Fun & Famous

Carolien's fast lane life

Yes, another fresh weekday diary from our Carolien. Because you know: she never sits still…

When I experience a morning where I really have no idea what to wear, I reach for my jumpsuits: one item and boom, my outfit is ready. I now have them in all shapes and sizes: sweat fabric for a day of rehearsing, linen for the summer, and black satin for ‘a night out’. Since the whole jeans craze, my closet has slowly filled up with denim: an oversized jacket, the latest Levi's jeans, and of course, a nice denim jumpsuit couldn't be missed... Do you also suffer from the ‘multiplication syndrome’? Let me explain this: you are looking for a nice pair of shoes, a summer jacket, or in my case, a denim jumpsuit. Then you don't come home with just one item, but with three of the same item. In my case, I have collected no less than three denim jumpsuits in just two months. A garden suit, one with long sleeves from Modström, and since last week this summer edition from Summum.

The festival season has started again! Last year, Jon and I were amazed at Coachella: a super relaxed atmosphere, everyone looked absolutely stunning, and the lineup was amazing. Now, we are not really festival-goers in the Netherlands, but this summer that is going to change. With our performance collective Bouillabaisse, we will be at various festivals this summer with our performance ‘B.S. I love you’. First stop: Down The Rabbit Hole, this coming Friday. And of course, a super thoughtful festival outfit is a must. So with the predicted rain, I will definitely bring a pair of Hunter boots, a good pair of sunglasses, and a nice bag that fits everything and isn't too heavy. Then I stumbled upon this beauty from Rough Label: handmade in the Netherlands and part of the proceeds goes to the Free a Girl foundation. I’m festival ready!

Half a year ago, I had the honor of designing my own pair of boots in collaboration with the Dutch brand Rebootz. Now, I always know clearly what I want, but when you get carte blanche, the possibilities are endless. After much trying and hesitating, I settled on a thigh-high boot in the color combination of nude and mint. I was dying to see the end result, but my patience was really put to the test: the boots were handmade and fully customized in Italy. But that wait was incredibly rewarded last week! The boots are truly everything I dared to dream: they fit unbelievably well and they are so beautiful that I almost want to display them on a pedestal at home. Call me crazy, but the first night they slept next to my bed so I could look at them from time to time... I can't wait to design winter boots together now.

Last week, the play Husbands and Wives premiered by Toneelgroep Amsterdam. I am a huge fan of their performances, and now that half of our friend group is in it, we were extra curious. From Woody Allen's text, we knew it would be a light, comedic show. All the actors performed incredibly well, and it was truly a joy to watch. Even for people who don't often go to the theater, this performance is really a recommendation. Afterward, we went for a bite to eat at Diverto: shared dining of Italian dishes, so I could do some nice research for our wedding. I can tell you: if this menu can be copied/pasted to our wedding, then I am done in one go! The truffle risotto with taleggio toast and the scallops were my favorite. If you don't have a trip to Italy in sight, then this restaurant is the closest thing you can get.

On Saturday, July 9, the largest charity event ever will be organized at the ArenA, called Arena MoveS. The idea is that as many people as possible sign up to participate in the big sports challenge, and it's no joke... 5000 steps to climb, an intense boot camp, and all to raise money for the fight against the terrible disease MS. Together with Anna Drijver and Benja Bruijning, I form the ”Zwarte Tulp” team that people can sign up for. We will cheer on our team that day and, of course, also participate in the sports. Marly van der Velden, Holly Brood, Fockeline Ouwerkerk, and Marlijn Weerdenburg will also be team captains and participate that day. It feels a bit like a sports day XXL! And afterward, our hard work will be rewarded with the beats of DJ Geza and Manuel. I would love it if you would join by signing up for one of the teams! You can do that via: www.arenamoves.ms.