Frump to Fab 2022 - The Big One

maman

The carol singing sounds a brilliant idea @sugarbay. I wish I was nearer to eavesdrop. 😊

We've been putting the heating on for an hour or so this week too @chanie. It seems to get really cold at the end of the afternoon, especially with all the rain we've had this week. Once the house is heated through and we've had our meal then it seems to stay warm enough for the rest of the evening. 

Lovely day today though, really sunny and warm. 

Our house is full of books too @liberty_lily. When the DDs moved out, we converted a larger room into a study and it has a wall of Billy bookcases. We went for the glass fronted ones as DH has a lot of antiquarian books and it saves dusting! 🤣 That room also has a dresser type bookcase (closed cupboard at the base, glass at top). In the old study (now a music room) we have shelving at picture rail height for books. We still have piles hanging around though. 

My hair has been annoying me the past week or so. I had it cut but don't seem to have got the hang of drying it to my liking. It's OK when I wash it but seems to be a mess within hours. I'll persevere. 😊

maman

I'm going to a Halloween dance tomorrow. It's not exactly fancy dress but I'll wear something black. I'm still considering what as last year (due to Covid ventilation rules) it was absolutely freezing cold. 

I wondered @helensbiggestfan, whether your namesake was dressed for Halloween too. 🤣

Helen Mirren lovingly gazes up at her husband Taylor Hackford at The American French Film Festival | Daily Mail Online

sugarbaby125

Hello Ladies,

Chanie and Maman, the carol singing is really fun. I am practicing the carols at home in between the rehearsals. 

I took a few days out from going to the theatre or cinema and caught up on some housework and I repaired all the items of clothing that needed small repairs. I have been busy with needle and thread. 

My central heating is now on all day and evening. It is lovely having a really warm home. 

helensbiggestfan

Hello lovely ladies.  

Yep.....the Mercury is falling, temperatures are dropping and its time for some serious Hygge.  Heating on, candles, sofa throws and "real" food, warming casseroles and roasts.  I've already started layering up.  

I'm well stocked with winter clothing, bought some extra knitwear this week, chazzer finds.    I also bought two gorgeous leather jackets (M&S) but they are more for spring/summer.  One was £2.50 and the other was £5. It would have been rude not to. Lol.  I also picked up a fab navy leather Jasper Conran handbag for just £8. 

No news about the house. It really is dragging on, just hope it all gets finalised soon. I really don't fancy a winter move.  And it just feels like my life is on hold.  

Other than that all is good.  Weight loss now stands at 1 stone, aiming to shift another half stone by Christmas.  

Hope you are all well. 

It's currently chucking it down here, very dark so it's an early dinner and then settle with a nice film.  Whilst at the chazzer I picked up a pile of DVDs, 10p each.  I know I have Prime, and I share Netflix with one son and the Disney channel with my other son but it's nice to own a few of my favourites, especially for such a bargain price.  

sugarbaby125

Hello Ladies,

I went to watch the film Living this afternoon at Ritzy cinema. It is a gentle, human film. I enjoyed it, as it was great escapism from the cold, rainy day. I swapped £2.50 of Tesco Clubcard vouchers for a £7.50 Picturehouse voucher. For me this film was a 7.5/10.   

I have just received my £324 cost of living payment from the DWP.  

maman

Snap! I went to see Living at our local Picture House yesterday afternoon too @sugarbaby125 . 😁 As you said, it was perfect for a rainy afternoon. I'd seen the trailer but it didn't turn out quite as I expected. We enjoyed it though, sad but heart warming. 

Wednesday2000

Helen - there is a couple who run a shop near me and they want to sell it so they can retire and they have been waiting ages too for it to go through. I was asking them yesterday and they think it will definitely be after Christmas now. When I moved here the guy said he probably wouldn't see me in the shop for long as they were going to be moving away soon and this was back in April.

I have my chiropodist appointment today. I wasn't thinking about the dark evenings when I booked it and it is supposed to rain too at that time! There isn't a bus that runs directly there so it will be a half hour walk there and back. This is when I wish I knew how to drive and had a car.

I read that some of the colours for this season are purple and teal and I like both. I did get two mini skirts from George, one brown and one denim so I might look for some tops in those colours next time I'm in a chazzer. I would like some roll necks actually. 

I did get some retinol serums from Amazon that I will try on my face tonight. We have another music quiz to go to this weekend and it is my husband's birthday this week too. We will probably go and eat out around here before we travel into London for the quiz. I want to try somewhere new as we keep going to the same places.

helensbiggestfan

Hello lovely ladies. 

Wednesday.....it's true just about everyone I know who has moved recently or is still trying to move tell the same story, the delays seem interminable.  I seem to recall that your move dragged on for ages too.  Oh well, just have to be patient. The EA is doing her best, it's not her fault.  I'm not impressed with my solicitor though, hasn't even got the decency to return my calls.  I wont be using them for my onward purchase.  😂.  

Yes I like the new brighter colours this winter.  I did see a lovely cobalt blue coat last week in Primark but for some reason didn't buy it.  I am meeting my sister for lunch tomorrow, if said coat is still there I think I will indulge.  

Today I went to Asda, saw my image on their CTV cameras and was horrified.  I looked awful. I was wearing dark neutrals, black trousers and top and a black and white tweed coat.  The black made me look pale and pasty and the coat buried me, I have come to the conclusion that this seasons oversized coats just do nothing  for me. It's vintage but I didn't pay much for it, I think I will let it go.  

Anyway I've decided that all my black and navy clothes are going. I have just had my lunch and will start editing my wardrobe this afternoon.

i bought three pairs of trousers in Asda.  I have decided I want to move away from jeans. At 71 years of age, maybe it's time I started dressing like a grown up.  Ha ha.  Having said that one pair are mink coloured faux leather.  Not tried them on yet. I do hope they don't make me look like mutton dressed as lamb because I love them. I should be ok if I don't pair them with leopard print......a bit too Bet Lynch!!!!  😱😂🤣.  

Struggled with WW last week, mainly due to dental issues and feeling sorry for myself.  Only lost 0.6lbs this week, but I guess it's better than a gain. At least it's going in the right direction.  

Hey ho.  The wardrobe awaits.  Got the removal company coming later to give me a quote.  

Laters......❤️

liberty_lily

A cobalt blue coat sounds lovely, Helen 😍 I confess I've only ever been into Primark once (in Oxford Street) very briefly and have never bought anything of theirs. I really don't need more clothes anyway although I did pop into a huge charity shop at the weekend but saw nothing that remotely appealed. I've cleared out a few more things including a couple of very nice White Stuff dresses that I just don't wear anymore and these are all ready to donate.

I do have quite a few dark grey and navy long cardigans (All Saints and Toast, picked up on ebay or in sales between four and ten years ago) that I'm getting a bit tired of. But as they're good quality and do lend themselves to dressing up/down depending on the occasion, I'm inclined to keep hold of them 😉

My staple gun is still missing in action despite searching in all the obvious - and not so obvious! - places, so I've been unable to get on with reupholstering those dining chairs. Think I'll have to buy a new one...or revert to using tacks! I've also got a lovely green silk velvet remnant that I'm planning to make a cushion cover with 😁 We sold a couple more nearly new cushions so I can justify one huge new one, lol!

I posted some of these elsewhere on the forum but remembered it was here I mentioned my Antenna hair extensions from student days, so thought I'd give you all a flashback to 1986 😆 This was how i looked when i met DH ❤

sugarbaby125

Liberty Lily even back in the day you were a young woman with style and panache