Something to keep you going...

a few days more ... until we start all over again for New Years Eve.... lets make dates with our girlfriends in our diaries NOW! Something to look forward to...

for this month....


OMGosh we gotta see this one!!! Gerry Butler, DING DONG!!!


and.....



and....


and...




and in the summer.....

A Sprinkle of Magic

soft candlelight

the crunch of giftwrap

childrens' laughter

sparkling eyes

flushed cheeks

stockings on the bedpost

glittering tree baubles

jingling bells

a partridge in a pear tree

the crunch of footsteps on snow

twinkling tree lights

hot mince pies

squeals of delight

the scent of spices

the laughter of loved ones

a sprinkling of love

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

TO ALL MY FRIENDS

xoxox

Sara x

Miscellaneous Mondays #1

DarylE has wondered up this great theme for Mondays (monochrome or not) for all those photos we've taken and they don't seem to fit into any obvious category. Thus, here commences a 'mish mash' of the miscellaneous!

'Leaning on a lamp-post.....'

Midnight Regent Street, London

Fabulous Frocks!

...Fab Frocks

from the V & A costume rooms...

(click to enlarge )

bodice detail from a Celia Birtwell designed fabric & dress late 1960's

1920's beaded column gown, Jean Patou

Zandra Rhodes early 1970's

A classic Chanel three piece worn by Gabrielle herself

Catherine Walker dress & jacket designed for Diana, HRH Princess of Wales

for the Royal Tour, Hong Kong

looks like something Morticia would wear!

fabulous glass beaded back detail

floral Dior dress garnished with beads

and a jewel in the crown

a Vivienne Westwood gown I would love to own!

... and here is a soupcon of fashions of the future

new designs from young designers, students of fashion

ME time...

...does not necessarily equate to quiet time, at all! I'm home and l'm so tired. I've walked and l've walked! The train trip down from Carlisle to London was uneventful, thus newspaper, magazine, book, ipod... but on a Pendolino it was fast, blink and you'd miss the countryside whizzing by...

After checking into my hotel I wondered around Covent Garden

browsed the fancy food shops

then went to The National Portrait Gallery to view

and went to The Haymarket Theatre and watched Breakfast at Tiffanys

I then walked all the way from Picadilly via Regent & Oxford streets

to my hotel at Lancaster gate. at midnight. Phew!

Day two - the morning was spent finding then ratching around in the Persephoone bookshop. Bliss! I chose three books to wrap and put under the tree for ME!

Then I went to The Victoria & Albert Museum

where I spent hours in the Costume Rooms

this is a Vivienne Westwood, I wish!!

(more fab dresses in another post)

then viewed the marvellous Maharajah Exhibition

and then in the evening I went to the Royal Albert Hall, a first for me, to see

'A Not so silent Christmas'

featuring Rufus & Martha Wainwright

Kate & Anna McGarrigle

Boy George, Guy Garvey, Ed Hagerty,

& Dawn French & Jennifer Saunders-retired-

believe it or not this is Boy George & Rufus singing Blue Christmas!

A real fun night.

Windows into Christmas

(double click to enlarge most of the images)

London's Oxford Street windows at nearly midnight,

based on the Pantomine fairy tales and...

(that says tock btw, l know what it looks like...!)

OMGish fab Vivienne Westwood windows (strictly panto of course)

and a christmas kitsch bling Louis Vuitton

... santa baby, put one under the tree,

for me...

Visit MamaGeek and Cecily, creators of Photo Story Friday.

Flying solo....

I'm off on a three day trip to London. Alone. Solo. Free from house, home, kids, timetables and clock watching. This has been planned since August and l'll tell you all about it when I return. See you all soon!