Frump to Fab 2019 - Here We Go Again

lessonlearned

Good morning lovely ladies.....

SUgarbaby......what a pain, just another level of stress you could well do without.

Yes I remember wearing blazers a lot for work, slightly less formal than suits yet still smart. Princess Diana used to wear them a lot too. They look just as good with jeans as they do with skirts and more dressy trousers or over a dress.

I have to say I do like jackets, I have quite a few. I seem to suit a more tailored look.

Well I am finally on the home straight with painting those wretched beams in the dinnng room. Wished I'd never started. :rotfl: actually not really they do look much better but oh my what a marathon and such hard work. Really rough on the neck and my shoulder blades are killing me. Now on the final coat so over the worst now. The kitchen end can wait until the new year.

I've done a couple of hours this morning, that's quite enough for one session. I'm going to have a nice pamper session now, give myself another mini skin peel. Going to do two a week for the next 3 weeks. It's just a very gentle diy kit from Boots but it really freshens the skin and makes it feel lovely and soft. And of course no worries about sun damage after a peel now. I don't do them in the summer.

I did put a couple of pounds back on so I,have taken myself in hand and I've lost 1lb again already. Still want to try and lose than final half stone by Christmas.

We definitely seem to be "on message" with the conservation side of clothing. Most of my new to me winter wardrobe of sweaters and skirts are chazza shop bargains. I've picked up some really nice items and I reckon I have spent no more than. Around £25. Saving money and the planet. :rotfl: Go Me.:D.

Wednesday2000

I think I mentioned on here that I had a small patch of ringworm on my leg and it's still there despite using the two types of cream the GP gave me!:mad:

I changed my leggings to 100% cotton so that can't be the reason. I thought it might be an allergic reaction to the blanket on the fabric chair i sit on as it is artificial fabric so I have ordered a new faux leather chair from Wayfair. It was in the sale so I got some money off it.:)

It is free next day delivery so I thought I would move the living room furniture around a bit tomorrow when it gets here to refresh the room.

I really like my new silver necklace, it is basically the same design with stars instead of hearts.:A

I did a skin peel with one of the peel pads last night. I haven't used that Superdrug overnight peel yet. I keep forgetting about it!

I'm getting my hair trimmed tomorrow and it needs a bit of a tidy up.:cool:

maman

Funnily enough Wednesday my DH has a patch on his shin that flares up from time to time. GP can't seem to decide whether it's eczema, psoriasis or some sort of fungal infection. He tries different creams but nothing seems to work indefinitely.:(

That ceiling sounds like sheer hard work LL but very wise to pace yourself.

It's a glorious autumn day here. DH and I went out for our weekly 'health' walk this morning and really enjoyed it. Then we have a coffee and chat with friends sitting on a terrace in a woodland trail. It's really enjoyable. The Health Walks are a national initiative which I'd recommend to anyone. It's not just about the exercise but getting out and seeing people too. The walk we do is fairly brisk (about 3 miles in an hour) but there are others on different days that go at a gentler pace.

I'm still on a mission to use up toiletries. Doing up the bathroom gave me the opportunity to sort through everything so I know that what's in the cupboards is all usable. I'm always amazed that people post on the OS boards they need a certain weekly/monthly budget for toiletries and cleaning products. I'm not a dirty person (honestly:o) but I seem to get through things so slowly as another of my habits is not to throw anything away until I've used the very last drop. I'm still using (with a lip brush) the tail end of a lipstick that I took on holiday in June. I took it away because a long lipstick can melt in the heat and snap off but here we are more than 3 months on and it's still going strong despite almost daily use.:(

Hope everyone's having a good day.:)

sugarbaby125

Hello Ladies,

Yesterday I went to Odeon Streatham using my Odeon Limitless card to buy a ticket to see Judy and I went to Karaoke in the evening.

I absolutely loved this film. Rene Zellweger as Judy Garland is a powerhouse tour de force of a performance. :j Most impressive is that Rene does all of the singing in the movie and she had me spellbound from her 1st word both as an actor and as a singer. Rene brings so much emotion and pathos to her portrayal of Judy Garland in her twilight year as a performer, before her untimely death. I would give this film 10/10

I went to Karaoke despite still suffering with my cold. I dosed myself up before leaving home and went and had a really enjoyable evening. :j:D I only sang 5 of my usual songs as there were not many singers there, but I was up on my feet dancing with the DJ and by myself, because the vibe was so great in between the Karaoke singers.

I did call Lambeth Council Tax to explain that I was not prepared to pay any amount for a council tax bill that was only raised for a son who does not live at home. I got a very obstinate woman, who informed me that Lambeth Council Tax will carry on the recovery process for the £181.18. :mad: I replied that I was aware that they would be, but I was not going to admit that my son was living at home, when King's University had already submitted a written document to Lambeth Benefits that confirmed that my son was living in Urbanest Waterloo student accommodation and confirmed that he was doing a 3 year degree. So the saga continues, but this time around because I am not working full time, like when similar happened with regards to my daughter being at university, I will fight on right up to the local Magistrate Court if I have to. :cool:

It is great to have such mild weather in October, as I am not having to use my central heating on most days as my maisonette has regularly been 23 degrees, so it has only been the odd day that I have needed to use it in October so far.

savingfortomorrow

Everyone has been peeling. I have been using my glycolic and vit c (4.5%) at the moment. It is great to being the skin back to normal and once I have a bot more tolerant to it I will use my peel kit (20%).
The first day the skin is a bit sheading but it is so effective. I plan to use my spf. However, I make casper the ghost look like he came back from a nice tropical holiday.

I have been uping my activity levels. Once you start it is a lot easier, I am going to try and do three things a week I enjoy. If Im sitting on my !!! Im not going to burn any calories.

Sugar, it is very difficult for you with the council, they make their own rules and apply them as they feel fit. Hopefully it will be sorted out soon.

I like blazers as the bit of heat is so important. You can make a casual item more formal. It works for the layering.

I prefer second hand clothes as there is so much variety. There is the potential of finding a unique item or something different, I prefer to buy things I like and make me happy. The samey sameness in some shops puts me off no end.

lessonlearned

Good morning lovely ladies

Nice to hear from you all. Weather here is grim, again. Never mind I am going to nip to Aldi in a bit and then tackle the ceiling for an hour or so. I am on the final furlong now. And yes, it is worth the effort, Just as soon as I've finished the ceiling I will book myself a nice massage. Doing the walls will be a doddle by comparison.

I'm aiming to get the dining room finished by the end of November and then concentrate on Christmas. Then after a nice break I will tackle the kitchen......:eek: another big job but I'll take my time. It's slow progress but I am saving £££s on labour costs.

I would loved to rip the units out but realistically I can't really stretch the budget that far yet. I am having new windows first. More important to get warm and cosy first. So I will paint the cabinets for now. I've had an estimate from a joiner to move a couple around to make things work better for me. I think the new layout will look better too, and of course paint and new handles will make a huge difference. My son will upgrade the lighting and then a few nice accessories and it should do nicely for a couple of years.

Might pop in my favourite Chazzer whilst I'm out. It isn't the cheapest because it's in an affluent area but they do have some very nice things. I agree SFT - it's the sameness of the high street offerings that puts me off too. And, most of the time, the fabric quality is so awful. I think they are skimping to keep prices low (as well as other methods like bonded labour etc). Just horrible in so many ways.

I am sick of the pile it high and sell it cheap approach to clothing, the waste, the greed and the pollution it causes. Everyone looks the same and so many clothes look like limp dishcloths after a few washes. Rant over. :rotfl:

I think once I've finished the main thrust of the house I am going to buy myself a nice sewing machine and go to sewing classes to refresh and upgrade my sewing skills. I used to sew a lot when I was younger but got out of the habit.

Speaking of resurrecting old skills. I actually baked a cake, haven't baked in years. I'm not a great baker but even I can rustle up a banana cake. Took some to my sons and it went down a storm. My GS loved it.......does that qualify me as a "proper Granny" :rotfl:

I've booked a hair cut for Monday. And a girly day is planned for tomorrow.....lunch and cinema. A couple of nice breaks from painting.:D

maman

savingfortomorrow wrote: »

I prefer second hand clothes as there is so much variety. There is the potential of finding a unique item or something different, I prefer to buy things I like and make me happy. The samey sameness in some shops puts me off no end.

You're right sft. I think we'd all agree that we buy underwear new as that's an essential item. We either need new knickers or we don't!:D With very few exceptions, other clothes fall into the wants category IMO. So the glory of the CS (or ebay) is that you can browse with perhaps an item in mind and have great pleasure if we find what we need but can easily wait until something comes up. Meanwhile we repurpose (and get more wear) from our existing clothes perhaps by wearing them in a different way.

I think the sameness may be contributing to the death of the High Street. It's not just that the clothes are all the same but you can go anywhere in the country and the shop front, the layout, the stock; everything is the same. I think that's why town centres with some character and independent shops are having some success.

One tip for painting the cupboard doors in the kitchen LL: I found it much easier to take the doors off to paint them. It's less back/arm breaking and I could get a better finish on a horizontal surface. I put mine on a table and propped them up on tins (beans, tomatoes etc) so I could paint easily right to the edges.

It's a miserable day here too although overall it's been a much better week than the forecast anticipated. I, too, am planning to go to Aldi but this week I need to go to Sainsbury's too so I might get a quick CS browse.

lessonlearned

Just having 11ses. Coffee and some waffles. So naughty but I just fancied them. I get fed up with healthy brunches. :rotfl:

Well I did my Aldi stock up. Extra coffee - just in case (Brexit and all that:rotfl:). I am adaptable and flexible and can cope with most things that life throws in my path but I would hate to forego a decent cup of coffee. My nutritionist advised me to give it up to cure my IBS. I told her "No deal". I'll give up bread, pasta, cakes and biscuits, I'll even cut out cheese when I have to but I draw the line at coffee. :rotfl:

I have an open fire in the dining room and Aldi have started selling logs and smokeless coal again. Their coal was the cheapest I've seen anywhere, even beating buying in bulk online, so I have bought one bag to try and see how it burns. I do love a real fire.

I have the plumber coming at the end of the month, to service the boiler and gas fire in the lounge. The one that's really just decorative and very inefficient. I'm tempted to get him to disconnect and burn coal or logs in there too, at least for this winter until I make a final decision as to whether or not to invest in a log burner or a better gas fire. I'll see what he advises.

Popped into the chazzer.....picked up 3 sweaters and two pashminas (50p each and lovely colours) and a big white quilted bedthrow for £2. Thought I might borrow Wednesdays trick and try dying it.

Maman meant to say I have developed a funny scaly patch on one of my knees, about the size of an old sixpence. . Not sure quite what it is, some form of excema I think. Ive not bothered seeing a doctor. I just use 1%OTC hydrocortisone cream. A couple of days does the trick but as you say it does come back again from time to time. Obviously if it spreads or gets worse then I would see the quack but that's probably all they would prescribe anyway. I did wonder if it was an allergic reaction to voltarol gel so I go easy on that now.

Right time to get my scruffs on and crack on with that ceiling.

lessonlearned

Ps Meant to say thanks for the painting tip. I shall set up a table in either my "dressing room" or the loft bedroom out of the way. I could use the workshop but if I'm doing it over the winter it would be too cold in there.

As you say it will be much easier than trying to paint the doors in situ. Probably get a better finish too.

Wednesday2000

maman wrote: »

Funnily enough Wednesday my DH has a patch on his shin that flares up from time to time. GP can't seem to decide whether it's eczema, psoriasis or some sort of fungal infection. He tries different creams but nothing seems to work indefinitely.:(

lessonlearned wrote: »

Maman meant to say I have developed a funny scaly patch on one of my knees, about the size of an old sixpence. . Not sure quite what it is, some form of excema I think. Ive not bothered seeing a doctor. I just use 1%OTC hydrocortisone cream. A couple of days does the trick but as you say it does come back again from time to time. Obviously if it spreads or gets worse then I would see the quack but that's probably all they would prescribe anyway. I did wonder if it was an allergic reaction to voltarol gel so I go easy on that now.

Do you know it's funny as I woke up scratching and looked online and it said that eczema can cause itching at night. I'm stopping using the cream the GP gave me as it isn't working and just realised that it said to only use it for 7 days and I've been using it for about 3 weeks now!

I'm just going to use sudocream and see if that makes any difference. I'm going to stop using bubble bath too.