Wednesday 15 June 2011

bicycles and picnics and beer, oh my!

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On Sunday Albert and I went on a picnic. We rode our new (from Bonn's big flea market) bikes down along the Rhine to a park, and ate our salami sandwiches and strawberries in the grass. And then we had ice- cream.

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Long time readers will know that I have wanted this very dress for over a year. I feverishly searched everywhere for a suitable substitution yellow dress, bought two other dresses in the search (one of which isn't even yellow) and finally decided that no, there was only one dress like this, and bartered the ebay seller down to an acceptable price. I love the structured cotton-silk blend, the lovely quality of the fabric, the big bow. It has to be said that I don't think this is the best ever colour on me, but there's no arguing with an obsession, and I do love this dress. Aaaand, I love these, by far the most ridiculous of my sunglasses. I like that they transform this pretty, simple look to something with personality to spare. I like pretty, and I've always gone for pretty, but somehow the blogosphere exhausts me a bit with its relentless prettiness, and I like the assertive madness of these sunglasses!

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And then we rode back (my bike is way too big for me and as a man's bike, pretty interesting to get on an off wearing a dress, but I love it to bits already).
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And happened upon one of those urban beaches, like the one in London I visited here, except this one was also a beer garden.
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And took a little detour.
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Photos by Albert

dress: See by Chloe via ebay, vintage headscarf: car boot sale; sunglasses: Alberta Ferreti via TK Maxx, shoes: Liz Claiborne (sales)

66 comments:

Georgia Rose said...

Ok, this outfit is amazing. That dress! I'm so glad you finally got the dress of your dream. The headscarf is perfection too, I love them but they always seem to slip off my hair! Do you have a secret?

Emily, Ruby Slipper Journeys said...

Ha, everyone keeps asking me about headscarf-tying. I don't really know. I always had problems too in the past, but I think I just decided at some point that I was going to wear them, and set about tying them until they stayed on. ; p They work a lot better with your hair up!

Louise, For Sentimental Reasons said...

Gosh, Emily, this outfit is just gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous! Everything just goes so well together and you look comfy yet utterly European and elegant. It also sounds like a wonderful day of cycling, biergarten-ing and ice cream :-)

islabell said...

ahhh. this dress is amazing. i'm glad you got it. so perfect for a picnic, and i love that your rocking a dress on a bike.
x

Lorelai Sebastian said...

ok, u look amazing! so retro with your dress and your sunnies!
This park is so beautiful and green!
Love the pretzel also!

Xavi said...

This dress looks nice on you. I've seen that you didn't take a bycicle from Bicing :p

Rebeccak said...

I love these sun glasses! And I actually think you carry this yellow pretty well! Ahh summertime beers - looks like bliss.

Emily, Ruby Slipper Journeys said...

@Xavi: Haha, how much do you think it would cost to take a Bicing on Ryanair? ; D

The Semi Sweet said...

This seems like a fantastic day!! Your dress is gorgeous, the bike is cute, and you rounded out your day at a German Biergarten!

Vanessa, Take only Memories said...

So lovely! I adore the yellow and the cut is perfect on you!

Penny said...

most of all i fell in love with your nails :)

Jul said...

How lovely is this dress! I'd call it a sunshine dress :) you look gorgeous in it!

http://lifeisaromanticpoem.blogspot.com/

Belinda said...

yes, love the scarf look too! It looks great with the dress. Beautiful summer dress (:

Raquel said...

Ahh finally the yellow dress, so glad to see you wearing it in such nice occasions, picnic in the park, riding that amazing bike and pretzel+beer in a beach seems like the perfect summer combination of happenings!

Annebeth said...

EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS IS PERFECT, the details make this look! the nails, the glasses, the scarf, so pretty!

Closet Fashionista said...

LOVE LOVE LOVE the dress on you!!! You look amazing :D I think yellow suits you well
http://www.closet-fashionista.com/

Arianne said...

Parfait. Only you could combine red and yellow without bringing up verbal associations with a major fast food chain. :P

Arianne from A + B in the Sea

Anonymous said...

Hahahahaaha I did not know you could barter on ebay but for a dress like this I could see why. I did not realize this was the very dress you were talking about in our emails when I saw the first photo, but thought wow that color is gorgeous on her!!! Really the combination with the moss of the sweater and the green of the bicycle is amazing!

And yeah there have been talks of building condos where casa loma stands. Its rather sad to think that T.O could have looked as historically gorgeous as Quebec city but the people simply do not care. Apparently the building does not attract enough visitors to pay for its upkeep.

Love

Tashrin
Twitter - @ishrattrishna

Laura said...

I have just stumbled upon your blog and am now following :)

Your outfit is very cute and these pictures make me miss summer (I am in winter in Australia!)

http://whitewinters.blogspot.com

Velvet said...

The dress is just perfect!

What a beautiful place.

Closet Fashionista said...

Yea, I totally agree about the classics that they aren't really classic ;)
Thats why my thing is called Perfect Basics, and they are specific to me, hehe. I knew I should have put in my little disclaimer saying "what is a basic for me may not be one for you bla bla bla" but you are so right, that was a good article. :D
I would NEVER wear a basic shirt, well...I should never say never, but I always feel weird in them, ha ha.

Kirstin said...

I need a yellow dress is my life! I love it on you! Looks like such a fun time!

Anonymous said...

This sounds and looks like the perfect sunday! You look like an actress in a 50's movie, so pretty and chic, that yellow dress is lovely, and how cute is the head scarf, the right way to finish the look, ps. loving your multi color nails!

Cess O. <3 The Outfit Diaries

color shows said...

The yellow dress looks great on you! I'm glad you finally got to own it. The headscarf and the sunglasses are great touches.

I am drooling over that last picture, yum.

Unknown said...

The dress is adorable, love the colour. The bike is super cool! x

Midwest Muse said...

May I borrow your entire outfit? Bike and you know, the rest of your wardrobe too?

Kallie, Happy Honey and Lark said...

First of all, I was SALIVATING over that dress for the longest time. It is so perfect for you. SO PERFECT.
Second, I love the color of your bike!! AHH! I'm sure you know this but if you tip the bike toward you and step over you can pull the bike up and your skirt will go up with it, but not flash everyone.
THIRD I'm going to live in that biergarten. forever.
My friend was in Koblenz last year and her pics look so similar to these (it was Ida actually, I forgot you met her!!). JEALOUS
fourth, sweet scarf!

chantilly said...

wow, you are right... that dress is AMAZING. i think the color is perfect on you!!

xo
~chantilly

Shybiker said...

Love love love the dress. And those sunglasses are so unusual.

Deppa said...

Casi me dio un infarto con tu vestido! primero que nada tu vestido me hace sentir una auténtica ENVIDIA! mi armario grita, al menos por tener algo similar :D
Segundo! las fotos están demasiado lindas, los colores, tus uñas y esa bicicleta que parece el mejor complemento de todos.

Uno de los post más lindos que te he visto.

Nos vemos :)

callie said...

Oh my goodness, as soon as i saw a little thumbnail of you in this yellow dress on my bloglovin' feed, i knew i was going to love this outfit. it is so so perfect! Yellow is the best color in the whole world and I actually think you pull it off wonderfully. Your headscarf looks great with it. I love how you always add a funky little accessory or something to "de-pretty" your outfit a little bit. I too get tired of the saccharine outfits all over blogs, & I love seeing how you mix it up a bit. Also, beer garden beach? I want to go there now. :)

Heather, 29 Skirts said...

Absolutely stunning photos! I'm glad you finally got the dress...the color is amazing and it has such a great silhouette with the sweetheart neckline and pleats. The flats you're wearing also look so cute and unique.

Amber said...

well it looks like you had a lovely day. Your dress is adorable and I actually really like the color on you. Its so bright and cheery.

Unknown said...

Oh goodness, it looks like you're having so many fun summer adventures! And I love your bright yellow dress! I don't think I have any yellow garments in my closet at the moment - must change that!

Ms. Falcon said...

very cute yellow dress... biergarten, ja, will ich auch.

http://wardrobexperience.blogspot.com

Rebecca said...

It's so good to get something you really want, good work on the bartering! And the dress looks great. paired with the jaunty sunglasses, the little scarf and that pretty awesome bike you look just right for picnicking my the river.

dimi said...

Lovely outfit and day! :)

Jenny said...

Picnicing may be one of my all time favorite activities. I went on a crazy search for the perfect picnic basket (with the matching plates and blanket and napkins) so I could always have a basket handy for some sandwiches and beer. And this picnic/bike ride/beer fest looks like quite a lot of fun. And the yellow dress....swoon. I could see why you needed the little gem in your life. Beautiful! xx

gee said...

yellow looks beautiful on you.
it is one of my favorite colors to wear myself.
lovely pictures as always..<3

Caitlin Rose said...

dress is amazing! as are your sunglasses. This is my favourite outfit yet! and I totally know what you mean about prettiness, I always want to make my blog posts less pretty, but I definitely get swept up in it and I don't know when to stop. This outfit is perfection though!

Marisa Noelle said...

My goodness...I just adore everything about this post!! First of all, your picnic and adventure to the beach look amazing...truly a perfect day in my book. Secondly, the yellow dress is practically to die for. I can see why you wanted it so bad. Everything from the cut to the texture on it is stunning and yellow is always a favorite. Love the scarf as well. Awesome through and through darling!

Anonymous said...

I can totally understand why you stalked this dress!

caitlin said...

first of all, i LOVE THIS. you look so happy and sunny in your gorgeous yellow dress and your dainty little headscarf. and a beach biergarten? um, seriously awesome.

as for fighting for free health care, i just wish that the whole thing didn't seem so futile! everything is so goddamn political (in the worst way) over here and half of the population seems dead set on destroying all attempts to improve this country. i say, let them secede. it's incredibly infuriating, but we can't exactly create our own semi-socialist health care system without the government... or can we? ;)

and i know that i definitely romanticize periods of my life (such as college in general or my semester abroad)--i think i mostly just miss having a group of friends that i could always call on to entertain me :)

April said...

Sounds fun and perfect!! Love that yellow dress!

Meera said...

I love these pictures! You look gorgeous, and your dress is incredible! The entire outfit was just perfect.

xoxo
Meera

Ashley said...

You are too cute on that bicycle, girl. Seriously. I want to print that picture out, frame it, and put it above my bed. Maybe. I'm not QUITE that creepy...

Oh, and how adorable are your multi-colored nails? Way too adorable, that's how adorable.

Angelica said...

Wow, your dress is simply amazing! Love your bike too:)
Kisses

BLahahaaba said...

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeye want that dress. period. the end!
Alicia im Wunderland

Amber Schmidt said...

I love bicycle posts!
And I disagree-- I think yellow is a marvelous color on you! I'm glad you were able to barter it down to a decent price (some ebay sellers are overly hopeful).

Annalise said...

Can I tell you how much I like your head wraps. You always look adorably retro and sweet. The yellow dress looks incredible on you and I'm so glad you got the price down, that just makes anything better. :D I'm too much of a chicken to ride a bike in San Francisco, but the trail you're on looks really nice. What a wonderful day filled with ice cream and fun. Dreamy!
XOXO

Ashley said...

Ooooo pretzel!

I like this color on you, actually :)

Flashes of Style said...

Oh my! Your yellow dress is so pretty. This is such a fun post as well <33

xx,

Bonnie

Emily, Resplendent Tranquility said...

I'm happy you finally got your long sought after (and quite stellar) dress! What impresses me most is that you bartered with the ebay seller. I've never thought of doing that. And what are you talking about? Yellow looks very nice on you, especially with your hair color. Killer sunglasses, by the way. I like how you attributed them an ''assertive madness.''

Bahaha, look at that potted palm tree in the urban beach/beer garden. I do love when a little bit of quirk is thrown in for good measure.

P.S. My pre-occupation with blue polka dot dresses (which I blame on a prior pre-occupation with navy blue) officially got out of control today. I found a really cute retro-looking, albeit polyester (I can deal), dress today and pounced on it. And while doing so I talked myself out of the Edwardian blouse (again), but sorted my scrambled thoughts about it into a pro/con list to mull over.

Virginie's Cinema said...

Looks like such a perfect day.

That dress is nothing short of amazing! I understand your enthusiasm :)

I love the head band of course and the nails so so much !

Virginie ♥

Neon Noose said...

Lovely color of that dress, you match the scenery. As for your bike it looks super retro...Have a wonderful weekend.

Neon Noose said...

PS. in your about me it says your a nomad, How do you become a Nomad?

Emily, Ruby Slipper Journeys said...

@Neon Noose: You move a lot! Hehe. I have various excuses for moving: I study different places, work different places (I used to teach English) and these days my boyfriend works in different places (his job has 6 month contracts).

sweet harvest moon said...

What a cute outfit!
Love your sunglasses :)

http://sweetharvestmoon.blogspot.com

Eleni said...

'An Education' springs to mind - you look lovely! I can't believe it didn't occur to the English beach-makers to include a beer tent! but I suppose the Germans are much better at handling their beer than we are (isn't everyone?) so maybe it's not such a bad thing. I now want to eat pretzels with every beer I drink...

Emily said...

I just bought a dress in the exact same color! It's hard to pull off but I actually think you look really, really nice in it. Definitely worth all the fuss. I actually went through kind of an ordeal with the dress I'm wearing in my most recent outfit post. I went back to the store and tried it on three separate times over the span of several weeks before I finally broke down and bought it. The things we do for clothes!

Anonymous said...

sounds like an awesome picnic! needless to say, your outfit and bike are flawless :)p.s. I got my bike from the flea market, too!

Hope said...

Ah, I love this yellow dress! And your blog title. I have been obsessed with all things Oz since I was about 3. Now following! :)

-Hope
www.aflatteringtale.com

Unknown said...

I love your yellow dress and that scarf! That pretzel looks so yummy!



Meanz (Koi Story)

Oh, My Darling said...

A See by Chloe dress?!? Awesome!!!!

Dus of Cuddly Cacti said...

Hehe again I was thinking wow, she can pull off yellow really well, looks great (prob my worst color)! I really love how you show pictures of what you did and not just your outfit, the scenery is incredibly beautiful and it’s so cool to see different places!
love the bike riding and then ice cream, sounds like my ideal weekend! Do you live in Barcelona right now but your bf lives in Germany? I’m so jealous how affordable air travel is in Europe!

Macarons&Coquelicots said...

This dress is so amazing ! Love the color. Gorgeous !

http://gourmandisesettalonshauts.blogspot.com/