The case of the missing hat

When I lived in Norway, the mother of a friend of mine made me a hat. It was orange and it kept my head nice and warm on those cooler days. However, when I moved to Northern Ireland, I didn't want to keep that hat, as I used it a lot. So, the same mother of the same friend knitted me a pink hat. Which could also be worn on colder days. 

I wear that hat a lot. So, when it went missing a couple of weeks ago, I was not pleased to say the least. And the thing was: how could it have gone missing. I had had it in my hands not minutes ago and then it was gone!

Picture this: my friend Pepperfly and I are driving to Amsterdam to see, amongst others, Gali Atari from Israel (see video) at the Eurovision Party. There are plenty of spaces to park, but a sign at the entrance states that it will be closed as of 10 pm. The show doesn't finish until 11 pm. So, Pepperfly parked the car (somewhat), I got out and asked a parking attendant. We would be fine! No new entries, but exits were okay. 

I got back to the car, Pepperfly decided she needed a different and better spot and drove around to a different and better spot. We got out, put on our coats and walked away. Hold on, where's my hat? I had it only a minute ago on my lap in the car. It is not in the car. *Sigh*

We walked off anyway, but I wasn't happy about it. That hat had to be somewhere after all. It couldn't have just disappeared into thin air. What if it fell off my lap when I first got out of the car. So, I walked back. But instead of my hat, there was a big big car. Right where we had been. 

There was nothing for it: I had to look under the car. And when I did, what did I see shimmer in the distance: my hat! Now to get it back though. Which proved to be a bit more problematic. See, Pepperfly's car is quite small and we had not been parked perfectly anyway. This car was huge and was parked as it should. There was no way I could get hold of my hat.

I did what any self-respecting person who is missing her hat does: I got up, walked around and tried on the other side of the car. Where it proved to be a bit more possible. *Pfew* I had my hat back!

Photos by Pepperfly, hat by a Unique Mamma

Handbags and gladrags

Part of my uniform collection.
The bright blue shirts at the back only to be worn during summer.

I am not what you would call the most up to date woman when it concerns clothes and such. Mainly because I wear a uniform in my day to day life and have no real need for a ton of clothes. After I get home from a shift, I tend to change out of my uniform and into easy clothes like nice thick pyjama bottoms and a lovely warm shirt. I will hang out on the couch and do not much. 

Having said that, I am continually amazed at the amount of clothes I actually do have! As in the 'proper clothes to go out in public' clothes. Occasionally I will go through said clothes to sort them, both for size and 'do I still wear it?' When I recently was at my sister's, she threw out a certain amount of clothes that were either too small or too big and I took a few items home. Without trying them on first though. The dress that I took home looked lovely and was the right size. Well, apart from a certain area out front that is...

Might not be the best uniform to wear in Norway...

The dress ended up on the charity pile. Soon followed by a pair of trousers that I have had for years, but have hardly ever worn. I opened boxes and closets and tried and sorted. One bag of clothes to go to Sally. 

One thing I didn't find in my rummage around was handbags though. Mainly because I don't own that many. At last count I have one. Bought just before my recent holiday. Yes, I do have small bags that some might think of as handbags, but they are not really. The reason I got the proper handbag was because of the shop I got it in. It is one of those shops where you go in, just to have a little looksie. And you come out laden with stuff you (don't) need/want. 

Nice and big, albeit a big floppy.

For some reason I had gravitated towards the handbags and though there were some that were quite smart, they were not my style. Then I saw this one. There was a black one or a coffee (ie brown, what's wrong with saying it's brown?) one. Which, when you're always wearing dull colour clothes, was not what I wanted. Until I saw this one, a lovely deep burgundy colour (okay, it's dark red) and I was sold. I was even more sold when I saw its price: nearly 200 kroner cheaper than either of the others! 

Now if only those pink boots had come in my size...

Men's wear

Nice and toasty, but not really fit for work

Today I had my second appointment with my physio (same torture, but less painful) and after that I went on the hunt for gloves. 

I had lovely gloves. Really nice ones. Leather. Comfy. Warm enough. They did not hold up very well when moving a fridge...

Great for making snowballs, but a bit too chunky

So, new gloves were needed. Leather, comfy, warm enough. But for some reason there didn't seem to be my type of gloves in the shops. In the end I admitted defeat: men's wear! Surely they must have some! And they did. Cheap as well (0,95 euro or even better: 0 Icelandic kroner). But (there's always a but, isn't there?) they were the wrong size. They were large and I need medium. He checked the other store: nope. A third store: nope! Grrr.

Perfect. Well, almost...

I did buy another pair. They are leather. Comfy. Warm enough. They just aren't the really nice ones I wanted. They did however come in medium...

Oh, and just so you know: I do NOT have abnormally large hands. But men's gloves just seem to have a better fit for me. 

Hat

I recently bought some items designed by my friend Yamini (she who is living it up in Scotland with a certain teddy). A lovely clock and a scarf. 

I am not a scarf person. Never was. So, why I bought it, I don't know. But now I have it, it actually looks quite good. I love the colours (which led me to buy it in the first place) and it feels quite cool around my neck amazingly. 

There was one thing nagging me though: the label is quite big and sticky-out. And I wanted to cut it off. Until I read the German text: Handwäsche, nicht bleichen, nicht chemisch reinigen, nicht im Trockner trocknen, nicht bügeln, keine Hüte essen.

Hold on, what was that last bit??? Where's the English version?

Hand wash only; do not bleach; do not dry clean; do not tumble dry; do not iron; do not eat hats. 

Yes, I had read it right! Do not eat hats. And it doesn't only say so in German and English, but also in French and Spanish (where it's called sombreros which I find even funnier). 

Anyway, I bought a scarf. I like the scarf. I like the label now as well. And I promise: I won't eat hats!

New shoes

I don't often buy new shoes. I am not that destructive when it comes to them and I find it quite a challenge finding a pair I like. But last Monday I found a pair. 

I had been told I needed a pair of these, but the regular shop didn't have them. In the end I ended up in a specialist shop. I tried on a pair in my size, but I couldn't even get in them. So a larger pair was found and off I trotted with my new pair of black shoes.  

They should be a great help during my swimming lessons.

And another goodbye!

Out with the old...

Yes, not only did I buy a new cardigan yesterday (70% off), I also bought a new coat. For the first time in forever I bought a new winter coat! Up to now I always wore the jackets/coats I was given as part of my uniform. And during the past four years I wore the very first one I got as a bus driver in Midnet Tours. That was in 1999! 

... and in with the new!

The coat is still looking good, but it's not up to par for Norwegian conditions. Plus I wanted a new coat. One that looks just a bit funkier than the one I use now. Finding one in the sales was brilliant. Shame it didn't come in a brighter colour like pink or orange or yellow, but it came with a great discount (40%). And I can always brighten it up with my pink scarf and my orange hat.

Goodbye

I found you about twelve years ago. Lying on the shelf in my coach. Left behind by a gentleman. He didn't seem to want you back and I took you home. I cleaned you up and then I started wearing you. 

You didn't mind when I spilled food. Or toothpaste. You didn't mind when I used the sleeve to wipe my face when working in the garden. You didn't mind the holes that eventually started appearing after all the washing. But we both knew you were nearing your end. You were fading. And you were getting thinner by the wash. 

I have to let you go now. Sorry. To make room for the new sweater/cardigan. Nice and fluffy. Warm. Comfortable. 

Goodbye!

Vanessa

Apparently a singer, Dutch Vanessa was more known for her... ahem... large boobs. And a few weeks ago I sent a photo of myself while getting my wet suit on to my friend Pepperfly. Who immediately realised the Vanessa content of said photo. 

I don't know how big her boobs actually were, but I do know about mine. I always felt they were in proportion to the rest of my body, and as I grew in size, so did they. But as I have begun this training thing, they did bother me somewhat. Running is not nice when you have two personal lifebuoys jumping up and down in your face I can tell you! I needed help.

Fortunately this internet thingy is perfect for getting help and soon I had a nice sports bra on its way. Would it fit? Would it help? Would it do the trick? Well...

Since I don't really run yet, I couldn't try it there. But I do cycle and every time I did go cycling, I ended up with a headache (lasting several days). I tried to keep my shoulders relaxed, I tried the shock absorber, I tried the sports bra. 

Guess which one works!

Photo on Sunday 2015-40

You were all wondering about that cardigan weren't you? Well, it was finished over two weeks ago (yes, I fibbed), because I wanted to make a Christmas present for my sister as well. So, here are the two photos of her new outfits. The top one being the cardigan and the bottom one being of a sort of figure hugging poncho type thingymebob with the original 'Marius' pattern. Both modeled by my sister of course!

The dress

Well, here´s how I looked from the front last Saturday. I don´t particularly like this photo, because a. I am not smiling and b. my hands. But, it´s the only one showing off the dress in a slightly better way.

Also note the ´jewellery´ I am sporting in my ears!!

Photo on Sunday 2014-15

The first outing of my Frysian inspired outfit! It took a while to get the whole thing on, but i managed in the end. My worries about using a toilet proved to be well-founded. And as it turned out, I should also have been worried about using stairs and steps. I found out when I nearly came down head first while going up some steps!

I must admit I didn't realise the shawl wasn't on straight and I wasn't told by the photographer either. But, the orange tulips and me in my outfit was too much of a nice photo not to use it. Nobody knew it was Frysian/Dutch and I only got asked twice where my 'bunad' actually came from. I did get plenty of stares though. 

Photo on Sunday 2014-14

The last few bits to go on and I will be finished. First there is the cap. It is again a white cotton and lace affair. Isn't it beautiful? It should have a silver cap (yes, proper silver) cap underneath and then earstuds just above the ears, but I certainly haven't got the money for that now. It will be on my wishlist however!

Since I don't have the silver cap and earstuds I decided to go for earrings. They are the Norwegian 'bunad' earrings and are quite pretty I think. I had been thinking of doing the whole thing in Dutch, but then again, I am living in Norway now, so a few influences would be nice. Just to show I like it here! Whether they will really be visible under the cap, I don't know though.

The next thing is the lace choker in black. Officially any jewelry with an outfit like this should be coral or jet. Coral is a red stone that I feel would be the wrong colour with the outfit. Jet is of course black, but also very very expensive. Especially if you want a whole choker necklace made out of it! So, I turned to my mother and she made me this beautiful black lace choker with a little silver thread thrown in.

And then the final thing. Because no girl can go anywhere without her little designer handbag. A little lace handbag, made yet again by my mother. With room for my money, my phone and even my lippy! It has some silver thread details on the outside and if you enlarge, you can probably see the material used for the skirt underneath the black lace.

Come back next week for the full result!!

Photo on Sunday 2014-13

I am nearing the end. It is just the finishing touches by now. Starting off with my footwear of course. The stockings go first (although, with all the gear I have on now, it might be a better idea to put them on waaaay earlier). I have two pairs to choose from. The first one is the pair shown above. They are white, bought at some erotica store and fit. However, when I walk, they roll down. Not good. The second pair is a pair of beigy/brown woollen stockings, also over the knee. The colour might not be good, but they fit and stay up! So I will probably end up wearing the latter.

And then of course the shoes. People asked me whether I would be wearing clogs, since they mostly associate those with the Netherlands. Clogs however are not for Sundays, unless you were very very very poor. Well, as you have been able to see over the last few weeks, anybody wearing the outfit I am wearing by now, is not very very very poor. They are certainly up there with the richer people. So, black shoes it is. And the good thing about the black shoes I need? They wear similar shoes in Norway. 

I would like proper silver buckles, but that will definitely have to wait until at least next year if not the year after that. For now, the buckles fitted to the shoes will have to do!

Photo on Sunday 2014-12

Okay, the skirt and overshirt (for lack of a better word) are on. We are nearing the end. The next thing to go on is the apron, which is lace-trimmed. It is fastened to the peplum using poppers. Which means that I have to be careful how I put everything on, otherwise everything will be off center!

On top there is also a beautiful piece of cotton and lace: the shawl. Can in emergencies be used to hold up a broken arm or as a nappy (diaper). 

The shawl is held together by a brooch. I wanted a different sort of brooch, but that will be for next year I guess. This year I will use a Norwegian 'bunad' brooch. 

Photo on Sunday 2014-11

The skirt. The velcro at both sides is used to hold the peplum in place

So, you have seen all that is underneath. The bloomers, the underskirt and the undershirts. Now for what's on top! First of all there is the proper skirt. It is huge! It is heavy. It comes nearly down to the ground. And I think it's beautiful!

Then there is the top of course. A sort of jacket that isn't a jacket, yet it isn't a shirt either. A few weeks ago I showed you how the top is closed and I can tell you: it is very fiddly (think bra times 10) and it takes some time! Fortunately it's fastened at the front, because if it would have been at the back, I would be in trouble!

And then there is the peplum (a short overskirt), that is fastened to the skirt and basically makes my bum look even bigger!!

Photo on Sunday 2014-10

So, what layer is next? Well, the shirt of course, in my case a Norwegian linen/cotton shirt that is part of the 'bunad' that is worn by most Norwegian women on May 17th. It has been bought now, but it might end up being unused. The collar is too high and will peak out. I could try to fix that, but I might end up just wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt over the woollen shirt from last week. Perhaps I could persuade my mother to ehm...

Then of course the underskirt, which at this point in time is only a large swathe of fabric. I am not sure whether I will be able to make it in time, whether I will be able to make it to my wishes and whether it will not be too bulky if it will get made. I will keep you posted (of course)...

Photo on Sunday 2014-09

I thought I would show you my Frysian inspired outfit that I will be wearing on May 17th here in Norway. But, I don't want to show you everything at once, so I will start from the ground up so to say!

The first three things on show are my undies. I shouldn't really do it. Really I shouldn't, but then again: there are bikinis out there that have less fabric than the stuff I will be wearing!

Now, to add some Dutch into the whole thing, I got myself an orange (and pink, granted) set that I just love! Of course this will not be visible when I wear the whole outfit, but a girl has to feel special, doesn't she?

Then on top of that come the woollen short-sleeved shirt to keep me warm and the bloomers that won't. 

Tune in next week to see what comes next!

Shopping

The fabric: a deep burgundy red

As you may know, I am not one of the worlds' shoppers. I mean, put me in a bookshop and I am happy to spend an hour or more there, but clothes shops are different. But even I need to go in one on occasion. Because it's a cold country here and I need to keep myself well covered. 

Today however, I went shopping for a different reason. If you remember I spent last year's Constitution Day in jeans and a sweatshirt. Which stood out like a big red sore thumb in a sea of neat toes. And I knew I had to do it different this year. So, when I was on holiday in the Netherlands only a few weeks after that, I bought fabric and gave it to a friend of my mother, who then proceeded to find patterns and then made the most beautiful outfit. 

Home made lace! I have such a clever Mum!

The most beautiful outfit was missing a few components though. Like shoes. And you can't just use any type of shoe, no, they have to be black, in my case low-heeled and have a silver-coloured buckle. I would also need stockings, preferably white. I needed knee-length bloomers that would have to be tied with ribbons instead of using elastic. A white underskirt. An undershirt plus another shirt with long sleeves that peep out from underneath the sleeves of the top. 

I needed a brooch to hold the thin shawl in place. Earrings to add some glamour. The lace necklace, lace bag and cotton and lace cap are still being made, but should make it to me in time. A corset or something similar was deemed by me to be a bit too much, although some nice new undies...

One of the tricky parts: closing the front of my chemise. Fiddly!

Anyway, I got most of the list. The stockings will have to come from erotica'r'us, since they are nearly impossible to find. The underskirt will have to be made by yours truly, but I don't think that should be too much trouble. The bloomers have been bought, but are not what I would prefer. They will have to do for now though. The long-sleeved undershirt is a bit harder to find. Any ordinary blouse would do basically, but without a collar, so I have some searching to do still. 

One thing I can tell you though: shopping is very tiring!

Dressing up and down

The first time anybody talked to me about legwarmers, I didn't know what they were going on about. And then I found out that all the girls would be wearing them during the Tide Games. Which meant that I would have to make a pair to wear. So, I got out my knitting yarn and needles and started. Yellow and green stripes. But, since I can't knit with a round-knit needle, I had to think of something else of putting the things together. Buttons!

Not quite what I went for in the end, but you get the idea

Apart from the legwarmers I had decided to take my royal orange hat (the winner) and my orange/red/white/blue boa with me and wear those. And when we got to Voss, we got a blueish t-shirt and a green raincoat. Plenty of colour to wear. My teamleader and roommate had dug up her fantastic grey afro wig, found a pair of sunglasses (it rained all day), green raincoat and donned her pair of legwarmers which were yellow! We looked fantastic and got lots of comments and smiles. 

The evening however was completely different. They really do dressing up over here in Norway. I saw fantastic full-length dresses, I saw a dress that looked very like mine (and she had similar shoes as well) and plenty of lovely cocktail dresses in all colours. The men came dressed (mostly anyway) in suits with ties and it all looked very glamourous. Of course I wore my new red shoes and new black dress, trying to look as glamourous as the rest!

The evening wasn't just used to dole out prices for football and stuff, it was also to honour the best team, teamleader, planner and there was an open class. Unfortunately our team, teamleader and open entry didn't win the gold bus (as it was named), but we had a good night nonetheless. There was a comedian/singer and after a really nice dinner there was music and dancing. I went to bed early though, since I was quite tired from being outside in the rain all day. But I had great fun.

I wonder a bit more...

I have always wondered why women wear red shoes. Now, I probably will insult somebody here, but honestly: why?? Don't get me wrong, red shoes can be great. On Dorothy for example, even if FLB had her wear silver ones.  

Other than that? Stay away from them! Don't wear them! Don't even buy them! They are ugly about 99,99% of the time.  

I recently bought a really nice black dress. I needed shoes to go with it. So today I bought a pair of high heeled black leather ones. Really pretty.

Oh, and the ones in the photo!