Hello! I hope 2026 has got off to a good start. Thanks so much for your New Year wishes especially those of you who dared to step out of the shadows and bravely left a comment, it's lovely to meet you!
Without further ado, here's a roundup of what I've been wearing this week...
On Tuesday I met up with a lady who had some vintage clothing for sale, coming back with a sackful of pretty decent stuff. I wore my vintage Kate Beaver velvet dress with the maxi length waistcoat I'd made from a pair of vintage 1970s Morris & Co Golden Lily curtains bought from a charity shop last year.
After watching Nuremberg the night before (if Russell Crowe doesn't win an Oscar for his portrayal of Hermann Göring there really is no justice in the world!) we decided that the evenings viewing needed to be a bit more light-hearted and settled on British, low-budget murder mystery, Medusa Deluxe, about a death at a hairdressing competition followed by The War Game, a BBC mockumentary about the threat of nuclear war, made in 1964 but considered so shocking that it wasn't screened until the 1980s (seriously disturbing, not one for the feint-hearted!)
On Tuesday (New Year's Eve) I gave this gloriously voluminous secondhand Naked Generation maxi dress an outing to another National Trust property (post coming up very soon!) It was a bitterly cold but beautifully sunny morning, one of those blissful days where you feel glad to be alive.
New Year's Eve isn't our thing. We stayed in and watched the deliciously gothic horror, The Cold Blue Eye and were in bed before midnight. We usually pop down to the pub on New Year's Day but instead spent the day pottering about, dropping off parcels, tackling some mending, tidying up and cracking on with my fiendishly difficult Cold War Steve jigsaw puzzle.
I had stuffed this trippy 1970s Courtelle maxi into my festival suitcase ready for the Summer but decided it needed to be worn more often.
The evening film was one from a favourite genre of mine, the neo-Western, Hold The Dark, with the fantastic Jeffrey Wright.
We awoke to snow this morning. It was rather precarious walking down to the baths at 7am but the weather did us a favour. Normally, at the start of January, the pool is full of people who've made fitness resolutions (and generally disappear after a couple of weeks) but the snow must have put them off and it was blissfully quiet. After a 'Spoons breakfast we had a look around the chazzas and I was delighted to find these stompy boots with the original manufacturer's tags still attached for £2.99.
I wore the Naked Generation velvet dress my friend Annie kindly alerted me to when she spotted it on Vinted for £12 along with a vintage Kashmiri waistcoat which used to belong to my friend Cheryl.
2025 was a great year for reading with me getting through a total of 103 books. I finished every book I started, there was nothing bad enough to abandon a few chapters in. I've highlighted my favourites.
Reading List 2025
1. The 19th Wife - David Ebershoff 2. Manson: The Life & Times of Charles Manson - Jeff Guinn 3. Trust - Herman Diaz 4. The Trial - Rob Rinder 5. Milk Treading - Nick Smith 6. Snow Country - Sebastian Faulks 7. Dark Star: The Oral Biography of Jerry Garcia - Robert Greenfield 8. Look Who's Back - Timur Vermes 9. Girl, Woman, Other - Bernadine Evaristo 10. After You'd Gone - Maggie O'Farrell 11. Noddy Holder: Who's Crazee Now? My Autobiography 12. The Various Flavours of Coffee - Anthony Capella 13. What Was Lost - Catherine O'Flynn 14. The Familiars - Stacey Halls 15. Bound For Glory - Woody Guthrie 16. The Colossus of Maroussi - Henry Miller 17. When I Come Home Again - Caroline Scott 18. Medea - Rosie Hewlett 19. Americanah - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 20. My Father's House - Joseph O'Connor 21. American Spy - Lauren Wilkinson 22. The Apparition Phase - Will Maclean 23. Old Filth - Jane Gardam 24. The Winter Soldier - Daniel Mason 25. The Long Song - Andrea Levy 26. The Reluctant Fundamentalist - Mohsin Hamid 27. The Paris Library - Janet Skeslien Charles 28. The Swimmer - Joakim Zander 29. My Brilliant Friend - Elena Ferrante 30. The Story of a New Name - Elena Ferrante 31. Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay - Elena Ferrante 32. The Story of the Lost Child - Elena Ferrante 33. The Island of Sea Women - Lisa See 34. Kala - Colin Walsh 35. The Apple - Michael Faber 36. This Strange Eventful History - Claire Messud 37. The Seventh Son - Sebastian Faulks 38. The Tattooist of Auschwitz - Heather Morris 39. The Map of Love - Ahdaf Soueif 40. The Outlander - Gil Adamson 41. Flight Behaviour - Barbara Kingsolver 42. Helen of Troy - Margaret George 43. The Places In Between - Rory Stewart 44. The Bandit Queens - Parini Shroff 45. Ritual in Death/Missing in Death - JD Robb 46. The Night Ship - Jess Kidd 47. At the Edge of the Orchard - Tracy Chevalier 48. The Dovekeepers - Alice Hoffman 49. Big Jack - JD Robb 50. The Painter - Will Davenport 51. Francis Bacon in Your Blood - Michael Peppiatt 52. Death in Innocence - JD Robb 53. Ruby's Spoon - Anna Lawrence Pietroni 54. Burial Rites - Hannah Kent 55. The Sicilian Carousel - Lawrence Durrell 56. The Schoolhouse - Sophie Ward 57. The Last - Hanna Jameson 58. Cocaine Nights - JG Ballard 59. Black Dogs - Ian McEwan 60. Farewell Dinner for a Spy - Edward Wilson 61. Brotherless Night - V.V. Ganeshananathan 62. The Dance Tree - Kiran Millwood Hargrave 63. Needless Alley - Natalie Marlow 64. Politics on the Edge - Rory Stewart 65. Loyalty in Death - JD Robb 66. How To Kill Your Family - Bella Mackie 67. The Dark Circle - Linda Grant 68 The Drowned City - KJ Maitland 69. The Rapture - Claire McGlasson 70. Scarlet Town - Leonora Nattrass 71. Slaughterhouse 5 - Kurt Vonnegut 72. Underground Railroad - Colston Whitehead 73. The Fraud - Zadie Smith 74. The New Wife - JP Delaney 75. This Is How It Begins - Joan Dempsey 76. The Island of Missing Trees - Elif Shafak 77. The Dutch House - Ann Patchett 78. Evil Eye - Etaf Rum 79. The King's Mother - Anne Garthwaite 80. The Painter's Daughters - Emily Howes 81. Witchbourne - Rachel Grosvenor 82. Mrs Burke & Mrs Hare - Michelle Sloan 83. My Friends - Hisham Matar 84. The Shadow King - Maaza Mengiste 85. Asylum Road - Olivia Sudjic 86. The Quickening - Rhiannon Ward 87. What Lies Between Us - John Marrs 89. Mistress of the Art of Death - Ariana Franklin 90. Sanatorium - Sarah Pearse 91. The Twins of Auschwitz - Eva Mozes Kor 92. All For Nothing - Walter Kempowski 93. The Truth About Melody Browne - Lisa Jewell 94. Candlemoth - Roger Jon Ellory 95. Dear Fiona - Fiona Fullerton 96. Peel Me a Lotus - Charmian Clift 97. The Watchmaker of Dachau - Carly Schabowski 98. The Narrow Road to the Deep North - Richard Flanagan 99. The Two Roberts - Damian Barr 100. Damascus Station - David McCloskey 101. Prophet Song - Paul Lynch 102. The Confessions of Frannie Langton - Sara Collins 103. Femina - Janina Ramirez
If I had to chose a book of the year I think it would be the 2019 Booker Prize winner Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo - it was an absolute delight.
Must dash, Jon and I are off for New Year drinks and nibbles with friends and my hair needs washing. See you soon!
That jigsaw looked fiendishly difficult, I've given up doing jigsaws as a certain cat takes delight in distributing the pieces everywhere. I dropped a bag of stuff, clothes, books, sheets off to the charity shop along with a Lloyd Loom type chair, unfortunately just too big for where it needed to be and nowhere else to put it. Very cold here in Derbyshire and the paths and roads were like skating rinks. Xx
Hello Gill! I've moved the jigsaw to the utility room work surface as William kept rolling across the puzzle mat and destroying my efforts! I've just got the sky left to do now, the hardest bit! What a shame you had to donate your LL chair, I bet someone will be very happy with it! We've got a sack of domations to drop off - well, I did until Jon started rummaging in it and reclaiming things! It was -6°C on our walk down to the baths this morning but worth it to have the place almost to ourselves! xxx
Very nice naked generation dress snd i love your green festival dress too. It's freezing here so we are indoors in our jammies watching red eye and looking at holidays in Greece having revisited the advice you anf Jon sent me last year. It's probably going to be Corfu!
Thanks, Betty! Your day sounds perfect - holiuday planning and lounging around watching TV. I'd forgotten about Red Eye. I might give that a go after we've watched Frauds! I'm so excited that you're thinking of Corfu. We're looking for somewhere European and warmish to celebrate Tony's 60th in February! xxx
Lovely post, dear Vix, not only because of some fabulous outfits (I do love that maxi vest and your green outfit, and that last velvet beauty from Vinted!. Gorgeous!) but also because of your book list (thanks for that, I'll have a look at some of them!). So interesting to read about the films you've been watching too!. besos
Thanks, Monica! We try and watch a film every day at this time of year, it beats watching Xmas specials and celebrity nonsense! I love wearing that velvet dress, voluminous and warm - like a cosy blanket in dress form! xxx
Happy New Year! Love the trippy maxi dress. The colors are gorgeous! You beat my reading total by 3 books. I just went to my local library today and got out four.
Hello Carol! 100 books isn't too shabby! I bet you'll have those four books finished in no time. I bought Jon the John le Carré book I'm currently reading for his birthday - but with me in mind. It's the only one of his I've never read! (I'm all heart!) xxx
Happy New Year to you both. I'm in awe of how many books you read in 2025. I'm ashamed to say I have a signed copy of Femina which was languishing under the bed and got rediscovered when we moved house. It's firmly back on the to be read pile!
Same to you, Gisela! You've had enough to deal with this year what with house moves and working full time to read. Once you start Femina you'll finish it in days, its absolutely fascinating! xxx
Love you in the green outfit it really suits you. Your book list is extensive. I agree about Girl, Woman, Other and I also love any Barbara Kingsolver book. The Rory Stewart books were very good too. My husband read them and said he thought I would like them and much to my amazement I did. Snow here yesterday but such beautiful blue sky and air like breathing champagne, I could put up with this. Regards Sue H
Hello, Sue! It sounds like we've got similar reading tastes what with Girl, Woman, Other and Barbara Kingsolver. I find Rory Stewart fascinating. Did you hear that Brad Pitt loved The Places In Between so much that he's bought the film rights? "Air like breathing Champagne"...I love that! It has been so beautiful lately. Walking to the pub in sub-zero temperatures last night was made a lot more bearable by that incredible Wolf Moon, too! xxx
Happy New Year, Vix. Thank you for sharing such velvet gorgeousness, you can't beat vintage cotton velvet for keeping out the chill in these dark days and with beautuful embroidery too! Some William Morris just adds to the fun and a riot of colour, pattern and texture. It boggles me how women can go about in beige joggers and a matching sweatshirt. Where's the fun in that? It must be like wearing a very dreary school uniform. I know of late I am getting a lot of wear out of my ' new' Précis red wool coat with inverted back pleat and black buttons that the charity shop lady had already fancied but was kind enough to say that it was just my kind of thing too. I've been wearing a recycled cashmere hat made by a local crafter and a lovely hand embroidered second hand scarf to keep out the cold. Much more fun . Keep flying the flag ,Vix for colourful and thoughtful dressing. Ban the beige!
Happy New Year, Alysia! You're right, velvet so cosy and, not being a fan of knitwear, it's my go-to fabric of choice on these icy days. Don't get me started on the jogging outfits. It's the beige ones I find particularly appaling, I often glance at women and think they're walking around naked!!! I can just visualise that lovely red Precis coat of yours. How generous of the charity shp lady to resist temptation and put it on the shop flor. I bet she was thrilled when she saw that it was going to a stylish and deserving woman! Your hat and scarf sound classy and fabulous! I was glad of a pair of maroon cable knit mittens some lovely lady had made especially to donate the the BHF last year, my hands were lovely and warm on our walk down to the swimming pool this morning! xxx
Green is definitely your colour, it lights you up and you look amazing in it - more green needed!! Just love every one of your posts, please keep on doing what you do so very well and thank you for colouring my days. Jan in Castle Gresley
Forgot about that dress! It was made for you. Impressive reading list and more impressive going swimming at that ungodly hour!! Up here on New Year's Day, we have what is delightfully known as the 'Loony Dook' (loony as in off your rocker and dook as in plunge underwater!). Thousands partake all over Scotland (we have a lot of nutters up here!). It's quite a spectacle. Alan Carr and Amanda Holden have a new fixer upper prog doing up a house in Corfu. Looks beautiful there.Happy New Year to both. (Which channel is Nuremberg on please?).xx
Funnily enough, they were talking about the Loony Dook on BBC Breakfast yesterday morning. I'm okay with cold water swimming but I'm not sure I'd be that dedicated!! Alan and Amanda were filming that series when we were in Corfu last year, I've got a horrible feeling they've bought the house in Lakones that Jon and I wanted! Nuremberg's on Netflix. Very excited about Keith and the Throwdown later! xxx
Just as well you didn't buy that house! What a state and a sewage pipe in the strangest of places! Even Alan was nearly walking away!Looking forward to pottery prog. It's so calming!xxx
Hello, Louise! I've always been a voracious reader. As a child, if I'd run out of library books I'd sit and read the telephone directory! Check out Cold War Steve on Facebook, he's an amazing Brummie artist with bang-on political views. xxx
Happy New Year to you both. Gosh you did well with your reading, what a good mix of books too. I'm currently binge watching 'Lewis', I don;t know why I've never watched it before but I'm really into it. Anything that lets me sit in my chair nice and cosy and drink copious mugs of coffee, while consuming any of the Christmas food that might go off.
Is that Benny from Crossroads peeping out from behind the building on your jigsaw?
Thanks, Sue! Last year seemed to be a really good year for finding Booker Prize winning (or runners-up) in the charity shops. I'm on the same wavelength as the judges, I think, as I'm never disappointed with them. I remember really enjoying Lewis back in the day, seeing how unhinged & vile Lawrence Fox has become in recent years, I'm not sure I'd be able to rewatch it for fear of throwing sonething at the telly! That is Benny from Crossroads. Cold War Steve is a Brummie. The artwork is called Benny's Babbies - Nikki and I stand in front of it in awe every time we visit Birmingham Art Gallery! xxx
I want to read more but just aiming for 25 books. I watch too much on screens so want to swap with getting on more walks and explores. I haven't found a good swimming option yet.
Hello Sam! 25 books sounds like a manageable option. It's too eay to get sucked into staring at a screen, I can understand how these kids get so addicted to them. Keep searching the swimming options, it doesn't feel like exercise, more like meditation! xxx
Happy New Year, Vix! I am what I call a chain reader, somewhat like a chain smoker but much less hazardous to the health. However, even I didn't read as many books as you in 2025. You have probably written about your reading habits in the past, but I would love a new post about how you manage to get so much book reading done as well as blogging, chazza shopping, traveling, swimming, and the list goes on! I'm sure a large part of your getting so much done, including reading, is the list of things that you don't do! That would be a fun list to read as well. Thanks, Vix!
Happy New Year, Tess! I hope the New Year finds you well. I love the term, Chain Reader! That's an interesting idea for a post, I'll try and put some thought into it! xxx
Late wishing you a Happy New Year....I hope 2026 blesses you with many, many more vintage treasures for your personal use and for you to make available to others who have the same appreciation of those valued items as you do. Also, I have to say that I usually have a favorite of some of the various dresses you wear and model, however, this time I love each and every one of these and the accessories. I wish I had 1 of each for myself. (Beware, I am not tiny like you.) Ranee
My Books Read this year was pathetic, as Substack has stolen my time - only 24! But to be fair, one of them was a massive hardcover that derailed me for months! Love the stompy boots! No need to respond. XOS.
Funny you mention Kashmiri. I bought a Kasmiri shawl the other day and would love to know more about it. I'm not sure if that is the name of the material or something else... X
You were very well dressed!!! I love the Baked Generation velvet! The book list is great! You exceeded my yearly total by 2! I'm intrigued by lots of them! That funky, green dress absolutely should not just be saved for festivals!!!
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That jigsaw looked fiendishly difficult, I've given up doing jigsaws as a certain cat takes delight in distributing the pieces everywhere. I dropped a bag of stuff, clothes, books, sheets off to the charity shop along with a Lloyd Loom type chair, unfortunately just too big for where it needed to be and nowhere else to put it. Very cold here in Derbyshire and the paths and roads were like skating rinks. Xx
ReplyDeleteHello Gill! I've moved the jigsaw to the utility room work surface as William kept rolling across the puzzle mat and destroying my efforts! I've just got the sky left to do now, the hardest bit!
DeleteWhat a shame you had to donate your LL chair, I bet someone will be very happy with it! We've got a sack of domations to drop off - well, I did until Jon started rummaging in it and reclaiming things!
It was -6°C on our walk down to the baths this morning but worth it to have the place almost to ourselves! xxx
Very nice naked generation dress snd i love your green festival dress too. It's freezing here so we are indoors in our jammies watching red eye and looking at holidays in Greece having revisited the advice you anf Jon sent me last year. It's probably going to be Corfu!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Betty! Your day sounds perfect - holiuday planning and lounging around watching TV.
DeleteI'd forgotten about Red Eye. I might give that a go after we've watched Frauds!
I'm so excited that you're thinking of Corfu. We're looking for somewhere European and warmish to celebrate Tony's 60th in February! xxx
ReplyDeleteThe green outfit is absolutely fantastic. The pattern of the fabric, the colors—it suits you so well.
Happy new Year!
Thanks so much, Andrea! it seemed a shame to save it for festivals! xxx
Deletethank you so much for your book list. I will definitely investigate your favoured ones.
ReplyDeleteLet me know what you think if you track any of them down! xxx
DeleteHappy New Year to you
ReplyDeleteSiobhan x
Sending you my best wishes for a happy 2026, Siobhan. xxx
DeleteLovely post, dear Vix, not only because of some fabulous outfits (I do love that maxi vest and your green outfit, and that last velvet beauty from Vinted!. Gorgeous!) but also because of your book list (thanks for that, I'll have a look at some of them!). So interesting to read about the films you've been watching too!.
ReplyDeletebesos
Thanks, Monica! We try and watch a film every day at this time of year, it beats watching Xmas specials and celebrity nonsense!
DeleteI love wearing that velvet dress, voluminous and warm - like a cosy blanket in dress form! xxx
Happy New Year! Love the trippy maxi dress. The colors are gorgeous! You beat my reading total by 3 books. I just went to my local library today and got out four.
ReplyDeleteCarol
Hello Carol! 100 books isn't too shabby! I bet you'll have those four books finished in no time. I bought Jon the John le Carré book I'm currently reading for his birthday - but with me in mind. It's the only one of his I've never read! (I'm all heart!) xxx
DeleteHappy New Year to you both. I'm in awe of how many books you read in 2025. I'm ashamed to say I have a signed copy of Femina which was languishing under the bed and got rediscovered when we moved house. It's firmly back on the to be read pile!
ReplyDeleteSame to you, Gisela! You've had enough to deal with this year what with house moves and working full time to read. Once you start Femina you'll finish it in days, its absolutely fascinating! xxx
DeleteLove you in the green outfit it really suits you. Your book list is extensive. I agree about Girl, Woman, Other and I also love any Barbara Kingsolver book. The Rory Stewart books were very good too. My husband read them and said he thought I would like them and much to my amazement I did. Snow here yesterday but such beautiful blue sky and air like breathing champagne, I could put up with this. Regards Sue H
ReplyDeleteHello, Sue! It sounds like we've got similar reading tastes what with Girl, Woman, Other and Barbara Kingsolver. I find Rory Stewart fascinating. Did you hear that Brad Pitt loved The Places In Between so much that he's bought the film rights?
Delete"Air like breathing Champagne"...I love that! It has been so beautiful lately. Walking to the pub in sub-zero temperatures last night was made a lot more bearable by that incredible Wolf Moon, too! xxx
Happy New Year, Vix. Thank you for sharing such velvet gorgeousness, you can't beat vintage cotton velvet for keeping out the chill in these dark days and with beautuful embroidery too! Some William Morris just adds to the fun and a riot of colour, pattern and texture. It boggles me how women can go about in beige joggers and a matching sweatshirt. Where's the fun in that? It must be like wearing a very dreary school uniform. I know of late I am getting a lot of wear out of my ' new' Précis red wool coat with inverted back pleat and black buttons that the charity shop lady had already fancied but was kind enough to say that it was just my kind of thing too. I've been wearing a recycled cashmere hat made by a local crafter and a lovely hand embroidered second hand scarf to keep out the cold. Much more fun . Keep flying the flag ,Vix for colourful and thoughtful dressing. Ban the beige!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Alysia! You're right, velvet so cosy and, not being a fan of knitwear, it's my go-to fabric of choice on these icy days.
DeleteDon't get me started on the jogging outfits. It's the beige ones I find particularly appaling, I often glance at women and think they're walking around naked!!!
I can just visualise that lovely red Precis coat of yours. How generous of the charity shp lady to resist temptation and put it on the shop flor. I bet she was thrilled when she saw that it was going to a stylish and deserving woman!
Your hat and scarf sound classy and fabulous! I was glad of a pair of maroon cable knit mittens some lovely lady had made especially to donate the the BHF last year, my hands were lovely and warm on our walk down to the swimming pool this morning! xxx
Green is definitely your colour, it lights you up and you look amazing in it - more green needed!! Just love every one of your posts, please keep on doing what you do so very well and thank you for colouring my days. Jan in Castle Gresley
ReplyDeleteHello, Jan! How lovely to hear from you. That's such a lovely comment, thank you very much! xxx
DeleteForgot about that dress! It was made for you. Impressive reading list and more impressive going swimming at that ungodly hour!! Up here on New Year's Day, we have what is delightfully known as the 'Loony Dook' (loony as in off your rocker and dook as in plunge underwater!). Thousands partake all over Scotland (we have a lot of nutters up here!). It's quite a spectacle.
ReplyDeleteAlan Carr and Amanda Holden have a new fixer upper prog doing up a house in Corfu. Looks beautiful there.Happy New Year to both. (Which channel is Nuremberg on please?).xx
Forgot to add that the 'dook' is carried out in the sub zero temps of the North Sea!
DeleteFunnily enough, they were talking about the Loony Dook on BBC Breakfast yesterday morning. I'm okay with cold water swimming but I'm not sure I'd be that dedicated!!
DeleteAlan and Amanda were filming that series when we were in Corfu last year, I've got a horrible feeling they've bought the house in Lakones that Jon and I wanted!
Nuremberg's on Netflix.
Very excited about Keith and the Throwdown later! xxx
Just as well you didn't buy that house! What a state and a sewage pipe in the strangest of places! Even Alan was nearly walking away!Looking forward to pottery prog. It's so calming!xxx
DeleteWow, 103 books! That’s amazing. That jigsaw looks fabulous, is it Brum? I love all of your outfits as always xxx
ReplyDeleteThat was me btw xxx
DeleteHello, Louise! I've always been a voracious reader. As a child, if I'd run out of library books I'd sit and read the telephone directory!
DeleteCheck out Cold War Steve on Facebook, he's an amazing Brummie artist with bang-on political views. xxx
I like the zingy green shades.on your dress. Perfect to brighten a dull winter's.day.
ReplyDeleteThansk you! Yes, a dull day calls for a serious injection of colour! xxx
DeleteHappy New Year to you both. Gosh you did well with your reading, what a good mix of books too. I'm currently binge watching 'Lewis', I don;t know why I've never watched it before but I'm really into it. Anything that lets me sit in my chair nice and cosy and drink copious mugs of coffee, while consuming any of the Christmas food that might go off.
ReplyDeleteIs that Benny from Crossroads peeping out from behind the building on your jigsaw?
Thanks, Sue! Last year seemed to be a really good year for finding Booker Prize winning (or runners-up) in the charity shops. I'm on the same wavelength as the judges, I think, as I'm never disappointed with them.
DeleteI remember really enjoying Lewis back in the day, seeing how unhinged & vile Lawrence Fox has become in recent years, I'm not sure I'd be able to rewatch it for fear of throwing sonething at the telly!
That is Benny from Crossroads. Cold War Steve is a Brummie. The artwork is called Benny's Babbies - Nikki and I stand in front of it in awe every time we visit Birmingham Art Gallery! xxx
I want to read more but just aiming for 25 books. I watch too much on screens so want to swap with getting on more walks and explores. I haven't found a good swimming option yet.
ReplyDeleteHello Sam! 25 books sounds like a manageable option. It's too eay to get sucked into staring at a screen, I can understand how these kids get so addicted to them. Keep searching the swimming options, it doesn't feel like exercise, more like meditation! xxx
DeleteHappy New Year, Vix! I am what I call a chain reader, somewhat like a chain smoker but much less hazardous to the health. However, even I didn't read as many books as you in 2025. You have probably written about your reading habits in the past, but I would love a new post about how you manage to get so much book reading done as well as blogging, chazza shopping, traveling, swimming, and the list goes on! I'm sure a large part of your getting so much done, including reading, is the list of things that you don't do! That would be a fun list to read as well. Thanks, Vix!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year, Tess! I hope the New Year finds you well. I love the term, Chain Reader! That's an interesting idea for a post, I'll try and put some thought into it! xxx
DeleteThanks, Vix!
DeleteLate wishing you a Happy New Year....I hope 2026 blesses you with many, many more vintage treasures for your personal use and for you to make available to others who have the same appreciation of those valued items as you do.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I have to say that I usually have a favorite of some of the various dresses you wear and model, however, this time I love each and every one of these and the accessories. I wish I had 1 of each for myself. (Beware, I am not tiny like you.) Ranee
Thanks for the kind words and support, Ranee! Wishing you a very Happy New Year in return! xxx
DeleteMy Books Read this year was pathetic, as Substack has stolen my time - only 24! But to be fair, one of them was a massive hardcover that derailed me for months!
ReplyDeleteLove the stompy boots!
No need to respond. XOS.
Hello Sheila! Considering you work full time and have a wild social life 24 isn't bad! xxx
Delete103 books! Wow that is truly amazing!
ReplyDeleteFunny you mention Kashmiri. I bought a Kasmiri shawl the other day and would love to know more about it. I'm not sure if that is the name of the material or something else...
X
Hello Jess. Kashmir is a region of India, famous for its papier mache and wool work! x
DeleteOOo I think my shawl must be wool then. X
DeleteYou were very well dressed!!! I love the Baked Generation velvet!
ReplyDeleteThe book list is great! You exceeded my yearly total by 2! I'm intrigued by lots of them! That funky, green dress absolutely should not just be saved for festivals!!!