It was the first day of spring.
And, unlike in other parts of North America, it really and truly is spring here.
Flowers are busting out all over, much to everyone's delight.
Every year, if I look closely enough, I can see the flowers' shoots coming up out of the ground in late December. I just love Canada's south-west coast! You couldn't pay me to live anywhere else.
Jeans, shirt, belt, and cami: Reitmans; Shoes: Ecco; Bangles, brooch, earrings, and locket: vintage; Jacket: thrift |
... lighting up all those lovely flowers.
It was so warm, I even wore my mary-jane shoes without socks and discarded my little jacket by noon.
This seemed in keeping with my entire outfit, with its flower theme...
... to go with the flowers in my new neighbourhood.
The sun complimented real flowers and my flower brooch alike.
Yes, my brooch fetish continues. I got this one especially because I knew my grandmother would have loved it. There were very few good adults in my childhood so I really like to honour my grandmother in little ways. It was her brooch collection that was the start of my own, much larger collection.
And yes, you did hear right if you were reading carefully: I'm now in a new neighbourhood. After two years together, Beau (and his two children) and I have taken the plunge and moved in together.
We are exhausted!!!
We've been so busy, neither of us has had a haircut in months so, lately, whenever I go out, I pull my hair back. Believe me, it's the best choice. I thought these barrettes worked though, and were in keeping with the general floral theme of the day.
The whole outfit was totally cobbled together with whatever I was able to find in boxes and piles around the new place. It's going to feel great when everything is finally set up and in its place.
But I did my best on this, the first day of spring, to look at least a little presentable, as we drove across town to get the right poles and attachments to set up my bird feeders at our new place.
It's a well-known fact that I love me my birds at least as much as I love me my brooches.
It's a bit of a lie to say I've moved to a new neighbourhood. I'm actually only a few streets away from where I lived before. I can certainly still go to all my favourite cafes and shops and see all the neighbourhood regulars.
I can even still see the crows flying home each night above my head. Look closely at the above photo. See them? That's the well-known and huge flock that flies west each morning and east each night, predictable, loud, and reassuring in their regularity.
So the neighbourhood is the same but my new area of it is actually nicer than where I was before. When I was able-bodied, I often used to walk and jog over here, so I could enjoy the beautiful gardens and houses.
Now that I live here, I can walk in this neighbourhood again, after all these years.
I always particularly remembered this garden in which the owner created little magical paths and archways for his grandchildren to enjoy. Way back when I was able-bodied, he told me to feel free to explore them myself. Maybe now I can!
It's such a beautiful area, where people take full advantage of our extended growing season, and then gloat a little to their friends back east.
Our own new yard is busting out with flowers too, though we don't even know what some of them are. Do you know what these are? I don't.
Our yard is pretty wild and overgrown. This is the top of what can only be called a rose tree. It's grown right up the side of the house and over the second floor balcony. I'll be getting my good friend and landscaper to come and give us advice.
We're going to prune off all the dead bits on this tree so it has the energy to really focus on growing flowers again.
If this all reminds you a little bit of The Secret Garden, it does for me too. I love that!
I'm enjoying the little unexpected beauties as each emerges. I'm told these are crab apple blossoms.
And there is more beauty to come, budding and ready to emerge day by day.
What's next? Who knows?
And if that isn't a metaphor for my new life with Beau, I don't know what is.
To be continued...
(I'm linking this up with Visible Mondays on Not Dead Yet and Tres Chic Style Bits on Searching the Inner Me.)