Thursday, August 28, 2008

Everything except temptation

Oscar Wilde said a number of witty things about temptation. I’m quite fond of the one that goes something along the lines of ‘the only way to resist temptation is to give in to it’.

I have been hankering after a pair of cowboy boots. No matter that I tried on a pair several years back and they looked dreadful. I keep thinking how fabulous they would look. The whole thing would probably have gone away had I not found these Emily Strange ones at Cloggs.

The only things holding me back were (a) I’m not supposed to be buying anything new, (b) am I too old to be wearing Emily Strange? And (c) Are black and red boots really my bag?

Then while on my travels around over the summer period I’ve found myself with time to kill while waiting for a bus on several occasions. Hence I discovered that both Claire’s Accessories and New Look had cowboy boots. I felt the temptation grow stronger. I could buy a pair of boots on the spot. All my clothes would look amazingly cool.

So I gave into temptation and slipped into a pair…

And they looked awful. Clearly such boots do nothing for slim ankles and ‘developed’ calves. So my craving dried up in an instant and I resolved more firmly to purchase from the lovely Bourgeois Boheme in future.

Imagine if all things could be resolved so easily? What would we find to do all day?

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Bank holiday TV

I came across this on the BBC website this morning and it makes me sad that people choose to spend their day off watching TV. I suppose if they weren't watching TV they would be shopping.

I'm really looking forward to this weekend and I've got so many things on my activities list:
  • Met my sister and her man for lunch and drinks and hear about her holiday and have a general catch up.
  • Cook pittas from scratch and store in freezer
  • Visit my allotment for a digging session and harvest veg to give to my sister
  • Hang new sash window in bedroom (if it's delivered on time)
  • Eat long breakfasts with Dear Heart
  • Go for a country walk and pick blackberries (and apples if they are ripe)
  • Play with my sewing machine
  • Sit around reading and drinking wine while my face pack dries
  • Put henna on my hair
  • Take some time to think about the next few months and plan out things I need and want to do

I hope I can fit it all in!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

David Bowie

It’s been several weeks since I selected some David Bowie CDs to listen to as a part of my musical discovery project. During that time I’ve listened to Low, Pinups and Aladdin Sane several times.

The first time Dear Heart and I listened to any of them weren’t that taken. However, on listening for the second (and third, fourth, fifth etc) time It all seemed very familiar. I will definitely be actively seeking out other Bowie CDs for my listening pleasure. I also want to read a Bowie biography.

The thing I’m finding is how much I want to cling to the established. It’s a great temptation to listen to something familiar and easy.

This week I hope to move to Y. I will resist the urge to select Neil Young (who’s many works I already enjoy) and choose something different.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

What have I been up to over the last week?

Using a hot gun to strip paint from a cupboard door.

Picking vast quantities of courgettes

Enjoying the video to The Hoosier’s Goodbye Mr A and speculating with Dear Heart what on earth it’s about and who Mr A might be.

Trying to sit in the garden and write (writing OK, garden sitting less successful due to wind tunnel effect).

Drinking wine with girlfriends and gossiping.

Trying to find new homes for possessions I no longer need. Anyone want a gas poker?

Watching meteorite storms with Dear Heart while lying in the garden wrapped in blankets.

Figuring out exciting new clothing combinations after realising that the clothes I loaned to Dear Heart’s sister are the 20% of my wardrobe that I wear 80% of the time.

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Some enchanted evening

Yesterday evening was one I've been hoping for all summer. The weather was warm enough to sit in the garden in shorts and feel comfortable. No running inside for a cardigan because there was a chill breeze. We had music playing while we ate dinner. After eating Dear Heart and I sat and shared a bottle of wine and talked until it too dark and late to stay outside any longer.

I'm sure summers in the past had many nights like this. Ones were you walked home from a pub or club or friend's house and didn't care about the time because it was delightful, warm night and it seemed like morning would ever come.

But then it's easy to reflect on past happiness. The real trick is recognising that you are happy at the time and enjoying the moment.

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Perplexing things about the Internet

Why do blogs you love stop posting just as they’ve become indispensable to your day?

Why don’t radio stations put their frequency right in the middle of their homepage? I’ve had to resort to wikipedia to tune into radio one.

Where do people with very full virtual lives find the time? Or is the virtual life their main life?

Does anyone use blog directories?

Pictures that sometimes refuse to appear on web pages, yet on other occasions on the same PC they’re just fine.

Why do you discover amazing (yet unrelated to your search) sites when you’re searching for information you really need. Yet if you deliberately go searching for fabulous new things to add to your favourites list nothing exciting, novel or weird shows up…

Monday, August 04, 2008

Lessons to be learnt from Henna

It was another nice weekend. The allotment continues to produce and I’m hopeful that in a few weeks the celery will be ready as well. I’ve had the pleasure of spending time with Dear Heart and also pottering around my newly decorated study. I so can’t bear the thought of it being cluttered and have sorted out a number of bags of things to be disposed of via eBay/Freecycle/charity shops. I can’t believe some of the stuff that I have carted from place to place with me over the years. For example, I was about to put a set of juggling clubs back on a shelf when I stopped to wonder when I last used them. The answer was well over 10 years ago!

I also found the time between picking produce and organising my desk to henna my hair. Getting henna to actually take on my hair is a recent thing. I’ve been using chemical dyes on it for over a decade. I usually go for a shade of red or purple. I did once dye it back to its natural dark brown but it looked so dull. I dye partly to cover up the grey hairs (my family all go grey very young!), but also because I feel more like me when my hair is a bright colour.

Every few years I used to read something about how bad chemical dyes were and I’d worry about the waste created by the variety of bottles and gloves. So I’d go off to the Body Shop and buy a packet of their henna and apply it with great hopes. It always made my hair look slightly redder but never covered the grey. This perplexed me because I’d also read endless stuff about people ending up with really fiercely coloured hair they’d acquired by accident.

Last summer I got quite into the idea of rinsing my hair in tea or coffee and herbs after reading this post and the discussion about it on Brocantehome. Although it made the hair very shiny and did add colour to some of the grey, quite frankly, I could simply not see myself shivering in the shower every weekend as I attempted to pour the brew over my head again and again.

My first attempt with Lush henna was just as disappointing as in the past. Then I realised that I had not followed the instructions. I had grated it and poured boiling water on. BUT I did not allow it to cool and then reheat in a Bain Marie. I’ve questioned Dear Heart over why this should make a difference from a science type person point of view and he couldn’t say. Anyway this has proved to be the missing link. I’ve also discovered that just doing a small amount and concentrating of areas of grey is just as effective as attempting to smear my whole head with it. I wrap my head up in a turban to prevent drips and then just glide around the house getting on with things for a few hours. No nasty smell. No turning the base of the shower pink. My little block from Lush has lasted for ages.

I suppose the moral of this story is that if things don’t seem to work out initially, go back and try again from time to time. If it doesn’t work out, well you’ve lost nothing and if it does…..

Friday, August 01, 2008

A room of ones own

Dear Heart has been working like a demon all week on my study. The walls have been stripped, plastered and painted magnolia. The floor has been sanded and oiled. The woodwork has been touched up with white gloss. It looks glorious.

Today is the day I get to move all my stuff back in and I'm really excited. I'm looking forward to arranging the furniture. It puts me in the mind of little girl playing with a dolls house. What a great excuse to spend time reading articles online about how to make the best use of space and deal with clutter.

I'm off to play.