Bonus: Love And Support From Great Britain

Yes. I am an only child. This we've had reason to establish before. So I will indulge in this without further ado and share the pure joy of having Lovely Readers with you, lovely readers:

Aw come on it's not Ugly as in Avert Your Gaze Or Have Your Eyesight Forever Impaired. It may not be what you'd like right now, but the design fairy will happen along sometime and grant your wish - (es) if the wind is favourable. (Sorry it isn't me). I think it's like going into the home of a good friend. OK the hall carpet maybe ain't so pretty, walls could do with a bit of something but hey, when you get by that the house is groaning with good stuff. The fire is lit, the cooker is belting out something fabulous and the good friend greets you with a mug of the best coffee ever. Relax, we'll wear a blindfold till you finish the decorating. (Sent with good intentions - not implying your carpet sucks) x

Best wishes

Shona Pinkshoes

Dear Pinkshoes, consider the fire lit.

Hello Friday

You came this week with light.
Harsh, unforgiving, white light.
Revealing all-light, no holding back-light.
Finding every line under my eyes, every dirty fingerprint on the kitchen windows, every dark hair resting on the white stairs, everything.
Dear Friday.
You came this week with light.
Shine on.

Confession Time Or The Ugly Truth Or Bonfire Of The Vanities

So, here we go, confession time:
The reason I'm not here anymore?
It's so ugly.
It's so ugly I can't stand it. I know, I know, I know. It's never been very pretty and it's not a design blog and why should it even matter and bla bla bla but it does. It really does.
I have things to say and stories to tell, but I find myself dreading the ugliness of this place and avoiding it pretty much at all cost.
And that's just a crying shame.
Because this place has been beautiful and important (well, to me) in oh so many ways and I really shouldn't discard it just because it doesn't look good anymore. How vain and superficial am I? (Oh, lots, it seems.)
You see, everytime I enter this space and see the ugly heading I just cringe and look away. And we can't have that anymore. This is the only writing I do without getting paid and I'd hate to let it go. I need to be here, I think.
So.
Starting today I'm on a mission to find someone who can help me transform this space into something that looks more like home. A clever designer with an hour or two to spare and a mission to create a heading that feels just right.
And.
Until I do find that person and the right idea and the right feeling and all, I'll go back to regular posting just to show that I'm not all about looks. You know, in case you'd gotten me all wrong or summat (sorry, saw Jamie Oliver last night, can't help myself). So there's that. That's that. That's it. That's all. Thanks for your fantastic patience, if you're still there.

Rue St Honoré

I'm thinking of posting everything we ate and drank in Paris. Would you like that? Really awful photos too, like this one, with too much or too little light and no filters and no nothing. Keeping it real. Whaddyasay? 'Cause, let's face it, Paris to me is always gonna be more about the coffee than about the Louvre.

I Believe In The Kindness Of Neighbours

I can't sew. The only sew I know is the "Sew - a needle pulling threeeaaad" from you know what-movie. Not the real deal. It makes me sweat and ache and swear and pant like a dog running a marathon. Annette on the other hand is calm, cool and collected and knows her way around the machine. So I begged. That's what I do, I beg and bribe. And she threw caution to the wind and helped me sew a new cover for the kitchen sofa, asking nothing in return. I gave her coffee and lasagna (I'm not a total monster), but apart from that I think I was mostly in her way. It was like having a blue wizard in the house. Wiz, wiz, wiz and all of a sudden there was spring in the kitchen. Thank you, Annette. I owe you.

Five Weeks

The brown photo on top is from today, from now, two minutes ago. The white and sparkly one from February 3rd, five weeks ago. Imagine if I had changed that much in five weeks. What would you see? Who would I be?
But I haven't. I'm the same.
The same same same.

I Have Plans

It's getting rude. This non-blogging thing I've got going.
I'm sorry. I'll be better! I promise! I will!
Thanks for asking, though.
We are all well.
And I have plans for this space.
Plans that somehow make it hard to sit down and write.
But all of these excuses really are no excuses at all.
So.
I shall return.
New and improved.
Thank you for your patience.

Photo from Porthleven this summer. The one day it didn't rain.