My friend Erna suggested to meet in Amsterdam, in hotel Jakarta. That was on my list for great photo shoot backgrounds, so I immediately agreed. They are famous for their exotic plants; it is like a jungle in there. The evening before I sent Erna a photo of the outfit I was going to wear, as she would photograph it for the blog. And that outfit was not my flared jeans with a cream jumper, but my flared jeans with a green jumper.
After she had seen the photo with the green jumper she wrote back: “I hope I can still distinguish you with all those plants in the background.” Oh, stupid me. I could have thought of that myself. So in a hurry, I changed the jumper for a cream one, added a fun necklace and called it a day.
Below: The ‘jungle’ of Hotel Jakarta.
Below: Those plants made a great background. Through the windows behind me, you can see water as Hotel Jakarta is situated on Java Island at the IJ, the big stretch of water where all the huge ships go through on their way to Amsterdam. Read more about the history of this spot here.
As the name of the hotel indicates, it has to do with trading with Indonesia. I am using the word ‘trading’ loosely as Indonesia was a Dutch colony, so ‘colonising’ would probably be a better word.
Below: Introducing Erna, my friend who took the photos. Bad iPhone photo.
The jeans are flared and as the legs are shorter for me than usual, I needed to buy very flat boots. These are black suede but they often look blue. They are not very exiting but boy, are they comfortable. (Link to original post with the cream jumper.)
Below: After we had taken photos indoors, we went outside where the light is so much better and I took this photo of Erna.
Below: We started the shoot in the café. Behind me is the same bridge as in the photo with Erna above.
Below: I like the architecture of the hotel. This bar reminds me of a ship.
Below: Wearing my second-hand bronze metallic Mulberry handbag. A sure sign it is winter again. I never use it in summer.
Below: In the hall of the hotel with the jungle behind me.
Below: Close-up of the necklace. I thought it went well with the buttons on the sleeves.
A lady whom I used to know, created this necklace and many more. If you click through to the post Chunky necklaces, you can see them all (15).
Below: We went outside to shoot the coat I was wearing. You’ve seen it a couple of weeks ago.
Below: Demonstrating how you can take off the hood. The lining of the coat is the same as the puffer part I am holding in my right hand.
Below: I really like this photo of Erna who was wearing a casual outfit but very well put together.
Below: When I came home I took a photo of the outfit with my puffer vest over the jumper. (Link to the original post with the puffer vest.)
What happened in my life this week
My cold was gradually wearing off, as it does. Between going to bed and falling asleep (thanks to a Codeine tablet) was the trickiest time. Coughing as if I was about to die. It made me grumpy and one night I slammed the bedroom room as I headed downstairs to have a proper cough session. Ron was angry with me the following day for slamming the door and as I was still grumpy, we got into a row. After 15 minutes he said: “Shall we start over the beginning of the day?” I wholeheartedly accepted this offer. I had had time to contemplate and he was right. So I promised to do better and not let my temper and impatience get the better of me. 69 years and there is still room for improvement.
By Monday I was back on my feet again, albeit a bit feeble. I had tonnes of errands to run and was able to do them all on my trusty old bike.
As I lay in bed that evening I heard the cat rushing through the corridor. “Strange”, I thought, “It is as if she is chasing a mouse, but that cannot be as she hasn’t been out since 21.30. Oh well, if it is a mouse, I’ll hear it squeal”. No such thing.
Fifteen minutes later I had to go downstairs again for my extensive cough session and I glanced into the bathroom, which is the safe place for the cat. Strange but true. And there, propped up against the wall was this little mouse, guarded fiercely by our cat Sophie. OHHHH NOOO….
I chased Sophie out of the bathroom, closed the door, grabbed a towel and very gently lifted the poor mouse. I took it downstairs, fighting the cat off, and put the mouse outside at the front door. The garden is no good because Sophie will grab the mouse again as soon as she is allowed to go out in the morning.
The mouse lay still on the pavement and my heart was bleeding. After 10 minutes I looked through the front door window and saw the mouse was crawling slowly. Apparently it was injured but not dead. In the morning it was gone.
Now, you have to know this about me. I cannot stand any living creature suffering, not even the ones I am afraid of (spiders). It hurts me so badly I cannot sleep. If I hadn’t taken codeine, I would have been up all night, worrying about the wounds of the mouse and its suffering. For this reason I do not read newspapers, nor watch the news. One headline about an animal or a person being tortured and I am sick to my stomach and I will never forgot it. I think in images, so as soon as I read such a message, I see the picture in my head. Don’t worry, I do know what is going on in the world. Somehow you get the important things anyway, whether you want it or not. And I read background stories which skip the gory details.
Tuesday Marcella dropped by and we agreed on making a few videos to promote her website. Difficult though in these dark months. There isn’t enough light during the day to create a proper video and we don’t have any professional light. Below: Marcella.
Wednesday I created a Christmas table piece (below), like I do every year. I love it but I have never received any compliment from anyone so I know it is rubbish haha. I don’t care.
Below: Christmas table piece by night (I added red balls and bells).
In the afternoon I drove up to Hilversum, a town in the middle of the Netherlands, to meet with my friend Anja (below) who is staying here for a few weeks. She emigrated to Spain. So nice to see her again. We talked in the restaurant all afternoon.
Thursday was a day of fitness, washing my hair and trying to find a jumper or sweater for my bonus daughter’s birthday. I failed at the last thing. She wants a jumper which is a bit longer and most nice jumpers are quite short.
Friday was a day of leisure.
Greetje
Well, you already know that I like to see you in jeans, you already know my thoughts on the suitability of your legs to dress them elegantly. The sweater is very pretty and I think this basic outfit is perfect for a morning in such a nice hotel. I was moved by your story about the cat and the mouse, you have a special sensitivity and I love that too.
Thank you my friend. I would say I am over sensitive but I suppose everything is relative. It depends how you view the world.
I am now pretty much using clothes from my own wardrobe to create a new outfit and it bores me. Perhaps I am also boring my readers. Perhaps it is time to end my blog?
I understand you perfectly, friend. A few years ago, when we interacted with our blogs, the experience was more satisfying and pleasant. I, now, only follow two or three blogs besides yours. The immediacy of Instagram eats up my time and, although I am very selective when following people, keeping your IG up to date is complicated. Furthermore, the only thing missing now was that Threads invention, which I don’t quite understand how useful it is, because it’s repetitive. You will surely make the best decision.
I love my blog because I love all elements. The technology (keeps me on my toes), the writing, the outfits (I still love a good outfit), the photo shoots and the interaction with other bloggers and with readers. It is my only hobby. I do sometimes toy with the idea of stopping the blog but the benefits still outweigh the disadvantages. Instagram is not my favourite medium, apart from the funny videos. So I won’t engage in Threads.
You look so cute and I really like all of the fashion. The sweater with the interesting necklace is very nice. Eye-catching! And my goodness, you wear jeans so well. I agree with you on being kind to animals. Merry Christmas. Hope you feel well and have a wonderful holiday.
p.s. Your Christmas centerpiece looks good to me.
I always wonder whether I am wearing jeans so much because I know they look good on me or whether I am just lucky? As I do wear a lot of jeans.
You have a Merry Christmas too. Husband is OK with the centre piece now LOL.
Your centrepiece is lovely and very seasonal…and I like the beige sweater with your style of jeans. I have been in a “Barbie “ mode so decided that pink would be my dominant colour for Christmas! Pink mantle..pink tree but no takers for a Ken doll..Hubby opted out! Enjoy the holidays and Happy New Year…
Elizabeth
Ottawa Canada
Oh did hubby opt out when it came to a Ken doll hahaha? I can imagine that. Thanks for the compliments on the outfit and my table arrangement. Have a lovely pink Christmas.
I thought I would be the first person to notice how the necklace and the buttons were so wonderful together. I do love you in the outfit – every piece is perfection. I also like the puffer jacket as you carry that off quite well.
No my dear, I was the first person noticing how the necklace and the buttons worked together. Nothing in my outfit is ever left to chance. I like the puffer jacket as well, but it is not everybody’s taste (certainly not my husband’s haha).
I’m glad you decided on the cream jumper (sweater) instead of a green one. It’s lovely and definitely worked better with all those beautiful plants as a backdrop. I like the whole outfit… comfortable and classy.
Like you, I hate to see anything suffer. I really don’t like spiders, but I’ll carry one outside rather than killing it. Recently a bird crashed into our bedroom window (they eat the berries from the tree in our backyard until they’re quite drunk!). It sat on the grass looking stunned for quite awhile, but I was so thankful to see that it had eventually flown away. I was reminded of it when I read about your poor little mouse.
Ah… but you haven’t seen the green jumper yet LOL. You are right though, with all those plants it wouldn’t have worked.
Glad the bird was only hit and seemed all right. It is a funny sight when they get drunk, but it is quite dangerous for them. Easy pray.
Love this outfit. It is simple and classic and the combination of the buttons and necklace is perfect!
I used to be quite the door slammer. It’s very satisfying but I’ve given it up along with most of my fiery temper inherited from my Hungarian American father.
I agree with you completely on the cruelty especially to animals. I used to have a student who felt the same way, and we would alert the other to books and movies with bad animal stuff in them. I just can’t handle it.
Glad you are feeling better. Enjoy your holidays!
Thanks for the compliments.
I used to have a terrible temper when I was younger. It is still there, but I can control it much better these days, although not completely haha.
On the subject of cruelty…there are very few movies to watch and books to read if you cannot handle it. And fun books are hard to find.
I love that necklace with the sweater! I have a red sweater with black buttons down the sleeves. I do love the table arrangement. Not a fan of the puffer vest. oh well. glad you are feeling better now.
It wasn’t hard to find the right necklace with the sweater. I have so many to choose from and this one immediately sang to me.
My husband is all right now with the table arrangement but he agrees with you on the puffer vest. As you say “Oh well”. “Cannot please everyone all of the time. I am not a Nutella jar”, is the phrase I believe.
I really like how the round bits of the necklace coordinate with the round buttons on the sweater sleeves.
And I think your table arrangement is very fun!
Thanks Susan, for both compliments. I thought the necklace went very well with the sleeves buttons. And glad someone likes my table arrangement. I added little red balls and bells, by request of my husband.
I think your table arrangement is gorgeous & you look terrific in these photos.
Love the puffer vest and flared jeans which are my own solution to wearing pants over AFOs (ankle and foot braces). No more skinny or straight leg jeans!
That sounds like quite a burden, ankle and foot braces. We all get health things when we get older. One person gets it worse than others, but very few escape from ailments and illness. Thank you for your compliment of my table arrangement. I added little red bells and balls by request of my husband.
This is a very Greetje outfit. Glamorously casual! Those jeans are made for you. I also cannot read any articles about cruelty, and feel so much pain for the suffering of other living creatures. It is quite a burden isn’t it?
I like that characterization, “glamorously casual”. Thank you.
Yes, I agree, it is a burden. Other people can actually help but I am paralysed. There is so much awfulness in the world. I often think the world would be better off without people.