Suzy's Blog

Tantrums and Tiaras 

Hello blog. Yes I know it's been a while since we last spoke, and yes I admit I have neglected you, but here we are, reunited at last.

So what's been happening in my world over the last few weeks?....Well, apart from major frustration with my new devil phone, (now returned to Satan) I have been concentrating on the new addition to the shop, vintage and modern clothing. Have to say I do find vintage clothes fascinating, must be something do do with my preoccupation with dressing up in my Mum's clothes when I was a child. Oh the childhood memories, many a day was spent traipsing round the garden in a ten sizes too big ballgown, (my mum was a bit of a socialite in her day) glittery dancing shoes and a tiara, pretending I was Cinderella. My poor long suffering brother always used to make himself scarce on those occasions in case I roped him in as prince charming! Felix, the pet cat wasn't safe either. Long before the current trend of bling collars for pets, Felix was quite the glamour puss, regularly adorned with diamanté necklaces and a little lace neckerchief, sitting haughty on a velvet cushion. All very well until one day he was spotted sprinting across the lawn wearing one of my Mum's favourite  satin scarves....Oh, happy days..

 Vintage frocks seem to have an air of glamour and mystery about them, and the very fact that many of them are still around today is testament to the fine quality of the fabrics and workmanship. Can't see many of the clothes currently hanging in my wardrobe still being around in fifty or so years. 

Anyway, back to the present, Poor Russ, he comes back from holiday nicely chilled and relaxed to find the place full of women's clothing. It must have been like walking into a giant wardrobe!..

Couldn't resist revisiting the dressing up box of my childhood again and getting a picture taken in this beautiful 1920s gown!

 Toodle Pip x

Suzy's Blog

As I'm still still trying to get to grips with my new phone, (note to self, avoid phones cleverer tham me in future) I have decided to keep this blog short and sweet...Not a bad idea as this is my third attemp at writing this, the first two were accidentally deleted just as I got to the last paragraph....(a few unprintable words were flying about I can tell you!)
Anyway, what I'd like to say is how relaxing June has been so far, (apart from aforementioned phone) compared to a hectic May.  Plenty of time to catch up on a few things  that I've been putting off, new window display at C&C, a bit of buying and a revamp of my website, maybe even a you tube channel,  (blimey, sound and vision..eeek!)  So lots of things to get stuck into. 
Hope you like the two recent photos,  no cartoon this time, a bit too much for my basic grasp of this phone..
Well I seem to have made it to the last paragraph again...Try to press the right key this time...Here goes!!!
Sue x

Suzy's blog

Dame Edna and other Possums

Since Friday I've been unable to
 stop humming the 10cc song, 'I don't like cricket....' (dreadlock holiday), must be something to do with the Aussies being over at mine on the same day we beat Australia at cricket...hee hee! Not that I'm a cricket fan, just that everyone else seemed to be, (almost fanatical in fact), so I got sort of carried away with  it all.....Jimmy who? Oh Yes, Anderson!...

Anyway, my lunch party, which I had expected to be a few hours over some food and drink, turned into a marathon 8 hours during which we polished off several bottles of red and white wine, a bottle of champers, 9 bottles of beer and half a bottle of Remy, (the only leftovers were 6 bottles of non alcoholic beer, bought by mistake and ignored by everyone)... And how did we finish the day off?...A visit to the pub!!..

 After a few days recovery, (yes, as I expected the hangover was pretty severe!) I can honestly say that these days a lunch that lasts longer than 7 hours and rounded off with a visit to the pub, whilst fun, is just a bit too much...In fact the whole day was a bit like living in an ad for Fosters lager!...We even had the sunshine!
Quick change of subject and country, I am ecstatic to report that my gorgeous french sofa now has an equally gorgeous friend...a matching chair.

Talking of blasts From The Past

OOOOh Sunny days .....

 Perfect for sitting and enjoying a lovely glass of chilled white, I thought!...well it would be if I had any left!.....

G'night Possums!
Sue x

Suzy's Blog

French sofas, shoes and Les Miserables 

It is now day seven of my miserable no cake, chocolate or biscuits diet, (I am, of course, still allowing myself alcohol) and I have now reached the severe withdrawal stage.  I should have realised I was at crisis point when the chocolate candle became the fragrance of choice and the dogs bonios started to look appetising!....I wouldn't mind all this were it not for the fact that, after all this effort, denial and self discipline, (a new thing for me, I have to say) I feel absolutely no different....boo hoo!!
Anyway, enough of all this poor me routine, I have had one major indulgence this last week, (which is helping take my mind of choccy) in the form of an exquisite antique french sofa.  This spectacular thing of beauty is residing grandly in my sitting room in all its gorgeousness, oozing sex appeal, (well it is french after all!) and making everything around it wilt in its presence. It almost  seems to be saying, 'don't dare sit on me'!!...Just have to hope my cat takes note, as she's rather partial to a cosy nap on a sofa,but then she's Persian so she probably doesn't understand french!!..
At least I can sit for a moment on it !!

Continuing on a french theme, I just have to pay homage to another recent acquisition, shoes. Utterly beautiful and very Parisian....Aren't I a lucky girl!! All I need now is a suitable occasion to wear them at.
Please excuse my final comment, but I just can't resist finishing on a very apt quote, (although I don't think she did actually say this) from Marie Antoinette....'Let them eat cake'!....Oh yes, could you make that a double chocolate one, please!!
Happy days and....Au revoir!!..
x

Suzy's Blog

Sunshine and champagne

Just when I thought it would never happen summer seems to have arrived..(well for the last three hours anyway) In order to make the most of it, and following the best bit of health advice I've ever read, (apparently champagne is now considered to be good for us) I decided to raid the rack and open a bottle of bubbly.  So here I am enjoying a warm sunny afternoon with a book and a glass of champers...bliss!!

 
I'm hoping this is just the start of a month of celebrations, worthy of a bit of cork popping.  After a disappointing start when I was unable to make a 'page 3' reunion dinner in London, I now have a couple of interesting events to look forward to. (may still get to wear my new frock after all!)
Something I'm definitely not celebrating is the news delivered by the vet that Olive, my lovely sweet Shar Pei has been diagnosed as being almost completely deaf.  'Poor little thing', said my Mum, sympathetically, 'she'll now have something in common with your Dad'..

.. Hmmm! I always thought it was a bit of selective deafness with my Dad, funny how he never seems to have a problem hearing the football commentary!...
Oh well, on that note I'd better get back to my health initiative before the bubbles go flat. That certainly wouldn't do, would it!!.
Talking of sunshine , which appears to be a distant memory at the moment .....Here is another distant memory ....!!

Have a lovely  weekend, and make the most of any  sunshine...
Sue x
Ps Oh dear, should have posted this earlier, it's now raining....Back to the wellies!!

Suzy's Blog

Saturday morning lie in and picnics in the park...

Oh the indulgence!...It's 8 am on a Saturday and here I am still in bed. Two
dogs one cat, and me, reclining contentedly, watching breakfast t.v whilst the sunshine, (yes, actual sunshine) makes an appearance through my bedroom window.  Can't languish around for too long though, as I've planned a picnic in the park with my dogs later.  I'm fantasising about wine chilling in the stream, cream cheese and smoked salmon nibbles and two impeccably behaved dogs relaxing in the sunshine. I'll be wearing a floppy hat, sunnies and a nice itsy bitsy frock....How lovely, but, dream on I suspect the reality will be a lot different!..

So Maybe a book or two ......

talking  of sun and flimsies , well not exactly .....but I hosted a fantastic 'french fancies' evening with some of my friends .....fair to say they embraced Can Can and oooo La La to perfection.......here is my contribution....

Also later, if this weather continues, I'm looking forward to the possibility of a glass of wine, (or two!) and a meal outside on my terrace, first of many over the summer I hope. Again, I suspect it'll be a case of dream on!..

After the dreams come the nightmare...I have recently been trying to sort out a banking problem on behalf of my Mum. Following a monumental blunder on their part and much wrangling, they finally agreed to send her flowers by way of apology.  Yesterday she finally took delivery of a bouquet of 'flowers'...What a frightening sight, strange looking thistle type things accompanied by angry looking spikey green foliage, all tied up with purple ribbon.  A bit like something from the film The Day Of The Triffids....No doubt about it, this was definitely not sent with love!!

Finally, on a more pleasant note, I am looking forward to a girls only shopping trip soon, can't wait!....
Bye for now!
Sue x

Suzy's Blog

Pink pyjamas and a bit of a do

I am, courtesy of my mother, the proud owner of a pair of bright pink pyjamas. Now, whilst I realise that this isn't exactly headline news, I'm pretty sure that it has some relevance, (probably by coincidence) to the fact that I have always been lousy at early mornings.  Dragging myself out of bed has always been a huge effort for me, and I've long since accepted that I'm definitely not a 'morning person', so the annual change to B. S. T and the loss of a precious hour in bed, always comes as a bit of a shock, (being greeted by a deluge of snow on the first day of summer didn't help either!)....So, anyway, in case you're wondering what I'm rambling on about,  that is the connection to the pink pyjamas!...Well, sort of!..
A couple of weeks on, though, and with a bit of a change in the weather, I am now well and truly out of hibernation, (and pyjamas), and fully embracing the change in seasons. It's not just me, either,Bonbon, my cossetted persian cat, ( who hasn't left the house since last August) has ventured outside.

Ok, so it was a bit of a brief adventure, but nonetheless, there she was, on the terrace, indulging in a spot of sunbathing before returning to her more usual position, sleeping on her favourite cushion by the sitting room window.
As for me, well I've been fussing about in the garden, planting things and reinstating the garden furniture, in the hope that I shall, before too long, be relaxing in the sunshine with a good book and a nice glass of crisp white.....luuuuurvly!
Summer , remember one of those ....well this Blast From The Past was certainly in the sunshine ...

  ? Sunshine ...well who knows , but maybe this is the last time for a warm collar for a while ...we can hope !

Something else to get excited about came out of the blue last week...An invitation to a very glamorous event in London, very swish! Now I wish I could say more but having been sworn to secrecy, (very James Bond), I can say no more till after the do....What I can say though is that, having checked out my wardrobe and found it sadly lacking in anything other than wellies and woollies, some  serious dress shopping is called for, me thinks!!..Whaaay!!
Happy spring everyone, bye for now
Sue x