Right…I bet you went “Whoa!” when you opened this post and saw the rather psychedelic shirt I am wearing LOL. I bought it in Paris in that little shop Addicted which sells stuff made by young designers. It means unique and friendly prices. As a young designer cannot afford luxury fabrics, this shirt is polyester and not silk. Most of you will go “Oh no, never”. Funnily, it doesn’t bother me at all and I don’t sweat in it either. I hardly sweat anyway.
My friend Marjolein offered to do a photo shoot while we roamed the streets of the beautiful city of Utrecht. We met at the central station where there is a huge shopping mal. The mall was supposed to be our destination as it is indoors (no wind) and very light but the weather was so nice and Utrecht is such a cute city that we swiftly made our way to the centre of town.
Below: Marjolein having a sandwich for lunch.
Below: She took this shot of me while we were having lunch. The design of the shirt brings me back to the seventies when I was young (in the last photo of this outfit you can see the Ban the Bomb sign better and the little flowers).
I wore long blue earrings which are not too flashy as the shirt is flashy enough.
Below: Utrecht is a city with many canals, like Amsterdam. From the long quay with many shops, there are several stairs going down to the canal which runs through the centre of Utrecht.
Below: Down below, across from where I stood on the stairs, are terraces.
Below: I was admiring Marjolein’s gift, the multi-coloured chain for my sunglasses; ever so handy.
The puffer bag is by Mads Nørgaard. Karlijn of kpa Haarlem was selling these for some time and it grew on me. When she only had this blue one left, I suddenly liked it. It is very lightweight with short and long handles.
Below: Marjolein spotted this bench and of course I went for the sitting pose. On the bench next to us were two young girls (age 16 or so). I said out loud to Marjolein “I bet these girls think to themselves Why on earth would you want to photograph THAT?” They heard that and I am laughing because they burst out giggling which I took as a confirmation of what I had said. Ah…youth…so wasted on the young.
Below: I took this photo of Marjolein on the same bench. I loved her outfit (perhaps even more than the one I had on).
Below: Water sport on the canal.
After we did some shopping we had a terrific cappuccino with a praline. It is really hard to maintain my weight at a decent level. I sort of manage because we eat very little at dinner.
I bought a necklace but took it back the next day (in Haarlem) and got a refund. It was a nice necklace but I really didn’t need another one.
Below: Here you have a good view of the shirt with the Ban the Bomb sign. It is as if I have put those flowers on the right myself for the shoot.
Below: Another canal, again with terraces.
Below: This is the kind of square we are always looking for on holiday in Italy or France. And what do you know? Right here, in my own country.
What happened in my life this week
Busy, busy, busy. Saturday I joined Ron walking the dog at the beach in the morning. It was the first time I wore my shorts from kpa.haarlem (below, with wind-blown hair). I really like them because they disguise my small hips and no bum. I only had a good pair like these once before when I was 29. There were a couple of pairs of bermudas in between these two shorts but I hate bermudas as they make me look like a man.
Watson accidently wounded my big toe with his claws, hence the bandage.
Below: I styled them a bit better the next day. I have Misja (of MisjaB) to thank for the scarf as belt trick. It looks much better on me than an actual belt.
Below: Saturday evening we went back to the beach for a meal in the sunshine. The waitress had to take the photo with the sun shining straight into the camera.
Below: This is the photo of the outfit, made just before we left.
You will have noticed the little portrait bag I am carrying. There is a different portrait on either side and they were painted by Bella, the Citizens Rosebud. She sells her art through her Etsy shop Bloomtown Vintage, although I got this one directly from her as we are friends.
Below the two sides of the bag.
My friend Marcella put rings on either side so I can attach a long strap and use it as a crossbody bag. Like with my black linen dress (below). (Link to original post of this dress.) I think it looks so cool.
Sunday I saw my mum and for your sake, took a photo of her again (below). Mum’s operation is scheduled next Wednesday at 8 a.m. I will sleep over on Tuesday so there is less chance of traffic jams. We still have to be on the road at 6.45. Poor mum, she usually doesn’t get up before 10.
Monday was a quiet day thank God.
Tuesday our friend Arine came to visit. She lives in the south of the country and recently took early retirement. We thoroughly enjoyed the day with chatting, a visit to the beach and some shopping in Haarlem. Arine got some lovely items. Below Arine and I just after lunch.
As the weather was cloudy that morning, I didn’t think we would make it to the beach which was our initial plan and I was dressed for the city. Then the clouds disappeared and we had lunch there. It is only a short drive from our house.
Below: My city outfit but with sandals as the toe is still healing. (Link to original post.)
Wednesday I did some administration for Ron and had a meeting with his bookkeeper but there was enough time left to lie in the sun that afternoon.
Thursday began with a visit to the pelvic floor therapist. It is getting better, we are nearly there. She gave me some useful tips.
After that visit I drove to my friend Lia and we had a great afternoon, as always.
Below: A very strange photo of Lia but that is because there was a lot going on in the background and I had to “cut” her out. My photoshop skills are very limited so it took me half an hour and this is the weird result. She seems to be floating when she was just sitting on a chair haha.
Below: Lia and me after lunch. Buddies since we were 17. (Link to original outfit post.)
Friday was a quiet day as my date with a friend got cancelled for a sad reason on her part. I did a whole lot of things though.
In town I met Spiros, the barista who served me delicious cappuccinos at my work a couple of years ago. He is now working in a restaurant in Haarlem. “Come in” he said, “and have a cappuccino”. We had a nice chat. As I was leaving I spotted the vintage bag and vintage jewellery shop that used to be in another street (see below). Now she is located at Schagchelstraat 32 (don’t even try to pronounce that haha). I had lost track of this lovely shop.
I will say goodbye with a photo of my dark red peonies below.
Below the weekly video, this time of our garden. One correction: I say “hortensia”, meaning “hydrangea”.
Greetje
Your blog posts are my weekly enjoyment. The videos enhance the enjoyment bringing your voice into the mix.
I draw inspiration from your outfits. As I will visit Amsterdam in 2024 (hopefully) I will know how to blend in as long as I keep my mouth shut. LOL
All the best to your mother. I hope the procedure and recovery will be successful.
You can plan ahead very well. Gosh 2024, that’s a long way off. Anyway, it doesn’t really matter what you wear in Amsterdam, you always blend in. Even if you walk the streets in shorts and no top, people will hardly look. Well, having said that, I have to correct it. Residents will hardly look, but there are sooo many tourists.
Delightful post. The groovy blouse is a treasure! So glad you bought it – looks adorable on you. The colors are nice on you too. I love polyester – light and flowy, no wrinkling, easy to wash. Doesn’t make me sweat either. Looks nice and is inexpensive. Utrecht is heavenly. Love the photos. Let us know how your mom is doing. You are so lucky to have her.
You and I are the only ones thinking so positively about polyester haha. My mum told me how thrilled they were in the fifties when nylon was invented and used for dresses. Same advantages as you listed. You just have to keep away from flames.
Mum was doing fine but there is a slight hick-up now. Hopefully nothing bad.
Wow! Loved every single outfit this week. The bright button-down shirt is very cute. You picked well. I have been interested in adding more collared button-downs to my closet. Hope all goes well with your Mom. I really like your metallic sandals and the dark ones Lia is wearing.
It was my husband who gave me the last push to buy this shirt. I wasn’t sure whether it wouldn’t be too ‘loud’.
Thanks for all the compliments.
I don’t have any collared button-down shirts as I always have trouble with that little button in the collar. My husband used to have them.
My metallic sandals are very comfortable. It is only that they are a bit big and wide for my small foot. Lia is been wearing such sandals since I met her when she was 16.
The scarf as belt is awesome! I have so many scarves, must try that. I love your fun blouse, Greetje! Wow, those are gorgeous terraces – what a lovely place you live in!
I laughed at your poor mum getting up so early – that seems to be one of the wonderful things about old age: getting to sleep in! My own mom doesn’t like getting up before 10am.
I love Bella’s bag! So fun!
A scarf as belt often looks better on me than a belt. Somehow it doesn’t emphasize the fact that I have a big waist.
Now that I am retired I don’t like getting up early either. Usually it is 8 in the morning. If I can manage it, an hourly earlier on Monday, Wednesday and Friday to to my exercises. Fortunately the operation was Friday at noon, so she didn’t have to get up too early.
Bella’s bag is the bomb.
Love your idea of using a scarf as a belt, am definitely going to try that. Just need some appropriate size scarves now so will be on the lookout. You look amazing in that shirt, very eye catching.
My friend Misja of MisjaB blog taught me the scarf as belt trick. When I use a belt on these shorts I get a belly and my waist looks (is) huge, but with a scarf there is none of that.
Calling my psychedelic shirt ‘eye catching’ is the understatement of the year hahaha.
The shirt is nice, even if it’s polyester. I don’t associate it much with your style, but with these pants the look is cute. Utrecht seems like a lovely city, thanks again for showing me the beauty of your cities. I love your blue midi skirt, I have always liked these skirts a lot. The bag is cute. I love your garden, your first blog photos were taken in it, I remember it fondly.
I agree with you, it is not my usual style. But neither is the blue midi skirt. I am a bit afraid, that skirt makes me look frumpy but so far I think I managed to make it look good.
Those first blog photos hahaha, how my blog and the photos have changed! It takes so much more time than in those days.
Remember I posted once a day when I started and you told me that it was a bit too much LOL.
I have looked at the shirt pictures a few times trying to find the “ban the bomb” sign but all I see are many Peace Signs and lots of bubbles/dots/mushrooms. Where is the sign?
The Ban the Bom sign is the same sign as the Peace sign haha. If you look it up on Google you will see it.
This is something that I also learned from your blog! I had only ever heard it called a peace sign, but when I Googled “ban the bomb sign” there it was!
We marched down the streets in the seventies with this sign. Ban the Bomb was very much our slogan. I knew it was also called peace sign as everything in the seventies was about peace (not war). Oh how optimistic we were. We were going to change the world for the better. That never happened. Shattered dreams.
WOW! That shirt is a brighter psychedelic than anything I wore or saw on any trip in the psychedelic era! You carry it well. And those shorts look so good on you. I wear nothing shorter than a pair of capris. I hope they don’t go away soon. Love that face/purse, too. It’s so good to read about your friend adventures. I’m still living in relative seclusion from the California virus – it still seems too dangerous to me. So my sartorial attention goes to what looks great on Zoom. Lots of fun with scarves and necklaces. Love reading your posts.
Hahaha… I like your comment on the shirt. I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to buy it, but Ron liked it, so I did. It will definitely be impossible to enter a room without getting noticed wearing this. But I never notice any attention, so it won’t bother me.
In the Netherlands all restrictions are gone for Covid. Not that there aren’t any people catching it, as they do. But only a small percentage ends up in hospital. Not enough to disrupt everybody’s life and the economy, so the government thinks (and most people in the country).
Well you really knocked it out of the park Greetje this post!! The outfits are amazing, the styling impeccable and you look, well, just radiant.. I love that psychedelic blouse and it obviously likes you a lot! I love that floating in air photo of your friend…why not?!!! What a truly fun, entertaining and lovely post. Thank you.
It is a good post. right? I was rather pleased myself. Of course I depend on what happens in my life and sometimes that is a lot, and sometimes it is very quiet and I struggle to get content. This week not much is happening so I am not sure how next Sunday’s post will be.
When I opened this post, I wnt, “Whoa!” Not really — I love the blouse, which looks great on you, as do the shorts. Great post, as always, with photos of your mom, your friends, and fascinating scenery.
Hahaha… I wouldn’t have been surprised if you had indeed said ‘Whoa’. It is what I said when I saw it in the shop. I wasn’t sure whether I would buy it but Ron liked it, so I did.
I was rather pleased with this post myself. It doesn’t always turn out this good.
Looks like you are thoroughly enjoying the summer. The Netherlands is so lovely during that time. Fabulous outfits too! Looking forward to seeing you in a month 🙂
It is even a bit too busy. Who would have thought. The Netherlands is only lovely during this time if the sun is shining and the temperatures are high haha. Remember some cold summers here?
Thank you for the outfits compliment. Until June.
You look great in that shirt; love the photo beside the pink flowers. Do you happen to know where Marjolein bought her amazing shirt? I love things with typography on them, don’t know why! The portrait bag is fantastic with the black linen dress and really takes it up a level. Keeping fingers crossed for your mum’s surgery, hope it all goes well. Have a great week!
It looks as if I arranged to have those flowers there, doesn’t it.
Marjolein bought her shirt at Expresso.nl but it isn’t this seasons and I think they don’t ship abroad. Really, I should either move to America or start blogging in Dutch. Nobody is able to buy from the shops I frequent (or my friends) and 60% of my readers is American.
I agree that the portrait bag takes the black dress up a level.
Thanks for mum’s good wishes.
What a fun shirt! It reminds me of a Peter Max poster. Ultrecht look so pretty, am adding it to the list of cities to visit when we come back to the Netherlands.
Your garden is a delight. Best of luck with your mum’s surgery!!
I don’t know Peter Max, so I looked him up. You are right, it does looks like it.
Glad you added Utrecht to your list. You know I am creating these posts to lure you to the Netherlands, don’t you? LOL
Thanks for your good wishes for mum.
I just adore this shirt…I saw it on IG and had to come over and check out all of the details.
Hugs and prayers for your mom’s surgery!!
OXOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
I am always pleased when I have been able to lure someone into going to my blog. Thank you.
Hope I entertained you.
Thanks for mum’s good wishes.
Love the physchedelic blouse Greetje and your legs in those shorts are amazing!
Good luck to you and your mum, she has a beautifully kind face.
The skin on my legs have lost elasticity, but I just ignore that haha.
Thank you for mum’s good wishes.
So many beautiful pictures – thanks. Utrecht looks wonderful.
The first thing I thought when I saw your shirt was – wow – very Peter Max!
The black linen dress is really chic, especially with that wild purse.
Sending good thoughts for your mom’s surgery.
Have a great week.
I didn’t know Peter Max so I looked up his work and I can see why you thought this.
The black linen dress and portrait bag are a very good match, I agree.
Thanks for the good wishes for mom.