Summer outfits and summer walking

Badly in need of a haircut here...and it's a wonder I don't have square eyes as I've managed to watch four series of Downton Abbey and the finale since my last post! It's all over now.

Hello and I hope all is well in your world.
What have I been up to since my last post? I've been meaning to show you this for ages. I pass this on one of my walks. Angry birds as a bird scarer, it rotates constantly. I tried to get the video link to work but I couldn't. Blogger kept downloading an empty blue screen. It's a shame because I've also noticed that I no longer get Google notifications of comments on my blog - anyone else noticed that? I am also getting fewer comments; maybe people who follow me aren't getting notifications when I post. Let me know if you have noticed any changes, please. Bloody technology!

I led a walk for the Ramblers on Wednesday; there were 37 of us! Everyone found the bird scarer pretty funny. I've been doing a fair amount of walking as the weather has been good; warm, mostly dry and some sunshine.

Everything charity shopped except the trousers from the La Redoute sale a couple of years ago. The top was from the Mercy in Action shop for 2.00. The Gap sandals were 1.00 in Barnardo's and I've had the  Italian brown linen jacket forever. It came from Age UK and was 3.99. It is so useful in the summer; I'm wearing it again with another outfit below.

Necklace charity shopped in the 3:16 shop for 1.50. Earrings also charity shopped and scarf.

OH and I had a rummage at Emmaeus last Saturday. I bought 5 balls of wool at 50p a ball (and there I am making a granny square blanket to use up my stash of wool) a necklace and a bangle.

I got my haircut.

Shirt 1.49 from hospice shop on our Royston rummage a few weeks ago; jacket M&S; charity shopped in Kettering for 4.00. Trousers bought from Tu sale (Sainsbury's own label); sandals; Clarks retail bought in the sale and now in their 7th summer!

All jewellery charity shopped. The brooch is one of the first I ever bought and was 2.99 in the Heart Foundation shop. It maybe on upside down here...the earrings came from Oxfam in Dublin and  I bought the necklace when Hilary came to stay with me in early May at the 3:16 shop. Excuse the wet patch on my top; I 'd dripped something down myself and had to wipe it off with a wet cloth....

I've gone all metallic and shiny here. Trousers 1.00 rail; as was the top; jacket as before - I said it was useful... T strap animal print shoes 99p in Barnardo's. Total cost of outfit 7.00! 

All jewellery charity shopped.

The picture to the left is a poster of 'La Turandot' by Puccini. I bought it in Italy in 2013 and I've been looking for the right frame for it ever since. I finally found one in the Reuse centre for 1.50 last week. It's only taken me five years....

I bought this striped tunic in the Mercy in Action charity shop in town. It's an outlet shop for the organisation and things are pretty cheap; this striped top, which is by Warehouse, was 2.00. Jeans from the 1.00 rail in Barnardos, Ampthill and the long sleeved top is from Primarni. Sandals, Clarks retail as before.

Photos courtesy of youngest grandson

All jewellery charity shopped.

Black and White Trousers Outfit  - No. 6

Trousers by Tu bought in sale last year. Black lace top M&S charity shopped, I've had it for years; black shirt by Dunnes bought at an Irish jumble sale for 1.00 euro. Shoes; 2.99; Barnardo's.

Jewellery charity shopped. Necklace from Emmaeus; 1.50.

I did a lot of walking last week. On Monday I went for a 4 mile evening walk with the Ramblers. We passed this lovely thatched house with my favourite sort of garden - the classic English country garden. The photo doesn't do it justice at all; it was full of delphiniums,  wallflowers, foxgloves, holly hocks, roses, lavender and lots of flowers I don't know the names of.

This is how our garden is looking. We have strawberries at last and youngest grandson is the chief strawberry picker  - but it's a battle to pick them before the birds do.

I did a recce of my walk on Tuesday and on Wednesday led the actual walk; both days walking 6 miles. On Thursday I walked with a friend from the food bank and we walked over 8 miles. I don't know if it was walking four days in a row but I had a sore knee on Friday.

Here I've got 2 rows joined using JAYG...

I've finished crocheting my granny squares; in fact I miscounted and did 3 extra. I'm now fully immersed in joining the rows using the JAYG method -  helped enormously by You Tube videos by Crochet Cabana.com here. I found them very helpful.

Once I've completed this one I can start on my Willow pattern squares. I shall complete this next project in Ireland as I booked the ferry this week and there are only three weeks to go! I took a basket of wool with me to Ireland at Easter to start the Willow pattern squares but because I hadn't brought the right pattern with me I didn't do any crocheting for the two weeks I was there and the wool travelled back with me!

All jewellery charity shopped.

I'm not sure about this as a dress; I like the colours and got a compliment from another woman when I went into town wearing it. It's open from the thigh down though, so I think next time I wear it I'll leave it open and wear it as a long jacket over trousers. It was from the 1.00 rail in Ampthill, Barnardo's bought last year and not worn until now.

I have no memory at all of where I bought this African print skirt other than that it was from a charity shop about 2 years and was about a fiver. Top is by Next; also charity shopped; 1.00 rail Red Cross shop and the shoes were charity shopped in Ireland for 3.00 euros.

Why wear one necklace when you can wear three?

All jewellery charity shopped.

One day in the week I went for a rummage..

I bought this Kameez from the 1.00 rail in the 3:16 charity shop. All jewellery charity shopped.

 I bought both these items on the same day. The trousers are by Next and were 4.00 in the Day Hospice shop. I also bought a dress for 3.50 in Marie Curie.

I've done the usual school runs and volunteering this week. I've decided I don't want to continue at the library doing the shelving of books as it is very boring. There is no variety in the task and it's not the sort of place you can be very sociable in, so when I'm back from Ireland in September I might be looking for something else to do on a Tuesday afternoon...

I have enjoyed watching the complete series of Downton Abbey (oh the costumes!) and let me say it would have been cheaper to buy a second hand complete DVD box set than do it the way I did, with library reservation charges at 70p each item and 1.50 charge for each DVD  - the special (usually Christmas) episodes being stand alone and costing 1.50 as well. I wouldn't watch it again so at least I don't have a box set of DVDs to get rid of.

Having been immersed in historical drama for the past two weeks it has spurred me on to read some of the historical book series I have had for years in my collection  waiting to be read. The first is 'The Cazalet Chronicle' by Elizabeth Jane Howard, which follows a middle class family through decades of family life starting in 1937. There are five books in this series so I'll be taking some of them to Ireland with me. Then I intend to read 'The Balkan Trilogy' by Olivia Manning and finally; 'A Dance to the Music of Time' by Anthony Powell' a quartet of books each named for the four seasons. I believe all of these book series have been televised so I may want to follow them up when I'm back in September...

Anyway, I have my summer reading sorted and not only will I have achieved something I've wanted to do for ages I'll also have cleared some space on my book shelves - at last!