Ron came to the rescue by taking some photos of my outfit in our garden. I wanted to show you my white block heeled sandals. They still have to be tested in hot weather but I am very positive.
It is nice to be able to shoot in the garden if necessary. I am very grateful to Ron for all the work he has done to the shed. It is now a lovely background.
So no really nice houses or city scenery this week. I will talk about a lot of things, one having nothing to do with the other. Hope you still like it, although it is not that much different from my previous posts haha.
Below: The outfit is created with clothes I have already shown on the blog in different combinations. The silver and blue blouse plus the silver belt are by Essentiel, the boyfriend jeans by G-Star Raw. The yellow clutch was first on the blog in this blogpost. The bit of yellow in the belt is just reflection.
Below: I am beginning to get used to these dark eyebrows, but they will become much lighter.
Below: The white jacket is also by Essentiel Antwerp and the blue, white, yellow shopper I bought a couple of years ago at the Max Mara outlet in Turin. This is pretty much my signature style.
Below: Oh why not another photo. Ron took so many nice ones, I had to kill a lot of darlings. I like this white jacket open as well as belted. A good purchase (if you don’t count the dry cleaner cost).
Below: Close-up of the sandals.
Below: This is how I wore the outfit with my comfy flat silver shoes. The ones which broke just before I met Aafke (scroll down the post). If I could find another pair, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy them.
Over to ‘a bit of everything’.
The garden
Isn’t it amazing what some sun and rain can do to a garden? It is getting so nice, even though it is little. The twig-like trees are getting leaves, the jasmine against the fence is in bloom; it is all lovely. The salamanders in the pond are very happy and laying lots of eggs.
Extensions in my hair
I have extensions put in my thin hair, hoping it would be the end of my hair trouble. However, I am not so sure. I booked an appointment to have them removed the following Saturday. My hair is so thin that when it moves, for instance by accidently touching my hair, the extensions are visible, see below.
I felt so sad that it hadn’t worked out. Then Ron said: “Why don’t you wait a little longer before removing them? If you hadn’t shown me, I don’t know whether I would have noticed. I hadn’t up till then”. So I cancelled my appointment at the hairdressers and gave Ron the assignment to watch me closely. If they show and I look like an idiot, I will have them removed.
Do my photos give a fake impression?
This is a subject I have covered a couple of times. When you see me in nice clothes on the blog, you might think I am a very lucky woman looking like that. Well dear readers, a lot of it is manipulated, worked on and only looking good on the photos I show. OK, admittedly, being 5ft74 and having great legs are two big plusses. The start was good but there are secrets to tell:
- Eyelid correction when I was 40 (bad genes)
- Facelift to the lower part of my face when I was 50 (bad genes)
- Had my waist taken in by 7 cm through liposuction when I was 55 (damned menopause)
- Had my teeth bleached twice in the past 5 years
- Had my teeth straightened with braces last year
- Had my earlobes repaired by the plastic surgeon last year and new holes pierced this year
- I use expensive serum to make my eyelashes long (it works)
- Recently had permanent make-up put on my eyebrows (horror photos on the blog last week)
- I dye my hair and have a fabulous hairdresser
- I exercise two to three times a week
- I eat pretty healthy and don’t indulge in sweets or fast food; neither do I drink alcohol (apart from coffee liqueur)
- I wear a body shaper all the time
- Over the last 7 years I have learned what my body shape is, how to dress for it and which colours flatter me
- Before photos are taken, I am always frantically back-combing my hair, making sure it looks good
- When photos are taken, I discard 90 of the 100 photos, only showing you the best
In 2016 I have done a reverse make-over, called a make-down, showing you what I look like without any make-up and wearing the wrong style of clothes. And in 2015 I wrote a long post about most of the above things in detail. For those who haven’t seen these posts before, please click through.
All in all, it doesn’t come easy. Big question is: are my photos fake? Do they show an image that isn’t true?
I think that yes, they are beautified. Why? Because we all rather look at a nice picture than a bad picture. A matter of aesthetics I guess. We’d rather look at a good painting than a bad one, wouldn’t we?
BUT….
I never photoshop my photos. The wrinkles are there for everybody to see. And yes, I am a lunatic for being so focussed on appearance and spending so much money on beautification.
Just wanted you to know all this, in case you ever think “gosh, I could never look like that”. Although it might also be that you think: “gosh, after all that work and she still looks like this?” hahaha.
What happened in my life this week
Saturday. Nothing happened. Miserable wet day. Just did household chores. Wore the same outfit as the Tuesday before.
Sunday. Miserable day although it stopped raining in the afternoon. Household chores. I washed and blow dried my hair with extensions for the first time. I dreaded it, but I did well. As you can see on the photo below (link to original post with snow leopard jacket):
Monday. Again a day of nothing. This has got to stop or I’ll go mad. In the evening I had a video (Zoom) workshop about creating and editing a video with my iPhone. It was fun, but the editing app was so elaborate that is was hard to grasp everything the teacher explained. Listening to explanations and trying it yourself at the same time with so many options is too difficult. But I have a grasp of what the app can do and the elementary things to watch when you create a video. Do I have plans to become a vlogger? Nope. I think I will remain a blogger. After all, magazines didn’t get extinct when TV was introduced. OK, a lot of them went belly up and so might my blog, but I rely on my loyal readers.
Wore a new combination (still to come).
Tuesday. A quiet day but with better weather. Anja came round for a coffee and a chat and I ran some errands (post ‘office’, dry cleaners and florist). It doesn’t get much more exciting than this pffff. As I walked home with my flowers, a neighbour spotted me. He was putting fig tree branches in the container and said: “Wouldn’t you like to have a few branches to mix with your flowers? I hate to dispose of them as they are so beautiful”. This is the gorgeous result:
I wore my wide blue dotted maxi skirt with another belt than in the original post. I decided to add another colour with the belt and repeat the dots of the skirt with the studs on the belt. (Link to original post with blue belt.)
Ron and I went out for dinner that evening to our favourite steak restaurant. I managed to get us a reservation YAY. Gained weight but it was delicious.
Wednesday. Visited my friend Selma in Wassenaar. I was so fed up with days of nothing to do and she didn’t mind me coming on a rainy day. As it happened it was pretty much dry in her hometown. Took this photo of her on a lovely square:
Below: And of course a usie (yes my eyebrows are still far too dark). Oops, for this usie we ignored the social distance. We did the rest of the day though.
Due to the weather I wore my lovely white raincoat (link to original post, scroll down to see it). When I got home, the coat went straight into the dry cleaners. This coat is going to cost me the amount I paid for it in dry cleaning.
As Selma and I went through the town centre we saw this young seagull and its mum. The mum shrieked at me. I could understand her perfectly: “Go away! Come any closer and I’ll pick your eyes out”. Isn’t the chick adorable?
Thursday. Wore my pale blue shirt (link to original post) with silver high heels and boyfriend jeans this time instead of skinny jeans. Dug out my silver jewellery with the Delft Blue shards.
Below: Close-up of the jewellery. The company that made them (A beautiful story) helps people in Nepal to earn a decent living. They still sell jewellery from Nepal (see their website), but not these ones anymore. The price of silver was too volatile and bringing the shards to Nepal was costly. But… I did find out through their customer service that they are available in the webshop of Royal Delft. Pricey but available.
In the afternoon we visited the notary for a new will etcetera. Unfortunately we lost all confidence in the notary and cancelled the assignment. We are going to solve it in a different way. A bit of a bizarre development.
Friday. Rescheduled a photo shoot with Loes to Monday as it was rainy in the morning. No fun.
Had a check-up at the orthodontist: everything is fine. In the afternoon Ron and I walked Watson in the park/woods and got an ice cream afterwards. On arrival home, we did the shoot for today’s outfit.
Greetje
Dear Greetje,
I have wanted to comment for ages – just never took the time since I have your blog bookmarked on my work computer! Now that I work from home…
I SO enjoy your style and that no-nonsense Dutch way…I am American and live in Pennsylvania, but MANY years ago I was a 20-year-old au pair for a Dutch couple in Heemstede. I spent six months there (and the six months prior in Zwolle) and learned to get around both Heemstede and Haarlem with a 5-year-old in the bike basket and 7- and 9-year-old boys tagging along on their own bikes. Anyway – your pictures bring back so many good memories – thanks so much for modeling in so many different places. I love it! And I love hearing about what goes into your decisions for styling your outfits as well as the mundane business of life – including aging. Keep up the great work!
I am so pleased that my blog photos bring you back sweet memories. As you know Heemstede and Haarlem are ‘joined at the hip’. So close.
Your words have made my day, so thank you. And thank you for taking the time to comment. Fear not, I have every intention to continue blogging.
I enjoy these “grab bag” posts, with a bit of everything in them. No need to apologize or explain!
I like your white sandals, although I’m becoming bored of that style – it feels ubiquitous. The pops of yellow are perfect (makes me think of daisies), as is your white blazer. I do hate the drycleaning costs!
How did you get that picture of the garden from so high up? Do you/Ron have a drone??
I agree with Ron, your hair extensions are not even noticeable! They are a great match with your own hair! Wow!
Your flowers are even lovelier with the extra leaves. How nice of your neighbour!
I adore your polka dotted skirt – it’s amazing on you! Love the Delft pottery shard jewelry too – so pretty.
Ha, the building next to my office building has seagulls nesting on it – there are so many of those fluffy grey chicks staggering around on it. It’s fun to watch them.
Kudos to you for your honesty in what you’ve had “done” on yourself, Greetje. I take so few photos, and the most I do is play with the colour balance or sharpen the images. It’s all me, although I do dye my hair!
Have a good week, my dear friend.
That was an extensive comment. And all positive. Thank you. (I agree the the white sandal style is a bit ubiquitous but I have only one pair of such sandals and they are so handy!) Thank you for the word ‘ubiquitous’. I had to look it up. Learned a new word.
I laughed when I read your question about the drone hahaha. I just took a picture from our upstairs window. Our house has two floors and each level is quite high. The ground floor is 3m30 high and the second floor 3 metres.
Hope you have a lovely week too. Mwah.
Hi Greetje – I wrote you two Sundays ago about how much I appreciate your posts. My husband had to go to the hospital unexpectedly recently, and reading your post helped make my Sunday feel more normal. He just got home yesterday. His heart problem isn’t completely resolved, but it’s better. I thought I would let you know.
Keep up your wonderful blogs. They really lift my spirits! And I love your outfits. I especially like your ones with jeans. I wear jeans every day, so it’s definitely my style.
Oh I remember you. You had me in tears. I am so glad for you that he is home again. I hope his heart problem is something you can live with. In the sense, with some adjustments and being careful.
My jeans posts will be numerous I am afraid. I also love dresses and try to be more elegant but jeans are essential to my go-to outfit. At heart I am a jeans girl. An old girl haha.
Always enjoy reading your blog each week, seeing your fashion, the local scenery…and love your humor and honesty. I think we each must do what makes us feel our best, as we see ourselves when we look in the mirror daily.
I’m comfortable being over 60, going gray naturally, try to eat right and exercise, but no longer feel need to fight the battle for perfection. I’m happy and comfortable at this stage in life.
Thanks for these words Cheryl. Love the compliments (who wouldn’t?). I don’t mind getting older either but I haven’t reached your tranquil state of mind. Working on it…
I love to read your posts on Sunday and to see all your great clothing and locations!
I am very glad you are enjoying my posts Meera. I am to entertain and make people smile. Of course the clothes are the backbone of the blog. The locations I throw in if possible.
I enjoyed every segment of your “bit of everything”. That is how life is right now. I am on the journey of appreciating life on a smaller scale. I like hearing how your life has changed post retirement and onset of the Covid-19. I can relate to many of your thoughts.
Aside from trying to stay healthy, my online habits have increased since the virus locked physical shopping down. Terrible habit to have during sheltering in place.
Hahaha, yes Gayle, that is indeed a terrible habit. I am not much of an online shopper as I prefer old school shopping. We haven’t had our shops closed for very long and just before Covid-19 I received a large online order from Essentiel Antwerp. Did I just say I am not much of an online shopper? Hahaha. Seriously I am not. But I needed the link to Essentiel’s website and… went down the proverbial rabbit hole. After that order I didn’t have much money left.
Those are very nice sandals and they look like they’d be quite comfortable. Perfect with that outfit too! I love seeing the photos of your backyard. I think we talked about hair extensions when we last chatted, didn’t we? I couldn’t stand mine, and had the stylist remove them after about three weeks. Too bad, because they did look good. 😉
I am going backwards and forwards every two days: extensions out… no leave them in; extensions out… no leave them in. Terrible.
The reasons for taking them out again are: I get a different hair shape with the extensions and I prefer the ‘old’ model. I am scared people with notice the fake hair. It isn’t very comfortable. Everybody tells me it will damage my own hair.
On the good side: my hair does look thicker. And it doesn’t look like little threads when I have been in the wind. We will see.
Like everyone else I love reading your posts every week. Your voice is so funny and honest and brave. And I get to see your lovely clothes and beautiful home and town. Keep it going, please!
Great post! I love seeing your weekly outfits!
Oh hi Susan, glad you are enjoying my outfits. I saw you put your comment underneath DeeDee’s comment, but that is no big deal.
Your words are music to my ears DeeDee. It is so nice for a blogger to get feedback. Especially of course if the feedback is positive haha. So thank you very much.
I will surely continue with my blog as it is my only hobby (it took me years to find a hobby).
Thank-you for a lovely blog, I always enjoy reading it with my morning espresso! LOVE the Delft jewellery, any chance you could post a link for shopping these pieces?
As I love coffee I think it is the best time to ‘consume’ my blog posts haha. I will inquire after the Delft Blue jewellery. It is ages ago I purchased these. And it was a project of somebody who gave the design to poor women who made the pieces and then she sold them and had let the women have more than their fair share of the profit. I will come back to it.
I wouldn’t have noticed if you hadn’t written about it. When looking at the photo before reading, I thought you had a great hair day. And that’s what matters. But I know that you probably don’t want to hear that you look great with s.th. fake. 😉
Your Delft jewelry looks awesome. It reminds me of Grandma Hannah and my Mom who had these dishes. It’s so nice.
Reading your weekly posts is a Sunday evening ritual for me. I really enjoy your honesty, your playful attitude to style, and reading about life in the Netherlands. I am a translator and Dutch is one of the languages I translate. It’s my favourite by far 😉
Hi Rozanne, you gave me a lot of compliments and I thank you !! I feel a bit shy now haha.
Too bad my blog isn’t in Dutch, right?
(By the way, you put your comment underneath Nicole’s comment, but I still see it. No big deal.)
I don’t mind hearing I look great with something fake haha. But I do mind if people can see the extensions. I worry about that and I don’t like that worry. Haven’t decided yet what I will do: keep them or have them removed.
The Delft Blue jewellery was a project of somebody who helped poor people with this design. They made the jewellery and she sold them and gave them more than a fair share of the profit.
Hi Greetje, I love your posts! They are very funny, and i look forward to them every sunday evening. I feel that you are very honest and self aware in your posts and about yourself, and I really appreciate that. You talk about how you have got to where you are. Aren’t you doing what most of us do anyway – we’re all trying to make the best of ourselves – who doesn’t pick the best picture to show?!
I look forward to your posts every Sunday. I think you look fabulous and you do not have to justify the ‘work’ you have had done as in this day and age it is normal and lots of young girls have fillers, botox and much more. So some of your genes might not have been perfect but you look great in jeans.
Ha, thanks Elaine, yes jeans are my best friends. Well, after I found the right ones. Especially after the manufacturers have made them a little elastic, the choice for me is wide.
It might be ‘normal’ these days to use fillers, botox etc but odly enough, I find that unnecessary. And certainly for young girls. I wish I could have resisted the temptation to have ‘work’ done on me but I couldn’t. Accepting yourself as you are is so much better.
I agree with you Isa, but because the photos are flattering and because I have done quite a bit of ‘work’ to myself, I want everybody to realize that.
There is enough fake in the world and as you say I am a pretty honest person and don’t want to hide such things. But your are right, we all pick the best picture to show.
Hi Greetjie, FWI your hair does look fuller in a natural way. Rgds, Lise
Hi Lise, yes the extensions are quite a success but I hate being scared all the time somebody will discover the extensions. I also don’t like the model, the shape of my hair (the extensions weigh it down). So I am not sure whether I will keep them. I change my decision daily. Perhaps I should just pluck daisy petals: out, in, out, in… haha.
hello darling lady! garden gorgeous and charming : ) I love white shoes…and your silver ones–but commented on those before ; ) and your list of what you’ve done to yourself? refreshing and no shame! oh my! we all have little tricks…all good! i do relate to the thinning hair–but i’ve always had thin hair….i grew mine out long to compensate for the thinnest and i wear it up all the time….
ps I just launched my new website, and I would be honored for you to subscribe! I am in the process of moving all my blog posts over there…finally happy to be divorcing from the first–my costumes need their own spotlight…my personal creations, need their own stage!
xo eva
http://www.StyleMyThrift.com
xo Eva
Gosh.. I had a look around your new blog! It is amazing what you do with a vintage piece. Such skills. I could never do that.
As for thinning hair… sorry, but your hair is nowhere near as thin as mine.
Love that green sweater… think I tell you that every time you wear it! Reading your post today with some of your comments on going mad from boredom… could you need a new hobby to add into your days? Something that excites you to throw yourself into? I just… your enthusiasm seemed a bit ebbed from your normally buoyant self and I know the adjustment to retirement can be difficult. You are never boring to READ, mind you-love your posts. Guess I just want to ensure you’re doing okay!
Indeed the green sweater is a very good purchase. I can wear it with a number of trousers.
Oh yes, I am in need of a new hobby or perhaps a new job (less hours, less stress). But Covid-19 isn’t making it easier. I know I want to do something where I can interact with people. And exactly that is a problem with social distance. It is not too bad yet; I hastily filled my weeks again with nice appointments. But come September/October I hope to have found something. People said to me before I retired: “Don’t worry, they’ll find you and before you know it, your weeks will be filled to the brim”. Pre Covid…
A lot of people also said: “Why don’t you extend your blog work? Make it commercial and earn a penny or two”. I don’t want that for three reasons: 1) the blog is the hobby I have searched for so long and I don’t want to make it ‘work’; 2) extending my blog work would mean more hours behind the computer and that is the last thing I want (too lonely, not interacting with people, no laughs); 3) I don’t want to go commercial because then I have to bend myself to please advertisers and I am so glad that I can say and do ANYTHING I want on my blog because it is MY blog. Don’t want to lose that.
Lengthy reply…
I read your posts every Sunday morning and hope you continue them just as they are. I really enjoy them, and I enjoy seeing your creativity with outfits.
I enjoyed your “bit of everything “ post! I think we all realize we are seeing you at your best, but it is comforting to this short, round person to know that you have things you perceive as flaws as well. I’ll continue to eagerly await your final decision on the extensions. My hair is very similar in style and type, but it it looking pretty bad after five months without a haircut or highlights. I’m realizing how much my hair colors my view of myself.
Your little garden is perfection. Bigger is not always better. Your photos have me thinking where I could make a little walled garden for myself….
Hi Wendy, I smiled when I read “to this short, round person”. Yes, we are all made so differently and that is so good. If we were all alike then you would be bored to tears. There are loads of people who like slim and tall and there are loads of people who like short and round. I remember when I was 21, I had a friend who was about 10 years older. Successful, career, boyfriend and a gorgeous figure and face. She could find a lot of flaws with herself and I thought: “My goodness, if you think you aren’t perfect, where does that leave me?? I better accept myself as I am”. (Which I didn’t as this blog post tells you.)
A good haircut is really something we need to like the mirror reflection, I agree.
Our garden is small and I am glad you like it. We live in a small country with a lot of people, so there isn’t much space for each and everyone.
Hi Greetje,
Love your blog. We love you no matter how many procedures you have done. Who cares, as we age we want to look the best that we can. Your sense of humor is stellar!
I am very pleased with your comment. The reason why I tell all my secrets is to pop the fake bubble. My mother told me as a teenager: “Don’t believe what you see on a photo”. And she was right of course.
Your compliment about my sense of humour really flatters me.
PS Your put your comment underneath Maryellen’s comment. Still saw it though.
Oh that is so good to hear. Being a blogger is a bit of a lonely job behind a computer. Although I am not really lonely as you will have read. Getting such positive feedback means the world to me, so thank you very much.