A sign of peace

Rainbows are so special! The excitement you see when one appears in the sky is a joy!

Last Saturday, CBC and I were in Billericay to go for dinner. He was driving in from a rehearsal and I had gone via train to have a quick peruse of the charity shopw. As I headed towards the restaurant, I got caught in rain.  

I dipped into Poundland to escape the rain.

When I emerged, I saw a rainbow emerging across the sky.

As I walked down the High Street, the rainbow became more and more intense.

 The wonderful thing was, all the people walking towards me had NO idea what beauty was behind them.

It was therefore up to me, to enlighten them.

To each and every person who came towards me, I said, "Have you seen the rainbow?"

And in each and every case, I had the glorious joy of seeing them turn round and gasp at how bright and intense it was.

Every single individual was overjoyed and stopped for a moment to gaze in awe and smile.

And I got to share that joy because I'd shown them the rainbow!

Of course, it can never be captured in a photo well enough.

I think this picture was my best one, of the bow over St Mary's church.

There was a secondary bow which was harder to capture.

This final picture was one that CBC took at the other end of the High Street. He managed to get a photo without any traffic!

Sometimes you don't see the rainbow in your gloomy sky because you don't see it...until someone takes the time to show you what was behind you all along.

I hope someone points out a metaphorical rainbow out to you this week...or that you can show someone that rainbow too!

xx

Kezzie and the amazing technicolor dream skirt

"I wore my skirt (yes, on Saturday)
With golden lining (not really)
Bright colours shining (they're matt- cotton doesn't shine)
Wonderful and new (wonderful, yes,.  New....well, second hand from the charity shop 2 years ago)
May I return? (this is ok so far, please specify to what or where or whom?)
To the beginning (of what? Life?  The day?  This blog post?  Knock yourself out!)
The light is dimming (not at 11am)
And the dream is true (well, I like having a rainbow skirt but it wasn't always my dream!)"

Enough of the silliness!  I hadn't shared an outfit post on here.  I know a lot of people have been existing in their pajamas during the Lockdown/stay at home (you've made me paranoid about what is the right term to use Bev!)  but for me, I always like getting dressed properly in what I'd wear anyway!

On Saturday, I thought it was time to pull out the rainbow skirt!  Rainbows are everywhere at the moment- a symbol of hope. Like my good friend, Ang,  I have always liked rainbows and talked about the importance of them in my childhood memories so I have had lots of rainbow items of clothing in my wardrobe- it's always something that has cheered me!

Except for the leggings and jewellery, the whole outfit is charity-shopped from the rainbow skirt (£2.50 Scope, Hexham), black top (Barnardos £2.50), Birkenstock sandals (£12 British Heart Foundation)

My necklace is from the Crafty Anteater and my earrings (Parrots!) were from Primark a looong time ago!

Sending you all positive rainbow wishes.

xxx

Rainbow bear and Rainbow Smile!

We've all probably seen the rainbows in windows.  These are something we are being encouraged to draw and display in our windows to give children something nice to look out for and count on their daily exercise walks.  It's nice for adults too!

The other thing I've heard about is displaying a teddy bear in the window also so children can go on a Bear Hunt. It's also been a way to show support for much-loved children's author of We're going on a bear hunt, Michael Rosen.

On Wednesday, I decided I wanted to do something for my window.

I wanted to make something out of recycled materials and because I am a bit lazy, I've not managed to put the remaining cardboard from my Phoenix wings into the recycling.

I decided to make a bear holding a rainbow!

I used a Sharpie and colouring pencils to make my rainbow bear.

Yesterday, I wondered what I could have done with my remaining cardboard and decided I would make some rainbow letter bunting.

I tried it out in various windows but decided it didn't sit very well because of the size of my window frames. So I decided to tie it to my front door.

We put the bear in our car window because we couldn't see it very well in the house windows

Here's hoping it makes our Milkman and our Postman smile!

A rainbow has been a sign of peace and hope ever since the times of Noah!

Have you made a rainbow?

xx

Rainbow outfits and rainbow blessings

Greetings friends.

I thought I'd share a few blessings or happy things from the day:
1.  I got some vague whiffs of smells today. I got some tomato pasta out of the microwave and just for a minute, I got a whiff of something tomatoey and later, a whiff of coconut oil as CBC was preparing to cook. I also have some vague sensation of taste today when I ate some strong garlic.
2.  Delicious red lentils: though I couldn't taste very much, I was appreciative of the deliciousness of them and how many yummy vegetables CBC cooked.
3.  A local vegetable wholesaler is selling to the public and someone posted it on Facebook. We phoned up and ordered some lovely vegetables and EGGS!!!! CBC will pick it up on Monday.
4.  CBC is now on for the idea of raised beds! Ordered some topsoil from our local garden centre who are doing local delivery.
5.  I played a game of Bananagrams by myself! I love Bananagrams!
6.  Finished my Tasha Alexander book which was great!
7.  Lovely letter and seeds through the post from Sophie today! Tomato plants!!!
8. Had a fun game of Swingball with CBC yesterday which was fun!
9.  My sister called me back today and we had a lovely chat of over an hour. Oh how wonderful it was to have that time with her- it's so rare for that to happen. We both thoroughly enjoyed the time!
10. For the sleep I got!
11.  For having a job where my income is secure. So grateful that I am so far, not having to worry about my income whereas I know others are in a more precarious situation.
12.  For having such a spacious home.
13.  For our TV- so glad we bought it at Christmas. I was worried it was a lot of money to spend but it has been really useful.

And now onto an outfit.
Last Sunday, feeling worried and scared, before my church service online, I donned a collection of rainbowy and brightly coloured clothes.

This green t-shirt has been a firm favourite since I bought it from H&M last year.  The fluffy mustard cardigan was a present from my in-laws 4 years ago.

I love my Zara embroidered velvet joggers- I totally copied Anna  when I bought these- but managed to get them second-hand when they were still new in the shops!

My red beret and Clarks desert boots were also charity-shop purchases over the years.

What about accessories?  

Well, my earrings and star brooch were from Lorelai LQ and my beautiful necklace is from Smile and Make.  I was one of the lucky first few to own this necklace!

My hope and trust is in God right now- he's saving me from panic, especially with anxiety about health, but I am glad for rainbows too- after all, those were the original symbol of hope from God all those years ago!

xxx

Rainbows to herald the sun

Oh, WHAT a joy the sunshine was this weekend in South-East England. We were all rather taken back by it and made the most of it.  The traffic to the coast was heaving since everyone wanted a piece of the seaside. That's the funny thing about where we live now, we can do that more easily.

Thus, on Saturday morning, when getting dressed (ahem, about midday, mainly because CBC arrived home at 11.15am and I had spent every moment from the time I woke up, cleaning, tidying, putting away to make it look all lovely when he got back. I wasn't quite finished by the time he returned so I was still hoovering around him!), I wanted something bright and ebullient to acknowledge the sun!  It WAS, however, still a little chilly, despite the brightness.

I began with a daisy dress but then, when looking for a black skirt to go over the top of it, I found this charity-shopped, rainbow, knitted skirt and knew that superseded any other clothing plans!  I added simple black long-sleeved t-shirt and red cardigan and then my newish charity-shopped Clarks Originals red boots.   The obvious jewellery choices were my lovely Lorelai LeQuilliec rainbow earrings (which were a birthday present from myself to myself almost exactly a year ago!) and my Nickat sequin necklace and a simple turquoise hairclip.  

Simple, a bit quirky and definitely not the type of outfit being sported by the women of the seaside town we went to for late lunch with our friend.  There, you are smooth, coiffed and blend in!

What do you think?  Too much or just right for a sunny day?

xx

#The January Challenge Day 25- Draw with your drawers

I shared 2 of the creative challenges from @64millionartists' January Challenge.  The aim of these challenges is to promote/provoke creativity.  I think this is a great thing for January.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 64 Million Artists (@64millionartists) on Jan 24, 2019 at 11:00pm PST

The challenge for Day 25, as you can see above, was to try to create a picture out of the contents of your drawers. This really reminded me of a programme called Art Attack from when I was a child/teen, where the host, Neil Buchanan would create some massive collage out of collecting objects.  Viewed from above, it would become a picture.  See the video below to understand what I mean.

I didn't have very long but I'd recently offered a very colourful-dressed friend on Instagram (it's lovely to have got in touch with her as we met studying music briefly, although didn't know each other really- I remembered her!) some of my tights collection.  She loves colourful tights and I have a whole bag of them, barely worn, that I don't wear anymore (I've gone off tights a lot) and they're not exactly something you can give to a charity shop.  I got a whole rainbow of tights out to offer her and they were sitting in a clear bag in the bedroom, awaiting posting.

I decided to incorporate some of the rainbow.  Believe it or not, though it is hard to see, I did actually include all of the true colours in the Richard of York Gave Battle In Vain rainbow but they are hard to see!

To make the clouds, I used a white lacy cardigan and shirt.  The sun is a pair of mustard tights.  The rain-drops are formed of 3 of the stripy socks that CBC wore for the Olympics Closing Ceremony which I swiped from him (I wear them for my 13th Doctor outfit).

It would have been nicer to do something a bit more detailed but time was limited and I quite liked it.

I left it out on the bedroom floor for CBC to see unexpectedly, next time he came in!

What do you think?

What would you have made?

xx

We're after the same Rainbow's end

RAINBOWS!  What wonderful things they are! Such a joy to see them! They are the reward for enduring miserable weather and of course, feature in many stories- Noah's story, The Wizard of Oz, Tiktok of Oz, various folk tales.  What other ones can you name?

When I found this rainbow skirt in the Hexham Sue Ryder charity shop for £2.25, I was utterly enchanted. I did indeed feel like Joseph and his coat of many colours as I took it to pay for at the till! The pricing of items in that shop does confuse me sometimes! Some things are really overpriced and others, bargainous gems!

I decided to wear it for school on the first day of term with rainbow socks and my pencil brooch, plus my Tiger umbrella and so many staff members came and commented on it! I can never keep my mouth shut though- I gleefully overshared , "£2.25 from Sue Ryder!"

The pencil brooch, a present from the lovely Lily Fang at Imperfect Idealist and a crystal necklace reminiscent of the one I had as a child were the perfect finishers- in my not so impartial opinion!

And because umbrellas are fun to dance with- here I am!

Hugs and rainbows to you today!

xx

A fleeting rainbow

Last Tuesday,  I left work fairly late, just as it started to pelt it down with rain.  It was rather grim, particularly as I didn't have an umbrella.  As I walked, gritting my teeth from the cold deluge, it began to slow down and I realised there was a reward for the discomfort.

 A double rainbow with the first being intensely bright.

 As I waked, it seemed to get brighter.

 No matter how many times I see one, I still get excited.  I know the lovely Ang does too, she's even named her blog after them.

 As is often the case when something utterly beautiful is going on, I saw the odd person who wandered along, head down, often looking at phone. Oh, what a sight they were missing.  I snapped picture after picture with giddy joy!

 As the secondary bow faded, the first rainbow lost its full arc but seemed to grow larger on the horizon- I wonder what it would have been like further into the distance?

I posted these pictures on Instagram and the sheer delight and incredulity of people showed me that we all still regard it as a great joy, privilege and beauty to behold this fleeting image.  It came and went in 5 minutes but I was glad for having had the eyes to see it and the opportunity to bring a smile and joy to those who saw it.  No wonder God made it a sign of peace!

xx

Keep calm and carry on

I had something horrid happen at work today.  I'm trying to pray about it and not stress until whatever happens, happens, but I do know my mind which wanders around in the worry- things pop into my mind, no matter how much I try to think of something else.  Things do happen that would not happen as we might expect but still we have to accept responsibility for our errors.


I was commenting on Danielle's post on Underland to Wonderland and she included this quote:

Can there be happiness without sadness? Pleasure without pain? Peace without war?

'Everybody wants happiness, nobody wants pain, but you can't have a rainbow without a little rain.'

A Suffolk rainbow

And it made me think of this chapter from Ecclesiastes which I think is profound whether or not you believe in God or not- it really does make sense. I went and read it after mentioning it on Danielle's post (excellent blog by the way- do visit) 

A Time for Everything     and a season for every activity under the heavens:     a time to plant and a time to uproot,     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.     and what will be has been before;

    and God will call the past to account.
    in the place of justice—wickedness was there.
    both the righteous and the wicked,
for there will be a time for every activity,
    a time to judge every deed.”

There is a time for everything,

    a time to be born and a time to die,

What do workers gain from their toil?  I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.  He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live.  That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.  I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.

Whatever is has already been,

 And I saw something else under the sun:

In the place of judgment—wickedness was there,

I said to myself,

“God will bring into judgment

I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals.  Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless.  All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.  Who knows if the human spirit rises upward and if the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?”

 So I saw that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy their work, because that is their lot. For who can bring them to see what will happen after them?

Reading it did bring me some comfort.   Sometimes there are rainclouds in life, big nasty, horrible grotty rainclouds. But perhaps some good will come out of them in the form of the rainbow. I've had lots of lovely, loving texts and phonecalls from friends who care and that is like a rainbow every time. It has shown me that people do care.

I tried to some good deeds today for people, who were really grateful for what I did, I was commenting to my friend and she said, "Yeh, you kind of think you might get good karma for that," and then that happens and  "You wonder why you bother."

Well, just because the ending had a horrid sting to it, doesn't mean I shouldn't be glad I did something nice. I should continue doing something nice and find something positive in the gloom. 

I hope your day is full of love, joy and rainbows.

xx

Style imitating Art:

Hello there,

I hope all is well with you.

I haven't remembered to take part in the Style Imitating Art challenge with Salazar, Jen and Erin for a while, so I was glad to be at home to have time to think about it.

Here's my outfit:

The inspiration piece was this beautiful, colourful picture which Erin found in the recycling bins near her apartment.

The door within by Jean Fetman

I knew that I wanted to do something colourful to reflect it

I began with this vintage M&S Madras-check dress which I've worn many times on this blog, usually as a skirt and added my turquoise crocs and a necklace as a nod to the flashes of turquoise in the picture.

The final part was this exquisite piece of silk I bought when I lived in Bali.

There was this wonderful street called Jalan Sulawesi which was entirely made up of material shops.

Sai Kreshna was a beautiful shop full of exquisite Chinese satins which I bought.Then I caught sight of this material.

It doesn't come across in this poor picture but the colours look metallic like an oil slick.  I've had it for over 10 years and I've never known what to do with it. It's too delicate to make into a dress, skirt or top so it has just sat in the black carrier bag I was given it in.

But I realised that wearing it as a stole was a quite pleasant use for it.

Et voila, here is my finished outfit. A bit loud but I thought it suited the picture.

What would you have worn?  I think that Anna would have rocked this challenge.

Head over to Erin's blog on Tuesday to find out what everyone else wore!

xxx

Scavenger Hunt October 2015

I think I'm addicted!  I could not stand not being able to blog!!! The good news is, I've stayed up ridiculously late for the last 3 nights (2am-ish) and got lots done). The bad news is I still have more to do BUT, I'm ok for the moment.  Feeling extraordinarily positive today, was super efficient at work and so decided I could do a little blog post
As usual, I am enthusiastically tardy in my entry to the Scavenger Hunt with Greenthumb at Made with love.  Skulking at the edges with shame but glad to be here!  We definitely have a variety here!

En avant!

Question

The Scene:
(At John Lewis Birmingham New Street, staring up at the amazing Atrium ceiling.)
CBC:  I wonder how they clean that? Could they clean it?
Kezzie: Errr...? (Stares up blankly).  Look!
(CBC and Kezzie look up.  Funny you should ask that...)

Cream

At Hexham Spook Night, where CBC and I went to watch the judging of the kids fancy dress costumes, we sloped off to Mrs Miggins' coffee shop for a hot chocolate.

The waitress smiled in a knowing fashion and asked if we'd like that with cream and marshmallows. We agreed.
It came specially dressed for the 31st October.

CBC had bought two books in the charity shop- Cirque du Freak and Little House on the Prairie. To my amusement, he thought he was posing with the former rather than the latter!

Mwa ha!

Number

 In Blanchland, after a walk.  Rudimentary but apt.

Lattice

Taken about 2 seconds after the number, "Ah, a lattice work at last!"

Familiar

In Hexham, the familar site of the Abbey, towering above all. I love this view of the clock tower which reminds me of a robot mixed with King Rollo!

Ring

Would madam like a ring of cushions?

or "Ring, ring! It's for You-hooo!"

Today

Today I took a walk in the petrifying and austere woods and DIDN'T get eaten by wolves.

Down

Looking down on the Tyne river (where the salmon jump) from the Alston Arches railway viaduct.

Writing

Technically carving (in the middle if you squint!) but writing despite this!

Many

Many crispy coloured leaves littering the ground.

Broken

Pavlova broken at the edges (and demolished in less time than it took me to type that!) 

 Whatever you want

Not the best of photos, but I was gleeful to see a Lenticular cloud (Stratocumulus lenticular maybe?), which resembled a flying saucer haunting the Northumbrian fields.

Have you taken any photos this month? Do share if so!
I will try to catch up with some comments as soon as I can! I've read a fair few posts on the train but not had too much time to say howdy!

xxx