Odds and ends

Does anybody else enjoy randomly editing pictures as much as I do?

2012-01-28T21:00:00.000+01:00

When I am bored, I edit my pictures. Anybody else love playing around with editing programs an changing the mood of your photos?

The Blogscar Awards

2012-01-26T19:10:00.000+01:00

Guys, I couldn't believe my eyes this morning when I saw that Miss Janette is hosting The Blogscars. As in, The Oscars for Bloggers. And I am nominated!! For Foreign Blog / Non-US Resident Blogger.
Can you believe that?! Thank you so much, Janette, for putting me in between all these awesome bloggers.

Since chances of me winning an Oscar are pretty slim...or rather non-existent...I'd really like to win a Blogscar.
The competition is fierce, but you guys can vote for me!
Just go to Janette's blog and vote there. But since the polls seem to have a little mind on their own and don't always show up, you can vote for me right here as well!

FOREIGN BLOG//NON-US RESIDENT BLOG/BLOGGER » make online polls
Tags : blog

Voting is open until February 20th, so you have enough time to vote for me ~~every day!~~

Home alone.

2012-01-25T18:39:00.000+01:00

Friends, I am currently living the wild single life.

No worries, all is well with Bedis and me. He is on a little work related thing for this week and the next, which means that I have the whole apartment to myself for a while.

Also, when I say that I am living a wild life, I mean that I go to bed at 10 and get up at 7 to write on my paper for Uni. I am such a party animal.
BUT I am finally getting somewhere with my paper. There were moments today, where I thought that some points I made were so good that I wish I could high-five myself. Well, I could high-five myself...but technically that would be clapping...and I think that applauding myself would be a bit too much.
So I rewarded myself with a bubble bath and a hot chocolate instead.

Even better than a high-five.

PS: I think everybody is aware that picnik.com is closing in April? I know that is sad, but do you know about pixlr.com? It's what I use to edit my pictures for quite a while now and it is fantastic! It is completely free and reminds me a little of photoshop. It also has this awesome feature called pixlr-o-matic (or something?) that easily gives your photos a vintage look. I used in on the picture above and I seriously love it. (Go to this post to see the original.)

Lately.

2012-01-16T14:14:00.000+01:00

1. Rocking my study outfit: oversize sweater, tights and warm sockes. Comfiest outfit ever.

2. Reading The Help. I know I am late on this one, but it is so good. I wish I could read this book all day, but unfortunately there is a paper that needs to be written.

3. Trying to be artsy with the reflection of our fairy lights in the window. Didn't really turn out how I wanted it though.

4. By the way, the Christmas decorations? Still up.

5. I love my new bow sweater.

6. Listening to Boy a lot.

7. We are currently drowning in candy. For Christmas, we got a box with 4kg of Haribo. And lots of chocolate. My family knows me well.

I am boring.

2012-01-10T15:50:00.000+01:00

The other day, I sat my lazy butt down on the couch, getting ready to watch some Greys Anatomy, when the laptop suddenly decided to stop working and broke down.
I took that as a sign that I should finally start working on that dang paper that I have lying around for months.
And that is what I did. Are you proud of me??

Anyways, that is why it's gotten a little quiet around here.
No great and exciting things are happening right now. Except that I tried parting my hair differently than I usually do. (Turns out the butt part is not working for me.)
And that's as exciting as it gets around here at the moment.

Oh wait, there's one thing. I bought new shoes. Pretty!

It's still Christmas over here.

2012-01-05T18:06:00.001+01:00

It's January...which means that I should be taking down our Christmas decorations now.

I don't think that I ever was this sad about Christmas being over. I usually can't wait for summer as soon as Christmas is over, but not this year.

So for now, I refuse that Christmas is over.
Today, I am going to fully enjoy and breathe in the last bits of Christmas before all the pretty decorations and lights get taken down: I'll finish my book (Divergent. It is awesome) while being all snuggled up in a blanket and jammies, put some Christmas music on, with lots of candles and fairy lights in the background. And maybe I'll throw in a hot chocolate or two.
Man, I'm such a rebel.

2011 in pictures.

2011-12-31T10:35:00.002+01:00

I couldn't commit to choosing only one picture a month, so this is a very long post. I'm sorry.

January.

February.

March.

April.

May.

June.

July.

August.

September.

October.

November.

December.

I am not quite ready for 2011 to be over. (Just like I'm not ready for Christmas to be over. But oh well.)
This year went by so fast, things that happened in January seem like they just happened yesterday.
A lot of things changed and happened this year and I am curious what 2012 has in store for us. Like a job for Bedis, hopefully?
2012, please be good to us.

We decided to change things a little this year and got a Christmas cactus.

2011-12-28T19:29:00.000+01:00

Awesome, right? But we also had a real Christmas tree, of course.

Christmas this year was lovely. Although with two little boys in the family, it wasn't as relaxing as it used to be. But still fun.
Being together with family is always the best.

"The best way to spread Christmas Cheer, is singing loud for all to hear."

2011-12-23T04:00:00.000+01:00

Guess what I'm watching while wrapping Christmas presents?

Oh, just the best Christmas movie of all times!

Hot chocolate.

2011-12-22T06:00:00.000+01:00

This morning, I was feeling super crabby. It was raining outside and I did not feel like going to work and Uni.
So I thought of the one thing that makes everything better during the winter time: hot chocolate. With marshmallows. In my new snowflake mug.

Needless to say I felt a lot better afterwards.

Christmas. And hello again!

2011-12-18T19:57:00.000+01:00

Yes, I am still alive!
I know, I was a little absent on here. To be honest, blogging felt more and more like an obligation to me and I I just needed a little break. I don't want to blog because I feel that I have to, but because I want to! Blogging is supposed to be fun, and I want to keep it that way!

I am enjoying Christmas to its fullest right now. I'm trying to have a little "Christmas time" every day, but I still feel like there's so much I didn't do yet. Like having a Glühwein at the Christmas market, having a Christmas Latte at Starbucks, listen to all the Christmas music out there...
But I'm working on it.
And I really love our little Christmas tree. We decided on a fake one this year and I am glad we did. The real one last year didn't bring the Christmas tree smell to our apartment anyway, all it did was scatter its needles everywhere.

Christmas is less than a week away. Unbelievable.

Cookies and nephews.

2011-12-04T00:02:00.001+01:00

I spent yesterday and today at my sister's to bake Christmas cookies and get some long-awaited cuddles from my nephews.
Did you know that being woken up in the morning by a big wet kiss from your almost 3 year-old nephew is absolutely perfect?
And did you know that those big teethless smiles from your 5 month-old nephew can absolutely melt your heart?
I really can't (and don't want to!) imagine life without these two boys.

(Oh, and the cookies were pretty good as well.)

Christmas lights.

2011-11-26T09:42:00.000+01:00

May favorite girl Jay helped me a little with my Christmas decorations yesterday. We couldn't help it, but just had to play around with the fairy lights for a while.
Sigh, I wish I could cover my whole apartment in Christmas lights.

Meet my newest sponsors!

2011-11-23T20:49:00.000+01:00

Let me introduce you to my newest sponsors! Please do me the favor and take a look at their blogs, because these girls and their blogs are absolutely wonderful.

Hey guys! I'm Gentri and I blog over at Gentri Lee. I like to blog about life and all of it's adventures with a little fashion, food, and crafts thrown in. I am constantly trying to come up with new ways to connect with other bloggers and love meeting new bloggy friends. I'd love for you to come visit me at Gentri Lee and say hello- anytime!

BLOG / BLOGLOVIN / FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM

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Hiya! I'm Shannon and I run the little blog shannon*bear. I like to drink lots of coffee, play with my brand new little blue, Daisy Bear, listen to my Mr. play guitar, take lots of photographs, and make pretty things to put in my shop! I'm a photographer full time and am working on developing my business. It's probably one of the most fun endeavors I could have ever imagined! In my free time I love to make things come to life through leather and fabric and maybe a little magic too. Be sure to stop by my little blog and say hello!

BLOG / SHOP / BIZ / TWITTER

Lately.

2011-11-20T17:39:00.000+01:00

Things are very quiet around here at the moment.
We celebrated my birthday by having a yummy cake and going out for dinner.
I found the perfect curling iron and lipstick.
I cried over a documentary about turtles. (Yes. That really happened.)
I used my birthday money to buy new clothes. Finally! I didn't go shopping for months.
And we bought the last Harry Potter movie on DVD.
Happy.

Let's announce the giveaway winners!!

2011-11-18T23:35:00.001+01:00

But before we do that, may I please draw your attention to a guest post that I wrote?
Kaity from Adventures of an American Girl asked me to write a travel related post, and I wrote about my trip to Tunisia this summer.

You can read the guest post here and please leave Kaity some love, ok?

SO now let's get down to business. All winners were chosen with random.org.

The Twirl giveaway won...

HELLO

The YarnPlusYarn givaway won...

And the isavirtue giveaway won...

KAYCIE

Congratulations, winners!

Please email me at

oddsandendsblog@googlemail.com

New shoes.

2011-11-15T10:10:00.001+01:00

For my birthday, I got my beloved Blowfish boots (that I already mentioned here). Needless to say that I am absolutely in love. Most comfortable boots ever.

Also, my mother got me the most wonderful antique locket. It's amazing how she always finds something that I absolutely love. She just gets me.

PS: Today is the last day to enter my Twirl giveaway! So don't forget to enter if you haven't already!
And don't forget the other giveaways! Here and here.

And the birthday festivities continue: another giveaway! [closed]

2011-11-10T15:52:00.001+01:00

Today is the last day of my

Big Birthday Giveaway

and I have one more super awesome giveaway for you!

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

isavirtue is a shop full of wonderful stationery, cards and envelopes. If you are such a big lover of paper goods like me, you are going to LOVE this shop.

Visit the shop HERE.

Today, Kaitlyn from isavirtue is offering a very special birthday/circus package that you cannot buy in her shop in this form. So this giveaway is super special.

This giveaway includes:

3 black envelopes with embossed white ferris wheel image

2 white envelopes with black ink hot air balloon image

5 admittance ticket envelope seals

10 sheets of writing paper with admittance ticket writing paper

4 miniature white envelopes with hot air balloon image

4 miniature white cards with admittance ticket image

Isn't this amazing? And do you know what is ever more amazing? It is Kaitlyn's birthday as well and she is also having a big giveaway on her blog! Even more chances for you to win!

In order to win this giveaway, you have to (mandatory entries):

-be a follower of Odds and Ends

- be a follower of Katlyn's blog isavirtue

- visit Kaitlyn's etsy shop isavirtue

For extra entries:

- followe me in twitter (@PeaLoys)

- follow Kaitlyn on twitter (@isavirtue)

- tweet about this giveaway and post the link in the comments

- blog about this giveaway and post the link in the comments

- like Kaitlyn on Facebook (do that here)

Please remember to leave an extra comment for every entry.

And please note that this giveaway is only open for US and Canadian residents.

Good luck, my friends!

YarnPlusYarn giveaway!! [closed]

2011-11-09T01:00:00.000+01:00

Are you excited for the second giveaway of my Big Birthday Giveaway?? You really should be. :)

YarnPlusYarn is a shop full of wonderful knitted and crocheted items. Really, it is amazing. And so perfect for fall!!

Visit the shop HERE.

Today, Alanah of YarnPlusYarn is offering one lucky duck the Bowtie Headband in the color of their choice!

Isn't that the cutest?! Awesome giveaway, right??

But because Alanah is super awesome, she is also offering a 15% discount on all orders for you guys! Just enter the code "15percentsale" at checkout. So basically, you are all winners of this giveaway.

In order to win the Bowtie headband you must (mandatory entries):

- be a follower of Odds and Ends (via Google Friend Connect)
- be a follower of Alanah's blog
- visit YarnPlusYarn and tell me what color you'd choose for your Bowtie headband (visit here)

For extra entries:

- follow me on Twitter (@PeaLoys)
- follow Alanah on Twitter (@alanahjoy)
- tweet about this giveaway and post the link in the comments
- blog about this giveaway and leave the link in the comments
- favorite YarnPlusYarn on etsy

Please leave a seperate comment for each entry!

The giveaway will close November 16th.

Good luck!!

A birthday! And a giveaway! [Giveaway closed]

2011-11-08T01:00:00.000+01:00

Friends, today is a very special day!

Yes, it is my birthday!!

Since my birthday is such a big deal over here, I thought why not make it an even bigger deal by celebrating it and have a

Big Birthday Giveaway!!

Starting today until Thursday, I have a new giveaway for you every day!

That makes 3 opportunities to win something awesome!

Are you excited? Because I am!

So let's get started.

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The first giveaway from my Big Birthday Giveaway is from Laura's etsy shop Twirl.

In her shop, Laura sells prints of her amazing photographs. Seriously, that woman is madly talented!

Visit the shop HERE.

I cannot get over the cuteness that is the pink bicycle photograph. Amazing, right?

Today, Laura is offering one lucky reader a 8x10 print of choice from her shop. I am seriously jealous because I'd love to have one of her photographs up on my wall.

In order to win this giveaway you have to (mandatory entries):

- be a follower of Odds and Ends (via Google Friends Connect)

- follow Laura's blog Twirl

-visit Laura's shop Twirl and tell me which print you'd choose if you win (visit shop here)

For extra entries:

- follow me on Twitter (@PeaLoys)

- follow Laura on Twitter (@laurabrowe)

- favorite Twirl on etsy
-tweet about the giveaway and leave the link in the comments

-blog about this giveaway

That makes many, many chances to win one of these amazing prints.

Please leave a seperate comment for each entry!

And please note that shipping outside the US is not going to be included in this giveaway.
The giveaway will close November 15th.

Good luck!

And don't forget to come back tomorrow for another awesome giveaway!!

Just a little reminder...

2011-11-07T21:31:00.000+01:00

via

I'm reading: The Eyre Affaire

2011-11-04T20:23:00.001+01:00

I found this book at the library the other day and when I read the plot summary on the back, I was sold. I thought that this book has to be awesome.

Summary from Goodreads:

Welcome to a surreal version of Great Britain, circa 1985, where time travel is routine, cloning is a reality, (dodos are the resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, very seriously. England is a virtual police state where an aunt can get lost (literally) in a Wordsworth poem, militant Baconians heckle performances of Hamlet, and forging Byronic verse is a punishable offense. All this is business as usual for Thursday Next, renowned Special Operative in literary detection, until someone begins kidnapping characters from works of literature. When Jane Eyre is plucked from the pages of Brontë's novel, Thursday must track down the villain and enter the novel herself to avert a heinous act of literary homicide.

Sounds awesome, right?
And after I read the first few pages, I was still under the impression that this was going to be awesome.

And now I am more than halfway through this book...and Jane Eyre still isn't kidnapped. Mr. Rochester made a few appearances tough. But I am still disappointed.

It sounded so promising, but now I am not so sure if I like this book or not.

Is there anybody else who read this? Any thoughts on this book?

Orange.

2011-10-31T15:29:00.001+01:00

I am absolutely in love with this year's fall. It is wam outside, the sun is shining and the trees look beautiful.
My favorite way to spend my free time at the moment is to sit on the sofa with a blanket, a cup of tea in my hand, music playing in the background and a good book on my lap.
I am enjoying fall wholeheartedly and I love it. It's perfect.

Lust List.

2011-10-27T09:03:00.001+02:00

It's my birthday in less than 2 weeks (YAY!!), so it's time for a new Lust List, me thinks. Yes, all those items are on my birthday wishlist. But I also know that some of these are not going to happen. Sad.

I am in love with this Michael Kors watch. I usually prefer silver over gold, but this beauty here makes my heart beat faster. And yes, this is the item that is not going to happen.

Cutest sweater, ever.

I know that my father is buying these Blowfish boots for my birthday and I can't wait to wear them. I love them!

And while we're talking about Blowfish shoes, I'd also like these, please.

The new Florence and the Machine. I LOVED the last album and I can't wait for this one.

I know, this is ridiculous. But this might be the only way for me to finally try a pumpkin spice latte. Unfortunately, I can get all kinds of Coffee Mates on German Amazon, except for this one. Of course.

Make your own French Manicure {with a little twist}.

2011-10-23T12:29:00.002+02:00

As much as I love having my nails painted in a pretty color, I have always had a thing for French Manicure. I always thought it'd be super difficult to do this myself though and didn't want to spend the money on a professional manicure. But I recently tried it at home and discovered that it is super easy! And it doesn't look like crap! And is not expensive at all!
So if you want a nice and easy French Manicure with a little twist (yay, glitter!), just follow along this tutorial.

You won't need super expensive nail polishes for this. The ones I used are from the drugstore and did not cost more than 3 Euros, except for the Maybelline one which is about 8 Euros according to Google. (I already had that one at home.)
This is what I used:

For the base: Maybelline Forever Strong in French Manicure
For the white tips: p2 Miss French
Clear top coat: p2 3in1 Dry Top Coat
For glitter effect: Essence Nail Art, Special effect topper in hello holo

This is what I am starting with. My right ringfinger, all yucky and dry:

After you filed your nails in your desired shape, apply a rose colored or light pink nail polish. Let it dry.

For the white tip, you can use a normal white nail polish (it should be very opaque though so that you only need one, maximum 2 coats) and slowly paint the tip of your nails, making a slight curve. You need a steady hand for this and probably lots of practice until it looks perfect.

It is a little easier though if you use a white tip polish like I did, because the brush is shaped a little differently compared to normal brushes (as you can see in the picture above). There are also stickers that you can put on your nails to get the perfect shape, but I have tried them before and think they are more of a hassle than a real help.

When the white polish is completely dry, add a coat of glitter nail polish. I only like it on one nail though, I think on all fingers it would be a bit too much. I used a polish that is clear with glitter particles in it and not a colored polish with glitter, because I wanted to keep the "clean" look.

Wait until the glitter is dry, then add a clear top coat to seal the nail. The top coat is essential to get the complete French Manicure look. I feel like without it, your nails look like you dipped them in Tipp-Ex.

When the top coat is dry, you are done!

Tadaa, a perfect French Manicure that is super easy to make at home and super affordable.

Sponsor Odds and Ends in November!

2011-10-21T23:25:00.000+02:00

It's that time again: sponsor call!
I don't plan on doing these posts every month because they kind of bug me, but I just wanted to let you know that if you have considered sponsoring this little blog before, but weren't so sure about it, November might be the perfect time to do so. Because I may have something awesome planned on here that month. Like, seriously awesome.
Tempting, right?
And it's my birthday in November. But that doesn't really have anything to do with this...or does it?!

So here's a little info:
I offer large (190x180px) and small (190x100px) ad spaces for very reasonable prices. The large ads are positioned in the top of my right side bar and include a group feature post. The small ads are positioned beneath the large ads. All ads will be shuffled regularly to give you and your blog maximum exposure.

If you are jumping up and down on your seat with excitement and joy right now because you really want to become a sponsor of Odds and Ends, shoot me an email and I'll let you know about all the details! And if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them!

oddsandendsblog@googlemail.com

So now that we have all the business stuff out of the way, what are your plans for the weekend?
I'll probably be lying in bed while watching ridiculous tv shows all day. I'm living quite the exciting life right now, aren't I?!

Current favorites.

2011-10-20T13:52:00.001+02:00

I bought a matte nail polish topcoat months ago, but I wasn't too happy with it. That is until I combined it with this nail color a few days ago. Now I am absolutely in love.

My red headband. I could wear it every day.

Waking up to this.

Another favorite at the moment? Lying in bed with a bag of chips while watching Keeping up with the Kardashians. I watched the first 2 seasons in 3 days. I guess I should be ashamed of this? But I'm not.
Only the crumbs in bed are bugging me a little.

Sponsor highlight: Become friends with these fabulous ladies!

2011-10-20T02:00:00.000+02:00

Nadine @ Time To Shine

BLOG / TWITTER / TUMBLR / PINTEREST / GRAPHIC GUESTBOOK / BLOGLOVIN

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Melissa @ My Soul is the Sky

BLOG / FACEBOOK / PINTEREST

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Olivia @ The Many Adventures of...Olivia Dee

BLOG / TWITTER / FACEBOOK / PINTEREST / GOODREADS / GOOGLE+

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If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of Odds and Ends, click here for rates and more details!

Weekend.

2011-10-17T21:12:00.000+02:00

This weekend, I was feeling particularly crabby. Partly because of the whole shoulder business (I'm just too impatient), partly because our neighbours like to have a party every day and they annoy me.
So Bedis, being the good man that he is, decided to get me out of the house to cheer me up. Or probably to shut me up from complaining so much.
Saturday we just went for a walk close to the Rhine and had some coffee. But on Sunday, we went to the chocolate museum. Friends, I'll only say this about the museum: I want to be burried there when I kick it.
Seriously.
Mission "cheering Pia up": accomplished.

A little photo adventure.

2011-10-17T04:00:00.000+02:00

Last week, me and my camera went outside to take a few photos around my neighbourhood.
I have to say that I don't live in the prettiest neighbourhood and at first, it was pretty hard for me to find some good shots. But after a while, I looked at things differently.
The pictures might not be super amazing, but I had definitely fun taking them and I'll take all the practice that I can get.

It's the little things.

2011-10-14T08:22:00.000+02:00

These are the little things that made me happy this week:

Pancakes and freshly squeezed orange juice in the morning.

Crawling around on the floor while making faces. Apparently.

Finding a new favorite lipgloss (by MNY Maybelline).

Going on a photo adventure. (More on that later).

Not pictured:

Cuddles.

Long phone conversations with my mother.

No longer needing any pain killers for my shoulder.

Sponsor guest post: Melissa.

2011-10-13T13:00:00.000+02:00

Guys, please welcome Melissa. She has a lovely blog that you can (and should!) check out right here.

And here is a little introduction for you to Melissa and her blog!

Hello lovelies. I'm Melissa from My Soul is the Sky .

I want to thank Pia, for letting me be a sponsor of her cute blog, Odds and Ends. I started my blog because I wanted to know what all the hype was about. Blogging this and blogging that. Just another social media outlet right? But wow I never would've thought it'd turn out to be so amazingly fun! My blog started as a lifestyle blog. A journal of sorts. Then slowly became a collection of things that I’m currently obsessing over. The things I love most being:

I use a lot of pictures to depict my adventures; a photo journalist of sorts, but I'm working on my writing skills so I can write more about our everyday life and can go back and read about the adventures. So take a little detour and come check out my little blog, My Soul is the Sky.Maybe it's got something you'll enjoy too. Thanks for reading!

I'm reading: The Bell Jar.

2011-10-11T16:39:00.002+02:00

via

"I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart.

I am, I am, I am."

It was very hard for me to put this book down. It is depressing and wonderful at the same time. I loved it.

Have you read The Bell Jar? I want to hear your thoughts!

Weekend.

2011-10-10T12:25:00.000+02:00

This weekend, we just stayed at home and did not feel bad about it all because of the cold and rainy weather. We played Monopoly (the Disney version) while snacking on Twizzlers, watched Bones while being all snuggled up on the couch, and celebrated our 2 year anniversary with a wonderful candlelight dinner.
It was a perfect October weekend.

Sponsor guest post: Olivia.

2011-10-10T12:00:00.000+02:00

Today, I'd like to introduce you to Olivia. She is such a lovely girl, I really wish we didn't live on different continents!
Here's a little guest post from her, and you should definitely head on over to her blog to really get to know her!

helloooo lovely readers of Odds and Ends.

my name is Olivia

and you can find me

and my many adventures

over at Olivia.Dee.

circa 2005

here's a bit of a peak into my world...

I've been in San Diego for five years

and force the boyfriend

(who has lived here since he was 10)

to play tourist with me.

Not too many complaints so far.

a LOT of eating goes on around these parts.

some attempts at baking and cooking happen...

but it's a lot more fun to just eat.

i some of the greatest girlfriends

that live both near and far.

and frequently pop up on le blog.

I like to travel.

a lot of the time my budget keeps me in California.

But I am fully okay with that.

and lastly...

... there's this guy.

he's pretty cool.

you might even like him more than me.

he doesn't talk as much as i do!

Thanks for taking a peek into my blog-world!

pop on over any time you would like!

i looove company.

The countdown to my birthday officially begins today.

2011-10-08T10:00:00.000+02:00

Birthday cake made by my Mama last year.

Exactly one more month until my birthday.

In my world, my birthday is a pretty big deal, you know?

Surprises in the mail.

2011-10-07T21:00:00.000+02:00

Yesterday was awesome. I got 2 little surprises in the mail that absolutely made my day.

First, I got this lovely card from Carly. I was so, so happy when I got it because I did not expect it at all! Carly, thank you so much for thinking of me! It really means a lot to me.

William and Kate stamps. Love.

Then, a few hours later, the doorbell rings again and the mailman hands me a huge package. Seriously, it was ginormous.
It was from Gentri who offered to send me some American candy after I wrote this post. (I also got some yummy candy from Olivia! Read about it here. Aren't both of them awesome?!)

I seriously can't wait to try all of these. I have heard so many good things about Cheetos (hi, Megan). And Twizzlers!! I am so excited.

But here comes the kicker.
Gentri also included the first Harry Potter book, because I mentioned in this post that I'd kill for the hardcover American editions. Isn't that amazing?? I am so in love with the look of this book. It is perfect.
Gentri, thank you so much!!

2 years.

2011-10-07T14:15:00.000+02:00

It all began October 7th 2009...

November 2009

July 2011

Sponsor guest post: Nadine.

2011-10-06T16:07:00.001+02:00

Friends, Nadine is taking over my blog today! Go and check out her blog and show her some love. You won't regret it!

Hello guys! I'm Nadine, 26 years of age, student of English studies and Media Communication and I blog over at Time 2 Shine.

I like music and movies a lot, also I love frozen yogurt and pasta equally as much. I tend to dramatize tiny, little problems and I really enjoy rambling about these to anyone who wants to listen - or not. This is why I started to write this blog in the first place, but over time it really took my heart and now it's an important part of my life. Tho' I still struggle to tell people in real life about it...

Anyways, there are loads of things I talk about, because I'm interested in many things. Let me think. There would be my obsession for all things Australia, my love for TV series (Hart of Dixie, newest addiction), my passion for books... It never gets boring with me - at least that's what I think of myself. ;-)

Thanks a lot for having me, Pia! She's such a sweetheart, not? You know what? We do not live that far apart from each other...

Allright, kids. I hope to see you around!!

Click here to go to Nadine's lovely blog!

Life-savers.

2011-10-04T17:01:00.001+02:00

Milk Duds. I might be a tad obsessed.

Lots of books.

This guy.

One week after my surgery, I am feeling a lot better. I can't move my arm yet, but I am slowly getting there.
Tasty treats, good books, great friends (and probably the painkillers as well) made this week somewhat bearable.
But what has probably helped me the most was B. It is amazing how much patience that man has. I pretty much need help with everything and when I call for him to help, he's there in an instant. He washes my hair, he helps me get dressed, he cooks delicious meals for us and does the laundry. He doesn't let me lift a finger. And when I say that I need to get some fresh air, he takes me out for breakfast.
I really wouldn't know what I'd do without him. I love that guy.

Back home.

2011-10-01T08:32:00.000+02:00

Friends, first of all: thank you SO much for all your well wishes and lovely messages! They made me super happy!

The surgery went really well. My shoulder wasn't as damaged as the doctor first thought,there were only a few things to fix. And that means that I can move my arm soon again and that I don't have to wear a stupid immobiliser. So so happy about that.

It was quite painful, but it's getting better every day. And my left arm is no longer swollen which feels so good. Although it was kinda awesome to have an arm that looks like that of The Hulk.

I am at home again now and B is being super sweet and doesn't let me do any work. (I am not complaining...)
Plus I came home to a surprise: a package from Olivia arrived filled with candy. Amazing, right?

I can't wait to try it all. (So far, I am a big fan of Milk Duds.)

Another thing that I am super happy about? It's October!!!

Black and white.

2011-09-29T11:00:00.000+02:00

7 things about me.

2011-09-28T18:00:00.000+02:00

I recently received a blog award from Katia over on Kitty Snooks (thank you, K!!!) that requires writing 7 things about me. Since a bunch of new readers found their way over here recently, I thought it might be a good idea to share a few fun facts about me today.

1. I was born on my mother's birthday.
2. I am obsessed with crappy TV shows, or so-called "reality shows". You know, the kind that you are ashamed to openly admit that you are watching it.
3. Apparently, my eye-color is not easy to define. Some say brown, some say green. It depends on the lighting I guess.
4. As soon as my shoulder is healthy again and I have some extra pennies, I want to take a photography class. I can't wait to learn to take better photos and to get the best out of my camera.
5. Until about 2 years ago, I did not care that much about make-up (or clothes, really). I don't know what happened, but now I am obsessed with lipstick and lipgloss. Oh, and nail polish.
6. My dream is to own a pretty little book store one day.
7. I had no idea it would be so hard to think of 7 facts about me.

I'd really like to get to know you guys more, so everybody feel free to do play along (and please let me know if you do), but I am also supposed to tag a few bloggers. So I tag the 5 newest readers of Odds and Ends*:
J.Lynn @ WILD yet Zenful
Nora @ Two is better than one
Michelle @ A Red Envelope
Kat @ painfully {un}cool
Elizabeth @ The Young Retiree

Have lots of fun thinking of 7 things about you! And have a happy, happy day today!

PS: I am guest blogging over on Olivia's blog today about my favorite thing about fall! Clicky here.

*the 5 newest blog readers on September 25th, since this is a scheduled post because I'm currently in hospital

Tomorrow's the day.

2011-09-26T17:50:00.002+02:00

I'm having my surgery tomorrow and boy, am I nervous!
I'll have to stay at the hospital for a few days, but I scheduled some posts so you don't to miss out on the fun that's always going on on this blog. (Haha)

I'd also like to remind you that I am still accepting sponsors for October and that I am running a little special. Click here for details and email me when you are interested!

And can I please go a little TMI for a second?
Since I'm not allowed to lift my left arm for a while after the surgery, I'm getting seriously worried about armpit hair. Looks like shaving will be off limits. Under both arms...but maybe I'll force Bedis to shave under the right one. Sexy.

The good vs the bad.

2011-09-24T14:00:00.000+02:00

Do you see that postcard up there?
It was a little love note that I received from my dear friend Alyssa a few weeks ago and it came completely out of the blue. I loved it so much. Someone far, far away in Australia had thought of me and wanted to surprise me with a little card and tell me that she loved me. Isn't that wonderful?

I loved the card and the sentiment behind it so much that I always wanted to have it with me. So I put it in the book that I read, because when I go out, I always take a book with me.
The card has seen many books and I carried it around with me for a while.
Until Wednesday.
(I'm being so dramatic.)

On Wednesday, I was waiting for the bus, reading (of course). And when I sat inside the bus a few minutes later, I noticed that the card was gone.
I checked under my seat, in my purse, I flipped through my book several times, but it wasn't there. It must have fallen out of my book at the bus stop.
I was so, so sad.

Then, I was a little worried. My address and name was on that card. What if some freak finds it, who now has my address and can do I-don't-know-what with it.
What I did not think about was that the person who finds it, could be so kind to return it to me.

But today, as I opened my mail box, the card fell into my hands.
Whoever found it must have read the message on the back and realized that this card meant a lot to the person it was sent to.

Isn't that amazing? And isn't it awful that I first assumed that whoever finds the card would do something bad with it? Doesn't that say a lot about me? Doesn't that say that I don't believe in the good in humans but rather in the bad?

Well, today, that has changed. And just because of a little postcard.

Pretty amazing, right?

It's the little things.

2011-09-23T08:51:00.000+02:00

I am linking up with Lindsay from From the Aisle to Aloha today.

These are the little things that made me happy this week.

For some reason, I was always craving a cup of coffee when I was lying in bed at night. And the next morning, when I finally held the desired cup in my hands, it made me super happy. The toast with Nutella accompanying it wasn't so bad either.

The sun peeking into our bedroom in the morning. And rediscovering that neckace that I completely forgot about.

Finding a book at the library that I wanted to read for months.

Sleeping in.

Sponsor Odds and Ends in October!

2011-09-22T18:34:00.002+02:00

Source: weheartit.com via Carmen on Pinterest

I cannot put into words how happy I am that it's almost October! I'm getting so freaking excited about fall, cold weather and Christmas!! Seriously. My favorite time of the year is finally here. I'm dusting off my hats and coat, and warming up the hot chocolate right this moment.

And because a new month is so close, everybody who is interested in sponsoring this little blog, has now another chance to do so.
Since October is such a special month for me, I am throwing in a little extra: large ads will not only include a group sponsor feature, but a whole guest post as well.
Curious? Want to know more??

The rates are as follows:

If you are interested, email me at

oddsandendsblog@googlemail.com

Happy almost-October!!

Next week.

2011-09-22T02:00:00.000+02:00

Me jumping on the bed...completely out of focus.

This week, I am trying to do as many things as possible that require two healthy arms and hands. Like braiding my hair. Painting. And jumping on the bed. (I know you don't need 2 arms for that, but still. Jumping on the bed is fun.)
All because my left shoulder needs a little break. And a little surgery. Nothing big, nothing serious. But I won't be able to move it for a while afterwards. So that means I only have my right arm, which is going to be interesting since I am a lefty.

I am getting a little nervous about the surgery and staying at the hospital. But I am looking at the bright side: the pain in my shoulder will hopefully be gone. And I will have a lot of time to read. (I recently got a library card and came home with big fat pile of books. So I probably won't get bored.)
And until Tuesday, I will braid the crap out of my hair and enjoy my two functioning arms.

September #7.

2011-09-21T15:27:00.000+02:00

Faceless self portrait:

Say hello to my favorite socks - they have moose on them.

Something new:

A new lipstick in a somewhat nude-ish color. Since I don't have the moneys for the Mac lipstick that I mentioned here, I opted for a cheaper one.

What I wore:

My Mom got me that checkered shirt for my birthday a few years ago, but I never really knew how to wear it. Until I tried it with a sweater on top of it, and I fell in love with that shirt all over again.

Also: I recently dyed my hair and it turned out much darker than I planned. It's pretty much black now and I am not so sure if I like it.

Meet my new sponsors!

2011-09-19T15:04:00.000+02:00

Hi friends! Today, I want to introduce you to my newest sponsors for the month of September! They are all awesome ladies, so please do me the favor and check out their fabulous blogs!

* LOVES to LAUGH

* is kinda weird

* can't get over how delicious food is

* LOVES to pretend she is an interior decorator

* talks too much sometimes and it makes her husband tired

BLOG / FACEBOOK / TWITTER / PINTEREST

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* is way too addicted to reality tv

* believes in aliens and ghosts

* owns about 30 scarves and 15 hats

* her fav food is lasagna

* wants to own a farm one day

* and she has a little Christmas card competition going on that you can check out here

BLOG / TWITTER

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*  is a graphic design student

* is a life-style and portrait photographer. Her business is called JAE.photography

* has a cute little pupps that she loves more than anything!

* has matching freckles on the back of her ears

* has a sweet soccer-playing boyfriend who she loves dearly!

BLOG / FACEBOOK / TWITTER / TUMBLR

Lust List.

2011-09-16T14:00:00.000+02:00

At the moment, things aren't too easy money-wise over here. Because Bedis wasn't able to work for a whole month (the broken arm, remember?), and me not being able to work for approx. 2 months starting October (I'll be blogging about that soon), we are kind of short on money. I mean, we are ok, but little extras like buying pretty fall clothes or ordering pizza (you guys have no idea how much I am craving a big greasy pizza!) is just not possible right now.
Of course, my lust list is growing daily and it's driving me insane! Seriously.

I need these boots from 3 Suisse in my life like yesterday. I am dying over here because I can't afford them right now. As soon as I have some birthday money in my hands, it will be spend on these.

Leaf earrings from this etsy shop. I want.

And while we're at it, the necklaces from there are super cute as well.

Lipstick from Mac in the color Creme d'Nude. Someone buy this for me, please??

Dress and shoes from H&M. I love.

A new lens. Sigh. Oh well, maybe next year.

What's on your lust list right now?

September #6.

2011-09-15T14:50:00.000+02:00

Close-up:

From a distance:

I took these in a little park close to where I work. The park is called "Park der Menschenrechte", which means "Park of Human Rights". There are several human rights carved into the ground and I always love walking past them.

"The right to live."

And also: You can win a super awesome blog redesign over on Doe a Deer. I badly want to win this because her blog looks fabulous and I want mine to look fabulous as well. :) Click here for the giveaway.

September # 5: What I ate.

2011-09-14T16:27:00.003+02:00

Tomato salad. The best thing ever and so easy!

If you are one of those who don't want to let go of summer just yet (I am not one of of those as you probably know but we had a few tomatoes left in the fridge), this is the right salad for you.
Chop up a few tomatoes (cut them to really small pieces, I was a little lazy yesterday and left them a little bigger than I usually do) and half an onion. Add olive oil, salt and pepper and some lemon juice and bam! you're done. If you like, you can also add some fresh basil.

So simple, but delicious. Just make sure that you don't stand too close to others after you ate this. Raw onions can do bad things to your breath...just saying.

September #4.

2011-09-13T17:53:00.001+02:00

This photo challenge is a lot of fun! I have great ideas for some of the categories, I just hope the pictures turn out the way I want them to. Here are a few more (although these aren't really that special).
If you like taking pictures, come and join the fun!

Where I slept:

My cozy bed, with my favorite sheets.

On the shelf:

To be honest, I had no idea what exactly that meant. And since I mainly have books on my shelf, that's what I took a picture of.

I recently saw I similar picture and loved it so much that I made my own. But I can't remember where it was!!

September #3: Self portrait.

2011-09-10T13:20:00.003+02:00

I felt like playing around with my editing program a little. Which one do you like best?

September #2.

2011-09-09T13:32:00.000+02:00

Technology:

What I read:

Pia's Favorites: Make-up.

2011-09-08T15:44:00.000+02:00

I have to admit that I forgot about this series of posts until today. After talking about my favorite books, I thought I'd present my favorite beauty products today.

These eyeshadow color palettes are by far my favorite: Eyestudio Quattro by Maybelline. They come in such great colors and they make having glamurous eyes so easy! I have them in Nude Beige, Glamour Greens and Smoky Night.

Red lipstick.

I love it. This one is by Maybelline and the color is called Fatal Red. I am dying to try out a MAC one though.

If you like sparkly lipgloss, I highly recommend the Glam Shine 6 Hours by L'Oreal. They really last a long time and are super sparkly. They are quite sticky though. I own the colors Always Pink (love that one!) and Blush Mania.

I also really like this lipgloss from The Body Shop. I wasn't so sure about the color at first (it's brownish and I usually wear pink or red), but I love it now. And it smells good, which is always a plus in my eyes.

My favorite smell: J'adore by Dior. Bedis gave it to me on our first anniversary.

It's not one of those light perfumes for every day, but sometimes when I feel fancy or when I am going out, I put it on. For every day use I prefer Amour by Kenzo or Armani Code.

What are your favorite products?

At a wedding yesterday.

2011-09-07T08:00:00.001+02:00

While the couple was saying their "I do's", B leaned towards me and whispered in my ear:

"Soon, this is going to be us."

I fainted right then and there.

September.

2011-09-06T14:02:00.000+02:00

Holy cow, hello September! It's amazing how fast this year is going by. It's September already and I thought that it might be fun to take part in a little photo challenge this month.

Only that I'll mix up the days a little. Because I look like crap right now and I don't think anyone should see this.

Clouds:

Isn't this little "window" in the clouds amazing?!

Favorite color:

Purple. In my last apartment, I had a purple wall that I loved so much. But then I moved in with a man and the purple wall had to go. Sigh. (If you want to see pictures, go here.)

Oh, and I am done with my paper. Go me!

Life lately.

2011-09-01T16:03:00.000+02:00

It's gotten a little quiet around here and I blame school for that. I am currently writing a semester paper which takes up almost all of my free time.
There's really not a lot happening around here, except for eating tons of donuts, apparently. And hoping that B finds a real, grown-up job. Oh please let that happen soon, like next week maybe?

And have you seen my new sponsors over there on the right? You should check them out, because they are pretty much the bomb.

I was a little bored yesterday...

2011-08-26T08:00:00.001+02:00

...so I decided to try out the messy bun and scarf-look that this lady is pulling off so well.

I like it.

But do you know the feeling when you think you don't look like yourself in a picture? I'm feeling that way in the second one. I look like I'm trying to get you to bed with me. But I am not. I promise. I don't want things to get awkward between us.

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On a completely unrelated note: August is almost over, which means that it's that time again: sponsor time!
If anyone is interested, either email me or just leave your email address in the comments. Rates can be viewed here, and I swear they are affordable!

Only 4 more months until Christmas.

2011-08-25T09:23:00.000+02:00

Yes, I'm counting.

I can't wait. Seriously!
Christmas music, the baking, Christmas movies, the cold outside, scarfs and coats, the decorations (I'm planning on using lots of fairy lights this year - partly because they're called fairy lights, because that is adorable)...

Well, let's hope that those 4 months will go by quickly, k?

Meet my lovely sponsors!

2011-08-23T08:00:00.019+02:00

Today, I'd like to introduce you to my awesome August sponsors! They all are such lovely girls. Please do me a favor and take a look around their blogs if you don't know them yet. You will not be disappointed!

* loves chai tea, french fries, and her husband (but not in that  order)

* is not a domestic goddess, nor does she pretend to be one

* dances almost everywhere

* is on a quest to know people and their stories

* and she writes about it all...

BLOG / TWITTER / FACEBOOK / TUMBLR

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* is a total sucker for pasta

* her love for Robbie Williams is not from this earth

* she needs music in her life like nothing else: the radio is turned on constantly, which drives other people around her a little bit mad sometimes. Also, she spends too much money for new music, clearly

* she craves Diet Coke like other people crave fresh air

* she fell in love with Flynn Rider recently (oh yes, the male hero from Disney's "Rapunzel")

BLOG / TWITTER / TUMBLR / PINTEREST

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* is a lady. She loves all things vintage, pretty, and feminine

* is a mountain woman. She likes hiking, camping, and 4wheeling

* is a nerd. Her favorite books include Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and Te Host

* is an explorer. She loves road trips, traveling, and exploring

* is a blogger. She loves posting, commenting, and making new friends

BLOG / PINTEREST

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* grew up outside of Stockholm  in Sweden but has been living in London, Uk for the last six years, where she works as a graphic designer/illustrator

* loves dim sum, baking, drawing and travelling

* dislikes the London underground, big birds and arrogant people

* started her design/art career in France when she was 7 years old, together with her brother she sold small paintings at a street market. It went really well until the police came and asked them for a market stall license!

BLOG / TWITTER / PINTEREST

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

If you are intersted in sponsoring Odds and Ends, please email me at

loys.blogs@googlemail.com.

You can see my rates on my sponsor page.

Sunday.

2011-08-22T09:27:00.000+02:00

On Sunday, B and I took advantage of the beautiful weather and went on a little walk around our neighborhood.
Can you belive that we found a park? A super big park really close to our house that we didn't know about? Seriously, we must have been blind.
It was lovely walking around for a few hours and just enjoy that we are finally able to do something together on weekends, because he's not able to work right now. The only thing that I like about his broken arm.

I got a Tumblr.

2011-08-17T08:00:00.000+02:00

Well, I wanted to know what the fuss is all about. So I got a Tumblr.

I have absolutely no idea how it works, but I think it might be fun.

It'll probably be full of pictures of things that I love. We will see.

It's called Baya Loves... and you can visit it here.

(Baya is the name Bedis' family gave me when I was visiting them in Tunisia.)

I am somewhere else today.

2011-08-16T08:45:00.000+02:00

Lovelies, I am guest posting on Jelena's blog today, while she is having the time of her life in Paris. I have to say that I am green with envy! Paris rocks.

Anyway, read my guest post about my favorite photos here.

A touch of glitter to brighten up our Monday.

2011-08-15T08:00:00.007+02:00

Glitter glasses and idea found here.

Red and white.

2011-08-14T21:57:00.001+02:00

My mother and her husband spent the past 2 weeks in California. And they did not take me with them!!
To make up for it, I told my mom that she better bring me lots of American candy. Because from what I see on all the lovely blogs out there, American candy must be awesome and I desperately want to try it all.

But what my mom bought for me is even better than candy.
My mother has the talent of always knowing exactly what I want. Without me mentioning it even once.

She brought me a pair of Keds, and they are red and white and I love them.

And also, she did not forget my wish about the candy. I have a hot date with a bag of Jelly Bellys tonight.

Harry.

2011-08-12T16:32:00.000+02:00

Harry always does it. He always manages to make me happy.

Also, I haven't seen the last movie yet. I don't want it all to be over.

Waiting for fall.

2011-08-10T09:46:00.000+02:00

Source: katearends.com via Desi on Pinterest

Yup, you read that right. I am so over summer. Probably because this year, the summer was pretty much non-existent. And walking through the rain is a lot more fun while wearing pretty tights, a nice coat and boots (boots! I love boots!).
I recently got the H&M fall catalogue in the mail, and hi, awesome. I am in love:


all images via

So August, please do me a favor and go by a little faster, will you?

Souvenirs.

2011-08-08T14:16:00.000+02:00

How gorgeous are these plates that I brought along with me from Tunisia??
I seriously fell in love with them and wish we could have bought many more. Next time I'm there, I'll definitely leave some space in my suitcase for more pretty plates and bowls.
I also bought argan oil (it's not as pricey there) and got a henna tattoo, which I love. And friends, it's true what they say about argan oil: my hair looks awesome.
I heart souvenirs.

Fruit vs candy

2011-08-02T19:59:00.000+02:00

The candy wins. Always.

Is that a bad thing??

Poor B has a big fat cast on his arm.

2011-08-01T08:58:00.000+02:00

One of the few things that happened in Tunisia that I am not happy about. At all.

But I think he looks mighty handsome with that hat and the stubble, doesn't he?!

Some impressions from Tunis.

2011-07-29T08:00:00.005+02:00

lots of beautiful textures and colors

it is hot

tunisian weddings are fun

I came home with a new nickname from B's family

I don't think I have ever in my life eaten so much sea food in only one week
the days are very long
everybody is extremely nice

I loved it.

It's almost August!

2011-07-28T08:00:00.002+02:00

Is anybody else as amazed as I am about how fast this year is going by? Seriously 2011, slow down a little!

July is almost over and that means that those of you who are interested in sponsoring this little blog, have the chance to do so for the month of August! Just email me at loys.blogs@googlemail.com for the details. (You can check out the prices on my Sponsor page on the left.)

And how was your July? I hope it was as amazing and exciting as mine was!

Back home.

2011-07-27T15:45:00.000+02:00

After a wonderful week in Tunisia, I am back home!

It was amazing, but very emotional at the same time. I loved B's family and that I finally know where he grew up.
I got to see so many places, swam in the sea, lay in the sand and got terrified by the way the Tunisians drive. (Traffic rules?! Psh.)
I did not take as many pictures as I originaly intended, but I will never forget this week nonetheless!
And now I have lots of sleep to cach up on!

Pia's Favorites: Books

2011-07-22T08:00:00.000+02:00

I thought it might be fun to start a little series where I share some of my favorite things with you. Today will be all about my favorite books. I love a lot of books, but I tried to narrow it down to those that really mean something to me.

via

Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling

The best books ever. I have no idea how many times I have read them. I have the books in German, English and the first one in French. I really wish to own the editions pictured above one day (I think those are the American ones?), because I think they are the prettiest and my English paperbacks are slowly falling apart. Anyways, I really love the series and anyone who hasn't read them is seriously missing out!

via

Sophie's World - Jostein Gaarder

I read this book for the first time when I was about 15 and fell in love in an instant. There are several little mysteries throughout the story that need to be solved, and you get to learn a lot about philosophy. But in a non-tiring, non-boring way. The ending was completely unexpected to me and I loved it!

via

The Swarm - Frank Schätzing

If you like the sea and thrillers, this is the book for you. Don't let the 1,000 pages scare you, this book is amazing. I could not put it down when I read it. After you finished it, you will look at the sea in a completely different way.

via

Twenties Girl - Sophie Kinsella

I loved reading all books by Sophie Kinsella, but this one actually touched me.

Lara gets visited by the spirit of her great-aunt Sadie who has one last wish and Lara has to help her make that happen. The way the relationship between the two evolves is beautiful and the book makes you want to spend more time with your family.

via

The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks

This book made me sob. I don't think I have ever cried so hard while reading a book. Maybe you have seen the movie, but if you haven't read the book yet, you totally should! (But if you are a cry-baby like me, maybe read it while you're alone and not in public.)

via

The Twilight Saga - Stephenie Meyer

Of course. I don't think I have to explain what the series is about??

I get to see my love today.

2011-07-19T12:35:00.000+02:00

Today, I am leaving for my first trip to Tunisia to get to know B's home country and family.
Yes, I am nervous. But I am also really looking forward to it. I can't wait to see him again!

Let's hope everything goes well. And that I won't get lost at the airport!

It's love.

2011-07-18T16:04:00.000+02:00

It's been a while since I made one of these posts.

Happy Monday, everybody! I hope yours is filled with lots of love.

Making lemonade. {Part 2}

2011-07-14T16:38:00.000+02:00

My brother is awesome. When I saw him at a little family gathering on Saturday, he brought macarons for everybody.
How did he know that I've always wanted to try them?! He sure is a genius.
And since Bedis is not here at the moment, I can eat all of them myself. Muahaha.

PS: I have fulfilled all the blogger clichés out there, now that I blogged about macarons, no?

Making lemonade.

2011-07-12T08:00:00.000+02:00

One advantage of Bedis not being at home right now, is that I can sleep in my girly pink sheets again. I kinda missed them.

As you can see, I'm making the best of being at home alone at the moment. Or I am trying, at least.

Blogger of the week.

2011-07-11T18:17:00.000+02:00

Friends, if you haven't heard of Gentri Lee's blog yet, then you are seriously missing out. You should go and read right. now.

If you do know Gentri, then you know that she has a Blogger of the Week every week. And surprise, surprise, I am this week's Blogger of the Week! Woot!

I wrote a little guest post about who I am on Gentri's blog, so go over and check it out!

Have a fabulous Monday, everybody!

Lately.

2011-07-08T18:50:00.000+02:00

Wearing a white maxi skirt. So light and summery.

Buying a pretty, pretty bangle for only 2 euros. I love.

Lots and lots of strawberries. (And messy hair, apparently.)

Getting flowers from the bestie.

Missing us.

An early birthday celebration and a goodbye.

2011-07-06T15:18:00.000+02:00

Friends, I am alone.
Bedis flew to Tunisia to visit his family yesterday and I will be at home alone for a while. (BUT I will join him soon. Saying that I am nervous about flying to Tunisia and visiting his family is an understatement.)
Since we don't get to see each other on the man's birthday on Sunday, we celebrated earlier this week. I made his favorite chocolate cake (which turned out a lot better than it did the last time), we had a nice dinner and I gave him his present.
I think my present definitely deserves me some cool-points in the awesome-girlfriend-category, because I got him a video camera!
Guys, you know that your present was a hit when your man starts reading the manual right away.

I'll definitely miss Bedis, but I also have some stuff planned to distract myself from being without him. And there's still lots of chocolate cake in the fridge that keeps me company.

Ice.

2011-06-30T21:30:00.000+02:00

Sometimes, when I am feeling extra fancy, I put ice in my orange juice.

It makes me feel like I am sipping on a nice cocktail.

And who doesn't like a cocktail in the middle of the day?!

PS: Looky at all those pretty sponsors on the right!

I think I'm going nuts.

2011-06-28T20:42:00.000+02:00

Something is seriously going wrong with me.
I kinda feel like I went to sleep one night and woke up as a 90 year-old.
I forget everything. I am constantly confused. I drop everything. (Though the last one's not really new.)
I make my cereal in the morning, sit down on the sofa and then realize that I forgot to put milk in the bowl. I try to open the mail box with the key for my bike lock and almost have a nervous breakdown because the darn mail box won't open. Those are just a few examples.
I feel like I'm going crazy.

The best thing is that today, I even looked like I am complete basket case.
While I was sitting in a lecture, one of my flip flops broke and I had to walk around with only one shoe. Awesome, right? I got quite some stares.

What do I learn from this? Don't buy those cheap-o flip flops from H&M. I also learned that metal gets very hot in the sun and that you should not step on it with bare feet.

Please pray that I get my sanity back soon.

Wanna sponsor Odds and Ends??

2011-06-25T17:07:00.000+02:00

Hello friends!

After a lot of thinking, I decided to look into sponsorships for this here blog. And I have to say, I am very excited about this!

I always like to celebrate, so why not celebrate this by offering free sponsorships for the month of July??

And I promise that once July is over, the rates will be very reasonable.

Are you interested?? Then shoot me an email to loys.blogs@googlemail.com and we can talk about the details!! YAY!

Friday.

2011-06-24T16:00:00.001+02:00

To celebrate that today is Friday, I decided to make us some French toast with caramelized bananas this morning.

So easy to make, but SO delicious!

How are you celebrating Friday?

Waiting.

2011-06-22T21:27:00.000+02:00

My newest nephew could arrive any day now. You have no idea how excited I am to meet this little guy!
I went to the baby section at H&M today and I was this close to dying of cuteness overload. Onesies with Muppets characters on them? Adorable! Mini Beatles t-shirts? Too. cute.
And the socks!! Those tiny socks...
I advise you NOT to go to the H&M baby section if you have baby fever. Seriously.

In other news:
I was rocking the secretary look the other day AND I am re-reading The Hunger Games at the moment. I like. Life is good.

My hair smells like salad. {Part 2}

2011-06-17T15:24:00.001+02:00

Read Part 1 here.

Guys, go and get your olive oil and pour it all over your head because I am LOVING my hair today!
It feels and looks so silky smooth and not dry at all! I am this close to driving to the hair salon and give the hairstylist a big fat smooch.
The greasy hair was so worth it!

My hair smells like salad.

2011-06-16T22:14:00.000+02:00

Have you ever tried pouring olive oil all over your hair??
I did. Today.

I have a major problem with dry hair and when I got my hair cut the other day, my hairstylist suggested I use olive oil to moisterize it.
I am desperate, so of course I had to try it out.

The hairstylist told me to wrap saran wrap around my head. I looked so awesome.

I let the oil soak for 10 minutes and after thoroughly rinsing my hair and drying it, I looked like this:

Yes, my hair is actually dry.

Now that is what I call greasy hair! And an unhappy face.
I knew that my hair would be kinda greasy after putting pure oil in it, but this seriously cracked me up. I look like I haven't showered in weeks!
Well, let's hope looking like this was worth it. I gotta go and wash my hair now.

And want to see something creepy? There you go.

Lately.

2011-06-10T12:33:00.000+02:00

Cereal with strawberries for breakfast every morning.

Working out like a mad woman. And loving it.

Wondering if maybe I am not such a bad mother to plants as I thought. I was pretty sure that I killed this orchid over the winter...but look who is blooming again!!

If you look closely though, you can see that I actually managed to kill parts of it.

Looking and feeling real housewife-y. And then 1 second after this picture was taken, the noodle water boiled over. Oh well.

We finally bought the mirror that I was lusting over for almost a year. And now B and I are arguing over where to hang it.

Happy and summery nail polish. (And sucking at painting my nails.)

Looking at the beautiful sky.

I'm really digging my new glasses.

2011-06-06T08:00:00.001+02:00

But I'm not digging the chaos in the background. Oh well...

Lusting over...

2011-06-03T08:00:00.005+02:00

I want a lot of things. Like....seriously, a lot of things. I know that some of them probably will never happen, but then again there are some things that I will treat myself to one day. Especially those that I am lusting over for quite a while now.

I needed new glasses for years and when I saw these frames, I knew that I had to have them. It took a while until I could finally hold them in my hands but it was definitely worth the wait! I love them.

I need some polka dot tights in my wardrobe like yesterday.

I hear this stuff uh-mazing. But also a little pricey.

I am eyeing these pants from Zara for a while now. I think they are perfect summer pants, no?

One day, guys. One day, I will be the proud owner of a Louis Vuitton purse.

Essie nail polish in pretty summer colors. Love them.

What are you lusting over?

All images via Google

A perfect summery Thursday

2011-06-02T18:04:00.000+02:00

Guys, today was pretty much a perfect day. (Let's forget that I had to go to work in the morning, ok?)

The weather was amazing, so I took my bike out for a little ride. Seriously, I cannot remember the last time I rode a bike. It must be years ago. I admit, I am a tad embarrassed about this, but I also think that this is why I enjoyed it so much. And I used to hate riding a bike with a passion!

But here comes the kicker. Where did my bike and I go?
To the gym!
My friends, I joined the gym this week. I know, I can't believe it either.
Today was the first time I worked out and I loved it! Working out while watching a Jennifer Aniston movie? Awesome.

When I came home, all happy and sweaty, I ate the first watermelon of the year.
If something represents summer, then it's watermelon. Am I right?

Apparently, I was this close to making out with the watermelon.

Bits of May

2011-06-01T08:00:00.003+02:00

making french toast for the first time and long cuddles

lots of reading for school

wine cooler with strawberries and walking around barefoot

Happy feet.

2011-05-30T08:00:00.001+02:00

To make this Monday a little more fun, I am wearing happy socks today.

It's the little things, my friends.

Friends, I need your advice.

2011-05-27T13:15:00.000+02:00

I love online shopping. I do it a lot. Books, clothes, shoes - I've bought it all online.

I recently came across a belt that I thought would go perfectly with my pastel yellow skirt. It didn't took me a lot of thinking before I clicked "add to cart" and yesterday it finally arrived at my doorstep.
However, after holding it in my hands, I am no longer so sure about the belt. I still love the color, but I think it's a little too big? I can't decide if I should return it or not. Maybe I think it's too big because I usually wear smaller belts and I just have to get used to it?

So what say you, my friends? I thought that if someone knows about fashion, it's the blogging world. And please give me your honest opinion if it looks weird on me or not. I can still return it (see how the tag's still on it?).

Yay or nay?

Geenhouse beauty.

2011-05-26T08:00:00.002+02:00

When I was visiting my girl Jay in Brussels, the royal greenhouses were open for visitors, which apparently only happens once a year for three weeks.
So of course we had to see them! I am so happy to have had that opportunity because they looked beautiful. To be honest, I was more impressed with the architecture of the greenhouses than with the plants and flowers itself.
Don't they look so amazing?

Just letting you know...

2011-05-25T09:34:00.000+02:00

...that I am guest posting over here today.
So hop on over and leave Olivia some love!