A leopard doesn't change its spots, a blogger must change her stripes!

Hello! How are you?! Well, I hope!  Thank you for your lovely comments on my recent post- it was nice to be described as 'cute' etc and I hope you enjoyed Miss Dial V's blog!

Today it is Inspiration Monday at the Two birds boutique blog and I always love to play along!
I was pretty pleased when I saw the lovely Ms Witherspoon. I've adored everything I've seen her in from Legally Blonde (the best 'feel good movie' around I think!)  to The importance of being Ernest and others! She's very sweet too!   I was also pleased to see a) a dress and b) navy and white stripes!
Two of my favourite things!

 I was then struck by a dilemma.  What to wear.  I always wonder about how much other people think about these things. I've got the most flippertigibet mind which flits around as I am doing different things thinking about all sorts of little random thoughts, so as I make the twice daily trek to school of 20mins, I am thinking.  On most days, I decide what I want to wear the night before and stick with it. But on Inspiration Monday, as I say, I've been pondering at absent moments!

The following items came into my mind....

 and a few others which I couldn't find.

 The problem with this dress is: I wore it last Tuesday and there was no way I was wearing it to school in the wind!

 I wore this one on Saturday in fact but then I'd worn it for a previous Inspiration Monday and it seemed to thin for the cold day we had today plus I'd already worn it!

 I thought about this one that CBC bought me for my birthday and I hung this up to wear today!  Except when I looked at it this morning,it fairly screamed out for an iron and of course I don't do such things early in the morning!

 I couldn't even find this dress which would have been the best since it has long sleeves!!!  Where are you oh absent friend?

All the above seemed too cold today!  All seemed unsuitable for prancing around a Year 3 classroom dancing like a serene ballet-dancer to a Vivaldi recorder-concerto  (yes, this is indeed what I spent my morning doing.  It was utterly blissful, totally hippy and better still, the children adored doing it and really connected to the body.  Mind and body in sync!  The little autistic boy in one class was wonderful!  It was totally his thing and when it was his turn to come out of the ensemble to represent the solo recorder line through his movements, he was a wonder to behold.  He totally got it!!!)
Anyway, back to stripe issues!
There was also the stripy top perched on the edge of the sofa which I'd have worn with a white skirt!  In addition, I'd thrifted the most gorgeous white broderie-anglaise midi-shirt dress on Saturday which I was itching to wear and wear with stripy belt and scarf etc but it was too cold!

 Finally, I settled on the following a little bit of a deviant from the mode at the total last minute this morning!

Stripy tunic dress, cherry necklace and heart belt (hee hee, from Peacocks aged 12-13 range!)
Red cardie Primark
Navy spotted trousers Tescos
Red star earrings and naval shoes (not really visible) Cath Kidston.

I'm not sure of what you make of the trousers and dress combo, but all I wanted to wear was trousers today, it was so chilly so I was pretty happy!

I had a really nice moment today where I was mentioned in a staff meeting in terms of planning staffing for next year.  They'd actually me cited in it, that they wanted to keep me as I was because they think the work I do with the children is really valuable. I was touched, really touched and I just wanted to remind myself of it here so on future difficult days, I can remember that I am valued.  That is always lovely, to be valued, even if I don't always believe it myself, like when I have Year 5 (this afternoon- grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!)

Anyway, I just wanted to remind you all to record those moments where you feel valued and joyful, because it really is nice to have a lovely reminder in writing for when you do feel down or lost at all.  This is why I do my 10 things to be thankful for on here.  I am thankful in my prayers but I think it is important to record and count your blessings, great or small.  All are precious, all are nourishing to your life, all are moments or thoughts to treasure and delight in, like a child looks upon a box of treasures.

Hugs to you x