Countdown has started

Less than 24 hours and it’s off, finally, after all the anticipation, good-bye’s and tons of arrangements that were made. The final score is now: 7 dresses/jumpsuits, 7 bottoms, 10 tops, 3 pairs of shoes (including the ugly as hell hiking shoes), 3 bikini’s and a ridiculous amount of cute new fluorescent (looks oh so good on your tanned skin) underwear. All smashed into 2 backpacks. Did I mention my 2 beauty cases? Full of essentials of course…

Last couple of days were spent in the lovely south of Holland, with family and cats. Which had to suffer through so much canoodling, I’m sure they now see me as a hazard to their health. Calculating their chances, they either make a run for it or switch to a zen like ‘out of body’-mode while appearing drooling-ly happy about all the smooches.

How happy I am with the weather as well! It was a good test case to eliminate some really stupid wardrobe choices, I also worked on my pre-tan and started to up my alcohol level so I will endure the 12 weeks of bucket lurching without too much embarrassment.

I leave you with some hipstamatic images to illustrate the above.

15.25 is take-off time… 

Ugly little backpack | Flowers in my mom's garden | Cheeky little Bonnie | Humongous chunk of love Clyde a.k.a. Dikkie a.k.a. Don D. | The lovely miss Nuura | Ma new shoezzz | All the clothes I will be bringing... really: this is it...

Bye!

After 451 days it’s time to say goodbye to LaDress. My first ever real job, you know, the kind where you have responsibilities. Sure, we’ve had the occasional nervous breakdown or two maybe, let me recall that one time I was in control over the music at a show… Would it play or would it not? The very alien looking professional DJ equipment suggested not. I think I saw most of my lives going up into thin air that day.

Or more recently: did anyone say moving day… ??? Next to that, LaDress had so many good moments and prosecco. I just had to put up a post with pics from the last year and a half (almost). So see for yourself!

Thank you Simone & team!

Playing replacement model for the blog | Matching outfits | Darned replacement model again | Still at the Keizersgracht | The goodbye-pie | Did I already say replacement model? | Lunch at the Keizersgracht | Replacement model for a good cause | The closest I got to a shoot | New office! | LaDress wearing LaDress | Prosecco | Fashion Week

A gut-wrenching dilemma

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It seems like time is speeding ahead, we are only 19 days from departing to destination paradise and my terribly sensitive fashion sense is getting itchy. I'm facing the excruciating task of putting together my outfits for the next 3 months and the number of pieces to bring and use to make those stellar combinations is highly limited. At least if I trust most of the advice given to me. 

Yesterday though, I had dinner with my dear friend M2 (not the M from a previous post). She's an experienced traveler, just like other friend M. The list of absolute 'essentials' that came out of her mouth was astounding! Nothing can hold the load of clothes she advices me to bring! To get some usable advice -other than a great excuse to bring everything I own- I told her about my biggest dilemma: sweats or cotton chill pants. Her solution: jeans! At least two... Uhm... 

The choice is actually pretty hard and not as futile as it might seem:

- Sweats are comfy, warm and soft. They emulate that womb-like feeling I strangely still love so much even though all those years that have pasted. Preferable with a cup of tea or some Ben & Jerry's (don't over-eat) on the couch and a big blanket, giving me the sense of security I so long for. So sweats, for long-ass plane rides and Himalayan snowstorms.

- Cotton chill pants are baggy and light, they are your second pair of lungs your legs will most definitely need. Did I mention they are so cool this season? Just because of that, I need one. Chill pants (anyone have a better name for them maybe?), for hard-ass hikes through 'tiger leaping gorges' (Google it) and humid national jungle parks, maybe add a temple or two.

What to choose?

A little preview

©VMCMV

While still weeping about my short termed rendezvous with above pictured and very beloved hot pink wedge sandals (you can't bring them with you when you go backpacking, ey...), my mind drifted off to more comforting thoughts and places. Emphasize places please. I started googling the places I will be visiting and look what came up...

Thailand

Chinese province Yunnan

Vietnam 

Vietnam - rice field

Laos

Cambodia

Oh jolly!