As I wrote at this post I'm doing a tribute to Anna Politkovskaya. This is a very beautiful moment of peace in Anna's life. She speaks one minute and her smile is so beautiful!
Woman: "Many thanks to you Anya! You are like the dove of peace for us. Poems are written about you. Chechen women pray for you." Anna: "I'm deeply grateful." Actually I just got back from Norway where I fell in love. So the whole way back I was dreaming about a possible future for us." Woman: "You fell in love?" Anna: "Absolutely!" Woman: "No kidding!' Anna: "Head over heel at first sight! I would never have thought this could happen to me. My entire life, I've never felt as good as I do now. Even going to Chechnya, no matter how dreadful it is, I somehow feel inspired, not burdered, as I always do."
“There is no trouble so great or grave that cannot be much diminished by a nice cup of tea” Bernard-Paul Heroux
“If you are cold, tea will warm you; if you are too heated, it will cool you; if you are depressed, it will cheer you; if you are excited, it will calm you.”
William E. Gladstone Prime Minister (1868-1894)
“Drinking tea quenches thirst, relieves indigestion, clears the throat, reduces sleepiness, soothes waterway, brightens eyesight, promotes thinking, eliminates anguish and cuts down grease. One cannot live a day without tea.”
The strike by UNISON Quarriers this weekend over pay cuts has been suspended. This was a decision by the branch committee following negotiations with management.
The STUC rally in Glasgow is of course still going ahead tomorrow so the branch is encouraging members to attend.
Check out details here and transport BUS 1 - PICK UP BURNS STATUE SQUARE, AYR - 10.15
THE POST OFFICE, JOHN FINNIE STREET, KILMARNOCK - 10.40
BUS 2 - PICK UP OPPOSITE GREEN STREET, SALTCOATS - 10.15 IRVINE CROSS - 10.30 BUS 3 THE WATERFRONT LEISURE CENTRE CAR PARK - 10.30 ALL BUSES WILL PICK UP AGAIN AT KELVINGROVE PARK, GLASGOW AT 4 PM.
Be Strong, Be United, with the strength of over 1.3M UNISON members behind you.
It’s hot. I’m sitting at the dining table using the laptop at eight at night. It’s now dark outside and all I have on are my shorts. Not a pretty sight - but it is hot! Yesterday was 29th September, Michaelmas Day – often regarded as the beginning of autumn. Ironically, the temperature was higher than any Michaelmas since 1895. Today was hotter and tomorrow could be the hottest October day on record. We’re having a summer at last. I’m glad I didn’t put the fans away in the loft for the winter.
And talking of the loft. After doing some gardening in the beautiful weather I then spent a few hours yesterday and today starting to tidy up the loft and get rid of some of the stuff we have stored there. Some trips to the tip and the charity shop will definitely be called for.
This is the point where I access the loft – after having cleared three sacks, a duvet and seven boxes…. You’ll have to imagine how difficult it was to crawl into it before I did that.
This is the rest of the loft. It’s the whole width of the house – about 35 feet - and two boxes deep on either side and one cannot stand up in it – only kneel. It’s a really fun job I’ve taken on. Oh, and in case I didn’t mention it – it’s hot. At the moment you could roast a chicken in the loft without any difficulty.
After complaining about all the rain I’m never satisfied, am I?
I feel nothing but spirituality looking at this photo by Arie Yudhistira and it is not because it was taken in Mecca during the annual pilgrimage. It has transcended religion and it has to do with spirituality. What an amazing effect this photo has. Looks like a painting.
Without a doubt one of my favourite stands at Decorex was from Little Greene. For those that were there, don't you agree with me that it was so much fun? Vibrant and quirky are just a few words to describe it. They were showcasing their new collection 'Retrospectives' where their colour range is absolutely fabulous. For more info do check out Heart Home's blog as I couldn't resist but dedicate a post to them ;)
I thought I would share with you some extra images from one of my favourite photoshoots we did for Heart Home Magazine. Jeska's (Lobster & Swan) home is a real treat and I see many of you have agreed with us. It is a delight for all senses, and I love her collection of vintage poscards, letters, stamps...... Just divine. Here are a few extra pictures from some corners of her home. This feature was definitely a tough one to edit ;)
Back home in Newham's "green and pleasant" land after the worlds longest (but cheap) London Midland train journey from Liverpool.
I really enjoyed myself last week. Not sure it was a "great" Party conference but we are in a bit of a silly season at the moment. If the Party announces any "bleeding obvious" good policies this far ahead of an election, then the Tories will simply pinch them.
While the Daily Hates will have plenty of time to simply fabricate the "cost" of any others, while pretending this is all the work of evil union barons. This is pathetic but so true.
I will post more on conference as and when. I probably won't report on everything I went to. Life moves on.
I've come back to find a big stack of leaflets and posters from UNISON urging members to Vote YES to strike action to protect their pensions. Which I will be taking into work with me. What is being proposed is not fair or necessary. It is a tax on (mostly) low paid workers to pay for the excesses of very, very, very rich people. It is plain wrong.
After Milan...comes Paris Fashion Week-Spring 2012
Balenciaga Spring 2012
Designer Nicolas Ghesquière showed his latest collection for the famed House of Balenciaga in Paris today. According to some attendees, several of the audience benches collapsed--yes COLLAPSED--as people were taking their seats. Then, a voice came through the loudspeaker telling everyone to just "Stand Up".
Salma Hayek, at the Balenciaga Spring 2012 Show, sporting a bandage over her torn ligament (not from the collapsing benches!)
So, yes, that's how everyone got to see the newest collection, even A-List front-row celebs like Salma Hayek and Catherine Deneuve and yes, Anna Wintour was standing too! What did they see? Lots of Cristobal Balenciaga-esque shapes but modernized for 2012. Structurally sturdy yet still floaty skirts, dresses and architectural jackets...
Balenciaga Spring 2012
Bright bold colors--navy, magenta, gold, brick red, bronze, and prints--both geometric and Art-inspired. Shoulders: Out to THERE! Sloping at times. The big bold tops were perfectly matched with slimmer above-the-ankle "cigarette" pants that looked effortless and oh-so-chic.
Balenciaga Spring 2012
Easy-breezy asymmetrical tops. Contrast patch pocket details that if any other designer did them, would look almost "Fashion-School Amateur" but Ghesquiere knows how to make it all look Ultra Luxe Sporty.
Balenciaga Spring 2012
Cristobal Balenciaga 1967, Sik Gazar One Seam Gown with Matching Hat
The final dresses, in all the color-and-print-blocking glory, as well as with all those stunning sequins are sure to end up in all the top fashion magazine editorials. And then there were those hats: A major nod to the House's founding couturier for sure.
Click Below for the Full Runway Video of Balenciaga Spring 2012:
I have some brilliant (he said modestly) photos of stairs in a Victorian house we lived in. In black-and-white, they are among the photos in the loft that haven’t been scanned into the computer yet. And you should see my loft – it’s up a ladder and I’m not brilliant at managing those nowadays – at least, not with my hands full. So I’m going to cheat and instead of stairs I’m going to show you some ladders I’ve found recently – after all, they are simply the forerunners of stairs…
A ladder stile - Lleyn peninsula, N Wales
Ladder at the Ambleside Mill on Stock Ghyll (now the Giggling Goose restaurant about which I’ll blog another day)
This climbing frame is called Jacob's Ladder.
Ladder stairs in Otterton Mill, Devon
Notice requesting the public not to use the stairs at Otterton Mill.
Why not visit the link to other bloggers and see what pictures they have chosen?
Teasel or teazel or teazle are tall herbaceous biennial plants whose seeds are an important winter food resource for some birds, notably the European Goldfinch; teasels are often grown in gardens and encouraged on some nature reserves to attract them. Our Goldfinches seem to prefer the ease of picking niger seeds out of the seed feeder.
In 'the good old days' the seed-heads were used for teasing wool (or perhaps that should be teazing wool) - they didn't make fun of or attempt to provoke the wool in a playful way; they fluffed or separated the fibres by brushing them in the wrong direction.
Presumably the women did the teazing but the men did the harvesting - unless the women were a lot taller than Jo!!!!
Nick and His ManBag: Nick Verreos Arrives at The Antelope Valley Mall, Palmdale California
Last weekend was my final Hosting of the "Project Style" Live Style Off events. I've been EVERYWHERE and have met SO many amazing Top Trendsetters--from all over Southern California as well as West Virginia! And not to mention: I've had a BLAST meeting all the fans, families and yes, some future "Project Style" competitors (They should really think of coming up with a "Mini-Me" Project Style for 12 and under!). But I digress, this time, I was off to the Antelope Valley Mall, in Palmdale to host "Project Style: Antelope Valley"--the Live Style Off.
Who's That Boy: Nick Verreos, Hosting Project Style: Antelope Valley
The weather was gorgeous naturally, as I drove about 6o miles north of Los Angeles toward the Mojave Desert. I arrived and got to see the wonderful signage/posters they had throughout the fabulous Antelope Valley Mall, as well as...
They even framed a photo of me in their "Guest Services" kiosk. I felt, well, VERY Special! (I "Heart" Antelope Valley Mall!)
Nick Verreos with a future "Project Style"Top Trendsetter--LOVE the knee-high sneakers and multi-colored printed top! Ten out of Ten "Nick Points"
My Palmdale "Posse": Nick Verreos with fans of Karla Deleon (and me now!!)
As always, the rules for the "Project Style" Live Style Off were simple: In the past five months, Antelope Valley's "Most Fashion-Savvy" went onshoptopia.com, submitted videos, and were voted as Finalists of their "rounds" and made it to this Live Style Off. I gave them each $200 Antelope Valley Mall Gift Cards and ONE HOUR to go shopping for a complete new look. They had to shop, style and dress themselves and showcase the results LIVE on the Stage in front of a panel of expert judges from the Antelope Valley Mall--for a chance to win a $1,000 Gift Card!!!
The Top Five Trendsetters (Left to right) Zoe April Stotz, Amanda Beard (she couldn't be there so her lovely sister modeled and shopped for her), Kimberly Backe, Frank Nadolny, and Karla Deleon--Here they are after they've gone shopping and styled their outfits, getting ready for the live Style Off, in front of A LOT of people:
Finalist Karla Deleon modeling her faux fur vest, blue blouse, shorts, floppy hat, tights and wedge heels, Project Style: Antelope Valley Mall Live Style Off
The Top Two Were:
The Boy: Our one male Finalist, 14-year-old Frank Nadolny--I think Frank ROCKED his style--he mixed his love of skateboarding, street and music into his look. I also liked all the colors and polished sense of sporty style. Frank had a bunch of fans in the audience--including his FAB family--but in addition, there were some Cheerleaders from his High School that even did a Cheer for him and Project Style (scroll down to the end of the blog to see the VIDEO!).
Kimberly Backe: I dubbed her "Mini Katy Perry" because she looked just like her! She chose a very fashion-savvy-meets-young style for her Live Style Off, combining directional elements as well as traditional Southern California style.
And The Winner Was...Kimberly!!! But let me tell you, Frank was a very close second! And like I said to ALL our Finalists--they are all Winners! I was so excited to see how the Antelope Valley Finalists really BROUGHT IT, in terms of all the eclectic and very diverse styles and especially how AMAZING the audience in the Mall was! I have to say: Antelope Valley ROCKS!!! Hope to see you Next Year!!!!
Click below to watch the HHS Cheerleaders do a little cheer for Frank:
