I can see clearly now

Hello my friends! No, you don't have to adjust your screens, nor is there something wrong with your eyesight! There is - or rather was - something wrong with mine though, and rather than just have my prescription lenses upgraded, I thought I'd splash out on some swanky new eye-wear.

Thanks to my Mum, I've been short-sighted since my early twenties. Well, probably even a bit longer than that, but as long as it was still a minor thing, I chose to ignore it, rather than having to wear glasses, which I dreaded.

Stubbornly, I kept squinting and sitting in the front row at the cinema until it was no longer comfortable and there was nothing for it but to purchase my first pair of glasses. I hated them with a vengeance and only wore them when strictly necessary, so that at first not many people saw me wearing them!

So reluctant was I to give in to the inevitable that by the time I was in my late twenties, I decided to try contact lenses. Bye, bye horrible glasses!

Then, in the early noughties, I developed a problem with one of my eyes, and was advised to stop wearing lenses for a while. Not wanting to be seen dead in my old pair of specs, I treated myself to some sassy new ones. They had thin, rectangular red frames, and were tiny, which was all the rage back then. I loved wearing them and got so many compliments that I never went back to contact lenses at all. I even bought a second, similar pair in purple!

I've had my current pair, the ones you've all come to know, for about six years and while I still love them, I thought it was time for a change. Besides, I needed another adjustment and, since age-related farsightedness had cropped up over the years and I've had a prescription pair of reading glasses for quite a while, I thought I'd take the plunge and try multifocals!

They felt weird at first, and although I'm still not fully used to them, I can definitely appreciate the advantages.

Last weekend started early, as I'd taken Friday afternoon off, to allow myself two and a half days of trying them out, without having to sit in front of a computer screen for most of the day.

My outfit that day was a happy marriage of retail and second hand. The floaty floral dress was a sales buy at C&A two Winters ago, while my pink cardigan, the belt and beaded necklace, as well as the velvety PANK (Sheila's word!) jacket were charity shopped.

Both the plum coloured shoes (they're from Hotter, and were a silly € 2) and the brooch were flea market finds.

Speaking of charity shopping, this is what we usually do on Saturdays. Plus, I felt the need to try out my glasses in all kinds of situations, including shopping!

And what a joy it is not having to squint when trying to read labels and book spines, or checking over a garment for any defaults or stains.

But the weather was gorgeous, so a walk in the park was on the cards as well.

Oh, how I love the fresh greens of Spring, the lushness still full of promise and hope. The park is sprinkled with flowers: from the timid lacecap Hydrangeas to the showy Rhododendrons, they all fill my heart with joy.

It must be a good year for daisies, as the lawn near the pond was absolutely covered in them.

Just look at them, all innocence an purity, their pollen covered yellow hearts slightly staining my peachy pink ankle boots, which had their very first outing. They're from the New Look closing down sale, and together with the necklace I was wearing, they were the only retail buys in my otherwise second hand and shop-my-wardrobe outfit.

I've had the Diolen skirt, an early Think Twice find, for many years and I'm still very much in love with its exuberant floral print. The orange velvet jacket was charity shopped back in April, while the brooch I pinned to it was a flea market find from December 2017.

The basket bag is one of my favourites but I've been racking my brain as to where it came from. If you're reading this sentence it means I still haven't got a clue!

The short-sleeved top is another old favourite, bought from Think Twice at around the same time as the skirt. There was no way I could resist its funky print! The brooch I pinned to its collar was part of a huge haul from a Carmarthen antiques shop on a rainy day in June 2017.

And here's the other retail buy, my necklace, which came from Accessorize, who used to have a shop near my office. After more than ten years with regular outings, it has earned a permanent place in my jewellery collection!

If you half-close your eyes, the banks of Rhododendrons reflected in the pond turn into an impressionist painting. There's cow parsley everywhere, as well as the first of the dog roses.

Mingled among the reeds bordering the pond are the gently nodding heads of Yellow Flag Iris, thought to be the inspiration for the fleur-de-lis symbol.

With its variety of views, from long and mid distance to close-ups, our walk in the park proved to be the perfect exercise for my eyes. 

So was our visit to the charity shop within walking distance of the park.

Scrutinizing the jewellery stand, I found these three bangles, two of which are Bakelite! Nobody seems to have a clue at this shop, as they're all priced the same, € 1,50 each.

These two necklaces came home with me as well! I particularly love the one on the left, which reminds me of a set of wooden mosaic tiles I played with as a child.

My final buy, and the only one from the clothing aisles, was this cute top with unusual lobster print, complete with tag and spare button. It's from Flair Goes Retro, and was produced in 2015 for Belgian magazine Flair, which is aimed at young women. I used to read it when it first appeared in the early 1980s.

There's no way I would ever forked out its original retail price of € 49,95, but couldn't resist it at € 4.

Last weekend's adventures weren't finished yet, as we had a flea market on Sunday. But that will be for my next post!

Linking to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style!