Images

When I grew up in Spain in the 1980s, it was perfectly normal for a middle class family to have a regular seamstress and a couple times a year Rosita showed up at our house to hem, alter and adjust. My mother would dust off her sowing machine and for a day the kitchen would be filled with the humming of the machine, piles of fabric – and Rosita.

She fascinated me; her harsh voice and sharp tongue were entertaining and a little scary at the same time. There was a very clear protocoll involved; The house was expected without fail to provide a full three course meal at lunchtime, and we children were expected to provide total obedience and attention.

Another thing that was perfectly normal in Spain was having shoes made to measure. In the back streets above Plaza de Castilla is the very unassuming Calzados Resan. Displayed with no classification whatsoever amidst boxes of boxes, it´s a bit of a scramble to find the right shoe. But once it´s done the magic begins. Length after length of suede, leather and fabric are produced to make your shoe very much your own creation. The shoemaker argues, sketches, haggles, a price is agreed upon and a few days later it´s pick-up time. The craziest thing – the price. Well below the cost of a designer shoe or even a high-street brand.

Today I´m wearing a moc-croc black pump with a regretably early 2000´s pointy toe. Perfectly good quality though!

Sick today. Very uplifting picture taken at doctors office. White Vans and no socks. I’m starting to worry that I’m using up all my sneakers prematurely…

Not much to be said about this. Flip flop #2

Starting to to feel a little stress about not using enough of my fancy shoes but there’s a time and a place and this is clearly neither.

Country style!

Tall grass, rocks and overgrown vines mean we don’t exactly know what we’re stepping on. Enter rubber boots – with anything and everything.

These rainbow brites come from Lagerhouse; an interior design warehouse type shop that offers tableware, gifts and occasionally the odd item of clothing. They are at least 10 years old but still make me kind of extra happy whenever I wear them.

it doesn’t hurt that I’m standing in daffodils either!

Travel shoes again. This time tattered white sneakers. They are from Ralph Lauren so kind of posh at some point – but not exactly a fashion statement.

It’s a long weekend in Sweden so we are heading to the west coast to check up on our summer cottage. Before we bought the place last year, it had been unoccupied for almost 10 years. Sold to us by the daughter of the old man who used to live there, we not only took over the house but also all its contents. Apart from the clothes and personal items he had taken with him to the nursing home everything
seemed to be left as it was when he lived there. And I mean everything!

Two full weekends of hard labour and two full skips later we have managed to make the house temporarily habitable. Unfortunately it is overall in such bad shape that not really worth saving and next year we’ll be replacing the old building with a new one. Our new house is projected to be upp and running by summer 2017 and open for visitors. If all goes well.

Half day at work today but no time for half-heels.

My mother used to hate the colour orange and I think Some of that rubbed off on me. We’ve both come around somewhat – and who couldn’t like a pair of bright orange and cork Michael  Kors superplatforms on a sunny day. Yet another bargain from Century 21 in NYC.