Wednesday 21 February 2018

Skating on thin ice

Is it Spring yet? 

With yet another month or so to wait for Spring to officially arrive, Winter finally decided to regale us with a cold snap. Or at least, what passes for a cold snap in Belgium, where snowstorms are often imaginary and people start stockpiling essentials at the mere mention of the word snow.

Nevertheless, if by cold snap subzero temperatures but crisp sunny days are meant, then I'm game. Now where do I sign up?



I'm casting my mind back to two weekends ago, when Saturday turned out to be bright and sunny.

I wasn't feeling too bright myself, and not really in the mood for our usual charity shopping trip, but when one of us suggested a walk in the park, we quickly grabbed our coats and went off.



This dress is a firm favourite which surprisingly hasn't featured here yet. The sky blue fabric with its tiny white dots and sprinkling of white flowers, was the perfect antidote to the cold I was about to develop. Who needs medicine when there are frocks like this one?

It's got a pleated skirt which is perfect for twirling. Well, that's what you do when you're wearing pleats, isn't that right, Natalia?


The dress also has a tie, which I knotted and secured with one of my larger brooches, featuring an orange stone swirled with green.

There were belt loops but no belt, so I added an ochre yellow vinyl one, as well as tights in the same colour.

On top went a brown cardie trimmed in ochre yellow, to which I pinned a posy of mother-of-pearl flowers.

And look: I'm wearing the blue boots, which I'm happy to say cleaned up rather well.



The park was wearing my colours too, the partially frozen pond a deep blue, with the reed beds bordering it a pale yellow in contrast.


Here's my brown fur-collared jacket again, with the blue beret and crushed velvet yellow scarf continuing the colour theme. I'd forgotten my gloves and my fingers were turning blue by the time we got back to our car!


Lots of birds, in gaggles or twosomes, as well as the odd solitary one, were gathered here for a bit of ice-skating. 

A trio of geese was practicing a choreography routine, while a duck was doing the duck-step on the brittle ice.  



There were clumps of snowdrops and some plants were daringly displaying fresh green shoots.


A white goose was on a wild goose chase after an ice-skating moorhen. Alas, the thin layer of ice wasn't strong enough for her, leaving her in a precarious position in a gap in the ice. 

I wonder, does she realize it's her reflection she sees? 


The tall grasses bordering the stream in the water garden made a perfect hiding place. But the big bad wolf huffed and puffed and blew my cover. Oh well, I'd better come out then!



The next day, Sunday, I was feeling a whole lot better. It's as if my cold had decided to give up and go in search of a more willing victim.

That was fine by me, as we had another flea market to go to. Our favourite one, in Mechelen.

My next post will reveal what I was wearing, but here is what we found.




There were handbags galore. The top one is a large and rather heavy carpet bag. It's so big that I was able to put the handbag I was carrying inside, with space to spare. It was € 5 and so was the tan bag on the bottom left, which both came from the same stall.

The gorgeous tapestry bag with the roses was bought for € 10 from another stall.



No gluttony of brooches this time. In fact, I only bought two: a delicately painted portrait of a lady on a pale blue background, and another Scottie! Both came from the same stall, owned by a very nice French-speaking lady. She's selling the most fabulous brooches and although she isn't exactly cheap, as I'm a regular, she's always willing to give me a discount.

On the right is a small pillbox, its lid inlaid with micromosaic, which I found towards the end of the market. To my surprise, the seller was only asking € 3 for it.


This box of flower shaped soaps transported me back to my childhood, when the Avon lady came calling at our house. I'm sure my Mum must have bought these soaps at some point, as they look so utterly familiar.


Our last purchase was this vintage wall mounted newspaper and letter rack. 

We have a few of these dotted around the house and they are perfect for keeping paper clutter at bay.

Racks like these are quite easy to find here, usually in dark wood, with embossed brass holders, or decorated with brass or carved wood shapes. Dogs seem to be a recurring favourite.

This one is rather unusual, with its painted wood base and metal holders with naive children's illustrations, somewhat reminiscent of Mabel Lucie Attwell

The seller confirmed what we already suspected: it's 1930s. It has already found its rightful place at Dove Cottage which, after all, is basically a 1930s two-up two-down.

32 comments:

  1. I'm positively drooling over those handbags! I love all of them but that first oversized one is especially lovely.

    I've been watching Babylon Berlin a show on Netflix from Germany that takes place in the 1920s and the fashions are fabulous. The one gal has the most wonderful carpet bag and another woman wears a chenille hat that I fell in love with. I think the only place I'd have a chance of finding anything similar is in Europe. I really must plan a shopping trip to Belgium!

    I have a blue dress very similar to the one you are wearing here that I'm taking to sell at the vintage show in about 10 days. My house looks like a shop!

    Suzanne

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    1. Wishing you a good trade at the vintage show, Suzanne! My house looks like a shop's stockroom, with lots of stuff in boxes, which I'm keeping for selling at a flea market! xxx

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  2. I'm the same as you Ann. would much prefer a cold bright day over warmer gloomy weather. I'm smiling at those Avon soaps. I remember those too! The blue dress looks great, it's one of my favourite colours that I wear a lot.
    Laurie xx

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  3. Geese are so lovely but terribly stupid. It probably did think it was another bird. I'm glad to hear you are feeling better-this winter has brought out ALL the bugs, everywhere. You look stunning in that blue dress. I can see why it is a favourite.
    I never can resist vintage Avon either-those soaps are so pretty.

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    1. I don't often come across vintage Avon here. Would you believe that seller had never even heard of it? xxx

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  4. Lovely post as ever Anne! I must tell you that the delicate lady in the brooch lloks like Marie Antoinettee. I watched a program on tv last night where they recreated her chemise. Here's a link to the program: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09l2qzs
    I love your blue dress, so fresh and spring like! Looking forward to seeing what you wore to the flea market. X

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    1. Thank you, Linda! You could very well be right about that lady being Marie Antoinette. xxx

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  5. I'm not a fan of the cold but when it's sunny it's a lot more bearable. Your photos are utterly gorgeous, especially the geese and ducks.
    The dress is perfect for swishing and the boots are just fab.
    I'm drooling over that incredible handbag - something I never find in chazzas here. I'd forgotten all about those Avon soaps! I remember an old boyfriend buying me a box of heart shaped ones with a key in the middle. I loved them. xxx

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    1. Bags like that regularly turn up at flea markets or Think Twice. I don't think I've ever found one in the chazzas. I know those "key to my heart" soaps. What a great present! xxx

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  6. Firstly, you look gorgeous in your blue dress with those orange accessories!, and brooches, and blue boots!, that's matchy fabulousness!
    And secondly, those bags are totally covetable, so cute!!. And those soaps look very familiar to me too, my grandma used to put them in the bathroom when somebody was about to pay a visit.
    besos

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    1. Thank you Monica! I'd totally forgotten about those soaps ... xxx

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  7. You look fab in that gorgeous sky blue dress, Ann! It's such a pretty colour and style. I love the handbags you found. What great finds! I love the photo of the goose looking at it's own reflection! What a great photo! Hope you've had a great week so far, Ann. XXX

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    1. Thank you Sasha! That goose was very obliging posing like that, wasn't she? xxx

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  8. love the pics of the iceskating waterbirds!! :-DDD
    blue with earthy tones is one of my favorite color combos! (despite blue is not my fav color personally).. that dress suits you to the nines! gorgeous!
    the letter rack is totally sweet and 30s!!! and i´m smitten with the rose/tan tapestry bag - such a beauty.
    here we have gloriously continental weather since more than a week - temps constantly dropping (to -10°C this night, but deeper in the forecast) - but so wonderful sunny and QUIET!
    tons of hugs! xxxxxx

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    1. Blue's not my favourite colour either, in spite of the fact that everybody keeps telling me blue really suits me ... I wasn't going to buy any more tapestry bags, but then I came across this one. Oh well. xxx

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  9. I love the blue, the beret finishes it off perfectly.
    The sun makes you feel so much better doesn't it, even looking at photos of bright sunny days gives me a lift!
    I love the micromosaic, I had one just like it that I bought in Italy when I was a teenager. xxx

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    1. I love micromosaic, but usually it's far more expensive. My best buy was a micromosaic crucifix hanger from Rome! xxx

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  10. Blue and brown is such a great colour combo and I really love the shade of your frock. I too prefer the sunny chillier days to the warmer overcast ones, the sun is so uplifting after the interminable months of gloom.
    Well done on your carpet/tapestry bags.... incredible finds! I wonder where you'll be off to this weekend? xxx

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    1. We didn't do very much last weekend, as I was feeling a bit under the weather. We did manage a little walk on Sunday, though. After all the overcast days, we are now having the February with the most sun ever! xxx

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  11. Love your outfit! And a twirly skirt is the best of all...

    The handbags are fabulous. I've never yet found a vintage tapestry handbag in a charity shop; I wonder why? I loved the brooches and I thought the little box was a brooch at first. Brooches with micro mosaics are sometimes found in charity shops; I've found two so far!

    Glad to hear your cold went; no one wants to be feeling ill when the weather is so horrible.

    I saw two lots of blossom on trees today so Spring is coming. Hang on in there , Ann!

    Have a great weekend
    xxx

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    1. Thank you Veronica! I've yet to come across micromosaic brooches in the chazzas here ... I've got a few of them, but all found at flea markets, and none very cheap either. xxx

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  12. Sorry you weren't feeling up to much on the Saturday! What a super dress though! I love the colour, pattern and shape. You were very restrained with the brooches. The letter rack sounds a very good idea!

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    1. Thank you Kezzie! There just weren't many brooches tickling my fancy, I guess. xxx

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  13. Gorgeous photos and I do love a blue and brown combo too.
    I remember the Avon soaps. My gran used to have them and they were a must for a pressie for her.
    I do feel like spring but I think we're still in winter for a while.x

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    1. Thank you Emma! Winter's only just starting here in Belgium, as we have the lowest temperatures yet this year ... xxx

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  14. Lovely dress, and the cardigan has a fun Harry Potter feel to it.
    I hope your cold stayed away, my cough threatened to return on Friday but was gone again by Saturday, now I'm wondering if it's going to return again...?
    The sun has been wonderful hasn't it? We're experiencing a really cold snap at the moment and I'm staying inside in the warm. I can't wait for spring!
    xx

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    1. I can't wait for Spring either, but for the time being I'm happy with the cold but sunny weather! xxx

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  15. How did I miss this fabulous post? This dress is so beautiful - and twirly! - and I love your charming outfit head to toe! Photos of waterfowl (we have some of the same species here) are so beautiful and peaceful. Winter has its own beauty, it bares everything to its core. Though I'm not a fan of cold, but I don't like extreme heat either - I am a mild temps kind of girl, and your climate seems just right to me, this freezing weather will soon pass!

    Love your vintage purses!!!

    Lots of love, my dear!

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    1. So glad you found your way to this post after all, Natalia! And that you love the twirly dress! I'm a mild temps kind of girl too, I absolutely don't do extreme heat, which I find exhausting. xxx

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  16. That's a cute dress. The orange accents you've paired with it look fab.

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