A trip out

Up with the lark, feed cats, other household duties, have breakfast, exercise then I have to get ready. A trip out today. Shower and a full shave, pluck eyebrows well its another femme day out tomorrow as well :-) So I get the slap on and I'm off out by 9.00. Get the bus and off at Selfridges. I just have to go through the food hall every time I go there, its not just the sights but the smells, quite, quite mouthwatering. Aaaaanyway its downstairs for madame's Nespresso capsules then off for a wander. Perfumery then ladies fashions and of course the shoe department then downstairs and out through Miss Selfridge into Duke Street
As I approach St Christopher's Place a Big Issue vendor enquired 'if the beautiful woman' would like a copy, I decline gracefully and have a little giggle to myself. Its then into the heat of Oxford Street. Phew it really is hot as I dive into the relative cool of John Lewis. I need a hook, a little hook to hang a calendar on in the kitchen. Seeing how it appears the clientele of John Lewis no longer indulge in DIY the department has shrunk to miniscule proportions. Where else I ask myself? Ah curtains and trimmings, net curtain hooks of course. The last of the big spenders gets a pack for a whole 75p.
Right I am dying of thirst and time for a fresh experience. Of course I have eaten out before but always in company. Now trays and I have a hate, hate relationship I hate carrying them and they take exception to me using them. Things slide all over the place and I always over compensate when objects start to slide but on this occasion everything is fine. I take my lemonade and my extremely naughty fruit scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam to a table where I can be queen of all I survey.
As an aside I notice that that the Bistro is offering a Coronation Tea in July in collaboration with Gizzi Erkine. Ah how times change. I remember the Honourable Grizelda, for that is what she is, when she was a piercer of flesh at Cold Steel in Camden while studying at Pru Leith's cookery school. Aaaanyway I digress, in all the time I am there I don't even get a raised eyebrow, nothing. Two young ladies sit next to me and have the barefaced cheek to be slender and devour a wholemeal bun with bacon, sausage and a fried egg! Its more than I can stand so its time to go. A quick look around the photo department and its down the escalator and back into the heat.
I stroll along Oxford Street without a care in world which passes me by totally oblivious to this aging tranny. Back into the cool that is Selfridges and out the other side that is Baker Street, a quick scan around M&S and the bus home for lunch. I would have stayed out for lunch but that would have left madame without a lunchtime companion, yes I'm good like that. So its home and swiftly into a bikini and into the garden.

To tell or not to tell?

The other week we perchanced upon a rather nice website with fifties style frocks, skirts etc and of course just had to have one, or two. Well I ordered one and madame ordered two. Luckily I can easily get into hers.... :-) Two of them arrived el-pronto which was a good sign and third a little later as it required being made. Now three days from an item being ordered, made and delivered is hot stuff in my book and just about on a par with the wonderful What Katie Did which is saying something and who, by the way have a corset sale today in their Portobello Road shop. So three cheers to Wagtails Dancewear
I must admit I can't get enough of fifties fashion, its sooo feminine. It looks feminine and feels feminine unlike so much today. Oh for a lovely fitted suit.

Busy, busy

Well its was off to Brighton, fabulosa day. We find Get Cutie and are a trfile unerwhelmed. The fabrics are fab but the frocks are so simply made and no lining whatsover. Nice but vastly overpriced for what they are. The material shop was little better, yes they sell some of the fabrics we want but none in stock. Luckily madam has found somewhere in Durham that sells what we want online. We pay a visit to the lads in Wildcat, ooo must be two years since we've been there.
We take a little delicious lunch at Giraffe and then its off to FabricLand where of course madam find some fabric, well she can't go home empty handed can she.

Wednesday post North Circular flood hiatus we are off to Bicester Outlet Shopping Village. Madam's first shop was a disappointment, Church's shoe shop. Very upmarket mens and ladies 'sensibe' shoes. A pair she wanted desperately they didn't have in her size. But the Ann effect came early. As we entered Church's the guy on the door said good morning........... ladies LOL. Madam said to me I dunno there is something about you isn't there? tee hee. I wouldn't mind but I was in drab my dears.
So we went from shop to shop, most disappointed with Versache, nothing outrageous and nothing that tickled my fancy, just as well at their prices. Off to Wolford's a fab plain LBD but at £95...... a gorgeous red body but that was even more ! Then it happened, Ted Baker. I know, I know. We looked around the shop, a couple of fab skirts but too expensive for a skirt and couldn't find anything I liked until we were leaving, on a model in the window. She loved it and I couldn't find it in the shop. Aaaaanyway as we made our way to the door she spotted it and in my size so yes I got it. Glad in a way as I saw sooo much after that it would have been impossible to make up my mind but having bought that I couldn't afford anything else.
Well there was three wonderful frocks in Matthew Williamson's absolute dreams, then there were another three in Karen Millen, one a floaty number is bright, bright yellow. But as I said to madam, it was one of those things while you are in the shop you go yes, yes, yes and once outside you think well it is fab but where and when would I wear it. Disappointed with Valentino's, nothing I fancied, Hobb's the same. Madam got a lovely frock in Coast and I could have a couple there too. Two wonderful ones in Alexander McQueen but at over £1K I don't think so. Nothing much in Jimmy Choo shoe shop, there never is. Nothing caught my eye in DKNY or Dolce and Gabbana except a fabulous short winter coat, white with a brown and white real fur collar but again over £1K. Went into L.K. Bennet, they had a fab frock but money had been spent. Nothing in Reiss. A gorgeous red leather handbag in Smythson but that was £375 down from £850.