Love, Rosie

Hello,

I've been doing a lot of pondering lately, and I've decided to change things up a bit. You probably know that Rosaly is not my real name, it's Rose. Or Rosie, as some people like to call me.

So this is just to let you know that from now on, this blog will be called Love, Rosie. Just because.

(The URL stays the same, for those wondering.)

ALSO, I know I have been a little absent lately, and that has a very good reason. I decided to quit. Just quit. Everything. Every single distraction. No matter how little. I had to focus on myself and on school. So I did. And I have no intention of returning to weekly posts anytime soon. Just whenever I feel like it.

That was all.

Love,
Rosie

MY BULLET JOURNAL

Hi there!

As some of you may know, I am a huge list-person. My thoughts usually consist of a non-stop stream of things I have to do, things I want to remember, ideas for recipes and blogposts, etcetera etcetera. The constant pressure to actually remember all of that can get a little exhausting at times. I'm sure you're all familiar with that feeling, because who hasn't experienced stress? My way of slightly slowing down that flow of information is making lists. Every single thought that crosses my mind and is worthy of remembering needs to be written down, otherwise it'll get lost in the sea of thoughts and ideas that might not all be as great as that one. Apparantly I have a lot of thoughts I consider worthy of remembering, because my desk - and the rest of my room - is littered with lists. Furthermore, I have 46 lists on my phone, 28 on my email account and - wait for it - 295 on my computer. It's absolutely ridiculous, I know. Lists are great, but the one thing I still struggle with is the fact that they are never in the same place. I don't have a notebook of lists, I have a pile, and another pile, and another one. Plus, I have the same list over and over again. If I have an idea for a blogpost, but I can't find my 'blogpost-ideas' list, I make a new one. My love for lists and my need for all the information I need every day to be in one place, led me to try something new called a Bullet Journal. So - after this very long intro - that's what I'd like to write to you about today.

HOW AM I DOING?

Hi there,

Of all the questions we are asked, the one we hear most frequently by far, is 'How are you doing?' Whenever we're asked that question, there's two things we can do. Firstly, we can tell the truth and elaborate on our emotions and feelings of that week, day, or moment. But this is not what we usually do. The question 'How are you doing?' isn't meant to start a lengthy conversation on the deep, abstract misbehaviour of our subconscious. It's meant to say: 'Hey, I'm interested in you and I think you're nice, but let's not become best friends or anything.' So most of us choose the second option and say, as sincerely as possible; 'I'm fine'.

MY NEW CAMERA

Hi there!

This Wednesday, I got what was probably the most exciting package maybe ever, my new camera. I'd been saving up for it for months on end and finally, finally it was there. Here she is, isn't she pretty? For anyone wondering, it's a Canon EOS 70D, with a Canon 18-55 mm II lens

DECEMBER FAVOURITES

Hi again.

There's not gonna be an apologie this time, there's been enough of them. I'm just going to start over like there's no tomorrow. Deal with it.

After that radical intro, let's dive right into my December favourites. First up are two bath and shower gels from Treacle Moon in the scents 'Cinnamon Nights' and 'Apple Pie Dreams'. Let's talk about 'Cinnamon Nights' first. This is winter in a plastic bottle. It's truly amazing. If you like baths and warmth and Christmas, you'll certainly love this. Period. 'Apple Pie Dreams' is about all those things, PLUS it takes me back to happier times when me and my mum would cook up a storm in the kitchen on Sundays, baking apple pie after apple pie, with apples we'd picked ourselves. (Legally, get your head out of the gutter.)

Next up on my list is the Good Wife. One time, when me and a friend of mine were getting ready for a night out, we had time left, so she made me watch a random episode. I loved it. I'm not usually a fan of court-drama-ish series and movies, but I absolutely adore this one. It's funny, smart and the acting is incredible. Ever since that day, I'm hooked.

Another thing that I've loved is the book PS I love you by Cecelia Ahern. Imma be honest with you, I cried. A little bit. It's such a moving story about loss and finding your way after an incredibly life-changing event. Very well written, too. Chapeau.

Alright, on a slightly different note - all of the above have been focused on lazy days in bed - a concealer. Because you've got to do something about those undereye circles at Christmas. The one I've been using a lot is the Maybelline New York Super Stay 24H Concealer. It's all I could ever wish for. Great coverage, exactly my shade, lasts not 24 hours, but definitely 10. Also it has a slightly angled applicator for lazy people like me.

That was it, sorry it wasn't too many, I could've listed all of my Christmas dinners but I don't think that would've been interesting to read because it was just a lot of falafel and ice cream. And also sorry for the fact that I haven't included any pictureees, my new camera arrives sometime soon - hopefully - so you'll be getting a lot more and a lot better quality in a few weeks :)

BYE - have a great week.

Oh yeah, and watch Bad Moms. It's great.

HAPPY 2017!

Hi there!

It's been a while, but I'm back! I can't promise you anything though, as you probably know by now. I simply am going to try again. Start again.

So..

A few things.

1 >> I went to Rome...

...and it was amazing. I've never had such a rollercoaster-like week in my life. I learned so many things and although it wasn't all fun, it is very likely to have been the best week of my 2016.

2 >> 'Love, Rosaly' has had a few updates...

I've added some colour, changed the layout, and you can now follow this blog on Bloglovin' by simply entering your email right above this post. Overall, I've thrown away the things nobody ever used and made it a bit more overseeable.

3 >> There's someting new...

Other than all those things, I've also added a new page: 'another year of words'. It's something I've been wanting to do for a while, and the start of the new year seemed like a perfect time to introduce it. Long story short; througout 2017 - whaaat?! - I'll be posting one word - and its meaning - every day - so that's 365 words, y'all. Ambitious right? I know. (If you want the long story, click here to go to the 'another year of words'-blog or the tab atop this page.)

And there you go, that's everything new for 2017. Now looking back.

I'm gonna be honest here. 2016 was a shitty year. Not just regarding politics and celebrity deaths, but also - mainly - regarding my mental health. My mental health is also the reason it has took me so long to get my lazy butt back at my computer and write something - anything.

2016 was the year I quit Day Zero. Because the stress of having to do so many things with so little time on top of my everyday struggles was just too much for my messy mind.

2016 was also the year I wanted to look back on without regrets. Well. I can't say I've succeeded, really. I do, however, have less regrets than at the end of 2015. That should count for something, at least.

It was the year I wanted to grow my hair healthily. In February, I exited my hairdresser's with a lob. Fail.

It was the year I wanted to be angry. I have mixed feelings about this. I feel like I have become more expressive of my feelings and thoughts towards people that matter to me, but I still regularly silent-scream and turn my agressiveness inward. But it's a start.

2016 was the year I wanted to stop being so scared of everything new. Fail. Absolute fail. I'm still scared of the unknown. More than ever, probably. But the thing is, I know that about myself and I've decided I'm not going to try and change it, because I think that would take me more effort than calming my nerves whilst immerging myself in the new.

It was also the year I conquered my anxiety, climbed to new happiness-heights, and allowed that same anxiety to pull me all the way back down. I got on an airplane FOUR times. To Copenhagen. Back home. To Rome. Back home. THAT'S something I am proud of.

'Twas the year my feelings and thoughts confused me more than ever before. My gut would go against my heart, and the other way around. And all the while, my mind would just sit there, dazed, staring at those two idiots fighting over yes or no, good or bad, happy or sad. I still can't get my head around it.

2016 was the ultimate rollercoaster-year. The ups were higher, the downs were lower. I went deeper into utter loneliness than I've ever been, but I also have had times were, for God's sake, I felt normal again. For the first time in Forever - cue Frozen music.

2017. The year I turn 17. We'll see what happens. I'll live through it.

Happy New Year, you lovely bunch.

AN APOLOGIE | TUESDAY TANTRUMS

Hi there.

I feel like I owe you an apologie. I haven't been here in a while. Haven't written anything in almost a month. Haven't told you where I was.

So here goes.

RECIPE: PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE SANDWICHES

Hi there!

It's been way too long since I posted a recipe, so I thought that this week I would share my formula for the perfectly gooey peanut butter cookies.

The phenomenon peanut butter cookies is relatively new to me, but I've always loved peanut butter and these cookies are a recent obsession of mine. They're super easy to make and there are so many different variations possible.

LATE NIGHT THINKING (on a friday, 1:29AM)

The following fragments are just some thoughts that come and go when I'm in bed late at night, unable to sleep because of this funny little thing called life.

DAY ZERO UPDATE #5

Hi there!

Today I wanted to do something I haven't done in ages, namely updating you on my Day Zero Project. Let's get straight into it, shall we?

79 HOURS IN PARIS | #3

Hour 3

The queue, although long, moves fast and after five minutes we are only thirty feet away from the security guards that are checking every other bag. Step by step, we get closer to what has a reputation to be one of the most beautiful cathedrals of Paris. We walk through the door, and once our eyes have adjusted to the minimal amount of light, we see why it has that reputation. The skyhigh vaulted ceiling is lit by dozens of candles in chandeliers, hanging above the many wooden benches lining the aisle. On either side of the church is a gallery with a lower - but still high - ceiling and recesses with statues and paintings of catholic saints. Next to some of the recesses, wooden stands with waxine lights offer people the opportunity to ask help from one. I walk along the left side of the cathedral toward the back. Halfway, the gallery ends, opening up into a side aisle. On the right, ten metres above the stone floor, daylight falls through a huge stained glass window, throwing coloured shadows along the walls and the floor. At the back of the cathedral, a statue of Jesus Christ on the cross is lit from beneath by numeral spotlights. 'How's it hanging, fella?' I hear someone ask. I smile at the silliness of the overdone joke. I grab my phone to take the pictures that have been made a million times.

JUNE FAVOURITES

Hi there!

Gosh, I feel like the first half of this year has FLOWN by, seriously. It's July now - not according to the still incredibly dreary weather here but okay - which means it's time for my June Favourites. Next time I'll be making a video, I think, so this might be the last Favourites as a blogpost...

Anyway.

WARNING: UNEXPLORED TERRAIN | TUESDAY TANTRUMS

Hi there,

It's a bit late, but I didn't want to break my promise after just one week of Tuesday Tantrums, so here's another one. I wrote this today in my math class - the most boring one of all. Enjoy!

RECIPE: GUILT-FREE PEANUT BUTTER SEA SALT CUPS

Hi there!

I'm very excited for today's post, because this is one of my favourite things to bake at the moment. These peanut butter cups are super easy, absolutely delicious and - best of all - completely healthy! The recipe is originally from Rens Kroes, but I've made some changes, so; here's my version.

Hope you enjoy!

REMINISCING | TUESDAY TANTRUMS

Hi there!

Today I am introducing my 'Tuesday Tantrums', which are weekly columns about anything interesting and everything strange that comes my way. I came up with this idea because I think it'll really help me getting back into blogging. Why, you may ask, well, because then I don't have to worry about writing content that's actually about something solid, like monthly favourites or fashion hauls or whatever. I'm not sure yet wether my Tantrums will have an introduction or not, but, without further ado, here's the first Tuesday Tantrum. Hope you enjoy!

Q&A #1

Hi there!

In the months that I took some time off, I've gotten several requests to do a Q&A, and although not many people - read: NONE - actually commented on my Instagram post asking for questions, I've managed to collect some questions that people have been asking me since beginning this blog and I hope that my responses will answer some of your questions too? This is getting too complicated for my lazy-Sunday-mind.

Lesgo.

6 WAYS TO DE-STRESS

Hi there!

May is over, and so are the exams. I survived - luckily - but not with some collateral damage to my stress-levels. As I can imagine all of us crashed on the couch, drinking tea and binge watching all of our favourite TV-shows, here are 6 ways to de-stress for a fresh start on Monday.

MAY FAVOURITES

Hi there!

I'm back! I took some time off and I can't say that it's solved everything - I hadn't thought it would, anyway - but I have been able to get stuff straight and think about whatever it is I had to think about.

So it's now June already (HELP, WHERE'S MY 2016 GONE?) and as there are a few things that I loved in May that I wanted to talk to you about, I thought it would be the only right time for a May Favourites.

TAKING A BREAK

Hi there,

On January 10 I posted a short piece on my 2016 resolutions. Since then, there has been a radio silence. Truth be told, I'm not doing so well. I am not going to bore you with the details but basically, I am on the edge of falling back into that deep, dark hole that I climbed out of with such difficulty a year ago. This isn't one of my proudest moments, but I need to get things back on track and I need to do that without having to worry - because that's what it has become - about wether or not I have a post ready for this weekend.

HOW I INTEND TO CHANGE IN 2016

Hi there!

I know this blogpost was due AAAGES ago, but today I wanted to spend a little bit more time to explain to you my New Year's Resolutions for 2016. There is always a few people that do this each year, and usually I find those posts a little bit cliche and unnecessary. I find resolutions in general cliche and - most of the time - unnecessary. But this year, there are a few posts, this one in particular, that got me into thinking about how I - if I were to make up New Year's Resolutions this year - would want to change. What I found amazed me.