A new blog

I decided to start a new blog because I felt the topics I want to write about didn't really fit this blog anymore. I won't take this blog down because I love to read old blogs and I'm sure there are people who'd like to read old posts on here. Thank you for your views, your comments and encouragement. I really enjoyed being part of the community.

If you like, you can follow me on my new blog.

The day before the plastic diet

Tomorrow is the first day of the plastic diet. I've been wanting to participate in a zero waste challenge since it caught my attention. I discovered that during the month of September, there is a 30 day challenge called 'the plastic diet'. I'm not sure about the rules of this challenge so I came up with a couple of rules of my own.

- Refuse all single-use plastic (cutlery, cups, straws, bags, condiments etc.)
- Avoid plastic packaging as much as possible.
- Use my keepcup if I want to take coffee or tea on the go.
- Buying things packaged in paper or metal is okay (because these can be recycled properly, unlike plastic)
- Write a post every couple of days showing my grocery hauls and write about other zero-waste related topics.
- Put my trash in a trash jar (I got a big cookie jar in a cupboard lying aroun, use what you already have :) )



My first 'low-waste' haul. Bags for the fruit and bread, glass bottles for the yoghurt (unfortunately with a plastic lid) and chocolate milk. I returned the ice-tea bottle to the store and got my 25 cents back.

I really look forward to the next 30 days and I'm curious to see how much plastic I can avoid.

with love,

Jip.

It's been a long time...

The last time I wrote on my blog was two years ago. A lot has changed since then. My last internship will start in two weeks, my boyfriend and I moved in together and we got a lovely cat named Ginger. But more about that in another post.

I also recently found a new 'purpose' in life: producing as less plastic waste and to live as sustainable as possible. My goal (at least for now) is a zero waste lifestyle, but less waste might be more realistic. I've been educating myself on the subject  by reading articles and watching videos on Youtube and I find the possibilities fascinating. I already incorporated a lot of things into my routines, like taking my own bags when grocery shopping, going to the farmers market instead of the supermarket, using a reusable coffee cup, I replaced my toothbrush with a bamboo one instead of a plastic one and so on, and I really enjoy it. So on my blog I want to document my wins and losses regarding this lifetsyle. It recently occured to me that a lot of things in the zero waste community are quite old-fashioned (for example, the shopping resembles the way people would do it in the past). Therefore, I think the name of my blog fits perfectly.

Are you interested in producing less plastic waste?

With love, Jip.

Another year has come to an end

This year really flew by, didn't it? I can picture last New Years Eve as if it were yesterday, and in two days it'll be time again to celebrate the new year!

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 For the last two years, I believe I have been writing my New Years resolutions (a couple of them, anyway) on this blog so I can see how I did at the end of that year. It's become some kind of a tradition and I really want to do it again, but first, let's see how I did this year:

• Be more healthy: just like at the beginning of this year, it is something I am still working on. Sometimes it can be so hard to resist the tempation of junk food, especially when in company or when feeling not so great. But in the end, I always feel better when eating healthy, so I want to do that more often because it is better for me than just eating whatever I like, and feel good temporarily.

• Teach myself how to properly paint nails: I have been painting my nails more often than I did in the past, but nail polish is actually not allowed at myinternship, so I only wear a translucent one during the week and then sometimes I paint them when I go to school, or on the weekends, Speaking of nailpolish, I just dropped the brush on my boyfriends duvet cover so I have to be more careful. But at least the colour is pretty!

• Stress less about everything and think positive: Again, this is something I'm still working on. This actually became worse this year and I really feel like I just have to snap out of it. There was a time when I did not stress about things this much. so i should be able to 

• Be a little more outgoing: This is something that has improved so much and I am really happy about it! I still feel really self-conscious when I talk to someone or when I am on the phone, but at least I talk to people more now.

• Get organized: I have been trowing away/donating things I do not need anymore this last year, but I still have a lot of stuff that just needs to go. In a couple of days I'll be home again so I can tackle my bedroom. I am thinking of doing a purge/declutter challenge or something similiar, so that I don't have to do everything at once.

Next to these goals from last year, which I will be working on again in the next year, I also want to add some new goals/resolutions:

• Engage in some kind of sports: I already joined a yoga class this year, but I want to do something that really gets me in shape. Running isn't very safe in the dark around my neighbourhood.. Does ayone have ideas for free at-home sports?

• Learn to sing: Or, at least, just sing sometimes, just for myself. I'm not aspiring to become a famous singer but I really like music and it can also help with my stammer, so why not try it?

• Learn to read music notes: A few years ago, I had piano lessons and I loved playing the piano. I want to be able to do it again, but first i really want to learn to read notes because it would make playing much more easy. 

• Spend more time blogging: Since changing my clothing style, I have been thinking about what I want to do with my blog, should I continue, should I stop? Should I change things? I know one thing, and that is that I LOVE writing on here, I really like expressing myself through words. And I love the fact that you, lovely readers, actually read it and leave comments, and maybe you can even recognize yourself in some things that I write. That's how I often feel when reading other peoples blogs. 

This past year I have been watching A LOT of youtube videos about self-development, and this girl is one of my fsavourite Youtubers. She made a series about resolutions/goals and it's very inspiring, here's the first video of the five-part series.

What are your resolutions for next year? Let's make 2017 amazing!

With love, Jip.

What have I been up to lately ? - Week 35 + an important update

The last time I posted, I was about to go on vacation to Prague with my boyfriend. It was awesome. The city was beautiful and even despite the bad weather we had a great time. After the trip to Prague I had a couple of weeks vacation left. Since then, 'normal' life started again. But instead of going to school five days a week, I'll only go on friday. The rest of the days I spend at my internship which started a week ago.

I have my internship at a day activity centre for elderly people and I already like it so much! The people who come over there as well as the people who I work with are lovely. It is my job to keep the people busy with games, crafts, reading etc. Everyday is a bit different from the last and I don't work very long days, so have plenty of energy to do other necessary things like doing groceries and cleaning my apartment and other things. I could really imagine something like this being my job. To give you an impression of where I will spend most of my days these coming six months, I have found a 3D image of the inside of the building.

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You readers might remember a post from about a year ago, the one about a 'fashion identity crisis'. Truth be told, this year I found myself in the exact same spot again. I felt that I was limiting myself again because I always felt the need to look as historically accurate as possible. And when I liked something modern, I'd quickly look/think at something else. But after thinking about it for a long time, I came to the conclusion that this is my life, and I should wear whatever I want. If people won't like me for what I wear (or don't wear anymore), I won't worry about it too much. It is time for me to choose for myself. If I want to wear vintage again, I'll certainly will. But after that, If I tend to like some more modern pieces as well, I won't hold myself back this time the way I did again during the summer.

One of the first things which came to mind was: what will I do with my blog now that my style has changed? I had been worrying wether to stop blogging altogether, or maybe to change the name or something. But then I knew that I will always remain 'Old-fashioned at heart'. And that I'll find a way to update my blog so it fits the person I am becoming now.   I don't see it as a problem or something negative but as some kind of journey.

I hope you lovely people won't give up on following and reading my blog. I still love the blogging community and I even think this whole thing might sound familiar to some of you who wear or have worn vintage 24/7.

with love,

Jip.

Packing for Prague

It is vacation time! A few weeks ago, my boyfriend and I booked ourselves a bus trip to Prague. I have never visited the Czech Republic before so I'm really curious. I heard from a lot of people already that it is a great place if you love history and there should be a few vintage shops as well! I didn't pack a lot as I planned to do a bit of shopping while I'm there. In my suitcase I only took one dress (I am wearing a 2nd dress), a pair of pyjamas, my toiletry case, some underwear and socks, (I did some laundry yeaterday, hoping it would be dry on time. It wasn't. So I took a towel and rolled everything up. Maybe it will dry) my phone charger. That's about it. I also took my little blue rucksack to put in a few things for when we are traveling: a book, a not yet started crochet project, my sunglasses, wallet and phone and a notebook. 

I think I'll have a great week and I hope I can take a couple of photos. My camer is still missing so I'l have to make do with my phone for now.

With love, Jip.

5 types of shoes every vintage girl should own

Hello dear readers!

It's been a while since I last wrote. I kind of lost my blogging mojo and wasn't sure what to write about and if I should write at all. Sometimes I feel like I haven't made any blogging progress over the past six years and other blogs look so polished and have great content. But I like blogging. I like to write and I love the blogging community. I even got a few ideas for different categories of posts. So for now, I'll just keep blogging.

I've been thinking alot about how to build a vintage wardrobe lately as I find myself having no basic pieces of clothing to match more special pieces with. I have collected A LOT of stuff since I started wearing vintage back in 2010. I also sold or gave away quite a few things but still, I don't have a wardrobe which really works. I feel like I have to start from scratch (apart from keeping pieces which I absolutely love - or would never part with) which is scary, but I'm also kind of excited.

As you know, I wore modern clothing a while back and even though I was happy with the newfound freedom I gave myself, I didn't feel special at all and clothing was not as much fun anymore. I slowly started wearing vintage again and it has been like that eversince. But now, for once and for all, I want to have a fully functioning wardrobe with clothing that makes me feel awesome.
 I'm going to write posts about building a wardrobe as I go through this experience myself. Perhaps it is useful for some of you.

Let's get cracking!

Shoes are very important to finish a certain look. So much details have changed over the past years. Materials, shapes, heels etc. It can be really hard to find vintage style shoes that look the part, but luckily there are some very timeless shoes out there which are still being made and sold today. Here is a list of shoes I think every girl should own. I'm focussing mostly on the 30s/40s here but these will work for any 'vintage' decade I think.

1. Oxfords

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Suitable for almost any decade, a good pair of oxfords is definitely a good investment. If you choose good quality and get run-down soles and heels fixed, they can last for quite some time. Depending on the height of the heel they can be very stylish or just perfect for wearing every day, especially if you have to go to college, run a lot of errands or like to walk a lot.

2. Pumps

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Every girl needs to own a pair of pumps. When paired with a nice dress and some jewelery, you're ready for a party in no time. They are also very versatile. If you pick the right colour for your wardrobe, you can pair them with lots of dresses and seperates.

3. White sports shoes

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These have been around since the 1920s and are availabe in clothing/shoestores when Spring comes and the weather gets warmer. They look lovely with a playsuit or summer dress and a cute straw hat. They are very comfortable as well so they are great to wear while on vacation or a trip. And the great thing is: these shoes are made of fabric so you can just put them in the washing machine when they get dirty!

4. Penny loafers/moccasins

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A signature shoe for 40s and 50s looks. This type is a timeless classic and you can still find these in stores. Usually availabe in brown, black or dark blue, these make a great wardrobe staple to pair with dresses, skirts and trousers. And they look so cute with a pair of white socks!

5. Wedges

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This type of shoe was very popular in the 40s and they are in fashion again now, which makes it really easy to find 40s style shoes for summer. You can buy these in all kinds of colours, or even make a pair yourself! Despite of the usually high wedge, they're quite comfortable as well, so great for a day at the beach!

I hope this post will help you find some great vintage style shoes to build your wardrobe with. Also, I'd love to hear from you, dear readers, what you think about this kind of post. It might be a start of a whole series about wardrobe building!

With love,

Jip

What have I been up to lately ? - Week 9

I thought it was time to write on the blog again. School keeps me really busy and we have a long schedule so there is very little free time unfortunately. However, this week I am enjoying a short break from school at home, which begins on Monday again. I still got tonight, tomorrow and the entire weekend to enjoy some free time.

Apart from not having much time I did not really feel like writing. Or like doing anything. Since I 'moved out' I have been feeling really homesick and doubting things and decisions I have made in life so far and it feels horrible. School is fun and I am learning a lot, but at the end of the day I sometimes dread to go back to my flat, by myself, cook and clean by myself and then spend the evening by myself.. and then being alone once I wake up. I like that things are quiet but I feel lonely, except for when friends, family or my boyfriend comes over.

When I first decided to change schools during the summer, I was all excited about moving out and have an entire different life, but now it does not seem that fun at all. I've become very anxious and sometimes I don't feel like this is my life, so much has changed. I miss little things, but also the most basic thing in the world: being home. Unfortunately it is one of the things you miss the most when they're gone. that's when you discover how nice it really was, and then feel bad about not enjoying it while you had it..

Even though I called it moving out, I don't see it that way anymore. I still live at home, but because of the distance and the lack of public transport from Germany to the Netherlands, I live in that flat. I go home whenever I can, during most weekends and vacations. Unlike most people, I do not plan to go live back home fulltime after finishing school. Mainly because I'd like to live together with my boyfriend by then, but also because I wouldn't be able to find a job there and support myself. I'd have to rely on my parents again.

Did anyone have such a hard time moving away for school/college? How did you cope? And, most important; does this horrible feeling go away? Even after months? I'm really, really afraid I won't be able to feel 'home' somewhere other than my parents home. I don't even know if that's normal.

Enough about that, I'd like to tell you what I have been doing for the past few days during my vacation!

Friday was the last day of school and I went to Ahaus with my sister. We had hot chocolate and visited some shops. I really like to spend time with her.

The hot chocolate was really nice!

I didn't do much on Saturday. My boyfriend came over on Sunday, I baked a lot of things that day. We spend the entire Monday together and cooked 'Homity Pie'. It was delicious! I do have a 'before' photo but forgot to take one afterwards.. I will make this again so I'll try to think of making a picture. Here's the recipe if you're interested.

We went for a walk and it was really cold, I like to wrap my scarf around my head when I'm freezing. I'm slowly starting to wear vintage clothing again, i just love it so much. It feels so special.

The pie just before it went into the oven. It was delicious!

My mum visited a friend on tuesday and I went with her, I also did some shopping that day. I bought a cute 40s style dress and 6 pairs of thights which I desperately needed, it is so cold! Yesterday my mum, my sister and I went to a big charity shop and we bought some clothing. I love charity shops, they're really cheap. Which is nice, as I can't afford a lot of things.

Tomorrow we are planning to walk in a park where there are lots of animals, I'm really looking forward to it. I'm not sure yet what I'm going to do on Saturday, I might clean a little and do some crafts, maybe some sewing. On Sunday there is a special day here in Alstatte, called 'Sandhasensonntag'. If the weater is nice enough I might be able to take some pictures and write a post about that. On Sunday evening I'll go back to my flat, and my boyfriend will be there too, which is really nice.

That is all for now!

With love,

Jip.

Looking back and forward

I actually meant to write and publish this post yesterday, on December 31st but time went by so quickly, so I'm writing it today.

Yesterday I celebrated New Year's Eve with my boyfriend and his friends. I recently got a cold and didn't feel very well so I went to bed about 2 AM. Despite that it was a very nice evening. Because I only had my mobile phone with me I could not take any proper pictures. I tried to upload some but the resolution is too low to publish here, I'm sorry!

It is the first day of a new year and even though I could do it at any point in the year, it is a day on which I like to reflect on what happened the past year and just think about all the nice things and things that still need improvement. Last year I wrote down some resolutions for 2015 with the note that I would take a look at them just before the end of 2015 to see how far I've come. Let's take a look!

• Be more healthy: This is a thing I am still working on. I have made some progress, though. I spend less money on junk food but I sometimes get tempted to eat something bad, like crisps, and I find such things hard to resist. I have been thinking of limiting myself to junk food at set times each week. For example: I'll have crisps only on Saturdays. If you have any tips on eating healthier, I'd love to hear them!

• Teach myself how to properly paint nails: I haven't been painting my nails a lot to be honest, just for special occasions. Yesterday I painted them in a nice silver colour to match my evening shoes and I only had to paint them once without accidentally covering my fingers with polish as I've done sooo many times. This motivated me to paint my nails more often because it turned out I can paint them!

• Stress less about everything and think positive: Again, this is something I'm still working on. I have been living on my own for almost two months and that really caused some stress. Especially because I moved the same weekend terrorist attacks took place in Paris. I felt so scared. For three weeks I felt a little numb, afraid of terrorist coming to the Netherlands any minute. It was exhausting. Luckily I feel much better now.

• Be a little more outgoing: I still stammer. Some days are worse than others but since I went to a new school and got to meet new people I have been more outgoing. I even compliment strangers on their clothes sometimes. And I don't mind calling people as much as I did before. 

• Get organized: Since I live on my own in a tiny room, I have discovered that I simply have too much stuff for my living space. I also feel restless when it is a mess, I feel so good when I tidy up, clean the place and be able to sleep in a bed that's just been made. I still make a mess of things sometimes but I throw away garbage quicker than I used to do before because I know it makes me feel good.

I feel proud of myself, I might not have achieved the biggest possible goals but one's got to start somewhere, right?

I will work on the same resolutions on this year and I'll see how I did by the end of 2016. If I set too many goals for myself I know I won't be able to catch up with all of them properly so for now I'm just going to be happy, try not to stress about everything and enjoy the little things in life.

Even though I'm a bit late, I'd like to wish you all a wonderful 2016!

with love,

Jip.

What have I been up to lately ? - Week 41

It has been a while since I last posted and I thought it was time to catch up on some writing.

So first and foremost, I have been busy with school! I decided to switch to another school and do something totally different: social care, and I'd like to specialize in elderly care. Soon I will start my work placement, 2 hours a week for the remainder of the school year in a home for people who suffer from dementiaIt was something I wanted to do even before I started dressmakers school. That was a decision I made too quickly. I'd love to finish it and be a real seamstress one day, I will also continue sewing as a hobby. But for now, I decided I really wanted to go to school again and work with elderly people. So, that is what I am going to be doing for the next three years of my life and I can't wait to learn everything!

-Caution! Lots of pictures ;)-

Read more!

I´m in a fashion identity crisis..

I wish this closet were mine. But it isn´t. Too bad. Let´s get on to what this post really is about.

For the past few months really, I have been trying to improve myself. Especially the way I feel about myself because I have been in a downwards spiral since March. In my life I have only had two significant styles. Some sort of ´Gothic´ style when I was about 9 until the age of 15. I developed a major interest for history and the interest in antique and vintage clothing quickly escalated from there. I am almost 20 now and have been feeling a bit down about the way I dress lately. 

I still love 30s and 40s fashions. I will never dislike history, old books or old kitchens (the last one is a thing I love deeply). I will never dislike vintage fabrics or fashion. Those things have become such a big part of who I am.

Somehow I do not feel as comfortable in cute dresses or long skirts like I used to do. I think I am facing the same problem I did when I went into my ´gothic´-phase. I am not very tall. Only 5"2. This means that very often I look younger than I actually am. I love cute dresses and skirts but they don´t make me feel as mature as I would like to. The thing I did when I was about 9, is the thing I´m probably going to have to do again: toughen up my wardrobe.

For the first time in years I´m curious about how it is to wear pants with boots again. Sweaters. Shirts. Things you can easily find in normal stores and thrift stores. I will not (will never) wear what everyone else wears, I´m sure I can create a style of my own. Combining vintage pieces with thrifted and modern ones, just not as strict 30s or 40s as you probably know me.

I guess that being so strict about what I could and could not wear took away the fun. I have had this style for over 4 years and I think that is where the problem comes from. I mean: who still dresses the same way when they were 15? I still love all things old and will incorporate those. I even think I will want to wear skirt suits, hats and heels on some days. But for now I do not want to limit myself to a certain era and discover what I like.

Soon I would like to post images of styles  I like so you can see what style I'd like to achieve.

I really hope you readers will understand me, because I feel like I'm betraying someone.. Maybe you have been in a similiar situation yourself once? How did you cope with being "disenchanted" (read that word in a blog somewhere) with a style you've had for years?

With love,

Jip.

What have I been up to lately ? - Week 33

After almost an entire month of doing absoutely nothing, relaxing and seeing my boyfriend as much as possible, August is going to be a productive month. School starts August 31st, so I have plenty of time to catch up on some sewing, blogging and most importantly...

Preparing things for moving out of the house!

That´s right, once the vacation is over I am moving out. Well, technically it is not really "moving out" because I am going to stay over at my best friends house. She´s going to her aunt to go to a new school. I go to school where she lives now, and I will have her old room at my disposal. She lives with her parents so it is more like staying over than actually moving out and buying or renting something. But that is the next step. This is a perfect opportunity for the both of us to be a bit more independent and to be away from our parents.

About two weeks ago we started to renovate her room. We got the cheapest, off-white wallpaper we could find. After moving everything out of the room into the hallway, we managed to mess up the first bucket of glue because we threw all the powder in at once, thinking it would get thin as we stirred it. After half an hour it was still a lumpy, gooey mess but luckily we had another package of glue powder. It was already very late at night so we went to bed and started right away in the morning. At the end of the afternoon, the room had a fresh, classic wallpaper. 

Just sitting in the car next to a bed and a mattress!

The next day we picked up a bed, it was so cheap I even could afford it myself. Makes me feel very mature for some reason!

All I have to do now is declutter the stuff I still have at home. Which is a LOT. I have been hoarding things for at least 3 years just becasue they were old or vintage. I am slowly accepting now that I do not have to keep them just for that sake. So when I started decluttering a while ago, I had 5 bags of clothing (non-vintage), and the entire car full of stuff which we donated to a recycling store.

Sewing projects.

I kind of took a little break from sewing and drawing alltoghether because of the hard exam. I found the perfect project to pick it up again and am eager to continue sewing now!

One of the things I have been wanting to sew is a pajama. I came across this free pattern and decided to try it. I bought the fabric, still have to wash it. The top pattern is ready but I have to figure out what to do with the pants. Has anyone made these before?

I also want to make this famous 1952 "walk-away-dress".I already knew about this pattern and saw it in a vintage sewing Facebook Group. I loved this version and I'll certainly sew that one very soon

I opened up a Facebook-Page for my snoods a while ago, please check it out!

Recently I have been using more beauty products than I did before. I just did not really care for them, I guess. I saw this product in a commercial, read some reviews and really wanted to try it. But it was really expensive, about €8 for a can. While I was visiting my boyfriend, I came across this discount shop where they sold 3 cans for €10! So I decided to buy all 3 versions. I LOVE THIS STUFF. Seriously, if you have dry skin like me, you´ll love it.

Another thing I have been totally loving lately is my thermos bottle. It is modern, from IKEA and it is the best ever. It keeps drinks really hot or cold for a loooong time. Because my boyfriends lives quite a long distance away from me, I travel a lot in the weekends and I love to take my own beverages with me because everything at the train station is so expensive!

Last week I spent an entire week again with my boyfriend. He just got home from a week of reenacting at the War&Peace show in England (I'm so jealous, I want to visit England again, too!) and I missed him SO much because we had no contact at all for a week, and we usually call and skype as much as possible.

Soon he'll spend an entire week at my place and I can't wait but I have to be patient for a little while!

What have you done this summer?

With love,

Jip.

What I have been up to lately ? - week 28 -

Hello dear readers, I´m back after a long time of not writing on my blog and a lot of stress. This time I will introduce a new kind of post called "What I have been up to lately" and I will try to post this every 1-2 weeks. Since a long time I have been wanting to create this new category of post but never knew what to call it, mostly because there are a lot of bloggers out there who feature this kind of category and I´d hate to be a copycat. But then I came to the conclusion that this is my blog, and the titles you could give such a category are limited so many blogs can have something similar.

What will these kind of posts be about?

Often I feel that in order to write a post, I must have a spectacular or very interesting topic to write about. And let´s face it, 90% of the week or month, nothing really special happens to actually write a big post about. I love to read outfit posts and recipes, reviews and crafts and so on from other bloggers that I thought it was time to write about those things myself as well. Because I know that it are the little, maybe even everyday things that make life count.

So what have I been up to lately ?

 This being since I last wrote, the end of April: An awful lot of exam stress. 

I did not know one could be that nervous, it was really bad for me and I am so glad that the exam is finally over. It was really hard and I could have done much better but: I passed! We had to draw and sew to measure a ladies jacket for someone we took with us to the exam so that they could fit it in front of the jury. I had the most awful thick fabric and I totally ruined it by ironing, even though I was really careful and used a wet pressing cloth each time. The lapel collar was a kind I had never made. I managed to finish a jacket with the collar, pockets, lining, buttonhole etc. But they said that if it were for the collar, I would have failed and they said I have to practice a lot, which I will. (I will take a picture of the jacket as soon as I can.) Bonus for me: this kind of collar was very popular in the 30s/40. Yesterday I looked at the exam results to see how many passed as well. We had over 30 people in the exam room and only 7 of passed (2 of which are a classmate of mine and myself). I only just made it, which makes me a bit sad because I always used to get good grades. But I must be happy and look towards the future, see this as a lesson and take what I can from this to make things better next time!

I fell in love with a pair of shoes 

My parents promised me that if I woud pass, they would let me order a pair of rocket originals shoes from the UK. I heard great things about them and just love the way their shoes look so when I saw a 2nd-hand pair in a size 4 a while ago in a Facebook-group I decided to buy them. Later, the seller discovered it actually was a size 5 but I took the risk anyway. You can probably predict what happened next: the shoes were too big and I was sad. So I sold them to the next person that was interested and studied so that I would pass and get a higher chance of getting the shoes as a gift in my size. Last week I ordered them. Yesterday I was riding my bicycle and when I came back I saw the mail van driving away and I found a note in the mail box that said I could pick my parcel up the next day somewhere in town. So today, I fetched my parcel, opened it and felt in love immediately with the shoes. I have been wearing them for a few hours non-stop. They feel and walk like ´old lady shoes´ but they look so lovely! I will try to sell some things, save some money, and buy more of these in the future.

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Talking about shoes, I saw these a while ago when I was walking in Utrecht with my boyfriend. I tried them on, but could not decide if I wanted to buy them or not because I usually do not spend that much on shoes. On our way home we came across the shop and after walking on them a bit, I decided to buy them. They are made by the UK company "Clarks" and I think that every vintage girl will agree with me that this shoe is pretty much a spot-on repro. The heel could have been thicker but the overall style looks very good in my opinion. They are comfy, for heels anyway.  After selling things and saving I might buy another pair of these.

Fruit infused water

I have been trying to having a healthier diet and cutting out sweet drinks is very important. I make sure to drink 2 litres of water (including tea) each day, and popping some fruit and mint leaves in the bottle makes the water really tasty. We have a raspberry plant in the garden and each day we harvest dozens of them and then we freeze them for later use.

 

 The "recipe" I use is as follows: Fill a 0,5 litre bottle with a handful of crushed mint leaves, a handful of raspberries and 2 slices of lemon cut in half, squeeze in some lemon juice. Fill up with cool water and some ice cubes. I use the same fruit for 2-3 bottles.

Last week the weather was too hot in my opinion, I can´t really stand hot weather, it always makes me dizzy and tired. Today we had some rain and after that, the sun came out and I decided to take some pictures of the flowers in our garden. That is a good thing about summer, everything is in full bloom!

What have you been up to lately?

With love,

Jip

Confession time

Okay. I'm terrible at planning things ahead.

 

 When I decided to join the SFC-Challenge, I was sure I'd be able to create a dress from start to finish in two weeks. But then, I got a lot of homework. And a few days ago I became ill. I have a terrible cold at the moment. I feel tired, weak and grumpy all day long. I can't smell anything and when I eat I can't taste a thing. It is terrible. My boyfriend is in Czech Republic for a ww2 re-enactment event for 11 days so I can't talk to him at all which doesn't make me feel better either. I did manage to find a photo of him on the page of the event. Oh, I miss him and love him so much!  I will see him next week. Can't wait!

 Doesn't he look dashing? ♥ source

The dress is really nearly finished. I just need to work on the zipper, side seam, sleeves and hem and then it'll be finished. I really like how it looks on the outside when I try it on but I hate what it looks like from the inside. The neckline is too ugly for words, I am not even going to show you. I have been sewing for 2 years now. Someday I want to make a living out of it and then, I manage to sew a terribly ugly neckline. Not very good for my 'sewing-confidence'. I'm a little fed up with the dress but I want to finish it anyhow. Nobody will look at the inside of the neckline so I'll just have to ignore it.

I will focus on my homework now during the next few days. The 2nd exam is approaching and I'm working on a blazer which is a lot of work. I do not know when I'm going to continue to finish the dress but I'll post about it once the job is done. I'm a bit disappointed about the fact I was not able to finish it in time. I would have loved to add photos of the finished project in the Flickr group and then they could be included in the video.. There is always a thing that goes wrong or comes inbetween. That, and I have to plan things ahead a little better. Anyone has some good advice ? Let's hope I'll feel better soon. There is so much I want and need to do.

That's all for now.

With love,

Jip.

My ''Spring For Cotton''- dress

After much doubt about wether to join or not to join this sewing challenge, I decided to do it after all, even it could cause some sewing stress. I want to sew more for myself and I feel like this could be a great first step in the right direction.

A little while ago I fell in love with a drawing of a dress which I spotted in Mike Brown's ''the 1940s look''. I also found the perfect green fabric. A vintage sheet and a piece of fabric, both cotton and thrifted a few weeks ago.

This is a really great book, by the way. It contains a lot of images and information about both 1940s look and lifestyle. I always get inspired when reading this book!

Again, I decided to draw the entire pattern myself using the pattern book we also use at school. I also made the collar and the sleeves. Tomorrow I will trace the pattern so it can be laid on the fabric and cut out. The fabric is still in the washing machine so a photo will be taken later!

 I just love drawing my own patterns because I practice the drawing and get a well-fitted garment at the same time!

I really feel bad about not blogging as often as I want to. Sometimes I simply lose my blogging mojo and then I cannot find anything worth writing about, I hate that feeling.. As always I have been very busy with school because there will be another exam in June. I will write about that as soon as possible so you'll all be able to see what I have been working on lately. Tomorrow I will continue with this dress and take some pictures of the fabric. I'd like to document the cutting and sewing process, so prepare for some photo-filled posts!

with love,

Jip.

A new Year

This year really did go very fast. As always, some positive and negative things happened and I already thought of some resolutions (which I never did in the previous years). I will publish them on my blog and then, at the end of next year we'll see if there is any improvement.

Some of these resolutions are rather silly, and some will be more important than others. Here we go.

- Be more healthy. I have been thinking about ways to eat healthier and at this point, I just really want to. I am tired most of the time so I'm eager to find out if healthy food and regular bedtimes will do something. Next to that, I'll go to the gym twice a week or more if possible, starting next week.

- Teach myself how to properly paint my nails. I really love dark red nailpolish, because it goes very well with 40s outfits. I usually only wear transculent nailpolish but next year I'd love to add some colour!

- Stress less about everything and think positive. Again this is something I really, really want! I stress over just about anything and I also have a tendancy to think very negative about myself if I can accomplish something and so something wrong. I have not liked myself really much for the past couple of months and I hope that'll change for the better soon. It is just a state of mind so I'll have to correct myself everytime I might get sad or angry.

- Be a little more outgoing. Since the speech therapist cured my stammer, I've been talking a lot more and I really love that. I even speak to strangers now and I finally have the guts to use the phone. Yay! Still, I want to be even more outgoing.

- Get organized. My room is a complete mess. My sewing room is. So.. maybe that's why my mind is so cluttered and I feel terribly disorganized. I want to be able to put things back where they belong and find them again. And I also want to have a look at my wardrobe and for once get rid of the things I'll never wear (again) or just don't like and sew some basic pieces like skirts and blouses.

I think that's about it for now. What are your resolutions?

I'd like to wish everyone a very happy new year! ♥

With love,

Jip
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We have a winner!

With the help of a name-pick-generator website, I picked the name of the winner of this giveaway ...

Congratulations Susy! Please send me an email with your address information.

Thanks to the rest of you who entered this giveaway, and don't forget that I also make snoods to order for 15 euros (If you still wish to have one)!

with love,

Jip.

100 followers Giveaway

Finally, when I logged into blogger this morning,  I discovered that I had not only written my 100th post a few days ago, but also have 100 followers now! A while ago I promised to do a giveaway, so I will. 

A while ago I started to crochet snoods and I got quite a lot of orders,  I am even thinking of starting my own little online store where I'll sell my snoods and other handmade items ( just have to come up with a good name.. ).

 My friend Lindsay modelling a snood I made her

So,  I thought it would be a fun idea to make the item that you can win,  a snood with a ribbon in your desired colour!

What do you have to do to enter this giveaway? 

• Follow this blog trough Google Friend Connect  and the Facebook page

•   Leave a comment on this post in which you tell me what you think about snoods and what colour you would like to have.

•   For additional entries, share this post on Facebook/Twitter and post the link of that in a separate comment on this post. 

• This giveaway will be open until Sunday, next week,  November 30  and is open to readers everywhere. On that day I will randomly choose a winner.

• I am not responsible for customs charges or things that get lost in the mail,  I ship without a tracking number because this is really expensive to certain countries.

Good luck! 

With love,

Jip.

Make a long-distance relationship work

Since yesterday my boyfriend and I have officially been together for 1,5 years and I still love him like crazy. I even think I love him a bit more everyday.  We live a few hours away from each other,  depending if he is at home or in the city where he goes to school. Despite the distance and the fact that I stress about it a lot (which I do about nearly everything) I know he is worth it and I know he thinks the same about me.  We plan on living together once we have both finished school.  Perhaps earlier if it is possible.  From there, will see how things work out but already at this time we think about marriage sometimes and just about building a future together. And that feels good.

Changes

A lot has changed since I last wrote. And a lot has not. Yet. 

Fist of all, I passed my first exam! It was not nearly as hard as I expected it to be, and it gave me lots of sewing-confidence as well. This is something that was/is still lacking in other parts of my life and which came to my mind almost everyday for the past few months. I have been feeling really insecure. Since I tried to get over my speech impediment-which I did, I almost never stammer anymore and it feels so great to be finally able to speak and call without fear after all those years- I think rather a lot about myself, but I think this is very normal for an 18-year-old. I think about everything. How I act, talk, walk, look and so on. When I was younger I used to have a lot of confidence but somehow I lost that a bit in the past two years.

What also worries me is that I am terribly disorganized, which I have been since I was very little. 'A cluttered room is a cluttered mind' really sounds like the truth for me now, whenever I tidy up a room or space, I feel immediately better about myself. Today I de-cluttered the sewing room and spending time there is so much more fun now, I cannot wait to finally get to all those sewing projects I have been wanting to do for ages. And tidy up more rooms, feel better and eventually become a more organized person in general!

Sewing has been on my mind a lot lately. 'What if I never learn it?' '... is much better than I am' etc. Every time I sew something ugly I feel like I'll never learn. But when I sew something and it actually looks good, I feel good and I feel that with the time being, I'll learn more techniques and eventually will become a real seamstress.

My boyfriend is studying in Utrecht, which is only 1,5 hours away from me instead of more than 3. The distance is still hard to deal with but it is worth it, I know it! I'll be with him this weekend and on Sunday we're together for 1year and 5 months.Time flies when you're having fun, I love you darling! ♥

How I look is also something that I have thinking about a lot. I dress late 30s/40s style daily, but sometimes I forget that there is no war were I live and that I do not have to wear worn-out dresses, which I have often done just because they were vintage. I often portray a ww2 civilian during re-enactment events and I want to do that as historically accurate as possible. But in the everyday, I would like the things I wear to be a bit more glamorous. I am not re-enacting when I am at home and therefore I don't mind if things are not 100% accurate. As long as they are on events, when it really matters! 

In November, I'll turn 19 years old. As a birthday present, I get a colour analysis from my teacher. Then I will finally know what colours do and do not suit me. And I'll know what colour I will dye my hair. I do not like my natural hair. But I do want a 'new' colour to look good and natural.

I'm sorry for these rantings, but I thought I'd tell you about what goes on in my life at the moment and why I have not been writing a lot lately.

with love,

Jip.