Style imitating Art: Vogue by the sea

 It's been an absolute age since I have taken part in Style Imitating Art but I saw Salazar's post today and realise what I was wearing could sort of be an interpretation of this poster.

It's an image by illustrator, Helen Dryden for Vogue from July the 1st, 1919.

Anywhere, here's my outfit:

As it's a little loose an interpretation, let me talk you through it.

A nod to the turban is my white floral headband which I tucked my hair into to emulate the turban.

The pink Rene Derhy silk scarf with its pretty florals is a nod to the scarf held by the woman.

My Tatty Devine necklace is the same colours as the shell on the beach. 

Although my top is black and white stripes, it's the same colors as the lady in the picture.

My cute Hokusai inspired earrings, which were a present from my one of my favourite families from school at the end of the year (part of an adorable set of 6!) are a nod to the sea

But so are my sandals from Moshulu (which were deliberately chosen for the photo!) as they emulate the different blues of the waves.

My parasol is a vintage one bought from Vintage-on-Sea for our school production of Treasure Island but it got pretty shredded in the production and I'm not sure if it can be mended or not as it's broken in several places!

Finally, there's my skirt which is the same shade as the sky.  Pity it's not ironed but it's too hot for that!

Head over to 14 Shades of Grey tomorrow to see how everyone else interpreted it!

We've just returned from a week in Northumberland but we only got back last night at midnight as our car had a severe oil issue on the A1 at Newark so we had to call out the AA.  We were towed to Cambridge services within an hour but then had to wait another 4 hours for our next tow home (they operate within areas!).  Very tired, have a headache but glad to be home!

Hope you are well!

xx

Old hair! New hair!

As you know, I've been growing my hair for the past 2 years in order to donate it.  Alas, it doesn't seem to have grown THAT much in the last year but I wanted to do something nice with it.

It HAS been driving me round the bend in many ways- it moults dreadfully, takes ages to wash, scraggy at the ends and unless it's just been brushed, looked a mess.

BUT, it was nice to be able to do lots of different styles with it.

Here's a last few outings for my long hair:

This was at The Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate where we stayed once again on our way up to Northumberland.  We took the obligatory photo with the towel swan! (wearing my Seasalt Daisy dress that CBC bought me as an unexpected present last August).

And here at 'Stay on the Hill' in Warden in Hexham as we were just about to go out for dinner at the Beaumont on Sunday night (wearing my Emily and Fin dress and Clarks Somerset shoes)

Here, standing outside a pretty shop in Harrogate after our breakfast at Betty's tearoom and below, outside The Old Swan. (Wearing a charity shopped dress (no label), vintage hat, Toms ruby slippers and H&M sand jacket).

I knew that I wanted to get my hair cut in Northumberland (at a salon I've had it cut at before).  We had been walking along Hadrian's Wall on Wednesday and had met CBC's Mum at a nice quiet garden centre for a late lunch.  We tried calling that Salon and another one in town but they didn't have an appointment.  We went into town so CBC could buy some paint to paint his Mum's garage door (we both did a project on it- I cleared and tidied it out) and I took a chance on going into a salon that was still open near the Forum cinema and they agreed.

The hairdresser was SUCH a sweetie and said I was her 3rd hair donation cut of the day!

She tied it in a loose plait and snipped it off and put it into an envelope for me.

It was SO nice to have someone wash my hair for me (I love it when someone scratches my scalp too!) and to dry it- I felt very pampered...

And there it is:

Super pleased with it and I've had SO many positive comments from children and colleagues.  One child said, "Mrs P, you've copied my hair! Look, we've got the same hair!" (the same child who requested I wear my fox themed outfit a few weeks ago.  Today, she requested an all red outfit for next week "Red dress,red shoes,red necklace, red bracelet, red ring Miss!" Ha!)   All the girls with short bobs love it as they all think it looks like them!

I'm loving how light it is!

x

TARDIS Tuesday - Yaz Khan from the Series 10 trailer

Hi there,

I missed TARDIS Tuesday last week- I did have something to share but my mobile phone has been a bit of a problem and I haven't managed to transfer the photos yet.

Anyway, this week, I thought I'd share a different outfit which I haven't shared yet.

This is the first outfit we see the 13th Doctor's new companion, Yasmine Khan,  wearing in the trailer which introduced the characters. 

She is seated on her teal sofa wearing a navy blue sweatshirt with stars and moons on (from Maison Scotch) with black trousers, a denim jacket and her hair down with the sides up in two little buns.

Image borrowed from 

https://pocketmags.com/doctor-who-magazine/528/articles/412905/mandip-gill-is-yasmin-khan

And here, side by side with her is my version of the outfit:

I wore this outfit this Sunday for a lazy day at home since I spent the previous evening being dreadfully sick, with only a trip out to have a bit of exercise and a walk to the COOP for bread.

I'll start with my ubiquitous black trousers worn for all cosplays requiring black jeans or trousers.  On my top half, I am wearing the same Maison Scotch sweatshirt as Yaz- I love it! It's so comfortable and excellent quality. I bought it second hand from another cosplayer who was in need of money so was selling off some of her cosplays.  

I don't own a denim jacket and, to be honest, have no interest in owning one so instead I substituted my Chambray blue shirt. I do have a denim shirt but I thought this was nearer the colour.  Notice the subtle detail with starry socks- not screen accurate!  

I did think it was appropriate that I have a teal-ish sofa and a pink cushion!

I attempted to do the hair style but I really can't do hair- I was never one of those girls who experimented on my friends hair (like my sister always did on me)- and I just never gained that particular skill set, nor wanted to devote the time to it.

I thought I'd give you a full length look at the outfit- it really is a 'Lazy Day at Home when you aren't feeling well' outfit.  I added CBC's sneakers for the picture- they are also super comfy!

You'll see this jumper again at some point soon as Yaz wears it in another episode so see if you spot it when it returns!

xx

Dandelion

CBC constantly declares war on the Dandelions in the lawn.  He wants to dig them up. But Dandelions have been eaten by people in various forms for centuries and the young leaves make a tasty salad, so I would certainly like to take the leaves before he has a chance to cull them.  As well as that, they are a source of early Nectar to bees and butterflies.

A week ago or so, I decided to take a leaf from Vix's book and enjoy wearing one of my vintage maxi dresses for my day at home.  It has Dandelion seeds all over it as well as Thistles.

It is one of my happiest charity shop purchases as I always wanted to find a true vintage dress in my size, reasonably.  I like its empire line and confess to feeling like Elizabeth Bennett or Catherine Morland as I walk around in it.

That day, I decided to wear my hair up in 2 plaits, pinned above my head.

I thought Princess Leia, my Mum said a Fraulein from the Sound of Music!

Here, CBC took a picture of me in front of my beautiful Viburnum (thank you to everyone who confirmed what it is called to me! Annoyingly, I thought it was Viburnum but thought I was getting it muddled up with the shrub with pink flowers that you can see emerging from under the Acanthus to the left in the picture!

They are looking gloriously ebullient and I smile every morning as we look out our bedroom window at them!  They seem to be lasting well too!

I hope you have a beautiful day!

xx

Dusky aubergines and chocolate cake.

Good evening!  I hope you are well and having a lovely start to your weekend!

I apologise for the quality of the photos but they were from the day I first had my hair cut and it was late by the time I was able to get home.

I look wistfully at these photos where I am wearing a sleeveless dress,no tights and light ballet pumps and think of the unpredictable weather which necessitates a yellow raincoat, Doc Martens, cardigans and a longsleeved top and I frown.  There's still hope of a late warm spell in my heart!

My hair looks so shiny and bouncy and shaped here but I am terrible at styling my hair so it's now doing a weird flicking bushy version- a bit Hermione Granger!

I've decided the fruits are aubergines on the recently charity-shopped dress! Too big for plums!

Today at school, we had a Macmillan coffee morning to raise money for the Cancer charity. Staff brought in cakes and sold them to parents- I nipped in at breaktime to buy a cake and chat to parents.  I ended up chatting to two parents about their foster daughter who's just joined and apparently is loving music and Tudor dance so far- we then ended up talking about what beginner instruments sound like sick animals:

Saxophone= sick cow

Oboe= sick duck

Violin= Dying cat.

I'd missed breakfast apart from a piece of toast so I ate some chocolates that had been brought in by some teachers for Eid. Then I ate a piece of chocolate mars bar crispy cake with the parents- it was SO sickly. At lunch, because of Tudor dance club and setting up the room for the year 5's, I didn't have time to eat.  Then after school, there was a teacher's tea-party whilst I had Music Makers club and they saved me a plate of cakes which I felt obliged to eat. I felt thoroughly sick after a slice of Apple Strudel and a large chocolate slice. It was then that I realised that all I'd eaten all day was chocolate cake. I feel now,like I never want to see cake or chocolate again!

Hmmm, one of the year 1's (5 years old) ran over and hugged me after music- she leaned against my tummy and then turned round and suspiciously said, "Are you pregnant??" .  

?@£%@!!!!!!

"No, I just have a very full tummy at the moment!" I retorted delicately!

HUMPH!!!!

Hope all is well with you and a 5-year old hasn't indicated to you that you clearly ate all the pies!!!

xx

TARDIS blue of course!

 Hello there! How are you? Well, I hope.  It's been delightful to experience some sun over the past week or so.  As you may realise, I refuse to mention the A word in September and have been dressing for Summer. I was justly rewarded in the weather for the latter part of the week! Ha ha, suckers who got their tweedy coats and boots out (seriously, they were on the train!)

 I'm sticking with TARDIS blue for a second week though not quite such a TARDISy dress this time. This is an old charity-shopped item, from New Look originally (again, one I wanted first time round!! I apparently have some sort of mysterious charity-shop luck!)

I teamed the whole look with my comfy gold Toms- they were a June sale purchase from Ebay as I love wearing my red and turquoise ones for swing dancing but they don't go with lots of things! They have a tenuous Doctor Who link in that the Cybermen used to be deathly afraid of gold as it clogged up their systems and killed them. That's how Adric killed the Cybermen in 'Earthshock' and ended up being a Who companion to meet his death! Poor Adric!

Of yes, that would be short hair you are seeing. I finally left school early enough to go back to my old salon. I went a little shorter than normal in honour of Miss Clara Oswald (not really, I was going to have it done anyway but it seemed fitting that Clara has short hair in Series 9!) 

Linking to TARDIS Tuesday with Maricel 

Not sure if you can link here or not today but please head over to Maricel to link your Who-spiration!

I'm also happy to be linking with lovely Patti at 'Visible Monday'.

-------

Now onto the general chit-chat.    As I type, CBC is putting 1kg of blackberries (250g picked by moi) into a pastry dish for a blackberry tart he is making from his French recipe book. (EDIT- fallacy in non-translation of French recipe in advance meant that this wretched tart has now entailed 5 separate trips to the supermarket over the last day to fetch forgotten ingredients- the last was brown sugar which I was sent to go and fetch down the dark, wet alley, interrupting the writing of this post, since he didn't see fit to ask if we had brown sugar (we didn't). Breathe...)

I hope your day was good. Mine was ok, but I did feel a bit blue..   It was the first day of orchestra today with 7 new violins, 2 clarinets and a few new percussionists. Positive yes. Some loyal old children and a few new good ones. But I felt a bit sad that my two year 6's, who I had loaned Treble Recorders to, didn't want to do it any more. Likewise, 2 recorders and  a glockenspiel didn't want to continue. I felt similarly really disheartened after school as I went to sort out the applications to after-school clubs with the clubs coordinator. Only 10 children had submitted forms for choir. TEN! I've never had such a small interest and I feel really dejected about it. I've always had over 20 at the start of the year and there's hardly any.  Makes me wonder what I'm doing wrong?  I know there's a few clubs that night but still. Drumming  had 19 in total, with 1 more I know about whose form I couldn't see and the year 2 music club had plenty of takers but choir is my most beloved club.  Only 3 year 5 children have signed up.


Oh well, I will try and do a bit of a recruitment drive this week. I need a good night's sleep and then I'm sure I will feel less gloomy.

xx

Hearts and flowers

I'm sorry, I really don't have anything interesting to say. I've felt a bit like that this week-hence the fact you got two outfit posts in close together and then another one. I like to keep things varied and I like posting daily but I'm not feeling the book review, craft post needs to come after Mothers Day, Blog love post doesn't feel finished, one draft still not got the other part done,  What is it? done yesterday, no particular school anecdotes; two restaurant write ups which I have no desire to finish, photos of cooking on camera can't be bothered to upload them and so on. Am I having a day of blogging ennui? Who knows!  Anyway, thus what follows from here on was a draft post which I have preceded with what seems a bit of a self-indulgent blog moan. It wasn't intentional, I just was feeling I didn't like posting ANOTHER outfit. But it's the most written post so here we go:



A while back when it was my birthday weekend, we went out to a dinner party at a friend's house. She lives in Eltham and she made an amazing feast having 3 courses and the main being a Chinese feast of at least 8 dishes (she is of Chinese origin)! I had worn my 1st Debenhams January sale purchase the day before so I decided to wear the other the next day. I had seen those coord dresses around and thought they were great but not really been wanting to shell out money for one. So, seeing one in the H by Henry Holland 70% off sale rack (with voucher in bag), I was rather chuffed. I thought it a really unusual and striking pattern and I liked the way it looked like a dress and top. What do you think of coords? I decided to add my pewter Hush Puppies shoes- these were the first high-heeled shoes I'd ever bought as an adult that looked high  after forgetting black shoes for a concert in a church (Oh look, another shoe anecdote!) and borrowed a girl's size 8 hig-heeled Aldo court shoes (I couldn't believe she shared my size!), discovering some heels WERE comfortable and hunting for some.They are decidedly comfy for heels. I tried to add my Crown and glory heart fascinator.
 

 I say tried. I seem to have an issue getting combs to stay in my hair! Or putting them in anywhere that looks right. Do I have an odd-shaped head??? This came in February's Glitterati box and whilst I love it, it's not exactly every day wear. Nor am I remotely skilled at getting it to stay in my hair. I finally got it to stay in and then went out into the wind. It refused to go back in after I'd wrestled it out of my hair. It really was windy- I thought I'd share the aborted attempts at Fascinator closeups for your amusement- it really wasn't happening was it. And then I discovered in the top right picture, that my top made a great parachute in the wind!


Thanks for your lovely kind comments and general being fabulous! You lot are the best!

xx

A cloche with a hair cut to match

Claire Justine recently posted a brilliant post where she documented her hair cuts over the last 5 years. I was truly amazed and impressed at the sheer range of different styles she had had. Me,not so. I fluctate between 2 hairstyles and the growth between these and have done for at least 13 years or so, if not my whole life. Bob with feathered ends and then long. I had an awful haircut once when I was 14 which involved my Mum, some wine, a pair of hairdressing scissors, me putting my head wonkily and so I am wary of trying anything new.

On Friday, I decided that I needed to get my hair cut as the last time it was chopped was July.  I've been known to go over a year without a trim or anything and was feeling a bit shabby.

I went to the salon in my old home town which I have been frequenting since I was about 14 and had it chopped.  It feels wonderful, light and bouncy and I discovered the benefit of getting my haircut in the midwinter- suddenly, my cloche hats look like they are supposed to!!



Indulge me!! I was trying to capture a picture of the hat I wore to church this morning and decided to go with the silliness.

This particular cloche was a very lucky find in a charity shop a little while ago. Brand new with tags for £3.50 from some Italian name, I liked the sparkly feature star.  I kept the labels on for a while because I felt guilty about buying a black cloche hat when I already had one (with feathers and a ribbon) but somehow didn't find anyone to give it to (didn't want to send it in case it got squashed!) and so decided to give it its debut with the new hair cut.



I've had a fair bit of luck with hats in Charity-shops over the years and so I thought I'd say this to you.
If you like charity-shopping but never see a hat you like, try it on. Honestly, some hats look different on the mannequin but on you, they suddenly come alive.  Same with any hat shopping, just try it. So many people have told me hats don't suit them but you just have to try them.  Change the angle of the hat, wear it at a rakish or jaunty angle and all of a sudden, it takes on its true character.  Nobody really bats an eyelid when I wear them now, because they are used to them. Except when I wear my cossack hat, but you know, that's understandable.  Take a tip from the beautiful Style Crone, Judith, founder and host of Hat Attack.  Judith has a whole host of wonderful hats that become her so beautifully.  She has all different styles.

My weekend hasn't quite worked out the way it was meant to. We didn't end up being in the places we were supposed to at the right times, but it was still a good weekend on the whole. I have a bit of a rotten cough and co but life is good, no complaints.
xxx


Linking with:








and 52 Pick me up with Spy girl


Hat Attack with Style Crone
Creative Mondays with Claire Justine
Magpie Mondays with Liz Burton
52 Pick me with with Anne,  Spy girl

Bears no relation

No, I am not denying the family-connection to the trio in whose house Goldilocks squatted but an attempt to prepare you for an outfit which bears little relation to the outfit above- this week's Twobirds Inspiration.  I confess, I don't like this outfit: I really don't like leather trousers, showing black underwear under a white top (which looks like a net curtain rather than tasteful lace) and those shoes! However, I am usually game for anything so I tried...



This is a chilled-out version, suitable for teaching 4 year olds.  The jacket (H&M) is that sort of denim-twill material and the top (unironed- I can't possibly iron EVERY Monday!) DOES have a lacy collar.  I found it really hard taking full length photos tonight- the light in the garden was crazily bright, washing everything out and erradicating even the slightest contrasts and details between skin and top.  I wasn't even going to attempt tight trousers so you have bird print trousers I've been wearing all weekend! (euggrh, I hear you cry!  Tis MOST unusual for me!)  Toms were the only possible footwear to suit this casual outfit!


The children have made lots of comments on my appearance today.  A 4-year old boy told me he liked me trousers, a year 6 girl said I looked like I was wearing pajamas, another year 6 girl asked me if I'd had my hair cut (errr, yes,3 weeks ago and you only notice now I've straightened it hence it being longer, and some of it pinned back!) etc.     It was a hard afternoon with year 6 this afternoon.  We were learning a new gamelan tune and despite lots picking it up and playing really nicely in time with each other in many cases, they had to spoil it by just generally being obnoxious and rude when they weren't playing!  They make me so cross sometimes- they have the ability but they waste their talent!  Oh how the parable of the talents seems appropriate!!! There are some children in those classes who I just WISH could be in another class- they ALWAYS listen and never get sucked into the silliness but they always suffer!

Did you have a nice weekend? I did but I'll tell you more about that soon!x

Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue

I mentioned my friend's wedding.  It was held at Lympne castle (pronounced Lim) in Kent.  We had a gorgeous morning walking along the beach in Hythe, Kent in the sunshine! After my friend's wedding, we stayed at the Mercure Imperial hotel and spa.

(photo from the Mercure website mentioned above)

It was a gorgeous hotel which I was gutted not to be able to use the swimming pool as I didn't bring my cossie!

WHY oh WHY did I not check that there was a swimming pool????

Boo hiss to last minute disorganised packing! It was right by the sea too. I shared a twin room with my pal C whose husband, who is vision-impaired and has a guide dog, who was not able to come last minute because of a bereavement. She had reserved a disabled access room and of course, she didn't think to change it. It was a huge room with really good access for anyone with a wheelchair etc so I'd recommend it if you ever went there!  We ate a hardy breakfast after waking up horrendously late!

We had a glorious walk along the Promenade chatting and then a friend drove us home via Folkestone where we had a cup of tea near the harbour and laughed at the seagulls!!!





The wedding at Lympne the day before was really beautiful.  For the first time in my life, I cried at a wedding- it's crazy!!! As L came up the aisle, I felt tears welling up and then as the vicar said, "Let us pray!" to my horror, tears started coming out!!  The service was lovely and proper.  We sang as a small choir at the front.  She looked so beautiful in a lovely Medieval looking dress with loads of beautiful lace and embroidered details.  Her daughter and the other 5 bridesmaids looked resplendent in sage green dresses!



The meal was delicious though freeeeeeeezing cold setting of a marquee.  Luckily we headed into Lympne castle for the evening dancing! The speeches were really short and simple but heartfelt. A good way to keep the speeches!


I went to the hairdresser in the morning to get a haircut and somehow was convinced by the hairdresser (not my favourite one) to let her do something different to my hair in terms of style as I "always have it the same"- I thought it looked a bit of a mess.  It looked better later on when it had dropped a bit and I could brush it!
(dress and fascinator Monsoon, shoes- Marc Jacobs (not the real one, some local one), cardie-H&M.)



She had thought of so many details.  Each table had a literary theme (she's an English Lit graduate)- our table was Elizabeth Barratt Browning and we had her poem, "How many ways do I love thee" as a table centre with the flowers.

The wedding favours were little retro tins filled with sweeties. Again, great fun!

Another great fun thing was the photo booth which she'd hired.  You could dress up in silly hats and glasses and have an instant photo to stick into a scrapbook for her.  Here's me and a friend enjoying the glasses!  I was totally taken with these red ones! Lots of us had fun with them!



One thing that kids and adults alike enjoyed was the sweetie stall!  There were paper bags and lots of sweets to choose!  The kid whose hand I captured here was highly amused when I said, "Can you just reach your hand in for a photo please?"

Later on, there was a hot buffet of hot dogs, chips and a "Cheese" cake!!!!

All in all, it was a gorgeous affair and I am so happy for her finally to have married him!  It's been a difficult journey for them!  It was also good to steal some wedding ideas!    Today, we have been doing wedding invitation type activities!!!

How's you anyway!?
xx