Sunday 2 September 2018

As time goes by

Can you believe it's September already? Well, neither can I!

I wonder if time is playing tricks with my mind, as it seems as if only yesterday we were welcoming Summer, and then, after a blink or two of the eye, the season's time is slowly but surely running out.

So, where did the time go? Did I let it slip through my fingers, allowing it to vanish into thin air?

Typically, though, the past week time seemed to go just that little bit slower, as if it was taunting me, and keeping the weekend, and my subsequent holiday, tantalizingly out of reach.


But we've finally made it to the weekend and we're all set to go away for a week tomorrow. We'll be storing a whole new set of memories to get us through Winter, and gathering stories to tell.

Before I leave, however, there are some things left to share with you, starting with the promised charity shop finds.

True vintage finds are a rare commodity at the charity shops these days. Nevertheless, I was able to pluck this amazing mint green floral frock from the rails.


It was only in the fitting room that I noticed that one of the ribbons gathering the sleeves was missing.  The one that was still in place was tied with a bow, which wasn't much to my liking so, when I got home I untied the bow, removed the ribbon and cut it in half. I then re-threaded and gathered each sleeve until it was a perfect fit, then sewed the ribbons in place and snipped off the excess. Et voilà! I keep surprising myself with my sewing skills!


The floral print offers a range of colour to choose from, but I took my lead from the one shining the brightest, adding accessories in shades of magenta to give it more pizzazz. 

My bamboo handbag is another one which hardly sees the light of day, as it is rather delicate, but isn't it a beauty? It was a flea market find back in November 2016.


The summer stuff has all but gone from the charity shop rails and the first of the long sleeved dresses, jumpers and heavy wool skirts are making an appearance, with the overall colour palette getting darker.

Now, I don't wear black as often as I used to, preferring bright colours whatever the season, but I'm always prepared to make an exception for a great print.

The ankle-length dress on the left, with its Paisley-esque print, originally came from a high street shop. The fabric is light enough for those late Summer days merging into Autumn, and I can see myself wearing it for a stroll in the park, with a sturdy pair of boots.

The other dress is King Louie, and its original retail price must have been around the € 80 mark. It looks brand new and, although I'm obviously not complaining, it always boggles my mind that someone would pay good money for a dress and then donate it to charity after only a couple of wears. Oh, I know fashion is fickle and all that, but still!


This cap-sleeved cowl neck frock is King Louie as well, again in pristine condition. I succumbed to its funky pop-art print!


Not a charity shop find, but I've just realized I haven't shown you this citrusy sleeveless Trevira frock yet. It's from Think Twice and the fabric reminds me of terry cloth. No chance of Jos losing me in a crowd when I'm wearing this!


This dress might look familiar as it's the one I bought at Ashmans Antiques and Old Lace in Welshpool on the last day of our holiday. Prompted by the turquoise bits in the print, but not wanting it to be too matchy-matchy, I accessorized it with a bright blue belt, necklace and bracelet.

The ivory coloured Bakelite bangle carved with Edelweiss finds its companion in the celluloid Edelweiss brooch I'm wearing.


Although you've seen some of my holiday finds in my travelogue, there are still quite a few things which escaped my attention, so now is as good a time as any for a round-up.



The charity shops in Welshpool came up trumps with a new-to-me frock printed with birds, which I already wore for our return journey, and a vintage long-sleeved crimplene dress in a hard to photograph shade of blue.


Not as many brooches as last year, but still a good haul. They were picked up from charity shops in various locations, including Welshpool, where I found no less than four of them!


The shell necklace was waiting for me in a charity shop in Ludlow and it proved to be a good year for bangles and bracelets.



Let's make a little jump to last weekend now.

Saturday's weather forecast was pretty dire which, as Jos's eldest daughter and her husband were having a garden party for their 20th wedding anniversary, had me rack my brain on what to wear.



There turned out to be no sign of the forecasted rain, but it was still quite chilly, so I opted for a floral maxi skirt, conveniently hiding the pair of tights I felt the need to wear. I was also wearing booties, although you cannot see much of them either. 

My lightweight, long-sleeved blouse was layered over a short-sleeved tee, which was cozy enough with my turquoise lined jacket on top.



The fact that I wasn't wearing any bracelets or bangles (forgot!) was soon remedied when upon arrival at the party we were supplied with a festival-worthy wrist tag mentioning the happy couple's names and the occasion.


The blouse actually started life as a mini dress, which I used to wear over leggings many years ago. Although it hadn't been worn in ages, I was reluctant to let it go as I loved the print, so I shortened it into a blouse. Yes, you have read that right: no-sewing-skills-whatsoever-Ann actually did this herself! Maybe I did inherit some of my great-grandmother Angelica's seamstress genes after all ...


I'm ending this post with Sunday's flea market finds. We only found out at a very late hour that there was a flea market in our village, but obviously we couldn't let it pass without having a look.

My first find was a snakeskin Jane Shilton clutch, which was hiding under a pile of gloves.




I am not sure how politically correct the brooch on the top left is, but isn't she gorgeous? She is 1950s, and both she and the marvellous celluloid dragonfly brooch were only € 2 each.

Finally, I was in need of a new case for my reading glasses and thought this one with its be-hatted lady and tortoiseshell clasp fit the bill nicely.

That's it, our bags our packed for tomorrow. No stress, as it's only a two hour drive to our destination. Here's to hoping the weather gods are with us again.

See you next week!

Linking to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style before I go!


38 comments:

  1. Enjoy your vacation! I think it is nice you chose to head out at the beginning of September as the weather is a bit more bearable and the colours start to change.

    Look at you and all your sewing! Necessity fuels our ability. I find the same thing when I need to make sewing adjustments and my skills are below what I would consider beginner. I'm impressed with your dress-into-a-blouse trick.

    I really love your party outfit, especially that yellow/gold belt. A+ on the pattern mixing : )

    I look forward to reading about your adventures next week.

    Suzanne
    http://www.suzannecarillo.com

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    1. Thank you, Suzanne. I'm really chuffed you're considering my party outfit A+ ... xxx

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  2. Have a lovely trip.

    You did a wonderful job altering the dress into a blouse!

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    1. Thank you Goody. The blouse is not perfect, but at least I can wear it! xxx

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  3. Have a lovely holiday! I am looking forward to reading about your travels again. I love all the dresses in the post, especially the two from King Louie. Well done on the sewing too!

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    1. Oh, thank you Linda! It'll be a while before I can actually sew something like you, but it's a start, isn't it? xxx

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  4. maybe i sneak into dove cottage while you´r away and have a rummage - you find the best stuff!!! such pretty dresses, fabulous bags and gorgeous jewelry!
    love the party look - and that you get a hang to sewing! :-D
    big hug! xxxxxx

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    1. Haha, I haven't missed anything so far, but with the amount of stuff here that could take a while ;-) xxx

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  5. I love your mint dress with the fab magenta accessories and the bamboo bag (such a cutie!). And those dresses in black prints are stunning, those graphic prints and florals are so fabulous! Obviously, the sleeveless frock is my favorite, those colors!! All of them are great purchases!
    Love the blue accessorizing on the Green-turquoise dress, such a lovely print and the ivory brooch is delightful!. And those brooches and bracelets!!
    You look lovely in your maxi and turquoise jacket ensemble, it's a beautiful color combo, and the blouse you made of a short dress looks fab! hurrah for sewing skills!
    Wish you a fabulous holiday!
    besos

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    1. Thank you Monica! I've surprised myself with my sewing skills, even if they're still minor things. Practice makes perfect, they say, don't they? xxx

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  6. Have a wonderful vacation! The King Louis dress is fantastic - so glad you've made it your own. Thanks for linking, xox

    -Patti
    http://notdeadyetstyle.com

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  7. I hope you have a wonderful holiday!

    I was blown away by the wonderful dresses, colour combinations and marvellous accessories. Didn't you do well! The final two brooches are absolutely exquisite.

    Fingers crossed for sunny weather for your holiday.
    xxxx

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    1. Thank you Veronica! I couldn't believe those brooches were only € 2, as they're both at least 1950s. xxx

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  8. Oh Ann, you are a true princess at heart indeed! So many pretty things and outfits! I adore the African brooch and dragonfly, and the glasses case is so very you! But more than anything, the mint dress stole my heart! I love how skilfully you dealt with the lost ribbon - I noticed the sleeves before I even read your text. Beautiful! The whole outfit sings, I love the magenta accessories you picked and the delicate straw purse (or whatever this material is) - just a fantastic look!

    Have a wonderful vacation, enjoy every minute!
    Much love!

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    1. Thank you, Natalia! I'm quite pleased with how those sleeves turned out. Glad you love the dress, and thank you for sharing it on Facebook! xxx

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  9. Oh, the treasures you find! Your post makes me want to fly out to where you are and go thrift shopping with you. But you're off on an adventure of your own and I look forward to reading more about it when you get back! Bon voyage!

    - Sherry
    http://www.petiteover40.com

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    1. Thank you for visiting Sherry! I'm following you now. You're always welcome to come thrifting with me ;-) xxx

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  10. OMG! Those dresses! I love the pop-art King Louie! And the sleeveless dress!

    Yes it has been a good year for bangles :)

    Happy thrifting

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    1. Thank you! Can't wait to wear that pop-art dress, but sadly our weather has turned ... xxx

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  11. Oh wonderful. Enjoy your holiday :)
    You look gorgeous in this floral dress and I realy love the pink accessoires.
    Great findings Ann. You are the best thrift and vintage shopper I know. So many nice things!
    Have a good time and weather. A very huge hug Tina

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    1. Thank you Tina! It helps to have some good charity shops and vintage shops nearby ... xxx

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  12. Have a great holiday! Make lots of good memories.

    You're right that it's rare to find proper vintage in charity shops nowadays - though now 'vintage' is less trendy, I'm hoping more will start popping up again. You did well to find that dress.

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    1. I'm hearing quite the opposite from Vix, who managed to find lots of vintage lately. We're probably shopping in the wrong area ... xxx

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  13. What an interesting and beautiful haul Ann. Hope you have a good trip, and the weather is kind.
    xx

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  14. I see an enamel theme going on with your brooch finds. I haven't found vintage in my local charity shops for so long now but then I live in a town full of modern housing estates.
    Have a fabulous holiday. x

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    1. Thank you Gisela, and you're right about the enamel theme. There seemed to be quite a lot of these around in the Welsh borders! xxx

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  15. I think September is a favourite of mine. I like the soft light if that makes sense?
    You're wearing and displaying so many nice outfits, a lovely post to look through. I love lots of the things you've chosen, too many to choose between!
    Hope you're having a good holiday. xxx

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    1. It makes perfect sense, Sally. September is a favourite of mine too. At least, it is when the weather behaves ... xxx

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  16. Yes I do think time is playing tricks on us! I do agree, also, that is hard to find good vintage items at charity resale shops. But you certainly managed to find some real treasures. I adore that bamboo handbag and also love that green floral dress. Also that navy abstract print is very elegant. I really enjoyed this post friend !
    ❤️❤️❤️
    Elle
    https://theellediaries.com/

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed it Elle, and I knew the bamboo handbag would be your cup of tea. It's very delicate, and I hardly dare taking it out. xxx

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  17. So much to love in this post, Ann! All of your outfits are gorgeous and your accessories are fabulous! Love those brooches and bracelets too. Such fabulous colours! Hope you have a fun and safe trip away. XXX

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  18. Hope you're having a happy holiday!
    Nice work on that delicious pistachio frock. The pink accessories are magical with it. Doesn't it feel good to get a brainwave and fix a problem in minutes?
    I'll all over black dresses with floral prints or embroidery - I've picked up a few recently.
    I've not noticed a shortage in vintage in the chazzas this week, I've actually left quite a bit behind because a lot was beige or unpatterned (always a no-no in dresses!) xxx

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    1. Your chazzas are very different from ours, and they're probably hoarding things again for one of their events. You're right, it does feel good to get a brainwave and fix a problem. xxx

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  19. Very nice combination of the long skirt and turquoise linen jacket! A blazer always adds a modern vibe to an outfit...very nice indeed!

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