Places I want to visit - A to Z list (first part)

A for Australia
Sea, beach, sun, surfing, cool people. Australia knows how to live. I mean just google it and look at the beautiful  pictures that come up. Also I'm kinda in love with their accent!

copyright: http://www.flickr.com/photos/1la/8048279516/in/photostream/

B for Bosnia and Herzegovina
Brooke from World of Wanderlust wrote a whole post on why to visit Bosnia and Herzegovina and it totally got me! Beautiful architecture as well as landscape - my perfect city!

C for China
Nope, I can't believe it either, I've never been to China. One of the fastest growing economies and centre of many fashion as well as beauty trends - every blogger should go there at least once in their life!

D for Denmark
Danes have style, their design is world famous. Everything appears to be creative and different there and I need to see it myself!

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Okin

 
E for Egypt
I've actually already been in Egypt, but I was like 5 years old. I want to go again and ride a camel and see the pyramids and just be a tourist... GOALS

F for France
France is always worth a visit, whether you go to Paris or the south coast! Also I didn't do my French GCSE (a while ago) for nothing...

G for Germany
My homeland. After all no matter how long I live in the UK, I will always have a small space in my heart reserved for this country. Also it really is beautiful there, from mountains to top-modern cities, Germany has it all!

H for Hungary
I've never been anywhere like Hungary and I think it would be really cool to learn more about the culture and people there!

I for Ireland
I could listen to the Irish accent for ages. I sometimes even watch the Irish versions of TV programs just for the accent (yep it's embarrassing). I can't believe I haven't been there yet, definitely a place I need to visit!

J for Japan
They have a bullet train! And robots! And like amazing food! Need any more reasons to go there?

K for Kenya 
Just look at this picture and tell me you don't want to go there!

http://amoghavarsha.com/

 
L for Liechtenstein
Just because it is super tiny! Haha nah, it might be small, but it's got a big heart. Ok, I'm going to stop now, it's not funny. Liechtenstein has the most beautiful green landscapes that are super photo worthy and is just a generally really cute country.


I hope you enjoyed my list of places I want to visit, stay tuned for part two! Also write the name of a country you really want to see in the comments!

Love you lots <3

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Hair inspiration: short hair

It appears like every female celebrity has made the decision to chop their beautiful locks off and rock a trendy shorter hairstyle. I love it. I myself have rather long hair, but once I find the courage to do so, I will definitely get rid of all that unnecessary length. Here are some of my favourite short hair styles of celebrities:


Vanessa Hudgens

 I have loved Vanessa ever since Highschool Musical, but when she cut her hair I developed a serious woman crush on her. I mean, how gorgeous can one be? Love the ombre effect as well as the soft waves she has in this photo (selfie goals)!


Kristen Stewart
Photo 
I sadly can't include the picture directly due to copyright, but this lady is my absolute favourite of the short hair club. She looks stunning, the red/orange tinge adds an unique touch to it and her hair looks super textured and voluminous. Whether you like her or not, you can't not like this do. Congrats Kristen, you killed it (in a good way)!


Emma Watson

Yes, this was a while ago but I will never forget the drama it provoked. Maybe because she was one of the first to cut it all off or maybe because her famous film character Hermione Granger would never do that. It doesn't matter as in the end it looked amazing! Her face is so beautiful that she doesn't need long locks to make an impression. A true role model, not just when it comes to hair (coughGoodwillAmbassadorforUNWomencough).


Jennifer Lawrence
Photo 
Immensely talented, hilarious and gorgeous. JLaw has it all. No wonder she can rock the short hair like no one else. Her hair falls beautifully and frames her face without drowning it, which long hair usually does. Looooove it!


There are endless other women, who have a stunning short hair styles, I could include but I will leave it with these four. Kristen is probably my absolute favourite, but they all pull off the short hair as if they were born with it (pun alarm). Totally makes me want to run to the hairdresser and get my hair cut off, but I am still too afraid (after all I am in no way as breathtaking as these ladies).
I hope you've found this inspiring, whether you want to cut it short or just like looking at hair inspiration. Let me know your favourite celebrity who cut their hair short!
Love you lots!

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My holy grail SKINCARE PRODUCTS

Yes I know, a skincare post was long overdue. To be honest though, I have only recently found products that I really love and would honestly recommend. I use these on a daily basis and they have done wonders for my skin. Disclaimer - that doesn't mean my skin is perfect now, I still get the occasional pimple. However my skin has cleared up lots and started looking a lot healthier.

Simple - 'Kind to skin moisturising facial wash'
First of all, I have oily/combination skin, but this product claims to be for sensitive skin. I researched hours to find the best facial wash for oily skin and this one appeared to be the best one. Hence I bought it and I don't regret it one bit. The product is gentle on the skin, cleanses really well and doesn't dry you out. One of the best skincare tips I have ever gotten is to keep it basic, products for oily skin often dry you out and leave your skin looking dull. I've used this every morning for about 3 weeks now and my skin has shown vast improvement.

Witch naturally clear - 'pore minimising gel wassh'
I have always had positive experiences with witch products, and this one is no exception. I use it in the evening to take off my face makeup and cleanse my skin. This product is for oily to combination skin, hence it is oil free (good for acne prone skin). The product also claims to be pore minimising, which hasn't worked on my skin yet. Still, the product does its job, it clears up your skin, gets rid of all dirt and makeup and most improtantly doesn't dry you out. In combination with the simple face wash, this product works wonders.


I am always on the hunt for new, even better skin care products so do share your recommendations in the comments. I always really enjoy reading your comments and try to reply to as many as I can!
I hope you enjoyed reading this post, have an amazing week! Lots of love <3

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5 things I want to achieve this year

I know we're way into 2015 now, but it is never too late for a motivational post (that's what I think anyways). I don't really believe in the whole new year new me stuff, but I do believe in making the best out of  every year. We get the opportunity to fill another 12 months with experiences, memories and life lessons. Let's not waste it!

1. Spend more time offline

The Internet has become a massive part of my life, even more so now that I have started blogging. However I feel like I often 'waste' my time while on the Internet. Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest keep me online for hours but not in a very productive way. I see all these accounts of people who travel, meet new people and try out new things and always admire them. This year, instead of just looking at other people's amazing lives online, I want to make my own life just as amazing. I want to try out new sporting activities, do a backpack tour (ALREADY PLANNED) and meet new people! With all the support you find online, it is often hard to remember that there is a real world out there which yearns to be explored (haha I'm being cringy now).

2. Take more photographs

Through my blog and my art course I have started to realise just how much I love photography. Capturing beautiful things wherever I go has become my passion. Looking at the photographs and being proud of them is the best feeling in the world. In 2015 I want to take even more pictures and learn more about how to make them look their best!

3. Maintain friendships

In my perfect life I would be living surrounded by all my friends. However this is not the case in real life, and as we all move on with our lives, I sometimes find it hard to keep up friendships. Memories are more easily forgotten than you'd think and the saying 'Out of sight, out of mind' becomes reality. I need to find the time to meet old friends and make an effort to keep in contact. A simple 'How are you?' on whatsapp can go a long way. Don't forget what big part your friends have played in your past - give them a chance to be in your future!

4. Start cooking and baking

Recently I have really gotten into healthy eating. One day each week I eat vegan and overall I just try and eat food that is good for you. Since my family agrees with healthy eating but isn't really into being vegan or overly healthy baking, I have started to cook/bake more. I made the banana bread from Living The Healthy Choice as well as my own Healthy Oatmeal Cookies. In 2015 I want to keep cooking and baking healthy and increasingly often vegan.

5. Stand up for what I believe in

This is one of the reasons I created this blog. I wanted to share my thoughts and connect with people that feel the same way. I still find myself being shy when it comes to standing up for my opinion. I want to start being confident about my believes and passions. This should include telling my friends about this blog, as it is something I really believe in and am passionate about. Right now I am too scared to do so, but this year I want to tell people about my little space on the Internet. I want to find the courage to shout it out loud! (wow.... way to go Bell)

I hope this inspired you to make something of 2015! What do you want to achieve this year? 

Also you might have realised I changed my URL. Long story short I just found the old one wasn't fitting anymore, so I decided to change it to http://bellsantiago.blogspot.co.uk/. Moreover I am contemplating naming the blog 'My little space'. What do you think? Do you want a full blogpost explaining it?

Love you lots!

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Travel diary: BALI

A while ago I went on holiday to Bali for three weeks. I don't know why, but I just never came around to sharing the photographs I took of this stunning country.
Going to Bali is something special, not just because of the 15 hours flight duration. Bali is an island of Indonesia and is a popular travel destination for people either looking to go surfing or (as we did) explore the temples and unique landscape. I fell in love with its beautiful rice fields, rain forests and colourful cities. The only downside were the incense sticks that were literally everywhere and made me feel slightly sick.
Other than that, I would definitely say Bali is a one-in-a-lifetime experience that you shouldn't miss out on! Are you prepared to be bombarded by pictures?

The view from the first travel lodge - we had outside showers and toilets so you literally showered underneath the sky!

They hand-stitched the patterns and images and even made the fabric! It was an eye opening experience.

This was one of the times where I just enjoyed being right there at exactly that moment!

This was the monkey park, there were wild monkeys everywhere. Some tourist got out their water bottle and was immediately jumped on by a monkey trying to steal it!

Temple grotto - even the statues had to wear skirts to cover their legs ;)

Rice fields were everywhere and they were just so fascinating to look at!

TEMPLE!!!!!!

Even more rice fields - they built these plateaus so they could plant the rice on the mountain.

We found these two next to the rice plateaus. How cute are they??

I climbed all the way to the waterfall. Standing almost underneath it was an incredible experience!

One of Bali's biggest temples. We weren't allowed to enter it because only certain (holy) people had permission to.

I'll leave you with this breathtaking view I had when we visited the Gili islands next to Bali. Imagine sitting there with a cocktail in your hand and people you love by your side.

Love you lots!
Leave a comment telling me your favourite travel destination.

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Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

One of my most recent blogposts was about going partly vegan. I am proud to tell you that I didn't just claim that to make people read my blog. I really believe that eating vegan 2-3 days a week is super healthy and gets you fit.
So yesterday I had my first vegan day. I started off with oatmeal which I mixed with hot water, cinnamon and some raisins. I had a salad for lunch and mushroom paella (all vegan ingredients) for dinner. However I knew I needed something to snack on during the day, so I went online on a hunt for yummy, healthy cookies. As always I found the perfect recipe on pinterest: Oatmeal Cookies (Favorite Family Recipes)
I decided to put my own spin on it and make it vegan. The result were super delicious, healthy AND vegan cookies that are a filling snack. I must admit they are not the most photogenic cookies but let's ignore that for once ;)

Let's Start:

You will need:

• 3 bananas (mashed)
• 50g applesauce
• 200g oats
• 3 tablespoons almond milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 tsp. cinnamon (or however much you fancy)
• 50g dark vegan chocolate or raisins

Make the cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir until they are the consistency of cookie dough (you might need to add a bit more almond milk).
3. Spoon the mixture onto a greased baking sheet (or use non-stick baking paper) and form small cookies (about 20).

       4. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

And that's it. Super easy! Even I, an unskilled baking amateur, could do it and it tasted amazing!
I really hope you try it out, if you do, make sure to send me pictures on Twitter.
Happy baking :)

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15 things I love about London

About 4 years ago my family and I made the big decision of moving to England. We moved into a house just out of London and I slowly but surely fell in love with the city. Not being used to the amount of people that go through London on a daily basis, it took a while to adjust but now I wouldn't want to be without it.
Here are 15 of the things I adore most about London:

1. The Architecture
London's buildings are from a range of different time periods. You can find century old houses just casually standing next to high tech skyscrapers. It is fascinating and makes the city incredibly interesting (and photo worthy). There's an endless range of the most beautiful buildings, from the Houses of Parliament to the Natural History Museum to the Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication. I could go on forever!

2. There's always something going on
A quiet day in London? No way! The next event or festival is just around the corner and it is definitely worth visiting. London never rests. It can seem kind of exhausting but it actually just means it never gets boring.Moreover it throws the best parties (that are enjoyed by the whole world, e.g. the Olympics). London never does anything half way, it always gives 200%.

3. The city never sleeps
This links to my previous point. This city never ever sleeps. If you want some company in the middle of the night, just go into central London. My favourite thing about this point isn't that great for the environment (light pollution) but especially when you live just outside of London, the night sky will always have a red tint. It never goes completely dark as the city literally glows. It looks stunning!

4. The people
Over 8 million people. About 270 different nationalities. London is one of the most diverse cities in the world. It is amazing to walk along the streets and see people from all over the world enjoying London. People from here are crazy, just like the city they always have something going on and it's amazing. Also I have never been anywhere else and heard the word 'sorry' that many times in one day, politeness at its best!

5. Over 300 different languages
This again links to my previous point, but I just had to mention it separately. The people in London speak in over 300 different languages! Can you imagine what it is like sitting on the tube? It's amazing. Picking up fragments of a conversation in a foreign language and wondering what they could've said keeps you from falling asleep. Speaking another language is part of London and everyone accepts it.

6. Shopping
I couldn't not mention shopping. Malls over malls, never ending shopping streets and the biggest range of shops ever. From fancy shopping in Liberty to cute little stands in Camden, you have everything your heart desires!

 7. River Thames
Because not every city has a river flowing right through it! It gives London that special touch and makes it even more beautiful than it already is. The Thames stands for London, just as the Queen stands for England ;)

8. Museums
The variety of different museums is incredible. All of them are filled with breathtaking exhibitions that are definitely worth seeing. If you visit London without visiting one of the museums here, you haven't actually visited London :D

9. Art Galleries
From museums to art galleries, London has it all. Every week there seems to be a new art exhibition that is just as beautiful as the one before. As an Art scholar it is very close to heaven. I recently visited the Frieze Art Fair and it was one of the best yet. I have never ever seen such a wide range of different artists from all over the world in one place!

Spot me?

 10. Graffiti
And moving on from art in galleries to art in the streets of London. You can find the beautiful work of street artists everywhere in the city, but my favourite ones are at Southbank!

 11. Tourist Attractions
Obviously stunning, not just for tourists. I believe you can never get enough of places like the Tower of London, London Eye, Big Ben or the shard! They are the things that represent London, that are pictured in every tourist guide everywhere around the world. I cannot talk about London without giving them the credit they deserve!

12. Parks
I could go on about this forever, have even written a blogpost about this point. The parks. In London you are never very far away from the next oasis of greenery and it is fascinating. One minute you are on a busy high street, the next in a peaceful park with swans swimming in a lake. My all time favourite is Hyde Park  (I dedicated a whole post to this beauty).

13. Fashion
If you ask someone what the fashion capitals are, they will list you Paris, Milan, New York and (guess what) LONDON! Walk the streets and you will know why. Many fashion trends found their starting point here and the biggest designers search the city for inspiration. London fashion week is world famous and a highlight in the fashion industry every year. My fashion style has changed drastically since I've moved here and not for the worse. I have become far more confident in clothes and am often inspired to try new things.

14. Food
From street stands to posh restaurants, London has it all. Even though Britain might not be known for good food, you cannot deny the fact that London offers incredible culinary experiences. From Jamie Oliver to Paella at Covent Garden, you will never be without food. And who doesn't love food?

15. The community
Last but by no means least is London's community. Londoners stick together. Always. It's the foundation of everything else that makes this city one-of-a-kind. 


And that's it :) I really hope you enjoyed reading this, leave a comment telling me what you love about your city!
Love you lots!

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