Self-care Hair

Hello my lovelies!

I don’t know about you but I don’t take good care of myself on a normal day.  But give a girl four months of lockdown and I looked positively neglected by the end of it.  In fact I was close to reporting myself to the authorities for self-neglect!  So in the last few weeks I’ve been making some effort to start loving myself with some right royal pampering.


One of the things that needed attention was my hair.

After

I’ve been happy to let it grow during lockdown.  And I didn’t rush to the hairdresser when things were lifted over here as I quite liked the longer length.

Before

In recent weeks  my fringe needed a tidy. So I hacked at it with kitchen scissors  

My hairdresser glossed over that. 

The look of a crazed Mary Scissorhand after being let loose with kitchen scissors!

 The morning of The Cut 

But this no-make and exasperated pic says it all.  It desperately needed a trim and a bit of chopping in on top and that hacked fringe need sorting!

So I took my hair mess to our local Toni and Guy and it got a good work over.  

I look a bit more presentable now. 

I have fine hair but lots of it.  Normally.

But in recent years I’d noticed it thinning on top and the result is of course that my hair doesn't  have the bulk it once had. 

My mum had thinning hair on top and I used to do her hair in a way so as to cover up the thinning spots and that seemed to work. I can’t do that with mine as it’s long but anyway, I guess a certain president has sabotaged the comb over for the rest of us!   

Thinning hair is hereditary in our family as my cousin had suffered from the same issue as I and Toni and Guy recommended a hair treatment to combat this.  My cousin had used it a few years and suggested I give it a go too. 

I’ll tell you all about it in my next post.  How’s that for a cliff hanger?!

Meantime, have you been hacking at your hair?

How has it turned out? 

And what kind of style are you favouring right my now?

A la perchoine,

Mary x. 

My New Normal

Hi my lovelies!

After four months of forming new habits in lockdown, I’m slowly discovering how my new normal looks. 

I haven’t rushed back to many elements of previous my normal. 

I’m leading a quieter life. 

My groceries continue to be delivered because 

I enjoy taking time during the week to compile a list of what we need.

It saves a car on the road several times a week clogging things up, guzzling fuel and causing goodness know what damage to our planet. 

Instead a driver plans his route efficiently and drops off groceries one area at a time. 

That makes sense to me. 

I haven’t had my hair cut or my nails done YET, even though we’ve been some weeks in “normal”. 

I haven’t rushed to meet up with friends, keeping my socializing to family and neighbours. 

I haven’t felt a desperation for fancy restaurant meals, although TP insisted we had one last week!

I seem to have become more insular, and I like it that way 

Life is more peaceful, it has a slower pace. 

My only “shopping” during lockdown has been to buy a few replacement bras, which I’ll cover in another post. 

But a few pieces needed to be picked up and errands had queued up, so I allowed myself a few hours of pottering during the week. 

I bought a bronzer palette from The Body Shop. 

(I took this pic for my girlie cousins, we have a Body Shop group going on as one is a BS consultant)

And I was tempted in so many directions in that Aladdin’s Cave of goodies.  Try me?  I certainly did!

I moved from Town to The Bridge, an east coast village and working harbour.  

The island of Herm can be seen in the distance. 

I pottered around a few charity shops. 

My Favourite is one that takes in old furniture and trains special needs youngsters to upcycle and decorate, and the pieces are then sold in this shop. 

I have this exact same jewellery cupboard, mine’s plain white ... right now, I feel another project coming up!

The youngsters are learning some good skills and the shop’s profits are ploughed back to help them. 

Reflecting on things right now, life is good. 

Of course, I’m lucky that I haven’t been impacted by Covid-19.  The reflection could be very different. 

Are you carving out a new normal as you navigate your way through these stormy waters ?

If so, what does your new normal look like?

A la perchoine,

Mary x. 

Resets

Hello my lovelies!

Summer, are we on a break?  I’m sorry I occasionally got a bit huffy about your heat these past few month, but it wasn't often  and it meant nothing. 

Grande Havre

Yes peeps, our summer temperature dropped about 10-15c degrees off its high in the last week or so.  Even too cold for white jeans.  Last week's walking gear comprised of a vest, a top and an unzipped gilet.  In June!

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So summer, please come back, I’m missing our happy times together.


And I hope the rain stays off for my walk to the pub tonight.  This will be my second Friday night at the local and it's become a new post-Covid thing.  A sort of back-to-basics reset.

I've reset my grocery shopping back to times of yore too, and made other tweaks to my day-to-day too.
More on that in another post.

 Have you done any resetting as lockdown eases?



A la perchoine,
Mary x.

#grandehavre #rousseguernsey #grandehavreguernsey #guernsey #guernseyliving #guernseylife

Cause for Celebration

Hello my lovelies!

Sct Hans Aften.  Solstice.  Midsummer.  Phase 5 Eve!!!

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As well as eveing up midsummer, last Friday was Phase 5 Eve of Lockdown Exit.  Yes, that last one sounds a convoluted phrasing of an event, a thing, but it was even more reason to celebrate.  And I marked the double event with a fun evening in the garden with the neighbours.

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Don’t you just love the simplicity of slipping on a summer dress, no faffing about with does this go with that?  Instant reward.  Instantly changed the mood. 

A pretty blue and white toile de jouey sundress seemed the perfect one-and-done outfit after a day of tree shopping and gardening.

And setting out nibbles for the evening had a slight feeling of “newness”, like this was the first time I’d invited friends around, the first time I’d entertained. 

It is said that 30 days of doing something creates a habit.  We’ve had three months of creating a new habit of wariness, of self-isolation, social distancing, sanitizer and masks.  THAT has definitely embedded a new habit. So venturing out after Friday into a world without caution and fear makes me feel somehow trepidatious. 

It all feels a bit unreal out there, like I’ve been sent out without my armour, without my safety net, but getting out there and supporting local business as best we can is important for the economy and perhaps for our well-being so onwards and upwards eh.

Please drop me a comment on how things are where you are right now.

A la perchoine,
Mary x

 #guernsey #guernseylife #lockdown2020 #covidfree #guernseytogether #guernseytogether🌈. 

Opening Up

Hello my lovelies!

Well, having zero cases of Covid-19 and no new cases in over a month is certainly something to celebrate!

The island entered into Exit Stage 4 at 12.01 on Saturday. 

And this lucky lady celebrated by sitting in the pamper chair at precisely that time!

Yes, this salon opened for business as soon as the clock struck Stage 4!

St Peter Port has looked like a ghost town these past few months but by Saturday lunchtime the High Street was bustling with keen shoppers.

On a “normal” year, the High Street’s shopping contingent would be augmented by teems of browsing cruisers.  

The island has at least one cruise ship visiting most days from April to October, and sometimes two or three.  You can imagine what an impact thousands of visitors has on our little High Street.  

Who knows when cruise ships will return, or holiday makers generally, for our closed borders will be the last thing to open as per our very successful exit strategy. 

And who knows what new normal Covid-19 has carved out for us all eh?

A la perchoine, 

Mary x. 

Photo credits: Guernsey Press

Exit Stage 4!

Hello my lovelies!

Listening to our Chief Minister @gavinstpier’s lunchtime chats has become a Thing for island families, akin to huddles around the crystal set during the occupation.  

Friday’s was a game changer.  Announcing Stage 4 of Lockdown Exit. .

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Yesterday hairdressers were a-clippin’ at 12.01am. 

 Restaurants opened somewhat later.  

And fireworks 💥 were a-poppin’ in last night’s sky.  

Heck, even a spaceship passed by! .

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Yup, there was quite a buzz about the place for this stage in the exit process. .

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But I’ll miss the stone towers.

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A la perchoine,

Mary x. 

P. S.  I was quite proud of today’s post title, it’s a play on Top Cat’s exit stage left catch phrase  - anyone remember that?!

#guernsey #guernseylife #lockdown2020 #covid19 #lockdownexit #coronavirus #stonetowers

Sunrise

Good morning my lovelies!
#nofilterneeded today in for his stunning sunrise over the sea.

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My bro took these -  I was probably just thinking about my first coffee of the day whilst he was out busily snapping!

I'm thankful he shared these symbolic shots with me.

A rising sun, symbolising new beginnings.

Our household bubble is allowed to bubble buddy with three other bubbles as of last weekend.
 I'm over the moon happy and Son's family,  Other Granny and The Pout Bubble have been making up for lost time since Saturday!
We've now had no new cases of Covid-19 in 3 weeks and have just 3 live cases remaining on the island, so let's tippy toe some more on that freedom path!

How are you ok doing on the lockdown exit path?
Is your area tippy toeing too?

A la perchoine,
Mary x.

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#guernsey #guernseylife #veday75 

#veday2020

Jerbourg Point

#nofilterneeded .

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And no words needed either.

Jerbourg Point, Guernsey. .

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I don’t tire of taking pics of the sea.



This was my first drive-to-walk treat as restrictions ease.
I'm allowing myself one of these treats a week as we tippy toe through our Covid-19 exit strategy.

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We've had no new cases in over 2 weeks and just a handful of live cases left.


Are things easing where you are?

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A la perchoine,
Mary x.

#guernsey #guernseylife #jerbourgpoint #seascape

Summerhouse Styling

Hello my lovelies!
Lockdown life moves on a pace on the island.  We've had no new cases in a fortnight and just a handful are in recovery.
We were lucky enough to close our borders right at the beginning of lockdown and any essential workers arriving have had to quarantine for 14 days.  That was a solid plan and islanders seem grateful.
How are things where you are?

I've seen a marked upturn in my social life during these months with at least one long video  call most days.   It can be exhausting!!
Today is the one day this week I have no planned video calls though, so I'm hoping to make it a constructive day outside.
So best get on with it and leave you with a quickie post today.

Summerhouse Styling - The Surplus Mattress.

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Wondering how to store a surplus mattress?

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Bung it behind the sofa and chuck a quilt on it.  Easy!

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But I'm think it works, the mattress just seems to disappear eh?



Do you have any tips on storing bulky items like a mattress?

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A la perchoine,

Mary x

#summerhouse #summerhousestyle