Thursday 28 April 2022

Green thoughts in green shades

What fools we are to think each year that April will be well-behaved for once. But no, it turns out that once again she hasn't been able to make up her mind which season she actually belongs to. Starting with snow and barely above freezing point temperatures on her very first day, she has by now treated us to a couple of mild Spring days as well as a handful of summery ones. But then there were those bright sunny days which came accompanied by tempestuous winds, with a distinctive nip to them which wouldn't go amiss on an Autumn day. 

There has been a distinct lack of April showers, though. In fact, rain has been mostly conspicuous in its absence, depleting ground water levels and leaving nature - and our gardens - dusty and dry. 

We'd just passed the month's half-way mark on Saturday the 16th of April, and the sun was out in full force from the word go. With forecasted highs of 17°C, we had every reason to spend time outside. I was determined, however, to make the most of the 4-day weekend and squeeze in some jobs I'd been procrastinating on.



Such as making a start with the biannual wardrobe changeover!

Always a daunting task best tackled in batches, I took a deep breath and started by thinning out my long-sleeved dresses, folding them away and filling the empty hangers with short-sleeved ones. 

I'm casting a critical eye over everything while I'm at it, making piles of the things I'm no longer wearing, either to be redonated to the charity shops or to be sold on our local flea market which I'm hopeful will be happening again this year. Decisions, decisions!



I had help, obviously, although Bess is quite a bit more paws-on than Phoebe ever was. I had to rescue several dresses I'd temporarily put out on the bed from being cat-handled and it was all I could do to prevent her from running off with one or two of the belts. Then the pile of empty hangers got her interest, so I let her fight them for a while, until she caught sight of my dressing gown which I'd carelessly forgot to hang up. Look at that cheeky face!



By lunchtime, I called it quits, leaving the rest for another day, whenever that will be.

We were lured outside by the siren call of the garden centre, so we walked down to our garage and, before hopping into our car, took advantage of our garage's white painted brick wall to make outfit photos.

Green and red were the main ingredients that day on which no less than three items in my outfit had their very first outing. The most recent of these were the red Kiarflex shoes charity shopped the previous week. The other two being the skirt - a Think Twice find last Autumn - with its eye-confusing green and off-white pattern, and the green and white striped blouse charity shopped back in February. 



In spite of the day's sunny outlook, a brisk wind coming straight from the east made me grab this grey tweed blazer. A charity shop find in October 2018, it was the fabulous embroidery, although sadly on one side only, which cinched the deal. To its opposite lapel, I pinned a blowsy red flower corsage to balance things out.



More red was added with my vintage Scottie dog brooch, glass beaded necklace and ring. 
At my waist, one of my stretchy black and white chevron belts, its round buckle echoing the circles in my skirt's pattern.

Although ostensibly our visit to the garden centre was prompted by the need to buy some wild bird seeds, I knew there was no way I would be able to make it past the plant displays.




Apart from two pots of Sweet Peas and a hanging Pelargonium, these three perennials made it into our trolley. 

Ever since our recent walk in the park in Boom, where I posed in front of some Euphorbias, I had a hankering for one, opting for Euphorbia amygdaloides 'Purpurea', which has acid-yellow blooms and contrasting reddish-purple foliage. It's currently gracing our passageway table - where it is able to preen itself in the mirror - until I've found it its permanent spot in the garden.




We also picked up some more solar lights, including four small stake lights to line the garden path and  two hanging metal baskets, in sunny yellow and orange.

The best thing is that we hardly spent any money, as we'd saved enough on our loyalty card to pay for most of our purchases!



Back at home, I pottered around the garden, doing some odd little jobs, while Jos busied himself with the solar lights, hanging the baskets from the brackets holding up the rusty enamel advertising sign. The latter was a freebie from our opposite neighbour during the first lockdown in April 2020. It might be a bit worse for wear, but then again it's 90 years old, dating from 1932.

As you can see, our garden is inundated with Honesty (Lunaria annua), which has self-seeded all over the place. I need to thin them out before they completely take over the garden, but I'll wait until they have finished flowering. Their violet flowers are such a cheerful sight!





We couldn't wait for darkness to descend that evening to see all the new and existing solar lights in action. Isn't it magical?

Uncharacteristically, Easter Sunday was a sunny day with the mercury climbing to an unheard of 19°C.

Determined to wear all the out-of-season clothes I bought over the Winter months, I picked the dress I'd snapped up at half price in the January sales. Although it was part of the Winter collection, I considered it far too thin to wear before the temperatures hit the double figures, and even now I was wearing it with a vintage slip layered underneath and a cardigan on top.



The dress came with a self-fabric belt, but I thought it looked a million times better with one of my stretchy ones. Isn't its buckle spectacular?

I used different shades of green for my accessories (brooch, necklace and ring) and I was wearing opaques in the palest of greens. You can just catch the tiniest glimpse of it in the above photo.



Visiting an indoor flea market might not be the obvious choice for such a gorgeous day but we wanted to pay it at least one visit before they close down for the Summer months in June. We hadn't gone for a browse there since its October edition, which was the first one since all events had to be canceled due to Covid-19 eighteen months before.

The Easter holidays and the sunny weather had somewhat conspired against it, though, as there weren't as many stalls as there used to be. Sadly, for those stallholders who had made the effort, the number of browsers was rather disappointing as well. Not that it bothered us, as it meant we had plenty of space!




It was a joy to wander among the stalls like we did in the olden days, although, clearly out of habit, it took us several aisles before we made our first purchase. At Tanja's stall - one of our favourite sellers - Jos pounced on the late 1960s transistor radio, still in its box and complete with all its accessories (top right). Meanwhile, at the same stall, I fell for the Nutbrown egg poacher for our kitchenalia collection, which Tanja kindly threw in for free!

A set of six vintage plastic Emsa plates was waiting for us at another of our favourite stalls, Ilona's. They'll be perfect for having breakfast or lunch at our little garden table.



It's almost a given that I'm adding to my brooch collection when visiting this market, and this time was no exception. The cameo brooch on the left, with its unusual cobalt blue background, as well as the cute plastic mushroom brooch on the right, were both from the same stall, yet another one of our favourites.

The 1930s brooch in the middle was found on a random stall in the final aisle.





Easter Monday saw a repeat of Sunday's weather, although it did take a while to warm up to the forecasted 19°C. 

Wandering into the garden, I was pleased to see that by now quite a few of the fat flower buds in our Clematis "Guernsey Cream" were in various stages of opening (top left and bottom right). At the time of writing it proudly bears at least ten large cream with a tinge of green flowers. It's supposed to flower from May to July, so ours is definitely an early riser!

There's a profusion of bluebells as well, the pink ones next to the bench being the first ones to flower. I love the pop of bright yellow supplied by their nearest neighbours, the Cowslips.



The afternoon was spent sprucing up the small paved area at the back of our garden, which we rather grandly call the courtyard. While Jos tackled the tangle of Ivy and Virginia creeper and swept up the leaves and other debris accumulated in its corners, I checked over the pots containing the remains of last year's annuals, discarding those which didn't show any signs of life. 

Cleaning the table and chairs, as well as the vinyl-clad top of the old barrel, was next on my list of things to do.

We also removed the as good as dead honeysuckle growing in the bed underneath the bird feeder at the back. It's looking a bit bare now, but I've got plans!



Finally, let's have a look at the day's outfit, although I admit to changing into my gardening gear before tackling those jobs.

Both the skirt and the blouse are vintage and have proved to be wardrobe staples over the years. The skirt, with its profusion of moss green, orange-red, white and brownish flowers, was part of a charity shop haul in March 2019, while the pale green blouse was bought from Think Twice in Bruges while on a day trip for Jos's birthday in September 2019.




While both the brooch and the necklace were second-hand finds as well, the stretchy belt with its hexagonal buckle was a naughty retail buy about a year ago. No regrets, though, as it has been worn and featured on the blog many times in the past year.

So, that's the Easter weekend wrapped up, and with the next weekend being only a regular two-day one, I wasn't exactly looking forward to the week ahead. But I'll tell you all about that in my next post!


36 comments:

  1. i had to do my clothes swap yesterday - because the day before i was looking for a special dress, could´t find it and then tipped the 2 suitcases with the summer clothes over - the dress was hidden on the bottom of the second..... so yesterday i spend the morning filling the empty trunks with the woolies and picking from the floor and hanging up the summer gear.
    the fav today: your blue patterned shirtwaist dress with green cardi! love it!
    xxxx

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    1. At least your clothes swap is over and done with, even if you hadn't planned on doing it yet! Mine is almost finished, but I still have to swap boots for shoes and sandals. xxx

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  2. The weather has been very similar here; yo-yo temperatures and very little rain. I still feel the need to keep my knits close at hand. I have just shown Gareth your 1930s enamel sign. It's an absolute beauty and how lucky you are to have been gifted such a piece! I also love your garden lighting. I have similarly been incorporating more lighting into our garden. Our son had a party last weekend and with our garden being so shady and sloping, I felt it a health and safety necessity. Great finds at the flea market - I particularly like your little 1930s brooch. Your garden is coming to life. The delicate cream/green clematis is stunning and your little paved area is full of character. Fabulous outfits as always! xxx

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    1. Thank you Claire! I know, we were very lucky. I was sitting at my desk and happened to look out of the window when I saw our neighbour putting small furniture and the like outside, taping a note to them that they were up for grabs. When he put out that sign, I was out there in a jiffy, even if I was already wearing my pj's! xxx

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  3. Loving these different shades of green on you and your brooch collection is impressive.
    xoxo
    Lovely
    www.mynameislovely.com

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    1. Thank you Lovely! Brooches are such a satisfying thing to collect, I think I've got well over 500 by now! xxx

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  4. Lovely to see your little helper! mwhaha. Totally understand that you're taking it easy, switching seasons is a great job!
    Love your grey&red ensemble with the geometric patterns in the skirt and the striped shirt, they make a perfect combo of colours and prints!. Rocking it!
    Lovely dress and so lovely how green accessories enhance its pattern!, fabulousness!
    Great to see your garden blooming!, it looks so cute and those lights create a great atmosphere!. Your doubled floral outfit is totally fab, love the colours and mixed florals!, brilliant style!
    Lots of rain here these days, which is not bad news at all!
    besos

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    1. Thank you Monica! We could definitely use some rain here and would welcome it with open arms! xxx

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  5. I do the same thing when I trade out my seasonal clothes, I cull them for donation. For some reason, I don't wear much green. Trying to change that though, I found a camo green t-shirt at True Weave thrift for a couple of dollars. Sporting that today.

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    1. Thank you Tami, culling clothes while doing one's seasonal changeover is a sensible thing to do, I think! xxx

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  6. Imagining Bess trying to make a run for it with one of your belts put a smile on my face. CATS will be cats ... 💕
    I still haven't mastered the strenght to organize my closet or clothes. I just keep putting clothes on my ironing list but not doing any ironing.
    It's lovely you are adding pieces to your brooch collection.
    Your outfits are gorgeous as always!
    The blue and purple maxi dress you paired with a green cardi is absolutely fabulous.

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    1. Thank you Ivana! I try to organize my wardrobe but it often gets out of hand. And let's not talk about the ironing pile! I'm really hopeless in getting that sorted! xxx

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  7. Today we are sisters in green. I love it. 💕 Very kind from Bess helping you with your dresses and hangers.😂😊
    with a very huge hug Tina

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    1. Yes, we were Tina, what a coincidence :-) xxx

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  8. I laughed at Bess "helping" - oh, cats! Her eyes are so full of mischief. Glad you got to some of your "shoulder season" dresses, Ann - isn't it fun to rediscover old friends? I also cull as I remove my past season's clothes.

    Love your tweed jacket outfit - that skirt is amazing! The pops of red are so sweet.

    Oh, I LOVE solar lights - my desk is festooned with them, and I've been checking the garden section of the local drug store, waiting for this year's designs to appear. They are so magical!

    Your blue/green outfit is so soothing, and I love the riot of print in the last one. I always remove "self-belts" - they're so boring! Glad you got to enjoy a vintage market again! I just saw one advertised here, but it's this coming weekend, so I'll have to miss it (already have big plans).

    Take care, my dear! Happy weekend!

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    1. It's definitely fun to discover old friends, well worth doing seasonal changeover for!
      I love solar lights too, my favourite being the jam jar style ones we bought two years ago. Such a shame we couldn't find more of them the next year! xxx

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  9. Isn't it so nice when our gardens are ready to enjoy! We, read Gerben, cleaned and organised it last week and I fully enjoy it. And with the azalea in full blo it's a joy to see our when I wake up. Love the first skirt and your blue and green dress. Airways a fabulous combination. Enjoy your weekend!

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    1. Thank you Nancy! I love it when the garden is coming alive again! xxx

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  10. Lovely to see around your garden and share your purchases with you. I will be in my garden today painting an old ladder a soft green, so I can use it to display some pretty plants.x

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    1. Thank you Jean! I've seen your soft green painted ladder in the meantime, it's gorgeous! xxx

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  11. Look at your colourful wardrobe and your not-so-helpful wardrobe assistant! Isn't she adorable?
    Your garden is looking so colourful and lovely despite the challenges the waether keeps throwing at us. You've answered a question for me, we've got those purple flowers, too. I'm glad its Honesty, that'll be lovely in my West German Fat Lava vases come the Autumn!
    Your Easter Sunday dress is so good on you, I love the length. The other green outfits are fantastic, too.
    How exciting to visit the flea market - I don't think I'd know what to do at a car boot sale if I ever find one again! xxx

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    1. Glad to be able to help you out with the identification of the Honesty! We didn't have any last year, and now our garden is simply awash with them!
      I was definitely out of practice at that flea market, and I think it'll be even worse when we go to one of those huge outdoor ones! xxx

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  12. Well I hope Phoebe won the fight with the coat hangers Ann ;) What a cheeky fluff ball, trying to run off with your belts and padding down on your dressing gown! I need to sort my clothes and bric-a-brac out for the carbooty, but I am living outdoors at the moment, so the house chores are being rudely ignored. Your garden is looking so quirky and lovely, with the fairy lights, old enamel sign, beautiful honesty against the sea green wooden door and sunny table and chairs. I absolutely love the orange Emsa plates you picked up and it is jolly good to see some fine additions to your brooch collection. All your outfits, as always, are gorgeous :) xXx

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    1. Thank you Lulu! Phoebe was our previous cat, and on no par with cheeky little Bess :-)
      I'm secretly glad I'm not the only one who's been rudely ignoring house chores, haha! xxx

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  13. You have the cutest helper even if she isn't actually helping!
    I'm skipping a proper switch over this year as we're still freezing and will probably go right into summer. I'll improvise ;)
    I hope you get to have your street sale this year. That would be a bit of normality at last.
    Take care.

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    1. Thanks Goody! I've just read that the street market will be going ahead in July! Such a relief as I'm running out of storage! xxx

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  14. I'm happy to see the green coming back. :-) We've had a bit of rain, which did wonders to the meadows. I think I can see and hear the grass growing. :-) Have a lovely Sunday. xxx regulA

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    1. I wish we had some rain too, Regula! We did have some overnight last week, but not nearly enough! xxx

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  15. it's good you had such a nice and warm Easter weekend! I love that green printed dress with the green accessories, it's such a pretty combination - and I do love your embroidered blazer too!

    Hope that you are having a good weekend :)

    Away From The Blue

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    1. Thank you Mica! It was a joy to wear that dress for its first outing! xxx

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  16. So true regarding the expectations we tend to place on April. I think that they often stem from the fact that year's fourth month is the first full one of spring and thus we are all but bursting at the seams to bid winter farewell and step into a fairytale season of endless gentle sunshine, lush blooms everywhere, and a chorus of birdsongs at every turn.

    In reality, April often means continued chilly temps and no shortage of snow and/or rain. Still, each year, we hold onto our picturesque expectations and, surely, that must be part of the reason why so many folks afore this month. Even if our dream April fails to come to fruition, there is always the possibility of the next one doing just that.

    Autumn Zenith 🧡 Witchcrafted Life

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    1. I agree that April doesn't have the best of reputations. We did have a gorgeous April in 2020, which was very welcome as we were in Lockdown. Both last year and this year the weather was all over the place, though! xxx

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  17. Fabulous outfits and I love the last outfit in particular. The green top and skirt was also fab and as always you have brilliant accessories. You did very well at the flea market; the brooches were lovely. I thought the mushroom brooch very sweet and unusual.

    Your garden is looking well. How nice to have bluebells and cowslips - both of whom I think of as wild flowers - growing in your garden. I can't wait for my honesty to bloom; it is looking pretty healthy so fingers crossed! The 'court yard' looks like a wonderful place to eat al-fresco and I hope you'll share your planting plans soon.

    Have a lovely week
    xxx

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    1. Thank you Vronni! I just love that mushroom brooch, I don't think I've ever seen anything like it.
      We've had the bluebells for many years - and they're spreading like mad - but the cowslips were a recent addition from the garden centre's wildflower collection! xxx

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  18. You always match contrasting patterns and colours so artfully!

    Oooh, I love all three of those brooches!

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