What a difference a week makes! From coatless wanderings and al fresco dining we're back in our thermals with the wood burner blazing away. Not in the mood for posing in sub-zero temperatures, I've done flatlays of my outfits on the bathroom floor instead.....and, as you can see from all the old favourites, I'm still sticking with my capsule wardrobe.
Saturday: Lucky Brand dungarees, Clarks slippers and a Part II poloneck (all charity shopped) plus a me-made crochet cardi for a day of laundry, housework and a big blog catch-up
Sunday: Indian block printed midi dress (Dilly Grey), wool fedora (Monsoon) worn with Clarks boots, a vintage leather belt and bag (all charity shopped) for a trip to the clearance chazza and an afternoon of eBay listings.
Monday: Indian block printed maxi dress (Dilli Grey), tribal pendant (India), Reiss wool fedora (eBay), leather boots (Urban Outfitters) and a Nardelli snakeskin bag (charity shop) for a morning of charity shopping and an afternoon of laundry and eBay listing.
Tuesday: Block printed Indian cotton midi dress (All about Aud) worn with Celtic & Co boots, cable knit bobble hat and charity shopped suede bag for swimming, a Spoons' breakfast and an afternoon spent in the garden taking stock photos.
Wednesday: Vintage Afghan dress & tooled leather bag (both ebay) worn with a merino wool polo neck, Timberland boots and a vintage belt (all charity shopped) visiting the dentist and assisting with a market research project.
Thursday: Vintage Phool dress (Second to None) worn with a recycled silk & hemp bag (Beautiful Days festival), vintage sheepskin hat and Docs (charity shop finds) to walk into town in a snowstorm, swimming, breakfast in Spoons and an afternoon of reading.
Friday: Vintage Collier Campbell for Liberty, London wool maxi dress, original 1960s Afghan coat, vintage sheepskin hat, tribals pendant and my trusty Doc Martens for a morning of charity shopping and an afternoon of repotting houseplants and wrapping ebay parcels. Hoorah for a balmy 3°C and some sunshine! (I'll try not to think about -6°C forecast for the Midlands later.)
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Charity shop finds this week have included: Joe Bloggs 1990s Madchester-era denim jacket; 1970s pearl-trimmed jumper; Fred Perry cropped polo shirt; Hawkins tweed flat cap; Tommy Hilfiger Madras check shorts; 1980s leather trousers; 1980s Indian cotton kaftan; 1970s Sacs leather bag; 1980s suede Western-style waistcoat; 1970s green leather clutch bag; 1980s track top; 1960s Dhobi raincoat; Fratelli Talli, Firenze cossack hat; 1980s Nigel Rayment hat.
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Brora alpaca jumper; 1980s shaggy handknit; Lambswool tank top; Ben Sherman official Team GB jacket (new with tags); 1980s workwear dungarees (new with tags); Weekend Offender rude boy button down; 1970s Oats, Hong Kong denim jacket; Farah bomber jacket; 1980s The Woolly Pulley all-wool jumper; G Star Raw denim jacket; 1990s Nike shell top; 1980s West German-made dagger collar shirt.
The keepers are these high waisted shorts (£2) by Australian denim label Abrand and this Zara "Safia" swirly mini dress with the tags still attached (£3). The Boden linen blouse (£3) was a charity shop find before we went away and the first time I'd tried it on. These new additions inspired me to have a massive trying-on session and quite a ruthless cull. I'm an absolute sod for buying potential summer clothes in charity shops. Honestly, I'd have to go on even more holidays than I already do to get my wear from all this strappy & skimpy gear I keep coming home with.
Here's this week's £1.50 Waste Not box from Lidl. So far we've had black grapes and bananas with Lidl's full fat Greek yoghurt for several breakfasts, I've baked a banana & Old Jamaica loaf, Jon's made a mushroom and pepper Punjabi tikka accompanied by aloo chat, we've roasted parsnips, potatoes and carrots to accompany a reduced to clear Lidl Curried Chickpea pie and I've made a mushroom, leek and Feta pasta bake.
The most exciting news this week is the arrival of my varifocals which I can wear all day. Talk about a game changer! No more scrabbling about in my bag to find my reading glasses every time I need to look at a price ticket, a text message or a menu and no more tripping up over my feet when I forget to take them off when I've finished with them. My Pupillary Distance (PD) is freakishly small (52) so I'm quite limited with my choice of frames but after some dedicated hunting I found two pairs matching my measurements and Specsavers glazed them with my prescription.
UPDATED: Here's the link to the site I used, the company is in China but delivery took less than a fortnight and the quality of the frames is excellent.
The lower pair are reaction lens and that's another revelation - no more rummaging in my bag for sunglasses! I've worn my varifocals continually for a week (as per Specsavers' instructions) and they've been amazing, none of the problems with vision or nausea that many first timers report.
Have a fabulous weekend and see you on the other side!
I need to do a cull too -- it's not something I have a hard time doing. I love those frames and have been trying to find some like that. My pd is 54, so most of the funky frames are too big!
ReplyDeleteI need to pass my culled stuff on to friends or list on ebay as soon as I do it or I sneak it back into the holiday suitcase all over again!
DeleteI thought I was going to have to settle for "normal" glasses, that goodness there's still a few pairs of funky ones out there for us weird-eyed women! xxx
Oh Vix, those glasses, be still my beating heart, where did you get them? I need a second pair of glasses (since if I break mine I can't drive, or function really with my short sightedness) I'd love some funky ones like those! I love the flat lays, although not as much as the real life modelled shots. I notice you change your bag each day, do you have a special trick/method for doing that quickly? I have a massive collection of bags, but there's no way I'd think of changing my bag daily, and maybe it's just because I carry so much (mumlife) but any tips gratefully received.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much,. Louise! I know you're a fellow lover of cool and quirky glasses. I bought mine from Vooglam - they're in China but arrived in less than a fortnight and the opticians were really impressed with the quality. Specsavers wrote down my eye measurement/PD and bridge size so I was able to search using the measurements.
DeleteI've got a woven basket from Wilko in the bedroom (I think they're for plants). I take my bag upstairs when I get in and tip the contents straight into the basket so it's all to hand the following day! I'm a bit like the late Queen - I don't carry much around with me! xxx
My goodness those certainly are eye-catching frames! I converted to varifocals some years ago and took to them from day one. Couldn't do without them now, though I have to pay top dollar for my specs because my prescription is so strong and my lenses need slimmed down to the max otherwise I'd be just as well wearing beer bottle bottoms! Picture THAT!! Have a great weekend.xxx
ReplyDeleteJon's prescriptions are strong ones and like you he took to them straight away. Far better to pay top dollar than go for the beer bottle look, I balked at the price but if you've got to wear them all them time it's not worth compromising, is it? Have a fab weekend yourself, lovely lady! xxx
DeleteLove the new frames! bet you won't see too many pairs like that around.
ReplyDeleteDrat,it keeps putting me in as anonymous. Sorry,Echdhu)
DeleteThanks for leaving a name, Echdhu! I've had so many compliments on the frames this week! xxx
DeleteThose frames are beyond gorgeous and suit you perfectly. Lucky girl being able to wear varifocals, I get nausea just thinking about the one pair I tried to get used to. But I am a pathetic wimp - rocking chair, garden swing seat, anything that moves makes me feel very ill.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder I am probably soon due an eye test.
Thanks so much, Jayne! I wasn't sure if I'd get on with the varifocals, I'd heard so many horror stories but I absolutely love them. It's so freeing not to have to keep hunting for my readers! xxx
DeleteHi vix I love your new specs, I need some too so will be checking out your linky when I get home. The cossack hat on your chazza finds is a beauty and all your outfits look so well coordinated. I would love a wood burner, it's almost worth my moving house to accommodate one! Stay warm and cosy, hope thst snow is soon gone. Betty x
ReplyDeleteMorning Betty! Thanks very much, I'm so happy with my new specs, it'll be so much better not having to squeeze normal sunglasses, reading glasses and prescription sunglasses into my travel bag in future! We're so glad of that wood burner, saves having to put the heating on. Enjoy Kerala! xxx
DeleteYour glasses are absolutely fab! They suit you perfectly. One of my other friends bought some frames when she was in New York recently. They weren't cheap, but they look great. When you have to wear something all the time, it's important to get something you're happy with. They become part of your face. I'm thinking of upgrading my readers because I have to wear them such a lot these days.
ReplyDeleteThe Zara minidress looks incredible on you. I'm so glad I'm not the only one fantasy shopping for Summer all year round. I bought another cotton sundress from the chazza just the other day, and I've had a massive cull too. I feel inspired to go back and re-read your capsule wardrobe post again. Xxx
It's Annie! Xxx
DeleteHi Annie! Those were my sentiments exactly, there's no point in compromising if it's something you have to wear all the time. Vooglam have some brilliant frames if you can't find anything in the high street opticians.
DeleteIn my head I think I live on a tropical island what with all the bikinis, sandals and strappy dresses I own. The colourful summer clothes are so much more eye catching than the dull winter ones in the chazzas, aren't they? xxx
The only issue l find is singing while driving. When you open your mouth wide and throw back your head for the big notes, your vision alters! Emma Kate xx
ReplyDeleteThat made me laugh, Emma Kate! I don't drive so I'll never have that problem! xxx
DeleteFabulous flat lays, but even more fabulous glasses! I love them! xxx
ReplyDeleteThanks, Claire! There was no way I was prepared to compromise with sensible looking specs! xxx
DeleteThank you, thank you, thank you for the link to the funky spec site. Whenever I'm in London and pass a fashionable optician and see all the interesting and different frames on offer I tell myself one day I'll remember to bring my prescription and make the time to book an appointment and get a pair of really unusual frames, despite the outrageous pricing. Now I don't have to. I should really have varifocals but I can't get on with them, but I'm very glad you can... and the styles look amazing on you.
ReplyDeleteLaying out your clothes on the floor actually makes it easier to see how effectively you're combining colours, prints and textures. I desperately want the orange and green wide brimmed hat you found in your latest foray, but 99 out of 100 women's hats don't fit me. Orange, green and purple has always been my favourite colour combination and you don't see them together in enough clothing.
My pleasure! Be warned, you'll probably lose hours perusing that website. In a way it's probably a good thing that my choice is limited by my PD or I'd never have been able to make my mind up. I went for the more expensive varifocals which I was told, are a lot easier to get along with than the standard type - not cheap but I can't tell you how liberating it is not to have to constantly take my glasses on and off or have that dreadful sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when i leave the house and realise I've left my glasses behind.
DeleteThat hat drew my eye instantly, it would steal the show at Royal Ascot! xxx
Spec-tacular frames, only you could pull them off with such panache, and yay ... now you can see clearly.
ReplyDeleteYour 'flatlays' make me laugh, I always think that it looks as though you have been 'beamed up' and left all your clothes behind!!
It's brilliant being able to see, I love it! There was no way I could compromise with a "normal" pair of specs, I was so excited to find that website.
DeleteI do look like i've been beamed up, don't I? There's a vintage seller who always displays her stock like that, I can look at her website for hours! xxx
I'm the same with Summer clothing! I just have stacks of it!!! Your new glasses are great!! I loved the flatlays and I was interested to read your comment above about the swapping of handbags!
ReplyDeleteThere have been no Waste Not boxes in the school Lidl when I looked! X
Summer clothes are so much prettier, aren't they?
DeleteHaving something to tip the contents of your bag every day really does work, no scrabbling around at the last minute hunting for my purse or brolly!
Thursday was a good day for veg boxes this week, Lidl was like a ghost town because of the snow so I was spoiled for choice. xxx
Hi Vix. Loving the flat lays and the new specs! A fellow vari-focal wearer here and wouldn't be without them. Also took to them straight away like you. Mine are High Street but o/h got his off the internet a lot cheaper and are great. Veg box envy here! We are just back from a trippette to Birmingham today for the first time in ages (No Yardbird?) and did get a huge bowl of grapes from the fabulous outdoor market for £1. (and had a cheeky drink in the Old Contemptibles!) Roll on the summer and you can wear all those clothes. Louise (Midlands)
ReplyDeleteHello, Louise! Hooray for varifocals, I can't believe what a difference they've made to my life. Specsavers usually have some lovely frames but nothing quite hit the mark this time.
DeleteI'd been in Lidl earlier in the week and there wasn't a veg box to be had, Thursday morning was like a ghost town what with all the dreaded white stuff so I was spoilt for choice.
Good old Birmingham market, I often used to get the bus home with a bag of bargain veg! I love the OCs, it's such a friendly pub. I haven't popped in since I met my Friend Annie when the Commonwealth Games was on, there were so many nationalities in there having a drink it felt like we were on holiday! xxx
I'm loving your flatlays, and have to look out for suitable floor space to do the same on those days when it's too cold and/or wet to pose for outfit photos!
ReplyDeleteYour new glasses are fabulous, and welcome to the varifocals club! I had a bit of a problem adjusting to mine back in 2019, but I presume that it was due to the fact that my first day wearing them was an office day and I was on the computer for most of it. Anyway, I couldn't live without them now, although I guess I'm due a new prescription soon.
I had to laugh when I saw your post title, as I used exactly the same one when I introduced by new glasses :-) xxx
You'd just had your varifocals the last time we met up, hadn't you? I thought mine would take ages to get used to and I did struggle with the PC and reading for the first day but now they're utterly brilliant, I've even been embroidering this afternoon (something I've not done since i was at junior school!)
DeleteOnce you'd found floor space flatlays are great fun, both for showcasing what you've worn and for trying out new combinations. xxx
Great outfits!
ReplyDeleteThank you! x
DeleteTrifocals literally changed my life. Simple things like looking down at the speedometer when driving and then back up at the road is something I no longer need to think about. You managed to find beautiful frames as well.
ReplyDeleteHope the snow melts quickly and you can be into your summer clothing soon.
I don't drive but I can imagine your trifocals must have made a huge difference to you! I love being able to put my glasses on when I leave the house and keep them on all day, it's just amazing!
DeleteThe snow has all but gone this morning, hooray! xxx
If you have time, could you share with how you organize your clothes.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on and stay safe
Thanks for the question, Dora, I'll add it to my next post. x
DeleteThose glasses really suit your style! Can you tell us what banana and Old Jamaica loaf is? I'm an American who has never heard of it, though perhaps I would know it by another name, just as we say "multifocals" here instead of "varifocals." :)
ReplyDeleteEmily
Hello Emily and thank you! I love how we speak the same language but so many of our words are different. Multifocals and trifocals - which a previous commenter just mentioned arte both new to me. Old Jamaica is a Cadbury's chocolate bar consisting of dark chocolate, rum and raisins, I make banana bread but substitute the sugar with grated chocolate instead. xxx
DeleteThank you, Vix. That sounds delicious. While I was waiting for you to respond, I looked up "old Jamaica" on Google and learned it is a brand of ginger beer, which made me wonder if there are recipes for banana bread that include ginger beer. It turns out that there are! And there are also banana bread recipes that use rum, lime, and coconut. All of these variations sound delightfully tropical to me, including your version with the Cadbury's bar. I never did like an ordinary banana bread, so I may have to try some of these intriguing variations. Take care. -Emily
DeleteHello again, E$mily! I'm glad you spotted my reply. I'm loving the sound of banana bread with ginger beer or rum, lime and coconut, you've inspired me to try something different next ime I have a surfeit of bananas. Plain banana bread's a bit too stodgy, isn't it? xxx
DeleteThat London maxi wool dress is a dream. I absolutely love your cozy styling.
ReplyDeleteThe weather is hard to predict, isn't it? The temperatures are all over the place.
I really like the high waisted shorts and the mini green dress. Both look fabulous on you and will be perfect once it warms up.
Thanks, Ivana! March always seems the trickiest month weather-wise, its so unpredictable. xxx
DeleteThose glasses.. I love them! All the prints of your dresses are also so pretty.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Hena! x
DeleteHello from wet and windy north west Lancashire, that’s some lovely flatlays you’ve put together their missus and I’m loving the new glasses. We were completely snowed in on Friday couldn’t even open the door. Roll on spring xxx
ReplyDeleteHello, Northerners! Not much better here although we didn't get as much snow as you, thank goodness! xxx
DeleteThe new specs are fabulous! I've always been a bit nervous of buying frames on line; worried about the fit in particular but as you've had such a positive experience I'll give it go when I next need an update to my prescription.
ReplyDeleteWonderful outfits - shit weather - the crochet cardigan is brilliant. Love the flat lay settings. The Dilli Grey dresses are amazing and as for the Collier Campbell one; oh my! I loved the Boden linen chequered top and the fab green mini dress - roll on summer so you get some wear out of them!
Have you ever thought about living in a warmer climate as you love the sun so much?
xxx
Thanks, Vronni! A couple of the Specsavers staff were so impressed with the quality of those frames they've ordered some for themselves!
DeleteThe weather's been truly awful, hasn't it? Its been such a struggle to motivate myself this week, I've not even bothered going further than the garden gate today.
It's always been the dream to live somewhere hotter and sunnier than the UK and Brex**it will not stop us, we will do it! xxx
Great new shades, Vix! Brrr, I am shivering with you at the thought of -6 and snow! Glad you are staying warm in your long dresses. Love those tall Docs too - they are the best in the snow and ice! Wonderful finds in the chazzas as always! Love that 80s hat!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sheila! Hooray for Docs, I feel invincible walking in the snow and ice in them!
DeleteThat 1980s hat is something else, you'd never get lost in it! xxx
Hello vix ,it's Eileen not on Facebook at the moment ,I have been wearing varifocals for years now wouldn't be without them I didn't have any side effects either ,love love love the frames xx
ReplyDeleteEileen! It's lovely to hear from you, I was wondering why I'd not seen you on Facebook. Another varifocal success story! I'm delighted with mine. Hope you and the family are okay. xxx
DeleteI can't deal with Facebook at the moment got things going on got an urgent referral to neurology next week because of an abnormal emg study looks like I might have answers that I have been looking for for years xx
DeleteFingers crossed that you finally get some answers. Do stay in touch, I've missed you. xxx
DeleteThanks vix xx
ReplyDeleteHello Vix, oh aren't those glasses fab! They really suit you. Such a relief to have new glasses. Very snow chic too m' luverly x
ReplyDeleteI'm loving the specs. Thanks Lulu! xxx
DeleteI love your new eyeglasses! I have to stick with smaller sized frames as my prescription is so strong (and an astigmatism) that lens that size would fall off my face.
ReplyDeleteI was determined to have the biggest glasses possible for my PD even if it did mean ordering them from China! xxx
Delete