Sunshine on a cloudy day

Courtesy of the Polar Vortex, we are currently in the middle of a cold snap, and we even had our first batch of snow earlier this week.

For the sake of this blog, however, I 'm having to take a few tiny steps back in time, to the Saturday before last.

One look outside Dove Cottage's window confirmed that it was going to be yet another one of those interminably grey and depressing January days, so that there was nothing for it but to create my own bit of sunshine.

Oh well, when life gives you lemons ... wear yellow!

My yellow cardigan and beret were complimenting the yellow and golden hued print of my navy blue Diolen frock. Its in your face pattern includes huge, blowsy flowers as well as a double border of seashells at the hem.

A posy of cheerful looking pansies adorns the brooch I pinned to my cardie. It was love at first sight when I spotted it in a Welsh charity shop a couple of years ago. The ochre plastic beaded necklace came from good old Think Twice.

The dress came with a tie belt but I chose to accent my waist with an ochre leather belt. I'm sure you're beginning to see a pattern here. Although I love it when a dress retains its original self-belt, I usually prefer to wear it with a different, contrasting belt.

The orchid brooch pinned to my dress's collar was a flea market find and doubles as a pendant. It matches the colour of the necklace and belt perfectly.

Apart from my burnt orange tights and my tan slouchy boots, all items are pre-loved.

Even my coat was a charity shop find. And here's the frilly turquoise scarf again. That too was charity shopped. It's the perfect lightweight yet surprisingly warm scarf and consequently it gets a lot of wear. Or maybe I'm just in a rut ... 

A mustard beret and leather gloves in the same delicious colour completed my outerwear.

It rained almost non-stop all day, so we only managed a quick dash to the charity shop near the park, where two more necklaces were waiting for me. 

I used to complain about the lack of great jewellery finds at our charity shops but, judging from the haul I've had lately, there seems to be a definite improvement

This kitsch faux wood wall plaque featuring the ubiquitous crane popular in the late 1960s to early 1970s was a snip at € 0,50. We already have quite a few of these plaques, but this is the first one we've come across in coloured plastic rather than just plain cream or brown. It needed some TLC, so it just needed to come home with me.

There's nothing much to tell about Sunday, when we continued our hard slog at my parents' house. 

The magnificent beech tree in the front garden was hosting a parliament of rooks. And no, I didn't know what the collective noun for them was, and had to look it up. They were chattering and seemed to be arguing a lot, so parliament sounded just about right!

The dullness of the day is making this look like a black and white photograph and I think it does look a bit sinister.

The week that followed continued to be wet and dismal, with only the odd short-lived ray of sunshine.

Antwerp's main shopping street was brimming with puddles, this one framing the topsy turvy top half of one of the city's landmarks, a 1930s Art Deco skyscraper.

During one lunch break, the relentless rain drove me inside a bookshop, where I spent a happy half hour or so browsing.  A book about Vintage Jewellery? Yes please!

There's a wealth of information and exquisite illustrations recounting over 100 years of jewellery design.

Decade by decade, the book explores key designers and jewellery houses, as well as technical developments and cultural influences that shaped historic design styles.

I'm sure it will be an invaluable reference for any future finds.

The rest of the working week was quite stressful, spent in preparation of a visit from my boss. One day, Jos was in town and came to my office, so I asked him to take a photo of that day's outfit for you.

It is a bit blurry as it was taken in the building's lobby and with my phone's camera, so I included some close-ups for a better look at my dress's fabric, as well as my brooch and necklace.

Oops, is that the time? 

I do have to leave you now, but not before showing you the wacky watch my boss's wife bought me!

I love its loopy script numbers and the hot pink second hand with its little pink heart.

Now that another stressful week at work has finally come to an end, my regular posting schedule is about to be resumed.

Thanks for bearing with me. Hope to see you again soon!