When rain stops play

Lately, it feels as if time has been slipping through my fingers more that ever, and it truly boggles my mind that it has been almost a month since our return from our September getaway on the 13th. 

With only a half day to adjust to getting back to normal, I'm sure it won't surprise you that I wasn't at all ready for my return to work on the 14th. Normally, I would have take an extra day off, but with my colleague still being out of action and my boss having flown in from Miami especially to cover my job while I was away, I really couldn't leave him in the lurch for much longer.

The bitter pill was somewhat sugar-coated by cuddles from Bess and the birthday present from cat sitters Inneke and Maurice which was waiting for me on the dining room table. Apart from two necklaces (top left) there was a handmade card designed by their 2-year old grandson Pepijn!

Plus, it was heartwarming to be welcomed with open arms by my two bosses, who had by now both arrived from Miami, and who surprised me with a Jo Malone gift box containing a scented candle and a cologne for my birthday! The photo of me opening my present is courtesy of one of my bosses, and the vintage navy and white polka dot dress I was wearing might very well have been the last of this year's short-sleeved Summer dresses. 

Indeed, Summer had clearly ended together with our holiday! It literally started raining the afternoon we came back, and there would hardly be any let-up for days, with a drop in temperature to a chilly 14°C by the end of the week.

This is what I wore on Friday and repeated on Saturday when we were finally able to take some photos in-between showers. 

I fell head over heels for the vintage skirt with its turquoise stripes and bright pink and purple flowers in a charity shop in September 2020. As usual, I picked pink and turquoise for its companions, starting with the sparkly raspberry thin knit jumper and the turquoise cropped cardigan as a well-needed extra layer. More turquoise was added with my brooch and chunky ring. There was supposed to be a matching necklace as well, but although it was part of my outfit on Friday, I somehow forget to wear it on Saturday. Some contrast was added with one of my stretchy cream and black chevron patterned belts.

With the sudden drop in temperature, I spent part of Saturday morning putting away my light Summer jackets in favour of some more season appropriate ones like this hot pink suedette blazer, and exchanging sandals for the first batch of ankle boots. These included the burgundy Fly London ones with their turquoise trim which I'm wearing here. I couldn't believe my luck when the charity shop goddesses presented me with these in October 2020, only a matter of days after I'd had to say my final goodbyes to another, much treasured, burgundy pair.

Frantically opening box after box of Autumn/Winter shoes and boots in a fruitless search for a beloved pair of caramel ankle boots, it suddenly dawned on me that I'd had to let go of these as well. 

With the weather still playing spoilsport, ruling out any outdoor activities, I suggested that we drive over to some local edge of town shops to scout for a possible replacement. 

Although I didn't find what I was looking for in shop no. 1, I couldn't resist the temptation of a pair of forest green calf length suede boots with chunky rubber soles. Then, after trying on and rejecting several candidates in shop no. 2, I picked the simple no-frills caramel pair on the top right, which are very similar to my old ones. I was also seduced into buying yet another beret for my burgeoning collection.

Sunday was yet another rain-filled day, the resulting humidity making it feel quite a bit chillier than the 16°C indicated on the thermometer. 

I kept myself busy by making a feeble start with my seasonal wardrobe exchange, folding away my flimsiest Summer skirts and digging out some warmer ones. Then I played around with my wardrobe and assembled a couple of outfits to choose from during the week, thus saving myself precious time on weekday evenings. 

After more cuddles with Bess and posing for outfit photos in the jungle garden - a collaboration of the extreme weather conditions and next door's renovations -  during a rare dry moment, we were off for afternoon tea, to which we were invited by our lovely neighbour Karin. Although we've been living only a handful of houses apart for many years, we only got to know each other properly when she became our part-time cat sitter back in June. 

My outfit of the day consisted of a floaty pleated skirt with coffee and cream zebra-esque print charity shopped in Spring, and the brown floral vintage shirt which was part of my late August haul. The eagle-eyed may have detected the green butterfly brooch cavorting among the flowers. Further accessories were a yellow beaded necklace and a wide red pleated belt.

Gloomy days and lack of after-office energy meant that we didn't take any photos on Monday and Tuesday, but Wednesday's sunny outlook made us stop at the museum garden on our way home.

The black and green Froy and Dind dress, which was also part of the August haul, was an absolute joy to wear. A true jammy dress, as Sheila would say. To liven things up I added loads of mustard yellow with my opaques, long-line cardigan and the same beaded necklace I was wearing on Sunday.

My brooch, a gold tone leaf filled with frosted berries, is vintage and a flea market find from the Brooch Lady several years back. 

Although not photographed, I wore my favourite teal vintage coat and a spotty mustard scarf as outerwear, which earned me a shout-out from some Dutch ladies when I was making my way to Think Twice during lunch break. This definitely made my day.  That, and the grey, black and rust plaid circle skirt I scored at Think Twice!

Wednesday's sunny interlude was clearly a one-off, as we were back to granite grey skies and rain on Thursday. In fact, it was so gloomy that light conditions were far from ideal for photographing my outfit. Not even our garage's white painted brick wall and skylight were properly up to the job.

As Autumn had unexpectedly arrived, I was thankful for the modest rail of long-sleeved dresses I'd kept out over Spring and Summer. From this temporary capsule I picked a handmade vintage dress in a silky fabric, its deep blue background enhanced by an orange and green Paisley-esque pattern.

Orange was my colour of choice for my belt, beaded necklace and cameo brooch, which I used to tame the dress's tie-neck, while a pale blue King Louie cardigan was layered on top.

A wide pleated skirt, pussy bow, peasant sleeves and a watercolour pattern in wine, blue and tan were the ingredients of Friday's dress. which was also plucked from the temporary capsule.

Its fabric being rather thin, it was in need of layering, which I did by adding a blue short-sleeved T-shirt underneath and Thursday's light blue King Louie cardigan on top. More blues, in various hues, were added with my Mango sales belt, beaded necklace, birds in flight brooch and ring. I pinned a wine coloured flower corsage to the cardigan for good measure.

Although it obviously won't be possible for me to take my usual Fridays off for the time being, I nevertheless wangled a free afternoon to give myself some breathing space.

On our way home, we stopped at our most local charity shop for a browse. There was a 50% discount on all textiles - which apparently also included belts and shoes - so I only paid € 6,70 for the lot.

Clockwise from top left: a short-sleeved  knit top in a wavy psychedelic pattern, two vintage belts, a pair of chunky bright orange shoes and twelve brand new large cotton hankies for just € 1. Lately, cotton hankies seem to have become a rare commodity, as I searched high and low for them in June, finally finding some at Hema, a Dutch-origin department store.

There were also two unopened pairs of purple opaques, which I didn't photograph. These always come in handy, particularly if they're a less common colour.

If we thought Thursday was gloomy, it was nothing compared with the rainy all-dayer we were served on Saturday.

At 14°C, it was actually far too chilly for the thin floaty floral blouse from the Danish Vero Moda label which was yet again among my August haul. There was nothing for it but to practice my layering skills once more by adding both a camisole and a T-shirt underneath and a cardigan on top, although I did remove the latter for the photos.

The orange bits in the blouse's pattern were echoed by those in the skirt, which I charity shopped earlier this year, while the greens were matched by my necklace, leaf brooch and ring.

My belt, with its fake snake panel and elasticated back is one of Friday's finds. I was also wearing the beret I picked up during our shoe shopping expedition the other week and which, together with my orange leather jacket, provided the necessary sunshine to the gloom.

A green frilly scarf and my beloved green ankle wedges - both charity shopped - completed my outfit.

And speaking of charity shopping, that's exactly how we spent Saturday afternoon, driving to two consecutive shops, which both had the 50% sale on textiles going on as well.

Here's what I found. 

The red spotted cowl neck top is by King Louie, and has been put away until next Summer, while the eye-confusing navy and red spotted shirt by Belgian label Wow To Go has already been worn in the meantime.

Same as the blouse I was wearing, the cardigan with its blowsy red and green rose pattern is by Vero Moda, and I will be wearing it belted as a jumper rather than as a cardigan. An outfit I've created around it is already waiting in the wings for a colder day. 

There was also a thin knit yellow pink-trimmed jumper by Belgian label CKS, but it didn't photograph well in the available light conditions. 

The green-hued necklace was my final find of the day.

That's it for now. I've still only made it to the 24th of September, though, so you can expect another catch-up very soon. Hope you'll join me again in a couple of days!