Wardrobe Wednesday: The Kezzie Skirt!

For my birthday last year the ever wonderful Kezzie sent me a beautiful skirt. 

This skirt in fact.

Isn't it a beauty!

Chubby Chops!

I like it because not only was it a thoughtful gift but because it looks like it was painted with water colours.

It's a lovely length and a has a great weight to the fabric, so it falls well. It also has red lining and a gold sparkly layer of tulle.

What I Wore:

Red Chiffon hair scarf - vintage nan me down

Daffodil Pendant - anniversary gift

Orange Top - retail

Black Belt - Hell Bunny

Skirt - gift from Kezzie

Petticoats - House of Olivier (white) and eBay (red)

Black Ballet Flats - Retail

Washed Out

 
These pictures were taken shortly before my hair was dyed, so it's looking a little washed out colour wise. Some of the pictures taken this day, my hair looked so light in parts, it was simply a haze. Rather angelic really!

I started out with fair blonde hair as a baby, it then turned auburn and gradually lightened.

A hairdresser a few years ago said my natural hair colour was a very dark blonde with copper running through. I prefer my darker hair though, as does Andy and my current hairdresser.

What I Wore:

Pink Vintage Hair Scarf - gift from Curtise
Pink top and black ballet flats - retail
Black belt - Hell Buny
Pink martini skirt - Lindy Bop
Petticoats - eBay

So what's what in Folly Land?

It's was Andy's week off last week and his birthday, so we went to the Haynes Motor Museum. We had Meirionwen with us all last week, but took her back to her quarters on Friday as we were off to the museum on Saturday and heavy rain was forecast and we didn't want her out in awful weather and in a busy car park, so we took our other car.

Speaking of Miss Meirionwen, we have her first show this weekend, how exciting! Last week we drove her down to Portsmouth (very brave) so Andy could get his hair cut and so we could drop in on an old school friend of mine who was elnding us a vintage suitcase. Meirionwen got some compliments: "Nice car" from a passing man. "I like it!" from a young boy and a rather aggressive, "That's a sick car!" from a young boy on a BMX, hehe! Visiting Rhian was lovely and we got to play with her wee dog Eddie and I had a fuss with one of her cats, Lily, who is an absolute beauty and sat on my lap! And there was I thinking cats didn't like me, so obviously it's just neighbouring cats who don't like me as I always chase them away from the bird table and my furbabies.
We also have a tax disc for Meirionwen and a barnacle tax disc holder for it.

Oh! And I got a late Christmas gift -

 

Year of The Flamingo

Andy and myself met twenty years ago this July. 

Twenty years. 

Lordy. Where does the time go?

We met at a cafe bar in Portsmouth on an open mic night and he was singing one of my favourite songs, Manfred Mann's 'Pretty Flamingo'.

Now it's officially our song and we had it playing at our wedding as we signed the register.

So, flamingos are very special to me.
I adore them and one of my favourite photographs I have ever taken was of a flamingo.

You've all seen my flamingo handbag

And I have a small fluffy flamingo, flamingo bedding, two flamingo cardigans and now ...

Flamingo Brolly!

I don't generally like brollies, they annoy me with their drabness and tendency to blow inside out with the slightest gust of wind. Then I saw a dome umbrella adorned with flamingos and pounced!

Obviously I wasn't going to take pictures in the rain as I didn't want to get my camera wet, so I chose a beautiful Spring day to show it off.

 

Speaking of birds. 
I was very pleased with myself for snapping this picture.
It's a wee bit hazy as it was a hazy day.

Oh and look what lovely Kezzie made me! Isn't it an absolutely beautiful card!
I love it!

* * *

What I Wore:
Vintage Hair Scarf - charity Shop
Glasses Chain - Etsy
Sunglasses - prescription
Umbrella - I have absolutely forgotten what online shop it was from.
Cardigan and shoes - retail
Skirt - Lindy Bop
Petticoat - eBay 

Those Were The Weeks That Were

Of Fur Mothering Sunday

The bunnies got me a card (pictured at the top of this post) and a gift! Apparently they had VIB (Very Important Bunny) access to the shops before opening time, which is why I never knew they had been shopping. They got me earrings. I also got myself some too in a sale, the daisy ones second from the left are the ones I got.

Of Wildlife and Weather

It snowed here. Briefly mind you, but it snowed nonetheless and we even had white out conditions on higher ground.

On my way to hospital the other week, walking along the river as I always do, I saw a pigeon in the water. Not by the water, but in. A cat was also stalking the poor thing along the river bank. I consequently made myself late to my appointment while I stayed with poor Pidge and waited for Andy to come and help me. I simply couldn't get myself down the sloping bank to get the poor thing out myself and no one passing by wanted to help so I had to call Andy as I stood guard, endlessly seeing the cat off. That afternoon we took Pidge to the bird hospital, but unfortunately he didn't make it. His crop was ruptured and infected, so he was put to sleep :( Poor Pidge.

Of Vintage Things

I have a new accessory: a glove clip! I have wanted one for an age as I am fed up of dropping gloves but they are so expensive. My patience paid off and I now have an original 1940's/50's one. Sweet isn't it. 

I also have a new nightie which I am convinced would make a lovely dress. It was sent to me by lovely Vix and I had no idea what it might be, just that a parcel was headed my way. I was thrilled when I opened it up and so completely charmed by the undeniable prettiness and the gorgeous colour! Thank you again Vix xxx

Of Not Going Out and Taking Things Too Far?

As it is Spring and I do indeed wear glasses, I also wear prescription sunglasses and with that comes the tiresome swapping over when going in and out of places. I began to ponder glasses chains. Was this a step too far, wondered I. I then decided it wasn't and treated myself. Now I'm again wondering … too far? Andy said I look like a librarian.

I wanted to show off the chain, but was going nowhere so thought I would be brave and show you what I look like when I am staying home, doing housewifely things and not going out. Taa daa! Still got the hair scarf but with the added glamour of an apron. And my hair is being the usual curly free spirit it is wont to be, you have to love curly hair for that alone!

Of Little Welsh Handmade Cars

We pick Meirionwen up tomorrow!

* * *

I am somewhat behind on reading blog posts as my computer had a hissy fit and I couldn't use the keyboard until now, but I shall play catch up this weekend x

Brooching Things

For some reason I fail to comprehend, I have been getting up at 5.15am lately. I have found that this is rather beneficial as I can spend the dark hours 'waking up', have tea and breakfast while watching repeats of 'George and Mildred' then I might be able to run off a blog post and then I can start with my day once it starts getting light. 

I have as I said recently, been crocheting flowers for brooches of late. 

I am pleased with the results as I am notoriously rubbish at following patterns.

Mistletoe with howlite gemstone 'berries'

and holly

The thistle

Clover

Margarite daisy for my Danish roots and a red rose for my English.

Inadvertent cherries, made because my first holly berries were HUGE!

Daffodil for my Welsh roots. This was tricksy to make and tricksier to photograph.

And because Mim expressed an interest, these are the squashed coffee pod earrings the brother in law and girlfriend got me as a gift from Madeira.

Andy had his hair cut recently and I went along for the ride. It seemed to take an age and I got restless, so ...

The barber shop. I love it here, it's so interesting :)

Dalek!

Let's try and get a picture of my holly brooch in situ ...
Hmmm, blurry AND grainy.

My boots ...

Andy's rockabilly barber Mark.

And on to other things :)
One thing I love about bunnies is the behind ear fluff.
This is Belle's.

Light bulb in kitchen went and we had no replacement so I spent two days washing up by candlelight.

And behold the teapot dress in its infancy. Also blurry and grainy.
I have since sewn the bodice to the skirt, here it is pinned. All that is left now is the hem and shoulder buttons.
My dress making form is named Peggy. Peggy has been moved about from a to b for most of the past week. I placed her just inside the bedroom at one point and my heart was in my mouth when I opened the door and saw a headless woman in a fabulous dress stood in the dark, hehe!

edited to add: Finished!
Yes, I managed to cut the top of my head and my feet off and I look as bewildered as I usually do
*rolls eyes*
I am so happy with this dress! The bodice was long enough as was, I didn't need to extend it or add anything because I hadn't extended it, unlike my Queen of the Mountains dress.
The length is fabulous, I love the buttoning on the shoulders and shall definitely make this again and again.
I read reviews of this pattern and most people chose the v-neck version and also used only half the required fabric for the skirt but I am pretty sure that whoever has the most voluminous skirt wins and this skirt has oodles of volume, reigned in however by the gathering. I also decided against the cummerbund belt as it would have added too much bulk.

The Folly Bird Goes To Wales Pt1

Back on August 8th, Andy suggested that the following day we go on a day trip to Wales, so we did just that. It was a long, long drive as we had decided to avoid the in-going tolls at the Severn Bridge.

We got hideously lost, there was a huge argument and we finally got to Wales in the afternoon, after leaving early that morning.

For a while we were asking the same question over and again.

"Are we in Wales yet?"

"Surely we should be in Wales by now."

"Is that Wales?"

"Why are there no Welcome to Wales signs if this IS Wales?"

"I will not be satisfied until I see a Welcome to Wales sign with a dragon on it."

... and on and on it went.

Then ...

So on we drove, destination Tintern. We encountered a nasty accident involving a car and a cyclist right outside the abbey which shook me up a little and I worried about that poor cyclist for the rest of the day and the whole of the next week.

You can see my odd gift earrings that the brother in law and his girlfriend got me when they went to Madeira. They're squashed coffee pods adorned with bunnies. I am also wearing the scarf lovely Kezzie gave me and the bunny locket my sister got me last birthday.

Down in the valley ....

And to prove I was actually in Wales and not a random ruin somewhere in England, proof! Welsh car park sign!