Saturday 26 October 2019

Promises, promises

... that's all we're getting really. I've told you once, but I will tell you again: those pesky weather gods are having a laugh at our expense, big tears of mirth rolling down their ugly cheeks. And surely the equally pesky weather forecasters must have struck a deal with them? Honestly, if I did as bad a job as they generally do, I would have been kicked out years ago.



One minute, we get a tantalizing few rays of sunshine, but it doesn't take long for the devious deities to change their minds, and send a few more of those big black rain clouds our way.

And how is one supposed to get dressed in the mornings if one of those smiley creatures on the telly, with their weather maps and high and low pressure systems, keep insisting it'll be dry and we'll get to see the sun that day, only to be treated to the mother of all downpours before I even reach my bus stop?


So, in the week before last, it was once again up to me to provide some sunshine. Well , somebody's got to do it!  Not that I'm complaining, mind you.  I can't for the life of me understand why people choose to add to the overall bleakness by wearing clothes which are drained of all colour.

One day, I wore this long-sleeved blue and white dress which I bought at Episode, a shop which is part of a chain of vintage shops, back in 2015.
I don’t think I ever wore it with any other colour than yellow and in fact I’m pretty sure I’ve worn this very same combination on the blog before.


The belt with its round buckle is an old retail buy, while the necklace, which has shades of yellow, orange and white, came from a vintage shop that has stopped trading.

It is almost a given that I’m wearing yellow opaques and a yellow cardigan, as I think they are the perfect companions.

The brooch I pinned to my cardigan might be familiar too, as this certainly isn't is debut on the blog.  I’ve got several of these oval-shaped plastic brooches, either with a flower design or a portrait of a lady, all picked up for a song at flea markets and charity shops. They are among my most worn brooches.



Speaking of brooches, I’ve been doing some rearranging and sorting by type, which should make it  easier to find the ones I want to wear. Not that they were just stored willy-nilly, but any new acquisitions do have a tendency to end up wherever there’s some available space.

I’m quite pleased with this drawer of butterflies, dragonflies and creepy crawlies, even if at the time of writing another butterfly brooch has joined my collection.


Outfit photos were limited that week, as more often than not it was pouring with rain when I got home. Soon it will be too dark for outfit photos after work anyway, unless we find somewhere suitable and with sufficient lighting inside Dove Cottage.

The day I was wearing this double Paisley outfit, the weather was on its best behaviour.

Both my woollen skirt, which proudly carries a label from a shop in Vienna, and my Diolen blouse, came from Think Twice and have been wardrobe staples for years. It took several attempts to get a reasonable close-up of the skirt's pattern, which kept confusing my camera.

Here's my yellow cardigan again, which had been doing overtime that week. And look, I'm wearing my beloved burnt orange opaques!


I think the brooch was a flea market find, while both the belt and the necklace were charity shopped.

Taking advantage of that day's sunny weather, I went for a walk during lunch break, and as I happened to pass one of Antwerp's Think Twice shops (there are 4!), I couldn't resist popping in.

This time, the weather gods and the charity shop godesses were aligned, as I found a couple of things waiting for me. Arriving at the till, the guy in charge called me "Polyester Princess".  I'd given him my blog calling card (yes, I have one of those) when I'd just started blogging and as I hadn't seen him in a long time, I was totally chuffed that he'd remembered. I've started practising my autograph but alas no other fans have crossed my path since!


Now, without further ado, these are the items I found.

First up is this knife-pleated skirt with a wild Autumnal print of flowers interrupted by rows of berries and paisley. Angelica is wearing it here with a light grey blouse sprinkled with tiny red flowers and a wide brown leather belt.


Another wild, and almost unphotographable print for this blue, pink, orange and yellow dream of a blouse, which fastens with pearly orange buttons and a self-fabric tie belt. Angelica is wearing a blue textured polyester maxi skirt with it. 


Let's move on to Saturday's outfit. I was determined to wear this vintage woollen skirt with its lovely black, blue, yellow and white tartan pattern. Scanning my wardrobe's shelves for a perfect companion, I spotted this yellow and black retro print top I found in a charity shop back in August. 

I added a wide, black and white woven belt, black and white checkered chunky ring, a yellow Bakelite bangle and a bracelet with alternating black and white metal triangles.

To the top's black collar, I pinned a vintage white plastic cat brooch.


However, apart from Jos (and now you!) nobody saw me in this outfit. It rained on and off that Saturday and we spent most of the day inside Dove Cottage. 

We even gave the yearly Day of the Charity Shops, or to give it its proper Flemish name, Dag van de Kringloopwinkel, a miss. As there's usually lots of vintage on sale on that day, this might sound very unlike us, but we weren't really in the mood, especially as it was now Jos's turn to be somewhat under the weather. Plus, we had a birthday party to go to that night, for which we wanted to save our strength. 


So, while Jos spent most of his time lying on the couch, I did some therapeutical pottering upstairs. 

After doing my shoe swap-over and reacquanting myself with my favourite boots, I played around with my jewellery displays. 

The rack holding the majority of my necklaces was bought in a vintage shop called Expo 58 back in December 2017, after spending its former life displaying zips in a haberdashery shop.



This party serving dish is just perfect to house my collection of chunky rings.



And finally, here is the drawer unit which houses a huge part (though not all) of my brooch collection.

As their number kept increasing and thus outgrowing the storage units they were in, we were excited to spot this antique, glass-fronted wooden drawer unit. Again, a haberdashery shop was its former habitat, where it was put to work displaying sewing threads.


Then it was time to get dressed and go out to that party. It was the 75th birthday party of one of Jos's friends, but for various reasons we weren't much in the mood for it.

In the end, it turned out to be quite alright, and we met a few nice people too.

Needless to say, I did dress up for the event. But what was I wearing? That, my friends, you'll get to see in my next post!


42 comments:

  1. You have definitely outshone the weather in your wonderfully colourful outfits. It's been so damp lately hasn't it.
    I loved your photo at the end, it made me laugh, you clearly had reservations about going to that party! I'm glad it turned out to be fun. xxx

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    1. Thank you Sally, and I'm glad that selfie made you smile :-) xxx

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  2. Ann I am laughing out loud seeing the last picture from you and Jos in the car. :))You look not very happy to go to this party. I am looking forward to know what you are wearing ;)
    Great you have a fan in this charity shop---Polyester Queen.
    I wish you a wonderful sunday, a very huge hug Tina

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    1. I'm glad you laughed out loud Tina, as that was the intention ;-) xxx

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  3. Great car selfie!
    That pleated skirt is just about the most beautiful skirt, ever. The print and colours are wonderful. Your brooches have a lovely new home in that embroidery floss case.

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    1. Thank you Goody, and I'm a big fan of that skirt now. I'm actually wearing it as I type ... xxx

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  4. I hope your weather gods start behaving themselves soon and send all this rain away! I do love the new orange and blue top with its crazy pattern, it looks great with the blue skirt! I also love the checkered skirt and top combo. LOL! at the car selfie, glad you enjoyed the party in the end. XXX

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    1. Thank you Linda, but unfortunately still not much improvement in the weather ... xxx

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  5. Now sta a cliffhanger! I am so thrilled about your collection of accessories! What a joy to choose every day from that verity. Love the wool skirt outfit. It's dark and cold here today but we said to each other , we need some vitamine d. So if it's going to rain, we don't care, we are going for a walk in the woods!

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    1. Thank you so much Nancy. We were determined to go on a walk in the woods too last Sunday, even though it was raining! xxx

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  6. not fair - to let me hang with the party look of yours! :-D
    love that selfie! perfect illustration of the mood in which you wrote the post..... btw.: always wondered why WWII´s one big part was MUD - now it dawned on me - it was in belgium.....
    sorry ;-D
    but you fought the gray with your yellow cardi and colorful dresses & accessories - love double paisley most and the new pleated skirt! pretty butterfly brooch display!
    oh - and your rain has finally arrived here.....
    hugsies! xxxxx

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    1. Thank you Beate, and you might be right about the mud! I'm sending more rain your way in the meantime ;-) xxx

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  7. I love all the sunshiney yellow you wore to bring the sun despite the rainy days! That outfit with the yellow cardi and blue printed dress is my favourite - I've just finished writing that blog post where I was wearing mustard and navy together! I hope you get some clearer drier days soon!

    Was so nice to see how you store your accessories too! :)

    Hope that you are having a great weekend :)

    Away From Blue

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    1. Thank you Mica! Mustard does go with a lot of colours, doesn't it? xxx

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  8. Well done for rebelling against the bleakness of the grey skies by wearing your colourful outfits. Seems like weather forecasters worldwide can hold hands and skip 'cause even here they get it wrong regularly. Nevertheless, you shone in all your beautiful outfits and I especially liked your new additions. You made me laugh about the salesman recognizing you in the store. Obviously you're making an impact on people! I'm so intrigued by your beautiful jewellery collections and the orderly manner in which you store/display them. You really do have a creative eye for detail. Hope Jos feels better soon. Can't wait to see what the pink feather boa is all about!

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    1. Always a rebel, me :-) And thank you! I was at an antiques market last Sunday, and a lovely trader told me she'd recognize me anywhere as I stood out a bit. Well, it's got its advantages, as she let me have some brooches at a reduced price :-) xxx

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  9. I'm swooning over your butterfly brooches and your chunky ring collection, Ann! They're fabulous! I love your blue and yellow outfit. Those tights are so cool! I also love your outfit with that funky yellow and black retro top. Love the kitty brooch too! Hope you had a great weekend and have a wonderful week ahead, Ann! :) I apologise for being so behind with comments :( XXX

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    1. Thank you so much Sasha, but you really don't have to apologize for being behind with your comments. We all live busy lives ... xxx

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  10. Ha ha! You guys look like mobsters in the last photo : P

    Your jewellery collection is incredible. That butterfly drawer is like the displays we see in museums. It would make a great piece to hang us as wearable wall art.

    Suzanne
    http://www.suzannecarillo.com

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    1. Don't we? I've got that comment about the butterfly drawer from someone on Instagram as well. The problem is, they are among my most worn brooches ... xxx

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  11. Loving the yellow and blue outfits, they're like a dose of sunshine on those horrid soggy days we've both been experiencing!
    Some lovely finds to add to your separates challenge there. It's tricky taking indoor clothes shots, isn't it?
    We've got the same party storage stand - I keep my nail varnish in mine! Love all your jewellery storage, it must be like playing shops when you get dressed every day.
    Hope Jos is feeling much better now and loving the picture of you both on the way to the party! xxx

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    1. Thank you Vix. It is indeed a joy to play around with my jewellery. And I love it that nothing is too precious or has cost the earth. Just cheap(ish) costume jewellery! xxx

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  12. The combination of yellow and blue is so perfect, I love both variations of it, stunning outfits both of them.
    Here it has been very hot and then it got cold all of the sudden and I'm still adjusting. I don't know how to feel. I also moved countries and changed jobs in the last week, all of it while I was sick. I will need a month to come to my senses.

    The items you found are so beautiful. I'm head over heels with that pleated printed skirt....such a beauty!!!

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    1. Thank you Ivana and good luck with your move and new job. Your temporary hometown looks spectacular! And would you know I'm actually wearing that skirt right now? xxx

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  13. I had to laugh at that last picture - you look so grumpy! I see a pink boa!!!

    I love all your bright yellows - so much fun! - and your "not seen" outfit is up there as one of my faves. Loving your fun bright "unphotographable" blouse!

    Sorry to hear that the weather's been all over the place. We say about Victoria, "If you don't like the weather, just wait 10 minutes." I hope Jos feels better soon!

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    1. We managed to cheer ourselves up with that selfie, as we couldn't stop laughing. But no pink boa, although it's one of my favourite scarves! xxx

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  14. sorry for all the (unforecasted) rain!, I also tend to grumble against all those dissapointing metheorologists!
    Anyway, your outfits are joyfully fabulous and I love your yellow cardi and matchy tights with the blue dress, it's a perfect outfit!. Love it also with the double paisley, lovely mixed prints!.
    Totally in love with the 'almost unphotographable' blouse that Angelica is wearing, those are amazing colors!
    And also love your plaid skirt and cute yellow top with matchy accessories. All this glorious matchiness makes me happy!
    Obviously I admire your brooches collection and admire even more the haberdashery drawer unit (I have a weakness for haberdashery stuff). I've been looking for one of those party serving dishes in charities, but still not lucky!
    Hope Jos is feeling better and looking forward to see those party pics!
    besos

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    1. Thank you so much Monica, your comments always make my day. I love it that the matchiness makes you happy ;-) These haberdashery drawers usually cost the earth, but this one had some slight damage on top, which made it affordable! xxx

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  15. I'm with you on the dull, bland, colourless clothes people choose to wear. I love black and white together and the occasional neutral outfit but people wear colourless clothes ALL THE TIME!! Why? I was walking down a busy street recently and almost every woman who passed me was wearing black leggings/colourless puffa jacket and trainers!

    No one could accuse you of being colourless; I loved all your outfits; the double paisley, the skirt and blouse, the lovely colourful accessories and tights. Loved your new to you buys; what great finds.

    As for your jewellery display I am so impressed. Love your zip/necklace display and the ring storage. You can see it all! I love that you colour code; I do, too; otherwise I couldn't find anything. The brooch storage is excellent. I have mine in little chests of drawers stored by type but often it's a case of out of sight out of mind...

    Fingers crossed your weather improves!
    xxxxx

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    1. Thank you Vronni, and you're right, everybody seems to be wearing this black uniform. I'm often the only one dressed in colour! xxx

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  16. I just love old haberdashery storage, it's so beautiful! Your drawers are really lovely, what a fab way to store your brooch collection.

    I hope you are both feeling better now, and that done sunshine arrived!! Xx

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    1. Thank you so much! We had been looking for a good way to storage my brooch collection, and these drawers are just perfect, but unfortunately after one year I've already run out of space! xxx

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  17. I'm fed up with the weather too Ann! A nightmare for us bloggers. I love the first dress and the paisley blouse. But I always really like the quirky accessories that you add to your outfits xx

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  18. That tie-waisted blouse is magnificent.

    Sorry to hear Jos has been under the weather. I think the rain makes all sorts of snuffles and coughs more likely. I've had a succession of rotten colds myself. Here's to a dry spell and fewer viruses!

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    1. Thanks Mim, and I'm sorry to hear you've had a succession of colds. I had that a couple of years ago. xxx

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  19. Parties you don't really like to go often turn out to be nice. And a pink shawl always lifts you up ... Regula

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  20. Ahh, your weather sounds just like it is here in Melbourne. We like to joke, “if you don’t like the weather, just wait 5 minutes, it’ll change”! You are a ray of sunshine in your mustard cardigan.

    What a pretty brooch collection - I like how you’ve organised the insect brooches all together. It looks like a piece of art!

    I just LOVE your jewellery rack – so bright, organised and colourful! And keeping your rings in a party dish is just genius, maybe I’ll try that one day. X

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    1. Thank you Jess! Imagine having the same weather in spite of being worlds apart! xxx

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  21. Your last picture with Jos made me laugh. It reminds me of the picture my sister took of me in Osterria 42 in Bruges which was my reaction to receiving a glass of orange juice with a stainless steel straw (yes!!!) plus 2 plastic disposable straws in it (NOOOOOO!!)
    I adore your blue collar patterned dress and the yellow and black collared top worn with cat brooch! Absotively wonderful!!x

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    1. I'd love to see that picture, although I think I can sort of imagine your face upon spying those plastic straws :-) xxx

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