Monthly Archives: December 2010

2010 Review

So much has happened over the last twelve months and still the time flew by so fast. That is at least how it seems.

  • The year started rather cold with lots of snow and ice (and even more snow). We all thought that the winter of 2009/2010 cannot get any worse. 2010/2011 proved us all wrong. We had even more snow even earlier in the year.
  • On January 29th I started my exchange semester in Copenhagen. I flew into Kastrup airport and got picked up by my mentor Louise who drove me to my hotel. There she dropped me off and I felt kind of lonely for the first time.

Nyhavn - March 2010

  • The first Saturday (January 30th) in Copenhagen started with bright sunshine even though it was lousy cold. I explored Strøget, Kongens Nytorv, and Nyhavn. I also moved the first things into my apartment. Sunday my friend Miri finally arrived in Copenhagen as well and we went for a beer and met up with our fellow students Gitta and Anja in their apartment. I turned out that they lived quite close to my place. Monday the 1st of February was my first official day at KU.

Miri and I on the ferry from Puttgarden to Roedby, February 13th 2010

  • I met great people over the following weeks and months. I attended classes, worked at the Danish office of my German company, and also went to a few parties.

Gildemeister Scandinavia

  • I got to know and love one of the best people ever – my honning bamse :-*

Christoffer and I, September 26th 2010

  • I saw the “Little Mermaid” being shipped of to China (March 22nd), listened to great Danish music in Tivoli (May 3rd), drank lots Danish beer at the Carlsberg Brewery (March 12th), and had fun at Bakken (June 26th), before leaving for Germany again on June 27th.

The Little Mermaid gets shipped off to China - March 2010

Miri and I at Carlsberg - March 12th 2010

Christoffer and I at Bakken, June 26th 2010

  • I “split up” with friends who turned out not to be friends after all.
  • I had to attend classes in Germany again after my return and had my exams in Germany at the end of July and beginning of August.
  • I started blogging again.
  • I spend two great days in Bruge and got engaged (August 6th). After that I spend a few great days in Normandy, went to Mont St. Michel, Caen, and Coutance.

THE ring

Mont St. Michel - August 13th 2010

  • After the summer holidays in France the travelling between Denmark and Germany really started. I spend lots of days taking trains to the airport in Düsseldorf and Cologne and got up I-do-not-know-how-many-times at 05:00 in the morning :(
  • I finally officially got admitted to KU on November 11th.

KU Letter of Admission - November 11th 2010

  • I became part of IMECO and arranged some great events including the International Welcome Party, an afternoon at Carlsberg, a movie night, and a Christmas party.
  • Last but not least I had a wonderful Christmas in Denmark with lots of good food and lots of presents as well.

Now the last day of the year 2010 has finally arrived. The year has been great. Not always easy but great after all. And 2011 will continue to be a good year. I already know of all those good things to come. I will be moving to Denmark in February 10th and start on my Masters. We will get a dog next summer (hopefully at least). And I will finally be with Christoffer once and for all. No more stupid saying good-byes.

I hope your year has been great and a success as well. And if some stupid, bad, or sad things have happened to you, I wish you well for the next year. It can only get better, right?

Love, S.

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Merry Belated Christmas

My dear readers,

so sorry for my lack of absence again. I hope I kept you plenty of busy with my Q&A posts (which I pre-wrote of course). The last 1 1/2 weeks I spend at home in Bonn with my parents and grandparents and on the 19th (well, actually the 20th – but more about that later) I left for Copenhagen. I hope everyone had wonderfull Christmas days with lots of good food and lots of presents. My mother decided to not exchange gifts anymore (even though my dad did not agree at all) so I did not get anything from my parents. Luckily enough I have awesome parents-in-law which gave me more than plenty. I did not manage to take any pictures of my presents yet. But I promise to do that this weekend when I am back in Copenhagen for New Year’s.

But now more about the last week. On Friday the 17th I left for Bonn by train. The train ride takes about 4 hours, including three train changes. I made it after all, but quite exhausted. Saturday my parents, my sister, and I (yes, the FOUR of us) went to the local Christmas market. Even though it was crowded we had a great time with lots of different food. After it we went into a few stores though without buying anything (but I saw a great knit at Vero Moda in a great bluish colour). After some more cozy hours at home spend with my parents, my sister, and my grandparents, I left for the airport at around 14:00 Sunday afternoon. That was about the time when it started snowing. When I talk about snowing I do not mean a few flakes but a severe snowstorm. We were able to get to the airport, I checked in my suitcase and I went through security. After waiting at the gate for more than an hour the flight was first delayed, then the airport was closed for about 1 1/2 hours, until it was finally closed for an undefined time. Result: my flight was cancelled. So I went to get my suitcase again and got in line for a new flight. Luckily enough I was able to get one for the next morning leaving at 07:00. Sadly enough they stopped handing out hotel vouchers three people before me :( So I actually spend a whole night at the airport. After waiting three hours in an over-heated plane the next morning I finally made it to Copenhagen with a total delay of about 18 hours :(

Now this must sound like a pretty bad start into my Christmas vacation but it was not… I turned out pretty good. Christoffer was able to change my job interview from Monday to Tuesday so I was able to make that after all. I did not hear back from them yet but I am still hoping for a positive result. I did not quite get when she wanted to give me a call and as it was Christmas I know I should not get too anxious before next week. I will definately tell you about the outcome as soon as I hear from them. I met up with my friend Aneta right after the interview. We went shopping and had coffee and soup at the Retro Café afterwards. We had a great time with lots of girls talk…

Aneta at the Retro Café

Retro Café - December 21nd 2010

On Wednesday I made Christoffer clean the whole apartment with me. Before I move in in February we still have a lot of decluttering and cleaning to do. It is not as bad as it sounds. It is just that I will be moving two weeks after the semester started so I have to catch up with the classes I missed until then. I also have to start working right away or start searching for a job (preferably the first though) – therefore I will not have too much time to do cleaning and decluttering after I moved. And I do not intend on spending my first week of vacation on that either.

On Thursday a major snowstorm hit Denmark. Instead of staying in we went to the State Registry to get me properly registered in Denmark again. It was soooo cold but also awesome so walk around in all that snow and wind. In the late afternoon we went to Tivoli to see the Christmas market. Christoffer invited me to the Pancake House as one of my “Packet Calender” presents. It was so nice and romantic with all the Christmas decorations and the snow. Thanks again for taking me there love!!!!

Here you can see some of the pictures he took:

Me at Virum St. - December 23rd 2010

Christmas at Tivoli - December 23rd 2010

Christmas at Tivoli - December 23rd 2010

Christmas at Tivoli - December 23rd 2010

Christmas at Tivoli - December 23rd 2010

Christmas at Tivoli - December 23rd 2010

Christmas at Tivoli - December 23rd 2010

Christmas at Tivoli - December 23rd 2010

Me in front of the city hall

Cinnammon Buns

Cinnammon Buns

More about my first proper Danish Christmas soon!

Love, S.

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Q&A – General

Q: How tall are you?

A: About 1,74cm I think. Take or add one more centimeter.

Q: How much do you weigh?

A: Hm, I honestly do not know. I think it is usually between 55-58kg, depending and what and how much I eat. Usually I eat what I feel like as I am one of the lucky girls who do not really have to pay attention to her weight. Though when my jeans really rarely feel a bit tight I just stick to salad for a day and it is all good again.

Q: Where are you from?

A: I was born in Bonn, Germany and lived there until I was about 20. Now I live in Bielefeld, Germany, where I am studying and working. I also lived in the USA for a year when I was 16/17 and half a year in Denmark (first half year of 2010). I will be moving back to Denmark in February 2011 though.

Q: If you would win money in the lottery, what would you do with it?

A: It depends on the amount. If it is a smaller amount I would probably spend it on something nice which I always wanted to have or do (like a really nice bag or a vacation somewhere). If it is a higher amount I would save some of it or invest it into an apartment. But no matter how high the amount is, I would always keep on working and do something for a living!

Q: Morning person or staying up late?

A: Of course I rather sleep in then get up in the morning but I do not have a problem getting up at all. If the alarm goes off I am already out of bed. But I would never wake up without the alarm. So does that make me a morning person or not? I also like to stay up at night. If I do not have to get up early the next day I can spend all night online doing something. The only time where it is definitely night instead or morning is when it comes to studying. I cannot sit behind a desk before late afternoon.

Q: Favorite food?

A: I am not very adventurous when it comes to food. I prefer sticking to what I know and like and what I can eat. I have a lot of allergies and cannot really eat fruit for example. I also have a hard time eating carrots for example. So my favorite food would be pizza or pasta. I also love deserts and cakes. And I would never ever say no to a good steak. So no, I am also not a vegetarian!

Q: Hobbies/Interests?

A: I am usually very busy (at least at the moment) with school, studying, work, and travelling back and forth between Denmark and Germany. So there is not a lot of time for hobbies. I sometimes just enjoy a night in front of the TV. I also love to read and usually cannot stop if I started on a good book. Of course I like posting on my blog and spend a lot of time reading other blogs. I am obsessed with fashion and love to go shopping. I also love to travel to different countries.

Q: Favorite books?

A: I love the Shopaholic series, Harry Potter, and the books from Lauren Conrad. Usually I just read what I feel like reading, i.e. when I read about a good book in a magazine. I tend to not read too many books about Economics, even though I am studying it. But maybe that exactly is the reason for it.

Q: Favorite Magazines?

A: My favorite one is InStyle (German, British, and US edition). I also enjoy reading Glamour, Grazia, Cosmopolitan, and Life&Style. When it comes to Danish magazines I really like Eurowoman, though it is only in Danish, which makes me look more at pictures then reading the articles. But I get most of it though.

Q: Where did you travel and where do you want to go?

A: I was lucky enough that I travelled pretty much all over Europe. I have been to Denmark, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, and the UK. I also have been to Turkey and Egypt. And I spent most of my summer vacations in the US. And I took a step into Canada when I went to the Peacegardens in upstate North Dakota. So does that mean I have been in Canada?

Q: Which languages do you speak?

A: My native language is German and I also speak English pretty fluently. I had a couple of years of French in school and five years of Latin. But of course you do not really “speak” Latin and my French is also very limited. But I can read it okay. I also started learning Danish. As it is a mixture between German and English I can read it already pretty good and understand most of it. I have a hard time listening though and I suck at pronouncing it :(

Q: When did you start blogging and why?

A: I started a different blog about 1,5 years ago, though that was a more personal blog and I did not blog that often. So after a while I decided to delete it again. As I got more into fashion blogs I thought I could start writing again and share my interests, likes, ideas, and what is going on in my life. I write mainly for me. I do not mind sharing what I like and to give out suggestions. I am happy when people are reading my blog but if they do not like what I write about they just should not.

Q: Which blogs do you read?

A: I have a lot of blogs listed on Bloglovin to stay up-to-date. My favorite ones I put on my blog roll to share them with you.

Q: Which internet sites do you visit regularly and how much time do you spend online?

A: Facebook, Bloglovin, my own site, my university site, altandetlige.dk, hm.com, and various online stores to satisfy my fashion addiction.

Q: Do you have any sisters or brothers?

A: I have one younger sister who is still living at home with my parents as she is studying Media Economics at a private university which costs money (which my parents pay). In Germany you do not get money from the State to live from, only if your parents do not earn enough. And you always have to pay back at least half of that as well. As you should avoid getting out of school with having lots of debt she is living at home. But I know that she is fine with that.

Q: How often do you see your family?

A: Actually not that often. They live about 250km away from me (distance Bielefeld and Bonn) and gas is quite expensive. We also have a university ticket where we can take public trains within my region for free. Sadly we can of course only take the slow ones so it takes about 4 hours to get to Bonn. So I see them about every 2nd month.

Q: Do you have a boyfriend?

A: I do not only have a boyfriend, but a fiancé. His name is Christoffer, he is Danish, and lives therefore in Denmark. I will be moving in with him in February which I can barely wait for.

Q: What do you study, and where?

A: I currently study Economics at the Universität Bielefeld. I will finish my BSc in the spring and start the University of Copenhagen on February 1st. I will study for my MSc in Economics there.

Q: Do you have a lot of friends?

A: No, I actually do not. I have a few very close ones which are very important to me. I though do have a lot of people I know and do stuff with every once in a while. In German we can differ between those two. You have close “friends” and lots of “Bekannte”.

Q: Do you make friends easily and do you in general get along with everyone?

A: I am a very open and talkative person so I make friends easily. Though not everyone likes me of course (which is okay as I do not like everyone either). I do not like people who like to gossip a lot or who tend to make a “wrong” impression on me. It is hard to explain in English. I do not like it if people think badly about me even if they do not even know me (or I do not even know them). I cannot judge about a person I have never personally talked to. I also believe that sometimes friendships are not meant to be. A friend should behalf in a certain way, i.e. should a friend never hit on a person you date/like/fancy/have history with. A friend also should never make you feel bad on person only so they feel better themselves. And if a person keeps on doing that I tend to “break up” friendships. But do not worry; it does not happen too often. As I am moving to Denmark soon I hope to make a few new friends, though the old ones should of course last!

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Q&A – Fashion

Q: What are in your opinion the trends for the winter?

A: Once again I can only talk for what I like. Which are biker boots, capes (in khaki green or nude colors), fur vests, and animal prints (only in scarves though – for me). Jeans are barely seen; instead it is still summer dresses with cardigans and leggings, combined with boots (rain boots, over-knee boots, biker boots). But I also still like ankle boots with a wedge heel. I like headbands and turbans, or fur hats, big snoot scarves in black, grey, and yes, in some orangey/pumpkin color. And parkas in khaki green.

Q: Online shopping or in store shopping?

A: Online shopping, definitely! I would not know what do to without. First at all I am super busy and barely have the time to go into the city. And Bielefeld does not offer too many good stores and usually a lot of stuff is either sold out or you cannot find it because it is so messy in the store. Online shopping gives you the opportunity to buy things in stores which you otherwise would not be able to buy as the store is maybe not in your city. Also you can compare prices better and might be able to get something way cheaper than you would get it for in a store. I love the variety a lot! I think it is also an advantage if you are able to try something on in the surroundings of your own home, including different pairs of shoes, etc. I am just so much more able to see if I really like something or not!

Q: Which are your favorite stores?

A: I think you have to differ between favorite stores and stores I usually shop in. I try to keep a balance between the different stores as I do not want to look like I bought everything at the same place. For basics and some special pieces I like H&M and Zara. If I would have to name one store where I got most of my things from it is probably H&M. But the variety you can see in my jeans: no H&M but Diesel, True Religion, 7forallmankind, Review, MeltingPot, Mogul, TakeTwo, Silver, Seven, Only. I got pants from Zara and Vero Moda. And my sweatshirts and cardigans are also from all over. If it does not come to money I really like the colors at Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger stores, though I look too old if I would dress only in those brands. I also love the colors are Abercrombie&Fitch, especially the plaids.

Q: Most expensive items in your closet?

A: As a single piece the most important items are probably my True Religion and 7forallmankind jeans. Otherwise it is probably only the amount of clothes in general which cost some money. I do not believe in status items. If I would buy myself something more expensive it would be because I like it and not because I want to show it off.

Q: Anything you could wish for, what would it be when it comes to fashion?

A: Hm, I am always wishing for something. I have to admit you would never find me totally satisfied. There are just too many nice things out there. If there is something I would wish for it would probably a Mulberry bag, the bigger version of the Alexa Chung bag. I absolutely LOVE that bag and would like to have a real one. I also would like to have a simple pair of Christian Laboutin shoes (black and simple). I also would love to have a vintage Rolex and a cape in a sand-color which I saw at Tommy Hilfiger. I also would really like to have an iPhone.

Q: How often do you go shopping?

A: I mainly go shopping when I am in Copenhagen or at home at my parents in Bonn. Stores in Bielefeld are not the best and I have not been in-store-shopping for a while here. But I do check my regular online stores on an almost daily basis, though of course I do not buy stuff every time. I would say maybe once a week, maybe twice? But sometimes only something as little as a pair of socks.

Q: Do you prefer to wear heels or flats?

A: For school and work I prefer flats. I do not have to dress up for work so that is okay. Though I really like heels and have quite a few pairs. Considering my height, my legs are actually quite short so heels make them look way longer which I really like.

Q: How many pairs of shoes do you own?

A: I honestly cannot tell. Maybe about 40-50? Maybe a few more or less… Problem is that at the moment I have quite a few pairs already in Denmark. The rest is still in Germany. And I love to keep my extra special nice shoes in boxes so I kind of lose track of the amount easily.

Q: How much money to you spends on shopping every month?

A: That totally depends on what other expenses I have that month. If I have to pair for the repair of my car or some insurance it is definitely less. I would say an average of about 250-300€?

Q: How would you define your personal style?

A: I definitely became more adventurous while staying in Denmark. I love how people dress in Scandinavia. I would not say that I have one specific style. I like to try out all different kinds of things and styles. If there is something you would likely see me in it is a cute little dress, with tights, boots (Hunter or over-knee), a cardigan, and a scarf. You will never ever see me without a scarf. Only maybe when I am wearing a turtle neck sweater, hehe…

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Q&A – Beauty

Hello everybody,

Today it is Q&A: you ask, I answer! I tried to put the questions into somewhat of an order. It did not always work out but I tried my best. I divided the questions in three parts: Beauty, Fashion, and General. I will post each part over the next couple of days.

If you have any more questions for me, write me a message! I will try to answer them all. Please understand that I will not answer questions which are too personal.

Love, S.

Q: How long do you need in the bathroom each morning?

A: I usually need around 45 minutes in the bathroom +/- a few minutes. It all depends on how much I am doing, i.e. if I have to shave my legs, or if I try doing something fancy with my hair, or how much effort I put into my make up.

Q: What are your favourite beauty products/brands?

A: I love things from Clinique. I use their “liquid facial soap”, the “clarifying lotion”, the “take the day off make-up remover”, the “dramatically different moisturising gel”, and so much more. As a peeling I use “Dark Angel” from Lush 1-2x a week. When it comes to shampoos I like to try different things, usually some new products I read about somewhere. At the moment I am back to Pantene Pro-V and Herbal Essences. As shower gel I currently use an Avocado product from Crabtree & Evelyn. Sadly they took it out of their program and you can’t find it online anymore. Only some stores have some bottles left :(

Q: How do you take care of your hair?

A: I do not do too much to be honest. I wash my hair every day even though I know I should not do that. I just feel better and cleaner that way. I use shampoo and conditioner every time though. As my hair is very thin without much volume I but in some volume mousse and/or volume spray from John Frieda’s “Luxurious Volume” line to add some texture. I also recently discovered “Beach Fizz” from L’Oreal Playball. It is supposed to give you beach waves. As my hair is naturally super straight and without any curls at all it does not give me waves but at least gives it grip so that it looks amazing. I do not like hair spray very much and only use it to spray back some stray hairs here and there. Besides the products I get it cut every once in a while (since I got over a certain length it went down to every 3-4 month) and get a few high lights. I used to be way lighter on the head with a lot of highlights in 2-3 different colours do make it look more natural. Since I went darker my hair has even less volume, why I am thinking about getting a few more to add some volume again. Though I like it a tad bit darker like it is now.

Q: How much make-up do you use? It does not seem like a lot. Do you put on more make-up when you go out?

A:  That is true; I do not wear a lot of make-up. Mainly because I have pretty okay skin and do not need it but also because I am not one of those make-up girls. I usually stick to concealer (Mary K), a bit of mineral powder (Max Factor Natural Minerals Foundation), a bit of mascara and eyeliner (Clinique), and of course some blush (Clinique). It is usually a 3-5 minute thing. Of course I want to look pretty and good, but why try to apply make-up if I am not good at it? I will just look stupid. I am not too fond of eye shadow as I usually wear contacts and I would use mess with it. I tried smoky eyes and other things but usually it does not look too good. So I just stick to what I can.

Q: What is your favourite perfume? Do you even wear perfume?

A: Yes, I do wear perfume – though not every day because I often forget to put it on. I have not only one, but a few favourite perfumes. For the winter I absolutely love “Hypnotic Poison” for Dior. They brought out the new “Hypnotic Poison” a while back but as my current bottle is still quite full I did not buy the new one yet. Though it is supposed to smell slightly different and I am therefore very tempted to try it out soon. As it is a quite heavy smell I only wear it when it is colder outside. For the summer I prefer “Ralph” from Ralph Lauren or “A Though of Pink” from Lacoste. My mom also got me “Remix” from Emporio Armani, which I also really like because it is such a nice and clean smell. For guys I really like Jean Paul Gaultier’s “Le Male” and “Armani Black” from Emporio Armani. A great unisex smell is “Fierce” from Abercrombie&Fitch, though I think it is classified as a smell for guys.

Q: Is it true that you wear contacts? Do you also have glasses? How bad is your eyesight?

A: Yes, it is true that my eyesight is not the best. Last time I got it checked (July 2010) I was down to -4,0 on my left eye and -3,5 on my right eye, that is with contacts though. With glasses I need -4,25 and -3,75 :( I usually wear contacts as glasses sometimes constrain me in various things. It starts with putting on my make-up, as I have to stand super close to the mirror to put it on if I am not wearing the glasses. I also like to put up my hair every once in a while and with glasses and my hair up I look like a 30-year-old secretary I was told. Though I got a very nice pair of RayBan’s and with my hair open I think they look great on me. So since I got them I switch to glasses more often. It is definitely a nice accessory sometimes. And at least I have proper glasses and do not prefer to wear fake nerd glasses.

Q: Any (final) advice for your readers that they should keep in mind?

A: 1. Less is more – especially when it comes to make-up! I know a girl who is great in applying make up and she makes great smoky eyes. But she wears a lot of make-up every day to university and work, which is just too much in my mind. At least I can say that people can see a (slight) difference between my day and my night make-up. And I do not look like I am off to a party any minute even while sitting at school. 2. Practice, practice, practice putting on make-up. If you are not good at it do not use too much. A bit of mascara and eyeliner, combined with a bit!!! of blush is enough to begin with.

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