Sunday 18 April 2021

Hope springs eternal

I've been very prone to mood swings lately, the pendulum often swinging towards anxiety. The least little thing seems to get me in a huff and believe me, you don't want to be around me when I'm like that.

Mercurial at the best of times, my temper is my own worst enemy when my stress levels go into overdrive. The pandemic and its seemingly never-ending implications might be the worst offenders, but give me a string of sunny Spring days, and I'm right as rain again. 

Oh the weather, so much to answer for!

But there are still many things to be thankful for, so let's start with those, shall we? 

Jos has had his first dose of Pfizer vaccine yesterday, and doesn't seem to be acting any stranger than usual today. That doesn't mean I'm no longer stamping my feet in frustration like a petulant child at the slowness of our vaccination roll-out though, but still, it's a step in the right direction. Oh, and then there's Bess, who is filling our hearts with gladness, especially now that she has discovered the joys of petting!



But first, let's go back in time once more, to Easter Monday to be exactly. If at first glimpse it might look like a perfect specimen of a Spring day, don't be fooled! Not only was it quite chilly at a measly 7°C, a blustery wind was tugging at my hair and trying to put my clothes into disarray. 

We would be treated to a succession of snow flurries and hail that day, so it was nothing short of a miracle that we found a dry moment in which to hastily nip outside and quickly snap some photos to show you my outfit. 

I didn't take off my cardigan, though, so I've added a close-up of my blouse's funky pattern to allow you a better look. The blouse in question was a flea market find. I instantly recognized it as I have a dress in the same pattern, with red trim and buttons rather than the blouse's yellow. It's from a retro label called Zoë Loveborn, and at the time I patiently waited for the dress to go on sale before snapping up the last one in my size.



It isn't the first time I wore the blouse with this vintage Diolen skirt, as I think they're a match made in heaven. For warmth, I wore a turquoise cardigan on top, tying in with the turquoise in both the skirt and blouse. The cardigan is from the Belgian Sweet Soda label and was charity shopped, as were the belt and necklace. 

Both the flower corsage and brooch were retail buys. I'm sure you'll recognize the latter as one of the three brooches I bought from Katshop the other week.



The day being too cold and miserable to even contemplate doing anything outside, most of it was spent reading on the couch. I picked up The Letter by Kathryn Hughes during one of our last charity shopping trips before our current lockdown. It was exactly the feel-good read I needed after the more challenging non-fiction Brides in the Bath one.  

As Monday was a public holiday, I had to go into the office on Tuesday instead. The weather was even more miserable than Monday's - and several degrees colder to boot - which wasn't exactly helpful at getting myself out of bed that morning. On top of that, I had to make some changes to my outfit at the last minute - I was taking the easy way out by rewearing Monday's outfit - when the zipper on my skirt came apart.




Work wasn't all too busy though, which is always a blessing when one's head is full of cotton wool.

Snow flurries drifted past my windows and there was hardly a soul brave enough to venture out onto Antwerp's forlorn looking streets. Even the cathedral was hiding behind a veil of mist, a sensible thing to do with scaffolding disfiguring its tower.



It briefly cleared up during the afternoon, but as luck would have I'd only just stepped outside after work, when the heavens opened again and gleefully pelted me with hail. I took a selfie while waiting under a shop's awning for Jos to arrive, my scarf temporally decorated by hailstones, which had lodged themselves into its frills, and my glasses typically misted up as a result of mask wearing. Life would be so much easier if I had 20/20 vision. Or, alternatively, if Covid-19 didn't exist!



Let's end the day with a ray of sunshine courtesy of Her Royal Highness, Princess Bess.  

This was before her petting days, but look how confident and adventurous she is becoming. Of course, after all those shenanigans, she needs her beauty sleep. Here you can admire her unusual mix of pattern and colour.



Wednesday was another office day, and as I'm not used to working two consecutive days, I was more than glad when Thursday finally arrived.

We were just about to get up when all hell broke loose and the intermittent man-made earthquakes caused by the piling machine across the road started in full force.

After a couple of hours, I was starting to feel quite dizzy and nauseous - exacerbated by worrying about the effect it would have on Bess - so that at one point we desperately needed to flee the house. 

Less than 15 minutes by car from Dove Cottage, the site of the Art Deco water tower in the neighbouring village of Reet turned out to be the perfect getaway.



In spite of the glorious sunshine, they day's highs of 10°C were still accompanied by the blustery wind which had been plaguing us for days. In my hurry to escape, I'd forgotten to add the cardigan I'd planned to wear. On its own, my coat - a short, brown and cream checked swing coat from the Spanish brand Sfera, charity shopped in February 2018 - was barely sufficient to keep the chills at bay.



It was OK as long as we were on the site's lower levels, where we briefly basked in the sunshine at one of the picnic tables while admiring the blossoms as well as the sparsely planted frilly yellow daffodils and bright orange-red tulips.



The gate to the cage-like structure containing the staircase to the tower's top was open for once, so it would have been silly not to climb them for a panoramic view of the clay-pit scarred landscape nestling in nature's fresh Spring greens.

We watched cotton wool clouds scudding across a sky of blue and wind turbines gaily waving their arms, but it was too cold to stay up there for very long. I was even starting to regret not wearing gloves!



Safely back on ground level - those see-through stairs remain quite scary for vertigo sufferers - we found a sheltered spot where I was able to remove my coat and show you the dress I was wearing underneath. This is another wardrobe stalwart, vintage and handmade, its print a fireworks of blue, red and white dots and dashes on a black background.



My accessories were a red belt and necklace, which were both charity shopped at one time or another, and another one of my recently acquired cat brooches.

Back at home, we were greeted by a scary-eyed Bess and the sight of two repro advertising signs which had toppled to the kitchen floor, dislodged by the eternal shaking caused by the infernal machine.

In a huff we stormed off to the construction site, where much to our relief we were informed that they had almost finished. True to their word, Friday was an oasis of quiet, with both the site and our two-doors-down neighbour's kitchen extension works at a welcome standstill.



Unfortunately, I had another office day to look forward to, half of which was spent with a lingering headache. To make matters worse, it was a sunny day, while the weather forecast was for a washout on Saturday.

In spite of the inclement weather, this turned out to be quite a good day. 

At first I couldn’t settle to anything, but then I decided to make a start with the seasonal wardrobe changeover.

Fairly confident that I wouldn't be needing them again until next Winter, I pulled all my warm woollen and polyester frocks from my wardrobe, making piles of them ready for the vacuum bag, and replacing them with the first batch of short-sleeved frocks.



As usual, I'll keep working on this bit by bit until Summer is well and truly on its way, but at least I've taken the first step, which always seems to be the hardest. It is, after all, quite a daunting task when you have a maximalist wardrobe!



I then had a look at the busted zipper of the skirt I wore earlier that week, wondering if my limited sewing skills would extend to replacing it. It was worth a try, especially as I found a black zipper in the correct size in my stash. And you know what, it was surprisingly straightforward. Not perfect, perhaps, but who cares? The skirt's got a working zipper once more!




That only leaves Saturday's outfit. However, as the weather remained truly horrendous all day, we didn't have a chance to take photos. So, showing true blogging dedication, I wore it all again on Sunday, before changing into that days's outfit.

I've had the skirt, with its impressionist chevron pattern, earmarked for while, and although I initially had a more Springlike outfit in mind, I found it a perfect companion in the form of this turquoise based Paisley patterned blouse.

Both are vintage finds from Think Twice, but while the blouse, with its satin-like fabric, has lost its contents label, I was surprised to see that the skirt contained 12% silk alongside its ubiquitous polyester.



More turquoise was added in the form of my opaques, while I picked up the green in the blouse's pattern by adding a green cardigan, necklace and apple-shaped ring. 

The cream background of the skirt was echoed by my vintage flower brooch, while the chocolate brown in its print was highlighted by my moc croc belt. The belt and snake print ankle boots, along with the opaques, were the only retail items in my outfit.

I'll be back with more outfits as well as a return to the garden in my next post. Do stay healthy and happy, wherever you are, and let's keep our fingers crossed we'll all have our jabs before too long!



40 comments:

  1. I wish you a string of sunny spring days to keep you in good mood. These are challenging times, but still there are always things to be grateful for.
    I really like the blouse you wore with your vintage Diolen skirt. I agree with what you wrote- they're a match made in fashion heaven, especially with that turquoise cardigan on top. Great that Jos has gotten his vaccine and hasn't experienced side-effects. Let's hope the situation with this pandemic finally get sorted out.

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    1. Thank you Ivana! I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we'll soon see the end of the pandemic. There might still be little things to be grateful for, but I'm not sure they'll be enough for much longer ... xxx

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  2. I really like the colours in your Saturday outfit as well. Lovely skirt and blouse pairing....and that printed dress is beautiful.

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  3. First, I'm so glad to hear that Bess has discovered the wonders of petting! I knew she would come around and realize her people were really there to be her servants! Queen Bess!

    My moods are mercurial as the weather too, Ann. Part of it is menopause, which is kind of a background hum to all this pandemic crap, and some of it is indeed the weather. Spending a day in the sun yesterday did wonders for my morale.

    Outfits! In the first outfit, the blouse and skirt are such a great match - I love all that turquoise too. I'm glad you were able to escape the hail and construction din for a brief adventure out in the countryside! You match the tulips. The solo pic of you in your dress, looking up, is a GREAT pic of you! You look like a star from a period TV show!

    Congrats on starting your wardrobe change-over - I totally get how massive an undertaking it is, being a maximalist myself! And wow, well done on replacing your skirt's zipper! That's impressive!

    The skirt in your last look is lovely - how nice to have a touch of silk in a vintage garment, so rare! I also love all your cat brooches in this post. Very fun.

    Wishing you a week of warm and sunny days, my friend! Take care!

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    1. Queen Bess indeed! I really hate these mercurial moods but find it easier to deal with things when it's sunny and I can be either in the garden or go for a walk. I still can't quite believe that I managed to replace that zipper! xxx

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  4. You have so many wonderful accessoiries. I am totally in love with this cute cat brooch. 😁 The weather is not fine, here too. I hope for next week.
    Stay safe and healthy and happy Ann. With a very huge hug Tina

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    1. Thank you Tina! If I pay any more visits to the cat shop, I'll have those brooches in every colour :-)) xxx

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  5. Very nice to hear you are focusing on the positive and that Jos has had the vaccine!!

    I love having a peek into your colourful and patterned wardrobe. Can I live inside it, pretty please?😆

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  6. Spring always brings me a changing mood, but this year is playing havoc with our mental health. Mr.A. has an appointment for his second dose of AstraZeneca, only that it was discontinued because of the politicians' paranoia. So we don't know what it's going to happen. Not happy with this, obviously (lots of swearing about our incredibly incompetent politicians).
    But let's speak about your fabulous outfits, dear Anne!. Lovely turquoise cardi over the funky blouse, this is a lovely colour combo and you've styled it so brilliantly. Love particularly your new cat brooches!, both rock!
    Your 'real life' photo waiting in the hail has put a smile on my face, as this is the aspect I usually have in the mornings too. I even had this same mask!. And misty glasses!
    Looking fab in your fireworks dress, lots of delightful colours and also a beautiful coat!, glad that you could enjoy some sunshine and peace, despite the cold wind!
    I'm desperately needing a wardrobe changeover, but too busy to deal with it!
    Your last outfit has amazed me with its mixed prints and colours and the animal print boots!, so cool!
    Bess is looking more and more adorable, more comfident and curious, really a great personality!
    besos

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    1. Oh what a horrible situation with Mr. A's AZ vaccine. They are not discontinuing it here, but have decided to give it only to people of 41 and older. Personally, I do hope I'll get one of the others, because of the long wait between the two doses. Anyway, there's been a bit of swearing at politicians here too :-) xxx

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  7. How fantastic it is that Bess is living cuttles. What a joy isn't it, cats are so amazing. Love that chevron skirt, and the psychedelic blouse, such fantastic prints. I'm feeling very very bleh, and I think it has to do with the stress of corona. And the bad weather. Gosh how I wish it was all over. And that we can go to the UK!! Oh Ann, I'm not receiving notificaties of new blog posts. Can you perhaps check that please?

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    1. Thank you Nancy! I do hope the notifications thing gets resolved. Things like that are doing my head in! I'm so fed up with the Corona situation as well, and often feel bleh because of it too. Especially since we had to postpone our UK holiday yet again for another year! xxx

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  8. Construction noise is the worst. I'm glad they finished up and maybe Bess (and you) can relax a bit. We had neighbours a few years ago that would slam their door so hard things would fall off our shared wall.

    Beautiful outfits. I'm glad to hear Jos got his jab. I hope yours comes along soon too.
    Take care.

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    1. Thanks, Goody. It's indeed the worst. They haven't finished, I'm afraid, we just had the odd quiet day. But it's not been as bad as it was ... xxx

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  9. I love the fireworks print dress, so pretty even if it was a chilly day and you tried to stay out of the wind! it's good you were able to get out the house too - I hope now that they are finished the building work it means it will be finished for good and that it wasn't just finished for the day with more to come!

    So interesting seeing the hail too - we have hail here too but it's usually much bigger, haha! And in summer - as it's a part and parcel of summer storms!

    Hope that your week is off to a good start :)

    Away From The Blue

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    1. Thank you Mica! Unfortunately, it was just finished for the day, and more building work has been on-going. The noise isn't as bad as before, though. We sometimes have much bigger hail stones too, thankfully these were just small :-) xxx

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  10. Ugh the weather really does look dreadful.
    Yay on Joe getting his first vaccine.. I have an appointment on Thursday to get my first dose!

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    1. I'm glad the weather has improved by now and we've had some true Spring weather! Yay for your first dose of vaccine. I am just a tiny bit envious ... xxx

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  11. We all long for sunny days, which make a huge difference.

    I'm fed up with the cold we have had for about two weeks. Next week spring is supposed to be back. So I am still wearing scarves and woolen sweaters to stay warm.

    There are places where life is pretty normal: no closed shops, theatres, museums, stadiums, no masks or other restrictions ...

    xxx

    Regula

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    1. Still haven't put away my woollens either, the weather is just so changeable! xxx

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  12. wahoooo to jos having his first jab!!
    must be such a relieve.
    and bess! you can finally pet her! wonderful <3 she´s such a pretty cat. give her a cuddle from me please!
    did you ever try high dosed vitamin D? my doc recommends it for my long-live depression and its helping brighten the mood (don´t want psychopharma). and i made the experience that in the "deeps" coffee does make it worse.... so i have times i do switch to herbal tea or cacao or simple hot water (the best!). and there are non-addicting homeopathic medicine against angst - talk to your doc.
    wish you all the best!!!
    xxxx

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    1. Thank you Beate! It's a relief indeed. In less than a month, he'll be fully vaccinated! I have been taking high dosed Vitamin D for a while. I can't bear to think what my moods would be like otherwise :-) xxx

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  13. Great post! Thanks for sharing. x

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  14. We're both so pleased that Jos got his first jab and as for the Bess news, we're delighted! What cat charmers you are.
    That noise would drive me daft although I'm just as guilty having my garden shredder on for hours over the last couple of days.
    You and Jos look wonderful, as always. I could dive into that wardrobe of yours and play for hours. I'm really impressed with your zip replacing skills, you'll be making dresses soon! xxx

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    1. Thank you both! We were just following our intuition, with a little help from Jackson Galaxy as recommended by you. I could do with a garden shredder, by the way. I'd use it in the morning to annoy our next-door neighbours who are always sleeping late :-) xxx

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  15. I hope Spring sunshine has continued , it always lifts the spirits. So pleased Jos has had his first vaccination. Your Bess is such a joy .Sorry about the construction noise , so hard to cope with.
    Wonderful outfits with your unique accessories. I fully understand the complexity of the wardrobe change over as I have just completed mine, no minimalist here either. xx

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    1. Thank you Jill! We've had our fair share of construction work over the years. I'm still in the throes of my wardrobe changeover, especially as the weather often still requires some of my warmer things! xxx

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  16. It's good news that Jos has had his vaccination, hopefully not long until you have yours.
    The noise would be driving me mad too. Bess though is a great compensation, so glad she's discovered the joy of cuddles :) xxx

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    1. Thank you Sally! I'm hoping to receive "the call" some time in May ... Bess is a true ray of sunshine in our lives! xxx

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  17. Sounds like you've got the fight/flight response kicking in from your anxiety - all that adrenaline's having an effect. (I get the same sort of thing; I'll think 'Why am I overreacting?' and then realise it's the anxiety.)

    The shaking in your house must've been horrendous if it could topple things inside your house! I'm not surprised you were annoyed at it. Poor little Bess.

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    1. That's probably it. But I've always been the Queen of Overreacting. The only thing that's improved over the years is that I now know I'm overreacting :-) xxx

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  18. I'm so glad the noise and pounding has finally ceased; what a nuisance.

    Loved all your outfits and how lucky to have both a blouse and a dress in that fabulous print! I've done the forgetting to put on a cardigan thing and freezing as well; it's amazing the difference one garment can make!

    Bess is beautiful and at the petting stage too; fabulous.

    I have 'The Letter' but have not yet read it...one day!
    xxx

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    1. We're over the worst of the building noise, I think. Keeping my fingers firmly crossed though! I did like 'The Letter' but not enough to keep the book ... xxx

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  19. That is so cool regarding how you found a vintage blouse and a dress in the same pattern at different points.

    Many is the time I've had one and wished I could snap my fingers and have the other appear as well. They really need to develop a clothing cloning + altering machine. :D

    ♥ Autumn

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    1. Oh yes, a clothing cloning and altering machine must be the best thing ever! xxx

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