Rusty Stripes
Once in a while I like to pull together an ”out of the box” outfit, mixing patterns and colours that aren’t your everyday combination, yet still come together quite nicely. One of my past ”out of the box” outfits you can find here.
The pictures were taken in the freezing cold and snow (-2 degrees), so I have to credit myself for managing to still look like it was above freezing temperatures. All other credits go to my new photographer Fons de Keijzer who came up with an awesome location. It wasn’t planned, but we got lucky and everything came together perfectly, as all the patterns in the environment mixed with the outfit.
I hope you enjoy my entire ”Rusty Stripes” gallery since it was made with a lot of love.
All outfit details and direct shopping links below!
Outfit details: Sweater: SheIn. Pants: H&M. Bag: FashionDrug. Boots: Missguided.
(Click on the pictures below to go to shop).
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- Published in Written Archives 2013-2018
Parisian Chique
I hope you enjoy my ”Parisian Chique” photo diary shot in the rain (Yes, we die-hard like that ;-)!). All outfit details are listed below. Also check out my last fall/winter 2016 favourites post for all my fall fashion must haves, which I’m sure you’ll love!
Love,
Nadira
Outfit details: Coat: SheIn. Gloves & Baret: BBarbarella by Trees (Kerkstraat 63, Gooische Brink Passage, Hilversum). Click on pictures to go to shop.
Photography by Jesse Verboog
- Published in Written Archives 2013-2018
The Unknown
I’ve decided to let you guys in on one of the things I initially intended to keep to myself. Because it has appeared to be a valuable life lesson to me, I figured it won’t hurt me to expose my vulnerable side a little bit, as it might help a lot of you through your journeys as well.
One of my frustrations that I’ve been working through in the past few months is having difficulty with ”not knowing”. I’ve always known myself as someone who knows exactly what she wants. I would describe myself as the type who always had a plan and everything figured out, but the past year I felt completely lost. Now I bet most of you are quite surprised reading this, because I know I always seem to have to all together, but the truth is, I’ve actually been quite a mess…(just really good at hiding it 😉 ).
I found myself falling into this gaping hole, completely lost. Despite running two companies, I still had the feeling that I didn’t know what I wanted to do in life; I started questioning everything I was doing. I didn’t know who I wanted to be, I literally felt as if I didn’t know anything anymore,”who am I, what do I stand for, am I on the right path, am I (good) enough?”….And it was SO scary! I lost my vision, my purpose, my drive and mojo. Especially for a control freak like me, it felt like I was going through the worst time of my life. I thought I was losing it honestly. And the worst part was, nobody could help me. Because nobody can answer these questions. for you, you need to find your own way.
So after months of inner-struggling and constantly in agony due to everything which seemed to be”unknown”, I decided to let it go. Because fighting to know wasn’t working out, it was actually only making me doubt everything even more. I let go of the panic I felt when I thought about everything I thought I should have had figured out by age of 27. I let go of the tremendous amount of self-pressure and doubt and said to myself, ”you know what Nadira, you’ll figure it out”, it’ll become clear, just focus on doing the things that trigger your passion, make you happy and give you energy. ”Eventually all the dots will connect”.
And the moment I did that, and used my precious energy for doing good for myself instead of fighting with myself, everything started changing. I knew I needed a lot to change, I wasn’t happy with where I was, but I didn’t know which direction to go. But the moment I stopped pressuring myself in needing to know, my next steps started to become clear to me. Amazing opportunities came out of ”nowhere”, and new paths were created for me.
In conclusion: the unknown can be frightening, believe me, I know. But I also found it to be a place where I discovered abilities I didn’t even know I had. And I believe the unknown is also the same place where I’ll accomplish more than I ever dreamed possible. I would advice to let go of the fear and just embrace it, let it reveal all those things you would never encounter if you’d always want to control and plan out everything in advance. In the end, I found the unknown to be like a breath of fresh air, exactly what I needed when I needed it. I learned that not knowing doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing.
I hope you enjoy my ‘‘Parisian Chique” photo diary shot in the rain (Yes, we die-hard like that ;-)!). All outfit details are listed below. Also check out my last fall/winter 2016 favourites post for all my fall fashion must haves, which I’m sure you’ll love!
And remember this:
”We do not fear the unknown. We fear what we project into the unknown”- Teal Swan.
Love,
Nadira
- Published in Self-Discovery & Growth, Written Archives 2013-2018
As I Began To Love Myself
I believe people come into your life for a reason, and always at the right time. I have several examples of beautiful souls that recently crossed my path just when I needed their influence and wisdom. One of them is a special lady who sent me this poem written by Charlie Chaplin on his 70th birthday. In this phase that I currently find myself in, I recognise so much of this poem that I just had to share it with you.
”As I Began To Love Myself” – Charlie Chaplin
As I began to love myself I found that anguish and emotional suffering are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth. Today, I know, this is AUTHENTICITY.
As I began to love myself I understood how much it can offend somebody as I try to force my desires on this person, even though I knew the time was not right and the person was not ready for it, and even though this person was me. Today I call it RESPECT.
As I began to love myself I stopped craving for a different life, and I could see that everything that surrounded me was inviting me to grow. Today I call it MATURITY.
As I began to love myself I understood that at any circumstance, I am in the right place at the right time, and everything happens at the exactly right moment, so I could be calm. Today I call it SELF-CONFIDENCE.
As I began to love myself I quit steeling my own time, and I stopped designing huge projects for the future. Today, I only do what brings me joy and happiness, things I love to do and that make my heart cheer, and I do them in my own way and in my own rhythm. Today I call it SIMPLICITY.
As I began to love myself I freed myself of anything that is no good for my health – food, people, things, situations, and everything the drew me down and away from myself. At first I called this attitude a healthy egoism.Today I know it is LOVE OF ONESELF.
As I began to love myself I quit trying to always be right, and ever since I was wrong less of the time. Today I discovered that is MODESTY.
As I began to love myself I refused to go on living in the past and worry about the future. Now, I only live for the moment, where EVERYTHING is happening. Today I live each day, day by day, and I call it FULFILLMENT.
As I began to love myself I recognized that my mind can disturb me and it can make me sick. But As I connected it to my heart, my mind became a valuable ally. Today I call this connection WISDOM OF THE HEART.
We no longer need to fear arguments, confrontations or any kind of problems with ourselves or others. Even stars collide, and out of their crashing new worlds are born. Today I know THAT IS LIFE!
Love yourself!
Nadira
Full photo diary including all ready to shop outfit details below:
Shop my look (Click on the product pictures to go to shop):
Photography by Jesse Verboog.
Sorry, Not Sorry
Have you ever noticed how frequently you use the word sorry? I might secretly be a bit of a perfectionist but do I therefore need to apologize for every little messy detail in my life? I think it’s surely a point to reconsider and to question yourself, ‘am I proclaiming to be an alter ego of how people want to see me?’. Social pressures are taking the lead when it comes to people’s needlessness feeling like they need to apologize for their triumphs.
It’s like we feel obligated to say sorry because we feel like we have to. Out of politeness, respect to others and so on. We should never have to apologize for being normal human beings. Here are 5 things you should no longer apologize for:
1. Being Successful
We tend me be humble when it comes to this matter but I think we can all relate to our ambition, commitment and overwork hours at work. Being successful can intimidate others but hey, believe me when I say that it’s a fabulous thing and no need to say sorry to please anyone or for the benefit of the insecure people around you.
2. Showing our emotions.
It sounds legit yet many of us apologize for how we feel or what we think. However, we should embrace that we have the power to show how we feel and wear our hearts on our sleeves. Never apologize for being vulnerable and telling people what your heart is actually feeling.
3. Our pasts.
Things have happened and mistakes have been made but it doesn’t mean that they define us. All too often, we find ourselves apologizing for the past. It has actually helped us becoming who we are today, we fell – we came back stronger and yes, with a deeper understanding of life – the scars have taught us what we exactly want.
4. Being authentic.
Society has us where it wants us. Media exposures holds an image of how the ‘perfect’ woman (or man) should be – it’s like the unwritten standard we all think we should persist. Truth is, life is too complicated to not be yourself, you need to express yourself and embrace your uniqueness – it is your quality and definitely not something you should apologize for.
5. Always putting ourselves first.
As cliché as it may sound, love starts with yourself – it’s the most important and long-lasting relationship you will ever have. The moment you choose to put someone else before you is the moment you are putting yourself second. Follow your ambitions and love your friends and family, the rest will follow but never apologize for making your own decisions.
Sorry, not sorry…
Love,
Nadira
Keep scrolling! Photo diary continues below including all outfit details. If you click on the product pictures below, you can shop the outfit immediately. Dress & Bag: SheIn. Sandals: Missguided.
Wearing:
- Published in Self-Discovery & Growth, Written Archives 2013-2018
Nadira R. Ramautarsing, MSc.
It’s been a while loves, I hope you haven’t missed me too much! For those of you who are following me on Instagram or Facebook know that I’ve been in my hometown Paramaribo for the past month.
It was a mix of pleasure and pain. Yes, I know…you’re probably thinking, ”Pain”?
So…My daddy, who lives in Suriname, turned 60 and we celebrated with a big party, which was soo much fun!! On the other hand there was the pain and struggle of finishing my Master thesis. Nothing is worse than being in paradise and having to spend all your time on your laptop doing SPSS analyses!
The struggle paid off though…As of last week I’m proud to officially be able to call myself Master of Science in Marketing!
Despite everything I still managed to enjoy being home, quality time with my parents and close friends mixed with a little business on the side as well.
We celebrated the victory and huge load falling off my shoulders a bit, but at the same time I started a 16-week intensive personal training program by Elite.Fit. It’s heavy both mentally and physically, meant to change your lifestyle.I really needed a challenge, so I’m excited. Will update you guys with more information in the coming weeks.
Oh and great news, this blog is getting a complete makeover, with so much more lifestyle, beauty and fashion coming your way. I’m so excited about it, so stay tuned!!
There is so much going on with business, fun projects coming up, and so many other things on my mind, all will reveal itself in due time.
For this blog/photodiary I wanted to do something sophisticated yet playful and casual. I decided to play with patterns and prints and add some funky colour to the black & whites. I hope you guys love it as much as I do. Also, I’ve discovered my new favourite store SheIn, where I get the most adorable outfits for less, because every fashionable entrepreneur loves a good bargain right? Check out below for more detailed info!
Sending you my love,
Nadira
P.S. Below you can find the full photo diary and outfit details, if you click on the product pictures you can shop the outfit immediately, or even faster, click here.
OOTD: Blouse, Skirt, Shoes & Bag Shop here: Shein.com
Outfit details: (Click on Product Pictures to go to shop).
Skirts: Similar
Bag: Similar
Shoes: Similar
27
I can’t believe it, because most of time I feel like I’m still that little girl discovering the big fascinating world around her…but yes, as of today (2nd of June 2016)…I’m officially 27!
One of the things I repeatedly hear is ”Your life is perfect”. Believe me, my friends, it’s not. I have my fair share of struggles, however, I choose to share the positive with you.
I prefer to count my blessings instead of my troubles.
You know you’re blessed when you are genuinely loved, appreciated and valued; when you have a healthy body, an intelligent mind, a roof over your head, good food on the table, millions of opportunities to make your dreams and goals come true, but also enough challenges to make you stronger and keep growing. You know you’re blessed when you can enjoy beautiful sunsets, and all the other little things you tend to take for granted. When you can breathe in clean air and feel safe. You know you’re blessed when if people ask you what you want for your birthday, you can’t come up with anything, because you already have everything. I honestly couldn’t be more grateful, so I’m celebrating life, in its perfect imperfection!
27 & The best is yet to come!
Love,
Nadira
P.S.Scroll down for more pictures, outfit details and direct shopping links.
*Update, June 3, 2016: You know you’re blessed when you’ve received almost 1000 of the sweetest birthday messages!
I’m overwhelmed, thank you from the bottom of my heart!!*
Outfitdetails: Dress & Shoes – Missguided.
Lipstick: Candy K by Kylie mixed with Sierra NYX Cosmetics.
Shop my look (click on pictures to go shop):
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- Published in Self-Discovery & Growth, Written Archives 2013-2018
Whatever Is Good For The Soul…
Wandering through nature, with everything around me in transition, I finally find myself having a quiet moment in between what’s just a blur of busyness. I realised as I was looking around me, that constantly being in some sort of transition/progress/growth is the basic foundation of life in general. If it weren’t, life would be really boring, though it can be overwhelming at times. Speaking of overwhelming, there is so much going on right now, which is also one of the reasons why this is one of the longest periods that I haven’t been blogging.
What’s happening in short: My textile company Customized Wear is expanding (fast). Next to Wulterkens Lifestyle, my brand Wulterkens is getting divided into Wulterkens Clothing (Casual wear) and Wulterkens Sport, with new collections of both launching end of november, with an entire new look and feel!
And, as if I wasn’t busy enough, I’ve decided to start a third company ”Madame Selfmade” together with an amazingly talented lady. Madame Selfmade is a networking, motivating and learning platform providing a blueprint for all ambitious individuals, to explore their passion and create the life they want by providing guides and tools in several forms towards fostering the right habits, attitude and mindset that will enable one to achieve happiness, personal goals and success more efficiently. More about Madame Selfmade in my next blog. Oh anddd I’m officially starting with my Master thesis!
Don’t ask me where I get the time, because to be honest, I have been struggling, but on the other hand, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Comfort is an illiusion anyway. I’m just really grateful that I am able to do so many amazing things that I’m passionate about. One thing I have really learned these past few weeks is the importance of quality me-time, even if it’s just an hour in the week. I am actually scheduling it in now, because otherwise it simply doesn’t happen. Next to that, I’ve found that starting the day with 30 minutes of meditation, affirmations and visualizations in combination with a good workout, works like magic to get through the day. However, this does require some discipline to get up extra early, which I don’t always have, because I’m not a morning person, but I’m working on it!
Whether it’s going to the spa/salon, meditating, sleeping in, taking a long bath, going for a workout or stroll through a beautiful environment, cooking, listening to some music, curling up with a good book, doing something creative like painting or writing. Whatever is good for the soul….do that!
I’ve given up on obligations if they are not work related and time sensitive. Usually it’s in the weekends that you get more social, visiting family or hanging/going out with friends. I’m not sure if you’ll be able to relate, but if you run 2 businesses, are setting up a third and are in pursuit of your master’s degree at the university, there is little energy left to go to family birthday parties, and other social obligations. If you have energy, you should go, but if you don’t, don’t feel guilty about it. Accept that it’s part of the choice you’ve made, and you cannot have everything. My rule is: if it’s not going to give me any energy (rather take what little I have left), I’m not going. Keeping to this rule and choosing yourself above social obligations will prevent you from starting the week exhausted. It will make you enjoy the experience so much more if you go, and give you peace of mind when you decide not to go. Of course, if you don’t go, make sure you re-schedule some quality time with the people some other time, they will completely understand. And if they don’t, well…that’s not really your problem.
One thing you will find along the way is that the best investment of your time and energy is in yourself. This is not egoistic in any way, because if you can’t be the best version of yourself, you’re not able to give the best to your surroundings. So by investing in you, those significant others will only benefit more too.
I hope this little piece will give you some energy. My blogs will be a little bit shorter in the future, due to being shorter on time, but there is a new one coming up next week. Also, the giveaway I have been promising you will start a litter later than anticipated. It’s worth the wait, I promise! The new Wulterkens’ collections launch at the end of november.
Lots of love,
Nadira
Outfitdetails:
Boots & Pants: Zara (old collections)
Coat & Faux Fur Gilet: Missguided (old collections)
Sweater: WE (old collections).
Bracelets: Anadyla || Earrings: Swarovski.
- Published in Self-Discovery & Growth, Written Archives 2013-2018
You Have To Do The Hard Things
Hello loves!
I’ve been so so busy. Ever since we moved into the new Wulterkens Office, it’s been so hectic. I’m not complaining because we’ve really grown a lot in a short period of time, but finding the time to write has been difficult.
I came accross a piece from Dan Waldschmidt that I really want to share with you guys. It’s also a daily reminder to myself, because during this journey of entrepreneurship I realise how easy it is to make up excuses to avoid doing something that I don’t like/ want to do or even fear. It’s easy, but at the same time limiting any kind of growth.
You Have To Do The Hard Things – Dan Waldschmidt
”You have to make the call you’re afraid to make.
You have to get up earlier than you want to get up.
You have to give more than you get in return right away.
You have to care more about others than they care about you.
You have to fight when you are already injured, bloody, and sore.
You have to feel unsure and insecure when playing it safe seems smarter.
You have to lead when no one else is following you yet.
You have to invest in yourself even though no one else is.
You have to look like a fool while you’re looking for answers you don’t have.
You have to grind out the details when it’s easier to shrug them off.
You have to deliver results when making excuses is an option.
You have to search for your own explanations even when you’re told to accept the “facts”.
You have to make mistakes and look like an idiot.
You have try and fail and try again.
You have to run faster even though you’re out of breath.
You have to be kind to people who have been cruel to you.
You have to meet deadlines that are unreasonable and deliver results that are unparalleled.
You have to be accountable for your actions even when things go wrong.
You have to keep moving towards where you want to be no matter what’s in front of you.
You have to do the hard things.
The things that no one else is doing. The things that scare you. The things that make you wonder how much longer you can hold on.
Those are the things that define you. Those are the things that make the difference between living a life of mediocrity or outrageous success.
The hard things are the easiest things to avoid. To excuse away. To pretend like they don’t apply to you.
The simple truth about how ordinary people accomplish outrageous feats of success is that they do the hard things that smarter, wealthier, more qualified people don’t have the courage — or desperation — to do.
Do the hard things. You might be surprised at how amazing you really are”.
I hope this is an inspiration to all of you, just like it is to me!
Love,
Nadira
Outfitdetails: Blouse: Kardashian Kollection; Pants: ASOS; Coat: ZARA; Shoes: Misguided.
”Be Bold. Do what the ordinary fear”.
A Ship In A Harbor Is Safe…But That’s Not What A Ship Is Built For!
They say that the magic is happening at a place way out of your comfort zone. If you want to be part of that magic, you got to grab your guts and move out of it.
This is so easily said (and written), I know. It’s been almost a month since my last blog post and also my first one this year. I spent the holidays with my loved ones in my hometown Paramaribo, capital of Suriname, located in South America, right above Brazil.
It was 2,5 weeks of getting my mind off work and enjoying being home, spending time with my loving parents and friends. At the same time, I realized that with a new year, comes new things, new opportunities, challenges and lots of growth. While I think constant growth and improvement are one of the most important things, it’s still a fact that with growth come more responsibilities.
It’s scary, yes, very scary. I think my fellow entrepreneurs will understand. Along with that excitement and all those opportunities that you are pursuing is that little voice that makes you doubt everything, including yourself and your abilities.
But as the title of this blog post says…You can play it safe, but then you will never leave the harbor and you will never grow. And one my biggest fears is to stand still. I always need a new challenge, even if it scares the hell out of me.
So this year started out amazing, super busy with our fitness line and sale, but the great news is: We found a beautiful venue to finally create an official showroom for our fashion brand Wulterkens. We’ve been working from our home office ever since we started 1,5 years ago and we’ve been wanting to take it to the next level for months, but somehow it didn’t work out. Do you believe in coincidences? I don’t. I think we weren’t ready. And now we are. We looked around, saw 3 different places and then this one and the moment we saw it we knew it was perfect….pricey, but perfect.
Again with the risks, in this case a financial one, but my intuition is screaming that we have to do this in order to grow to the next level, put our brand in the market on a different scale. If you do something, no matter what it is, do it at the best of your abilities. So we’re doing it and I’m super excited!!
Another thing to be excited about (yes you too, in this case), the new collection of tshirts will be launched beginning of March! New exclusive tshirt designs and also new fitness wear, this time more for the gentlemen as well!
This February is going to be super hectic with moving the office, designing the showroom, new collections, refreshing new look of the website etc., so I probably will not be able to write as much as I would like to. I promise I’ll make it up in March!
Bottom line…don’t be afraid to take (calculated) risks, challenge yourself! I like the way Peter Drucker formulated it: ‘’People who don’t take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year. People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year’’. You will not die from a mistake, you can only learn and when you learn, you grow. Never a failure, always a lesson.
I think this entrepreneurial, risk-taking, adventurer, go-getter, goal-digger – side of me is growing, I am starting to like the ‘’rush’’ and I am very grateful for these scary beautiful opportunities coming towards us!
Lastly, ask yourself this: When we become comfortable, do you know what happens around us?
Answer: Absolutely nothing. Each day becomes just like the one before. We do what we have always done, therefore we get what we have always gotten.
That’s definitely not who I am, and what I want for myself…How about you?
Love,
Nadira
P.S. It’s winter, and although it’s not as cold as it usually is around this time a year it’s still hard to do nice posts in the cold, did my best with this one, hope you like it, the location is my beautiful garden/back yard!
Outfit details: Leather skirt: H&M, Boots: ZARA, Blazer: MANGO, Tanktop: Wulterkens (Basic collection, will return soon!) for more check out the SALE on www.wulterkensclothing.com. I don’t remember where I got my hat, I think it’s from one of the local department stores in the Netherlands.
He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life ~ Muhammad Ali
If you take no risks, you will suffer no defeats. But if you take no risks, you win no victories ~ Richard M. Nixon
Life begins at the end of your comfort zone ~ Neale Donald Walsch
We cannot become what we want to be by remaining what we are ~ Max DePree
Courage is about doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you’re scared ~Eddie Rickenbacker
I always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that’s how you grow. When there’s that moment of ‘Wow, I’m not really sure I can do this,’ and you push through those moments, that’s when you have a breakthrough ~Marissa Mayer
- Published in Business & Entrepreneurship, Written Archives 2013-2018
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