Wellness
my favorite finds from decovry, likami and het land van ooit my favorite finds from decovry, likami and het land van ooit my favorite finds from decovry, likami and het land van ooit my favorite finds from decovry, likami and het land van ooit my favorite finds from decovry, likami and het land van ooit my favorite finds from decovry, likami and het land van ooit my favorite finds from decovry, likami and het land van ooit my favorite finds from decovry, likami and het land van ooit my favorite finds from decovry, likami and het land van ooit my favorite finds from decovry, likami and het land van ooit

i can’t sit still, i don’t have an incredible amount of patience and i get bored pretty easily. i used to be able to read books, to do nothing, to sleep in. now i feel like i have to be busy constantly in order to feel good and productive. might be a sign that i’m spending too much time on devices, surfing and browsing and clicking and refreshing. or it might just be a sign that i’m nesting, preparing for a new life to enter our lives and our home. i hope i’ll be able to turn off the on-switch for a while during my maternity leave… enjoy the rare moments of peace and quiet, take some strolls in our beautiful neighborhood, go for a cup of coffee just the baby and me – no conversation, no stimulation – just being there.

but up until then, i am going a little crazy in our home. not a day goes by without changing up a corner, rearranging a cupboard, adding a little this or that or browsing online to find the perfect addition to our interior or lives. the husband has wisely decided to let it happen and makes himself useful picking up packages, assembling furniture and getting used to new places for old things in our closets. he even helped me vacuum seal away some blankets and pillows so that i’d have more room to keep everything in order. he knows better than to argue with me in my current state, and he mostly appreciates my efforts to create a cozy environment for our family. some things he even ends up straight up loving, like some recent finds i did on DECOVRY.

to be honest, when i first discovered the shopping platform, i wasn’t an immediate fan. years ago, it seemed to me like they focused on gadgets and gimmicks, and the fact that their offer was always changing actually put me off. i just didn’t know what to expect with it, so i never stuck around long enough to find anything that i truly liked. when i recently was spurred on to take another look at it, i was more than pleasantly surprised with what i found. a good part of their selection is still ever-changing, but they also have many things on permanent offer, which gives you a much better idea of what they stand for. as it turns out, decovry is the perfect place to browse for exciting new brands and inspiring objects to create a cool or cozy home.

during my most recent midnight shopping session, i fell hard for a few moebe frames (you know, the ones that have a clear front and back and the cool rubber band to hang the frame up with), a smokey louise roe vase and a pretty, original ‘good times’ photo book from printworks. they are small but significant additions to our space, and i love them all. i’m using the frames to display some echo photos of our new babe and paintings juliet made last year – the perfect ways to keep our little ones close in our bedroom. the photo album houses the little instax snapshots i am taking of all our visitors who are coming to help us out now that baby’s arrival is due any day. i love that it’s a tactile and immediate way to enjoy photos.

not exactly interior-related, there are two more things that i have been enjoying a lot lately and that i wanted to share on here. the first is belgian all-natural cosmetics brand LIKAMI, which i discovered via belgian bio beauty web shop BIOTYLAB. i have been using their body oil and cream around the clock for the past few weeks, and i can already tell they’ll still be favorites long after my pregnant belly has disappeared. i love everything about them – from the texture to the scent and the packaging. i have to admit i haven’t been super serious about knowing what’s in my skincare and avoiding chemical ingredients. i was always worried the ‘green’ alternatives would not be as efficient or pleasant to use – i mean, there had to be a reason all these other companies are adding the chemical stuff, right? but as i am gradually getting to know more bio brands and products, i have to say some of these are better than anything else i’ve ever used in my life. i haven’t found an alternative for every part of my skincare regimen yet, but i’m starting to believe that i will – and i’m feeling good about gradually switching to less harmful, healthier products.

last but not least, when i saw that LITTLE CARING CUSHION from bezisa at HET LAND VAN OOIT, i bought it on a whim. it looked so cute and pretty i just couldn’t resist, and as i have a soft spot for cherry pit cushions myself i thought our new baby deserved one of their own. this version has such a pretty print and is filled with flax seed and lavender so it smells absolutely heavenly. it’s the perfect size for a baby, so i envision using it against cramps or just for extra comfort, but i have been shamelessly using it for myself in the meantime! it’s a bit small to really target sore muscles, but it’s nice to warm up your neck and the lavender scent definitely helps me drift off to sleep at night. also – how much do i love this packaging? a lot.

photos by stephanie duval • thanks to the brands that allow me to experiment, discover and only share what i genuinely love with you – DECOVRY, LIKAMI and HET LAND VAN OOIT

by now i’m pretty sure i don’t have to introduce CHATEAU ST. PIERRE DE SERJAC to you anymore. if you’ve been following along for a while, you’ll know we spent our EASTER BREAK there last year, too. we loved it so much, we went back for an extended weekend LAST FALL, and we sort of started considering the domain our home away from home. we hadn’t really planned on doing much for easter this year because last time i was this pregnant, i wasn’t much fun to be around – let alone travel with. but this pregnancy i not only felt up to it – i actually craved some quality time with my two favorite people in the world. it was our last trip as a family of three, and so these memories will always be extra special to me. the fact that juliet starts knowing her way around the property and felt at home from the start also really helped us relax and enjoy our time together.

before we arrived, i thought to myself – i won’t be taking as many pictures this time. after all, it’s our third visit and how many more photos can you take of the same environment? but before i knew it, i ended up with more snapshots than just one blog post could handle. so with this first post i wanted to share a glimpse into our ‘daily life’ whenever we’re at our beloved ‘serjac.’ i hope that somehow these images can convey that even just arriving at the gorgeous domain, opening the doors to your private little home and fixing a simple dinner in the kitchen is such a beautiful and relaxing experience. we chose to stay at la grange #28 again, where we stayed last year, too, because we fell in love with its interior architecture, pretty L-shaped garden and cozy stove. even when the weather was hesitating between end-of-winter and full-on-spring, we were sure to have many little nooks and corners to hang out and chill – inside and outside.

we also took some time hanging around in the restaurant and bar – both sumptious and luxurious places where you can feel like a spoiled little princess and yet completely at ease at the same time. i’ve traveled and experienced a lot, and i can tell this is a difficult balance to strike in hospitality. properties either tend to feel too posh, or too relaxed to achieve this. we also took full advantage of the amazing cinq mondes spa on the domain. normally kids are not allowed in there, but during school holidays – if the weather is still too cold to enjoy the outdoor pool – kids can take a swim with their parents during the morning hours. juliet and her dad had a blast splashing around the jacuzzi, dipping in and out of the hammam and taking a swim in the indoor pool, while – you guessed it, right? – mom disappeared for a wonderfully relaxing massage. have i told you before how much i love cinq mondes spas? i think they’re the best in the world.

when i shared some memories from this trip on my INSTAGRAM, i received a lot of questions about the chateau and its environment, and since i can’t recommend both highly enough for your next trip – please don’t hesitate to ask me anything at all in the comments below! we also took a few field trips – nothing too far or too taxing in my state, but very fun little expeditions that i would love to share with you in my next post.

photos by stephanie duval

Categories

Filter through posts by category.

The Road Less Taken

Travel through posts by city.

 

my name is stephanie duval, and i am a storyteller. this blog is where i share my favorite stories about design, travel, fashion and the nice things in life.

 

site by —
matthias deckx