Friday 14 January 2022

Escaping the rain

It quite boggles my mind that we're almost half-way through January by now. Like it or not, I'm back to the same old working week routines and the benefits gained by the no-schedule pace of life in the in between days are slowly but surely wearing off. Secretly, I am glad that the silly season is over for another year, but I could definitely have done with an extra week of semi-hibernation.

My blog schedule, of course, is as topsy-turvy as it always is, as I've only just arrived at December's penultimate day. To make things even more complicated, these photos were taken a day later as the weather on Thursday, which had started out with a handful of sunny spells, soon deteriorated, reverting to the usual menu of granite grey skies and lashings of rain. By the time we made it to our garage, the dregs of the daylight would have made for poor photos, so I wore it all again the next day.



The fit and flare dress with its pleated skirt was yet another Think Twice find from way back. I fell for its purplish blue colour and sprinkling of pink flowers, but didn't care for its original buttons. Luckily, my stash of vintage buttons came up with these pink square ones which turned out to be a perfect match.

I added a fuchsia textured cardigan for warmth, although the mercury would climb to 15°C on the year's final days. Matching tights and a pair of greyish blue Western style boots completed my outfit.



Now, let's have a look at my accessories which are, of course, an integral part of my outfit.

The starring role was played by the bubblegum pink textured belt with its white metal and pink gemstone trim. It has the 1980s written all over it but I can't for the life of me remember whether it was a Think Twice or a charity shop find. It isn't the first time I paired it with this particular dress.

The beads of my necklace, which are wearing woolly jumpers, added a bit of extra colour to my dress's profusion of pink flowers. My wooden brooch with its painted landscape was picked up in a charity shop in Middelburg while on holiday in Zeeland in November 2019.





While Jos was out doing the year's final supermarket run on Thursday morning, I thought I'd made myself useful and continue with the gargantuan kitchenalia cleaning job I'd started on Tuesday.  

I'm not sure if Bess was meant to help, but it is more likely that she was just supervising her staff. Whatever the case, although she might look very awake here, she was fast asleep by the time Jos came back with the shopping.




The shallow shelves on the top left and bottom right are by Tomado, a Dutch kitchenware company. Dating from the 1950s, they are collector's items in their own right.  

Their contents are a jumble of heirlooms and collectibles as diverse as a Tala measuring cup and egg wedger, a set of 1930s canisters decorated with swallows, a range of Melitta coffee filter holders, a Devon Blue ware jug and teapot, a Lurpak toast rack and some metal chocolate moulds.

More chocolate moulds, in Bakelite this time, adorn the mantelpiece (top right), where they share space with a wooden flour sieve, butter pats, potato masher and bread board.

The 1970s St. Michael's serving tray, early 1900s scales, weights and enamel bread bin on the bottom left are displayed on top of a doll's wardrobe made for me by my Dad in the early 1960s. I was just in time to rescue it from the skip. 



Proceeding to the glass-fronted cupboard which holds my collection of late 1960s Boch crockery. Although we set out to collect the iconic Rambouillet design -  the leaf patterned ones on the left of the top shelf - issued in 1966 for the pottery's 125th anniversary, we gathered some of their other designs along the way. They are in regular use and we tend the alternate the different patterns.

The cupboard itself was a € 8 charity shop find!  The contraption which lives on top of it is a 1950s Goblin Teasmade and was a flea market find back in April 2017. The slightly battered tray advertising Wright's Biscuits Ginger Nuts and featuring their mascot, Mischief, was a flea market find as well, predating my blog with many years. Having my blog has proved to be a useful tool for dating our finds but my memory often draws a blank for things we found before March 2016.




After lunch, the lure of the charity shops once again proved to be too strong, so we grabbed our coats and went off. Again, we visited two shops, starting with the one in Mechelen. 

Here, the bookshelves came up trumps with no less than six books, although in hindsight I suspect I have already read one of them before.



While Jos was taking a coffee break at our second shop, the one in Duffel near the park, I browsed the rails of clothing, falling hard for this jumper with its rows of cheeky knitted owls. There's no label whatsoever, but the remains of a care label in a side seam indicates that it wasn't somebody's handiwork as I'd originally suspected. 

We're having a bit of a cold snap right now, so I've already worn it to work this week. Now that the worst of the hot flushes have subsided, I can wear jumpers again without having a sweat fest. 



Before joining Jos, I plucked this heart patterned cardigan from a rail of plain black ones - the clothing is colour coded in this shop - and did a double take when I saw its label. I guess nobody'd heard of Diane von Furstenberg here, as it wasn't even on the more expensive luxury label rail.



Back at home, we had one more task to tick off our list before calling it a day. For the last day or two, Bess's tree antics didn't confine themselves to merely dislodging the ornaments. No, she'd started chewing the fairy light and the faux fur branches with their dangerously prickly needles. She'd also managed to worm her way onto the lower branches of the tree. Therefore, there was nothing for it but to prematurely dismantle it. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. 



The sun had decided to grace us with her presence on Friday the 31st of December which, together with the forecasted 15°C, offered the perfect conditions for a walk.

Soon after our fruit & yoghurt breakfast, however, clouds had gathered once again, darkening the day as if with imminent rain. We dithered, and when we got a text from the shop we'd visited on Tuesday telling us the coffee machine we'd ordered was ready for collection, we decided to go and pick it up instead.

The sun came out again while we were having lunch, so without further hesitation, we donned our coats - in my case my old favourite cream, blue and fudge plaid one - and drove off.  



In spite of this only being in the next village to ours, we'd never been to the 15 hectares landscape park called Frijthout, which is only a stone's throw from the village's centre.

The word "park" is a bit of a misnomer here, as it's not really a park in the exact sense of the word. The emphasis clearly is on the landscape part of its name. The open space, where villagers used to be allowed to harvest logs, has been bought by the council and nature preservation as recent as 2007 and has been developed into a semi nature reserve.




The Koude Beek (transl. Cold Brook) runs through the area and when I saw a man walking his dog cross the brook by way of this rather primitive bridge, I was adamant to follow his example.

At that exact moment the sun, tired of her game of tag with the clouds, decided to honour the occasion by spotlighting my clumsy attempts at keeping my balance.




The weather gods kept taunting us and after a couple of attempts at clearing up the sun gave up altogether, transforming the landscape into a bleak midwinter one.

We wandered at will, getting the feel of the area, and vowing to return to see the changes forged by the seasons.



The dying sunshine threw eerie shadows making the pollarded willows look like unearthly creatures and the leafless trees mighty giants reaching for the sky.

We'll have to return too to walk across the boardwalk which bridges the marshland, but it was getting later and darkness would soon descend on the final day of the year.




We spent New Year's Eve just like any other Saturday night and didn't even toast the new year as we'd forgotten to buy bubbles. We just stayed up until the midnight fireworks had run their course, making sure that Bess didn't take fright. In the end, she didn't even prick up her ears, taking it all in her stride.

I'll be back with our New Year's Day shenanigans in a couple of days. Until then, do stay safe my friends and don't let the virus catch you unawares!


44 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh! All those lovely kitchen vintage bits and pieces. Totally love!

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  2. i´m glad you did not fall into the beek! :-D
    love you photos of the wintery landscape and the close ups of hazel and the remains of a wild flower....
    oh bess - chewing on electric appliances sounds not very wise. thankfully she was´t scared by the fireworks!
    hugsies! xxxx

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    1. Thanks Beate, I'm glad I didn't fall in either :-) Yes, I know, Bess is a little rascal at times! xxx

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  3. So many good things here: lovely Bess! She sounds like a little mischief-maker, climbing right up into the tree! We sprayed perfume on the lower branches this year to discourage Vizzini from chewing on the lights, and it worked quite well, although our house reeked for a day or two.

    Love your pink and blue outfit - such lovely shades - and that gorgeous coat you wore on your outing.

    I enjoy glimpses of your collections - I am well familiar with that line of dishes! I've resisted collecting any kitchen items that aren't my Indiana Glass Company stuff, fortunately.

    Wow, love your DVF cardigan! I saw a black and white version of that recently for over $80 second-hand!

    Lovely pictures of the preserve, Ann! you have such a good eye for visual poetry.

    Take care and have a wonderful weekend!

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    1. Thanks Sheila! Wow, it seems I did an even greater deal than I thought on that DVF cardigan! I love your "visual poetry" comment very much indeed. That's exactly what I'm trying to do with my photos! xxx

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  4. Hi Ann, What a fabulous kitchenalia collection. I recognise one or two of your items from my own bits and pieces. Love the bakelite. Gareth got to know the owner of the UK Bakelite Museum through a design job years ago. He was a fascinating man and the collection was housed in a lovely old watermill in Somerset. We stayed in one of his vintage caravans one night en route to Exmoor....I must try and track him down. The DVF jumper was quite a find - I used to be desperate to own one of her wrap dresses. I'm happy Bess wasn't troubled too much by the fireworks (Lotte is the same) and hope she's forgiven you for taking down her tree. I too love the naked trees at this time of year. Some of them really do look as though they might come to life when we humans are out of sight. xxx

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    1. Thank you Claire! I do love our kitchenalia collection, its cleaning not so much :-)
      We've got some lovely Bakelite pieces, but unfortunately we've run out of space to properly collect it. I've heard of the museum, I wonder if it's still open. We used to holiday in Somerset! xxx

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  5. How I'd love to sit in your kitchen and take my time examining all the amazing things you've got on dispaly in there, it's like a museum!
    How naughty is Bess, gnawing through the fairy lights!!!
    Loved your chilly winter's walk and your finds, the label on that DVF cardi is gorgeous - as is the cardi itself!
    A splendidly bright outfit and a marvellous contrast to the wintery landscape! xxx

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    1. Perhaps one day, although I'm sure just one day won't be enough to properly examine all our treasures. Jos's children do call Dove Cottage the little museum, and we've even got a little sign saying so :-) xxx

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  6. Your kitchen looks lovely. Bess looks so beautiful on that photograph with her big green eyes, we'll just have to forgive her for being a bad kitty and chewing on Christmas trees.

    That first dress with semi-abstract floral print is beautiful. I love its purplish blue tones with touches of pink and what a great idea to wear a pink belt with it. So cool you replaced the buttons on this one yourself. It pays off to have a mstash of vintage buttons:). I also like the fuchsia cardi you wore with this dress. Lovely tights and boots as well. The tartan coat is gorgeous.

    P.S. Nothing beats a nice walk. Great hiking photos.

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    1. Thank you Ivana! I do often replace a garment's buttons if I do not like them. It's such an easy fix which can transform a garment completely! xxx

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  7. Your kitchen is such a delightful trip down memory lane. What a lovely scenery. My goodness you are one lucky girl to find a DvF cardigan!! And how much did you pay for it, sorry I'm Dutch.... love that gorgeous pink belt. Have a great weekend! We've been to the national park today. So beautiful with all the fog.

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    1. Thank you Nancy! In the meantime, you already know I only paid € 6,50 for the DVF cardigan and that I might have a tiny bit of Dutch blood in my veins :-) xxx

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  8. Your kitchen is endlessly fascinating.
    What a lucky find of the DVF cardigan.
    Enjoyed going along for a walk as always.

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  9. I enjoy your wonderful pictures again. So mystic winter pics. Ann you played with the fire… ähm water. 😊
    Bess is a cute little …hm Strolch. Better you store the three for next christmas.
    You have such a luck, Diane von Fürstenberg Cardigan. ❤️
    have a great sunday, with a very huge hug Tina

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    1. I know, wasn't I daring? I do hope Bess will be better behaved by next Christmas, although somehow I doubt it :-) xxx

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  10. that fit and flare dress is very flattering on you. The photos you took are my exact decor color scheme. Love them!

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  11. There's a cheeky cat somewhere in Belgium wondering where her personal indoor play tree has got to! Fab 80s bubblegum pink belt. The 1950s Dutch shelves are perfect for your fascinating kitchenalia collection. Aren't those knitted owls amazing! I see you like to live dangerously Ann, balancing across the plank, with rushing ravine of water bellow ;) The park and marshlands look very atmospheric. Take care xXx

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    1. Oh, that rushing ravine was the stuff of nightmares, especially as I suffer from vertigo :-)
      Bess hasn't forgiven us for taking away the tree, she's been destroying some vintage magazines instead! xxx

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  12. What a good positive start you’ve made to the new year with your blog post Ann. Naughty Bess with the Christmas tree lights though. I love all your kitchenalia and would love to go spend time examing it all. The tea maker is amazing xxx

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    1. Thank you Lynn, you and Vix are both welcome to peruse our kitchenalia. You can bring the no-longer-wandering welder too, of course :-) xxx

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  13. Love how you style that first outfit.. such lovely accessories.
    You kitchen is a wonderous collection of vintage items I remember seeing in my own mother's kitchen as a child.
    Some great new thrifty finds.. love that heart cardigan.. such a great find.

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  14. That is a fabulous dress and I loved all the accessories. Your kitchenware collection is wonderful. I sometimes see that pottery in charity shops but had no idea it was Boch. I adore your 1930s canisters and the Teasmaid. I had one for a while when first met OH but it became too much of a faff and there was not enough time in the mornings. It had been my mum's leaving present when she retired from her job... It's also lovely that you use your kitchen ware items.

    The jumper and DVF cardigan were great finds! Of the 6 books you found I've read the Ann Tyler and the Charlotte Mendelson ones. Charlotte Mendelson also wrote a brilliant book called 'Daughter's of Jerusalem' - highly recommended.

    I'm so pleased you've found a new place to walk and explore. I look forward to seeing the nature reserve throughout the seasons. Yes, be careful on the plank footbridges; they can get very slippery!

    Have a great week,
    xxx

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    1. Thank you Vronni! I am amazed you sometimes see that Boch pottery in charity shops. I've never come across any on our UK travels. It's very collectible here! xxx

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  15. What can you do to feel better? Always have a cat nearby. :-) Even January with grey skys is bearable with a cat.

    All the best!

    Regula

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  16. Looking lovely in that purple dress with the pink floral motives, and so great idea to sew those cute buttons. Loving the accessories too. So beautiful beads and colours!
    Your kitchenalia always amazes me, lots of interesting items. My favourite ones are the Melitta coffee filter holders, even if I always use the classic italian coffee maker.
    Loving your last purchases, both the red jumper and the cute DVF cardi are fabulous pieces, so great booty!
    Lovely photos in the atmospheric landscape, capturing the changing light. And so brave to cross that (feeble looking) bridge! wow!. I'd take a detour! ;DD
    Glad that you retired the tree quickly before the cute Bess could hurt herself (or cause some havoc!). Dangling wires are so appealing! ;D
    besos

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    1. Thank you Monica! Those ceramic Melitta coffee filter holders are quite collectible! As for the feeble looking bridge, there was no detour. Our walk didn't even take us across it, I just had to cross it for no purpose at all ... and then got scared on the way back :-)) xxx

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  17. Rather envious of your beautiful collection of Rambouillet! And such elegant pictures of you on the bridge. Very best wishes for the new year - Leen

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    1. Thank you Leen! Our collection did get a bit out of hand though :-) xxx

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  18. I love seeing all you collections. The downside is the cleaning isn't it??
    Fab finds in the charity shop and what a lovely walk.

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    1. Oh, that's definitely a downside ... especially as neither of us are very keen on cleaning :-) xxx

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  19. You got some lovely vintage pieces. Love your plaid coat and your charity shop sweater finds are super cute. The picture of Bess through the Christmas lights is beautiful!
    xoxo
    Lovely
    www.mynameislovely.com

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  20. I do love looking at your kitchenware and shelves. Have to say though, honestly thought you owned a large wooden sculpture of a bunny burying its head in a bowl!! That first picture needed a double take!!
    Your owl sweater is so clever and I really love the DVF jumper. How funny no one knows her!!

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    1. Those charity shop employees often get it wrong, even the sizing, which is why you've got to check out absolutely everything ...
      I am afraid, though, that I'm not sure what you mean by the bunny sculpture ... xxx

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  21. Goodness do I hear you regarding January's rapidity. While certain days this month have been longer than Amazon river, as a collective whole, the speed by faster than one could take down their holiday season decor. :)

    Your kitchen treasures are truly awesome - Bakelite molds wholly included.

    And speaking of awesome, what an incredible score with the DVF piece! While I have never owned any of her offerings, I adore her classic wrap dresses and most of her offerings in general. Never say never, but I highly doubt I'll hit upon one in a thrift store around these parts anytime soon. Far too many North Americans know that brand and what it can fetch on the second hand clothing market.

    Love the pic of sweet little Bess nestled amongst the branches of your tree. She is the epitome of precious.

    I hope that these final days of January are smiling sweetly on you three and that you have a safe, fantastic February ahead.

    Autumn Zenith 🎃 Witchcrafted Life

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    1. Thank you Autumn! I never thought I'd ever own a DVF piece either, and would never have actively looked for one. I would have pounced upon this cardigan anyway, so when I spotted the DFV label it was definitely a bonus! xxx

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