In The Egyptian Pink

Hi my lovelies, I hope you are enjoying a sunny and peaceful Easter weekend.

I've come back home to some lovely weather.  You may have noticed I've been MIA for a few days, the A bit being gardening in this fine weather (oh joy, she typed sarcastically!).

My gardening gear is definitely not OOTD material.

Whilst I was away, my cousins persuaded me to have my nails gelled.  I have to admit that I've never been much of a manicure lady.  Pedicures, yes please!  Manicures, well my thoughts have been that my nails don't deserve to be showcased and I can always splodge some nail varnish on myself, if I need tarting up a bit.   So I think the last time I had mine done professionally was when I was still working and was going to a ball. 

Yeah, a "ball", go figure how long ago that was ...Cinderella was on the guest list!

In the last couple of years my nails have become very soft so that they break and tear as soon as they go passed the protective cushioning of the finger tip.  At first I put it down to my bare-handed dalliance with paint stripper, but two years on and the problem is still there, albeit not quite so bad. 

Is this another thing they don't tell you about aging?  Rubbish nails?

Well, ladies, I give you my tadaah shots.  Gelled nails.  OPI Egyptian Pink.

Arthritic fingers an optional extra.  Yeah, they don't tell you about those either.

I'm sure you ladies are long-familiar with the benefits, nay joys of nail gel, but I wasn't, and I am soooo impressed.  I took these photos yesterday, which is more than a week since I had them done. 

No chips, no wearing away of colour.   Not one nail has snagged or torn, despite the gardening. 

I am thrilled with them.  I can't stop admiring them and positioning them so that others can too.

  I feel like a proper lady!  And the exciting thing is that I can see my nails' rate of growth.  Winning the race right now is r/h thumb. by a huge margin.  This is an exciting new world for me!

I wanted to celebrate my pinkies being pink by wearing pink too.  I didn't need to look further than Mummabstylish for inspiration, who inspired me to head for Peacocks. 

Peacocks split-sleeve jersey top. 

So comfortable.  So affordable.  So kind to my bingo-wings.

I've already worn it with grey jeans and here, for my first white jeans outing of summer.

I'm describing the top's base colour as Egyptian Pink too, so that I come over as matchy-matchy, though I've picked up in blogs that matchy-matchy is frowned upon.  Matchy-matchy bags and shoes are purportedly the biggest fashionista faux-pas but, you know, I'm gonna stick my head over the parapet here ... I like matchy-matchy!  Is that showing my age too, along with the rubbish nails and fingers?

Fashionistas also say that matchy-matchy bag and shoes age a lady by 10 years.  

Well, fortunately for me as a retiree, I hardly ever wear a handbag so there is nothing visible to age me.  Apart from my neck.  And my hair.   And my indefatigable wearing of cardis ....

 ... but look, cunningly avoiding a handbag I must appear 10 years younger!

So, dear reader, how are your hands and nails holding up?

And what's your view on matchy-matchy?

A la perchoine.

Winter-White Jeans On

Good day to you, fine people of Blogland.  I hope all is going well you.

Me?  I'm marvelling at this lovely autumn.

And yes, I'm marvelling in my white jeans.  In October.  Why aren't they already in winter storage?

When I wrote this piece white-jeans-on-at-beaucette-marina back in September, I'd pretty much mentally closed the lid on white jeans for 2016.  In the archive box with you, see you in 2017.

For I have a little foible about them this time of the year.  The white colour doesn't stand up well to our colder sunlight.  Well, that's my view, for what it's worth.

But the weather has been so kind that I thought I'd break another of my no-no ideas.  Beat my foible.

Oh, I am becoming so brave, so iconclastic!  Has writing this blog brought me out of my shell?  Brought me out of my little world of insecurities and rules on what should be worn, where and when?

It's sunny.  Why not wear white jeans?  White won't look sad on a day lit with warm sunlight.  There is, after all, a colour called Winter White.  Ipso facto, it must be an OK colour for our winters.  And if I tell myself I'm wearing Winter White, maybe I'll feel OK about wearing these in October, right?

Seems like the only tweaks required to stretch jeans into autumn are

1) a beautiful sunny day, 2) boots and c) something woolly, and d) a scarf!

So, let's look at those tweaks ad seriatim.

1) in place, 2) Clarks, c) Woolovers grey cashmere/merino twinset d) La Redoute.

What do you think?  Do I look cold and uncared for, like I imagined I would?



Or do I look bright and cheerful in grey and (winter) white and all booted up?

Am I the only lady in the northern hemisphere who has told herself that white jeans don't look right at this time of year?  I probably am but I'd like to find out.

So my dear readers, are your days getting chilly and yet you are still wearing white jeans? 

If you have a blog, I'd love it if you could show me how you wear them this time of year.

Or, if like me you are wary about white jeans in the colder months, do you fancy giving them a try?  And if you have a blog, do you fancy putting photo to ether and joining me in this little habit-breaking challenge?  I'd be over the moon if you do!

A la perchoine.

White Jeans On, Trois - Beaucette Marina

Welcome, dearest people of the Blogisphere.

Hope you are enjoying September, we're more than half way through already.  Can you believe that?  Maybe you've been enjoying a bit of an Indian Summer, as we have here in Europe.  So nice.

It's that time of the year when I hang on longingly to white jeans, trying to eke out yet another outing in them before they are packed away for the winter.  I am thrilled when they come out of the archive in spring and I mourn their parting when they return to their box in autumn.

I know that some wear white jeans way into winter and they look really nice.  I stop in autumn.  I find my white jeans take on an awfully cold and uncared for look in winter.  I look somehow, what's the word, neglected.  Maybe it's our winter sunlight, our climate's "colour" that does that. 

Are your white jeans just for summer or do you carry on through, oblivious to season changes?

Last night we met up with friends down at Beaucette Marina, firstly for drinks on board their boat and then a meal in the marina's super restaurant.

The day was very blustery which was a challenge on the golf course earlier that morning.  And although I would have loved to slip into another summer dress, possibly the last of the season, the wind kept the temperature down a bit and leg cover was called for.

So a good opportunity for white jeans then!  I wore a black Next crepe de chine shirt (last year's) over a black camisole, with white Peacock jeans and my Adesso taupe heels.  I wanted to feel sassy and those heels do that for me!

The Photographer observed that they were not boat-appropriate shoes.  As a compromise (to shut him up), I threw some flatties into my handbag.

I accessorised with my turquoise jewellery again.  It's old, a mix of Barbados airport and Accessorise, methinks.  But this summer I've been drawn to the mix a fair few times.

And it must be a sign that autumn is in the air because I slipped my Peacocks pleather waterfall biker over the ensemble.  First airing since Spring for this little baby.



My old Jones handbag completed the outfit.  Yes, the flatties fitted in this little thing.  It's a Tardis.

Now, I'm sorry that my black on black on black doesn't show up any detail in the photos, but I liked the outfit and one doesn't chose an outfit for its photographability, eh peeps? Besides, I did feel smart casual, which is my mission in life, so it's all good eh.

And off I went to ...

Beaucette Restaurant

But first, drinks on board our friends' boat.

The taxi dropped us off at the top of the ramp down to the pontoon.  The ramp was steep.  I was wearing my highest heels.  I have a fear of falling.  So it took me about 200 6-inch long steps and holding on desperately to The Photographer's arm in order to get 3/4 of the way down the ramp.  I changed into my flatties and then continued comfortably down the last 1/4 of the ramp and on to the pontoon. 

Yes, OK, you were right - happy now!

 

Guess which glass is mine?  Yup, the Daddy of glasses, filled with Hendrick's gin and tonic with a couple of slices of cucumber.  So nice.  Our nibbles were delicate slices of cheese and a sugar snap pea crispy thing - delicious, must get some of those (possibly Tesco's).

View from the restaurant table.

On to the food.  Warning: those of you on diets should now scroll through to my sign-off! 

I get excited when a menu bursts with so many things I want to try from the starters section.  That is a menu struggle that I enjoy.  This was one such menu.  So I ordered two starters, with one served as a main course.  The Photographer did the same.  This allows us to try different dishes without feeling uncomfortably full at the end of the meal.  We can't eat the quantities we could in our youth.

My starter. Crab three ways - bisque, spring rolls and a beautiful spoonful of crab mayo-ish stuff.

The Photographer chose a crab and prawn remoulade, with a cold fruity coulis and a fruit sorbet topping it all.  Very different.

We swapped starters half way through so that we could leverage our taste experience.  We do this quite often when we are spoilt for choice and want to try it all!



My "main", prawns in tempura batter.

We shared a rocket and parmesan salad.  And a bowl of chips.  But we did also share that bowl with our friends, so I was quite light on the chippage!

The Photographer's "main" was a scallop and chorizo salad.

Our maitre d' and the lady front-of-house/owner were so attentive and knowledgeable about what they were serving.  The Photographer and I shared a Tourraine Sauvignon Blanc and our friends a Fleurie. The food was super and the menu had so much of what I like.  I really was spoilt for choice.  So I will have to return soon.  To work my way through the rest of the menu!

Not photographed was a little bowl of honeycombe icecream.  The charming, pretty and witty young dessert waitress called it V.I.I. - Very Important Icecream! 

We had a wonderful time with friends, enjoying fantastic food and drink.

How was your Friday night, dear reader?

You know, I really would love to hear from you.  This blogisphere thing isn't a one-way street.

Go on, make my day.  Tell me what you've been up to.  Tell me where you stand on white jeans.

I'd love to know.  Pretty please!

A la perchoine.

(White) Jeans On - Deux

Yesterday was beautiful so it was officially the first day of MY summer,
as I put on my not-so-white jeans and I felt alrrrrright!

M&S cropped jeggings SS14, with M&S khaki knitted jacket and a khaki top from Hennes and Mauritz.  Yes, you read right.  This stretchy top is so "vintage" that its label reads "Hennes" rather than H&M!  Hennes means "hers" in Swedish - just sayin'.

Worn with v. comfy M&S Insolia snakeskin flatties from last summer.

You may recall I was on a quest to find some sparkly white replacements jeans here.  I've tested a few pairs of white jeans and true to my word, I'm reporting in with my findings.

These were miniscule at the ankle and looked silly with shoes and bare ankles.  I wasn't keen on the thickness of the material either, so pretty much a no-go all round. 

I tried the M&S pink jeggings too - pretty colour but again the ankle didn't work for me for summer.

Per Una Roma-rise-slim-leg-5-pocket-jeans

These were a lovely fit, especially around the ankles so looked great with summer shoes, but I don't think I can live with the shallow zipper.  They are a bit too hipster-ish - they give me a fabulous display of muffin belly!  But they are lovely so I'd recommend trying them.

Next Slim Jeans 

But, a Cinderella moment, these are just right!

Peacocks basic-jegging

The crops are the same price.  Such good value and the ankle isn't uber narrow like PUs.

  I've worn Peacock's grey version for two years now and they are still looking and feeling good, so I am familiar with their work. 

Who would have thought ... me and Peacocks, bit of a jegg-mance going on there!

So, I Have White Jeans, I Will Put Them On, I Will Feel Alright!

A la perchoine.

(White) Jean's On!

When I wake up in the mornin' light

I pull on my white jeans and I feel alright

Ok, it's a while since I paraphrased, so let's dust down the David Dundas hit and tweak it to how I feel right now.  

For I am itching to pull on my white jeans  ... And feel alright.  

Because White Jeans means summer's here!

Those cheeky white jeans do tend to look less white and more tired after a couple of summers' wear.  Do you find that?  Or is that just me 'fessing up to my bad laundry skills?  Anyway, mine are at that stage, less than sparkly white, so I'm on the hunt for a good replacement. 

I know a longer length should suit my short legs more than crops and that's what I should be shopping.  That's how it should work in theory, longer length then lengthens the leg line. But I am so drawn to white crops, I feel so much more frisky, light and summery in them. 

 So I am torn on which way I should/shall go.  Dressing to my body versus just feeling bloomin' good? My jury's out right now!

Here is my shortlist

From Next

Slim jeans, £ 20

Button fly cigarette jeans, £24

And from M and S

0zone straight leg jeans, £18

As you can see, I'm attempting to stay on-message with the longer length.  Well, for the first round of my search, at least!  And as the "whiteness" tends to grey over time, I don't like to spend too much on white jeans, so price was the key driver in the search, with a healthy amount of elastane coming a close second!

I'd like my look to be something like this

:-)

But the reality is this

:-(

No, this is not me (badly) airbrushing out a bad hair day, it's the way the pic came off the back-up site.

So the search is on.  I'm on the case, maties, and I will hopefully report come back in a few days with some results.

Have you found the perfect white jeans for summer?

Ankle length or crops?

A la perchoine.