Another trophy from Spain, a black and cream zigzag maxi skirt. I love maxi dresses and skirts because I feel feminine in them and (big advantage) they look good with flat shoes. Most shorter dresses don’t really look good with my flat feet in flat shoes.
Announcement
Up till now I have been complying with Google rules to get more exposure for my blog and for people to find my blog easier. Like mentioning the ‘key focus word(s)’ in the first sentence. I find it pretty restraining and actually I don’t give a flying fig anymore whether somebody will find my blog. So from next week on, there will be slight changes to the posts to make it nicer to read.
I also hate Instagram, I am not keen on Facebook or Pinterest and I am only on these platforms because A) exposure leads to interesting contacts and B) it forces me to keep up with new digital things and I want that.
So I am still contemplating whether I will leave these platforms or not.
Over to the skirt and this impromptu photo shoot.
Meeting Katrien in Leiden again was only to return a borrowed book but it turned into a fun afternoon. Katrien took photos of the outfit with my iPhone and I wore sunglasses most of the time. It is another week before I can put eye make-up on again.
Below: Without eye make-up. As my eyes are hooded, you don’t actually notice it that much haha.
Below: Katrien. She is a quirky, arty, fashionable dresser who is not afraid of being different from most people. She actually would hate to be mainstream I think. I love her guts and her creativity. She is the one who created my long coat.
Katrien suggested we’d go and see an exhibition at Museum De Lakenhal, which is always nice so I agreed. We have been to this beautiful museum before (see this post).
Below: As we were walking to the centre of town, we passed this building and Katrien shot the back of the skirt. The skirt consists of 6 panels and they differ in length as you can clearly see in the photo below. Also, if a panel has a horizontal zigzag at the back, it will have a vertical zigzag at the front. And vice versa. Although I am a sucker for a pattern to continue from side to side, I really like this different approach/design.
Below: This house with the blooming jasmine was too good to pass up as a photo background and I sat on someone’s window ledge.
Below: Another one, pretending to ring the doorbell. The bag is Demellier and here is the link to the original post. The cream blouse is from kpa.haarlem (link to original post). The pearl earrings from Lara Design you have seen before. I wear them a lot.
Below: Beautiful canal. See the church at the back? Further down, you will see it more up close and from the other side.
Below: We arrived at the Lakenhal Museum where the exhibition of Christa Ehrlich was held. I will show you quite a few things of the exhibition.
Below: A head-to- toe shot of Katrien without raincoat.
Below: Christa Ehrlich was a designer of fashion, fabrics and silverware (a.o.) from Austria in the beginning of the previous century (1903-1995). A time when a woman had very limited chances of being independent, recognized and hired as a designer. She did it all and from a young age.
Below: Take for instance this fabric which she designed. (I love fabrics.)
Below: This is the suit Christa is wearing, made from the blue and cream fabric in the photo above. Such a shame that photo isn’t in colour as well.
Below: Or take the close-up of this vibrant flower.
Below: That flower is part of this wallpaper she designed and exhibited in 1925 at the World’s Fair in Paris. She would have been welcome to decorate our living room.
She moved to the Netherlands at the age of 27 and was employed by Zilverfabriek Voorschoten (Van Kempen, Begeer & Vos), a manufacturer of silver objects.
Below: Christa was also part of a creative hub, the Wiener Werkstätte, where artists created together. Her early Dutch work sometimes reveals her ornate, decorative Viennese style, like with this vase from 1930.
Below: The design of the vase.
Below: The managers of the silver factory had installed a deep drawing press which could form a deep hollow shape from a sheet of silver in a single movement. Christa experimented with this machine and quickly came up with silver objects with simple cylindric forms, like table ware, totally in sync with the new modern world.
I hope you liked this little tour around the exhibition. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Below: Looking at the map of historic Leiden.
Below: The historic building that houses the Museum The Lakenhal provides lovely photo background opportunities. The belt is new and from Loewe. Reversible and expensive. Believe it or not but I have searched for such a belt for 25 years. It closes with a knob through a hole. The sandals on the other hand are second-hand and from a charity shop (€12). Perfect summer shoes. Do they give me blisters? Sure, when I walk around town for a couple of hours and it is hot, they do. I always have plasters with me.
Below: Close-up of the sandals.
Below: After the exhibition we had a drink with a view in town.
Below: Pretty house with a café. It gave me such a summer feeling.
Below: As promised, the church from the other side, it is the Marekerk. Sorry I can only show you a little part of it and that is not my fault; they built it in a funny way. More photos of this octagonal church here.
That concludes the outfit part of this post.
What happened in my life this week
I had to keep quiet again for my second eye to heal after the cataract surgery. My vision is now very sharp and clear. Hurray. Only 3 more weeks of putting drops into my eyes and we’re done. The most exciting thing over the weekend was our IT-guy coming over to fix a few things and a visit to mum.
Below: Here is mum again. I feel a bit silly showing her picture every week and will stop doing that. Only from time to time I will show you a photo of her.
I did have a joyful Saturday, when I met Marita at the shop of kpa.haarlem. We both love the clothes Karlijn sells. Marita found a shirt dress and a top. The top was totally my style and fortunately Marita didn’t mind me buying it too. After all, we don’t work together anymore and I won’t wear it when we arrange to meet each other.
Had a lovely stroll around the market. I never knew it is so good, especially the food stands and one particular flower stand.
As I cycled home my seamstress caught up with me. We decided to go to a terrace and have coffee with sweets.
Monday was a really quiet day with an hour sunbathing late in the afternoon and some reading. I am really keeping quiet for my eye(s).
Tuesday I could finally wash my hair again. Such bliss. Did some shopping and that was it. If you don’t count numerous conversations in the street with neighbours. I also ‘created’ the invitation for a street party in August. One of my neighbours is going to multiply it and I will put one in every letterbox. We don’t know everybody’s email so we have to do it the old-fashioned way.
Wednesday I had cappuccino with Kitty on a terrace. We haven’t seen each other for quite a while because of her work and my holiday. No time for a photo shoot, but we had a lovely time catching up and that is most important. Wearing my cherry print dress again, this time with very old Prada kitten heels. They must be 20 years old and they are like slippers.
Below: ‘Parking’ your bicycle is almost as difficult in a Dutch city as is parking your car. Look at the row of bikes at the end of the little street where we sat.
Below: This cat couldn’t believe it either. I bet he is wondering what he can charge if he promises to guard the bikes haha.
Thursday was my last visit to the pelvic floor physiotherapist and I am glad to say the problem is solved. No more loss of pesky little drops of urine. Growing older means a lot of maintenance. I have to do so many special exercises! For my knee, for my ankles, for my pelvic floor and then all the other exercises to keep my body supple. It is a good thing I am retired. I need the time to do these extra things haha.
At the end of the afternoon Ron and I had a lovely meal at the beach. When you live so close, you have to take advantage of good weather and get that holiday feeling when your feet are in the sand.
Below: Cheers.
All beach restaurants are desperately trying to fight off the sparrows. We now get a wrapped piece of nougat with our coffee instead of a cookie as the sparrows love the cookies and people give them crumbs.
Below: Staff took their time to remove the dirty dishes (it was busy). I count 11 sparrows, including the two in the air, or are there 12?
Friday Loes came over for coffee in the morning and we sat in our garden.
At noon the hairdresser dyed and cut my hair and it’s lovely again. I cooked for Ron, actually I cooked dinner for 4 days this week as he is working hard. Groceries and cooking are his jobs, the rest of the household chores are mine. Vacuuming we both do.
Below: One of this week’s outfits. (Link to original post wearing boots instead of pumps.) Terrible colours and my ‘no make-up face’ isn’t pretty either. Oh well.
That’s it for this week.
Greetje
The skirt is wonderful! Love it! The blouse, jewelry and sandals are perfect. I can’t believe you found such pretty shoes in the thrift store.
As for your blog, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it! Follow your heart.
I couldn’t believe my eyes either when I saw the golden sandals and at €12. What a steal. They were never worn, but I found out, it takes a particularly flat and small foot to get into it. One strap around my ankle is fixed and it is small. Perhaps that is why they were given to the charity shop.
And as far as the saying “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” is concerned, I wholeheartedly agree. Had I not had support soles (bespoke) for my flat feet, then I would never have had my knee trouble. It turned out (after ten years) that they were all wrong and they did my knee in.
What? No more pics of Mum? I’m outraged! (I’m not, it’s your blog, do what you like). 🙂
As you know I don’t do any of the stuff I’m “supposed” to do with my blog, and I seem to do just fine. I don’t sell anything, so none of that extra stuff matters to me – it takes enough time as it is to blog 4-5 times a week!
Love your chevron skirt – how cool that the design rotates! I really enjoyed seeing pics from that exhibit, thank you.
Glad your eyes are almost all better! I do pelvic floor exercises when I do my butt “bridges” exercises. It’s excellent!
No, no, no, mum stays. I have had too many pleas haha.
I am still surprised you manage to do 4 to 5 posts a week. It is not as if you just write 2 paragraphs. Most of your posts are long.
Where do you find the time to do that?
My eyes are now 100%, both of them. I just had the check-up. I still have to get used to reading glasses. I seem to need them all the time.
Love the black skirt on you. You can carry off that mixture of drama and playfulness. It reminds me of a skirt my late husband bought me that I have lost along the way. I needed to feel a certain kind of spark to wear it, but I loved it. I’m going to a museum this week to see the Guo Pei fashion exhibit and you reminded me to put together a fun/dramatic outfit. It’s wonderful to have a reason to get out of the house and dress up. Also liked the artist you introduced us to. Fun!
It is indeed wonderful to have a reason to dress up. I didn’t recognice the Guo Pei name, so I looked it up and I remembered having investigated her a while ago. Her work is priceless, literally and figuratively. So beautiful. Have fun.
Beautiful outfit and amazing exhibit of the designer Ehrlich.
One thing I love about your blog is you are not selling us things. I understand some bloggers need the extra money or even blog/influence (i.e., sell) for a living, but I find it a turnoff unless explicitly stated.
Therefore, why bother with social media? IG is a way to drum up business, promote more clicks, and receive more money from sponsors. You occasionally meet people, but more often, the comments and relationships are shallow or worse, hurtful.
This is my undoubtedly unpopular opinion: I like your blog in newsletter form only!
But PS, maybe the Dutch government can pay you a stipend for promoting your beautiful country, LOL!
I totally agree with you. I don’t like the selling on blogs or IG either. Some bloggers (not many) do it the right way and then it doesn’t bother me. But those are few.
You are right that Instagram has become more of a selling place than a nice photos place. I still hesitate, as I did meet nice people over the past three years. And I never get hurtful comments which surprises me a lot.
I don’t know why you like my blog in newsletter form only. It is the same as on the internet, with the exception of the comment section and the visibility of videos. But if that makes you happy, stick to the newsletter.
The Dutch government isn’t going to pay me for promoting the Netherlands as there are far too many tourists already. As in most big European cities, Amsterdam is getting ridiculously busy. It is becoming a problem, believe it or not.
I am so glad the “mum pictures” will continue! Thanks!
You are very welcome.
Ah. To clarify, I like your blog in newsletter form, which comes to my inbox and directs me to your website. I either read it in my inbox or on your site — either works perfectly!
I have the choice just to send a “teaser” by email so that people have to click through to my website, thus creating more traffic to the website which Google loves. When I was contemplating this, I asked Sylvia of 40+Style for advice. She said: “What is your goal? Do you want big numbers or do you want to be read?” I replied “The latter of course”. And that settled it. I now mail the whole post.
Dear Greetje. I absolutely love your feature look today – that skirt was made for you. Please let your Mum know that this plea for continuing her weekly photo is coming from Melbourne, Australia. You both bring joy to many far afield I’ve never posted before – but this particular outfit and a message for your Mum left me with no choice. Thanks for what you do.
Ah, you are so sweet. Thank you very much, I appreciate it. And mum will continue to be included. I got so many pleas haha.
It must be strange for you to see summer clothes when it is winter down under and vice versa.
The skirt is very pretty and the print is very original. I like the outfit with the white shirt, this set is very elegant. In relation to your diatribes with Google, IG, FB… I understand you perfectly, I have chosen to do what I want when I want, ignoring if I have more or less followers, it’s just fun and, how do you you say, try not to lose the technological thread. You know what, I don’t really like photos with sunglasses, people use them to hide I don’t know what, but in your case, you don’t abuse them, I can say that they look really good on you. I love the designs you share, they are magnificent, a great designer.
Hah, I scored with you again. That pleases me very much. You are right about the sunglasses. In my case I am hiding my ‘no make-up eyes’ haha. Only one more post with sunglasses to go and I can wear eye make-up again. I have to say, no make-up saves a lot of time in the morning and the evening. And I don’t even use much.
Hi Greetje, thanks for a really interesting post. I love reading about your life and what you are doing and you always make me smile! And please continue including your lovely mother!
Yes, mum will be continued. I never thought I would get so many requests for that. Mum will be thrilled haha.
Thank you very much for letting me know that I make you smile. The main goal of my blog is to entertain, to make people smile and if possible, even make them laugh. So, it is lovely to hear I succeeded with you.
That skirt is really fabulous and looks really good on you. Well done!
I would have loved to have seen that exhibition! It looks fascinating, and I love her aesthetic and artworks.
One of my girlfriends with whom I was in Spain had tried it on and she didn’t like it on her. I could understand that, it wasn’t her style. The next day I decided it would probably be perfect for me and went back (bad girl).
The exhibition is until the 22nd of August. Just saying haha.
Fascinating information/photos about Christa Erhlich. What a talent! I love your tiered skirt, as well as your photos of scenery and friends.
Please don’t stop including photos of your lovely mother. I am always disappointed if you do not include one of her 🙂
I was fascinated by Christa Ehrlich as well. What a wonderful example of a woman.
Mum will be included, I promise. I got so many requests. Mum will be flabbergasted haha.
I just adore the tiered skirts and this one is fabulous with the pattern going different ways.
The Instagram thing can be annoying, yet I have met many wonderful women on the platform, so I call it entertainment. Who cares about numbers and such.
Can you share more about the pelvic exercises? I think I need that. I’m sure you went to some kind of specialist??
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
I have talked about the pelvic exercises a couple of times in my posts but I’ll give you a summary.
Yes, you need to see a specialist and that would be a pelvic floor physiotherapist. Most women are most comfortable with a female one, as was I. It is intimite work and you want to be at ease as much as possible. She will examine you and determine what you need to do and give you exercises. Every couple of weeks you come back for check-ups. I had to adjust a couple of times because I wasn’t doing the exercises exactly right. Had to do them three times a day (about 6 minutes each time). It is amazing that such simple solution works for such an annoying problem. I especially like to do the exercises just before I go to sleep. It is almost like yoga, very relaxing.
I love this outfit in all the shots, and especially ringing the doorbell (don’t ask me why). And the green top as well – it’s your color. I do so appreciate your joie de vivre.
Oh that is great to hear. I thought the “ringing the doorbell” photo would be too much of a pose.
Not that I would be too shy to ring a stranger’s doorbell, but I haven’t got anything to say haha.
The green top is like the fuchsia top and the bright yellow one, all good. I have three of them because I love the shape and the brightness of the colours. You are right, it is my colour, but really “they are my colours”.
What a great discovery today, as I knew nothing about Christa Ehrlich. As always, your photos are uplifting and interesting. The skirt is chic and fun, and you looked soooooooo fabulous in that green shirt on your dinner with Ron! Great color on you.
So happy that your surgery is giving you the desired result and that your mum is looking well. I for one would miss seeing her each week.
I never knew about Christa Ehrlich either and I found her really intersting. I am glad my friend Katrien took me to the exhibition.
Funny that you think I look fabulous in my green shirt (with white highwaist boyfriend jeans). I thought it was all right, but nothing more. You see, I never know what people are going to like.
I get so many remarks about not showing mum that I think I will have to continue haha.
Fabulous outfit and great photos too. Good to read that you have clear vision again!
I am vacuuming like mad. I can see every hair the dog and the cat are losing. And I need reading glasses all the time. Still, I am very happy with my clear vision.
Thank you for the nice compliments.
That skirt is perfection on you! It looks elegant, but comfortable and cool, a combination that is hard to find. Thanks for the bit about the museum, too. Very interesting!
Thank you very much for the compliments. You are right, the skirt is very comfortable and cool. Heaven with the forthcoming heat wave.
I show things like historic buildings and exhibitions to make the post a bit more interesting than just talk about the outfit.
I am so glad I found your blog—it is so much fun to read about your adventures. You make me smile. Know that you look great every time, fashionable, but elegant.
That is one of the nicest compliments you can give me: “I made you smile”. The whole goal of this blog is to entertain, to make people smile, perhaps even laugh at times. I am curious to know how you found my blog.
Through Sylvia’s blog.
Ahhh.. that’s wonderful. Thanks for letting me know.
Love the skirt! Inspiring exhibition photos and I always enjoy seeing your various outfits. Your mom is an inspiration too—her style is chic and comfortable. My own mom has struggled with giving up heels—for her heels=chic. So, I’ve shown her captures of your mom and now we shop for unique, stylish footwear that is NOT exclusively high/kitten heels! 😉
I totally agree with your mum about heels. They make me feel feminine.
Funny that you have shown her captures of my mom as I have hardly ever shown her with shoes. But I myself, am trying lower heeled shoes for a couple of years now, so perhaps I can provide the examples? Maxi skirts and maxi dresses create a lot of elegance and you can wear low heeled shoes with them without it being noticed.
Love seeing your mom. She is a delightful inspiration. Please continue her pictures weekly. Loved the maxi skirt. Elegant and fun in one.
I get so many pleas to continue mum’s photos I think I have to continue haha.
Thanks for the compliments on the skirt. I love it mostly because I can wear low heeled shoes or sandals with it and still look elegant.
Wow – lots of good things this week! I always learn a lot from reading your posts. I was not familiar with Christa Erlich but now I am going to do research to find out more about her and her work.
Your skirt and blouse are gorgeous, and you look great in those colors.
Personally, I think you should do what you want with your blog. It’s yours, after all! So many people online get distracted from their creativity by focusing on how to get more readers, etc. Your blog has always been a pleasure to follow, so keep doing it the way you want to.
Have a great week.
To tell you the truthm, I had never heard of Christa Ehrlich either. But I found her fascinating.
My blog is very personal and I am glad I have always been able to ‘run’ it with low costs which I can afford. No advertisements necessary. As soon as you have 100.000 unique visitors each month you have to pay a lot more to keep it running and advertising or sponsored posts are almost inevitable. (I only have 5,000 unique visitors each month. Very manageable. Let’s hope it stays this way.)
Hi Greetje, Love your blog wherever it is! You cant ever get to know much about a person on Instagram as you can on a blog can you?
So glad you are recovering from your cataract operation and your mum looks well – I too love seeing her kind, happy face! I think she always looks very elegant, I can see where you got your sense of style from!
Oh mum is going to have a field day reading the comments haha.
And you are right, Instagram isn’t for long stories and I so love to write and share things.
Hello you…
Love the pics of you sitting on the window ledge (outstanding skirt, by the way), and the one of you in the cafe wearing a nice green top.
Glad to hear your eyes are recovering. I have the same op to look forward to – when my appointment comes through!
Now, your Mum: I bet I’m not the only one to say how much I enjoy seeing her smiling face so, change your blog layout all you like, but leave your Mum alone 😁!
Have a good week and stay safe in the sun
Gee x
Whahahaha…mum is going to like your comment. I just happened to take another photo of her (and me) today, telling her I was going to reduce the number of times I am going to show her. She thought I was absolutely right in doing so. We’ll see.
Thank you for all your gracious compliments. The cataract op is indeed something to look forward to, no matter how strange it might sound.
Thank you for that lovely tour of the Christa Ehrlich exhibition, made all the more gracious with the addition of images of you and that perfect black and white skirt. Makes me want to return to Leiden some day. If you and your talented photographer friends would like another interesting museum to visit, please think about the Boerhaave Museum, not far away. Maybe Ron would also like it. It’s very scientific and technical and mechanical; the artifacts beautiful in their own way.
Oh thanks! You are right, it looks like a very interesting museum, certainly for Ron (you’ve got him pegged haha). It reminds me of the Teyler’s Museum in Haarlem.
We don’t live far from Leiden so that will be on my list.