The rainbow dress strikes back!

Hello there!

Before I start waffling, here's some music for you to listen to. I've not heard this piece by the English Composer, Gustav Holst (he of the Planets!) before but I was delighted by the opening music between viola and flute.

The term has ended and the last week went well.

The school concert went really well without too many mishaps and most of the children and their parents turned up. We started 15minutes late so it overran but I was really proud of how well the children performed.   

One delightful thing that occurred was that I applied for a scholarship for one of my year 5 boys who we have been partly funding for flute lessons this year. He has really taken to it and worked hard and I wanted to ensure that he would be able to carry on after he left me so I applied to the London Music Fund and to my delight, he was selected to receive funding for lessons for 4 years.  Such an opportunity for him!

I bought the children involved in the concert choc-ices (the only ice-cream/lolly product which comes in no plastic packaging!)  to say thank you for their hard work and I was delighted with the serendipity that I had bought just enough for everyone AND enough to give one also to the children who had helped out and done extra jobs like putting away my singing assembly things each week and for tidying up the music room.

At the weekend, CBC and I went to camp in Snowdonia for the weekend.  I had a stinking cold but had a gorgeous time and will share some photos soon.

I bade a sad goodbye to CBC this evening as he drove off to Portsmouth to catch the overnight ferry to France.  We are to be parted for 2 weeks as we do different things - he is a checkpoint monitor for the Transcontinental Cycling Race and I am to go to music camp.

Enough waffling, I found some photos from last Summer (on my lost camera which turned up- it was in the walking rucksack!!!) of when I styled the Madras check dress in yet another way.

Let's have a look:

I wore the dress with its V-beck crossover side which I rarely wear as I prefer the straight one but I wore it the other way round here.

I added my pink Peri top underneath with a matching pink rose in my hair and a pink belt.

I added my red polka dot skirt underneath to give an extra layer of pattern to the dress

I decided to hoik up the hem of the dress on one side to see if that gave another dimension to this.

I am not 100% sure I liked this outfit totally but certainly it was different from how I've worn it on other occasions!

Plus my George @Asda blue and gold velvet pumps!

I've been practicing for our flute recital on Friday

Very excited as we've practised lots! I HOPE people come to watch especially as my friend Tony is coming from Kent as we are performing his beautiful arrangement of Debussy Petite suite for two flutes and piano for the first time.

x

 

The Rainbow dress worn sideways!

You always know it's Summer when my rainbow dress gets an outing!  It likes to be a chameleon, cropping up in outfits in new and different combinations!

It was on Sunday, that I suddenly had a thought.

Could I turn the dress sideways, get my head through one of the shoulder straps- could I make it into a halter-neck dress?

After a little experimenting, and one moment of panic, I discovered...

Yes I could!

I discovered, that I could get my head into the hole. Although the pattern matching at the seam isn't great, it still worked!

At the back, I tucked in the other strap so it had a slightly lower back.

As it is a circle skirt, I suddenly thought about adding a tulle petticoat underneath to give it a bit of body and to puff it out.  I added my TARDIS blue one!

A black belt to cinch the waist.  Perhaps a blue one would have been better but I only have turquoise, not electric blue.

I decided to pin my hair up with a flower clip from Bali.

Here's a side view.

I decided to wear my TARDIS blue floral Irregular Choice pumps to go with the tulle petticoat.

What do you think of this new take on the dress?

Do you have any other suggestions for this dress styling?

xx

The Madras rainbow checked dress as suggested by Polyester Princess

 dfdfd

I have worn my rainbow dress again. In case you have missed it. I bought this Madras rainbow-check St Michael's dress in a charity shop about 15 years ago and have never worn it the same way on this blog here every time it has featured- in fact, it has always been my goal to find more ways to wear this versatile dress. Last month, I wore it with a a white logo t-shirt here and I challenged people to give me ideas of how to wear it.

This time, I decided to use Ann's idea for how to style it:

2. 
   Polyester Princess6:44 pm

   Your Madras rainbow checked dress is gorgeous so I'm not surprised it's still going strong after 16 years. I love how you styled it as a skirt here and I'm looking forward to see you styling it as a top. Perhaps paired with your sailing boat skirt and stretchy belt?
   Your Mum's finished cardigan is absolutely fabulous! xxx

   ReplyDelete

I don't think I've ever worn it as a top on here so this one appealed to me:

Here's my take on it:

Here I am just after my shower.  As requested by Ann, I wore the dress as a top. I wore it with the round neck side and then tucked it into the lovely boat skirt which Ann gave me as a present. As it is quite high-waisted, it worked well with the dress and the length was perfect to hide the skirt!

I added my ancient silver Rieker sandals and added my Croatian Watermelon earrings and a Past Times ivy leaf pewter necklace which was a present from my Godmother (who came round last night!) 

Later, when I went to the library and to drop off soft plastics to the Coop, I remembered to add a stretchy belt- this grey lacy Primark one and a grey Primark cardigan (both ancient) to match to my silver/grey sandals.

I quite liked this combination but I do miss seeing the pretty circle skirt!

Stay tuned for later this week as I had a brainwave about how I could wear it in a different way the next day!

Annoyingly, I was awake around 6am as CBC had to leave early for DoE but hadn't packed and hadn't set an alarm.  Somehow, I woke up and warned him. He then raged around the bedroom trying to find things! By the time he left, I was thoroughly awake.  I got up to make myself tea, read some of my book by Jiri Weil, Mendelssohn is on the roof, and went to water the garden.  

It was delightfully overcast so I ate my breakfast and drank tea whilst I read my Bible readings for the day on the swing seat.  

After having a shower, I did some stuff, ate left-over Thai food and then cycled to town to go to the library to order the new Hunger Games book. I had a quick look in the charity shop where I bought a lovely Fatface cardigan for my Mother in Law and bought myself a khaki green crocheted crop top. I cycled to the Coop to drop off a load of soft plastics.  I bought 2 reduced Broccolis, a Viennetta (classic 80's dessert) and also some Choux pastries for my guests.

I then set to work doing some cleaning and tidying.  We've had a bit of an ant problem for the last week and a half and I was determined to thwart them. Mum arrived mid-clean and  I cleaned the kitchen floor.  We then put some Cayenne Pepper onto the top of where we suspected a nest was.  To my delight, since this time, we have not seen any ants!!! I am hoping and praying that is it!

My Godmother and daughter arrived around 7pm.  We chatted, ate some snacks and had some refreshments and then I ordered a Chinese. Maria and I went to pick it up and we came back. Had a lovely time with them- lots of laughs!  They all went around 10pm.

This morning, I woke up for church, actually earlier than my alarm so it wasn't the usual last minute dash!  We had a visitor from Tearfund and I really enjoyed his sermon which was brilliant.

 I came back home and had a phone call to my dad.  I then went into the garden and did some pruning and cutting back on my roses, Viburnam, Acanthus and then sorted some washing.  I then spent some time putting clothes away in the bedroom and hoovering. I also had long phone calls to my Mother in Law and my sister. 

This week is another busy one!  I have 3 performances at school in the playground, involving 180 children at a time, Exhibition evening at school, a flute trio rehearsal, a Big band barbecue, an orchestra rehearsal, a Gamelan rehearsal AND an orchestra concert- all in 5 days! 

Hope all is well with you!

x

P.S.

I found two more posts where I wore the dress in different ways:

September 2021 with a turquoise cardigan

August 2021 as a mini dress.

The remix post - can't seem to resurrect the photos that don't work- sad!

With butterfly styling

A day in Aldeburgh

Hello!!

Last weekend, CBC and I had no particular plans and we suddenly realised that the Aldeburgh festival was on!  In its 76th year, this music festival in the Suffolk seaside town was founded by great British composer, Benjamin Britten and his partner Peter Pears (pronounced Peers).  CBC and I have been to various events for this over the years. He introduced me to it fairly early in our relationship as he was a Hess student when he was young- these students spend time in Aldeburgh stewarding for it and get to stay with local families.

We decided to try and get tickets for the Sunday events.

The timing was perfect as I had JUST started my final Year 4 music unit of the year on Benjamin Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra 3 days earlier so I was very much in the mood to go to Aldeburgh!

We left home around 8.45am to drive to Suffolk and arrived just in time for the 10.30am Festival service at St Peter's and St Paul's church 

The service received a sermon from the Rt Rev’d Joanne Grenfell, Bishop of Stepneyand the  Britten Pears Chamber Choir was singing, conducted by James Davyand with Francesca Massey organ.  The service was lovely with music by composer of the festival,  Helen Grime: her Missa Brevis and a piece by Daniel Kidane: Christus factus est.  CBC's old colleague and friend L was singing in the choir as she had moved to Suffolk and it was lovely to see her.

I loved the beautiful Benjamin Britten memorial window by John Piper.  Britten had developed a new type of opera which he gave the name 'parables for church performance.  Three of these were named Curlew River, The Burning Fiery Furnace and The Prodigal son and all of these are evoked in some way in this beautiful window. 

 After the service we headed to Aldeburgh high street for a spot of lunch.  I queued in the epic fish and chip shop queue whilst CBC went to find some coffee and have a mooch around.

After 30mins, I reached the front of the queue and bought CBC a portion of chips (he'd acquired a toastie) and for myself, a Child-sized portion of Fish and chips plus a small battered sausage. 

I met CBC on the beach to eat.

The fish and chips, cooked in Beef dripping, was delicious and my portion was just the right size!

I went dressed for the seaside:

I bought this gingham sailor top in Primark last month. I never shop in there now but I saw this on Instagram and knew a 100% cotton sailor top in Gingham was something I had to see!

The skirt is from Fatface via a charity shop plus my Seasalt sandals from Depop a good 6 years ago or so.

The sea changed colour in the space of 2 minutes when the sun came out:

We enjoyed our lunch and witnessed a fly-by theft from a Seagull who stole a child's battered sausage.  It also tried to steal mine- I suddenly noticed it hovering inches from my hand.

As CBC ate his Tiramisu cake, I had a paddle! It was refreshing but the sloping shingle was hard to stand upright on as I tried to hold my skirt!

We had to hotfoot it back to the car, parked past the church (via a charity shop where CBC bought an old print of a lovely John Singer Sargeant painting) and drove to Snape Maltings for our next musical performance.   This was held in the Britten studio at 2pm.  We crept in late in the complete dark, accidentally bumping into our friend L who was a steward for it!

The concert was a performance by Fu and Betts-Dean: The programme was entitled Solitude with Schubert Lotte Betts-Dean,  mezzo-soprano and George Xiaoyuan Fu on  piano.  It began with a film called Solitude With Schubert (first screening) by Matilda Hay filmmaker. The pieces were Schubert: Einsamkeit, D.620 (17’) Schubert: Schwanengesang, D.957 (selection) (15’) Schubert: Piano Sonata No.21 in B flat, D.960 (40’).  It was wonderful!!! The programme explored how grief mingles with consolation, combined with a film exploring the loss of a loved one. 

After this, we headed out for a walk to Snape Warren across the beautiful boardwalks.

After a glorious walk, we headed into the maltings for a light dinner.

I changed into my evening concert outfit of this Monsoon cotton dress, bought from a charity shop in Hexham.

Funnily enough, I saw my friend from Gamelan who was there to watch the same concert as us by coincidence.  Last time I came to watch an Aldeburgh concert, I saw ANOTHER Gamelan friend!

Amusingly, when we entered the Maltings hall, it turned out out of 1000 seats, we had ended up seated next to each other by total coincidence!!

the concert was entitled Nocturne and Folk, performed by the Knussen Chamber Orchestra.

The solists were  Claire Booth, soprano  and Allan Clayton, tenor.  Ryan Wigglesworth was the the conductor.  The programme was Britten: Suite on English Folk Tunes, ‘A time there was ...’, Op.90 , Helen Grime: Folk (Britten Pears Arts co-commission),  Britten: Nocturne, Op.60, and Beethoven: Symphony No.8 in F, Op.9. I adore Britten's music and I loved the two pieces we heard, both new to me.  The piece by Helen Grimes, a major new commission with soloist Claire Booth, was really intriguing with some very evocative lyrics and musical crafting.

We'd had a fantastic day and it just remained to drive back to  Essex. I helped CBC mark some test papers as he drove (I read the answers and told me if they were right or not!) 

I very much recommend a day in Aldeburgh and a visit to the Maltings, ideally a concert!

xx

Amazing Grace (the rainbow dress remix)

 It's Summer so it must mean the return of the Madras rainbow checked dress which I bought in a charity shop at least 16 years ago. I've always aimed to style it differently every time it features on me. Here's my last post  and here's the post where I shared 12 different ways I've worn it.  I have to point you in Ivana's direction as she is brilliant at sharing different ways she has worn certain garments and Sheila who loves a flashback to a garment she has worn in several ways

This time, I wore it as a Skirt with a t-shirt I bought at the Christian Resources exhibition around 20 years ago that says 'Amazing Grace on it.  The skirt worked well with it as it picks out all the colours of the flowers spelling the slogan. Added in my Lotus blue pumps.

I've worn this dress is several different ways but I realise I haven't just worn it like a top so that's my challenge next time I wear it on here!

Do you have any ideas for how I can style it?

Leave a comment below and I'll give it a ago!

I had a lovely time with my Mum today.

I got up for church which was lovely and then came home. I ate some breakfast and then I cycled to the station to get the train to Mum's.  I took over some camping stuff for my niece who is doing Duke of Edinburgh soon including my walking shoes!!   Mum made us some lovely lunch of Asparagus Soup (homegrown), then Seabass with salad and then fruit salad! It was delicious!  

She showed me her finished cardigan she made from a pattern I bought her. Isn't it lovely! 

We saw my niece briefly too. I came home and made some salads for our lunch this week and then made some yummy vegetable pasta for dinner.

Hope you are well.

X

Easter Joy and flowers!

Christ has died,

Christ is risen,

Christ will come again!

Easter Sunday is always so joyful! I didn't know if we were going to be back in time for me to attend my own church as we were in Hexham, which would still have been lovely,  but I was so happy to be at church!  Sadly, I didn't make it up for 5.30am for the Sunrise service but I was there for 9.15 service to worship and play my flute. It was a joyous occasion!!!! The entrance to the church had been set up with a line of knitted flowers of various kinds on sticks.

I came home to find CBC had not gone out cycling which I was sort of happy about as often he's out for a lot of Sunday. 

Went out into the garden to have a look at the new life outside.

There was blossom on all the trees, some of it older than others now.

The Forget-me-Nots were out in their full mist of glory.

The Viburnum is starting to form its snowballs- their time is so fleeting so it's lovely to capture them before their zenith.

The apple tree is covered in Blossom! I am so excited! Please give us lots of apples this year!

One of the blueberries has lots of flowers on it.

My garden is reflected in my outfit for church. I always wear something floral and a dress on Easter Sunday.  This year, I decided to wear the handmade vintage dress which I recently was given from my Godmother. I was a little bit concerned I looked  a bit too dressed up!

I wore it with my Monssoon velvet jacket and Florence blue leather boots.

The dress fits me exactly like it was tailored to my dimensions. I think I'd like it a tiny bit looser but it does fit well

I wore it with my bee necklace.

Later in the day, I changed as  I wanted to veg on the sofa.  Later, we wanted to go out for dinner and it was a bit chilly so here's what I wore then:

My vintage cardigan and striped top plus a M&S silk skirt, a beret and my blue Dr Martens!

We headed out for a Thai meal which was delicious.

xx

Piano girl

I've had this dress for almost 9 months.  I remember seeing it on Miss Patina's website a couple of years ago and absolutely loving it! A sailor look, ruffly sleeves AND musical??? Check!

But the Dainty Melody dress was £85 and you can't return, only exchange, I think!  Luckily, I saw it on eBay for much cheaper last Summer and I jumped at the chance to buy it.

I wore this to church on Sunday and to my orchestra rehearsal. The delight I got from fellow congregation members was so sweet!

I wore my Ugg boots with it.

Awful picture but I wore my Primark Dalmation beret and added a tiny dainty music brooch that was a present from my ex-deputy head teacher.

And my Tatty Devine music necklace (was also an eBay bargain!) 

 Even the white cuffs have a little piano pattern on them! So fun!

Hope all is good with you!x

TARDIS Tuesday- Hide

Hi there,

Back from the holidays!  We had a lovely half term.

The funeral was really lovely. The crematorium was full to the brim and there were many people who live-streamed it.  We played our music and everyone was very complimentary.  My Godmother and Godsister were really grateful and were brilliant. I saw so many old friends and it was lovely.

We spent 4 days in Belgium.  More on that soon (I hope- I'm not very good with travel posts!) 

We met up with CBC's brother and also with some friends from his previous school (who are also my friends now and bizarelly, one of them comes from where I come from!) 

I've had a roaring headache for the past two days which has been really irritating for school but I've ploughed on.

Now onto TARDIS Tuesday.  This features an old favourite which I wore to church on Sunday.

Did I really last feature this in May 2021?? Surely, I've worn it since!!!

Image borrowed from this Pinterest but ultimately belongs to the BBC

It features my beloved Clara in her quintessentially 90's-looking outfit!

A ditsy floral dress, navy blazer in jersey, a Barbour Duralinen jacket and some black laceup boots from F Troupe

Here's my 2024 version.  It's pretty much the same as the last two times I wore it.   

It features an alternative dress from Soulcal which has a similar print and shape plus a New Look blazer alternative.  I wore tights this time, as opposed to leggings and I regretted it on the cycle to church- this dress was WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too short to cycle in- I had to keep pulling it down as I cycled and wore my Barbour jacket (seen below) round my waist on the way home.

Richard at church, who I often joke with as he often drives behind me and beeps, "Road hog!" at me, commented on my dress and I mentioned I was regretting it.  He laughed and said he'd missed that! He's in his 80's and loves making fun of me!

I hope all is well with you!

Much love,

Kezzie xx