Thursday 9 March 2017

I'm never gonna stop the rain by complaining

Last week wasn't the best of weeks for me. I was feeling tired and headachy and a little bit under the weather, which I've been putting down to Winter dragging on so. Seriously, how much longer is the weather going to be this miserable? I'm in desperate need of some sunshine, and I have a feeling I'm not the only one!

It all culminated in me developing the mother of all cold sores, so that I not only felt, but looked a fright, which obviously didn't do much to improve my frame of mind!

Oh, listen to me going on!

Well, if Spring refuses to do her job, then I will do it for her.



Saturday, I wore this flower-sprinkled black Crimplene dress to a housewarming party at Jos's daughter's.

I didn't want to intrude on her privacy and take photographs, but we did take a couple of outfit photos in our garden before we left, and while it was still dry.

Jos was under strict instructions not to make any close-ups of my poor face!



At first, Sunday promised to be a much better day as we woke up to blue skies for once. If we hadn't had a flea market to go to, we might have gone for that long overdue walk.









Look at the sun streaming in through the skylight in our garage!

There was a radio playing a half-forgotten song in the background, prompting me to do a little dance.











Below is a close-up of the brooch I pinned to my jacket. I bought it at a reduced price from the brooch lady a couple of months ago, as the glue had disintegrated and it was falling apart. Nothing Mr. S. couldn't mend, though ...

The Diolen dress was bought from a consignment store back in January, and this was actually its first outing.
Although it's got a self-fabric belt, I opted for a plain green one to break up the pattern. There's also a separate necktie in the same fabric, but I felt that would have been too much of a good thing.


The weather didn't last but I'm happy to report the flea market was a success.

Upon entering, we usually know if it's going to be a good one almost instantly, especially when, after only a couple of minutes, we have made our first purchase.

We got talking to a nice couple who had a fabulous stall selling the most alluring of things, but although I had both my compact camera and my phone with me, I didn't take any photographs.

I was far too busy browsing!







I was quite taken with this splendid hat which turned out to be my size and all.

















From the same stall we bought this weathered enamel sign advertising Andrews Liver Salt, which has meanwhile found a space on our bathroom wall.


But that wasn't all we returned home with! Here's our loot, displayed on our kitchen table. The coffee machine, one of our nods to modern age, not included, obviously.



The eagle-eyed among you have probably spotted a couple of brooches!



Top row: souvenir brooch from Zoute (actually Het Zoute), part of posh Belgian seaside resort Knokke, a pair of miniature wooden clogs, plastic wood-look Gentian flower.
Middle row: cluster of little yellow beads, black elephant with rhinestone encrusted back cover, small mother of pearl fish souvenir brooch from Ostend.
Bottom row: locket type brooch containing an embroidered flower, large enamel flower brooch, miniature framed landscape.

I paid between € 1 and € 5 for the majority. The most expensive, which I got reduced from € 10 to € 8, was the swallow brooch. The French speaking seller asked me for the Flemish translation of the delightful French word for swallow, hirondelle. In case you are interested, it is zwaluw, which clearly has the same origins as the English word!


I also picked up several cards of vintage buttons for € 1 per card, which will join my ever-growing stash (one could call it a collection in itself) of vintage buttons.

This ceramic girl's head on a wooden plaque caught my eye as well. Someone had pencilled the word slaapkamer (bedroom) on the back, so I suspect it once, back in the early 1960s perhaps, graced the wall of a young girl's bedroom, next to a photo of her favourite pop group or singer!



I have one more purchase to show you, and this might well be my favourite.

I couldn't believe that these two small brass Art Nouveau photo frames were only € 5 each. One is sadly missing its glass, but that can easily be replaced.



Look how exquisitely decorated they are!

I was amazed to see that the lady in the left one, who has her back turned to us, even has a little face on the side which is hidden from view. How sweet is that?

It's the frame with the missing glass, so her face would probably be reflected in the glass if it were there. It wasn't easy to take a photograph and I actually had to shine a torch on it in order to do so.




The frames did not remain empty for long and with a glut of old family photographs to choose from, I selected one of Great Aunt Josephine (of leopard coat fame) and her husband and one of my maternal grandparents.

Which one is your favourite?

26 comments:

  1. Goodness didn't you do well! I love the frame, hat and brooches.

    Sorry you weren't feeling well, I hope you're feeling better now xxx

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    1. I'm feeling much better now, thanks Melanie! xxx

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  2. Hope you are feeling better soon! Those Art Nouveau frames are gorgeous! Another lovely selection of brooches, and I love your decision to wear the plain green belt with your dress, it looks great! Well done on Spring themed clothing, the weather has changed here already! xxx

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    1. Thank you Claire, and Spring has finally arrived here too! xxx

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  3. That brooch is the perfect match for your floral dress. You must have a truly enviable collection of brooches now. Those buttons were a great find, too.

    I hope the cold sore is gone by now, they really are horrid things. Take care of yourself!

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    1. Thankfully the cold sore has gone! As for my collection of brooches, I've just done a post on them! xxx

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  4. my fav ist your black&green graphic print dress! soooo chic!
    i hope you feel better by now! next time a cold sore is coming try "rescue creme" with bach flowers - me is helping this big time.
    swallow are "schwalbe" in german. all this languages have the same root....
    i wish you a wonderful and sunny weekend!!! hugs! xxxxxx

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    1. Thanks for the tip on rescue cream, Beate. Although I am using rescue remedy, I haven't tried the cream before. xxx

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  5. I hope you're feeling better now and the horrid cold sore has gone. My mum suffers from them and always feels really down when she gets one.

    Look at all those buttons and €1 for each card, well you got a bargain there! That blue flower brooch at the top right of your 9 brooches is a 1930s one. They go for about £10 in the UK. I'm yet to find one in decent enough condition that I'd consider buying it, but yours is lovely! xx

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    1. I was actually thinking of you when I was buying the buttons, Cate. And thanks for enlightening me on that Gentian brooch. I did think it looked 1930-ish. It's not in perfect condition, as some of the stamen are missing ... xxx

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  6. I do hope you are feeling better now, cold sores are a sure sign you are run down. As ever you have made some gorgeous purchases, but no bags?? Ann you are slipping! ;-)

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    1. I know! Isn't it dreadful? I'm running out of storage space though, and I'm on the lookout for nice red one, which I don't have yet. xxx

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  7. I hope you feel better! I do love that ceramic girls head

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  8. It's easy to get run down at this time of year, I hope that you've been resting and will have more of a spring in your step soon! Lovely finds, those frames are so beautiful x

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    1. Some rest and a bit of Spring weather have done the trick! xxx

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  9. Well you look fabulous even if you weren't feeling it. Jon's been struggling all week and it looks like I've caught his lurgy this morning - just what we need with a 4am get up and a 3 hour drive ahead of us tomorrow morning!!!
    Great finds. I love vintage buttons even if I don't know how to sew buttonholes!! xxx

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    1. Thank you Vix. Over the years, I've become an expert in "camouflage". Hope you and Jon are feeling better! xxx

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  10. I adore your dress and cardie combos even if you weren't feeling so good, you look amazing! You did well at the market- so many nice brooches and the art deco pics were a steal!!!!
    Thank you so much for all your lovely messages Ann, I really appreciate it!xx

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    1. Thank you Kezzie. I'm not letting a silly cold sore get me down! And thank you for your lovely comments, too! xxx

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  11. I do hope you are feeling better. Good news is the good weather must be on it's way up to you in the Northern Hemisphere because down here in the Southern things are changing. We have had so much RAIN of late. Summer has definitely gone, Autumn is creeping in so next stop for us is WINTER! Love those little frames, oh and the buttons. You do find some good stuff!!

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    1. Much better, and anyway it was nothing compared to two broken toes! Meanwhile, Spring is definitely on its way here, which is more than welcome after all the rain. xxx

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  12. Those brass Art Nouveau frames are dreamy, what a brilliant find. I also rather like the bedroom door plaque...her hairstyle is very 1950's, I can imagine her in a circular skirt and bobbysox. You look fab in that gorgeous Diolen frock even if you were feeling grotty, hope you are better now. xx

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    1. Thank you Fiona. That girl's head plaque reminds me of vintage Barbie dolls of the late 1950s, early 1960s, with their ponytails. xxx

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  13. Even if you don't feel very sparkly, you look pretty fabulous in your beautiful dresses!. Lovely prints (both of them!), lovely matching cardigans and lovely brooches and accessories!
    Such amazing purchases!. Actually, your brooches caught my eye inmediately (I'm like a magpie!) and I admire your collection!. And those buttons!.
    Those decó frames are really amazing, and I love that you put a photo of your aunt 'of leopard coat fame' (mwahaha)
    besos

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    1. Thank you Monica! I am definitely a magpie too! xxx

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