TARDIS Tuesday- 70's Salmon- Romana and the Stones of Blood

 It's my first TARDIS Tuesday of the year and I thought I'd start with a new one!  In the 1970's, we were introduced to the Doctor's first Gallifreyan companion in the TARDIS, the beautiful Romanadrovatrelundar, AKA Romana for short. The glamorous, intelligent Timelady joined the TARDIS to assist the Doctor in searching for the Key to Time. The whole of this season was made up of 6 stories (mostly consisting of 4 parts, except for the final Ribos Operation) which all involved the search for the pieces of the key to Time which would reset the universe to a balance of good and evil.  The White Guardian gives the Doctor the task but warns him about the Black Guardian who wants to redress the balance in favour of evil.  Romana was played by Mary Tamm who is actually one of the first Who characters I wanted to dress as. Lovely Norma made me a black version of her beautiful white dress from The Ribos Operation for my orchestra concerts which I wore here.  I've cosplayed 3 versions of her key to time outfits with the exception of this one.

Today, I'm debuting a new outfit from the Key to Time episode entitled, The Stones of Blood.  Romana wears two outfits in this episode and I have attempted the second one about 4 times!  This one, I've not seen anyone attempt. I know quite a few cosplayers/Who dresseruppers don't like this outfit but I've always rather liked it!  Let's have a look at it:

This is Romana's first visit to Earth and she tells the Doctor she's going to dress for Earth.  She comes out of the TARDIS wardrobe dressed like this!  For reasons the Doctor can't fathom.

She wears a Burberry flat cap, a Coral/apricot grandad shirt/tunic, matching trousers, a black belt, impractical gold high-heeled sandals plus a thin gold necklace and gold watch.  She soon comes unstuck in the sandals when walking around Stone Henge and later changes into her more practical (well...) red outfit.

And well...

here we are:

I've been low-key thinking about this outfit for a few years thinking if I ever saw a similar blouse in a charity shop, I'd buy it. And so, last year, I saw this Nine by Sienna Miller blouse in my local charity shop for £6 and it made me think of Romana.  Funnily enough, I then saw the linen trousers (brand new by Poetry brand) for £4 just before Christmas and I took a punt on them being a close enough match.

As you can see, they're NOT a total match but close enough for me.

Both garments are super comfortable and lightweight. Would I get away with wearing this entire outfit outside of cosplay? Do I look like I'm wearing scrubs? Hmmm...

This black stretchy belt is a Primark one I've had for at least a decade and the gold sandals were bought from the same shop back in around 2011-12 for my role as Lucia in The Boys from Syracuse - interestingly, I wore this EXACT shade of material with them- a large sheet of material which I cut a hole in the neck and wore with a belt. Sadly, I donated the material to the music camp costume store otherwise I realise I could have made the outfit from them (well, maybe not!). I did have high heeled silver sandals similar to the real ones but I gave them to my niece last year! No close up of my feet because no one needs to see that!

My gold bracelet was a present from a child at school a few years ago (I did forgot to wear my gold neck chain but I don't think you'd see it anyway!

The final item was the Burberry flatcap.  I've kept a look out in the charity shops but seen nothing suitable. Even online, anything true Burberry was scarce or super expensive.  This cap was a 'Beige tartan flat cap' which I found for  £1 from Vinted (with fees and postage, it ended up costing me around £4)

I didn't attempt to copy this pose below (above, yes) but it worked out quite well! I should have taken it near my convex antique mirror!

It was fun to put this together and I liked that  I found the main items all serendipitously except for that cap!

What do you think?  Do you dislike this outfit as much as the die-hard Romana fans or do you like it? Which elements work for you? Which don't?!

xx

Coral anglaise

Some of the nicest dresses I have found have come from charity shops. I think my second post-Lent purchase in a charity shop which I forgot about was this lovely cora shirt dress. It's totally me as I love a collared dress, it's a good length on my long-legs and is flattering to my pear-shape. I like the fact collared dresses can be worn demurely buttoned up or styled different worn open with a vest top underneath!



I'm absolutely pooper-scoopered (AKA tired!) but I'm well!



I'm very grateful for a few things and I may as well sling them in here down the bottom, rather than a separate post.

1. Having got my summer term teaching observation out of the way last week.  It was with my favourite class, last lesson on a Friday. I truly love those kids! It was also a lesson I had very clear in my head, having devised it very clearly as a 'setting the scene' lesson on Fanfares.  We're learning about chords this term so it linked nicely to the topic and enabled me to teach the children two new rhythms, triplets and dotted quaver, semi-quaver patterns and allowed a great amount of discussion. It went very well and my deputy head gave me an Outstanding across the board and told me it's the best lesson she's ever seen me do and couldn't really give me any constructive criticism.  That really made my day.  I love that class, I've been observed with them every year for the last 4 years and they are so enthusiastic! Hurrah!
2. Having had a wonderful weekend playing act 1 of an opera by American Minimalist composer John Adams called 'The death of Klinghoffer'.  It was wonderful- challenging, interesting, changeable and a great workout for my piccolo playing as well as flute,  I saw many dear friends, the food was incredible, the weather was idyllic and I just simply had a marvellous time.
3.  Having pulled out of taking part in a musical production of Guys and dolls due to being asked to take my school choir to go and sing at a concert with an adult choir, I was phoned by my friend tonight to tell me she's getting married and the wedding is the same weekend- I wouldn't have been able to do it if I had stayed doing the opera.
4.  Being able to help out above friend.  Sent her my order of service, said I'd play flute for her and advised of various weddingy things. Nice to help and I am SO happy for her!
5. Having a great book to read.I am always rather bereft and lacking in my life if I don't have my parallel existence in a exciting or engaging book so I am pleased about having a new Georgette Heyer in my life- thank you charity shops!
6. Lindy is back in my life! We're TRYING to go to a weekly class in a nearby town and we've made it for two weeks. Lindy hop makes me so happy- I love the friendly people we go with and the dance teacher is really cool! He asked us if we wanted to join a new dance performing group he's putting together which is quite cool though a little scary. I danced with him yesterday which was TERRIFYING but cool, particularly as he pulled this crazy move on me- the one you might see in Strictly where the girl leans back into the guy's arms and he turns her over like a pole or a plank and steps over her- hard to explain but it was hilarious!
7.  Reports deadline is put back a week. I've done most of them BUT I still have 2 whole classes to write and two classes to finish off. Luckily, already done and sent 10 classes!
8.  MMMM, Lidl, I am grateful for cheap veg! British Asparagus for 1.09 a bundle, aubergines at 49p, avocados for 29p etc- you get so much more for your money there!
9. For the joy of wild life! I'm enjoying the 30 days wild challenge even though I've found it a bit of a challenge so far this week!
10.  As always, for friends (you included) and family and the relationships I have, both professional and blood etc.

What are you  grateful for and what do you think of shirt dresses!?
xx

SIA- The Green Cage (bonus post!)

I was so uninspired with today's BEDM brief that I thought I'd add in a second post. This is a quick Style Imitating Art challenge I joined in with this week.
The inspiration piece was The Green Cage by Richard E Miller, chosen by Salazar at 14 shades of grey.


Such a pretty piece. I loved the brushstrokes and the beautiful feminity of the subject plus the delightful hues.

As is often the case with Style imitating Art, I tend to go for the central colours, particularly if there is a human subject.


Taking the corally pink of her shawl and the blue of her frock, I combined two charity shop items- Broderie Anglaise shirt dress from Next and a blue petal patterned silk skirt from Monsoon.  It was time to bring out the flower crown/wreath for those roses in the background. This one was my first flower crown from Monsoon Kids a long time ago!  Avoided the usual smiling at the camera to try and reflect the demure nature of the subject.

I'm tending my flowers.  I've been ridiculously excited over my crops. Really wanting to grow vegetables this year.  Have a look so far...hope I actually get to eat some of this and it doesn't a) get decimated by slugs/snails b) die of lack of watering because I am away,



Tomato plants are fairly small. Haven't grown much since they went outside.


Radishes are blossoming. As I went out earlier, the stalks started to turn red!


Oh sad little lettuces.  Not really doing much!



Onions were seedlings from Waitrose. Not done much so far.
Pak Choi were seedlings from Waitrose. Not done much so far and wretched slugs have discovered them! Go away pests!


Carrots probably won't grow - I was a bit rough with the root bulb.


Raspberries have grown a bit


Strawberries have had flowers and are growing. Slugs get lost!


Seedling lettuces from Waitrose have been chomped by the evil woodpigeons and/or snails.


Is that rocket starting to sprout? I hope so!


LOOOK Swiss Chard is finally emerging!!!!


Land cress planted by Mum but has grown a lot in the week since she came round.


Mum also planted runner beans in a pot but they've grown about 15cm in a week!!!!


French beans germinated by me!

Hurrah!

XX

Dressing as a canyon....

Canyon by Helen Frankenuthaler, 1965, acrylic on canvas

This is a striking piece of art.  Such shades and hues.  It requires a closer look.  Style imitating Art has chosen female artist Helen Frankenuthaler and her work, Canyon.  I found this one quite easy to think of. My outfit choice was pretty simple- coral dress from France (5 euro bargain)  which I've worn here and here in different ways which I decided to wear backwards to achieve a new look with it, paired with a thrifted teal cardie, my new DMs and black tights to avoid teal overkill (oh I nearly went there with the teal tights!)




I'm outta here!!! Hope all is well with you and thank you to my lovely 2 new followers Natalia and Petina!  Thanks also for the sweet comments on my previous post!

Linking with Jess at Animated Cardigan.

Coral reef

One thing bloggers and their outfits have taught me is that dresses don't simply have to be worn by themselves or with a  cardie but you can layer blouses underneath! Silly but I never GOT that before!
One thing they clearly haven't taught me is the art of ironing.  I do laugh when I look at my scruffly, rumpled, messy clothes (in this case, namely the blouse- look how limp and scraggly the pussy bow is when it should be big and wide!).  On another blogger (preferably one who irons?) this probably would have looked nice!  Anyway, either way, I was happy to be wearing this dress when it's not summer! It was a French bargain in a shop for 5 euros 2 years ago and the blouse was a delightful French Connection charity shop find.

Today there was an Easter Bonnet competition at school- there were some really amazing ones and I thought I MUST make one some time. My Mini-me had turned her turquoise straw floppy hat into an Easter bonnet and I said to her that she must let me try it on and take a picture which she giggled at.  She laughed even more (and her mum) when I chased her down the street to take the mentioned picture!  I was originally planning to try and make a fascinator with flowers last night but CBC had gone out and he has the only keys to our shed (where my craft paraphernalia is stored.). Good thing too as I only got back from seeing Grandad at 9.30pm!  I was shocked to find him (Grandad) talking as if my Grandmother (who died some 16 years ago) was still alive and he kept asking when she was coming back and why she had gone.  I was worried to say the wrong thing to distress him so it wasn't the easiest of visits. It's either the medication or when he stops wearing his oxygen mask seems to be the theory for why.  My Mum checked with my Aunt and apparently she just told him straight that she was dead and he remembered and snapped out of it.  But there's no phone reception in the hospital so I couldn't phone to check. So I would have been ok.  Still, I didn't want to distress him and the nurse suggested I just say whatever to try and settle him down.  Not sure that really worked.

Tomorrow, I am meeting my Canadian work colleague, who has become a really good friend in the 4 months she's been at my school, and another young colleague in Borough market for her birthday.  I'm really looking forward it as they are so nice and it will be nice to socialise outside of school too! We're planning to go and swim at the Olympic park another time too, but can't this holiday as she's back to Canada for the holidays.  CBC is at school tonight supervising a student sleepover.  He's absolutely MAD.  In the space of 48 hours or so, he's doing that, cycling in a 100 mile race/ride and then driving us to Northumberland! Er- crazy!


Linking to Visible Monday  with the fabulous Patti with my er- slightly bright ensemble?

The O.K Coral



Dress:  Shop in Marmande, R2D2 bag- Miss Selfridge 1996, Indian shoes- Kush, Mini hat fascinator:   Prize from Florrie's floral festivities.  Bunting necklace:  Dorothy Perkins, Shell flower earrings:  Market in Monsegur. Cardie:  Primark



It is the last day before I return to school.  It is the return to normality.  It's so silly to feel gloomy so I have tried not to!   I have lots and lots and lots to do still so will need to get on.  Again, trying not to panic! I am used to this though- this holiday is the one in which you just want to cling to the holidays like a baby monkey clinging to its mother. I recognise what a lovely privelege I have to have this long holiday though.  Like Eccesiastes, I appreciate that there's a time for each thing and the appreciation of holidays is made more so by the having to work hard in between! It's all ok.

It's also weird cooking for one and being alone.  For a lot of the holiday I have spent it with other people, so it seemed strange to be alone.  Quiet, reflective. But it's ok.

I went to church this morning. I played the piano for the service:  always a scary prospect, always includes one or two dodgy notes. I saw friends; it was lovely to see them.  The sermon spoke to me a lot, it showed me a lot about my flaws and bad decisions I have made in the way I deal with things, go about them.  It showed me how I need to think, think, think.  Anger is not a good thing, it doesn't achieve anything. It's really important to think and listen and think before I speak. 

I came home and made a lovely tofu stir-fry.  I took some lovely photos of it to show with this but Blogger has reverted back to not letting me upload any more photos above a certain size, so France will have to wait- luckily, it uploaded this first collage.  It was nice to be able to eat lots and lots of different vegetables in one dish (ingredients:  tofu, courgette, carrot, red pepper, onion, buckwheat noodles, szechuan sauce, soy sauce).  I found in France, when you eat out, vegetables are a bit of a rarity!!   But it's ok to not have them in a while.

I'm really happy to be wearing coral, I've been admiring the colour for a while but not found anything in it, I really liked enough.  These photos don't show how bright this dress is but it is! I found it for 5 euros in a shop when we visited Marmande on Thursday.  I found one or two old favourites to wear with it- these shoes were a favourite of mine about 6-7 years ago, I'd forgotten about them totally.    My R2D2 bag seemed fitting to use again, I've had it since the movies were rereleased in about 1996 or 1997. May seem a little teenage but it's ok.

I hope that you are well and happy.

xx