Last Chance Salon Success

Hellooo.  Hope all goes well with you, my ether friends.

I've been out enjoying our sunny start to Spring.  Just a couple of days after our Siberian freeze, I was out on the beach enjoying temps that had moved from -5c to 7c.   Who would have thought? But it was still chilly at 7c.

So I wrapped up warmly and headed for the beach.

Look who's got old lady eyes!

This was a good opportunity to show you a success from my Last Chance Salon (See HERE)

I was considering dumping this jumper, then gave it the Last Chance Salon treatment (See HERE).

Well, the good news is that I've worn this jumper at least once every week throughout the whole winter.  Turns out it's a go-to for jumper and jeans days (and there are many!), so it's not a dumper jumper after all.  Success!

It was a bit blowy on the headland but this infinity scarf kept snuggly in place.

The scarf was thoughtfully knitted for me by a dear friend.

The grey jeans are from the M&S sale, £8.  I didn't like them because they felt thick and clumpy on the back of my thighs.  Claustrophic.  I think they are what Anna of Mutton Style describes as Farmers' Jeans.  You know, thick work-wear rigid denim that you struggle to move in.   

I washed them but that didn't affect the thickness and that feeling of being hemmed in.  

Too thick for our winters thought I (not knowing what was lurking in the east ...).

But hey, only £8 and too much faff to return to M&S so I kept them even though I suspected they'd end up as dumpers.  

Then last week, when it was really cold and warmth around the legs was suddenly a pleasing thought, I gave them their LCS opportunity.

Well, I've worn them 3 times in the last week and I don't know if it's the wear the fabric is getting or it's me not bothering about them so much, but you know, I'm starting to like them.

So I really do recommend taking a LCS approach to items of clothing you are feeling iffy about.  Give them that last chance.

So tell me, has your snow disappeared?  From the Northern Hemisphere's readers' comments I think this transitional period is all over the place, with temperatures swinging 10-15 degrees within a few days.  It's still snowing heavily in parts of northern Britain, yet here we're about to hit 12c. 

Oh, enough of this weather talk, Pout!  

I'll let you lovely readers go about your busy days/evenings.

I'm working on some outfit posts

 so please pop back and check out what I'm wearing now that Spring is popping in on Chez Pout, and hear about some of my plans for this exciting season.

A la perchoine.

Dad's Day - Dirty Linen, Fried Salad

Today I washing my "dirty" linen in public.  I've mentioned previously that I'm not a huge fan of outdoor OOTD shots.  And here's why.

1.  Pasty face.  My face is not pale and interesting.  It is ruddy.

2.   "Marks" which do not exist in reality appear on dark clothing. E.g. Pic on left, two pale splodges on left of dress.  Pic on left, same two pale splodges, now shifted to the right.

3.  Points 1 & 2 indicate that we are not camera-savvy. 

Perhaps it's time to sit down together with a cup of coffee and read our camera manual ...

This little outfit looked nice IRL.  Trust me.  Yet here's Pale Pout again and with even bigger splodges! 

The dress is old, from Next, black linen, easy shape, worn with black Ecco sandals and turquoise jewellery.

And I wore my "dirty" linen to take The Photographer out for a Father's Day dinner down at the golf club along the coast. 

We shared a starter of four prawns (seen here already split) served with the most delicious little pot of fine slivers of ginger, done pink.  Oh how my taste buds exploded.

And that half-starter should have been where we put our forks down and headed for home.  Because ...

Simple fish and chips, left, as I started tucking in and right, when I was "finished".  Same on TP's plate.  And all we'd eaten during the day was our beach brunch cheese sarnie, so we hadn't exactly been pigging!  I think it was because the starter was so good, that we really wanted for little else after such exquisiteness.  So two huge pieces of fish came home with us in a doggie bag ... or sac du chien   as The Photographer eloquently put it!

Recipes

Fried Salad

This time of year we are eating a lot of new potatoes, home-grown by a neighbour, super flavour.  We are also eating a lot of salad, especially during our heatwave.  We always end up with left overs of both.  The potatoes can be put to many uses but what do you do with left over salad, especially if it's got a bit soggy from vinaigrette?  

Well I just heat a little olive oil in a pan, cut the potatoes into chunks, fry till browned, then chuck in the salad leftovers.  It makes a tasty vegetable dish as the potatoes absorb the vinaigrette.  You're welcome!

Sac du Chien (left over battered fish)

Serves 2

Ingredients

Two left over battered fish fillets

Olive oil to cook

2 slices of bread for toasting

Handful of cooked prawns

Mayonnaise and lemon

Garnish, e.g. mixed salad, pickled beetroot and pickled cucumber

1. Gently warm the fish through in a pan with a little olive oil.
2. Place two slices of bread in toaster.
3. After flipping over (the fish, not yourself!), start plating up whilst the fish warms through.
4. Place toast on plates.   Spread the toast with mayonnaise.  Place fish on top, add a dollop of mayo, decorate with prawns, top with a lemon twist.  Serve the salad mix on the side of the fish toast.  Add garnish, if desired.

Enjoy!

So, The Photographer enjoyed a beach brunch and a swim in the cooling sea (previous post) and here dinner at the golf club.  Plus his Sac du Chien on his Boxing Father's Day.  He was a Happy Daddy. 

I also put together a little pressie for him ... but I'm going to save that for another post!

A la perchoine.

White Denim, Grey and Black with a Side Order of Chicken Pitta

 

 

 

Hi, peeps.  How's the summer with you?

It's a bit windy and chilly here today so I've moved out of shorts and skimpy (in my dreams!) dresses. 

And because I worked you so hard with my last ginormous post, I thought I'd keep it lite today.  Though, it was my most immediately popular post EVER, so thanks for visiting dear readers.

 

 

The so dapper Photographer is off at the dentist so I am left to my own devices.

That means selfies.  Arrghh, I hear you groan through the Blogdom.  Pouting Pensioner selfies!

 

 

 

Me trying selfie shots again is only ever going to be amusing embarrassing. 

But I see a win-win though. I don't have to wear make-up and you don't have to look at my face!

 I was inspired to wear Per Una black skinnies and a Next long sleeved grey long sleeved t shirt (my love of grey showing through yet again!).  Note the clump of grey beads on the arm.

 

Over this I wore a white denim East jacket, about 15 years old, and pink shoulder cross over bag (must keep up with the fashionista lingo).  Black Ecco strappy heeled sandals.

 

And this is how my selfies were supposed to look.

 

 

(Please tell me, how do the youngsters take such good selfies?)

 

Tadaah, this was my inspiration. How do you think I did with my recreation steal? 

I thought it was just perfect for today's chillier weather.

 I found this pic on Pinterest.  I think.  I wish I could attribute it but I've lost the link. 

But perhaps this lovely lady wouldn't take too kindly to being linked to my badly executed selfies!

 

 

 

Let's move swiftly on.  I haven't posted a recipe for yonks so I give you today's tasty lunch, made with some chicken scraps.  It's based an old Weight Watchers recipe that I found years ago and continue to make as I absolutely love it, dieting or not (and it's not right now!). 

 

 

 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
 

 

 

Chicken Pitta

 

Ingredients per individual serving

 

Some chopped up cooked chicken

About half a dozen cashews, chopped

A couple of chopped spring onions

About 1 tbspn mayo

Squeeze of lime or lemon juice

Chopped fresh coriander

salt and pepper

1 pitta bread (that's the only ingredient I give with absolute accuracy!)

 

 

 

Toast the pitta bread. Leave to cool, then halve.

 

Whilst toasting, mix all the ingredients together.  Stuff the pitta with the mix.

 

Garnish with salad stuff and enjoy, because it really is very yummy!

A la perchoine.

A Day on the Beach

The forecast was spot on for today.  I woke up to a glorious day, a day for beach walking.  Yippppeeee!

I've been feeling a bit cooped up of late, like I've been housebound and the bad weather has limited me to just short walks through the ruettes each time a dry-ish window has allowed. 

So I wasted no time in getting out on to the beach today!

Togged up for my beach walk - Woolovers blue cashmere/merino tunic, worn with M&S jeggings, old, and Ecco walking books, old, similar here.  The scarf came from The Cashmere Shop about 10 years ago.  But it's been a winter fave ever since, such pretty colours.

Then, down to the west coast and to the Port Soif area for a long walk.

The recent storms have brought up a huge amount of vraic (that's seaweed to you)

- where's my lovely creamy yellow the sand?!!

And with the storms came the small rocks too, which still litter the beaches.

The sea looks so calm now.  You can imagine how the storms whip up the seas around here.

The US and Canadian winter hurricanes and snowstorms fly over the Atlantic and during the trip over the ocean they weaken in force and the snow turns to rain.  We get the diluted version, winter gales and storms and rain.

The storms picked up some of the vraic and left it high and dry on the pathway.  It's dried up, of course, and it now looks like writhing snakes!

Finally, on some vraic-free sand!

A closer look at the vraic.  Back in the day, it was harvested and taken home by horse and cart to use for fuel on the cooking range. 

So pleased to have had an envigorating walk.  And so pleased that the holidaying school children could enjoy such a lovely spring day.

A bientot.

Fear of Packing

We woke up today to a lake at the bottom of the garden which is no surprise as we've "enjoyed" constant torrential rain, hailstorms and storm-force winds for days, though today the wind has finally dropped.  

This weather got me thinking of warmer times, holidays past and clement weather ahead.

Now, for me the downside of travel is - queue Jaws music - packing; I have packaphobia. 
Our 15kgs and 20kgs allowances for flight carry-on and hold and luggage respectively and is bad news for one (me) who likes plenty of dressing options, so packing needs serious consideration. 

  

My packing process? I start with a list, make amendments, then a total re-write before packing, whittling down, re-packing.  You get the picture. I fear it.   So I was relieved to read that there are others like me out there in the bloggisphere and help is but a google away. e.g. here with 

this lady

These sites bring succour to those who share my condition.

My packing isn't as scientific as that lovely lady's but there is method to it. I photograph the final packing spread out on the floor, then I endeavour to take daily photos of what I actually wear, followed by a review whilst sorting out the snaps on return. 
It's become apparent that the same core items crop up day on day, they are my workhorses; aspirational stuff packed doesn't see any more action than when I schlepp it round in the suitcase.  So nowadays I pack the identified workhorses.  End of.  Fin de.
E.g., it's early summer, Denmark and mainland UK, 3.5 weeks.  I packed layers as I've previously experienced snow there in June!  But it was beautifully warm.  The workhorses?

M&S cut-offs, Woolovers French Navy cardi and top; Next pumps, crochet taupe/white bag, grey/navy mix silk scarf bought 35 years ago in Copenhagen - I took it back to its "roots", the store (Magasin) from which it was bought!

L: M&S jeggings, The White Company taupe top, Navy Woolovers cotton/silk cardi, Next pumps;

R: M&S beige cut offs, beige Alexon longline top, Woolovers French Navy cardi, Clarks sandals (very comfy).

M&S black jeggings, grey cotton/silk cardi and top from Woolovers, comfy Ecco Sandals (bought there), the old grey/navy silk scarf tied as a head bandau.

A close-up of the scarf; mix-and-match bracelets from Accessorize a couple of years ago.

L:Black Next modal top over black t-shirt, coral M&S cut-offs (6-7th summer!), black Ecco sandals.  R: M&S Limited Collection modal t-shirt, Cotton Traders white cut-offs, same sandals;

the scarf is the grey/beige/black silk sister of the yonks-old Tie Rack scarf which I showed in My First Time Blog - therre, now you have met that little family!

Fairly pedestrian outfits, fitting for a lady in her 60s :-), but these were my mix-and-match workhorses for 3 weeks. 
Packing will be a doddle this year!

And during a 3 week trip to sizzling France, the photographic evidence is that I wore a variation on this throughout.

East layered cotton lawn skirt (ca. 2004, so light, it's a summer travel must-pack),
White Company vest in taupe, and that little crochet bag.

Same skirt and same bag (bien sur) with a multi-coloured jersey dress which I tuck up and use as a long vesttop (£3 charity shop find from 2004 another summer must-pack).

I'm embarrassed to add that we drove on that holiday and I filled our boot with a shocking amount of clothes and shoes (because I could).  And I seem to have worn one skirt, two tops and one pair of sandals!

So, nothing exciting or uber-stylish but the point of this rather long rambling is that if you do a bit of holiday photo analysis, perhaps you too will discover that you wear just a few items on a mix-and-match basis, so pack that and all the fancy stuff can stay at home!

If you have managed to stay awake after all my ramblings, well done you!

A la perchoine.