Sunday 20 March 2016

Time out and about


Working full-time is certainly having an effect; the house is even more chaotic than usual, I've given up ironing, meals are variable in terms of timing and quality, and my social life has taken a nose dive.

But... by miraculous chance, Vix, Tania and I were all available on Thursday, we chose a destination we could all get to by train in about an hour, and off we went to Leicester.


There was no chance of losing these two; I just had to scan the streets for a fuck-off huge fur hat and some neon pink legs!

I'm ashamed to admit that I have never been to Leicester before, though I've travelled through the city hundreds of times on trains heading south.


There were interesting buildings and architectural details wherever we looked. 


We visited Richard III's tomb in the cathedral; there he is, shaking his tambourine, or triumphantly grasping the crown, take your pick.
 
 
 
 
 
The area around the cathedral was particularly peaceful and rather smart.


Of course there was shopping. The city centre has plenty of charity shops, and we spent ages in the wonderful DollyMix vintage shop.


There were lovely ladies all over the place, in addition to some spectacular clothes at reasonable prices. 


See? Lovely ladies!


Lunch is always in a Wetherspoons; this time, the rather grand venue was the old Corn Exchange building. 


Even if we didn't find anything to buy, we wouldn't go away empty-handed.

My gifts were a 1970s spotty dress and sewing pattern from Tania, and a sexy red 1960s slip, parrot earrings (to go with my parrot print frock) and Dr Martens sandals from Vix. As always, those girls get it absolutely right.


I found this 1970s cotton velvet jacket in the bargain basket in DollyMix - mine for a fiver.


And this 1970s dress was from Pink Pigeon vintage, just £10.
 
 
The print makes me ridiculously happy.


After losing a multifocal contact lens, I'm back to wearing my single vision lenses and reading glasses for close-up. One of the perils of full-time work is having problems making appointments with the optician...


I'll be joining Patti and co for Visible Monday, and catching up with your blogs soon, I promise.
 
However busy life becomes, I'll always make time for friends. 
 
xxx

38 comments:

Kezzie said...

First!!!!

Kezzie said...

Now I got that off my chest, yay, so glad you had a lovely outing with these lively ladies!!! You got some gorgeous items you bought and I love your Vix sandals!

Porcelina said...

Oo looks like a lovely day out!! Some nice finds xx

Ivy Black said...

Excellent! I do love to see you three out n'ablut.
It does look a lovely city;all that architectural details and a staue of Richard shaking his tambourine...fab.
Love that maxi. Nothing beats a novelty print packed with faces.
Ah, full time work...I gave up the bit of ironing I did do, and one pot cooking or peace camp stew as we call it, rules!
Have a great week.
Loves ya.
xxxxxxx

Patti said...

What a fab day - all of you looking super-gorgeous and having a blast. And Richard #3 shaking his tambourine, I have never seen that before! Thanks so much for sharing the fun with Vis Mon, xox

-Patti
http://notdeadyetstyle.com

Suzanne said...

How fun to squeeze in time with friends!

I adore the print on that dress. I can see why it makes you so happy.

I didn't even know Dr. Marten makes sandals.

bisous
Suzanne

Unknown said...

The print on that dress is fabulous! I'm so envious of your get together, I'm glad you got the chance to have some fun. :)

Connie said...

Getting together with the girls is definitely more important than doctor appointments and feeding your family!! The three of you are such a winning trio. That velvet jacket and that amazing dress. Do beautiful maxis just jump off the racks and onto your bod? I think that they do. Work is definitely agreeing with you because you are looking quite gorgeous these days. Wait. Is that a nurse uniform pattern from Tania?? Oh I definitely want to see you sew that one up!

SAM said...

The trio we all would love a shopping trip with-Leister seems just lovely.

Kylie said...

Adrian Mole my literary (anti) hero hails from Leicester so I've loved this little sticky around the place. Thanks Curtise x

Polyester Princess said...

Another account of a great day out. Seems that you ladies had a fabulous time. I wouldn't mind having that lady posing with the fan ... As for your gifts, I really love the Dr. Martins sandals. What a great colour and they look quite comfortable too. And that 1970s dress you're wearing: it's fantastic. It's true that you always have to make time for friends. I'm working full time too and now that I've started blogging, time always seems to be at short supply. Still, I'm trying to meet my best friend once a week, even if it's just for coffee. xxx

Señora Allnut said...

wouuu, always love to see your meetings and all the fun & shopping & looking fabulous!
And I agree about that fabric: it's the kind of print that put a smile on my face too!!
Have a nice weeek!
besos

Melanie said...

Another fun day out, you all look fab xx

Beth Waltz said...

Ah, that cotton velvet shirt/jacket is a lovely shade of blue! Now to find a proper pewter turkey pin to wear with it, remembering a happy day in Leicester in the company of friends.

I'm a bit older than you, Curtise, and I've spent my adult life working full-time AND part-time jobs, plus project work. Please believe me, years from now those "urgent" work lists will be forgotten along with the household tasks left undone. What will cheer you is those joyous days out and about with friends. Even the mention of Richard III will make you smile...

Miss Magpie said...

Definitely shaking his tambourine! Love your pigeon frock. x x

Vix said...

Wasn't it a fab day? Not only did we have an absolute blast but the sun shone on us, too.
That dress looks fantastic on, the print is glorious and the fit is perfect. The velvet jacket was pretty special, too.
You look ace in those specs, don't worry about racing off to the opticians just yet.
Housework and cooking are far too dull to waste time on a day off when there's wine, women and Wetherspoons available.
I did think of spending this afternoon cleaning but then I remembered that we haven't seen last night's Voice or Indian Summers yet so it'll have to wait.
Love you! xxxx

Mim said...

I like to think of Richard III shaking his tambourine. Nice to imagine him having a bit of jollity in his kill-or-be-killed life.

It does look as though you all had a fab day out.

bahnwärterin said...

love the new dress for that 70s does "jugendstil" print!!! fabulous!!!
i already drooled over your meet up at vix´s place! so much fun!
hugs! xxxxx

Vronni's Style Meanderings said...

What a wonderful montage of photos! That turkey kills me...why a turkey?

And as for Richard he's definitely shaking his tambourine - why wouldn't he after being entombed in a bloody car park for hundreds of years?

Lovely gifts and the sandals are amazing. Your finds were brilliant and you have more lovely ladies on your fab dress!

Days out like that make the daily grind so much more bearable.

Have a great week xx

Veronica
vronni60s.blogspot.com

Fiona said...

I take my hat off to you Curtise, I find it hard enough working full-time and keeping up with the house and garden but you've three kids to boot. Bugger the ironing, a day out is much more beneficial to your wellbeing and this one looks like it was a corker. Blue skies, beautiful buildings, burgers & beer, throw in some vintage shopping and a history lesson... perfect ingredients for a Bloggers Day Out I'd say. So glad you found a chance to meet up with the girls. xxxxx

Goody said...

Shaking a tambourine and singing:

The nephews are a pain
The Crown is mine to gain
The plot's all twisted fine
Just like my wonky spine.

Right, I'll keep the day job.

You look good in specs, and you're right, that IS an incredible print on the dress. Glad you were able to get out for an afternoon with such fabulous company.

Goody said...

P.S.

I always kind of identified Richard III as I too have a messed-up spine. I haven't been driven to kill (yet) but we don't have any titles worth killing for in my family. If we did, all bets would be off ;)

Olga Rani said...

Nice to see you ladies have some wonderful time together! Lovely dress, that print indeed makes one smile :)

The Vintage Knitter said...

Great day out for you all and I love the print on your dress too. You had some great buys and pressies too xx

Emma Kate at Paint and Style said...

What lovely new sandals. Lucky you! I think you look great in your specs. xxxx

Sheila said...

I'm really envious of your ability to meet up with people. Because of my location (on an smaller island), it's very pricey to get off it!

Love all your finds, and especially those amazing purple Doc Martens! You're gorgeous!

Natalia Lialina said...

So happy for you girls! I often think that friendships based on a shared passion are the most vibrant and viable ones. Your shots of cities and towns are always incredible, and I enjoyed seeing the beautiful streets of Leicester with you (and earlier Vix) very much! So many fine architectural details, never boring... Love the printed new dress, and the purple sandals will be just perfect for summer. Shaking a tambourine is what I am going for. :) Much love!

Forest City Fashionista said...

It's very important to make time for outings with your gal pals! Leicester looks like an interesting place with cool architecture (and good thrift shopping). I had a pair of Doc Marten sandals I purchased in Camden Market close to 20 years ago and they were the heaviest pair of shoes I ever owned - it was a workout just to wear them. Those fab purple ones look much lighter. I can see why the print on that dress would make you happy.

Gemma said...

Beautiful photos and I love the dress. The print is so cool. Gemma x
www.jacquardflower.uk

The Style Crone said...

So happy to see that you managed to see Vix and Tania, despite your work schedule. Friends always make life better! You look amazing, as always, in your vintage maxi. You NEVER disappoint!

diaryofapennypincher said...

Wow! You are doing a great job for the Leicester tourist board, it looks fab and so interesting. Great purchases, and what lovely gifts, those purple sandals are gorgeous!

Mrs Bertimus said...

Oh my! I love that print!
I've just got verififocal lenses...,,pah! They should be called blurrifocals! X

Anonymous said...

Whoever thought up the 40 hour work week anyway? It's dreadfully exhausting!
So good to see you again Curtise and this meet up was probably just what you needed.

Lisa said...

I want that light shade in the vintage shop, she's beautiful.
Love the new dress, kind of a My Fair Lady flower seller thing going on with the patterns on it, in my mind anyway!
Hope you are having a fab Easter.
Lisa x

freckleface said...

Aw, there we all are, having a blast. Leicester was brilliant. Definitely exceeded expectations. There was a piece on the news last week to mark the anniversary of interring King Richard in the cathedral. Apparently in the last year, tourism and business has boomed as a direct result, with loads of regeneration and retail wanting to locate there, so we timed it perfectly. Maybe that's why Dicky is doing a Stevie Nicks? He's never been so popular! That print is superb and that dress is fit for a Greek Isle, you're going to be the belle of the ball. How's your lucky dress? I've worn my skirt, top and wellies! Not all together, mind. Full-time work is a killer. You are doing amazingly well! Xxxx

Melanie said...

A meetup? Yay!!! The best things ever. I'm glad you were able to fit it in. It's so great to see all of you together. Yes, that is a print worthy of ridiculous happiness. Looking good, Curtise. Great to see you.

Sue said...

Your girls day out looks the best! Three fun woman hanging out and having a good time, perfect! Housework and such things should take a back seat more often.

Trees said...

I do find stories about Richard III fascinating, even if there is little truth in some of the stories! Looks like you three had a wonderful day out. I am SO JEALOUS of those Dr Martins sandals - SO GOOD!! The print on your dress is just wonderful! Thanks for sharing your day out :)