😍 Not that I wear any nice clothes really, because that little pupper in the picture has a tendancy to ruin them. Something about being very ecstatic to see me when I come down in the morning... when I return from the bathroom... or the kitchen... or the 5 second run to the mailbox... or... you get the idea. Thank goodness she's cute.

πŸ“Έ: Cleydael Castle in Aartselaar, Belgium. It's a private property/golf club, so we didn't dare go any further than the main gate (especially with the dog present). Lots of other hikers did walk through towards and around the castle, so I'm not sure if it is/is not allowed πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ We actually came for the small nature reserve Cleydael across the street.

H A P P Y  W E E K E N D ! πŸ₯‚

#fashtagfriday #feelingfabulousfriday #fridaystyleedit #fridayfashionfreestyle #fridayfashpack #fashclubfriday #thankfrockitsfriday #whatafrock #letsgetfrocked #dressupfriday #alldressedupandnowheretogo #lockdownfashion #dresseduptostayin #whatiworetowalk #happytobemeoutfit #stylesisterhood #sassystyleweekly #theseclothesmakemehappy #shareootdinspirations #simplestylingsimplyme #mineyoursandhersstyle #positivitythroughfashion #mylifemystyle #dailyedit #mystylestory #everydaystylebook #stylemehappy #discoverunder3k #belgianinfluencer
Spring is telling us she's just around the corner Spring is telling us she's just around the corner 🌸

As I laid on the bench in my garden the past few days, a warm winter sun on my face, no coat or sweater in sight, it was hard to imagine that just two weeks ago this very same garden was still covered in 10cm of snow. This will probably be the last snowy photo I share from this winter as it will be time for magnolia, wisteria and wild bluebells soon.

#thursdaystyleisfullofgrace #thursdaystylefiles #mythursdaystyle #thursdayfashionfun #thursdaythredit #thursdayootd #thursdaylook #thursdaystyle #neverknowinglyunderdressed #stampyourstyle #whattoweartoday #wearwhatyoulove #mystatementstyle #winterstylefashion #winterstylefile #winterstyles #winteroutfitinspo #winteroutfitideas #outfitsideas #outfitshot #outfitideasforyou #outfitdiary #byebyewinter #wintervibes #winterwalks #winter2021 #belgianblogger #belgianinfluencer #vlaamseblogger #antwerpblogger
50 shades of white 🀍 House update: the notary 50 shades of white 🀍

House update: the notary sent us a first draft thingy of the certificate and we have received mortgage proposals from the first two banks as well. It starts to feel official now! I  must admit that all this paperwork isn't my cup of tea, so I've been creating inspiriation boards on Pinterest to remind myself what it's all for. Once the paperwork is done and the house is officially ours, we will start the search for an architect. One step at the time πŸ™

A few of you have asked if we're moving, but no, we are not. We are buying the house that we've been renting from family for the past 5 years.

------------

Hat & backpack @fjallravenofficial
Coat & hiking leggings @thenorthface
Boots @drmartensofficial with wool @falke socks

------------

#jalhay #womenwhoexplore #belphenomenal #belgium_outdoor #wallonie #femaletravelcommunity #wearetravelgirls #exploretheoutdoors #lavieestbelge #belgianblogger #ig_belgium #ladiesgoneglobal #girldiscoverers #travelinladies #thegingertravels #visitwallonia #amazing_belgium #dametraveler #highfens #ardenne #antwerpblogger #travelgirlsgetaways #damestravel #girlsthatwander #belgiantravelblogger #mawallonie #visitardenne #sheisnotlost #hogevenen #thediscoverer
Blowing one last Winter wish before Spring arrives Blowing one last Winter wish before Spring arrives β„οΈβ˜ƒοΈ

#snowlover #snowcovered #belgiantravelblogger #winterphotography #belphenomenal #mywintercapture #sneeuwpret #cornersofmyworld #ig_belgium #lavieestbelge #everydaymagic #mawallonie #winterwonderland #goodtimesoutside #coldwinterday #aseasonalyear #weroamhome #winternature #wintermagic #visitardenne #visitwallonia #snowsnowsnow #belgianblogger #thequietwinter #embracingtheseasons #vlaamseblogger #snowlovers #antwerpblogger #winteraesthetic #underthesnow
Are we out of the woods yet? πŸ‘€ Monday Shmonday Are we out of the woods yet? πŸ‘€ Monday Shmonday again so let's put our hair up, drink a gallon of coffee, put on Taylor Swift "1989" and handle it! πŸ‘Š

#embracingtheseasons #belgianblogger #vlaamseblogger #belphenomenal #winteraesthetic #aseasonalyear #goodtimesoutside #mywintercapture #belgiantravelblogger #winterwonderland #antwerpblogger #weroamhome #ig_belgium #mawallonie #wintermagic #visitwallonia #winternature #lavieestbelge #thequietwinter #everydaymagic #winterphotography #snowsnowsnow #snowcovered #cornersofmyworld #underthesnow #visitardenne #snowlover #coldwinterday #sneeuwpret #snowlovers
I 🀍 weekends! Our 13-year-old car broke down l I 🀍 weekends!

Our 13-year-old car broke down last weekend and we have to pick up our replacement car today. Pick-up point is in Turnhout (where I grew up) and I'm thinking we need to make a day trip out of it! The weather forecast is blessing us with the promise of sunshine and very pleasant temperatures for this time of year, so I'm happy as a bumble bee in a sea of lavender.

#searchwandercollect #thedreaminglens #smallmomentsofcalm #thebeautyinwinter #ofsimplethings #alittlebeautyeveryday #myquietbeauty #seeingthepretty #gowildlyandslow #slowsimpleseasonal #tinytinymoments #thesimplelife #aseasonalyear #calmversation #embracingslowerlife #beautyyouseek #whimsicalwonderfulwild #noticewonderconnect #thequietfolk #cornersofmyworld #slowlived #theslowdowncollective #calm_collected #creativefolk #simpleandstill #myseasonalstory #thesimpleeveryday #slowlifestyle #capturequiet #untoldvisuals
Satisfying my travel lust close to home 😌 The Satisfying my travel lust close to home 😌

The High Fens are my favorite place to go hiking in winter. In "normal years" we don't meet a soul out there, but this year the whole of Belgium agreed this was the Fens were the place to be. Maybe the fact that it was the only corner of our country covered with snow had something to do with that 😬 Little did we know a cold front would hit all of Europe just a few weeks later! πŸ₯Ά

To avoid the crowds on the Fens, we stayed lower on the map and parked somewhere between Jalhay and Solwaster. I know the Ardennes quiet well, because I spent the first 16 summers of my life there. I still remember places that are less visited and also just driving around without a plan and stopping by places that look interesting helps (that's what we did on this trip, so don't ask me about the specific location πŸ˜…). How much I hated the Ardennes by the time I was 16, so much I appreciate knowing the region now that everyone is forced to vacation close to home.

What's your favorite way to travel in Belgium?

#jalhay #highfens #hogevenen #antwerpblogger #visitwallonia #amazing_belgium #sheisnotlost #thediscoverer #ladiesgoneglobal #damestravel #lavieestbelge #girlsthatwander #wallonie #mawallonie #femaletravelcommunity #belphenomenal #girldiscoverers #belgianblogger #travelinladies #belgiantravelblogger #visitardenne #ig_belgium #ardenne #womenwhoexplore #exploretheoutdoors #wearetravelgirls #travelgirlsgetaways #dametraveler #belgium_outdoor #thegingertravels
Up to snow good 😝 This little fluffball didn' Up to snow good 😝 

This little fluffball didn't know what happened last January, when we let her out of the car in the middle of a winter wonderland. How unsure she was about the cold mushy mush, so much she loves frolicking through it today. Lucky for her, our very own garden has been covered in snow for the past few days ❄️

#aussieshepherd_feature #vlaamseblogger #aussieshepherdfeatures #miniaussiepuppy #aussomefeature #bergeraustralian #masoftheworld #puppylove #aussieshepherd_shoutout #australianshepherd #showmeyourauss #aussie_corner #aussiepuppy #belgianblogger #australianshepherdofinsta #aussieshep #miniaussiesofinstagram #aussieshepherd #australianshepherdworld #australianshepherds_ #australianshepherdofinstagram #miniaussie #antwerpblogger
When I was a child, I was certain of the fact that When I was a child, I was certain of the fact that "adulthood" was a perfectly defined phase of life that you enetred the day you had 1) a job and 2) moved out of your parental home. As if you'd wake up the next day and be an adult who had everything together, never ate snacks before dinner and always had the last word in discussions. 

I moved out 6 years ago and have worked for 5 years, but I still snack before dinner and am very far from having my stuff together. But finally today I felt a hint of what my child-self dreamt adulthood would be like. I was calling banks to make appointments to discuss mortgage loans and I realized: this is it. I am adulting.

#winterwonderland #wintermagic #winternature #coldwinterday #winteraesthetic #mywintercapture #winterphotography #thequietwinter #sneeuwpret #snowsnowsnow #underthesnow #snowcovered #snowlover #snowlovers #embracingtheseasons #aseasonalyear #cornersofmyworld #everydaymagic #weroamhome #goodtimesoutside #visitardenne #visitwallonia #mawallonie #ig_belgium #lavieestbelge #belphenomenal #belgiantravelblogger #belgianblogger #vlaamseblogger #antwerpblogger
Never not photographing the details 🀍 #thebeau Never not photographing the details 🀍

#thebeautyinwinter #slowsimpleseasonal #thesimplelife #simpleandstill #thesimpleeveryday #gowildlyandslow #slowlifestyle #slowlived #embracingslowerlife #theslowdowncollective #capturequiet #myquietbeauty #thequietfolk #creativefolk #searchwandercollect #noticewonderconnect #myseasonalstory #calmversation #smallmomentsofcalm #tinytinymoments #calm_collected #untoldvisuals #ofsimplethings #seeingthepretty #beautyyouseek #cornersofmyworld #whimsicalwonderfulwild #alittlebeautyeveryday #aseasonalyear #thedreaminglens

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