My baby Lélé

Because it feels like the entire world is having babies, I decided to have my own. Not a human, but a business baby. Something to take care of, but it doesn't require a partner to make it. And instead of waking me up in the middle of the night, it makes my room smell nice because I have bags of herbs and flowers piled up in my bedroom. Which is now a tea studio with a bed. Yes, indeed! Lélé's Garden is open for business!

This is what I have been doing during my short time in Belgium, apart from drinking wine with friends and selling Rituals massage candles to old ladies: creating teas like a maniac! After my herbalism studies three years ago, I started to experiment with herbs and essential oils. Then I went travelling for two years, gathering inspiration, dreaming of a herbal shop of my own. 'Lélé's Garden' in big letters, flowers everywhere. Me, happily creating potions, brews and all the goods. Playing records, drinking tea. Some call it a crazy grandma hobby, others just smile politely when I say I'm a herbalist, mixing herbs to get your mojo working like never before.

They think I'm joking, but I'm for real. I spent the past weeks creating 10 herbal blends I will sell at two markets in Leuven this weekend: Camping Flamingo on Saturday, and the Christmas Market on the Martelarenplein on Sunday. Come on over and I will tell you all about my magical brews! You may think I'm a witch or a granny in the body of a young woman and you're probably right! But try my tea and you will notice: they work their magic. 

Interested in the herbs but can't make it to Leuven this weekend? No worries, you can also order online, through Lélé's Garden facebook page, my facebook page, this website or good old email: jokederoeck@gmail.com. My phone and doorbell work mighty fine too. 

What's on the menu?

1) Christmas Morning: the ultimate fruit + spice blend to get you in the mood for Christmas.

2) Wild Flowers: for the wild ones! Put a flower in your hair, wander the streets of San Francisco and celebrate the Summer of Love for ever! Or just drink a cup of Wild Flowers.

3) Rock n Roll Skin: a detox blend to purify the skin. Or how to rock that flawless skin like never before.

4) Kung Fu Flu: beats the flu out of you. A winter must have! Especially if you live in Belgium or any other winter wonderland.

5) The Feminist: takes the grumpy out of that grumpy week. Balances hormones and reduces pms so you can focus on ruling the planet. Because who runs the world? Right.

6) Good Morning Energy: to wake up like every day is the best day of your life! Great alternative for your much needed cup of coffee. 

7) sweet Dreams: makes you feel relaxed, destressed, sleeeeeepy.

8) After Dinner: digestea to help digestion, perfect after a big Christmas dinner or any meal that requires sweatpants.

9) Passion Potion: spice up your love life! Awaken your inner tiger/tigress and get that mojo working!

10) Happy Smoke: an uplifting, relaxing smoke blend. Totally legal and goooood for you!

Only € 5,90 for one bag! € 15 for three bags!

Mix and match! Get your Christmas shopping on! Support the locals! And all that jazz.

Lélé's Garden and her crazy witchy granny owner thank you.

Vintage shopping is good for the soul

It's the smell. You recognise it as soon as you enter the world of vintage clothes. Seventh hand, passed on from generation to generation. Or lost in a wardrobe corner and found when there was no one left in the house to wear it. An outfit lost in time and space. 

It's the age, the dustiness of being old. The kind that makes you sneeze.

It's the colours. Paler than they were fifty years ago. Washed out, worn out. The colour of old skin. 

It's the music. Swing, golden oldies straight from a plastic fantastic record player. Yelling through cheap sound boxes. Trying to overtake the loud cheering and screaming of girls gone wild.

It's the people. Their concentration, focused on one and one thing only. To find the best freaking thing in the place and make sure no one gets it before they do. Their shamelessness. The way they remind you of animals. Grabbing their prey after running their lungs out with their fur coats on. Tearing it apart, because competition wants it as bad as they do. Biting, scratching, showing their teeth. And in the end it's the winner who pays the bill. 

Vintage markets, you've got to love 'em.

If you love them as much as I do, make sure to come over to the Brabanthal in Leuven on Sunday for sniffing around in old goodness, tasty goodness and just plain spine-tingling goodness. I'll be there, selling clothes, shoes, music, books, and all the other stuff that doesn't fit in moving boxes direction Brussels. Make sure to come and say hi and buy something granny would be jealous of! Or, exactly, buy your dear grandma a present! Or twenty!

With thanksgiving and christmas and all that jazz, there are plenty of reasons to empty your purse for vintage finds. I personally don't believe you need a reason. Except for the fact it might turn you into a broke person who one day finds herself selling her own things on a market so she can pay rent. Join the club! It's fun! There is wine and friends and most important: you are surrounded by preloved (the more beautiful term for second hand) clothes and at the end of the day you have a little extra cash. To spend on vintage. Exactly. See you Sunday!