Welcome to the 16th century

❤ Yes, that is a triangular bandage that I earned by sliding head down a dolmen at my birthday picnic with mom. ❤

❤ Obviously, I had to fabricate my own black bandage, because the one the doctors put on me was white and really distorted my vision since I always saw this big white thing in the bottom of my field of view. And of course I took the opportunity to decorate it with this beautiful brooch that I bought about a year ago (Sixx).❤

❤ These are the dolmen (D45) that I slid off. However; birthday-at-mom-outfit. ❤

Bourtange

❤ These are the plans drawn back in the 15th century. All of this was built and still stands today. ❤

Summer is approaching, so a sunny spring fair lured me to Bourtange, an hour driving away from home. Twenty years ago, when I was very young, my parents brought me to this old fortification that is now a tiny village. That made this trip even more interesting. I had a total nostalgia flashback of the candle makers (oh, that scent of wax!) and the square with the wooden horse (which is actually a replica of an old torture device)!

❤ How can one not be totally in love with these little nostalgic streets?! ❤

❤ For the Minecrafters amongst you, this is what sheers actually look like! And I guess the medieval soup is ready too! ❤

The village, nowadays, is all medieval themed. Late medieval. The pavement cafes at the small center place are served by medieval looking people, the streets are obviously made for walking and once in a while, a group of spear-men walk around the place, following orders of their commander. This play goes through the whole fortification and ends with a canon fire. Of course, the spring fair was all themed in this old fashion as well; in decorations and in drinks and foods. We bought some raw honeycombs to bring home to eat, nom nom!

❤ This was actually the perfect day to come, the weather was beautiful and the people were friendly. ❤

❤ These talkative pirate medievalians served us the sweetest and softest apple juice I had ever drank. Their stand had hinted to old pirates with the faux torches under their parasols and the barrels as tables. ❤

Bourtange was designed and built as a star fort in the 15th and 16th century, to control the main road from Germany to Groningen, one of the larger towns of the Netherlands. During the eighty-years war, it was attacked, but the fort held. After that Bourtange suffered a couple more attacks, but it never fell. Then, in the 18th century, it was not needed as a fort anymore and turned into an agricultural village. Throughout the centuries after, it rumbled down and the moats filled up. about 25 years ago the village was reconstructed, the fortification rebuilt and the moats got dug up again, in their original star shape.

Here is a link to old photo's of Bourtange. Such a different world it was back then!

* Old Photos of Bourtange*

❤ Mils and green grass, so Dutch! This wheat mill was easily de- and reconstructable in case of war. ❤

❤ Walking on the counterguards. Bourtange outfit: dress by Donna Li, Tights from Coolcat and my home made sling. ❤

As a perfect finish of the day I plucked Elderberry blossom in the wild. The scent of these little white flowers remind me of when I was little. Mom used to make the most delicious lemonade and pancakes with them. Now, twenty years later I am the one making those ElderberryBlossom pancakes and lemonade.

❤ Elderberry blossom¹ ❤

A peek in my Secret Drawer

As I love shopping, I had the ultimate shop-gasm when I went to the factory sale of the largest Lingerie shop in the Netherlands, Hunkemöller. I bought for a shop worth of €170 and paid only
€21 plus €6 entrance fee!

❤ For a perfect shape under all  my little black dresses: A shaping dress of lace. A bra of the Silvie collection. Pasties, not because I want to wear them, but because I think they are such pretty items! 2 pairs stockings.  ❤

 

❤ Look at the details! I love lave and pearls and satin and bows. The items on the bottom picture are silk handcuffs and a semi transparent mask. ❤

❤ With exception of the bra, all items are from the Private collection, a collection of cute and playful lingerie and accessories. ❤

Then, two weeks ago, Mom took me to this lovely little village that used to be a fortified city in the middle ages, Elburg. Other than the place being absolutely gorgeous, we shopped lovelily. Here are the shoes that I bought.

❤ Bought them with 50% off. That makes them even lovelier! ❤

❤ The candle tea cups are from the local second hand shop, they are on my sewing desk. I find them inspiring. ❤

Lately I have been decorating boxes again, which is something I started doing about a year ago. This time I purchased two round boxes, for storing my hat. They are decorated according to the design of my other boxes, so they match together. It is still in my plans to dedicate a whole post o my boxes!

Rhododendron Arboretum

♥ Hipster Bunny. Photo by Elselien ♥

For the past two weeks I have been weak on health, spending most of my time in bed. I am trying to get healty again by eating well and resting much. However, last Sunday I gathered my strength and took my Love on an adventure trip to a small country-side village nearby, to visit a arboretum with many many different rhododendrons. 

The Notoarestoen in Eenrum was founded in 1968 by a civil law notary, who developed a love for Rhododendrons. He started to collect many species of Rhododendrons and other exotic flora and experimented with cross breading and creating hybrids. These days, the garden has about 150 different species of Rhododendrons, with different colors, fragrances and sizes.

At the beginning of May the flowers in the garden bloom at their prettiest and for that occasion the garden hosts a small festivity called "Fragrances and colors fest".  

In the middle of the garden there is a little lake with a small lake house, where you can get a drink and a piece of pie. I enjoyed some Rhododendron-tea (of course, what better occasion?) and a cherry crumble pie.

At the lake house there was live music, by a couple playing piano and singing. The songs were calm and mostly flower themed. It matched the surrounding so perfectly.

The village had more surprises for us; amazingly cute streets and country side houses, an old mill and a church with totally deformed walls.

♥ "Mill square". You can see the shadow of the mill on the grey roof. Mosterd Makerij translates to "Mustard factory" and is a restaurant. On the other side of this Mill square is a candle maker. Oh, that scent of candle wax! ♥

♥ country side house with pretty white chicken in the garden. Just like that. ♥

♥ Working water pump in the church yard. It doesn't show on this picture, but there are old, eroded tomb stones laying in the grass. ♥

♥ A peek at dutch country side. Modern wind mills, they are all over the place. ♥