Sunday 8 August 2021

The air that we breathe

I'm back, so no scheduled posting this time!  In fact, I've been back since Thursday as we were only away for three nights. But while I'm dying to tell you all about it and my fingers are itching to start writing travelogues, they will have to be put on the back burner for now while I finish posting about the week prior to our little getaway.

Not wishing to keep you in suspense any longer, though, I can already divulge that we had the most wonderful and relaxing time and that the weather gods were on their best behaviour. And after being a bit wary for all of five minutes, Bess was clearly over the moon to have us back at home and has been overdosing on cuddling and purring ever since! 



But that was all still in the future on Friday the 23rd of July. 

If my week off work has raced by at an alarming rate, time seemed to have lingered somewhat longer than usual in the weeks preceding it. This was in no way helped by having to go into the office on Friday as my colleague was on vacation.

As a consolation price, however,  I was able to take the afternoon off as work was a bit slow. So slow, in fact, that I played hooky and nipped out to the shops to buy a birthday present for my friend Inneke during office hours. Naughty, naughty! 



It was a gorgeously sunny day, the temperature reaching the dizzy heights of 25°C, which my vintage cotton Madras check dress was more than able to cope with. 

Due to its red buttons and collar, not to mention its red trimmed pockets, red would be the obvious accessorizing choice. Feeling quite contrary, I decided to go against the grain and picked green for my necklace, squirrel brooch and recently charity shopped 1960s shoes. My armful of bracelets included a green one too, the others being red and blue to tie in with the colours of my dress.

If the oatmeal woven belt looks familiar, it's because I find myself reaching for it quite often lately.



I spent the afternoon doing some long overdue ironing - as one does on a warm Summer's day. To my defense, I wanted to iron the pleated dress I'd bought from Think Twice the other day and then literally struck the iron while it was hot!

The rest of the afternoon was spent pottering around home and garden. 

The lush little corner in the above photo is at the end of the passageway leading next to our kitchen. Minus the jumble of empty terracotta pots, it's part of the view that greets us from our kitchen window. In the top right corner you can see the encroaching tendrils of the ivy we're waging a constant battle with, while the ferns you can spy mid-picture have made themselves at home in the biggest of the pots without any interference from our side whatsoever. Quite the little jungle!



Somewhat unintentionally, pinks and purples seem to be popping up everywhere in our little plot. 

The two-tone Lupine 'My Castle', which we planted back in April, simply refuses to give up, surprising us with the odd new flower spike again and again. And while I'm pretty sure we didn't have a single Foxglove in our garden last year, there is now an unplanned abundance of them, ranging from creamy white to various shades of pink.



Initially cloudy and overcast, we were treated to sunny spells from mid-afternoon onwards on Saturday, with the temperature sliding down to about 22°C. 

We were up early, as we'd been woken by an alarm going off next door, after which we couldn't get back to sleep. As we expected visitors in the afternoon, we mended our slovenly ways by whisking around with a cleaning cloth in the bathroom and kitchen after breakfast.

I dithered in front of my wardrobe, after a lot of umming and aahing deciding on this delicious maxi skirt I hadn't worn in absolutely ages. Wearing the orange and red Spanish made sandals I picked up in a charity shop in June assured that I didn't trip over its hem while I swooshed around in it.



Same as the skirt, the green lacy knit top I combined it with came from Think Twice. The wood veneer pendant was charity shopped, while the celluloid twin flower brooch was a flea market find. The stretchy belt with its hexagonal faux tortoiseshell buckle was a retail buy, picked up from a well known haberdashery shop during one of my rare lunch break outings back in May.

While we were waiting for our guests to arrive, I snapped some pictures in the garden. On the top right  magenta and yellow provided by Verbascum and Phlox make for an unusual colour combo. And look at that promising second flush of flower spikes in our Delphinium (bottom left). So happy I made the effort of cutting back the spent spikes after the initial flush of the second half of May!


Then our friends Inneke and Maurice arrived and my intention of making photographed vanished into thin air as we chatted away over coffee and cake. After all, we hadn't seen each other since we met for a socially distanced walk in January! Although that isn't strictly true, as Maurice and Jos have been meeting up for coffee on Wednesday ever since cafés were allowed to re-open their indoor spaces back in June!

After briefly showing her face at the top of the stairs, Bess hid away under our bed until they were gone. Little did she know that Maurice would be coming to feed her while we were away!



Inneke had been clearing out her wardrobe and had brought some things she thought I might like. Or perhaps that should be, might like back, as three of them originally graced my wardrobe many years ago. Now that she's ditched the hair colouring and sports a sassy short grey hairstyle, she found they didn't suit her any longer.

The funky knee-length Crimplene number is one of these, and it has made a return to my wardrobe until I've decided whether it's a keeper or not. The maxi dress is one of Inneke's and, with its Autumnal colour palette, fits me to perfection. 



The shirt with its ditsy print on left is another one which is still awaiting its fate, while the blouse on the left started life as a high street tunic over ten years ago. Tunics no longer being my style, but loving its lacy zig-zag pattern, I wasted no time in taking my scissors to it and turning it into a blouse!



July's final week crept along at a snail's pace. Although it wasn't exactly very busy at work, I needed to work in advance as much as I could to ensure continuity during my week away. This is always a bit of a nerve wracking time for me, so I only managed to find the energy for outfit photos after work on two occasions.

Monday saw me wearing one of my King Louie dresses, in a teal coloured diamond pattern. I pinned its decolletage with a teal flower brooch which merges with it organically.



Contrast was added with an orange polka dot cardigan and orange shoes, which I'm sure need no further introduction. Everything but the multi-coloured and textured necklace was charity shopped over the years.

Wednesday's dress is vintage and doesn't need introducing either, as it's far from making its debut on the blog. A Think Twice find in the Summer of 2015 - I distinctly remember this as I bought it on the day the seed of starting this blog was planted - it debuted here in June 2016, worn during our Pembrokeshire holiday that year, making further appearances in June 2017, September 2018, May 2019 and September 2020.



Not surprisingly, looking back has revealed that green has been very prominent in accessorizing this dress, and this time was no different as I added a green beaded necklace and what is probably the same old green cardigan I am wearing in some of the flashback photos.

A cream vintage flower brooch and a cream stretchy belt with a round buckle - a cheeky, recently acquired sales bargain - completed my outfit.



The weather that week had been the wishy-washy mix of cloudy with sunny spells and showers which seems to be our lot so far this Summer. The temperature kept hovering quite disappointingly in the very low twenties. 

Watering being a bit more of a chore now that we have to do without our well water, I admit to skipping that task on a couple of days, only tending to those poor plants in the shelter of the awning outside the kitchen door.


The first of the new Delphinium spikes was blooming its head off by now. Still standing proud in the above photos, the gusts of wind later that week made it lean precariously, its ultimate downfall avoided by the ferns and Cotoneaster which are its next door neighbours.

Supposed to be Autumn flowering, green flower buds have already started appearing in our Sedum spectabile (top right), some of them slowly but surely obtaining their final pinkish hue. Not surprisingly, given the Autumnal card the weather gods have been dealing us. There really is an undeniable whiff of Autumn in the air that we breathe.



We'll be packing our bags in my next post, keeping one eye on the non-too-promising weather forecast.

The other one being fixed firmly on this one, who all of a sudden decided to climb heights in our front room.  After finding one of the figurines from on top of our mantelpiece lying on the floor - mercifully unharmed - we had to take some last minute precautions and bring the most delicate of the items on display to safety!

So, that was it for now. Do stay safe, and I hope to see you again soon!


34 comments:

  1. Love all the red outfits - definitely a theme! So nice of your friend to bring you so many pieces too - looking forward to seeing how you wear that maxi dress, it's a beauty! :)

    Hope you are having a good weekend :)

    Away From The Blue

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    1. Thank you Mica! Funnily, I hadn't noticed the red theme myself :-) xxx

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  2. Welcome back! I'm dying to hear about your adventures and admire your restraint in not sharing immediately, something I can't do!
    The red dress, the maxi skirt and the Madras check are lovely and summery. The new-to-you shoes are really sweet and that Autumnal-toned maxi is going to look amazing when the time comes along (hopefully a few months away!!)
    The garden is looking amzing, loving the view from the kitchen window and how naughty is Bess, scaling great heights and endangering your precious things? xxx

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    1. Thank you Vix! I wanted to share my adventures right away too, but then I would have gotten hopelessly behind with the rest :-) Fingers crossed, but Bess hasn't scaled any heights since that photo. Oops, I hope I haven't jinxed it now! xxx

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  3. I like how your posts are so full of color -- both in the clothes and foliage. Nice!

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  4. I'm glad you had a great time and look forward to read what the two of you both have been doing. Our cats also come to see if they're are any left overs when the visitors are gone! Weird animals. I think that maxi skirt suits you very well!!

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    1. Thank you Nancy, and yes, cats are weird - but lovely - creatures indeed :-) xxx

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  5. Oh Ann you look amazing in this maxi skirt in your garden. This print is gorgeous. Great how you accessoirized the blue and red dress! Cute little bess 😁
    respect that you still took outfit photos despite your work before your holiday. Thank you Ann. I am looking forward your travelogues. 🥳
    With a very huge hug Tina

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    1. Thank you Tina! I have to admit that it's sometimes a struggle to take photos after work, but it wouldn't do not to have a record of some of the things I've been wearing! xxx

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  6. We've been lucky that Vizzini has never been a "heights" kitty - Bess is up to no good!

    Such a plethora of wonderful outfits here, Ann, with my favourites being the Madras plaid, the maxi skirt, and OH, my heart skipped a beat over Inneke's maxi dress! I never get such wondrous goodies from my friends! I do get my own clothes back once a while, though.

    Your garden is so pretty. I'm so happy for you that you had visitors over. Our friends also have a 'COVID Cat' who is not used to people!

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    1. Fingers crossed, but it looks as if Bess is growing out of her climbing habit ... Hope I haven't jinxed it now :-) I'm looking forward to wearing that maxi once Autumn sets in. xxx

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  7. how wonderful to have friends in the house for coffee and cake!
    and to have a kind of clothes swap too......
    here it rains on an almost daily basis - so no watering task for me since weeks which i´m thankful for. instead i have to mow the lawn and cut back hedges weekly! a little yard garden has its advantages :-D
    xxxx

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    1. I know! My friends and I used to do clothes swaps often, but due to Covid it had been a while ... I haven't done much watering either, some of my plants have only just escaped drowning because of all the rain! xxx

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  8. Yay! I'm glad that you had a good time. And Bess clearly loves you.

    Fnuky crimplene is great - it must be nice to welcome an old friend back.

    Oh naughty Bess on the mantlepiece! Ziggy has no interest in our living room one, but Pippin tries to get on it – even though she's not allowed up there. It's why they're not allowed in the living room when we're not there. CATS! I'm glad nothing was broken during Bess' prowl.

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    1. Bess is banned from our spare room when we're not there, but she has access to everywhere else, although admittedly we had to bring some of our more precious things to safety. She hasn't been climbing on to things for a while, so hopefully she's lost interest ... xxx

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  9. Glad to hear you had a good week off and that the weather behaved.
    Those will be nice dresses to have back in your wardrobe.
    The garden looks fab. Late summer is usually not the best time for flowering in a garden, but you seem to have found just the right plants for your location to keep things going along. I'll look forward to hearing all about your trip.

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    1. Thank you Goody! Our garden is looking a bit overgrown at the moment, though. There are definitely some things which have to go because they are much to rampant for our little plot. xxx

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  10. i really love your vintage dresses and your plants collection.

    You have a very interesting blog. Let's connect. I followed your blog, I hope you can follow back! Thanks



    JULIE ANN LOZADA BLOG
    INSTAGRAM: @julieann_lozada

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    1. Thank you for your comment, I will visit your blog soon! xxx

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  11. Some gorgeous outfits here, Ann. The Madras cotton dress is fab and I loved the maxi skirt with the green top. Wonderful accessories; you have the loveliest brooches. The 60s green shoes are amazing - what a brilliant find!

    How nice to have visitors and your lovely garden is going from strength to strength. Next year I, too, will cut back the delphiniums. One of ours didn't last that long and the 2nd has not even flowered yet.

    Glad you've had a fab break.
    xxx

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    1. Thank you Vronni! The 60s shoes were a brilliant find indeed. And I'm so glad I cut back my Delphiniums. Their second flush was just as good, perhaps even better, than the first one. xxx

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  12. I don’t know who is more colourful Ann you or your beautiful garden. It must be such a delight to see which plant has come to join the party each morning.
    I’m so pleased to hear you’ve had friends round. It’s good to be socialising again isn’t it.
    Now behave yourself Miss Bess or there’ll be no cat treats for you xxx

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    1. Thank you Lynn! The garden's so overgrown at the moment that I'm having problems reaching the end of the garden path :-) xxx

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  13. I'm happy to hear about you having a lovely time. I'm looking forward to reading about your trip. In the meantime, I'm really glad I can enjoy this lovely post. The outfits you wore prior to your trip are all wonderfully stylish. I love how colourful they are. I'm all for colour therapy.

    The first dress with its gorgeous red and blue tartan print is so pretty. I love the straw belt and the green squirrel brooch. I'm sure Kezzie will appreciate this brooch when she sees it. The green necklace and bracelet are a lovely pairing as well- and I love you added two more bracelets. You're so good with accessorizing. I've gotten a bit lazy with accessories, a shame for someone who actually makes them...but your outfits always inspire me. I need to dig through my jewellery stash.

    Your garden looks lovely as well. Perfect place to take photos of your colourful outfits.

    I love your outfit with the maxi skirt and green lace knit blouse. Great necklace btw. The blue dress you matched with a red cardi is lovely as well. The red outfit is stunning too. Your red dress with green touches matches with that green cardigan so well.

    What an adorable photo of Bess!

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    1. Thank you Ivana! You're right, Kezzie would definitely appreciate that squirrel brooch :-)
      The garden's a bit overgrown at the moment, but perfect as a backdrop for outfit photos! xxx

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  14. WOWW,I'm in love with every outfit!
    Madras checks in blue and red are so fabulous and your dress has all these delightful details (trimmed pockets, lapels, buttons!) that I adore. Loving the green accessories too, love that you added a different colour!.
    Your 'delicious maxi skirt' is so gorgeous, fabulous colours and print and fabulous orange sandals and green top!, loving everything once more!
    And your teal dress is probably a favourite of mine, its diamonds pattern is amazing!. Love the orange cardi and shoes too, such a beautiful colour combo!
    Your Wednesday's dress is a classic in Fabulousness!, lovely colours and lovely green cardi, delightfully matchy!
    Looking forward to read about your holidays and about Bess' adventures exploring those high shelves (she's so cute!)
    besos

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    1. Thank you so much for your lovely comment, Monica. I'd quite forgotten about that teal dress, though. As I bought it in the Autumn, I only wore it once with a long-sleeved top layered under it and then put it away. A clear case of out of sight, out of mind :-) xxx

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  15. I'm so glad you guys had a great time! All these outfits are beautiful!
    xoxo
    Lovely
    www.mynameislovely.com

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  16. Your garden is looking great! We've got a bit of a storm brewing at the moment.

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    1. Thank you Nikki! We've had our fair share of storms as well ... not the best Summer so far! xxx

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  17. Marvelous outfits, my dear friend. The plaid dress that kicks off this wonderful entry speaks to me in particular. It is 100% something I'd leap at wearing, too.

    It's awesome that darling Bess was delighted to see you return again. She is just the sweetest thing on four paws!

    Autumn Zenith 🎃 Witchcrafted Life

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    1. Thank you Autumn, and yes, I can totally see you wearing that plaid dress! xxx

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