Tuesday 23 May 2017

Leave your cares in the parking lot

What with all my daydreaming about our upcoming holiday in Wales, I completely forgot to tell you what we did on Sunday before last!

So, what did we do? No prices for guessing: we went to a flea market!


It was our last indoor market of the season (the last one is in June, but we'll be in Wales then), and in spite of the time of year, there were quite a few interesting stalls, which I was especially glad of, since we'd taken along our friend Inez for the very first time.

Dipping again into my spring wardrobe, I chose a forest green Diolen dress with a - surprise! - floral print, in orange, light green, white and beige.

There's something to be said for having two distinctly different seasons, as you get to choose from a fresh set of clothes every six months!

The dress was one of my last buys from a sorely missed vintage shop which closed down last June.


The brooch is one of my oldest, in terms of ownership, and came from H&M, and the ochre beads were from Think Twice.

Sadly, the string broke when we were getting out of the car, scattering beads everywhere. I think I was able to retrieve most of them, so all I need now is replacement string and the patience of a saint. The latter will be the most problematic, I'm sure.


The sun played hide-and-seek for most of the day, so that we were happy to be inside but, although I started out wearing both my orange leather jacket and a cardigan, it turned out too warm for both, so I wisely removed the latter before leaving the car.



Almost immediately upon entering the venue, I spotted some vintage lime green beads, which I wore as a replacement.

I was lucky enough to find two more strings of green beads - not an easy colour to find - as well as a vintage pair of clip-on daisy earrings.


This delicate brooch, which was made in France (and bought from a nice French speaking lady), features a lady walking along the beach, carrying a basket and wearing clothes fashioned from real fabric.



We happily browsed and browsed, pausing to chat with some of the sellers, and marveling at some of the unusual objects for sale, as there are, a Princess Diana paper dress-up doll (left) and a clever device designed for ironing ties (right).


This cute little Scottie dog bookend, which had sadly lost its twin, came home with us, and is now playing with the other dog ornaments which live on top of our 1930s display cabinet, watched by the haughty Idina, named after Idina Sackville as I think she is kind of a lookalike.


There was a huge stall with an eye-catching display of kitchenalia, trying to lure us into making an impulse buy. We did keep our cool though, as space in Dove Cottage's kitchen is at a premium.



Our next find was this colourful little plaque of a Mexican boy, happily shaking his maracas, another addition for our by now unstoppable collection of head plaques adorning the mantlepiece and wall of our blue room.


The owner has promised us first dibs at another wall plaque, which she will bring along for our next visit in September.



Further purchases were, clockwise from top left: green embossed tumbler, to be used in our bathroom as a toothbrush holder (two for € 1,-), porcelain light fitting (one of Jos's foibles), daisy embossed mug (€ 0,50), which I'm using for my morning and evening cup of tea, and two classic Belgian comics.




Then there was this OXO cup and saucer set. Although it's not unusual to find OXO cups and mugs from different eras, this is the first one I've come across complete with its saucer.


I was particularly enchanted by this delightful blue toy washbasin, complete with accessories, which I would have loved to have played with as a child.


Our last purchase were these old Belgian 5 Francs pieces which, although I remember them from my youth, became obsolete long before the introduction of the Euro.

Obviously, they aren't worth anything, so you will probably be mystified why we have been buying these.

Well, here's the reason:


Jos was given this vintage parking meter by a friend. It dates from the late 1950s, early 1960s, and in its former life it lived on the streets of Antwerp.

Pre-dating Pay and Display, you could turn the dial for 10 minutes' free parking, while 5 Belgian Francs (the equivalent of about € 0,12) paid for 30 minutes' parking.

Those were the days!

In spite of suggestions of putting it in front of our house as a nice little earner (it takes € 0,50 which are approximately the same size!), it will somehow find a home in our garden!

I will keep you posted!

28 comments:

  1. I love your outfit, Ann and what a shame the beads broke. I don't think I would have the patience to restring them...the new green beads are gorgeous and the clip on earrings.

    I loved your purchases at the flea market but the little Scottie dog is my favourite. Idina does look very Sackville like - and very snooty! I have a book called 'The Bolter' which is a biography of Idina written by her grand daughter, but haven't got round to reading it yet.

    The parking meter is fabulous!

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    1. What a coincidence: I've had "The Bolter" for years, but only read it when Vix recommended it to me after I mentioned Idina's cousin, Vita Sackville-West, in a post last year. It was reading "The Bolter" that prompted me to name my Idina after her! The book is fascinating stuff, but a little sad as well. xxx

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  2. I do like your little French brooch Ann, it reminds me of those embroidered vintage postcards...usually of national/regional costumes and how could anyone resist the little Scottie. I'd love to have a poke around amongst that kitchenalia, the enamelware especially.
    Jos's parking meter is fantastic! Do not even joke about putting it outside....someone would nick it!
    xx

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    1. Ooh, I love those embroidered postcards, which I often see at the same flea market. I don't want to start another collection, though. You'd have loved that kitchenalia stall, the owner sources most of it in France! xxx

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  3. Your outfit is lovely, it looks great with the orange jacket.
    I love kitchenalia, I can't resist it, especially mid century china.
    The parking meter is genius, I love it, it's very quirky! xxx

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    1. Thank you, Sally. I'm a kitchenalia lover myself, and we often pick up pieces while on holiday in the UK! xxx

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  4. You look a perfect picture of springtime in your lovely dress. The earrings you found are just so wonderfully cheerful.

    I'd stick the parking meter in the bathroom as a reference to the old days of pay toilets (did you have those in Belgium?). We still jokingly tell people to, "Leave a quarter" when they ask to use our bathroom.

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    1. I don't remember those pay toilets in Belgium, but right until a couple of years ago, we sometimes came across them in the UK! xxx

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  5. It sounds like it was a good day out, you've got some lovely pieces - the French lady brooch is very unusual indeed. I too have some beads to restring, I might look up a tutorial on youtube so that I do it properly! X

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    1. Oh, of course, a youtube tutorial, I never thought of that! If I'm lucky there's even one for clumsy people like me ... xxx

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  6. such a fab dress for a lovely day!, love that floral print, love your matching cardi and orange jacket!! sorrry about your beads, but those recently purchased necklaces look really lovely!, so great colors!
    And I'm in love with that french brooch with the cool lady on the beach! such a cutie!
    besos

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    1. Thank you Monica. I've already worn all the necklaces in the meantime, so glad I finally found green ones! xxx

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  7. successful sunday!
    so much cool stuff! especially the 3 green necklaces - would wear them all together for maximal impact :-) and this brooch with the textile artwork ist totally sweet <3
    gorgeous dress - perfect with your orange jacket! thanks gods you´d rescue most of the beads!
    hugses! xxxxx

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    1. Thanks Beate. I now have 3 sets of beads to rewire. I don't know if it will ever happen ... xxx

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  8. Eek your necklace! don't you just hate it when that happens, I do hope you did find all the beads. Love the green dress, very springlike.
    What no handbag purchase?? ;-)

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    1. I know Gisela, standards are definitely slipping in the handbag department ;-) xxx

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  9. I have often had to restring beads, though I have always used jewellery wire, but haven't done any jewellery making in about a year I think.

    I love your dress, reminds me so much of the dresses my nan had in the seventies but kept right on wearing into the late eighties!

    The lady brooch is really unusual! I haven't been brooch shopping in a little while, I should rectify this. Love the scottie dog too. Oh my, we got our friend that Diana dress up doll book, or one like it at least! She was a fan and we got it on a whim! xxx

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    1. I was thinking of using jewellery wire ... I'd never seen one of these Diana dress up dolls. A friend commented that she'd love to have that, and now I'm sorry I didn't buy it as she's got a birthday coming up ... xxx

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  10. That little brooch is just darling! I never see stuff like that over here.

    I love the pattern of your green dress.

    My heart breaks a little every time we lose another vintage store. Such a shame.

    bisous
    Suzanne

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    1. Such a shame indeed Suzanne. Last year, I learned that two of my favourite vintage shops would be closing down in the space of one week alone ... xxx

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  11. The last flea market before your holidays! how exciting!
    I love the Mexican boy wall plaque, I'd have snapped him up, too. The clip earrings are fabulous as is Jos's parking meter. I think we need one of those on our drive what with jon's obsession with collecting vintage V Dubs!
    Your dress is very pretty especially with the green and pink accessories.
    xxx

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    1. Just the last indoor one, Vix. I wouldn't survive that long without a flea market! We've got an outdoor one coming up next week, so let's hope the weather gods are lenient ... xxx

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  12. I'd never have guessed that brooch was H&M. How annoying about your necklace - it's good that you were able to recover most of the beads. Perhaps the Gods Of Vintage sent the other three your way as an apology!

    Have a great holiday in Wales. The weather's all over the place at the mo, either boiling hot or pouring with rain. You'll need both your wardrobes!

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    1. Even my friend Inez, who saw the brooch in real life, couldn't believe it was H&M. The rate things are going, it will be vintage H&M soon, though! Oh, and it were definitely the Gods of Vintage at work there! xxx

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  13. Those three necklaces! I adore them, and I even thought they were connected, one necklace with three strings, they go so well together!! Sorry you broke your orange necklace, but I'm sure you'll fix it. The dress is very pretty, as is the whole outfit. I always enjoy browse your finds at a flea market! Have a happy vacation, Ann!!

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    1. Thank you Natalia. Beate suggested I should try wearing all 3 necklaces together, and I think I'm going to follow her advice! xxx

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  14. How fortuitous that works ou found replacement necklaces! Personally, I think that patiently restringing a necklace warrants at least 3 additional necklaces being added to your jewelry collection.

    Luuuuurrrve that orange motorcycle jacket!!

    Happy thrifting ;)

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    1. You're so right, it warrants at least 3 additional necklaces ;-) I haven't done the restringing yet, though. Maybe I should take the project on holiday ... xxx

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