Pink frost

I had it all worked out in my head. As on Saturday before last, the eternal rain had temporarily stopped and had been replaced by temperatures barely above freezing point, I intended to wear one of my vintage jumpers. I'd chosen my blue one, which has three rows of openwork flowers caught between two rows of tiny red hearted daisies.

I even had two choices of skirt in mind. It was going to be either my red plaid pleated skirt or my light grey one criss-crossed with multi-coloured diagonals.

At least, that was the plan. 

But then the red-hearted daisies reminded me of a velvet skirt, its print featuring pink flowers, which was languishing in my wardrobe. Thus, out it came. But it didn't look right at all with the jumper. However, now that I'd finally got the velvet skirt out, I was determined to wear it. So, taking the lead from the pink flowers, I scanned my wardrobe's shelves for a suitable jumper and happened upon this pink, grey and brown zig-zag one, which I charity shopped a couple of months ago. 

Satisfied with the result, I started building the rest of that day's outfit around it.

This is a typical Saturday morning occurrence at Dove Cottage, which I'm using to illustrate the way my outfits often come together. Trial and error. Playing with colours and prints. 

After a week of mornings when, still half asleep and bleary eyed, I'm mindlessly putting on one of the outfits I've assembled the weekend before, Saturday morning is my happy time, when I can play with the items in my wardrobe to my heart's content.

The velvet skirt is part of a suit I bought at Think Twice in September 2016, partly paid for by vouchers my friend Inez got me for my birthday.

I'd forgotten how fabulous it is! The short, fitted jacket is edged in faux leather and has faux leather covered buttons. I wore this for these photos only, as it was far too cold to go it alone, with just the jacket as outerwear.

I added my burgundy faux fur wrap and hot pink gloves, both of which were bought in last Winter's sales, as well as my vintage dusty pink Kangol beret with pom pom.

To tie in with the blue and turquoise in the skirt's print, I pinned a turquoise flower shaped brooch to my jumper. If you look closely, you can see that its heart is edged with tiny pink stones.

The necklace was a retail buy from back in the mists of time, and features graduated wooden beads in pink, purple and orange.

Instead of a cardigan, I opted for a black fake fur cap-sleeved vest, and obviously only pink opaques would do! 

Look at all that space in the wardrobe!  Sadly, it isn't mine: it's the wall-length fitted wardrobe in the master bedroom at my parents' house.

Outerwear consisted of a recently acquired purple fake fur jacket, and a charity shopped red and purple fringed scarf.

Comfortable footwear was essential, as we were off to our first flea market of the year. My feet were thanking me for choosing my trusty slouchy tan boots, which have just the right height of heel for trawling the flea market aisles.

Only minutes after entering the flea market venue, I was irresistibly drawn to this beehive shaped object, complete with three large-eyed bees attached to it by tiny coil springs.  It's a piggy bank, similar to the one I had at my paternal grandparents' house. In fact, we already owned one, minus the bees, which we picked up at another flea market many years ago. 

We were going to sell on the bee-less one at next Summer's flea market, but when we got it home, we noticed they aren't the same at all. So, for now, we are keeping them both.

Another book for our already seriously groaning shelves, but I'm sure you'll agree there was no way Jos could leave this one behind ...

This flea market, which is held on a monthly basis and for which we take out a season ticket saving a small fortune on entrance fees, is the perfect place to browse for brooches and other jewellery.

I was instantly smitten when I laid eyes on this fabulous pendant with its Tiger's Eye gemstone. At € 12 it was my most expensive buy that day.

I ended up buying six brooches from various stalls.

The plastic medallion with its trio of roses and the cute pair of tiny deer both came from the same stall whose owners live in the same town as we do.

And then there were these treasures. Clockwise from top left: a gold tone dragonfly with filigree wings, a silver swirly knot and - my favourite - a burnished gold tone posy with red plastic berries.

On the bottom left is the pink frost the post's title is referring to. That night's frost had decorated our pink metal garden table with a pattern of frost ferns. Aren't they magical?

There's one more brooch I have to show you. When trawling one of the last aisles, my eye was caught by an unusual carved celluloid brooch hiding among a jumble of jewellery on one of the stalls.

Now I regularly come across similar brooches, and even have some in my collection, but I'd never seen one with a green frame.

I carefully extracted it from its precarious position and, as it seemed to be in great condition, I nonchalantly asked for its price. Needless to say, I couldn't hand over my € 5 fast enough!

To end this post, I'm treating you to a look at my other carved celluloid brooches. 

They were all flea market finds, except for the souvenir brooch of the Notre Dame in Paris, which was picked up in a charity shop for € 0,50.

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