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Hello! I hope you're enjoying some Spring sunshine, it's turned out lovely here this afternoon.
On Saturday, for walking down to the parcel shop to drop off some parcels, I wore my Free People jeans with this amazing blush pink suede waistcoat, which I'd admired on Vinted and it turned out to be one of the items Rachael, a fellow vintage fanatic who often comments on my blog, was selling. What a small world! Isn't it fab?
Our garden is mostly awash with blue at this time of year what with the Bluebells and Forget-me-nots but the blush pink of my waistcoat is a properly Spring-like colour as you can see from the Clematis and the Magnolia blossom.
William's taken to chilling with Not Gordon in the catio.
With a busy week ahead, in order to fit our three swims in we swapped our usual Monday morning for Sunday. It was so quiet that at one point there was only Jon & I in the pool so I was able to swim backstroke every other length without worrying about crashing into anyone.
It's not only my hip I'm struggling with, it's also my feet, I just can't bear any pressure on my arthritic toe joints. I was wearing a pair of (charity-shopped but new with tags) Clarks' biker boots with my outfit on Friday but they were so painful that as soon as I got back home I listed them on Vinted (and sold them instantly!) Apparently wearing white trainers with a dress is another thing you shouldn't do when you get to my advanced age. To be fair, I wouldn't have been seen dead in a pair of trainers up until a few years ago but, as an old boyfriend always used to say, Needs must when the devil vomits in your kettle. I snaffled these for £6 from a charity shop in 2024, they're Groundies, a German barefoot shoe specialist, link HERE.
What matches my outfit in the garden today?
Having been swimming on Sunday, Monday felt very confusing. Jon got up early, forgetting he wasn't going swimming and William conned him into giving him breakfast despite me feeding him before I did my Wii Fit.
Who, me?!!!
I match the curtains! Although I love this vintage Krist of San Francisco dress, I'd not worn it for a couple of years so it felt even more special when I put it on. Jon joined me on my walk down to the various parcel drop points.
Not much purple the garden other than this glorious (but horribly named) honeywort!
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We'd got a tree surgeon coming to assess the trees (we've finally got the council's permission to trim a couple) so we sat in the sunshine awaiting his visit.
I love how the Lemon Balm's taken root amongst the blue brick pavers, it smells gorgeous when you tread on it!
If we weren't already confused enough, we went for a lunchtime swim today (Tuesday). Despite a forecast for a warm and sunny day, the wind was really cold on our walk into town so I'm glad I grabbed a jacket at the last minute.
Tuesday's outfit could have been sponsored by All About Audrey (but it wasn't), I bought the wrap skirt from their website last year and found the velvet wrap top a couple of weeks later on Vinted. Jon found the Adidas Superstar 90s in a charity shop in 2024, they're absurdly comfy.
In hindsight I should have worn yesterday's outfit today as it marked ten years since the world lost Prince. 6Music have released a special playlist in his honour (HERE). Rest in Power, you beautiful man.
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There's plenty of green in the garden to match today's outfit...
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I bought the feverfew (the plant in the middle of the collage) from Moseley Old Hall when we visited in January. The gardener recommended I plant it in a container or I'd be be cursing him when it took over the garden. For those of you who don't read Tudor literature, feverfew was widely used to relieve migraines and was also said to cure toothache, earache, neuralgia, and some rheumatic pains. A decoction of the daisy-like flowers combined in wine with a pinch of nutmeg was a remedy for women's ailments.
And talking of history, we've got a date with one of my favourite historians later...and tomorrow we've got theatre tickets for the stage production of one of my favourite books. I'll be back to tell you all about them very soon!
Prince is being honored this week throughout Minnesota. I worked with a women that graduated with him in Minneapolis and whose ex was his cousin. She though wasn't a huge fan of his music. Im seeing little bits of growth outside. It's too early to rake because we'd hurt the environments for tiny life and disrupt seed growth but Im cutting away dead stuff that should gave been done last fall. I see signs of life to the free peony I planted last spring, and fingers crossed the hydrangeas will continue to show growth. I've bursting buds on the two apple trees that took a beating last summer, so very pleased.
ReplyDeleteI hoped that he would be. That's quite a claim to fame with your colleague but how bizarre that she wasn't fond of his music, he had such tremebndous talent!
DeleteYes, wait until the danger of frost is over before you do anything major in the garden. I love seeing the hydrangeas reappear, ours is on the way, too. xxx
What a lovely colourful post, and isn't William clever nabbing a double breakfast. That was something Suky the Pug was VERY good at, those 'nobody has fed me this morning and I'm starving' eyes fooled Alan numerous times. :-)
ReplyDeleteAwww, dear Suky! She did have such a gorgeous little face! xxx
DeleteIsn’t the Spring sunshine lovely ! I bought a new car and had it delivered at the weekend , I will be leaving it with my daughter when I am in Athens ( she will also be hosting my beloved cat when I am away ), so had to be automatic so she could drive it .
ReplyDeleteVery sorry to hear about your arthritis. I am looking at replacement knee surgery later this year due to arthritis
Enjoy the sun this week
Siobhan
Hello, Siobhan! The sunshine makes all the difference! I'm glad you finally found a new car to make up for the disapointment of the Mini and that both the cat and the car will be minded by your daughter when you start your new adventure.
DeleteI expect I'll be joining you with a joint replacement some time soon. xxx
beautiful outfits. i rarely comment, but as i also have wickedly arthritic toes at present, i thought i would share a few of the recs from various sources...evil bone water (chinese topical remedy), boswellia & curcumin for pain, toe separators and small soft rollers for mobility, and red light therapy. i love my barefoot shoes, as well as brooks running shoes. i hope that helps you... :) xo, kelly
ReplyDeleteHello Kelly! Thank you so much for the brilliant advice, I've taken a note of all your sugestions and will see if I can track them down. I'm so touched that you took the trouble to help me! xxx
Delete<3 <3
DeleteWow, what an outfit today!
ReplyDeleteYour garden is a blooming paradise, absolutely beautiful.
I wish you always have shoes on your feet that don't hurt.
And have a wonderful evening at the theater tomorrow.
Thanks so much, Andrea! xxx
DeleteOhhhh - it really feels like Spring is here proper this time. We've had a collapsed fence this winter and rather than replace it we're going to 'plant' a fence - so we put in 4 white lavenders as a start this afternoon. Lilacs are blooming like crazy here and it smells like heaven.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear about your painful toes, Vix - my Mister had a really painful big toe a few weeks back that was only comfy in a pair of structured shoes - awful in a canvas or soft shoe. I've got nerve damage in one foot and have cracked a few toes over the years - can't feel the pain but now have toes that look like tree roots lol.
Re: white trainers with a dress being another thing you shouldn't do when you get to an advanced age ... thank goodness I stuck to my Docs lol. Here are some lovely ladies as an antidote to influencers
https://www.instagram.com/p/DVErDHIDcvO/
Elaine Anon
I'm loving the sound of your natural hedge, Elaine. The white lavender sounds a lot more attractive and its going to be a butterfly and bee magnet to boot. I've never seen a David Attenborough documentary series in my entire life but started watching the garden one last weekend, he'd definitely approve of your plans!
DeleteIt sounds liek you and the Mr have been through it with your feet, too! I wanted the GP to look at mine but he felt my hip took priority - I know the pain is related to how badly I'm walking but it's still horrible. My feet seem to crave something light, I chanced a pair of Clarks trainers I spotted on Vinted and they're amazing (plus they're purpleish and metallic bits, always good.)
Those women are fab, all that colour!
Keep rocking those Docs, bab! xxx
Anything from Clarks Cloudsteppers is highly recommended (by me) - I have some textile Mary Janes where you can whip the insoles out to machine wash the shoes. Just need to check if the model is suitable - but if that is not an issue - v. comfortable range.
DeleteMy friend Ann (Polyester Princess) swears by her Cloudsteppers. I'll keep my eyes peeled for a pair on Vinted, thanks for the suggestion! xxx
DeleteIt was 20 today and the snow has finally melted! Washing line has been put up in the back garden.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's going to snow tomorrow, strait till the weekend! I swear it's winter 4.0 at this point.
Feet? Have you been to the podiatrist? Orthotics have made a huge difference in my life.
Our geraniums have made it through the winter storage in our basement. One is coming up to 4 years old and more like a shrub than a flower.
Surely not more snow! I don't know how you stand it, these 10 days we had earlier this year drove me daft! No wonder you look forward to your Costa Del Sol adventures so much.
DeleteI suspect the toe problem is to do with my terrible gait due to my hip being knackered. Before I had my last hip replacement I was refered to the orthotics departmnet at the hospital and had custom inserts and even got my shoes built up on the NHS (oh, the glamour!) Hopefully, when I've had my pelvic x-rays next month I might have them again.
I love geraniums. You've done well to over-winter them! xxx
So many lovely flowers and greenery. Things are looking like spring but the weather is still quite cold. Enjoy the stage production.
ReplyDeleteThansk so much! Its been quite cold in the early mornings but the sun is gorgeous when it wakes up! xxx
DeleteI have had great success with a Turmeric supplement for my dodgy toes (I broke three of them years ago). I hope you get some relief, nothing worse than the agony of the feet!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Lynette, I'll have a look at turmeric. Breaking three toes sounds hellish. I can put up with my hip pain but my toes are driing me daft, I could take a sledgehammer to them! xxx
DeleteEeek I knew it would look wonderful on you!!! Oh my, your Krist dress is amazing! I love a bit of patchwork and the colours are stunning. Rachael x
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Rachael! I love it, the colour is so unusual. I wish I could find out more about Krist, there's a few on Etsy (at insnae prices), I'd love to think his boutique was on Haight Astbury! xxx
DeleteEnjoyed seeing your garden breaking into bloom for Spring as ours is settling down for Autumn/Winter although the weather is very mild.
ReplyDeleteSo good that the colours in your outfits reflect your flowers.
I can only imagine how painful those toes are. Don't worry about the sneakers comfort is key.
Hello Jill! It's very exciting to see all my old friends waking up after their winter sleep and burst into flower. My Irises might be next!
DeleteI'm hoping my dresses and jewellery detreact from people noticing what's on my feet! xxx
I hear you on the shoes - my years of heels are catching up with me! Sneakers are always on the menu if I feel like it, screw what others deem unfashionable. Your curtains outfit is marvelous, but your final outfit is so luxe! That velvet!
ReplyDeleteWilliam is so handsome but what a sneaky boy to con you both into feeding him!
Thanks, Sheila! William's a very bad boy. He brought a live mouse back home with him on Tuesday night and deposited at Jon's feet to play with! I'm glad I was in bed! Yeah, who wants to be fashionable? That just means dressing like everyone else! xxx
DeleteI just love that you match the curtains! Your garden is looking wonderful, and the recent sunshine has really helped. My pond liner arrived yesterday, so I'm hoping to get on with that at the weekend. Xx
ReplyDeleteIf I ever get bored with my curtains I couldn't always refashion them into a kaftan!
DeleteHow exciting about your pond liner, Jules! I'm conctantly checking our pond for signs of frogspawn! xxx
Hi Vix, I can see why you are so taken with your blush pink suede waistcoat, what a beauty! I love the Krist of San Francisco dress too- curtain couture at its finest. I spent a fun time in San Francisco a number of years ago as my other half was working out there quite a lot then. I too love blue flowers in the garden, they really stand out I think. All these rules about what to wear over 50, it makes me laugh. I managed to snaffle up some shoes, a leather handbag and a beach cover up this week at a charity shop in my parents' village.
ReplyDeleteHello Alysia! I'm so sorry, I managed to lose your comment on my last post! Isn't that waistcoat a wonderful colour especially coupled with those groovy patch pockets!
DeleteWow, I'm envious of your time in San Fran! Jon loved playing there back in the day and I'm a huge fan of Tales Of The City (and anything Haight Astbury related!)
You're finding some fabulous things in the charity shops of late! xxx
A gorgeous blog post of colour and loveliness xxx
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Lynn! xxx
DeleteWas your ex a Blackadder fan by any chance? That’s one of my regular sayings and I’m sure I picked it up from an episode of Blackadder. I’m increasingly wearing trainers at the moment, but hopefully after an appointment with the chiropodist later today I should be able to get some of my nicer shoes on. I do love a suede waistcoat, or anything suede really. It’s just so tactile. Xxx
ReplyDeleteI think he was! It does sound like something from Blackadder when you think about it! I hope your foot problems can be sorted by the chiropodist. I know how much you love your glitzy heels! xxx
DeleteBeth here, envying your garden blooms when all I have are chive buds. Our chilly nights persist and so my toes protest. When searching for shoes I spotted some flats that prompted me to squeak: "Oooh, Vix would wear those with her maxi dresses...!" So may I recommend Vivaia Shoes as an alternative to those white trainers? (which could be fabric painted by a graffiti artist?)
ReplyDeleteHello Beth, I'm not familiar with that brand so I've added it to my Vinted list of things to look out for. There's nothing worse than hurty feet! I like the sound of customising them, too. xxx
DeleteThe garden is looking lovely. My mum made me a Feverfew tincture for my headaches a few years ago. I'm loving the new pink waistcoat and how you styled it and the patchwork dress is a beauty always good to curtain match!
ReplyDeleteThat's great that the pool is back but naughty William!
Thanks so much, Kezzie! I wonder if the feverfew tincture worked? It is known as the natural aspirin in some quarters. xxx
DeleteFantastic outfits as always! I can't possibly pick a favourite, but the Krist of San Francisco dress is a strong contender, even if you wore it on the wrong day :-)
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh at William conning Jon is giving him a second breakfast and looking as if butter wouldn't melt.
I'm sorry to hear you're struggling with your toe joints. Ouch! xxx
Thanks, Ann! I know, I was going to save the Krist dress and wear it in honour of Price but I was too impatient!
DeleteWilliam's a cheeky monkey! xxx
I love seeing your garden, Vix. X
ReplyDeleteYou matching the Curtains did make me Smile.
ReplyDelete