The movie you want to see

With this bleak weather, we immediately light all the candles at home, preferably a nice scented candle, so that the house smells wonderful right away. This has become a ‘signature’ for our friends; everyone who comes to our place always comments on that lovely scent. To keep surprising our guests a bit, we choose a new variant every year. And luckily, we didn't have to search far, because as if our prayers were answered, there was a nice package from my favorite Jo Malone on the doormat with their latest edition: Honeysuckle & Davana. A floral delight with a hint of honey, I love it! Now let's see if our friends react just as enthusiastically.

This week is all about the Film Festival, and a lot of beautiful things have been made again. Even if you're not a fan of Dutch films, this is the perfect time to take a look and be surprised. Yesterday, ‘Rafaël’ premiered: a moving film about a Dutch girl who is married to a Tunisian. But then war breaks out, and her husband is not allowed to come to the Netherlands; he has no choice but to flee, hoping to get the right papers through Italy to quickly join his pregnant wife in the Netherlands. My dear friend Melody Klaver plays the lead role, and she has done it so incredibly well. Several times I found myself watching the screen with tears in my eyes. A beautiful story that addresses the refugee issue (as the producer of the film said: ‘It's not an issue, but it becomes one because of the way we handle it in Europe’). Highly recommended!

By now, every fashion-loving girl has a kimono jacket hanging in her closet. When Kenzo x H&M released a fantastic reversible kimono two years ago, I couldn't wait to stand in line to score one. And as bold as the colors and prints were back then, the kimonos are now minimalistic in store. Looking for a new variant in a slightly less flashy design, I stumbled upon Souki The Label: founded by two Dutch ladies who came up with the idea of having handmade clothing and accessories made in Karachi during their journey through Pakistan. Of course, my eye was drawn again to the limited edition kimono jacket, and this time I was lucky enough not to have to stand in line.