Adventures in predictive text

Every now and again I wish that money was able to buy me something useful like more meaningful conversation with a person.

You see my Mum is to all intents and purposes deaf and my sister is deaf in one ear, I sometimes think I did particularly well to be just tone deaf. Now I have some fantastic conversations with both of them, just as they do with me. The tragedy is that on sometimes we just aren't having the same conversation! LOL

I was chatting with a former colleague yesterday, about the perils of predictive text and abbreviations. He told me a good story about a text from a family member, as I wistful thought. I'll see you and raise you 10.

No one beats my sister when it comes to the perils of predictive text.

It started so innocently. A text that simply read "Can you pick Mike up on the way home?". Sure I think no problem, no idea who Mike is but he obviously needs a hand so I reply. "Sure, where from?". Response "The shop"............. "Which shop?"..........reply........."Any"..............so I have a moment "Look Caz, I am buggered if I am walking into random shops shouting Mike in the hope of acquiring the right one".

The response was classic.

"Who's Mike?".............sighs thinks pulling teeth must be less painful........ "The person you asked me to pickup on the way home." .........................."OOps milk".


What people say, what people mean, what people hear and what they understand are four quite radically different things it seems to me. The crossed wires of life are something that we should try to see the funny side of. A checked dress with lots of crossed lines seems to go well today. The basic design of this dress is called Ashley but with a lovely fawn, tan and beige check print. It has copper thread running through it which brings the material to life though it doesn't photograph well. The pleats at the neckline are beautifully done and draw attention to your face, the classic pencil dress and matching belt make this an easy to wear dress for most occasions. 

Dress: Ashley in check by Stop Staring
Shoes: Aldo

Silver screen Sunday's with Ava

I have been saving The Dambusters all week, and I am going to indulge today. I love that film, there is one line that makes it for me. Some lesser spotted RAF person is extolling the rarities of the Wellington bomber and that how did Barnes Wallace think he was going to convince anyone to lend him one for this project..............He simply replied "Tell them I designed it".

Sometimes it is cool to be the geek :) It's fair to say we dropped on when it came to geeks in WW2, Turing, Wallace, Whittle and Fleming. Necessity is after all the mother of invention. 

Someone has to add the Geek Chic, it's not all socks, sandals and pipes you know. Ava in Green is a beautiful and comfortable dress and great for a little silver screen indulgence. I love the satin sheen and the rouching. I'm still having fun breaking those fashion rules :)

Dress: Ava in Green by Pinup girl clothing
Shoes: Aldo

Gazing into the crystal ball and not even realising it

We are all fortune-tellers. We all make predictions about what we think will happen next. We do this best when we draw on experience. When we draw conclusions based on processes we have observed and patterns that we have witnessed repeating themselves many times before, we are most likely to be right.

Sometimes we don't want to acknowledge the patterns preferring instead to remain ignorant to the truth and this is the one of the reasons why so many people struggle to recognise when they’re being used. A person is using you when they avail themselves of something or someone as a means of accomplishing their chief aim. They exploit what they perceive as a vulnerability in order to gain an advantage.

While there are instances when it’s quite obvious that you’re being used, like when somebody suddenly starts spending a lot of time around you and then asks you for something and then once they’ve got it, they are nowhere to be seen.

Being used is like the boiled frog syndrome (if you were to drop a frog into boiling water, they notice and hop out, but put them in a cool pan and turn the heat up slowly). It is similar to abuse, it can creep up on you and catch you unawares. When you recognise it, you may doubt yourself, and put it down to you imagining things especially if you tend to "see the best in people", or maybe you are like me, with too much honour inside you to ever conceive of dishonor in anyone you would care for and call friend.

Most users when accused of this behaviour, won’t hold their hands up to it simply because it’s not how they want to be perceived, this is not a side of their personality they want to face or even think about. They see their actions in a more benevolent light as if to say that they’re doing you some favour, giving you an excursion away from your humdrum life or giving you a dose of their magical charm that for some reason they think you should be thrilled to get.

They rationalise their behaviour and justify it to themselves by kidding themselves into believing that you’re getting something out of it, even if what it is, isn’t much, or not what you wanted, or isn’t on mutual terms and has been "given" in a manner that allows them to "profit" from you even though you’ll feel increasingly drained. 

They overvalue what they think that they’re "giving" you, but it’s not "giving"; it’s a hidden agenda. It’s also exceedingly patronising.

If you challenge them they say that they "aren't that bad" or they try to reset the relationship to different rules. It's all got to be on their terms. They aren't someone who responds to real life, if you go for an interview they don't ask how it went, if you were a good Samaritan they don't recognise it and all the other joys of life's trials and tribulations. You have to realise it has nothing to do with you as a person it is just quite literally that life is "all about them". This is because from their perspective your life exists solely to provide whatever it is they want. You are not a real person to them, just an object to be used for their self gratification.

You’re being taken for a ride, possibly literally…

Users are distinguished from people who maybe did start out with "good intentions" and have screwed up royally. These people recognise they got it wrong and seek to make amends or at the very least stop the behaviour.

The user will veer between seeking to get their needs, wishes and expectations met aggressively (by force), possibly with a smile on their face telling you how you’ll both benefit, or passive aggressively, through obstruction and basically saying one thing, doing another. They will not care about the impact on you because they will continue using until they’ve got what they want or you cut off their supply.

If you feel like you’re being used, you’re very likely being used – friendship or a relationship feels and looks like friendship or a relationship. Using, looks and feels like using. 

Every relationship has some hope in it but not all relationships have reality in them. Choose to enter into and copilot one that has both.

Once you suspect or know that you’re being taken for a ride it is time to, stop, look, listen and step back and adjust your boundaries.

When it comes to boundaries it makes me think of every Englishman's home is castle. So what better way to remind myself of the value and importance of boundaries than to wear my beautiful country cottage print dress by Bernie Dexter. I love these printed dresses, I have the winter one they are just so much fun I can't help but smile when I wear it. It is a happy dress.

Dress: Janice in Country Cottage print by Bernie Dexter
Shoes: Aldo 

Is that an elephant skeleton in your closet?

We all have skeletons in our closets. 

In my experience there are two kinds, there are those skeletons have been there so long that they resemble the models that teachers wheel out for anatomy class and they have been hanging around long enough to have developed a clean, clinical, appearance.

The skeletal elephant on the other hand dwells in the territory of "what you may have to regret" or in the area of "what someone else now needs to own up to and make amends for" and all those other question that very obviously stand, but for the convenience of one or other party is ignored.

We don't ask these questions because we are scared that we will be 'ruined' by the answer, so we think we would rather live life not knowing so we keep skeletons and elephant skeletons in our closet.

The space they fill stops us accepting new things into our lives. New things come in when there are empty spaces or gap, if it is full of skeletons then there is no room for the new things. Worse still we don't try thing for fear of failure or rejection, we shy away from the difficult conversations and fail to reply or listen. 

Liberating ourselves from the elephant skeletons is something we should all try more often. Plus you have to admit they take up precious space better occupied by dresses!

Part of me wanted to wear one of my outrageous print dresses, or something bright and noticeable but instead I want to wear something that is subtle and hidden.

This is a beautiful 1940s style suit and I love the feel of the material it is so silky and the subtle pattern in the weave makes it really beautiful, the buttons at the neck add interest and draw attention to your face.


Suit: Stop Staring
Shoes: Aldo

Character contributes to beauty

Character contributes to beauty. It fortifies a woman as her youth fades. A mode of conduct, a standard of courage, discipline, fortitude, and integrity can do a great deal to make a woman beautiful.

A Woman's beauty
Her pretty face first attracts a person who wants to flirt,
Her kind heart is what attracts a lover, 
Her strength of character now that, that is what attracts a man.

I am always telling people, care more for your character than for your reputation. Your character is what you think of yourself, your reputation is merely what other people think of you.

The reason that your character is so important is simple. That's the person who stares back at you in the mirror. I think the reason that judgemental people irritate me so much is because they aren't the people looking into the other persons mirror! I mean how arrogant are you to think that what is appropriate for you is appropriate for everyone, not to mention incredibly narrow minded.

So there is wisdom in the tale of Snow White, the fairest of them all, are the people who see the beauty of their true self, their character. Vain people, see only what people think of them and can't face themselves.

Dress: Grace by Pinup Girl Clothing
Shoes: Aldo

The disambiguation of Atomic

I find disambiguation amusing, I like the way that certain words fire lots of patterns in my mind. Atomic, is one of those words. I can't help but have a moment of adding "icity" and reminding myself that atomicity is a fundamental principal of good database design, I think of atomic power, the atom, atomic numbers, Deborah Harry and heaven for fend Kerry Katona, at which point my mind has a mini cringe. Uggs boots, fake tan..........

Atomic kitten, it isn't even as though it is some clever play on Schrödinger's cat! It is just like rap star who insist on being "ice cold", which is actually really rather warm, now -273.15°C or absolute zero. That's cool, geek cool ;) Which leads me on to "glamour" models, I'll be impressed by the woman who calls herself "Blue Topaz" as gemologically speaking that has perfect cleavage!

Dress: Atomic

Shoes: Aldo

Mathematics, Beethoven and the patterns in nature

1824 – World premiere of Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in Vienna, Austria. The performance is conducted by Michael Umlauf under the composer's supervision. The use of mathematical devices is deeply embedded in Beethoven's music. Therefore, this is one of the best places to dig for information on the relationship between mathematics and music. I'm not saying that other composers do not use mathematical devices. Practically every musical composition has mathematical underpinnings. However, Beethoven was able to extend these mathematical devices to the extreme. It is by analyzing these extreme cases that we can find more convincing evidence on what types of devices he used.

Mathematics, music, art and nature are all so intricately interconnected. Mathematics is a beautiful language with which to describe the world. 

The fibonacci series and the greek golden number and fractal patterns are all around us in everyday prints, nature and paintings. So as a method of appreciating the patterns of nature I thought I would wear my miami print dress. The cool crisp green and the life chiffon makes this a pretty spring dress and great for the sunshine. It is my magic monkey banana leaf dress.

Beethoven's 9th Symphony was one of my Dad's favourite pieces of music, I used to dance to this when I was little. My best friend Les like my Dad is a Mathematics teacher in Vienna, so the Vienna connection makes me think of all the fun I have had on my adventures in Austria. Pfirsichspritzer and pool, I am honoured to have been asked out to pool night on so many occasions. It is highly entertaining, opera singers and radio news readers and that's before we get to the mathematicians!,

Dress: Sarong wrap in Miami print by Vivien of Holloway

Shoes: Aldo

Worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.

I am always telling my friends to stop borrowing worry, and to cross certain bridges when they come to them and not to over think the obstacle before they actually have to face it. It is like the lyrics from the Baz Luhrman song.

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

I find the concept of solving algebra with bubblegum ironic, probably because I am violently allergic to chewing gum and most likely bubblegum. Solving algebraic equations has no need to be fatal, so no fear of me attempting the bubblegum approach, but then again I am fab at algebra so it isn't something I worry about!

Life is best when you keep it simple, so try to change the things you can, accept the things you can't and hope that you are clever enough to spot the difference. Oh and if all else fails try to see the funny side of things, it is good to laugh, laughter is soul food.

A simple but stylish dress today in Olive green and Cream. I like the wide collar, and the upturn on the sleeves I think they are pretty and draw attention to your face. The buttons and the 3/4 built in belt which ties in an adorable bow at the back finish this off in a sweat and subtle manner.

Dress: Diner dress in Olive Green by Heartbreaker

Shoes: Aldo

Happy Hawaii five 0 Day Caz!

Happy Hawaii five 0 day Caz! You are the best big little sister I could have asked for. I hope you have a wonderful day.

Hard as it is to believe on this day in 1963 my sister was born, and it was a momentous event. My big sister is truly tiny, she make me look ginormous which I kind of enjoy it isn't often that I get to be the biggest LOL Her tiny frame hides a huge heart and a large laugh. I have to confess most of the amusing family stories generally end up through series of unfortunate circumstances with my sister and I sharing a bed. 

You are a dedicated follower of Pandora, you have a PhD in Hope, so keep that box safe and remember that a bit of faith in a better tomorrow is all you need.

I'm lucky to have you, Love you loads Caz XxX.

 

Today you’re 50

No doubt, for lost youth you hunger

But remember these words of wisdom
“No wise woman ever wished to be younger.”
So put up with your old joints

While embracing your new wisdom

Five decades on, and you’re still ticking
Nowhere in sight is that bucket for kicking

 

Happy Hawaii 5 0 day :) Given the celebration of 50 glorious years of my big sister and the hawaiian theme I just had to wear my hawaiian ocean dress. I remember explaining it to Jo - "Yeah it's fab it's turquoise, it's got turtles and dolphins and fish and atolls and everything on it"..........She was a bit worried as I was wearing it to her friends wedding, but when you see it, it works. I love it, we call it my finding nemo frock (there are no clown fish on the hawaiian ocean print dress).

There are three songs i have to pick for today

1. The theme to Hawaii 5 0 because it is good to dance too

2. London Calling - The Clash because it is my sisters favourite

3. Fluorescent Adolescent - it wouldn't be a family do without it! 

Dress: Sarong wrap in Hawaiian Ocean print by Viven of Holloway

Shoes: Aldo

Please sponsor Marv - She is cycling for Combat Stress

Text

MCCS75

£1 or whatever amount up to £10

To

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Unfortunately, youth is no longer on your side
You’re most decidedly over the hill
But on the bright side, old age and treachery
Will always beat youth and skill.

It may well be the cock that crows, but it is the hen that lays the egg!

Yesterday one of the last political big hitters passed away. You might not agree with her politics but it will be a long time before we see Margaret Thatcher's like again. She was one of the last Conviction rather than Consensus politicians, and I think it is fair to say she influenced me in many ways. She was never one to back away from the path of most resistance if she thought it would deliver the best results.

I remember when I was little wondering why people went on about women's lib, given that we had a Queen and a Female Prime Minister, I was in my late teens before I am understood chauvinism  fortunately it isn't difficult to be twice as good as most men.

I have to confess I did like Maggie's style, and I loved her handbags and matching gloves, her omnipresent pearls. She brought in power dressing when she changed from dresses to suits and she was a fan of the pussycat bow blouse. I also loved her when she had a moment in a tank complete with headscarf! Her hair was unchanging and appeared immovable, I was convinced that her hairstyle would survive a nuclear bomb. 

In the celebrity death match of Iron Man versus the Iron Lady then my money is definitely on Maggie, Robert Downey Jnr wouldn't stand a chance, that woman wielded a handbag last a master. In fact if there was a second hand handbag to own it would have been one of Margaret Thatchers. She was also a damn fine Chemist who gave the world soft ice cream like Mr Whippy.

She had a fantastic turn of phrase and I do find myself quoting her in day to day life, some of my favourites are:

• It may well be the cock that crows, but it is the hen that lays the egg!

• If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.

• In response to a interviewer who asked if she thought the cabinet were treated differently because of people's genders she said "Oh no, I never treated any differently because they were merely men"

I am fairly certain she was prepared to meet her maker, whether her maker was prepared to meet her is an entirely different matter! She was the last bastion of 'backbone' and 'stiff upper lips' and let's face it you had more balls than most most men. R.I.P Maggie.

Today's outfit is black to mark the passing of a great woman, Lace so we remember our strength as women and the red shoes well they remind me of how she absolutely walked all over Labour.

Cardigan: Cutout by Voodoo

Skirt: Lace by Bettie Page

Shoes: Aldo

The many faces of Doris: An Auntie, A Cat and A Top

When we here words we associate things with them, the more association the greater our ability to think laterally. Doris makes me think laterally. I think of my Gran's sister Auntie Doris, My Cat called Doris, the cartoon cat called Doris, Doris Day and my top by pin up girl clothing.

I like to mix bright colours, and I think the red of the top and shoes looks really pretty with the purple skirt. It also adds a modern twist to the vintage look.

Top: Doris in red by pinup girl clothing

Shirt: Vixen in purple by Bettie Page clothing

Shoes: Aldo

  

Everyday is a school day

I have borrowed the "l'expression du jour" from a friend, I'm sure they won't mind especially as it rings true. There is always something to be learned in life. My parents were teachers, my Aunt was a teacher, My sister was a teacher and my cousin is a teacher. Actually I do them injustice's they were essentially head teachers or they run education authorities. In short I am the black sheep of the family. I'm the computer programmer!

Still they all new lots of exciting things about everything and if they didn't then they knew someone who did. My love of science, art, mathematics, music, history, literature, culture and language all came from people who had a passion for the topic. 

Today's skirt is called classmate and it reminds me of the outfit's Sandra Dee's friends wore in grease. I have a soft spot for picnic rug prints I just think they are so much fun. It makes me think of West Highland Terriers, which my Auntie and Uncle bred. I loved helping my Uncle George with the dogs when I was little, I learned a lot from him. Like how to dig for worms for fishing bait, how out board motors work, how to box and the names of all the animals in rock pools. He always had an immaculate quiff and was never without a comb. He loved deep sea fishing, we used to go out on his boat it was an Orkney longliner and just bob up and down on the sea for hours, all of which bring me to the top which is called wave.

Now when I first put this ensemble together it just didn't look right. I had really wanted to wear it as a tie top number but the blouse was too long, so not one for wearing out. It was missing something, the mirror was kind enough to indicate it to me.

Fortunately not only do I have a mirror but I also have a best friend. Marv pulled her "Hippo Fashion Breakthrough" face, rummaged in the belt draw and came up with the red belt with the red shoes. I have to say I think Marv was onto something with this :) and it just goes to show that every day is a school day.

Skirt: Classmate by Bettie Page Clothing

Belt: Vivien of Holloway

Blouse: By Bettie Page Clothing

Shoes: Aldo

In search of El Dorado

In 1616 Sir Walter Raleigh was released from a 13 year imprisonment in the Tower of London. His mission was to return to Venzuela in search of El Dorado and the Cities of Gold. In our own way we all search for El Dorado, like the Holy Grail it is a metaphor for a prize so great you spend your life seeking it.

Whenever I think of South America I think of the Butterflies. When I was little my Mum used to read me fairy stories from around the world, and I loved them, they described the gods making butterflies by throwing all the jewels of the earth into the sky and giving them life. They are rare and gentle things.

This is a classic ensemble, a kitten bow blouse and a skirt. I love purple it is without a doubt my favourite colour to look at I prefer to wear green. I like the femininity of this simple outfit  The butterfly print blouse has a beautiful off set kitten bow at the neckline. It is chiffon so you need to combine it with a chemise. The purple pencil skirt is called Vixen, so the name as well as the colour appealed to me. I have teamed it with neutral shoes to balance the blouse.

Blouse: Gala Purple Butterflies by Bettie Page Clothing

Skirt: Vixen in Purple

Shoes: Aldo

Dolly Parton

Stanley Kubrick: I wanna be your drill instructor

Today in 1999 Stanley Kubrick passed away, he was regarded as one of the greatest film makers of all time. His films include but are not limited to

1. Spartacus

2. Lolita 

3: Dr Strangelove or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the bomb

3. Clockwork Orange

4. 2001: A Space Odessey

5: Full Metal Jacket

Spartacus, an epic movie. Who will ever forget the lines "I'm Spartacus", "No, I'm Spartacus". I always found it fitting that the woman who was the match for Spartacus was a Brigantes, no where makes women quite like they do in the North West of England.

2001 A Space Odessey made HAL 9000 a household name, and every techie has at some point put a copy of "I'm sorry Dave, I can't do that" and replaced a command so that file executes instead LOL For the none techies HAL stands for Hardware Abstraction Layer, and the music amazing. Amazing!

When it comes Full Metal Jacket I will never forget the scene when Gunnery Sergeant Hartman walks in and demands that Private Leonard Lawrence surrender his rifle, Hartman is killed by Lawrence who then takes his own life with an M14 rifle. It is this scene where the file gets it's title and the line "seven six two millimetre full metal jacket". Sadly psychotic episodes rarely if ever end well.

Dress: Military Pinup Dress in Olive Green with Red Trim by Pinup Girl Clothing

Shoes: Aldo 



Chaucer,Third time lucky and the red rose

John of Gaunt, the first Duke of Lancaster was born today in 1340. If I wanted to change the history of our nation and if I had a time machine then he would be a prime target.  

John of Gaunt's legitimate male heirs, the Lancasters, included Kings Henry IV, Henry V, and Henry VI. His other legitimate descendants included, by his first wife, Blanche, his daughters Queen Philippa of Portugal and Elizabeth, Duchess of Exeter; and by his second wife, Constance, his daughter Queen Catherine of Castile. 

John fathered five children outside marriage, one early in life by a lady-in-waiting to his mother, and four surnamed "Beaufort" (after a former French possession of the Duke) by Katherine Swynford, Gaunt's long-term mistress and third wife. The Beaufort children, three sons and a daughter, were legitimised by royal and papal decrees after John and Katherine married in 1396; a later proviso that they were specifically barred from inheriting the throne, the phrase excepta regali dignitate (English: not eligible for the royal dignity), was inserted with dubious authority by their half-brother Henry IV. 

Descendants of this marriage included Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester and eventually Cardinal, the man who presided over the trial of Joan of Arc; Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland, grandmother of Kings Edward IV and Richard III; John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset, the great-grandfather of King Henry VII; and Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scots, from whom are descended, beginning in 1437, all subsequent sovereigns of Scotland, and successively, from 1603 on, the sovereigns of England, of Great Britain and Ireland, and of the United Kingdom to the present day. The three succeeding houses of English sovereigns from 1399 — the Houses of Lancaster, York and Tudor — were descended from John through Henry Bolingbroke, Joan Beaufort and John Beaufort, respectively.

He was also a patron of Geoffrey Chaucer, who was also his brother in law, he married Phillipa de Roet, the sister of John's 3rd wife Katherine. His influence on literature didn't end there either. In William Shakespeare's play Richard II, the famous England speech is spoken by the character of John of Gaunt as he lies on his deathbed.

It was through the book "Katherine" by Anya Seaton that I discovered this interesting time and character in history. It was a very compelling story covering Watt Tyler and the Peasant's Revolt as well as the human side to the relationship.

Lancashire is the Red Rose County, so I wanted to wear a red dress today to represent the colour of the rose. I also wanted to couple it with something that had just a dash of "this sceptre'd isle".

I think this dress is bright and cheerful whilst also maintaining a balance of fun and style. It is a 1940s style dress with slight puff top sleeves, buttons to the waist and a nicely fitted skirt. It is however the accents that make this dress, I just love the Union Jack trim! Who wouldn't? This is one of my "reclaim the union Jack from Ginger Spice" dresses. It also has a highly appropriate name!

Dress: Belted Vixen Dress With Cuffs in Union Jack by Tara Starlet

Shoes: Aldo

"England"

This royal throne of kings, this scepter'd isle,

This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,

This other Eden, demi-paradise,

This fortress built by Nature for herself

Against infection and the hand of war,

This happy breed of men, this little world,

This precious stone set in the silver sea,

Which serves it in the office of a wall,

Or as a moat defensive to a house,

Against the envy of less happier lands,

This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England,

This nurse, this teeming womb of royal kings,

Fear'd by their breed and famous by their birth

Renowned for their deeds as far from home,

For Christian service and true chivalry,

As is the sepulchre in stubborn Jewry,

Of the world's ransom, blessed Mary's Son,

This land of such dear souls, this dear dear land,

Dear for her reputation through the world,

Is now leased out, I die pronouncing it,

Like to a tenement or pelting farm:

England, bound in with the triumphant sea

Whose rocky shore beats back the envious siege

Of watery Neptune, is now bound in with shame,

With inky blots and rotten parchment bonds:

That England, that was wont to conquer others,

Hath made a shameful conquest of itself.

Ah, would the scandal vanish with my life,

How happy then were my ensuing death!

—Act II, scene i, 42–54, The Tragedy of King Richard II

Sasha, the red vixen and an Iron Curtain

In 1946 Winston Churchill delivered his "Sinews of Peace" speech, which contained the phrase - "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent."

 

It is somewhat ironic that 7 years later Joseph Stalin should pass away on this date too. He had ruled Russia for 29 years and committed atrocities against his people that make Hitler look almost benign. I never cease to be amazed that the "UN / World" seems to think that mass slaughter of your own people entirely acceptable, however we draw the line at you slaughtering others countries people! So a blouse called Sasha and red skirt seemed fitting.

 

Today's outfit is a 40s/50s cross over it is a beautiful neutral chiffon with a berry print, it has a gorgeous little tie bow at the collar and is fitted to the waist with a blouson effect. It is very feminine, it is the original in power dressing. The skirt is a beautiful shade of red with a modest split in the back. The tailoring of the blouse makes the most of the derriere too. A simple but well tailored skirt and blouse, a timeless classic.

 

Blouse: Sasha by bettie Page Clothing

Skirt: Vixen in Red by Bettie Page Clothing

Poetry in motion

Rupert Brooke was born today in 1887 he died in 1915. He is perhaps best known for his poem "The Solider". I never fail to be moved by the line:  That there's some corner of a foreign field, that is for ever England.

I have been getting back into my poetry over the last few days. I enjoy writing poems though I will confess I don't have much skill, still it is about enjoying it. It is nice to write poetry, it is cool surprising your friends on their birthdays with things you wrote just for them!

I am going to spend the afternoon indulging in writing, reading and dancing. I want a nice relaxed outfit that I can chill out in, so what better than Capri pants and a halterneck top? These are wardrobe staples.

Capri pants: Dangerous curves by Deadly Dames

Halterneck: Red Gingham by Vivien of Holloway

Shoes: Aldo

The Soldier by Rupert Brooke

If I should die, think only this of me;  

That there's some corner of a foreign field  

That is for ever England. There shall be  

In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;  

A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,         

Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,  

A body of England's breathing English air,  

  Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.  

  

And think, this heart, all evil shed away,  

A pulse in the eternal mind, no less  

Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;  

Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;  

And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,  

In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.