Confessions of a thirty-something...

This week has been a bit of a blur. Not, as you would be forgiven for thinking, because the kids are at home and I've been getting ready for a market. Both of those things are true, but that is not the reason for my recent lack of focus. No, the real reason is rather more embarrassing. As I told you; Friday was Chris' birthday, on Saturday we had a party.

We celebrated...I celebrated...hard.

Sunday morning was horrific. And Monday only marginally better. I lost 5 pounds in weight (not such a bad thing!) and suffice to say I won't be touching alcohol for some time. I think the children thought I had caught a tropical disease! There is, in my possession, photographic evidence to prove that I should know better. However, for obvious reasons, I chose to post this one...

That's me on the left with my younger sister Hannah. Oh, I wish I could go back and remind myself to drink water! Anyhow, confession over, all in all the night was a great success. We had a lot of fun and caught up with some old friends. You only live once right!?

Thursday I was at the Berkhamsted Castle Village Market. I've never been there before and although it was a rather small event, the turn out wasn't too bad and I was happy that I'd made the effort to go. I sold all of my cushions (except one) and quite a few other bits and pieces. And I have some lovely vintage-style lavender bags that I will be adding to Folksy this weekend.

Next week is going to be a toughie. My girl is going away. Jess will be going off to Uni in September and her plan, since we moved back to the UK has been to go back and spend a fun-filled month with all her friends back in Canada. That day has almost come and on Tuesday I will put her on a plane by herself (for the first time) and wave goodbye to my pal. She has spent this past year at college and holding down 2 jobs to save the money for this trip and to say we're proud of her would be an understatement!

I will miss her - she knows that. But I want her to have the most fun a girl with a big smile and a good heart can have - love you Jess.

My apologies for the rambling post; I had some things I needed to get off my chest!

Love to you all,

B x

Magic moments part 2 (a trilogy)

This week was prom week and I think I was a little unprepared for how much is involved in such an event! The dress, the hair, the nails, the limo - wow, it was like getting my girl ready for the Oscars! And I have to say (although I may be a little bit biased) when she was finished, she looked like she was going to the Oscars - she looked BEAUTIFUL.






Jess' date for the night was a boy from her drama class called Stephen. They are just friends and I think it was nice to have someone she could be herself with at her side. He's such a lovely boy, he even matched his shirt and tie with Jess' dress so that they looked perfect together!





With Chris being away in the UK things weren't quite as easy to organise and when I took them to a friends' house to get the limo we had to squeeze Stephen (who's about 6 foot) in the back of the car between Max and Eva as I had no one to watch them - it kinda cramped their style, but they dealt with it very well!

She had a great night and it's a lovely memory for her to take back to the UK in 6 weeks.





So, now prom is over and it's exam week (she's studying as I speak) next stop graduation. I think leaving Canada after 4 years will be hard for Jess. She has made some great friends and will have some wonderful memories. But come September she will be at University back home, living on campus and starting the next chapter of her life.

I'm really going to miss her.

How old is too old?

Guys, I need your help and your honesty. I am a 'fashion conscious mother' with a teenage daughter, in my mid (to late) thirties and I have a dilemma. How old is too old to wear clothes like this...

...and if my daughter is starting to wear this kind of thing does that mean I should stop? The problem I have is that in my head I am still 19...23 at the oldest...and with a 17 year old of my own we are at that stage where we are very likely to go out in virtually the same outfit. I have seen those women out there who look like mutton dressed as lamb and I really don’t think I’m being like that. I don’t wear miniskirts; I couldn’t if I tried- unless I wanted to be arrested for indecent exposure. But I think I’ve still got ‘it’ and I don’t want to be old before my time. However, I don’t want to look like one of those Mums who is trying to compete with her own child! It makes me mad that I feel like I can’t wear funky stuff for fear of what others might think. What makes things worse is that I have friends who don’t have children (or their kids are still very young) and it’s totally ok for them to still be hip, but having a child who will soon be going to uni (yikes!) I kind of wonder if people think I look a bit sad dressing like my daughter.

So my question to you is; how old is too old AND does it make a difference what age your children are?

Go on, sock it to me- I can take it!
B

My Jess

She left today, on a school trip; 10 days in Greece. And even though she left her room like this...


And this...

I miss her already.