A tah dah moment!

 Hello!

No, I'm not the tah dah moment

This is:

 Yes, here it is finally completed - the famous trapezoid hexagon blanket!

Thanks to the Make&Do Crew for the pattern

Eldest grandson has requested a blanket too, but one 'without any holes', so now I've started his. It's called 'Circles in a Square' in black, red, yellow, grey and orange. The pattern is from 'Just Be Crafty.' I've started with the black and red and I'm 'blocking' them as I go. I use a cheap kneeling/gardening pad and barbecue skewers to block the squares. Blocking keeps the shape of the squares even.

Some OOTDs I've been wearing over the past fortnight

The necklace and earrings are not a set - bought in different places at different times.

Everything charity shopped except the boots from Sainsbury's

Something's tickled my fancy here!

Dress; Forever 21, charity shopped about 5 years ago can't remember where. Crochet cardigan (not made by me!) 99p in the Barnardo's in Ampthill. All jewellery charity shopped.

I wore this outfit when I went to see my son on last Saturday. Everything charity shopped except the boots: online retail.

This is especially for Polly!

I wore maxi dresses two days in a row last Friday and Saturday. This one was also bought a few years back but I can't remember where. The 'riot of colour' cardigan is the one I bought at the Guild House for 2.25 when I popped in to say goodbye. The label is French and literally translated it says "is this silk"? I think it may have silk in it because it creases easily...All jewellery charity shopped bar the earrings which I bought from e bay for 99p.

Here's a close up of my boots.  I do love them but haven't worn them very much; the heel is a bit high so I save them for days when I'm not running around everywhere. The massive calf (!) is wearing German label tights from the Cat's Protection League. 2.25 - same price as my cardigan!

On Saturday night it was the last of BBC4's 'Witnesses': A Frozen Death. I have been truly gripped by this French series but I'm still slightly baffled by the ending..I see we have a new series of 'Spiral' starting soon so I'm happy to know my Saturday night viewing is well and truly sorted for the next couple of months! Talking of TV I've also enjoyed 'Howard's End' (oh, the costumes!) I got a free Kindle download of the book, having not read it.

I didn't walk on Sunday as I had planned because it rained all day. Not heavy but constant and the sky was leaden; everywhere was grey and gloomy.

Everything charity shopped. Tunic by Nomads; trousers by Soon (Matalan); the cardigan has an Italian label and was from the 99p rail in Barnardo's, Great Denham; the boots were bought on a rummage some years ago; in Stevenage I seem to recall.

Scarf charity shopped and all jewellery charity shopped except earrings from e bay 99p.

Those are just some of  my scarves you can see; I have an IKEA scarf hanger which is full of scarves; a hatbox stuffed full of scarves and under the bed another wicker hamper full of pashmina scarves.

I finished my Christmas present shopping on Monday and popped into the 3:16 charity shop. I bought three more necklaces; one at 35p; one at 1.00; and one at 1.50. They seem to have lots of nice jewellery in lately. I also bought a denim dress, a pink long sleeved top and a walking fleece top; all from the 1.00 box!

It was lovely to wake up on Tuesday morning and realise I didn't have to be anywhere. I don't need to be at the Food Bank until 9th January. I was rushing around, having spent two hours wrapping presents in the morning, to get to the library on Tuesday afternoon then I realised it was the school holidays and I don't volunteer in the school holidays! This was last Tuesday's OOTD.

Apologies for slightly blurry photo - youngest grandson was slacking again..

This the 1.00 denim dress I bought at the 3:16 charity shop. It's an M&S one. I think it would look good open as a long waistcoat over trousers and top. The striped top is by Matalan and was also charity shopped as were the boots and scarf.

All jewellery charity shopped.

I had errands to run in town and on the way I spied this in our local barber. I just had to go in and take a photo:

Yes, it's Santa waiting for - a shave? A beard trim? A haircut?

Since Wednesday 20th December the weather has become much milder. I was more than warm enough in my leather jacket and scarf going into town to get my eyebrows done and pick something up. Everything is charity shopped. Brown leather jacket bought in Lucan, Co. Dublin charity shop for 9 euros at Easter 2016. Scarf from the Red Cross shop.

Two of my favourite fabrics - lace and velvet. Can't remember where I got any of these items but I remember the top was 4.99. I'm wearing pink brothel creepers/beetle crushers that were 2.50 in the 3:16 charity shop a few years ago. The trousers are too long for me so later I put a big stretchy belt round the middle to stop the bottoms getting wet when I went out...

The necklace was bought in a Donegal charity shop for 2 euros; all other jewellery charity shopped except earrings.

There's been a wonderful series of BBC4 called 'The Art of Mexico' and coincidentally I came across this on Pinterest a while ago and kept meaning to include it in a post. The chair is covered in Frida Kahlo material. How fabulous is that?

Everything charity shopped except the black kimono - a present from my daughter. I think I bought these trousers on our trip to Kettering 2.99; some weeks back...the brothel creepers/beetle crushers were bought on our first ever rummage to Wellingborough about two years ago.

All jewellery charity shopped.

Pink top 1.00 box 3:16 charity shop. Skirt by East 1.99; Red Cross, cardigan no label but 1.99 Red Cross. Boots; Sainsburys retail.

All jewellery charity shopped except earrings which were donated by my daughter.

I should have gone to the hairdressers on Thursday the day of the Winter Solistice, but I got the sore throat/coughing bug that's going around and didn't feel up to it. I'll go after Christmas. Middle grandson has had the cough for a few weeks; eldest grandson has it. I had it and OH had it quite severely...in fact Christmas Day did not turn out as expected partly due to both OH and I being ill. I  don't know why I thought having a Bailey's and two very large Canadian Club and dry ginger ales before I had finished cooking the Christmas dinner, was a good idea. It was all a bit shambolic! I couldn't finish my dinner; threw up and had to lie down for half an hour! Then OH couldn't stay up any longer and went to bed in the middle of Doctor Who...I coughed all night and didn't sleep much. Despite all that we had fun but next year we're going out for dinner and I'll do an evening buffet. It will take organisation - you have book very early for Christmas Day but I will make it happen!

I had bought a new pair of trousers in Sainsbury's 50% off sale to wear on Christmas Day but with one thing and another didn't remember to take any photos.

Everything charity shopped. The cardigan came from the 1.00 rail in the Red Cross; I can't remember where the tunic came from I think the jeans were from the Red Cross 1.99. The boots definitely came from there, too.

Earrings were a Christmas present from OH.
Necklace charity shopped.

I took the youngest grandson to see Paddington 2 on Wednesday. We both really enjoyed it. Hugh Grant was great and very camp and a lot of other famous actors had cameo parts. Then I took middle grandson out to spend his Christmas and birthday money on a laptop. He's a teenager in the New Year. It only seems like five minutes since he came into our lives...how time does fly.


I wish you all a peaceful and joyous New Year and hope for better things for the world in 2018.