Thank You!

Good morning!

I do hope that your morning is as good as it can be, and it started with a cup of tea in the prettiest cup you own! It is still raining here, so I am getting plenty of use out of my new brolly!

I had a few spare minutes just now so I thought I would take just the tiniest of peeks at my blog before going to work, and I have to say that to find comments and such kind and lovely ones, not to mention inspirational, has put a real spring in my step! Thank you so much.

And as an aside, I also love owls and mushrooms, although I prefer red-and-white-polka-dot toadstools even more, and acorns and oak leaves, pumpkins and conkers...so many gorgeous things to think about at this time of year!

Have a wonderful day!

Lovely Labels

When I first started blogging, I didn't know about Labels. I suppose it could be argued, that I still don't. I vaguely knew that if I used labels, people searching the internet might find me. So, when I wrote about a lovely snowdrop walk at The Gardens of Easton Lodge, I knew to put that in the labels to help people find me. But...I had not realised how messy it makes the word cloud on my blog, to be too detailed in my labelling. So I have sat down with a pen and paper and made a list of labels I shall use going forth. And going backwards, I am going to slooowly edit my old posts to reflect my new lables. I am rather looking forward to it, as it will be rather special to read through the last 5 years of my life!

Talking of labels, when I dropped into Waterstones on my way home from work, I found that Cath Kidston has published a little book of sticky lables. So pretty! Also, Lakeland are selling pretty labels to stick on jars of homemade jam. There is something rather lovely about a well written label.

It is that back-t0-school thing again! Some of the labels I will be using are fairly self explanatory, such as 'fabulous friday' or 'rainy days'. Here are some of the others:

Table For Two to cover posts about dining out and culinary adventures away from home.

Ripping Yarns in which I will talk about my adventures in knitting and crocheting.

Cooking Up A Storm is where I will share recipes with you.

Delightful Days Out will cover all my little adventures out in the big wide world.

In My Shopping Basket is where I will share lovely purchases, and hope my husband does not read this bit too often!

The Dressing Room is where you will find my 'what I wore today posts'.

At My Dressing Table for hair and makeup talk.

High Days and Holidays for birthdays, weddings, all those lovely red letter days.

On My Bookshelf for what I have been reading and book reviews.

Mimi Makes for my crafting adventures.

Beautiful Blogs and Lovely Corners of the Internet

I had an email from the lovely Alison at Brocante Home this week, letting me know about the Seasonal Scrub starting in September. I do love a good clear out every now and again! I have decided it is time to do the same with the blogs I read and websites I visit. It is a source of anxiety to me that some of my favourite blogs and websites have been stumbled upon by happy accident, which makes me fret that there may be so many more out there, unknown to me!

I have been missing some favourite bloggers too, who have lost their blogging mojo, or are taking a break. Even worse than this, some blogs have disappeared altogether! So I have decided to update my blogroll and the list of blogs I have saved in igoogle. I hope you will find some new treasures amongst my list, and if you have any suggestions for me, I would love to hear them.

Some favourite bloggers have started new blogs...I have to say that it is something that I serioulsy considered after not blogging here so long, but this is 'home' to me. This is where I want to be. I feel like it still 'fits' me. So here I am, back again!

Interestingly, I have removed one or two because I realised that the writing just brings me down, that when I first found them, the aesthetic really pleased me, but is no longer my taste. It feels strange to let them go, because although I know they are still there and I can find them again, it seems final somehow, deciding to stop reading them.

But time is finite, and there is not enough time to do all the scrumptious things I want to, to read all the books and magazines I want to, so I am not going to waste time on blogs or websites that I don't love any more! Here is a little selection of some of my favourites...I do so hope I have not missed any off by mistake!

midorigreenuk.blogspot.com is the new home of the lovely Annastasia who used to blog at Pretty Little Parcels (I say new, but it has been a year nearly, and I still had not updated my blog list!)

brocantehome.net so much more than just a blog...utterly scrumptious! Somehow, I discovered this while looking for instructions for homemade Christmas crackers!

ljcfyi.com the very first blog I discovered. Not vintage, but great for crafts and seasonal activities.

posy.typepad.com discovered via brocante home. Wonderful for sparkly flowery loveliness and I can never visit without wanting to start crocheting something!

rosylittlethings.typepad.com the lovely Alicia Paulson writes about her every day life and crafting in Portland, Oregon. She has a real way with words and takes wonderful photographs.

vintagepretty.org one of the most lovely things for me was to discover that Vintage Pretty is even nicer than her blog! We share a lot of interests, and luckily for me, lovely chatty phone calls too!

yarnstorm.blogs.com through Jane I discovered Persephone books, and have baked scrumptious rock cakes!

thevintagekitten.blogspot.com the Vintage Kitten has not posted for a while, but I hope that she will be back soon. I love the kitsch look of her blog, and the life she posts about. Bliss!

diaryofavintagegirl.com Fleur writes for The Chap magazine, which has been one of my happiest literary finds of late! On her blog she will show you how to set your hair in pin up girl curls, and shares her adventures drinking cocktails and taking tea in London.

persephonebooks.co.uk a tresure trove of heavenly novels by Dorothy Whipple and the like. Hot Water Bottle fiction at its very, very best.

nigella.com/nigella-loves not updated for a while because she has been writing another book, but Nigella shares things like a favourite mascara or chocolate bar, alongside a cocktail recipe!

So there they are, my current favourite websites. Do tell me...what am I missing? Do share!

Jolly Brolly

Several months ago, I spent a happy sunny afternoon at a vintage fair at Cressing Temple. Many lovely things there caught my eye, but there was one thing beautiful above all: a vintage purple umbrella. It was elegant and frilly and flouncy, and I just knew that if I owned it, not only would I never mind when it rained, but I would skip down the street, avoiding the puddles and spreading cheer. Alas, when I enquired as to the cost, the lady replied 'I want £50 for it'. Firstly that was rude (I want doesn't get, as my Mother would say!) and secondly, it was too much for my purse.

So imagine how pleased I was when I popped into Miss Selfridge on my way home from work today, to discover an umbrella in the same shape and style, only cream with a black-and-cream polka dot frilly ruffle instead of purple, and more to the point, only £15! Even better, as I emerged from the shop, it began to rain. Just as I suspected, I didn't mind in the least, and practically floated home! A man driving an impossibly large truck even stopped and waved me across the road, so I like to think that I am spreading a little happiness with my frilly brolly!

La Rentree

The rain is drip, drip, dripping outside my window this afternoon. The air is perfumed with the freesias in the bouquet I carried at my sister's wedding on Monday, and the rain. It is cool but not yet chilly, and it is a good afternoon to be at home with a pot of tea.

Perhaps it is because we have not had a proper summer; perhaps it is the come-down after my dear sister's much anticipated wedding; perhaps it is just that I have not had a holiday in 2 years, or a week off work since I started my new job.

Whatever it is, I am feeling under the weather and slightly out of sorts.

You see, everything inside me is whispering urgently 'autumn, autumn, autumn!' Everything outside is whispering 'autumn, autumn, autumn' and the two combined are very loud indeed, and yet...it is August! Summer!

It is not that I am wishing time away, but I just feel ready for September and the new-term back-to-school feeling which accompanies it. At the same time, I feel slightly guilty, like I should be wringing every last drop from summer. But it is hard to be properly summery when every day brings showers!

I discovered that the French have a wonderful word for this time, the pre-autumn but back-to-school time, which is La Rentree. Quite literally, The Return. It fills me with excitement, and I think it is just the thing to cure my summer blues. I believe I have mentioned a lovely novel, Remedy by Anne Marsella before. In this, the main character develops a kind of 'uniform' to wear to work, and I feel like doing the same thing, almost as going to buy new school uniform. I find myself wanting to buy pencils and notebooks, and my eyes are drawn to the rich purple nail polishes in the shops.

I find myself thinking of 'school rules' for myself, and feeling betwixt and between as I don't want to give myself too much to live up to, but want some little challenges too. So far I have settled on eating an apple a day, as that feels suitably back-t0-school-ish and also autumn-ish for me, and of course has the benefits of being fabulous for the skin! I also want to walk to work more than I have been, although that will be much easier when it is not raining so much!

I will be thinking of other little things too, and will share them with you, as well as letting you know how I am getting on with the others!

So do put a pot of tea on, and drink with me to the coming cosiness of autumn, and a fresh new school year for us all, no matter how long ago it was that we last went to school! What would you like to learn this year?

Persephone Days

I have mentioned before how much I adore Persephone Books...everything from the soft dove grey of the covers, to the richness of the paper, and the font. Thats even before we get on to the stories! Today is what I think of as a Persephone Day. It is grey outside...the sky is the same dove grey as the covers, and it is saved from gloominess by sudden swathes of light as the clouds roll away. There is the slight sweet smell of rain to come hanging in the air, and when I think about breakfast, all I want are boiled eggs and soldiers, and a pot of tea. When the rain finally starts to spit, I spot the most beautiful umbrellas; the sudden flashes of colour from them as they bob along jauntily remind me of the unexpected brightness of the endpapers of Persephone books.

I can hardly believe that it is May and not only have we had rain today, we have had hail! And now it is evening, and I am settling down to watch Midsomer Murders, and I have half a mind to go and fetch a jumper or a blanket to snuggle under. Today has been a day of good things, little tasks ticked off. A nappy cake made for a friend who is going to a baby shower (photo to follow, probably Saturday or Sunday, along with 'how to'), another dear friend who is housebound by a problematic pregnancy has been visited, the fridge has been cleared out and reordered, a vegetable chickpea tikka masala has been cooked, and a cupcake has been knitted. My new red lipstick was worn, and a birthday present for my brother-in-law-to-be was bought. Hester Browne's new novel 'The Finishing Touches' was bought, and I have started reading it already. Little things, but pleasing. And now I am going to fetch that blanket as I am starting to shiver, and I shall decide whether to add a few rows to the jumper I am knitting (4ply yarn on tiny needles means that I seem to knit forever and never get very far) or start another character from the nativity scene I am knitting (yes, really and truly! Its a long story....perhaps one for another day!).

I hope that you are tucked up warm and having a lovely evening, and that tomorrow will bring us all some sunshine.

Mimi Makes Up

One of my favourite books is 'The Shops' by India Knight (actually, I love pretty much everything by India Knight!) and one of my favourite parts of this book is the chapter on make up. She points out that make up is universal...you can feel too Rubenesque to enjoy shopping for clothes, but the very same curvy you can happily slick on a lipstick without worrying does it fit, is it too tight... Also, unless you are shopping at the very high end cosmetic counters, a shopping trip to refresh your makeup bag is going to cost far less than a trip to perk up your wardrobe.

Now I think about it, I am sure I have read an article somewhere about in times of economic hardship, sales of luxury lipsticks in bright colours go up, because they are an affordable luxury and they make us feel better.

I have some friends who never wear makeup, mainly, they say, becuase they never learnt how...some of them feel too shy for red lipstick, and others just don't know what would suit them. Now, a lack of makeup really isn't my problem, as my poor husband will tell you. I have always been a girly girl, and although my 'look' has definitely evolved over the years, I have always been happy to play.

So, if you don't know where to start or don't have much experience, the first thing to do is start a scrapbook. When you are reading a magazine or a newspaper and see someone looking fab, snip out the picture and clip it in. Sometimes you will be lucky enough to have the makeup used listed, but even if you don't, it is a really good way of getting to know what looks you like. Don't feel you have to stick with one look either! At the minimum you will need a 'look' for day time and another for evening. Why not go further and think about work day looks, day looks for when you are not at work, and looks for when you just want to have fun!

Now start experimenting. There are lots of good but cheap makeup companies out there...Collection 2000 springs to mind. This way you can try out colours and techniques and products without being out of pocket if you don't like something or don't get on with it. Then when you know what you do like, you can go to one of the slightly more expensive counters. The counters which have staff can be intimidating, but are a great way to try out products and pick up techniques. Also, they are great because someone else can look at you and suggest colours that you would never normally go for.

Talking of colour....you don't want to look like an 80s throwback (unless that is your thing!!) and my Grandad did always tell my Gran that her green eyeshadow looked like 'two sprouts over her eyes'...but don't be afraid! I firmly believe that there is a shade of red lipstick out there for everybody. I don't wear it every day, but I happily wear it to work, to the shops, for an evening out, and sometimes just to do the washing up in. Red lips are probably my signature look, but anyone can carry it off. If you are new or a bit shy, Tesco do a shade called 'Gypsy' which is kind of sheer, and good for easing your way in gently. But remember...it is only makeup! You can wipe it off, nothing is permanent. So, have fun and look fab! And once you have got home from the shops with your new liquid eyeliner, look on youtube for lots of great tutorials on how to apply it!

The holy trinity of cosmetics for me is foundation, mascara and lipstick. I want skin that looks flawless...my dream is that 'lit from within' glow. The best way I have found is to use a primer, namely Avon's Magic X. It makes your skin velvety smooth, and your foundation sits better and lasts longer (I have used Estee Lauder's Idealist, which is the same kind of thing, and for my money, Avon is cheaper and better!). I have not found 'the one' when it comes to foundation...there are plenty that I have been happy with, but not one that is my foundation for life...yet. Being so pale, it can be a bit of a challenge!

Mascara...for me, it is all about va va va voom and lots of lashes! If I could wear false eyelashes everyday, I would. I even had individual ones glued on when I got married! I love a luxurious mascara that opens up my eyes and gives me plenty to flutter with. Perhaps it is because I wear glasses, and everything needs to stand out a bit more behind the layer of glass. I have not found 'the one' that I will be loyal to for life, but two of the best are Maybelline Colossal Volum (comes in a bright yellow tube) and L'Oreal Double Extension Renewal Serum....and always in black, black, black! I have been disappointed in Diorshow Blackout and Maybelline Great Lash, but have on my list 'Falsies' by Maybelline to try out.

Lipstick...as I have said, I am all about the red, although a nude lipstick or two is always good for when you want the more understated polished look. I usually wear Bare by Boots No 7, but have always wanted to try the lipstick that Nigella is usually pictured wearing. An email or two has procured the information that it is Golden Rose by No 7, so I treated myself to a tube yesterday, and was very pleased indeed. She also wears By Terry Lacque De Rose but that is a lot of pennies, so I will save up for that one! But on to reds....you can't do better than to go to a Mac counter for red lipstick. They will try them on you so you get the right one, and there are so many shades. My favourite is Ruby Woo, although I also flirt with Russian Red. I must have six or seven red lipsticks by other brands too, and although to the untrained eye they may look similar, to me, each one is very different.

While I was on my shopping trip to Boots yesterday to procure the Golden Rose lipstick, I noticed a rather fabulous display. To celebrate their 75th birthday, No 7 have released a 'Decades' collection, each one capturing the look of a decade.

http://www.beautybombshells.com/2010/04/30/through-the-decades-with-boots-no7-fabulous-anniversary-collection/

Now how could I resist the 40s look? I went away with the lipstick and gloss to recreate the look (and was given a little box of trial size gifts too) and plan to have a go with it today. I think it will go just perfectly with the black and white domino dress that I won on ebay a week or so ago, a pair of red heels, and perhaps my little top-hat-and-veil fascinator. Now I just need somewhere to wear it to!

What a long post this has been...and I didn't even get on to painting your toenails red! I will leave you with one last thought...whenever I sign a wedding book or a special birthday card now, I always kiss next to my name, and leave my lip print!

Wherever you are, I hope that you are not too chilly this morning, and are off to slick on some lipstick! Have a wonderful day everybody!