The green shoes

Still surfing on that September heatwave, we arrived home around midday on Sunday the 10th of September. 

As we'd asked our faithful catsitter Maurice to keep blinds and curtains semi-closed downstairs, it felt relatively cool as we entered the house. As expected, however, it was a completely different story upstairs, where the thermometer gleefully told us we were in for a sweltering night.

It was a good thing I still had two days at home before I had to go back to the office, so that we could leave the unpacking for another day. Besides, we had more urgent things to do, as Bess was clearly over the moon to see us and insisted we catch up on cuddles. 

On Monday morning, we came back to earth with a bang. And you can take that quite literally too! We were woken by an army of workers digging up the pavement in order to lay fast fibre. The contrast with our quiet west country cottage couldn't have been greater!

Under normal circumstances, I would only have taken Monday off and gone back to work on Tuesday. However, seeing that Tuesday the 12th of September was my birthday, that would have been a bit too painful. But even if it was my birthday and I had the day off, I was still suffering from the inevitable bout of post-holiday blues. It seems to be getting worse the older I get, too.

In order to alleviate the latter, birthday girl was wearing her recently charity shopped Wow To Go frock. Both the big green bird on a branch brooch she'd pinned to it and the red beaded necklace she'd picked that morning were charity shopped too, while the sandals were a sales bargain a couple of years ago.

The temperature was down to 21°C on Wednesday, which was just fine for my eventual return the office. I needn't have worried, as things had been rather quiet while I was away. Consequently, catching up was a doddle, although I still had to trawl through 700+ emails.

Red, black, grey and a tiny bit of pink were the main components of my outfit that day. 

I started with the vintage faux patchwork skirt, originally from C&A, but found at Think Twice in July 2021. The red top with its sprinkling of white flowers is King Louie by way of a charity shop. My red belt was charity shopped as well, while the necklace and butterfly brooch were flea market finds.

I hadn't been to Think Twice for absolutely ages, nor did I find something which even remotely tickled my fancy on the rare occasions when I'd made it to one of their shops during my lunch breaks. So, I couldn't be happier when I walked into the second nearest shop to my office and my eyes instantly zoomed in to this gorgeous long-sleeved Trevira fit and flare dress.

Flush with my success, I ventured a bit further afield on Thursday but neither of the Think Twice shops I visited that day delivered in the least.  The stock in both shops was rather uninspiring, with rail after rail of dark-hued stuff, lots of jumpers and oodles of jeans, with only a measly rail of skirts and dresses. Are we all supposed to wear trousers in Autumn and Winter, I wonder? And god forbid that we should wear any bright colours to brighten up the dark days ahead of us!

Anyway, I digress! On my way back to the office, I spotted the skirt on the left in the window of an outlet shop for the Belgian Green Ice label, and promptly fell in love. At 50% off everything, I also snapped up the burnt orange cord skirt - the photo doesn't really do the colour justice - on the right. 

The temperature was on the up again by Friday, when we were treated to 24°C. The perfect conditions for wearing the butterfly sleeved floral Diolen frock which had been hanging ready for wear since before our little getaway. 

I accessorized it with a blue belt with green stitching (sales bargain), a green beaded necklace (charity shopped) and a green-based Cameo brooch (flea market find).

My pale green and white wooden soled slingbacks are by the Spanish ART label, and were a bargain from a shoe outlet shop near my office in May 2022. They are in the running for most comfortable Summer footwear ever!

A long and leisurely lunch break saw me having a cappuccino fuelled catch-up at the Think Twice coffee corner with my friend Inez. I couldn't get over the fact that they've got their own homemade and personalized biscuits!

But wait a minute, I can hear some of you think. What about the green shoes of your post title?

Well, Inez and I were nattering away when, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a rather covetable pair of flat green Mary-Jane type shoes perched on a footstool in the shop's window. Tentatively, I tiptoed closer and gingerly lifted them from their perch, my heart making a happy leap when I saw they were my size. After trying them on to make sure, I took them to the till, where I was told - wait for it - that I couldn't have them. Turned out that they weren't allowed to sell items from the shop window until the next sales rolled along. No amount of arguing from my side made them see sense so there was nothing for it but to return - inwardly seething - to our table.

All weekend, I was plotting my course of action. I would go back to the shop on Monday, take them to the till again, hand over the money owed and walk out of the shop with them. After all, what could they possibly have done?

I'm fast-forwarding to Monday, as I couldn't possibly leave you in suspense for long, when my lunch break found me walking to the shop. Taking a deep breath, I looked in the window, only to find those lovely green shoes replaced by a pair of black boots! Damn! When I looked again, I couldn't help thinking that the whole window seemed to have been re-done. So, hoping against hope, I made my way inside the shop and towards the shoe display. And there they were! Mine, all mine!

But that was Monday, which for all intents and purposes isn't part of the subject matter of this post. So, let's rewind to Saturday.

The mercury had climbed a further two degrees by now and the day's 26°C called for another Summer dress which had been waiting on the sidelines for a while. 

In fact, the dress with its squiggly green stripes and solid white collar and cuffs originated from the same shop as the green shoes. Here I am, casually modelling it in front of the green door belonging to the museum of folklore a bit further along our street.

I opted for pink to accompany it, in the form of a pink belt - a sales bargain, bought at the same time as the blue one in my previous outfit - and a charity shopped beaded necklace and squishy flamingo brooch.

After a lie-in and a morning of pottering, we were off for a rummage at the edge of town charity shop.

Although it was a bit busy for my liking, I spent a happy hour or so browsing the rails. As if to make up for the green shoe debacle, which at that time I didn't know would end so well, the charity shop goddesses were on their best behaviour.

Starting with my best find: how could I possibly resist this vintage Summer dress in a sturdy printed cotton edged with red piping? One of its buttons was hanging on by a thread and it was missing a belt, both of which were easily remedied.

The short-sleeved red tricot top with flower appliqué is vintage too, while the floaty floral pleated maxi skirt is from Vero Moda.

Finally, there was this green sleeveless dress, which was clearly some clever girl's handiwork. It fit me like a glove, although I did have to take in the armholes just a little bit. 

As it might have been the last occasion to do so before packing it away for the season, I already wore it on Sunday. 

The weather gods, who seemed to be playing with the temperature like a yo-yo, had decided on a return to Friday's 24°C. Nevertheless it felt quite stifling, particularly when the sun hid behind a band of clouds in the afternoon. 

The haori-style cover-up I charity shopped in the Spring was the perfect layering piece. On my feet, a pair of Miz Mooz slingbacks which were last Summer's charity shop find.

A sales bargain orange necklace, an orange and green mottled brooch found on a flea market and a multicoloured pleated leather belt which I've had for absolutely ages completed my outfit.

So, that was it for now. I'll be back with another September catch-up shortly. See you again soon!