All posts filed under: Personal

Autumn Design Must Haves

Published by

Summer’s fading into Autumn over here, and I feel like sprucing things up a bit in the LeenLovesStyle household. We’ve been living here for ten years now (yes, 10! Feels like forever!), and after a decade of everyday routines, rummaging kids and evolving taste, it’s time for an injection of new-ness and  bit of tongue-in-cheek in our interior and daily lives. I’ve spent many a lunchbreak browsing the wonderful world of the world wide web, and there have been a few things lately that have my pulse racing. As always, coffee and softness are high on my wishlist, but the Cybex Hausschwein (home pig) really caught my eye. Cute (just look at it!) and practical (big enough to contain magazines, toys or blankets), that’s how we like it! 1 – Nespresso x Clio Goldbrenner travel mug holder / 2 – HK Living at Juttu Marble Board / 3 – Primark Glasses / 4 – City Sheep Rug / 5 – Hay Rainbow Tray / 6 – Ikea Vintner Pillow / 7 – Illy x Alessi …

Sunday Musings

Published by

“Sundays are for relaxing”, I must have said that a thousand times. As much as I adore blogging, Sunday mornings in the LLS household are never spent in fromt of a computer screen, tapping away on those keys. These hours are for relaxing, for reconnecting, for reviving and above all for recharging. After being woken by the kids jumping on our bed, Mr B and I totter downstairs and I make a beeline for our Nespresso* to get my first coffee of the day. The scent of coffee fills the air, the kids whip up their own fruit salad for brunch and that banana bread my two mini’s and I baked together yesterday is just enticing me to dive in (if you want the recipe, just let me know donw in the comments …). Latte Macchiato in hand, love all around me, pyjama-clad flashes whizzing all though the kitchen, my favourite flowers in the corner of my eye, what else does one need? Who cares about George Clooney when I have Mr B right here …

An Instagram Summer

Published by

As Summer is slowly dwindling down and we are gearing up for a new schoolyear (peace and quiet, hurrah hurrah), I ‘ve been in a very melancholic mood these last few days. We’ve had a lousy summer this year, and my mind keeps wandering back to an amazing fortnight in the South of France (#mysliceofheaven) and the very few sunny days we had in Belgium since we got back. Do you feel like taking a walk down Instagram memory lane with me? View this post on Instagram Apparently, mojito sorbet with alcohol really is a thing…. And a damn good thing indeed! A post shared by Leen | Beauty & Food Lover (@leenstruyf) on Jul 18, 2017 at 12:46pm PDT View this post on Instagram Living the life…. Two weeks of non-stop family quality time under the Provence sun proved to be just what we needed! We laughed, we cuddled, we swam and played and explored. And above all, we loved! A post shared by Leen | Beauty & Food Lover (@leenstruyf) on Jul 21, …

June Favourites

Published by

6 months have come and gone, 2017 is halfway, and it’s time for something new on this blog! I’ve been blogging for over 4 years, and in all those years, I’ve never done of the great classics of beauty blogging, the ‘Favourites’ post. Never one to let something go by untried, I realised this was the perfect moment to line up my favourites as I discovered some exciting products! The DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, I must admit, has been a favourite of mine for a long time (check this article!), and after a litle time apart, I fell in love with this golden beauty all over again. Nothing takes away my make up like this one, and not a dry skin-moment in sight. I’m on my 4th bottle, and nr 5 is already waiting it’s turn. All the next bits really are brand spankin’ new ones, pinky swear! It wouldn’t be the LeenLovesStyle favourites if it weren’t filled to the brim with skincare, and my skin has been particularly loving the Uriage Eau Thermale Water …

Pickled Watermelon Salad

Published by

Aka going out on a limp and experiment in the kitchen (and on this blog!)! Yes, I am venturing into food! Remember this article? I am slowly but surely pushing myself to overcome that lack of self confidence and food photography skills, and put myself and my food out there! A fresh take on a summer side dish, my interest in this recipe was first tickled, or should I say pickled (#puninteded), when I saw it on a cooking show on tv. I adapted the recipe to my family’s taste, gave it a go, and there we had it: instant hit! If you’re having a family BBQ on a hot summer’s eve these next few months, add this to your table, next to the potato salad & corn on the cob and enjoy! Oh, and please do read to the end for delicious second spin on this recipe! (#2forthepriceofone) Ingredients:  1 watermelon (preferably 1 – 1.5 kg) 275ml apple cider vinegar 500ml water 1 cup white sugar 2 tbsp salt zest and juice of 1 …

Sorry For What I Said When I Was Hungry…

Published by

But not for what I’ll say when I am not! It’s Friday afternoon, my eyes keep drifting outside instead of being glued to my computer screen, my limbs are aching to walk my body outside into the sun, and my mind is racing with recipes and foods I want to savour! The weekend is here, so finally time to go all out again, not think about cooking time restrictions, and just go where my taste buds take me. I attended an amazing food event yesterday, and now my head and hands are brimming with inspiration and the gusto to get cooking! Maybe go low and slow tomorrow for some pulled pork, and then a delectable club toast with the leftovers? Or maybe a red cabbage salad with shreds of Danish Blue and some slices of smoked duck breast? Keep the kids entertained by whisking up a batch of lemon madeleines? Or maybe a pickled watermelon salad with Asian style ribs to round out the weekend…. Am I the only one who’s salivating? Time to get cooking!

5 Instagrams That Make My Heart Bloom

Published by

AKA credit where credit’s due… I admit, I am a social media addict, and especially Instagram knows how to tug my heart strings (and keep my mind occupied). Any moment of the day, Instagram is awash with beautiful feeds, pops of colours, floral hints of pastel and anything to please my visual OCD. Nothing inspires me like a stunning visual, so I’ve pulled together my five favourite feeds of the moment all dusted with a hint of magic and a sprinkle of inspiration for all of you to enjoy.                                                           BEAUTYMINDED BE https://www.instagram.com/p/BS_k4JvjfTO/ Katia from BeautymindedBE is undoubtedly the sweetest, prettiest, nicest and best beautyblogger in Belgium, and I pride myself in getting to call her my friend. Her feed is a stunning, thematic celebration on all things beauty, with a pinch of Mr Bunny himself, aptly named WiFi. If you ever decide to follow just one …

Marble loving

Published by

Marble, marble, oh how I love thee marble. That should be my eulogy! Two years ago I became infatuated with all that looked, smelled and felt like marble, and to this day (and to the great dispair of Mr B and our interiur), that infatuation still hasn’t subsided. So how about a sunday spent marvelling at the splendour that is that gorgeous Spiel on grey and white? Here we go! Pics via Pinterest

Instagram Life

Published by

Aaaand we’re easing back into a new work week. Our little family holiday is over, and now it’s time to jump back into the daily grind. Time for a little recap? That’s what I was thinking as well 🙂 View this post on Instagram Longing for summer days, hot nights, clear blue skies and faraways places….. A post shared by Leen | Beauty & Food Lover (@leenstruyf) on Mar 8, 2017 at 11:01pm PST View this post on Instagram Throwback to many a glorious Spring day in Paris. Never not wanting to go back… A post shared by Leen | Beauty & Food Lover (@leenstruyf) on Apr 5, 2017 at 10:22pm PDT View this post on Instagram Happy birthday darling mini me's. Mum and Dad love you to the moon and back! A post shared by Leen | Beauty & Food Lover (@leenstruyf) on Apr 1, 2017 at 6:29am PDT View this post on Instagram That golden moment before the rest of the house awakes. Just me, my coffee and glorious silence! A post shared …

Monday Make Up

Published by

Another weekend has come and gone, and what lies ahead is a week filled with boring meetings, tight deadlines, excel sheets, mails and numbers. The weekend flew by, and to say that it was a busy one, is a major understatement. Two birthday parties, a bbq, friends, family, a battalion of toddlers and maybe a glass of bubbles too many… My face is showing on the outside how I feel on the inside (hint: not that fabulous…), so I popped out a few helpers to make me look half decent. The Sisley Sisleÿa Le Teint Foundation in 0R Vanilla needs no explanation (just check the archives for an astonishing amount of love for this brand and it’s foundations…). Many have tried, but never succeeded as the Sisley foundations continue to reign supreme in my collection. A soft touch of the Sothys Radiance Blush in Nuit Orangée as the perfect pick-me-up shade, but as this soft, satinesque powder is heavily pigmnted, I have to go in with a gentle hand. The eyes have it, but not too …