Dark Lip Friday

beanie ebay / ring gift / lipstick L'Oréal / lipgloss Yves Rocher 

My outfit today wasn't anything special so I thought I just show you what...my face and hand look like? Anyway, I like a dark lip now that it's getting colder and, well, fall. And I'm that kind of girl that starts wearing a beanie as soon as it gets below 20°C (68°F). So I went for my "whatever" beanie, it just matches the weekday. Only one week until fall vacation!

Enjoy your weekend!

xx Nina

My Birthday Haul: Sexy Seventeen

On September 19, I turned 17. I didn't really plan to celebrate, because 17 is "nothing special" in comparison to sweet sixteen and elegant eighteen. Anyway, I invited some girlfriends over to have a sleepover with cocktails, gossip, and movies.
One thing I noticed when I looked at my little gift collection: the older you get, the more envelopes you get. Well, I don't wanna complain :D

Dad:
He always gifts me events, so I was soooo happy when I unpacked the concert tickets of "Wallace Vanborn", an old school - alternative rock band from Belgium, we both like. Then, there's a ticket for the annual "Cologne Theater Night", which I heard a lot about but never attended. Aaaand like you can see, I got the Beatles - Sgt Pepper LP!

Grandma:
1. an envelope
2. dark chocolate (which I love!)
3. her self knitted socks (which I love even more, I can't imagine a winter without those socks, I have like seven pairs of them now)

Mom:
"What do you want for your birthday?"
"Umm, I don't know I'd need new nail scissors."
- So I got a manicure set. And a candle that glows in different colors and smells heavenly. And an envelope (with old paper in it...again) :D

My sisters:
Guess what's from my 19-year-old and what's from my 10-year-old sister? Right, my older sister got me the John Green book "Looking for Alaska" that I desired for so long. This beautiful picture was a project of my younger sister and our 4-year-old neighbor...cute.

My friends:
Apparently, one gift hasn't arrived on time, but this is how it goes at times when we order almost everything online (same reason why we didn't have a cocktail shaker to mix our cocktails that day).

1. a "Breaking Bad" mug + key chain (love this show, will always love it, just...true love)
2. a voucher for my own personal horoscope (a friend of my friend's is a professional astrologist)
3. a ring and a pair of ear studs (oh, and flowers)



All in all, it was a really good birthday, certainly not just because of the gifts. I had a good time and got to see (almost) everyone of my family again. Now, my days til I become an adult are numbered!

When's your birthday and what gift were you the most happy about?

xx Nina

OOTD: Heisenberg

Beanie ebay / Shirt market / Skirt urban outfitters / Flatform Sneakers buffalo

Yes, the lighting in this picture is really shitty, and yes, I am a confessed "Breaking Bad"-fan.
Whoever has not watched this amazing tv series yet, go do it! I got this shirt at a market in France, but there are similar ones on emp-online.com.
What's your favorite tv series?

xx Nina

Vegan Box: September

The Vegan Box of September has finally arrived! For everyone who don't know the "Vegan Box", it is a monthly subscription box with items, mostly food related, that are 100% vegan and mostly organic. You can choose between the small (14.95€) and the large box (24.95€). If you chose the large box, there are further options like soy free, gluten free, just food, etc.

I chose the small box, and had some difficulties opening it at the beginning. :D

Opening the box, you find a list of all products that are in the box with descriptions, informations like "gluten free", "organic", and so on, and the price you would have paid for it in a store.

That's what the box looks like in the inside. I really like the packaging!

The content:
Allos pure pieces bar organic (2x 1.29€)
1x apricot-pistachio-fig + dark chocolate
1x almond-cranberry-cashew + dark chocolate
Hanf & Natur hemp oil peeling soap (1.99€) + two free samples
Naturata instant malt chocolino (2x 0.89€)
Jeezano parmesan (3.69€)
Famitra soy bolognese (3.98€)
Noiserarie Productions nougat creme (4.89€)
+ free sticker "sausage makes animals sad"

-> 14.90€ instead of 18.91€

I really recommend this box to everyone who eats/lives vegan or just wants to get to know new products. You can cancel the subscription monthly if you don't like it, but it's definitely worth a try!

For Germans: http://www.vegan-box.de/
For Americans: http://www.consciousbox.com/ (I haven't tried the conscious box yet, but I heard only good things about it)

I'm gonna tell you about the next vegan boxes too, if you like such reviews. Which of the items are you the most curious about?

xx Nina

OOTD: Floating away in a Zeppelin

Band Tee ebay

Grungy look I wore to a little concert with local bands yesterday. This time in front of my heater and record player instead of my wall. Next to me, there's still a balloon from my birthday party on friday. I had a sleepover with a handful of good friends. We created our own cocktails and talked...a lot. It was a nice 17th birthday. Now I'm off to my mom's to celebrate with my family. Until next time! 

xx Nina

OOTD: Fruity Couture

Cardigan Forever21 / Dress (worn as shirt) Vero Moda / Pleather Skirt Forever21

Another Outfit, this time a couple more pictures, still in my room though. Today, I just felt like wearing a cap...

Rings Claire's

Snapback Vans

 Sorry for that facial expression, but it was the only picture I took where you can kind of see the flower print.

Flatform Sneakers Buffalo

Do you want more outfit posts or more information about the vegan lifestyle? Let me know!

xx Nina

Series: Vegan through Cologne - Well Being

I decided to do a little series over a unspecific period of time in which I visit different vegan restaurants/restaurants with vegan options in and near Cologne, and review them. Last month, I've been to the Vietnamese vegan restaurant "Well Being". 100% fresh made, 100% vegan, 100%
without flavor enhancers.

The inside looks very neat and cozy. There are tables for 2-8 people, as well as a bar. There is not a lot space though and because the "Well Being" is quite well-patronized, you should order a table in advance.

The food, oh the food! So delish! I've been there with a really good friend of mine, Mira-Belle, and we shared four appetizers, so that we could try a bit of everything.
We had (from top to bottom):
Kim Chi 
usually fermented, seasoned cabbage, spicy!
Summer Rolls 
with peanut-sauce
Miso Soup
with tofu, seaweed, and spring onion (my personal fave)
Bò Bía Rolls
with HoiSin-peanut sauce (pretty similar to summer rolls)

And of course, we ate it all!
The prices are really affordable too, all together it was only 14.80€ (drinks and tip excluded)!
The main dishes cost about 8.50€ each, and you can even make your own spring rolls if you want. Everyone should find something they like:  raw, gluten free, cold, warm, spicy, sweet, rice, noodles, rice noodles, veggies, tofu, soups, and so on and so forth.

That's us, full, happy, and not able to take a halfway normal photo.

Address Brabanter Str. 9, 50674 Cologne (near Rudolfsplatz)
Website Click here

I hope you liked this little review-kind-of-thing, and might try this place - or got inspired to look for some vegan restaurant near you. See you next time!

xx Nina

New In: Buffalo Shoes

Studded Flatform Sneakers Buffalo / Plateau Peep Toes Buffalo

It's been a while since I ordered something online, so I thought "Why not treat myself for...I just want them!" Both pairs were on sale (otherwise, I couldn't afford them) and I don't have anything similar. Actually, this is my first pair of heels (I've only owned wedges before) and I'm pretty excited about it. Since yesterday I'm trying to walk throughout my apartment trying to look like KIND OF natural/sexy/like I can walk in heels. 

They are so pretty! 

What was the last pair of shoes you bought? I'd like to know! 

Have a great weekend! 

xx Nina

Wishlist: Sportswear

NIKE sports bra, $36 / Adidas racer back sports bra / NIKE sports bra, $46 / Adidas racer back sports bra / Adidas sports bra, $36 / NIKE sports bra, $49 / Adidas racer back sports bra / NIKE sports bra, $55

NIKE clothing, $37 / Nike activewear / Onzie activewear pants, $66 / Nike activewear / Nike activewear, $81 / Reebok sportswear / Adidas balcony bra / Reebok sport legging, $37 / Nike activewear / NIKE clothing / Athleta clothing / NIKE athletic sportswear


First time I created a wishlist! For two weeks now, I'm going to a fitness center and I really like it BUT after a few days I realized how little sportswear I have. That means, I gotta save some money for a couple new, good sports bras, pants, and tops. That way, working out is much more fun, isn't it? ;)

xx Nina

Recipe: Vietnamese Coconut Curry Rice with Vegetables and Tofu

I just love Asian Food...

You need (4 servings):

300 g Natural Rice/Brown Rice, cooked
125 g Smoked Tofu
1 can (400 ml) Coconut Milk
1 Eggplant
1 Zucchini
3 Carrots
1 (Red) Onion
Curry, Salt & Pepper

1. Cut the carrots, the zucchini, and the eggplant in stripes. Mince the onion.

2. Take a wok or a large pan, and add onion as well as your cut vegetables. Sauté until the onion gets translucent and the veggie stripes crisp.

3. Add the coconut milk and season with salt, pepper, and curry powder. Cook on low heat.

4. Roast the smoked tofu until it is gold-brown.

5. Add the cooked rice, stir, and turn off the heat.

There it is:

Enjoy!

I hope you liked the recipe. More to come!

xx Nina