Loes and I set off to a city beach in Haarlem, called Oerkap on a sunny day to document this cream jumper. It was just the right temperature for it. Apparently I am a woman of contradictions as I like this cream jumper just as much as I liked last week’s colourful outfit.
This city beach is built with leftover scrap material and it looks the very opposite of chic. Here are some photos. It is built right below the main train track, next to two big bridges.
Below: This railway bridge is opening.
After this summer everything is going to change as the owners bought the big factory building next-door from the city council and they are going to renovate everything from top to bottom. As the photo below clearly shows, that is rather necessary.
We arrived a little early and the gates were still shut, so we decided to take photos of my new raincoat in the neighbourhood. I wanted a really nice raincoat, not one that you put on when you are on your bike. But definitely with a hood. And nice raincoats with a hood are very rare, which meant I had to spend rather a fortune on it. Found one at Max Mara in Paris.
Below: My new Max Mara raincoat, with the belt fastened. The annoying thing is that the belt is really long. I like the sight of it, but it takes minutes before I have it straight and not twisted. Any tips?
Below: The back of the raincoat. There are deep slits at the sides.
Below: I can also wear it loose without the belt. I still have to find a way not to lose the belt or have it dragging across the ground. Again, any tips? The earrings I am wearing are fine with the jumper but too long for the coat. The little scarf is from Comptoir des Cotonniers which I bought in Paris together with Susan of Une femme d’un certain âge. The brown is nice and practical but I want a bit of bright colour near my face.
The coat looks really stylish with the collar up, which I didn’t show you properly (aagghh). Draw-back of that high collar, as my friend Marianne predicted, is that you get lipstick stains on it (which already happened).
Let’s continue with the cream jumper. Bought at Lab Women’s Clothing. It was a matter of love at first sight. The material is tricky; the jumper looks as if it is woven with ribbons. I have to be very careful with jewellery or I will snag the threads. Trust me to choose something like that.
Below: I like the silver crossbody bag with the outfit as it is adding interest.
Below: The back of the jumper and a view from one of the terraces on another bridge and the river Spaarne. The high heeled pumps are remarkably comfortable.
Below: Loes pointed at the tables and benches and said “You can sit again”, haha.
Below: And there was another sitting opportunity. Here I have ‘fluffed’ up my hair again.
Below: I made Loes climb on a bar stool.
Below: Close-up of the green earrings by…(all together now:)…Lara Design!
You can clearly see the ‘ribbon structure’ of the jumper.
Below: Before we went home again I took this photo of Loes underneath the canopy, creating a rippling effect of light and dark on her.
What happened in my life this week
Saturday was a golden day. Ron and I drove to Amsterdam, my darling city which I love so much. We used to always go to the Noordermarkt (Northern market) or Lindengracht and stay there the whole Saturday morning. It means that if you go by car, you are nearly bankrupt as Amsterdam charges you €7 per hour to park.
This time we didn’t stay too long but enjoyed it tremendously.
Below: Having the best apple pie of the universe, freshly baked, still warm with real whipped cream, not that stuff that comes out of a spray can. Café Winkel43.
Below: The musicians playing at the market were really good.
Below: A video of me looking at the cheese stand and asking Ron (in Dutch) whether he would like some. He said yes and when I asked him “which cheese?”, he replied: “A lot”.
He took the video in portrait mode, so you’ll have to click on the photo to go through to YouTube to see it. So annoying. I did draw a ‘play button‘ on the photo LOL.
Below: They sell farmers food at the market, vintage stuff at flea market prices, clothes, jewellery, etc etc.
Below: And look what I found! Or should I say, what Ron spotted. The obi satchel is my own and it goes perfectly with the kimono. I love it.
It was a wonderful day. If I had the choice I would move back to Amsterdam but the real estate in that city is so ridiculously expensive, we cannot afford it. When I walk around there I get the sense of freedom; it is a vibrant city with a lot of humour. Haarlem is a lovely and pretty city with no humour (sorry Haarlem).
On Sunday Ron and I both went to see my mum and we did all sort of little chores. We had a cheerful day with her.
Monday was another fun day as my friend Marjolein and I met in the old town Utrecht. Marjolein took photos of my outfit for my blog and I took photos of her. I think she was better dressed than I was haha.
Tuesday was a quiet day with a cancelled appointment.
Wednesday I drove to mum again as the surgeon was phoning in to know whether my mum had made a decision about angioplasty. Mum said yes and surgery will be within three weeks. Hopefully when there is more blood flowing through the veins of her left leg, the wound on her heel will heal. Fingers crossed.
In the evening I went for dinner with Helga. She just moved apartments and lives even closer to me than before. She is a warm and cheerful woman. Below: In an Italian restaurant.
Thursday I was very busy with tax stuff for Ron’s business. Gosh, there were some unpleasant surprises. Apart from that, nothing special happened that day.
Friday I switched the summer and winter shoes. As we have a small house, my winter and summer clothes are all in the same closets. I have no other storage room. But the shoes and boots are in a closet which is 3 metres high. Shoes I don’t need that season are stored way up high. It takes me about an hour and a half to switch them and I am sweating like a pig when I am finished. Not my favourite job.
In the afternoon Marcella of Lara Design dropped by and we created three videos.
Below: These are her favourite earrings.
Even though you have already seen a video, I am still ending with one. Again, annoying as YouTube is, you have to click the photo to see the video. There is an even bigger ‘play button‘ in the middle.
I think this video is too fast. Still learning.
Have a lovely week.
Greetje
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