An ode to Tiffany's: 175 years of Tiffany & Co

As Marilyn Monroe (not the woman you'll immediately think of when hearing Tiffany's; more about the woman you will be thinking about later!) once said: 'Diamonds are a girl's best friend'. Though I don't dare to disagree with the world's most famous actress, I have a better friendship with clothes and shoes. Of course I can't really say this for certain, since I've never possessed a real diamond but diamonds tend to look a bit too flashy, if you ask me.

But when we're talking about jewellery store Tiffany & Co, I think every girl will dream of receiving a small (big will do as well) baby blue box with the words 'Tiffany & Co' on it. I've never dreamed of marrying, but if I do, I would die for a small sophisticated engagement ring with a diamant from Tiffany's. All right, enough with the dreaming, back to business.

This year, Tiffany's celebrates its 175th birthday. Let's go back in time for a short history class. In 1837, Charles Lewis Tiffany and Teddy Young founded the jewellery company. It started as Tiffany Lewis and Young but after Charles Lewis took over in 1853 it was shortened to Tiffany. The store became a grand success very quick. It won many prices and was known for its luxury and good quality. Unlike many other brands, Tiffany's never did anything about the prices, it was all very expensive and that was that. Though you could always let your own jewellery be engraved, if we may believe 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'.

One of the things that led to even more status of the store: the film 'Breakfast at Tiffany's', based on the novel by Truman Capote. We all know the shot of Audrey Hepburn eating a pastry and drinking a coffee while looking in the window at the huge Tiffany & Co store on Fifth Avenue. Though that's all there is to 'having breakfast at Tiffany's', the jewellery company does play an important role in the film.

Holly Golightly, Audrey Hepburn, is crazy about Tiffany's. For her, it stands for money, prestige and elegance. Things she desperately wants (and for the elegance part: has) in life. She quotes: 'Well, when I get it (the reds) the only thing that does any good is to jump in a cab and go to Tiffany's. Calms me down right away. The quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there. If I could find a real-life place that'd make me feel like Tiffany's, then - then I'd buy some furniture and give the cat a name!'

Funny thing is that the beginning scene was extremely hard to shoot. The concept was very simple but because of the crowd in the streets, Audrey Hepburn's dislike for pastries and an accident that nearly led to the electrocution of a crew member, it wasn't that easy.

Anyway, Tiffany's stands for elegance and luxury. One of the reasons why it has been a great choice to choose for Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in stead of Marilyn Monroe, who initially would've got the part. Audrey Hepburn equals elegance and luxury and is perfect as Holly Golightly. Lovely that, even though she plays some kind of escort girl, she makes Holly an elegant and intelligent character.
Nowadays, Dutch model is one of the models in the campaigns for Tiffany's. Personally, I'm not very fond about her as the face of Tiffany's. Don't get me wrong; Doutzen is gorgeous. But she's a bit too 'girl next door' to me. A Tiffany's model has to have that something that no one can catch: some kind of unattainable beauty. Just like Audrey had.

In honour of the 175th birthday of Tiffany's, the 128.54-carat Tiffany Diamond comes out in a special edition. Also, Tiffany & Co has opened a new store in San Francisco. So, if you're still thinking about a good birthday present this year, let your boyfriend know the Tiffany Diamond's special edition lies in blue boxes at the store in San Francisco, Fifth Ave or anywhere else. You might get lucky ;)

No, just kidding. But a girl's gotta have her dreams, right?

INSPIRATION

HAPPY FRIDAY

What a week this has been. Too many exams and too little enjoyable things. And I also heard I'm recovering from Pfeiffer's disease. Which is very typical, cause it's possible I've had it for quite some time and I've never really noticed it. Of course I felt tired from time to time, but I just thought that was because I'm always doing a lot and I don't sleep that much. So that means a lot of rest. Only one problem: that's quite impossible for me. Too many things on my agenda and I find them too important to skip them!

So here's a post as a big shout out to celebrate the weekend. I'm done with my exams, just had a marvellous shoot and looking forward to 2 (!) housewarmings tonight and a wellness day with my mom tomorrow. I hope your plans are fabulous as well and I'll keep you posted!

Exams, exams, exams

First semester in college and the hard life begins again...
God, how I wished summer would never end. Those 3 months of doing nothing (well, quite a lot, but all good things: travelling, working, sunbathing, you know) made me feel a bit too good, I guess.
Quite hard to be studying again. But after these 4 exams this week, I can relax again. Really looking forward to that. Can't imagine it's going to happen, but eventually it will. I hope. So see you next week, when my life is interesting again!

INSPIRATION

Peacekeepers

Indians were they
And they were living a peaceful life
Until there was that one particularly day
When the Europeans decided to arrive

We all know how history turned out
A black page for everyone in the USA
And it doesn’t make anyone proud
But hear what the Indian girls have to say

akicita, mita kuye ayasin, hoka hey,
Were a few of the utterances I heard
I realized they thought I was the prey
And they made movements like they were a bird

But they both had a soft and slow voice
And they were busier with each other than with me
Suddenly they started making more noise
So I just decided to wait and see

They ran into the forest
And when they came back they looked all wild
This had to be some kind of quest
I felt like I was in a meeting where I was the only child

The Indian girls both had paint on their face
And fur around their bodies, which were so very fragile
They held each other in a warm embrace
And I stood at a distance all the while

Then they saw me and though it sounds strange
I felt there was a connection between us, some kind of band
Something changed in their face
They began to laugh and took my hand

We danced around the forest for two hours long
I was bare feet but it felt good in a way
They kept singing the most beautiful Indian song
Akcita, yes, peacekeepers were they

With you gone, I'm alive, makes me feel like I took happy pills and time stands still

National Glamour Day, breakfast with champagne

Last September 27th, Dutch Glamour organized National Glamour Day, a half-yearly event, where every Glamour-owner can shop in participating stores with a 20% discount.

This year, they also organized a breakfast at Spui (place in central Amsterdam) next to the Esprit Café. Since we are now living in Amsterdam and we both love free food and fashion, Charlotte and I decided to join.

When we arrived at the place, it all looked very cute. Pink balloons, long tables filled with coffee and orange juice and models in adorable outfits handing out champagne.

Of course we also took a picture together, before we were handed out champagne and received a breakfast box, which was filled with a mozarella/tomato/pesto sandwich and a delicious brownie. Later that day, we got 2 extra boxes, apparently they had a lot left. We didn't mind!


Unfortunately I didn't buy a lot that day but maybe this was for the best, since a few days later, I went shopping with my friend from the South, Avalon, and we almost bought everything they have in the 9 straatjes (vintage area in Amsterdam).

I really hope for more of these kind of events to come. If so, you'll see the photos here!

A house is not a home

But I can say I've made mine feel like one. Perfectionistic as I am, it had to be exactly the right style, but chaotic as I am, there are lots of things that don't match but I kind of like it the way it is now anyway. I have seen a lot of inspiration photos of beautiful houses with lots of white, gold and brown and I tried to give my home a bit of this feeling as well and a few slights of myself of course. It became a retro, vintage (because of the fact almost all my furniture is antique) and cosy room, if I may say myself. With lots of books, records, photos and the presence of many legends. I hope you like it! And if you don't, well, everyone to his taste ;) 1) The push pin board I filled with many photos, concert tickets and train or plane tickets. 2) My antique desk, which is retractable. On it a lot of stuff (my desk is always filled with rubbish and things that look like rubbish, but that mean a lot to me) 3) My mirror and a few of my favourite cards. 4) My antique eastern style ottoman (great word!) which is meant for people to sit on but functions as a table to throw all my magazines on. 5) A part of my bookcase, as you can see, this isn't a book, but a beautiful bottle of rum with one of my favourite words 'liberté' on it. 6) Another part of my bookcase, with my favourite books (many biographies and classic novels) in it. 7) My door, which I painted gold and which I gave a wooden touch. Above it you see a map of America, with the route Jack Kerouac travelled in his book 'On the Road'. 8) My wonderful leopard bathrobe. 9) A scratch map I received from one of my friends. Every time you visited a country, you have to scratch it off and the gold turns to another colour. 10) My many wine glasses and the polaroids I've shown you before. 11) A few vintage cards, that show coffee, perfume and macaroons, a few of the most important things in life. 12) A cute sugar bag I received in Maastricht. Great font style! 13) My dog, that wanted to move to Amsterdam as well :)

Young hearts, run free, never be hung up, hung up like my man and me