Thursday (day 76) was another overcast, damp and chilly day. When I woke at 6.30am I had to double-check the time, so used to the bedroom being bathed in sunlight, the dark fooled me into thinking it was much earlier. During my Wii Fit session with the new-to-me board, I was complimented on my perfect balance, my old one only had three feet and it kept telling me I was leaning to the left. I nipped outside and deadheaded the pansies & fuchsias and picked up the petals that yesterday's rain had torn off the Oriental poppies. Happily a few more had burst into bloom overnight.
Jon got up and we had our fruit & yoghurt breakfast. His plan for the day was to start preparing the kitchen for decorating which, judging by the state of the walls, would take longer than the actual painting so, as soon as he was dressed he got stuck in. Meanwhile, my mission was to update my necklace hanger. Since we'd revamped the drawers and tarted up the top of the dressing table it was looking tired.
When we moved into Stonecroft in 2005 we decorated using the historically accurate colours for a house built in the Georgian era (1760), muted greens, dove greys, pale blues and antique whites but, with so many trees, we don't get a lot of natural light and the result was gloomy and uninspiring. Over the years we've redecorated using colours we love instead of those we're supposed to use. That pale grey scrap of wallpaper was a hangover from when we allowed our heads to rule our hearts.
I removed the frame, scraped off the existing paper (a hand-printed Cole & Son freebie that retailed at over £100 a roll), cut up the remainder of my Indian wrapping paper and pieced it together to form a patchwork background. It took the best part of the morning but it's not like I'm short of time.
It's a lot more me, now!
Just as I was finishing the necklace hanger off with a coat of Modge Podge, Jon called me down for noodles.
After lunch, the rain seemed to have stopped so I braved the garden to check on any signs of new life. The clematis is looking good as are the Welsh poppies, the French lavender and the feral sweet peas, the delphinium looks like it might bloom very soon and Mark's marigolds have already started. Exciting times!
In the veg patch the turnips, purple sprouting broccoli, Sicilian cauliflower & French breakfast radishes enjoyed yesterday's rain.
Here's Stephen posing with the ferns on 4th May and this is them now, a month to the day later. And before you ask, no, we never did try eating them, you crazy people!
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| WEARING: Vintage Afghan nomad dress (vintage fair), Gujarati tribal amulet (India) and Turkomen silver earrings (eBay) |
Tony popped round with some beers and we sat outside with a coffee for an hour. That's three friends in a week, what a treat!
Tea was a cauliflower & broccoli curry served over homemade jacket wedges - it tasted delicious. We're back to living on potatoes again since Jon bought a massive sack from Farmfoods at the weekend. Not that I'm complaining.
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| SOURCE |
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| Exploring the National Trust's Packwood House - December 2016 |
Friday (day 77) was another damp and dreary start, the cats did their business and went straight back to bed, cuddling up on either side of Jon to warm up. After my Wii Fit session, I went online and booked a National Trust visit, they've reopened a few of their properties and have reduced capacity so visits have to be booked in advance. It's been so long since we went anywhere I'll be ridiculously excited when we go on our trip next week.
When Jon got up we had our fruit and yoghurt breakfast and, once dressed, he headed off in search of supplies while I swept the downstairs' rugs and gave the bathroom a quick going over.
This 1970s framed tapestry was hanging on the wall in the spare bedroom but, as I keep the wardrobe door propped open with my shoe rack, she's been hidden away for ages. I decided to move her to the bathroom wall beneath our decoupaged unicorn so I could appreciate the artistry. I'm still amazed that the lady at the car boot sale only wanted £1 for her.
Jon returned, having braved Morrisons' for the first time since lockdown and also the Co-op round the corner. Neither shop had any queues, thankfully. In case you're wondering, the ham is for the cat.
While I was browsing eBay before Jon got up on Monday morning I spotted a vintage Indian block printed maxi dress, which had been listed minutes earlier, for an absurdly low Buy-It-Now price. There were no measurements or mention of the fabric content but the photos were good and it was cheap enough to risk it. The seller messaged me as soon as I'd paid, realising that she'd neglected to give any information and sent me the measurements & fabric details (there was no label but she was 99% sure it was cotton) and very kindly offered to cancel the sale if the size or uncertainty over the fabric was an issue - I thanked her for her generous offer but said I was happy to go ahead. I could always add it to the stockroom rails if it wasn't quite right.
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| WEARING: Vintage block printed Indian cotton maxi (eBay), Banjara tribal necklace (India), Indian coin earrings (charity shop) |
It turned up with this morning's post and I had to put it on immediately, I love it and am delighted I took the risk.
The seller had described it as homemade but as soon as I saw it I suspected it was made by India Imports of Rhode Island (becoming Adini in 1977) as the cut was identical to one I already owned. On closer inspection the finish is identical, even the zip is the same make and where the label is positioned on the blue dress, there's an area of loose stitching on the red one, making me suspect it had been removed at some point.
I'm wearing brown eyeshadow from a Barry M palette, something I don't think I've ever worn before and my eyes look freakishly blue. This was part of a special deal on the Barry M website but there's a few palettes going cheap on eBay.
After our noodles, Jon continued with preparing the walls for decorating.
Whilst I swept the upstairs rugs.
The weather has been crazy today, what with torrential rain, gale-force winds, unseasonably cold temperatures and a hailstorm.
By 3pm it was warm enough to sit outside and finish my book whilst Frank lazed in the sunshine.
After a thorough soaking earlier, Stephen Squirrel's taken to our bed.
With The Alienist finished I had a wander around the garden to see if anything had changed since yesterday.
The Yukka has flowered and the heady aroma is intoxicating to both us and the legions of honeybees flocking to it, the basil is doing well since I put it outside, one of the Delphinium buds has flowered and the Agapanthus flowers are imminent (my favourite, they remind me of Greece!) The nasturtium has gone wild with all the rain. I'm so glad I took Beate's advice and moved it from a pot to the border.
Tea was salad, pickles, cheeses and bread accompanied by a bottle of real ale courtesy of Tony.
And this is the plan for later!
Take care, stay safe and thanks, as always, for your lovely comments,
Vix
xxx
After a brief rehearsal yesterday, we were treated to torrential rain today, and it has become increasingly colder. But there don't seem to be too many casualties in the garden, which could definitely do with a bit of rain. Your garden is looking lusher by the minute, and I know that once those ferns appear there is no stopping them. I love your revamped necklace hanger which is indeed much more you! I'm glad you gave that you moved hat lovely Sara Moon tapestry to somewhere she can once again be admired. And oh, isn't it exciting to be able to look forward to a NT outing! Your new-to-you dress is gorgeous, as are your eyes, which look incredible with that brown eyeshadow. Warm enough to read in the garden? I wish! I had to wear a coat when we went into the garden for outfit photos earlier! xxx
ReplyDeleteWe're sharing weather, it's been relentless here. I feel a bit redundant not having the twice daily gardening watering to do! Every time the rain stops I have to pop outside just to reassure myself that I'm not missing a slug chomping on my veg!
DeleteI can't wait for our NT trip, we're only allowed in the garden but I'll be so excited to see a garden that isn't ours! xxx
D-Day weather. It is often rubbish weather at this time. I'm loving your diary of lockdown, thank you so much.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, Maureen. This time last year I went charity shopping in a sheepskin trimmed jacket, boots and gloves! xxx
DeleteWe've had some pleasant overnight rains, but since Tuesday, nothing to interrupt the perfect days. Good thing as my daughter is braving the cities for another peaceful protest at our Capital Building-which is the peoples house right? I plan to put my house to rights, get the gsrden going, and read and read this weekend.
ReplyDeleteOvernight rain is the best, I love hearing it pitter-pattering on the bedroom window when we're tucked up in bed.
DeleteRespect to your daughter for joining the peaceful protests, I hope the powers that be realise that things have to change.
Hope you got everything done that you wanted to and found time for some reading as well. xxx
Hi Vix, I'm going to take some time to go through this post properly later (got to get supper in a mo) and the previous ones - but just wanted to say that I got both your lovely comments, for which many thanks! I've been a bit busy these past couple of days and have got behind with my blog comments and they were still waiting to be moderated. Thank you so much for your very kind words! Much appreciated! Thank you for your birthday wishes (it was a lovely day, esp. with the pineapple, now all eaten). So glad you like my knitting. The black one is a very old UFO (UnFinished Object) and so far its renovation is going pretty well, and I'm making good progress on the purple circles one too. I've got the real knitting bug at the moment. Typical of me to get a craze to do knitting in the summer when everyone else thinks it's a winter activity!
ReplyDeleteThe kitties have been pretty quiet since all their activity the other day (thank goodness). I know they were just doing what comes naturally, but I really do draw the line at all that gross crunching right under my nose when I'm trying to eat a leisurely breakfast in the sunshine! It's not raining today (was yesterday) but it's been quite windy. The first lot of washing got a good blow through and came in smelling divine. I'm really glad to have my new washing line which my hubby set up for me.
There's a wealth of utterly goooorrrgeous stuff on your post today and I can't wait to get back through it all! Your tastes are so like mine...
Hugs,
Shoshi x
Hello Shoshi! It's so easy to fall behind with the blog comments and the visits. I'm taking advantage of the miserable weather by having an epic catch-up.
DeleteI'm glad your kitties are taking a break from their killing spree, ours had one yesterday, rushing up and down the garden with mice hanging from their mouths. Thankfully I kept the door shut so they couldn't bring their prey inside.
Loved that photo of you in the Folkwear Afghan dress. I have the same pattern and can't bear to cut into it! My friend Liz has offered to lend me moral supporta nd we'll work through it together once lockdown ends and we're allowed inside our friends houses again!
Have a lovely Sunday despite the weather! xxx
Hi there Vix, so glad you've got that pattern too! It's high time you cut into it and made it up. We used to have a fabulous fabric shop where we used to live in Plymouth (long since closed) and I bought the fabric there, and did the embroidery myself. Today I ordered a red maxi dress from Ebay. It should be here in a few days. I was really chuffed today because I tried on a purple top with shisha embroidery that I haven't been able to wear while I was fat, and it fits!!! I wore it with my really baggy black trousers which I made a few years ago. I never throw clothes away (I could easily turn into one of those horrible hoarders lol!) and everyone always used to say to me, "Get rid of it, you'll never lose weight - people never do!" but I did (total 4 1/2 stone over several years) and now loads of things will fit again.
DeleteI managed to put washing out yesterday but it rained so it had to come in again (mostly dry). Very windy day! Today it was too cold to sit outside. I long for the sunny weather to return. The kitties have been sleeping indoors all day again after a brief session in the garden this morning.
The black knitting UFO is coming on nicely and I hope to finish it this week. I have done the monthly accounts and a whole pile of ironing. Lots of cooking to do this week! So I shall be busy.
Shoshi xx
Our weather sure has changed this week also! Comeback sunshine! I love your new dress it is just beautiful. Jon looks like a happy painter, I don't think I ever looked like that when I painted for a living, but now retired and able to work on my own home...I may smile a little once in a while! Ha! No, actually I do like to paint and every room in our home is a different color, when I repaint a room I always change the color again. I can hardly wait to see what ya'll do to your new kitchen. Love how you used the Indian papers, they are beautiful...look like your dresses, colorful and happy! Always a treat to read and see your blog, a new chapter each time, thank you for all the time you spend to make us all cheerful!
ReplyDeleteHello, Chrystal! What a difference a few days without sunshine make, I find it a lot harder to motivate myself when it's grey and wet outside.
DeleteJon's putting on a brave face, believe me there's been a lot of cussing going on in that kitchen!
Lovely to hear from you, stay safe! xxx
Hi Vix, wow all the dresses in todays post are beautiful! Glad the ebay risk paid off! It looks fab. YOu have now reminded me of the ol' trick about the brown eyeshadow to highlight our blue peepers.
ReplyDeleteThe necklace holder turned out brilliant and good for you decorating how you want. I remember years ago I saw your home in Your Home and was really excited to tell my son( I was at the dentist with him) I said there's Vix from blog land he just rolled his eyes lol as he didn't know what I was on about.
More lovely close ups of the ever changing garden, your work is being rewarded. Anyway have a great week end and thanks again for a great post. I intend to get away from the dang computer and back out in the garden this week end xx
Thanks so much! It helped that the seller's photos were really clear so I could tell I was on to a winner. I'd heard of the brown eyeshadow trick but never expected it to work, I've always just gone for the most garish colours I can lay my hands on, I'm a convert!
DeleteHow funny about the Your Home article, I'm still amazed when I get stopped in the street by people who'd seen us in that magazine. I felt like a celeb!
I hope you managed some garden time this weekend, it's been like a monsoon here (minus the heat!)
Much love to you! xxxx
Your new dress is stunning. Great job on taking a chance and getting such a bargain. Yes, your jewellery holder is far more you now. Enjoy your rum!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I was so excited when it turned up, anything new that comes into the house in these last few months has been a real novelty, everything we own has become so familiar! xxx
DeleteWhat a wonderfully colourful post, especially the gorgeous flowers. The dress is a beauty. I watched The Commune the other night, I thought it was a entertaining enough.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Carole!
DeleteI love the clothes and the house in The Commune. It was heartbreaking in places, though. xxx
Hello Vix. You made my heart jump a beat when you mentioned you've booked a visit to a National Trust property. It's one of my favourite things to do - explore historical homes, buildings and gardens. Lovely to see the changes in your own home and garden. Your veges are sprouting up beautifully. Would love to see the kitchen revamp once the new colour comes up on the walls.
ReplyDeleteYour revamped necklace frame looks heaps better in the patchwork print. And the tapestry frame looks great in the bathroom too.
As usual, your dresses are stunning. The vintage Afghan one has such beautiful colours/patterns. Your new cotton maxi is a perfect fit too.
The brown eyeshadow definitely makes your blue eyes pop. Love it! Have a lovely weekend.
Hi Suzy! I'm really excited about next week's adventure. Due to the social distancing thing we can't go into the house but the gardens are open and, having visited eight years ago, I know they were absolutely gorgeous, a mix of ornamental and kitchen garden.
DeleteI'm already planning my outfit! xxx
Back again, Vix! After supper I made a mess of picking up the stitches for the waistband of the black jumper (dropped half of them while counting, duh...) and it took ages to sort it out again but all is back on track again now.
ReplyDeleteYour garden is looking fantastic. We have noticed that the rain a couple of days ago really brought things on too! We have a small garden but it's full of interest. Our ferns on the primrose bank are not like your tropical rain forest variety lol1! (Glad to hear you didn't eat them.)
Your new maxi dress is a dream. I particularly like the zig-zag design around the waist, and the diamonds on the hem, and the colour is gorgeous - it really suits you! Perfect fit, too. I was delighted to see you wearing an Afghan nomad dress! Years ago I bought several patterns from Folkwear and one of them was for an Afghan nomad dress which I made. You can see it here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/12780076@N05/49975606527/in/album-72157657987498235/ Picture taken back in the 1990s. I've got another one I purchased before that - I think it's somewhere in my studio so I must see if I can find it. I can probably fit into it again now!
I absolutely love your necklace organiser! For ages I've been thinking of organising all my jewellery which is in a total MESS in my dressing table. I've got loads and it's hard to find things and half the time I forget what I've actually got. Your house looks fabulous and I love your rugs and decor.
Your kitties look so sweet. I love their names! We've always given ours "proper" names too. We've always had girls. Our current ones (just 3 yrs old) are silver tabby cross, called Lily and Ruby. They were born on the Somerset/Dorset border and we got them in July 2017. I can't believe we've had them that long! They were the most adorable kittens. There are loads of videos of them on my YouTube channel.
Nice new eyeshadow palette! I'm afraid I've been really lazy about makeup since the lockdown began and I haven't bothered! If this goes on much longer I shall forget how to do it...
We are also National Trust members and usually like to visit places on a day out. We've got some really nice ones in our area.
Off to look at your previous posts. I am really enjoying your daily lockdown diary. You both seem to be achieving a nice lot.
Shoshi x
Hello again, Shoshi!
DeleteI'm all mixe d up with my comments and mentioned how fabulous you looked in your Afghan in the earlier comment. I hope you manage to find the other dress you made and that it once again fits you perfectly, that would be exciting.
Apparently there's a similar type of fern that growns in North American that foodies considered a delicacy, I'm pretty sure our British fern isn't edible, even itf it was, I can't say the ideal appeals!
Pets need human names, don't they? They are part of our family.I shall have to investigate your YouTube channel.
Jon made the necklace hanger with chipboard and cup hooks, it's such a brilliant thing as it stops them getting all tangled up! xxx
Sorry - my fault for confusing you by leaving 2 comments!! After reassuring you that I had received your 2, I needed time to read your post through again properly.
DeleteI so agree that pets need human names! I am sure some of them are really embarrassed by the silly names their owners given them...
I haven't got round to looking for that other dress yet. I've had a really busy day today with accounts, ironing, cooking and knitting. I always spend Sunday evenings working on my meal plan for the week so I know what to buy, and when to cook stuff so that I don't have to cook every day. I've never heard of anyone eating ferns! I wouldn't fancy them, but then people do eat stinging nettles, don't they, and dandelions! Our kitties eat grass and I always tell my hubby he should give up mowing because they are great little grazers. They are moulting like crazy at the moment and it probably helps with fur balls. Neither of them will allow us to groom them unfortunately.
Have a great week! I shall keep up to date with your daily diary during the lockdown - so lovely to see the gorgeous place where you live, and all the beautiful things you have done in your house. You are a real inspiration.
Shoshi xx
Brown eyeshadow really suits you, Vix. I noticed your freakishly blue eyes too- I thought you might have brightened/edited the photo.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see how the kitchen turns out! X
Thanks, Jess! I'd got that palette becuse I'd loved the blue and greens, I only tried the brown as an experiment, I'm glad I did! xxx
DeleteMy plants have also benefited from torrential rains. (Much better for them than chemical-laden city water, or so I surmise.) And like yours, my nasturtiums are leaping from their pots. In the past I always planted Mixed Jewels; however, this year I opted for the heirloom scarlet single bloom. Do hope they taste as good as the "jewels": I like that peppery tang in my salads and on a ham sandwich with mayo!
ReplyDeleteThose Mixed Jewels look really pretty! Ours are Empress of India, bought because of the name. I'm dying to see them burst into flower and try them in salads! xxx
DeleteI love Danish cinema and it made me happy to see you watching it! If you can get hold of it I'd really recommend another of Thomas Vinterberg's movies, The Hunt. With your love of Scandi noir and social justice I think you'd like it :)
ReplyDeleteYou made my heart jump a beat when you mentioned you've booked a visit to a National Trust property, it's one of my favourite things to do and I'm glad to see things are starting to open back up over there. I love seeing the changes to your home too, everything always looks so well put together yet still eclectic.
Thanks so much for the recommendation, I'll see if I can find The Hunt. The Guardian mentioned it in thir review of The Commune and said it was wonderful.
DeleteI'm so pleased that the National trust are able to open up again. They can't allow the public into the houses just yet but I'm excited about the gardens, it'll be a real novelty to see one that isn't ours! xxx
what a spectacular find that red dress is - really beautiful, I suspect the seller realised she had undersold and hoped you would back out! you are so good at finding these things, wish I was! I am looking forward to seeing your kitchen makeover. I found some unopened tins of paint in the garage so am mulling over what could be done here. Your garden is so pretty, I love the clematis and the big poppies. Your jewellery holder looks pretty and matches all your patchwork now. Have a great weekend.
ReplyDeleteI did think the same when I got the seller's email, I bought an Anokhi jacket the other day for a stupid Buy-It-Now price and the seller cancelled claiming it was mysteriously got lost! Needless to say I left appropriate feedback!
DeleteThat's exciting finding some paint, I hope you find a worthy use for it. the stuff's like gold dust at the moment!
GHope you've had a great weekend despite the rain! xxx
Hi there, how's it going? I've had another busy week, have to make the most of it as classes will end on 26th June til mid September so I'll have another enforced holiday of 14 weeks!! Mustn't complain, I plan to use this time to do all the things I normally can't - walking in the mountains, getting fitter, reading, family time, maybe look into the possibility of going back to Uni online!) The money I earn now will tide me over ´til then (I hope!)! Your garden just gets more and more spectacular, love the ferns! Did you know that along with mosses they're the oldest plants in the world, apparently they were around 200 million years before dinosaurs arrived!! (All of this according to Sara who has a PhD in botany!) I love your new dress, and it's true what you say about the brown eyeshadow, really highlights the natural colour of your eyes! Bet you're really excited about your Natural Trust visit, it will be lovely, I'm sure. Two films you may enjoy, "Woman at War" (an Icelandic-Ukranian comedy drama about a woman trying to save planet) and "The Divine Order" (Swiss comedy-drama about how women won the right to vote in ... wait for it ....1971!!!!) I've put Shantaram on hold til end of June as I was only reading a couple of pages a night. Prefer to start again in July and really enjoy the experience. Have a wonderful weekend, looks like you have a great plan. Sending you lots of love from us in Barcelona! xxx
ReplyDeleteHello, Diana!
DeleteAll good here (excepting the weather). Lovely to hear from you and delighted that you've got a break within touching distance. Your plans on how to sopend it sound very exciting, especially the walking in the mountains bit!
I love the prehistoric look of ferns and seem to remember the biology teacher at school trying to explain how they and moss were ancient life forms, no wonder they thrive in our garden and that neither of us has managed to kill them off!
I've made a note of both Woman At war and The Divine Order, they sound right up my street. I'll get Jon on the case. Godd idea to postpone Shantarram until you can fully immerse yourslef in it.
Sending you lots of love from rainy Walsall! xxx
I have been reading since you began your Lockdown Diaries, and adore all the photos and how much you have got done all within the restrictions yet still had a full life. I am convinced you could get a book out of them, its certainly something " of the time " that I think a lot of people would LOVE to read. Could you start beating the bushes to see if theres any interest ?
ReplyDeleteP.S. I can never find any LARGE sized Indian cotton dresses on Ebay. ( size 18 ) Where am I going wrong ? I used to get a lot of ANOKHI dresses from EAST but it looks like they have closed down. Any chance of you selling remade " enlarged " frocks through Kinky Melon ?
All the best Deborah
Hello Deborah! Lovely to hear from you and thank you for reading my lockdown diaries and leaving a comment.
DeleteEast have reopened, they were bought out by a cooperative of loyal customers last year and their website is up and running again. There's some gorgeous stuff on there! There's one or two lovely XL Anokhi pieces on ebay at the moment. Do you know Ian Snow? They're a fair trade website that sell incredible Indian homewares and furniture. They've just launched a range of block printed dresses and tunics and go up to a UK 18 - They're absolutely gorgeous! Happy hunting! xxx
PS I usually bring back a pile of handmade block printed wraparound skirts from India to sell at festivals as they fit a variety of sizes.
Hi vix, I am glad you did the same biting thing as a child, I thought I had given birth to a beaver!!! Willow is a lovely child though. I remember biting into a gold ring when I was a child as I thought it was plastic. Let’s just say my mum wasn’t impressed. It has been raining tons here, when I went out to check on the pond as it tends to flood, I was amazed how much the plants had grown. Your garden is growing well.
ReplyDeleteDon’t talk to me about barry M! The order never arrived to my mums so she is now fighting to get a refund, I feel terrible as I only asked her to do me a favour. What’s made it worse when I checked the calendar they were due to visit at the end of the month . I just burst into tears. I don’t even know when I will see them now.
The dress looks fab, I am like that, I often risk it, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t, I just sell it on if it doesn’t.
I wish your government will make its bloody mind up !!!! Take care and keep safe
Hi Alison! Willow is such a lovely name and yes, I ruined loads of my Mum's bangles and necklaces not to mention anything else I could lay my hands on with my obsessive chewing and I turned out fairly normal, didn't I?!
DeleteI'm sorry to hear about the Barry M delivery going awol. Have you emailed them? They're good at replying and often offer all kinds of discounts to avoid dispointments.
I'm so sorry that you won't be seeing your Mum & Dad this month, I think you crying and being sad is completely justified. It's so frustrating as nobody knows where they stand with regards to travel or making plans, the government are no help whatsoever and never give a stright answer. I'm resigned to the fact that we won't be going to Greece in September and that India next year isn't looking hopeful. It's not like I can go to the pub and drown my sorrows either. Bloody virus!
Sending you love and hugs. xxx
I'm loving your diaries Vix - apart from the daily splash of colour you bring, you are giving so much inspiration and encouragement. I'm only now, after what, 11? weeks, starting to look around me and taking time to play - even got the sewing machine out of mothballs after watching The Sewing Bee - the whole time has been the most wonderful rest while learning to move most of my work online. The garden has had lots of work - we're usually away at this time of the year so don't get to see the new bird life evoloving or get to do any of the necessary pruning at the right time - so this year has been a reward both for it and us. And I"m even getting some of my clothes sorted into things I love to wear, rather than just something that fits me - there's your inspiration at work :) Best wishes, Fil
ReplyDeleteLovely to hear from you, Fil!
DeleteIt may have taken you a while but you're playing and enjoying your surroundings now and that's the main thing. I expect that you, like us, aren't used to being at home during the summer months so it's a strange new world and does take a while to adjust and to truly appreciate all that we fail to notice in normal times - the change of the seasons & the nature that surrounds us.
How exciting about the sewing machine, I love TGBSB, 1980s week was such fun.
I'm thrilled that you've been inspired to wera clothes you love, it makes such a difference to know that we look good! Much love to you. xxx
wish me luck, I'm going to try and put a shelf up in my bathroom. Yeah, to power tools.
ReplyDeleteBe safe! Got to love a power tool and a new shelf! xxx
DeleteThe Afgan nomad dress is wonderful. I like the red and blue colour combo and the print is lovely. The silver earnings and the tribal necklace are the perfect accessory for it. That Danish film sounds interesting, maybe I should look it up. I like European films and I don't think I've seen a Danish one yet. Your garden always looks lovely, look at those red poppies. You look gorgeous in that vintage blockprint maxi dress. You were right to take a risk, the dress looks as it was made for you. It pays to have good shopping instincts. I also like the silver statement necklace your wore with it and the rings are fantastic as well. Your eyes do look very striking blue in that shot, they made me think of the Dune TV series and the spice blue eyes. That dress does suit you. The purple dress also looks beautiful. I'm sure you'll enjoy your visit to National trust again. I love to revisit old favourites. This whole quarantine thing really made me appreciate the freedom to go somewhere. I don't have much time at the moment but the summer is near....let's hope that summer will bring some good news.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ivana! I do love these Afghan nomad dresses, there's so many little details - the back even has an embroidered panel so it can be worn backwards, two dresses for the price of one!
DeleteYou're right about appreciating the freedom to go somewhere after months in lockdown. I don't think we'll be going crazy, I'm still happy to stay at home and safe but it'll be a real treat to escape the confines of home for a few hours. I just hope it stops raining! xxx
Yes, it is best to be cautious.
DeleteThere is soooo many things I would like to say about your blogs..but I would be here forever,lol.I love all that you do,just my sort of life! Take care and love to you,Jon and all your lovely pets.xxx
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your lovely comment, Debi! Your words always make me smile! xxx
DeleteRevamping anything can usual change one mood in a positive way. I have picinic basket that I keep most of my Jewery in.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, you get such a sense of achievement especially when you already have all the bits you need and don't need to buy anything. x
DeleteWe're sharing weather, thunderstorms, torrential rain and even some hail!. Totally springy weather anyway!
ReplyDeleteI'm loving that you use this Indian wrapping paper on your necklaces hanger too, now you have a complete set of fabulously colorful accessories around your dressing table!. Love it!
And love to see all the flowers and the veggies growing and everything looking so lush!. You look particularly gorgeous in your Afghan dress posing in the garden!.
And these new-to-you dress looks really fabulous, such a lovely color, and you rock it with fab accessories and style!. Totally agree that eyeshadow can make our eyes look really different, this shade enhances yours fabulously!
besos
Isn't it funny that we're having the same weather? It's like we've gone back a few months with all this hail and rain. I'll appreciate the sunshine all the more when we get it back! xxxx
DeleteOur weather seems to have settled into a pattern of 2 - 3 sunny days, rain, 2 - 3 sunny days, rain. It was hot last week but is now a much more comfortable 20 - 24 degrees. Your ebay find is lovely, and how delightful that it similar in style to one you already have and love. I'm enjoying following your DIY decorating adventures while in Lockdown.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Shelley! How strange to be having weather in cycles like that, I'm hioping ours warms up again soon but June is often wet and cold. xxx
DeleteI’m on catch up again and love to put time aside to read through your posts properly Vix.
ReplyDeleteI’m thinking of seeing if anyone has a wiifit they no longer use. I fancy a go at it. I’m still doing my Pilates and walking but there’s room for improvement.
Thanks for telling Allie Jane about my blog Vix, she popped by yesterday.
Debi has started following me as well. I’ve just been telling her I’m getting a bit slovenly and plan to lay out my wardrobe for the week instead of just putting on the nearest thing to hand. I’ve been wearing my old dog walking clothes when I go over the moors. It makes me invisible if you know what I mean and I’m quite liking it.
I don’t do it when I’m going out out. I’ve still got some standards, even if my hair is like worzel gummidge still haha.
There’s an update on that though. Angela is coming to cut both our unruly mops on Thursday. We have to keep windows open, wear masks and no hugging or making her a brew. I’m a bit nervous about it and may even duck out before then
Lynn xxx
Blogs have become a bit of a lifeline, haven't they? Whenever I've got a minute I keep checking if anyone I follow has updated.
DeleteDebi is lovely as is Alison. They tell me that they've read my blog for years, it's so lovely to hear from them, it's like chatting with friends.
I bet the anonimity on your walks is quite refreshing once in a while. I'm hopeless at planning my outfits in advance though, the weather is so unpredicable and sometimes i wake up with a need to wear a certain something and nothing else will do.
I'm sure you'll be absolutely fine with Angela although I understand your hestitation. Our friend Tony's just had a call from his boss telling him that he's got to go back to work tomorrow. How he's supposed to sell expensive furniture at a distance and not allow customers to touch anything or test out a bed is beyond us! xxx
Many months ago I left a comment on Ephemera blog that my style goals were Sheila for my teaching career and Vix for my retirement, when I could where whatever I wanted. Well I find myself teaching from home. And since Q-tine I now own 3 pairs of Fluevogs thanks to Sheila's influence, and 6 Anokhi shirts/tunics thanks to yours! WIN! But those gorgeous Afghan dresses...new goals! I have followed you both for many years and I thought every once in awhile I should pop in and thank you for your work and sharing your style and life.
ReplyDeleteHello czaitz! Your lovely comment has absolutely made my day. Who'd have thought that these strange times would have you attaining a goal you'd set yourself for a few years time namely wearing whatever you wanted.I love Sheila's Fluevogs and, as you already know, I'm absolutely besotted with Anokhi, just opening the wardrobe and looking at my collection brings a smile to my face. Fingers crossed that an Afghan dress finds its way to you very soon!
DeleteMuch love to you. xxx