Frump to Fab 2022 - The Big One

maman

Feels like ages since I've posted but have been reading along.😊

I'm with you about wearing leggings as a base layer @sugarbaby125 . Every day lately,  I get dressed in my leggings and a thermal top first and then think what I can wear on top!  🤣 I've had to rethink some of the outfits I'd planned to wear for Christmas events as it's hard to judge how warm it will be even in restaurants and pubs. Last week I wore a red Aran type jumper to a pub lunch but fortunately with my red Reiss top underneath so was able to take the jumper off as I was warm enough. On Saturday night I switched a lace dress for a sparkly skirt and a jumper when I went dancing. 

That Gplan table was a real bargain @chanie and having the tiled top will make it really practical too. I like the way the one piece 'legs' curve. Well done for spotting it! 

I went out looking for woollen gloves as I find them warmest and my current ones are really old and a bit threadbare. I couldn't find what I wanted in the shops so had to order online. These will go well with my camel coloured coat.
JOULES - Christina Fair-isle Knit Gloves - Cream Pink - New - Sealed - Last one! | eBay

Although no luck with gloves, I did browse a few charity shops while I was out and bought  a lovely dark green White Stuff top for £3.50 and a green velvet scarf from Monsoon. The scarf is a patchwork and matches a skirt and jumper that I have. Generally speaking though, I though some of the CSs I visited were asking silly prices for their goods. 

I hope everyone is looking forward to Christmas and managing OK with the energy prices and other problems. I saw Martin Lewis on television last night and the predicament he describes for many people is just so depressing. Although I like to keep abreast of current affairs, I find lately that I have to carefully manage how much news I read and/or listen to. 

We put the Christmas wreath on the front door yesterday but the main decorations will go up this weekend. I think we all need something to cheer us up.😊🎄

liberty_lily

I'm with you on both the rationing news front and the need to cheer ourselves up, Maman 🙄 Love the gloves, btw 😊

DH is off at the moment - yesterday because it was too freezing (again!) to apply the external render at his client's house, because the render could crack and today (when he'd planned to go somewhere else) because he is feeling unwell 🤧 Seems to be just a cold/overdoing things and thankfully not covid!

Yesterday we relocated the Art Nouveau bookcase DH bought via phone bidding at a Sussex auction house in 2004. It houses all my Arts and Crafts Movement/Art Nouveau/Pre-Raphaelite (and associated subjects) books and is now in its forever home 😁

In the afternoon I thoroughly cleaned the extremely fragile gesso Art Nouveau peacock mirror we bought on ebay back in 2008(?). It's one of our most treasured possessions and it looks better than ever now fully cleared of accumulated dust/carp! Today we hung it in the snug (dining) end of the living room where it looks fab 😍

We are still hoping to get the living room tree/decorations up at the weekend but who knows if that end of the room will be ready! Meanwhile I've made some rather rough and ready paper fans to decorate the kitchen using wallpaper offcuts...I won't add a pic here as you're probably bored with pics of my kitchen by now, lol, but there's one over on my insta account if interested 😉😄

maman

Never fed up with looking at photos @liberty_lily. 😁

My DH had a heavy cold last week. He's recovered now but there's a lot of it about. 😉

We should have been meeting friends today but postponed until January because of potential icy roads. ☹️  We're going to be meeting them at the Watts gallery near Guildford. There's a pre Raphaelite exhibition on until February. Probably my favourite art period. I love the dreaminess if it, if that makes sense. 🤔

Wednesday2000

I'm exactly the same Maman. I wear my looser fit thermal tops and leggings to bed and then wear my slim fit thermal top and leggings during the day and just put on a tunic or skirt and jumpers/cardigans over it.

I have a concert this weekend. We are going to go for a meal, see the local xmas lights and then see a carol service beforehand.:)

Oh yes, I ordered some snow boots from Amazon and that is why I'm up so early. I will probably wear them out this weekend.

liberty_lily

Thank you Maman 😁

We both love Pre-Raphaelites too (definitely both my and DH's favourite art style/period) and have been to quite a few exhibitions over the years, but last visited the fabulous Watts Chapel etc at Compton about ten years ago. I had noticed there was an exhibition on there and hope to go, maybe as a birthday treat as it ends shortly after my birthday next Feb and we could combine it with a visit to family 😀 

Don't blame you buying snow boots Wednesday - I'm absolutely petrified of falling on the snow/ice (although we only have the latter here at the moment) and avoid going out all the while it lasts 🙄

liberty_lily

So here's our Art Nouveau bookcase (well, one of them - we also have a smaller, copper-embellished one attributed to Shapland and Petter of Barnstaple 😉). It contains approaching 250 books on Art Nouveau, the Arts and Crafts Movement and the Pre-Raphaelites etc.....

sugarbaby125

Liberty Lily the bookcase and the books are a marriage made by Lily. Yet again you have smashed it. 

liberty_lily

Thanks so much Sugarbaby 😊

sugarbaby125

Hello Ladies,

Liberty Lily, you could never share too many photographs with us. I love seeing what you and your husband are creating and the progress of work on your home. 

My daughter who lives with me, works at the Brixton 02. Last night was absolute mayhem when she was at work as a large crowd of people tried to force their way into the venue without tickets. This resulted in some people being crushed. The police and ambulances were called and the injured were taken to hospital. I am devastated for the families whose loved ones are now critical in hospital. 

None of the employees were injured. 

I do not understand why anyone would do this, just to try to avoid paying for a ticket. They ruined a sell out night out for all of those who had paid for their ticket.   

On Tuesday evening I went to watch the film The Worst Person in the World at the Ritzy cinema. I got a free ticket worth £8.70. It was another subtitled film, but I was totally engrossed in the film For me this film was a 9.5/10.   

On Wednesday afternoon I went to see the play Kerry Jackson with Fay Ripley starring at The National. I really loved this play. I was totally invested in what was happening with each of the characters not just the main character of the title. For me this play was a 9.5/10.  I got my ticket for £10 in Friday Rush. The front row ticket was worth £30. 

Yesterday morning, I woke up just after 7am and could not get back to sleep. I decided to crack on with wrapping Christmas presents.  I started with the presents for my Great grandchildren, my grandson and my grandson's partner. I packed them in boxes and grey mailing bags. My daughter and my son had to come to the local post office with me, so I could post the packages 1st Cass. In the evening, I wrapped the Christmas presents for my 2 teenage granddaughters. 

This morning I am finishing wrapping the rest of the Christmas presents. 

Wednesday2000

That is terrible. I hadn't even heard about that incident but I just looked on the BBC news about it.