Tuesday 21 May 2019

Like diamonds all the raindrops glisten

I'm the first to admit I'm feeling more than just a little bereft now that I've finished my travelogue. Telling you all about our little holiday was such a pleasure and reliving it all in the process was almost like having a second holiday.

But that's it for now, it's back to earth and the order of the day. What's more, with all that travelling, I really do owe you a recap of what else has been going on in my life.


Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May
~William Shakespeare, Sonnet XVIII

And what about steady downpours, drenching showers, hailstorms and temperatures in the low single figures? That first weekend of May we were served it all, including those rough winds. Not that there weren't any sunny spells on the menu, but they were brief and I'm sure they were only thrown into the mix to taunt us.

Sick of my Winter coats, I braved that wet and chilly Saturday wearing the slightly inadequate Phase Eight raincoat I charity shopped on the first day of our Salopian (*) holiday last year.



One upside of the unseasonable weather was that I was able to wear the long-sleeved frock I found while out vintage shopping with my friends on  Easter Saturday, before putting it to bed until Autumn.

The orangey tones in its print prompted the addition of an orange polka-dot cardigan, while I opted for a green belt and necklace to provide some contrast. The same shade of green appears in the brooch I chose, a multi-coloured enamelled butterfly.



Speaking of green, our little jungle of a garden was (and still is!) looking at its lushest, as it always is this time of year, and I'm sure it was welcoming the life-giving rain-drops with open arms. 

We weren't too pleased, though, as we had been looking forward to our first outdoor flea market of the year. Needless to say, the stormy weather firmly put paid to our plans so, desperate to be out of the house, we went charity shopping instead.


At first it looked as if we would be out of luck in that department as well, as we left the first two shops empty handed. Not wanting to give up just yet, we decided to try one more shop, and visit the one in our village before calling it a day.

And I'm glad we did, as less than a minute after walking in, I happened upon this fabulous book, a heavy and richly illustrated tome on Art Nouveau in Belgium.


The clothing department can be a bit hit or miss here, so I was happy to find these two new-to-me dresses in similar hues. On the left, another King Louie one and on the right, a pussy-bowed frock from Belgian label Mer du Nord, which I wore to work later that week.

There was a pair of  raspberry red suede Tamaris shoes waiting for me too. I didn't really need another pair of shoes and in fact I wasn't even looking, but what can I say? They caught my eye and they were my size and at € 4 too good a bargain to be left behind.



The weather gods continued to plague us on Sunday, so we stayed at home, making a start on browsing the bagful of holiday brochures and leaflets we brought back last year, and getting into the mood for our UK holiday towards the end of June.

In her comment on my previous post, Veronica asked me where exactly we were off to, which will be Shropshire and the Welsh borders, same as last year.  Less than 5 weeks to go now!


There was some improvement in the weather in the week that followed and one evening after work, I cut a posy of Lily of the Valley so that we could enjoy their intoxicating scent inside. 

We've inherited the plants with the garden, but they tend to travel around a bit and, having currently taken up residence in a small patch behind our garden angel, they're not in the best position for us to properly enjoy them.

Watching the bees stocking up on nectar, darting from one tiny flower of our Cotoneaster bush to another, is quite hypnotizing and the soundtrack created by their buzzing choir is nothing if not mesmerizing. 


Watching the garden grow and listening to the sound of honey being made is such a privilege, soothing my frayed nerves after a particularly stressful day at work. 

Modern technology is all very well, but being without internet for almost two days meant life at the office came to a grinding halt, and it certainly wasn't much fun having to catch up on a mountain of work when it was finally fixed.


As wearing colourful clothes always makes me feel better in my skin, I opted for full-on colour by choosing a blue skirt, in a textured fabric speckled with green, cream and red, and a black pussy-bow blouse covered in blowsy multi-coloured flowers.

A wide tan belt with a rectangular buckle, a red plastic ring and a pink and blue flower brooch pinned to my green cardigan were my accessories of choice.


Now that we're on the subject of brooches, how gorgeous is this vintage metal flower brooch? It was a present from my friend Inez, and I'm swooning!


And so, another weekend rolled along, bringing with it another charity shopping trip on Saturday before last.

In spite of the chill in the air, I was determined to wear short sleeves, and planned my outfit around this groovily patterned blouse in hues of navy, lilac and orange. However, I didn't feel the solid green skirt I'd originally planned to wear with it. Casting around for a suitable substitute, I finally hit upon this green plaid midi skirt in a polyester knit fabric.

A purple flower ring, cream beaded necklace and ditto flower brooch completed my outfit.



The yellow-based floral blazer, made from a light-weight tapestry fabric, wasn't nearly warm enough for what looked deceptively like a Spring day but I was determined to wear it anyway.

I was carrying the basket bag I bought in a cheap pop-up shop in Antwerp back in April and which I'm feeling slightly guilty about, especially after reading Vix's post.


I'm ending this game of catch-up by showing you our charity shop finds of that day.

The shop we went to is a new one, opened as a pop-up only the week before, after the lease of their previous premises had ended. We never liked that rather cramped little shop and are happy to report that their new location is not only larger but much better laid out too.

The jury is still out whether the dress Angelica is wearing here is me, but I love the unusual cutlery print and the olive colour. Oh, and it's Orla Kiely! Not bad for € 4, surely? And I've never ever found any Orla Kiely in a Belgian charity shop before.


I always love having a rummage through the boxes of belts and scarves for inexpensive additions to both of my already extensive collections. In fact, the vast majority of them are second hand.

This time, my finds included a funky scarf and two very different belts. The chain and tortoiseshell plastic belt is stamped with a Made in West Germany mark, which confirms that it is vintage.



(*) relating to or characteristic of the English county of Salop, now known as Shropshire, or its inhabitants.


36 comments:

  1. What a feast for the eyes, both Dover cottage's beautiful garden and your fabulous finds. Lovely to see the Salopian raincoat again and for that fab orange dress to get an outing.
    Such a nuisance with the weather, I hate being all fired up to go car booting only to wake up to rain. It looks like your charity shop trip paid dividends though. Love that Belgian Art Nouveau and the Tamaris shoes not to mention the perfectly colour coordinating dresses that both fit you like a dream.
    Inez's brooch is magnificent as is that delight of a purple blouse and love that Orla Keily dress, the colour will look fab with your hair.
    You know I'll forgive you for a brand new impulse purchase, it's not like you do it all the time.
    I cannot wait for the next five weeks to pass! xxx

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    1. Thank you Vix! I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Sunday week, when there's a huge outdoor flea market we love going to. I'd always admired Inez's brooch, so I was flabbergasted when she gave it to me. xxx P.S. Just over three weeks now, can you believe it?

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  2. So much fun stuff here! I love all your outfits, but that yellow brocade blazer is singing my song. The cutlery print dress is fabulous (I can see lots of bright colour helping it out), and that book of Art Nouveau looks amazing. The chain tortoiseshell belt is awesome. I envy people with gardens, but don't want a garden myself. I just like looking at them!

    I hope your spirits are still up - it can be hard when it's raining (it rains here a LOT). Sending you good vibes for a great week ahead, my dear!

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    1. Thank you Sheila! Our garden has been a bit neglected lately. It needs a makeover, preferably not by us. I wore the chain belt for the first time today, it's really awesome to wear! xxx

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  3. Some great finds - love those dresses!

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  4. I love the photographs with the rain and the diamond metaphor, these rain drops they are so beautiful. You really made the most out of the weather. We had a lot of rain here as well, all these weather changes are making me exhausted. I understand why you wanted to ditch the coat even if it meant braving the cold. It is almost the end of May, who wants to wear coats anymore.

    These are beautiful dresses you have showed. I also really like the outfits with skirts, especially the one with the blue one. SImply perfect outfits. I do love the abundance of prints. That printed raincoat is very pretty too btw.

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    1. Thank you Ivana! The weather's still a bit up and down here, but they've forecasted temps in the high twenties this weekend ... xxx

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  5. the cutlery dress is fabulous! less colorful then your usual style though....oh - and the brown belts are made for this dress - dont you think?
    today is storm & rain here too - but i use the day to do some sewing and sorting around the house :-D
    xxxxx hugs!

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    1. I couldn't resist that print. The belts are a no-no, though, as the dress has an empire waist ... xxx

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  6. Oh the scarf is funny. I like it :)
    Wonderful you have this raincoat, because we have rainy days. It's all green outside :)
    A very huge hug Tina

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    1. Thank you Tina! I suppose we need a bit of rain for it to be green, but I could do with a bit of sunshine! xxx

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  7. The garden is looking lush. I loved hearing about your bee chorus.
    Raspberry is a favourite of mine and the two dresses and shoes are lovely, the colour really suits you. xxx

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    1. Thank you Sally! I often just stand in the garden listening to the buzzing of the bees, all in their own "singing voices". It's got a very calming effect on me. xxx

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  8. Whenever we see bees in our garden it makes us so happy. I could do without the wasps and hornets though.

    Your raincoat is beautiful, and those raspberry shoes are lovely. I hope warmer weather heads your way soon.

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    1. We seem to have quite a few plants which attract all sorts of bees. I only saw a hornet once, pretty scary but harmless. It's the wasps I can do without it, but we only get them in late Summer. xxx

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  9. Just reading your post about bees and raindrops made me relax a little. I'm sorry to hear you had such a rough week at work. You seem to hold off the stress a little with the colorful and fun outfits you put together--as if you might be taking the spirit of your beautiful garden with you. Ahh...how lovely.

    Hugs,
    Sherry

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    1. Aw, thank you Sherry. Bees, raindrops and colourful outfits: the best stress relief there is! xxx

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  10. Those second hand belts are so lovely. I was fortunate to be gifted one amazing vintage leather belt by a family friend (I think she even made it herself in the eighties, she still works with leather).

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    1. Thank you Ivana! Having a hand-made vintage belt must be amazing! xxx

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  11. I am loving the red / pink hued dresses you got! You always find such stunning pieces when shopping! :) You've had so many colourful spring-like outfits too, they are so nice to see.

    Hope that your week is going well :)


    Away From Blue

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    1. Thank you Mica! Those pink hued dresses were lucky finds indeed. xxx

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  12. So many wonderful outfits and new additions, Ann! I absolutely love that first outfit with all the orange shades! It's so pretty with the green accessories and that butterfly brooch is so cute! Speaking of brooches, I love all your other brooches in this post too! It has prompted me to start wearing mine again! ;) I think the cutlery dress is fabulous! Looking forward to seeing how you style it! Hope you have a wonderful weekend, Ann! XXX

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    1. Thank you Sasha! I'm glad to have inspired you to wear more brooches. Your Erstwilders are so gorgeous! xxx

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  13. woww, lovely outfits!. I'm in love with your orange print dress and polka dot cardi, they make such a fab ensemble!. Glad you got that big and luxurious book, what an amazing find (Decò rocks!) and those frocks and the cute ballerinas!
    Love your brooches, and love your floral shirts with both blue and green skirts, you're a master creating fabulous color combos!. And the yellow tapestry jacket is Stunning indeed!!
    I think that the cutlery dress has a fantastic print and the color can be very versatile, so I'd give it a try!
    Sorry that we're not going to be in Great Britain at the same time, sigh!
    besos

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    1. Thank you so much Monica! And what a shame indeed. We should coordinate better next year! xxx

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  14. It'll be holiday time again before you know it!

    I loved the first dress with the orange spotty cardi; the fabulous pussy bow blouse; the wonderful brooch from Inez and just look at that fabulous tapestry blazer. I have been looking forever for a lovely tapestry/floral/tweed jacket. It gives me an excuse to go charity shopping anyway!

    You got some great bargains on your trips. I loved your pink dresses and the shoes were lovely - what a bargain! As for the Orla Kiely dress it looks lovely and what a find? You'll have to wear it and let us see what it looks like on. I bet its fab!

    Hope the weather has been more summery - we've had a gorgeous sunny week.
    xxxx

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    1. Thank you Vronni! I still can't believe I found that tapestry jacket when I wasn't even looking. It was love at first sight! Still not sure about the Orla Kiely dress, as I'm not sure its empire waist will suit me. xxx

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  15. I was looking for shoes today, but didn't find any. Yours are beautiful. Lucky you! Regula

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  16. This mad weather! I love the brooch from Inez, SO unusual! I hope you have got lots of lovely things planned for your holiday. xx

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    1. Well, they've forecasted temps in the high twenties for this weekend ... I love that brooch too. I'd admired it in the past, and was so thrilled that she decided to give it to me! xxx

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  17. I’m zooming up and down your post Ann as there’s so many goodies to look at. You really do find some fabulous things xxx

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  18. Ooh, I bet you make some great trip plans using that art nouveau book - that's if you're not all caught up with planning your trip to Shropshire. The weather's been quite changeable here, so hopefully by the time of your visit Britain will have earned some sunshine.

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    1. The sad thing is that quite a lot of the buildings featured in the book have been demolished ... I'm keeping my fingers crossed for sunshine in Shropshire! xxx

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