Yay! The sun's out and there's a huge smile on my face.
I expect that like everybody else who's ever visited Greece, I've day-dreamed about restoring in a crumbling old house with its own olive grove. As Lidl are currently selling olive trees for just £2.99 I thought I'd recreate my Greek fantasy in Walsall (I've already got the crumbling house) although, after reading the advice on the packaging, I'll be in my sixties by the time these trees are mature enough to bear fruit.
Talking of Lidl (and if it's a name you aren't familiar with them, it's a German discount supermarket) I found the black cotton braided maxi dress I'm wearing in a charity shop last week. It had its original tags attached but I hadn't got my specs with me so couldn't read the label. When I got home and looked properly I discovered it was a range of clothes sold in Lidl in 2017 and designed by Heidi Klum (a top German model apparently). It cost me £1.99 but was only £12.99 to start off with.
To be honest it's not the best made dress in the world - the waist sits in a peculiar place even when I adjust the shoulder straps and the cotton lining finishes just below my knickers and seems to serve no other purpose than to twist around and annoy me (I'll be taking the scissors to it later) but it's fine for gardening and it's nice to find a modern UK size 8 in a charity shop that isn't a micro-mini or a bandage dress.
Just 'cos the sun's out doesn't mean I've put my boots away. As a bit of an old hippy I garden in my bare feet as it makes me feel more connected with the earth but, if I need to venture from my container garden further into the wilderness, I need something to protect my feet. These aubergine beauties were £3 in the charity clearance shop last week - unfortunately the maker's name has rubbed off but the quality of the leather is great and they're leather lined, too.
Here's the other details - some vintage Ted Lapidus sunglasses bought from a charity shop in 2008, an Indian tribal pendant found at a car boot sale in 2014, Tibetan silver dragon hair stick (holding my bun in place) bought from the infamous Anjuna Flea Market in Goa back in 2001 and a pair of Indian earrings found in a charity shop in 2012.
We went to a car boot sale yesterday and look what I got, three more handmade Green Man plaques from the same lady who made the one I already own (three for £5 - bargain!). It had been four years since I bought the last one but she remembered me. As my Mum always used to say about me, once seen, never forgotten.
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| WEARING: Heidi Klum maxi (£1.99, charity shop), Vintage silk scarf kimono (made by me) |
If you want to make one of these scarf kimonos then Monica's shared a brilliant tutorial on her blog HERE.
It's Gilbert's MOT tomorrow - keep everything crossed - we've got a road trip planned for Wednesday!
It's Gilbert's MOT tomorrow - keep everything crossed - we've got a road trip planned for Wednesday!
See you soon.
Heidi Klum's partner is Seal. Remember him? Oh yes!
ReplyDeleteI remember this dress being advertised in Lidl's brochure. It looks lovely on you and I love your boots. They have what looks like a little pocket on them. Fab!
Good luck with the olive trees if we continue to have such warm summers as we did last year I bet they start bearing fruits before you know it. Even if they don't the foliage is beautiful.
Fingers crossed for Gilbert's MOT.
Have a great week
xxxx
WAS seal - its long over :-D xxxx
DeleteI've seen Seal live twice and never knew about his wife/ex-wife. I clearly need to start reading celeb magazines next time I'm in the family planning clinic (the dentist never has any)! I found a link to the Heidi Klum range that dress was from. What a lovely selection of clothes. Not the greatest of quality but definitely worth seeking out in charity shops, the full length kimono looked wonderful. xxx
DeleteWell your very own olive grove will be worth waiting for I'm sure! I've been attacking the garden again, still not in any fit state to share photos. Chris is currently adding coping stones to our back wall with a friend's help. Then we can paint the wall and that should make a huge difference in helping our garden look less shabby! I'm absolutely loving that garden people book you recommended by the way, thanks for the recommendation xx
ReplyDeleteI love coping stones, that wall is going to look wonderful. Thank goodness Chris has a friend to help, I wouldn't fancy tackling that job alone!
DeleteIsn't that book wonderful? I'm transfixed by the photos. xxx
I love the idea that you have your own olive grove! I've never seen an olive tree for sale here. Your boots and green man plaques are a great find. I just love going out every day and seeing what is growing - my tomatoes are about to bloom and the peas are twice the size as when I planted them just a couple of weeks ago. It does appear that I will definitely be in the strawberries this year (unless Monsieur Rat finds them)
ReplyDeleteI love checking what's happening in my garden, too. there's a few new shoots on the olives already. They're pretty hardy but need to be taken indoors when it hits -10 (not that common here, thank goodness!) xxx
DeleteFingers crossed for Gilbert!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Laura! He failed but Jon's almost there now! x
DeleteCracking greenmen Vix. I've got ahem a few sprinkled around GBT both inside and out!
ReplyDeleteArilx
Aren't they ace? x
DeleteThat supermarket special looks just the ticket for going out into one's own garden. I'm shopping in my closet for nighties that can be worn when breakfasting on my semi-public patio, and the scarf kimono looks very doable. Thanks for the link! * And good luck to dear old Gilbert, who has a full summer calendar ahead!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea with the nighties, Beth. This is just the thing for pottering around the garden and looking respectable enough if any passers-by spot me! x
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ReplyDeleteI'd be more than happy for you to fly me to Mumbai, it's my favourite city in the whole world. Not so sure about needing an escort while I'm there, I know it like the back of my hand.
Deleteremember this dresses @lidl - *cool garden dress...extremely flimsy* i thought - but bought 2.hand... fab!
ReplyDeletewish you luck with the olive trees! in a few years you will need an orangerie if the winters of england gets stricter because of the weak gulf stream..... ;-D
how went gilbert´s MOT? i´m sure he´s fit thanx to jon!
xxxx
Exactly - I'd never buy new but for a couple of quid and the money going to a local hospice? It would be rude not to!
DeleteI'm hoping we get around to reinstalling a similar porch which we've seen on photos of the house pre-1950 - that should be ideal for overwintering the olive trees. xxx
I never thought I'd see the day when you were wearing a Lidl dress ;-) Oh, well, it IS perfect for gardening. And that's my excuse as well, when I succumb to what turns out to be a shoddily made frock! Love those Green Man plaques! xxx
ReplyDeleteI know - who'd have thought it? Can't go wrong with a cotton sundress tho' even if it is Lidl! xxx
DeleteIt always dismays me when I find pieces with their tags still attached while thrifting. At least you're wearing the dress. I hate to think about brand new items finding their way to the garbage heap without ever having been worn.
ReplyDeleteBest of luck with Gilbert!
Suzanne
http://www.suzannecarillo.com
I do find a lot of vintage stuff with the labels still attached which makes me very sad, the original owner must have saved it for best and never got invited to the right place. xxx
DeleteI hope Gilbert is OK!
ReplyDeleteAnother black dress Vix, black suits you. The boots look familiar, I think they might be by Fly London? Could be wrong. They're lovely either way.
xx
Thanks, Hazel. He failed but Jon should have him ready for the retest tomorrow.
DeleteThat aubergine colour is very Fly, London. You could be right! x
Oh those Green Men are just gorgeous. I have a cross stitch pattern for one very similar to the round one which I am thinking of doing.
ReplyDeleteHugs-x-
I love a Green Man (or four)! looking forward to seeing your cross stitch! x
Deletegood old Lidl, my favourite store. Maxi looks like a bargain and the hand made kaftan is really pretty. I can never get lengths of material big enough to do one, must be more imaginative about what qualifies as material!
ReplyDeleteLidl's great, what would we do without it? Their cheese is always good.
DeleteThe dress is a perfect gardening dress, there was a kimono in the same collection - I've seen it on eBay. It'll be fab for travelling if you could find it at a good price! x
I'm familiar with Lidl, there are tons of their shops in Croatia. The one closest to my house has the biggest cat I've ever seen stationed next to it, I even bought it food last time I was in Lidl. I should take a photo some day, it's really a collosal cat and a she cat at that. I do remember Lidl also make clothes, once a friend asked me to pick something up for her but I forgot or couldn't find it, I don't remember. That black dress looks nice, shame about the waist but good you found a way to fix it and use it for gardening. How fabulous you bought and planted olive trees! I should do the same. I do stop by Lidl sometimes because their offer varies, and sometimes you can find nice Italian, Greek or etc products. It's nice to try something new.
ReplyDeleteThat made me laugh, I'd love to see a photo of the world's biggest cat now!!
DeleteLidl is great, isn't it? We see them in Greece, too. I love their Greek range of food and often wonder if the Greek stores have an English food week! x
That dress is absolutely stunning! I always wish I could find a nice maxi dress at my local thrift store, but I can never find one that looks right as they are usually too long for me. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete-Jenna ♥
Stay in touch? The Chic Cupcake
I'm only 5 foot three and a bit and the vintage ones are usually the right length. This modern one is a bit too long! Nice to meet you. x
DeleteI hope the MOT went well.
ReplyDeleteI have a little olive tree though it isn't exactly thriving. (Probably needs a bigger pot.) Still, they're nice things to own - like you, we got it for the holiday memories.
That dragon hair stick is ace!
It failed but I'm sure Jon can fix him! He's a VW ace after all these years!
DeleteOne of my friends had an ailing olive tree which her husband vigorously pruned, much to her distress. last year. It's now 8 foot tall.
Can you believe that I lost that hair stick when I was out walking the backwaters of Kerala a few years ago? I found it days later in the branches of a tree! x
Isn't this weather amazing? A bit worrying, but very welcome after all the cold and rain recently. Your baby olive trees are so sweet. I know that they do take ages to grow but are definitely worth it. In 10 years it will probably be totally tropical in Walsall so you will be inundated with fruit. That dress looks great on. Heidi Klum hosted Project Runway, if you have ever seen it. I remember that range of stuff, lots of leopard and sequins but I never bought any even if it was right up my street. The thermals are good from Lidl.
ReplyDeleteI really hope that Gilbert got over his recent loss and has sailed through his MOT. You really miss them when they are off the road don't you and Gilbert looks like such a character. Xx
It's fab, isn't it? Can't believe parts of Scotland are enjoying +26°C - jealous!
DeleteNever seen Project Runway, not sure it's on normal telly, but did come across a pair of Birkenstocks she'd designed on Ebay. The Heidi Klum collection this dress came from looked lovely on a website I found, there was a black fringed kimono that looked amazing not sure what it's like in reality! x
I'm fascinated by the thought of growing olive trees. It would never work in my climate, but I'll be interested to see how yours do over the years.
ReplyDeleteObviously they're commonplace in the Med but they fare pretty well here - if only for ornamental purposes. they can withstand drought (perfect for those weeks we're trading at festivals) and can cope with temperatures as low as -10°C - fortunately we don't often get them! x
DeleteHope Gilbert passed the MOT with flying colours. I have an olive tree in my garden that bears fruit that was given as a small one a few years ago , not sure how many possible 10 , so you will see fruit. All I need is to brine them properly so they keep.Your garden is enjoying your weather.
ReplyDeleteHow exciting that you have an olive tree that bears fruit, there's hope for mine after all! x
DeleteWhat a lovely idea to create your own olive grove. I've heard that olive trees never die (unless you pull them out).
ReplyDeleteI enjoy a bit of gardening too, but I couldn't do it bare foot. I must be a bit precious! Ha! X
I think they're pretty hardy, the Greeks have long periods of drought and winters as cold as ours - I'll let you know! x
Deletemwhaha, thanks for the link!, it's a pleasure to share my (little) skills!
ReplyDeleteAnd you look lovely in your hippietastic ensemble for gardening. This dress looks nice and the hemline is cute, it's shocking to find something made from Lidl in a charity!. And your kimono is gorgeous!, love its color and fab floral print!, You totally Rock!!
besos
I made my kimono up as I went along and never scribbled down any notes, I'm so glad you did! xxx
DeleteBack in black, I see. But surrounding it in color. And olive treelets. How cool to have your very own olive groove, I mean grove. And pockets in your boots. I wonder want you'll put in there? hmmm.
ReplyDeleteI'll let you know how cool my olive grove is when I'm 65!
DeleteNot that keen on pockets in clothes (I know, weird woman) but pockets in boots? Now you're talking! x
I really love your Green Man plaques. The olive trees will take ages but they're lovely, so worth it!
ReplyDeleteYou look very relaxed in the sunshine :) xxx
They're great, aren't they? She can't be making much money selling them so cheaply! x
DeleteSince I have been on a clothes buying restriction, when I do look in stores, I notice how cheap so many are made. I definitely will be revisiting thrift and second had stores once i start replacing items. The dress is cute though.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sam! The dress is just fine for wearing around the house although I don't fancy its chances in the washing machine, we'll have to see.
DeleteMost modern clothes are terrible quality - unless you can afford designer and a lot of the time they're made in the same Asian sweatshops anyway. Secondhand is the way to go and when they're from charity shops at least the money you spend is serving a useful purpose as opposed to some hideous corporate business. x
I remember seeing the Heidi Klum items!!! Shame it isn't the best quality but you rock it marvellously! We have a lovely Olive Tree in our garden but CBC always thinks it is ill!!! We want more fruit trees now! A dwarf plum, cherry and pear please!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kezzie! When I Googled the collection I could see why people went mad for it, there were some lovely things but, unlike Lidl's food and plants the quality isn't great.
DeleteA friend of mine had a sickly olive tree which her husband pruned vigorously last year, now it's eight foot tall and the picture of health (she lives in London, not the Med!) x
What a lovely idea to have your own olive grove! I may actually make it over there for a visit by the time they bear fruit ;) The "Green Men" plaques are fun - you have an delightful garden.
ReplyDeleteIt's a date (or should I say, an olive?) xxx
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