Vim, and, Indeed, Vigour

I've had a few little things on my mind this last few weeks, but I'm back, invigorated and hungry for messing about with stuff and creating something new and exciting from things I already have.

I was given a beautiful gypsy skirt a few months ago, gorgeous Indian printed fabric and I was amazed at just how much fabric could be in one skirt. Sadly, after overdosing one night on Gok Wan's fashion fix, I decided that I was correct and that that shape skirt just didn't suit me. Of course, there's no way I was going to part with it as it's just too lovely, so I cut the waist band off, hemmed the edge, and have now got another beautiful, hand printed sarong dress. In actual fact, it's so long that I could easily wear it as a Sari (once I find out how to tie them!) or I can fold it in half and wear it as a sarong dress. it's SOOOO beautiful, I'm thrilled with it.

I also managed to finish my cardigan/wrap thing. My Nana is always picking up wool in charity shops for me and she picked up two different fawn colour sets. One is a pretty bobbly acrylic mix and the other is mohair. Neither really enough to do anything with, so I randomly combined the two and made a wrap/cardi, complete with a horn shaped button my Nana has had in her button tin since I was a child. I'm also really pleased with that. Once I had finished that, I wasn't ready to put the crochet down so out of an odd ball of pretty yarn, I made me a little hat that Hubby likes to call my "sea anemone" hat. I do see what he means actually, it does look like one. I'm now at the start of a denim coloured sock hat, I'm not sure if this one is going to work out. Next time I have a couple of hours spare I might get my Nana to teach me to knit - I think the sock hat would be better knitted. I can always undo it.

So, there have been some birthdays, some home made cakes delivered, and I can honestly say that everyone has been equally as happy to receive a handmade cake than any other gift I could have come up with. Like I said to my "god" daughter's Gran - "gifts are supposed to be just that. A token of how you feel about that person and how much you love them. It's not supposed to be life changing". The subject came up because I had bought my "god" daughter flowers for her 6th birthday. She thought it was wonderful and terribly grown up, and her Mum didn't have some other five minute wonder to worry about what to do with once she grew out of it.

And the time has cometh that one must really start thinking about Christmas. I have started on my "god"daughter's present as it's probably going to take the longest. I still have many many more to do. The cooking needs to start, the sewing should have already started and oh my goodness - how many hours did you say I could cram into one day??!?!

oh and before I forget - a very lovely lady has had an unwanted visitor and is now in the process of kicking it into touch.

GET WELL SOON PUG FACE - I'VE ENTERED YOU IN THE LONDON MARATHON FOR NEXT YEAR :) :) :)

Saturday Hang Out With My Homies

Some may say that working all day on a Saturday and Sunday sucks and that I'm sad for doing it. I prefer to think of it as hanging around all day with some of the coolest people I know, and they just happen to be "of a certain age".

They don't facilitate vanity, pull their punches or sit on the fence, and they're all, in their own way a pleasure to be around. You treat them with respect and kindness (they don't LIKE having to have me do things for them) and you get it all back and then some. They inadvertently make you question the principles that we all live by these days.

When it boils down to it, very little actually matters. Just health.

A generation ago, when someone started a home, they'd be given things, acquire bits and pieces and be saving in the bottom drawer for years. A home would be pieced together through a variety of channels, that was the point of wedding presents. Nowadays, it's all different.

I have to be honest, when I first had a flat, that was how I did it. Then when I had to do it again a few years later, I did it all again then. And it was really good fun and enjoyable. I've since come into contact with friends and family alike who have demanded that an entire home be bought brand new and sparkly, before moving in.

Housewares are now commodities like clothing and accessories. Once upon a time, something to be saved for, looked after and accommodated for the duration. Now, disposable, two-a-penny, high fashion, low quality. Designed to last a short period, until such time as they become unfashionable, then thrown out and new bought.

This just simply isn't sustainable.

We all like to live in a nice home, nice surroundings are important. But is the pinnacle of fashion the way to go about doing it?

My ladies and gents vary from having nothing to having, probably, a few quid, but they all have something in common. They aren't remotely worried about whether all their glasses match, if their wallpaper is "so last year" or there's a slight lightening of the outside edge of the curtain that's in full sun all day.

They have enough to keep them comfortable, to store their belongings, and to furnish a home. And they've probably had it for years and years. It may not be the height of fashion (although some of them SO are in the retro sense of the word), but it doesn't matter.

In the 21st century, we all are in such a rush and a hurry to "have it all". Couple of new cars, the perfect home, the perfect life, the perfect family. The cult of Hello! magazine and celebrity has clouded all our judgements, and we've lost all sense of perspective.

It doesn't matter if your sofa is from last year's collection, your carpet isn't exactly what you would choose now if you had to replace it, and your dining table has lost it's lustre. We could learn a lot from the previous generations as I've written about before. My lady with the ancient lino who insists on having it polished.

Buy less, better quality things. Don't replace it until you HAVE to (a change in fashion is not a good enough reason) and don't put your home on an OK! magazine pedestal. Essentially, it doesn't matter.

No one is going to like you any more for having a matching set of mugs, or less because your hall carpet has got a few marks on it.

And if they do either of those things, they ain't worth it.