Saturday 23 February 2019

Five dogs and a suitcase

After the endless string of gloomy days we've had in January and early February, it was an utter joy to finally have the sun come out to play in the week before last. If the mornings were chilly and bright, as the day progressed the temperature climbed to the lofty heights of about 15°C.



The sky was such an unaccustomed shade of blue that I decided to join in and wear a bit of sky blue too.

And yes, it was still just light enough for outfit photos when I got home!



The dress I wore on Friday has a sprinkling of white dots and flowers, a full pleated skirt perfect for a twirl or two and a neck tie.

Wearing yellow with it was almost mandatory, so I chose a yellow belt and opaques and pinned a yellow bird brooch to my dress's collar. The yellow cardigan I'd started out with had long been discarded, and I'm only wearing the vintage teal new wool jacket with its grey furry colour for the photos.



On Saturday we had a flea market to go to. We'd made a late start as some paperwork related to the sale of the parental home had to be signed.

Consequently, it was nearly lunch time when we finally set off, deciding to make outfit photos afterwards.

This turned out not to be the best decision, as by then our garden was bathing in dazzling sunlight, bleaching out my outfit's colours and giving my already pale face a ghostly translucency.


I picked up the pussy bow blouse with its magenta Paisley pattern for € 2 at Think Twice the other week. It's vintage St. Michael. I'm surprised the nylon it is made of didn't make me sweat, but then again it was quite chilly inside the flea market venue. However, the slipperiness of the fabric ensured that the blouse kept escaping from my skirt's waistband, even with the addition of the sturdy belt.




Putting this outfit together was a doddle, as I'd already decided on the green skirt, which was lurking in the depths of my wardrobe. The happy marriage of green and magenta made my heart sing!

I balanced out the equation by adding maroon opaques. These are Falke and came from a posh department store in Antwerp, which has an extensive collection of stockings and tights. Under normal circumstances, I hardly ever venture into this shop, but they are worth checking out at the tail end of the sales, when good quality opaques in unusual colours can be found for very reasonable prices.



I needed comfortable footwear which wouldn't pinch my feet or kill my back while trawling the flea market aisles, so I opted for these age-old tan ankle boots.

Tired of my Winter coats, I chose a green tweedy jacket I charity shopped last Autumn, adding a large brooch depicting a glamorous, green turbaned lady for good measure.

As you can see, I was wearing another lady brooch, this one wearing a feathered hat, at my throat. Only, it isn't a brooch but a scarf clip, which I'd used to secure the pussy bow.



My handbag of choice was this glorious tapestry covered one - I am such a sucker for them! - which looks a bit like an overgrown purse, and is big enough to carry my flea market essentials and more.

There were stalls a-plenty at the flea market and in spite of the gorgeous weather it was busier than usual, but we didn't seem to be in the right mood. Consequently, it took us longer than usual to make our first purchases.

Now, without further ado, here's a little group photo of what we came home with.



The vintage cheese grater (our old one recently died) and the deer ornament came from Ilona's stall. She's a flea market regular whom we have become friendly with over the years. I don't think we ever left her stall empty handed.




At a jewellery stall we usually avoid as we think its goods are rather overpriced, I was drawn to a box full of 1970s deadstock earrings. As my ears are no longer pierced, I was pleased to see there were many pairs of clip earrings, even dangly ones, so I bought 5 pairs for a total of € 10.



Funnily enough, only one brooch came home with me, but isn't this trio of doggies the cutest?



Speaking of dogs, I happened upon this tiny ceramic dog. Its head is a lid, and can be removed, but what is it? A little trinket box, perhaps? Anyway, he caught my attention as he reminded me of another ceramic dog we have. This one can do a little trick, which magically transforms him into a jug. So, I took the tiny one home, and lo and behold, they're like a reunited little family!



Our final buy was this magnificent vintage Lady Baltimore suitcase from Tania's stall, which is another one of our favourites. It's in pristine condition, inside and out, and even retains its matching label with the original owner's name and address pencilled in.



Not much actual information is found on the Internet about these suitcases and the company who produced them, but the Baltimore Luggage Co. registered the "Lady Baltimore" Trademark in 1954.

The luggage came in different sizes and colours, and are selling like hot cakes on eBay and various Etsy shops.

Mine dates from the early 1960s, as testified by these delightful ads. One thing is certain: I will travel in style!



At a rough guess, there must be at least a dozen suitcases at Dove Cottage, all picked up at charity shops and flea markets. They all serve their purpose as storage for out of season clothes and shoes, handbags, scarves, belts, Etc.

Then there's a stack of old brown suitcases. We used to look out for these, their common factor being that they have a wooden frame, a necessity to convert them into ... Barbie wardrobes!




I am storing all my vintage Barbie (and family) clothing sets in them and, organized as I am, they are all in plastic bags with the various accessories belonging to them, labelled with their names and stock numbers, the year they were issued and the page(s) of the reference book(s) where more information on them can be found.

Even if I've stopped actively collecting, my collection still gives me so much joy. But I do blame those dolls for wanting a vintage wardrobe of my own!

Linking to Patti's Visible Monday and Mica's Weekday Wear Linkup!

39 comments:

  1. I wonder if the smaller dog is to hold sacharinne tablets? They were quite tiny.

    Lady Baltimore is also a very fancy American cake (a variation on the Lord Baltimore cake). Fussy to make-but delicious.

    You have given me serious cheese grater envy! I've never run across one like that.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When I was researching the suitcase, I came across quite a few Lady Baltimore cake recipes. I wonder if they named the luggage after the cake? xxx

      Delete
  2. Lovely, colorful outfits as usual Ann. I do love blouses and dresses with ties or bows. Never can seem to find many around these parts. But I keep looking! Lots of fab finds at the flea. The deer statue is darling and that blue suitcase is quite a score. Very cool ad for that brand.

    xo
    Theresa

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Theresa! Blouses and dresses with pussy bows are ties are quite plentiful here, and I've got quite a few of them in my wardrobe, as I think they're irresistible. xxx

      Delete
  3. Lovely colourful outfits! I love the magenta pussy bow blouse with the green skirt. As a dog owner I love your doggy brooch! And the little trinket box. Thanks for visiting my blog! XXX

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Linda! Even if I'm more of a cat person, I've got quite a few doggy brooches ... xxx

      Delete
  4. So many beautiful things in one post! Love your blue dress and yes, I remember well the slippery blouses that would not stay tucked in the skirt! My favourite picture is of your little dog find - so cute!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Liz! It would have been quite heartless to leave the little dog behind, wouldn't it? xxx

      Delete
  5. barbie wardrobes! and sorted like the depot of a posh museum! wow!
    the newest suitcase is a beauty - especially inside. but how can you stand clip on earrings? they are such a pain.... love the magenta with green and maroon - very stylish combo!!
    hugest of hugs! xxxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. What I didn't mention is that I even have spreadsheets to keep track of the items in my Barbie collection ;-) As for the clip on earrings, they are indeed quite a pain, so most of them I can't stand for very long ... xxx

      Delete
  6. I am in awe of how well organized your Barbie wardrobe is organized! Wow!

    Those little doggies are adorable. How fun that they match each other.

    The suitcase looks pristine. What a find! Do you usually fill them with kitty litter to get rid of smells? I've had that issue with the few vintage suitcases I've bought before.

    Suzanne

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I guess I've been lucky that none of my suitcases had smells, but I've heard about the kitty litter trick. Hope you are well, Suzanne, thinking of you a lot. xxx

      Delete
  7. You look fabulous in blue, Ann! That is such a pretty dress and it looks great with the yellow accessories. That magenta paisley blouse is so pretty. I love that colour! What a fabulous find! Your Barbie wardrobes are so cool! Hope you have a wonderful week, Ann! XXX

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Sasha! I've been told before that I look great in blue, so it must be true ;-) xxx

      Delete
  8. I'm glad you're experiencing this wonderful warmth and sunshine, even though it does play havoc with the blog photos.
    The blue outfit is lovely and yes, yellow was the perfect accent. The St Michael blouse is fab - there's something about vintage nylon, it seems almost breathable, it never gets sweaty, does it?
    Love the cheese grater, the suitcase and that adorable trio of dogs and the Barbie wardrobes are sheer genius! xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The early Spring weather is gone now, unfortunately. It's hard getting used to grey skies and rain again. I was wondering about the nylon, as it was unusually non-sweaty. Glad your love the Barbie wardrobes! xxx

      Delete
  9. I love your blue dress with the yellow - perfect sunshiney outfit! The suitcase is a great find as well, how clever to re-purpose some of the cases you have for storage for barbie clothes! :) I'd love a vintage case like that one day :)

    Hope that you have been having a wonderful weekend :) I just posted my weekday wear linkup, I'd love you to join! :)

    Away From The Blue

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Mica! That vintage suitcase was a lucky find. The others I have are quite tatty and boring compared with this one! xxx

      Delete
  10. Glad that you're also enjoying some warm weather days!, we have 15ºC here today, pretty unseasonable!
    And it's lovely to see you in your blue and yellow outfit, such a fabulous outfit and cute jacket!. Also fabulous outfit in green and magenta (great color combo!) and lovely tweed jacket. Love both brooches of ladies, they look like a set even if one of them is not even a brooch!
    Totally in love with your new case, such a mint condition. And I admire your collection and how beautifully you stored it, that's a job of art!
    besos

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Monica! The minute I laid eyes on the magenta Paisley blouse, I just knew I was going to wear it with the green skirt! And I've got quite a few "lady" brooches, they really appeal to me! xxx

      Delete
  11. I love that you found a new doggy friend to keep your existing one company! Spring in the air is helping me out of a wardrobe rut, it feels good to embrace some zingy colours. Love that blue dress on you. Xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I must admit I'm getting a bit bored of my Winter wardrobe. It hasn't been cold enough to wear my really warm stuff, which rules out about on third of what I've got ... xxx

      Delete
  12. The sky blue does look beautiful and spring like, the weather is amazing and such a contrast to this time last year.
    I love your short tweed jacket, it's a great look on you and I love vintage leather cases too. I have one in the hall with all the scarves hats and gloves in, very handy! xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Sally! Vintage cases are so versatile, aren't they? I have one in the hall as well. xxx

      Delete
  13. That green tweedy jacket is ace, and I LOVE your blue suitcase! You need to start planning travels just to give it an outing or two.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, we've booked a week away just after Easter, and I'm planned to take the suitcase, obviously! xxx

      Delete
  14. The Barbie wardrobes made out of the brown leather suitcases are amazing! What a brilliant idea.

    I'm so glad your wee dog has found a friend in Dove Cottage - they actually look like parent and child. The trio of dog brooches is just beautiful; what a lovely find.

    Your outfits both looked very springlike and I loved your two lady head brooches. A magenta pink paisley blouse? Yes, please! As for the tapestry bag I am in love with it. The pattern, the colours and that lovely shape. I don't think I've found a nice tapestry bag in the charity shops ever - other than a teeny little evening bag; once! Maybe they've all migrated to Belgium!

    I do hope you continue to have nice sunny weather - the weather here is almost unbelievable at the moment. People are wearing shorts and t shirts!

    Have a lovely week.
    xxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Veronica! We used to trawl flea markets for these cases, and then had to explain why we needed them to have wooden frames! I've found quite a few tapestry bags here, so it's probably true they've all migrated to Belgium ;-) xxx

      Delete
  15. Is the little dog jug meant to be a doll's-size teapot, and the wee matching dog is the sugar container? I bet it is!

    I love both of your outfits, particularly the blue jacket with the grey fur collar (swoon!) and the magenta/green pairing (although a blouse that doesn't stay tucked in drives me insane!). Do you tuck your blouses into the tops of your tights? I find that works really well - I usually buy control-top tights for extra smoothing and they keep my tops tucked nicely.

    I had a major flashback seeing the inside of that suitcase. My mom and dad had a set of 3 pieces like that, and we used them for all family holiday until the late 80s, at least!

    Wishing you a good week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We did have a blue family suitcase as well, but not nearly as nice as this one. I wonder where it's gone and the funny thing is I've still got its key! I always tuck my blouses into the tops of my tights! These weren't control-top ones though ... I love wearing those, but I can't find them in too many colours. xx

      Delete
  16. I just love the Barbie wardrobe idea! You get me tempted to collect Ann!
    The weather in London has been glorious too and so welcomed. I love the first dress, the light blue and tan is not something I would have thought of pairing but it looks really good xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Be warned that vintage Barbie collecting can be quite addictive and is quite an expensive hobby too, Laurie! xxx

      Delete
  17. Ooh la la ! I just love the intense cerulean blue dress that happens to match the color of the sky so perfectly. Yes to adding the lovely yellow bird. Tha fur trimmed blue jacket is also sensational. I also adore tapestry handbags, and the one that you carry here is just stellar.
    Fur clips.. I may do a post about them!
    Happy new week Ann !
    ❤️❤️❤️
    Elle
    https://theellediaries.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Elle! I can never ever resist a tapestry handbag. Although I left behind a Welsh tapestry one in Wales as couple of years ago, which I'm still regretting! xxx

      Delete
  18. Barbie wardrobes, how fabulous. How nice to be able to play like when we were young. I love it.
    I also love the blue suitcase, isn’t the inside fabulous.
    You really do find the best stuff, including that gorgeous blue dress.
    Lots of love lynn xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Why don't you come over and play Barbies with me, Lynn? Wouldn't that be fun? xxx

      Delete
  19. I forgot about your Barbie collection!
    I ADORE your St Michael blouse- oh it is so vivid and pretty! Ahgrh, I MUST try and find the blog post in which you gave me your email address so I can get your address to send you tights!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. I hope you did a twirl or two in that fab blue dress?
    Your final find of the day is a beauty, it just goes to show that things back then where made to l last!
    I love the fact that your other suitcases have been transformed into Barbie wardrobes, such a good idea!
    xx

    ReplyDelete
  21. We offered custom suitcase boxes which is the top way to extent fragrance. Free strategy and shipping in worldwide!

    ReplyDelete