Back To The Brick Wall

What's this? Outfit posts two days in a row? Don't go getting used to it now.

I just couldn't resist my beloved brick wall any longer. Some cheeky monkey had put a giant ice cream bin in my usual posing spot so that had to get rather inelegantly hauled into a corner before I could take the photos. Not an easy feat in 4 inch heels!

Dress - Tesco, via Oxfam (£2.99!)
Cardi - Gap sale
Heels & ring - Dorothy Perkins
Pearls - BoBijou

I decided to bust out this new (to me) frock today as I had to notetake at an important meeting and wanted to look vaguely smart. I am most pleased that it fits - a size 12 in this sort of fitted style is not something I can usually squeeze myself into. It could have done with a bit of an iron judging by the wrinkles in the skirt in these pics but could I be bothered with that at 7am this morning? No, I could not.

I'm also v. chuffed with my new shoes. They were a birthday present to self as I made the somewhat shocking discovery that I didn't own any proper plain black heels. Would you believe it? I waited till they were on a 30% off offer though. I don't know why anyone buys stuff full-price in Dorothy Perkins as they are constantly having discount weekends and suchlike.

The newly chopped hair is looking a bit wayward here but I'm pleased with that too (aren't I disgustingly happy with myself today?). Proper before and after pictures can be seen in Kelly's Salon Surgery as she was kind enough to give me some advice about what to ask for on the dreaded trip to the salon.

Hello to all my new followers by the way! I need to have a look through my followers list very soon and check out all your blogs but please don't be shy - drop me a comment and say hello.

Attack of the Clashing Florals

I feel like I've been quite slack with the outfit posting recently. Must do better!

This is what I wore on Saturday for a day shopping in town and a haircut. Photos are taken pre-haircut, hence the giant mop.

I know my gaze is fixed to the floor in the first two and I have a bizarre scowl in the last one but honestly, I had no time to take any better photos! I was in such a rush to get out of the house and then ended up missing my train anyway, grrr.

Dress - vintage Sportscraft, revamped by moi as detailed in this post

Cardi - Tesco sale, purchased with a voucher won from lovely Em at Passion for Fashion

Belt & ring - Dorothy Perkins sale

Shoes - Schuh

Bag - made by the amazingly crafty Char

ps - there's going to be a North West bloggers meetup on 11th June in Manchester. If you want to come then get yourself over to the Google group set up for it. (Non-NW residents also welcome, obviously)

pps - the formatting in this post is driving me round the bend! Apologies if it's hard to read.

An Award

The Kreativ Blogger award has been flashing around recently and a couple of people have been kind enough to tag me with it. Thank you very much to lovely Llara from Little Scribbler and equally lovely Elise at Foof and Faff and I hope I haven't missed anyone else who might have tagged me.

Supressing an inward shudder at the spelling of the award title, here goes! Ten facts about me coming right up:

1. I like awards but I am confused by where they appear from in the first place, and why so many of them are of the "list 10 things about yourself" variety. I am pondering creating my own award to dish out to fab people. If I do, it won't be a list and you can be damn sure I'll spell the title properly.

2. I hate people touching my hair. Seriously hate it. It's not that I'm worried about people messing it up (ha, it's a mess anyway!), I just loathe having my head and shoulders touched. I'm getting my hair cut on Saturday and I am dreading it.

3. And on a related note, I also hate ringing up and booking/ordering things. I bribed Ffion into pretending to be me and ringing up to book the hair appointment because I am such a huge wuss.

4. I like to sing Christmas carols out of season. I led a rousing rendition of Good King Wenceslas in the office yesterday.

5. I am so bored of vampires, werewolves and zombies turning up in everything at the moment. You aren't going to do any better than Angel and Spike so please stop trying.

6. I'd make a terrible chambermaid as I have no stamina when it comes to changing bedding. I often have to stop, have a rest and fire off a moany "I would rather sleep on the FLOOR than carry on changing these sheets" text to a friend. Clearly I need a man (or a maid) to do it for me.

7. The best sweets in the whole wide world (and yes, I am quite the connoisseur) are white Haribo jelly men.

8. My snuggle clothing of choice is my big red hoody.

9. And as that photo illustrates them, I shall inform you all that I love plucking my eyebrows. I find it super satisfying. It's a good job really, as they're bushy in the extreme and need tidying up all the time.

10. I think I'm getting posher in my old age. Either that or I've been watching too much Miranda. I actually said "Do bear with" to someone on the phone the other day. When I start trilling "Such fun" you know I'm in trouble.

I'm supposed to pass it onto ten bloggers but I think practically everyone has already been tagged with it, no? If you haven't, and you fancy a go then do feel free.

The Wanderer Returns

I'm back!

I took an absolutely ridiculous amount of photos whilst I was away but I don't want to bombard you with too many of them cos, well, I don't want to be the boring "look at my eleventymillion holiday snaps!" girl. But having said that, we did go to lots of lovely places and they deserve to be shown off a bit, so please prepare yourself for at least three million photos.

There are none of the cottage because it was a bit 80's-tastic inside. Not really a problem though as we were out doing things most of the time. And at least the outside was colourful.

I muchly coveted the cat shutters on the cottage down the road though.

So, last Sunday we went to the Shell Grotto in Margate. Such a brilliantly English little place! It's tucked away down a tiny side street and you wouldn't even know it was there, but once you're inside it's the most fascinating thing. They have no idea how old it is or who made it but there are over 4 million shells decorating the walls and it's amazingly intricate. My photos mostly suck though. Gargh.

And then to Richborough Roman Fort, the old gateway to England for Roman troops.

Monday was for frolicking at the seaside.

Tuesday was a good old National Trust day out. We managed to cram in three places - Bodiam Castle, Batemans (Rudyard Kipling's home) and Sissinghurst. All absolutely wonderful.

Mowgli topiary, I think.

As if to further prove that I am an Old Woman, I was quite excited to meet Aled Jones at Sissinghurst. He was doing some filming for Songs of Praise and we got roped in to be background extras. If you want to see if you can spot me on the telly then apparently it's on on 15th May.

Wednesday we went to Sandwich which was LOVELY. I don't appear to have taken any decent photos of buildings though, just lots of the wonderfully named roads they have there. And our afternoon tea, obviously.

Thursday was Canterbury which is also v. nice. I forgot my camera though, d'oh! The only photographic representation of the day is the board game (Touring England) we played that evening.

Friday was our day out at Dover Castle which was also utterly brilliant. The main castle is one of the best I think I've ever been to and I love all the new Henry II interpretation, but there's tons else to see and do there, including some fascinating wartime emergency hospital tunnels. Also, a nice American man came up to me and rather randomly announced "cute SHIRT!" Why don't English men say such things?

The colours have turned out a bit bizarre in this one. I was pretending to be a tomb decoration in the shadow cast by some stained glass, as you do...

White Cliffs and the ferry terminal.

Then on Saturday we came home via Ightham Mote which is very, very beautiful.

That's the only Grade 1 Listed dog kennel in England, don't you know?

T'was a glorious holiday. We were super lucky with the weather as well - only one day with a little bit of rain and most days were gorgeously sunny.

Would it bore you all if I did some separate posts about the National Trust places? I really did take a lot of photos of them, but I'm aware not everyone is as much of a history nerd as I am...

So Long, Farewell...

For a week or so anyway.

I am off to frolic by the seaside, visit lots of castles and old houses, charity shop my way around Kent and generally lie around reading and drinking coffee.

Then it's my birthday on 11th April, hurrah! See you all after that.

(all images from weheartit)