Tuesday 20 December 2016

The whole of the moon

The pattern of bright and sunny weekdays interspersed with depressingly grey weekends seems to be on repeat.

Regardless of the weather, any outfit photos, or indeed any decent photos, can only be taken at the weekends, which is rather limiting.


One morning last week however, I did take out my camera and from the kitchen window took this photo of the low winter moon hiding behind the trees a couple of gardens away.


This is the view from the same vantage point on Saturday morning.

We were all set to go and visit a couple of charity shops, but our hearts weren't in it, knowing that at this time of year we would probably find nothing but Christmas tat.

There was a flea market in Antwerp, but we were so disappointed with its last edition in November that we'd vowed to give it a miss this month.

Weighing up the pros and cons of the flea market versus the charity shops, the flea market won in the end, and we were glad it did, as the general quality of the stalls was so much better than last time.

Having half promised to show some more of my black patterned dresses, I pulled out one of my favourites, another Think Twice find.








This "Petri" dress, a Swedish design, has a riotous geometrical pattern in white, red, orange and yellow as well as differently sized white spots.

Describing it like that makes it sound over the top, but it isn't.

In fact, I think it's cheering up a grey day like this no end!










I added a wide orange belt and, echoing the spots in the dress's pattern, a salmony orange cardi patterned with small white dots.


The brooch, featuring a posy of winter pansies, was charity shopped in Wales. The beads came from Think Twice (again!) and the ring is from a cheap high street shop. I can't resist a plastic ring, and have them in every colour under the sun.


I wore my favourite fake fur-collared winter jacket (dare I say it: from Think Twice!) and a pair of boots I charity shopped a month or two ago. I wasn't looking for another pair of black boots but was tempted by the neat row of buttons. They have been a staple ever since.


I'm sure you'd want to take a closer look at the dress's pattern, so here it is!

Back to the flea market, where the only thing that annoyed us was the endless Christmas music in the background. Even though I was only half listening, I ended up with a Christmas ear worm of the worst kind. Ugh, it's still there three days later! I'm going to be a good girl and won't mention which one ...

There were so many goods vying for our attention and quite a few stalls were having a clear out, which I'm not really sure is a good sign.

The upside is that we didn't spend very much, yet came home with a bagful of lovely things.


This clear green vase with white painted interior is ornately decorated with a multi coloured glass flower. We already have a similar one in orange, which it has joined in the meantime. It was ours for € 3.



From the same seller, we bought this small enameled copper dish for € 1. Aren't its colours a feast for the eyes?

As we were on a roll, and the stall really had the most wonderful things, we ended up buying this pristine box of stereoscopic images of the Cote d'Azur ...



... as well as this little vintage lamp.


The lady in the photo is my maternal grandmother, Bertha, who really deserves a post of her own sometime.

What about brooches? Well, obviously I couldn't pass the "brooch lady's" stall. She'd brought the gorgeous micro-mosaic one (top right) especially for me.


The peacock also came from her, while the other two were bought from random stalls.






I fell in love with this elephant pendant, which I added to some redundant jewellery wire I had lying around.

It's going to look great when worn together with one of my elephant brooches of a similar style.

Maybe Gisela's love of elephants is rubbing off on me?








Next up was this vintage biscuit tin to add to the collection in our kitchen.



Our final purchase of the day was this fabulous green Murano glass dish with handkerchief rim.



Then it was back home, where I decided to try out some funky Christmas decorations. Here, I added strings of magic mushroom fairy lights to two vintage beer glasses found at my dad's house.


There, that should do the trick!

What do you think?

35 comments:

  1. I love your impromptu Christmas decorations, and that green glass dish is especially gorgeous, as is the elephant pendant. So many lovely new purchases, I'm surprised you don't need a bigger house!

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    1. Thank you Claire! As a matter of fact, we do need a bigger house ... xxx

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  2. I love the glass vase and bowl-beautiful colours and shapes. The pattern on your dress is such an eye-popping delight.

    You Brooch Lady sounds like an interesting woman. I wonder how she amassed such a lovely collection? How nice that she brought the mosaic one for you. She must feel her precious collection is finding a good home.

    I like the beer-lights!

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    1. I guess you're right in that the Brooch Lady sees a kind of kindred spirit in me. I was very chuffed that she brought that brooch with me in mind. xxx

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  3. So much to love here! The enamel dish, the gorgeous brooches and my favourite...the lamp. Your dress definitely cheers up a gloomy day, more colour is needed in the depths of winter, something I need to address myself. Tomorrow is the winter solstice, yay..more light on the way. x

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    1. Thanks Fiona, and hurray for the winter solstice, although it will take some time before we can see a difference ... xxx

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  4. That dress has cheered me right up. It's been rather grey and drab here, too. It does wear you down.
    Love the enamel dish and that incredible elephant choker - don't let Gisela see it! She'll be hunting you down. xxx

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    1. I'm glad to have cheered you up with my dress, as you're so often cheering me up with yours! Oh, and it's too late: Gisela has seen it already ... xxx

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  5. Your black and multi-coloured dress is fab, really love the print on it. You're so right, a bit of colour is definitely needed at this time of the year to liven things up, and that collar is the business! Granny Bertha looks very pretty. What a great photo and I love your elephant necklace. Xxx

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    1. I wore the elephant necklace for the first time today. I must say I'm very pleased with my creation! Oh, and I have lots of photos of Granny Bertha, posing in different outfits. I'm her granddaughter, alright ;-) xxx

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  6. I am always surprised in seeing how many items you find in flea markets! I love the vintage lamp... and your winter jacket looksvery nice on the colourful dress!

    P. S.
    I am with you:Christmas melodies sound quite annoying sometimes and you can't get rid of them for days!!

    Have a wonderful Merry Christmas...

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    1. Thank you Dan. I gues I'm getting quite experienced at "flea marketing". Have a wonderful Christmas too! xxx

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  7. I think you had a very successful outing despite your earlier reservations about going.
    I wish all the people I have to buy for at Christmas liked a bit of vintage or kitsch it would make the whole experience far more pleasant. Oops ! That's the Grinch in me coming out.
    Happy Christmas Ann to you both xxx

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    1. Wouldn't that be great? Except, you might end up keeping most of it yourself! Happy Christmas to you and Philip too! xxx

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  8. I love the glass bowl and the copper enamel dish, so pretty! Most of all though, I love the peacock brooch, it's beautiful! xxx

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    1. Thanks Melanie. I had a feeling you'd like the glass bowl. There was a "flamingo pink" one too ... xxx

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  9. Lovely colours - we definitely need colour at this time of year! I too have been finding it nigh on impossible to take decent photos. I have a few weeks over Christmas so I'm going to line a few shoots up!
    Wishing you and yours a really lovely Christmas x

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    1. I have only a week off, but I'm certainly going to make the most of it, which includes doing a couple of shoots as well. Wishing you a wonderful Christmas too! xxx

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  10. OOoh, I do so like your mosaic brooch! What a nice find, esp as it had been brought FOR you in mind! Your picture of the view was very beautiful too!Ha Christmas ear worms!-Nooo! I had that hippopotamus song going round my head for weeeeeeeks! xx

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    1. I actually quite like that hippopotamus song, Kezzie. Will pop over to your blog to have another listen if something else lodges itself into my head! xxx

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  11. Oh my goodness I really am going to have to come and visit you and your brooch collection one of these days, only I might leave with most of it!
    You really do keep making magnificent elephant finds too, I need to come shopping with you. x

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    1. I've no idea why I keep coming across so many elephant things lately. Obviously I'm always thinking of you when I do. xxx

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  12. love pragmatic deco ideas!! yours is fab for a festive cocktail hour!
    that elephant is soo cute!!! is he heavy as he looks?
    your shopping at the flea look is totally chic - genius to top the black&brights with some soft brown - gorgeous! and dotted tights!! <3
    xxxxxx

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    1. Thanks Beate! The elephant is not quite so heavy. I wore him for the first time today. Oh, I completely forgot to mention the spotty tights, still you noticed anyway! xxx

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  13. How to come to your blog and not wanting it all, ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
    You are safe because your clothes wouldn´t fit me, lol
    Much, much love and MIL BESOS always

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    1. Thanks Sacramento. There's quite a few people who want to "steal" my clothes, so I guess they're not so safe after all ... Mil besos + Feliz Navidad xxx

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  14. That is a fab dress - I really love the bold, graphic prints you find. Just what is needed when the weather is grey.

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    1. Thanks Mim. I'm always trying to wear something bright when it's drab outside. xxx

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  15. I like to add some colour with my outfit on a grey day.
    The brooch with the dangling pearls looks like an octopus - it's lovely!

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    1. I hadn't made the Octopus connection, but you are so right: it's going to be my Octopus brooch from now on! xxx

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