Christmas Time is Here Again

In the words of The Beatles: "Christmas time is here again". The tree is up, the lights are on and our house is chock-a-block filled with tinsel, Santa Clause ornaments and faux snow. You have to make certain adjustments when your Christmas seasons are steaming hot! (Almost) all the family are here and soon the stockings will be put out and the presents placed in an immense pile under the tree. This time of year I am always thankful to be part of such a huge bunch, siblings and all. Always keep your loved ones close - 'war is over, if you want it'.

Hopefully this new year ahead will bring smoother roads and easier times, and more opportunities to make blogging a frequent thing again of course! I'd like to thank all my lovely readers and blogging friends far and wide for your continued support and undying kindness during this difficult time. It is truly appreciated and I wish you all the happiest of Christmases and New Years. Enjoy the season wherever you are, stay safe and stay smiling! 

Merry Christmas!

P.S. I'm now on Instagram. Shhh!

I'll Take Afternoon Tea

I'm back (at least for a little while)! Times are still tough and my days remain busy. However, I thought I'd create a quick post of all the positive things I am thankful for that have occurred as of lately to keep me looking towards the light. The first of these is my younger sister's birthday party which was celebrated today with a High Tea. Surrounded by beautiful scenery and friends and family (ladies only), we munched on gourmet savory snacks, cute little cakes and petite fours, and drank delicate leaf teas and pink champagne. We all felt very fancy indeed!

Other Lovely Things:

- I celebrated my own birthday last week with rose scented tea, vanilla mille feuille, and two of my favourite people in the world. Must also mention the incredible rainbow cheesecake that my younger sister baked for me!

- A large bundle of more beautiful vintage dresses in brilliant condition have come into my possession. I have so many gorgeous dresses overflowing from my wardrobe I'm afraid I'll have to start hanging them on the walls!

- We have finally had some rain. Nice dark gloomy days with thunder rumbling ominously in the distance - my favourite! It is so lovely to cuddle up in the couch watching lightning strike over the mountains and listening to the sound of rain pounding against the window panes. 

- Each afternoon in the pool I've been teaching one of the family's little ones to swim and I find myself waiting eagerly for the other to take her first steps. Seeing them smile brings so much joy during this difficult time. 

- My family and I have decorated our home for the Christmas season, a favourite tradition of ours. Candy cane flavoured hot chocolates and fruit mince pies are now a frequent treat in the household. 

- I've been surrounded by some wonderful, caring and supportive people, reminding me that there is so much love and light in the world still to be experienced. Keep your loved ones close always. 

What lovely things are you thankful for this week?

Title: "Afternoon Tea" - The Kinks

I've Been Away (There She Goes Again)

It is quite clear that I've been quite quiet in the blogging world as of the past couple of weeks and I apologize to you, my readers. But I must provide some explanation of my absence and make you aware that, regretfully, a vast series of unfortunate events has occurred. Due to privacy of myself and those involved I will refrain from providing any details of such events other than the fact that there has been a sudden and significant family loss. There is no telling when things will slow down back to a more steady pace and so posting will continue to be staggered and my commenting on my favourite blogs will remain rare. However, I will let you know that I am still trying to keep up to date and I am still lurking about on here even if my presence isn't show!

                 

To lighten up this post a bit, I thought I'd quickly shove in a little 'There She Goes Again' segment. This time around it is Pattie Boyd and this gorgeous calve-lengthed coat. Pattie looked fabulous in it and was seen wearing it numerous times in 1967 and 1968. Here she's seen with her then husband, George Harrison, at Abbey Road studios, and (below) at the UNICEF benefit concert featuring the Beach Boys at the Palais de Chailloy, Paris 1967.

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

Queen of Hearts

Some time ago now I was pining over a certain pair of shoes on my Twitter. Well, here they are! I'd been having a quick browse whilst out shopping and out of the corner of my eye caught a glimpse of the bold, red, pop-arty heart motif. It reminded me of something from a Roy Lichtenstein artwork or Disney's "Alice in Wonderland". Now I have never really been a big fan of jelly shoes, but I must say when I saw these I fell in love instantly. The next week they came home with me, and with perfect timing too as they happened to be on sale!

  

Mel - Dreamed by Melissa, is a Brazilian footwear brand that manufactures jelly shoes in a large variety of styles. The shoes are made from an eco-friendly plastic called Melflex which is 100 percent recyclable as well as vegan friendly. The plastic is also durable, can be easily cleaned and flexible, ensuring the wearer's comfort. This was also one of the things that hooked me in to these lovely things. I do a lot of walking, so I am very appreciative of a good pair of shoes that can substantially support my feet yet still look pretty and liven up my outfits. 

The shoes that I have bought are called Fresh IV. I love that they are peep-toes. They'll be perfect for when summer comes around with my bright red toe nails peeping through. Another little bonus is that the love hearts are raspberry scented. How sweet! They also come in nude and black, which I'm very tempted to buy as well!