Posh Cream, Aperol and Scenery by The Pout

Our subject matter this week is how to wear rather 'posh' cream to drink the last Aperol spritz of the season, accessorised with late summer's evening scenery.

That was the remit set by my blogger bestie Anna of muttonyearsstyleandi.
Essentially, posh cream accessorised with scenery and Aperol put in a sartorial context.

It came about when I excitedly told Anna that I'd just had my first APEROL.  Ever. 

AT LONG LAST! 

You see, Anna's a bit of a fan of this herby liquor and it has been featured more than once on her IG.   Aperol tastes a bit like Campari, I decided, which I hadn't tasted since the early 70s, in a disco club when I was trying to look with it cool!

I stepped over the threshold into Aperollia at a friend's house on Friday evening.  She offered an aperitif choice of prosecco or Aperol.  I spied the bottle and recognising it from Anna's IG, I replied rather excitedly "Both please".  I was charged with the mixology and first tasted my Aperol neat before loading our flutes with prosecco*.  It made a  most intoxicating refreshing drink.

*OK, Anna's subject matter included "spritz" - I found my spritz in prosecco, not soda water (insert slightly inebriated emoji ... hick!), so let's call that an Aperol Fizz.

So that's the Aperol done.  Tick.  

What about the evening scenery bit of Anna's themed post?

Well, this is it.  My hostess is most skilful in the homemaking department.  A pergola leads from the dining area and the conservatory.  She had canopied it.  Lately I've been lusting after researching some of these canopied and draped pergolas on Pinterest, but hadn't seen one in the flesh.  Not until last night.  Now I want my pergola canopied too.  Deffo.  Isn't it an attractive sitting spot?  It looks out onto the summer's evening scenery, so I can put a big fat tick next to that element of the subject matter.

Yes,  last night I drank my first ever Aperol and saw my first ever canopied pergola.

Small steps for blogkind ... big steps for this blogger.

OK, let's move on to the 'rather posh cream' bit.

I wore my Zara pearled sweater.  It's posh 'cos it's dripping with pearls.  It's cream.  So that's posh cream.  Tick.

And it's new!  Zara lured me in to her Southampton store  recently - has Zara been luring you lately?

I felt it was the ideal thing to wear for a cosy supper with old girlfriends, the old being that I have known them for 35 years and one of them for 62 years.  R at I met in infants school and went all the way through our school years together, then we all worked together in the 80s.

Go figure, there was much chat around the cosy dining table!

May I just say here that I am loving Zara's work.  I love the way this sweater is designed and made.  The sweater fibre is extremely soft and the pearls are sewn on beautifully.

This is the kind of sweater I have been wanting for ages.  

Posh casual.

It's the kind of sweater you just throw on and walk straight out the door.  No accessories required. 

It's a sweater so it's uncomplicated to wear, yet you feel posh. 

It looks like you've made some effort when in fact all you've done is slip it over your head!

This sweater needs no more that black jeans, black wedged courts by Clarks, and a solitary pearl and "diamond" bracelet.

Aperol Fizz, posh cream and accessorising with scenery.

What more does a gal need to feel good when suppering with old girl friends, eh?

Well, maybe a pleather biker jacket.

Shades, for mystery.

And a smile.

Smile in the comments box if you like this post!

So, that's what I wore for my first Aperol of summer, of EVER!

Now, please do pop along to see how Anna dressed for her last Aperol of summer.

A la perchoine.

Groundhog Dag at Chez Pout

Well, following on from Saturday's A&E and vet trips, yesterday and today have been rather like groundhog day.  More trips to A&E and vet. My feline patient is still a bit dodgy but my human patient is doing fine today, though grounded for a few weeks - no golf or driving.  However, he's relieved to be feeling much better today so he's handling being grounded really well.  

But it is only Day 1 ...

So maybe I can get him to sit out in the pergola to enjoy some shaded sun.  I wish I'd taken before shots of this but in recent weeks it's been smartened up, with staining and black paint and wisteria and grape vines tied back.  Geranium and lobelia have been planted.  Solar lights have been dotted around to that the space twinkles come dusk.   It's looking welcoming again.

What do you think?  I think it has a certain simple sophistication.  Maybe a bit Scandi?

The grape vine is loving Summer 2017.

I'm finding little clusters dotted around the vine.

2006 was a good year for Chateau Pout.  I'm hoping 2017 will be too.

I seem to recall reading some years ago that good summers go in an 11 year cycle.

We just may be in luck.

So, as my human patient was feeling so much better today, I drove him down to the beach and we went for a little walk on sand and in water.  He enjoyed that.  He paid the going rate for this treat.  He bought me a  super soft ice cream cone.  Mmmmnnn!



A la perchoine.