Style Imitating Art outfit- Melody

It's been a few weeks since I remembered to join in with Style Imitating Art. 

This week, Salazar at 14 Shades of Grey has chosen a real corker for our inspiration piece this time.

“Melody (Musica)” by  Kate Bunce, 

This is "Melody (Musica)" by Kate Bunce (1856-1927).  She was an English painter who was apparently someone who was linked to the Arts and Crafts movement and also influenced by the Pre-Raphaelites.  Ahrgh, isn't it beautiful!

Obviously, it appeals to me as a musician.  It also appeals to me on an aesthetic level.  The flowers in the background, the colours, the detail.  I would absolutely love to wear this dress too.

So... here is my outfit inspired by it.

I have made a modern spin on the outfit.  Let me talk you through my garments and accessories and reasons for choosing them:

I began with these black velvet embroidered trousers which make a nod to the beautiful floral embroidery of the lady's bodice and a little on the sleeves.  And of course, the velvet fabric of the sleeves.. I first saw these very trousers on lovely blogger Anna at Anna's Island Style- she had them and I thought they were a beautiful pair of jogging trousers- they are very much casual lux!  The originals cost about £40 but I found someone selling the same pair second-hand on Depop for £8 a few months ago.  They are very short on me but I quite like the cropped look.

I wore my rose-gold Toms shoes as a nod to the gold embroidery and to the delicate gold necklace our model is wearing.

Next, I added this Sainsbury's green vest top as a nod to the colour of the bodice of the dress.  My coral cardigan from Esprit was the perfect accompaniment to nod to the colour of her sleeves.

 My hair was quite bushy today but sadly I brushed it and it settled down.

The penultimate accessory was my Mandolin!
I suspect the model is holding a lute of some sort but I figured my Mandolin would do instead.  I inherited this (and a matching one!) from my Grandad. He and my Nan took it up as a hobby when I was around 10.   I always used to like trying to play them when I was young. The mandolin has the same strings as the violin- E, A, D, and G but there are doubles of each string.    The mandolin was a popular instrument during the Baroque era of music- there were concertos for it.  Unusually, the late Romantic composer, Gustav Mahler, included a part for the Mandolin (and guitar) in his Seventh Symphony- a vast work.  I had the wonderful experience of playing the mandolin part in a performance of this- handily, the 4th flute is mostly tacet (i.e. not playing) in the movement that the mandolin plays in so I was able to play both in that performance!   I also call that piece the Star Trek symphony as there is one moment in it where the trumpet plays a motif that is exactly the same as the theme where the Captain says, "Captain's Log, star date..."

 My final accessory was this Aztez Eagle necklace- I was struggling to find a gold necklace with a stone- sure I have one but I wasn't sure where it was!

 What do you think?  Do you think it works as a response to the art work?

Hope you are well. I had a lovely concert last night in Kent, performing J.S Bach and his son, CPE Bach's Magnificats.  I went to my Dad's afterwards to stay.  All good until this morning where I was helping with some clearing up and leant down to unplug the hoover and because I can't see out of my left eye, I didn't see that I leaned over and a wooden cane supporting an orchid plant on the shelf went straight into my eye!!!! I swore loudly and clutched at it.  Thank GOD it was not my good eye.  It's now feeling quite sore and bloodshot but luckily it wasn't the iris or pupil but the bit in the corner of the eye-socket but super, super scary!  I was fine at first but it was only as I got on the train after my Dad left me that the shock set in and I felt incredibly queasy and cried!   Anyway, I think it is fine but it may be sore for a while!  SUCH a stupid accident!

If you fancy taking part in this challenge, feel free to read Salazar's blog and send her an email with your outfit at 14shadesofgreyblog@gmail.com by Tuesday and check out her blog on Wednesday to see how everyone else responded to the inspiration.

Kezzie xx

Style Imitating Art- The County court house ceiling and The 50's dress of dreams

Hi there,

Hope you are enjoying your Monday.

It's been a few weeks since I have taken part in Style Imitating Art.  This week, our host is the wonderful Daenel at Living Outside the Stacks and wonderfully, the art work we are inspired by this week is by her!

She took the photo of the ceiling during a family trip to St Louis, Missouri and had to really crane her neck to get the whole ceiling in. It is part of the building designed by Lavielle and Morton.

What an amazing ceiling and the way Daenel captured it is brilliant!  The photo is hers and I am only borrowing it here to show her amazing work in comparison to my outfits!

Old County Courthouse in St Louis, Missouri. Image by Daenel. A. Vaughn-Tucker

I was actually a little stuck with this at first until I realised on Friday that I was putting on a top which had a variety of colours including the right shade of pink together with some of the other colours and little intricate details including lace which nodded to some of the details.

 I then thought about that central circle in the image, perhaps a skylight and then thought of several items of jewellery I own that would work for that- the necklace is made up of slightly different sized circles in white including some that are intricate.  The white circle bracelet was an Eid present from a lovely girl at school and the earrings I bought in France tied with both of those.

 Finally, I added these Geometric Toms shoes - with their black and white circles and patterns, it reminded me of those outside black and white circular bits on the picture (sorry, I'm really going on a downer for descriptive language today!)
My loose blue jeans completed the look.

I then remembered a blog post I had as a draft which was never published with a dress I'd worn with the PERFECT colouring. Although the picture below is pretty dark, the pink of the dress is the exact shade in real life of those pink panels and the corresponding greyish edging is rather like the edging on my dress.  Appropriately, I had worn the same circle bracelet and a white pearl necklace plus some silvery grey sandals.

And you can read the rest of that draft post below!

In my 13 years of blogging, I have read the blogs of many stylish ladies who blog about their style.  Many of them were into Vintage clothing and many of those often found items when out in charity shops of thrift shops.  I am glad that many of them still blog such as Vix, Lauren, Ann although a few have fallen off the blogging wagon.

I was always envious and rather amazed at the beautiful collared 50's dresses that a few of my friends would find and always longed to find something similar.  Sadly, the only 50's dresses I ever really saw were in vintage shops and retailing at over £60 and invariably, never in my size!

When I was in Northumberland at Easter, my heart did a little skip when I saw this dress on a mannequin in the Corbridge Antiques centre.  The collar was gorgeous, the size looked good, it was cotton and the length looked alright.

I asked if they could take it off the mannequin and tried it on and happily, it being Northumberland, a slightly more reasonable £25 was what I managed to buy it for.

It IS very, very fitted at the waist, even for my small waist but the way the sleeves fit is lovely as it doesn't grip me at the shoulders and armpits in the way many modern sleeved dresses do.  It was very comfortable to wear to my Dad's Birthday back at the start of June.

Did you ever seek a particular style of dress and get very excited when you found it?

Now, head over to Daenel's blog on Wednesday to see how EVERYONE ELSE interpreted Daenel's beautiful photo!

AND if you think you've got an outfit that would work for this, email Daenel at livingoutsidethestacks@gmail.com and she will post a round-up of all the outfits!

x

Presenting Miss Perpugilliam Brown

I was a child of the 80's.  My first Doctor (Who obviously! Do you think this is some kind of hypochondriac blog!?) was Colin Baker, the 6th incarnation of the Doctor.  One of my earliest memories of TV was the episode in which his long-suffering companion, Peri, short of Perpugilliam Brown is killed.  I was devastated! I loved Peri.  I have vivid memories of the scene in which she was operated on by the evil Doctor Crozier so her mind was taken over by the horrid Kiv and when King Ycarnos seemingly gunned her down.  Luckily, all was not what it seemed in Mindwarp part 8 of 'A Trial of a timelord'.  Incidentally, this was the first Doctor Who video I was given as a teenager. If you want to see a summary of the episode, click here. Anyway, in her final outing, Peri, who was renowned for wearing rather revealing outfits, actually wore something a little more covering, in the form of a purply patterned tunic and kimono.

Image borrowed from https://michaelnixon.wordpress.com/2010/08/30/1986-mindwarp/

Image borrowed from http://www.ew.com/

The look has a decidedly hippy-vibe to it.

As always, TARDIS Tuesday is an interpretation of something from Doctor Who, rather than having to be an exact cosplay (much as I love those!) so I am demonstrating here, with a bit of context and a certain degree of tenuous rhetoric, you can link an outfit to Doctor Who that you might not otherwise realise was inspired as such.




I bought a delightful paisley and floral purple tunic in a charity shop in Ipswich with 2 blogging friends (ahrgh, I WILL blog about that soon!) and it suggested to me that it had a Peri Mindwarp vibe to it.



Of course, it was a floral garland kind of day, so I matched that in too. Peri wore some sort of purple beaded headband in another episode which I can't find the reference for right now.

Yes, I know that it isn't really THAT Peri-ish! But you know, I was inspired!


Now it's your turn. Been at the fancy dress box again and worn a Panama, fez or Fedora, been wearing a cricket jumper, stripy scarf or been at Clara's Topshop collection!? Or perhaps you've sported some TARDIS blue in your outfit post. Come and join Maricel, TARDIS Tuesday founder and me, her humble assistant (rather like the Doctor and his companion! Ha, that makes me Clara!)
with TARDIS Tuesday.

An InLinkz Link-up

No. 1, No. 11, Missy or Mary Poppins?

The secretaries at school were tittering at me as I stood waiting anxiously for the parent who was 20 mins late for picking up her child from Music Makers club. "What is it?" I asked.  They said I looked like Mary Poppins. Oh right, so I am practically perfect in every way then? Not!

What I am, is doing a little bit of food-mixing with a few inspirations for this week's TARDIS Tuesday.  This outfit is a combination of The 1st Doctor, the 11th Doctor and Missy. It's none of those exclusively but has the influence of all three and maybe a bit of Mary too! I was also channelling Follybird Melanie in her Missy outfit. Definitely inspiration too!

Much of the outfit was charity-shopped except for the purple tights and brown boots.


Dolce and Gabbana shirt £1 charity shop, M&S lady-bowtie 50p charity shop, Monsoon coat £6 charity shop, Warehouse speziale skirt £3 charity shop.

This is my first outing for the lady bow and I liked it. Bowties are cool!


I am now on holiday and it feels grrrrreat!!!! Having a lovely time which I will tell you more about when I get back onto my regular computer.

Did you have amazing Easter Sunday weather? We had a stunning day and I am just sad we didn't manage a beautiful Lake District walk.
It is slightly late but wishing you a very Happy Easter! I was at Hexham Abbey for Easter Sunday service which was really joyful and very crowded!

Linking to 3 lovelies:

Visible Mondays with Patti.

Creative Mondays with Claire Justine

Inspiration Monday with The Two Birds

TARDIS Tuesday with Maricel.

Xx

Image credits to the following sites for the inspiration collage
http://www.thedoctorwhosite.co.uk/
http://capnben0.tripod.com/madsci/doctor.html
http://movies.disney.com/mary-poppins
http://imgkid.com/11th-doctor-coat-series-7.shtmlwww.clairejustineoxox.com

Boggly eyes

Hi y'all! Firstly, thank you SO much for your kind, considerate empathy and well-wishes on my teaching angst post.That was SUCH a nice surprise to come home to tonight.  The day started off a bit weirdly as I had to cover year 5 as BOTH year 5 teachers were off sick. I had my favourite class minus 10 children who were out on a music day at the local secondary school I had chosen them for.  We had a lovely morning- I taught literacy and asked them to produce some free-writing on the subject of 'The Problem Child'. They've been reading 'There's a boy in the girl's bathroom' and so had ideas from that. We then had a very enthusiastic maths lesson where they were absolute enthralled darlings throughout. It's not often I get to teach year 5 non-music nowadays and it felt very comfortable- I taught in year 5 for 4 years before I did just solely music and I was back in my old classroom.  The afternoon, after taking year 6 for a SATS test, it was time for the aforementioned Year 6 observation. My Head arrived a bit late but he asked the kids LOADS of questions as they were going. They were very well-behaved and responsive and better still, when it came to group work, they got on and completed the task in time and did everything they were asked.  We ran out of time for every one to perform and the plenary was a little short (and oops, over-ran!) but apparently it was effective. The long and the short of it was I got a Grade 1 and the headteacher was SO nice to me in feedback. He said he was really glad he'd observed me as he could see why it was important and the impact of having a specialist music teacher throughout the school (EEEEK? This was in doubt!?!?!?!?!??!?!??!)  and he could tell progress was outstanding over time through their use of specific musical vocabulary with as much nonchalance as talking about the weather. Phew, to say the least!
Anyway, that was added waffle to the MAIN ACTION! YA, ya ya, tis Visible Monday today and TARDIS Tuesday tomorrow. so shall we continue?



 Tom Baker probably had the most iconic and well-loved outfit out of the old Doctors in Doctor Who. It was something that everyone could identify with: stripy scarf. I shared my mock-Tom Baker 10 foot scarf in a previous TARDIS Tuesday and I've been accused of dressing like Tom Baker in other posts in the past. In half term, I thought I'd try another spin on Tom Baker. Here I was not trying for a geniune recreation, just highlighting a few features.

 
The most obvious one was the rainbow stripy scarf.  I bought this one for a mere fiver in the January sales from Accessorize and very pleased with it I was too! It has brighter shades than my other Tom Baker scarf though it lacks length.

The second feature was the tweed trousers. I always associate Mr Baker with tweedy brown tones. I love these Primark trousers- had them a good few years now.

The third is of course the hat. Mr Baker often sported a hat of this shape. I bought this in the gents section of Primark a few years ago intending it for CBC. As we know with me and hats, it somehow found its way onto my head and never reached its destination.
Boggly eyed facial expression or manic smile optional. Girly daisy cardigan definitely loose interpretation!

See you later.
xxx

New hats make me happy (as do Superman biscuits)

It kind of surprises me how gloomy I have felt this September.  Despite lots of very happy times over the summer, many really joyful excursions, the month just gone has felt hard. I feel absolutely ridiculous and awful saying that because I have a really, really blessed life, many opportunities and joys and this community here makes me very grateful for your support but somehow, I have felt a constant sense of gloom,particularly on my way to school, that I just CAN'T seem to account for. I love my job and I am lucky to have it plus the behaviour and attainment of the children so far has been excellent so I am not sure what it is other than perhaps the feeling of change and not feeling quite sure of my position and settled with a new Head and personnel. And they all, especially my Head, are very nice and GOOD people, so it's a silly feeling.  I guess it's the harbringer of the cold weather, who knows? A lack of sleep- could be? I guess I'll snap out of it!

Thus I am endeavouring to do things that make me happy. Ha, inspiration Monday this week features a tan hat! I naughtily bought a tan fedora 2 weeks ago in a 'I feel miserable after school, I'll just look in the shop' moment- it was the only one in the shop so I was glad to get my hands on it!

Alas, you get a grainy indoor shots and no denim jacket, though my polka dot blazer feels a bit like denim so this isn't too bad an interpretation I guess! Lots of colleagues and kids said...

Outfit featuring Tan fedora- Primark, heart-print shirt- White Stuff, Polka dot blazer- H&M via charity shop, heeled boots- Next Christmas sale, Trousers- ASOS, Collar clips- Flapperdoodle, earrings- market in France.

Cute collar clips make me happy too. Wearing them twice in a row for work. Shame I seemed to have put them on wonky!

I can feel my inner blog-programmer being annoyed at two outfit posts in a row but couldn't be helped. Thus, here are a few other things have made me smile this week too:

1. Adorable Flapperdoodle packaging. This parcel contained a collection of cute cards and postcards.
2.  A cool birthday present I got in February was this little tea-man who you open up to put tea-leaves in and sit him on the side of your cup with his arms over the side to hold himself there. A bit like Morph bathing in your tea!
3. When I asked CBC to make me some crackers and cheese too (he was making himself some), he used my favourite Tescos Deli Chilli oatcakes with goats cheese and then garnished them with radishes and coriander! Now that's what I call a chic snack! And excellent service!
4. A genius fundraising idea at church on Sunday for the church tower repairs.  Selling takeaway tray portions of apple crumbles. Just enough for a generous portion for two! I'd buy it every week if they did it!


5.  Admiring the Biscuiteers shop window in Nottinghill/Portobello road area.  Who WOULDN'T want a London scene made out of biscuits with Superman biscuit flying over head.
6. ...Or indeed a whole plethora of onomatopoeic and superhero biscuits as a thank you present!
7. Inspirational quotes at St Peter's, Nottinghill in the kids room whilst changing for my orchestra concert.
8.  Pretty coloured buildings in Portobello road.

9. Not-pictured- the school orchestra trying my arrangement of the WW1 soldier's song today and despite it having complicated rhythms and all seperate parts, they managed to sightread and play the entire thing and it sounded quite good in one session!
10. The KCO orchestra concert going well on Saturday. Didn't get nervous during my Belchazzar's feast flute solo (the 3rd movement is entirely flute solo) and it went well.  Got complimented really genuinely and nicely by an LSO (London Symphony Orchestra) double bass player!  Honestly, that made my day!
11. Finally, I played with the 1st Sunday worship band on Sunday at church- it's only the 3rd time I've done it and I really like them. I'm the oldest in the band- the others are all late 20's. On Sunday, I was feeling absolutely exhausted after a very late night and having to get up for church practice. We played various songs but the final hymn was Be thou my vision, the modern 4/4 celtic rock beat version (here's a good version) and we began from a pounding drum beat sung a cappella bar the drums and it built up through the 5 verses it getting louder and louder. The congregation really really sang out.  By the end, as we finished, I felt myself on the verge of tears, but happy tears.

Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart,
be all else but naught to me, save that thou art;
be thou my best thought in the day and the night,
both waking and sleeping, thy presence my light.

Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word,
be thou ever with me, and I with thee Lord;
be thou my great Father, and I thy true son;
be thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.

Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight;
be thou my whole armor, be thou my true might;
be thou my soul's shelter, be thou my strong tower:
O raise thou me heavenward, great Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise:
be thou mine inheritance now and always;
be thou and thou only the first in my heart;
O Sovereign of heaven, my treasure thou art.

High King of heaven, thou heaven's bright sun,
O grant me its joys after victory is won;
great Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
still be thou my vision, O Ruler of all.


Many things may serve to make us gloomy but there is always much of beauty, small moments, big moments, inspirational words, filling of the Spirit, a song, and occasionally a super-man biscuit that make the gloom dissipate!

xx

Don't you step on my blue suede shoes!

Firstly, I would like to know if all those hats belong to her?  Or is she in a hat boutique? And is that a horse hoof in the background? Why is there a horse in the room? Anyway, onto the main affair. I really liked the look of the Two Birds inspiration this week- lovely shade of blue and white and of course a nice hat and instantly knew I had items I could use to recreate this. Both are also items I don't wear very often thus making the endeavour even more profitable/noble (so noble am I- in the rescuing of unloved articles).  The hat,well that is neither here no there- it is black and white patterned but always looks grey in pictures.



Irritating that the light in the garden was really hard to get the colours and textures of this outfit right.

I'll tell you why I don't wear the top very often.  Look at the ruffle- that is a PAIN to iron and we all know I don't like doing ironing.  I remember buying this in Oasis in 2002- very excited I was because it was cheap in the sale. Then I disappeared off to Bali for the year, having not worn it. When I came back, I went off to Music camp and ended up wearing this top for some musical we did where we had to do some sort of Latin dance and I thought ruffles were suitable (Hmmm, Prince Charming more like) and wore it with a lurid turquoise floral sarong.

The dress (for it is a dress) was from Monsoon's Fusion range and was also exciting because I love a good white frock and it was 70% off.  But it has ties at the top for straps and I don't always get it right when tying it plus it doesn't lie well with bra straps (sorry TMI) and I don't like strapless with white! Plus, it always looks creased.

Ha, here you can see the detail on the hat- it is not grey! Oooh, and an Oasis necklace I've had since about 2000, which I TOTALLY copied my friend Zoe in buying (she had it in pink!)

You can see the floral embroidery detail here (and creases).  Please also note the toe-nail polish which matches the lady in the inspiration picture's blue- I am nothing if not a slave to detail ;-)

And yes, as aforementioned, kindly do not step on my blue suede shoes, they are peep-toes and it would surely hurt. Thank you for your concern.*

xxx



*Doesn't quite have the smash-hit feel to it now, does it?!



As well as the lovely Two Birds, I am linking up to Visible Monday with fabulous Patti.

Animated cardigan inspired

I read and follow Jess's blog: Animated Cardigan. I got to know her blog through the Style Imitating Art challenge (eek, just realised, I haven't posted my last 4!!!) and she's really cool and has just a brilliant chilled, funky style. She wears girly skirts and all that but they don't look overly girly- they just look cool!!! Anyway, so she posted this outfit which I really wished I could recreate.  Sadly, I don't have an amazing rainbow scarf (WHY??) but I did have this vintage Aquascutum skirt which I figured I could use as a basis for a nod to Jess's outfit. So I teamed it up with White Stuff circle tights and this really old Peacocks stripy tee (as I don't have a plain grey top)- and then since I don't have cut-out tan shoes, I matched the top to these blue and white pumps (Primark pumps are really good for swing dance!) and added a lacy grey belt and rainbowy butterfly scarf my work colleague gave to me for my birthday.  This may not be as cool as Jess's outfit but I love the fact that she inspired me to pull together these elements through her outfit as a starting point- one of the kids even told me I looked nice, so that's a start!


There's some close up details for everyone (Shamu, the tights shot esp for you!)

This week has been a fine one all in all. My orchestra starts back next Tuesday- we're playing Beethoven's 9th symphony (that's the one with Ode to Joy in it) and I am excited as this is the only Beethoven Symphony I have not played- my orchestra has done the entire cycle over the last decade! Yes, I realised I've been playing with KCO for 10 years this November!  I absolutely adore my orchestra- it's honestly one of the main reasons I have remained in the London region. As a flautist, finding a regular seat in a good orchestra is hard! There's usually only 2 or 3 flutes in an orchestra and especially getting to play principal flute is harder.  If you go out to the countryside, you have to wait until someone dies until you can get a place! Seriously, it's really hard! And also, to find one that does varied and challenging repertoire who have a good string section! I'm not dissing any orchestras at all, I'm just saying that it's hard to get get a flute place in an orchestra with a large string section who have the time to practice and polish! If I played viola in one, I'd be one of them! In addition, we have an amazing conductor- who despite conducting at the Royal Opera house and many prestigious gigs, still feels this amazing loyalty to this orchestra and puts in so much hard work!

This morning, CBC's phone rang at 7.55am to ask if he could cover some cello teaching at a Music School he used to work for.  We groaned in sadness but wanted to help out.  Ah well, swimming and hair-cuts will have to wait as he's off to a rehearsal in the afternoon and then meeting friends in London.   I, in stark comparison, whilst wishing I had the motivation to find out which bus I can get to the local swimming pool, am sitting here eating Branflakes and Prawn Crackers, drinking Earl Grey, typing blogs and listening to the whirr of the washing machine! I may just get dressed soon!

Hugs to you, enjoy the sun xx

Come on let's crawl to the ugly bug ball

Hello!  Two posts in one day no less!  Hope you enjoyed some confectionery nostalgia BUT none of you have answered the mystery yet!!!!
It was also Inspiration Monday today with the Two Birds (Taylor Swift looking pretty above) and I wasn't going to join in but somehow, seeing Megan and Nora's take on it gave me an lateral thinking idea when I looked into my dress-wardrobe (ok, so every wardrobe is a dress wardrobe, but this one is designated for evening and longer dresses)

I went with this Topshop dress (thrifted a while ago of course) and as it was a sunny day...

...a hat (C&A Switzerland) was necessary in the garden to work.  I bravely extracted the parasol from the summer house and thankfully no gargantuan spiders ran out this time and sat outside and did my work.

A little shout out to the lovely Char, who sent me these lovely Irregular Choice shoes when she was going to get rid of them- it was SUCH a surprise to pick them up from the parcel office  - she is SUCH a sweetie, so kind.  As we might suspect, I am a little mad on sailor-inspired items!

 The weather was typically gorgeous today when all CBC and I wanted to do was go cycling and enjoy the weather but we had to face the misery of unfinished school work. At least I could do it in the garden.
CBC and I sat and ate our lunch on the patio and watched the rush of insects across the ground- there was a whole plethora of wee-beasties- CBC was trying to pull up weeds from between the slabs as we sat and he unearthed some weird pulsating grub, a truncated earthworm, a monochrome spider scuttled by, ants were streaming towards a hole in the wall, larger brown spider crept towards a hole, and  a black shiny mini-beetle played dead by my foot

Oh, did you notice the mowed lawn above? I mowed our lawn on Friday.  As I finished our front garden, I looked at my next door neighbour's foot high grass and decided to do a random act of kindness by mowing it for him while he was out but unfortunately, as I turned the engine on, it made a weird noise and died!!!!! So I failed and now we have a broken mower.  I asked our neighbour 3 along if I could borrow their strimmer too and they laughed when I said I was trying to mow the neighbour's lawn- apparently he is notorious for hating gardening.  Anyway, he came back later as CBC had finished hacking brambles out of our bush and commented that he should really do his lawn.  CBC broke the bad news to him!


Back to today, the tits and chaffinches were making a right din as I worked- I called to them to be quiet on several occasions, two tits fought in the bushes and I noticed this little fellow cheeping in the tree- he looks so fluffy- do you think he's a grown-up baby, all fluffy and downy or is that a particular bird.  Moreoever,  what is he?

I'm trying to ignore the gloom of going back to school.  I love my job but I dread it too!

Hope you are well and head over to the Two Birds for more Swift fun and also to Patti at Visible Monday where the sun shines and the outfits dazzle beautifully

Itchy hat

It's Inspiration Monday today and Jessica Alba has turned up with armfuls of bags and a simple, chilled out outfit to pop around town.
CBC took these photos for me and I think me posing with an armful of bags "Just because" would have been too much for him, so I am bagless.

I've zoomed in on this photo and I think she's wearing a netty-type cardie, but I decided to squint and declare she's wearing polka dots. I've substituted the animal belt for a floral belt and added an snow-leopard-print beret instead.  Add a 3-tier bird necklace and tortoise-shell hoops and I'm good to go (though not entirely comfortable with my top tucked in like this- not keen on jean-tops showing on me!).

Jumper, beret, cardigan- all F&F at Tescos (all long ago sale)

Jeans: M&S from Uni days.

Belt and necklace: Primark

Shoes: Red or dead Lovebirds

At the Natural History Museum yesterday, I had a really, really big itch right in the middle of my back.  I contorted myself to try and scratch it (wearing that big thick wool coat I was wearing) and all of a sudden, something in my left-side back/shoulder went crunch and I had a sharp pain.  Luckily it was only that area.   This morning, I woke up really in pain and stiff, finding it hard to move properly- the pain had travelled right up to my shoulder and neck and down a bit, all on my left-side.  It made moving a little painful.

At church, they share prophetic words at the end- images, pictures or words that show perhaps God wants to speak to someone in particular and you are asked to go up for prayer. As I arrived at church, I had been thinking, "I really don't want this pain to last all through the day and tomorrow.  Maybe I should go up for prayer ministry at the end."  I sat there and thought to myself that maybe I shouldn't, because I went back 2 weeks ago and it's silly that it is just some back pain (even though I was moving like I had a strait-jacket on).

As they shared the prophetic words of knowledge- white picket fence, a specific-type of Japanese Art, then the Vicar's wife said.  "And my Son also had the image- that someone has a pain in their [I thought- "Left shoulder?"] left shoulder or the left side of their back." .  Ok, so I knew then that I had to go up for prayer.

After prayer, I went for tea in the hall and got talking to some older ladies, one of which who I have talked to a few times and she came up to me and said, "I reallly, really love all your different hats.  You must really like them!!". I confessed to my slight, medium uber hat-love and she said she wished she could wear them.
Ten minutes later, a lady who plays piano some weeks (almost 80), came up to me and asked where I got my hat from (this one). I said it had been a Tescos sale bargain and that I had it in 3 other colours and she said that she had 4 Kangol berets from the 70's and wished she could find where to buy them from.  She said she'd like them in other colours. I promised to look out for some for her and had to disappoint her that mine had been bought a year ago or so. Does anyone know places that stock Kangol berets at all?  She said she'd try other berets but she really liked Kangol ones!!!

As I walked home with the beauty of the sunshine- such a rarity after spending the whole week with wet feet as I walked an hour each day, I looked around me and saw the signs of beauty that are everywhere when you look.  It might still be winter, but the grass is still green (obviously needed for Photosynthesis!) and that makes for colour, variation, vitality and beauty.  The sky was a beautiful bright blue with gentle clouds caressing the stretch of sky.  I looked in my front garden and saw the bright green bush, a pink dog rose and some yellow flowers that wouldn't focus in a picture.  Little signs of hope to come, little signs that winter will be no more at some time. Signs that Aslan is always on the move...





The Twobirds are waiting for your visit!

She wore a furry hat

It's Monday which means inspiration time with the Two Birds.


My first thought, upon seeing Ms Hudson for the Two Birds' Inspiration Monday challenge was - oooooooh, furry hat!!! I am always enormously pleased at any excuse to wear a furry hat.  But which one????

• My grey fluffy one?
• ASOS Sheepskin shearling hood?
• Black sheepskin cossack from Joyce Anderson?

I also regretted getting rid of my mad cat lady Greek jumper which would have rivalled Kate's



I decided on the grey in the end since it went with the grey stripes of the jumper and my grey sheepskin boots. But, I couldn't resist a mad-hatter moment with the cossack, just for a laugh!
I wore this on Sunday to church (jeans not allowed at work) and I was certainly cosy.  I decided to smarten up the look with the ASOS heritage tweed blazer since I don't usually wear jeans to church (unlike lots of other people) . The other items are: Ukala sheepskin boots, M&S jeans, Gap wool jumper, gingham shirt- belonged to my Nan (had it for 17 years!). I liked this outfit.  Must wear this shirt and jumper together more- the shirt counteracts the jumper-itch! I keep it though because it is super warm!

I er- don't really have that much to say today. Other than- can I pray for you in any way?  If there is anything you are stressed about and need prayer-support, just leave me a message. That's all I will say today.

Hugs to you all.
xx

Please also go and visit the other birds!
And also please visit lovely Patti who is rock in a polka dot shirt and killer boots at Visible Monday at www.notdeadyetstyle.blogspot.com

Also linking up to Style Crone's attack