Wednesday 17 August 2016

Please send me evenings and weekends

Last week was quite a hectic one at the office and the commute home a nightmare due to tram delays (oh, the joys of public transport!) so that I was well and truly exhausted by the time I got home every night. To say that the weekend was very welcome is a bit of an understatement. But as it was an extended one, the 15th of August being a public holiday in Belgium, who am I to complain, really?


We were going to take it easy on Saturday but the lure of the charity shops proved to be too strong.

We opted for our favourite one, in the neighbouring village of Duffel as, being on no less than three floors, it has a wide range of goods on offer. Another bonus is that it is near the small but perfectly formed park that we love.


With the sun filtering though the trees' canopy and its overall lushness, it felt like being in a fairy wonderland. The park has several ponds and a little stream, which is abundantly and imaginatively planted and is a perfect hideaway for toads and frogs, not to mention a duck or two.


Near one of the ponds, the annual duck convention was taking place, which was soon dispersed when it turned out the catering was not up to scratch. As we'd already eaten all of our picnic we had nothing to offer the poor creatures!



For the outing, I wore a short-sleeved summer two piece in a colour and pattern which went well with the greenery of the park.

Suit, handbag, belt, brooch and bangles: all charity shopped
Shoes and ring: retail
Beads: Blender Vintage Shop

The question on everyone's lips, of course, is: did we find anything worth mentioning at the charity shop?




Well, one of the first things that caught our eye was a big brass and luminous plastic Lourdes souvenir which, in spite of our vows to stop buying these things, simply had to come home with us.


We have quite a little collection of these Lourdes memorabilia, which in French are scornfully called "bondieuseries".

We didn't set out to collect these.
No: it happened purely by coincidence.









First, we were given a pewter clock-cum-music box by one of Jos's ex-colleagues. Then we found a small plastic bottle in the form of the Virgin Mary, with some holy water still inside, which we bought as it reminded Jos of his mother.

This is an old photo, we have even more now!

One thing led to another: we started picking up these kitschy items at flea markets for next to nothing and before we knew it we had a whole shelving unit full of them. With the majority of them being glow-in-the-dark, they certainly light up our lives, quite literally!


Other finds included a burgundy and turquoise waterproof bag which I'll use when travelling, a souvenir of Belgian seaside resort Blankenberge and a 1950s fake wood veneer tray.


My final purchase was this dress, perfect for lounging around the house and garden.

On Sunday, we were promised a summer's day, so we thought we'd make the most of it and visit a small flea market on the outskirts of Antwerp.


By the time we had parked our car and walked the few hundred metres to the square where the market was being held, it had started raining. First it was only the odd drop here and there but then umbrellas had to come out and several stall owners were obliged to cover their wares with plastic sheets.


Fortunately, it was only a shower and the sun soon reappeared, so that we were able to make a few small purchases. After doing the rounds, not once, but twice in case we'd missed something, we plonked down at the conveniently placed benches and tables to eat our picnic.


The small tartan zip-up suitcase was a last-minute buy. Our other finds were a bracelet (I'd been looking for a nice green one for ages), and ... more brooches!


I felt very mid-century in my outfit of choice:

Skirt and top:Think Twice
Belt and bag: charity shopped
Shoes and cardigan: retail
Beads: Vintage Styling
Umbrella: National Trust

Oh, and this is what happens when your husband is retired and has been befriending the local elderly ladies. Knowing that we like "old things", they bring him gifts, like this pretty wash set ...


Now, where are we going to put it?

22 comments:

  1. I can't take my eyes of your first outfit and shoes. You are one stylish lady Ann and you look like you had a great time xxx

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    1. Aww, thank you Lynn! And to think that at first I had some doubts about that outfit ... Now I'm glad I wore it! xxx

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  2. What a wonderful snapshot into your lives! I adore this kind of post: outfits, bargains, nice scenery... xx

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    1. Thank you! Doing my best on the scenery, but it will never compare with your beautiful Welsh valley! xxx

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  3. Sorry about the rubbish commute!!! I love your brooches (of course!) they are really cute. I really love that blouse you wore to the bootsale. So pretty.
    Wow, you have a lot of Lourdes memorabillia!

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    1. I love that blouse too, especially as it has a little flower applique, which tricks people into thinking it's a brooch! xxx

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  4. Your suit for Saturday is very stylish and those shoes are so cute! Plus I love the dress you bought, it looks fabulous on, really flattering. Your little tartan suitcase is cute. I'm sure I have one in green. Oh yes, the old religious statues, we can't resist can we? You have quite the collection!! Xxx

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    1. Can you believe I completely forgot about those shoes? I'd bought them in the sales last year, but never had occasion to wear them, and they somehow ended up at the back of the closet ... xxx

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  5. I'm so much in love with your religious tat shelf especially now I know that some of them glow in the dark. Why oh why don't I ever find anything that mad at car boot sales here?
    Your first suit is lovely, I love the crazy collars on the market outfit and the groovy print dress is perfection.
    What a wonderfully tranquil place to stroll, it really does look like Wonderland! xxx

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    1. Glad to hear you appreciate my mad little collection! Going on a pilgrimage, either to Lourdes or to Scherpenheuvel in Belgium is/was quite a tradition here, which is how all these kitschy souvenirs end up at chazzas and flea markets ... We actually bought another one today ... xxx

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  6. in the railroad-keepers house ;-)
    just joking!
    you in the 2piece look like a lady in HER park! fabulous! and very chic lounge dress! gorgeous finds!
    xxxx

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    1. Thank you Beate! And I'm sure that wash stand would look very at home in the railroad-keepers house ... xxx

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  7. Daft question, do duffel coats originate from Duffel?

    That two-piece dress is super, and I really like the red/white shoes you've paired with it.

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    1. Not daft at all, Mim. There is a connection. Although the coats were never made in Duffel, the name duffel coat derives from Duffel. Something to do with the fabric ... xxx

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  8. The statues glow in the dark?! That's fantastic (in both senses of the word).

    A waterproof purse is such a good idea-why haven't I ever looked for one?

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    1. That shelf is quite something when we turn off the lights! As for the waterproof bag, I always have one ready for when we are out walking in all weathers. Can't risking spoiling my lovely vintage ones, can I? xxx

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  9. Aww, how heartwarmingly sweet that some of the local folks like to bestow vintage gifts on you guys. That's just awesome!

    Your latest finds are great, too. Love that green bracelet! So true that good green mid-century (especially pre-1960s, if that's what one is hunting for) jewelry can be hard to come by sometimes. Congrats on scoring this beautiful bracelet and that other treasures that came home with you that day.

    Oodles of hugs,
    ♥ Jessica

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    1. My husband can really turn on the charms with those ladies ;-) I'm not sure if the bracelet is vintage, but it looks appropriate enough, and it's green! xxx

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  10. Shooooes!

    *cough*

    You said duck convention, which made me think, how wonderful that Belgium has duck conventions! then it dawned that it wasn't actually a country organised event!

    xxx

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    1. The "duck convention" is an old joke recycled from a friend, when we were in the Lake District many, many, many years ago ;-) xxx

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