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MUSINGS FROM A RECENT GRADUATE

7/10/2015

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Hey there! Long time no see! That's right: I am finally back from the dead (or to be more precise: the sleep-deprived study hermits). The last two months I had to focus on writing my graduate thesis and passing my final exams in order to finish law school, and..... now I have! 

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Happy September Sunday! (A few updates from me)

9/7/2014

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I know it has been a bit quiet over here for almost a month. I just couldn't really find the time to write something substantial enough for the blog. My deepest apologies :-( 
"So, what have you been doing?", you might ask. If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram you might have noticed I spent the last week of August, and first few days of September touring the South of England. For those of you missing the usual travel posts: don't worry, I'll write about my shenanigans over there the coming week! Can't wait to share with you the great time I had over there (and I can't wait to go back again! Sort of already planning a short trip to London next December, but nothing's final yet)!
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From the Tatiana's Delights Instagram account
And another big update from me: I am SO VERY VERY HAPPY to say that I graduated a few weeks ago from Erasmus University Law School with a Bachelor's degree in Dutch Law! :-D
But what's next now that I finished studying? Well, I am not quite finished studying yet, since I enrolled in a postgraduate course Commercial and Company Law, which started this week. My first course is Research & Writing Skills, for which I have to write a thesis about EU customs and free trade, so it is going to be a very busy time, but I am very excited! 
Hopefully I'll have my Master's degree Commercial and Company Law this time next year, so I'll have to start figuring out what I would like to do and where I would like to work once I am done, which means attending a lot of masterclasses, in-house days and recruitment events. Networking has never been my forte, so wish me luck!
But between all the studying and career stuff of course I will also make time to keep doing something else I really love, blogging!  I have a lot of blog post ideas on the shelf already, ready to be written, so you will still have your regular dose of posts about fashion, travel, interiors, Kate and cats, with a quirky pinch of me :-P 

So, in the spirit of study and careers, I'll leave you for now with a few inspirational quotes!
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15 Random things you didn't know about me

6/27/2014

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When it comes to blogging, it is easy to only write the things about yourself that you feel are the most appealing to others, and you'll often take several more photos, just to be sure that there is one that shows your very best angle.  But often the most quirky habits and facts about someone define that person a lot more than their best angles. So, for the sake of you getting to know me better, here are 15 random facts about me.
  1. I absolutely HATE juice with pulp! I like my drinks to be liquid, not with 'stuff' in it. Which is pretty annoying, because it is so difficult to find good quality juice without pulp in it :-S 
  2. I always wanted to become an archeologist, ever since I was 4 or 5. It wasn't until the end of high school that I decided to pursue a career in law, because by then I realised it is actually pretty hard to get a great job that pays the rent as an archeologist. And although I really like what I am doing right now, I still sometimes regret my decision. 
  3. I love to travel (that you might know by now). Thanks to equally travel-loving parents (and the fact that I live in Europe), I already visited 30 different countries. And I can't wait to visit more!
  4. For breakfast, I usually eat a sandwich with chocolate sprinkles. It is a normal breakfast here in the Netherlands, but everyone else in the world apparently thinks this is a very weird habit... You should try it, it's yummy!
  5. I am a morning person. If I am still in bed at 10 AM, I am definitely sleeping in. 
  6. A few years ago, I lost half of my front tooth during skiing. The bottom half of my right front tooth is now fake :-P
  7. I tend to chew on my tongue when I am concentrating. The cause of many a fight with a teacher, thinking I was chewing gum in class.
  8. I am an only child. My mother was 43 when I was born, so there wasn't really much time left for a brother or sister. That means that now that I am 26, my mother is almost 70. She is one of the best moms in the world (fact). 
  9. I don't drink coffee. I tried it several times, but I just can't get used to the taste. I love tea though!
  10. I have played the harp since I was 7. I can still play, but nowhere near as well as I once could.
  11. I LOVE pasta. And sushi!
  12. My middle name is Rafaela. 
  13. I can squint with one eye. It's an easy way to freak people out.
  14. My first celebrity crush was Orlando Bloom. Probably because I am a geek. I was obsessed with Lord of the Rings and I still love watching it (all three extended editions in one day!)
  15. My current celebrity crush is Henry Cavill. And Benedict Cumberbatch. What can I say, I like men like I like my tea: hot and British.
T.G.I.F everyone! 

P.S. Don't forget to enter in the Gasparre Cashmere sweater giveaway! 
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The best love stories to watch (to me anyway....)

2/3/2014

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February just started, which means that Valentine's Day is just around the corner! Although I am not a bit fan of those 'cheesy and easy'  romantic comedies, I love a great love story as much as the next girl. So, to get in the mood for St. Valentine, below my top ten favourite romantic movies. You might notice I have a weak spot for tragic (and often historical) loves....

10. P.S. I Love You

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Cast: Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler
Summary: When Holly Kennedy loses the love of her life, the charming Irishman Gerry, when he dies of a brain tumor, it takes the life out of her. When she receives a cake on her 30th birthday, it comes with a tape recording of Gerry. Holly discovers that Gerry planned ahead, by writing her a series of letters that will guide her, not only through her grief, but in rediscovering herself.
Favourite quote: "It doesn't count when you're wearing Marc Jacobs from Minneapolis!" 

9. The Notebook

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Cast: Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams
Summary: In 1940s America, local country boy Noah Calhoun falls in love with young heiress Allie Hamilton, and they share a passionate summer love. But the pair is separated by Allie's disapproving parents, who move her away, and Allie's mother hides all letters sent by Noah. However, the story of their love, written in the eponymous notebook, proves that it really does conquer all.... even age.
Favourite quote: "That's my sweetheart in there. Wherever she is, that's where my home is."

8. Beauty and the Beast

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Cast: Voices by Paige O'Hara (Belle) and Robby Benson (Beast)
Summary: Do I even have to tell? I mean: books, magic and a candelabra called Lumière, does it get any better? 
Favourite quote: "Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. 

7. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

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Cast: Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey
Summary: Joel Barish, heartbroken that his girlfriend Clementine underwent a procedure to erase him from her memory when their relationship turned sour, decides to do the same. But as Joel's memories progressively disappear, he begins to rediscover the love they had to begin with. From deep within his brain, Joel attempts to escape the procedure. 
Favourite quote: "Meet me in Montauk..." 

6. Sissi

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Cast: Romy Schneider and Karlheinz Böhm
Summary:  Princess Elisabeth, 'Sissi',  lives in Bavaria with her family. When her mother Ludovika is invited by her sister Archduchess Sophie to take Sissi's older sister Helene to the Austrian court in Ischl, in order to arrange a royal engagement for Helene and the young emperor Franz Joseph, Sissi goes along. However, Franz falls in love with the spontaneous Sissi, instead of the sophisticated Helene. Something his headstrong and arrogant mother doesn't approve of... (Alright so this one is a bit cheesy yes ;-) )

5. Pride and Prejudice

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Cast: Keira Knightley and Matthew McFayden
Summary: Based on the novel by Jane Austen by the same name, this is a classic tale of love and misunderstanding. When the spirited Elizabeth Bennett meets the handsome but proud Mr. Darcy she believes he is the last man on earth she could ever marry. But as their lives become intertwined, Lizzie finds herself captivated by the very person she swore to loathe for all eternity. 
Favourite quote: "Miss Elizabeth. I have struggled in vain and I can bear it no longer. These past months have been a torment." 

4. Roman Holiday

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Cast: Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck
Summary: When Princess Anne is visiting Rome during a highly publicised tour through Europe, she escapes her royal retainers and scampers incognito through the city. There she meets American journalist Joe Bradley who pretends that he doesn't recognize her and offers to give her a guided tour of Rome. Joe, recognizing a hot news story, hopes to get an exclusive interview but he falls in love with Anne instead. 
Favourite quote: " At midnight, I'll turn into a pumpkin and drive away in my glass slipper."

3. Atonement 

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Cast: Keira Knightley and James McAvoy
Summary: When 13-year-old Briony Tallis sees her older sister Cecilia and Robbie Turner, a servant's son, at the fountain in front of the family estate she misinterprets what is happening. After the incident she discovers a lustful letter from Robbie intended for Cecilia and then concludes he must be a sex maniac. So when her cousin Lola is raped, she makes herself believe that it was Robbie she saw committing the deed and tells so to the police. This childish act has lasting repercussions for all of them. Also, Benedict Cumberbatch!   (although a bit on the creepy side....)
Favourite quote: "I love you. I'll wait for you. Come back. Come back to me."

2. Downton Abbey Season 2 Christmas Special

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Cast: Michelle Dockery and Dan Stevens 
Summary: Not exactly a movie, but still worth to watch. Set at Christmas time 1919, we see how the Crawleys celebrate the holiday season. When Mary's fiancé Carlisle gets more annoyingly arrogant and jealous by the day, and her father Roberts learns of her 'Turkish'  secret, Mary decides to break of the engagement and then Matthew FINALLY proposes!
Favourite quote: "Life is a game in which the player must appear ridiculous."

1. The English Patient

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Cast: Kristin Scott Thomas and Ralph Fiennes
Summary: Near the end of WWII A burn victim, a nurse, a thief, and a sapper find themselves in an old Italian villa close. Through flashbacks of the burn victim, the story is told of Count Almásy, an Hungarian map maker who is on an archeological and surveying expedition in Egypt and Libya when he meets the beautiful and refined English Katherine Clifton, and her husband Geoffrey. Almásy and Katherine fall in love and have an affair, with tragic consequences....
Favourite quote: "I once traveled with a guide who was taking me to Faya. He didn't speak for nine hours. At the end of it he pointed at the horizon and said, "Faya!" That was a good day."

So, naturally, I now want to know what romantic movies are your favourites!
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Merry Christmas from Tatiana's Delights!

12/25/2013

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Coat: Vero Moda / Earrings: DesignbyKara on Etsy

Hello everyone! Currently, I am celebrating Christmas with my family and I just wanted to wish everyone a very happy holiday! 
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Dress: Tatiana's Delights on Etsy / Scarf: Beulah / Boots: Aquatalia / Earrings:  DesignbyKara on Etsy 

Also, I want to thank all of you you so much for following Tatiana's Delights throughout the year. Your support has been such a gift to me! 
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The Vandersluis family is a family filled with cats (5 of them at the moment), so of course they had front row seats during the present unwrapping... 
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I hope Santa brought you everything that you wished for, and that your day is filled with warmth, laughter, and lots of food!  

Wishing all of you the merriest of Christmases!

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Have a very Kate Halloween!

10/30/2013

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Unfortunately, Halloween is not as big in the Netherlands as it is in the US :(  In the last week of October there are some Halloween themed parties in clubs and at sororities, but we don't have the tradition where children go ' Trick-or-treat'-ing. But that doesn't have to stop me from writing about it of course :-P Wearing a costume is part of the Halloween tradition, and I do love fancy dress parties every once in a while. Apparantly, so does Kate, so it has the Royal Seal of Approval!
Now that William and Kate's university days are in the past, we won't see them dressed up anymore, but fortunately, there are several pictures of Kate in costume from that time. 
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For a charity roller disco on 17 September 2008
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Dressed up as Pocahontas and William as John Wayne during a friend's birthday party in Somerset in 2006. 
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At Kitts Nightclub in London during a party to to mark the DVD release of documentary 'Rabbit Fever' in June 2007.
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Dressed as a witch for a Halloween party at the Mahiki club in London in October 2007. 
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At Prince William's Sandhurst Graduation Ball in 2006. 
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With William at a folklore themed party in June 2009, thrown by 
Guy Pelly's then-girlfriend Suzanna Warren. 

But Kate is not the only royal who likes to dress up occasionally. Some other royals seem to be quite the professionals  when it comes to fancy dress parties and other costumes occasions. Below are a few of my favourites: 
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The Duke and Duchess of York with Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice for Princess Beatrice's 18th birthday party.
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Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling during 30th birthday party of her cousin Gustaf Magnuson in 2005.

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A young Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret in a wartime production of 
the pantomime Aladdin in 1943. 
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Charlotte Casiraghi at a Gucci show 
in December 2012. 

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Prince Willem-Alexander at an initiating party on the 
Dutch airbase Eelde in 1985. 
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Princess Diana at Klondike themed BBQ in Alberta 
during Canada state visit in 1983. 
Also, for this Halloween themed post, I thought I'd share the most ghoulish place I ever visited: the Sedlec Ossuary, in the Czech Republic, also known as the Church of Bones. 
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This ossuary is located just outside the town of Kutna Hora, not far from Prague. When the abbot of the monastery in Sedlec returned from the Holy Land in 1278 with a small amount of earth, he sprinkled it over the cemetery, after which the place became a popular burial site. Because of it an ossuary was build in the 1400s to make place for new burials. In 1870 a woodcarver, František Rint, was ordered to put the large bone heaps in the ossuary into order. The result was this rather macabre looking place. Now, the skeletons of between 40,000 and 70,000 people function as decorations in the shape of a large chandelier, a coat of arms, four bell-shaped mounts, and the signature or Mr. Rint. Would be a very suitable place for the Adams Family to live, wouldn't it? 
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And last but not least: Happy Halloween everyone!
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A speech that has the possibility to change your whole perspective on existence

10/18/2013

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This post is totally not related to Kate, fashion or anything like it, but just watched the video below for the first time and had to share it.

As a 25 year old college student with a part time job at a law firm, I am sometimes terrified by the prospect of the routine, stress and boredom that are to come in the next days, weeks, months and years as I participate in so-called 'adult life'.  That is why I am so glad I came across this speech.  

The speech was given by the late David Foster Wallace at Kenyon College in 2005 and it is about taking yourself out of the tempting narrow focus of your own existence and try and change your perpective about your world and the people around you. Normally I am quite skeptical about these things, but trust me: it's a good one!
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Cloche hats and flapper dresses: get inspired by Downton Abbey's fashion!

10/14/2013

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Like the rest of the world I am captivated by the enigma that is Downton Abbey. And as a self confessed clothing addict and fashion lover, my appreciation for Susanna Buxton (Downton's costume designer) grows with each and every episode. The amount of work that goes into every dress worn by Lady Grantham and the young ladies is just unbelievable, there is just so much eye for detail. 
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Thanks to The Great Gatsby and Downton Abbey the 20s are hot and happening right now. And how can you not get inspired by the beautiful fashion of that period? But unfortunately it is not easy to dress in a 'Downton' way without looking like you are going to a fancy dress party. However, you can dress with the same flair as Lady Mary (without an enormous price tag) by incorporating certain Downton elements into your own outfits. Below you will find three outfits worn on Downton Abbey, two by Lady Mary and one by Lady Rose, and their modern day equivalents. 

Outfit 1: Lady Mary walking in the gardens

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One of my go-to outfits at the moment: a cream embroidered lace blouse, green trousers and nude heels. 
1. Ivory lace blouse, Dorothy Perkins, $25.00
2. Cameo and faux-pearl earrings, Modcloth, $11.99
3. Green slim fit trousers, H&M, $24.95
4. Nude patent PU-leather Mary Jane pumps, Nine West at Bonton, $59.99
5. Dark green pleated midi skirt, ASOS, $35.60
6. Nude scalloped suede Mary Jane pumps, Loft, $89.50
7. Embroidered mesh top with lace inserts, Free People, $98.00

Outfit 2: Lady Rose running errands

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The combination of an oversized coat and a long skirt make Lady Rose's costume very 1920s. 
Change those for a cardigan and a pair of skinny jeans, and the outfit is very much 2013. 
1. Long royal blue soft scarf with fringe, Karma Loop, $18
2. Crochet cloche hat, Like Freja on Etsy, $35.00
3. Gray skinny jeans, H&M, $19.95
4. Black patent leather Mary Jane pumps, Carvela at John Lewis, £59.00
5. Zig zag print cardigan, Chico's, $49.98
6. Gray woolen texting gloves, Lauren Ralph Lauren at 6pm.com, $24.99

Outfit 3: Lady Mary at the station

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With this costume you can basically change Mary's long skirt for a pair of dark skinny jeans and have a great casual chic outfit in one of the colours of this winter: bordeaux. 
  1. Bordeaux cloche hat with large bow, Nordstrom, $42.00
  2. Chocolate brown leather texting gloves, Apt. 9 at Kohl's, $29.99
  3. Leather and suede lace-up Mary Jane pumps, Naturalizer at Bonton, $85.00
  4. Bordeaux felted wool wrap coat, The Limited, $198.00
  5. Dark brown lace up boots, DWS.com, $129.95
  6. Charcoal filigree drop earrings, Official Downton Abbey collection at 1928, $30.00

What do you think? Would Carson approve? 
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    - ABOUT TATIANA - 

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    Hi there! I am a fashion and travel enthusiast living in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Tatiana's Delights is your online resource for preppy and minimalist fashion, travel tips, affordable home decor and adorable cat photos. You can find out more about Tatiana's Delights here. 

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