See you at Nine: december 2014

#happy #hands

Happy New Year everybody !

Just wanted to say a quick hi and show off my gold tattoo I got myself yesterday.

It looks so beautiful and chic don't you think ?

If you treat it with a little tenderness, it stays for at least a week !

Cool right ?

If you live in Antwerp, get yours here

India wearing the Chocolat Brownie sweater

Loving these in between party lazy days ; catching up on my reading, watching the DVF holiday marathon on E!, and finishing the prototype of my new knit project, the sweater.

I made the model chunky, just like I did with the jackets, but not too much and not too oversized either. I might change it to a full tricot knit later on instead of a model with border .. but it came out quite nicely.

What are you guys up to ? Just chillin' or working on something you've put on delay for the longest time ?

Merry X-mas !

It's that time of year again ; presenting you all my Christmas table decorations anno 2014 !

I've tried to tone it down a bit ; no OTT deco and bling this time. Just a simple weatherbeaten centerpiece with some starry (eco friendly) LED lights. I always imagined LED were cold and totally not suitable for a warm light effect, but these days - as you can see - the color temperature of LED lights has completely warmed up to something nice to enjoy !

As we always have a traditional Christmas (daytime) brunch, Mr C and I searched for some XL shiny white china, a touch of gold seen in the candleholders and some statement napkins too.

Those big plates are perfect for a selection of fine cheeses and breads, consumed with some nice white and red wines.

The smokers are not forgotten either, as we lit our fire basket outside, to warm up hands whilst smirting with a handsome smoker in our garden.

{hi Mr Neighbor ! from number 23}

May I all wish you happy holidays, full of fun and cosiness ?

Hope to see you soon next week, at some festive New Year's party !

Stay Tuned !!

provocation by Chanel

We will never know who invented nail polish but sources claim it even existed 5000 BC ! Women did not color their nails like we know it now ; actually, henna was the first ever product to be applied to the nails.

But enough with the history lessons ; I recently bought my quintillion bottle of varnish and voilà, the result can be seen in the picture above. Provocation is a warm burgundy with a hint of purple and matches perfectly my choice of earthy tones like flint and off whites.

I found this specific colour in Paris last October but I'm pretty sure you'll find it at any perfumery or drugstore near you.

Bikes are the new black !

#outfit du jour

today I'm wearing Sam Edelman boots - Zara jean - H&M V-neck t - DIY handmade knit jacket

It's been a while since I posted an outfit of myself ; today I made an effort to capture my daily stay-at-home look du jour. Skinny jean, studded boots, T and my handmade fluffy black jacket ..

The best thing about these handmade jackets ; they are so incredibly comfy and warm !

Can't believe I'm wearing a short sleeved t shirt underneath, in December !

I worked in the garden all afternoon, cleaning up the last Fall leafs and mess ; put up some grease balls with nuts for our feathered friends and hung some festive lights in my Winter hard plants.

Our outside fireplace is filled with wood ; let the holidays begin !

#Tis the most wonderful time of the year ..

Can't believe how fast time flies ; I remember taking pictures of last year's Christmas window display @ Step by Step in Antwerpen. And here we are again, 12 months have past by and yet another window full of Christmas wonders is exposed. Also take a look at Julie's beautiful off white coat from the SS2015 Isabel Marant Etoile collection ! It's our newest coat crush ! Love it !!

get it here before it goes.

#Channeling my inner Calamity Jane

Goodmorning ! There was no other way than this to show you guys my super fringy sweatshirt by Bellerose.

I'm more of a trouser and jean girl as you might know by now but I can totally see someone wearing this on a pencil skirt teamed with white sneakers.

Get yours right here before it goes !

Are we friends yet ?

zondag 7 december 2014

Are we friends yet ? van pomeline-duchesse met sequin scarves

Warehouse red pencil skirt
$66 - warehouse.co.uk

Isabel Marant white trainers
$340 - ssense.com

Isabel Marant leopard sneaker
$525 - net-a-porter.com

Sequin scarve
$185 - essentiel-antwerp.com

Maison Francis Kurkdjian beauty product
bergdorfgoodman.com

date night

zaterdag 6 december 2014

restaurant Món te Antwerpen

After a hectic week, it's always nice to have your feet under the table of a nice restaurant on a Friday night. Friday nights are our date-nights and since we've moved to a more quieter district in town, it's always nice to 'shift' ourselves to a more vibrant part of Antwerp.

Think MAS museum and boats in docks, Món is situated at one of the quays near the harbour and upcoming area 't Eilandje.
We choose cheese and crayfish croquettes for starters ; homemade pot roast and original sausage with pistachio's and agaric mushrooms for our main dishes and had some exceptional streaky bacon and braised apples for our dessert !

Add some very friendly staff and a lovely interior to this and it may sound like a perfect evening. Well .. it was. I highly recommend this place when visiting Antwerp ; best to book a place in advance {it's possible to make reservations online for < 8 people}. You can make your reservations here :

www.monantwerp.com

#love is #essentiel

WIN YOUR PARTY OUTFIT FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Are you still looking for that perfect Holiday party outfit? No need to look any further! We picked our favorite one for those special occassions & decided to make a contest out of it!

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Oh, it's very easy:

Regram the picture below on Instagram
Tell us which collection it's from
Tag the picture with #EssentielLovesXmas & #loveisessentiel
Collect as many likes as possible (you'll get ours, too!)
Win & be prepared to shine in your new Holiday Party outfit!
* The winner with the most likes, will be announced on December 18th at noon.

Good luck!