Update & Lots of Writers

Midterms are finally over!!

I was a bit worried this time but I've managed to pass all my exams so far ^^
Sorry I haven't been able to post much in a while! I have been doing a lot of fun things that I probably could have blogged about but I never seem to find the time ^.^"

 

This morning I felt pretty sick so I decided to take it slow for a day and do absolutely nothing except for reading, writing and watching movies that I've already watched about 20 times before. 

So a few weeks ago THE John Green came to Amsterdam for a quick visit. I've been a Nerdfighter for a long time (for anyone who doesn't know the vlogbrother's go to YouTube now! :D) and I absolutely adored John's new novel The Fault in Our Stars. I really recommend it to you guys :)

So I immediately signed up to meet him and had an amazing time sitting in some sort of cellar like room (which apparently was some sort of club) that was located UNDER a bridge. Like... it was basically inside the bridge somehow... I think? It was very strange and directly behind my university building. Imagine that. Just when you think you start to know your little area of Amsterdam you find yourself talking to your idol under a bridge. 

Anyway, it was insightful, funny and brilliant and I gladly spend about an hour cramped up on the horribly uncomfortable cold floor, squeezed in between other teens while I slowly lost all feeling in my legs. After that he signed my copy of his book and was so nice! :3

I've also gone to see the Hunger Games movie (twice so far) of course and have to say that I loved it. It has been about a year since I devoured all three books within a week, so some of the details of the book were a bit hazy, but I still have to say that it was a great movie adaptation.

What else is new... oh right I also started art journaling! I'm not sure if you guys know what that is (I'm not even sure) but as I understand it you just create "art" in any for you want in a note book. My mom started it by using paints and rubber stamps (she sells those) and I decided to do the same but with drawings and paints. So far I'm loving it. To me drawing is a lot like writing. You get to focus on something for a while, creating something whilst completely losing yourself in another world :) 

I might post some pages here someday when I have a few more and if it's not too embarrassing haha (So this picture isn't my journal. Mine is no where near this pretty)

I have more fun things planned next week! I'll be going to the Elf Fantasy Fair--dressed up all steampunky--and will hopefully get to meet Robin Hobb and Christopher Paolini who will both be there! I'm so excited! 

That was my update for now! :) What have you guys been up to?

Keep Writing! 

Xx Noortje 

  

Costume Hunting!

When I realized I was going to have a four day weekend this semester I cried and danced in joy (metaphorically) and fantasized over all the hours I was going to spend writing and doing fun things while my less fortunate family members would go to school or work. 

Of course that's not how it works. Turns out those free days are there for a reason ... for the gigantic load of homework we have been assigned. After having spend the greater part of Monday and this morning on homework (and still barely scratching the surface) I had enough. 


So me and my mother decided to go to some secondhand shops and search for items and clothes we could use for our costumes. Why costumes? Well this year I've managed to convince the whole family to go to the Elf Fantasy Fair!

This fair is held twice every year in the Netherlands and it's a place where people come and dress up like elves, dwarves, warlocks, Jedi, Sith, hobbits and many more crazy things. I've never been before but I've been wanting to go for ages. 


This year two very special guests are coming which meant I had no choice but to go. None other than Christopher Paolini (writer of Eragon) and the acclaimed fantasy writer Robin Hobb (of whom I shamefully have never read a book but my good friend Daphne, who is coming as well has been telling me she's awesome for months) will be at the fair to talk about their work, and writing and maybe even to sign a few copies. 


I'm not sure how it is in your countries, but in the Netherlands we don't have many festivals and fairs and events like that. So it's pretty special to get a chance to meet them. I'll be spending the next month reading Eldest and The Assassin's Apprentice and working on my costume.

I've been thinking a while about the costume and finally settled on a Steam Punk outfit (for anyone who doesn't know what that is ... Google can explain it much better than I). I've been searching Etsy for some props and will start ordering soon. But I had no money for the beautiful clothes that are on sale all over the internet. 


I went to our local second hand store, expecting to find nothing of value and ran into this beautiful blouse which is almost exactly what I had in mind and looked brand new! 

We drove one town over and in another store I found a leather jacket... and fell head over heels in love (it is valentine's day after all). The second I had it on I knew I had to buy it!


Here's a picture of how it looks:

And here is a (very, very bad) picture of me wearing it. In the bad light it looks almost black but trust me it's brown. 

I can't wait till it's April and when the EFF comes I'll be sure to make lots of pictures and give you a full account of what happened! 


Now I really have to go and write! Which I have hardly done all four days of this weekend *shame*.

Keep writing!

Xx Noortje