Day 35 | Blue Skies & Old Faithful

Today I have mostly been nose deep in paperwork - but I did have a lovely walk across the park for peppermint tea and some supplies. I stopped off on the way back and sat in the sun - it was lovely. I'm hoping that the weather really is going to pick up as promised. We all need some sunshine to feel bouncy!

Yesterday was a complete flumpy day - so with a bit of sunshine and a suitcase full of old favourites I've gone for a turquoise and purple combination which pleases me.

I've also repurposed a pashmina that is normally used as a throw over a nasty piece of Ikea furniture. I've never really liked the pastelly vibe of it - but some times a bit of pastel, paisley is what the day calls for.

I didn't trot out in purple, suede, platforms - I wanted to yomp across the grass.

Clever layering makes this cosy - I've got a long sleeved vest on under a purple, whistles tee!

My hair looks a fright - it's lovely hair day on Friday. I'm going for the chop!

Day 31 | Balloons and Shoes

Good Evening! We had a proper job Spring day in the SW today - culminating in a big balloon launch. I love this time of year when the big hot air balloons go up. They were flying incredibly low over our street earlier. Your first clue that they are near is the unmistakable whoooshrush of the burners.

Then you rush out to wave - the baskets were so low - I had a chat with the chaps in the Tattinger Balloon. How lovely is that?!

I've lived here over 8 years now I think and I've never been up in one - we had one at Somerfield but I didn't manage to wangle a ride. Ah well!

Today is the last day of the Juice Spring Clean. I finally feel like I usually do on Day 2! Quite bouncy and clear. The TV has gorn bung - and iPodge has been 'hijacked' by one of the teams. They wanted me to trekk into town to hang out - but I'm not in the mood for boozy 'shop' talk.

The Dress: Worn conventionally under a jumper. It's not that warm yet!

The Rest: Gorgeous raspberry V neck. Purple Waterfall cardigan - I think it was supposed to be pjs. Silk scarf as before. Raspberry cropped trews. Coast. Acid Green, plastic knuckle duster.

The Shoes: Purple, John Richmond, vintage, winkle picker, stellies - there you go all your happies in one pair of shoes.

The Doo: Accidentally looking fairly good on the tumbly curl front - but this whole 'get back to natural' go grey - inbetweeny thing is getting a bit tedious. I think its looking well dodgy. The day is fast approaching when I must decide if I can dare to chop - like Li'l Sis. Who recently chopped her big hair and it looks great.

The Balloons: Tattinger and the Bristol Balloon Company went overhead. Hooray!

Day 27 | Purple Poesy

Oooh Dear! I know a few pals who will be wincing with the wrinklage. I care not a jot for your irons and your judgement. I've been home alone all day - and the sun went back in AGAIN! So It's jumpers ahoy and pin the rose on the donkey for fun.

Yes that is a loo roll you can see in the bevel of the mirror - the door is a little bing-bangy so we jam it shut with an empty bog roll... What?

Today I began The Big Juice Spring Clean - 5 days of juice only. I follow Jason Vale's plan. I've got the app and a map but I don't tune into all the coaching videos these days. It's all the same and he does them every season. I'll be doing mine for 7 days - and I'm expecting a bit of a caffeine withdrawal 'heed' in the next day or two.

Time to just tough it out. Although I confess I've had a fairly illegal (in juice terms) cup of soy milk & water with hemp oil. It's miserable and I was cold. Plus - rules schmules. My juice feast - my way.

In my defence your honour I didn't have juice number 3 at 4pm. Heading for final supper juice @ 7pm - and I'll be cooking iPodge lamb burgers, new potatoes and greens. I am officially a SAINT!

The Dress: Worn inside out - which is why you can see all the creases. Hey hO!

The Rest: Dark purple cardigan with little buttons on the sleeves - M&S? Lovely mauvey grey corsarge. Dunno but I'm guessing either Debnems or Accessorize. Black jumper worn underneath as a vest. Sussan. (N.Z./Australiarrr). Black tights. Acid green knuckle duster. Betty's Ring.

The Shoes: Red or Dead Booties - Green Suede and thick rubber soles. I very heart these.

The Eyewear: Prada, purple.

The Doo: Washed and loose for once.

Day 21 | Parrot Day

After yesterday's 'brownies fail' day. I thought I'd go for a more jolly combo today. So I've dug out my parrot tee and accessorised by picking out every colour in the bird! I only wish I had teal shoes to finish this whole thing off in style.

That's a point - WHY haven't I got a pair of teal shoes? 

The bobbles are on the wonk - and really they should be rewound - but I was up late this morning and I've got a couple of reports to get done so while I'm home alone behind my desk - I'll struggle on with my droopy doo. I will have to rethink before I pop out to the shops later.

In the meantime - I give you Crazy Colour Lady!

Today I am mostly concerned with Anastasia's awful new single from her upcoming Album - the first in five years. I'm not happy Jan. I've always wanted to look like Anastasia - mainly her abs and major leather fetish if I'm honest. Girl has a good set of pipes too - and I won't have a thing said against 'Left Outside Alone' but despite wanting to like her latest offering after her battles with illness and brave double masectomy - I just don't - it's awful -there. Bite me!

The Dress: Inside out - so sorry for the ironing ones - it really is quite crumpled and could do with a few
minutes with the pressing machine. Not gonna happen! Bazinga...

The Rest: Brightly coloured parrot tee - chariddy shop, yellow 3/4 sleeve cardigan - oasis, purple tights, M&S, acid green knuckle duster, purple silk scarf with yellow tag.

The Shoes: Multi stripe, United Nude.

The Doo: Wonky Bobbles with hair flowers orange and purple and some clips. To be re:done.

Eyewear: Blue Sunnies - Ted Baker (although these are a total affectation today - it's dull and cold)

Day 17 | Java Jive

 Morning! I'm weaning myself back off coffee - so you'll not get much sense out of me today. I've woken up with the same headache I went to bed with and I'm feeling decidedly flimsy as my dear pal Hilary would say. So to distract everyone from the peaky, strained  - mad behind the eyes,  little face that greets them today - I've gone with more Purple!

I do love purple - it's the grown up girl's pink - which I also love. Truth is there isn't a colour I don't love - except perhaps mustard. Although I could be persuaded to wear mustard for the right shoes. What?

Today I've had to modify the line of my jumper. Worn at full stretch it made me feel frumpy and fat. I am neither and so I had to raise the hemline - to uncover a tapering line into the bodice of the dress. It's a small adjustment but it makes a huge difference. So far it's staying put.

I love the corsarge of yesterday's outfit - so I've added it again to day - with all the placcy, junky jewels too.

So to be honest - I feel like yesterday's coffee grounds in the ooky bin - but I think I look pretty acceptable no? A cute little happenstance is that the colour of the jumper picks up the remains of the purple chalk slices in my hair. Bonus!

Note: No make-up was harmed in the making of this blogpost. I may be forced to wipe on a pink smile before I head out to fetch Bakery Thursday on a Friday. (Oh do keep up).

The Dress: Worn underneath stuff.

The Rest: Gorgeous purple jumper modified. Shocking Pink 'Ladder' tights - Jonathan Aston. Pink and purple knuckle dusters. Betty's ring. Pink Silk corsarge. Debenhams. (check out their hat dept in the Sales - for loads of brilliant silk flowers and stuff - pick up the scruffy ones cheap and borrow someone's iron to smarten them up - smart huh?).

The Shoes: Carmen Miranda purple suede sandals. Kurt Geiger.

The Eyewear: Purple cats eyes sunnies as yesterday. I pick most of my sunnies up at TK MAXX but I can't actually remember where these come from. I've had them a long time.

The Do: Undone

The Bakery Order: 1x giant steak pasty, 1x cheese and onion pasty, 1x yoghurt topped flapjack, 1x Cherry Bakewell and 1x Chocolate Bus. 1x organic 6seed loaf - thick cut.

The youngest teen used to have a huge sausage roll - but now prefers to have the fresh bread with some soup. The oldest is a veggie and has hummus to eat the crust of his pasty with. I don't have cake or pastry or bread.

I am a blinking SAINT! 

Just saying...

As if to match my mood Ken is playing Leonard Cohen singing Suzanne... from Ms Vega's 'Tracks of my Years' segment.

"She is wearing rags and feathers from Salvation Army counters ..."

Day 16 | Because I'm Happeeee!

Happy International Happiness Day! Last year March 20th United Nations declared International Happiness Day - and this is the 2nd. Bhutan has the goal of gross national happiness over Gross National Product. The idea that happiness is measured as much, if not more - by our connection with each other, time to play, meditate and contemplate and our opportunities to make a difference,  as it is by the amount of cash we have in our pockets isn't new. But it's definitely having 'a moment'.

Here is The Secretary General - Ban Ki Moon's message on IHD.

For me happiness is simple to articulate but damned hard to practice without mindfulness. I try to bring my authentic self into every encounter I have. I also try to meet every challenge I face with the best I've got at the time. If I had a mantra it would be -  'Be kind, be generous and be grateful and loving.'

So today I dressed, wholly for my own happy amusement. There's pink AND red AND purple. There's a shit tonne of plastic fantastic and a huge silk flower. There are sitting down shoes, and Poble's Bobbles! My absolute fave hair style. Which iPodge isn't particularly fond of but for my money SCREAMS Luli!

And after all that's who I is...

I shall be donating in support of the bonkers Jo Whiley - I am in awe of her achievement and I'll be watching Davina too. I shan't be posting a 'no make-up' selfie. In fact I spend my life without makeup - and I rarely drag a comb through my hair either - most of these pics of me are sans-slap! So there'd be little point and zero trepidation...

If you are joining in the spontaneous Slap-off- Selfie initiative - then please remember to include information about how to donate and details of how your pals can take part too
. I think it's a cool tool to raise funds - but ya gots to ask!

It's also the Spring Vernal Equinox today - So Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

The Dress: Washed and worn conventionally

The Rest: Lace thermal vest with lace peeping. Red cardigan, with puffy sleeves. Plastic pink and purple knuckle dusters. Mad pink plastic, rose bracelet. Vintage pink beads. Huge pink corsarge pinned to beads. Purple, thermal tights. (toasty). Orla Kiely Black Flower Bag with red handles. Tescos!

The Shoes: Office - red suede, peep-toe. I wrote a story inspired by these but it's too smutty to publish here! They are proper sitting down shoes.

The Eyewear: Purple plastic - lord knows if they have the right level of UV protection but as they're a complete affectation today - lets not worry too much huh?

The Do: Poble's Bobbles - with extra purple pizzaz!

Be happy.

Day 14 | Librarian Chic

Good Morning All,

I've got a skypey doo-dah booked with Orrstraliar this morning  - so this will be a blogentry of two parts.

Part the First:

Here's me rocking the librarian cardie look. It's a delicious, soft, heather colour and there's pockets! I love a pocket.

I convinced iPodge that we could turn off the heating - in anticipation of a full on Sproinging of Spring. It has not happened and this morning I'm feeling a bit chilly - but I daren't admit this. So I have cunningly popped a vest on under my dress and layered it over my trusty 3/4 trews and two scarves. He'll never know! If you don't tell...

I've included a snap of Betty's ring - for the glorious Peta - who is the callee - I'm making that a word... of today's Skype. Amazing to be able to speak with my friends and family all around the globe. Skype is perhaps one of my favourite innovations of the last decade (or has it been longer?).

Betty gave me this ring for one of my big Birthdays - I can't remember if it was 30th or 40th - surely I've had it for a very long, long time! The stone is a Cairngorm - found near her Scottish home in the Highlands. Her unbelievably talented husband designed the setting and had it made for her - and although I never met him - I am sure I would've loved him just as much as I adore her.

Peta with clog and poncho!

Peta is still offline - so we might squeeze this in before we settle in for a cuppah and a yarn. It's been a while. There'll be much to share of kids and life and plans and art and makey doings. She is one of my heroines this girl. A fine beauty, a talented artist and a Ranger! How cool is that...?

Not any old Ranger - an Australian Bush Ranger - this girl is one of the few women in Aus who are trained and fearless enough to hang under the recon-copter - flying over bush fires. Directing ops on the ground. Making sure the firefighters stay safe & don't get hemmed in.

She's the toughest, cutest, sanest chick I know - and and and - she's bloody gorgeous too!

Here's to Peta and Rangers and Firefighters everywhere - we Librarians salute you x

The Dress: Worn over a vest - nanna style!

The Rest: Heather cardi with pockets. Cream, 3/4 trews - Gap. Purple Silk scarf - as before, multi coloured Ikat style scarf - picked up on travels. Betty's ring, purple knuckle duster.

The Shoes: Bruno Magli, purple flats. Scored for a song in TKMAXX

The Eyewear: purple, Prada.

The Doo: soft waves. courtesy of Poble's Bobbles, Percy & Reed - Perfectly Perfecting Wonder Balm and plaits overnight. Most of the hair chalk has now washed out. I think the rest will fade more gently.

Day 11 | C'est Violette!

Hello!

Late entry for today's little ensemble. It's changed a couple of times today. For brunch I headed out with the dark green, suede, Red or Dead booties, purple silk scarf and a beautiful Missoni cardigan which will feature again soon.

One delicious Bubble and Squeak with smoked bacon and a perfectly poached egg later - and an hour or so in the sunny window - and I was panting on the way home! So a quick chimmy changeo was called for and I headed out to my hair appt minus cardi, and plus my trusty flats. There was some yomping to be done to get there on time!

So here we are then - back home after a 3 hour trip to the wonderful Charlie. I arrived feeling a bit frumpy and forlorn and we discussed tactics. I am growing out the blonde - which is a bit operation and in the meantime I'm blending in the grey - going for a greige vibe with the end game of a chic, grey fox do. Embracing my grey and rocking it into my mid 50s.

Well that's the plan - the reality has been a little less exciting. My hair hasn't gone a wonderful steely grey all over - far from it - and the amount of colour still in it - means that it looks like the pelt of an ageing rat! Not the look I was aiming for.

Help is most definitely at hand - Miss Charlie is one of the best colourists I've ever come across and let me tell you - I've been to many, many in my years as a signed up member of Hair Whores Anon. She's dumped a tint on my hair that is used on brassy blondes to tone down the yellow and give it an ashy look. I don't have this issue - so what it has done is allowed the grey to shine and added a sort of purple haze!

While we were chatting I mentioned the hair chalks in the window and how much I love one of the hairdressers' faded out purple/blueypurple hair and before we could yell 'Squeeee'... we decided to have a blinking go! Result... In fact a very chic grey/purple tint - bumped up with some serious purple cred through the front and there's loads in the back underneath - so when Poble's Bobbles are in place - you'll see purple through the back!

I'm really happy - and I feel transformed from middle aged frump-o-rama into a cool - chic older woman with a bit of edge a bit of Grrrrrrr!

So here are the details:

The Dress: Worn as it was designed to be worn.

The Rest: Super soft, slate grey tee shirt - Whistles. Brown starburst tights - no idea, had 'em years. Wonderful dark, sagey green leather and fabric bomber jacket. Charity Shop find! (I KNOW - right?!)

The Shoes: Clarks, punched brogues - I want these in every colour before the trend dies and I can't get the so easily. I think punched brogues may be my 'shoe-thing'. I just can't do stab heels for more than a couple of hours these days... Sigh!

The Eyewear: Charity Shop - emergency buy. £2.00.

The Do: Charlie at AKA Bristol - L'Oreal deep conditioning treatment, purple hair chalk. We're talking blow-dry, hot irons, and PRODUCT! Every 4 - 6 weeks without fail. I wear my hair every day - and if it looks good - I feel good! So there...

Day 10 | Margo Moments

Good morning... It's still misty and cold here - so my dreams of wafting about in this dress, all done up with bits of jewelry, hair adornments and whisps of silk shirt are dashed again. Day 10 and reality bites. I've swopped jeans and a Tshirt for - dress and a jumper!

The only response to the cold and the sameyness - is to have a Margo Moment!

Now this isn't a full on MM - I'll describe it as Novice Level. Margo wouldn't have worn the dress in the first place - but the matching candy pink jumper and pants with purple stiletto pumps and headscarf - are so Margo. I lack the time and conviction for dark pink talons and my LBD moves this whole outfit next door - to Tom and Barbara's - but it's warm, bright and that's what I need this morning.

I haven't loaded up on accessories - I'd look like I'm playing at dress-up - which isn't entirely the 'look' I'm going for.

This started as a tribute to The Grand Budapest Hotel - gorgeous, sumptuous film with a lot of pink and some of the best 60s wallpaper I've seen pasted up anywhere real or imagined. However it took a turn for the Leadbetter (see what I did there?) in the building and here we are...

The Dress: Worn under a jummie and over trews!

The Rest: Raspberry parade 3/4 trousers - Coast, lambswool polo-neck jumper with side loops - trusty M&S chariddy shop score. Multicoloured plaid shawl - Valerie Watt (Australian). Beautiful silk multi-coloured scarf. Unknown - from Billy Jean's wonderful, vintage shop - now defunct. *sighs again at the march of baby clothes shops across our independent high street.

The public wants what the public gets...

The Shoes: As yesterday

The Do: Still unkempt - there will be lovely new hair tomorrow so I can't wash it now because clean hair isn't the thing for tinting. I've swept it over one side - and shoved it under the scarf. You and I know that scarf will be off in about five minutes. It will annoy me!

*Another less pleasant side effect of not wearing cheapo jeans with lots and LOTS of stretch in them - is I am fully reminded of my increasing waistline. These trousers were loose the last time I had them on - this morning they can only be described as 'barely comfortable' - they may not make it through the whole day...

Needless to say - I'm drinking juice!

Day 9 | Purple Peril

Greetings! It's freezing again... here in the South West. Today is Bakery Thursday. Which means the men of the house get to scoff baked goods. Pasties, Bakewell tarts, the chocolate bus and amazing, fresh, six seeded, organic bread. Lucky them.

Me? I don't pastie...

Today I am channeling lady-like daintyness - complete with lace around the collar and cuffs of my thermals, pointy, pointy shoes and ickle pearly buttons on my cardy! Layers are the key to keeping warm - I can reveal that my knickers are colour-coded purple too... this doesn't help the thermal count - but it makes me feel great.

I'm wearing what my grandmother would call 'sitting down shoes' -  they are the perfect combination of cute and treacherous. A fairly old-school pointed toe - stiletto designed by the Rock and roll designer John Richmond. Purple, sexiness all the way up and all the way down.

The Dress | Worn right way up - under a button up.

The Rest | Thermal vest with lace trim. Purple, lambswool cardigan with little grey buttons. M&S purple tights under black circle lacey tights. Pink, plastic, roses bracelet. Vintage, pink beaded necklace. Wool, silk scarf - fancy french label. Wide waspy belt with a bow - Peacocks! Betty's ring.

The Shoes | Purple & Silver, leather, stab heel stilettos - John Richmond (Vintage)

The Eyewear | Purple Prada

The Do | Unbrushed and undone. Today was supposed to be lovely new hair day - but my hairdresser's little man is poorly - so that's me flaunting my grey, badger stripe for another few days.