Saturday 23 May 2020

Day in, day out

It never ceases to amaze me how time flies, even in these precarious times, when everything's out of kilter, and nothing is as it was. This would be the time for the first of the outdoor flea markets but I don't miss them as much as I thought I would. Also, at this time of year, the countdown to our UK holiday would have started and I would already have been stressing about packing. This is a much harder nut to crack, but I'm not allowing my mind to dwell on it too much, saving my energy for the ongoing home and garden projects here at Dove Cottage.

As I already mentioned in my previous post, Thursday before last was a bit of a meh day. It took until the early afternoon before I could even bring myself to do anything useful and, as I'd had more than enough of attacking the kitchen with my cleaning cloth, I decided to make a final effort and finish it there and then.



Opposite the big kitchen cupboard is an equally big window and wedged in between the latter and the doorway to our dining room is a tiny cupboard with sliding doors. To my slightly colourblind eyes - I have problems differentiating between certain shades of blue and green - it is blue and always has been, but I'm being told that to some eyes, it might very well be veering towards green. 

Whatever its colour, it started life as a doll wardrobe made by my Dad as a Sinterklaas present for a 3-year-old me. There was a little bed as well but that's no longer with us. The wardrobe was passed on to my sister, who then passed it on to her daughter, and it was only by pure coincidence that we were able to save it from ending its life at the dump.

It now holds a myriad of smaller kitchen necessities, while providing yet another surface for displaying kitchenalia, such as a 1970s melamine tray, antique kitchen scales and weights and a well-used bread bin.



Hanging above the cupboard are two vintage enamel household wants indicators. 

The larger one on the right was found in an antiques shop in Lewes, East Sussex in 2005, and dates from the 1920s to 1930s, while the smaller one is a 1930s Lucie Mabel Attwell designed wipe clean one complete with its original pencil. This was picked up in Bridgnorth during our penultimate Shropshire holiday in 2018.


Here's a closer look at the larger one, which basically consists of a shopping list with metal tabs in front of each item. These tabs can be turned to indicate the required items. I've turned the one for the all-important toilet paper as an example! 

It seems that in the last couple of years, this particular one has become even more desirable as apparently it features in Downton Abbey's kitchen!


On the other side of our kitchen window, some vintage orange and white enamelware is on display. There's a utensils rack with an assortment of ladles and strainers, and a colander hanging above it.

Phew, I'm glad that's all done now!

On to Friday, with sunnier and slightly warmer weather making a return. 


Dipping into my wardrobe, I found this dress winking at me. In a deep chocolate brown with an orange, yellow, green and light brown floral print, it hadn't seen the light of day at all last Summer, as it was a just a tad too snug on the hips. A more healthy lifestyle - and less snacking - has certainly been a positive side to all this, inadvertently nipping inches off my hips and waistline without the need of a diet.


Green was my colour of choice for my accessories, a vinyl round-buckled belt, beaded necklace and  a green floral brooch. I even added a green hair clip to my #Coronahair solution hair band.

Oh, and did I mention my green fingers? I'm so glad I took up gardening again and rediscovered that I actually had them. Especially as green is my favourite colour :-)


Fridays usually mean a trip to the calm oasis provided by our favourite garden centre. Now that all other shops had re-opened, it was even quieter than usual. Look at all that space, with nobody else in sight, enabling us to browse the well-stocked aisles at ease.

Apart from a few more plants, we bought a bag of garden compost and some solar garden lights to replace our decrepit ancient ones which had long ago run out of steam.

We discovered there is a home-baking department as well, so that we were able to grab some bags of bread mix, which aren't available at our smaller supermarket.


Back at home, Jos took the secateurs to the giant currant bush, giving it a bit of a haircut, so that we can now walk to the bottom of the garden without getting tangled in its branches. He had to sacrifice some of the currants for this, but these would probably have either been damaged by us trying to squeeze past, or been eaten by the local population of wood pigeons.

The upside is that our Fuchsia magellanica now has more room at the top!


Meanwhile I got busy in the passageway next to our kitchen, replacing the tired looking Primulas and pansies in the window box with Lobelias, Busy Lizzies and Begonias.

I replanted the yellow Primula, which was still in reasonable nick, as well as the leggy pansies, into pots, allowing them to live out the rest of their lives on an old garden chair turned plant table in the passageway.

The rusty enamelled coffee pot in the garden bathroom was planted with a spare Lobelia.



Jos's final job of the day was dotting the garden with the solar lights we'd bought. One of these is a spotlight, which he used to illuminate the enamel sign in the courtyard.

That night, we waited anxiously for darkness to fall, so that we could see the full effect, which was definitely worth waiting for! Can't wait for a balmy evening to sit out there and enjoy our little secret garden.


More of the same weather on Saturday before last, sunny but not quite warm enough to go without a cardigan. 

My outfit that day was based around one of my Diolen delights, a green dress with a print combining flowers and stripes in a multitude of colours. It was made in France, proudly bearing a Françoise de France label. It's not in the best of conditions, but it was a Think Twice sales bargain and I found its print utterly irresistible. 

I added a blue cropped cardigan, its three-quarter sleeves trimmed in green, as well as blue beads and a blue moulded flower ring. A bevy of bracelets and a yellow felted flower pinned to my cardi completed my outfit.



While having a good old rummage upstairs, I made a discovery - or should that be re-discovery - which put a huge smile on my face. 

A week or two ago, I got up one morning, determined to wear a particular dress - the top one in the below photo - but I couldn't find it anywhere. I'd already resigned myself to the fact that I'd probably sold it, although I couldn't for the life of me understand why, when I suddenly thought of another dress I was missing: the green and white one in the photo, to be exactly.

After racking my brains as to where it could be hiding, I had the brainwave to open the bottom suitcase in the above photo, which I initially thought only held some coats. Well, what can I say? Not only did I find both dresses, but many more to boot! 


Other things I did that day was clipping Jos's hair again, and make an appointment with my hairdresser for a colour and cut on the 3rd of June. Huzzah!

I did some more work in the garden too, potting up a couple of annuals and adding more perennials to our new border: another Scabious, in a dusky purple, and Erigeron, or Mexican fleabane, which has white daisy flowers blushing with pink while they age.



When we were clearing some of the rampant groundcover, we unearthed two tiny stone rabbits I'd forgotten all about. One of them needed a good wash as he had been half buried under some soil and was absolutely filthy, poor thing. I bet they're happy to be reunited.


Look at all those cheerful blooms! Clockwise from top left are a candy pink Dahlia, some purplish blue Lobelias, pink cheeked double Million Bells and a symphony of pink Cosmos and yellow Nemesias. 

I'd just finished my planting when our neighbour popped his head above the garden wall for a chat, telling us he and his wife were separating - #Coronadivorce - and they were selling the house, which means we'll be getting new neighbours in the near future. Fingers crossed they'll be nice people!


We would be in for warm Summer weather in the week to come - gone again at the time of writing - but that will be for my next post. 

Until then, keep on keeping safe, my friends!



33 comments:

  1. I really like the blue cardigan over the green dress, such a wonderful spring like outfit! And that shopping list indicator is so clever with the little metal indicators! I need something like that, I'm always forgetting what we need to order when I'm at the shops!

    Hope you are having a great weekend :) We aren't doing much, staying home and staying warm with that cold winter weather that's here!

    Away From Blue

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    1. Thank you Mica, staying at home still feels like the best thing to do, doesn't it? xxx

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  2. Glad you found your dresses. Storage can be like a scavenger hunt at the change of seasons, can't it?
    I've never had solar lights that worked that well. The spotlight is great.

    Still too cold here to sit in our garden, and we have heavy rain for the next few days, but I did get to enjoy looking at it through the kitchen window.

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    1. We've had many solar lights over the years and quality has definitely improved since our first set in the early noughties. These new ones are just fantastic! xxx

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  3. chuckling by the idea of taking the enamel lists to the supermarket ;-DDD
    #shopmycloset takes a new dimension at yours! and i wonder if you have a dress without a print of some kind - a uni one?
    love the collage of the dove cottage family - jos, pheobe and you <3
    hugsies! xxxx

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    1. Now you've got me chuckling too ;-) Very cumbersome, I should think! And yes, I do have a handful of plain dresses too. Don't wear them very often, I must admit! xxx

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  4. The cupboard looks pale green to me, isn’t it funny how our eyes play tricks on us!

    Wow, your household indicator is so interesting! I have never seen anything like it before.

    Your green finger has been working its magic, your garden looks great.

    I suspect many people will be separating during this corona virus period. Having so much stress, whether it is financial or being stuck in a house with someone you realise you can’t tolerate anymore. It’s sad. On the news, I’ve noticed a focus on mental health, sadly many people are committing suicide during this time too.
    Keep safe and enjoy your beautiful secret garden. X

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    1. It does look pale green to most people, but I've always perceived it as light blue. So did my Dad, but then again he was the one I inherited the colour blindness from! xxx

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  5. That will be a new buzz word - #coronadivorce! I do hope you get nice new neighbours...

    How fab you found more beautiful stylish dresses hidden away. That's what happens when you have lots of clothes! I did the same with my summer stuff in the loft. When I'd unpacked six black plastic bags I knew there were some items missing. When I went back up in the loft I found another bag...

    That 1970s melamine tray was such a trip down memory lane for me; I remember them so well.

    Loved both your outfits and I have a similar flower ring but mine is coral.

    The garden is looking beautiful and I especially fell for the Million bell flowers. Next time we visit the garden centre I will see if they have any. I did buy a plant with bell shaped flowers on it in Lidl on Thursday but it is called Brugmansia.

    Take care
    xxx

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    1. I'm sure it will, Vronni. That's what happens when you have too many clothes :-) So glad I didn't sell them, although that would have surprised me. Hope you found some Million Bells? The ones in the picture are double flowered ones, which I'd never seen before. xxx

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  6. I'm so sorry about your holiday in U.K. Maybee you can travel in autumn? What a luck you found your dresses! And what a luck we have a garden. Yours is so amazing.
    with a very huge hug Tina

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    1. Thank you Tina! We managed to change our booking to next year, but maybe we'll be able to have a short break in the Autumn ... xxx

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    1. Hooray for finding the missing garments and that your lovely brown dress fits you better than it did before lockdown! I love that our new normal way of life had revived your love of gardening, Dove Cottage's outdoor space has never looked lovelier!
      That Melamine tray is good old St Michael, isn't it?
      I love the doll's house wardrobe your dear dad made for you! We're both so sad that we won't be meeting up with you & Jos this year, it'll make our meeting next year even more special! xxxx

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    2. Spot on, Vix, that tray is indeed St. Michael! We're very sad we won't be meeting you too. We've managed to change this year's booking to next year and are keeping our fingers crossed! xxx

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  8. How lovely to find all those dresses. I have enjoyed seeing your kitchen and what a fantastic doll's wardrobe, I'm so happy you got it back. I love the solar spotlight, my garden is full of solar lights too they make such a difference. One of my colleagues has coronadivorce neighbours too. She said she came home form walking the dog and the husband was packing the car with piles of bedding so she made a joke about it not being the time to go on a camping holiday and he said actually we're separating and I'm moving out! She was mortified.

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    1. I can imagine your friend was mortified! We've had many solar lights over the years, but we always forget to take them in over Winter, and most of them had died on us. These new ones are far better quality too! xxx

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  9. Hello Ann. Happy to see more of your kitchen delights. The floral tray and the orange/white ladles and strainers are amazing, I collect them too. The Household Wants Indicator is unusual, I've never seen one before.
    The little cupboard looks pale green to me. I've never heard of Sinterklaas.

    It's lovely seeing more of your blooming beauties in the garden. Your fuschia looks fantastic. It's so much more enjoyable to sit in the garden when everything is blooming. Also, it seems that so many people are taking great pleasure in visiting their local garden centres. In our little court, quite a few of our neighbours have started growing their own veges and other plants. It's been fun sharing growing tips, especially for me as I have limited gardening knowledge.

    What a pleasant surprise to find forgotten dresses in that suitcase! Both outfits this week were so pretty. The brown floral is so autumnal, perfect for the weather here. The green floral/stripe one is perfect for Spring there.

    So sad to hear of another couple separating during these difficult days. Unfortunately, cabin fever is messing up a lot of marriages.

    Have a peaceful week.

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    1. Thank you Suzy! There's a story attached to the household wants indicator. I'd seen one in a magazine only months before we found ours in that antiques shop. I was smitten but never thought we'd be able to find one. Oh, and Sinterklaas is related to Santa Claus (St. Nicholas) and is celebrated only in Holland and Belgium as far as I know. It's a children's holiday, and is on the 6th of December. Just like Santa, Sinterklaas brings you presents overnight! xxx

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  10. Haha, good thing you found those dresses again! That never happens to me, lol. I have a appointment on the 5th and I am so happy about it. I am so tired of wearing my hair up and seeing the same style every day at myself. I am tired anyway of the hole Corona thing. But the sun will be shining this week again and I do hope my mood too! Have a good start of the week!

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    1. Oh, I am definitely tired of the whole Corona thing too. But at least we can now have our hair done :-) xxx

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  11. Lovely to read that you're enjoying your garden and making the most of your 'green fingers'!. It looks lush and delightful, particularly the corner with the enamel sign (and these new lights are really fab!)
    I'm going to miss my holidays too, as I had to cancel our trip to Canary Islands on March and then our holiday abroad which we usually take on June. I keep on hoping that we could meet someday ;DD
    I have a weakness for enamel, particularly enamel kitchenalia, and yours is so fabulous!. The Household Wants Indicator is something really Amazing. And so lovely that you could save the doll wardrobe and find this corner for it in your kitchen. I'm not the right person to determin if it's blue or green as I have this same problem (is this something related to myopia?)
    Love how you accessorized the floral brown dress with the fab green details and cute hairband!, looking gorgeous!. And also love the green dress, no wonder that its magnificent print caught your eye!, and it looks stunning with the blue cardi and yellow flower brooch!, so delightful colors!
    And I'm glad that you found these 'hidden' dresses, they look beautiful!. It has happened to me that I've been looking for a garment for weeks only to find it in a totally unexpected place. ;D
    besos

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    1. Thank you so much Monica! We had to cancel our Easter holiday in Holland and now this one too. Hopefully we'll be able to travel inside Belgium soon, as we've got a week's holiday lined up in September. I would very much like to meet you someday too, wouldn't that be amazing? xxx

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  12. Hoorah for finding long-lost treasure - a secret dress stash is a great thing to dig up, and I bet the bunnies are glad to be rescued too.

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    1. Finding treasure twice, first those dresses and than those long forgotten bunnies! xxx

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  13. Another lovely long post to enjoy. I read this at work yesterday and just let everything sink in before responding. I so love all the work you and Jos have done in your garden to make it more livable for you both. Adding lights is wonderful, and will create a magic retreat for you from the world (as I know introverts like us will be overwhelmed by people again soon!).

    What good luck you checked in that suitcase and found all those missing dresses! I've gone and misplaced two pairs of my summer sunglasses and for the life of me, cannot remember where I might have put them! So annoying.

    I laughed at the cautious hand on Ms. Phoebe, and her outraged look, as if saying, "Unhand me, Woman!" She is royalty!

    Your colourful outfits just fill me with happiness. Thank you for the burst of brightness in the gloom, Ann! Hugs to you!

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    1. Thank you Sheila! We do love our quiet little retreat. I'm not ready to face (too many) people yet, if ever again. Hope you'll find those glasses! Ha, and you know Phoebe so well. She's definitely a force to be dealt with! xxx

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  14. That household wants board is one of the most charming, clever and delightful vintage items I've laid eyes on in ages. I sincerely want one now and will be keeping my eyes wide open for one (that doesn't break the bank) online.

    Too funny about indicating the "want" for TP. That gave me a good ol' chuckle indeed. :D

    Autumn Zenith 🎃 Witchcrafted Life

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    1. Thank you Autumn, I hope you find an affordable one of your own. Glad to have given you a chuckle - I just had to do that :-) xxx

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  15. I love the household wants board and, it's such a good idea.
    It's so calming being in the garden isn't it, I'm glad you've rekindled your love of gardening.
    The brown dress is lovely, I bet you're glad you remembered it! xxx

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    1. Thank you Sally! We actually use that household wants indicator, although it is missing some things which weren't common or available back then. For olive oil, we always flip the taps for olives and oil separately :-) xxx

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  16. That chocolate dress with a floral print is gorgeous. I also love that second dress you wore. It's great you choose a more healthy lifestyle during this pandemic. I've actually gained weight during the pandemic. I wasn't able to find time to work out (my husband says it is because he's a better cook than myself and he's been the one doing most of the cooking for the last few months because I don't have the time). I don't think I'll need to diet, though as my BMI is still within a healthy range.

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    1. Thank you Ivana! I think my lifestyle automatically becomes more healthy when I'm not working. You simply have more time to make healthy eating choices, and of course, not sitting at my desk all day is also a great help. xxx

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