Dressed For Excess

Life's too short to spend it in jogging bottoms.

Last night was another big birthday night out, this time taking in the high spots of Dudley, so pissed engrossed in conversation that we had to be chased down the road after leaving the Sikh pub without paying for our curry. My friend Tina jokingly asked if doing a runner from a restaurant was on my Things To Do Now You're 50 bucket list but no, it isn't. She knows that I don't subscribe to such rubbish. I aim to live my life in the here and now, not ticking off stuff in a vain attempt to impress people or validate my existence.

After a bracing walk to blow away the cobwebs (aka last night's six pints of lager), the heating's been cranked up and we're about the spend the afternoon watching utter crap on the telly, accompanied by the cats and a party pack of Gujarati Mix from the corner shop and I may as well dress for the occasion.

Whilst still on the subject of birthdays here's my fab presents. Booze, jewellery, vintage clothes, traditional Asian pieces, fair trade & crafty stuff, Barry M, there's even a poodle lurking around the back!

Liz painted and framed this picture of us, based on a selfie (god, I hate that word) we took at Glastonbury, 2014.

She also surprised me by including a couple of sketches we'd done when we were about 8 years old (42 years ago!) when we used to sit together at junior school and draw the most horrendous outfits we could dream up. Scarily a yellow and pink flowery crimplene dress sounds exactly like something I'd wear now. In fact, there we go!

Jon rendered me speechless with this vintage Egyptian Revival giant pendant and cuff, made by jewellers, Thomas Fattorini and Sons, who've been trading in Birmingham since 1827.

He says to tell you that he's not daft and he didn't pay the price some on-line vintage dealers are charging. He likes a bargain as much as I do.

WEARING: 1970s nylon hostess dress (birthday present from G&T of Babouskha Vintage), feather boa (20p, car boot sale), 1960s Biba velvet & glass dragonfly choker (My Mum's)

Plans for this week include sorting our Indian visas out, utilising our National Trust membership and dodging anything Xmas related for as long as is humanely possible. I've made a pact with myself to avoid Christmas until at least December 20th. So if I haven't commented on your Xmas themed blog posts or liked your Facebook photos of trees, tinsel or trips to German Markets it's not you I hate, it's having the subject rammed down my throat since the day after Hallowe'en. If 50 means being a cantankerous old bat then so be it.

See you soon!

Linking to Patti & the gang for Visible Monday.