Sunday 1 September 2019

Rainy days in August

In between packing our bags for our week away from it all - mopping our brows as this is sweaty business when it's nearly 30° Celsius - I'm squeezing in one more post to wrap up what's left of the month of August.

The last couple of weeks have been a bit of an emotional roller coaster for me, so roll on next week, as I desperately need to recharge my batteries.

Roll on September too, as this is by far my favourite month of all. If she deigns to bless us with some Indian Summer days, they are so much more bearable than those in July and August, as it cools down considerably overnight. And I just love the sights, sounds and smells of impending Autumn!



But let's not get ahead of ourselves, as there's still the rest of August to talk about. 

We had a special treat in the week following our adventures in Wonderland, as the 15th of August, which fell on a Thursday this year, is a holiday in Belgium. We'd set our hearts on going for another walk, so wasn't it just our luck that the weather was damp and miserable? We just moped around the house feeling sorry for ourselves, until a brief break in the clouds finally drove us outside, making a dash for it between showers.


All dressed up and nowhere to go! We just went for a limb-stretching walk around the block, stopping at the rusty gates for some outfit photos.

I might have come straight from the eighties in this outfit, although it was by no means intentional. I was intent on wearing the funky print blouse I'd picked up at the charity shop the week before, and was struggling to find a skirt to wear with it when my eye was caught by this sky blue pleated skirt dotted with pink and green Paisley motifs. It was hanging with a handful of others at the side of my wardrobe as a reminder that I should wear them. 

And I hadn't worn this one before, ever. The skirt was picked up at Think Twice for a mere € 1 a couple of months ago and yes, this was its first outing. 

As the outfit was based around the blouse, I used all its colours for the rest of my attire. I added different shades of blue for my belt and necklace, green for my jacket and peachy pink for my ring and flower corsage.



On the right, you can see a close-up of my brooch. Apart from the blouse's blue and green, it is totally off-colour scheme with its purple background and yellow and red flowers.

Yes, yes, but what about that divine basket, I can hear you think. Well, it was a lucky find in a charity shop in Antwerp during one lunch break. I'm a sucker for a wicker basket as well as a seaside theme, and I swear to you, those two crabs were waving at me from afar. It was slightly out of shape and one of the edges needed restitching, but otherwise it was in perfect condition. And cute, obviously.


I had to be back at the office on Friday and - yes, you've guessed it - it was a sunny day! Argh!

Oh, never mind, there's always the weekend, we thought. But we must have been in the weather gods' bad books as yet again sullen skies and rain reigned on both days.

At least it stopped raining for long enough on Saturday for a stroll in the park en route to our favourite charity shop. There was even some watery sunshine to accompany us.


At first, not wanting to ruin my shoes by walking on the wet grass and muddy paths, we made some outfit photos at the newly installed fit-o-meter at the edge of the park.

Orange is such a pick-me-up on a dull day, isn't it? I love this polyester dress, with its orange abstract print on a pale peachy background, and solid orange buttons, collar and pocket tabs. Fake pockets, alas!


My brooch of choice is a delicate vintage one I bought from the Brooch Lady, and it doesn't often see the light of day. I'm forever worrying that one of the blue petals - which are some kind of elongated blue pearly beads - will break off, which would leave me heartbroken. But isn't it just perfect on the orange collar?

A white and orange striped vinyl belt with square buckle, bangles in blue and orange, as well as my famous blue handbag and faithful denim jacket completed my outfit.


If we didn't have much luck weather-wise, I'm pleased to say that the charity shop came up trumps and delivered some delectable goodies.



I found Jos a brand new H&M shirt, in black with a print of tiny white spectacles. Isn't it sweet?


This psychedelic sleeveless shift dress caught my eye and I was delighted that it was my size too.
It's by Caroline Biss, an upmarket Belgian fashion label, and would have retailed at around € 200. I'd never be willing to spend that much on one dress, but at € 5: yes please!

There was a jewellery sale too, and I admit I went a bit overboard.


Not much luck on Sunday either. It had been raining all morning, but we had to run an errand in a neighbouring village so that in spite of the dismal weather, we had to leave Dove Cottage's cozy confines.


Our errand completed, we found that the rain had momentarily stopped, so we headed down the road towards Hof ter Linden, a park established on the domain surrounding a Neoclassical manor house.


The crumbling house and its stable courtyard lie at the end of an enchanting linden avenue.

Restorations are still ongoing but one of the coach houses flanking the courtyard has now been turned into a brasserie, where we stopped for our customary cappuccinos.


It started drizzling again soon after we continued our walk, but I'd come prepared as I was wearing the groovy raincoat I'd scored in a charity shop in Church Stretton while on holiday in Shropshire in June. We were also carrying our big spotty umbrella which Jos tells me was purchased during a long ago UK holiday.

Nevertheless, we were glad of the house's portico, so that we could shelter from the rain and take some outfit photos.


Underneath the raincoat, I was wearing a long-sleeved charity shopped King Louie frock in burgundy with a pink, blue and green blowsy flower print. 

I added a hessian belt and one of the necklaces from Saturday's haul.

No sandals and bare legs that day: I was wearing nylons and my wonderful emergency booties, bought back in Spring when faced with a wardrobe malfunction while at work. They have certainly earned their keep by now and I even bought a second pair to avoid heartbreak when they eventually wear out.

Up close, the house's sorry state is all too apparent. I've read that restoration plans for the house are finally being finalized, but at the time of our visit, it had a definite air of desolation, which wasn't helped by the rain, which had by now increased in intensity.




There was nothing for it but to return the way we'd come, leaving the haughty sphinxes to guard the domain.

In the two weeks that followed, Summer returned once more and we even had another heatwave to contend with. 

But for now, we have come to the end of this post, so I'll have to show you the rest of my August outfits some other time.

Can't wait to start another series of adventures tomorrow. See you in a week's time!

Linking to Nancy's Fancy Friday - better late than never, as they say!

45 comments:

  1. Haven't we had some scorching temperatures! What a stunning your wearing Ann. I love the corsage and the skirt. What a great find xx

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  2. Hello Ann. I love Autumn too; the colour of the evening sky, and especially my roses in our garden that peak at this time of year. Great pairing - that blouse was made for that skirt. The peachy/orange dress is perfect for a dull, grey day. Jos is doing a fine job modelling that shirt. Your sleeveless shift dress looks fresh for summer. Love how you embrace colour and accessories. Thankyou for the tour of the manor. Sorry about the rain.

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    1. Thank you Suzy! I'm always glad to meet a fellow Autumn lover. The light is so much better than the glaring height of summer sun, and I love its general mellowness. xxx

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  3. So many fabulous outfits again, Ann! I love that first outfit! Each individual piece is so pretty and it looks even better put together! I especially like the skirt, green jacket with the corsage and that awesome crab bag! I definitely would have bought that too! ;) That colourful shift dress looks amazing on you! What a cool print! I hear you about being on an emotional roller coaster, Ann. I hope your week away recharges your batteries and leaves you feeling better. Take care my friend :) XXX

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    1. Thank you Sasha! I definitely needed my batteries recharging as my nerves were really frazzled ... Some peace and quiet did wonders for my soul! xxx

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  4. I always smile at your colourful outfits - it's so fun to see you still embrace colour even if the weather is dull! That pink and orange dress is my favourite though, so fun! :)

    I love the shift dress you scored as well, what a bargain!

    Hope you had a wonderful weekend! The weekday wear linkup is live on my blog, I'd love you to join! :)

    Away From Blue

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    1. I'll be joining you soon in one of your weekday wear linkups, Mica. I've been rather busy and things like that seem to fall by the wayside. I'm glad my outfits are making you smile! xxx

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  5. I love all the colours in your first outfit, and the sleeveless shift you showed off later is also a real winner.

    It feels so strange to be in September all of a sudden.

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    1. Thank you Mim! I'm left wondering what exactly happened to Summer ... xxx

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  6. There is nothing worse than being ready and willing to go for a walk on a holiday, only to find the weather not willing to collaborate. It is good you were able to get some wear out of these fabulous outfits despite the rainy and cloudy weather. I absolutely love all of these outfits. The first one with its mixture of blue and green is wonderful. That blouse with green and red flowers looks perfect with the green blazer and the blue skirt. The shades match so perfectly! I really like that blue necklace as well. The straw basket is a great touch as well.
    The peach dress with orange details is so pretty. I do agree that orange is a perfect pick up colour for rainy days. Like yellow, it is a colour that always makes me think of sun and happy vibes. The necklace you paired with it is lovely as well.
    I really like your green coat as well. The red dress you wore under it is fabulous...and that psychedelic dress you got for five pounds is a beauty.
    The printed t-shirt you got for Jos is very cool. Have a great week ahead!

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    1. Thank you so much for your lovely and encouraging words, Ivana! Your wonderful comments and the time you are taking for them are truly appreciated, my friend! xxx

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  7. Ann these grabs were waiting on you :) so cute this wicker bag! Orange is a wonderful colour, and you look so amazing. Love the psychedelic bargain dress. I am licky the heat is gone, I hope indian summer days are coming ;)
    A very huge hug Tina

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    1. Thank you Tina! I'm surprised the crab bag hadn't been picked up yet. Lucky me! xxx

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  8. So many wonderful outfits.. and I love all the unique details and broaches etc.

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  9. Wild swings in weather never help emotional rollercoasters-I hope both improve for you soon.

    Orange is the best, and that dress is perfect on you.

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    1. Thank you Goody! It was nothing a relaxing few days away couldn't fix. xxx

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  10. totally love the first outfit!!!
    and the caroline bliss dress! such an unique print....
    wish you a fab getaway!
    hugsies! xxxxx

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    1. I was quite taken with that first outfit myself. And to think it was assembled "on the hop" without giving it too much thought. xxx

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  11. The colours in that first outfit are so unexpected and wonderful together.

    You scored big again on that groovy shift dress. What a wild print!

    I hope you are enjoying your vacation and the weather is decent.

    Suzanne
    http://www.suzannecarillo.com

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    1. Thank you Suzanne! I'm not sure that shift dress is really me, but it was too good to leave it behind! xxx

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  12. You’re wearing some gorgeous outfits Ann. The blue skirt is my favourite, hang on though I do think the striped sleeveless dress is a bit special on you. Then again I also like the green Mac you recently purchased haha
    Love to you both from us two xxx

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    1. Thank you Lynn. Shall I put them on your pile then ;-) xxx

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  13. What a wonderful roundup of outfits, you and Jos are such brilliant models! Love the fancy label shift dress, very different to your usual shape (but equally as colourful), it really does look great!
    Those long gloomy days aren't great for the spirits. Hope you eventually got to share our glorious weather and that it helped lift your mood.
    Happy adventuring! xxx

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    1. Thank you Vix! I couldn't very well leave that groovy shift dress behind, could I? The weather did improve after this post, when we had a late little heatwave. xxx

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  14. My gooodness that first outfit is perfection! I ADORE your blouse (did I say that when you posted about it!??!). The crabs are the icing on the cake (or the claws upon the crab?). I do love that shift dress too-so different for you but stunning and in your ubiquitous brilliant array of colours! Sorry to hear you'd had some rough weeks!xx

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    1. Thank you Kezzie! The claws upon the crab sounds just right ;-) xxx

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  15. I love the crab bag! I have some crabby goodies to share I really must write a new post!

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    1. Thanks Gisela! I've seen your gorgeous crabby goodies in the meantime! xxx

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  16. I always wear jeans and a top: t-shirt in summer, shirt over it in fall. Booooooring, but it's me. :-) It has been raining a lot lately, but when ever there is a sunny day, it's a gift. Next day will be Wednesday. :-) sports' day at school though. All the best. Regula

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    1. I used to wear jeans and tops all the time too, but had a bit of an epiphany when I was about to turn 50 ;-) xxx

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  17. You look great in such colorful outfits:**Regards!

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  18. Love your 'funky print blouse' with the pleated skirt and fab jacket, they make such a beautiful combo!. Your accessorizing is so brilliant!, the flower on your lapel, the blue necklace… and obviously your straw bag stole my heart, those crabs are so lovely and summery!
    Love your orange dress and the blue accessories, those beads and the bag is so cute!. Fabulous pics of you in the park!
    And that psychedelic dress is Gorgeous!. And it fits you like a dream!, stunning!
    Love your raincoat and the floral printed dress!, so shocking to see you in a so autumnal outfit!.
    besos

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    1. Thank you so much, Monica! I was rather shocked at the autumnal outfit myself. It really did feel like Autumn that day, even if it was only Mid-August ... xxx

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  19. What fantastic finds! I love the colour combinations you've put together. I have a crab bag exactly like yours - it was from Topshop and sold out really quickly. I've had someone message me on Instagram wanting to buy it!

    Emma xxx
    www.style-splash.com

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    1. Thank you so much Emma! We don't have Topshop here in Belgium, but there must have been another shop selling these. I was so lucky to find it in a charity shop! xxx

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  20. Ah, two lovely posts from you in the last week for me to get caught up on. September is a lovely month here too, but October is my favourite of the year.

    Things to love in this post:
    - The crab bag! Ah, they're waving at me!
    - That beautifully swooshy pale blue pleated skirt. Yes, please!
    - Wonderful blue on orange/peach outfit - that lovely brooch! But boo! to the fake pockets!
    - Jos' shirt is awesome! Hurray for finding cool things for our guys too!
    - OMG, that Caroline Biss dress! What a stunner! I would rip that right out of your hands!
    - Your green plaid raincoat is wonderful.
    - Amazing pictures, as always.

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    1. It's a toss up between September and October for me, Sheila. I might be biased as my birthday as well as Jos's, is in September. Thank you so much Sheila! xxx

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  21. Dear Ann, I hope September didn't disappoint, it is a wonderful month (sure is for me), and I am looking forward to October!

    Your first outfit is especially darling. I adore the soft color combo, the style of print on your blouse, the pleated skirt and the coral flower on the green jacket - all so charming!! Jos looks extra handsome in his black spectacle shirt - what a fun and elegant couple you are!

    Lots of love!

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  22. And thank you so much for linking to MODISH MATRONS with your creative and lighthearted outfits - perfect for our September theme! The October theme will also be fun - I bet you'll love it!

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