Frump to Fab 2018 - Fabulous Dahhhhlings

Toni'sfriend

Aw, thank you, Maman. I really am feeling so much better about myself. Himself and I have had a difficult few years. Lost a lot of close relatives and it's been difficult for him especially but I feel we're turning a corner now. You are absolutely right. This is as much about achieving the life you want. That isn't necessarily a material thing, more being happy and content with what you have. We're going on holiday to a tiny village in Northumberland in six weeks time. Not everybody's taste but we love it. So peaceful and relaxing, This time, though, I will not be the bag lady. I will look fab and I will relax and enjoy myself.

[Deleted User]

Sugar baby - so pleased to hear of your son!!!8217;s exam success. These exciting and momentous moments in our children!!!8217;s lives are so special.

LL - your comments about princess Margaret made me smile. Have you read the Patrick Melrose novels? Black comedy. Edgy in parts. I am on book 3 which is largely about a dinner party where the princess is the main guest. It!!!8217;s very funny.

Total failure on the fabbing front here. Lost interest.

maman

Flo61 wrote: »

Total failure on the fabbing front here. Lost interest.

Sorry to hear that flo but each to their own. I've found that much of what I do has become second nature now. Or perhaps I'm just vain!;)

Flo61 wrote: »

LL - your comments about princess Margaret made me smile. Have you read the Patrick Melrose novels? Black comedy. Edgy in parts. I am on book 3 which is largely about a dinner party where the princess is the main guest. It!!!8217;s very funny.

I missed that. We saw a play about Princess Margaret a few months back. She didn't come across as very nice really. Obviously her life didn't work out very well because of many of the restrictions on royalty but she still liked to pull rank.


Yesterday, I caught the last episode of a radio drama about Edward V111th and Wallis Simpson. It was written from her point of view and allegedly how she tried hard to stop him abdicating. I couldn't help thinking how much things have changed. Now it's OK for Harry to marry a divorced, mixed race soap star. Maybe if that attitude had been taken years ago the royals wouldn't have had all the problems they've had.


Not much going on here today. I plan to listen to football on the radio while getting on with a bit of batch cooking. Exciting!:D

Floss

I'm on my way to visit DS2 & DDiL by train...at my home station a very elegant lady got onto my train, and we got onto the same connection. She would be approx mid-late 70's, slim with slightly spiky blonde hair, wearing cream chinos, a natural cashmere sweater (chilly on the Lancashire coast!) and a white denim jacket with nude patent loafers & a natural/lime scarf. She looked absolutely fab, and was on her way to a school reunion in Yorkshire. Certainly a look to aspire to
I on the other hand am wearing dark blue jeans, white l/s tee under a navy & white striped zip hoody, with gold leather converse & freshly washed & styled natural hair ...and am a good 20+ years younger than my travelling companion.

I did notice at the metropilis that is Leeds station a lot of women of my generation wearing chinos...is this the trend this summer? There were also lots of race-goers bound for York, c/w wedge heels and/or hen party sashes!

Floss

Speaking of AbFab, I'm going to see Joanna Lumley next month on her first-ever tour...really looking forward to it!

lessonlearned

Hello ladies. Just resting my back for a few minutes before I need to get ready to go out for tea.

Chinos.....yes I have been wearing them quite a bit this year, much cooler than jeans. I've also got several pairs of linen trousers which have been great for the hot weather.

The lady on the train sounds very nicely turned out....youthful but not "mutton".

Maman. I think I posted the Princess Margaret story on another thread. I was invited to meet her.....the invite came with a long list of instructions, dos and donts, what to wear and of course explicit instructions on how to curtsy.

Well that did it.......no way would I curtsy to Margaret, or indeed anyone else for that matter ......the Queen yes because she is the sovereign but the hangers on. Never.

It is interesting isn't it how the royal family have finally realised that it's the 21st century. Clinging to the old rules and traditions must have caused so much heartache and misery. You do have to feel sorry for them that they couldn't follow their hearts,

I think a lot of change started to happen after the Queen Mother died.....I think QE2 was terrified of upsetting her mother and it is really since her mothers death that she has stepped out of the shadows. She seems so much more relaxed and empowered these days.

TF. Well sounds as if you have transformed yourself, emotionally as well as physically. You sound so upbeat and positive and HAPPY. Good for you.

Flo......don't want to nag.....but don't give up, Fabbing does work. It has "special powers" and works a kind of magic. Your mojo will return. :rotfl:

Maman....yes I had mirror fronted wardrobes and bedside tables in my bedroom. It is a small north facing room so the mirrored furniture really made it seem bigger, and lighter.

My sons bedroom was huge and could take his dark Indonesia teak, bed and cupboards. Very colonial.....I lifted those by installing bright turquoise high gloss fronted fitted wardrobes. The look was dramatic but the south room was big enough to take it.

My buyers wouldn't offer me anything for the wardrobes (cheeky beggars wanted them for free) but as they are only 2 years old we have dismantled them and they are going with me.

The house I'm buying also has mirror fronted semi fitted wardrobes in one of bedrooms, plus a deep cupboard recess with a hanging rail so I'm not going to be short of storage space, plus joy of joys, a proper airing cupboard and an understars cupboard.

I'm going to have so much space.......rattling round on my own.

I shall be rejigging the space though so might lose some natural storage hence why I'm keeping my own wardrobes, at least until I decide what going to do.

The turquoise fronted ones could even be used in the kitchen diner as a wall of storage rather than as wardrobes. The kitchen Cabinets are dark pine and with the dark wood beams the room is a bit gloomy.

I'm going to paint the cabinets either pale grey or cream and the beams white so the turquoise door fronts in the diningroom area would add a nice pop of colour. Anyway it's not all decided yet.....just ideas I'm playing with.

Right time to get dolled up.....and go out.

X

Toni'sfriend

Thank you so much LL. I am feeling so, so much better about myself and I think it's rubbing off on Himself. He asked me today where we should go for lunch next week and would I like to go into town to buy a few silly kitchen things that we need and go for a drink whilst we're there.
Flo Please don't give up. I cannot believe the positive effect this is having on me.

maman

Interesting post LL . I wondered how I'd missed the post about HRH.

I'm no Royalist although I agree with you that on a personal level the firm's outdated rules caused a lot of heartache.

I heard from an elderly man some years ago that the Queen Mother wasn't what she seemed. He'd had a rooftop guard position when she and her husband were visiting the masses during WW2 and overheard her asking how much longer they had to endure the visit.

Although they've reinvented themselves, it's in the style of Hello or other celeb PR. This latest £2m for the Princess's wedding is obscene IMO when we've got people sleeping in the streets!

Off soapbox now.;)

Glad to hear Himself is sitting up and taking notice TF.:D

I love people watching floss . That lady on the train sounds very stylish. And the lady in the cashmere sweater sounds smart too!

silvasava

Maman - that doesn't surprise me about the Queen Mother ( a title she invented for herself!) I remember an elderly lady I knew who was the same age as QM saying how sick she was of hearing how marvellous she was for her age (90's then) ' Course she's B marvellous! She's had the best of everything throughout her life - never had the worries of losing your family during the war or had rationing to the extent we had or how to pay for a doctor'
She always came across as very spoilt and selfish to me but I do have enormous respect for HRH.
Grey day here but not cold. Going to see some friends this afternoon so smart casual ( whatever that means!) and some perfume and lippy!
Have a good day all

lessonlearned

Apparently the QM died owing Coutts Bank £4m. Says it all really. :rotfl: and I have read several accounts that she really wasn't a nice person. I used to love the Spitting Image skits about her, giving her a Brummie accent was so funny.

Anyhoo.....good morning lovely ladies. Raining here so going to do some more sorting and packing, cook a nice curry - double portions so can freeze some for a nice quick easy meal one night next week. I'm running the freezer down now so the meals should start getting interesting :rotfl:

Had a lovely tea out with DIL, her mum and of course my adorable grandson. Lots of granny cuddles.:D.

Other than that no news. Feel like I'm living in limbo at the moment. House is a tip, boxes everywhere. Hey ho.....hopefully not long now.

Just one more week of acupuncture. It's been very successful. One knee is now completely pain free, the one with the damaged meniscus
Still niggles a bit from time to time but is really so much more manageable. My acupuncture doctor advised to try rosehip tablets to boost the cartiledge rather than glucosomaine.

I will need occasional maintenance treatments but hopefully with those and targeted knee exercises to strengthen the supporting muscles I should be able to avoid surgery. I'm very pleased with the outcome. Not quite ready to learn the tango just yet. :rotfl: