3 More Sleeps to go!!!!!!!!!

Dec23

So it’s almost the big day. The Christmas cake and pudding has been made for some weeks which threw my senses into the Christmas spirit even if no other part of my body followed. The kitchen was filled with nutmeg, cinnamon and fruit smells whilst I sipped a snowball, the first of many! Lol! It seems as though the whole country was late in feeling Christmassy this year and then December arrived and suddenly Christmas songs blared out in shops and on the radio along with Heart beginning their sleeps ‘til Santa countdown. This was a refreshing change to the usual pattern of it beginning in August. Even Rufus my rabbit is now in the Christmas spirit!

My cousin and I revisited our childhood Christmas’ by losing ourselves for a few hours in Hamleys. We also enjoyed a visit to the Hyde Park winter wonderland and browsed the German Christmas market before warming ourselves up with a coffee and some roasted chestnuts; another smell which alerts us to the holiday season. I took my friends little boy to see Santa the other week and as a new twist, it also included a 3D film about the reindeer. I’m not sure who enjoyed the trip more, me or him? What did I ask Santa for; well that would be telling! Cards then began to drop through the letter box on a daily basis. Christmas is one of the few times of year when the postman delivers something other than bills and junk mail! Wouldn’t it be nice if we all still wrote letters to each other; I used to love to receive a letter to read over breakfast. The advent of modern technology has unfortunately diminished the nation’s letter writing skills. Text messages encourage brevity and the notion of even a good long phone call seems to be less and less popular. Now don’t get me wrong text messages do serve their purpose and I’m not about to join the English language experts debate on text messaging being responsible for the declining standards of spelling, however in my own experience I have found that they often can cause misunderstandings and fail to convey true emotion. With this in mind, I had four very enjoyable phone conversations with friends and family today. You would think with all these wide ranging methods of communication people would never lose touch but sadly there are people who you have no contact with from one month to the next, yet the sign of true friendship is that when you do meet up with that person it is like you have never been apart, as I found with an old school friend at my annual festive get together this week. Anyway getting back to Christmas cards, where did this tradition come from? I watched Victorian Christmas the other day and found the origins to this and many other traditions; we have a lot to thank the Victorians for. Henry Cole sent the first Christmas card in 1843 as it would have taken a long time for him to have written letters to all his friends. Those he had left over he sold. The popularity of these was helped by the post office introducing a half penny stamp for Christmas cards. This was made possible by the expanding railways which made transporting post faster and cheaper.

Another tradition we owe to the Victorians is the Christmas tree. They became part of the British Christmas after Queen Victoria’s husband put one up at Windsor castle in 1841. They were of course at that time decorated with candles; an accident waiting to happen if you ask me. My partner and I put up our tree and dusted off the nativity scene the first week of December in preparation for an early Christmas dinner party I arranged. Aside from the desire to catch up with some very good friends of mine, my partner and I also attempted to play matchmakers for two of our friends. Sadly it was apparently too early for me to acquire a sprig of mistletoe! It was a most enjoyable evening and I enjoyed making the years first mince pies. Now these pies go back to the 13^th century when European crusaders returned home with recipes from the Middle East. By the Victorian era, meat was no longer used in these sweet treats but suet remained an ingredient as it still does today.

The Victorian era has long been a fascination for me and with so many Christmas traditions being a result of that period too; when my partner was off work we decided to go and visit the Victoria and Albert museum in London. I got a bit of a shock having to pay for a train ticket for the first time in eight years! The museum was rather a let down; we had misunderstood it to be a museum of the Victorian era when in fact it is a museum of art and design, simply named after Victoria and Albert. Then to add insult to injury, the fashion room is currently closed much to my disappointment.

At the time of writing, I have now been officially unemployed for almost a month and the time has flown; I almost wonder how I ever had time to work and I still haven’t completed half the things I intended to. It is now starting to hit me however that this is not a holiday and the job search now needs to begin in earnest; the financial situation has not been helped by my continuing shopping addition! After all the perfect Christmas dress is essential for any girl; or in my case two but they were a bargain in the sale. The quest for the ideal dress is never easy but just think of poor Kate Middleton who needs no less than five dresses for her first Royal Christmas day. I did resist the urge for a gorgeous pair of heels I saw in Topshop; thinking about it though that may have been a mistake given that according to a Metro survey, 13% blokes would like their girlfriend to wear nice shoes. Talking of shopping, the present’s bill hasn’t helped either but I so enjoy giving people a thoughtful gift. This year I did the majority online which was far easier than battling the shops, except for the fact that one parcel has still yet to turn up. Some think tanks estimate as much as a 16% rise in online shopping this Christmas. Perhaps this online explosion of choice and price cutting has led to the demise of Barratts and La Senza; both now in administration which one close friend of mine has felt acutely.

I have done some productive things with my time since leaving work though. I spent a week volunteering at another local primary school; this time with the children in the last year there. I greatly enjoyed it; some of the children even got me Christmas presents. Whilst doing this experience I also had some good news, I have an interview for my teacher training course so fingers crossed I’m on my way to becoming a teacher.

Now with little time left to wait for the special day which cheers up the long winter, I must get on with the rest of my wrapping and make some paper chains. Merry Christmas readers!

Childhood Revisited

Nov27

The last month has been an opportunity for me to reflect further on my childhood and adolescence along with considering our commonly held understanding of the notion of childhood. The Oxford dictionary simply defines it as ‘the state or period of being a child.’ It defines a child as ‘a young human being below the age of puberty or below the legal age of majority.’ This dictionary definition appears to concur with what was the generally held belief in history until the advent of romanticism; children were small adults. In history, children were expected to work and to dress as miniature adults (something which appears to have had some what of a renaissance in recent years but not without controversy; why a child needs to wear a thong I will never know! Mini Ugg’s however are a must!). Academic education was seen as a luxury which many could not afford up until the Victorian times when education up to the age of 10 became mandatory in 1880 and became free in 1891. The years following this led to the age for mandatory education to be raised and in Britain today it is now 16. Nowadays, no child can work (excluding in the arts and family businesses) part time until they reach the age of 13 and full time work is only allowed post 16. Elders will always suggest that children grow up much faster these days but in fact, children are now entitled to a childhood which hundreds of years ago didn’t exist. The twentieth century is commonly thought of as ‘the century of the child.’ Over the years the way children are brought up along with the toys available, have gone in and out of fashion and if anything children have greater control over their lives than they have ever had. Sylvanian Families appear to have been given a new lease of life. I loved these as a child, getting my first as a present for my bravery. The girls at the school I recently did my work experience at were very in to them and even asked if they could have my collection but I can’t part with them; they currently clutter up Mum and Dad’s loft! It’s amazing what you can now get for the Sylvanian’s too, I used to have to improvise and make accessories for them. There are so many toys now, I do wonder if children have the same imaginations as we used to have? I affectionately recall hours of fun in the garden with a simple sheet to make a tent. Most people are lucky enough to be able to look back on their childhood with fond memories and I am grateful to be one of those.

Since 1928 when Mickie Mouse was first unveiled, one thing that has endured is children’s love of Disney. One of my favourites has always been the Lion King so it followed that I dragged my partner to the cinema to see the new 3D version of it. I enjoyed it as much as I did as a ten year old and also watched Beauty and the Beast on DVD with the children at the school during their golden time. Sometimes I really wish I was Peter Pan or even that I could go back and do things differently. Mind you our past makes us the person we are today so perhaps I wouldn’t want to change it. As Walt Disney said ‘Adults are only kids grown up, anyway.’ I still long for a trip to Disneyworld Florida. My best friend recently went for her honeymoon there. The Disney legacy along with the general love of fairy tales means that for girls at least, we grow up believing that one day our prince will come. Thankfully mine did eventually although I had to kiss a lot of frogs first!

Image courtesy of Google Images

Image courtesy of Google Images

When I entered the reception classroom on my first day volunteering at our local independent primary school (originally built in 1906 as a council school), the first thing that struck me was how small the chairs were; it was like I had walked into a dolls house! The children had swimming on my first day so you could say I was thrown in the deep end (pardon the pun). Trying to get a swimming hat on a bouncy, excitable child is like trying to stretch an elastic band around a large ball! Now I know why my Mum hated it so much when she helped out with swimming when I was at primary school. The children were adorable and it was so satisfying to see them understand different concepts. I was amazed at their French skills. I especially enjoyed reading to them. I loved books as a child and my Dad would read to me every night, doing his special voices and adding his own bits into stories. I’m sure he knew ‘The Owl who was Afraid of the Dark’ off by heart! When I was recently ill with my eye again meaning that I had to cancel my greatly anticipated Halloween party; I couldn’t watch TV, read or use the computer and I longed to cuddle up to my Dad whilst he read me a story. Children bless them are so observant and honest. One little boy asked me if my hair was turning blonde; definitely time for a trip to the hairdressers! Mind you it could have been worse; at least he didn’t ask if it was turning grey!

Anyway I came back to earth with a bump after the two weeks at school and returned to the office. The experience had confirmed to me, what I was already certain of; teaching was definitely the right road for me. Consequently this blog has been somewhat delayed because my creative writing talents have been focused on my personal statement for my teacher training application. I’m sure like all teacher’s I shall amongst everything be teaching children the importance of reading the question; advice which apparently I was incapable of following myself being that the first draft of the personal statement I did was some 4000 words instead of the required 4000 characters!

Despite my attention being swallowed by my application, I did however still find time for some therapeutic internet shopping and purchased this years must have; a tuxedo jacket. The tuxedo dates back some 125 years when it was first introduced as a less formal alternative to the tailcoat. The women’s masculine look is widespread this season. I shall be wearing mine with a glittery top, black shorts and of course sky scrapper heels!

Talking of shoes, I was less than impressed when a navy suede pair I had hardly worn became collateral damage of a girly weekend in Cambridge. We went up there for a friend’s birthday; had a meal, drinks and then on to a new club called LoLaLo. It was lovely to catch up with my friends and the majority of the time was most enjoyable. It was lovely to see my friend enjoy her birthday so much. However call me boring but I am failing to see the attraction of being squished by people with less than perfect personal hygiene when you are trying to dance, overpriced drinks and a floor sticky with spilt alcohol; clubbing is definitely something I seem to have grown out of. Even worse than this however was a guy throwing up in the middle of the dance floor, making no attempt to try to go to the toilets; hence my ruined shoes. I guess that’s students for you. I can’t say too much though as I was some what of a hedonistic wild child during my short stay at Newcastle University when I was 18. Recollections of that time came flooding back when my boyfriend and I went up there on Guy Fawkes weekend.

I chose Newcastle for university partly because the place felt like home (my Grandad was from the North East) but mainly because I wanted to get away and have the freedom to go where I liked, rolling in at anytime of the morning and trust me, rolling in is an apt way to describe it! Once given this freedom, I was not only off the rails but a total train wreck. Keeping Kookai in business single handedly, having my nose pierced and an ambulance picking me up drunk were a few of my antics along with attempting to steel a traffic cone! What I was going to do with such a thing I have no idea but it seemed that the student trophy was either this or a road sign! I finally got to see my beloved Newcastle United FC at St James Park for the first time on this latest trip and it was an historic game being that it was the last game played before the stadium was renamed after over 130 years, the Sports Direct Arena. We won 2-1 against Everton for those of you interested and were second in the league for a matter of hours. My initial reason for supporting Newcastle was fancying Alan Shearer but that is of no consequence now. Whilst up in Geordie land I visited one of my friends who has just had a baby boy. This made me even more broody as did the other weekend when my brother, his girlfriend and my niece came to visit us. I guess being a mother is someway off though being that I have not yet had the joy of becoming engaged. I cheered myself up however with a new addition for my wardrobe; a navy polka dot silk dress.

I want to take this opportunity to wish a happy thanksgiving to all my American friends. Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November each year. The ceremony is an occasion to give thanks for the harvest and a hope of good growing conditions in the spring, much like our harvest festival. I was involved in the harvest festival at the school I volunteered at, helping the children to make apples and seeds. For days afterwards I was still singing the ‘Johnny Appleseed’ song! The festivities for thanksgiving are much like our Christmas ones in the respect of a turkey dinner; however this is generally followed by pumpkin pie, rather than a Christmas pudding. In fact in the USA more importance is put on thanksgiving than Christmas itself. I would love to visit New York during thanksgiving or Christmas; I bet central park is stunning under a blanket of snow! Perhaps I would even get a nice surprise from Tiffany’s and a skate in on the central park ice rink. Mind you given our experience in spring this year on the ice rink there, I think my other half and I would both end up on our knees and not because he was proposing!

Image courtesy of Google Images

Talking of Christmas, it is just around the corner now; 27 days for those of you counting! The festive songs are beginning to be played on the radio. This is my favourite time of year, a magical time and definitely all about children. I am a big kid myself though; the advent calendar for 1^st December is ready and waiting, mind you as Dickens said ‘if you let the child in you die, you are in effect dead.’ I will definitely be taking a trip to Hamley’s and I must start looking for the elusive party dress! This year as in previous years I took part in Operation Christmas Child. For those of you who don’t know what this is; the initiative is run by Samaritans Purse and dates back 21 years. A wrapped, gift filled shoebox is delivered somewhere in the world to a child in need. After all Christmas is all about giving and children and imagine the smile you could put on a child’s face. Unlike children in this country, the shoebox will probably be the only gift they get.

Image courtesy of Google Images

I shall sign off now and continue searching for a replacement for my shoes, not that I need an excuse to buy another pair! Happy Christmas shopping!

Ik hart Holland (I heart Holland)

Oct11

Mum and I decided on an impromptu trip to Holland as my uncle was doing an opera there in Enschede and so had a place we could stay with him. I thought it would be a nice chance to spend the quality time with my Mum that I have been missing since moving out as well as an opportunity to add another country to my list of travels without breaking the bank.

My boyfriend walked me to the station to get the train to London where I would meet my Mum. As we walked up I noticed a beer delivery lorry from the company my ex worked for and there he was. How strange that he should be delivering locally to me, just at the time I was walking past and on a Saturday which he wouldn’t normally work. Some people would say this was fate working in mysterious ways and once upon a time I would have chosen to see it as some sort of a sign; nowadays however, I would call it pure coincidence and I think my boyfriend found it most uncomfortable. On the journey to Holland I read ‘One Day’ and I couldn’t help but see a comparison to the relationship I had with my ex. Together, not together, together, not together, seeing everything as fate. There’s one difference in our story though, I’m glad we didn’t end up together as it meant I met my wonderful boyfriend, who is perfect for me. I felt quite sad waving goodbye to him as the train pulled out, knowing I wouldn’t see him for nearly a week. He said it took him back to when we weren’t living together and had to wave goodbye to each other after the weekends.

Mum and I got the Eurostar from London to Brussels and had a bit of a wait there for our onward train. Naturally my nose led me to a shoe shop. I saw a gorgeous pair of shoes but sensibly decided to wait until my journey back, when I did indeed purchase them.

Mum and I had a pleasant lunch with a glass of wine and I got to exercise my French vocabulary before we joined the TGV to Schiphol airport. Once on the train however, we were told that due to engineering works we would have to go to Amsterdam and change there for a train to Enschede; it’s refreshing to know we are not the only country in the world to suffer engineering works on the railway! Anyway we eventually made it.

The first day we went to Arnhem. Arnhem is a place of historical importance since the battle of Arnhem during the Second World War. We visited the bridge which the battle was centred around.

We then went on to view the British war graves in nearby Oosterbeek. It was a very moving experience. What a waste of young lives. Even sadder are the dead who were never identified, whose tomb stone simply says ‘a soldier of the 1939-1945 war, known unto God’.

The following day, we ventured to Amsterdam. As soon as we got off the train and into the centre of the city, the air was perfumed with cannabis and bikes weaved through the streets whilst a waterway, lined with canal boats broke up almost every block. We started at the Nieuwe Kerk in Dam Square, which just happened to be holding a fashion exhibition.

The architecture is beautiful too as is the 1655 organ and a stained glass window depicting Queen Wilhelmina to rival the famous window of Notre Dame. Well worth a look.

Next stop was the Anne Frank house. We walked around the annex where the family hid from the Nazis; the entrance to which was disguised by a bookcase. Cuttings from magazines of the time which Anne herself stuck on the walls still remain which was extremely emotive.

Being that Holland is so well known for Tulips, we visited the Tulip museum where I purchased some tulips to plant at home; actual ‘Tulips of Amsterdam’. Next stop was Begijnhof which is an inner court, which once housed religious Catholic women rather like a convent. To this day only women live there. Inside this court yard is one of the oldest wooden houses in the Netherlands which dates back to circa 1528.

I must admit whilst in Amsterdam, I was curious to try one of their ‘coffee shops’ but being with my Mum that was really out of the question. Mum felt most uncomfortable when I took her on the quick walk of the red light district which was suggested by the Lonely Planet City guide. The area does have to be seen to be believed with women in bikinis posing in shop windows. It is worth the walk though to see the Oude Kerk which is Amsterdam’s oldest church dating back to 1306.

We finished the day with a canal boat trip and a nice meal where I tried the local delicacy of herring. I left Amsterdam wanting to see more.

Munster was our next stop the following day. Being that Enschede is very close to the German border; I thought I might as well use it as an opportunity to visit Germany for the first time. Munster was what you imagine a typical German town to be like and we had a very pleasant lunch sitting in one of the squares. I stopped off to buy a beer to take back for my other half at the local Pinkus brewery.

We made the most of the nice weather and sat out in the garden when we got back to my Uncles, sipping wine and eating prawns and other snacks whilst listening to the country sounds of the cows being herded in for milking.

Our final day in Holland, I convinced Mum to join me in a return trip to Amsterdam on the proviso that we would get trams around rather than attempting to walk miles like the previous trip! We visited the Rijks’s museum which everyone says is a must in Amsterdam and saw the famous Rembrandt Night Watch masterpiece. We also visited Vondelpark, Amsterdam’s answer to Central park.

Now my cultural interests had been attended to, it was on to a more apt museum; the diamond museum, after all diamonds are a girls best friend.

Following that we visited the handbag museum; can you believe they have a whole museum dedicated to the history of handbags? The only thing better would have been a museum dedicated to shoes. An interesting fact I learnt from the museum was that the need to make stronger bags from materials such as leather only arose with the advent of train travel becoming popular. By far the best exhibit in my opinion was the cupcake bag as seen in the Sex and the City movie.

Now no trip to Holland would be complete without seeing a windmill which was our last stop in Amsterdam. We enjoyed a nice glass of wine in the bar underneath it.

We rounded off the wonderful holiday in Lucius fish restaurant which I highly recommend. You can enjoy your seafood whilst being entranced by the fish tank. There’s an irony there!

After a good nights sleep, we headed back on the train to Blighty, without a souvenir pair of clogs which my boyfriend expected me to bring back. If you ever get the chance, Holland is well worth the visit.

‘It’s Pimms O’Clock!’

Sep29

I shall begin by apologising for the delay in posting but one of the things I wanted to write about needed to be common knowledge first. My blogs this week will be rather like buses; you wait ages and then two come at once!!

So I take you back to the start of September. I don’t know about you but since my school days, I always feel that 1^st September marks the official end of summer. The evenings start to become darker and the cardigans begin to come out! X factor has begun and the countdown to Christmas starts.

In order to make the most of the last of the good weather, my boyfriend and I decided to go to Broadstairs, Kent for the day, which was where we went for our very first date. I love Broadstairs and it is often referred to as the ‘Jewel in Thanet’s Crown’. Charles Dickens regularly visited there between 1837 and 1859 and wrote David Copperfield whilst staying there; it does inspire my writing imagination too. Today Broadstairs still retains the vibe of the traditional British seaside resort minus the donkey rides.

We began with a game of crazy golf, followed by fish and chips on the beach; it always tastes better by the sea even if you do get a sand garnish! The first Fish and chip shop that opened in London was in 1860. Railways played a big part in fish and chips becoming a staple of the working class diet as it linked cities to the coast and they also can be credited with the increased popularity of a holiday at the seaside. We followed up with an ice cream, then on to the arcade with the great 2p machines. I even dipped my toes in the sea but wasn’t brave enough for a swim! Many were braving a swim though; perhaps apart from protecting their modesty, the Victorian swimwear which covered most of the body was made as a result of Britain’s inclement weather? It was funny when my partner and I went to Egypt and our guide in Cairo was saying it gets quite cold in the winter, around 20 degrees and we said, in Britain if the mercury reaches 20 then we all have our shorts and flip flops on!

We finished off with a Pimms in one of the local pubs. Pimms was actually invented by the son of a man from Kent in 1823. It is now a drink very much synonymous with the British summer, hence its popularity at events such as Wimbledon.

That evening we went to friends for dinner which was a most enjoyable end to the day. I remember being sent to bed whilst my parents entertained friends at dinner parties and now I’m attending dinner parties; how time flies! The food was restaurant standard which sets the bar high for when we invite them back.

During the week I treated myself to some star print palazzo trousers after realising that my other pair of plain black ones had been badly torn by my high heels. At least now I can be on trend with the star print. I spent many evenings browsing the internet for a perfect pair of shoes to wear as Godmother at my baby nieces christening at the end of the month. My boyfriend looked over at my surfing and said ‘you really do love shoes, don’t you!’ Had it really taken him this long to notice??? Men, eh! I couldn’t find what I was looking for but did find a gorgeous pair of shoes for my baby niece; after all, got to start them young!

Image Courtesy of Google Images

That got me thinking about my first pair of shoes; little did my parents realise that they would be the start of a life long love affair. I think I inherited the obsession from my maternal Grandma; when she died my Mum found enough shoes in her wardrobe to open a shop! I’m only sad that she died when I was 7. I think we would have been great friends. My main memory of her is sitting for hours and drawing together and how she always gave us a small bottle of lemonade, some fun size sweets which were a new concept then and £1 pocket money. My Mum says she always said if you couldn’t decide which dress to buy, she would say get both! For my first birthday Mum says she bought me a dress from Bentalls which was £25 then. She was always generous to a fault. No wonder I live to shop, it’s in the genes.

I remember when Mum and I went to Bromley to get my first pair of welly boots and ended up on the wrong train on the way back! I was so proud of those wellies!

Later once I started school I remember we all had the Clarks Magic Steps shoes, mine were patent burgundy. You were no one unless you had them. These had a key in the sole. My friend actually tried to smash the key out. They made you feel like the princess in the adverts. Even now some of my most glam shoes make me feel like a princess. The power a piece of footwear has!

Image Courtesy of Google Images

This reminiscing called to mind some other fashion and footwear trends over the years. There were jelly shoes, heeled jelly shoes, crocs and Ugg boots to name a few. Does anyone else remember the Bon Bleu tracksuit? I always wanted one but alas we can’t always have what we want. It’s quite ironic really that on own clothes day at school, most kids wore the alternative uniform of the Bon Bleu tracksuit!

On a more serious note and the cause of the delay on this blog; a bombshell was dropped on me at work. They are closing our department and I will be redundant at the end of November, unless a suitable alternative within the company can be found. Guess this means I will have to seriously curtail the shopping habit! The shoe collection will certainly suffer. We had expected the day would come but I don’t think any of us thought it would be quite this soon. They sent us home early and I literally felt sick with shock. I’ve had chance to get used to the idea now though. I’m doing my best to look at this positively, as an opportunity. Perhaps this is the push I needed; after all, what I really want is to be a teacher and a writer.

I should also mention that the complaints to the shop where we got Rufus finally paid off and we got the Vets bills refunded as well as £30 of vouchers which I intend to treat Rufus with. It does pay to complain!

I shall leave it there and consol myself with a drink; perhaps ‘it’s Pimms O’clock?!’

Stepping Back in Time

Aug17

I know for most people history was probably one of their worst subjects at school but it can actually be quite interesting; you just need to find an area that fascinates you.

Having a long weekend to enjoy after the wedding, we decided to check out the Titanic exhibition at Chatham Dockyard. I must admit it wasn’t quite what I expected and I was disappointed that I couldn’t try on the heart of the ocean necklace; but I did enjoy it and it awakened my interest in history, as well as reminding me of when the film was released in 1997 when I was a teenager in love with Leonardo DiCaprio. I remember wanting to watch all his films and Mum only allowing me to see ‘Basketball Diaries’ if she watched it with me as I was too young for its 18 rating. At the time I think my walls were covered with Leonardo and Backstreet Boys! I would dream that I met them and they fell in love with me.

My boyfriend and I recreated the famous scene from the film on the railings. That evening we decided to watch the film and I cried yet again! It doesn’t seem to matter how many times I watch it, I still ball my eyes out.

I think one of the most moving things about the Titanic disaster was the arrogance of human nature. They really believed that the ship was unsinkable so saw no need to ‘clutter’ up the deck with life boats. It is also sad to see how class determined whether you were to be saved; 34% o f first class men were saved whilst only 30% of third class children.

Sunday evening, after enjoying a roast dinner, I tried to get my boyfriend to sit through the film Coco before Chanel. He was having none of it though so I compromised with The Cashmere Mafia. We were barely 5 minutes into it when the television and DVD player turned off. Turns out there was a fire in a junction box in the road and so we had to endure a power cut for the rest of the evening. If I didn’t know better, I would think my boyfriend had arranged it to get out of the girly films. I was just annoyed to already be in my pyjamas when there were fit fireman just a few doors down!

We lit some candles and amused ourselves with cards as well as polishing off quite a proportion of a wine box. It wasn’t like we could make a hot drink, so of course we had no choice but to stay on the wine! I paid for it the next morning though and even woke up talking French, much to my boyfriend’s confusion! It got me thinking about what life would have been like for the first occupant of our house in 1898 without all our modern amusements. The next day I got researching and found the name of the first owner and his occupation.

This led me on to think about Victorian and Edwardian fashion. This autumn Victorian is one of the many trends making a comeback, along with cord, 40’s and 70’s. I love the lace of the Victoriana clothes, so girly and pretty. I found an interesting website for anyone interested in learning more about fashion especially of shoes at the time of the Titanic sinking.

http://www.vintagedancer.com/titanic-edwardian-shoes-for-women-buy-or-make/

In my parents collection I discovered this old picture of my Dad’s side of the family which would have been taken around 1914. It’s interesting to see the fashion of the day.

Let’s have fun and experiment with fashion this coming season! So many eras to choose from for inspiration; where to start?

Getting back to the sinking of Titanic which will be 100 years ago next April; there was such a sense of excitement at the time it set sail, a feeling of hope and dreams of endless possibilities. This can be likened to how most of us feel as we grow up. As teenagers we believe we are indestructible and can do anything we want to do but as we get older we realise this is not always the case.

At the wedding one of our friends pointed out that we left school 10 years ago. What a scary thought! When we left we created a yearbook and put in it our dreams for the future. We probably felt full of optimism, much like those Titanic passengers. Circumstances get in the way though and we often end up treading paths we didn’t imagine. This is sometimes for the better however.

I went for a friends birthday drink with people from school, in a bar in Soho during the week called Barrio Central. I must be getting old as I don’t have the stamina I used to for drinking on a ‘school’ night! Was nice to catch up with friends I hadn’t seen for a while though, despite the ‘mouthwash’ cocktails on offer (a Mojito with an extra large helping of mint!) I was glad that the riots had calmed down; otherwise many of us wouldn’t have wanted to venture out in London. The riots were really quite scary and give us an insight of what life during the Blitz must have been like.

The weekend just gone, my boyfriend and I met up with a friend and her other half. I got to continue my birthday as she gave me my present. We got on to talking about when we first met at school at about the age of 13. It’s funny looking back and reminiscing. Perhaps it’s something about approaching 30 that we are all starting to look back.

Sunday was spent working in the garden. It felt really satisfying to get it looking nice but I got very sunburnt. Strange that I find a sense of enjoyment from gardening now, if you had asked me 10 years ago, I didn’t have the slightest interest! How things change. The neighbour kindly gave us some plums from her tree so I made a crumble; how very domesticated! Both my boyfriend and I ached like crazy that evening though; a snapshot of 50 years time when we will be sharing our aches and pains!

From bridal shower to baby shower, Sunday evening was spent making invites for my brother’s girlfriend’s belated baby shower. As I stuck down the Disney princesses, it struck me how we all dream of that happy ending. On the train the other day, I overheard a girl of 8 saying that she must keep her drawing safe as it was the plan for her wedding!

The important thing I take from these last couple of weeks is that despite us all progressing through the book of life at different rates; some travelling, some married, some parents and some in between them all; us friends can all still find time to come together on the same page occasionally. That’s true friendship for you. We share a history and despite each entering new chapters, we share a common bond. Friends and family make the world go round and always will.

‘A Bridal Shower’

Aug13

The day of one of my best friends wedding is almost upon us. I took the day before off work and treated myself to a set of false nails. I used to get these done regularly as my nails have always been a bit brittle but this is the first time I have had it done in years. I was suitably pleased with the results and the price; £20 for a full set! Apparently for some people this is still too much as whilst I was in the salon, a woman left without paying! People’s mentality never ceases to amaze me and on my walk home, I saw another example of it. One of my elderly neighbours had fallen and before I got to her, another girl just looked and kept on walking!

I took the opportunity as I was at my parents to visit my favourite boutique, Torza and came out with a beautiful pink maxi dress with pearls around the neckline. I can justify it as it being bought with my birthday money, although I have a feeling that this birthday money is going to be on a bit of elastic! I also went into the shop called Vintage and found the perfect bag to go with my bridesmaids dress. It must have been quite a find as on the day even the blokes commented on it!

Finally the big day was upon us. I was so excited but couldn’t believe that after all the beautiful weather we have had, it chose to rain on today of all days. Superstition has it that this is good luck. I had a read up as to the reasoning behind this and found various suggestions. It is thought by Hindu’s that it represents a stronger unity, being that a wet knot is harder to undo. There is also a belief that it will be a healthy and fruitful marriage, due to rain being essential for good crops.

The other bridesmaids and I met at the bride’s house early and the hairdresser started on our hair. I was determined to get my signature butterfly into my outfit somewhere so chose a butterfly slide as a hair accessory. I love to have my hair done, don’t you? It’s so relaxing. The Cava was cracked open early and we had a lovely time getting ready.

As we helped the bride into her dress, I thought how amazing she looked. It was a stunning dress with lots of lace. The bouquets arrived and then before we knew it, the time had come to head to the church.

The service was lovely and the priest made it really; he was a little on the eccentric side to say the least. I got through my reading without tripping up on my way to the stage or stumbling on my words thankfully. As we left the church, we bridesmaids were on duty to ensure the bride’s dress remained clean and dry. On arrival at the reception, the sun finally came out and the bride relaxed at last.

The father of the bride speech was so moving and it got me wondering what my Dad would say if I ever get my special day. The cake was a tower of cupcakes which must have taken the bride’s friend ages, but it truly was stunning. If you ever want a knock out cake, I highly recommend her.

http://www.sweettreatcupcakes.co.uk

As the drinks flowed, we all danced well into the night and I managed to brave it out and keep my new sparkly heels on all evening; the price we pay for fashion! The photographer went up in my estimations when I noticed she was wearing a Kookai shirt, much to her amazement. Kookai was always my favourite shop but sadly only exists as a concession in stores now. The clothes are timeless though and unusual. I still have stuff from there that I bought over 10 years ago.

The bouquet was thrown but sadly I didn’t catch it. My other half did start to talk about marriage though as did another of my friends boyfriends. Not sure if the excitement of the day or the sheer amount of alcohol brings on this conversation though!

Over a year of planning and the day seems to be over so quickly. Everything was perfect down to the last detail though. Here’s hoping the marriage will last forever and that the weather was a good sign! Congratulations to the happy couple! Enjoy the honeymoon and thank you for the privilege of making me maid of honour.

‘Just Friends’

Jul28

I would like to think that you had been on the edge of your seats anticipating my next instalment but I guess that would be wishful thinking on my part. I would however like to apologise for the tardiness of this new blog; its writing was impeded by my eye problems. The so called experts are still no nearer to really knowing what it is. The latest guess is a viral infection. Anyhow it has caused me to be signed off sick for the first time in my life. As a result I have become quite well acquainted with daytime television. I have now had my fill of property ladder, a place in the sun and wife swap plus some reruns of great British comedy; My Family, Keeping up Appearances and One Foot in the Grave. It did also give me the opportunity to finally watch a DVD I got for Christmas called Priceless which I greatly enjoyed whilst eating a remaining Easter egg! All of this was watched through one eye though which was not greatly comfortable. My boyfriend attempted to make me an eye patch but unfortunately it wasn’t a great success and I resorted to just putting my hand over my eye. A couple of friends suggested I could make a fashion statement with an embellished eye patch and perhaps make my birthday BBQ a sexy pirate theme!

The Sunday before last saw my first Sunday morning without the News of the World. My kind boyfriend still made me a sausage sandwich in bed and as it happens my eye was so bad that I wouldn’t have been able to read it anyway. The best bit of the paper, ‘Fabulous’ magazine appears however to come with Saturdays ‘Sun’ so all is not lost. My theory is that they started providing magazines with newspapers so that men could read the sport in the paper uninterrupted! I am however fed up with the news being dominated by the News of the World phone hacking scandal; is there really nothing more important happening in the world? I regretted asking this rhetorical question this weekend though when the phone hacking became old news after the terrible atrocity inNorway, followed by the death of Amy Winehouse. It is so sad that she is the latest addition to the so called 27 club, which for those of you who don’t know is the result of a number of musicians dying at 27; Kurt Cobain being another. I titled my blog this week in honour of her as one of her songs was ‘Just Friends’.

http://www.muzu.tv/gb/amywinehouse/just-friends-music-video/254719/

It is also rather ironic that I left 27 behind this week and became 28. The day of the birthday BBQ finally arrived and thankfully the weather held out as our house would have been very cosy with nearly 30 people! We definitely lined Tesco’s pockets for the weekend! I was really touched that so many of my friends made the journey down and greatly enjoyed the celebration, despite my eye condition which was not helped by the BBQ smoke and also meant that I couldn’t wear eye make up. I made up for it though with some statement 4 inch glittery gold shoes!

I rolled back the years with some Bacardi Breezer’s too. Mum made me a wonderful cake with a shoe; very fitting. I enjoyed showing off my finished wardrobe with the new addition of pink fairy lights which my boyfriend kindly fitted that morning. One of my friends commented that my wardrobe was a shrine to clothes!

As the party died down and there were just a few of us hard core partiers left; my boyfriends friend started to tell us about his PHD in engineering ceramics. Us girls were looking a little confused, are ceramics not pottery and tiles? Apparently he says ceramics are used in kitchen knives, thinking we would understand this association. I then said is it like in hair straightner’s and suddenly we were all back in the room!

My boyfriend went away again this week for work. This doesn’t get any easier for me despite it not being the first time and only being a couple of days. What was worse was I was awakened from a deep sleep by a loud bang which sounded like a bullet out of a gun. Turns out it was in fact a balloon from the party popping! I did feel silly.

I was spoilt on my actual birthday with many wonderful presents. It is lovely to see that my friends and family know my tastes so well. Most cards were shoe, shopping, cocktail, VW Beetle or butterfly related! I share below a picture of one very apt card which sums me up.

My boyfriend left a huge bunch of flowers on my dressing table in the morning which was very romantic.

Anyways, I’ve bored you long enough, plus I need to check out some shoe sites to spend my birthday money on! Until next time…….

Kilts vs Hot Pants?

Jul3

The week started with a blow to fashionistas and chocoholics, ‘Jane Norman’ is in administration and ‘Thorntons’ is to close 180 shops. Now I know some of ‘Jane Normans’ stuff could leave a bit to be desired but I have always found their dresses second to none. Admittedly they could be quite pricey but always had very good reductions in their regular sales. Last chance to grab some sale bargains! Rather ironically it looks as though ‘Edinburgh Woollen Mill’ who I worked for quite some years ago may buy out ‘Jane Norman’ and its stock. It remains to be seen what this would do to the brand considering the large gap in target age range; with ‘Jane Norman’ being 15-25 and ‘Edinburgh Woollen Mill’ being 45-60 year olds. Perhaps they will meet somewhere in the middle at a target age of 35?!

(Photo courtesy of Google images July 2011)

It’s sad if ‘Jane Norman’ does disappear being all the years it has been going; I remember my Mum telling me that she used to shop there. She also shopped in the high end, iconic store of the 1960’s ‘Biba’ which has now had some what of a revival. Unfortunately it’s rather out of my price range and so I had to settle with a small purse which was still nearly £40! My Mum often tells the story of when she was in their Kensington store and they had communal changing rooms. She was trying something on and when she looked round, someone was trying on her dress that she had come in wearing!

Now for all you like minded shoe lovers, I have discovered a fantastic site thanks to it being mentioned in ‘Look’ magazine, ‘Shoeaholics’! They sell hot designer shoes at seriously cut prices. I feel my bank account getting a hammering again! Also in the current ‘Look’ magazine; Olivia Palermo, the US socialite is shown with her infamous ‘Sondra Roberts’ hot pink clutch, priced at $99. I went in to a boutique called ‘Torza’ and there was an almost identical clutch at a fraction of the price. They also had it in champagne colour which is what I ended up buying as I thought it would be more versatile.

Saturday night was an opportunity for a girl’s night out to celebrate my friend’s birthday and an occasion also for my new playsuit to be worn. My present to her was a personalised compact mirror as I believe no girl should be without a good compact; or two in cases where I have forgotten I had bought one for someone and gone and bought another!

Whilst I was waiting at the bar to be served it struck me that perhaps if I complimented the barman on his tie, I might get served quicker. It was truly quite unusual though with a piano keyboard design. A guy also at the bar waiting then turned to me to request some fashion advice. When you wear a long sleeved shirt he asked, where was it appropriate to roll the sleeves too? I advised just below the elbow and another girl agreed. He then asked the barman. I said what would a man know, even though he has a good tie, a girl would have chosen it for him as in my experience most men unless gay have a poor sense of style. The barman was forced to admit that he hadn’t in fact picked the tie out for himself. It takes me back to my boyfriend and I in ‘Fenwicks’ where each shirt he chose I looked at in disdain and ended up choosing two for him, much to the shop assistants amusement! My final decision on the subject of shirt sleeves is that they shouldn’t be rolled up so far that it looks like the skin is being pinched.

Some cosmopolitans later I made my way home. The tube was packed out and it got me thinking about my week of commuting. The hot weather inevitably makes the people who avoid deodorant stand out. You know who you are! It’s not pleasant when you are all packed on a train like sardines!

I will leave you with some of the funny things I have heard people say this week.

‘What business does a fly have on a train?’

‘Why do they make the railways so wonky?’ (Said as the train was rocking about)

‘Why don’t they have the US Open in America?’

Until next time, happy shopping!

Broke and Home Alone!

Jun19

I checked my bank balance last Saturday and wished I hadn’t, it was not a pleasant surprise shall we say and still two weeks until payday! What made it even worse was that it was only that morning I had taken scissors to my credit card. It had been a necessary operation, not least to protect my relationship! (Note to self, sneak in last parcel very carefully and when wear the playsuit and/or wedges make sure at least £10 is knocked off their price!) Women have been doing this trick for years; men just don’t recognize good investments when they see them! A girl at work also suggested another good tip; when they say they haven’t seen an outfit before just say, ‘I’ve had it for ages, you mean you have never noticed me wearing it before?’ Trigger a guilt felt apology and your secret is safe. Why is it when you have no money it becomes even more of an urge to buy? Emails promising 20% off shoes and free delivery keep hitting my inbox. The latest addition of Glamour arrived and advertised a website called Vivien of Holloway which sells vintage clothes. I have already fallen in love with a 50’s style dress on there which could hopefully flatten even my curvaceous figure (as my boyfriend delicately puts it.) Asos is auctioning Cheryl Cole’s outfits and the biggest sale in the news at the moment is Marilyn Monroe’s iconic dress from the film ‘The Seven Year Itch’ which has sold at auction for $4.6 million. Its torture I tell you.

My boyfriend had to go away for this week to work. You would think that this would be a nice bit of space from each other but in reality it was horrible. Suddenly I had a whole house to rattle around in with only Rufus for company. Don’t get me wrong, I love Rufus to bits but he can’t protect me from would be burglars!

Burglars were the least of my worries it turns out. I had a very different kind of intruder to deal with, an unwelcome visit from a slug. There I was making my hot chocolate before bed in my pyjamas, not bothering to put the kitchen light on (I know old age is setting in, lol) and then I saw it out of the corner of my eye on the floor; it was mere luck I hadn’t inadvertently stepped on it. Panic rushed through me, I hate the slimy things and there was no boyfriend to call to deal with it. I grabbed the salt out of the cupboard and showered it with it. Mean I know but at least it stopped it in its silvery tracks. I then shoveled it outside and cleaned the floor. I half expected to come down to more in the morning but thankfully it seems to have been a lone ranger. I had to put the bins out myself too. Isn’t it funny how despite our feminism; there are still certain jobs we class as the mans? My boyfriend shares the cooking and the housework whilst I assist in the DIY, albeit usually getting more paint on myself than the walls! When it comes to the spider removal, the bins and other dirty jobs though we still call on the man! My boyfriend is my hero.

Absence definitely made the heart grow fonder in both our cases. We went out this Saturday evening with another couple to enjoy a meal at TGI Fridays and the next installment of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean.’ The film was certainly not a let down, just as good as the other three in my opinion and Johnny Depp still looks just as sexy as Captain Jack Sparrow; we know we shouldn’t fancy someone dressed as a pirate but we cannot help ourselves.

Talking of our male hero’s, today is Fathers Day. What better time for us to celebrate the first man in our lives? My Dad was always able to wipe my tears away, fix my toys and make the world seem a better place. Even now I call on him for certain jobs, such as wallpapering and building a book case. He did kind of talk himself into these jobs though when he commented ‘that’s not difficult at all!’ My brother and I often refer to him as the oracle as he can generally answer any question or if he can’t, knows where to look for the answer. In recent years even Dad’s fashion has improved. I never thought I would see the day he wore a pair of jeans; this was the man who used to wear a shirt and tie to the beach! They do say that women look for a man with qualities like their father and men look for women with qualities like their mother. I’m not sure how true this is but I will say my boyfriend, like my Dad is pretty good with his DIY and not so hot on fashion, lol!

Anyway I will sign off here, Happy Fathers Day Dad.

Graduating in Heels

Jun5

Well it’s been an eventful couple of weeks. On Saturday I attended my graduation ceremony in Ely and the LK Bennett shoes had their first and most likely their last outing! They were very comfortable and I did feel wonderful in them but I was so worried about damaging them. Little did I realize that the powers at be would put the official car park in a field! Don’t they realize girls wear heels? I managed to find the most wonderful pair of cufflinks in the shape of high heeled shoes to wear with my smart white shirt too. My boyfriend asked what they were and when I said shoes, he said ‘of course, what else?’ So much planning and anticipation goes into this day and ultimately you have about one minute of fame which I barely remember as I was concentrating so much on not tripping over! It really was a wonderful celebration of the five years that I have studied through the Open University though. As I tossed my mortar board in the air at the end, I reflected on the achievement I had made.

Unfortunately my graduation clashed with my best friends hen weekend so last weekend I took her on a spa break as a surprise to make up for it. We had a wonderful pampered, girly weekend. We both had manicures and scalp massages. I must share with you one anecdote; at dinner we were looking through the photos from the day and we got to the pictures in the sauna. My friend said she looked sweaty and shiny and I pointed out to her that she was in a sauna; if she didn’t look sweaty there would have been something wrong with her! On the way home by train, as a nice end to the weekend, we were drinking Prosecco. Drinking that early in the day was not good, especially as I had to negotiate stairs in heels in order to change trains!

Now after a relaxing spa break, I got thinking about other pampering things I could indulge in. Despite loving my shoes, my feet have always been one of the most hated parts of my body. I am really tempted to try this new craze of a fish pedicure. Garra Rufa fish have no teeth. They originate from Turkey and suck away at the dead skin, leaving feet soft and regenerated. There have however been some questions over the possibility of them spreading infection so as yet I am still weighing up the options! Has anyone tried it?

I will leave you with a story of my niece who is not yet two. She regularly tries on my shoes and despite having a limited vocabulary at the moment, she has learnt the word ‘shoe’; evidently I am training her well! A girl is never too young to start her love affair with shoes. Maybe one day she will be graduating in a pair of shoes she too is frightened to damage!

blahnikgirl

Archives

3 More Sleeps to go!!!!!!!!!

Childhood Revisited

Ik hart Holland (I heart Holland)

‘It’s Pimms O’Clock!’

Stepping Back in Time

‘A Bridal Shower’

‘Just Friends’

Kilts vs Hot Pants?

Broke and Home Alone!

Graduating in Heels