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Wednesday 9 May 2018

Barnstorming




No, this is not me descending the tourelle staircase at Chez Pout.

The outside of the tourelle staircase can be seen behind me in the pic below.



I've been taking in a bit of history.
A medieval barn adjacent to an old farmhouse has been painstakingly renovated by our Guernsey National Trust.
It's taken some years.  I popped in to check the work.  
Please join me on my barnstorming walk-through.


A cider press.


A hay fork.


Cider bottles.  I had a few of these beauties at home.  I call them empties.


Now here's a challenge. This is a fisherman's basket, carried on the back, BITD.   I remember as a child my dad bringing his back home, filled with mackerel or crabs if we were lucky. He wasn't a fisherman but he enjoyed fishing and was good at it.
The challenge is the name.  I can't remember quite how to spell it but it's something like pannier'cou, which translates as derriere basket, for that is where it rests on the "lower back"!
,

These carts would have been laden with apples for pressing.


The refreshment tables groaned under the weight of sandwiches and cakes.
I like a groaning table.


 A cider barrel by the fireplace.



Paraphernalia.



The barn has been beautifully restored inside and out 


Specialist thatchers were brought in to re-roof the building.  We have very few thatched properties on the island.





It's such a pretty barn.  Granite of course 😆.  I had to rely on website pictures at this stage, as my phone ran out of battery just as I was approaching the attractive front facade.  And I have the audacity to call myself a blogger!





My barnstorming outfit of choice: a Marks khaki linen shirt and Peacocks t shirt over white Marks jeans, picked  up for just £8 in the January sale.  Bargain!  
I find white jeans lose their whiteness when washed so much through the sumner months.  I look out for sales bargains in winter and stock up so that I can wear starkly white jeans each  summer.


Other ways I've worn the khaki linen shirt

I thought I'd check out how I've worn this shirt during my two blogging years, just to see if my style has evolved.
Do you ever do this?


Back in 2016 I teamed it with shorts to create an urban guerrilla look ... Che Guevara meets Wolfie Smith!


In a more feminine mood in 2017 teamed with a fave charity buy, my pretty  flowery skirt. Channelling Kellyann, I wore it knotted, followed the colour through to the shoes to top and tail the outfit.  Then I channelled Chanel and Kellyann both in one big glammy zing with a chunky pearl strand.  I like this mix, a lot. 


This look from last year was similar to today's, here with a white cami and cropped jeans. 
From these pics, I see a smidgen of evolution has taken place, my dressing mood seems a tad lighter, more playful maybe?


Back to the shirt.
This is a cool shirt (linen, go figure).  It's useful as a layer on a hot day, protecting my arms from the sun when sightseeing ... or as a sneaky way of hiding my derriere - it's my chemise'cou !

Worn Kellyann-style, this shirt moves into a whole new stratosphere.
But I'm not too good at moving out of my stratosphere.  I'm not very imaginative when it comes to shirts especially, probably because I rarely wear them.


So it's over to you, my dear reader.
I hope you enjoyed barnstorming with me today.  But are you ready for some brainstorming now, my friends?
Are there any ways you can think of to get this shirt looking less jungle warfare?  
Is there another stratosphere of femininity I can enter with it?  



And to all Guernsey people out there 


Happy Liberation Day !!


A la perchoine.








17 comments:

  1. It's a great shirt, but does seem too long and overpowering without doing anything to it. Are you against shortening it??
    XOXO
    Jodie
    www.jtouchofstyle.com

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    1. Now THAT'S something I hadn't thought of! I expect it's designed for someone 6 inches taller than me,clothes usually are! Thanks for that thought, Jodie. Happy Wednesday to you, hugs x.

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  2. I like the shirt with the shorts the most. Thanks for the interesting post. Lise

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    1. Thanks, Lise, glad you enjoyed the post. Hugs, x.

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  3. PS: I shortened to cotton shirts in a similar style, and now they are too short, and I wish I had not - so I suggest you don't take too much off. Lise

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    1. Thanks for the heads up, Lise, if I go that route I'll be very cautious with the scissors. Hugs, x.

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  4. I love seeing historic buildings, they're always so full of character and stories. I think it's so smart to stock up on white denim during the winter too! I find myself needing a new white pair every year.

    Brooke
    Pumps and Push-Ups

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    1. Me too with the historic buildings, Brooke. There's something so nice about starting the season with pristine white jeans eh. Hugs, my dear, x.

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  5. Well your inner Kellyann certainly works for you since that skirt is amazeballs with the linen top tied and then pearls!! You go girl!
    But back to the Barnstorming. Hmmmm...the pitchfork and no hay - are you that good? You got rid of all the hay already? Another hidden talent discovered. And are you sure the barn was made of granite? I thought everything in Guernsey was made from brick? Ha!!!Just teasing with you my Guernsey girl. Thank you for showing us this beauty and sharing your island's rich history. What a beautiful place to call home!!
    Hugs!
    xo,
    Kellyann

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    1. Thought you'd go for my glam pimped-up shirt look, my dear.
      Oooh Mrs R, so funny about my hidden hay forking skills, but even funnier is your comment about the brick. I LOLed, as I read it. Then I screamed "has she READ about our paucity of brick buildings?", only to then read on and see you were being wittily hilarious. TP ROLLED about laughing when he read it, for yes, he reads your every comment too, he his your #1 fan, after all.
      Guernsey is here ready when you are, my loveliness, x.

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    2. See? I can't always take those kinds of risks commenting but since you're family I know what I can get away with! Wink, wink!

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  6. Fabulous barn, Mary!

    How about the shirt over a jump suit? I love linen shirts and possess several in different colours; I nearly always wear mine with trousers of one kind or another. You could also wear the shirt over a dress as a sort of jacket...

    xxx

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    1. Don't know about you, Vronni, but I'm a big shed freak so I adore all outbuildings, have done since childhood. When I heard this barn was ready for viewing, well, rat and drainpipe comes to mind!
      Now, jumpsuits - I have just one and it's your posher end, but the shacketing over a summer dress sounds like that would really work with my wardrobe. Thanks for your ideas. Hugs, my lovely x.

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  7. I am loving all these pictures of this fabulous place! That is right up my ally! I love your top, the neutral color is beautiful! Thanks for joining me at the style wise link up!
    Cheryl
    www.northwestmountainliving.com

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    1. Oh glad you like it Cheryl, isn't the barn darling?! Tn
      Thanks for popping in, and thanks for hosting.
      Happy weekend hugs, x.

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  8. What a great place to visit! My husband and I love to go to places like this. You wore the perfect traveling outfit to. I'm actually looking for a shirt like your to wear in the garden. I don't want to spend a fortune as it will get ruined by dirt right away, so I'm having a hard time finding something.

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    1. Yes, it was a nice spot but only a 20 minute drive away so I didn't need to think too much about my travelling outfit! I wear something far scruffier for gardening, believe me! Thanks for popping in, Amy, good luck with your gardening shirt hunt. Hugs, x.

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