Frump to Fab 2018 - Fabulous Dahhhhlings

moneyistooshorttomention

For today - exercise is planned to be a reasonable length walk. I'm being pretty good at getting in doing a fitness video any day that the weather isnt up to going out for a walk or I'm too busy to do so. I'm "mixing and matching" a bit on the fitness videos on those days. Some of the dance ones (eg where they're a group of very attractive younger women in bikinis or the like) certainly show what a columnist meant when they recently stated how the dancing in discos/the like for the teenage type agegroup has become, shall we say, a lot more "interesting;)" since my day and they weren't keen on their daughter dancing in such a "come on" type way:eek:. Ahem...well shall we say that I wouldnt be dancing "quite" like that in public and I would worry if I had a teenage daughter being quite so "uninhibited;)" as that in her style:rotfl::rotfl:. I'd probably be much happier if she were dancing in "street" type style. But, in private on my own - I think I might give it a go..

Got my eye on going back for a second look at a pair of gold earrings that took my eye in a shop - to see what I make of them (or, to be more precise, of their price). Gold - rather than silver - is "my" metal and they do look just slightly "different" and yet classy.

lessonlearned

Ah......if only my knees were up to a bit of dirty dancing......:rotfl:

Re the jewellery....if you can afford it then why not.

I had my husband well trained, I taught him two mantras ....5e smaller the box, the better the gift. And to always remember tiny and shiny. When we were in funds it was a good jewellers, when we were skint it would be a stall called Jans Jewell’s in the market. I never minded which, I was just as happy with my Street market gems as I would have been with Hatton Gardens finest.

Now, as a tribute to my darlings memory, I have continued the tradition. My last holiday coincided with what would have been our 35th wedding a. J ersarh so whilst on board I bought my self some bling. Only cubic circonia but really pretty.

As some of you will know I am currently kondoing again and I have recently ditched a load of costume jewellery that was a bit past its best. Just wearing the good stuff and making way for the new. Good Feng shui.......:rotfl:

Speaking of good Feng shui. I took 5 bags of stuff to the charity shop. As I was leaving the house I thought I really must finish this hall, maybe a mirror. In the CS there was the perfect mirror brand new at £10. It would have detailed easily at £100. It had my name on it. :rotfl: I have another 4 bags sat in the car ready to go.

Better get cracking I have an estate agent coming In a minute.

Ha.....that’s got you going.:rotfl: All will be revealed later.

BTW Peter Rabbit was lovely. So English and genteel.

maman

lessonlearned wrote: »

Better get cracking I have an estate agent coming In a minute.

Ha.....that!!!8217;s got you going.:rotfl: All will be revealed later.

That's a mean thing to do to us!!:p


I'm in awe of all the MK. I agree that it's very therapeutic. I must get down to some more myself. I wear gold bangles all the time but other than that I really have to remember to wear any jewellery. I'll put some rings on tonight as a start.:)


I'm out for a monthly art appreciation class so will get myself fabbed up. I missed last month's as I was in Italy. Tonight's sounds interesting. It's about Vemeer and the 'musical' paintings.


I was thinking of wearing the dress I bought for my birthday lunch but with thick tights instead of the sheers and heels I wore on the day. Unfortunately the weather here is damp and dismal so it's a case of what to wear as a top layer that's an issue.:(


What do people wear in the rain? My hair hates the rain so I really need a hood. I've got a Puffa parka that's fine for casual wear but dressing up in the rain is difficult!


I've had a good fabbing session this morning. I'm paying particular attention to creaming my arms and legs as they're looking a bit dull after being hidden for months. Although it's 2 months before my sunshine holiday I want to get my skin in better condition. I have some body scrubs (came with gift sets) that I've decided to use up. I have checked and all the ingredients are natural so no worries about plastic.


Have a good day all.:)

lessonlearned

Quick update......

EA adored the house, said it’s perfect, don’t spend another penny.

Photographer coming Wednesday, it goes on the market this week.

Fetch me the smelling salts. :rotfl:

It’s all this MK and good Feng Shui. .

She also offered me a job. :rotfl:

I’m tempted but how earth can I market a house, do my college course and take on a new job.

I’ll think it over, maybe part time.

Floss

LL have you found somewhere to move to?

lessonlearned

Floss wrote: »

LL have you found somewhere to move to?

No......haven’t even looked. One step at a time.

The EA asked what I wanted next and I said a fixer upper, preferably a bungalow and gave her a guide price. I also dangled the carrot that I might take on a small mortgage and also am letting them sort arrange so,icitor and removals.

Basically I am letting them have the full package. This way they will work hard for me because there will be a handsome commission for them if they get me a nice quick easy sale.

I am quite happy to rent for a while if my next house needs a lot of work. I am. It kivingkn a building site ever again......:rotfl:

And of course they also do rentals so they have the potential to earn a lot of money if they look after me properly.

As my Late husband used to say......Why have a dog and bark yourself, just delegate as much as you can.......

Got some friends coming in a bit.

I just nipped to the corner shop and bought fresh flowers. They are all in bud so should be perfect for the photos on Wednesday. V

DS2 coming tomorrow to hide some items in the loft and hang my new mirror and some paintings.

I still havent done my bedroom chandelier. I might not bother, I can save it for my next place. I will nip to Dunhelm tomorrow and buy a pretty light fitting and a few new cushions and bits and bobs to dress the house a bit more.

Just a final fluff ........ready for the viewers. :rotfl:

sugarbaby125

LL what exciting news with reference to your house sale, moving on to pastures new and the job offer!! :j:D

I am completely exhausted from typing out the 5 A4 pages of my ESA Mandatory Reconsideration. It is done and dusted, but took hours. I posted it 1st Class Recorded Delivery, so I should hopefully have the decision within 2 weeks. I will be shocked if they overturn the original decision and my scores for each category. So the fight will continue with my Appeal.

It is raining in London, but not too heavily and I have an excellent windproof umbrella so I was happy to go to my local post office and run a couple of errands today.

moneyistooshorttomention

I didnt get the earrings after all - as they turned out to be gold-plated, rather than gold. So I decided not to bother with them.

LL - that was a bit "outa the blue" re putting your house on the market. Admits it ain't how I'd do things personally - but you must be due (overdue imo) for some good luck by now. So fingers crossed it's all going to work out for you one way and t'other.

lessonlearned

What can I say.....I am impulsive although I prefer to call myself decisive.:rotfl: Strike whilst the iron is hot and all that.

I appreciate I might be seen do things in an usual way, but having spent more years than I care to remember working in the property world then I do it this way because it works for me.

For the last 40 so years I have rented for a few months between each house move. I know most people couldn’t bear to do it that way, but I really don’t mind. It gives me a quick easy sale and allows me thinking time before I buy the next house. It makes the whole process a lot less stressful and because I am an unencumbered buyer I have more leverage when it comes to my onward purchase.

Plus, as I said earlier, this time I refuse to live on a building site whilst renovations are taking place. I am afraid Living in chaos and plaster dust has lost its appeal. :rotfl:

One of the issues I have experienced as a widow was a certain lack of confidence and an inability to make decisions. The fact that I have been able to make a snap decision and summon up the necessary energy and enthusiasm to go for this is proof positive (to me at least) that I am finally coming out of the doldrums of widowhood and that I am now finally ready to build myself a new life. I know my husband would approve.

The market had been dead here for months. One of the deciding factors is that as recently as Last week, whilst out on my walks, I noticed that lots of sold signs had suddenly appeared on properties that had been languishing for months. It would appear that the market is waking up.

I always knew this area was on the up and that it’s long term popularity would increase. Four houses have recently sold in the last couple of weeks, two in my street and two just round the corner, all for near the asking price so the omens appear to look good.

I will be going the standard no sale, no fee route so if it doesn’t sell then I’ve not lost anything. And if I do have to stay here another year or two well that’s no hardship. The house is finished and comfortable. If I say so myself I have done a good job. Someone will be getting a nice house.

I don’t know why but all of a sudden I feel energised and raring to go. A new project, a fresh start and a new beginning to my life as a singleton rather than a widow.

Bring on the next challenge. I am ready. :rotfl:

Now if I could just find a plot of land........

sugarbaby125

Chanie, the Benefits system in the UK has already been overhauled. This is why we now have Personal Independence Payment, Employment and Support Allowance and Universal Credit. The irony is that these new benefits have caused absolute chaos for claimants, especially disabled claimants. :mad::mad:

Disability Living Allowance and Incapacity Benefit are now obsolete and new claimants are encouraged to claim one of the new benefits. :eek:

They also have a new style Job Seekers Allowance, but I do not know how it differs from the existing Job Seekers Allowance.

Universal Credit has already caused so much financial misery to claimants and their social housing landlords, because of payments not being backdated to the 1st day of the claim. For all claimants of Universal Credit no payments are paid for the 1st few weeks of the claim and payments can take as long as 12 weeks before a claimant finally receives payment. Universal Credit incorporates Housing Benefit so a claimant will not be able to pay any rent for up to 12 weeks!!!! Then to add to the claimants on going financial misery, they then only receive 6 weeks of Universal Credit creating instant rent arrears of at least 6 weeks. :eek: Housing Associations and Local Councils are in despair as they now have thousands of tenants on Universal Credit who are in rent arrears through no fault of their own, yet they rely on the revenue they raise from the rent they receive from their tenants. :eek:

All because of the fallacy that there were benefit claimants that were better off financially on benefit than in work. :rotfl:

As I have been on benefits and been employed throughout my life, I have always been so much better off financially in employment, that there was no comparison and the same was true of every benefit claimant. Despite many so called reality programmes being made with benefit claimants who were willing to insist on camera that they would be worse off in employment who had never had a job to prove what they believed to be true was factual rather than just an urban myth that people like themselves had kept on repeating. I was once filmed for a BBC programme on benefit claimants, but my whole contribution was edited out from the programme when it was finally aired. I did not fit the stereotype of a benefit claimant, I was not spending my benefits on smoking, drinking and my home was spotlessly clean. :rotfl: I am articulate and educated and come for a really large family where we were all encouraged by my parents to be model citizens in society (2 brothers fell by the wayside) and to be hard workers in our chosen employment. My children were intelligent and well spoken so they too did not fit the stereotypical norm for the children of a single parent benefit claimant. :rotfl:

Up to last November I had a part time cleaning job, yet look at how I did not have any financial hardship as I also had Working Tax Credit to top up my minimum wage.