Shamelessly Copying a Design Blog

Bonjour & Welcome to My Friend, The Ex-School Nurses' Home. 
Yes, this blog entry is my attempt to shamelessly copy what is known as a 'Sneak Peak'  from one of my favourite blogs, Design Sponge.
I rarely, if ever mention Other Blogs. It's as if I'm Alone in my Own Special Section of the Bloggosphere, although I would prefer to call it The Bloggoverse. OMG, I just coined yet another term, although I can't actually remember what the other ones are.
Note to Self: From now on, You must, repeat, MUST keep Strict Records of any new terms You coin.
Bloggoverse sounds soo much more poetic than bloggosphere, don't you think? And of course, I'm The Abandoned Princess of The Bloggoverse, a Middleaged Rapunzel-like creature trapped in a doorless tower with hair that sadly isn't quite long enough to be used as a ladder for the Middleaged Handsome Prince to climb up & rescue her. So, she's stuck writing Blog Entries for ever.
Speaking of Towers, look above at the Gigantic Tower of Bangles cleverly made from an  Old Leg of a Chair that Ex-SN has assembled.

This display adorns the Long Hallway of her home. And most of the adornments are by Dinosaur Designs,  my Almost Favourite Jewellry Brand even though it doesn't quite go with the Toy Chanel Flight Attendant Look I've been sporting lately that I'm slightly frightened  makes me look too much like Someone's Mother even though I am Someone's Mother. And proud of it. But I still think of myself an an Ingenue.
 I digress. It's that Damn Blog Della. I tell you, it's always had a  mind of it's own. Clearly, it wants to talk about My Adventures With Aging when I want to conduct a tour of Ex-SN's home.
But I win. Because I'm Real & Della isn't. Perhaps.
Back to Decorating. I just love that little coloured 30's dish on the side. It's those little touches that count.

A close up of all the Jewels. When I saw them  silently glistening in all their Organic Flintstones Splendour, I wanted to quietly load them into my Toy Jimmy Choo Knapsack & take them home. But I resisted the urge knowing that if I did, our friendship would be over. And I need all the friends I can get.

I just loved the pair of vibrant Still Lives, above, painted by a young artist friend. Has it ever occurred to you what a strange coupling 'Still Lives' is? OMG, my head is suddenly swimming with Layers of Meaning! It's probably due to the fact that it's friday evening & I've been hard at it all day with 'Educating Rita' & Oxymorons & Hyperbole & Split Infinitives & I'm busting to get back to yet another rerun of a Poirot Mystery which I've got on 'Live Pause.'

I do love the little drinks tray with the blend of decanters, silver cocktail shaker & the 'Bombay Sapphire' gin right smack in the middle where it belongs. OMG, I totally long for a Gin & Tonic with ice & a slice of lime in it right now. But I'll resist the urge because: 1. It's dangerously close to my Official Bedtime.
                                                                 2. I've just rifled through my Drinks Trolley & I appear to be out
                                                                     of Gin & I'm certainly not going out in the street to buy a bottle
                                                                     at this hour particularly as I'm wearing my Toy Uggs.
                                                                3.  I am a bit of a Wowser. I'll swill San Pellegrino instead.

I was thrilled to find this wonderful Chanel box, below, artfully placed next to a mirror in the bedroom.
You know, if I was ever to get a tattoo which I wouldn't even though a Tattoo Parlour is conveniently located four doors down from my apartment building, I'd get a  'Double C' Chanel logo the size of a twenty cent coin just above the inside of my wrist.
Today while I was trawling through Google Images looking for an authentic Gucci heart shaped crest to compare it to the one on the Toy Gucci Bag I picked up from 'BednobsEtc' on my way home from school, I saw a photo of a young man who had a Gucci pattern lightly tattooed across his entire face which made him look a little like a Human Chess Board. That's taking Luxury Branding to a whole new level.

I've saved the best picture till last, below. It's again another gaggle of 'Still Lives' that work beautifully together. Note the bottom left hand painting which also has some collage elements, is my favourite.
Talking of Favourites, I must leave you with a v. short list of my Favourite Things this week:
- Isaac Mizrahi, the fashion designer said that no one looks any good after Cosmetic Surgery. I'm not sure if he's right. After all, think of Joan Rivers. But it was reassuring to hear it anyway;
- My New Fascinating Woman of Style is Jenna Lyons, the head of J.Crew who is all over the style news this week because she left her husband for a woman. Big whoop. But at least all the coverage of it allowed me to peek at her style which I adore. I now want to wear many more sequins just like Jenna so I can effortlessly combine Nite & Day.
- today was International Teacher's Day. They put on a Big Fat Lunch for us in the Boarder's Dining Room. I ate five different types of dessert & almost an entire vat of cream. And then the President of the P&F got up & thanked us all for caring So Selflessly for their daughters.
- Saw The Devil Wears Prada again. I so loved Meryl Street as Miranda Priestly. Today, over The World Teacher's Day luncheon, I announced to my colleagues that Meryl is the actor most suited to playing Me in The Movie of My Life. Everyone rolled their eyes but didn't bother batting an eyelid when The Duchess suddenly announced that Susan Sarandon should play her in her movie.

Losing Control

As I type, I'm still wearing my newly-thrifted Golden Sandals even though it's Sunday evening & I'm alone wearing freshly bought from the Girlswear Section of 'Best & Less', black harem pants & a black 'Bonds' singlet.

Sadly, I haven't got a picture of myself in the harem pants & now I wish I did. Perhaps you can visualise me in them. Of course they're not the 'I Dream of Jeannie' sort of harem pants. In fact, the more I look at them, the more they look like slightly oddly shaped sweat pants. Which is a bit of a bummer as I'm Not Fond of sweat pants. Even their Name turns my stomach.

If you look closely at the Golden Sandals, you can see the imprint of Another Person's Feet on them. But I'm determined not to let this mar my enjoyment. Instead, I'm focussing on the label that says, 'Filippo Raphael Made in Italy'.

I do soo love Italian Leather shoes, particularly when I pay twelve bucks for them at 'Bednobs Etc'. I must now have about twenty pairs. Someday soon, I'll photograph them all together like One Big Happy Italian Shoe Family, & you & I both can be impressed when I post the picture.

But perhaps you are the sort of person who can't possibly bear the idea of wearing someone else's shoes. I don't blame you, I'm almost that sort of person myself. But not quite.

Recently, I bought three pairs of 'Bruno Maglis' that had been donated by my ex-school principal, Miss Dew. For some perverse reason I can't stop wearing them, particularly a pair of beige suede loafers with a gold bar across the instep.

Clearly, I must have some unconscious urge to become a Headmistress.

Before we move on, do look at my Fresh Pedicure. I had it done this afternoon at my favourite salon, 'USA Nails'. I couldn't bear my Au Naturel Toenails a moment longer. Every time I looked down at them on the yoga mat, I was instantly reminded of my father's crusty old toenails just before he died when he was ninety three.

Have you noticed how I keep mentioning slightly Sick-Making things like sweat pants & old used shoes that other people have sweated in & now old dying men's toenails?

It's not My Fault. It's The Blog.

I will now try my best to wrench back control.

Here's another thing I did on the weekend.

I installed Xmas Lights. I'm thrilled. Never Before have I strayed into Lighting Territory for one of my Tableaux. Who knows where I'll go next? The sky's the limit.

Must go.

Time for 'Millionaire Matchmaker'.

A Birthday with a Sub-Title

And now for My Birthday. 

This year I gave my birthday a sub-title. New Beginnings. 

This is a slightly Unusual Practice. I admit I haven't done it before. But maybe I should start giving all Important Celebrations sub-titles.

"Xmas 09: Scrooge is Screwed". How's that?

What prompted my 'New Beginnings' was the beautiful butterfly who is now the centrepiece of my 'Homage to Charles Darwin' Nature Display.  As a birthday gift, I was given an exquisite Murano sterling silver butterfly brooch that was the size of a macadamia nut. The Giver had thoughtfully left the receipt in the bag it came in, so as soon as I gasped at the price, I trotted down to the shop which is handily located within metres of my home &  exchanged it for this Largish Real, but Dead Butterfly along with an amazing scented candle which no kidding, exudes the smell of the floors & candleabra in the Palace of Versailles. The brand is called 'Cire Trudon' & it's been going since the reign of Louis the 14th. 

What a mouthful.

Talking of mouthfuls, I'm looking genuinely, what is it?  overwhelmed, overawed, overcome, by the sight of six superb 'Villeroy & Boch' wine glasses that my wonderful friend, Rubber-Glove Jenny gave me.

I'm really throwing around the brand names now. You might think that I'm somewhat of a Brand Whore. And you may be correct.

Anyway, I was thrilled to get them. Anything to stop the Poor Little Match Girl Feelings taking a grip.

And then was The Cake.  Monica, who is a Restaurant Quality cook, made it for me. It was a  chocolatemudblackforest extravaganza. It had to be the best cake I've ever eaten. In fact, it was so good that I had another slice today at lunch which is totally breaking my v. strict dietary rules. All my colleagues were gobsmacked, as I'm well known as the Gandhi of the Staffroom. 

Such a Self-denier. 

Monica also gave me an  exciting pink bangle that had text on it that said 'Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History'. Some dame called Laurel Thatcher Ulrich said it. 

And then I started to think of the women who have Made History starting with Eve. She was hopelessly  swayed by a Evil Talking Serpent & look where that got us?

I think I better go back to the butterfly & 'New Beginnings.' It's more me.

Thank you girls.