Thursday 5 June 2014

Rare and Racy


I've had a week of this, that and the other, odds and sods, doing all sorts but not quite finishing anything.



That's my winsome I know I'm a bit useless, please don't be cross pose.

Is it working?

I did achieve something; I managed to rescue this little critter from the clutches of Charlie the Killer Cat;



though getting a squirrel out from under my cooker and into a pet carrier was quite a task. 

Still, he seemed unharmed, enjoyed the grape I gave him, and scampered away when released in my neighbour's garden.

Charlie hasn't forgiven me. He's still looking at me as though I might be next on his Hit List.


1970s Modelly cotton dress - gift from Vanessa
Denim jacket and bangles - charity shopped
Boots - retail
1980s sunglasses - vintage shop


I spent today pottering around, food shopping and birthday present buying, with a wee bit of charity shopping too, of course.

I can't resist a vintage children's book.


A 1925 publication, with some gorgeous illustrations. It's a little foxed and battered, but that's OK; so am I. And we are both worth two quid of anyone's money.






When I met up with my university friends, I promised I would take some photos of our old haunts to send them. This may prove to be quite a project, since we all lived in various houses, and drank in a lot of different pubs.

So I started with the university, noting the survival of some buildings, and much change in others.


The Drama Studio, Arts Tower, and Firth Court.

Nearby Weston Park is a pretty place to wander.


Although The West End pub, in which I spent far too much time and money, is looking for a new landlord/lady.



Every student needs an independent record shop...
 


and Record Collector in Broomhill is still going strong.

And a secondhand book (and music) shop too...


so it's great to see Rare and Racy has survived. They play the oddest music, often incomprehensibly dissonant jazz, in the background. An old friend used to tell me I should just listen to it as sound, and not think of it as music, in a traditional sense..

I struggle with that. I am old-fashioned, and like a tune.




I love this frock, it's got darling Squirrel Miss V written all over it; feminine, pretty, floral, and sweet.




Hmm, well, I am not always sweet...




 but I am rare and racy.

Isn't it great when your faux lesbian girlfriend treats you to something pretty? Thanks, Patsy!
 
 I felt it was time for a gratuitous boob shot, what with the new bra...
 


 
and you all know I have no problems with making a Thomas Henry Titt of myself.



But now...




it's time for bed!
  xxxx


43 comments:

Virginia at A Sewing Life said...

So many lovely, and so many bittersweet, things in this post--hardly know what to comment on! Nice boobs! Boobs always trump everything else, even trapped squirrels, lovely frocks, nostalgic photos and awesome owl illustrations. Be well. It seems you may still be feeling the vertigo of balancing between the past and the present. Hugs from across the pond!

Patti said...

Ah the pub, the record store, the used book shop - that's why university was so delightful.
Your brassiere picture is so hawt! And I am not a true lesbian. Pretty dress too, love the print.
And great save on the squirrel! You will go to squirrel heaven, and perhaps to cat hell for this good deed. xox

Angels have Red Hair said...

First it was nighties and now it's bras … you are getting fabulously daring!!
Love your frock … love your kindness to animals … love the little tour of your past haunts …. love the poem :0)
Finis
xx

Sheila said...

Heh, I always appreciate a boob shot - looking foxy, lady! I love the look of that vintage book. Lovely illustrations.

You always look so lovely!

Unknown said...

It's not gratuitous! You had to show off that new bra, how else would you do it! Another lovely dress! :)

Helga said...

Dammit, I need to give that boob a good gratuitous squeeze!!! Woof!
Lovely frock, divoon winsome pose. Does it for me, honey!!!
I too enjoy a tune. With a decent beat.
hahaha, our Peeps, Queen of the Pooface, is not amused when we rescue a mouse from her clutches....she spends hours hunting it out again just so she can deposit it somewhere handy for me to stumble over. Or she leaves it under the bed. Troll! It's the only thing about cats that i struggle with. We have a devil of a time keeping her out of a native tree in the front garden that attracts little native birds called waxeyes. Luckily they are far to quick for the likes of her!
Love you! XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sue @ A Colourful Canvas said...

Better under the cooker, than in the cooker! I'm thoroughly impressed by your heroic squirrel rescue. I'm sure I would have just panicked and run around flapping my hands.

I would totally study drama at your university, just 'cause I love the building so much.

And fabulous bra Curtise! It's too pretty to hide.

Sue said...

Great bra shot!! Not sure I could get my girls in the one shot!! Good on you for saving the squirrel, we don't have squirrels over here. I want one! I also want SNOW!! We don't get that either where I live.

Vintage Bird Girl said...

That frock from Darling V is one of my favourites. SO pretty on you! And I squeed with delight at the sight of your newly encased booboids. I was hoping you'd give us a sneaky peak. Heck if I had a set like yours I'd have them out on display all the time. Xx

Suzanne said...

The boob ( I mean bra shot) is hot! : )

Does Apple know you're wearing their logo around your neck ; )

bisous
Suzanne

Vix said...

Phwoar! I love a racy shot in the morning!
That dress from Miss V is an absolute beauty and I love the apple pendant, too.
Well done for rescuing that cute squirrel from Charlie's clutches. Don't they make a right old racket when they're cornered?
That book is exquisite, I'd have loved and equally have been terrified by that dirty looking imp on the chimney when I was a little 'un.
Sheffield is ace, love that the book shop and record shop have still survived and I hope the West End finds a new manager and doesn't go to waste.
Have a fab weekend.
Love you! xxxxxxx

two squirrels said...

Oh sweet I have been sick the last few days and reading this post has made me smile and feel so much better.
You are wearing that fabulous dress....thank you......and you saved a squirrel.....perfect.
Sending so much happiness your way. Love v

Señora Allnut said...

so funny to see those university's strong points, the pub, the independent record shop and secondhand book shop, really those are the best places to learn something when a student!
Your dress is really cute and love its colors on the garden background!!
Obviously, your new bra is Fabulous and you sport it with usual sassiness and lots of attitude!
besos & escotes

Anonymous said...

You look like the winsome garden nymph in that first photo! Lovely dress, just so pretty and fresh, unlike your bra shot! Racy Curtise, after the bum shot last time, I think I need a lie down now!

Diane said...

You look fab in that bra darling - gorgeous . My pal had me take her to Rare and Racy when she was last in Sheffield as she had spent many an hour in their as a student. xxx

Peaches McGinty said...

Rare and racy! yes please! your boobs are fabulous, and what a fab bra! sexy bras and sweet floral frocks, love it! Cats and hunting is an awful thing, Cookie likes lovely birds, it's not unusual for us to flail around the garden scaring them away, poor black and white Cookie isn't camouflaged very well in a green garden, just as well, she's brutal - love the books too! gotta go! I'm off to waft around town with the girls in an outfit they don't like, hurrah!! have a great weekend Curtise x x x

Unknown said...

You are looking fabulous as ever. I did a short nostalgia trip to Sheffield a while ago, after an absence of 18 years. On a quick tour we saw the new Sharrow Marrow, the gardens and artists studios in Heely, some nice little restaurants and of course Rare and Racy. It's all the little places that go to make a good city and Sheffield seems to be doing alright, long may it continue.

silvergirl said...

1. adorable dress
2. story of my life, start a project and may or may not finish it
3. love the etchings
4. have a fantastic weekend
Brett

Anonymous said...

Funny you should show a squirrel on here this morning. Last night while reading in bed I heard things inside the walls and ceiling right above my bed! It sounds to heavy to be birds or mice so it must be a squirrel. Need to go exploring later today I guess.

How's your sewing going? I have taken some lessons but don't know enough yet to make clothing. Working some pillow slip covers today.

Love seeing the old buildings in this post. Here in Seattle we have so few.

Thanks for the fresh inspiration! I think I'll wear a dress today!

freckleface said...

Rare and racy indeed! You saucy minx. What a treat! I love it when Helga woofs. Now i know i've got to concentrate but you haven't made it easy. The dress is lovely, very winsome. You could be forgiven anything. Well, not by Charlie, obviously. Bet that was hard work. Squirrels don't like being cornered, and as Vix says, their noise is incredible when distressed. Sheffield is a great city. Seems to inspire a lot of loyalty in anyone who's lived there. Hope the sun is shining there today. Xxxxxx

Forest City Fashionista said...

I'd say you, and the book are certainly worth more than two quid :) I love the illustrations, they remind me of similar ones in a set of hardcover books I had as a child called "My Bookhouse" (I think that was the title).

Nice boob flash! How did you get the polaroid effect?

Yay you for rescuing the little squirrel, and giving him a grape to help him over his ordeal. Yes, the cat is probably going to get you back for releasing his prize.

bahnwärterin said...

of cause you are not useless!!!!!!

don´t be so hard to yourself - we can not always be successful in all the things we do. but every little trying is a brick in the whole building - or so....
i tried to rescue a young woodpecker this week who flew against the window and had a black out. but he did´t make it, after the black out was gone and a day later it seemed he had injured his spine, could´t walk or fly. put him outside the fence and the fox had a meal......
love the illustrations in the book - that bit spooky and not to sweet. did you have your drama class in that old church? how fabulous!
cool boob pic, trés chic bra! and dresses with foulard pattern are always a win in my books.....
xxxx

Becky said...

Be as useless as you want!! I love the cotton dress and the fancy bra!!!

Mother of Reinvention said...

What a great dress and a lucky squirrel. Looking great in green and that is a lovely bra. Very rare and racy. Love all the pics of your old haunts. A record shop reminds me of many hours of mispent youth tracing down obscure albums. Fabulous in all aspects :) xxxx

Goody said...

Swell knockers there. Well done.

The squirrel. Oh man, we went through months of a squirrel that kept finding his way back in the house, causing havoc in the kitchen cabinets. They will eat anything (plastic candy moulds, crayons, antacids (which he probably needed)and can get into the walls like a mouse. Don't let the bushy tail fool you. They're monsters. The farm cats couldn't be bothered to deal with him, and after being caged and released a few miles down the road, he found his way back to my kitchen. We gave up, and started leaving food outside for him, which at least kept him out of the house. I wonder if the new occupants of the house have managed to deal with him?

"Have you finished thinking your thoughts?" would make an excellent epitaph if I hadn't already told the family I want, "Get off my lawn" on the headstone. Maybe we can do both.

I do like green, and you really do look good in it. That's a beautiful dress-make sure to keep it out of the squirrel's reach (I mean the rodent, not the blogger).

Fiona said...

I do like this dress Curtise, I think it has a slightly folksy edge to it and feel that perhaps you should be strumming a guitar and maybe doing a spot of swaying. The thrups are looking magnificent encased in that splendid new bra...woof indeed. Crikey, the squirrel episode sounds a nightmare, fortunately Prudy is a scaredy cat so I've only had the odd mouse and bird. What a gorgeous book, delightful art nouveau style illustrations and such a bargain. Nice to see your old haunts, Sheffield certainly has a lot to offer. Lovely alliums! xxxxxx

Emma Kate at Paint and Style said...

The dress makes me think of handkercheifs and is so pretty. Well done you for saving the squirrel! Cats are just like cuddly teddy bears that like to kill things.
Gorgeous new bra too! Happy Weekend! xxxx

Asparagus Pea said...

Okay - guessing the friend who liked dissonant jazz was a (straight) man - it's such a guy thing! As Armistead Maupin would say 'someday, somewhere there will be a straight man who likes show tunes.....'

Melancholy and Menace said...

Ha! Saucy pic, love the bra!

That dress is really pretty and I do love the book illustrations.

Great photographs as always, and yay! for saving the squirrel.

Have a perfect weekend xx

Penny-Rose said...

The green dress is fabulous - the pattern is really unusual. I am glad you saved the squirrel and hope that Charlie forgives you.

Natalia Lialina said...

OHHH! With shots like this you are very useful indeed, at least in my book for whatever it's worth. :) I thought at first it's a bra advertisement! Gorgeous, really. Patsy is the best. :) I don't think a girlfriend ever gave me a bra as a present. (What's with that?) But I think one girlfriend sent me cute days of the week pantie once when we were still teens. Actually, she was one of my very first pen friends. I go long way in this field, you see.

The dress is lovely! Another score from a girlfriend! How it is possible to call yourself useless when so many people, and I mean it - SO MANY PEOPLE adore you, dear Curtise, sweet, racy and rare? :) (I think squirrels do too, from now on.)

Much much love from me! xxxxx

Shawna McComber said...

Wow you ARE rare and racy! I'd pay four quid for you easily! I am so jealous over that gorgeous bra. You look lovely and very innocent in your green floral dress and easily forgiven for any useless loafing about that may sometimes happen. Surely squirrel rescuing is something which one can fall back on. "No no, there isn't any dinner tonight. I was rescuing a squirrel."

Besides that gorgeous bra, I am totally envious of life in a university city where there are actually old record shops and rare and racy books.
xoxoxoxo

bonsaimum said...

Great post.

Unknown said...

Even though Charlie was ticked off I am so glad you rescued that darling little squirrel. I wish we had squirrel here - bush rats just aren't as cute! Lovely frock - very pretty and cool with that denim jacket. XXX

Connie said...

I love the photos of your old haunts for your friends. Will the bra shot also be included in that catagory? Those cats! So murderous, then they cozy up to us and we love them. I, too, am quite titilated by vintage children's books. This one is a beauty...as are you in your sweet feminine flowers. Kinda like a cat, whip out your saucy side, then charm us with your sweetness.

kali said...

Great outfit! :)

Kisses, Kali
My blog | GIVEAWAY

Jayne H said...

Great frock, great bra, great squirrel rescue - they can be viscous little buggers - well done x

Kezzie said...

Never mind the bra (very nice by the way!) I'm ALL over the apple necklace!!!!!!! Wow!
That dress is utterly dreamy too! Watch that cat- I had a cat who I managed to outstare and she smacked me in the face, she was so annoyed!x

Beth Waltz said...

Of course you couldn't be bothered to do much more than peel a grape for a rodent -- not when you've gone to the trouble of getting a nice nail job! What a rich color!

Krista said...

I'm so bummed that I could have looked at you beautiful bra teaser shot all weekend long, dam girl, you are smoking!
I think this dress is the opposite of that picture and I love it just as much on your pretty self!
Your university of course is beautiful and old and I see it only fitting that the Drama studio looks like it used to be a church!
Love you!
xxxxooo

Trees said...

What a sweet dress - I love it and those photos of your university are wonderful.I went to a fairly modern university (well I'm from a pretty modern country I guess) and we didn't have any old, beautiful buildings. I always fancied myself studying somewhere with a lot of old buildings.

Pull Your Socks Up! said...

Bloody gorgeous bra it is!!!!!!! Beats the two-dollar job I picked up the op shop a couple of weeks ago (I know, but it was near-new and I washed it first). I get rather emotional when I hear of another closure of a book or record shop that has been around for decades, so it's wonderful to see how those two have survived, I'll show Anto these pics and prepare myself for a 45-minute mini lecture. I adore the book illustrations - I wish all creatures would be so polite as to ask me whether I've finished thinking my thoughts too. Don't you wish kids would just roll over and fall asleep upon hearing such lovely prose? But no, it's "I need a drink" (you're not the only one precious!), "I can't sleep" (yes and I can't either NOW), "I just vomitted" (OK here we go). Love ya! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoox

Melanie said...

Such lovely illustrations in that book, they have a real art nouveau quality to them.
Well done on saving the squirrel xxx