Mad world

Doom and gloom, those terrible twins, are keeping a stranglehold on the world as we know it.

Anxiety is doing its utmost to turn me into a nervous wreck but today I'm closing my eyes and plugging my ears, opting for a la la la approach and reducing my news intake to the bare minimum.

Instead, I'm trying to keep my spirits up by reading your wonderful blogs and doing my bit by trying to lighten your hearts with mine.

Being virtually housebound - and office bound, as I'm still going out to work, in a large and nearly empty office in case you're worried - means it's back to basics, but I'm sure you won't object if these basics consist of my colourful attire!

So, let's make a start with what I was wearing on Friday before last, when I'd taken the day off as Jos's son Kris was helping us set up our new laptop. I know, we're such nitwits when it comes to the technical side of it all. It still surprises me on a regular basis that I was able to start my blog at all!

The bottle green skirt, a colour which doesn't photograph well and thus looks much better in real life, was a sales bargain from a high street shop. I fell in love with its colour, shape and length, not to mention its very stroke-able, super soft suede-like material.

The bird print shirt was a charity shop find and never fails to cheer me up. To its frilly collar I pinned a green glass brooch, while the chirpy birds in its print got the company of my green birds in flight brooch, as well as my brown owl ring. If the belt looks familiar, it is the one I found in the charity shop the other week. I've had the necklace for ages. If I remember correctly, it came from Accessorize, who used to have a shop in Antwerp many years ago.

Saturday was bright and sunny for a change, so that I gave my Winter coats a miss and opted for a green Tweed blazer, a charity shop find back in the Autumn of 2018. A red felted flower corsage was pinned to its lapel. And, as a special request from Jess, I was carrying my green handbag!

The skirt came from Think Twice and is a joy to behold with its abundant print of flowers and foliage, the eye-catching border of palest green leaves matching the colour of my blouse, with its mighty dagger collar, almost exactly. 

Both the round buckled belt and the vintage celluloid flower brooch were charity shop finds, while the wooden beaded necklace was an old retail buy.

We didn't have much luck at the charity shops that day. It was that time of the year again when all Belgian charity shops were gearing up for the upcoming Retro Day. This year, it would be on the 14th of  March, but as a part of the Belgian COVID-19 regulations which have recently come into force, the event was duly cancelled. Additionally, as from the 18th of March, all non-essential shops are closed for the duration, so there won't be any charity shopping for me anytime soon!

But let's look at the bright side for now, as I still owe you the outfit I wore on Sunday before last.  

The iridescent pleated vintage frock I was wearing was last seen on Angelica, but now it was my turn. 

As we were off to our monthly indoor flea market (the last one for a while, as they have been suspended too), I wore a short jacket, which makes rummaging in floor level boxes a lot easier. It might have been this season's last wear for my green fur collared jacket! 

My frilly pink scarf and a new-to-me dark purple beret - one of Saturday's charity shop finds - completed my outfit.

Saturday's second find was this yellow cardigan with one of the funkiest prints ever. It was never my intention to wear it with the dress, but when I put it on a hanger next to the dress which I'd already earmarked to wear on Sunday, it struck me what fabulous pattern-mixing opportunities they offered.

I wore it belted over the dress, pinned one of my lady brooches to it, and added a violet beaded necklace and a chunky green plastic ring. There, done!

The flea market might have been a tad quieter than usual, but I'd expected worse. Still, our finds were rather limited.

Our biggest buy (in terms of size) was the small beige beauty case, which has a Made in England label hidden in one of its pockets. It's in perfect condition, but unfortunately lacking its little mirror inside. For the time being, that is, as my own personal handyman will see to it when these crazy times are over.

The wooden thing on its right is an antique spinning top: childhood nostalgia for Jos.

There were jewellery stalls galore, so that at least I was able to get my fix of brooches as well as a necklace. The latter was only € 2, but again its colour doesn't photograph well.

The brooches were picked up at from a variety of stalls. The children in the bottom left brooch, and especially the girl, are the protagonists of a series of children's books which were popular in my childhood. Pure nostalgia for me, as I even have a small collection of the original issues of these books.

The lizard on the bottom right, although not articulated, made me think of the lovely Sheila!

The slightly faded lady brooch on the top left is the little sister of a bigger one I used to have but which detached itself while I was wearing it and smashed to smithereens.

The top right one contains a tiny piece of lace.

But the one I'm sure your eyes were instantly drawn to must have been the tiny plastic cuckoo clock, a souvenir brooch from Triberg in the Black Forest.

Well, that's it for now. I will be continuing my usual blogging schedule and hope you will drop me a line now and again!

Keep safe, my dears!

Linking to the lovely Nancy's Fancy Friday. Do go and pay her a visit!