Friday thoughts...

I went to work this week. It was good; interesting, it felt familiar and new all at the same time. One benefit of having worked for the same company for 15 years is that it's a bit like home. I haven't worked since June, so going back was a big thing. I haven't really started doing much yet, other than dealing with a gazillion emails, but I was very welcomed by colleagues. It reminded me that there were reasons why I worked; to do with my own sense of self, and my own capability. A good colleague told me that she missed how my mind worked; what I brought to meetings and decisions. Always taking a different view to those in the room and then gently but persuasively arguing my corner. It was nice to hear...

And so to Friday, I find that times are different here in our household. My husband is at home each day which is just such a treat for family life. Its funny how life goes; every cloud has a silver lining.

Thank you to my wonderful guest posters...so interesting to see life through the eyes of others. And in a spooky but lovely turn of events, my favourite artist contacted me as she had seen my blog. I was quite chuffed and in wonder at the power of the web...

Worries that turned out to be unfounded.

Feeling my son's heartbeat as he cuddles me.

Wood burning stove and endless cups of tea.

Walks round the field in rain, drizzle and damp.

'Grandma's Chair' by Jessica Cooper

Quiet moments.

Final preparations for Boo's senior school exams; it's all part of growing up.

emma watson

A newly present husband; unexpected and unplanned days together.

Getting ready for skiing in Austria...shoop, shoop....

Trusted colleagues and work peers.

Winter meals: shepherds pie and sauteed leeks.

Circuit training and strong coffee with the school mums.

Pancakes and nutella at tea-time.

via cannelle et vanille

Ridiculously dark mornings...when will the Spring come?

Sporting woollens every day.

love this outfit via prettystuff

My voice completely absent...too much talking.

Restoring order in my house...it's never been so organised!

via plush palate

Frippery and perfection hunting...

And now to fashion and frippery...one of the writers I read every week is AA Gill, who is the restaurant critic for The Sunday Times. He recently described a concept of 'Daylesford Casual' when referring to women who cultivate a certain style.

via brown dress with white dots

'Daylesford casual, studied layers of thrown-together ethnicity and minimalism over skinny leggings with ballet shoes and pony club hair.'

I somewhat self-consciously realised that what he describes is in fact my own dressing edict..the concept of 'studied layers'. I love this...he is the most scathing writer, achingly unforgiving. I understand also that Gill suffers from severe dyslexia and, consequently, all of his works are written by dictation. I find this awe-inspiring, when you consider the triumph of the English language, that it can be woven in such a way just through the power of thought; no pen and paper needed.


Anyway, back to frippery...the Daylesford reference is genius; and so to explain to non-natives of the UK, Daylesford Organic is a small but very elegant organic shop that started in the country and has now expanded to select parts of London. It symbolises the luxe, stylish side of organic food. Not the dirt and sawdust of farmer's markets but the clean, beautiful, groomed world of our consumer fascination with health and well being all wrapped up in parchment paper and gingham ribbon. 

Daylesford Chic...

via daylesford organic

It's just all so perfect isn't it?! And when I think about 'pony club hair', who springs to mind but Olivia and Catherine?

Ohh she has great hair...via middletonlove

Ohhh she has great clothes...olivia palermo via here

But deep down...the point is, whether it's clothes or hair or food, isn't this is all just indicative of this longing we all have for perfection? Luckily perfection comes in many forms and represents different things to different people, but for me this definition of a look, a lifestyle, an ethos, a style is ultimately all the same thing. I study it because I want it! I am fairly sure that doesn't make me a bad person, but it raises an interesting point. What does perfection bring? And when you get it, does the striving stop? Hmmm, answers on a postcard...

Things of beauty...and a long, warm weekend...

Here again...another Friday list of prettiness; whatever might have taken my fancy this week. Today heralds the start of the Easter weekend, which to me means family and quieter times, seeing friends, resting up. Of course I couldn't not mention the weather which, as I look out today, is shaping up to be a beautiful sunny day. Maybe a late beach visit this afternoon? Cook fish on the barbecue?

I've been trying to just take some time of late, to work through chores more mindfully, to concentrate on the task in hand rather than just muddle through. I need to get more centred on what I am doing. I need to keep my nostalgia in check, as much as I love it, looking back all the time is counter-productive. Time to look forward and to plan...

by Ruche

via small acorns

via house beautiful

via sarah klassen haute design from the shabby chic home

She'll always have one of the nicest smiles...

Jennifer Aniston via eva breath

via here

I want these shorts...

via joules

Naomi Campbell in American Vogue March 1988 by Elle von Unwerth via modern hepburn

Kate Moss via luxist

via 79 ideas from runaway coast

via trishyrose by Chanel

country living

It's all about positive thinking...

I completely fall for these pretty papers...I buy far too much writing paper and then don't correspond with people the old fashioned way...

via ruby press via 100 layer cake

These always make me think of my friend Simone, whose birthday is this weekend...mwah!

via trishyrose

Have a wonderful, restful, thoughtful weekend...

Tell all...

Hello, it's time to share again...I like to have these little audits every now and then! Are you with me? If you had to choose an answer of the two options below, could you? I know from responses before that sometimes people really struggle with this! Life is full of choices... xxx

Emily Blunt via Sunday in bed

Emily Blunt or Emily Bronte?

Baby boy or baby girl?

Gift from a friend: bunch of flowers or homemade cupcakes?

Getting dressed: lots of layers or clean minimal lines?

Skittish magazine devourer or absorb-every-line book reader?

If you could: spend money on art or invest in stocks and shares?

Raybans or Oakleys?

Little white lies or forever truthful?

Natalia Vodianova via pretty stuff

Best asset: face, body or mind?

Love a good argument or neutral and non-confrontational?

Sunday lie-in or early morning walk?

Bloody Mary or Strawberry Daquiri?

Sunrise or sunset?   

Secret-keeper or ready to spill the beans?

Ocean-front house or mountain chalet?

Doer or thinker?

via this flickr

Things of beauty...

What a week! The country hit by snow; on our little coast, the temperatures have plummeted to minus zero for days. We are so not used to this! Of course the country ground to a standstill and I found myself snowed in, kids off school and keeping our wood burner going all day just to try to stay warm! On days like these I am glued to the internet; tracking life happening outside my window and I remind myself again and again - what would I do without that contact?

My little blog has been hanging on in at number six in the Best Blog votes - I am staggered that you all went back and voted again - very chuffed that I have this lovely support. There is another round to go - eeek - but let's see how it goes before I beg of you again! Suffice to say, THANK YOU so much! MWAH!

It is our wedding anniversary this weekend - eleven years! I wish I could post a picture of our wedding day but they are old school photographic prints rather than digital so I'm afraid I can't. I love wedding anniversaries; and this is always a special time of year for me; the combination of festive advent and memories of our wedding day. It was a crisp, sunny winter's day and when it got dark we had candles everywhere, fires blazing, a complete fest of twinkly lights.

Martha Stewart

This weather calls for heart-warming soup like this...

Celebrating marriage this weekend...with a kiss and a look...

We were lucky enough to get married in Goodwood House, which at the time had just become a wedding venue. We have the same picture as this taken from the Minstrels Gallery in the ballroom in our album. Just makes me smile to look at - so opulent, it was unreal.

Love this whole outfit...this is my kind of look.

via that kind of woman

It breaks my heart to look at this, but it's such a beautiful image; Natasha Richardson just months before she died. This is part of an exhibition called 'My Safe Place' in aid of the Helen Bamber Foundation and her safe place was in Liam's arms...

by Nick Haddow

 

Also part of the Safe exhibition - Keira - she keeps coming up in my favourite images of the week.

This just says it all for me...

A bouquet of doorknobs! I love the quirkiness of this!

Marion Cottilard

 

via Everything Fabulous

It's going to be a good, sentimental weekend...