Tuesday 26 October 2021

Autumn's languid sun and rain

After Friday's and Saturday's outdoor pursuits, we were ready for a day spent at home on Sunday the 10th of October. The weather forecast being inconclusive as to whether there'd be rain or shine, we made no other plans than indulging in some pottering (me) and lazing around (Jos and Bess).

In fact, I was quite productive in spite of the siren call of the sofa! Not only did I crack on with the seemingly never-ending wardrobe changeover, swapping my Summer skirts for Autumnal ones, I did some minor repairs as well, and even engaged in that seldom seen activity at Dove Cottage, giving some wrinkled items of clothing a once-over with the iron!



Meanwhile, after another foggy start, we were treated to some sunny spells, which we made the most of by taking outfit photos.

It was love a first glance for this dress, which I spotted at Think Twice in October 2019 when, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the shop assistant put in on the rails. I made a beeline for it and, without even looking at its size, hurried to the fitting rooms to try it on. Two years on, and I'm still in love with its funky black and white pattern and rows of orange and green hexagons  Doesn't my recently charity shopped necklace match it brilliantly?



Other accessories included my snake print belt (cheeky retail buy) and my moose brooch. The latter was a charity shop find, as were the green cardigan and my Mephisto ankle boots, which turned out to be the epitome of comfort, even if I only wore them briefly that day.



'Tis the season of the spider and the garden is draped with their cleverly disguised webs. 

You have to admire the tenacity of some of these eight-legged creatures, having to rebuild their exquisitely executed death traps again and again as I inadvertently cause damage by walking into them. But then again, they're often not the brightest sparks in the box suspending them across the garden path in the first place!



The indestructible Nasturtiums aside, you've got to admire the tenacity of some of our other plants as well, as against all odds they keep on producing bloom after bloom. I'm the first to admit they've been somewhat neglected lately. In the wake of our September holiday, both the Mimulus and the Snapdragons (top and bottom left respectively) were found to be barely alive upon our return, but seem to have benefited from a drastic haircut. Even last year's Toad Lily was kind enough to regale us with the odd speckled flower!



The Cotoneaster bush is draped with candyfloss cobwebs which sparkle with dew drops on misty mornings. The red berries are a treat for visiting blackbirds, which unfortunately have become a rare sight in the last couple of  years. Apparently, their numbers have been decimated by a deadly virus ...

No social distancing, mask mandates or vaccines for the likes of them!




Monday was the start of another run of the mill working week, busy office days alternating with quiet ones which I thankfully made use of to catch up with things.

For some reason, my pre-Covid get-up-and-go is still missing in action and I've got a niggling feeling that it might have gotten irrevocably lost. I'm so glad of my 4-day working weeks, which I'll be able to stretch until the end of the year at the very least, but sometimes even getting through those 4 days can be a bit of a struggle.

The seemingly never-ending string of grey and rainy days, with the odd sunny spell thrown in for good measure, haven't been exactly helpful either, even if the 14 to 16°C indicated by the mercury wasn't all too bad for this time of year.



Thankful for the ray of sunshine making its way through our garage's skylight, we made use of its white painted brick wall for taking outfit photos one day after work. Soon it'll be too dark and it'll be quits to after-work photo sessions until Spring.

My burgundy Merry Finn dress came out to play! Featuring tiny pink squares and a pink and off-white floral border at the collar, hem and breast pocket, it is fully lined and I always forget it has side pockets as well.

I used oodles of turquoise for my cardigan and accessories, which included the cutest of squirrel brooches.



Talking of cuteness, if dressing up is one of the bright spots of my days, coming home to the cutest of furry creatures definitely is another. She's been living with us for almost eight months now and it never ceases to amaze us how she's grown from a scared scrap of a thing into this confident, playful and affectionate feline. She's got us wrapped around her cuddly little paws, that's for certain!



Just like every cloud has got its silver lining, every working week is followed by a gold-framed weekend, which in my case already starts on Friday. We had lots of lovely things to look forward to in this particular one, too much, in fact, to be covered in this post.

Let's begin at the beginning! Friday the 15th of October started granite-skied and rainy, with a distinct lack of sunshine until mid-afternoon. 



Its moderate 15°C allowed me to wear another one of my short-sleeved knit dresses, this one in a gorgeous bottle green sprinkled with hundreds-and-thousands in a multitude of colours.

I provided my own sunshine by layering my recently charity shopped yellow Breton top underneath, its colour matched by my opaques. I'd quite forgotten the existence of this caramel coloured suede belt which had been hiding at the bottom of a box. The green and caramel beaded necklace was another charity shop find, while my faceted chocolate brown ring was an old retail buy. The brooch with its green-turbaned lady was picked up from our beloved indoor flea market.



First wearing outside the house for my green Mephisto boots, which felt like I was walking on air!

The teal new wool vintage coat is one of my favourites, as are my caramel hued scarf and beret. All items have been featured here many times before.

One of October's delights is the yearly Day of the Charity Shops here in Belgium. Basically, this means the shops are selling all their hoarded vintage stuff, or indeed anything with a bit of a retro look, usually at seriously inflated prices. Nevertheless, there are still bargains to be had, so it's always worth having a look.




This year, in order to spread the inevitable crowds, it was a three-day event, running from Thursday to Saturday, so we bit the bullet and went for a rummage on Friday.

The rail of vintage clothing was rather meagre, but I still managed to find a couple of treasures. 

The green and blue checked dress - bottom left and right - is a polyester knit, and might make a layered-up appearance before it goes into hibernation until next Spring. The sage green rose patterned one with its long pointy collar is from a retro label and with its lightweight fabric is expected to make its debut next Summer.



I fell hard for the funky pattern of this green, orange and white Crimplene dress and the cream based skirt with its navy, red and orange leaf-like pattern, both of which are label-less and probably some clever girl's handiwork back in the day.

I gasped when I laid eyes on this red Betty Barclay maxi dress with its blue, yellow and off-white flower pattern. How fabulous are those wide cuffs closing with a row of four self-fabric buttons?



The blue faux leather studded clothes hanger came home with me too. I've already got its yellow, red and green sisters, and although they are not being used in my wardrobe, they are just perfect for displaying and photographing my latest finds on Angelica's days off!

That's it for now. More weekend adventures will follow in my next post.



We're in a bit of a pickle here in Belgium at the moment as we are supposedly heading towards a 4th wave of infections. It's hard not to be down in the dumps about it all, but then I'm thinking of this sign displayed in Talbot House's entrance hall, a replica of which is now on display here at Dove Cottage.

If those doomed WWI soldiers could find a ray of optimism, then I'll damn well find one too!


* Post title taken from Christina Rossetti's poem My October Garden:

In my Autumn garden I was fain
To mourn among my scattered roses;
Alas for that last rosebud which uncloses
To Autumn's languid sun and rain
When all the world is on the wane!



34 comments:

  1. you are so very right with your last sentence - even if another lockdown will happen - you have dove cottage instead of a muddy trench and you have lovely jos & sweet bess :-D
    lots of pretty dresses here! the BB one is extremely chic!
    hugsies! xxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Beate! I just look at that sign whenever I feel at my lowest. Doesn't always do the trick though ... xxx

      Delete
  2. I love that first dress on you, you're right that the neckalce matches it so well. I really like the mustard with the green floral dress too, such good layering!

    sorry to hear that cases are climbing for you. We are a little worried here as Queensland will open the borders to the rest of the country in December. We have covid 0 and have had for quite some time. Other states have 1,000+ infections a day and so we don't know what will happen when people are free to travel from those states to ours, as we will be dropping the quarantine requirements then too. Hopefully our kids will be able to get the vaccine at some point so I can worry less! It's not approved for anyone under 12 here yet.

    Hope that your week is going well :)

    Away From The Blue

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Mica! It is all rather worrying, isn't it? Here, the vaccine isn't approved for under 12s yet either ... xxx

      Delete
  3. Yes, I suppose it could be worse. a bit of optimistic news today that the vaccines appear effective in children. Getting the little ones jabbed will do a lot to slow the spread.
    You found some beautiful dresses. The brown dress worn with blue is lovely.
    Take care

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's definitely a bit of optimistic news. I do hope they'll approve the vaccine for 6-12 year olds here soon, as they seem to be the ones spreading the virus right now. xxx

      Delete
  4. Oh this red blue Betty Barclay Maxidress is gorgeous.💕
    Way out to pessimists! 😂 I agree Ann. I am looking forward you wear this new find summer dress in rose green with this long collar.
    Have a nice wednesday, with a huge hug Tina

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Tina! I couldn't believe my eyes when I spotted that Betty Barclay dress, and it turned out to be my size as well! xxx

      Delete
  5. My brother has just released a solo album based on Christina Rosetti's poem 'Goblin Market'! I have a copy but haven't listened to it yet...

    What lovely outfits! I loved them all; the hexagon dress was gorgeous and what a superb match the necklace was; loved the brown and turquoise ensemble but my favourite was the one with the yellow top underneath and the matching tights - just fab. The teal coat and the beret looked brilliant. Those green boots are very much coveted by me and I'm pleased to hear how comfortable they are.

    And didn't you do well in the chazzas? Lovely finds and the BB dress looks very special.

    I fully expect we'll be back to wearing masks in shops soon but I'm resigned to it so it won't be too daunting when it happens - just inconvenient as I've lost quite a few! Keep your chin up and show pessimists the WAY OUT.
    xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh, what a coincidence! I'm a hopeless romantic and just love Christina Rossetti's poems. I can't believe you haven't listened to your brother's album yet, though! xxx P.S. We're back to wearing masks in shops here now ...

      Delete
  6. If you find your get up and go, please let me know because mine may have joined it! I think part of it is seasonal adjustment. As you say, we all should have reason to be optimistic - our numbers appear to be dropping again in the UK, so fingers crossed your fourth wave won’t last too long. Great to see the flowers are still blooming. I didn’t know about the blackbirds…how sad. I love hearing them sing. I really like the way you have styled your Breton top with that ditsy print dress and the teal coat, beret combination is very chic! I’m not surprised Bess has you wrapped around her paw - those eyes are like huge emerald orbs - even by feline standards! xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm sure part of it is seasonal adjustment - it's something I struggled with before - but I think the Covid situation has a lot to answer for too. I'm finding it more and more difficult to cope with every surge in infections. xxx

      Delete
  7. You hardly iron? What a joy. I do that once every 2 weeks and I hate it. Bess is so gorgeous, those huge eyes! You can't resist those. Here it is the save with the infections, it's rising and rising. Next week we get new rules. Pffff. What a great dresses you found abs that skirt too. What a beautiful colours. I love your wool coat.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't iron if I can avoid it! Have you heard about a product called Tada? It's a spray that makes wrinkles disappears, so I only get the iron out for things with major wrinkles! I read about your new rules, we have them too :-( xxx

      Delete
  8. Yay to optimism! Maybe I shopuld alter our sign to say pessimists instead of hippies to use the other door - we could ignore them if they come a-knocking!
    Fabulous outfits, I love those Mephisto boots and the beads are perfect with the hexagonal green dress. Brown and turquoise is one of my favourite combos and the blue coat is very luxurious and posh looking. That red dress is going to look so good on.
    Bess is absolutely gorgeous, its a credit to both of you in the way she's flourished and become so confident and cheeky! You're cat whisperers! xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As I'm often finding myself having my glass half empty, this sign is a timely reminder to look at things from the bright side :-) We took our time with Bess, and are so happy that our patience has paid off. She's our little ray of sunshine! xxx

      Delete
  9. Oh, I hope you can avoid a fourth wave! I don't think we've made it out of the third, it's one long wave here on Plaguey Island.

    That's one of the good things about crimplene/diolen, isn't it? It doesn't crease. Indestructible and never needs ironing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sadly, I think we are officially having a fourth wave. It's just neverending, isn't it? xxx

      Delete
  10. We are just coming out of our fourth wave, and cases are finally coming down - this wave was from all the kids going back to school. It didn't seem as bad as previous waves, and has been mostly partial or non-vaccinated people getting sick, and some elderly. We are going to be issuing booster shots starting in the new year - I can see this being an annual thing!

    Loving all your outfits and accessories, and wow to the Barclay dress - I would have fought you for it! :)

    Aw, lovely Bess! I'm so glad she's warming up and showing you who's boss of the house. Bess the Boss!

    My four days a week are so exhausting! My workload itself has gone up substantially so that my hours are actually filled every day (I admit to doing a fair bit of blog work previously). I probably won't be back to full time until the new year too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Here it's the school kids who are the "motor" at the moment. Hopefully cases will be coming down soon. I don't think anyone wants a repeat of last years' non-Christmas. No sign of booster shots for my age group, though. Even Jos, who is eligible, is still waiting for his invite. xxx

      Delete
  11. Still keeping optimism here!. Vaccination is almost done and this means we'll be (relatively) safer whatever the waves coming. Good news.
    Love the print of your first dress, the lovely matchy accessories (oh, the brooch, the necklace!) and the green cardi.
    You rock the burgundy dress with turquoise accents, such an amazing colour combo! and totally agree this is the cutest of squirrell brooches!
    Love your bottle green dress with the tan belt and yellow striped top (and matchy tights!, that's delightfully matchy!), such a fantastic layering!. The teal coat looks fab, and so glad that the boots were comfy!, this is the real fabulousness!
    Totally admire your last purchases!, particularly love the leaves printed skirt and the last floral dress (so cute details and ReD!)
    Sending cuddles to Bess!
    besos

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Monica! At least being vaccinated offers some protection, even if it isn't foolproof! xxx

      Delete
  12. Hello Ann, haven't you got a fab collection of brooches. I always enjoy seeing them. The turquoise squirrel is so cute, as is your adorable real life moggy. Gosh, things must have been serious to get the old iron out, or 'work of beezlebub' as I like to call it!

    We have a spider that we have named Coco that keeps on building webs across the path. Every morning I forget and walk right into it face first!!! One morning Coco came to join me on my shoulder :0

    Loving your green dress, Breton top and Mephisto boots. Cups of tea and snuggly jumpers are getting me out of bed at the moment. Why does my bed suddenly become so comfy in the autumn?! Hope you have a lovely weekend. Lulu x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Lulu! I lost track while counting, but I must have 500+ brooches by now. My collection has slowed down a bit during Covid, as there were no flea markets, which are my main hunting ground for them. The 'work of beezlebub' is a great name for the old iron, and I must think of a name for that pesky spider! xxx

      Delete
  13. Those elegant gossamer cobwebs are enchantingly gorgeous. I just love how nature takes it upon herself to decorate for Halloween.

    Happiest wishes for a cozy, fun-filled and very happy last weekend of October, my dear friend.

    Autumn Zenith 🎃 Witchcrafted Life

    PS: Your deer brooch is super lovely! It instantly makes me think of the bevy of deer friends that merrily traipse across our property throughout the year (sometimes in groups of eight or more).

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Autumn! My deer brooches are among my favourites! How lovely to have deer traipsing across your property! xxx

      Delete
  14. Good lord that teal coat is just gorgeous what a find! I do hope you miss a 4th wave our numbers are terrifying at the moment but hardly surprising the way most are behaving.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Gisela, that teal coat is one of my all-time favourites. xxx

      Delete
  15. Wonderful outfits, I love how you wear colour. That is an adorable photo of Bess.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oooh, I love that dress with the long collar on it! So pretty.
    Your sprinkles dress is gorgeous with the striped yellow top underneath- I would GRAB that if I saw it in a charity shop! The teal coat looks really nice and the Mephisto boots sound really comfortable. I ended up buying a new pair of boots in Northumberland. Definitely didn't need them but bought them anyway!
    Eeek, will we ever get away from Covid? Just try to do our best if we can.x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Kezzie! I'd been looking for a yellow Breton top for ages. I've been wondering the same about Covid ... xxx

      Delete
  17. Striped shirts are my favourite. :-) Yours is a perfect match to the green dress.

    xxx Regula

    ReplyDelete