Monday 8 April 2019

A walk in the woods

After being plagued by April showers all week, it was a relief to be able to sample the delights of Spring on the Saturday before last.

Such a gorgeously sunny day it was that I was prompted to wear white, which is practically unheard of. Well, not plain white, obviously. I confess to not even owning any plain white garments. I do have several white, printed Summer frocks, though, which at the time of writing are still stashed away in the linen chest which holds my out-of-season clothes.

I also have a handful of long-sleeved ones, which for some reason I've been utterly neglecting. Trawling my blog, I could only find two occasions when I was wearing such frocks (here and here).



But let's get back to that Saturday morning. Standing in front of my wardrobe, I was feeling a bit bored with most of what I saw: that end-of-season boredom which happens twice a year, regular as clockwork, in April and October. Then this delicious print caught my attention.

I fell head over heels for this handmade dress at Blender Vintage Shop at the end of 2013. Gingerly lifting it from a rail full of colourful vintage attire and taking it into the fitting room with some trepidation, I squeed with utter joy when it turned out to be a perfect fit.




That Saturday morning, I decided to give the dress another outing, as it matched my mood and the weather perfectly. I love its fit and flare silhouette, with its wide circle skirt, which was made for ... yes, you guessed it: twirling!



My first thought was to accessorize it with pink, but after adding my pink beads and a translucent ring containing pink flowers, I thought adding more would make it too sugary. So I went for green, starting with green opaques, then a slim green belt.  The dress's shawl collar ends in a fiddly little tie, which I secured with a green flower brooch. No harm in adding more flowers, is there? The brooch is modern, bought from a small shop in Antwerp.



There was no need for a hat or scarf and indeed I could even have left my jacket behind. The jacket in question, a grey tweed one, was charity shopped last October, and has embroidery down one side. My orange leather bag was a sales bargain earlier last year.

We are always looking for new-to-us walking areas not too far from home and, after we were told about a small nature reserve in a neighbouring village, called the Uilenbos (transl. Owls Wood) by my godson, we were eager to go out and explore it.



However, it took us quite a while to find the reserve's entrance and starting point for the two walks which have been lead out, as it wasn't very clearly signposted. Eventually, after getting directions from a fellow walker, we found it and, leaving our car in a grass verge at the side of a rather busy road, we finally set off.


Bees were busy visiting the yellow flowers of lesser celandine, a flower which William Wordsworth (he of the host of golden daffodils!) seemed to be fond of, as he wrote no less than 3 poems about them!

Pansies, lillies, kingcups, daisies, 
Let them live upon their praises; 
Long as there's a sun that sets, 
Primroses will have their glory,
Long as there are violets, 
They will have a place in story: 
There is a flower that shall be mine, 
'T is the little Celandine.
From To The Small Celandine, 1802-1807



Some may consider this a weed and it is indeed quite invasive, but as it's one of Spring's earliest flowers, it's hard to find fault with so much yellow cheerfulness!



Venturing deeper into the reserve, the magical sight of hundreds of wood anemones caught us by surprise.

A spring delight, the wood anemone grows in dappled shade in ancient woodlands.In spite of their innocent and fragile appearance, these star-shaped flowers spreading like a veritable galaxy across the woodland floor, are quite poisonous!

The botanical plate featuring the wood anemone (below), as well as the one featuring the lesser celandine (above) were both taken from this delightful flower book found at a UK charity shop during one of our holidays. Although no publication date is mentioned, there is a handwritten dedication inside, dated Christmas 1942.


Uilenbos is a recent acquisition by Natuurpunt, which is the  the largest Belgian nature conservation organization, and was opened to the public in the Autumn of 2017.

The small reserve of 17,5 hectares consists of two thirds of dry oak and beach wood and one third of wet woodland intersected by a quietly gurgling brook.


The area is of high natural value as it is the habitat of several rare species of plants and birds, including at least 5 species of woodpecker. I couldn't find any mention of owls, though ...

The wood's dense undergrowth of bracken is the perfect hiding place for the resident population of deer, who come here to give birth to their fawns in May. Hence, part of the reserve is off-limits between May and August.


We walked our own combination of the two available paths, enjoying being out and about on such a glorious day, taking in the sights, sounds and smells of early Spring. 

As we'd forgotten to take a bottle of water, we were gasping for a drink by the end of our walk so, on our way home, we stopped for a well needed cup of coffee at a nearby charity shop, which has the added bonus of a small café.


And since we were in a charity shop, it wouldn't hurt to take a look around, would it?

I only struck gold on the jewellery front though, taking home these three necklaces. I'm particularly enamoured by the heart shaped pendant, which is made of glass and looks like a slice of one of those Millefiori paperweights.

But I still have to show you the previous week's finds as well, starting with a camera, in its original packing and accompanied by its instruction manual, for our vintage camera collection. A remnant from the Retrodag, its price was reduced to € 3.


The Kodak Tele-Ektralite 600 pocket camera has a folding cover that becomes a handle when you use the camera, with ability to switch from normal to tele lens. It was manufactured between 1980 and 1982. 

The set still contains the Kodacolor 400 film which came with it, but unfortunately the box mentions that it has to be developed before September 1982!


In spite of the fact that I already own several vintage quilted dressing gowns, there's always room for one more, especially if it's in as pristine a condition a this one.


Last but not least! I still can't get my head around the fact that I missed this vintage Diolen dress on the Retrodag itself, but here it was hanging among the other remnants.

The Summer frock has got the most delightful floral print and a deep square neckline edged in white. But its most outstanding feature must be the jaw-dropping angel wing sleeves! Obviously I can't wait for the perfect Summer day to wear it.

I had to tape the sleeves to the wardrobe doors in order for you to fully appreciate the size of them!

Linking to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style and Mica's Weekday Wear Linkup.


44 comments:

  1. Wow Ann what a wonderful dress. So pretty for spring :)
    You look amazing in it. It remembers me... you know the dish washing soap Pril? the Pril Flowers. I like them so much :)
    A very huge hug Tina

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Tina! We didn't/don't have Pril here, but I googled it and you're right about those flowers! xxx

      Delete
  2. I love your florals on a white background and that you accessorised with green - a colour which i always get a hankering for at this time of year. Love the bag, too.
    What a wondrous nature reserve.
    That Diolen dress is a delight as are the yellow beads.
    I do remember the 600 camera. What a bargain! xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Vix! We have stopped actively collecting old cameras due to eternal lack of space, but from time to time we come across one we simply cannot leave behind! xxx

      Delete
  3. I adore that lovely white patterned dress on you, Ann! I agree that going with green helps balance the sweetness - too much pink can be overpowering! Love your walk pictures - it's just so pretty. I can almost hear the birdsong.

    What magnificent angel wings that dress has! I used to have a non-handle/extra lens version of that Ektra camera! I got it for Christmas around 1980!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Sheila! I was drawn by the dress's floral print, and only noticed the sleeves when I tried it on! xxx

      Delete
  4. You look fab in that dress, Ann! What a lovely print! I'm swooning over your accessories, especially that pink ring and green brooch! Pink and green are such a pretty combo. Love that embroidered jacket too! ;) Hope you have a wonderful week! XXX

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Sasha! I'm a big fan of pink and green too! xxx

      Delete
  5. Never heard of the term "frock" but I do like the pink necklace.
    Coffee is on

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Dora! I guess "frock" is being used in the UK only ... xxx

      Delete
  6. a lot of beautiful things...
    have a great day

    ReplyDelete
  7. Having such a cheerful dress with long sleeves does give it several opportunities for wear through the seasons. You newly purchased dress is lovely too-the sleeves are fun!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It does, Goody, but for some reason I think of it as Spring dress. I did wear it for Christmas once, though! xxx

      Delete
  8. Lovely countryside. So pretty. The embroidery on your jacket is so special.... did you do that?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! Unfortunately, no, I'm not that handy with a needle! xxx

      Delete
  9. It's always lovely to discover new walks close to home. That carpet of flower sounds enchanting, and I love the book. You did well with that angel sleeve dress, it's a beauty! Xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Sarah! That book is a delight! If I'm not mistaken, I found it in Wales ... xxx

      Delete
  10. What a beautiful print on your dress Ann and the jacket is a winner too. You can’t beat being out amongst the trees. We are so fortunate to have a nature reserve on our doorstep xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Lynn! How I would love to have a nature reserve on my doorstep! xxx

      Delete
  11. Always enjoy seeing your scenic photos. My husband and I are always looking for woodsy places to walk too. Pink and green is so springy and that color combination reminds me of Lily Pulitzer fashions, which I adore.

    Theresa

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Theresa! I love woodsy places! xxx

      Delete
  12. love your dress and the colourful tights are a great addition too....nice nature photos, nothing beats a walk in the nature.

    https://modaodaradosti.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Ivana! A nature walk is perfect for clearing one's head after the working week! xxx

      Delete
  13. What a lovely walk! I love your dress with the pink and green accessories. Interesting camera. I am sure I had one similar to that!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Linda! These, and similar, cameras were very popular back then! xxx

      Delete
  14. the "angel" dress is super sweet!
    but the other "flowers on white" frock is fabulous too - you look like spring on legs!
    would have bought the clear pearls too - so chic. and i remember the TV-ads for that camera in "westfernsehen", we east zone kids were in awe about the thing.
    thanks for taking me on your walk among the woods and flowers......
    big hugs! xxxxxx

    ReplyDelete
  15. End of season wardrobe boredom is bad, but it is always mingled with start of season fashion anticipation of rediscovering old favourites. Green was a great choice with your floral dress.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I now I have a wardrobe full of Spring/Summer clothes, but the weather is letting us down. So glad I kept behind a section of long sleeved frocks ... xxx

      Delete
  16. Ah, I love the floral dress. Lovely to see those beautiful flowers as well in the woods.
    You did well in the charity shop! I love the fact you taped the sleeves to the door- ha ha!!x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Kezzie. It was hard to photograph the dress's sleeves without taping them to the door ;-) Oh, and I've got your package and lovely selection of tights, which will come in handy next Winter. Also loving the card and the surprise brooch! xxx

      Delete
  17. I'm in love with this floral print on white background! it looks springy, joyful and the pink and green accessorizing enhances it nicely!. You rock in it!
    Love your grey jacket and cute bag too!
    And I find the pictures of your walks really inspiring, they make me feel the urge of going out myself and walk under the trees!. Love those cute collages you make!
    And also loving those necklaces you purchased, and the pendant is a beauty, it looks like venetian glass!. And the robe and dress are both really fabulous, not to mention the camera with its original film (even a ittle bit out of date ;DD)
    besos

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Monica! It really touches me that you love my collages! And I find going for a walk good for the soul! xxx

      Delete
  18. That is a beautiful dress on you. The print is lovely and I like the colourful tights you paired it will. Owl forest sounds interesting. I love nature. It is always relaxing to go for a walk in the nature.....I love to observe the blossoms in spring time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you my dear! Yes, going for a walk in nature definitely is my way to relax! xxx

      Delete
  19. What a beautiful long sleeved dress, I'm so glad you could give it a wear! a perfect dress to wear on a spring forest walk too!

    Hope you are having a great week! My mum and I both have the day off today so we are going to have fun and go shopping :)

    Away From The Blue

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Mica, and I hope you had a fabulous shopping day with your Mum! xxx

      Delete
  20. Well, shoot. My original comment did not upload. I waited too long to post it after having written it. BUT, I wanted you to know how lovely I find your dress and how you and spring go hand in hand as if you were dear siblings. Thank you for sharing the beauty of your wardrobe and your part of the world!

    Hugs,
    Sherry

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, thank you Sherry, what an absolutely sweet comment! xxx

      Delete
  21. Your handmade dress is beautiful and looks so good on you. I love the print. It's nice to see a 'summer' print used for a long sleeved dress.
    The Diolen dress is gorgeous too. I'll look forward to seeing it in a future post :)
    xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Hazel! I once wore that long sleeved dress with its summer print for Christmas! xxx

      Delete