traditions & sundresses

It's been cold and windy last days, really season-appropriate weather, so I'm wearing my winter coats and scarves and hats (nothing less than the same old stuff!, so interesting!). But I've also worn some of my 'winter sundresses'. And lots of pink, whatever the reason!

Ha hecho bastante frío y viento estos últimos días, un clima totalmente propio de la época del año, así que me he puesto los habituales abrigos, bufandas y gorros, nada más y nada menos que ¡las mismas cosas de siempre¡. Pero también han vuelto a la acción estos vestidos teóricamente de verano que me pongo siempre en invierno. Y estoy poniéndome mucho rosa, porque sí.

- maxi dress, second hand (eBay) some years ago / vestido largo, de segunda mano en eBay, hace años
- turtleneck, retail (old) / cuello vuelto, de tienda local
- cardigan, 4x4 (old) / chaqueta
- scarf, street market (old) / pañuelo, del mercadillo
- necklace, charity market (old) / collar, de un mercadillo solidario
- boots, DrMartens (old) / botas
- coat, La Redoute (old) / abrigo
- crochet beret (old) / boina de ganchillo
- cork bag, Fine Cork Portugal / bolso de corcho
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- cotton sundress, charity shop (old) / vestidito de algodón, de Cáritas (hace años)
- tights, Snag / medias
- sneakers, Chiruca outlet (old) / zapatillas
- shearling coat, second hand, Asos Marketplace boutique Bich / abrigo de piel vuelta, de segunda mano en Asos Marketplace boutique Bich
- scarf, retail (old) / bufanda, de tienda local

As a note for my no spanish readers, we're just beginning Christmas celebrations here in Spain, as they last until the 6th of January! (even if we've incorporated the Santa Claus stuff, which is not traditional here, but it's totally accepted)
Traditionally, Christmas celebrations start on 22th December, when the Christmas lottery draw is aired in tv and radio and it is usually the first day of holidays for children. Nowadays most people hang ornaments and decorate their trees early this month, and they also set the typical Nativity scene or Belén. This is something that most children love as it involves creating a landscape, placing the figures and sometimes even building some scale model houses, a grotto and a castle. There are some professionally made scenes in city halls (and others institutions), which even have running water rivers, massive castles made of cork, windmills moved by a small engine and recreations of an old village with every trade represented. Some of them can have hundreds of figures and be quite impressive.
Obviously not everybody is so skilled nor have the time and money that this requires. But most people have just a few figures, and make something that is more diorama like, create a river using foil paper, dust some flour to create a snowy effect, and make a grotto using cardboard and cork. Traditionally, children move the Three Wise Men figurines a little bit everyday, until they arrive to the grotto on 6th January (Epyphany), when the presents are delivered to every (good) child by these Three Magicians. Children overnight their shoes (not their socks!) to be filled with presents, and leave some biscuits and milk for the Magicians, and some hay for their camels. And obviously, there is still the special lunch on 6th January and some King Cake which has a figurine or coin inside for the lucky one who find it!
Actually, I'm not interested in consumerism and dislike usual shopping frenzy that starts before christmas and keeps going on trough sales. I'm totally in the Grinch team. But I've always admired model making and craftmanship, and I love the turrón and the King Cake!.

This is a massive salad I made for dinner on 26th December, using some leftovers, tomatoes, carrots, beetroot and avocado. Something simple but colourful!

Esta es una ensalada enorme que hice para cenar la noche del 26, con algunas sobras, tomates, zanahorias, remolacha y un aguacate. Bien sencilla y colorida.

Hope you're enjoying a fabulous time and keeping yourselves safe!

Espero que estéis pasando un rato estupendo y que sigáis teniendo cuidado.

christmas sweater & foggy days

This is my (Nightmare Before) Christmas sweater, probably the only sweater I own. Even if not a huge fan of sweaters, I enjoy wearing this one when going for a walk, as it's not sporty and still makes me feel dressed up (and it's season appropriate!)
Este es my jersey de (Pesadilla Antes de) Navidad, puede que sea la única sudadera que tengo. Aunque no soy nada aficionada a las sudaderas, ésta me la pongo a veces para salir, porque no se ve demasiado deportiva y me hace sentir que estoy decentemente vestida, incluso arreglada. Y además es muy adecuada para esta época del año.

- sweater, by Nonapapallona, previously worn on Nov2018 / jersey de Nonapapallona, anteriormente en Nov2018
- trousers, CandA (old) / pantalón
- sneakers, Adidas outlet (old) / zapatillas
- raincoat, Seasalt / abrigo
- crochet beret (old) / boina de ganchillo
- cork bag, Fine Cork Portugal / bolso de corcho
- scarf, retail (old) / pañuelo
- brooch, charity shop (old) / broche, de Cáritas, segunda mano

As you can see, the weather has been foggy for some days, but not particularly cold. It's not a pleasant weather for walks, so we've been at home almost all the time, keeping ourselves away from the shopping frenzy (as we don't play this game).
Como podéis ver, hemos tenido nieblas días y días, pero no ha hecho especialmente frío. Tampoco es un tiempo que incite a salir, así que hemos estado en casa casi todo el rato, y bien lejos del frenesí de compras de estos días (ya que no participamos en este juego).

- dress, Asos (ages ago) / vestido, antigüito
- crochet cardi (old) / chaqueta ganchillo
- crochet scarf / bufandita de ganchillo
- turtleneck, la Redoute (old) / cuello vuelto
- sneakers, Nike outlet (old) / zapatillas
- tights, Snag / medias
- boots, DrMartens (old) / botas

Wish you enjoy a fabulous time whatever you do!. See you next week!

¡Os deseo que disfrutéis de estos días!. Nos vemos la semana que viene.

Red Accents & Winter

This black and white dress was acquired back in the 90's (which means it is practically vintage now!) and I've been wearing it once or twice a year since then. I think it's not a frequently worn dress because it needs ironing, and also because I'm not always in the mood of wearing a bold print in black and white, even if it's one of my favourite colour combos. I love monochrome with some red accents. But last years I've been embracing a more colourful attitude!

Este vestido blanco y negro lleva conmigo desde los años 90 (lo que significa que ahora mismo ¡es pŕacticamente vintage!) y lo he estado llevando como mucho un par de veces al año. Supongo que no me lo pongo más a menudo porque necesita plancha y también poque no siempre estoy de humor para estampados tan fuertes en dos colores tan contrastados, aunque es una de mis combinaciones favoritas. Me encanta el clásico blancoynegro con toques de rojo. Pero estos últimos años me he vuelto hacia una actitud más multicolor.

- dress, retail (previously worn on March2019 and on Oct2018)/ vestido de una tiendecita
- striped t-shirt CandA (old)/ camiseta rayas
- striped coat, a hand-me-down by a friend who made a clearance / abrigo de rayas, del desván de una amiga que hizo una limpieza
- massive wool scarf, retail (old) / bufamanta, de tienda local
- beret, a present (old) / boina
- short sleeved cardi, Evans (old) / chaquetita de manga corta
- necklace, a present by Sacramento / collar, un regalo de Sacramento
- brooches, made by me / broches, hechos por mí

I wore this same dress for a walk next day. Only that I picked a different coat, black tights instead of red ones and my leopard scarf. Kinda subtle. ;D
Me puse el mismo vestido para dar una vuelta al día siguiente. Sólo que elegí un abrigo diferente, medias negras en vez de rojas y mi pañuelo de leopardo rojo. De lo más sutil ;D

- coat, clearance sale (old) / abrigo, de una liquidación-outlet
- scarf, retail (old) / pañuelo
- necklace, artisan fair, years ago / collar, de una feria de artesanía, hace años
- bag, Emily The Strange (ages ago) / bolso, de hace siglos
- sneakers, Adidas outlet / zapatillas
- mask by Nonapapallona, local designer! / mascarilla, de Nonapapallona, producto local!

I'm wearing a rubber glove to cover my wristband, to keep things clean, as I use plenty of hand sanitizer.

Lo que llevo en la mano es un guante de goma sobre la muñequera ortopédica, porque uso a menudo gel hidroalcohólico y es un pringue.

This is a salad we had for dinner: spinach leaves (I bought them fresh and had to wash them, which is tedious!), tomato, smashed avocado mixed with chopped onion and lemon juice, and a chicken breast sautéed and sliced. Something simple!
Esta es una ensalada que hicimos para la cena: hojas de espinaca (frescas, tuve que lavarlas y es algo tedioso!), tomate, y aguacate machacado mezclado con cebolla picadita y zumo de limón. También lleva pechuga de pollo salteada y troceada. Simple y variado!


Hope you're keeping yourselves safe and as fabulous as possible!

Espero que todos estéis bien y que sigáis tan estupendos como sea posible.

winter jungle

I've been wearing some of my favourite garments, determined to not saving them for occasions!. My jungle print dress is a favourite in my holidays suitcase, as it's easy to layer, easy to wash and no wrinkable. Perfect for a warm night at a seaside terrace (sigh). However, I don't wear this dress in summer, despite its summery print, because it's polyester knit (pretty uncomfortable in the heat!). So it's more a 'shoulder season' dress, as usually I wear it layered over a turtleneck or a t-shirt.

He estado poniéndome algunas de mis prendas favoritas, decidida a no dejarlas guardadas para las ocasiones. Este vestido de estampado jungla suele estar siempre en mi maleta cuando voy de vacaciones, es fácil de superponer, fácil de lavar y no se arruga nada. Perfecto para una noche cálida en una terraza junto al mar (suspiro). Sin embargo, no me lo pongo nunca en verano, aunque el estampado sea veraniego, porque es de poliéster, incomodísimo en el calor. Así que en realidad es un vestido de entretiempo y suelo llevarlo con alguna camiseta o cuello vuelto por debajo.

(You can see same dress on my 2018 holidays and a similar ensemble here)
- dress, second hand, eBay (old) / vestido, segunda mano, eBay
- turtleneck, retail (old) / cuello vuelto, tienda local
- chanelesque jacket, charity shop (old) / chaqueta chanelera, de Cáritas
- boots, treksta (old) / botitas
- coat, Seasalt / abrigo
- necklace, Ciclón / collar
- brooch, made by me / broche, hecho por mí
- crochet beret / boina de ganchillo

We had some cold days last week, it even snowed on the nearby mountains. Now we're having warmer temperatures and rain, which means that snow has melted and the river runs high. Totally normal autumn-winter weather! (and a lovely weather for ducks!)

La semana pasada tuvimos unos días fríos, incluso con nieve en los montes cercanos. Ahora tenemos temperaturas más templadas y lluvia, así que la nieve se ha fundido y el río ha inundado los sotos y riberas bajas como cada otoño-invierno. ¡Un clima totalmente normal! y a los patos parece que les gusta.

Hope you a nice (and safe) week!
Espero que tengáis una semana estupenda.