Friday 17 April 2015

The flowers that bloom in the Spring


I'm not quite sure where that week went but it's flown by, and here we are at the weekend again. Yippee!


This is what I wore on Wednesday; a customer in the charity shop admired my dress, and told me I was very on trend with my florals. She'd clearly read the same Observer fashion article as me, so we had a bit of a laugh about that. 
 
 
 
I must say I like my dress far more than the pieces selected to accompany the article (above) and at 99p from Ebay, it was a great deal cheaper. 

(Incidentally, that blue top on the right, the polo shirt with the hardly-floral-at-all print? Topshop, £85. Can you believe it?)
 
 
1970s maxi dress - Ebay
1960s jacket, shoes, belt and bangles - charity shopped
1960s carpet bag and necklace - gifts
1960s brooch - The Queen's Drawers
 
 
No one puts on a big blobby rose pattern before striding into a boardroom and closing a billion dollar deal, writes Alice Fisher. 
 
She might be right (although there are a whole load of assumptions begging to be questioned in that sentence) but since boardrooms and high-flying deals aren't really my thing, I'll happily continue to wear my beloved floral prints. 


As it happens, the world of employment, if not exactly the boardroom, is beckoning; I've applied for a job as a charity shop deputy manager. I'll keep you posted.


What else is new?
Well, this dress is - new-to-me anyway. It has glittery gold lurex stripes, huge sleeves, and I love it. 
Thanks, Em, what a great gift!


1970s Dumarsel maxi dress - gift from Emma
Hat, necklace and bangles - charity shopped
1960s beaded bag - car boot
Ankle boots - community fair
 
 
This little Wade cutie was too sweet to leave in the 50p basket in a charity shop. 
He's Scamp, from Disney's Lady and the Tramp (1956).
 
 
I found a vintage sheet for a couple of quid which would make a lovely dress. If I ever get round to doing some sewing...


There are forget-me-nots all over my garden...


and tulips...


and cats.

Just how I like it.


Have a great weekend, everyone!

xxx

41 comments:

Melancholy and Menace said...

Looking gorgeous in florals!

I adore little scamp and those Forget-Me-Nots are just gorgeous, aren't they?

Good luck with you new job application!

Have a wonderful weekend, Curtise. xx

Melancholy and Menace said...

Wow, I'm first! ♥

Vix said...

That's one fabularse floral frock! What a strange choice from The Observer. What's that PVC chin strap all about then? £65 for a polo shirt? Anyone daft enough to pay that probably couldn't find the door handle to the boardroom.
Em's dress is a beaut and it looks incredible on you.
Gorgeous flowers and cats and yay to getting that application form in. What on earth will you wear to the interview? Bet it won't involve blazers and pinstripes.
Have a fab weekend.
Love you! xxxxxx

Mother of Reinvention said...

You look lovely in florals and that lurex dress is magnificent. Deputy shop manager, I really hope you get it as you would be brilliant at it. Good luck for your interview. PS. Toptop are having a laugh with that top xxxx

Melanie said...

£85???? Blimey. I far prefer your pretty floral number, it's gorgeous.

Good luck with the deputy manager job, they'd be daft not to take you on xxx

diaryofapennypincher said...

Beautiful blooms, both on you and in the garden! High street prices are a shocker when you live in second hand land aren't they! Best of luck with your interview, I'm sure they'll be wowed by you! xx

Unknown said...

I love that floral dress, how do you find them so cheap! Good luck with the job! :)

at my dressingtable said...

I will say it again you have some wonderful clothes Curtise and the pictures are awesome to, have a great weekend best wishes x

Goody said...

Every year the fashion mags try to convince people to wear florals-and then show the absolute worst looking ones they could possibly find to make the point. The polo shirt is grotesque-in every sense of the word.

Your floral dress is beautiful, and far more wearable. The lurex dress is great too-what a lovely gift.

Give Scamp a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs, and have a great weekend.

Goody said...

And best of luck with the interview-if you need references just show them the comment threads on your blog, because we all know how great you are!

P.S.
I had to stop and think how to spell, "references" which is terrifying.

Miss Magpie said...

Everything crossed for the interview. Scamp is so cute how could he possibly have ended up in a 50p basket??

You remind me of a launch they did at the business school last year where all the staff were asked to wear a black or navy suit. They were bombarded with emails from people like me who don't own such an item so they grudgingly said we (ladies) could wear a plain black work attire dress, I don't own one of those either so I thought bugger them went in a polka dot frock!

Becky said...

You look beautiful in the floral dress! I'm coming to steal that beaded tiger bag right now!!!

thorne garnet said...

thank god you're on trend, I have to unfollow you if you weren't.

Love the second dress

Fiona said...

Eighty five quid for that vile thing...you must be joking? As for the gimp-esque mask, words fail me.
Oh wow, I adore that fab frock from Em and it looks perfect with your floppy hat. What! You still haven't done any sewing? You'd better get cracking before you're a Chazza Deputy Manager. Good luck.
xxxx

Patti said...

Oh good luck with the job - they would be so lucky to land you for the position. I don't do high-flying deals either, but a day at the thrift store makes me feel fabulous. Love your two frocks. xox

Anonymous said...

The striped dress really takes my breath away. Love it!
Good luck on the job application. You'll have heaps of responsibility now and they'll love your work I'm sure. You're perfectly suited for it and no corporate BS.

Suzanne said...

Good luck on the job! You would be brilliant at that : )

I adore how the floral fades into black at the top. What a great piece!

Have a wonderful weekend!

bisous
Suzanne

Shortbread and Ginger said...

Love your floral dress!
Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

bahnwärterin said...

flowers everywhere i look here :-)
85,- for a polo? pfff. i prefer your flowery dresses and gorgeous accessoires! both looks are great combos - the cool hued flowers with the warm yellow (jacket) and browns (bag/shoes) and vice versa the earth toned maxi with the bright bag! you give vogue stylists a run for their money!!!
my tulips and forget-me-nots have buds, but the still icy wind and freezing nights slow them down. meanwhile i can enjoy your garden via pics :-)
exiting news on the work front!!!
xxxxxxxx

Ulla-Marie said...

Great friends. The new (eh, the dress from 1970) dress looks Beautiful!

Ivy Black said...

Stone me...if that dress isn't perfection on you! I knew it was 'you' when I clapped eyes on it. Love the floral maxi too. By the look of it we are all 'on trend' without actually trying or even giving a shit.
That sheet will indeed make a cracking dress and you will making a cracking Deputy Manager!
Have a lovely weekend.
Loves ya.
xxxxxx

Shelley said...

Oooo, it's such treat seeing all these flowers - we don't have any here yet aside from the odd snowdrops. I so hope you get the job - it would be perfect for you.

Even the phrase "on trend" gives me the Willies. You look like 100% Curtise which is just perfect. You and Vix are the Maxi-Queens!

Bobbi said...

Good luck with the job application! You would be perfect for the position.
Both dresses are amazing. I never find good dresses on ebay like you do - how do you do it?

Mrs Bertimus said...

Good luck with the job...it would be the best charity shop ever with you at the helm!
Love your on trend dress!
X

Porcelina said...

Both dresses are amazing! I never find good maxi dresses so I'm still lacking. Best of luck with the job interview x

Angels have Red Hair said...

Looking gorgeous as usual … that gold dress looks like it was made just for you :0)
Good luck with the job.
xx

Olga Rani said...

Your garden is full of beautiful flowers as well as your maxi dress. Good luck with your job application!

Natalia Lialina said...

So many things to comment on! Love love love both maxi dresses - the floral one is definitely on trend :), the striped on I'm afraid is also kind of on trend! :)) It's a gorgeous shape on you, and with the floppy hat and tiger purse - just wow! The flower collage is stunning. Good luck with your job application! And your shopping skills are beyond amazing - I'm making notes. Love xxx

Señora Allnut said...

so many fabulous flowers around you love the flowers on your garden, an love them on your dress too!!, it's gorgeous.
And also love that lurex piece, glad to see you wearing big sleeves once more, it's springtime!!
besos

freckleface said...

I am so excited about the prospect of you getting one of those jobs. You'd be fantastic, no doubt about it. Honestly I can't believe how fast the weeks are whizzing by. I hardly know what day of the week it is most of the time. That dress from Em is a beauty. You look stunning in it. Lurex is officially in the Curtise folder in my brain now. Don't you love April when the gardens start coming back to life? Xxxxxx

Melanie said...

I love your florals, Curtise, especially with that tart yellow jacket. I could see you striding into the boardroom in that, and I hope you do as a deputy manager. They should be impressed by your mad eBay skills and rescues of the vintage toss piles.
And what a groovy dress Em sent you! You can't go wrong with lurex and butterfly sleeves.

Catherine said...

its like that scene in The Devil wears Prada. "Florals for sping? how original!" every spring they talk about the florals of choice... you look fabulous without anyone having to tell you how to dress! And the gold/black dress is amazing!

Sue said...

Glorious Spring colour in your garden, beautiful cat and gorgeous frocks. You have it all Curtise.

Beth Waltz said...

The Dumarsel maxi sports an unusually scaled floral print: one admires the variation from hem to top! The floppy hat adds a springy flower touch above the butterfly sleeves of the stripey lurex. But, oh, the versatility of that 60s short jacket! Perhaps it can participate in the job interview...?

Helga said...

O, gawd, "on trend"!!! Makes me cringe! You're just doing what you've always done, feck the trend shite! Florals are FOREVER! Love this frock, incidentally. I'm yearning for the perfect black base floral frock.
The glittery divoon frock Em sent is wonderful! Super glam!
I scored a lovely pile of retro sheets yesterday, so sewing is definitely on my agenda!
Love! XXX

Kaffesoester said...

Polo's have never been my thing - but your dresses and handbags!!! I can't believe how many great vintage handbags I see in your hands! Are you ever going to have a sell-out? Well, I live too far away anyway...

The yellow jacket is fantastic, all the beautiful details - and it fits you like a glove! With the gorgeous dress you've just outlined the new managerial style for leaders in the Vintage- and Second Hand Business! They've got to give you that job!!!

Emma Kate at Paint and Style said...

You look fab in that lurex maxi dress! What a great shape for your great shape! xxxx

kobieta niewidzialna said...

Very stylish maxi dress,superb. :*

Mim said...

£85 for a polo shirt? Ay caramba. I would actually wear the floral dress on the left, but none of the other pieces in the Observer article appeal. And your dress is splendid, especially the way the flowers seem to get bigger and denser towards the hem.

Trees said...

I love wearing florals AND I have a corporate job so there random writer! Anyways....I think your florals are just lovely and that stripey lurex dress is perfection. I love that little dog too :)

Unknown said...

Ooh, what a lovely sunny uplifting post. I love your dresses. I wish you lots of luck in the charity shop job, I am quite enjoying my time in the vintage charity shop and I find so many good things to mend!