Champagne Lifestyle on a Lemonade Budget.

mrs_slapshot

Good luck with the interview LL! I am sure you will wow them

lessonlearned

Hello Everyone....

Well the interview was most definitely Not a champagne moment. The interviewer failed to show up. :rotfl:

We were supposed to meet up in a local hotel. I waited for over an hour and eventually left in disgust. No word of explanation, not even a text.

Not impressed.

I am now resolved, more than ever, to work for myself. A small sideline business. In the meantime I can tighten the belt a bit more.

I will continue to revamp my finances and seek out the bargains and aim to live as luxuriously as possible on my lemondade budget.

I most definitely wont let the want of cash spoil my fun. :rotfl:

BTW yesterday I went to the cinema, used the Meerkat 2 for 1, so my ticket only cost £3.10. Decided to have a snack there, used my Insider points (£5.70 worth) so only paid £0.75 for my meal. Then a drink in the pub next door. I was driving of course, so only had a slimline tonic water. The whole outing came to less than £6. I had a great time.

I went to see Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Despite my misgivings, I enjoyed it, although I concur at almost 3 hours running time it did feel a bit of a marathon. And yes the final sequence was violent but I would say it was actually cartoon violence, more like Tom and Jerry than real life violence. Just more ketchup..........I didn't find it offensive although I do appreciate that others might be upset.

I did think this was one of the better Tarantino offerings in a long time. Leo De Caprio was superb and Brad Pit was on good form too, although he does seem to rather enjoy his close ups...... still I suppose if you look that good.......I guess a classic case of If you've got it flaunt it. :rotfl:

Going from the ridiculous to the sublime......the film I'm really looking forward to is Downton......I just love it to bits.

I'm currently watching (and recording) the repeats on ITV3 and relishing it. I adore all of the characters but my favourite is the Dowager Countess. I think Maggie Smith is Ace. She just steals the show.

sugarbaby125

LL I am sorry to hear that you were completely messed around with regards to your interview today but at least you are now taking charge of your own life. I am sure you will soon end up being your own boss

I am glad you enjoyed the film. :cool:

This latest offering of Quentin Taratino is a polarising film, people are either liking it or finding it really awful and boring. There seems to be no middle ground. Some people have even got up and walked out.

I personally will always object to misogynistic violence, especially when it seems totally unnecessary to the plot of a film.

Downton Abbey the film is being released on 13th September. I will go and watch it on that day as I am also an avid fan of Downton Abbey :j:D

candygirl

Oooh can't wait for the Downton film:jI too love Maggie Smith, especially in The Lady in the van , film.Was so funny:rotfl:

house_elf

Good afternoon Folks,

A few champagne moments on a lemo budget yesterday.

DH and I went to Caffè Nero for a last, free, Tuesday coffee from O2 as a reward for ironing and gardening. (Back to work next week).

Moving pots in the garden, I discovered some new potatoes in a barrel, I don't even remember planting!

We also went to see Once Upon a Time in Hollywood with Meerkat. Not quite as good value for us, LL, as we took DS2 with us. I was lulled into a false sense of security, enjoying the story, music, nostalgic colours etc......until the end :eek:

DS2 thought it was hilarious :rotfl: ' It's Tarantino Mum'...... well I wasn't expecting it! (Agreed, it was cartoonish violence).

LLSorry to hear about the no show for the interview :mad:

sugarbaby125

My Champagne moment yesterday was going to watch the film Pavarotti at my local Odeon where I purchased my ticket with my Odeon Limitless card.

This film was a cornucopia of delight to all of my senses. It far exceeded my expectations and it spoke to the depths of my soul. :j

Ron Howard did a fantastic job of getting Pavaraotti's ex wife Adua Veroni and their adult children to be very open about their personal relationships with Luciano Pavaraotti. Their revelations were treated with a deft sensitivity that was admirable. :T What came across very clearly was how much Adua and their children had such a deep and abiding love for Luciano and for his prodigious musical talents.

His second wife Nicoletta Mantovani was also very open and honest about her life, her affair with and her marriage with Luciano. She was also very open about the difficult pregnancy she had carrying twins and her and Luciano's deep sadness at the still birth of their son Ricardo and the joy of the survival of their daughter Alice.

There are so many moments of laugh out loud humour in this film, because Pavarotti had a lovely love of life and a great sense of humour.

I was not the only member of the audience who felt compelled to applaud the musical performances in the film. Especially the magnificent performance of the 3 Tenors; Luciano Pavarotti, Jose Carrareas and Placido Domingo which was a musical triumph so sublime I do not have adequate words to describe how beautiful this particular amalgamation of these three tenors voices produced on this glorious occasion. :j:D:T

This film made me feel every emotion in a profound way and it opened all of my senses to the power and the beauty of Opera.

Luciano Pavarotti also did so much charity work around the World to ease the suffering of children in many Countries. His charitable work lives on through the charitable foundations that continued the work he instigated after his death. His legacy and his name lives on through these charitable foundations.

I would recommend this film to even non Opera lovers.

I give this film 10/10 :j:D

This is my favourite film of this year :T:D

lessonlearned

Wow......that sounds like one to watch out for.

Well I have had an apology from the interviewer. She forgot. At least she was honest and didn't try and make lame excuses. Was I still interested. I declined, very politely. I was magnanimous. :rotfl:

I actually feel hugely relieved...I was very much in two minds. I was only really doing it for the money but on reflection I have decided that my time and freedom is far more important. I am not rich by any stretch of the imagination but I have "enough".

Hopefully, I can set up a micro business at some point but I have decided that for now I'm just going to crack on with the renovations, doing as much as I can myself to keep Labour costs down and using my ingenuity to find creative and imaginative design solutions.

Today I'm going to spend some time in the garden, hoping to take cuttings to increase my stock of plants. Hope it's not too late in the season. If they don't take then they don't take.

I've got some inexpensive fun stuff planned for the weekend, jazz night at one of my fave pubs tomorrow and then a night at the casino on Saturday, with a Cher tribute act. :rotfl:

Should be interesting........;)

mrs_slapshot

LL - I was going to write that I'm really sorry you were messed about...but having seen your latest post I'm glad she didn't turn up! I think it was a message for you to do your own thing - like you say you were in two minds anyway..things always happen for a reason.

If you decide to do it, you will be fab with your own sideline business. However, I am not sure you have any time to fit one in...you are always so busy...I'm not jealous at all....;):rotfl:

lessonlearned

'Thanks Mrs S. I think you're right.

I too am a great believer in things happening for a reason, even if we can't always see it at the time. Things often seem to have a habit of panning out in the end.

Que Sera and all that.

In the meantime, it has helped me prioritise what is important to me and it has given me a much needed kick up the derrière to get cracking with the house.

Didn't do much gardening, there was a cold wind and a squally shower. So I rolled up my sleeves and started painting the ceiling beams in the kitchen diner. It's a huge job, painstaking and slow. It's rough on the neck and shoulders and my knee doesn't much care for balancing on the step ladder so I can only manage a couple of hours at a stretch.

I would love to pay someone to do it for me but it would cost a small fortune, so I'll just crack on. I can put the money to better use. Holiday??? :rotfl:

Anyway just think how smug I will feel when it's done and I have saved myself a shedload of money.:rotfl:

It's amazing the difference it's made already, even though I still
need to do a second coat. The beams are dark and they make the space look quite gloomy at times. Painting them old english white is really making it look brighter and lighter, and makes the room look bigger. Not sure what colour to do the walls yet.

Shattered now.
.

lessonlearned

Hello Everyone

Hope you are all well and enjoying those champagne moments.

Well. Mine have been coming thick and fast.......must be something to do with my frame of mind, feeling happier and more relaxed now that the stress of indecision has been lifted from my shoulders.

And of course, still working hard to keep them as low cost as possible.

Yesterday I went for a walk and picked 1kg of blackberries. All that lovely Vit C is now in the freezer, ready for the dark days of winter. Healthy breakfasts of yoghurt and blackberries. The bushes were loaded so I will probably go again tomorrow.

Last evening I went to a jazz night at one of my fave pubs in the city centre. Had a good time. Free entry. Parking and a couple of drinks came to just £5.

This morning has felt like Christmas. A parcel from Amazon, two cheap as chips books from one of my favourite writers, Kathleen Tessaro. I can recommend "Elegance". Also a pretty embroidered fan, just 75p. Excellent for hot venues or "those" moments......lol.

Tessaro writes fiction but interweaves it with notes and comments about fashion and style. Great fun.

Then I popped into a chazzer. Picked up a purple brocade evening jacket £4, a black velvet embroidered evening bag 99p and a teal pashmina £1.50.

If that wasn't enough I managed to time my visit to Asda to pick up a load of yellow stickered vegetables and then I spotted some L'Oreal face and eye cream at half price. Wahoo.

Tonight I'm off to the casino, to see a Cher tribute act. Again free entry. Should be fun. I might even have little flutter.

Why not. It might be my lucky day.