Postcards from Europe: Germany

I haven't felt much like blogging in the last week. My last post (pre-birthday and brexit) seems a lifetime ago, an awful lot has happened since then. I was starting to feel rather hopeless and helpless about everything (as I'm sure many others were and still are). A change came along when I saw a beautiful project started by my friends over at The Glorious Art House, they always have a way of bringing cheer to a sad situation. A few days after that fateful day they began Make it Write, a project that encourages people to have a positive voice during these tough times by sending a postcard to an office, cafe or home in Europe. The postcard can include a friendly message of solidarity or hope, a picture or just a happy memory. I felt so inspired reading about it; it gave me a little solace to know that I know so many wonderful people and LOOK they aren't giving up, and I shouldn't either! I am still European, I love Europe. I was born there, without the EU, I would not be here. SO to cut a long story short my mum and I put every country in the EU into a hat and picked 14 each. We are now going to each make 14 postcards celebrating each state, and at some point in the nearish future they will travel to The Glorious for a small exhibition.

Here is the first country of my 14: Germany. I had to start with Germany. I love it; the Bavarian mountains, the golden trees in Autumn, the delicious Lebkuchen, dirndls, castles.... We also said goodbye to our German friend and housemate last week so it seemed fitting to begin with it. 

The hat was customised by my mum for my party last week (she came as the EU flag), strangely I realised when I was editing these that they look very 4th of July with the red, blue, white and stars -completely unintentional!  

Aside from Brexit I had a very odd week. Firstly because I somehow I ended up in a press frenzy re the dress in my last post and ended up appearing in the local newspaper and then also the Daily Mail (pls pity me). Anyway in a bizarre set of circumstances I am being paid, so I'm putting the money to good use and have joined the labour party. I like to think there is some karma in the world, haha.

The other odd, but very nice, occurrence is that a man contacted my brothers and I to say he wanted to donate some our fathers books to us that had recently come into his possession. He wants nothing for them, and I cannot tell you what a delight it is to have such a kind act of generosity after such a dismal week! 

I feel that I am coming up for air, and lots of good things are happening. Holding onto the good stuff is very important for us all right now. I hope you are all well, there will obviously be more to come from this series so keep your eyes peeled...

Linking with Visible Monday and Judith's Hat Attack 

Outfit Details

Dirndl - Vintage shop in Berlin

White cotton smocked top - Car boot 

Crochet choker - Made by my mum

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European

An extremely speedy set of pictures taken in between the rain storms today. It's just over a month until my birthday, this year it falls on another important day: The EU Referendum. I was pretty sad when I heard it'd be on my birthday, it could tarnish the day forever more! Nevermind I thought at least I can have a very well themed birthday party. So on the 23rd having crossed my paper I'll be munching on European snacks and celebrating all that is great about the EU with all my favourite people. I'll also hopefully be celebrating the near arrival of my Irish passport. I've been meaning to apply for dual citizenship for years so this has given me the incentive to do it. I'm really hoping we decide to stay, there are a multitude of reasons why. There are so many great things the EU have bought us LIDL for one! Cheap and easy travel! Al fresco dining! The working time directive! 

Either way my Irish passport is a very useful item, and I treasure the fact I am in the lucky position to be able to hold two passports. If we do decided to leave, there is a strong possibility that I'll upsticks back to Ireland.  

The outfit inspiration is all my favourite souvenirs from Europe: a Portuguese apron, a German brooch, Turkish slippers and Italian silk scarves. My costume for my party will be a little different to this, hopefully I can take some snaps that I can share with you all. It's going to be pretty mad (lots fake fruit and vegetables are involved.)  I've asked all guests to dress up so fingers crossed! 

If you haven't signed up to vote, and are eligible to do so, you can still do so in time to vote in the referendum. You have until the 7th of May, sign up here!

I'm off to London for a week with work this Saturday, and then off in France, and then London again so this'll be my last post for a while I think! Hoping to get some great snaps in France. I'm off to Saint Paul de Vence so send me tips if you've stayed there or nearby! I can't wait, it's my first time in the South of France! 

Outfit Details

1970s dress - Vintage Kilo Sale

Embroidered souvenir apron - Salvation Army

Souvenir scarves - belonged to my Great Aunt

Brocade slippers - Istanbul

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Folk Tales

So far January has been very very rainy, today there was a little glimpse of beautiful wintery light and I grabbed it to snap some pictures. This sort of light always seem to lend itself to Folk inspired outfits, it's my favourite of any weather. The crisp, clean freshness is so refreshing after the seemingly endless damp days! 

These pictures are inspired by a multitude of things that have been dancing around my mind lately. Firstly Russian, Hungarian, Bulgarian and Romanian wedding and funeral ensembles. I saw Hungarian and Bulgarian wedding and funeral costumes in the Ethnographic Museum in Budapest and they have been playing on my mind ever since. I love the delicacy of the colours and the intricate layers of embroidery, beading and ribbonwork; truly exquisite!

Ethnographic Museum, Budapest

Ethnographic Museum, Budapest

Ethnographic Museum, Budapest

Ethnographic Museum, Budapest

I wanted to try and re-create something of them in my ensemble - the layers, trinkets and colours in particular. My own folk story if you like, a little love, a little loss and of course a chicken because of course what Eastern European folk tale is complete without a chicken? This one is named Percy (short for Persephone). It was a gift from my mum a few years ago, I walked passed it in a shop in Bath and fell in love - so fluffy and much tidier than a real chicken. You can purchase one too (if you care to) direct from Hansa or via Amazon.

  Whilst thinking about these things my mum posted on Facebook some paintings she has been working on for Galway Early Music Festival and it seemed so in tune with everything I had been whirring over in my mind. Hands clasping hearts are perhaps one of my all time favourite symbols.

Second Claddagh Triptych, Penny MacBeth, 2016

The Claddagh ring, featuring two hands clasping a crowned heart is a symbol firmly embedded in the cultural history of Galway however, hands clasping hearts crop up everywhere including in Hungary, it being a universal symbol for love or betrothal. They often appear, like the Claddagh, in rings known as 'fede' - meaning fidelity. However, in Hungary we also saw hearts crop up on doors and brooches:

Brooch, Museum of Applied Arts, Budapest

Lace is something else which I've been thinking about lately, mainly after listening to my friend Elena talk about it having traveled around Europe studying it. It is such a beautiful, and I feel under appreciated, art form! I've owned this 1980s does 1920s machine lace dress for a few years now. It's wonderfully versatile; sometimes I wear it belted, other times loose, sometimes over a underskirt or tucked into leggings. I recently found the same dress in a charity shop but in black, at first I was excited but it was badly dyed and sections of it had taken on a slightly odd faded look. It's of course nowhere near as intricate as proper handmade lace but it's pretty good machine version. 

And of course my headdress, this is another that I bought in Budapest but have yet to wear on this blog. It's not quite as well made as the other one (which was hand-stitched by the ladies who sold it to me!) but it's still such a wonderful colour and shape. Headdresses for weddings and funerals are definitely an item I feel is missing from English occasions: 

Wedding Headdresses
Source: 1

Norwegian wedding headdresses
Source: 2 

I hope you are all well and enjoying the small glimmer of winter sunshine, it is definitely to be relished whilst it lasts. Remember to wrap up and stay warm in this chilly air. On another note - what did everyone think of the BBC's first episode ofWar and Peace? I was left a little underwhelmed! 

Outfit Details

1980s lace dress - charity shop

1970s cotton lace print skirt - charity shop

Red velvet and lace headdress - Central Market, Budapest

Pink lace gloves - H&M

Crochet, lace and felt choker - Penny MacBeth

Malachite ring - Miranda Hope Jewellery

Sequinned ribbon belt - Istanbul

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The Singing Tree

I promised outfits in my last post and here I am in an outfit! It's been bitterly cold here the last few days. I've had to resort to layers and layers of clothing and have even found myself pulling out jumpers (they are not my favourite). The cold weather has had one use though, it's been far too cold to venture very far so my mind has been whirring. I've thinking back to Budapest and the clean, crisp air there, and reading everything I can about Hungary. My mind has been turned particularly to folk tales and fairy stories, the Hungarians certainly know how to write good ones and the illustrations that go alongside are wonderful. Due to this new found inspiration I've been dressing very much like a character from a Hungarian fairy tale - think long plaits and lots of colour (not that dissimilar from my usual get-up really!)

There are so many wonderful illustrators from Hungary, my favourites are mostly from the early to mid 20th century. I love Kate Seredy's work in particular: how wonderful are these book covers?

Source: 1

Source: 2

 and my other favourite is Willy Pogany. His style is so sumptuous and colour rich I feel I could just walk right into one of the scenes! 

Willy Pogany from the Tisza Tales
Source: 3

Willy Pogany, from the Tisza Tales
Source: 4

My own fairy tale ensemble was a little inspired by these and a little by the wonderful costumes I saw at the Museum of Ethnography in Budapest. They were all incredibly richly layered and intricately detailed that each time I looked there was something I hadn't seen previously. That is always my aim for a good ensemble - to draw people in so they have to look several times to understand it all. 

The beautiful embroidered waistcoat I'm wearing I bought in Budapest (you saw it here first) and I've hardly taken it off since I arrived home. It's wonderfully warm and goes with almost everything I own. It's actually a recycled piece of embroidery that's been carefully stitched to a piece of hessian, reinforcing it and reviving it for a new life. The collar at the back is my favourite bit, it improves my posture and makes me feel ever so slightly regal - high collars always do I think it has something to do with this painting.

The skirt is another new purchase. I found it a few days after I arrived home from Budapest in my most local charity shop, which is a sort of vintage/up-cycled chazza (not always my favourite establishments due to the tendency to hoik up the prices). I rarely find anything I like in there but this skirt leapt out at me from a sea of beige polyester and at £6 I knew it had to come home with me. It's my new favourite, the pattern is utterly perfect - after ogling so much lace in Hungary it sort of seemed like fate that I found it! Oh and of course the headdress. I bought two of these in Hungary. They are not terribly practical but they are such a delight to dress up in that I don't really mind I just have to make sure I don't move my head around too much as they tend to fly off.

Linking up with Visible Monday because I feel excellent in this outfit!

Outfit Details

1970s cotton lace printed skirt - Charity shop

Green wool polo neck - Uniqlo

Embroidered waistcoat - Vintage shop, Budapest

Embroidered headdress - Central Market, Budapest

Choker necklace - Penny MacBeth

Earrings - very old Topshop

Knee-length leather boots - Bertie

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