Sunday 20 November 2016

Stormy weather

What a miserable week!

Autumn has entered its nasty stage and we were treated to foggy days with solid grey skies and relentless rain.



Just stepping outside and waiting at the traffic lights was a hazard as it's no fun being splashed by cars carelessly driving through puddles at full speed. Wet umbrellas on crowded rush-hour buses aren't much fun either.



Then, work was full on this week and added to that it was my turn to succumb to a cold, resulting in much sniffling, blocked sinuses, watery eyes and a lingering headache.



My outfit:









Warm tweedy coat and beret from Think Twice
'Tamaris' boots from Oxfam





















Dress from Think Twice
Cardigan and tights: retail
Brooch: flea market
Beads: charity shopped













But enough with the moaning!

This is actually the perfect weather for staying inside and ejoying some creature comforts.
We even did some minor home improvements.

Finally, we have caught up with modern age and bought a LED TV.

We've had our old TV for 25 years and although it was still in good working order, we had some vouchers which were about to expire.

Before

Here in Belgium, each year most employees are getting a certain amount of so-called 'eco-cheques', which can be spent only on 'green products', including energy-efficient devices. Over the years, we already spent them on a new fridge, freezer and washing machine. Not bad, eh?

After

We also replaced our 20 year old pine cabinet, with something more appropriate for Dove Cottage's sitting room.


This wonderful piece of furniture is radiogram cabinet with its record player hidden in the bottom drawer. It's a Mandello de Luxe 2 from Grundig and dates back to 1968.






Jos fell in love with its shiny dark brown veneer when he spotted it at our neighbour's a couple of years ago.

Imagine our delight when about a month or so ago, our neighbour gave it to us for free!














It even still has all the instructions manuals.



Due to lack of space, and to get rid of any lingering smells, it spent some time in our garage. Now, after a good clean, it is taking pride of place in our sitting room.

 And what a difference it makes!

With its dark, shiny exterior, it's not easy to photograph properly, though.


While a storm is raging outside, I am leaving you now with some further impressions of our little sitting room, which really comes into its own this time of year.


Now bring on some coffee and cake, please!

27 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness your new cabinet is gorgeous! It fits in perfectly. Your room is looking so festive, I love the orange.

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    1. Thanks Hazel. We love our little sitting room which is especially cosy at this time of year. xxx

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  2. How wonderful to get a fabulous radiogram for free! I'm most intrigued about the lingering smells though.
    Love the warmth emanating from your sitting room, the lampshade is super. I've had a small flat screen telly for about ten years now, before that it was a circa 1970's model in a faux wood case and on castors....all my friends used to laugh at it, but I wouldn't get rid of it until it gave up.x

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    1. Thank you Fiona. I wouldn't have minded a 1970s model either. As for the lingering smells: our neighbour is a heavy smoker, and not the most hygienic of persons, to put it mildly ... Anyway, a spell in our garage and a good clean put paid to all that! xxx

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  3. It looks so snug ans cosy! Perfect for a bad weather day. x

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    1. Thanks Gisela. I don't mind the odd bad weather day as long as there aren't too many of them ... xxx

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  4. You bought the Grundig I grew up with!
    Ours was in a blonde wood cabinet, and it might have been a year or two earlier, but that is essentially the same. Oh my goodness, I never thought I'd see it again.

    My dad bought it without asking my mother and she was furious with him (they were somewhat expensive back then). He spent many hours listening to that short-wave radio. Thank you for the wonderful trip down memory lane.

    I know you feel awful (and I hope you have a quick recovery from your cold) but you look great. Love that tweedy coat.

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    1. You're welcome Goody. I'm sure that they were quite expensive at the time. My dad made a radiogram cabinet himself in the early 1960s. By the time the photos were taken I was starting to feel better. You should have seen me on the Monday. Or not ... xxx

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  5. todschick!!!
    they made nice things in 1968 germany! incl. me ;-)
    the stereo-konzertschrank looks gorgeous in your cosy salon. i´m off to the bakery for cake! set the coffee table! :-)
    the eco-voucher-thing is quiet fab! a new fridge would be very welcome here....
    get well soon! xxxxx

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    1. I have to agree with you Beate. They made the best things in Belgium in 1961 ;-) Coffee is getting cold by now, though ... xxx

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  6. I hear you with the weather, it's atrocious here. the council are currently outside trying to unblock the drains as they can't cope with the rain and it's like a river running down the avenue!
    Fab outfit, that coat is so chic. Your room looks super cosy and inviting. xxx

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    1. Thank you Vix. I hope your weather has improved by now, as we've been hearing about your weather on the BBC and it didn't look too good ... xxx

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  7. Oh my word, that radiogram cabinet is gorgeous! And you got it for free, that's amazing. It goes perfectly in that little corner as if it was made for there. Fabulous gift! xx

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    1. Thanks Cate. We were quite lucky with the measurements, too. Otherwise we wouldn't have had the space for it, which would have been a shame ... xxx

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  8. Oh my it's absolutely blowing a gale and raining here and my poor car Frida is outside instead of being snug as a bug in the garage, but I'm afraid she will have to stay there as the garage door is broke. :-(
    Now the frock definitely has my name on it, I don't need the cost thanks as I have one similar.
    Thanks for the peep round your cosy home. Keep warm and dry Ann
    Lynn X X x

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    1. Oh, poor Frida. Hope the garage door will be fixed soon. Is that why your hubby put up the screen? I don't think I will be parting with that frock any time soon, though, as it's one of my favourites! xxx

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  9. We are having rain weather and I already had my bad cold! I hope you are feeling better ...

    Your new radio and record player is a good piece of furniture ... some music would go perfect with a cup of coffee and a slice of cake ... :-)

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    1. Thanks Dan, I'm feeling much better now. I hope yours wasn't too bad ... And of course, we're putting on some music! xxx

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  10. That radiogram is a smasher! It's funny, but because you've swapped the cabinet out, your room seems to look more retro even with the new TV.

    Those eco-vouchers are a good idea.

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    1. We were thinking the same, Mim. It does look more retro even with the new TV. The eco-vouchers are great, especially if you are able to buy a larger piece with it. But I just found out they can also be used for buying things at the charity shops ... xxx

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    2. WHAAAAAAT?! Charity shop vouchers? That is just about the best thing ever.

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  11. Fabulous radiogram, it looks like its in perfect condition and fits in well in your cosy sitting room. I love the room's colour too, so warm and inviting; we all need a room like that at this time of year xx

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    1. Thank you! At the time, everybody said the colour would be too dark for such a tiny room, but obviously they were wrong, and we are glad we persevered. xxx

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  12. Gorgeous outfit, that coat is great and I love that turquoise combination!! The radiogram is gorgeous, how lucky are you???x

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    1. I know we were lucky! We've seen similar radiograms with hefty price tags in second hand shops ... xxx

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  13. I really love that coat and the radiogram is cool

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