Wednesday 13 May 2020

A slower pace of life

After one and a half months of reduced working hours, it seems that we've finally established some kind of rhythm to these out-of-sync weeks, while relishing this slower pace of life.

They now come in two distinct parts, these weeks, with our old routine still present in the first part of the week, where a quiet, at-home Tuesday is sandwiched between my two office days.

The rhythm changes in the second part of the week, as it's during the slow-paced extended weekend from Thursday to Sunday that we tend to lose track of time, often forgetting which day of the week it is.

Still, there is some kind of rhythm to this too. Thursday is food shopping day - done by Jos - and lately we have been treating ourselves to a visit to the garden centre on Fridays, which is as safe and relaxing an outing as is possible in these pandemic times.



I'm at my best on Thursdays and Fridays, when I'm chomping at the bit to tackle a couple of chores around the house, but my enthusiasm usually peters out by Saturday. And then there are the Sundays, which are often off-days, with a certain sadness creeping in and the chances of a wobble increasing as the day goes by.

Weather permitting, any time we can is spent in the garden. Tiny it may be, but undoing the neglect of the last a couple of years will keep us busy for quite a while to come.

Any gardening projects were definitely off-the cards on Sunday before last, as the weather gods kept sending fickle Spring weather our way.  In order to keep the blues at bay, I decided to crack on with something I'd had in mind for weeks, which was to empty, clean and rearrange the display cabinet in our big kitchen cupboard.



Its contents, which includes heirlooms, souvenirs and vintage finds, had grown organically over the better part of 20 years, resulting in a haphazard display of miscellaneous odds and ends.

And even though I had already removed and re-homed some bits and pieces over the past days, I was still quite shocked to see the cabinet's contents filling the whole of our kitchen table. And some.



Having already given it some advance thought - Jos would often find me standing in front of the cabinet, seemingly gazing into space - rearranging all that stuff turned out to be a doddle.

In no time, I'd created separate displays of vintage glasses and other drink related items, washing powders and starches from a bygone age, baking and sweets paraphernalia, toilet soaps and some random items of kitchenalia.

The tin decorated with The Three Little Pigs used to contain Côte d'Or chocolates and used to belong to my paternal grandparents. It still holds the same set of dominoes I played with as a child.

The Tala jelly moulds came from an antique centre in Newcastle Emlyn, Wales.


This quirky carton advertising gimmick is for "Caramella Mokatine", also known as "Arabierke" (Flemish for little Arab) due to its distinctive wrapping, a coffee-flavoured sweet which was introduced in 1934 and is still being produced today. 

Pulling the tab with the factory name at the bottom makes the Arab open his eyes and stick out his tongue, which has the French words "C'est Bon" printed on it. Belgium being a bilingual country, it also came in a Flemish version.



Spring made a happy return on Monday's office day, continuing into Tuesday, and I was glad to be back in short sleeves.

My choice that day was a vintage dress in a funky turquoise, green, grey and white pattern. It has self fabric buttons and a notched lapel, to which I'd pinned a turquoise starburst brooch.  My other accessories were a white vinyl belt and a string of pale green beads.



While I was a the office on Monday, Jos had been busy too. 

About to put up our enamel sign during the weekend, he was looking for some screws in the shed, when I noticed this old wooden barrel tucked away in a corner. It had been a gift from one of my Dad's friends many years ago, which had ended up in the shed as we didn't quite know what to do with it at the time. Having a light-bulb moment, I thought we could use it as a plant table, so on Monday Jos dragged it outside and, as it was lidless, topped it with a circular piece of plywood he'd found among the junk.


Going back inside the house to get his phone so that he could send me a photo of his efforts, he returned finding Phoebe doing a full investigation! She definitely approves, as we often find her keeping watch over the garden from her new perch.



Back to Tuesday morning, when Jos's son Kris arrived bearing some face masks expertly made by Jos's youngest daughter An. She'd been kind enough to send me a photo of her creations earlier, offering me first choice. How sweet is that? Surely you'll agree that the red floral one and the blue one printed with its mix of flowers and butterflies are both totally me!

As we never ever wash at high temperatures, we used the alternative method of boiling them in a pan of water - which we are using exclusively for this purpose in case you are worried - with some detergent.



Taking advantage of the sunny weather, we added some more improvements to what we rather grandly call the courtyard, a small paved area next to the shed at the bottom of the garden.

This is where we hung the sign, putting the barrel underneath. In order to make the tabletop waterproof, we tacked a piece of oilcloth to it.  Further cheer was provided by adding some terracotta pots of Pelargonium and Lantana.

Not quite ready yet, but it's a start!



Skipping Wednesday, which was another office day, Thursday arrived with more sunshine and steadily climbing temperatures.

It was still quite chilly that morning so, while Jos was braving the supermarket, I decided to leave the  garden jobs I'd lined up for the afternoon.



I thought I'd put away my tall boots and get out a selection of Summer shoes, but ended up doing a complete shoe changeover, only leaving out some of my favourite ankle boots to tide me over.

My shoes of the season live in this high rise tower of IKEA shoe boxes in the spare room, wedged between the mantelpiece and the coats wardrobe. The boxes are all on individual shelf ledgers, and each contains two to three pairs of shoes or sandals.



It had warmed up considerably after lunch, so I was out in the garden in a jiffy, as I wanted to sow some Nasturtium seeds in pots, in case the ones I sowed directly in the garden didn't come up. 

I used some biodegradable pots I can plant out straight into the garden when the plants are big enough. As I only had three such pots left, I fashioned some from empty toilet rolls. The pots were then put into a lidded propagator tray I'd found hidden away in the basement. I've really been shopping our house, not just my wardrobe! 



With that job out of the way, I potted up some of the plants we'd got at the garden centre the previous week: white and pink Cosmos, yellow and red Snapdragons and ... more Nasturtiums. I couldn't resist buying these full-grown plants, which have the added bonus of variegated leaves.


And here's my gardening attire that day. Note that I only wore the forget-me-not blue suede ankle boots for the photos. I did my actual gardening wearing my ankle wellies!



The dress was a Think Twice find at the tail end of last Summer, and got its first outing on this lovely Spring day. 

I pinned not one, but two brooches to it, as I thought the green squirrel and the green-eyed hedgehog might appreciate each other's company.

A brown belt, brown translucent beads and green and turquoise bangles and bracelets were my outfit's finishing touches.



I've included a close-up of the dress's print, which combines several floral patterns and even some stripes!


Thursday's #coronahair solution was a semi-elastic hairband to which I clipped another of my flower corsage.

Expect to see more of these hairbands, as I picked up several in a haberdashery and accessories shop during lunch time on Wednesday. As from Monday last week, these shops had been allowed to re-open as they are considered essential for mask making. Going for a quick walk around the block and passing the shop, I noticed it was relatively empty, so I went in and got these.

How strange it felt to be in an actual shop! It felt like it had been years ago, instead of just under two months. How much our lives have changed, as so many things we used to take for granted are now well out of reach. 

For now, I prefer to stay home and keep safe inside our little bubble as much as I possibly can. I hope you are doing the same?


38 comments:

  1. Yes I do the same. one times a week 30 minute shopping by Edeka.
    you have so many exciting stuff in your kitchen 😊
    You look gorgeous in your flower dresses, a good match to these wonderful flowers in your garden 😄
    a very huge hug Tina

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    1. Thank you Tina! We try to do food shopping only once a week, but sometimes go to the organic village shop for fruit when we run out. A weekly visit to the garden centre is a must in order to keep sane and to keep our garden into flowers! xxx

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  2. Two lovely dresses, Ann! The patchwork print on ehaving it's first outing is gorgeous on you and the headbands really suit you.
    Jos's daughter's masks are very professional.
    I can't get over your collection of vintage foodtuffs. I absolutely love the Arab, what a wonderful image. I would'nt knopw where to start sorting out that cupboard, I'd be distrcated in no time.
    The garden is coming along a treat, I love Phoebe's new barrel and the photo of Jos lording it in Dove Cottage's garden. Our garden centres reopened today but we're staying put for the time being. Our local one is limiting it to only one person per household which makes perfect sense but neither of us would be able to chose on our own!
    We're staying at home no matter what Boris says, it's been an effort to even go walking today, it's been freezing cold! xxxx

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    1. Thank you Vix! I wouldn't like to visit the garden centre on my own either. Most garden centres seem to be limiting to one person per household too, except this one! xxx

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  3. Beautiful outfits as always! The starburst brooch is lovely. The headbands look fab. What a great way to stretch a haircut.

    Those old barrels make good planters too. For a time nearly every house in our area had a barrel planter and an old metal milk tin in the garden.

    I'm in no hurry to get back to "normal." I live in a very small city, but still wouldn't want to venture out in a crowd. I've figured out that 8 AM on Thursday is a good time to shop for avoiding other people.

    You have the most incredible collections.

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    1. Thanks Goody! Initially we were going to use the barrel as a planter too, but we'd been telling each other it would be nice to have a plant table out there, so this was just perfect. And you can put your drinks on it too! xxx

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  4. love the pattern and colors of the first dress - turquoise, green, gray paislay - and you with a headscarf/band, it suits you very well!!
    lovely garden views and pretty plants - i have yet to seed out the nasturdiums - after the "eisheiligen" are over comes weekend..........and will buy some more potted flowers for the kitchen windowsill.
    stay safe my dear! xxxxx

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    1. Our "ijsheiligen" haven't really visited us for years. Plus, in our micro-climate garden it's always about 2 degrees warmer. Now, all the Nasturtiums I sowed straight into the garden have come up, as well as two I sowed in the little pots! xxx

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  5. I love reading your blog! All the colour and beautiful flowers - a feast for the eyes. Your hairbands are fab, I need some to cover my grey roots! Garden centres are now open here in the UK but I am nervous about venturing in at all, people seem to forget social distancing once they enter an establishment. This is my ninth week of self-isolation as I am in what they call a "vulnerable group". Not a charming choice of words, I have always thought of myself as a super hero!!

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    1. Thank you so much Carole! Nine weeks of self-isolation doesn't sound like a walk in the park! Don't we all think of ourselves as super heroes? Do keep safe - and sane! - my dear! xxx

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  6. While I unquestionably miss various aspects of pre-pandemic life (especially being able to see family), I too prefer to hunker down inside and ride these challenging times from the safety and comfort of our wee home as much as possible. We've been isolating for just over two months now and I've only left the house once in that time. We'll likely do so again before the month is up to restock groceries, meds and other necessities. Then it's back home to patiently wait and see how C-19 impacts the summer months ahead for not just our area, of course, but the whole world.

    Many hugs & cheerful mid-May wishes coming your way,
    Autumn Zenith 🎃 Witchcrafted Life

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    1. Thank you Autumn! You are doing the right thing staying put. Apart from our weekly food shop and my two office days, the only outing we have is to the garden centre. But it's so quiet there that it's actually very safe and relaxing! xxx

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  7. I've read a lot of bloggers who seem to have settled into their bubbles. I know I have.
    How typical that as soon as you introduce a new surface Phoebe felt the need to jump up. My cats have to investigate everything. I put the dining room chairs on the table the other day so I could vacuum underneath. When I finished I found Socks on the chair on the table, he looked so chuffed to be King of his little castle I left the chair there until he climbed down.
    Two lovely dresses here Ann, and those blue suede ankle boots - divine!
    Garden centres are allowed to open here now, as long as social distancing is upheld, so I might take a trip next week, I do need some more compost and some lettuce leaf seeds, and maybe some cat grass seeds too as the ones I had (very old) didn't germinate. I'm so pleased at that I have to option to go, I just need to feel comfortable that it's a good enough reason to leave the farm, as I haven't done so for weeks (only for walks in rural places).
    xx
    xx

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    1. I have definitely settled into my bubble and find my two office days quite stressful! Haha, Phoebe has been known to do the same. And we would have left the chair there as well. I love our garden centre. It's huge and there are no queues, and distancing is a doddle! I can imagine it's a different story elsewhere. xxx

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  8. It is always lovely to see more of your gardening and home organizing. What a clever idea to use toiler rolls for gardening. It is also nice to see how you stored your shoe collection. Beautiful outfits as well. That vintage dress in a turquoise (with a touch of green, grey and white) is absolutely delightful. Both the pattern and the colour are so pretty. The accessories are wonderful as well, that white vinyl belt and a light green necklace. The second dress you wore is a winner as well and those forget me not blue boots are very chic. Great styling.

    It is good to hear that you have adapted to new 'normal' and adapted to circumstances as much as possible. Trying to keep safe and being responsible- we cannot do much more. I don't go out much, expect for walks in nature. It is pretty quiet here on island Hvar. Only a few cases in Croatia. We're doing o.k, my only problem is that my days absolutely fly by. I spend a lot of time behind the laptop screen explaining homework and schoolwork to my pupils. Most of them are doing their best, but it is not same as regular school. I miss interaction with the kiddos.

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    1. Thank you Ivana! I'm very reluctant to call this the "new normal", as it feels too accepting. I'm sure some things will be different after C., but I'm trying to remain hopeful that we can live in a free world without fear again. It's good to hear that there are only a few cases in Croatia! xxx

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  9. It's funny how quickly we get into a new routine/rhythm in different situations and it's nice that you are enjoying a slower pace of life. I know I am!

    I loved the outfits especially the second floral dress with the hedgehog and squirrel brooches. Your turquoise boots are fab.

    I'm loving your barrel plant table and all your lovely flowering plants. It's very exciting at the moment to go out each morning and see what's bloomed; I bet you're the same!

    I absolutely loved your display of kitchenalia and packaging; you have some wonderful items and it's like a little mini museum.

    Glad to hear more of your shops are opening...
    xxx

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    1. Definitely enjoying the slower pace of life while it lasts. It's not good for business, I'm sure, but working less hours might help to save money for our company. I would be far more worried if I were 10 years younger! xxx

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  10. I know what you mean, Ann! I'm getting used to only working 3 days a week - and my office is probably going to start bringing people back in late June...5 days a week is going to feel like a LOT again!

    Ooh, I love your little display area - what a lot it holds! I wish I had something like that for all the really cool things I have! Your blue/green outfit is my favourite - it's so striking! How fabulous that you found that barrel, and now it's a table for plants! I mean, "a table for Phoebe to survey her kingdom"! I have a feeling you will see knocked over plants...she really seems to like it!

    Your hairbands + clip-on are genius! They look great on you, and really add a 1920s vibe to your look - it suits you very much.

    Good for you on the shoe swap-over! I'm drooling over all your lovely shoes! That's fantastic storage for them.

    I hope your week ends on a positive note for you, my dear Ann! Here's to a weekend of bright skies and warm breezes!

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    1. Thank you Sheila! That kitchen cupboard, and its glassed display area, was one of the house's selling points for us! Glad you love my shoe storage. I have double the amount of boxes you can see here, but the other half is for my Winter shoes and they life on top of a wardrobe! xxx

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  11. Hello Ann. How lovely you look in both dresses. They're both just perfect for springtime. I'm also quite fond of all your hair bands. They really suit you.

    All the odds and ends in your kitchen cupboard look so interesting. I sometimes forget things that I've had in storage, and cleaning out kitchen cupboards re-introduces them again for me to use.

    It was lovely of Jos' daughter to give you those floral masks. We have a shortage of them here. I might have to make my own soon.

    Your garden seems to be coming along nicely. Love the barrel. My mum has a couple in her garden with hydrangeas growing in them. They look beautiful. I'm collecting nasturtium seeds too - that's a first for me, I've always bought them as seedlings. They're such a pretty little flower. Have a lovely weekend.

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    1. Thank you Suzy! Jos's daughter is a wiz with a sewing machine and I was so glad she offered to make these. She told us she was going crazy with all the little pleats in the end. As for Nasturtiums, I've grown them from seed in the past, but that had been years ago. They're really easy to do! xxx

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  12. I have to say that I feel a bit down this week. Perhaps it's the weather, perhaps it is as if everyone but me is slowly getting into a normal life. I don't know, it will past. Those heads in the spare room remind me of one we used to have, Tjoklat saga pops up in my head for some reason.

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    1. I see what you mean, Nancy, but I do think it is safest - and not just for you - to keep away from normal life a little bit longer. Glad you love the heads, it's still a growing collection! xxx

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  13. Such a lovely feast for the eyes, Ann! From your colourful outfits to your wonderful wares and glorious garden! So much vibrancy and colour to brighten my day. Thank you for the lovely visual injection of positivity! Hope you have a wonderful weekend, Ann! XXX

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    1. Thank you Sasha! I'm so glad to have brightened your day! xxx

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  14. Hello lovely friends, I’ve caught up now with your super blog posts. I’m going to take a leaf out of your and Vix’s book and try blogging about lockdown as it will be more visual than the journal I write.
    I’m with you on the myriad of emotions and mood swings. One day I’m fine, the next weepy or tense. It’s such strange times. Today has been good because we’ve had a little outing to our lovely Todmorden market. Saying that it was so sad to see all the shops closed and only essential food stalls open.
    We are staying home and only taking walks, doing shopping for us, folk on our lane and my mum. Can’t see us going anywhere soon.
    Take care you two dear friends. Love from us both xxx

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    1. Thank you so much Lynn! I'm keeping a journal as well, but sometimes forget to write in them. Then I have to look at the photographs I've taken to see what I actually did that day ;-) Trying to stay positive and enjoy the little things but it's normal to get a wobble from time to time! xxx

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  15. I didn't know ikea had shoe boxes. :-) It has been ages since the last time I was there. Lot's of sunshine to you so you can wear the short sleeved flower dresses. Regula

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    1. It's been years since I was last in IKEA. We've had these shoe boxes for a very long time. xxx

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  16. I love the purple shoe boxes! i had some cream ones from Ikea, similar design, but a much less fun colour, haha! :) I really like the dress you wore at the end there and I'm glad you're finding things to occupy your time at home! Some of our stores have reopened here too but I haven't been to any of them yet.

    The masks look so cute, how nice to have some made for you!

    Hope that you are having a nice weekend :)

    Away From Blue

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    1. Thank you Mica, and I do seem to remember they had those boxes in cream. And black, I think. But of course I had to have purple :-)) xxx

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  17. Your garden is looking great, Ann. And I loved having a look at how you store your shoes.

    The face masks made by An look fantastic. That was so kind of her to offer you some. X

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  18. woww, love your dresses, the floral patterns and the cute brooches you picked for them!. Both the turquoise-green and the multicoloured print are fabulous. And love your headbands!, you rock them!
    It's totally amazing to see your collections on the kitchen's table, there are so many interesting pieces in this display cabinet which looks not so big!
    Lovely to see that you've got these cute masks by a lovely girl (if we have to protect ourselves and others, let's do it in style!)
    besos

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    1. Thank you Monica! Don't be deceived, though, as that display cabinet is quite deep. And that's the problem exactly. I kept shoving things in and there was no rhyme or reason to it in the end :-) xxx

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  19. What gorgeous flowers! And your barrel plant table was an inspired idea.

    All the things in your cabinet are fascinating - it reminds me of the displays at the Museum of Brands (which is a fab museum).

    It's good that your haberdasheries are open - I've had to order elastic for mask-making from Germany as it all seems to be selling out over here.

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    1. I never made it to the Museum of Brands. We wanted to go to the Gloucester one when we were staying nearby, but by then it had moved to London. There was a one-hour queue at the haberdashery shop I went to when it had just opened, and they were soon out of elastic! xxx

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