Looking forward to a Fabulous & Fantastic '14!

I know, I know! It's already a few days ago, but I hope you all had a beautiful New Years Eve filled with fun, good company and lots of champagne! I had a great time ringing in 2014 in Dublin at the Countdown Concert, partying with friends and talking to random strangers in the street (Oh, what great it is to be young ;-) )

We had such a great time! Ireland really is a magical place. (For those interested: pictures of the last two days will follow in my next two posts!)

The start of a new year is always a great time to reflect on the lessons and achievements of the past year and look forward to the future. 

Looking back

While 2012 was a year I felt I achieved absolutely nothing, 2013 was actually a great year for me. It started of slow, but at the end of it I can definitely say I moved forward, both in 'real' life, as well as emotionally. 

If 2013 taught me anything, it proved to me that you don’t have to have all of the answers. Reaching out to others for help can actually make things a lot better. The past few years I struggled with my studies enormously, barely making any progress at all, up to the point I stopped believing in myself. Until last January, when I was diagnosed with ADD. 2013 will always be the year for me that everything 'fell into place'. Now that I am taking the right medication I have passed every exam since and feel there is finally light at the end of the tunnel (and hopefully a successful job as well ;-) )

If there is something fashion related I've learned this year is that having a great style is based on two principles:
1) You don't have to be 5 pounds to look amazing. True confidence comes from accepting your own body and all its unique assets by dressing accordingly. 
2)  You don't have to own a million bucks to look like a million bucks. Anyone can buy a $1,200 dress, $600 shoes and a $800 bag and look great, but a woman with great style has the ability to mix affordable clothes (possibly with a designer piece) and look even more amazing. For me, Kate is the true embodiment of this principle. 

As we don't celebrate Thanksgiving in the Netherlands, the end of the year is always the logical time for me to give thanks to the life I have. Last year I have been thankful for:

• The health of my family, friends and myself
• My parents and how they are always there for me
• The travelling I have been able to do
• My best friend for always supporting me
• My two sweet cats Taiyo and Vashti
• My part-time job as a paralegal that gives me the opportunity to already gain some experience in the legal field. 
• My great apartment
• The opportunities that living in a country like the Netherlands give me
• The fact that I lost 15 lbs 
• Ice cream and chocolate
• You, my dear readers!

Looking forward

It is kind of sad to be taking down all the Christmas decorations, but I am also happy to get the house back to normal. Bye bye, Christmas tree! Hello brand new year and a fresh start! 

So what are my hopes and dreams for the coming year? As I am a notorious list maker, here are some things I am looking forward to in 2014:

• Getting my Bachelor's degree 
  
• William and Kate's tour in Australia and New Zealand with little Prince George
• More travelling
• Finding more awesome replikates
• To keep on sharing my blog posts with you guys
• Season 4 of Game of Thrones
• Season 5 of Downton Abbey
• The new Hobbit and Hunger Games movies
• Hopefully losing another 15 lbs
• More ice cream and chocolate!

Definitely eating this in 2014!

And last, but obviously not least, I want to wish you all a very happy and healthy 2014! Thank you for your readership and support this last year. Looking forward to another great year to come!