Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone!! I hope you will have a wonderful time.
Cheers from my family to yours!

Photo taken in The Hague, The Netherlands (with my mobile Phone)

La Dolce Vita is... an aperitivo italiano

You guys know I love "La Dolce Vita"! Italians really know how to turn an everyday situation into a party. Especially when it comes to pre-dinner drinks and appetizers... I mean, it doesn't get much better than this! The cherry on the cake is the name.... ""aperitivo".

Want to see more of La Dolce Vita?
Check out one of my previous blogs:
https://tarasdolcevita.blogspot.com/2015/02/la-dolce-vita-is-boat-trip-to-blue.html
https://tarasdolcevita.blogspot.com/2018/08/la-dolce-vita-is-watching-sunset-in.html

Catch of the Day... Earrings from Ischia

My Catch of the Day are these beautiful handmade earrings from Ischia. I love cactuses and cactus figs and they are the epitome of vacation to me! I bought these cactus earrings at a very cute store in Sant'Angelo, on the Italian island of Ischia (in the Gulf of Naples): Villa Margherita Boutique.

Villa Marherita Boutique

Piazza S.Angelo 5 

80070 Sant’Angelo d' Ischia (NA)

Isola d'Ischia

Italy

Tel. +39 335 7255878 or +39 081 999909 

https://www.villamargheritaboutique.com

The Hague Art & Antique Days 2019

The Hague Art & Antique Days is a yearly event which I absolutely love!! Located on the romantic Lange Voorhout, under the trees, this antique market is something you must see for yourself. There's live music, a cute little French café, selling coffee, wine, sandwiches, as well as Dutch poffertjes (small pancakes). There's an italian gelato stand... nice for the kids! And then of course the best part.... all those antique and vintage treasures. Make sure you bring your wallet, because it's practically impossible to leave without buying anything! Some vendors accept debit cards, others cash only (but there's a cash machine close by, ING bank at Toernooiveld 6).

The Hague Art & Antique Days

Lange Voorhout

The Hague, The Netherlands

Saturday 24 August 2019

10:00a.m.  - 5:00 p.m.

Sunday 25 August 2019

10:00a.m.  - 5:00 p.m.

Free entrance

The nearest parking garage:

https://www.interparking.nl/en/find-parking/Museumkwartier/

For more information, please visit my previous blog:

http://tarasdolcevita.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-hague-art-antique-days.html

And the-hague-art-and-antique-days

Top 5 shops in Cartagena de Indias

Cartagena de Indias is literally a shopping walhalla. This colonial city in Colombia has so many cute stores, you won't believe it! Aqua Rose is one of them. It's the place to be for trendy "mochila" bags. Instead of the traditional Wayuu patterns, Aqua Rose sells bags with fruit prints, skulls, flowers, as well as images of Frida Kahlo, Marilyn Monroe and Colombian writer Gabriel Garciá Márquez. Besides mochila bags, Aqua Rose sells clutches, panama hats, earrings and bikinis.

For more information, please read my previous blog on Aqua Rose:

http://tarasdolcevita.blogspot.com/2018/02/aqua-rose-cartagena.html

Another great store is Casa Chiqui. Here you will find everything to decorate your home (or yourself)! Casa Chiqui sells tableware, furniture, pillows, jewelry, hats, loafers, kaftans, you name it. And the beauty of it? The items come from all over the world: Bali, Morocco, other South American countries, making it feel like a grand bazaar. I literally couldn't believe my eyes when I walked into the store.

For more information: http://casachiqui.com

A true Colombian concept store is St.Dom Cartagena. This amazing boutique of 700 square meters gives European and American concept stores a run for their money! All I could think when I visited St.Dom for the first time was... WOW!!! It's big, it's luxurious, it's fresh, it's modern and it's all Colombian. Whether you're looking for a new bikini, sexy summer dress, pretty sandals, a bejeweled panama hat or new tableware... St.Dom has it.

For more information: http://www.stdom.co

A Colombian brand that has become very big lately is Mercedes Salazar. (Part of the collection is sold through net-a-porter.com). This Colombian jewelry designer pays homage to her home country, by depicting the exotic nature and history in her designs. I especially love her parrot earrings and her latest collection called "Shamanic Flight". Her handmade bags are also "to die for". Mercedes Salazar has a monobrand store in Cartagena and is also sold at St.Dom.

For more information: https://int.mercedessalazar.com

Last but not least, if you're looking for a new summer dress, or sexy outfit for your "date night", go to Glory Ang Atelier. Her flower print dresses are typical Colombian and will make you stand out in the crowd. Perfect for a destination wedding. And therefore perfect for Cartagena de Indias.

For more information: https://www.instagram.com/gloryangatelier 

Well, these are my 5 favourite fashion stores in Cartagena. But to be honest, there are many more amazing shops in the walled city. For example Silvia Tcherassi (dresses), Johanna Ortiz (fashion), Cano (gold jewelry), etc. etc. This is truly a city where you can shop till you drop!

Read more about Cartagena de Indias here:

https://tarasdolcevita.blogspot.com/2018/01/cartagena-de-indias-colombia.html