Happy Monday!

Happy Monday dolls!! I hope you had a grand weekend! I decided to post a little more at my other blog this week as I needed a break from doing them both. Gives me more time to prepare things for this one too. And I wanted to get things going more on that one, so feel free to join me there this week :)


I will be here maybe Wednesday or simply next week with an outfit post and some other things!! Until then, have a wonderful week & I'll be around to visit all of your beautiful blogs!!

Lots of loves
xoxoxoxoxo


Purple & Black...



Good day dear dolls! I hope the week is faring well for you so far. It's been a very windy and rainy week so far for me. Not nice really. Again, thank you to everyone who's been commenting on & checking out my new blog: La Femme Nouvelle, I appreciate it very much :) I finally figured out how to leave links in my comments, so when I comment I'll leave the link of the page that has my latest post for you :) I took these photos ages ago..when it was dry ;) This is actually part of the church my husband and I were married in many years ago. We were taking a walk while my oldest daughter, Saffron was at drama class. I was having a very bad hair day, but thankfully my trusty hat was there to keep me safe ;) The time is coming quick to get my Christmas gifts sorted and start baking up a storm too. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday & keep warm wherever you may be!!

Lots of loves
xoxo


Dainty Boudoir
Bustier: Thrifted
Skirt: (old) New Look
Simon Ellis Jacket: Thrifted vintage
Antique Art Nouveau necklace: Gifted 
Earrings: from The House for an Art Lover



{Happy Monday} Question Me

Happy Monday dolls! I hope your weekend was sweet, it was rather pleasant here, quiet and nice. I've been busying away cleaning out things in the house, to get ready for Christmas decorating, lots of fun!! The sun has been shining while the wind has been cool, it's really quite beautiful. I was tagged in a post by sweet My Paintings and Tales, so I'm going to get those done & I was also given an award by the lovely Musings in Red...thank you both so much, I do enjoy these kinds of posts and it's always so nice that someone would think to give me an award...a BIG thank you to you both!! I hope you enjoy my answers & wish you a wonderful Monday!! Thank you to all the lovely ladies that have joined in on my new blog: La Femme Nouvelle, I'll be posting there tomorrow, so I'll see you then! Have fun dollipops!! 
xoxoxoxoxox


11 random facts about myself, answer 11 questions

11 Random things about me
1. When I'm stressed or tired, I listen to instrumental music to feel better. 2. For every new thing I buy, I give away something old. 3. I like playing in the rain.  4. I adore the violin, someone playing really good will always cause me to tear up. 5. I want to learn to play the accordion, yes!! 6. I love roller-coasters, the more it goes upside down, the better. 7. I wish I had a giant library to call my own :) 8. I collect antiques 9. I love Christmas movies all year round. 10. I used to get into trouble for talking too much in class when I was little. 11. I slapped a girl when I was 6 for taking the toys away from others, I got sent to the corner, & shouted that I wasn't sorry...a rebel from birth I was ;)

My 11 questions are:


1. What are the type of blogs do you follow / read? 
All kinds, I like a variety or I get bored.  A lot of blogs repeat the same things, like if it's a trend or something, so it's nice to escape to the ones that write about stuff I love more, like literature and movies :)


2. What is the first thing you look forward to everyday? 
Seeing my girl's smiles, it makes my day :)  (my girls love bunnies - me to, that's why I put bunnies)

3. What is your favourite meal? 
Hmmm...I love food. I could eat all day - which is why I need to exercise or I'd be too big to get out of the house. But, I adore Camembert cheese with caramelized onions on toasted bread...so good. Not good to eat all the time, but I do adore it!! I should just live in France...haha :) 
4. What are the blogging topics that you find silly and stupid?
Any topic that bashes or discriminates against another person, I don't have time for that out in the world, so I don't really have time for it on blogs either. If someone is standing up for a cause, that's different.

5. Does the blog layout, and photos display matter? 
Maybe, everyone has their own tastes, your never going to please everyone. I think if it's readable and clear, then it's ok. The only thing with photos that bother me are, when you have a person in an outfit with like over 10 photos of them in almost the same pose ('this is me smiling' 'this is me not smiling' 'this is a close up of my hair - that's exactly like the photo you've seen before this one, but what the heck, I'm throwing it in there anyways') that drives me crazy. I read a mass of blogs and I like to give them all the same attention, but when I have to scroll through the same photo, I feel drained. Other than that...I don't care if the photo is not as good quality as another, it's the effort put in and if your feeling confident and yourself...that's most important than the amount, Quality over quantity :)

6. Did you ever buy a painting as a gift?
Of course, I love paintings :)))
7. How many works of art/ paintings / posters do you have in your place?
I've lost count...since art is my thing...I have masses. I also like to buy paintings from local artists wherever I travel to :)
8. Which topics do you often write about?
ART!!!!!!! & Positive posts to make others feel good!!!



9. What is the most extreme thing you have done and you are very proud of?
Hmmm...Not give up, I think. Since birth there has been masses of things against me and I've charged through them like a trooper. Most people would give up at the first hurdle, but somehow without even knowing it, I've gotten through it. I don't ever think of how I'm going to get through something, I just get up and go. I was born with cerebral palsy in my legs (though doctors are amazed how my condition has improved as I grew older) some don't walk in those cases, but mine's mild. I've had 3 operations to help. Learned to walk more times that I could stand it, but I get back up and keep going. There's people who will never walk, so I don't have the excuse to feel sorry for myself and I detest anyone who tries to give me sympathy, I don't need it. I can do anything I want & I do :) There's other things I've found harder than that, being mixed race & being a woman & being taken seriously. But, I make do :)
10. What is your guilty pleasure? 
Don't have any....anything good in life, should never be a guilty pleasure, unless it causes harm to yourself or others.


11. What is your life drive? 
To do as many things as I can, I don't want to waste days...life comes and goes so quickly. I want to live and not just exist. And to give my girls a happy life :)



The rules:

1.  Post the award on your blog.
2.  Link to the blog who has awarded you with the latter.
3.  Pass the award to 3-5 other blogs.
4.  Inform the winners and tell them the rules. 



Given to me by Musings in Red

I happily give this award to anyone and everyone who reads this blog! You can spread the cheer and pass it on if you wish, there are too many blogs that I love & that should be recognized, so there you go :) 


Puss in Boots...



Happy Friday kittens!! How has your week been!?! Mine has been dandy...I just want to say a big thank you to those of you lovely ladies that have joined my new blog: La Femme Nouvelle. I really appreciate it & look forward to all that's to come. I'll be posting there on days I don't post on here, so that there's no double posting from me, it would be too much. But, all of you are brilliant, so thank you very much for supporting! These were taken some weeks ago, I found the leotard - bought some years ago - at the bottom of my drawer with the tags still on, haha. So, I thought I better wear it ;) Despite the relaxed happy look on my face, it was blooming cold, the wind was like ice...oh the crazy things I do for a picture :) I hope you enjoy & have a wonderful weekend!!

Meeeoooow!!
xoxoxo

P.S for a gorgeous post with more kitties, check out one of my favourites, Mary Jo's Art Inspired post from Trust Your Style, featuring the 'Sleeping Leopard' by George Stubbs, it's beautifully paired with leopard items for you, I love it :) 





Dainty Boudoir
Skirt: Bought so long ago, can't remember. lol.
Topshop Leopard print leotard: Ebay
Bow: Gifted
Hat: New Look. The feather pin on it is vintage

Photos by the darling Gorgeous Gavin.



Something brand new....


Hello dollipops!! Great weekend? I hope so :) I had a restful weekend, it was so nice and so needed. The air was cool, yet still, I love days like that. I spent some time going for walks, listening to music and baking with my husband and girls. I also sat and created a new blog called 'La Femme Nouvelle', it's going to be my new lifestyle blog. This blog here has been my more personal blog to share Art, travel and outfit posts and I wanted something that took me more behind the scenes and was more about other things I enjoy like decorating, cooking and stuff like that. I'm also going to be featuring women on there that I've come across that I think are awesome & also some women that have influenced me growing up. One big girly page really. I mean, boys can join my page, I don't mind, as long as they can handle interiors, cooking or lingerie, haha!! Well, I think the last one there would be no problem at all, but anyways...I welcome you to join me there as you have so kindly joined me here! 


I hope all of you have a wonderful new week & may love & happiness shine on you wherever you may be!!
xoxoxoxoxo





{Artist} Arthur Hacker


Happy Friday loves! I hope you've had a wonderful week :)  My week was very nice. Though, last night my youngest daughter decided to keep me awake most of the night, so I've had very little sleep & quite tired. But, I wanted to leave you some of my most favourite paintings by the great Arthur Hacker. There is a small bio on him here, I hope you will enjoy his work and look into him more, as there is much to discover. You will see my favourite below..'The Cloud', I adore this painting and quite wish I was on a cloud just now..but his work makes me daydream, I adore it! I hope you enjoy it & have a wonderful weekend!
Lots of loves
xoxoxoxo


Arthur Hacker (25 Sep. 1858- 12 Nov. 1919) was born in London, the son of Edward Hacker, the line engraver. He went to the RA Schools before studying in Paris under Leon Bonnat, who was internationally famous as a portrait painter and a lifelong friend of Degas. Bonnat was the ideal teacher for Hacker who became a fashionable portrait painter himself.
His early work consisted of genre and historical scenes, such as The Waters of Babylon and The Annunciation which was brought by the Chantrey Bequest in 1892. As an indirect result of the success of this painting he was elected an associate of the RA and soon after began teaching at the Academy, when he partially abandoned subject painting in favour of portraiture, in which he achieved considerable success. He was elected an Academician in 1910 and began to paint a series of London street scenes, including A Wet Night in Piccadilly Circus, which met with mixed reception from the critics who were not prepared for a painting of this nature, which was far more modern in its treatment that anything else Hacker had produced. In his later years he returned to painting mythological and allegorical subjects. He died on Wednesday, 12 November 1919 in London, where he had resided all his life, and was buried at Brookwood Cemetery near Woking, Surrey.

Some of his work

The Sryinx
Oil on canvas


The Temptation of Sir Percival
c.1894
oil on canvas


Autumn
c. 1907
oil on canvas


Circe
c. 1893


The Cloud
c. 1902
Exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1902 with lines from The Cloud by Percy Bysshe Shelley: 

"And I all the while bask in Heaven's blue smile, 
While he is dissolving in rain."


The Sea Maiden
c. 1897


{pictures & bio from here}

Lazy Day...



Good day dear flower petals, my husband has tomorrow off, so I am blogging today, so I am free tomorrow :) Sometimes, I get asked what do I wear on lazy days if I'm wearing dresses every day!?! Well, I wear the same stuff, I just have categories of dresses and skirts, some are more dressy than others. I have all kinds of dresses that suit whatever I'm doing. And when I'm in the house I just slop around in a pair of leggings or something like that, not really anything the outside will see, haha :)  But, I hope that answers your question. It's not vanity or anything like that, I just enjoy dressing up, it's a matter of personal taste really. I think of getting dressed as putting on a costume or playing dress up all day...you will however, see me go around with my hair tied up and not even brushed, but that's just because I have thick curly hair and can get away with it, it looks as if I did my hair, haha :) Have a wonderful day dolls & all my fellow Americans, please don't forget to cast your vote, it does matter!

Love loves
xoxoxoxo



Dainty Boudoir
50's vintage dress & earrings: Parma Vintage
Vintage Mary Janes: Ebay
Vintage Belt: Thrifted
Bow: Gifted

All photos by Gorgeous Gavin. Please do not use without my permission, thank you.



Get up & Go!


Happy Monday poppets! Good weekend!?! We had fireworks here on Saturday for Guy Fawke's night...lots of fun and then after I was at a birthday party, so we were home quite late, but had a fabulous time. Sunday was spent being lazy and watching recorded shows and cleaning up a messy house ;) A new week begins, sometimes we just don't want to face it, going to school, work or a new adventure, we rather go stick our heads under a pillow and pretend it doesn't exist, but really facing up to the things that make us freak out, are the only things that will make us stronger or smarter! It's ok to be afraid, but use the fear to your advantage and not let it disadvantage you, go out and work hard and strive for what you wish for...oooh the things we could achieve in we believe in the courage of our dreams ;) Have a wonderful and courageous week dolls!

xoxoxox











The leaves of gold...


Happy November 1st dolls! I thought since yesterday's post was just a Halloween post, I would post again with a more proper post :) I hope you all enjoyed Halloween!?! We watched Dark Shadows and quite loved it, Johnny Depp is always funny. We quite wanted to live in the house. Reminded me of when I was little and used to sleep in my bottom drawer like the boy in 'The Munsters' or have a doll with no head like in 'The Addams Family'. Anyways, these were taken just before the leaves began to fall off the trees, the striking yellow of the leaves against the dark shade of the bark was quite beautiful...alas now, they are just a mushy mess on the ground, so I'm glad I was there to enjoy them at the time. You will notice I have no dress on, haha :) I bought this and at first thought it was a dress, but then realised it was shorts, but couldn't resist the colour, it's almost a dress and I like it :) Have a wonderful day dolls!!

Love loves
xoxo

P.S. I hope those in the east are doing ok today, love to you!




Dainty Boudoir 
Shorts (romper) jumpsuit - Thrifted, 
Peacock belt (you know how I love my peacocks) - Thrifted vintage

Photos of me by: Gorgeous Gav
Photos of leaves by: Me.
Please do not use without my permission, thanks.




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