The Friday 56

I'm joining Freda's Friday 56. I have to take a book, any book, and turn to page 56. When I've chosen a sentence or so I post it and add the url of the post, making a linky to Freda's blog.

I've chosen

The party season is almost with us, so this seems appropriate!

' They went to Agatha Runcible's house, which was quite near, but she found that she'd lost her latchkey, so that was no good. Soon someone would say those fatal words, "Well I think it's time for me to go to bed. Can I give anyone a lift to Knightsbridge?" and the party would be over.'

Winter

December 1st marks the official start of winter and it certainly felt it - only too easy to imagine that I was waiting for the slow train to Moscow!

We had spent the morning doing some Christmas shopping, popping in and out of shops and getting thoroughly chilled in doing so.

So we stopped for a warming lunch and our table was beside this railway carriage.

In actual fact it's an old film prop, talk about shades of Dr Zhivago! At least there was no Rod Steiger  to frighten me. (But Omar Sharif would have been nice!)

Weather!***

Soggy, dull, damp, dreary weather, that's how it was yesterday and it's the same again today!

I know that Patti is longing to get out of summer shoes and start wearing her boots, but spare a thought for us poor souls who live in Blighty and need to wear the blasted things for half the year!

Today I cast my black and white vote  with Mis Papelicos in favour of Kezzie. The photos of her outfit were small but even so the BIG stripes of her dress stood out and her story about the photo shoot made me laugh. I can imagine all the party going on in another room while Kezzie's mum is obligingly taking photos and sneaking in a shot that she's not supposed to. MUM!!
Mothers of daughters - we are all the same!

Black and white

The delightfully colourful Mis Papelicos is doing black and white in share-in-style this week. I can do that! If there's one thing that I've got plenty of in my wardrobe it's black and white.

Plain, striped, spotted, cotton, wool, silk - you name it I've got it in black and white!

This spotted cotton blouse is from Phase Eight and can be worn with the matching skirt to make a shirt dress or, as here, on its own under a woollen pinafore dress. It has a ruffle front trim, all confused with a chunky but very light necklace.

But I'm crying out for a spot of colour, even if it's only the petals on a flower!

Pop over to see all the other black and whiters sharing their style. 

Invisible Monday!

Patti's Visible Monday is here and I'm feeling pretty invisible; a bit of foolish backward walking led to a fall which resulted in my right arm being put in plaster. I'm right handed - oh to be ambidextrous! I'm now in a splint, which is a considerable improvement, but I'm not feeling or looking like the bright young thing that I sometimes fool myself into believing I still am. So I'm suitably chastened and dressed all in grey, comfortable stuff that is easy to pull on with one hand!

A soft cotton Gap blouse, spotted Boden jumper with buttons down the back. (Don't ask me why!) Cropped grey leggings from Asda and M&s sneakers.
I am NOT GOING OUT.
What I'm really in need of is an injection of vibrant colour.

This dress would be perfect for Christmas. It's only the small (ha ha) matter of the price tag that stops me rushing to make a purchase. It's featured in the December edition of 'Elle' magazine and I love everything about it, the long sleeves, the neat waist and full skirt, everything that is except the £1,518 price tag. It's wool-tulle by Simone Rocha. Absolute fairytale!

For you young things who might not have known who I was blethering on about in my previous post here is a photo of the fabled couple, Jane and Serge, taken in Oxford in the '60's by Jane's brother. Jane is so cool but, sorry Serge, that is not a good look!

Who would have thought that this photo of Jane was taken about half a century ago - ballet flats, crops,  it's timeless.

Hope you're all feeling colourful and visible wherever you are!

Je t'aime Visible Monday

Wrap up warm time is here and I'm back in a cosy jumper. But, what's this? Am I also in fashion! In the November edition of 'Red' magazine I've spotted a piece by the fashion editor, Alexandra Stedman saying that her Bella Freud sweater, 'Ginsberg is God' is possibly the favourite item in her wardrobe. I feel rather the same about my version; it's light but warm and also fun and references my era, the '60's 'it' couple English actress, Jane Birkin and her lover, the French/Russian, Serge Gainsbourg.

And I'm quite capable of stepping up to the plate and wearing it with a full skirt, although on this occasion I gave the tulle petticoat a miss!

I'm wearing a peace poppy for Remembrance Sunday, cotton skirt from Phase Eight, old black leggings and ballet pumps and a Victorian velvet choker.

For Patti's Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style.

Bonfire Night

Bonfire night was always one of the highlights of my year when I was a child. First there were the preparations, 'chumping' for wood, making a guy, careful hoarding of pocket money in order to buy favourite fireworks. (I always bought several 'snowflakes' and kept some for the winter to light under the trees in the orchard when there was a snowfall.) Bonfire night was never an anti-climax, even the catherine wheels that refused to spin were fun because you had to come up close and poke them back into action with a stick. Big brother and his pals had a great time terrifying  everyone with their bangers and jumping crackers, Mom made toffee and we cooked jacket potatoes in the bonfire ash. It was excitement and pleasure from beginning to end.

This year we arrived in St Ives on November 5th. Just enough time to settle into the apartment then walk through town to check on arrangements for the evening firework display that takes place on Porthminster Beach. 

The moon shone on the sea

and not even the brightest fireworks could outshine it.

Although they tried!

We sat on a bench above the beach 

and had a great view of all the action.

This year there was no toffee stuck in my teeth, there was no burnt tongue, no grubby face and clothes, no damaged gloves, no smell of woodsmoke - but I had a lovely time!

Sky watching in Halkidiki

We been staying at Eagles Palace for a week. The hotel is perched high above the beach amongst luxuriant planting and is the perfect place for a bit of sky watching.

There is little else to do but relax,

swim

and eat!

(Thank you, Christian for taking this photo.)

Our room was just a short step away from the beach

and even nearer to the exercise class. We did our best!

But was it good enough? The teacher is laughing!

Even when the sun was setting it was hard to tear ourselves away from the beach.

One evening, surely arranged especially for Friday Skywatch, there was this beautiful sunset. I just had time to point my camera before the colour  was gone.

What's not to love about Eagles' Palace!