With a wink and a grin x
Perfect timing..we’re on a sandy beach under the blazing sun, so a cossie to make you smile!
One that makes you look twice..
(All costumes by Marysia Swim)
Because the beauty is in the detail..
Laters, Kate x
Beach Hair, Don’t Care x
We”re away to the Kent coast for a week for walks along the sea, rock pools and cricket on the sand.
It’s going to be windswept hair all the way..
Laters, Kate x
Big Day..
Today will see the 70th staging of the Oxford and Cambridge boat race: Iconic, exclusive, elitist sporting gold. And for the first time ever, women will be rowing their own race, on the same stretch of water, on the same day and, like the men, it will be broadcast live to millions.
The change is due to Helena Morrissey (Cambridge graduate with 9 children and no background in rowing) Chief Executive of Newton Investment Management and their sponsorship. She found it shocking that there was such a discrepancy between the men and the women..but don’t think it was plain sailing for her to introduce the change. It wasn’t.
Nina Carberry is also riding in the Grand National today (think of all the girls who have riding lessons. Now think how many female jockeys there are..) – there is Katie Walsh – she won the Irish Grand National this week…but she doesn’t have a horse to ride…says a lot. Carberry is in red-hot form having won over the National fences already on Thursday in the Fox Hunters’ Chase…it’s a tough, tough race but I’ll be backing her and First Lieutenant all the way to make history and be crowned the first lady of Aintree. It’s about time.
Laters, Kate x
If the Shoe Fits..
There was no transitioning..suddenly London hit spring and we’ve been bathed in sunshine all week. It’s the sort of weather where you want to loll on fresh, green grass and let your voice get weary from talking, not smoking. In honour, I wore my first official pair of summer shoes yesterday – my two year old pair of Swedish Hasbeens, and admittedly the walking was spliced between cycling and chasing the kids on the common..but there were no blisters at the end of the day. Result. But these beauties do need getting used to with their distinctive dry-bone no-give wooden soles – like the best things in life, they need time to wear-in. In Sweden, long before it became a trend, they’d do this by wearing them with socks – it allows the leather to give a little extra whilst avoiding the rubbing…and you can’t find a nicer pair of socks than these at Free People.
It takes it away from the Japanese school girl look and gives it back to nature and folk dancing..a technical and aesthetic tour de force.
Laters, Kate x
The Results!..
So this is our attempt at Tree Change Dolls..we were lucky that it was a gorgeous day (summer is on the way!) and we had Bella’s lovely friend Maya to help us. These were the dolls as they started (Charlie doll was given a reprieve as we thought he was rather pretty!)(Thankfully, we had a spare doll..)
First job was to take their faces off, which we did with the nail varnish remover – you let it soak for a bit and then wipe.
It takes off a fair bit, but does leave smudges (and avoid getting the remover anywhere else on the dolls as it starts peeling away the plastic..as we learnt to our detriment..)
For the rest and the harder marks, we used eucalyptus oil..and lots of elbow grease..you just have to keep rubbing hard! But I’ve now learnt the power of eucalyptus oil..my bin has never smelt so fragrant..
And we managed it!
Then they all had a wash..
(Although certain members of the party became more interested in the bubbles..)
After that it was time for the paint..the most exciting, but also the most nerve wracking bit. We used acrylic paints and Derwent watercolour pencils. What I would recommend is finding some really good, tiny paint brushes. Ours were kiddies ones which we then trimmed down with scissors..but it is precise work and the better your paint brush, the better the result. At this point, I will confess..we lost the majority of the children..they went off to play..
Not that it mattered..the mummies were more than happy to lose themselves over eyeballs! It was engrossing work..highly therapeutic we decided!
Big brother Alex was also game..so lovely to see..he just saw it as an Art project and was more than happy to get stuck in.
The finer details were done with the pencils – you dip them in water and then they work well on the plastic.
Bella with Bella..
This is Sophie’s doll (Maya’s mummy)
Who was then dressed at home!
I made a little dress for Bella..but we still have the feet to go..it all takes time!
Just doing it all for the first time was a learning curve. Time whizzes by..which is always a good sign. The painting is tough and particularly hard for the kids – but it was a great project to all do together. We intend to do another creative day soon to make the feet and more clothes. All in all, to be highly recommended! If you want to try yourself, there are loads of really good tutorials on Youtube..good luck!
Laters, Kate x
Meet..
Bella with Bratz doll Bella..
And Charlie with his doll Charlie, all ready for the tree-change experience we’re attempting today (I have one too!). Results tomorrow..but I have a feeling it’s not as easy as it looks!!
Laters, Kate x
The Sky’s the Limit..
The meeting with the builder went well..looks like we could have a start date at the end of July. It means the month of August will be frantic, but if I’m going to be without my kitchen I’d prefer it to be in the summer months when salads are picnics are staple requirements – hopefully it will be a glorious sunshine and we can spend the days outside..at least there won’t be the horrors of the morning clash, trying to sort builders and attempting to get kids out the door for school. Shame about any lie-ins…
We’re also renovating our cellar at the same time…the intention was just to add more electrics, some clever storage, a TV and a sofa to turn it into a den. But the builder took one look and suggested we dropped the floor by 20 centimetres…it would make all the difference, but hits all my fear points – our cellar is bone dry and I’d hate to mess with that..but he seems to think it’ll be easy..so I’m going to see what the damage is in terms of cost. I know there won’t be any natural light, so for decor it’s dark and moody all the way..like an exclusive gentleman’s club..
Looking for inspiration I came across this picture and was struck by the ceiling..how nice to have that flash of blue, space and air..
I started looking at wallpapers..but the problem is the repeat..clouds become to regular when the beauty is they aren’t.
There’s this option..Nuvole by Cole &Son..but at quite a cost! And like beans, it still repeats..
Better is the option of wall murals from places like Surface View – this one is a reproduction of Constable’s clouds..you can order them to any size you want. Again, not a cheap option..
Then I found Pixersize which has one of the biggest ranges I have ever seen and very good value. Their sky range is enormous..the skycapes dramatic..
(But I secretly preferred the softness of the painted skies..)
Not to worry..they had that too..
(All pictures pinterest)
With so many options I think it’ll take me till August to decide which one…(but I think the last one has my heart…)…Wallpapering the ceiling..who would’ve thought..
Laters, Kate x
Happy Easter!
As a child, Volker Kraft saw a beautiful paschal tree in his home town…and he wanted one.
In 1965 his dream came true – his own tree with 300 odd eggs on it. Since then it has grown every year..
2015 will be the last year of the Saalfeld Easter tree..and the total is now 10,000 decorated eggs. One man’s madness, one man’s passion..one man’s joy. I doff my flamboyant Easter bonnet to you sir…
Laters, Kate x
Day Out x
I had that typical middle-class adult dilemma this week – is it kitsch that my kids favourite activity is shopping? As soon as I mention it, I see the bright gleam in their eyes, the excitement..the quickening heartbeat and I know it has them in it’s tight, materialistic jaw..
We had to step into the lion’s lair this week to re-stock on socks and pants for school. But I went attempting a new regime..
I told them exactly what I was going to buy. Then anything over had to come out of their pocket money/christmas money/birthday money which they had to have in cash..no loans. Anything big and desirable went on birthday (not long till Charlie’s) or Christmas list.
The hardest thing is that I have to stick to the plan too – there’s lots of stuff I’d love to buy them. But what message does that give? I limited the extra’s to looking for a top for Charlie and a dress for Bella, both for Easter Sunday when we’re seeing relatives.
I know that if I think back through the mists of time, I can still remember that feeling of stepping into the equivalent of a sweetie shop – the seduction of it. And too often, when dealing with kids, you look at a situation through the knowing eyes of an adult, forgetting the journey it took to get there. It can’t be skipped just because you know the answer.
However, both my children have a fair amount to learn..money burns a hole in their pockets and the magpie tendencies are strong..
Though Charlie did boost his cash reserve by eating a clam. Bella refused. But it was their choice.
Naturally, they blew everything they had – Bella on stationary, Charlie on a puzzle toy and a hat..
We found him a brilliant top in Next for Easter – £14.99 and it looks like something by Ralph Lauren, and is beautifully lined in grey marl. He wanted to wear it straight away..the resulting mash-up amply demonstrates the preppy look his mother would love him to embrace..and the secret clubber within..
Bella bought a dress from Marks and Spencer that fluttered her mother’s heart..black with a peter pan collar. I’ll take a picture on Sunday.
Of course now, for the lesson to be fully learnt, having blown all their money, I have to take them shopping again so they can know what it’s like to want something and not be able to buy it. That big gulf between need and want. That special emotion that can be one of the world’s best motivators…you want it, you earn it..you save for it. You spend it on what you really want, not the fluff inbetween..learn the difference between the diamonds and the fools gold…you want more? Find a way..work hard..make it happen.
Laters, Kate x
Result!
What a difference a packet of dye makes! One session in the washing machine with half a kilo of salt and the jacket now has the patina of something between oil reflecting on water and that titanium jewellery which was very popular in the eighties (made from stainless steel with an electric current through to make wonderful, unexpected, rainbow-like colours?)..honestly, you couldn’t replicate this if you tried..I and absolutely love it!
It’s bluer than these photos..and the alterations were surprisingly simple – I took out the zip, took off the blouson cuffs and removed all the velcro square buttons. Then removed all the elastic out of the waistband and ironed it flat. I’ve got some black binding just to tidy up the sleeves, that job has yet to be done. And I also want to add a tie fastening three quarters of the way down..
The one draw back of the dye process was it exposed some small holes in the cotton, exposing the white of the filling. There were four particularly prominent ones on the bottom of the shawl collar..so I’ve started doing some hand quilting in the style of the Kantha quilts of India, in vertical lines but with random spacing. If I had the time and the patience I would quilt the whole coat with all sorts of patterns..but I want to wear it!
It’s thrilling to think that from this reject, my butterfly was born..
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 