And here it is, the bespoke black and white coat that my friend Katrien made me. We chose the material together, which is very old dead stock wool, still in pristine condition. It is heavy and no wind will pass through it.
The model is one Katrien has used 5 times before and I like it. For the lining we chose yellow as it is a happy colour.
Kitty (Kitty Hieltjes Fotografie) and I started out at 9 a.m. for the shoot, which is really early for a pensioner. We got rewarded with a deserted street and a clear view of a lovely building.
Below: The building I had in mind. Showing the lining of the coat.
Below: No cars or bicycles to block our view; very nice. My right hand is doing something funny (I was looking for the pocket which is at the side).
I think the coat turned out exactly how we envisioned it but it is not an everyday coat. When you wear bulky things underneath it, it shows. You also have to consider what skirt, trousers and shoes to wear with the coat, as they have to match. It is a conversation piece and not everybody will like it. Which is fine by me; I like it and that is what is most important.
Below: Kitty spotted this vehicle across the street, piled up with cardboard boxes. She made me climb in the saddle.
Below: All the squares line up, which to me, is a sign of quality.
Below: Close-up of the fabric. Sometimes it is really black and white and sometimes it looks a bit brown.
Below: Inside the building, this beautiful stained glass window served as background for my outfit.
Below: A close-up, showing the different dots: the black ones on the bag and the jumper and the yellow ones on the earrings. Earrings by Lara Design, as usual.
Below: The jumper is a sales item from an outlet, the trousers are by kpa.haarlem and the boots (first seen last week) I bought at LAB Women’s Clothing. They sell these boots in black and in white. Of course, having a huge preference for white boots, I choose the white ones.
The right leg of my trousers got caught on the loop at the back of my boots. Hmm…I must check that from time to time.
Below: Just a photo to bring you some Christmas spirit.
Below: Kitty, checking the photos she took, as we were having delicious cappuccinos at La Maru, Koningsstraat in Haarlem (no website).
A lovely morning spent with a friend doing the things we love.
What happened in my life this week
Saturday morning was gorgeous weather for a change. Ron and I walked dog Watson at the beach, which he loves, running up and down through the water like mad. As we sat down for a cappuccino I got the message that my peer group was up for a booster vaccination appointment. I was very lucky because when I called, I got through quickly (a miracle in itself) and I had an appointment that same afternoon, which is also a miracle. YAY. I am very happy with this.
Sunday the Shopping Saturday girls got together. Obviously not on the usual day of the week, but the shops were open.
Below: We met at café De Hoek in Amsterdam, a favourite place. I wasn’t in the mood for fashionable dressing as it was a wet day and I needed to wash my hair.
Below: Sabine on the other hand, was dressed to the nines. I love this outfit. She is wearing my high heeled boots and wore them while shopping all afternoon. HOW???
Below: Anke wore that great orange sweater we bought together and sneakers.
We shopped and each of us bought something. Around 3 p.m. Anke went home and Sabine and I stopped off at a hotel for another cappuccino before going home. The boots I am wearing are bronze in real life, but they look golden in this photo. (See original post for a better photo of the boots.)
As always it was lovely seeing each other again.
Monday I visited mum, sorted out some digital things and fetched some shopping. On my way to her I picked up my new contact lenses, the One-Eyed Jack system. I decided not to put them in directly as I was driving.
Tuesday Monique (my neighbour two doors down) and I went to a museum, or rather to the house of the founder of the Teylers Museum. (See this post for more photos of the Teylers Museum.)
The house of the museum founder, Pieter Teyler van der Hulst, is beautiful on the inside. The outside has been ruined (in my eyes) over time by changing it to a straight gable. The information about the house is only in Dutch: read it here. The photos below don’t do the house justice and certainly not the museum, but I will show four of them anyway. The ceiling plaster work is magnificent.
Wednesday was a quiet day with a visit to my seamstress, a chat with Karlijn and washing my hair. Nothing really interesting.
Below: Dog Watson on my lap. He still thinks he is a lapdog. He is not allowed on the sofa, but luckily, he doesn’t realize that half his body is on the sofa anyway when he is on my lap.
Thursday I took my mum for her booster vaccination. That went smoothly.
Ron was getting a bit apprehensive of Christmas celebrations as his booster appointment would be on the 22nd which is rather late. Against all odds I was able to advance his appointment to the 19th. If you knew the situation over here, you would know that this is another miracle. Well…it is nearly Christmas; one might expect miracles, right?
Marcella stopped by and gave me three pairs of earrings for the ‘work’ I have done for her so far. YAY. That is not why I am helping her, but I gracefully accept the gift as I love her earrings. She said she has many more earring designs in her atelier which I haven’t seen and are not on the website. So (she giggled) she feels she can ‘pay’ me in the future as well and gave me 4 new ‘assignments’ LOL. That gives me something to do. After all, idle hands are the devil’s workshop.
On Friday Ron and I drove to Amsterdam to do a photo shoot. It was supposed to be nice, dry and sunny weather. But, this is the Netherlands and the weather here is fickle. It was grey, damp and cold. Ideal circumstances (NOT) for a photo shoot. The camera also refused to cooperate and blurred my face every time. Apparently the camera has something against my face as everything else in the photos is sharp. I now have an appointment with a guy from a camera shop. We either have to solve the problem with this camera or I will have to buy a new one. I just don’t want to buy a new one, only to find out that it is the absence of skill that causes this.
In the afternoon I met Marita and we went for coffee in town followed by a quick pub visit. All the shops, restaurants and bars close at 5 p.m. because of Covid.
Below: A crummy iPhone photo, but it gets the atmosphere. We both like clothes in black as well as in bright colours. She made the effort and put this beautiful, pleated skirt on. I had had enough of clothes and outfits after the shoot that morning and just put on my jeans. Sometimes I want to pack it all in, but I always come to my senses, because then I wouldn’t have a hobby anymore.
I will finish this week with the YouTube video I love at Christmas time. It is this little girl, dressed as an angel who sings so out of tune and so loud, it is hilarious.
Next week it will be Christmas. What do you think? Shall I publish a post? Or not bother?
Greetje
It is a lovely coat, and as it is a heavy wool, you shouldn’t have to wear anything too bulky underneath in order to keep warm. I like the choice of the colour for the lining.
I hope you, Ron and Watson had a nice Christmas.
I haven’t heard one word of disapproval on the coat, which surprised me. I like it a lot, but I hadn’t thought it was everybody’s taste. Just goes to show, what do I know? LOL.
Thank you for your good wishes. We had a lovely Christmas. Wishing you a splendid 2022.
Wish you and hubby a Merry Christmas. I haven’t commented before but always enjoy reading your blogs and seeing a part of the world I have never had a chance to visit. Thank you for all the pictures and interesting remarks about your days. Love your sense of humour.
Your comment is one that makes my day. Thank you very much Carolyn. It is so nice to hear that somebody likes reading my blog. The goal of my blog is to entertain, to make people smile or laugh. And apparently I am successful as you say I have a sense of humour LOL.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas as well.
Love your bespoke coat, what beautiful craftsmanship–or is that craftswomanship?😉 You’re right, matching up the boxes is a reflection of quality and skill.
Although we may miss you, I don’t think anyone would begrudge your taking a day off for the holiday! Stay healthy, and have a Merry Christmas!
And a Merry Christmas to you too Sarah. Don’t worry, I have already had requests for a post next week, so I will publish one.
Wonderful coat, absolutely adorable! Have a wonderful xmas time and a great New Year and most importantly stay healthy! Love your blog and i look forward to each new post in 2022!
Best regards from Düsseldorf
Sabine
That is a very nice comment Sabine. Thank you very much. Wishing you a Merry Christmas as well and I will keep on publishing my posts.
I love your wool coat and also the yellow lining you chose. The plaid pattern is beautiful, elegant and very original. Precious your sweater and also your earrings. I love Sabine’s oversized sweater, I like these clothes, and also Marita’s pleated skirt, I love pleated skirts in general.
Lots of praise again in your comment. Thank you very much. I really like pleated skirts too and have about four of them. That is enough I think.
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas dear Josep-Maria. Next summer you will be following my blog for 10 years. Imagine that.
Ten years? It seems that it was very recently when I met you! I wish you a happy Christmas.
It will be ten years next year and yes it seems so recent. I haven’t aged a bit, right? (LOL, just joking; I do have a mirror.)
Thank coat is a lifetime piece, so gorgeous. We have been able to get booster a couple of months ago, but things here in US are also not looking good. I worry for our very elderly parents, looks like it is going to be another long winter. Thankfully we have things like your blog posts to read for entertainment and ideas, Happy Christmas to you and yours
Yes, I don’t think the coat and I will ever part.
It is a really nice idea that my posts could make a difference in people’s life in these dark days.
I will continue to post, you can be sure of that.
Merry Christmas to you and your parents.
Happy Christmas to you and your loved ones. Thank you for brightening my Monday mornings throughout this year. Best wishes for 2022. I look forward to reading your further adventures – it’s always such fun. X
Such a comment warms my heart. It is so nice to hear that my posts are appreciated. After all, I am here, creating a post at my desk every week, all alone. You have to wait and see whether people will like it.
Wishing you all the best for 2022 as well. And you can be sure there will be a post every Monday morning in the future too.
How fun to have an absolutely unique and beautiful and warm coat! Love your blog and so happy I found you. The video is literally a “scream”. By the way, did you notice there is a little wooden man who appears to be standing on your head in one of the photos?
And I am so glad you like my posts. It is so rewarding, knowing people appreciate what you ‘create’. The purpose of my blog is to entertain, to make people smile or (better) make them laugh. Mission accomplished with you this post. I look up this video every Christmas.
Love it that you like my coat.
And yes, I was aware that the wooden man appears to be standing on my head. If Kitty (my regular photographer) had taken this photo, this would not have happened. She always watches these things, like no lampposts growing out of my head. But this was just a snapshot made by a friend.
Love the coat.
That video is HILARIOUS!!! TFS and have a wonderful Christmas!
Suzanne
Thanks Suzanne. The coat is liked by everybody; something I didn’t expect. I was so wrong.
Every time I play that video I burst out laughing. I play it several times every Christmas. Merry Christmas to you too.
What a gorgeous coat — so beautifully made! Love the photo of you and Watson. Wishing you and yours a healthy and happy Christmas!
The coat gets much admiration. And here I was thinking it was an acquired taste. I was wrong.
Thank you for the Christmas wishes. Of course I wish you the same.
I love your new coat! If it was me, I probably would have chosen a more neutral lining, but that’s because I’m not as bold as you are. It definitely is a bright, happy colour.
I would be happy to read a post next week, but if you want to take a break for Christmas, by all means do. Your readers will all be waiting when you’re ready again. Merry Christmas!
I was not as bold as I could have been. At first I chose a blanket fabric which was orange with green swirls on one side and green with orange swirls. Bright orange and bright green. I chickened out and chose for black and white. Combining black and white with a bright colour is something I always do. And I will publish a post next week, no fail.
Thanks so much for sharing the children’s choir video. It was absolutely precious, and I couldn’t stop laughing.
You are welcome. As you might know, the real goal of my blog is to entertain, to make people smile or (even better) laugh. Mission accomplished this time. Every Christmas I dig out this video from YouTube and either post it on Facebook or on my blog. It is hilarious every year.
Fabulous coat and looks great with the outfit too. Fantastic overall look.
That video is hilarious. I hadn’t seen it before. Had me crying out laughing. So funny.
So many compliments. Ik word er verlegen van hihi.
I know about that video for years and every Christmas I look it up on YouTube and post it either on Facebook or my blog. It is hilarious every time.
The coat is FAB. i would not worry about what one should wear underneath. Everything goes with it. It looks very warm, too.
Great polka dot top and Oh, that black handbag!! Whose is it?
Jeans and boots enhance the beauty of the coat though. Glad you like it; I wasn’t sure you would. And yes, it is warmer than I thought it would be, especially because it stops the wind.
The black handbag turned out to be a very good purchase. It is definitely not leather and a copy of the expensive brands. There is no brand in the bag, but I bought it at the Max Mara group outlet near me. Because I found it there, I thought it was the real deal and leather. When I looked for the price I was very happily surprised.
Your coat is beautiful! A very talented seamstress.
I always enjoy your photos, such beautiful historic buildings.
I totally agree on your first two sentences. Glad you like the coat as well.
The posts have evolved from just outfits to outfits with ‘a background’ and especially my readers over the ocean seam to appreciate that.
WOW, your new coat… just beautiful and looks awesome on you! Love that your very talented friend made it, matching the pattern definitely a sign of a quality made garment. Always enjoy seeing your fashion picks, photo ops, mum visits and weekly activities. Thanks for sharing with us. Stay safe. Wishing you and family a wonderful holiday! ❄️
And of course a very Merry Christmas to you too. Yes, Katrien is a perfectionist and an accomplished seamstress, which results in this quality coat. I am very pleased with it.
That beautiful coat was definitely worth the wait. Clearly Katrien is an expert seamstress, one can see her care with the pattern placed so carefully on the lapels. I love it and it looks great on you! The outfit underneath is great, too. Of course I love the polka dots, but the proportions and colors are flattering on you, too.
So glad you were able to get booster shots scheduled quickly. We got ours about six weeks ago and it gives me a bit of peace as I read the news.
I’d love a post next week, but I don’t want to be greedy! Hope you have a wonderful Christmas.
Wendy, you can be as greedy as you like haha. I have had more requests for a post next week, so I will publish one.
Katrien is indeed an accomplished seamstress and a perfectionist. She handstitched the front of the coat, so the facing would sit flat… pfff.
Wishing you a very lovely Christmas too.
Oh, that coat is Fab.U.Lous!!!! 😍What gorgeous fabric. I also like the play of dots on the sweater and bag.
So glad you were able to get your booster! I’ve been reading about the new restrictions there, hope at least it helps reduce the spread.
Have a very Merry (or do you say Happy?) Christmas!!
I have no idea what we say, Merry or Happy. Both I guess. Do you celebrate Christmas? Or only Hanukkah?
Glad you like the coat. I thought it would be an acquired taste but everybody seems to like it, which is nice.
Wow – love your new coat, and the yellow lining is such a great contrast.
Have a wonderful Christmas!
Thanks Anne. I am really surprised. So many readers like the coat. Wishing your a marvellous Christmas too.
I am located in North Carolina USA – I so look forward to your posts – I cannot for the life of me own white boots – I would scuff them up in an instant!
The coat is divine! I love the yellow lining!!! Thanks for bringing a bright spot to my Sunday afternoon’s!!!
Another North Carolinan here! White boots are so lovely on others, but I would never be able to pull it off.
As I said to Monica, I can only wear white boots because I live in the city and not somewhere outdoorsy.
I live in a city so keeping white boots clean isn’t that difficult. If I were to live in an outdoors environment, they wouldn’t last long.
Thank you for reading my posts and for taking the time to comment. Much obliged.
The coat is magnificent and the yellow lining is a touch of genius. Katrien has a lot of talent. Love the rest of the outfit too, especially the polka dot jumper. We’ve had our third shots too and the situation seems relatively stable in France (for the moment anyway…). Have a lovely week!
Love the coat! It’s terrific. Very glad you, Ron and your Mom got boosted. Watson in your lap is so fun! Merry Christmas.
I am so surprised; I haven’t heard anyone say they don’t like the coat. Never thought that my readers would so agree with me on this.
Watson is often a hoot; makes us laugh often.
Merry Christmas to you too.
Hi Liz, glad you like te coat. Most of my readers do and I did not expect that. It pleases me of course.
Katrien did a lot of stitching by hand too. She is a perfectionist.
Hi Greetje
Love your new coat, its divine!
Yep Covid is a pain for all of us – these restrictions are a nuisance- especially to us pensioners who want to get out in the day!
Oh, glad you like the coat. I have to say that I can still get some quality of life, despite Covid, so I am not complaining.