I got my keys

A lot is going on the last past days/weeks, which comes with a lot of stress, a lot of scary moments. Later more about that.

BUT there’s also some good news.

I GOT THE KEYS OF MY NEW HOME

So yesterday was the last day the builders had access to my house to replace things or to do stuff. The last day, because now it’s officially mine.

I’m really happy to have my own place, my own quite place. For me as an autistic girl I really need some quite places for just me. Time to rest, time to take a nap during the day, without beeing told to do stuff.

Now it’s only some little work that has to be done, like painting the wall upstairs before I can move all my clothes and other stuff.

Now I can go to Ikea and pick all the items I really like to make it mine.

Before I really move I have some bad workweeks coming with a lot of workdays. So guess I’ll be moving around June. Well that’s the plan, you never know what could happen, right.

Well, that’s it for this little blog. Just wanted to share you all the great new I had yesterday, that I have my keys to my new house !!!

Love Lucy xx

10 reasons to watch “Are You Autistic?” (by someone who already knows it inside out!)

Great blog to read 🙂

Mind the Flap

…Okay, as one of Are You Autistic?’s lead presenters I’m more than a little biased, but this does also means I’ve seen it, multiple times, and can’t wait until it finally goes out beyond autism circles and into the wider world of people who could benefit from its messages! So here are just a few reasons why, this Wednesday at 10pm, you should see it too:

1. You definitely know at least one autistic person. I’m not just saying that because most people who read this will know me, either – we now think 1 in 100 people are autistic, and with so many people going undiagnosed and horrendously long waiting list for those whose autistic traits are picked up on, that number could be much higher. There’s going to be someone in your family, friendship groups, school, workplace, somewhere who is on the spectrum – even if…

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Why I didn’t write on my blog this past month?

Well, it’s quite shocking for me to see that me last update on my blog was on February 19. It were some very hard 4 weeks to handle everything that was happening in my life … thinking about ‘my autistic life’. 

Here’s some more details about what happened and what is still going on with me today.

Health 

Beeing on the Autistic Spectrum gives me a lot of stress every single day is a struggle. That high level of stress everyday is making my psoriasis on my head very bad. Sometimes I just want to stay inside forever. When you just took a shower and your hair is still dirty, that’s just horrible.

Besides that I also have some rheumatism pain in my hands, fingers, wrist, shoulders, knees, toos and ankles … oh and neck aswell. I can almost say everywhere in my body. Like today I woke up at 2h30 pm this afternoon and still havinging the feeling I want to be in bed.

Working 2 days in a row is so painfull and that is killing me the days after. At work I just take some medication to stop the pain for a few hours, but later at home I feel like crap.

Next week I have some doctor appointments in the hospital to do some tests to check if all my muscle pain is coming from my psoriasis or maybe it’s fibromyalgia.

Oh yeah, going to some new doctors and doing some tests is giving me so much more stress right now. I just have to be strong the next few days. And just not freak out that I have to work from Thursday through Sunday (4 whole days!).

Work

Normally at the end of this month I was finishing my job at my current workplace. There was not a chance to stay because I was just replacing a colleague who was coming back. No place for me there, so I had to start looking for a new job. Like fulltime, parttime, more hours, extra time to travel to work, waking up at 6am again, etc. Who wouldn’t be freaking out?

It’s like starting all over again and again leaving a place where you love to work.

Last week I got the most amazing news on Monday morning. I was just starting to look for some jobs on the internet, when my boss called. They offered me a new contract starting April 2nd till …. (my pension I hope). I just can’t say how HAPPY I felt that moment.

I closed the computer and stopped looking for some new jobs. A part of my stresslevel went down. I felt so good. Keeping this job was so important, and I’m so glad for this chance they gave me.

Weight

When having this pain I take a lot of pain medication during the days I work. Besides that I also use some cremes for the pain. All those things that I do to stop the pain for a few hours, are giving me some weight gane.

Okay, at this point my pants, dresses etc are killing me. Nothing seems to fit good. So scary 😦 But I will work on a healthy diet again.

Not eating peanutbutter is not an issue. I will never give that up.

At this moment I’m baking a healty pineapple cake. So hope I can keep it healthy the next weeks.

Moving

Well as my house is almost finised, it’s also time to start thinking about moving out. Moving for the first time in my life, for the first time in 33 years I’m leaving this house, this farm. It really makes me so sad, and it’s also giving me some more stress. Oh yess, there it is again … some more stress. Like my life is under presure at the moment, time to break every moment.

I’m already started to paint some wall pink, working on my Ikea Hemnes Bathroom like I dreamed off. Oh and I started to pack at home. That is another hard and horrible thing to do. How can you pack in a few weeks? Well, I can’t, I just can’t.

When I take somenthing to put in a box, I have to think like a 1000 times if it’s the right box, do I need that thing in the next weeks, do I really need this in my new home. Saying goodbye to shoes and clothes that’s not done for me. But I have to do it. I just can’t move more than a 100 pairs off shoes in my new dressing room.

I still need some room and space for the new collection of shoes and bags that will come in the next years as I have to buy some new shoes and bags EVERY season to wear in the store.

Steve Madden is my greatest idol ever, and I just am so proud to be a  shoeseller like him and leaving my dream in a shoestore.

Depression

The past weeks I felt a bit depressed, like life was not worth it. With the help of a great team I finally can say it’s going a bit better. Not there yet but I keep working on it every day.

Having some mental problems is hard, and it’s not better in just a few days. Life is a job where you have to work on it every single day.

Glad I can see those words to myself 🙂

Blogging

I totally missed blogging the past weeks. I was active on twitter and on my Instagram but I will write and spend some more time in my blogging. Hope you will still be there to read my story !

Thank you !!!

Love Lucy xx

 

Review : ‘Paint Runner Pro’ … Does it really works??

As you might know from previous blogs, I’m almost moving out here. Time for a new place.

A new place, with all white walls? Euhm ‘white’ walls ? Something that I really hate as a fashionlover, shoelover and just a lifestyleblogger. I just can’t imagine how I can live in a house with all white walls? It’s so boring, right?

When you watch some television during the day, you might have seen all the promo about ‘Téléshopping’ (that’s the name here in Belgium). So you can buy online stuff you saw at the commercial. For all those commercials I had something about it “could that reallt be possible?”. I’m always a bit suspicious when it’s about something that’s on the televion.

Really Good products don’t need all the fame of televion, they are good and people already know it.

So, let’s go back to the “Paint Runner Pro”.

I bought me one … or two???

So before Christmas it happened. I bought a Paint Runner Pro online at Bol.com (a Dutch webshop who just sells everything). I was like buy one and get one for free.

First I was like. If you need one, what would you be with a second set? Yess, it was a whole set of paint rollers for the sides and the small ends.

After using the Paint Runner Pro, I have to admit why you get a second one ! 

So about a few weeks ago it was time to get the painting starting in my new house.  A lot of work and it’s still not finished the way I wanted it.

The 2 tools that were delivered with the Paint Runner Pro (for the small pieces and the ends of the walls) are just horrible to use. I ended up with buying a new small normal paint roller in the store.

In the commercials they are using the Paint Runner Pro without putting some tape around the edges. This really doesn’t work. I have to put some tape before painting. Okay, I’m not the most handy girl out there, but for this creative girl it was a nightmare without tape.

I also have terrible pain in my wrists and hands because of some Rheumatism (that will be tested the next month). They say ‘everybody can paint everywall with this’. Well it’s def not if you have pain in your hands. It’s a very hard task in the beginning when the Paint Runner Pro is just filled with paint. Sooooo painfull it was.

Near the end of the paint I went a bit smoother, and then it was okay to paint the next layer of the walls.

Overall, I’m still in doubt if this was the best way to paint my walls pink or that I should have used a regular paint roller.

Here are some pictures of the Pro and contra I had with this Paint Runner Pro.

So this was the start where I used the Paint Runner Pro. It was so heavy to paint with, but the coverage of the paint was very good. Very smooth in the way the paint turned out on the walls.

Because the first time using the Paint Runner Pro while it was full was so heavy, it left me with all those marks on the left side. As you can see on the right see (when the Paint Runner Pro was almost empthy) it went a bit smoother and less marks on the wall.

Here’s the Paint Runner Pro during the painting my walls process. Paint all over it, and equal on every side. This was when the paint was almost gone. On the right side is the little paint roller I have to buy because the other Paint Runner Pro pieces didn’t work.

This is the wall in my living room after 2 layers with the Paint Runner Pro. In the Kitchen, restroom and bathroom I only needed 2 layers of paint, but here in the living room I need a thirth extra layer because it doens’t look the way I wanted it to be.

The kitchen in the back is well okay, while it’s the same color of paint and I used the same tools as in the livingroom.

REVIEW

So here are my pro’s and some negative points of this Paint Runner Pro. It’s easy when you have to paint like all the walls at the same time, walls without a lot of electricity or edges.

It’s really heavy when you just filled it with paint, but when it’s almost empty it’s really easy and really fun to work with it.

The 2 other items from Paint Runner Pro are not that practical in use, and especially not without some tape on the walls.

Would I buy it again, or recommend it to someone else?

Yess, if you want to paint your walls in one color, within the following days. No, if you are planning on using more than one collor on your walls  !

Why ? See below …

How to clean this ???

Something I really don’t get is “how do you clean the inside and the whole roller?” If you can help me, please let me know. Really need some help in cleaning this on the inside.

It’s clean but there’s still some pink just everywhere. I just can’t figure out how I can clean all the pink left on the inside. *soconfusing*

The way I see it now is … You can only use it for JUST ONE COLOR and just one color ! One thing I really understand now is why you get a second one, or buy one get one for free.

You need one for your white walls and one if your are planning to use some color. Don’t know if that’s the real reason but for me it’s.

I have the same thing with the second Paint Runner Pro ! I just can’t clean all the white primer paint out of it. It’s getting soooo frustrating as I was planning to use this Paint Runner Pro for a green color and a black one. Oh No, and I’m not planning on buying a new set for those colors. Guess I’ll have a trip to my local Hubo store and get me a regular roller.

Tips for me … Please leave a reaction below. I really want to know how to clean it in a good way, so I can use it for other colors too. 

It looks a bit dirty and so not clean, but this is how it looks after washing & washing & washing *hopeless*

If you are planning on buying one, I got mine from the Dutch site below. I guess it’s been selling all over the world.

Paint Runner Pro – Bol.com

Total look ?

Well you have to wait just a bit longer, till it is finished

Love Lucy xx

Recipe … A healthy Oatmeal cake (no sugar or fat added)

As my birthday is a few weeks behind me, it’s time to start to work on my newyear resolutions I made for this year. Starting before my birthday is a NO for me because I’ll give so easy with all the threats and snacks.

So now it’s FEBRUARY, oh yess already February. I can’t hardly believe it’s the second month of the new year.

Okay, let’s move over to the point where you decided to read this blog, right?

I hate to cook, but I love to bake ! 

That’s my life quote I guess ! But even when you bake you can make some healthy snacks that are so good for you !

On Thursday I tried to bake a healthy oatmeal cake, and now today I went for perfection. The taste was great but I was just missing something in the cake. Now, it’s good for me, so I hope also good for you !

RECIPE

Healthy Oatmeal cake

INGREDIENTS

• 100 grams of oatmeal flakes
• 3 ripe (almost brown) bananas (taste so much sweeter)
• 1 big apple
• 2 tbsp of cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 2 tbsp of raisins (dark)
• 1 tbsp of almonds (for the topping)

HOW TO BAKE ?

1. Pre heat the oven at 180° C
2. Blend the 3 bananas in a blender (type NutriBlender) or just use a fork to mash them like I did
3. Put the mashed banana in a bowl and add the oatmeal flakes, cinnamon and the eggs
4. mixt everything
5. add the raisins and mix again
6. Slice the apple and cut in small pieces
7. Add the apple pieces in the bowl and stir everything
8. Add everything in a cake pan
9. If you want you can add the almonds on top
10. put in the oven for about 30 minutes until it’s golden brown
11. let cool for a few minutes & ENJOY

Here are just some pictures of the steps for baking this healthy cake..

The arome when baking is just sooooo good, so yummie.

Here’s the finished cake

This is how it looks on the inside, full of good healthy things

HOW TO EAT?

Well, I like this cake with a cup of coffee, but also with some Greek yogurt.

It’s one of the best things I baked the past weeks, I really hope you like it to. Please let me know if you do or don’t 😉

It’s just perfect for a healthy Sunday snack and for a healthy breakfast to start the next week! Oh and it’s budget proof, so again another winner !

Love Lucy xx

A year older … happy birthday to me

Yesterday was my day of the year … my birthday. I guess when you have passed the 30 line you’re not that excited to celebrate it.

So yesterday was a quiet day for me, just a relaxing day at home. I’ve made a quick visit to spoul my colleagues at work with some healthy snacks and candy.

The rest of the day was just ME time 🙂

#newyearresolutions

After eating not well (not healthy) during the holiday season, I had a terrible day yesterday 😉 Just eating so much snacks and unhealthy things again.

But hey, starting a new year resolution on January 1st and have a birthday 3 weeks later is not a good combination.

Like always I start my new years resolutions on February 1st. So much easier to stay focus on the things you want and need in your life according to your list you’ve made.

First thing on my list is … eating healthier and eating Smat by Niomi Smart her book. A new step of eating vegan or almost vegan.

Other new year resolutions I also talked about them a few blogs ago.

So I’m making 2018 MY year & it’s all starting February 1st !

Love Lucy xx

Just another VANS addict is born

Many years I could resist the trend of Vans, and not buying there Old Skool sneakers. I just was so in love with them, but everytime I said ‘no’ to myself.

I own a pair of old leopard Vans and they were just not fitting correct. So after walking around for an hour they hurted. So that’s the only reason I told myself not to buy a new pair of Vans.

But …

I was still so in love with them

Well, last year I bought my first pair of Vans Old Skool sneakers. Here in Belgium it’s always so hard to find a pair of shoes (trendy shoes) in a size 38. So also with the Vans, they were always sold out so fast in a size 38.

For the moment I saw them in my box (ordered them online at Schoenen Torfs) I was totally in love. I never felt this excited for a pair of shoes.

From the moment I started to wear them, I was in love. Really in love.

A new VANS addict is born

They fit so perfect to my feet, never hurt in the beginning, and I’m so in love with my black Old Skool Vans. They are just perfect with every piece of clothes I have.

After that pair, I ordered another pair and another.

Old Skool with silver

When I saw the pair of black old skool Vans with silver, the new trend for spring/summer, I knew it … those in 38 were mine.

They are just perfect in a different way. I just love to wear them at work and inspire other girls to buy them too (insteat of buying shoes that are now in sale). Why buying a cheaper brand when you can look gorgous with those Vans & rock the world.

So yeah, those Vans are really popular in the store I work. But hey, they are so pretty !

Old Skool pink

From the moment I saw Vans Old Skool sneaker in pink, I planned them on my budget for February. Maybe you remember that blogpost I wrote about what to save for.

Earlier this week I made a reservation to bring over those PINK vans to our store. Online they looked so pretty, so I wanted the ones with the white stripe.

In this way they look so pretty. So today I went to my store to check on them because they arrived.

I was a bit disappounted when I opened the box. The color is different from the color on the picture above. It’s more of a salmon pink and not the pink tone I was hoping for.

So those are a NO for me. They looked cute, but it’s just not the right color of pink. So sad, because I really wanted a pair of pink old skool Vans.

Vans SK8 high sneaker pink and rose gold

Because the pink UGG’s were not that pretty, I spend my coupon to buy me those new Vans Sk8 High sneaker. Last Saturday I received the order, but they were a bit ‘yellow’ on the front. So made a new order for the same ones. (Oh yess, when I love something I don’t give up).

These ones are just so beautiful when I wear them. I feel so pretty wearing them and feel so confident in myself having such beautiful sneakers.

So to VANS … perfect job for creating these beauties !

That pink in combination with the rose gold is so beautiful ! Just perfect. I can see myself wearing these all the time at work or just out. That rose gold is the same tone as my Ted Baker Cat purse. Perfect combination.

This combination will be my key style for spring

Other Vans for the future?

Oh yess, this girl is in love with VANS right now. OKAY OKAY I might be 32 (33 next Saturday the 20th) years old but hey there’s still no age limit on Vans. Right?

Now I’ll be saving money to buy me that black pair of SK8 high sneakers. That will bring my ‘ROCK CHIC’ image back.

Black Vans SK8 HIGH sneakers by Schoenen Torfs

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes & Shoes

As I’m having a strick budget (till I know what to do to become a freelance copywriter or blogger, next to my job) I will save all the money I have left to buy new shoes.

It’s now January 12th and I haven’t been inside a clothing store like ZARA, H&M, Modemakers or ZEB. Let’s not talk about my store were I work, because I’ve been there the most of the past days.

My plans for 2018, till I got more money to spend, is saving to buy shoes and only shoes to make my outfit look different. I can still were the clothes I bought years ago, and those I still love (with the studs, and country look) but with other pairs of shoes you can create a total new look with a budget.

My shoes (and Vans) are not that expensive than going to a Zara store and leaving with a 300 EUR bill 😮 *shocking* But yess, going to ZARA was always a total attact to my bank account.

Vans

I had planned to save for some Tommy Hilfiger sneakers, but I changed my plans … I want another pair of Vans.

Hoping Vans will release a pair of KAKI Vans in the future or another pair of bordeaux ones. Really love those colors and they make everything perfect!

Your passion?

As you know, my passion is SHOES & fashion. As a girl with autism that’s the only thing that keeps me going through the days.

Do you (on the spectrum or not) have some passion you live for? A passion you can’t live without?

Love Lucy xx

My life after a 6 day workweek

Time to post the story of my life right now. Most of you will think ” working 6 days, what’s the problem?’.

Well, for me it became a big problem over the years.

Worklife

Monday I worked the last day of a period of long workdays, following each other. Here was my shedule for the last weeks starting on December 29,2017 :

December 29 : workday
December 30 : workday
December 31 : workday (yes most Sundays I have to work)
January 1 : day off
January 2 : workday
January 3 : workday
January 4 : day off
January 5: workday (because my colleague was sick)
January 6 : workday
January 7 : workday
January 8 : workday

So the first 8 days of January I had a fulltime job insteat of my parttime job. It was kind of hard but in the beginning it was all fine. When you love your job, you do it anyway.

Last Sunday my workday became a hard day, so much pain I started to have. My muscles hurt, got a headache at work, stomach ache. But I refused to give up and let people know I was about to die on the inside.

Than Monday came, another day at work. Luckely it was a quiet day in the store, and I could just fill in the new collections. So I was kind of happy. But in the afternoon I had a hard time staying focussed and staying ‘happy’.

The rest of this week

Well, I have a week off till Sunday. I have to say I kind of miss work a lot and really wish I could spend my days in the shoe store.

Tuesday
Tuesday I spend almost my whole day in bed. I had so much pain, no energy, and such a bad headache (beginning of migraine). I was grumpy all day. Around 4 pm I found some energy to make some Cinnamon rolls. My body needed some fat and sugary snack *shocking*

Wednesday
Yesterday I went to my new place because my new fridge was going to be delivered. So I had a reason to get out of bed and do something.
I also went to a thriftstore here in my area, but that was such a bad idea ! I mean everything was so dirty and the smell was horrible.

It’s confusing because a lot of people find really good stuff at such a store but this was not a good one I guess.

Other plans I didn’t had yesterday than eating some Cinnamon rolls. OMGosh I’m not
going to tell you how much of those rolls I ate *shaming*

Today

Today I’m not feeling back the way I should be. Still I got no energy, still I have no reason to put some real clothes on besides my H&M loungewear (and big Zara scarf).

Other plans I have are baking some new Cinnamon rolls for tomorrow. I’m going to my colleagues at the store (because I have some orders there, and I have to make my choice for the black or Silver Ted Baker bag).

Autism & working fulltime

After working that fulltime week last week, I now have so much pain and no energy. A reason for me that my psychiatrist forbid me to work a fulltime job in the future. But this parttime job I have now doesn’t pay all the bills when I moving out.

So the upcoming months will be difficult in finding a new job (and having the risk of beeing very ill there), finding a second job I can do from home, OR ??? That last OR is a big question mark. I really have no clue how I’m going to survive the future while living on my own 😮

The big thing is to make a list, a budget list and finding a way to get more money but in a way that is good for my health and that doesn’t have to give the result of me beeing in the hospital for months (like in the past).

Later more, have a great day !

Love Lucy, xx

Autism & making choices

Here I am again … a short blog about making the right choice !

Why this is hard?

Well, here is another store about fashion and making choices. Normally, there was no problem. I just would have bought the 2 bags. Now that I have a budget I have to chose.

It’s not fun but I have to.

When I started to work at my current store in october, there were Some amazing Ted Baker bags!

So when there were plenthy of those bags I didn’t wanted to buy them. Guess What ! Now that we have sale in belgium, and They Almost sold out, I really want them.

Off course So hard to find at this moment in a good condition.

I have the black cat bag from Ted Baker, bought it Earlier, but now I need a good shopper bag.

So I saw the black and pink one, and the silver with black one.

I need to chose 1 but it is So hard 😞

Guess the black one looks better but the details on that bag are gold and one the silver one the details are rose gold. (The details on the cat one are rose gold)

So here are the bags

I also have the silver cat bag to go with the shopper. Black or silver ? Euhm ?

It’s So hard

I still have Some few days left to make my descission 🤔

One of the things I hate about my autistic life 😞

Love Lucy xx Have a Nice weekend !

Little quotes … Handlettering

With all the pain I have in my hand it’s do hard to do the thing I really like … Handlettering !

I have So much ideas on What to write and How to write it. But Writing it is a disaster! So much pain, such shaking hands ! Really, really hate it!

So here are Some ideas I have to work out to put in my new house.

Plans are there, but also the pain who keeps me from creating these on big paper to frame it 😞

Here are the ideas, hope one day soon I hope to show you the finished product on my wall. #hopingforabetterfuture

I’m not basic, i’m just me

So proud to be an #aspie girl

Always live your life happy

The perfect life of a shoeseller

Let’s hoop one day these are finished and Looking great on my wall !

Love Lucy xx