Sunday 10 July 2011

Favourite shoes and a culinary disaster

Another busy week and jam-packed weekend.  I can't believe how quickly the summer is whizzing by.  I am loving this feeling of being smack bang in the middle of summer, even though it has rained a bit this week.  I am spending as much time as possible outside;  breakfast and tea breaks are spent in the garden and the dog's walks have become longer.

The cleaners have been for the first time this week.  Whilst it was a bit odd to sit and type as they dashed around with hoovers and stood on windowsills (I kept feeling as though I ought to help), it has been so nice to sit down in the evenings and know that there is nothing for us to do.  Well, OK, the ironing pile in the spare room may have reached mountainous proportions but no-one irons stuff these days, right?

So we had J this weekend and it's been kind of fun.  We had vouchers for Pizza Express on Friday night (50% off all main meals - hurrah for having a husband with a voucher fetish) - have you tried the melanzane parmigiana?  OMG it's delish.  That and a glass of pink wine started my weekend off very nicely.  On Saturday we chilled out at home.  I made a lasagna from Jamie Oliver's Ministry of Food cookbook.  It took me three [effing] hours to make from start to finish.  I so badly wish I'd taken photos of it because it looked beautiful all golden and bubbly in its big pan, with the big sliced tomatoes and freshly picked basil leaves.  Served up on the plate, though, it could quite easily have passed for a plate of vomit.  It was ridiculously watery (probably because I got over-excited with the food mixer and accidentally pureed the celery and onion that was only meant to be finely chopped).  The cheesy sauce mixed in with the tomato sauce giving the whole thing a kind of pale pink hue and the cubed carrots just added to the overall 'vom' effect.  We still ate it, it tasted quite good, but we all seemed to take it in turns snorting with laughter as we ate.  Good job I'm not sensitive about my inability to cook.

Happily we went out for lunch today and put away huge piles of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.  I took the opportunity to wear a favourite pair of heels and thought I'd show you:

I don't know what those two little lines on my right leg are... do you see them?  Just on the front of my ankle?  I hope they aren't veins.  Do you get varicose veins on the front of your ankles?  I don't notice the front of my ankles generally because I don't pay attention to them but now I'm obsessing slightly (I'm really far too vain (vein, ha!) to take such close up photos of myself, I should know this)... anyway... you can't see the veins (or whatever they are) in this pic:

Love the platform.  Love the heel.  Love the snakeskin effect leather. ( I like a snake effect shoe.  I have these, a pair of court shoes which I shared here, a pair of flat strappy sandals and a pair of flat pointy ballet pumps.)  Also love that they strap firmly onto my feet and feel sturdy-ish (I am useless at walking in heels so not sure why I own so many pairs).

I wore them with a khaki linen jumpsuit that I picked up in Next a little while ago:


I am not sure how I feel about jumpsuits.  I know that they are a bit 80s but I was too young to wear them then, favouring Snoopy sloppy joe sweaters and bleached denim instead.  I like that it's an easy decision of what to wear in the morning and the elasticated waist makes it a good choice for a slap-up lunch date.  But I did feel kind of 'LOOK AT ME!' and I certainly don't like having to strip right off just to go for a wee.  Still, it was cool and comfortable and I like to give these things a whirl. Not sure I'll wear it again.

Off now to catch up on some blog reading before bed.  Have a happy week my lovely blog chums.

Nicki 

x

22 comments:

  1. You look gorgeous and I'm incredibly jealous, you have lovely feet too.

    In January while at work I pulled a very heavy cage over my left big toe, it was terribly bruised and only last month the nail decided to come off and it looks awful now, so no open toe shoes for me this summer, your jump suit looks amazing, I'm quite honest so if it looked awful I'd say (well I'd word it nicely).

    Congrats on the Lasagna, sounded delicious, I love anything Italian, well done you on enjoying your outside time, I feel like autumn is creeping up too soon and I don't like it, I do love these light nights x x x x

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  2. I don't think your lasagne was a culinary disaster, in my experience unless you cook it, let it cool overnight and then reheat it ALWAYS looks like a plate of vomit when dished up!!

    Love the jumpsuit/heels combo - you are super gorgeous (first time I've seen a pic of you)!!

    I can't walk in heels AT ALL, crocs/flip flops in summer and Uggs in winter for me!!

    S x

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  3. Oh my, you are well fit, like!!!You look great. I would look like George Dawes in a babygro.....
    Glad you have had lush weekend.
    We went to the sea!
    Blogging about it soon.
    I'm with Sarah, flipflops and crocs!!!
    You look fab.
    x x x

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  4. Love the outfit! You definitely pulled the look off.

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  5. OMG it;s the first time I've seen a picture of you and you are so working that jumpsuit! Gorgeous. (good job we were friends before I saw that picture - green eyed monster popped out there for a minute)
    Veins on ankles? it's been a while since I've seen my ankles. No, not preggers, just large chested (and not in a particularly good way)
    have a good week - fee ♥
    (I did the school run in crocs today - felt wrong. If little sister nelly reads this she will be having a word...fashion police!)

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  6. OMG those crocks left the house, unbelievable Fee.
    I also have a jump suit which I occasionally wear and every time wonder if I am,
    a) cool enough to pull it off
    b) thin enough to pull it off
    c) young enough to pull it off
    Not sure on any of those points but I wear it anyway! You, by the way, are working it v well!
    Thank you for your lovely comment on my blog, I will re-read it every time I am having a day where I look even paler and more tired than normal!
    Nelly xxxx

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  7. as gok would say you totally work that jumpsuit girlfriend you look gorgeous , i do eye them up in shops but being a short ass 5ft1 not sure they will work on me and love the shoes lots especially as they strap on again only size 3 and always slop on me infact i wear insoles in most my shoes ha ha x embarrassing

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  8. I also have a jump suit- well all right, you got me, dungarees actually! I paint and garden in them - I whimsically think I am working the Felicity Kendall "Good Life" vibe!
    Great shoes too! Must smarten up!

    Sarah x

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  9. SHOES!!!! gorgeous, I can't wear them that high anymore, I fall off!! no really I stagger like an old drunk, seriously I do. I went to a wedding a couple of years ago and wore a new pair of extremely high shoes because daughter said 'mummmm they are so cool, you will look fantastic in them' you should have seen me staggering, attempting to look composed, staggering and composed in the same sentence does not go together :( Mind you by the end of the night and a few champagnes later I had it nailed (I was prob under the influence tho)
    Love the jumpsuit, you need to be slim and leggie like you to be able to carry that look. Once again, not me.
    Mmmm vomit lasagne, better than the spaghetti that slid off the plate and onto the floor, sigh.
    x Sandi

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  10. Hello! Thanks for popping by my blog, and for the lovely comment you left, I appreciate it! Good to find your blog too! Those shoes are really great, sure I'd break an ankle if i tried to wear something like them and end up making a big embarrassing scene, but you have inspired me to make more effort with my appearance and not look like a complete bag lady all the time! Have a great day, Julie .

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  11. I can barely see through my tears of envy to type this comment. You look absolutely beeeeautiful laydeee.
    Thanks so much for posting the recipe - I'm v excited about trying it and will let you know how I get on. Glad to hear the scarf's coming on well - it's very therapeutic just trebling backwards and forwards, isn't it?
    Emily x
    PS - Mr N said to say he's v excited about me trying the recipe too...

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  12. have put another pic of herman up for you x hope you can see

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  13. I've just found your blog and cant stop reading, it's fantastic and your home looks so wonderful.
    By the way - you look fab in the junpsuit and heels.
    I'm off to read some more.
    xxx

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  14. Hello, you gorgeous lady! Thanks for stopping by, it's helped me find you.
    I love those shoes and the jumpsuit and you've got me craving pink wine now. Luckily there's some in the fridge. x

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  15. Thanks for the post re Noo Noo. I didn't reply to your first comment purely as signed out BUT I wasn't offended at all.
    I, before having kids, only vaguely would have understand nutter mothers freaking over lost cuddly toys.
    Hope you are well darling and still rocking that playsuit look. Am still jealous. I would look like a weeble. Have a weird muffin top that's starting appearing this week. Yet diet not changed.
    Very annoying. Very very heavy and un-lush. Unlike you, you are dinky!!!!
    Would love it if you lived closer too, for fun and to scoff your lush cakes.
    What's happened with the bees, or did I miss that one?!!
    x x x

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  16. I love your jumpsuit. You are a babe. I tried one on at the beginning of the summer and I looked like a kids' tv presenter gone wrong. You look very chic and lovely.
    Your lasagna sounds gorgeous. Roast beef and Yorkshires too, sigh. I miss them.

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  17. Ha ha thanks for your post on my blog. You said I look like a lush in the red dress. "Like A lush". As in like a woman with a drink problem???!!!!!!!!!! Ha ha ha!
    I didn't have my face in the pic as was a big hung over and looked too tired. Yes I bought the middle dress, the dark floral one.
    Glad the bees have gone. Cuckoo and I have a friend who strokes bees............her name is Sarah but we call her Rah. She is slightly mad too. She loves their little furry bodies apparently.
    Laughed at the post above from Romi and Bob re her looking like a kids' tv presenter gone wrong. Ha ha!!!
    Hope you having fun night.
    xx

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  18. Thanks for your kind words; so glad you stopped by. I love the feel of your blog you look fabulous, I'm your latest follower
    Kandi x

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  19. Thanks for stopping by my blog- am loving yours too.
    Those shoes rock, girl. And totally right for that jumpsuit.
    (By the way your bedroom is soooo pretty.)

    Love your crochet scarf in an older post- your stitches look really even and the colours are sweet. Good luck with it!
    Right, must stop reading blogs and get the kids to preschool.
    Am your new follower too ...
    X

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  20. Sorry it's taken me a while to leave a comment on this post! Things have been a little busy around here!

    I lovvveeee the shoes, gorgeous! I bet you felt pretty great strutting you stuff in those heels going out for lunch. I don't think I could pull off the jumpsuit, I had a belly before having Rose and now it's just one big wobbely mess, which I think would be accentuated with a jumpsuit..! You however! Pull it off very nicely indeed..!

    Don't worry about the lasagne, it's supposed to be mushy and runny anyway! It's better to be runny and smooth, rather than do what I did last time and not cook it for long enough and then the lasagne sheets still had quite a bit of 'bite' to them! Oops!

    Lucky you with the cleaner! I spent most of the day scrubbing the house here and now (since the hubby got home!).. the place looks more of a mess than it did before!

    Ashley xxx

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  21. Me again I'm afraid.....!!
    You know you left me a comment about that 'Wild Acres' blog.. well, I can't see it on your side-bar.. would you be able to send me a link..? Thank youuuu xx

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  22. Lovely. You can also check for different shoe accessories, and sock aid to going on different places. They are variously shifted depending of neediness.

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