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Saturday 24 July 2010

Shameless name dropping, scary bras and Quote of the Day

Hello there! Have just cleaned out the inside of the Blightymobile, so am feeling virtuous and entitled to a reward in the form of a nice sit down in front of the 'puter. (Have been putting off said cleaning for a while, justifying it on the grounds that if we were ever trapped anywhere in the car, we could survive for days on the biscuit and crisps fragments which coat the inside. But when even Boys "We don't need to wash our hands we did it yesterday" 1 and 2 are commenting on the unsavoury state of the backseats...)

Below August editions of mags scored from our local library. Hurrah for the library, hurrah for local government funding my magazine reading! If ever we get a written constitution I will be campaigning for the right to read Vogue to be enshrined as one of my basic human rights.

I looked through hoping to spot some nonsensical fashion words, as I feel it is unfair that Faux Fuchsia should shoulder the burden of doing so unaided, it is such an onerous responsibility. Unfortunately I am not sufficiently skilled to spot them, my fashion radar is faulty! I did however learn that for autumn there are New Trousers which fit at the small of the back and make your legs Go On For Ever. Hurrah for that, much better than trousers where half your bum falls out and your legs look like stumps! Tatler carries an article on Elle McWhatsit looking unfeasibly young and lithe. Her sons attended the posh school Boy 1 went to in London. Had we stayed in London, Boy 2 would have been in the same class as Claudia Schiffer's son...and then there was Liz Hurley's son ... Elle, Claudia, Liz; not who you want to see at 8am when wearing your pjs under your anorak, although it did encourage fathers to do the school run! The Tatler also has a pic of one of the mums from the posh school rigged out in tiara and ballgown at some Caledonian ball thing. How come I never get in Tatler - "Mrs B doing weekly shop at Tescos" or "Mrs B wrestling Boy 1 to ground to apply suntan lotion" ?

Below, photo taken some time ago during my Barbara Pym phase. Her books are deceptive, not much appears to be happening but they are quietly funny. I think I also wanted to show that OPI Tropical Punch matches the cover of Jane and Prudence. Useful to know that.

Below, I am still trundling on with Elizabeth Bowen and "Love's Civil War". The problem is that it is very lopsided - her letters to her lover Charles survived but not her diaries; his letters to her did not survive but his diary entries did. Her letters are of the "Darling you are my whole life" variety, without his replies it all seems a bit obsessive....



Here are some more books I am planning to read. Bedford had an interesting life, and her life intersects a bit with that of Gerald and Sara Murphy, a gilded American couple who lived on the French Riviera and knew Hemingway, Scott Fitzgerald, Picasso, among others. They are supposed to be the couple on whom Fitzgerald based the Divers, of "Tender is the Night". Gerald Murphy had a sister who had an affair with Bedford. According to the Murphy book, the sister was a serious bedwetter. Gerald's wife had to put a rubber sheet on the bed when she came to stay. Useful to know that too.



You can see I get almost all my books from the library, it started in our tiny London flat as a space saving ruse and also as an austerity measure. I usually write down what I have read so I can look back and remember, and I have also discovered Library Thing where you can build a virtual library, another fun way to waste time! http://www.librarything.com/

Enough with the books, on with the bras. Look at these beauties, the photo really does not do justice to the hugeness of the one on the far left. I was looking for a junior training bra for my under developed chest and took a wrong turn and found myself in the DD department.


A while ago I also saw these strange creations in H&M, on sale for £1. I briefly considered whether Mr B would like to play the coach and the cheerleader but felt this might frighten the poor man to death.







Here are some pics of perfumes I saw in the shops recently.
This looked like a shrine to Chanel, I resisted the urge to light a candle.


At the same shop I went into action with my handy dandy polish colour chart. Although I didn't need a chart to tell me that I hadn't got the blue already. I thought it might be a Tiffany's blue. Or more likely a horrible mistake.







Next, the lovely Janet of http://thegardenerscottage.blogspot.com/ posted a picture of her blackboard where she writes her menus each day. This inspired me to rub off the "Don't forget your sandwiches" reminder which has been on my blackboard for almost a year. Instead I have decided to do a different quote every day or so, in an attempt to be amusing yet educational, and see if anyone notices. So far only Boy 2 noticed and thought the "so" was "50". Note to self - watch handwriting!


Finally, there are signs that my intensive schedule of summer holiday activities for Boy 1 is paying off.

13 comments:

  1. :-)
    lucky you, taking the magazines home! I thought they arrived in the mail when I saw the picture. here in vienna we are allowed to ream them inside the library building. but the main building actually provides a cool lounge.
    Everybody was so young - Could it be Sanery Sur Mer where Hemingway, Picasso & Co spent their lovely time? Lots of emigrants during the nazi-period went there too, also the Manns (Thomas Mann & Family).

    Seems to be a brave july-week: I just finished my bills, reall finished it. pfouuuuuhhhhhh. When I do my bills, i write every expense down in an excel-chart. Well, it is not excel since it is open office. :)) I did for 2 nights, only to find out the amount I spend on Nailpolish, Luxury Bags & Cosmetics is .... well, not reasonable but: within the limit of sanity. :) And I keep all the bills of clothes since they might tear apart within 1 year and if THAT happens, you can bet I go back to the shop!
    Can't wait to see the new order in your colorful ... what was the name? the bill-letter-paper-organizer-thingy.

    btw: HURRAY! it's raining. 15°C. I enjoy the weather. Now I can take care of my parent's plants in the sun, without getting a sunstroke within 5 minutes. Or is it "without getting sunstroke"?

    Thank you for the book-link! I am still in the middle of "The Blindfold".

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  2. Blighty, this is what both my teenagers look like before midday every day of the summer holidays - I don't have to do a thing with them!!!

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  3. Dear Paula, thank you for your lovely long comment, very impressed by your efficiency with your bills, my file is still awaiting some action, but at the moment it is usefully on top of a pile of papers, hiding them, so money well spent!
    Patricia - I can remember being like that as a teenager, I think they need their rest, lots is happening! I know it's really going to wind me up though. Mr B's mum used to put a cold flannel on his face, he tells me.

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  4. The cheerleader pants made me laugh! I think Mr Kitty would look at me very oddly if I wore those around the house. I don't think they would do anything to reduce the visual size of my bot-bot. I applaud your collection of nailpolish samples. It's a service to society.

    Like you I have never been featured in Tatler, although at the moment if I was the caption would likely read "Kitty dashes to the letterbox to fetch the local paper in a fetching leopard print dressing gown arrangement, paired with pink ugg boots." Practical perhaps, but not very chic.

    Do you have any suggestions for wonderful places in London to visit? I will be in town in September for 4 days. I want to see Grace Kelly at the V&A and shop at Selfridges but am definitely open to some local advice on the matter...

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  5. Dear B
    Glad to see you can find nonsemsical fashion phrases on my behalf! I had the baton to you! Love the polish chart- so sensible. x

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  6. You are marvellous Blighty, matching nail varnish to books. First it was the new red saucepans, now this. Is there no stopping you?
    Elle and I are practically twins. Grew up in the same Sydney shire. Her dad's business was next to my workplace.
    The resting position of Boy 1 will become the norm as he and Boy 2 transition into the teenage years. Forget the cold flannel, try ringing a cow bell to rouse them. Gently of course.
    xx

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  7. Blighty, giggling my heart out! So many useful titbits which I just know will come in handy one day! Thank you for introducing us to librarything... another excellent timewaster to help me ignore the leering ironing basket. Also, not to be unkind but there are many reasons Elle looks so young & lithe... liposuction/housemaids/holiday homes in the Bahamas etc. x PS. I will not rest until I open the pages of Tatler & see your photo doing the school run!

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  8. I didn't realise libraries lent out fashion magazines - just think of the money I could save and how much tidier That's Not My Age mansions would be.

    PS I though it said 50 too

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  9. hi blighty,

    that last pic resembles my 22 year old, well anytime of day really.

    thanks for the shout out on the blackboard. i like your quote. and those bras/panties scare me.

    ~janet

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  10. Dear Kitty-Cat, the really scary thing is those are not pants, they are bras, really! Terrifying! Leopard print gown and pink Uggs sound very glam, very FF! How exciting you are coming to London - the National Gallery and the National Portrait Galleries are fab if you like art, and they are free! Nearby is St Martin in the Fields church with a nice cafe in the crypt. Tate Modern is interesting and you can cross by the new foot bridge; also the Royal Academy in Piccadilly; a walk by the Serpentine in Hyde Park is nice, and you could go look at the water memorial to Princess Diana. a ride on a boat on the Thames from Westminster pier is touristy but a good way to see London; the London Eye is great if the day is clear and not too cloudy; London Aquarium is fun, if you like fish!! nearby are the Houses of Parliament. Kensington Palace is worth visiting and sometimes they have exhibs of stuff like Diana's gowns; The City and St Pauls Cathedral is worth a look; apart from Selfridges I would avoid Oxford St as noisy and crowded, unless you want to check out the big TopShop at Oxford Circus; New Bond St (off oxford St) and Sloane St in Knightsbridge have the swanky shops and jewellers; Knightsbridge has Harrods and Harvey Nicks; Chelsea and the Kings Road has lots of small shops as well as the usual suspects; take buses rather than the Tube so you can sightsee en route, get a bus map; if you go to the V&A go to the cafe, it's nice and there is a lovely courtyard with a water feature, my boys created havoc paddling in it when small; sorry for random info, hope it gives some inspiration!
    Dear FF, that is the first time anyone has accused me of being sensible, whatever next?
    Anne-Marie - ha, ha, will order large cow bell now!
    Melissa - glad you like Library Thing, I think it's pretty nifty!
    Not My Age - we are so lucky here with our library, just hoping it does not change due to austerity measures
    Janet - your blackboard idea really caught my imagination, I have been looking for more quotes, Mr B has a book! No doubt soon I will start quoting Homer Simpson!

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  11. Oh I love your posts - so meaty. Hang on a minute and I will go make a cuppa.......right. Must start with the boys, as we are living parallel lives... good to see you are knocking them out with pure exhaustion these holidays....I found one asleep in similar position recently but with doona wrapped around respiratory system. Just as well I checked in on him or he night have suffocated as he was too exhausted to move to save his own life. I hear you about the Blightymobile. My heart rate goes up every time I sit in mine. Since we now park in the apartment underground carpark, there is nowhere to conveniently do the big biscuit and chip clean out... it's not pretty at present. I am so impressed that you have stuck with 'Loves Civil War'. There are only so many desperate love letters I could read.... weak stomach. Between you and FF, I am 'this' close to going out to purchase some nail polish. Having been a violinist with super short nails all my life, I never bothered... but 'prime of your life' time now so 'any minute now'. Oh how I wish our library had magazines post 1984, when Diana was pushing William in a buggy. A-M xx

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  12. Dear A-M, so interesting that you are a violinist, that is where your son gets his musical talent! Go for it with the nail varnish,I find it wonderfully soothing to stop and put polish on as it is such a small silly thing and yet so morale boosting! "Loves Civil War" to be frank is getting really droopy pants, it had better buck up soon with some more Michelangelo (god almighty how do you spell that???) body action or I will give up! Bx

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