Sunday 23 August 2020

The light in August

I can barely get my head around the fact that this time next week we'll be on our yearly sojourn to Belgium's west country. There's still quite a few things to wrap up at work, for starters. And then there's my favourite pastime of packing to be done.

I'm starting to feel a bit faint when I'm thinking about the latter, so let's not get into that yet ... now where did I put those smelling salts?

I left you with a bit of a cliffhanger in my last post, so I'm making a brief return to Friday before last and show you those charity shop finds as promised.

In spite of shopping still being a solo activity (this will be changed again as from tomorrow!), we sneaked in together by taking separate trolleys and secretly meeting in the aisles! Naughty, naughty!


Then Jos grabbed a coffee at the cafeteria, while I browsed the well-stocked clothing department. With the heatwave on its last legs, but warmish weather still on the cards for the next week or so, I kept my eyes peeled for easy, breezy Summer tops.

I almost did a double take when I spotted the pink twin of my favourite green peasant style top, bought in the New Look sales two years ago. It goes without saying it couldn't make its way into my trolley fast enough. 


These two stretchy cap-sleeved pussy bow tops are of the wash 'n go variety and will be the perfect companions for a multitude of skirts. They are also very suitcase proof, as they can be rolled up and tucked away without the least bit of creasing. 

As always, I made a beeline for the rail of dresses, but in spite of being spoilt for choice, nothing I fancied was in my size. Until I pulled out this one for closer inspection! 



In 100% silk, it's from Essentiel Antwerp (look, Sheila!), whose flagship store is opposite the spot where Jos is picking me up after work on my office days. Their dresses start at € 195, so I think the € 13,50 I paid for it was money well spent. I'll have you know that this is expensive for this particular chain of charity shops, so somebody has clearly done their homework!

The background colour was very hard to photograph, as it is leaning more towards green in real life.



Our only non-clothing purchase was this reproduction Tala icing set. It was displayed on a shelf of tins and priced similarly as the empty ones (€ 1,30), so I'm guessing that this time somebody hasn't been doing their job properly and never thought of opening it. Admittedly, there was hardly any weight to it, plus the icing syringe and nozzles fit so snuggly into the packing that no movement could be detected at all.



A collection within our collection of kitchenalia, we already own several proper vintage Tala icing sets, including this one, which the reproduction set must have been based upon.



I'm swiftly skipping to Saturday before last now. 

With the temperature hovering around the mid-twenties, it was still more than warm enough to warrant the wearing of more of those lightweight Summer clothes.

The black cotton button-through skirt with its white daisy print and triple layer of rick-rack is vintage 1970s and from the Merry Finn label.  The blue based, multi-coloured pussy bow blouse, on the other hand, is a modern King Louie piece by way of the charity shops. 



As a nod to the skirt, I accessorized with a black and white beaded necklace and black-rimmed flower brooch. Tying in with the turquoise bits in the blouse, I added a turquoise textured belt at my waist.

Everything but the tan espadrille wedges - a sales bargain last Summer - was acquired second hand.




I planted up the pansies we'd brought home from the garden centre, one of which I gave a home in a leaky enamel coffee pot recently vacated by a Lobelia which hadn't survived the heatwave. 

Yellow Rudbeckia mingles happily with purple Verbena, while annuals such as candy striped Petunia, creamy yellow-hearted Lantana and Fuchsia are still blooming their hearts out.



A dome of perfect blue Summer sky watched over it all, dotted with the odd wispy cloud. It's August, that often bittersweet month, undeniably on the cusp of two seasons. 

For some inexplicable reason, this photo is making me both happy and sad in the same breath.



There's nothing like the sky in August and the languidness of her days, yet:


"Whilst August yet wears her golden crown,

    Ripening fields lush-bright with promise;

Summer waxes long, then wanes, quietly passing

    Her fading green glory on to riotous Autumn."

-  Michelle L. Thieme, August's Crown 



Now that it was starting to cool down inside the house, it was time for some long overdue housework.

My journal tells me that on Sunday, while Jos vacuumed and mopped the rooms downstairs, I dusted our bedroom and the landing. Then, before the mood escaped me, I cleaned the bathroom surfaces and part of the kitchen's. 




There was a storm brewing, so before all hell was let loose, we went outside for outfit photos.

You'll immediately recognize the top, which I'd plucked from the ironing pile where it had ended up after washing, so great was my desire to wear it. The skirt was another recent charity shop find, which I wore on the blog not all that long ago. Cool in double 100% cotton!




Both the pink, yellow and white woven belt and the wooden beaded necklace were old charity shop finds. Even the peep-toe slingbacks I'm wearing were charity shopped. They're Clarks and they were waiting for me in Bridgnorth in June 2019.




The storm finally arrived late afternoon with enough rain to forgo my watering duties that evening.

Nothing to report about Monday's moderately busy office day, so I'm skipping that and hopping over to Tuesday.

The vintage Shelton Stroller dress I was wearing never fails to make an appearance each Summer, so I was rather surprised it was still hanging unworn in my wardrobe this year.



With its fit and flare silhouette, wide, drapey tie collar and smooth satiny fabric in an abstract red, blue and black print on a white background, this late 1950s, early 1960s dress is a joy to wear.

I tamed its tie by pinning it with a Miracle brooch and accentuated the waist by adding a red vinyl belt.



I used plenty of red for the rest of my accessories as well, including a red plastic ring and red and white beaded necklace. A white and blue polka dot bangle kept my red one company.

We went on a veritable charity shop sprawl later that week and finds were plentiful, so I'm afraid I'll have to leave you with another cliffhanger.

Until then, do stay safe, sane and as fabulous as possible!


34 comments:

  1. Yay to Tala and Miracle, two local (to me) brands!
    I'm so excited about your upcoming holiday as I bet you are, too. A change of scenery will do you both the power of good.
    I don't blame you for breaking the rules with your shopping and I'm glad you found a few choice bits. I can't wait to see you parading around in that fancy silk dress and what are the chances of finding your favourite top in another colourway? Like you say, they're perfect for packing. Crease free , stylish & colourful.
    Love the Merry Finn skirt with the King Louis blouse, the pocketed dress and the pretty double cotton outfit and it's always good to catch a glimpse of Phoebe.
    The garden looks very lush and colourful, that rain worked wonders! xxx

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    1. Thank you Vix! You are so right: a change of scenery will do us the power of good. I can't wait to start our little adventure tomorrow! xxx

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  2. Now, those are some lovely breezy tops you shopped there. My favourite is the pink one (the first one in the row, I think). The silk dress from Essentiel (have I spelled that right?) is beautiful!
    I like the printed pussy blow blouse and skirt you're wearing. The colourful circles on the blouse are lovely, that's such a fun print. The print on the skirt is also interesting. Initially, I thought it was polka dots but now I see it's actually tiny daises. How adorable. I like the blue belt you wore with it.

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    1. Thank you Ivana! That pink top is my favourite too, I already have it in green. And yes, you've spelled Essentiel right. It's an expensive label, so I was happy to find the dress in a charity shop! xxx

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  3. The pink blouse you paired with a blue printed skirt is very pretty. I can see why you wanted to wear it. Double cotton is perfect in summer. The combination makes for a great look as well. Finally, that vintage Shelton Stroller dress is a beauty. Great outfits all of them.

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    1. Thank you again, my dear friend! The weather has changed so much by now, that I can hardly imagine wearing double cotton :-) xxx

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  4. A whole lot of pussybows there - I love them! The King Louie one is especially nice. And you got a real bargain in that silk dress.

    If I don't see you somewhere online before your holiday, I hope you and Jos both have a wonderful time!

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    1. So do I, Mim! We cannot wait for our holiday to start tomorrow! xxx

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  5. What a deal on the Essentiel Antwerp dress, even if that's a higher-than-normal thrift shop price! I'm so impressed! I love the tops you found too. I discovered that my favourite WIN stores are open, but you aren't allowed to try anything on, which rather defeats the purpose, especially now when I'm already finding my own clothes tight. Sigh.

    I am also feeling the wistful farewell of the summer is looming. It's a sad feeling. I have noticed that many of my dresses, skirts and pants are not getting worn, partly from my weight being up a bit, and also because I'm simply not working 2 extra days a week.

    I like the picture of you and Phoebe - I know she's not super-sociable, so it's nice to see you together. Here's to another week, my friend!

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    1. I immediately had to think of you when I saw the label! Now all I need is for the weather to warm up just slightly so that I can wear the dress! Phoebe loves being near us, but it's a case of you can see but don't touch! xxx

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  6. Ohhh the dress you wear at the last picture is so amazing. You look gorgeous Ann! And what a wonderful bargain... the silk dress from Essentiel Antwerp! 😄👍🏻
    This weekend I booked 4 nights in Zeeland for October in " our" old church B&B and I hope we can travel.
    Enjoy your packing Ann ☺️
    with a huge hug Tina

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    1. Thank you so much Tina! I'm keeping everything crossed so that you can travel to your church B&B in Zeeland in October! I've just finished packing ... probably the wrong things, but anyway :-) xxx

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  7. Hello Ann. You always find the loveliest things on your treasure hunts. That silk dress is so pretty - I can't wait to see it on you. I love unusual collars and your new tops with pussy bows are fantastic. The delightful cotton top and black daisy print skirt are also pretty pieces. Your colourful garden setting is a perfect backdrop to all your lovely outfits.

    I'm a big fan of vintage kitchenalia and your new cake decorating kit is lovely. I have something similar but haven't used it in years. I should pull it out and fiddle with it a little.

    Another week down and one more to go! How exciting to be checking your list and packing your clothes! Have the most wonderful time.

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    1. Thank you Suzy. I love unusual collars too! We have quite a few of those cake decorating sets but haven't used any of them. If we do, it'll be the repro one and not one of the vintage sets, I guess. xxx

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  8. you found some pretty tops and a chic dress - shopping queen!
    the last dress is gorgeous and of cause i love the cotton blouse&skirt look.
    heatwave is finally over, but summer is still great - we live on our own veggies only and the flowers are abundance - like in your little garden. with your mild winters and enclosed garden you can stretch the pansies right until next spring/summer - just do a deep cut in december, then they will come back.
    xxx

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    1. Thank you Beate! How lovely to live on your own veggies. I'm sure those pansies can stretch to next year. We've had geraniums survive two winters in a row! It's always about 2 degrees warmer in our enclosed garden! xxx

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  9. Oh those cliffhangers are worth it! Love Essential Antwerp, does it run a bit small? I think I would stare every working day at their window. Love the accessories, especially the black and white necklace! yes, one more week Ann! I decided for once in my 5 year blogging not to write and read in my vacation! We need our time off!

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    1. Thank you Nancy! It's the very first Essentiel dress I've tried. I think it runs about average. Depending on the model, I do tend to have 40-42 due to my ... ahem ... abundant hips :-))) xxx

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  10. These outfits are all so good. I hope you have a nice holiday and enjoy some change of scenery. I'm sure whatever you pack will look wonderful and I'm looking forward to seeing your holiday snaps when you return.

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    1. Thank you Goody! I've actually just finished packing ... a lot of trousers due to the combination of weather and intended activities, which will be mostly walking away from the crowds rather than sightseeing! xxx

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  11. The pink top looks lovely and fresh and cool with that skirt. Its absolutely horrible weather here today, no summer outfits required!
    Your garden is looking lush. I agree though that the end of August heralds the start of Autumn.
    Hope you get some good weather on holiday and have a great time. xxx

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    1. Thank you Sally! I'm actually wearing long sleeves and opaques today. In August! xxx

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  12. How lucky to find the matching top to the one you love. Have a wonderful holiday I hope you come back relaxed and refreshed.

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    1. Thank you Gisela, and thanks again for the lovely surprise! xxx

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  13. These pictures are so fresh and amazing ❤️
    I love all the looks! Love your style.
    Really a nice post! Have a great day :)

    Rampdiary
    Beautyandfashionfreaks

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  14. Maybe it's the abundance (more than 20) moves I've done in my life, perhaps it's my passion for organizing, or maybe it's just the thrill of an impending trip, but I absolutely love packing (assuming it's for a positive reason). I'd joyfully lend you hand if we lived nearby, dear Ann.

    Big hugs & sunny end of August wishes,
    Autumn Zenith 🧡 Witchcrafted Life

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    1. Oh, wouldn't that be simply divine? I have finished packing but travelling light will never be my forte :-) xxx

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  15. I hope that you are all set for.your trip to Belgian west country and that you'll enjoy it.

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  16. I had to laugh that you sneaked into the charity shop together! Good for you!
    The Essentiel dress is gorgeous, I 'll look forward to seeing that on the blog soon.
    You must be on your holiday by now, a change of scenery always does wonders for the soul. I hope you're having fun!
    xx

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    1. Thank you Hazel! We had a wonderful and very relaxing holiday. I'm still waiting for the right weather to wear that dress! xxx

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  17. Ooh, I would have pounced on that top too! I love a light cotton broderie anglaise top like that!
    Your 'expensive' dress is also wonderful! I love silk dresses. Great to have got that icing set cheaper too!
    Such wonderful outfits you created! That King Louie blouse is really lovely! I remember trying on a King Louie dress in Bruges last year! It's funny to think it is a year since I was in Bruges!
    Well done on the sneaking into the charity shop together! You are well-behaved- I expect it is to deter large families blocking up stores!
    Ah, that poem is so wistful!x

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    1. Thank you Kezzie! Is it a year already? How time flies! We were in Bruges for our wedding anniversary back in February, just before everything started, and it feels like it was so much longer ago. xxx

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