Things of beauty...

Here we are again! Seriously these Friday posts come around so quickly, it astounds me. 'Life moves pretty fast'...so they say. This week, the Boos have been in summer camps which has afforded me a moment or two of pause. I have decided I am in need of some life laundry; as ever I get that distinct feeling that there is too much stuff in my life and I need to edit out, net it down and then regroup.

I posted this week on models and motherhood and bringing up girls and had some inspiring comments and snippets of advice. I love this element of blogging; that tentatively putting your thoughts out there can result in some wonderful responses, some pearls of wisdom that genuinely do help me make sense of things. So thank you... x

Still dwelling on the summer loveliness that we have been having; not for years can I recall a summer where the weather actually plays its role. This weekend, time with family, taking it easy. So some things of beauty along the way...enjoy!

SJP in those Louboutin shoes...'hello lover!'...

Beautiful and simple Bvlgari diamonds...for my friend E.

'A Pink Nude Seated' by Henri Matisse, painted in 1935.

Here's to laundry days with summer breezes, open doors, curtains gently swaying...

via oh you pretty things

SJP in two-tone satin...

I absolutely love this quote which I saw here...I should always pause and consider this advice when things seem trying...

Cycling with beers on-board!

Vintage french ticking linens...

Country Living

I could not resist - for a certain friend of mine, Amanda who loves Molly Ringwald...best, best bit in 'Pretty in Pink', when she re-works the prom dress. Just classic 80's...

Sumptuousness in pink...

Gwyneth Paltrow in her Oscar-winning year in a pink dress by Ralph Lauren...

Plum Popsicles...summer fresh...

Country Living

I love this retro style fridge...we have one, but it's about to give up the ghost...

Ruffled, pink loveliness...

Have a lovely glamorous weekend!

by Chris Nicholls

Carrie, my bed and the beach...

This week has been the longest...even though it started with a bank holiday (is it election fatigue? Is it my work? Is it a mid-year slump?). I am somehow heavy-hearted, really trying to concentrate on my happy place, which is mentally somewhere between being in bed and walking at the beach. I have simply not spent enough time in my bed this week! I blame the re-runs of SATC that are showing until late into the night, even my husband is watching them with me now. After all this time, and all that's been said, and the shows vs the film(s), I still love Carrie. I so do, who doesn't?

The worries of the week have weighed a little heavy and I am one step forward, two steps back (even I am bored of teeth so I won't regale you with more details). Boo is full of woe, in trepidation for her school trip on Sunday. I need to get some PMA (my sister in law's favourite term: Positive Mental Attitude). But I must admit what I really want to do is crawl into bed for a few days...

Sleeping under beams...

 Layers of fresh white linen... 

This sentiment exactly...

 Pretty blue and cream...

Gazing out the window...

 Might still need bed socks even though it's May...
 

Yes, it really is...especially on Sunday mornings with my little family, when the come in like tousled bear cubs, smelling of sweet children sleep...

 A close second, the beach...oh, to be where there is so little to complicate matters...

I think I am a little out to sea...

Love SJP...

There's alot of Oscar dress commentary around this morning and so there should be - we were not disappointed! I find Oscar night perfection intriguing - how do they manage it? I know there is a build-up of diet and skincare, one imagines GALLONS of water drunk. Not to mention designer-dress-testing, jewellery-matching, bag-choosing, shoe-checking, makeup and hair-doing...to get to this moment of beautiful red carpet finery that we all so enjoy.

For me Sarah Jessica Parker's look was a favourite, wonderfully showcased here in detail by the BBC - God bless the BBC. I do love her style...the colour (palest yellow on one of the first days in Spring), the detailing (silver touches, perfect with diamonds), the hair (really not that many women can carry off that completely scraped back look), the bracelets (a stack of yummy diamonds all different; not too matchy).

Love SJP. We all secretly want to be her 'Carrie' character - what's not to want? She married Big, she has a set of great girlfriends with whom she endlessly lunches, gets to wear fabulous clothes, she writes for Vogue, lives in a NY Brownstone...I could go on...

But in real life...I loved her Oscar night choice.