All along the water tower

It's November but apart from one or two miserably grey and wet Autumn days, we keep being blessed with unseasonably warm weather.

My transitional wardrobe has really come into its own these days, as I've even been wearing those dresses which usually fall by the wayside for it being either too warm or too cold.

This pink, tan and taupe short-sleeved dress is made from a lightweight corduroy, its fabric too thick to be counted as a Summer dress, while its short sleeves prevent it from being an Autumn staple.

It's been in my wardrobe for well over a year - my blog tells me I bought it in April 2017 - picked up at a consignment store we sometimes visit as a convenient stop-over between charity shops. 

Their stock mainly consists of furniture of all shapes, sizes and eras, with the odd smaller, usually quite overpriced object thrown in. We treat it more like a curiosity shop, gawping at some of the gorgeous things well beyond our budget and space limitations, while having a good laugh at some of the "what were they thinking of" stuff.

At one point, a couple of clothes rails had appeared out of nowhere and, making a beeline for them, I was happy to see they contained lots of vintage. On closer inspection, it dawned on me that I'd seen some of those clothes before, in a vintage shop in Antwerp which sadly stopped trading. It just couldn't be a coincidence, so I'm quite sure that's where they originated from.

Over the months, I bought some of the dresses and this was one of them. 

I wore it for a get together with friends on a Sunday afternoon a couple of weeks ago. Although it had a self fabric tie belt, I thought it looked better with this tan leather belt. 

I used lilac and purple as accent colours for my plastic peacock brooch, ring, bracelet and cardigan. The plum coloured shoes are by Hotter and were a € 2 flea market find back in May.

The grey tweed jacket, with elaborate embroidery on its right side, was charity shopped last month, but never shown on the blog.

Fast forward to the next week, when on Saturday there was a definite nip in the air, the bright blue sky belying the fact that a cold northeastern wind was blowing, making me regret the wearing of my thin lilac jacket and the omittance of a pair of gloves.

With a flea market planned on Sunday, we wanted to take it easy on Saturday, but decided on a short outing to blow away the week's cobwebs. And to show you what I was wearing, of course!

Purple, lilac and mustard with a bit of old rose thrown in! 

The purple and lilac dress I was wearing, with its dropped collar and three self buttons down the front (purely for decoration, mind you, it closes with a zip at the back) was one of my first ever vintage purchases.

I added a mustard cardie and opaques in a similar colour. The first opaques of the season!

My burgundy new-to-me boots were a recent find from Think Twice. This really is a case of serendipity as I wasn't even looking. In fact, I'd given up looking altogether for a suitable pair by then.

After desperately seeking a fitting pair (and you can take this quite literally!), I was happy to stumble upon these pull-on ones back in November 2016. However, they weren't easy to pull on. Or off for that matter. Soon, the pulling on had created a bulge on the inner heel, making them quite uncomfortable to walk in.

Needless to say that I squeed when I spotted this pair, which not only are a perfect fit, but have a zipper too!

We stopped for outfit photos in the little garden behind the old water tower in the neighbouring village of Reet.

Built in 1938, it was bought by the council in 2008 and turned into a viewpoint in 2012.

At first sight, you'd be forgiven in thinking that the low, squat building, merely ten meters in height, is remarkably low for a water tower. However, as it was built on the highest point of the area's clay formation, forty meters above sea level, this allowed it to fully function as a water tower.

The metal cage attached to the tower contains a set of steps leading up to the viewing platform.

We'd been up there once before but after the viewing platform was vandalized in September last year, it had been temporarily closed off.

Climbing up to the platform we were rewarded with a panorama of the surrounding landscape, with a working clay pit belonging to the last of the brick making factories in the foreground.

They are the lone survivors of the once mighty brick making industry which used to reign the area.

All around, as far as the eye can see, nature has reclaimed the heavily scarred landscape and some of its abandoned clay pits have been turned into precious nature reserves.

From up here, several local landmarks can be made out, and on a clear day part of the Atomium in Brussels, some 30 kilometers away, can be spotted on the horizon.  That day, it was firmly hiding behind some overgrown bushes, so we'll have to return after they have shed their leaves.

The sun dived behind an advancing army of dark, menacing clouds, taking away its warmth and leaving the biting wind to chill us to the bone.

With a final glance at the bleak landscape suddenly plunged into an eerie semi darkness, we descended the caged stairway back to ground level.

I can tell you that, suffering from vertigo, going down those see-through steps was infinitely more scary than going up!

Before returning home we stopped at a local charity shop where pickings were slim but I still managed to find a corduroy blazer in a delicious berry colour and an orange leather belt ...

... both of which I would be wearing to the flea market the next day.

But that will be for my next post!

Meanwhile, I am once again joining the visible ladies at Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style.

The calm repose of Autumn days

October is synonym with the first real days of Autumn. While September still has that summery ring to it, even the most sunny October day can no longer hide the fact that Summer is well and truly over.

The sun is slowly but surely withdrawing her light and her warmth is waning.

There's a certain melancholy in the air, gently tugging at one's heartstrings, while nature's final fireworks are trying their best to detract from the apparent decay.

October means foggy mornings and the first hint of frost. It can no longer be denied that the days are getting shorter and now that we've once again put the clocks back one hour to herald the approaching Winter, darkness is upon us before the afternoon is over.

Vivid shades of tangerine dye the sky as the sun rises or sets. And everywhere, crunchy carpets of fallen leaves are getting satisfyingly kick-worthy.

October always has a couple of treats up its sleeve, one of them being the Dag van de Kringwinkel (Day of the Charity Shops), a yearly event to promote the workings of the charity shops here in Belgium. This year, the event was on Saturday 20 October.

In our local chain of shops, this means there's usually a lot of vintage on sale, things that have been hoarded throughout the months preceding the event and which are now being sold at inflated prices. 

Nevertheless, we still can't bring ourselves to give this day a miss, as there's often treasure to be found among the inevitable tat, and in spite of everything, there are still bargains to be had.

Between shops, we stopped off at the park for what might well have been our last outdoor picnic of the year.

The weather was still doing her Summer impression, but there was a slight chill in the air which warranted the wearing of some true Autumnal pieces.

Could there be anything more Autumnal than this maxi skirt, in darkest brown, and sprinkled all over with ochre, red, pink, taupe and white flowers? It's handmade from a thick polyester fabric and lined to boot. Its previous owner must have been as vertically challenged as me, as it was just long enough for me not to trip over its hem. 

My jacket, in a bottle green velvet, was its perfect companion.

The brooch I pinned to its lapel, its Lucite shell encasing a crinolined lady walking among flowers and wearing a summer hat, was a gift from the lovely Lynn. Isn't it absolutely gorgeous?

The sun was playing with the amber and golden leaves, illuminating their vibrant shades, the sunlight shimmering through the treetops creating a slightly disconcerting feeling of timelessness.

There's something quite mesmerizing about standing beneath a canopy of trees, looking up at the sunlight filtering through its tangle of branches and leaves.

The small park here is always a delight, whatever the time of year, and we keep returning again and again to see the changes each season brings.

I love the vivid red of these leaves and the long curly seed pods of the Acacia tree, which will soon litter the ground and footpath beneath its overhanging branches with their alien shapes.

There's no label to identify the contents or provenance of this almost sheer crepe like blouse in a colour I would call coral, and with a delicate flower print.

My brooch, with its deep green stone, is another one from my flea market haul. When I shared it on Facebook, one of my friends commented that it would make me look like a superheroine. Well, I actually wouldn't mind having a superpower or two!

Further accessories were a caramel belt with a round tortoiseshell buckle and amber coloured beaded necklace.

There are hidden delights around every corner, and my camera's been working overtime, as my eyes dart here, there and everywhere trying to catch all these visual treats. Here I was taking out my smartphone to make a snapshot of the pretty pink cyclamen growing among the layer of leaves.

But I mentioned charity shops, so I guess you'll be on tenterhooks to find out what I've found!

I can never resist a colourful print, so first up are these two retro print frocks. While the green one on the left looks to be handmade, the deep red one on the right is another King Louie dress, its original retail price a tenfold of what I've paid. I already wore this one to work later that week.

Here you can have a closer look at the prints. 

Unworn Hush Puppies boots for € 4? Yes, please!

The pattern of the Boch coffee pot on the top right is Argenteuil. Dating from the early 1970s, this is one of the patterns we collect, and we already own pieces of the coffee and dinner service.

More frocks at another shop.These are all vintage and while the two long-sleeved red frocks can be expected to make an appearance on the blog this season, the blue and yellow one in the centre, a deadstock Diolen, will grace my Summer wardrobe next year.

Last but not least is this Indian cotton maxi dress, which I couldn't wait to model for you.

It's got a quilted bodice, so no chance of catching a chest cold, I guess!

It's also got the most massive sleeves. The things I could smuggle in them!

I'm taking my Autumnal outfit to Nancy's Fancy Friday (yes, I know it's Saturday already!) at Nancy's Fashion Style this week.

Some kind of wild October gladness

While Autumn has by now well and truly crept up on us, with a viciously cold north-easterly wind plunging the temperature into the single figures, followed by a day of non-stop rain, it is hard to imagine that only a matter of weeks ago, we were blessed with sun drenched days on which we were able to go walking coat-less and bare-armed.

Too good to be wasted inside, the continuing Indian Summer days lured us outside two weekends ago, although any plans for longer walks were scuppered by the fact that my knee decided to play spoilsport.

I bought the skirt at Think Twice back in February, imagining it to be a high Summer piece, but now I think the colours are even better suited to a sunny Autumn day.  I combined it with a 1980s acrylic knit cap-sleeved jumper in hot pink, its triangularly patterned yoke and shoulders accented by tiny white squares.

It is by Quimo, a Danish women's knitwear brand founded in 1937, and I accessorized it with a plastic twin flower brooch and an olive beaded necklace. The ring was found at our favourite flea market a couple of weeks ago.

Casting around for somewhere new to walk, which wouldn't be too far and certainly not too strenuous, we decided to check out a park on the outskirts of the nearby town of Mechelen.

We have often passed Tivoli Park while on our way to the flea market venue, noticing its main entrance through an ornamental, stone pillared gate next to a gaily blue and white shuttered and gabled gatehouse.

It is a typical 19th Century domain surrounding a castle which looks out over a lake and an English style landscape garden.

There's a moat running around the domain, but the chronic lack of rain is apparent, notably where it is crossed by a quaint little bridge, where it was completely dry, leaving only a trickle of carelessly littered empty cans and wrappers.

The existence of a children's play area did put us off a bit, especially when on a day like this, parents and their boisterous children seemed to have flocked here, making the most of what could possibly be the last of the gorgeous late Summer days.

There's a folly in the shape of a little temple, which closer inspection reveals to be in an advanced state of disrepair, its fate undoubtedly sealed by its rotten timbers.

It's the castle itself which plays a starring role here, turned into a venue for business conferences, and with a restaurant in the orangery at the back.

With an orchard, picking garden, petting farm and nature trail mainly aimed at children, there is something for everybody, although we do like it a little bit quieter.

There's a small café next to the play area as well, but seeing how busy it was we gave it a wide birth and, with my knee hurting even when walking on level ground, we decided to call it a day.

By Sunday, my back had joined my knee in behaving badly, but I still refused to be defeated.

I dressed in a Summer frock that had escaped the changeover by hiding at the bottom of a pile, its white and navy vertical stripes joined by navy, pink, red and green flowers tumbling down towards the hem. A bright pink belt, green beaded necklace and red raffia envelope bag were my main accessories.

We drove down to one of Antwerp's loveliest parks, Den Brandt, where you've joined me quite a few times before (here and here, for instance), entering via the walled garden at the left of the park, which is guarded over by a little Buddha, a present from the Ambassador of Nepal in 2004

Leaving the walled garden via a set of steps and then proceeding slightly uphill through an avenue of majestic trees, I was glad I'd brought my walking stick for support. This usually stays at home for a simple walk in the park, only coming out when climbing or rough terrain is involved. Yes, I know you are laughing, Beate!

We foraged for sweet chestnuts and beech nuts, which were found in abundance among the thick carpet of leaves.

At the edge of the park is a series of bunkers, which were built by the Germans in 1943 as headquarters for the Atlantikwall in Belgium.

These, or rather the fascinating museum which is housed in the largest bunker, can be visited the first weekend of every month. 

Emerging from the path which runs next to the row of bunkers, the park's romantic castle, which was bathing in the hazy Autumn sunlight, could be glimpsed between the trees.

On the grassy field at the back of the castle, people sat and watched the world go by under a pale blue sky dotted with cotton wool clouds. 

We watched it all from a well placed bench, our hearts brimful of Sunday afternoon melancholy.

Linking my forgotten Summer frock to Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style!

Nothing new under the sun

The weather continued to be unseasonably warm into the second week of October (and beyond!) and thus short sleeves remained the order of the day.

The Crimplene frock I'm wearing here was recently found for € 4 at Think Twice, who were having yet another one of their famous sales.

It's been a while since the shops yielded anything even remotely interesting as lately most of their stock is predominantly 1980s leaning toward the - gasp! - 1990s. Not exactly my thing!

I know from experience that it pays to have some patience, as it's usually during their sales days that the really interesting stuff is starting to appear on their rails. As most of the bright young things frequenting the shops do not seem to care one jot for anything 1970s or earlier, the shops consider these only worthy for being sold at ridiculously low sales prices. Which obviously is fine by me!

The days when everything sells for € 4 are my favourites, as it's then that I usually luck out. After that, in the final days when prices go down to € 2 and then € 1, chaos reigns, with heaps of discarded clothing everywhere and endless queues at the totally inadequate two fitting rooms.

I zoomed in to this Crimplene mod dress with its groovy print and vertical pocket tabs with chunky buttons the minute I walked in. I wasn't going to brave the queues, but judged it was my size and took a chance. I must say I'm getting to be quite good at measuring with my eyes!

You might recognize the poodle brooch, as it's from my latest flea market haul. The necklace, which looks as if it was made of holly berries, was charity shopped, while the glittery plastic ring is an old retail buy.

On second thought, the necklace's cluster of little red beads are quite reminiscent of the Cotoneaster berries which currently seem to put our garden on fire.

They are competing with the slowly diminishing blooms of our Fuchsia magellanica bush. You can see both of these garden champions as a backdrop for some of the outfit photos in this post.

The perennial plants in our garden have started their slow process of decay, gladdening the heart with their spectacular Autumn colours, before dying and feeding the soil for next year's growth.

But let's show you some more of my Think Twice finds.

What about this Crimplene two-piece? At first sight, you might be forgiven in thinking it's a dress, but it's actually a skirt and top. Again, I was initially drawn to its funky print, but on closer inspection, I was even more smitten. The skirt is just short of a pencil shape, without being too tight fitting. And then there's the top! What can I say? It closes with a back zipper, has two little slits at the front for additional comfort and a rolled collar finished with a little side tie. I'm swooning!

If the explosion of colourful flowers in the print of this maxi frock wouldn't have been enough to convince me it had to come home with me, then the attached little capelet would certainly have clinched the deal.

Here's a peek at the back to see the capelet in its full glory!

This deliciously strokable chocolate brown velvet maxi skirt, with its eye-catching print, is waiting for the perfect Winter's day, when I'll be grateful for its warmth. When that day comes, I might be wearing something warmer on top but for now, I thought this plaid print pussy bow blouse, an earlier Think Twice find, looked perfect with the skirt's almost holographic print. Even my camera lens got a bit confused when I tried to capture it.

My penultimate find was a black circle skirt, which looks virtually unworn. It shouldn't come as a surprise that it was the pink rick rack at the hem and the two panels of green and pink embroidered flowers which piqued my interest!

I was trying to make the most of the early evening sunlight and pose for outfit photos in the garden when I got home, but the truth is that on some days I have just enough energy left for kicking off my shoes and flopping down on the sofa.

October tries to trick my mind into thinking it's still Summer, but failing miserably, in spite of regaling us with temperatures in the high twenties.

Nature speaks otherwise, her Autumnal sights, sounds and smells filling our senses.

Amid the juxtaposition of Summer and Autumn, I am wearing yet another transitional short-sleeved dress, in jersey polyester this time. The low but dazzling evening sun almost bleached out the yellow, but I included some close-ups for a better look at the print.

And what better than blue, the very colour of the late Summer sky, to accessorize it with? The brooch is once again from my latest haul. I've been trying to wear them all before storing them away in my brooch boxes.

More Crimplene on Friday. It's been a while since I last wore this olive textured polyester shift dress. Last time, in October 2016, I combined it with pink, but now I took the cue from the two brown buttons at its dropped waist to wear a beaded necklace in the same colour.

I pinned on yet another of my latest brooches and wore my leopard strap watch! I keep hearing that animal print is all the rage now. Could I possibly be on trend? That'll be the day!

And here's the last of my Think Twice finds. 

I can safely predict I'll get a lot of wear out of this 1970s zippered denim jacket sprinkled with embroidered flowers. After having had its first outing, it has now been stashed away until next Spring, when I'm sure I'll be happy to see it again.

As it was a tiny bit chilly in the morning, I left the house wearing a floral print red scarf, tying in with the red blooms on my jacket.

So, that was my fashion fix for that week. A guilt-free and environmentally sane fashion fix, I should add, as there's nothing new under the sun here!

In other news, we have booked another little trip somewhere in November, so there will be another travelogue coming up soon!

Meanwhile, I am joining Tina's Pink Friday linkup Party with my olive and denim outfit!