Saving money and the environment today by combining my cognac coloured trousers with a yellow Kenzo jumper. Both were already in my wardrobe, like the rest of the outfit. It is hard for me to create outfits but with the amount of clothes I have got, it is ludicrous not to devise more combinations.
Ron was my photographer and he is very pleased with the new camera. I won’t go as far as to say he likes taking these fashion photos, but at least he is not frustrated anymore.
We walked to the centre and Ron took these photos right in the heart of Haarlem, where you see shop windows like this. (Below)
Below: Here I am investigating the plant; is it plastic or is it real? I still don’t know. The yellow jumper is left long at the back and tucked in at the front. I have worn it before with my black leather jogging trousers. The tote is a present from my friend Marianne. The trousers you have already seen twice. Once in the post with my cream jumper and once in the post with my black blazer. The combat boots you have seen many times and first appeared in this post.
Below: We had cappuccino in this beautiful old restaurant, called Pieck.
Below: The scarf is an acquisition of about a year ago (from kpa.haarlem) and I hardly wore it. I love scarves but never know how to wear them without looking frumpy, old-fashioned or as if I have a cold. This time I think I nailed it. The ‘brooch’ is a shoe clip with which I attached the scarf to the jumper so it stays put. The shoe clip also ties in with the shade of the trousers. I felt really clever. The bracelets have been in my closet forever. I have a stack of them.
Below: As I walked to the toilet, I saw there was a little courtyard at the back of the restaurant. Nobody was sitting there as it was still too cold for that and no wind was blowing. Perfect photo spot.
Below: I was practicing my poses. Here is one, casually leaning on a chair.
Below: And this one came from the poses book as well. Might not be the most flattering way of sitting, but I think it is a fun photo.
Below: Totally a pose, no spontaneity here as Ron asked me to do this. The flowers smelled nice though.
Now for some lovely buildings and streets.
Below: One of the most picturesque streets in Haarlem called Warmoesstraat, leading up to the big Saint Bavo church. There is a street by the same name in Amsterdam and that one is famous because it is in the red-light district. So don’t confuse these two if you ever visit the Netherlands.
Below: Details of one of the shops (jeweller/goldsmith) in Warmoesstraat.
Below: Walking towards the church and the market, you’ll see little shops underneath the church.
Below: And this gorgeous building which has been on the blog many times. It is ‘De Vleeshal’ which means meat hall. But that was way back. Nowadays it is a museum.
Below: Close-up of one of the roof windows. Quite elaborate.
It was cold that day, but sunny. Temperatures have risen quite dramatically since then. It has been really warm.
What happened in my life this week
It has been a strange week.
Saturday Loes and I took advantage of the nice weather and did a photoshoot. You will see the result in one or two weeks.
Sunday Ron and I visited mum and I installed her new iPad. Believe it or not, but after a week there still are no hiccups and mum can use it. The rest of the week seemed free to lay in the sun in our garden.
Then on Monday mum was still in pain because of what seemed an insignificant blister on her heel. This blood blister started 8 weeks ago and the doctor and a district nurse looked after it, but it got worse instead of better. Long story short, I changed plans and took mum to hospital twice for the blister to be looked at by specialists. It meant I had to cancel a few dates and appointments as the hospital visits were two days in a row. One at 9 a.m. on Thursday, so I stayed over to help mum get up far earlier than she is used to or want to. But if you are in pain and you can get help at such short notice, you’ll take it. Beggars cannot be choosers. I had used my sweetest voice on the phone to the hospital appointment planner. She arranged something around the normal procedure which would have taken weeks. I felt very good when both visits went well. It is so nice to be able to help someone you love, really satisfying.
On Monday afternoon and Tuesday afternoon there was time to lay in the sun in the garden. On Tuesday morning Ron and I took Watson to the beach. I was dressed for wind and low temperatures as it is usually far colder at the seaside. I am no optimist in such matters but was proven wrong. I had to take off my coat, my sweater, my tights, my scarf, my gloves.
Below: Look at that sunshine, unbelievable. It was the 22nd of March, definitely the result of a climate change. It might look like heaven now but it is a bad omen.
Thursday afternoon I had a brief meeting with Marcella. We are getting better and faster at making videos. We put this a-symmetric pearl earring set on her Instagram account. They are the ones she gave me last week. You will see them on me in one or two weeks.
At the end of the day I drove to a nearby town to look at a clock for mum. Her own clock has packed up and we found a similar one on Marktplaats (a Dutch equivalent of E-Bay) for € 35. At that price we are not going to repair the old one. It looked good, so I bought it for mum.
On my way to the clock address, I passed this magnificent magnolia tree. Gosh, I so love spring. It is my favourite season.
Friday was a day of exercise, running errands (also for mum), making an appointment for yet another booster vaccination, reading and again laying in the sun in the afternoon. I love my life. I love my husband, my family, my health, my house and so much more. I feel truly blessed.
And now it is time for the weekly video. My friend Misja Beijers (link to her blog) was behind the camera. Editing was done by me.
It is a little promotional tour through Haarlem, in English although you might not think so at the beginning.
Greetje
This is the first time I have seen/read your blog. Found you through une femme d’un certain age. I will be in Amsterdam for the first time later this month and am hoping to visit Haarlem. It looks amazing. Your blog is much fun and beautiful photography. Thank you for sharing!
Welcome Marian. I am very pleased you found my blog. In the top navigation you will find buttons Amsterdam and Haarlem. Not all posts which have photos of these cities are in there, but in any case a lot. Perhaps they will inspire you. I cannot vouch for the shops and such to still exist if you read a 9 year old post though.
Another entertaining post. And what a lovely video, wearing that gorgeous suit.
Well thank you my dear friend. I am trying to improve my video skills. Actually, I am trying to gain any skills.
Nice color combination in the outfit. And the sitting-backwards pose on the chair is a delight: youthful and fun. I enjoy hearing our off-hand observations, like how climate change is affecting us. It’s almost like having a cup of tea with you. 🙂
I was looking in my wardrobe to see what I had to wear with these trousers and I took out another yellow sweater first. Don’t know when the idea for this jumper came up. At the moment I am looking for a course in poses as it isn’t as easy as the magazines make it look.
Having a cup of tea with me.. haha. Friends of mine used to say I write the way I talk; they could hear me talking when they read my messages. Most people seem to enjoy it LOL.
The juxtaposition of black and white with the two warm/earthy colours is fabulous, Greetje! The black and white scarf, accessories and boots really pop, and they also add a very modern element to the look.
Gorgeous pics! I hope your mum’s foot is better!
I subconsciously did it right then. If possible I always try to incorporate three colours in an outfit, rather than two. When I am lucky even four as in this outfit: black/white/cognac/yellow. It makes an outfit so much more interesting. But really, with black and white as neutrals you can add anything. So it wasn’t rocket science LOL.
I like this color combination, I like both colors. The scarf around the neck is also very cute in the look. Another beautiful collection of photos from your country, thank you! I really like the suit you wore in the video, I think the pattern is beautiful, and a very elegant proposal. I am also fascinated by the setting, with the canals so typical of your land and your reference to the museum.
It is always a challenge to find a subject for a video. Usually I leave creating the video to the last minute which is something odd for a planner like me. I find it funny that people like my country/town so much, especially people from gorgeous areas like you (meaning Barcelona in particular). Perhaps because the Netherlands are just different?
How about making a video of how you put an outfit together, either from your closet or in a shop (KPHaarlem perhaps)? Whatever you choose to do, we love hearing your voice!
Hope your mom’s foot is healing well!
Thanks for the suggestions Sarah. If I want to show how I put together an outfit from my closet, I’d better ‘script’ that. Otherwise it will be a very long video perhaps even with strong language and we don’t want that haha.
Haha, I know that feeling!
You have such beautiful architecture over there, Greetje. Haarlem looks like a gorgeous place to visit too. You never know, one of these days, we might actually get there.
I LOVE your little promotional video—you should more of those!
Big hugs
Suzy xx
Of course I only show you the good bits haha. But I will agree, Haarlem is lovely. In comparison to Rome (and the rest of Italy as a matter of fact) it is small fry. Italy is an open museum.
I always struggle to find a subject to talk about in my weekly video. Next week I will ask my readers for some input, some ideas.
The magnolia tree is stunning! Here on the Canadian prairie, though it’s melting quickly, snow still covers half the ground. We are traveling to Vancouver and Victoria on the Pacific coast next week though. There, we should be able to enjoy flowers and trees in blossom!
I enjoyed the video tour and I also love the suit you’re wearing in it.
I hope your Mom is healing. It’s difficult and worrisome when elderly parents aren’t well.
I have been to Vancouver for a bloggers get-together in 2015. It is a lovely town. I especially like the yacht / harbour area with the market.
Have a lovely break next week.
What a lovely outfit==the clip is genius. Also that lovely suit in your video is outstanding–loved it since you first introduced us to it.
That red suit with tigers still gets many compliments. Especially when I am walking in the centre of the city in the sun (high heels are a necessity though). I have used the clip as brooch before, two in a ‘row’ on the lapel of a white jacket and immediately lost one.
Love the latest outfit, and using the shoe clip on your scarf is genius! Thanks for the video tour — what a great idea. I do hope your mum is feeling better.
I have used the shoe clip as brooch several times, once on a white jacket (and promptly lost one of the pair). I am a master in sticking things together with fashion tape, brooches or safety pins. Subjects for the videos are always a challenge. Next week I will ask everybody to pitch an idea haha.
Love your tour video – more, more!
Have a great week.
Hahaha..”more, more”. You know, it is difficult to come up with a subject to talk about each week. Luckily I haven’t trapped myself into a ‘format’. Nevertheless, I want to entertain and that isn’t simple. It is a challenge and I need that; keeps the brain active.
I do think combining different color combinations is the best way to wear what we already have in our closets. Sometimes I get inspiration from the colors in some of my scarves. Or from seeing your fabulous outfits, Greetje!!
I hope your mum is doing better!!
XOOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
You wrote a very flattering (for me) comment, Jodie. Usually I need inspiration (and a lot of help) from others, so I am glad I can inspire someone as well.
You look so pretty! And the video was nice to view.
I selected the best photos (as always), the ones that make me look pretty. And it worked LOL.
It isn’t easy finding a subject to talk about in the weekly video, but so far I managed.
Thank you for the lovely tour of Haarlem. It is my favorite city in the Netherlands, and Teyler’s Museum is my second favorite museum in all the world! Your blog is always inspirational.
And thank you for reading my blog.