A touch of blue glistening down her back

I'm not feeling remotely blue, but the dresses of choice have been just that this weekend. 

 

Left; 1970s Shubette maxi dress - vintage fair

Right; 1960s Sherman of London maxi dress - Ebay

Kimono jacket - charity shopped

Sandals - retail

 

Yesterday was busy, full of lots of lovely things.

 

 

Sheffield city centre skyline.

 

I was in town checking this out;

a sale in the costume department at the Crucible Theatre. 

 

If you fancied stroking Kenneth Branagh's coat or sniffing Joseph Fiennes' waistcoat, you could do so. Or even buy them, if you had the cash.

(Only Brits of a certain age will remember Sheffield's own Marti Caine.)

 

I enjoyed browsing. If they had been selling off any of the Victorian street girl costumes from the production of Oliver! I went to see, I would have snatched their hand off, but alas...

 I did find;

three dresses. Much cheaper (£4 each).

 

 

 She looks delighted, doesn't she?

 

 

 

 

Next stop; Heeley Festival.

 

Always a joy (if the weather plays nice); we meet friends, buy sweets from our friend Zander, peruse the produce...

 

lounge about in the sunshine...

 

admire the view...

 

meet the animals at Heeley City Farm...

 

delight in the fact that knitting can be a Force for Good...

 

...and enjoy the blue-skied vibe.

 

 

And finally; a meal out at Thyme Cafe to celebrate my birthday. A little early, but Claudia is away at a Scout camp next weekend, so it was now or never.

 

 

 

 

Waiting for the bus.

 

 

 

After a few more glasses of pink fizz, the photos degenerated...

but hey, if you can't pull faces with your kids on your almost-50th birthday night out, when can you?

And that, my friends, is that.

Oh, and thanks for sharing my righteous indignation at Vix being passed over for that award; and for expressing a little outrage on my behalf too. I probably make it sound as though people are rude to me and insult my clothes all the time; they really don't (and it's balanced up with compliments too) but I like to tell you when it happens because it makes me laugh!

Hope your weekends have been full and happy.

 

xxxx

Back to life, back to reality

We slot back into our usual routine tomorrow; the kids return to school, my temporary job is over, and a more regular blogging schedule should resume. But we'll see.

Just as I went outside to take some photos, it started to rain and the wind got up, so I am looking decidedly dishevelled.

  

 There was clearly no point at all in brushing my hair...

1970s Leygil dress and boots - Ebay
Tie cardigan and necklace - charity shopped
Lurex fishnet tights - gift from Goan-mad Vix
Hair flower - retail (sale)



It was Littlest's 8th birthday on Friday. She's doing something with her friends in a couple of weeks' time, but we enjoyed a family meal out, and Eldest took charge of making her sister a birthday cake.

The cake may have been ever so slightly... err... dense in texture. Due to her using plain flour but omitting the baking powder. But we didn't mind.

My mum still tells the story of the first cake I ever made all on my own, probably at about the same age that Eldest is now. It too was flat as a pancake and of a somewhat biscuit-y consistency. My mum gave it away to a passing tramp, and claimed he was delighted to receive a flat cake and a refill of his thermos.

It was the 1970s - simpler times.

Anyway, we all ate the 2014 version of The First Cake and declared it just fine. 

Cheers, Nina - happy birthday, love!
 

Our New Year's Eve was brilliant.

I've got a face like a slapped arse, and only managed to snap a hasty photo in the mirror just before I headed out the door.

But oh we did have a fabulous time!
I wore a 1950s frock, heels, and feathers. Of course.
I chatted and ate and drank, I danced and sang and laughed, a lot.

What more could you ask for?

Non-blurry photos? Nah, never going to happen! This is my favourite pic of the night.

The kids were alright...

...and the adults had a ball, despite the photo of Ron with his head in his hands. I think he may have despaired at Claire's and my rendition of River Deep, Mountain High on the karaoke.

Fuzzy photos; fuzzy heads next day.
Just as it should be.


So - 2014, then.
What will it have up its sleeve?

 xxxxx

Shiny happy people

First things first;

 

thanks for all your advice and suggestions about what to wear for a Black Tie party, and also for your (early) birthday wishes. 

 

I love hearing what you lot have to say!

 

We all thoroughly enjoyed our Italian meal on Friday - I was overdressed, as usual.

 

As previously noted, I have no trouble whatsoever wearing a 1970s evening dress on the school run or out to a local restaurant, but set me the task of dressing up for an Occasion where there are Rules, and I get in a tizz.

(I've spoken to my sister about what is expected for her party, and am tizzing no longer. So that's a relief.)

  

Look at Eldest, posing like a good 'un. 

This is a rather more representative set of images - Eldest tucking in, Seldom Seen excited about his pizza, and Littlest pulling a face, for no reason other than that she can.

 

And this is a pretty typical representation of me too - hair dishevelled after mere minutes, and looking cross-eyed. Thanks to Seldom Seen for the most unflattering camera angle...

Saturday;

our local festival.

Despite the dire weather forecast, it stayed dry.

There was belly dancing, live music, food, loads of stalls and activities, and as always, we bumped into lots of people we knew for a chat. 

 

Littlest made a bee house...

...and joined in with the drumming.

I love the view of our city from up on the hill.

 

We bought sweets from our friend Zander (delicious) and perused the vintage wares at this lovely stall...

...where Teresa was selling all sorts of linens and haberdashery and homewares.

All so pretty - check out her website.

And look what I found;

 

 

my birth year, and gorgeous flowers on pure Irish linen - perfect as an early birthday present to myself!

Now I have to confess that the other big event of the weekend, the infamous Park Night, was not documented. I did take my camera, but got too caught up in the wine-drinking, chat, laughter and foolishness to remember to take photos.

But you can picture the scene - six respectable and responsible mums, pillars of the local community, sprawled on picnic blankets, spilling our wine, nipping off for a wee in the bushes, and cackling at our own ever-increasing levels of rudeness. We had a ball.

 

Probably just as well there is no photographic evidence... 

 

We frightened off the local youth, we're apparently a better deterrent than the Neighbourhood Watch.

I treated myself again today - to this pendant, which happened to match my dress perfectly, and to these;

 

a well-loved reminder of my childhood.

 

All charity shopped, of course.

1960s Davisella maxi dress - Ebay

Denim jacket, cardigan, pendant, bangles and sunglasses - charity shopped

Sandals - retail (sale)

I think this print makes me visible enough to join in over at Patti's usual Monday gathering, and I'll also hanging out with Jane at her inaugural Shiny T Tuesday link-up tomorrow.

I'll be catching up with your blogs this evening, I hope, a couple of days off and I am waaaaay behind with my comments!

   xxxxx

Washing the rocks below

 

We headed up to the North East coast on Tuesday, to meet up with my sister and her partner, and take charge of the kids again. 

Both halves of the party had had a wonderful time. 

The Victorian ironwork and glass canopies of Tynemouth's metro station never cease to delight me. They were restored a couple of years ago and look magnificent.

Ambling around this old-fashioned coastal town is always a joy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tynemouth Priory, with the statue of Lord Collingwood in the background, looking out to sea. 

He took command of the British fleet at the Battle of Trafalgar after Lord Nelson was fatally wounded.

I have never lived near the sea; I think I should do that before I reach my dotage.

 

Sadly, I will never achieve the glamour of the 1971 Miss Tyne-Tees entrants. 

I bet they were frozen!

This fabulous photo is on display in one of Tynemouth's many cafes.

The gang went out for a delicious Italian meal.

(No, Littlest isn't smoking a fag, it's a lollipop!)

 

 

Then back home to Sheffield, where the cats were delighted to see us, and an early night was had by all.

 

1970s dress - Ebay

Denim jacket, waistcoat, shoes, necklace, bangles and fishnets - charity shopped

 

The remains of the cherry blossom.

The kids and I are off to York tomorrow, meeting up with friends.

I might be able to squeeze in a browse in a charity shop or two before the kids start complaining...

 

 

I've tried to catch up on my blog reading today - a couple of days away means there are a lot of posts, so apologies if I've missed anyone!

 

    xxxxx