MIAM

MIAM

Thursday 24 October 2013

Gusset Grief and Other Ramblings

I don't know why but I'm feeling rather happy this week.  It can't be the weather because that has been pants, it might be because I did a short shift last week and had more days off as a result or it could be because........I've got a new pair of boots.  

Do you want to stroke them?


They were more than I like to pay but I got them at work so paid the tax-free price which was some consolation, and they will last me for years... won't they???  They bloody better had!  I have great trouble finding footwear that's comfortable and my general rule of thumb for buying boots is.. if I can get my bunion afflicted trotters and fat calves in - GET THEM!  These are perfect for everyday wearing with skirts and opaque/woolly tights but why-oh-why after thirty minutes, is the bloody gusset halfway down my legs?  'Tis most vexing.  I'm not short nor tall and the tights are my size so why does this happen....is it just me or does anyone else have this dilemma? 

* I did take a snap of my saggy gusset but out of respect for my readers have refrained from posting it *

Apart from the boots, a couple of other things put a smile on my face at work last week.  I saw Bob Geldof stop to read a text, he was singing away to himself. I didn't recognise the tune, it certainly wasn't I Don't Like Mondays.  The other nice thing was when I greeted an older gent of sartorial splendour and he doffed his trilby at me.  It struck me as a rather old-fashioned but lovely gesture, something not seen often at all nowadays.  Would you have been offended by it?  Are you annoyed if a man holds a door open for you ? Do you find it sexist or belittling? Personally I think these are examples of courteous behaviour, perhaps staunch feminists would disagree.


It's been a dry, fair day today so I took the opportunity to whizz over my lawn with the Flymo, the garden has taken a battering recently from rainfall of monsoon proportions but there are still a few blooms remaining.

  
 

Back to work tomorrow followed by a meal at the curry house to celebrate the fourteenth birthday of my niece. Prawn dhansak... bring it on!  

Have a good weekend
x


























Saturday 19 October 2013

Model Behaviour

I met up with the Gatwick Handling girls for lunch on Wednesday, so what to wear on a cold, filthy, pissing-down-with-rain sort of day.   

Cardi - jumble sale 50p, French Connection grandad shirt £3.50 - charity shop, Tartan skirt- Cow (Birmingham)

I'm no good at this posing malarkey, does Cara do it like this ?
 
Once I'd selected my outfit I was off to Brighton (stopping en route to pick up 'Mummy') for lunch at Samyo's place where we reminisced and swapped airport gossip.  Sam, an accomplished cook had prepared the most delicious soup and this hazelnut meringue, which we demolished with gusto.

 

After lunch we had a nosy around her log cabin at the end of the garden, the location of many a raucous party or two.

L-R Smiffy, Mummy, Samyo
(It's much easier being behind the lens.)



Pampas grass in the garden...........??????  Surely not Samyo... and I thought you were such a nice girl .


It was great to see the girls and lifted the spirits on such a miserable day. 

 Now I'm back to work and have two night shifts ahead, but I had time today to knock up a quick card for this week's challenge at Less Is More where the theme is Trees. 




I used a stamp by Inkylicious, sponged the sky with two shades of blue ink and tried to graduate the colour although it's not terrible noticeable in the photo.  I masked a moon with a punched post-itcoloured snow with watercolour pencils, added glitter and die cut snowflakes to one side.  This card was salvaged, but I was determined to add it to my slowly growing pile of xmas cards.  I cut the aperture weeks ago and slightly marked and dented the cardstock on one side, hence the snowflakes... a cover up job.  I'm pleased I managed to save it, but not sure if it needs to be balanced with snowflakes on the other side, do you think this asymmetrical design works?  Do you rescue cards that have gone pear shaped? Please tell.

Also linking to
Make My Monday-Anything Goes
Simon Says Stamp-Christmas 

Enjoy your weekend.
xx














Tuesday 15 October 2013

And Darker Days Are Drawing Near

I couldn't hang on any longer, yesterday saw me bid adieu to my summer wardrobe.  The mornings are chillier, the evenings are darker, the spiders are bigger...it can only mean one thing - time to unpack woolies.

Whilst doing it I had bit of a clothing cull. There have been a few new additions to my wardrobe lately so something had to go, consequently the charity bag is fairly bursting at the seams.  There's something about a new season that gives one the desire to make or restore order in the home.... how long it will last is anyone's guess as I'm not the tidiest housefrau and I'm sure it won't be long before more second-hand tat finds it's way here.

 After the wardrobe organisation I turned my attention to a photo frame that I picked up at a charity shop for 99p last year, it's been sculling around ever since waiting to be filled.  I finally became inspired after flicking through the junk mailed kitchenware pages of the Argos catalogue(of all publications!) and after a few minutes on the computer the result was this. 

   
 After all this activity I went for a wander around the village with my camera and captured some Octobery-feel snaps. 


Earlier in the day I'd been into town for a few essentials and niece's birthday present and as you do, popped into a few chazzas.  I found myself this denim skirt, very ordinary I know but thought it would be useful with boots and tights. Compared to my summer clobber my winter wardrobe is woeful.

Oxfam £3.99

As you see, although it has been in the house not twenty four hours it has already managed to pick up the ubiquitous cat hair!

 


Linking up to Magpie Monday and Op shop show-off.

Got a girlie lunch to attend tomorrow which will probably involve a plentiful supply of alcohol and much cackling...I'm off to choose an outfit.  What are you up to?

Have a great week. xx


Sunday 6 October 2013

The Clothes That Men Admire

I had a late start this morning, it was 9.30 when I rolled out of my pit.  Partly due to my bro's birthday celebrations last night, drinking cider on top of bolly and partly because I had only three and a half hours sleep after my night shift on Friday night.

I dragged my weary arse out of bed yesterday at lunchtime for a jumble sale at the local scout hut, hotly rumoured to be a good 'un. My 14 year old niece Emily came along and when we got there we were astonished...at least sixty people were in the queue ahead of us, cars abandoned on grass verges and at bus stops and marshals in attendance herding the gathering throng towards the door. I briefed with Em with Vix's jumble sale rules and armed with this information she conducted herself like a pro. I'm no label junkie but there were some high end threads there, not just Primani tat, Janet Reger, Betty Barclay, John Rocha to name a few.  Here's my haul.

  Top row-60's tartan maxi 30p, linen print skirt 30p, brown velvet jacket 30p
Bottom row-leather loafers 50p, denim jacket 30p, retro handbag £1

The denim jacket is not a keeper and although I like the velvet jacket it is a smidge too large but SIL has her eye on it.  The linen skirt will be put away for next summer and the bargain of the year - a voluminous Susan Barry vintage maxi needs some alteration. (so I won't feel like a galleon in full sail!)  I was amazed to find this vintage piece and shamefully snatched it from an eight year old boy who was viewing it with a strange curiosity. You can't quite read all of the label here but the slogan 'The clothes that men admire' caused a snigger.  Not entirely accurate either as in my experience most men couldn't give a toss about what women wear and are rather more interested in getting them out of clothes.


Em bagged herself some Topshop skinny jeans, a brand new handbag, some flirty shorts, a Julien McDonald for Debenhams cardi, five GCSE revision guides and was 'well pleased' to score some serious bargains. I also found this old BEA bag, with my airline background I just had to have it even tho' it is a bit minging. 

vintage airline bag £1

I reckon with a clean up, it could fetch a few quid?  I also grabbed myself a few books at 20p each.


 The sun has put in an appearance today so I have been out in the garden wielding my Black & Decker trimming the hedge back, the lawns need doing too so I'd best get back out there.  It's times like this I can see the attractions of a bloke,.... ooerr sounding like a sapphic sister there.  

Before I go, here's a card for this weeks Less Is More challenge
 a white on white christmas card
 

I used:
Cuttlebug Swiss Dots embossing folder
Memory box die
Glitter
Sentiment from a set gifted by lovely friend Sue.

Also linking to 
Christmas Card Challenges - Anything Goes
Keep It Simple - All is White
Magpie Monday
Have a great week one and all.
xx