The January Clear Out

The Grand Chuck!

As it goes, didn't really this month, last month!
February already.

The shelves in our spare room were imposing and it was depressing me.
This is a before.

I've decided to group all my items, on one side and G's on the other, that way I can go through it all again and again and again.

Boxes came down and were reduced in size. Everything I could let go of went.

This is the after.

I don't think it looks that much different. What I realise that until I sort out the contents of the baskets, which holds twenty five years of cloth hording then it is never going to look 'minimal', which is where I wan to be.
Minimal for me is nothing that isn't in contasnt use and a small amount of items that define my character and history.


The Typesetter was with me at the time, in the excitement of the shelves I didn't manage to photograph her sitting chatting to me on the end of the bed, wanting to include more people I love on the blog, she was rather horrified at my collection of Amazon brown paper!

All neatly folded it's a defining item!

Like everyone I have a bag of wrapping paper etc. Last year I managed to use every last bit and now I can either buy a sheet as necessary or delve into the Amazon collection
The bag needed a sort, it was a bit out of control. 
I fear that the brown paper will never end so I might use the slightly waxed stuff to wrap the kids lunches.

Looking back at these photos I know I can be more ruthless.

In other news T got a gum shield for hockey and just for the hell of it P started wearing her wig.

Then it got cold. We have a small area of under floor heating in the bathroom, I think G left it on for a week!

He then taught the girls how to lay and maintain a fire, which they are excellent at.

They both sit close with their pokers ready for the crackle. T doesn't do the heat so well so really it is up to P to be on it.
Sometimes the odd spark flies and that's a shame because its a nylon carpet but hey ho.
Making memories.

Come on the dark days of Feb. this year I am ready for you!!

CM

Vintage Manolo Blahnik Boots For SALE

Is it vintage if it is less than 10 years old?


Some Boutiques at the car boot sale seem to think so and often say vintage when you query the price they think of charging. I think that I am old school unless its smells a bit musty, needs a dry clean and is dated before 1979 it isn't vintage. Anything after 1980 is just old, still has its merits, but is something else, often very cool but not vintage.
Maybe I need to re think that as I realise 1980 was over 30 years ago

Having said that I have some 'vintage' boots to sell.

Here you go!

I have a pair of boots to sell, size 41, great for Autumn.
They were a gift from a friend who worked for a designer through the late nineties, I believe the boots were only worn once for runway or an editorial so as far as I know they have not been outside and I do not know if they were in production so they might be quite rare although I remember this style with the floppy tongue having a fashionable season.

Softest green leather and black suede and fabric heel and tongue.

The right heel plastic bit is damaged and will need repair. There is NO damage to the fabric.
I never took them to my local cobblers as I wasn't confident in his ability to fix them without care.
They do not come with a bag or a box.

I have never worn them as they are a size too small but I have tried them on more than once. They have been well stored away and I just always thought they were so beautiful I didn't want to loose them unnecessarily.

I will be putting them on ebay or vintage clothing page from the 15th august 2010 in the mean time they are available by contacting me in the comments section below.

I am looking for sensible offers.

I am selling thses as I need new specs and I have seen two pairs, that could see me happily through to my forties. One pair fits me like the perfect jeans or wedding dress but are out of budget.
If you have ever tried something on and felt tears then you will know where I am coming from.

I can't keep these boots wrapped up for ever and this is a good trade.

Please forward this post on to anyone who you might want to take these bad boys on, they need a good home, and they are deathly comfortable.

Thanks a lot
CM

Grey Hair Forever or Red Hair Soon

I used to be slightly alternative, which is easy when you are size 10 at art school wash board stomach and 17 because you just go to the charity shop and pick your ball gown or slinky cocktail dress throw on a pair of shoes/clogs/boots/heels what ever. Matt dark red lipstick and black liquid eye liner - no smudges anywhere and off you go.

But then I gained weight had two children got a proper job ran out of time in the day.

The charity shops played their part in making looking fabulous difficult, have you seen the prices and everyone shops there and all those lovely ladies that donated their beautifully made clothes are getting a bit thin on the ground now with the passing of time.

Its also not the nineties either, must remember that when reminiscing about the bleached cropped hair.


But I have plans for new glasses so I decided with Autumn not far round the corner (I know!) I might deal with my hair.


It started going grey at exactly 30 and I am lucky that its a slow process and isn't too apparent my mother tells me the ladies in our family grey up the sides like badgers. Not too keen on that idea just yet.


So in the Spring I bought a pot of red orange something hair dye, it is so buried in a drawer in the bathroom I can't remember what the actual colour it is.


I am not sure what style I will be going for but these pics are my fears and inspirations.

Note - None of the photos are my own and I don't have long hair!

 

Gotta love everything about the Grace

I do love grey hair but I don't have the bone structure for it, too much cake in the face over the years.

I have never really managed the natural look that well. Its more ghastly than gorgeous!


Also T is about to start a new part of her life at big school and I will be making an appearance twice daily at the gate.
It is going to be like a show and I suppose there is a part of me that wants to look like the parent that can hold it together.

Its all a thought and when we get back from camping then I am going to make some decisions.

Thats It!

CM


- RGrint - LYaeger - HBCarter - ADeyn - VWestwood -

A BIG Friday Round Up

Brains all over the place.

Being at home with the ankle meant that I didn't need to do anything which also meant that I wasn't keeping that part of my brain active that keeps those things happening over the next six weeks of my life in that hazy fog where I could glance at what need to be thought about or organised!

So everything feels like it's going a bit to pot at the moment and I ask myself is my lack of concentration and forgetfulness a result of the big dose of anesthetic, premature dementia or just not being strong enough mentally to stay organised and focused?

In other news here is are random pics of the last two weeks.

Returning home from my oldest and dearest friends house last week the baby fell asleep in the car so I decided to take the Ford off road and drive into the country. How nice is this.
Must remember to do some research into legality of walking on private land. It would be so nice to take the girls up away from the traffic.
Was running more than low with fuel actually very lucky to get back home.

This is for sale in California it could hold all my crap. Nicley knackered.

 

 

We have a shed now and it has a roof and lives under our back steps.

Truly's last session at the Oasis play group and the children off to big school were given a gift. Let me tell you I was a bit teary but I love the dots on wrapping paper I am so doing this at Christmas along with all the other stuff that needs doing. Priorities!

Two cleaning projects this week.
The pile books and general junk on my side table dresser thing was hazardous.
The fridge still had green icing in it from T's 3rd birthday cake and she is now nearly 5.

 So I am done with P drinking my morning tea and I am just making her a cup of her own. She is still working the most effective way of getting it in her mouth.

 Most of the day she just wants to be helpful at the end of the meal she hands me her plate. She really loves watering the garden so at 19 months old P has her first chore. It's not completed with the precision that I would like and it is easier if T is not in the garden at the same time because everything is RUINED if she or her stuff gets a drop of water on it.


I do worry about the dementia. It feels more of a problem than when you go up the stairs and forget what you went up there for. I don't always remember what year we are in or who our Prime Minister is. I can see his face but can't always name him (I watched everything with the general election by the way). Maybe its because I don't get a chance to see the news all the time or read the paper and it's just a faze and when I am not so focused on mummy things it will all fall back into place again.

Yesterday this beautiful woman who lives locally asked me if I was arty, apparently I look arty. I said I was once but now I am in household logistics.

Sometimes occasionally you forget a name but I bet you anything at Christmas I will remember to put sticky paper dots on my brown paper wrapping.

CM

Still Warm Tuesday

After mentioning Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros I couldn't help but search and listen to Home a song that they must be bored of singing especially through my computer because yesterday I think I listened to it 100 times and I have been listening to it again this morning. I found a great live version on YouTube. I have the biggest crush on this song.

Here you go

I think they are playing the UK this month and maybe this song will be played too much commercially and it will fade from my happy file.

So the plumber came yesterday and changed things around for us. Dave is now a good friend and I do not know a man who has traveled as far and wide to fish. I mean really, from Lap Land to India. You think that NYC is for sightseeing apperentley you can fish the Hudson as well as land a plane there.

So I emptied the utility cupboard and put it on the dining room table, its a pretty big pile of stuff.

North side view

South side view

All clear and ready for action

Spares

Filled

It looks good!

That empty shelf now has a collapsable buggy and buggy board on it not to mention a bag of light bulbs and a hoover in front of the washing machine. What am I to do with the high chair, I am planning on using it again someday.
The brooms are still behind the door in the lounge things still need tweaking I am sure the buggy will get stored in the boot of the car.


glorious day and there is a bed linen wash ready for the line
couldn't be happier
CM

Monday Finally

Not enjoying the weekends at the moment. Seem to be tired a lot of the time and the heat doesn't help so there isn't the enthusiasm to get up and go but during the week there is no choice but to get on.

End of last week G decided to fix the pipe that feeds the hose outside, plumbing isn't a strong skill for him and what with the bought part missing and other factors like a bad mood the the whole job went south and we have had to call in Dave and Dino the plumbers to rescue the job. A long time ago we thought we would move the washing machine to a utility/dumping cupboard so whilst P took a nap over the weekend I cleared it painted it and G taped down some lino that we have been given and we will get that job done whilst the pipe gets sorted too.

Its really dark, this is it with the light on

Not sure what to do with the meters

Nice Lino

Could do with a second coat but the machine will be there along with dust by the time the year is out and I really wanted to finish AND clear up, brushes, the stool I stood on to paint and the paint tray. Hoover and polish the window.

P has a real thing about sucking the ketchup out the bottle, this is the last time as it's now well out of reach.

Mmmm!

OMG! Have you ever had strawberry liquorice, I thought it would be bitter strawberry tasting, it's not it's sweet like those laces that you had as a kid. There must be other health benefits I'm sure.

It appears late last week I got another follower. Oh what joy!! I love to know that someone is looking and reading my mumbles.
So this is for you number 8 I know that you will love it. Its Pokey LaFarge!
Sounds like a sandwich

These are tiny desk concerts, all the artists play at the same venue and are broadcast through NPR music which is an American Independent Radio site. I did know a lot more about it all a while ago but my memory is rather shot at the moment but you could explore more should you want to.
There are performances from Adele and my personal favorite
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - Home

If you like music from the 1930's and 1940's and dig the Waltons chances are that you might like this infact the first track is knock out.

Have a groovy day
CM

Day Six - Day Before Take Off

OK, so tomorrow we go!
Everything is where is should be packed and on the dinning room table, seems like quite a lot.
This morning it didn't seem that much.

So managed to put the cat in the holiday home, clean the kitchen and the girls room, took delivery of their mattresses which are huge and I am not sure if they are ready for them but....... the lounge and kitchen are also clear and it feels like its seven o'clock but actually its half past nine gone. Penny was playing the chimp and refusing to go to bed.
She likes to do a late poo and it can often hold a schedule right up.

Also in other news we went to look at a house which has come on the market which we have always loved, there is a story to it and I'll share another time but I managed to get some photos

Even if I had the best camera in the world I don't think I could improve on these photos the light is just as it looks.

Its a large house with lots of rooms usually you can find a big house with not so many the space here has really been well thought about. Any how, its beautifully musty inside it really is like the old book that you don't know what to do with.
I am so sad that the lovely lady who doesn't live there any more didn't get to say goodbye to it but apparently she is happy where she is now and I would visit but I think that would confuse her more as she only knew me over the garden wall so to speak.

Anyway, tonight the only reason to buy this house is to save it from being carved up by the developers because despite appearances it really is rather lovely.

So tomorrow I am going to try T in some travel sick wrist bands and see if we can get to the caravan park without puke on our clothes because the smell will be with me all week.

Stay tuned I have technology with me and will update if there is a signal
Happy holidays
CM