Favorite (designer) handbags

Hi loves! Today I thought, let me write something personal that is related to fashion! So I decided to share my handbag "collection"! I have actually mostly been sporting two purses over the last 5 years, and recently added another one to my favorites. Enjoy!

I used to be that girl who owned many (fast-fashion) purses in different colors, although I had to walk around with a (lilac) backpack most of the time to carry my books for school. Towards the end of high-school I could finally switch in my backpack for purses, because I did not have to carry 5 kg of books to class anymore. Back then, Friis & Company bags were all the rage! They did cost a small fortune (about €80), but I saw them as an investment. Unfortunately, the quality was not as good as I expected, because I managed to wear out two purses in less than a year (see one of them below).

Having spent many euro's on purses that lasted me only for a brief second, I was fed up at some point. I decided to splurge on a designer handbag, and hoped it would last me a long time. So I bought my Louis Vuitton Tivoli GM at their store in the PC Hooftstraat in 2009.

As you can tell from the oxidation, it is very telling that this bag has been in my possession for quite some time. I have to admit, I am not the best person in maintenance of my designer bags and shoes. But although my baby looks a bit out of shape sometimes, has pretty dirty handles, and her hardware has been fading over time, this has been my favorite purse for over 5 years. It stays gorgeous and has never failed me, despite all the amount of junk I throw in there everytime. Definitely an investment worth its price (which has increased about €400 in price since I bought it, lol)!

Because I wanted to give my LV a rest every now and then, I purchased another designer bag in 2011, which I had been fawning over for a few years. 

I purchased my Gucci Joy Medium Boston bag during a shopping spree trip in Antwerp. Although it is a bit smaller than my LV, it still has enough room to fit most of my stuff and an occasional book (yes, I carry books and my laptop with my purses).

I really tried my best to take better care of my second child, but one day I was struck with major bad luck. I actually refuse to carry anything food related in my purses (aside from a bottle of water), and am also very careful when it comes to pens and pencils. But then, one of my neon-green markers somehow lost its cap in my purse... If you look really closely you can spot a green mark on the bottom of the mid-section. Despite this misfortune, I still really love(d) this bag because of its beautiful design and sturdiness.

However, I recently noticed that the fabric is letting me down. As you can see on the second picture, the top layer seems to have let go of the one underneath it. Definitely a major no-no! I am not sure what happened either, because I have been quite protective of this purse. I also do not think it is for sale anymore, seen as I could not find it on the Gucci website last time I checked.

And finally, my latest addition that I have been loving the past month. Nope, not designer but good ol' River Island!

This purse was actually an unexpected Christmas gift. Although its size is definitely out of my comfort zone (being tiny and all), I have surprisingly grown very fond of it! It is big enough to carry my iPad, and the long strap you can attach comes in very handy. The kiss lock gives this simple bag a bit more glam. 

And there you have it! Let me know what your favorite purses are and your opinion on designer handbags. Do you think they are worth the investment?

Lobi,

Pictures from Google.com / LouisVuitton.com / RiverIsland.com

Almost too easy

Hey loves! Today I want to share some of my food favorites that can quickly be turned into a healthy meal. On the topic of health, you might be wondering whether I am on track with my "skinnyfat to fit" transformation, but I will be posting an update soon, so come back regularly!

This easy and hearty meal exists of three components, of which I always switch up the protein side to keep it from becoming repetitive. On the left you can see a salad, that was actually pre-made by Albert Heijn, hehe. It is my new favorite thing to eat!

This Japanese salad is stuffed with rocket, corn salad leaves, raddish, cucumber, and soybeans. It also comes with a soy-ginger dressing and dried seaweed-sesame to sprinkle on top. Maybe some day I will make my own, but for now I prefer the convenience of a store bought salad. It also prevents me from wasting previous produce I cannot finish on time by myself! It costs €2.99 for 238 grams. Because I only use it as a side-dish, I can do about 2-3 three days with it!

On the bottom of my plate, you can spot something starchy. It is actually a mix of (organic) red and white quinoa, with tomatoes and olives by Zonnatura.

The directions say to either heat it all up in a microwave, or au bain marie. I prefer to steam it! I do put in a piece of foil in the steamer, so my quinoa will not fall through the steam holes. Because the flavor is still fairly bland for my taste, despite the ingredients, I always spice it up with some chili powder, salt and pepper. I think I might prepare some soon with onions and garlic, sort of a fried "rice"! I believe I paid less than €2.50 for 250 grams, which is not too bad! I usually keep it to 1/2-1 cup a meal, so I never finish one pack a day by myself. 

And there you have some quick healthy meal inspiration!

Lobi,

p.s. Remember to drink your water everyday!

Best neighbors ever (fav Turkish restaurants)

Hi loves! I was raised in a neighborhood where many Turkish immigrants live. I have even heard people jokingly call it little Istanbul. Well at least, that is before major gentrification happened to that part of the city. Unfortunately, many local shops have disappeared and made room for "hipper" alternatives, from Starbucks-esque coffeehouses to organic supermarkets. Also, the demographics and housing have changed a lot over the last 10 years, so I often do not recognize my neigborhood anymore whenever I walk around there.

One thing I obviously liked the most from growing up there was getting the opportunity to enjoy delicious Turkish cuisine on a regular! Every week I would walk up the stairs to find myself in the midst of the delicious smell of fresh flatbread the neighbors baked. Often I would be lucky enough to hear a knock on our door shortly after, because our neighbors have always been very eager to share. Bread stuffed with feta cheese or potatoes, or even lentil soup. Man, was I lucky to be raised in a neighborhood full of cultural diversity and lovely people.

One of my favorite places to eat Turkish cuisine at, was a restaurant named Birtat (see above). I pretty much always ordered their red bulgur or pilav with lamb, potatoes, and white beans. I always loved their grill specialities too, from shoarma to lam brack, although I am not sure whether you can count this under traditional Turkish cuisine. 

Now I live anywhere but near that restaurant, but fortunately my current neigborhood has a few alternatives to offer. One of them is called Mesken (see below). I have yet to find a restaurant that can beat Birtat in my books, but I think Mesken can put up a good fight. I really like their pilav and the chickenwings are very tasty too.

Aside from dinner, I often drop by local bakeries to pick up some pide with ground beef or börek with potatoes! One of my favorites is Kara Firin :)

Lobi,

Chocolate fudge balls (recipe)

Hi loves! The other day I made use of my bottle of vanilla extract again and made these healthy and easy chocolate fudge balls treats! I got the recipe from Rawmanda, and used chopped walnuts and cashewnuts, raw cacao powder, and shredded coconut for coating.

Lobi,

Arroz Caldo (congee)

Hi guys! Today I cooked something really easy I have been craving for a while. Rice porridge with chicken and ginger! Which is basically a Filipino version of bubur ayam. Savoury rice porridge is usually served as the Asian version of chicken soup, meaning you typically eat it when you are feeling sick. I never cook it as a 'sick' meal though, I just cook it whenever I feel like it.

The first time I tried to cook this dish, I got the recipe from Allrecipes. I usually stick to the main parts of this recipe, but sometimes I use different types of rice mixed together, and I prefer to use diced chicken filet instead of wings. Because I wanted a bit more flavor going on today, I decided to only use 600 grams of chicken, and added about a 100 grams of mushrooms. 

For garnish I always use a slice of lemon and scallions. Sometimes I also throw a boiled egg in there for extra flavor. 

Lobi,

Celebration time!

Hi everyone! Welcome to my new website :D Today we celebrate the kickoff of www.sefanjarubina.com ánd my 25th birthday!

Lobi,