Sunday 8 May 2011

Paris baby!

Today has been mainly sunny and breezy and the husband was playing football in the garden with the children when I updated my blog and cooked a quick chicken stirfry.

Then we had a quick walk before I dropped him at the station for his shift in London. He won't get back til 1am and nearly always disturbs me when he climbs into bed. It's been this way for years and years and whilst I am used to it, I get lonely from time to time as am on my own most evenings and every other weekend. Well not on my OWN as always have the children of course, but I do miss the adult company in the evenings.

I'd love him to have a 9am-5pm job but it simply won't happen. And as he points out, he is often here during the mornings and so we have those moments together that other couples won't necessarily have. And I guess I can watch all the programmes I want to in the evenings, so it has its pros and cons.

Today, on the charity shop front,  I would like to talk about my plum ra-ra style flouncy skirt.

I bought it in a charity shop in Frome, Somerset, and it cost £2.50. It had been sitting there a week apparently and no one had even picked it up. I spotted it instantly and love it so much.



I wore it to Paris in October and felt tres chic
 We only went to Paris for one night when I wore this fab skirt and my parents stayed to look after the children. We had such a gorgeous time and our hotel was fab. A boutique hotel in Marais and very trendy. It was one of those detox hotels where the bottled water in the room came from icebergs and you could get massages in your room. We didn't bother with that, we were on limited time so decided to see as much as we could. We had been to Paris together once before but I'm a bit more familiar with it than the husband I guess.

I went to Paris a few times as a teenager, to visit my friend Dominique who lived near the Eiffel Tower. My memories are fond.

I remember being there for Bastille Day and drinking champagne with her and friends under the shadow of the tower. I remember going to a late night party and wishing my French was better, I remember shopping and being in awe of the boutiques and high fashion. I remember the intense heat of the apartment in the summer months, eating peeled cucumber soaked in viniagrette and walking round the Chateau de Versailles - the air filled with the scent of fresh roses. I remember the nights spent watching all the cool Parisian boys skateboarding at Trocadero with the Eiffel Tower glittering merrily in the background. I remember my crush on the son of one of the ministers of Monaco who Dominique and I went to the cinema with. Paris is always in my heart.

And returning there with the husband was fab - we really want to go back soon, it's not that far. So when I wear that skirt, I think of our time in Paris, and then that takes me back to my earlier years in Paris.

4 comments:

Aunty Bee said...

My husband works permanent night shift, and general shift work for all of our 27 year marriage. I think when the boys were young it was difficult, but now they are 19 & 20 it suits us fine. We talk when he gets home as I up getting ready for work and as you said I get to watch what I want on TV at night. But it limits our social life and stuffs up his sleeping patterns when he isn't working but then again he's an old codger.

Unknown said...

I just stopped by to tell you about that body cream* and noticed this fab post (am loving your blog btw, don't stop please).

Paris is my favourite place in the world! We go there every year, my husband proposed there, and we always stay in Marais in a boutique hotel! I like the Hotel Bourg Tibourg. In fact we're going there at the end of the month for a couple of days (feel slightly skippy thinking about it). Can't wait. This is a gorgeous photo - the buildings, the cobbles, your fab outfit. Eeek, am so excited.

*so anyway, that cream. I love it, it smells nice, sinks in and gives skin a nice sheen but it really does make your skin slippy when wet. Wouldn't put it on your feet, esp not if you're swimming that day - danger zone!

Nicki x

Unknown said...

Hello hello!

Did you get the body lotion?! I noticed today that they are selling it online at Next for £7! Waitrose near me priced it at £3.80 or something similar.

Now, your crochet questions... You need to be able to do treble crochet for the granny squares that I'm doing (mine are from an Attic 24 pattern - the summer garden grannies). If you can double crochet though, you can do anything! You just need to memorise the stitch like a mantra. Try this lady's You Tube tutorials:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_du_2GOEmc

This lady together with the Attic 24 tutorials and the little leaflet that came with the children's Learn to Crochet kit taught me. If you want me to post the leaflet to you somewhere just let me know. Or I could probably scan and email it to you. It's about £8 for the box kit and the yarn isn't very nice so it's quite expensive just for the instructions.

Have two episodes of Desperate Housewives to catch up on this evening while the husband is at football... quite excited.

Nicki x

Unknown said...

Oh gawd I'm looking like a stalker on your blog.. just a note that the link I've given you is in American crochet terms.... I think the American double crochet is our treble. Sorry!