I’m still here - what’s on your Workdesk Wednesday

I know folk having been wondering where I’ve been and I thank you for seeking me out.

Honestly though I’ve had nothing to post about.

Lockdown 2 life has revolved around home,

books, television and checking what’s going on down the lane.

Yesterday we had a walk in the dell kicking autumn leaves

before heading back home for lunch and trying 

to keep out of the biscuit barrel.

My friend Susan has utilised her stay home time well

by making me a beautiful stitched heart which she dropped off on Sunday.

On Monday we celebrated my fabulous mum’s

88th birthday with fish and chips from the chippy, a big bunch of flowers, a balloon and a bag of presents and then the postie brought her a pile of cards.

Mum will have an even bigger smile after today’s news.

It now means my sister and brother can spend Christmas Day with her, and while we won’t all be together like we normally are at least now we can plan whose going where and whose staying put.

Stay safe folk

Lynn

x

LINKING TO WHATS ON YOUR WORKDESK WEDNESDAY

Lockdown 2 - I’ve retreated

November has brought with it a period of silence from me.  I stopped looking at social media, reading my favourite blogs and chatting with friends on Instagram.  I don’t know why, maybe the second lockdown, I’ve retreated from anywhere outside my own space and territory. Probably the sprained ankle didn’t help either.

I’m grateful for friends checking in to see if we are okay, you are a blessing and we are fine.

I’m not ready to join in again yet so I’ll just leave you a pic of the book I’m reading.  It’s random and it’s very funny.  I can imagine her kids, husband and parents cringing.

Right now it’s Saturday morning and it’s time for the best radio programme of the week - Radio 2’s Tony Blackburn’s Sounds of the Sixties.  

Stay safe, we are still a long way off the end but we are getting there.

Lynn

X

October you’ve been a colourful one

October you brought many things

Lots of reading, new authors and a new 

BBC2 Friday night book club.

We closed our caravan up for the season.

Auntie Gladys final resting place has been sorted.

We’ve had some autumn walks over the 

moors at the top of our lane.

I love the colours of autumn don’t you ?

The opaque tights are all tidied and ready to be matched up

with my winter clobber.

I’m a bit in love with my new green velvet coat and matching mask.

So as we move into November it looks like

I could end up with my mad hair again as we all stay home.

As long as we all stay healthy and sane that’s all that matters.

Take good care of yourselves.

Lynn

X

Lockdown Weekend Diary

Friday night kicked off with another episode  of BBC2 Between The Covers book club with Sara Cox.  I’ve almost finished reading This Lovely City by Louise Hare, which will be reviewed next week.  I’ve romped through the book enjoying this London based story and I’m excited to hear what they thought of it.

We then went onto watch the lovely Monty Don on Gardeners World.  I love our tv evenings, they are pure escapism.

Saturday mornings are spent in the company of Tony Blackburn and his Radio 2 show Sounds of the Sixties.  With no plans to go out until mid afternoon and the rain pouring down outside we flicked through the papers and then decided to have a proper lazy morning and watch the new version of Daphne Du Mauriers - Rebecca.  It was gripping and the costumes and settings fabulous. Worth a watch if you’ve got Netflix.

I’m in my Narnia wardrobe here getting ready for an outing to the pub for a late lunch.  I bought these rust urchin cord trousers from Toast a few weeks ago and love them.  They’re teamed up with a retro blouse I’ve had a few years and my Fly London Chelsea boots.  Autumn/winter are my favourite seasons for clothes.

I found these urchin wool trousers in the charity shop last year and the brown cord coat is another charity shop find costing all of £8 a couple of years ago along with the basket and waistcoat.

Two tables were booked at our local The Oxford for lunch.  We sat on one and our friends sat socially distanced on the other.  We booked for 3pm knowing it would be quiet at that time and we wouldn’t have to shout across to one another.

We were celebrating John’s birthday and instead of a cake he went for one of Ella’s wicked Halloween sundaes.  It was a lovely couple of hours chatting even though we were sat apart and had to order our food and drinks separately.  

We giggled all the way home, not because we were tipsy,  I don’t drink alcohol at all (daft  enough without it ) but because we had another cosy evening in front of the telly to look forward to with the heating on, lamps lit and thinking we like this retirement malarkey and our simple way of life.

At 65 and 71 and working from the age of 15 we are beginning to settle into this new phase. 

Things are not great globally right now but, as the saying goes, ‘This to shall pass’.   Let’s hope it passes soon.

Lynn

x

Roses are red my love

I love to play around photographing flatlays.

Flat lays are a collection of things that appeal to you and laid out flat on a background that will showcase your display the best possible way.

I couldn’t bring myself to throw out the dying roses from a beautiful bouquet sent to me by my late Auntie Gladys’s sister Pat. 

So out came the brick effect wallpaper I use as a back drop and I spent a happy half hour playing around creating  different arrangements.

I’ve wrapped them now in tissue paper and I’m pressing them under a stack of books.

I do love to fiff and faff about.

What do you love to fiff & faff about with.

Lynn 

x

A tale of a beautiful silk dress

Here’s a tale about a beautiful silk  dress and some Instagram ladies.

One day a lady walked into a shop

GAITRA HANDMADE CLOTHING FACEBOOK PAGE

“I have a dress that I don’t wear anymore and is in need of a  zip, do you think you could use the fabric for anything.” She said.

“But it’s to beautiful to be cut up” said the shop owner. “Wait, I have a customer who I think would love it.  How about if I fix the zip and let her have it for the price of the zip repair. £8”.   The dress owner thought that was a lovely idea.

A day or two later the shop owner messaged me via Instagram to say she had something for me, would I be calling in the shop.

As it happened Philip was in Bacup, he returned home full of excitement, hardly able to wait to show me the treasure he had in his hands.

“Oh my” said I, “it’s beautiful.  But it will never fit me, how sad.  Too much lockdown cake.   I know just the person it would look fantastic on though”. And so the story continues.

I then did a bit of research on the label and was thrilled to find it was by a British designer - Alison Taylor.

After more digging I managed to get in touch with Alison through her Instagram page 

She was amazed when I showed her the photo and said yes it was one of hers that she had designed over 20 years ago, made as a sample for London & New York.   

I told her the story so far and that I would be sending it on to my friend who would be sure to love and care for it.

You can read about Alison’s company here.

SULA CLOTHING

Switching over to my friend Julia’s Instagram account I sent her some pictures and asked if she would like it.  I could hear her exclamation of joy, albeit virtually. 

So it’s journey continued.  It’s certainly well travelled. From the creative mind of designer Alison Taylor to the spinners, weavers and seamstresses of Vietnam to bring into life ..... onto London, then at some point bought from a vintage shop in the city before arriving in the wardrobe of a generous lady in Bacup, Lancashire and then the shop of a thoughtful dressmaker in the same town.  A short journey and stay at our house in Whitworth before ending up in Gosport, Hampshire.

It’s made from the most beautiful Vietnamese silk with a side zip and two hidden darts on the front.  It really is special and I’m so glad to have been a small part of it’s story.

But what next I hear you say......... well it ended up back with me via the Lake District.  It didn’t fit Julia or our friend Maria who we were visiting in Ulverston in the summer.  So now it’s hanging up in my wardrobe waiting for it’s next adventure to who knows where or when.