I love Paris in the winter - when it drizzles...

Hola!

Firstly, thank you for all the kind birthday greetings that you left- it was much appreciated!  The day was busy but it was nice that the person I share my class with and I got to share our birthday together (can you believe that1?) - she snitched on me to the rest of the class and they bombarded me at playtime with massively raucous renditions of Happy Birthday as I was putting away the singing assembly resources!

I had a nice evening and I received some wonderful pressies which I will post about at some point!

This evening, I further confirmed my suspicions that I cannot make clothes or costumes to save my life by trying to create a head-dress for my now decided "Guinevere outfit".  I decided that it might be the least trouble (boy was I wrong!).  I'm wearing a 70's vintage dress and after several failed attempts to make a conical medieval hat that didn't make me look like some demented garden-gnome, I tried to make a head-dress like this.  Due to lack of organisation or being able to locate ANYTHING I wanted, this has been constructed out of a pair of purple tights, a strip of gold and navy material  offcuts, some chiffon ribbons and hairbands!  I'm going to look a mess!  (I am providing my head-teacher with a hat and skirt for her Mary Poppins costume!)

Anyway, I thought I'd share some photos of my half-term adventure from last week.  Eventually, got around to it!

We travelled via the Eurotunnel in our car early on Sunday morning and arrived in Paris around 3pm trying to fathom our way to our hotel when ALL the streets on the SATnag were 'No entries'! We attempted to ask a policeman what was going on and how to get there.  He very helpfully shrugged his soldiers and said, "You can't go there!"  Thanks sir!

 We stayed in Monmartre at a simple but perfectly comfortable, clean and well-situated Timhotel. I suspect the French equivalent of a Holiday inn?  Monmartre is a very Bohemian arty place.  I loved this shop facade!
On the first afternoon, we had a quick scour of Monmatre and then headed towards the flea-market in Porte Clignancourt.

 Beautiful Sacre-Coeur!  I think this place is far more beautiful than Notre Dame.  It seems lighter inside.  Alas, no interior shots were permitted!

 Monmartre is on a big hill, so the views across Paris (when not hazy/cloudy) are amazing!

 I think this shot gives you some idea of the steepness.  You can catch a Funicular railway up the hill but we walked!

 Originally, we planned an Amelie-style treasure hunt as just below here was the park in which she sets the trail for Nino!  I imagined that this was the telescope she indicated for him!

We shunned the Metro in favour of walking, in order to enjoy the sights.

The flea-market was a little disappointing. It was a series of shops in warren-like structure most of which sold amazing antique furniture out of our price-range.  The vintage clothing was expensive and a bit ratty!

 I had to take a picture of this in the shop window!  Amazing piece of art though I hope that wasn't a Stradivari!

It was perishingly cold in Paris and already after only a while, the cold had chilled us to the bone so we sought food, drink and shelter.

Alas many of the photos are on CBC's camera which I don't have but serendipitously, we came across a hilarious cafe I'd read about in Lonely Planet called Chez Louisette's which still has live performers- the host sings Edith Piaf songs!  It was impressively crowded with locals, gaudy decor and a band and singers.  As we ate lunch, (I tried Lapin moutarde- was lovely!)  we were serenaded by singers- all the staff sing- and a hilarious waitress who danced flamenco-style ON the table next to us!  It was definitely an experience!

 Subsequently, we headed via the Metro to Cite Ille, which is an island in the middle of Paris where Notre Dame is.  Even the short walk from the station was positively ARTIC so gladly, we discovered that Notre Dame was in the middle of a service.  Thus we sought sanctuary.  It was gloriously warm inside, jam-packed to the rafters with a congregation listening to evening Mass.  We sat down and I promptly fell asleep on CBC's shoulder for about 10 minutes, grudgingly roused soon after. It is a beautiful building, again of which I have no photos sadly.

 You can see how vast it is though can someone point out the flying buttresses?!

 CBC had the bright idea of walking along the Seine.  So we meandered along the cobbled paths by the gentle-lapping waters.  It was much less cold down there than on the road as we were somewhat sheltered from the bitter wind.

 The walk afforded us some lovely night time views (not lovely from Kezzie photo-taking point of view).  That's the Louvre!

 We walked up to the Tuilleries gardens and wandered among Privet hedges in a maze like layout until we reached...

 The Louvre entrance which was impressive in itself!

 We attempted to sneak in and steal the Mona Lisa but didn't get past the entrance...

 We must have walked 2 miles along the river, meeting no one.  Then we walked up into the town.
Terribly, we ended up in Starbucks for a well-needed cup of tea and cake, as we couldn't seem to find any cafe open at the late hour.  Walking towards the tube, we could see an amazing building on the horizon which turned out to be the Paris Opera house (I'm wondering if there was a Phantom lurking?!)

Finally, feeling the effect of walking around 8-10 miles, we returned home to our hotel. The last steps, a final hurdle to the reward of sleep!

More anon.

Have you been to Paris?

World Book day ideas

Heelo! 
There are tons of websites I am sure giving ideas for what to wear, but I thought I'd share some I thought of or heard from somewhere or other just in case you are stuck.
 
A Card from Alice in Wonderland.
(You will need: 2 large pieces of white card string and a hole-punch, a wrapping-paper tube, black or red card and paper), black or red clothes,

• Get 2 pieces of large card and make yourself a sandwich board with it.  Draw a card of your choice on both (e.g. the 8 of spades) . 
• Dependent on your card suit, then wear clothes in either black or red. 
• Make yourself a headdress by cutting a strip of card in the appropriate colour and making it into a ring for your child's head.  Then make either a heart/spade/diamond/club out of the same colour and stick it to the front.
• Sceptre: Then get an old kitchen roll or wrapping tube and wrap it in red or black paper (or paint it) and make another card cutout of the suit to stick on the top

The white rabbit from Alice 1.
Can be exactly the same as the pack of cards except for the addition of bunny ears, a ruff made out of concertined white card, and white clothes instead.  You could also have a bob-tail and paint on a face.  I hate face paints or I'd suggest a white face also.
The white rabbit from Alice 2.

• Bunny ears and tail again.  White trousers
• A monacle or specs
• For clothes, A tweed/suit jacket
• A bow tie and waistcoat
• Smart shirt
• A pocket watch (can be a BIG fake cardboard one!)

The mad hatter:
Totally based on the most spectacular costume a child wore  2 years ago.

• Same sort of suit as the bunny (bow tie etc)
• A big top hat (I've made one out of black card before.  It is possible)
• String some toy teacups from your pocket
• Crazy wig

Alice:

• Blue headband.
• Blue dress
• White apron
• white ankle socks and black ankle strap shoes.
• Hold a little bottle, stick on a label saying, "Drink me".

Snow queen

•  Essentially you need a white dress or white skirt and top. 
• A tiara or crown can be made out of white card if you don't have one (I have 3, am I weird in that respect?)
• Maybe white lipstick or white eye makeup?
• You could cut out some snowflakes and attach them to the outfit as you see fit.

 Joseph and his technicolour dreamcoat.

Some nasty 80's lurid duvet cover from the charity shop? Cut it into a coat shape or a long robe, Nativity three wise men stylie. (that's also an idea! The Bible is a book!)

 

Or a coat with lots of patches of coloured material attached.

 

The white witch from Narnia.

Similar to the above.  Except make your crown look nastier.  And maybe wear some fake fur items and carry a wand.

 

The wardrobe (from the Lion, the witch and the...)

Essentially, you need a cardboard box suitably sized for your child and paints.

• Cut a hole in the top (the sealed end), big enough for your child's head.  Cut off the flappy bits at the other end. 
• Have fun painting it to create an old-fashioned looking wardrobe!
• Wear brown  or dark clothes beneath.

Arwen from Lord of the Rings

• A flowy dress.
• A cape.
• Some silvery sort of headdress.
• Fake pointy ears if possible
• A bow and arrows (stick/string?)

 Robin Hood

• Green clothes.  Ideally, a tunic, made out of green material (a green pillow case?) Belted.
• Make a bow and arrows. See above.
• A hat can easily be made by sticking together two trapezium shapes of green paper with a fake feather (or real- stalk the pigeons) attached.

Little Bo Peep:

• You basically need a frilly dress.  (if your child has been a princess in previous years then you're sorted for this)
• Maybe an apron.
• A bonnet.  Go to a charity shop and find an old straw hat. Put it on their head.  Tie a long thick piece of ribbon under their chin. 
• Get a walking stick (again, could be made out of cardboard) and attach a bow to it.
• Find a couple of cuddly sheep for them to clutch.

Anne Kirrin:
Oh how I wanted to be Anne Kirrin.  I wore a tatty blue headband as a 10 year old purely for that purpose!

• A white blouse and  a beigy sort of cardigan.
• A pleated skirt and knee-length socks. 
• A navy blue head band (This aspect is purely based on the 1970's Famous five TV series)

 

Hungry caterpillar:
(You will need green blanket and scraps of green material.  Pins.  Head band and 2 green pipe cleaners, red face paint.)

• You could easily get an old green blanket (or a green sheet or green material)  and wrap it around your child (towel style). (alternatively, old sleeping bag with holes cut in feet.
• You can also wrap stripes of contrasting green material or green ribbon or scarves around it to create the stripes (or if you can sew, sew them on.  Pin them on?)
• Paint their face red.  They could wear green or yellow sunglasses over their eyes. 
• Add green pipe cleaners to a headband and wear them on the head.

Fawkes the Phoenix from Harry Potter:
I actually dressed as a Phoenix several years ago for a silly event! 
You will need: 

• Red/yellow/gold/orange clothes.  I wore a simple vest vest top and a red sarong. 
• For your wings.  Make yourself some wing shapes out of cardboard.  We attached cotton straps through slits.  (a big sort of angel wings formation.) .  Get some crepe paper in red, yellow and orange plus some gold paper and cut into lots and lots of short strips.  Attach one end of each all over the wing shape (to create feathers).  Use scissors to curl them out.  Alternatively, you can make phoenix wings by adding taking an old long-sleeved shirt or t-shirt (in theappropriate colours) and adding the strips all along the length of the arms and along the back.)

      When I dressed up as a phoenix, we actually used one of those straw decorative woven fans and attached all the crepe paper to that.  It looked fab!

• For a headdress.  Use a selection of red/yellow/orange feathers and tuck them under a headband on the head.
• You could make a beak out of one segment of an egg-box attached to string (painted yellow) but I didn't bother, thinking I'd look silly!)

Paperbag Princess:
A fairly easy and cheap one.  You will need A roll of brown parcel paper.
A tiara (or yellow/gold card)

• You could easily make a dress (simple or more complex depending on your skill level) out of brown paper.  Alternatively (and this is what I am thinking of doing), you could get a kitchen apron and pin the brown paper, having cut it to size to it and that can easily be pulled on and off for inconveniences such as PE or playtime so it doesn't get ruined, over clothes.
• Make a crown out of gold card.
   

Mary Poppins

• A large charity shop hat to which large fake flowers can be added.
• A large holdall type bag (ideally tapestry)
• A long skirt and high necked blouse.  Or just a white blouse.
• A black umbrella
• A mid-length wool-type coat (school coat?)

Tom from The water babies:
Essentially a chimney-sweep outfit.  Good if your children are in year 5 or studying the Victorians.

• You can make  chimney brush (or just give them a broom.  See if you can get any chores out of them as a result!) our of a long stick with crepe paper/black paper strip stuck to the top) 
• Shirt and wastecoat (scruff looking is fine.)
• Dirt/back eye-shadow spread on cheeks to create dirt effect.
• Black trousers.  Could be ragged at the bottom if this is an item that's not needed anymore.  Alternatively, if like me you don't want to ruin it, just give em the normal ones and roll them up!)

This is similar to what an Oliver Twist outfit might be sans Broom

The highway man:
Also good for Year 6 and year 5 children.  From Robert Louis Stevenson's classic narrative poem.
The poem tells you what the costume should be!
 He'd a French cocked hat at his forehead.
A bunch of lace at his chin.
A coat of claret velvet
And breeches of fine doe-skin.
They fitted with never a wrinkle: his boots were up to the thigh!

And he rode with a jewelled twinkle,
His pistol butts a-twinkle,
His rapier hilt a-twinkle, under the jewelled sky.

(So that's:  a wine-red coat, ideally velvet, some sort of white shirt, ideally ruffly- you could make a ruffle out of some white material or just a hankerchief;   brown trousers or leggings (if girl?), A hat can be made out of black card again.   Try looking here for pictures.  Think Admiral Nelson.)
A sword in a belt, and two toy guns).

 

Girls could also be Bess.  Hair down, wear red roses in your hair.  A shawl, a red outfit or general old-fashioned looking dress.  One of my children actually took my suggestion for this last year and did this as her costume.  I was so proud of her!

Pied piper of Hamelin.

 Some sort of tunic (brown or read in colour) or waistcoat with a shirt

Simple trousers.

Make a fake wooden flute (or use a real one/recorder) out of some sort of tube or roll of paper.

Make a stick with a bundle of clothes atttached.

String some fake rats to them. (I vaguely recall some sort of Jane Asher costume doing this)

 

Katie Morag:

Year 2 children often study these books.

You need (ideally a red bobbed wig)

 Black wellies or knee high boots if not
A tartan skirt (green and yellow ideally but if not..),
A fair-isle or embroidered white/cream jumper
A scruffy old looking teddy (Tiresome Ted) to carry!

 

 Red riding hood:

 

I have a red bed sheet.  I'd tie it at the neck with a ribbon, wear a pretty dress with an apron and white socks, carry a basket. 

 

Any human/god character from Ancient Greek myths (Are studied in all year groups in primary school)

You will need:

• A white sheet or piece of light-coloured material.
• Either cut a hole half-way through some material.  Post the child's head through and belt it with some rope (or a gold/silver/brown belt) OR just tie it toga-style at one shoulder with it under the other arm.
• Head-dress: You could just make a wreath out of any old leaves (use string/thread or whatever) or what I did last year was to buy some of those gold leaves and flowers attached to wire from hobbycraft and attach them to a gold headband.
• Sandals
• Gold accessories. (I wore a nasty bling Primark coin necklace)I was Helen of Troy as you can see in a previous post)

 Other Ancient Greek themes: (particularly suitable for boys who like gore)

 The minotaur:  Dress them up in black/brown, make them bull horns on a headband?

The medusa:  Fake snake hair. You could make one out of my old favourite, crepe-paper.

Daealus and Icarus. See the outfits for human character and add some feather wings.

Cyclops:  Paint an eye on the boy's forehead. Generally make him look butch.

The watchman with 100 eyes.  Similar theme.  Create fake eyes and stick them all over the child.

The tiger who came to tea:
An orange t-shirt.  use some black strips of material and pin them on.
String some tea-cups from your shoulder/pocket.
Attach some orange card in the form of tiger ears to a headband.
Make yourself a tail by screwing/rolling up a piece of orange sugar-paper and attach to your bottom somehow!

Handa's surprise:
Based on someone's costume from a previous year
Lovely sarong on bottom half.
Nice blouse on top half.
Make a hat like a bowl of fruit and wear it on your head.

Long John Silver:
Basically a pirate costume:
Spotty headscarf,
Ruffly white skirt
Black suit jacket.
Black cropped trousers
Fake hook (can be made out of foil scrunched up)
A cuddly parrot on your shoulder

I have lots more ideas but no time to write them down!  Hope this helps!

Let me know if any of these helped you in any way!

Birthday hat! (LTEH 33 or 4?)

Hello! What a relief not to be wearing turquoise! (never thought I'd hear muself say that!)

My Mum came over tonight to see me (twas lovely to see her!)  and to bring me birthday pressies! Twas a bit naughty but I opened my pressies from her a day early!!!   The best present of all was this amazing red hat I'm wearing in the photo!  She crocheted it for me!  It was fitting therefore that I was already wearing a red accessorized sort of outfit!  I liked the way the hat seemed to give the trousers a 1940's look! They remind me of Vivien of Holloway trousers!  Isn't it fab! She made most of my presents this year! 

 Amazing lemon drizzle daisy cupcakes! (there are 12 all in all!)  Apparently, they are friendship cakes.  You make a dough/mix which you keep feeding for days (which sounded like a soughdough recipe!) and then share it among friends! Then finally, you make the cakes.  Anyway, they were delicious!

 She always wraps up pressies so beautifully!  The hat box is amazing and apparently she found it (brand new) in a charity shop! It housed the red beret and also a crocheted rose hairband and a crocheted daisy hair band.

Even the tissue paper wrap was recycled!  The red box houses 6 beautiful ocean bath bombs she'd made (turquoise, wrapped in turquoise ribbon of course!).  (She decorated the box- it was recycled)  The card was a beautiful hippy one with a pretty girl wearing a flower crown playing a flute!)  There were flying saucers and a 24-hour timer switch (there's always one random pressie! :-) )
My Mum surely should be able to count as a brilliant monthly-craft-maker!

I shall be returning with some ideas for costumes for World Book day if you are getting panicky at all!

The future's bright, the future's turquoise?!

Evening my lovelies!  Hope you are all well and happy! I've had a delightful weekend thus far!  I thought I'd post the rest of my turquoise inspired  outfits!  

Here was Wednesday- my last clothing purchase (Saturday) before I began the Lent/100 day shoppingfast! .

 Forever 21 ruffly top- it has ruffles, a pussy-bow and is turquoisy green- what more could I want! Accentuated by turquoise flowers on Dotty P cardie and bracelet!

 Friday was all in the accents!  I went for dashes of different blues!  Necklace, cardie, turquoise tights and vest-top and sparkly belt!

 Saturday for shopping, I went for a casual turquoise look.  Beret, hooded cardie, cord skirt with daisy-blouse and black tights

Had a lovely day with CBC on Saturday.  We nipped into a nearby town which was slightly torturous seeing the display in the St Francis Hospice charity shop window bearing in mind I am not allowed to shop for moi!  If you've read this blog for a while you know my penchant for hats!  They still had about 15 hats to join the display.  As I took the picture, they were getting ready to add more!!

 After achieving our errands in town, we headed back home where CBC and I tried out practising lots of music as we were playing music for my Grandad's Bee-keeper's annual dinner. It was really lovely trying out lots of music together.  We were rather gutted that our piano playing was not up to performing the Mozart piano duets that we've been playing recently! However, we played quite a few Piazzola tangos!

The turquoise dress I intended to wear to finish off this week of turquoise/blue/green seemed to have gone AWOL, so I ended up wearing this outfit which I had been going to wear on Valentines day.  I like it as it has a distinctly romantic Europeon feel to it with all the red roses.  It is all embroidered.

 It has turquoise on it!

 I attempted to do something different with my hair wearing a gold filligree rose headband!

We had a lovely time, ate far too much and I was struck with how nice it is to be surrounded by humble older people who are comfortable in themselves.  I felt that at church today.  It is so nice to have such a wonderful community of loving friends who really care about you.  I am really grateful for that. (except of course until they snitch on you and mention its your birthday in 2 days and the whole church makes you stand up and sings to you!)

This afternoon, my friend M and I had lunch at her house and then we went on a 5 mile walk circular route, encompassing 3 parks!  It was sheer bliss in the gentle sun.  Spring is almost here! I am so grateful for that!!!!

How are you???

Valentines buttons: in which Kezzie arranges buttons on train as strangers looks on bemused!

A make a month has taken on a decidedly buttonish (nice word- (C) Kezzie 2012) theme in February!

CBC's valentines card. Hastily thrown together on Saturday night around midnight before departing egregiously early to gay Pareees on Sunday morning. Was a challenge as all my 3d pads and glue seemed to have gone completely AWOL. I tried to do it on the train on the way to CBC's house but as I arranged buttons on the card, to the bemusement of my fellow passengers (not as bad as licking a muffin as a stranger looks on as a certain blogger did recently!), I realised I had no scissors to cut my own adhesive, double sided sticky tape! It had to wait!

The blue background is some sort of packaging from some box or other (always SOME recycling). The buttons are an assortment I obtained from my Mum, whose husband was going to give them away. Spying, I pounced! Apart from the double-sided tape, a cream card blank (from my Christmas swap from Millie) and some outline silver stickets, that was it! (Apart from a blue card heart with a glowing red button topping it inside the card!) Quite quick really!

I can't possibly comment on the card I received as I didn't :-(
although I did get a treasure hunt in Brugues with furry heart keyring as the prize on the 17th which kind of made up for it!  It was a sweet thought!! :-)

Was denken Sie?

(Blog post title, slightly plagiarised from The Chrlog's recent post on muffin licking! Read it, it's hilarious!)

I wandered lonely under a cloud.

I wander in the mists of thought,

As dappled light upon my brow,

Amidst a haze of sound,

Punctuation from black-birds.

Black silhouetted trees paint a design on the blue blanket skirt of the sky.

The silhouetted chimney pots are nature’s curator’s fingers,

Pointing out effervescent clouds.

Two eyes blinking, satellites thinking

A fingernail moon beckons.

And I, the lonely nymph of the forests,

Secret explorer of this place that winter has released,

Bask in relief and joy

In supplication to the right to breathe

To rejoice that all things will be right.

 Today was hard.  My observation went terribly.  I froze in fear, decisions impossible.  

 But there was hope and light.  And people, colleagues, who care about me and understand the pressures.

 What joyful Spring weather today.  My garden was a sanctuary as I returned from school, weary, as it were the end of term.  I wandered, reluctant to leave.  The clouds have been amazing today!  I really think I saw another lenticular cloud in the day but I didn't have a camera!  These were the view from my garden.  Beautiful! I am so excited for Spring to be arriving!

The chimney pot fingers pointing out effervescent clouds

A small bird floats in the water

 This last cloud formation looked to me like a towering dove/bird/pigeon pecking at the sky!

Continuing SJP vivid colours and flowy girly inspired outfit!  I was called leprecaun all day!
(Top, belt cardie: Primark, Skirt:ASOS, Cardie, Shoes: eYe Boutique, scarf and necklace:Accessorize)
I wish I'd taken a close-up of the lovely bracelet from Luan's giveaway!

What's hiding?

Thank you for all recent loveliness! And hello to some new follower lovelies!!! By the way, I was amused but terrified at the impression that I was trying emulate SJP all week! Like that is possible! I just thought, I love that outfit so much that I wanted to take inspiration from it all week! I had computer issues last night so I couldn't post this then!

Anyway, twas yesterday's school outfit. The influences were the colours- turquoisy blue, flowyness (Monsoon) and the blue beady necklace (fairtrade Christmas pressie!)! Oh and the SATC opening credits-inspired pink netted ballet skirt hiding underneath my main skirt! I remember buying this from ASOS (my first purchase!) years ago as I loved the SJC skirt so much!!!I've never managed to find a matching pink vesttop to achieve the whole look though!

Yesterday was a difficult day. I had another incident with that colleague, where she shouted at me and was not very pleasant. I still feel bad for her but there is no need to be so unpleasant to others. Unfortunately (for her I guess) it was overheard by my colleague and head apparently. Anyway, it's hopefully sorted now (we haven't spoken since) but I hope that nothing bad came about as a result.

Then I completely forgot I was supposed to be at orchestra in the evening! Which was not good as I am first flute!

Tomorrow, I am being observed teaching French! EEEEEK!!! Panic! By our SENCO AND a Governor/SIP partner/Uni lecturer!

I'm loving the fact that the weather has been changing! I look forward to Spring so much. It's such a wonderful season with a myriad of joys!

It's my 31st Birthday next week and as usual, I am wondering what to do. Inevitably, I never get around to doing anything! Last year, we went lindy-hopping which was great! I'd like to go again but at the same time, i would love to have a lovely vintage tea-party in order to christen my Christmas present book! Although, my house is small and I somewhat dread too many people all together! Or, like last year's intention, make it to Caloo-Callay at last!! What would you do?

I love the challenge I set my year 5 group today- they are to slip the words a plethora, a myriad or a multitude casually into as many conversations as possible. Did you see where I did it?

Isn't she lovely?

Look at her. Isn't she pretty?*

 Can you believe that when I told her she looked pretty, she said that no one had ever called her pretty before in her life and she was really touched and delighted by it.  I was flabbergasted and sad that this was so.

I think she's very pretty and I love her dearly!  She has given so much for me! She has done so much for me. I found these old pictures of her and I wonder why oh why no one told her! She is beautiful on the inside and equally so on the outside!

Please tell her she's pretty to ensure she really believes it! Please please please!!!!
*(actually,so is he!  Who IS he?????) 

SJP does the blues!!!

It's inspiration Monday over at the Two birds boutique.  It's a great inspiration this week!  SJP herself donning my favourite colours and a flowing skirt!  I decided to link up for the post but I since decided that I would take inspiration from her all week in the form of flowy skirts, girly and greens/turquoises and blues, so expect to see variations on that theme since I adore all those things!

So here is your outfit! Love!

And here is my Sunday rendition which was an adaptation on the theme, e.g. knitted dress instead of cardie! Binocular case instead of big red bag!

 But look, I did heels!

 Today on the first day back at school, I decided to carry on with theme of turquoises and flowy skirts in order to avoid back to school gloom!  My goodness, being enthusiastic is exhausting!!!   As I felt clearly visible today, I am linking up to Visible Monday on Not dead yet style! 

 Scruffy rose accessories!! All a bit fraying now!

By the way, did you wonder about the missing memory sticks?!  I LOATHE myself at times.  I found the wretched things in my suit-carrier entombed with that turquoise silk dress I wore for the concert with Sophie's necklace.  Why oh why oh why did I shove them in there at the concert!???!!  What is wrong with me!?!!?! (But thank God I went to take the dress out to have it ready for dry-cleaning and found them!!!!)

Go and enjoy the other girls' outfits!  I can't wait to see how everyone styled it. Especially check out Nora looking very very cute!

Tag, I'm it!!!!!!!!

Loves dressing up!

***Edited to include Sophie's questions!***
 I've somehow avoided doing this just because I am renowned for long boring waffle and I knew it would take ages to do it.  However, I've been tagged 3 times to do this, so I better oblige. 
Firstly, I was recently tagged by the lovely Luan at Green Tea and cupcakes to do this tag!  She's lovely!  Fun, likes great dresses, gets up to some crazy shenigans at times and she's a brilliant follower who always makes you feel you're saying something interesting!    Then Sophie Finally, Alex at Odd socks and pretty frocks got me.  So here we go (brace yourselves!)
Well this is what I need to do

First Things First, The Rules:

You must post the rules.
 Post eleven fun facts about yourself on the blog post. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.
 Tag eleven people and link them on your post. Let them know you’ve tagged them! (Meh, I don't like tagging people it feels like a chain letter, but anyway!)

The facts:
I'm trying to think about anything interesting I can write that I haven't already shared in previous posts and I am pretty much left with the mundane!
1. My first paid musical gig was playing for a production of Mozart's The Magic Flute, aged 16,
playing viola in the 'pit orchestra'.  My desk partner (what you call the person you share your music stand with!) was really lovely and was happy to dress up in tiaras with me each night
 for the Queen of the Night's aria!

2.  Like Luan, I love fancy-dress!  I am always willing to dress up for special days at school!  Am currentl y debating what to wear for World Book day!  Last year, I was Helen of Troy (see picture above!) and the previous year, Catherine Morland!  I quite fancy being the White rabbit from Alice, or something from Oz (although the latter seems too obvious!!).  Katie Morag?  Any ideas?!

3.  As a child, aged 18 months I used to draw "Safeelite pictures" of the United Kingdom and referred to them as such!

4.   I have far far far tooo many dresses and blogging is a BAD influence on me!

5.  I went to Paris, Bruges and Reims last week,  it didn't manage to work out Marrakesh! I have left my replacement camera lead at CBC's so I wont be posting any photos yet!

6.   I am intensely scared of scorpions.  Seriously, they utterly scare me- they look soooooooo EVIL!   I only saw one once in real life, on the ceiling of my neighbour's bathroom in Bali. Shudder!!!!!!!!

7.  Like Alex, I am not on Facebook.  I have many reasons for this which I wont bore you with.  Although there are some reasons I wouldn't mind, the cons FAR outweigh the PROS!

8.  I really really dislike hairy chests!  Men with hairy chests do NOTHING for me! No offence but I wouldn't have a penchant for you Mister Hairy!

9.  I have recently decided that I do not like indoor malls/shopping centres like Westfields, Bluewater etc, I feel claustrophobic, cooped up, hot and crave natural light.  I much prefer a high street or a small shopping parade with shops around.  I was in Westfields Stratford for 30minutes last night before I had to escape.  I made it to Forever 21, Primark and a hat/accessory shop before I needed to leave!  Tis also a reason why I don't like Ikea!

10.   I am sooo sooo sooo messy!  I try hard to change and I don't like mess, yet I fail.  Perhaps this is a good reason for me to have joined Danielle's 100 day shopping ban!

11.  I love chocolate but all in all, I am not a desserts person.  9 times out of 10, I'd rather not have dessert- especially stodgy English ones.  I'd sooner mug you for that bag of crisps you're munching on!

Luan's questions:
1. Cat person or dog person?

Definitely cats!  I have owned over 17 cats in my childhood/past.  I think dogs are really sweet and I enjoyed my dog-walking job as a 12-16 year old but I don't like being licked with doggy-breath!
2. Who is your hero, and why?

Ooooh, difficult one.  I admire many people for many different qualities.  Sorry, can't pin it down! Can I say Jesus!!!?
3. What is the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?

Hmmmmm, I had rabbit last week in France.  It was nice!
4. What’s your favourite book?

Awww what a mean question!!! So many to choose from!  I love I capture the castle, Five run away together,Northanger abbey, Pride and prejudice... Somebody STOP me!

5. If you could have 6 people, living or dead, over for a dinner party at your place, who would you invite?
Ah how can I choose! 
Paul McGann- I adored him as a teenager and I would just LOVE to meet him!
Some of you bloggers I'd never get to meet otherwise! 
Alexander McCall Smith - he's just soo funny.  And someone told me they saw him at a reading of one of his books and he was giggling like a child over something in his book.  That's so sweet!

My nan (Mamgu, that's her on the left)- I miss her.
John Williams - I adore his film music and I'd love to grill him!
Schubert- he was painfully shy and died so young before he'd written lots of music. I'd like to draw him out of his shell.
Robin Williams- I think he is soo sooo funny! 

6. What is your favourite song?
 I HATE these questions Luan, you're making me pick!!!!!!!
I love How deep the father's love by Stuart Townend.
I love Andrew Lloyd Webber's Music of the night
Londonderry air (AKA Dannyboy)
I could go on for a long time...
7. What language/s do you speak?
English, German, Indonesian, French, some Greek, a little Balinese and miniscule Japanese,
8. What is the number one thing on your “bucket list”?
What?
9. How do you like your coffee?
I HATE coffee!!! A year in Bali of politely drinking minging black sugary coffee, trying to hide my disgust whilst smiling politely. Urgh!

10. Who would play you in a biopic of your life?

I think the girl who plays Willow in Buffy is rather ditsy like me!
11. Which animal would you steal from the zoo, and how would you get it out of there?

A parrot. I would go in there in a rather bright and fetching hat covered in flowers and birds.  It would then be persuaded to become part of the scenery.

Alex's Q:

1) Are you a morning or a night person?
Neither.  I like the middle of the day. 

2) Have you ever stolen anything? (be honest, I won't set the law on you)
Oh no, trauma!  Yes, I stole 2 sweets from the pick and mix in Sainsburys aged 3ish.  I remember one had a brown and gold striped wrapper.  I remember standing by the pick and mix and looking at them.  Then I blacked out totally (literally, I have NO memory of what happened next) until the next thing I knew, I was in the car on my own outside my sister's school whilst my Mum collected her, staring at these 2 sweets.    Seriously, I have no idea how it happened and it still haunts me to this day!

3) What is your favourite word?
Ooooh, I love this one!!! Ostensibly!  Without a DOUBT!  I have a weird thing with it.  I absolutely LONG to use it in conversation and yet I find myself never at a suitable juncture to use it.  If someone else uses it, I scowl inwardly with utter envy.  Ostensibly, I appear to be enjoyed your conversation whilst you say it, but on the inside I am grumbling that you said it first!! (ones that I use frequently include:  alacrity, audaciously)
4) What can't you live without?
A book!

5) Who/what do you have an irrational dislike of?
Face paints! Mendhi!
6) Where is your favourite place to eat out?
Mmmmm, I love Wagamamas, I also love Yen Lin, the lovely Chinese restaurant near me!
7) Who is the cleverest person you know?
OOoh, this is HARD!  When I go camping, nearly everyone there is some frightfully clever Oxbridge graduate, PHD-possessing polyglot!  I feel a complete dunce in comparison!
8) What was the last film that you saw at the cinema? Was it any good?
I saw Woody Allen's Hannah and her sisters at the BFI in January.  It was brilliant!  I have never seen any of his films and I loved how quirky it was and the sentiment of it!
9) What is your guilty tv pleasure?
Oh dear, how embarassing- Emmerdale and Home and away.
10) Where did you last go on holiday?
I got back from Paris, Reims and Bruges yesterday!  All three were lovely and fun with their own virtues but I adored Bruges!
11) What makes you go "GAHHHHHHHHHHHHH"?
The way I can just lose something just like that!  I RAGE around my house/school trying to find the desired article cursing myself for my utter stupidity for not being able to find something!  Like right now, I have lost all 3 of my school memory sticks- they're inside a small Cath Kidston pencil case and I last saw them on Saturday night 3 weeks ago downstairs.  I have back-ups of the main memory stick but unfortunately ALL my lesson plans for this half-term for music are ALL on the one I didn't back up!  I face the prospect of rewriting ALL those 4 plans tomorrow as well as everything else I haven't completed yet.  I am FURIOUS with myself (and of course, the camera lead, where oh where?!)
 
Sophie's questions:
1) What happened on your favourite/most memorable day?

Oh  blooming heck, which one in particular?!  Right now, I think of the day at University when I discovered in my first week, that after my orchestra audition, I had got into the orchestra as principal flute (first flute).  I hadn't even bothered to check the results board because I just assumed I hadn't got in (10 flutes in my year, lots in other years, 2 girls who went to the Chethams school of music before Uni, there was no possibility!) and then I heard the two Chethams girls (at the board) say, "Who's Kerenza?" and I ran over and saw my name there.  I was so unbelievably happy.  I had never been chosen from audition to play flute in an orchestra because I played the viola, I always had to play viola in my youth orchestra despite my longing to play flute.  I thought it would never happen and then it did!  Despite the fact they knew I played the viola and loads of others had auditioned, they had chosen me.  I love playing my flute in orchestras more than anywhere else.  It was wonderful!

Then I could talk about the day I first danced with CBC.  It was at Music camp on Dance night.  We'd had a quick dance together and then he'd said, "But I want a waltz later". Somehow that night, there were virtually no slow dances until the last dance.  And then we found each other (my previous experience at Dance night had never been dancing with the person I most liked for the last dance.  And I liked him so much more than anyone before. I had been so miserable thinking that he didn't like me in that way and then he held me really close when we danced and I actually didn't feel shy which was a miracle for me as I am painfully embarassed when dancing with people! I started to wonder if he actually did like me!
2) What is your least favourite colour and why?
Yellow.  It looks horrid on me!
3) What don’t you like eating and why?

Do I need to say this again?  MUSHROOOOOOOOOOOOMS- evviiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiil!!!!!!!!!!
4) Who is your celebrity twin?
 Eeeek!  I'd like to say Anne Hathaway but I'd be deluded- that is purely wishful thinking!  Can someone help me with this!!!!????
5) Do you have a surprising skill, what is it?
I can play more than one note at the same time on the flute (multiphonics) and make all sorts of strange beatbox percussion-type sounds.  This is probably not surprising though.  Also not surprising, if you ask me what a note is, I can say, "That's a G#!" or whatever.
6) What place is the world would you most like to visit?
I'd love to visit some remote island in the middle of the Pacific - in Micronesia or Polynesia (as long as there are no nasty insects or spiders to bite me!)
7) What is the best or worst bit of advice you have received?
Above all, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life (proverbs 4 v13 I think?)  Rach gave me that advice and I remember it always.
8) What is your favourite snack?
Crisps!!!  Wotsits that have been left out so they are all chewy!  Disgusting no yah, but I know someone else who likes them too (leave a comment if that's you!)
9) What would you like to change about the world, if anything?
The fact that people feel socially inadequate, that Society creates platitudes that we must conform to and if we are different it isn't a good thing.  It IS!

10) Dogs or cats? Or neither?
I believe I have answered this!

11) If you were to change your first name, what would you call yourself?
Ooooh, I love the name Sophie! (Honestly, it is literally my favourite name! I named my cat that aged 13!) 
Otherwise, I have always loved the name Genevieve!
Ok, so I am going to tag:
Nicole and Gwendolyn
Missy Miller
Rach Warwick
Leanne at Stundon
Lauren at Someone like you
Chris at the Chrlog
Tasha at Tasha's treasure trove.
Emmah at Vintage Sweetheart
Laura at Adaisychaindream
Bonnie at Glam Kitten's litterbox.

My questions are:
1.  Which confectionary or product that is no longer available do you miss and would like to bring back?
2.  What was your favourite cartoon or kids programme as a child? Tell me what it was about!
3.  What is your favourite word and why? (sorry, I liked that question!)
4.  Which place do you really have no desire to go to on holiday and why?
5.  Likewise, where would you MOST like to go and why?
6.  How many _________ does it change to change a lightbulb.  Give me your best q and answer to this joke!
7.   What do other people say is your best personality attitribute?  What do you think of this?
8.  Who is your favourite author and why?
9.  Kindle, paperback or hardback- choose which and why?
10.  If you could obtain tickets for any Olympic event this year, which sport would it be and why??
11.  If you could play a musical instrument, which would you play and why? (and no choosing one you can already play!)
Sorry I will finish uploading the links soon, but my computer is going sooo slow that I may scream!!!

Come and play tag!!!!