Friday 24 May 2024

Buying, Wearing, Doing



Hello! Hope all's good in your world.


On Tuesday, for swimming, a 'Spoons breakfast and a quick whizz around the town centre chazzas I wore a Seventies Soul Indian block printed maxi dress with a vintage Indian woolwork waistcoat and my Teva flatforms. The Evil Eye bronze and enamel earrings I bought from a swanky artisan boutique in Athens got lots of love.


About to leave one of the charity shops Jon spotted one of the volunteers carrying something out of the stockroom and sent me over to have a look.....


Be still my beating heart! A green cotton velvet maxi dress with Mediaeval sleeves to die for from the iconic British Boutique label, Quad, who created dreamy dresses inspired by history in the late 1960s. As always, I asked the volunteer if it had just been donated and if so, was there anything else from the same source, to my absolute joy the answer was yes....a matching maxi length hooded cloak, also from Quad. The cloak was draped in cobwebs, it's probably been in someone's attic for 55 years!

By the way, the chazza concerned was the £2.99 or less shop so the combined cost was £5.98! 


When we got home Jon cracked on with the decorating while I flitted between the Kinky Shed & the festival tent, filling the rails with stock. When Jon called me in for tea I discovered that I'd been walking back and forth for over four and a half hours and had worn a patch in the lawn... I slept rather well that night!



After almost a week of sunshine and heat, the weather reverted to type on Tuesday night and rained incessantly for the next 24 hours. I spent Wednesday morning ironing the festival stock. My mum, who was even less domesticated than me, enjoyed ironing and I do, too - which is just as well as, by lunchtime, I'd ironed over 200 garments! 


I spotted these Levi's "Premium Denim" Mile High Super Skinny jeans in Banardo's last week. Back in the early noughties I lived in my TopShop Baxter low rise skinnies which looked great but, not having much in the way of hips, I was forever having to hoist the damn things up. These ultra high waisted jeans fit like a dream and are absurdly comfy - they're currently £110 on the Levi's website, I paid a tenner. The Free People "Regina" Indian cotton bodysuit was a £15 Vinted find and originally retailed at $168! Free People can be very hit and miss, some of their stuff is amazing quality (like this top) while some of it is made in China and horribly synthetic, a case of style over substance. The vintage olive green velvet waistcoat & the handmade cowboy boots were also Vinted finds.


 William was due his boosters on Wednesday afternoon, something we were absolutely dreading. At home, he's the world's most chilled out cat, adores fuss and will chat to anyone listening but get him in a car and the poor lad turns into a nervous wreck, panting, drooling, wailing, throwing up and - not to beat about the bush - sh*tting himself. The staff at the vets know what to expect, on arrival we hand him straight over and they take him in the back, clean him up, check him over, jab him and hand him back as quickly and calmly as is humanly possible. The whole palaver from door to door takes just under an hour but man, it feels so much longer! Thank goodness it's just once a year.


Anyway, all's good. He weighs in at 5.6kg (almost double what he was when he adopted us last year) and the minute he was back home he'd completely forgotten the trauma, polishing off two saucers of chicken, a sachet of Felix and a handful of Dreamies before retreating to his catio.


The rain had finally fizzled out when I got up on Thursday morning and I dressed like it was summer despite it only being a feeble 13°C. I did wear my denim jacket over this poplin 1970s maxi dress but after swimming 50 lengths in just under 40 minutes I was glowing and stuffed it in my bag for breakfast at Spoons and the subsequent walk home. 


A permanent fixture in my wardrobe for the last five years, my vintage maxi dress didn't see the light of day last summer. Arpeja's Young Innocent was an affordable California label established in 1963 and popular with the young and hip throughout the sixties and early 1970s.


Whilst Jon continued with the decorating, Liz popped over on Thursday and Friday morning to help me crack on with pricing the stock and, needless to stay, she managed to bag some choice vintage clobber !


Although the rain's not made a reappearance, the temperatures have plummeted and it was back to layers on Friday morning. I'm wearing a vintage 1960s Ayesha Davar embroidered cheesecloth maxi with the embroidered £100 Free People linen jacket I scored from the Air Ambulance charity shop a few weeks ago for £3. 


This pleasingly massive glass pendant, priced at £2 caught my eye in a charity shop a couple of days before we went to Kefalonia. After some internet research when I got home I discovered that it's Murano and would have been quite pricey.


Although you can't see them under my dress, I've been road testing these leather Muck Boots today in preparation for Glastonbury. Endorsed by the RHS and worn by outdoorsy folk like Kate Humble, the British business is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary. Their boots are guaranteed 100% muck proof, exceptionally comfy and totally waterproof. After this week's deluge, our lawn is a quagmire but my feet have stayed dry and wonderfully comfy all day. I'm amazed the charity shop only priced them at £3, they're £££s to buy new! 


It's a Bank Holiday weekend here in the UK although I suspect most of ours will be spent on festival prep and decorating. We are out on Saturday night though, spending an evening in the company of this fine fellow! 


 See you on the other side!

56 comments:

  1. I’ve had Muck Boots in the past and they are everything you hope from a classic British company - I found they needed to be “broken in” and after that they’re wonderful. I think I am on my 3rd pair. 😆

    Hard to believe Glasto is only a month away.

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    1. Praise indeed! The great thing about buying second hand footwear is that the breaking in has been done already. Thy survived the mudfest that is our lawn which is excellent news although if it carries on raining like it did yesterday I'll be needing waders! xxx

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  2. I like the idea of the muck boots. I’ll seek them out. Lovely to see a pic of Liz. Give her a hug for me xx

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    1. I'll pass the message on, Lynn! We did talk about you (all good things, I promise!) Muck boots are brilliant, I'm amazed at someone donating them to charity! xxx

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  3. I was so enjoying your post-laughing at poor William's expense (not really funny, my cat Alice is the same about going anywhere-it was the way you wrote it), admiring all your clothes, and that incredible velvet find, then you end with a night out to hear Mr. Lydon! He is one of my favourite humans. Have a great time!

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    1. Poor Alice, what is it with these moggies of ours? I knew you'd be a John Lydon fan! xxx

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  4. Wow, those Quad finds are fabulous!
    I agree about Free People, some of their stuff is not great, but if you can find a good piece like your bodysuit, you understand the hype.
    I love the Young Innocents dress. A real beauty.
    Poor William, but it sounds a lot more stressful for you and Jon 🙂
    I'm not familiar with Muck Boots, but a recommendation from both you and Kate Humble means I'll be checking them out.
    I really can't believe Glasto has come around so quickly. This year needs to slow down.
    Have a wonderful time with John. We saw him a couple of years and he was very entertaining xxx

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    1. Thanks, Annie! I was thrilled when Jon spotted that Quad dress and even more so when i saw it was my size. Free People is weird, a bit like Monsoon - some absolutely showstopping clothes and far too many floppy jersey constrosities with strange elasticated waists!
      I'm very impressed with those Muck boots so far, worth a search on Vinted/Ebay! xxx

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  5. Johnny Rotten/Lydon? lucky you! I bet he has a few tales to tell. Love the Quad cloak, my mum had one like that, never seen another since until yours! Betty :)

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    1. Your Mum sounded so cool, Betty! John Lydon was brilliant, if you get the chance to see him on your I highly recommend it. xxx

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  6. You look fab as ever. I adore the velvet dress and cloak. Poor William our cat Bo, an old lady of 20 with one blue eye and one green eye, also hates the car and gets very distressed on visits to the vet, fortunately she has been very healthy all her long life and she just has to go once a year. Let's hope the weather improves for your festivals. I am sure you will enjoy seeing John Lydon. Regards Sue H

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    1. Thanks, Sue! Dear Bo, twenty years old, what an amazing age. I've never had a car sick cat before, previous moggies have complained about going to the vet but never to the extent William does. xxx

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  7. You always find the most beautiful clothes. And at an unbeatable price.

    I really like your jeans look. The beautiful bodysuit and the vest look very good on you.
    Your blog is pure inspiration!

    Have a nice weekend

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  8. I think I'm swooning- that dress, that cape, those boots!!!!! Aren't you fortunate to find such beauties!!!! Hope the weather behaves itself.
    So glad that William's ordeal was over quickly- they really hate the vet!!!!!
    xx

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    1. Thanks, Kezzie! It was a lucky morning with that dress, cloak and boots, the stars obviously aligned that day! This rain is never ending, we can't seem to go longer than a few days without an absolute deluge, yesterday was disgusting! xxx

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  9. I adore the stitching detail on that last dress you're wearing. Very much my colours. Arilx

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  10. Poor William. My daughter's kitten thankfully doesn't throw up or poop in car, but he makes sure his presence and displeasure is known. Those boots were awesome if your feet stayed dry. All your funds are terrific and fun. Who will be the lucky cape buyer?

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    1. I'm glad your grand kitty is a bit less messy on his car journeys, it's horrible how it affects some cats - like humans, I suppose! That cloak is staying with me for the time being! xxx

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  11. Wow! Fabulous finds! You look so pretty...

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  12. Outfits are always gorgeous and well done on getting William in such good shape.

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  13. Love the velvet stunning colours. Poor William, we had a pet who was similarly distressed and we were so lucky to find our area is serviced by a mobile vet vaccination and check up service, a tad more expensive but worth it for us. Enjoy Glastonbury, I do hope it doesn't rain.

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    1. Keep your fingers crossed, Lynette. With the amount of rain we've had this year I'm amazed there's any left up there!
      WE did phone around but there's no vets offering home visits in the West Midlands. The nearest one wanted £200 plus the vaccination cost! xxx

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  14. Both the dress and the Quard cape are fantastic.
    Almost everything suits you beautifully.
    There are so many, are you thinking of doing something with them?
    The earrings with eyes are very beautiful (you know in Greece some people believe in the eye, that is if someone sees you and looks at you and you might have a headache or something, that's how they do all these jewelry that have an eye on them to ward off the evil eye ).
    So the earrings also protect you from the evil eye.
    Be well Vix and have a great weekend!

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    1. Thanks so much, Katerina. I do sell a lot of my finds but a lot end up in my wardrobe, I'll never be a minimalist! I know evil eyes are very popular in Greece, I've seen them painted on boats too, to protect the fisherman I suspect. xxx

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  15. The green dress and cape reminds me of the wedding outfit a co-worker made for her medieval wedding years ago (and a green crushed velvet dress I bought from Bus Stop and wore with aplomb back in the day!). It was a magical day. You certainly scooped some treasures this week. My fave is your rockchick outfit.Enjoy the weekend.xx

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    1. That wedding must have been the coolest, not only a groovy bride but a fabulously well dressed guest, too. I suspect Quad ensemble might have been a wedding outfit, it doesn't look like its been worn more than once - and the cobwebs indicate that its been stashed away for years! xxx

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  16. I need to come charity shopping with you! I'd be lurking until your eyes locked on an item, then elbow you out of the way to get to the garment first! The dress and cloak are a beautiful find. I do a lot of rummaging around in charity shops, and it's always a delight to find quality clothing. It really stands out among the racks of throwaway fast fashion, doesn't it?

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    1. Haha! You'd be more than welcome. I do have a few women that follow me around charity shops and pounce on anything I pick up and put back down again. I ought to get commission from the sales! I reckon us charity shop regulars could be blindfolded and still pick out the good stuff from the dross, the quality really does stand out a mile. xxx

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  17. You look so fabulous. Love those evil eye earrings.

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  18. Oh my! That cloak is dreamy. Xx

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    1. Isn't it fab? I'd love to know which local lady donated it. xxx

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  19. Hiya Vix, long time no natter! My jaw dropped when you said you got those beautiful green velvet items for under £6!!! ...and the Murano necklace for £2!!! Ol' glass eyed Mumrah would be most impressed with the latter. She has quite a Murano glass collection (I must photograph one day), but has never mentioned Murano jewelry! It's gorgeous. Have a fab weekend xXx

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    1. Lovely to see you leave a comment, bab! Funnily enough I thought of Glass Eyed Mumrah when I discovered the pendant was Murano being a fellow glass lover! xxx

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  20. Ooh, so many delights in one post. Love the cowboy boots, the Young Innocent dress and the Free People jacket and I can't get over you scoring that Quad outfit! Perfect timing!
    I'm relieved William is quick to recover from his trips to the vet. I've had to take various cats to the vet just a few minutes' drive from our house and it's felt like an eternity! xxx

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    1. Thanks, Claire! The one good thing about our ever-changing weather is that you get to wear everything in your wardrobe!
      Vet visits are an absolute nightmare, aren't they? I'm so glad the poor boy doesn't bear a grudge afterwards. xxx

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  21. I can't get over the fact that stunning Quad dress and matching cape only set you back £5.98!
    Well done to Jon for spotting the dress in the nick of time!
    Fabulous outfit as always, too, my favourites being the Seventies Soul block printed maxi with the vintage Indian waistcoat, and that glorious Young Innocent maxi dress!
    Poor William! I'm glad he quickly recovered from the ordeal, although I don't dare to repeat the amount he polished off afterwards to Bess. She'll be demanding better service from us :-)
    Your festival stock is looking very enticing - no wonder Liz snaffled a couple of choice items - and how exciting to have spent the evening in the company of that familiar looking fella! xxx

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    1. I know! The charity shop concerned usually sticks what they consider too good to sell for £2.99 on eBay, obviously that ensemble didn't pass the test! xxx

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  22. My goodness you have trained Jon well. What a good eye he has and what an absolutely fantastic find - and so you! I can't wait to see you wear it; it's going to look gorgeous on you. Wonderful outfits every one and the Muck boots look fab! I have the same glass pendant but it's minus its hook and chain. I found it years ago in a charity shop and used to use it as a paperweight; which reminds I need to file some paperwork away. A job I hate so I only do it every couple of months. Poor William; clearly cars hold bad memories for him or is it he knows he's off to the vets? As you say thank goodness it's only once a year. He's a lovely cat.
    Hope the warmth returns soon and have a wonderful evening.
    xxx

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    1. If Jon had been a second later he'd have missed that dress, it was meant to be! Those Muck boots are so good, too. What's the chances of them being my size?
      Fancy you having the same glass pendant and a good idea to use it as a paperweight. xxx

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  23. Oh so jealous about your great finds, that dress and cape are just amazing!!! All I seem to find lately is crap. It’s very disheartening after wading through all the cheap tat to walk away with only a paperback book and a chipped teacup.

    My eldest son’s cat is exactly like William in the car, so I feel for you. It’s distressing for all involved, especially the car’s upholstery. ( learnt the lesson there and the whole backseat now gets covered in plastic)
    Take care, Megan

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    1. You made me smile bout the chipped teacup and the paperback book, Megan! Jon gets desperate sometimes, like his money's burning a hole in his pocket, and I have to talk him down from buying the most random stuff (like the plastic owl light and the mahoosive stuffed leopard!)
      Thank goodness William's not the only terrible cat traveller. Jon sacrifices his old tee shirts to line the cat carrier, at least its only a one a year or he'd have none left! xxx

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  24. I love the dress and cape! Your hair looks amazing. Even though I am a lot older than you, you are inspiring me to grow my hair again. Thanks for sharing all the pictures.

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    1. Thanks so much, Carol! I'm very flattered that you're inspired to grow your hair. I love seeing women my age and older with long hair, I'm sure these "experts" who say women over a certain age shouldn't have long hair are just jealous! xxx

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  25. Hi Vix, more amazing finds as ever to delight us. I particularly like your fantastic Quad velvet finds - including a cape with frogging! Your Evil Eye earrings are very desirable and quirky and complete any outfit. I think my favourites though are the beautiful black cheesecloth dress and exquisite Free People jacket. I am not doing so well lately on my charity shop finds and have had to return a few dresses as they either do not fit me or do not suit me. Am I losing my mojo? Just back home today from a few days in the W Midlands.

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    1. Hello Alysia! I hope you had a fabulous weekend in the West Midlands. I was very pleased with the Quad duo! When I spotted those evil eye earrings in Athens I could think of little else, they fascinate everyone when I wear them. Is that Free People jacket wonderful? I loved how it picks out the embroidery on the cheesecloth dress.
      I hate those dry periods for charity shopping but it makes finding something fabulous so sweet! xxx

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  26. I can't remember what I was going to say now ... £3 for a pair of Muck boots!! Wow, what a bargain. It's hard to believe that Glastonbury is only a month away, it does not seem like a year since your fantastic posts about it.

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    1. There's often discussions about Muck boots on the festival traders forum about how they're the best thing ever, I never thought I'd find a pair so cheaply! xxx

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  27. Oh, my gosh, what a find that Quad dress and CLOAK (I'm swooning over here) were! They are insanely fabulous, Vix! As always, loving your beautiful outfits, including your Free People. I so agree - I've seen utter crap by them, and then I find something like my gold leather trousers, which are utterly beautiful. Go figure.

    William, Vizzini has also shat at the vet, no shame in that, little man. Your fuzzy boy looks so happy and contented in his swanky catio!

    Wow, the festival season is nearly upon us already! I hope you enjoyed that show - I recognize that punk rocker!

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    1. Hi Sheila! I'm so glad Jon spotted that dress, it's one of the best things we've found in absolutely ages. Isn't it strange about Free People? Sometimes I pick up the most horribly made things so bad that I think they're Shein yet they must have cost loads of money. Yes, your gold trousers are epic!
      I'm relieved to hear that William's not the only vet phobic, it's so embarrassing!
      I thought you'd recognise that punk, didn't you buy a pin badge of his old band last year? xxx

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  28. So lovely to see your stall looking more and more fabulous, and also lovely to see your latest finds!.
    I'm loving your maxi dresses, all of them, and the fabulous layering (particularly those cute waistcoats). So delightful colours and designs, And Sleeves!!.
    Totally in love with your summery attitude and that floral Young Innocence maxi!.
    I'm immediately going to your last post to see more about that show!.
    besos

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  29. So many beautiful outfits. You look great in those jeans!
    I admire you for being able to iron 200 garments. I hate ironing! The only thing I don't mind ironing are shirts (for some reason) and towels. I kind of enjoy ironing linen and towels. It's not as tricky as ironing clothes.

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Thanks for reading and for leaving a message. Please don't be anonymous, I'd love it if you left a name (or a nom de plume).

Lots of love, Vix