Monday 2 April 2018

March hares and April showers

At the time of writing, the long-awaited, longed-for Easter weekend is drawing to its end.

Four days, which seemed like an eternity, full of endless possibilities: they were over in the blink of an eye.


With nothing planned on Good Friday, we decided to go with the flow, and started the day with a leisurely breakfast. 

Deliciously fragrant hot cross buns, a pot of freshly brewed coffee and a hearty omelette: could there be a better start of a day?


The weather forecast said there would be rain but as the sun was still out in full force after we'd finished breakfast, I decided to put my lazy bones into action. I donned my gardening gear, grabbed my trusty pair of secateurs and went outside.


I pruned the Hydrangea bush, which is full of fat buds, cleared away some of last season's fern fronds and cut back some of our rampant ivy.

It's just the tip of the iceberg as it will take a lot more to tame our neglected wilderness, but it's a start.


Exploring our handkerchief sized plot, I was happy to discover that Spring is about to happen, no matter what. 

Our pot of rhubarb is coming along fine, showing its first fleshy reddish stalks, so we'd better plant it out soon. 

Several clumps of Aquilegia are unfurling their leaves, promising a glut of frilly bonnets in just a few months time. 


Clematis armandii, growing happily and quite rampantly through our huge Lilac bush, is opening the first of its many creamy white, starry flowers.


But Spring is such a fickle and quite cruel thing! 

Soon the sun started playing a game of hide-and-seek, then disappeared altogether, laughing behind our backs as once again we'd been tricked into thinking Spring had actually started.

Time to settle on the couch with a batch of brochures and plan our Summer holiday!



The day ended with torrential rain beating against our windows and I could only hope that next day, Saturday, would be better, as I had plans!


And it was! We were greeted by the sun when we got up. She knows how to play with our hearts, making it jump for joy when she's dispensing her warmth and displaying skies of azure blue.

Quite fed up with my Winter coats, I pulled this coral red new wool Spring coat from my wardrobe. Originally from a posh Brussels shop, it was charity shopped back in October, and this was actually its first wear.


It's got satisfyingly deep pockets and look at that gorgeous half belt, with buttons at both ends.


The three-quarter sleeved blue and white Finnish made Misstex frock has a green, short-sleeved sister in my Summer wardrobe.

I pinned a vintage Daisy brooch to its collar, added the red and white vintage necklace I found last weekend and cinched in the waist with a red belt.


It was still rather chilly in the morning, so I wore a red new-to-me cardigan from retro label Zoë Loveborn on top. The 1950s brooch I pinned to it was one of my very first vintage brooches!



I had a date with my friends Ingrid and Inez to go vintage shopping in Antwerp. Although I usually avoid the city like the plague during weekends, I gladly made an exception.

All three Think Twice shops were visited, with a coffee break in between. Ingrid bought the vintage deadstock blouse, among other things, and the maxi skirt and blouse I'm wearing here were my two buys.



While you will get to see the maxi in its full glory in my next post, here is a closer look of the blouse which, with its fresh green colour (the photo doesn't really do it justice) and orange and navy flower print, clearly had my name on it.


Back at home, we were regaled with a thunderstorm, all fire and brimstone and accompanied by hailstones.

Early April showers, perhaps?

Anyway, Easter Sunday took us a couple of steps back into significantly colder weather, firmly above freezing point but with a definite chill in the air and a thick layer of clouds which couldn't be pierced by the sun, however hard she tried.


Typical Easter weather? Well, yes, judging from the coat, scarf and woolly bonnet I was wearing for Easter egg hunt back in 1966.

Linking Saturday's blue, white and red outfit to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style!

33 comments:

  1. Hailstorms, yikes! And still Spring breaks through, so beautiful. Love your brilliant coral coat, and all the other vintage goodies. xox

    -Patti
    http://notdeadyetstyle.com

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  2. Goodness me, how ominous does that sky look? I'm so tired of this weather now, it's driving me nuts!!
    I'm so glad you got to tidy up Dove Cottage's garden, I love seeing your beautiful plants. Even you gardening gloves are groovy!
    Your maxi skirt is gorgeous, I'd have fought you for that. You look fab in your red mac, too but most of all I love young Ann with her Easter egg, that would make a wonderful greetings card! xxx
    PS How funny. We are on the same wavelength when it comes to blogging just lately, I've noticed the cross posting, too! xxx

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    1. I have those gloves in pink too! Been out in the garden again last weekend, doing some more pruning and planting a bit of Spring colour. xxx

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  3. you know why easter eggs are colorful painted?
    to find them in the snow! ;-DDD
    sweet childhood pic of you!
    wonderful that you started gardening! it can be so satisfying - and some fresh air is never bad.....
    you´d fight the mad weather with a fab look in bright colors - love the red coat! and your breakfast sound&looks yummy!
    that maxi skirt is crazy!
    hugest hugs! xxxxx

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    1. So the white chocolate eggs are all wrong! I somehow seem to have a lot of photos of me at Easter, and none at Christmas! This one is a favourite ... xxx

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  4. What a cutie you are there! Happy Easter to you and Jos!

    I love seeing other people's plants - I am a plant killer, so I have green thumb envy.

    Fabulous maxi, and I LOVE that red coat - wow, what a gorgeous piece that is!

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    1. Aw, thanks Sheila! That red coat was a lucky find, it must have expensive, originally ... xxx

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  5. How adorable is that childhood photo of you?!
    A rhubarb plant-how wonderful. Edible, and it provides beautiful ground cover.
    Just LOVE that spring coat and all the details.
    Hope spring arrives completely for you soon. I'll be excited to hear where you're headed on holiday.

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    1. Planted out the rhubarb in the meantime. Everything seems to be growing like mad now that we've had a couple of Spring days ... xxx

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  6. You look so cute in your Easter egg hunt photo, Ann! That's a nice coat you were wearing then too: do you remember what colour it was? Speaking of coats, I love your new red one too! Red looks great on you, Ann! I love your new groovy maxi skirt as well ;) XXX

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    1. Thank you Sasha! I actually do remember the coat's colour: it was blue! xxx

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  7. mwahaha, I totally agree with previous commenters, you look really cute in that old photo, lovely!
    And I'm in love with your red coat, and the beautiful color combo, so joyful blue and red and White and your accessorizing rocks!
    So lovely that you enjoyed some shopping with friends, and it was very successful!. That maxi skirt looks fabulous!
    Hope we have a proper spring asap!
    besos

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    1. Thank you Monica! Blue, red and white is such a classic combination, isn't it? xxx

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  8. Starting with the end of the blog, the photo of you back in 1966 is so sweet. You look like you're having fun.
    The garden's really looking like spring has started. I've noticed everything suddenly seems to have got going in my garden too. It's been very wet here over Easter, which has probably helped.
    I absolutely love your red coat, I always love red but it looks especially great with your blue and white dress, it's a perfect shade of blue for that bright red. xxx

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    1. Thank you Sally! We've finally had some Spring weather here, and the you can almost watch things grow now! xxx

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  9. Look at you in 1966!

    Wonderful maxi skirt. It is great that you have other vintage loving friends you can shop with.

    That red coat is stunning.

    I've been having issues commenting on any blogs that use the blogger format, thus the testing comment.

    Seems I can comment on one computer and not the other.

    Suzanne

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    1. It worked, yay! I have some problems with your blog too, it's no longer updated in my feed. So, I'm just checking whether you've posted on a regular basis. Computers, they're a blessing and a curse at the same time! xxx

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  10. I'm so fed up with this weather I just want to get outside for a bit. It's even snowing in New York at the moment bah, bah, bah.

    Wow! that is some maxi!

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    1. Hope it's no longer snowing in NY when you get there! xxx

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  11. Gosh, that sounds a bit like our Easter weather. On Good Friday we took my mum out for afternoon tea as a birthday treat and had hoped to sit outside in their beautiful gardens for at least a little while. However, the weather had other ideas and literally poured from morning until night with torrential rain flooding some of the streets. Ah well, the tea and cakes were delicious anyway! xx

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    1. Oh dear, I think Good Friday was one of the better days of the Easter weekend here. Such a shame you weren't able to enjoy your tea and cakes in the garden ... xxx

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  12. Sounds like your Easter was much the same as ours - buns, gardening, and holiday planning. If you're off to Shropshire and the Welsh marches, that really is a lovely part of the world. Hopefully by the time you get there it will be green and flower-strewn, rather than with grey skies overhead like we've got at the moment.

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    1. So I'm hearing! We have been to South Shropshire before (Ludlow and Stokesay Castle) when we were staying in Herefordshire. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for better weather than we had in Wales last year ... xxx

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  13. So wonderful your red coat ❤️.Sooo cute your childhoodpicture...hm looks like typical easter weather, you are right.
    Huge Hug Tina

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  14. I really need to get out in my garden and have a mammoth clear up. My garden is 120ft long and it sure keeps me busy! Nothing better than a girlie day out Ann. That sounds fun.
    Laurie xx

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    1. That's quite a big garden, Laurie! I'd love a bigger garden but at least our postage stamp sized one is manageable. xxx

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  15. I remember how the long weekends always used to be over all too quickly (working for myself now, I’d forgotten that it was Easter weekend). I haven’t even had a hot cross bun!! Andy did buy me an enormous egg though. Sadly we both had colds so we didn’t venture out or get up to very much.
    I love the idea of sitting down to breakfast together. The only day Andy and I do this is on my birthday and then it’s a bit rushed as he has to get to work asap.
    I love a potter in the garden, I love your gloves!! Isn’t it nice to get out there and start tidying up for the coming months? I started the other day but as soon as I’d gotten into the swing of it, the heavens opened, I got drenched just dashing in from the front garden!
    What a treat for the eyes your spring coat is, such a lovely colour - that’s what I need for my spring capsule.
    Your purchases from Think Twice are lovely. And that last photo of mini you is adorable :)
    xx

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    1. Thank you Hazel. The weather certainly hasn't been cooperating when it comes to gardening. Usually, it's perfect weather for gardening when I'm at the office. Hope your colds are better now! xxx

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  16. Lovely signs of Spring in your garden!! I think we did gardening on the same day! I planted some flowerpots and cleaned up the porch a bit.

    Love this red coat, and you did a fantastic job showcasing its beauty by combining it with blue. Your childhood photo is amazing! I agree with Vix - both your photo and Jos's childhood photo from another post are worth being postcards!

    Happy Spring!! <3

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    1. Thank you Natalia! Maybe we could do just that and turn them into postcards. That's actually a brilliant idea! xxx

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