As it is getting colder I have a preference for big fluffy jumpers (sweaters), like this big orange jumper. You have seen it before in this post, which I bet you cannot remember. There is not a lot of difference between the outfits in both posts: the jeans are different and I am wearing my Angela Caputi necklace instead of a little scarf. I thought I could get away with posting it again with so little difference as it is a busy time of the year. Many readers will have better things to do than to look at my blog post. Which doesn’t apply to you, you loyal reader. Thank you for visiting my blog despite your busy schedule.
I confess I was having lunch yet again. With my friend Ineke whom I know from when I was 28, which is a pretty long time ago. We usually see each other about once a year and pick up straight from where we left off the last time. This is why I value long friendships: these friends know where you come from. On the other hand I am not excluding any new friends as they are always welcome. Isn’t it great that our heart never takes away any love from old friends but expands to let in new friends whom we love as well.
Ineke and I met at restaurant Polder which has their own free parking space. A big plus in Amsterdam. The restaurant is a former farmhouse by the look of it, now completely surrounded by tall buildings in Amsterdam Science Park. This area holds University science departments, research facilities and some 100 innovative companies: a buzzing science hub.
Below: See the industrial buildings at the right of the restaurant?
Below: Inside it is like a barn and really cosy or as the Dutch say: “gezellig”. There is no translation for this word in any language. It stands for warmth, friendship, cosiness and much more.
Below: And here is Ineke. Love her leather jacket; I nearly ordered it myself.
Below: There won’t be much variation in the photos, but we did try to offer you some different backgrounds.
Below: Details: big orange jumper by American Vintage, necklace Angela Caputi, bag: Chloé Marcie mini crossbody bag.
Below: Leaning to one side makes this jumper very wide and there is something stuck to the toe of my boot.
Below: Sitting on the doorstep of what used to be the front door.
Below: There is a henhouse behind the restaurant. My jeans are a bit looser than you usually see me wear; the brand is Denham Jeans.
Below: Trying to coo the hens in coming to me. (Nice shot Ineke, very flattering…) The boots are a couple of years old and by Kendall & Kylie, not really my icons (to say the least) but I do like these boots with the little “buttons” at the back. They have a high heel but are very comfortable.
Below: Ineke from head to toe. She is wearing a fun pair of wide trousers but you cannot really see it.
What happened in my life this week
Friday and Saturday I suffered from a big migraine, something I thought was a thing of the past. I did manage to do some boring shopping on the Saturday. The rest of the day I stayed indoors and laid low. Wrote last week’s blog post and read a book.
Sunday: read some more and had a quiet day with a little headache. At the end of the afternoon I was back on my feet and Ron invited our friends and neighbours Froukje and Petro for a meal at our house. Dog Watson was a bloody nuisance all evening, apart from when we were eating. He is already trained never to bother us when we are seated at the dining table. Now we need to train him not to want to sit on visitors’ lap all the time.
Monday: at work. My holiday days are finished so I cannot take time off apart from the Friday between Christmas and the weekend. No fitness Monday night as they are closed till the new year. This is very bad for my weight; already gained 2 kilos (4,5 pounds). It is so much harder than I thought to maintain the new weight I reached because of wearing my braces, sigh.
Tuesday: at work in very low temperatures. Facility Management had set the heating 2 degrees lower ‘because there were so few people in the office’. Well, the ones that were there were freezing. My colleagues had put their coats on or wrapped a blanket around their body. As it was the same the day before, I got smart and put thick tights underneath my jeans and a warm top underneath my very warm jumper. It was perfect for the office but I had to take everything off when I got home as it was far too hot to wear in a normally heated house. This red jumper looks far better with flared jeans than it did with my black trousers.
Left the office early. In the evening I watched André Rieu on TV and cried because bag pipes played Auld Lang Syne which reminded me of my dear departed friend Pat. These things happen when a loved one has died. At the most unexpected moments it hits you. Just the process of mourning.
Wednesday: Christmas day. Tried on more possibilities with the wide fancy blue skirt. Decided to wear the polka dot blouse but with a darker blue top underneath. The golden top was very nice but showed lumps and bumps, the draw-back of getting older. Thank you all for your advice and votes on the three options I showed last week. It was nice to have so much interaction: on the blog, on Facebook and on IG. We were invited by friends to celebrate Christmas day with them, their children and grandchildren. Here is a little collage:
Thursday: Second Christmas day as we call it (in English it is called Boxing day). We went to my mum’s and brought food. My brother and sister-in-law joined us and it was a very pleasant day. I wore a sleeveless black dress which came from the Midlifechic charity sale last year. Nikki of Midlifechic sells a lot of her clothes once or twice a year and donates the money to a good cause. As sleeveless is not a good idea for my arms, I added mesh sleeves. The floral tights (shown better in this post) and the necklace (also Angela Caputi) make the dress less classic (I hope).
Friday: This was supposed to be a gathering day of the Shopping Saturday girls, but poor Sabine was ill. Anke asked her whether she would be very upset if she went shopping with me without her. Of course, Sabine had no objections. I had every intention of photographing Anke and me during our shopping spree and at lunch, showing her 35 weeks pregnancy belly but I was “in the moment” and totally forgot. Which is good, right? Instead here is a photo of what I wore that day: my boyfriend jeans with my bright pink jumper (remember it from my post with my wide cream trousers?). My sneakers are new (a sales find) by ECCO and ever so comfortable.
That is it for this post. Wishing you a very happy and healthy 2020.
Greetje
Happy New Year, Greetje!
I am sorry to read you suffered again from headhacke, but in any case you look wonderful!
I spent my holidays with relatives but also went on journey for some days (to Parma).
Tomorrow I will celebrate the last festive day will a big lunch…I am afraid that all this food means … that in the future I will be on a diet for a while!!
Oh hello darling. You still read my blog! Wonderful. At the moment my headaches are gone again. Cross my fingers it will stay that way. Looking wonderful, as you say it, is a nice compensation (any excuse for new outfits haha).
Happy New Year, Greetje! I love all of your fuzzy jumpers and your collection of jeans (the flares get my vote). During New Year’s Eve, a song came on that hit me really hard: lyrics along the lines of “take a picture of us while you can – we may not all be here this time next year” and I just sat there and cried. No one’s died, but I just felt this aching loss – funny how music triggers that.
I have been struggling with my weight as well – I guess eating chocolate for two weeks straight is a bad idea? Who knew? (ha!) Maintaining one’s weight loss is much, much harder than losing the weight. I’ve kept most of my weight off for nearly 14 years, and it’s still hard.
Wishing you, Ron and that scamp of a dog Watson all the best in 2020.
I read about you saying goodbye to weight watchers. I think everybody needs a life long membership. It is so hard. I am lucky in the sense that I am so obsessed (cannot think of another word) with clothes and appearances that I keep my margin very small. 3 kilos is even too much and will make me go radically on nothing in between the three meals but water and low fat meals as well. Then it doesn’t take so long to reach your desired weight again.
Wishing you strength in this battle and nothing but good things in 2020 for you, your dazzling husband and your funny cat (I love him).
I will pass your wishes on to Ron and that scamp of a dog.
I’m not sure what I enjoy most; your fashion style or your wicked sense of humour. I laughed out loud at:
Many readers will have better things to do than to look at my blog post. Which doesn’t apply to you, you loyal reader. Thank you for visiting my blog despite your busy schedule.
Love how you keep it real, and share so generously.
All the best to you, Ron and Watson,
Sue
I find it amazing what readers think is funny about my text. Often it is something completely different from what I would have thought. But as long as you laugh, it is good. I am always in for a good laugh and love to provide it too.
So I hope I can keep you laughing or at least smiling in 2020 as well.
Greetje
I love that necklace in the orange jumper set! And the orange is a great color on you and the jeans fit beautifully! Your friend’s red leather jacket is gorgeous! And I love that you posted the photo of you bending over to feed the chickens – LOL! Leave it to a good friend to come up with a shot like that. Love the red jumper with the wide-leg jeans, too, and the belt is just perfect with it! Poor Dog Watson 🙁 He doesn’t understand why he can’t be in the middle of the attention. I have two of those. One is shy but if you’re sitting on one of her sofas, she’ll be up there to give you kisses. The other wants to give everybody a bath :/ That sheer blouse with the polka dots is beautiful and I love the tights with the black dress! I hope that you have an amazing 2020 – Happy New Year!
Ruth
https://voguefauxreal.com/2019/12/31
A very happy new year to you too Ruth. Dog Watson is always licking people. I hate that. Hopefully we can teach him not to do that.
Glad you liked all my outfits. I will keep them coming every Sunday .
Greetje
I like your collection of colourful jumpers! The orange and red ones look so cozy. I am also in love with Ineke’s red leather jacket. I wish I had your luck finding a pair of jeans that fit me as well as yours do (as a fellow no-butt girl). You have such lovely places to go for lunch over there. Wishing you, Ron and Watson, an excellent 2020. Shelley
Wishing you a splendid, healthy and lovingly 2020 as well Shelley.
There are a few jeans brands which are good for me. The expensive ones are 7 for all mankind and Paige. Another good brand I like is J Brand. Plus two Dutch brands: Denham and G-Star Raw.
As for lunch places: the Netherlands is small and a lot of people live there. Therefore there are many restaurants, coffee and lunch places. We love to spend time together with friends and/or family. At home or in a cosy place.
Greetje
Hi Greetje, you look great in orange. This color is so underestimate. Lovely sweater. I want to wish you and your loved ones a happy New Year. Nicole of High Latitude Style
Wishing you all the best in the world for 2020 as well Nicole. Glad you like my national colour haha.
Greetje
Hi Greetje! Another American Fan checking in to say Happy New Year (from California)!
Thanks for all your work on the blog and thanks to your photographers. All the work is really appreciated.
And a Happy New Year to you too Nicole. Like every blogger I sometimes think about stopping (“why am I doing this? Am I narcissistic?”). Then I get a comment like yours and I am all happy again. As long as there are women out there who like what I do, I will continue.
Greetje
Great post. Love the sweater and cool boots. Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to you too Ally. May your dreams come true.
About the boots: just bought my second pair by Kendall& Kylie. I am not a fan of the Kardashians but this brand does make nice boots.
Greetje
You look just great in all your outfits, Greetje! Thanking you for all your posts, and wishing you a happy and healthy new year.
Ah well, you see, 7 years of blogging taught me a thing or two about my body shape, what suits me and what not. But with every new trend I have to re-evaluate. And if it doesn’t look nice on me I won’t post it. Although that is not entirely true. Sometimes I do post it and say what is wrong with it. Remember the burnt orange summer dress? 😂
Happy and healthy New Year to you too.
Greetje
I really love that orange sweater on you! The color and shape are perfect! Happy New Year, Greetje, looking forward to seeing you in 2020!!
Same here Susan. It will be April in no time. In the meantime I wish you happiness and good health for 2020.
IF we ever meet wear that CAPUTI necklace PLEASE!
I will BEG FOR IT!!!
XX
No need to beg. I WILL wear that necklace. Although I like the short green one as well.
Greetje
Gal, you really rock when you wear jeans! Sophisticated…dressed up…cozy…comfortable…you’ve captured the looks nicely.
I am slowly moving away from skinny, skinny jeans. I still like them but don’t want them as tight as tights (funny words together).
Thank you for your compliments.
Greetje
Greetje,
Greetings from America! I enjoy your blog very much. Keep up the good work. Happy New Year!
Laurie
Kansas City, Missouri
United States
Thanks Laurie, your comment pleases me very much.
Happy New Year to you too. I will do my utmost to keep you amused with my posts.
Greetje