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Travel guide

Do you want to leave for a while? Do you want to discover the most wonderful places? Do you like travelling with your friends or do you prefer a trip with the love of your life? Feel free to continue reading. We are going to talk about the perfect destinations for all occasions. From romantic trips with your boyfriend till party vacations with your besties.

1. Paris: the city of love

A must visit for all the romantic souls or for the couples who want to spend some quality time. Paris is well-known for its Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur, Notre-Dame and Louvre. For the fashionistas there is the most amazing ability to go shopping. A famous shopping street is the Champs-Elysées with the Arc de Triomphe. France is also known for its baguettes and croissants. Also macarons can’t be missed. Did you know you can enjoy dinner with a glass of wine at the top of the Eiffel Tower? How romantic is that!

2. Los Angeles: Sunny days at the beach

Los Angeles doesn’t only offer you fun at the beach or a nice tan. It can give you much more. In Los Angeles you can visit Hollywood with its famous sign, Beverly Hills with all its wealth and luxury or for the sport enthusiasts there are the games of the Lakers (NBA). Perfect to visit with family, friends... Los Angeles is the ideal place to relax. If you decide to go there, I could recommend to visit Santa Monica with its famous pier.

3. Mykonos: Vitamin sea

If you want to have an amazing time with your friends, then this is the place to be. At night you can party till dawn, by day you can enjoy the beautiful nature, the sun or the cosy streets with little shops. The sunny weather and hot temperatures make Mykonos even more attractive to visit. 

4. Tokyo: Ordinary is boring

Do you want to visit something totally different? Tokyo is the perfect option. With its lotus flowers, typical clothing style and special taste of food, Tokyo is an outstanding city to visit. It offers you both culture and nature, shopping and eating... You can eat sushi all day long, visit buddhist temples such as Senso-Ji and walk through beautiful parks with nature. A location that pleases and attracts all.

5. Venice: You had me at pizza

For the ones who aren’t scared to get wet, there’s Venice. The city streets filled with water, boats floating through the streets and the most beautiful architecture. A very romantic place to visit. Delicious dinners at Italian restaurants where they offer plenty of pizzas and lots of pastas. Tiramisu or Italian ice as dessert are a real treat for the food lovers. Briefly the ideal vacation. 

Hopefully you found your paradise to visit. There are plenty of places to discover and everyone has his or her own favorite city, country or continent they like to go to. Whether you travel alone, with the person you love, with your friends or with your family, there’s always a perfect place. You just need to find it. 

Amber Gesquiere

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Ketones gives sportsmen wings (and are not doping)

We can physically improve by up to an average of 15 percent in endurance sports if we take ketones, it’s a kind of ‘’Wonder Potion’’ that has been catalogued as regular nutrition. A research team of the KU Leuven let test persons drive a mini tour of France, the results were amazing.

What are ketones?

Ketones are produced by our body in a natural way, when we start burning fats. They are sometimes called the fourth fuel of our body, next to carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Ketones are an emergency fuel: if your body has a lack of energy, in the first place a lack of sugar, the liver will produce ketones during fat burning and give priority to supplying brain cells, as well as muscles.

Superfuel just to drink! 

You can also take ketones by drinking from a little bottle, the basic dose at a time is 25 grams. That so-called wonder potion is very interesting. With one bottle you increase your content of ketones in your blood as much as with a week of fasting. Another advantage of Ketones is that they don’t have any negative side effects. You must pay attention when you are a diabetic patient and you can’t take doses that are too high. The maximum recommended dose is three 25 gram bottles per day.

The study

The Louvain researchers worked with 18 test persons, one group of them took ketones and the other group didn’t. They simulated the round of France but a round for trained, cycling students, but no cyclists. They had trained for three weeks, for six days each week.

These test persons were tired after three weeks packed with sports. The difference was that the persons who had used ketones looked much better after those three weeks. They could perform better and they recover much faster.

did you know that... 

with ketones the heart beat barely decreases despite long, hard efforts

research results show that ketones may be helpful in Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy or Alzheimer’s disease, and possibly in some cancers 

ketones can help to prevent osteoporosis in case of an injury

You can conclude that ketones have a lot of advantages but please read the package leaflet very carefully.

Sarah Nachtergaele 

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Must see Pukkelpop 2019

1) Twenty One Pilots

If the previous editions didn't give you the chance to see this Columbus band at work, I wouldn't let this chance pass me by. A few years ago this duo conquered the world with their hit 'Stressed out' and developed into both a high-tech and an alternative ukele band. They are seen as one of the most exuberant live artists of their era and are not afraid to crowdsurf. Fans who have been present from the very beginning realize all too well that this is not an act to be missed.

2) Eels

Although we didn't expect Eels to release another record, they surprised us all. Mark Oliver Everett took a break of a few years in which he both got married and divorced to the same woman. His songs are difficult to trace back to a genre or concept. One moment it seems to come from the deepest hidden rooms of his heart and the next it sounds like a frolicking lamb. His shows speak for themselves and are a “once in a lifetime” upportunity. Sometimes he plays them in a soft acoustic version and then starts the next song with a hard rock bass. One thing is for sure, in Kiewit it will become memorable.

3) Jorja Smith

Although she has only one record to her name, she is still called the voice of the generation. She has a modern but warm voice and managed to charm a lot of people. She got her inspiration from legends like Amy Winehouse. Definitely an unmissable live show in Pukkelpop!

4) Royal Blood

King of contemporary pop, Royal Blood, will also be playing on Kiewit's meadow this summer. When they had been working for two years, they already received an award for best band presented by Led Zeppelin. Mike Kerr and Ben Thacher are now four years older and they recently delivered another gem of a record called 'How did we get so dark'. This promises to be an unforgettable show.

Margot Pieters

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DIY: bedframe to dream away!

Ready for a new bed? You can easily make one yourself with this design! With the wide border you don’t need a night table -  there is enough space for a night lamp, a book and glasses - making the bedroom quieter. What could be nicer than sleeping in a home-made bed? Let’s get started!

You need this for a bed with mattress size 160x200 cm

Saw

Hand plane

Beater or tagger 

3.5 × 30 mm screws

Drilling machine

Box of lost screws 40 mm

For the slatted frame: 14x 10.5 × 159 cm and 3x 10.5 × 199 cm

5 plates 18 mm Russian birch multiplex of 122 × 244 cm

For the bed conversion: 

           33.2 × 244 cm, 2x (outside strips)            33.2 × 216.4 cm, 2x (front and back exterior)            33.2 × 240.4 cm, 2x (inner side strips)            33.2 x 160 cm, 2x (front and back inside)            33.2 × 26.4 cm, 3x (dividers on the sides and back)            33.2 × 10.4 cm (divider front)            30 × 244 cm, 2x (upper plate on the side)            30 × 160 cm (upper plate at the back)            14 × 160 cm (upper plate front)            23.4 × 160 cm, 2x (intermediate plate for slatted frame)            10.5 × 160 cm (intermediate plate on front and back for slatted frame)

This is how you make the bed

Cut the sheet material to the sizes described.

Remove the edges with a hand plane.

Mount the side strips from the outside (33.2 x 244 cm) on the back and front outside (33.2 x 216.4 cm), so you get a rectangle of 244 × 220 cm.

Mount the partitions in the middle of the outer side strips; middle, front and back.

Attach the inner side strips (33.2 × 240.4 cm) to the front and back and the dividers.

Mount the front and back inside (33.2 × 160 cm) on the side strips inside and the partitions.

Attach the two intermediate plates (23.4 × 160 cm) for the slatted frame to 1/3 of the side strips inside.

Attach the intermediate plate (10.5 × 160 cm) to the inside of the front and back plate at a height of 23.4 cm, on which the slatted base will lie.

Attach the top plate side strips (30 × 244 cm) to the side strips.

Attach the top plate front (30 × 160 cm) to the back strips.

Attach the front top plate (14 × 160 cm) to the front strips.

Now make the slatted frame. Place 2 strips (10.5 × 159 cm) and mount 2 strips (10.5 × 199 cm) on the outside, so that you get a rectangle of 159 × 199 cm.

Attach another strip (10.5 × 199 cm) in the middle.

Divide the remaining 12 strips (10.5 × 159 cm) with a space of 4 cm between them and attach them.

Place the slatted frame in the bed surround.

Any questions? Who wants tips on how to convince their husband to build this bed? Don’t hesitate to contact me! 

Good luck and a good night in you new bed xx

-Marthe Luyssen-

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From avocado to guacamole

Looking for some healthy and tasty recipes? I discovered some delicacies with avocado you really can’t miss out on. The dishes are really delicious, nutritious, and wholesome, so what do you want more?

Avocado and mango salad with black beans

This is a gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan recipe which contains only 15 gram of fat, 18 gram of sugar, and 341 calories. To make this salad, you don’t need to be a good cook, so don’t worry. It’s a very easy recipe and it only takes fifteen minutes to make it.

The ingredients you need are one lime (zested and juiced), a small mango and a small avocado (both stoned, peeled and chopped), 100 gram of halved cherry tomatoes, a red chilli (deseeded and chopped), a red chopped onion, a half pack of chopped coriander and 400 gram of black beans (drained and rinsed). You can easily find them in the supermarket.

So let’s get started. I said this salad is very easy to make so you only need one step to make it. You just have to put all the ingredients in a bowl and stir it. You can’t deny the result looks delicious, enjoy your meal!

Grilled avocado with tomato salsa

This is one of my favourite recipes with avocado. It’s also a healthy and delicious dish and the most important factor is that it’s easy to make in only fifteen minutes.

The ingredients you need to make this for two people (ideal as snack on a date!) are one avocado, a little bit of lemon juice and olive oil, salt and pepper, two tablespoons of sour cream and a hand of fresh coriander. For the tomato salsa you need a half of a tomato and onion, a little clove of garlic, a tea spoon of white or red wine vinegar, two tea spoons of fresh coriander, salt and pepper.

The making of the tomato salad takes only two minutes, so let’s start with that. You just have to put all the ingredients in the blender and wait until it has become a smooth salsa. If you are finished with the salsa, you can start with het avocado. First, you have to cut the avocado in two and sprinkle them with the olive oil and the lemon juice. After that you can grill them for five until seven minutes with the peel on top. Afterwards, sprinkle the avocado with the lemon juice and the salt. After all, you have to fill the avocados with the tomato salsa and the sour cream. You can finish the presentation by sprinkling the avocados with the fresh coriander.

Classic guacamole

You have to admit everybody loves a classic guacamole and I have very good news about that. This  guacamole is very healthy because it’s gluten-neutral, vegetarian and vegan. It contains only 8,9 gram of fat and 91 calories, so you don’t need to feel guilty if you like to eat some chips with it. This is again a very easy recipe that takes approximately ten minutes to make.

For this recipe, you need only a half of small red onion, one or two fresh red chillies (depends on how spicy you want the guacamole to be), three ripe avocados, one bunch of fresh coriander, six cherry tomatoes, two limes and olive oil.

If you collected all these ingredients, you can start with the preparation. First, you need to peel and chop the onion and to deseed one chilli. After that, destone the avocados and put the flesh onto a shelf with the onion and the chilli. Chop it all together until it has become a smooth mass. Further, you roughly chop the coriander leaves and add them with the tomatoes to the smooth mass. Chop the whole. Afterwards, you have to add the juice from one lime and a tablespoon of olive oil. Now, season to taste with salt and black pepper and stir the guacamole. Finally, you can chop the remaining chilli and sprinkle it on the guacamole together with the remaining coriander leaves of you like that.

I hope you all try some of my recipes and send me a review or a picture of your results. Let me know if you want more of them!

Kobe Outtier

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Banana recipes

Bananas are really healthy, but sometimes they are difficult to conserve. When your banana isn’t that good anymore, you can use it in a cake or something. Here are two recipes with bananas:

Banana bread

Ingredients:

·         4 ripe bananas

·         3 eggs

·         180g spelt flour

·         pinch of cinnamon

·         1/2 bag of baking powder

·         3 fresh dates

Preparation:

·         Heat the oven to 180 degrees

·         Place the dates in hot water for 5 minutes to soften them

·         Remove the kernel and cut into pieces

·         Put the tree bananas with the eggs, cinnamon and dates in a food processor and mix until smooth

·         Put this in a bowl and add the spelled flour and baking powder

·         Pour the batter into a cake pan and place a half banana on top

·         Bake the banana bread in the oven for about 15 minutes

·         Check with a skewer if the healthy banana bread is cooked

·         Tip: you can also add raisins, nuts or fruit to the batter

  Banana pie with puff pastry

Ingredients:

·         3 bananas

·         400g puff pastry

·         25g of fresh cheese

·         1 egg

·         2 tablespoons liquid honey

·         1 cup fresh ginger (chopped)

·         1 vanilla pod

·         6 tablespoons lemon marmalade

·         2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preparation:

·         Heat the oven to 200 degrees

·         Cover a rectangular baking pan with baking paper

·         Roll out the puff pastry and place it in the baking tin

·         Peel the bananas and cut them in slices, drizzle them with lemon juice

·         Stir the fresh cheese smoothly with the egg, honey and ginger

·         Spread the cheese mixture over the dough, up to 1 centimeter from the edge

·         Cut the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the marrow

·         Put it with the marmalade in a saucepan and melt it over low heat

·         Place the bananas slightly overlapping on the cheese filling, brush with the marmalade

·         Bake the cake 30 to 40 minutes in the oven 

 Valérie Pattyn

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How to kill your time without looking at screens

Reading has always been an activity that makes you feel like you’re part of a bigger story. You can feel the emotions rushing through your veins simply by reading about what happens to someone that doesn’t even exist. It can give you the chills, a smile or a tear and when that happens, you’re satisfied and you realise you are reading a good book. But a good book that suits you is sometimes hard to find. Let me help you. 

1. The Seven Sisters – Lucinda Riley

Can you find yourself in reading a series about love and loss? Well, then this series is written especially for you. When suddenly their dad dies, Maia and her sisters gather in their childhood home near the lake of Geneva. All the sisters were adopted by this man. Right after their arrival, they find letters about all of their origins. Each book tells about the origin story of one the sisters. The first one is about Maia’s story, which brings her to Rio de Janeiro. Without much clues, Maia tries to discover her true identity. Who are her real parents? Why did this guy adopt her? When you start reading the book, you immediately want to know all the mysteries it hides.

2. Eeny Meeny – M.J. Arlidge

Does a crime book interest you more? Then you certainly have to try this book written by the well-known author M.J. Arlidge. This book is the first one of a series following inspector Helen Grace. It’s not an everyday story and that’s what makes it different from other crime stories. A girl, shocked from what happened to her, returns from the woods and tells the police what happened to her. It’s not that special, you would think, but wait, there’s more. After a while, another girl returns, shocked by everything and tells the exact same story. Girls are getting abducted in pairs and the kidnapper makes them a gruesome offer: to kill or to get killed. Helen Grace and their team hunt an inventive psychopath who leaves his victims with a huge feeling of guilt, he’s not even the real killer. Pretty terrifying, right?

3. A Song of Ice and Fire – George R.R. Martin

Are you a fan of Game of Thrones, the most-watched tv series of all time? Then try reading the books written by the beloved author George R.R. Martin. Looks can be deceiving. Don’t think the books are boring because they look big, no, on the contrary, once you started reading them, you’ll want to continue reading them. The characters are so intricately written down, the dialogues always have a certain tension and let’s not forget that Martin loves to kill off characters, mostly fan favourites. The series goes about the fight for the Iron Throne and the fight against the Others, a race of icy zombies. The plot is very detailed when we’re talking about the political part, you quickly root for this or that character, and that’s what makes reading this series such a pleasure. Who will sit on the Iron Throne? Will the Others defeat the living people? Find out everything in this epic fantasy series.

Ruben Ravestyn

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A healthy diet is not what you think it is!

 If you want to follow a diet, you don’t have to change all your eating habits at once. It’s bad for your body and there is a bigger chance to give up your diet if you change all at a time. You don’t have to stop eating what you like, but you have to know your limits and build up your diet with small steps.

A diet always starts with water. Water stands on the top of the healthy eating pyramid, so it’s the most important component for a healthy life. If you drink a lot of water during the day, it helps to flush our system and to flush all the toxins. Water has also an effect on your mood, if you drink water, you will be less tired, more energetic and you will have less headaches. If your sick of water without a taste, you can also drink thee or water with a specific taste.

Most of the people thinks that oils and fats are bad for your health, but you have to learn to choose the right oils and fats to boost your health, because good fats protect your brain and heart. A good nutrition program is important, and fats are a component of it. A small amount of fats contribute a large amount of calories. Some people think that a diet contains almost no flavour, but a diet is not so boring as you think it is. If you want to add flavour to your food, use fats, because fats are needed in a diet to have a healthy weight and to have normal physiological functions. But pay attention on which fats and oils you use! The best oils you may use are olive oil, walnut oil, canola oil, sterol spreads and soft tub margarine that is trans-fat-free.

There are a lot of sorts of oils, e.g. canola oil, olive oil and walnut oil, it helps to lower the risk for diabetes and it helps to reduce blood pressure. Oils also help to look beautiful, it keeps your skin pure and beautiful and protects your skin against the sun. Some oils contain omega-3 that reduces headaches.

If you want to follow a good diet, you always have to read the labels, because sometimes you don’t know what’s in the product. There could be a lot more sugar in it than you think.

Salads are important in a diet. If you hear salad, you sometimes think that a salad is boring. But there are a lot of varieties that can make a salad less boring. E.g. you can make Caesar Salad, that is salad with chicken and a lot of other things that are good for your health.

Valérie Pattyn

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Turn your small place into a delight for the eye!

Study room interior

Students need a room where they can study, read, write and work.This place is really important to encourage learning and study. But it also need to be a space where they can chill and watch Netflix, store clothes, drink some wine with a friend... Here are some ideas and designs to inspire you. 

1. Pastel colors

Pastel colours are the best in creating a peaceful ambiance. They are sweet and create a light room. You can paint a wall in a pastel color or use pastel decoration. 

2. Window desk

Place your desk before a window, so you have a lot of natural lighting in your room. If you take a break, you can just stare lifelessly in front of you and enjoying the nice view. 

3. Hang shelves above your desk

Does the view distract you too much? Then put your desk against the wall. You can attach some shelves to the wall and fill them with fun gadgets such as photos, study material, books, plants... Practical and stylish! 

4. Buy now your desk organizer rack!

No matter how many things you collect, if you fit them in an organizer rack, it will always look tidy! When your desk is clean, you can work with an open mind!

5. Go to a second-hand store!

Things that your grand-mother found old-fashioned, can be fashionable for you. Look at this 60s’ desk, perfect in a modern interior! 

6. Cable management 

There are very simple ways to make your study corner a little more orderly. You don’t immediately think about it, but twisted cables with knots give a sloppy impression. With this simple trick you will avoid your cable-troubles! 

7. Motivate yourself! 

Even the best students sometimes have a desperate moment. Motivate yourself with your favorite quotes, photos, posters... on a wall. Tip: use a cork wall. Then you can put everything you want on your wall. (A bonus point: cork also looks nice) 

8. Looking in the mirror 

An old rule, but still the most efficient -and affordable- way to enlarge a room is hanging a mirror. Even a small mirror can have an impact. Use the full width or height of you room for a spectacular effect. Why not a full mirror door? 

9. Plants, plants, plants... 

Plants give you room more color, power, color variety... So one tip; use small, big, little plants and your room is insta proof! Are you not a professional at watering plants? No worries, there are also beautiful cacti. Tip: place your plants on different heights, so you create a voluminous place. 

-Marthe Luyssen-

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The three best ways to lose weight through sports.

Today a lot of people don’t find the time to move. Your full diary stands in the way or you haven’t enough energy after a long day. However, if you want to lose weight, that one hour sport at least two to three times a week is necessary. Set this in your diary and make an appointment with yourself so you don’t let anything come between it. Remember all beginnings are difficult, but before you know it you are used to it.

Actually, every sport is suitable to do if you want to lose weight. If you like badminton or football, it's fine. But of course, it’s important that you choose a sport you like, otherwise you will never persevere. If you don’t have a sport yet, try one from the list below.

1.       Power training

It is the best way to lose weight with sports. By doing power training you namely make your muscles stronger and you get more muscles. To lose weight this is very practical, muscles are big energy consumers even if you do nothing. Through this you stimulate your fat burning. There are a lot of practices you can do: train with weights, a power station and compound practices (that’s if you tackle multiple muscles at once for example the military press, the dumbbell lunge and the squat).

2.       CrossFit

CrossFit is a new form of fitness. It is a combination of athletics, gymnastic and weightlifting. the purpose of crossfit is that you do a set of exercises consisting of functional movements. You have to execute these movements as soon as possible, with a high intensity. Some things that you could do are bench presses, squats and pull-ups. You try to do as much as possible repeats in a certain time or you do a set practices as fast as possible.

3.         Hiit training

With a hiit training you push your body to its limits. Hiit stands for High Intensity Interval Training. You can do it in a lot of different ways. But the principle is that you do different exercises in a row, whereby you train your body very intensively and you switch it of with short moments of rest. During the hiit training you watch your heartbeat very carefully and you can lose a lot of weight with this.

You for example trai on a rowing machine. An example of a Hiit training is that you start with a warming up. Afterwards you use your heartbeat to determine the tempo. Raise your tempo until you reach 80% of your maximum heartbeat, sustain this one minute. Now take a minute rest. Change these intervals until you have rowed for 20 minutes.  

Sarah Nachtergaele

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Iceland, the land of ice and fire

If you are planning to go on a trip, I can recommend you the beautiful Iceland because the nature over there is really breathtaking. I can assure you it will be a once in a lifetime and unforgettable experience. The best way to visit the country is to rent a car and drive from spot to spot. There are so many different places in Iceland, so I’m sure you are not going to get bored. Iceland is called the land of ice and fire because the beauty of the landscape over there is created by volcanos and geometrical heat but also by the cold.

The first stop you can make is in Eldhraun in the south of Iceland. There you can find amazing lava fields that were caused by one of the biggest eruptions we know. The eruption lasted from 1783 until 1784 and was in that time a huge catastrophe for the people who lived there. But until now, those eruptions have left us one of the most beautiful and largest lava fields in the world.

The next place in Iceland you must see are the Westfjords. Although the Westfjords are a little hard to reach because of the bad roads and because they are only accessible in summer, it’s really worth going over there. You can see amazing things like the red sand beach, a lot of rare birds and other animals, beautiful waterfalls … You will have the feeling that you are all alone because the Westfjords are a very quiet place. A lot of people don’t visit them because they are far away from the other places they want to see and they are hard to reach. But I am sure you are never going to regret it that you went to the Westfjords.

In the Southeast of Iceland you can find the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. This is a place you really cannot skip on your trip because it’s one of Europe’s largest glacier lagoons. The diamond beach is the beach nearby the lake. On that beach you can find a lot of shimmering ice sculptures and the sight you have there is absolutely unforgettable.

If you want to visit a big city in Iceland, I can recommend you the city Akureyri. Akureyri is situated in the North and is one of Iceland’s biggest and most beautiful cities. It’s easy to reach the beautiful places of the north when you are there. You can, for example go to Myvatn. That is a big lake where you can visit a lot of unique things. You can go to the nature bath. That is a large geothermal hot spring where you can just relax and enjoy the landscape. The water can reach temperatures from 30 to 40 degrees so it doesn’t matter that it’s cold outside. You can just sit and take a free hot bath. In the surrounding area of the lake, you can see the amazing fauna and flora. You can also spot the stunning waterfalls of Myvatn.

And last but not least you should of course travel to Iceland to see the famous northern lights. Because Iceland is so close to the Arctic circle, it’s the best place to watch the northern light. Aurora borealis is most visible in clear and long winter nights in the countryside. So my advice is to go to Iceland between September and April. In that months, your chances to have a clear view on the northern lights are the biggest.

I hope I have convinced you to visit Iceland because I think everybody should have seen this beautiful country in his or her lifetime. You will never forget or regret this trip.

Kobe Outtier

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Style file: Spring edition 2019

Don’t know what to wear this spring? Don’t panic, we got the perfect solution for you! Exclusively written for the ones who need fashion advice, we now have a fashion item on our blog. Today we will show you the latest trends for Spring 2019. Not only clothes but also accessories, shoes and beauty products.  

1.Take off those ordinary sneakers

Sandals are back. Take off your closed shoes and eye-catching socks to show your beautifully painted toenails. Not only flipflops and sandals are trendsetters but also more complicated designs like sneaker sandals, flatform sandals, strappy sandals and even toe strap sandals. All the haute couture brands (Balenciaga, Tom Ford, Kenzo, Chloé, Fendi, Miu Miu…) design them in all kinds and colours. Do you like wearing transparant sandals with buttons and knots? Then you’re incredibly fashionable!

2. Welcome to the jungle

Prints all over. Animal prints are becoming trendy and you can wear them anywhere at any time. You find jackets with animal prints but also coats, pants, skirts, shoes, bags and many other fashionable things. You could even get your nails done if you don’t want it to be too obvious. Or if you’re not such an animal lover you could wear other prints for example flowers (Chloé), graphic (Kenzo) , art (Marni), paisley (Zimmermann) or tie-dye (Guess, Prada, Stella McCartney).

3. Cherry lips

Beautiful red lips, it’s a classic. The colour is sometimes associated with wintry make-up but lots of designers and make-up artists say that’s a cliche. They color the lips of models in the red of sunsets on hot summer nights. You don’t even have to color within the lines or you could use lip stains instead of lipstick.  

4. A little Coco

Coco Chanel was the Queen of Fashion in the early 20’ s. She did not only introduce a new kind of perfume but also the most iconic fashion item ever made.

Chanel n°5 is a perfume everybody knows. You probably remember the rather odd scent of the perfume. Coco wanted to create a new scent that didn’t smell like flowers at all. It’s a strong perfume with a scent that could last a whole day. This perfume never gets old and fits every woman.

Coco also designed the well-known deux pièce, better known as “the Chanel suit”. The Chanel suit is made out of tweed (popular fabric) and consists of a jacket and a skirt. Even after her death, the two piece stayed alive thanks to her successor Karl Lagerfeld. Nowadays the Chanel suit is more nobby than ever.

Maybe after reading this you think: Hmm, I don’t like prints, sandals or two pieces. Well maybe this is your thing: pastel. Pastel colours are in at the moment. You can see them everywhere. Not only pastel is used for clothes and accessories but also as highlighters or make-up.

So… For every taste. Just make sure you can be yourself in what you wear and what you do. Lots of things are trendy at the moment so everyone can be who he or she wants to be.

Amber Gesquiere

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Game of Thrones is back, and how!

HBO’s most watched show, Game of Thrones, just aired with the first episode of season 8. A lot of people waited twenty months for the last season of the show based on the bestsellers written by George R.R. Martin.

The most pirated show’s first episode, called Winterfell, was the episode of reunions. Almost all characters reunited at Winterfell, the castle of House Stark. Jon and Daenerys assembled a huge army consisting of Unsullied and Dothraki warriors, and of course two huge dragons. But the threat is ever so big. The Night King broke through the Wall in the North and is thirsty for blood. The producers promised a huge battle, one that has never been seen before.

Some characters got to meet other ones for the first time as well, but it wasn’t always that easy. Sansa, leader of the North whilst Jon was away, didn’t really like Daenerys at first sight. Bran and Jaime also met, and if you have seen the first episode of the first season, you know this meeting had to be awkward. The show, known for killing off its main characters, is expected to lure millions of viewers worldwide.

Critics loved the first episode and so did we! This episode never bored us in any kind of way and made sure the story was kept interesting enough to follow. Although there weren’t many plot twists, there we’re so many satisfying moments, like Samwell revealing Jon’s true identity, or Daenerys and Jon riding their dragons.

Everyone is anxious, because nobody wants their favorite character to die. After having seen the first episode, you know there will happen a lot in the future. People are left with so many questions. Who will die in the battle against the Night King and his army of White Walkers? Who will survive? What is Cersei up to in King’s Landing? Will Jon reveal his true identity to his love, Daenerys? And obviously, who will sit on the Iron Throne?

Tune in every Sunday on HBO at 2 am.

Ruben Ravestyn

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Karl Lagerfeld, sketch for german brand “KL”, late 1980s, my own. 

“The only thing I could do was draw“, he once said about the start of his career in Paris.“ Indeed, a true master has left the stage. Rest in peace.

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Iconic drawings from Karl for sale

Karl Lagerfeld is also known as the man who formed Chanel into the legendary brand it is today, by contemporaries he is often regarded as a virtuoso in the field of design. A few weeks ago his life unfortunately came to an abrupt end, but some sketches drawn by the hand of Karl were recently collected. These never-before-seen sketches will be auctioned in America.

Karl died at the age of 85 in Paris, this was not entirely unexpected because at Chanel's last show, it was not he who seized the applause, but his studio director. His work pace is unbeatable, he drew 15 shows a year. In his spare time he made short films about Coco Chanel and even photographed campaigns. Although Karl does not appear to be immortal, his drawings are. And the couple who have the sketches in their possession realize this all too well, hence the auction. 

We are talking about 125 copies, which had been the private property of a couple for more than fifty years. Some designs were even worn by iconic women such as Elisabeth Taylor and Doris Duke. The reason why these are so rare is because Karl had a habit of throwing out dated designs he once claimed in an interview: 'I throw everything away. The most important piece of furniture in my house is the bin! I don't keep my own archives, no sketches, no photos, no clothes, nothing!’

The auction will be held on April 18th by Urban Culture Auctions in Floride, prices will range from 900-2800 euros, if you are a fan of Karl Lagerfeld's work and have a penny left, I think it's definitely worth it, all to Florida!