Sunday 17 October 2021

Autumn's advancing

We've made it halfway through October by now, and Autumn is in full swing. As capricious as April with its eponymous showers, the former's fresh Spring greens replaced by a palette of yellows, russets and browns.

Just like her Spring sister, October can be glorious, but we're on a slippery slope when she deals us a hand of dark rainy days.



True to form, my blog is lagging behind, so I'm continuing where I left off at the end of my last post, on Friday the 1st of October.

While I did tell you all about that day's Oxfam haul - well, not quite all of it, but we will get to that later - I was yet to show you what I was wearing that day, so why don't we start with that?

Although it was a bit of a dismal day, with on and off rain, the temperature reached highs of 17°C, which was mild enough for this lightweight midi dress in a yummy shade of aubergine.




With its multi-hued Paisley-esque pattern, it was a lucky find in the January sales back in 2019. I took the lead from the greens and pinks in its pattern for my accessories, which included a moss green belt and necklace and a pink carved celluloid brooch. My ring echoes the dress's main colour.

On top, I wore a purple trimmed cardigan in an impossible to photograph shade of olive green, which is much more vibrant in real life. The glare of the sun, when she eventually made an appearance, wasn't any help here, and additionally made my face look quite ghostly.




In my haste to finish my previous post, I forgot to photograph this lacquered wicker handbag, which joined my collection of basket-style bags after I found it winking at me from a shelf near the fitting rooms.

My reading pile also got a bit bigger after these three books followed me home. Not sure yet which one will be my next read if I ever finish the 592-page Elizabeth Gilbert, which has become quite a chore.




Flush with our many treasures, we drove home and had lunch, after which we had some errands to run. These included a visit to our edge-of-town branch of C&A, as Jos was in need of a couple of pairs of trousers.

Time to show you my outerwear, which consisted of an olive green cord jacket - again, looking paler that it actually is - and an aubergine embroidered crushed velvet scarf, picked up for € 0,50 at a flea market many years ago.



Trouser buying mission accomplished, we were wandering around the shop on our way to the till, when Jos spotted these ankle boots, which were exactly the thing I was looking for!



Back home again, the sky had turned a uniform shade of non-descript grey, against which the tower crane at the building site across the road stood out starkly. 

Its arm is acting like a giant weather vane and if the wind comes from the wrong direction, it towers over our garden, as well as several of our next door neighbours'. 

It has become a meeting point for a parliament of rooks of late, their raucous cawing competing vigorously with the weekday noise of the construction equipment!




Rain had been forecasted from the afternoon onward on Saturday the 2nd of October, so we made the most of the dry, clear and at times sunny morning to make outfit photos before the heavens opened.

I felt the need to wear Autumnal, yet cheerful, colours, but before I'm taking you through the details of my outfit, I'm sure you'll have noticed I was wearing my spanking new footwear!



My dress is a short-sleeved one, although you have to take my word for it. For some reason, I never thought to remove my thin long-line chartreuse cardigan.  In a polyester knit, the dress was more than adequate to deal with the day's 17°C on its own.

I piled on citrussy orange accessories: a long necklace, a belt belonging to a different dress and a flower corsage pinned to my cardigan. A cream vintage flower brooch adorned the dress itself.




My efforts to compete with the Autumnal exuberance of our garden were clearly in vain! 

The long-suffering Cotoneaster - one of the garden's inherited inhabitants - is displaying its yearly fireworks of fiery red berries, their colour echoed by the first of the changing Virginia creeper leaves.

Vibrant pink is represented by the Hydrangeas in their final blush and the magenta flower heads of Sedum spectabile.

And then there are the pops of orange from the seemingly invincible Nasturtiums!






With the weather in non-stop rain mode from late afternoon on Saturday until mid-afternoon on Sunday, it was the perfect opportunity to continue with the daunting task of my seasonal wardrobe changeover.

I made a start with my main wardrobe, folding away my Spring and Summer frocks and putting them to sleep inside the vacuum bags recently vacated by my Autumn and Winter ones. I've still got the Real Winter Weather stuff to do - thank you Monica for this moniker - but that'll be for a later date. And then there are the skirts, shoes and coats to tackle as well ... 




I'm usually taking this biannual opportunity to weed out the things I'm no longer enamoured with, and I filled a bag of donations and another one for my flea market stock, which made me feel rather proud of myself. I even repaired the separated zipper of the dress whose pattern you can see on the bottom right.



This is what I was wearing on Sunday. After it had finally stopped raining, we just managed to take photos before the light started to fade.

My recently charity shopped floral maxi skirt was joined by a vintage blouse bought from a long-gone shop. I fell hard for its rosewood colour, naive flower print, orange buttons and large wing collar, to which I pinned a vintage pearly posy of flowers brooch.



Further finishing touches were a bottle green mock-croc belt, an apple green beaded necklace and a chunky purple ring.

The week ahead of us would be a mostly gloomy one, during which we didn't even manage to take outfit photos once. You didn't miss much, as I did rewear versions of Friday's and Saturday's outfit. I also gave the dress with the newly repaired zipper a go. Sadly, when I unzipped it at night, the zipper separated again. It's now currently awaiting its faith. Perhaps I'll have a go at replacing it myself ...  



Tuesday the 4th of October was World Animal Day, so I thought it was only fitting to include another Bess update. She is becoming ever more confident, continues being inquisitive and is, of course, utterly spoiled.

Her latest tricks include waking us up in the middle of the night by continuously scratching the duvet. Ignoring her doesn't help, so that there's nothing for it but to ban her from the bedroom. She also likes rearranging the rugs and is totally obsessed with the kitchen faucet!



Weather permitting, I've been indulging in what Sheila aptly calls Mental Health Shopping during my lunch breaks. 

Always on the lookout for interesting skirts, I couldn't resist buying the fudge coloured button through cord one from a high street shop, while a rummage at Think Twice yielded the black, daisy patterned one. You'll get to see me wearing the cord skirt in my next post, and I'm happy to report it'll definitely be a keeper!



Well, that's it for now. 

As we were blessed with a couple of gorgeously sunny Autumn days in the ensuing weekend, I'll be taking you on a couple of walks in my next post. Will you join me?






34 comments:

  1. Hey Ann,
    How gorgeous that last skirt is! Great additions to your book pile as well, do you recycle them after reading?

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    1. Thank you so much for your comment! In reply to your question, I do only keep the books which are classics and/or get five-star rating from me. The other are redonated for someone else to enjoy! xxx

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  2. I'm distracred by Bess, look at that cheeky little face! Isn'r she naughty ragging your duvet like that? Stephen still does that 16 years later - we never had the heart to shut him out of the bedroom!
    Dobe Cottage's garden is looking beautifully autumnal and so are you.That aubergine dress is indeed yummy, loving it on you! I bet that button-thru' skirt is fabulous on and I love the new boots!
    Night Watch by Sarah Walters is a cracking read.xxx

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    1. It's hard not to get distracted by Bess, isn't it? I'm glad to say that she seems to have given up on ragging the duvet - for now. I didn't hold out too much hope when you mentioned Stephen still does if after 16 years! xxx

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  3. I love both the dresses in the first two outfits - that purple one is really nice on you! And the second one perfect autumn colours :) I think you really scored with the cord skirt - looking forward to seeing how you wear it!

    Hope you had a good weekend :) We made the most of the nice sunny days after a rainy week, with a local market event and a morning at the park.

    Away From The Blue

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    1. Thank you Mica! It was love at first sight for the cord skirt :-) After a couple of sunny weekends, our most recent one was a total washout! xxx

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  4. I love the aubergine dress, it goes perfectly with the green accessories. Gorgeous brown boots, perfect for autumn
    And for whenever come to that!

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    1. Thank you Carole! In the meantime, I also indulged in a pair of tall boots in a similar vein ... xxx

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  5. I'm going slowly through the change over this year, but I congratulate you on doing yours. I need to find my boots!
    Purple and green are so good together. You always think of the best colour combinations and this post did not disappoint.
    Glad to see Bess has settled in. You might figure out a way to have her do the washing up as she's managed the faucet!
    I look forward to taking a walk in your next post.

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    1. Thank you, Goody! I haven't finished the changeover by a long way, though. I too prefer doing it bit by bit this year. But I did unearth all my boots the other day ... xxx

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  6. Oh yes I enjoy going for a walk with you and I am looking forward. 😊
    These skirts you found are gorgeous. And this boots are a great find too. You look amazing in aubergine with green. And Bess is such a cutie. 💕
    with a very huge hug Tina

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    1. Thank you Tina! That aubergine dress was such a lucky find. I don't often buy things new, but this one was definitely worth it! xxx

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  7. I love these 'Autumnal, yet cheerful, colours' and the way you styled them!.
    The aubergine paisley-esque (perfect word!) dress is particularly fabulous and love the Green accessorizing, the belt and cord jacket! and you even had a matchy scarf!.
    These boots are so lovely!, and they complement beautifully the orange and brown print and the chartreuse cardi!. You rock accessorizing!
    Thanks for the link!. The Real Winter Weather Stuff is something that deserves to have a name! ;DD
    Love the rosewood color blouse with the floral print skirt, so lovely colours!
    And Bess is so cute, look at her playing in the kitchen(the movement and sound of the running water are fascinating for sure!)
    besos

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    1. Thank you Monica, and you're welcome! Some years, the Real Winter Stuff and the Heatwave Stuff doesn't even make it into my wardrobe, so no point getting it all out now :-) xxx

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  8. I've changed from cotton to wool as the temperatures are falling. Gladly I have some colourful winter sweaters, not as colourful as your dresses but notheless ...

    No walk without a jacket these days although the sun has shone quite often. Looking at the weather forecast I can see snow in the mear future. Am I ready for it?

    xxx Regula

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    1. Thank you Regula! I have certainly needed my jackets these last couple of weeks! xxx

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  9. Feel free to quit on that Elizabeth Gilbert book.. it does not get better.
    The first purple dress.. oh the color is just gorgeous. And that wicker bag is such a lovely find.

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    1. You were so right about the book, Hena! Still I persevered and finished it. It wasn't going anywhere, was it, and I thought the last 200 pages were quite superfluous ... Oh well! xxx

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  10. i always wondered why i do not find any decent wicker bag in the 2.hand shops..... but finally i know: they are all bought by you!
    ts!
    i started changing the wardrobe in september by packing away every fresh washed summerdress/skirt. came october i pulled out the thick woolen sweaters for "house&garden" and the warm working trousers.... and now i pull out the wintery skirts one after another. so i save me from an exhausting day doing it all in one :-D
    xxxx

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    1. I know! I started earlier than usual, initially doing the same as you, packing away freshly washed stuff. I still haven't finished completely though. The real Winter stuff will come out as needed. Far too exhausting doing it all in one, indeed! xxx

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  11. I love your (dark purple?) paisley print maxi dress. You have accessorized it so well. I always like the belts and cardigans you pair with your fabulous flocks. The brown and orange dress is so pretty. I also like the skirt and blouse combo. Great outfits all of them.
    Wonderful photos of Bess. Happy Animal Day to her and all the best. Thank you for sharing an update on her. She's such an adorable cat!

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    1. Thank you so much Ivana! I do hope you are well, as I haven't seen you around. I might send you an email later! xxx

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  12. What brilliant colour combinations in your first two outfits! Iloved the skirt and blouse combo, too, and the new boots are fab. Loved the wicker handbag, of course you had to have it!

    'The Night Watch' is a really good read; it was televised here in the UK and stayed faithful to the original.

    I did my changeover today - thank goodness it's over...

    Bess is just too cute playing with the water from the tap!
    Hope your week is going well.
    xxx

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    1. Thank you Vronni! As recommended by both you and Vix, The Night Watch will be my next read. I'm now reading something light and frivolous to recover from the Elisabeth Gilbert :-) xxx

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  13. I love that purple and green mix, Ann, and I might have cheered when I saw your new ankle boots - they are so cool! Your citrus colours make me happy.

    Good work on the start of the wardrobe change over. I also have Real Winter Clothes that only get worn at the very coldest depths of winter! I forgot to mention that on Monica's blog!

    Bess is so cute! Oh, that early morning wake-up call - we also banish Vizzini from the bedroom.

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    1. Thank you Sheila! I fell hard for those ankle boots, and might have bought a pair of tall boots in a similar vein the other day! Sometimes banishing them from our bedrooms is the only solution! xxx

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  14. The cord skirt and the ankle boots are fantastic finds. Love your olive green jacket and the embroidered scarf is beautiful!
    xoxo
    Lovely
    www.mynameislovely.com

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    1. Thank you Lovely! I still can't quite believe that embroidered scarf was only € 0,10! xxx

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  15. I do love your colour combinations. You mix colours so well!

    Ah, poor Bess, banned from the bedroom. Cats aren't very helpful for getting a good night's sleep. I have a scratch on my face today because I tried to ignore Pippin and she wasn't having any of it, but I can't shut them out.

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    1. Thank you so much, Mim! Oh poor you, though!
      Thankfully, Bess doesn't seem to take it into her stride when we banish her from the bedroom! xxx

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  16. Gleefully so! The more autumn time walks, the happier my soul becomes. When my health has permitted, I've leapt at taking every stroll through nature that I possibly can so far this fall - Annie always by my side and just as eager to savour these all too brief days of mild, utterly gorgeous fall weather.

    Big hugs & the very deepest of thanks for each of your wonderfully kind blog comments, dear Ann.

    Autumn Zenith 🎃 Witchcrafted Life

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    1. Thank you, and you're welcome Autumn! Aren't Autumn walks just the best! xxx

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  17. I meant to comment on your beautiful Spider web photo in the last post. So cleverly captured!
    The Cotoneaster looks brilliant in its display.
    I should do some sort of changeover too. I don't have an official one but I do tend to put my jumpers in the suitcase and get out summer dresses and vica versa. Probably should do it!
    I rather like the look of all three of those books. I'd definitely look out for those in the library.
    Your new boots are really smart!

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    1. Thank you Kezzie! Apart from the warmest Winter coats, I managed to complete the changeover ordeal :-) Oh, and I've just bought tall boots in a similar pattern! xxx

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