Its that Friday feeling!

Yippee! its Friday and what an exciting prospect of Monday off - Spring Bank Holiday! Three whole days to blog, scrapbooking, cross-stitching, catching up on some quality reading and not thinking about work for three whole blissful days - escape from being a wage slave and not to think about anything boring like work - yuck!

So tomorrow, its off to some serious retail therapy - Saturday morning must! Then, its beauty treatment time, face packs, hair treatments etc., then Sunday its out in the country for a pleasant drive and Monday its out in the garden - weather permitting and tidy up the flower beds - what more could a person ask for!

Its an Irregular Choice!!!

Floral heaven!

Beautiful!

Gorgeous!


Pink Heaven!

I don't know if its just me, but does anyone else agree with me that the heels from Irregular Choice are simply fantastic - like some wild, eccentric, madness in a shoe! Check the web site to see all their fantastic foot goodies, but in the meantime see above for some of my personal favourites!

(web site: http://www.irregularchoice.com/ - enjoy!)

Basia Zarzycka!

I know that I have mentioned Basia on my blog before, but I cannot praise her web site enough, you really MUST check it out at least once. The on-line shop is to die for, okay so the prices will be out of a lot of people's reach, - (WAY out of mine) but its one of those sites that you just have to look at and dream - the bridal couture is amazing. Check out her fantastic web site at www.basia-zarzycka.com. for more fabu-fantastic stuff!! (Go on what are you are waiting for!!!)

The Magic World!

Unsurprisingly, I have a fantastic book by JUDIKA ILLES entitled The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft: The Complete A-Z for the entire magic world! (can be purcahsed on http://www.amazon.co.uk/ for around £12.00). This is the kind of book that you sit down with on a lazy Sunday afternoon and browse through because it is full of interesting and quirkly little nodules of information. One such piece I found only last night when I was busy 'browsing' my copy of the book. Under the heading of 'Animals' I found a rather interesting ditty regarding "... obtaining a fox familiar" anyone who knows anything about witchcraft knows about witches have animals as their familiars. This was actually written down in a text in the 17th Century according to Judika's research for the book and this is what it says...

Izuna Rite: to obtain a fox familiar:

1. Find a pregnant fox.

2. Feed her, care for her, form an alliance with her during her pregnancy but especially afterwards when she is needy and vulnerable.

3. YOU CANNOT TAKE A CUB, NO MATTER WHAT. When the cubs are sufficiently grown, the mother will bring you one and tell you to name it.

4. Name the fox but the name secret. Henceforth, if you cal lthe name, the fox will come to you in invisible form. No one else will be able to see the fox, only you. Nothing is ever hidden, however, so be prepared for others to attribute supernatural powers to you!

As I say, Judika's book is full of pieces such as this and is truly fascinating! For more information about her books and all about Judika check out her fantastic web site at http://www.judikailles.com

The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe - my favourite story!

Follow Mr Beaver deeper into the forest, he can't talk in the open even the trees have ears and some of them are her spies...

As a child I thought C S Lewis's The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe' was simply amazing and awesome. I wanted to be Lucy and go and stay in a big house in the country (although of course not in times of war) and I wanted to discover a big, old, oak wardrobe that took me into the magical land of Narnia. 'Narnia' even now it conjours up images of magic, Christmas time, snowy days, cosy around the fire, hot buttered toast and sweet tea - a cosiness, even though elements of the story are anything but cosy! I love all the Chronicles but my favourite, which I return to time and time again, is The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I have seen the Disney movie version which was very good, but I much prefer the 1980s BBC1 adaptation of the story. It was played of a Sunday early evening on the run up to Christmas and was so exciting because the culmination of the story came just before Christmas Day! Memories like that stay with you forever and I guess that is why Narnia and Christmas is one in the same for me.

I often wander what it is about stories like The LWW that even now as an adult I long for. I love fantasy stories, I love the thought of magical lands, of fairies, witches and enchanters. Of castles simply bursting with magic, so thick it drips off your fingers and sparkles on the wall. At the moment I am reading 'Spindles End' a rework on the Sleeping Beauty story which is excellent written by Robin McKinley. Check out her excellent website which details all about her, her books and check out her excellent blog, which I checked out myself earlier today, find all this at http://www.robinmckinley.com/.

I have to say that as an adult I think I appreciate these kind of fantasy books even more than I did when I was a child. Its like visiting Disneyland in Florida, little kids cannot really appreciate just how fantastic it is, and when Mickey Mouse and Goofy wave and pat you on the pack you can't help but smile from ear to ear.

I often wonder is this escapism into fantasy books my trying to escape the humdrumness of my reality, of the dullness of my job and the everydayness of my life, but so what if it is... we all have to go out there and earn our livings and if we can escape into these fantastic stories and be transported for just a short while each day - what's wrong with that! So I will carry on reading all the fantasy fiction I can and continue looking to find my entrance into my own 'Narnia' everyday...

Apologies Blogging World - I've been a poor correspondent of late!

Apologies to any one following my blog. I haven't been on here for a few months, I can only plead busy life and work, but I'm back now to add a new refreshing blog.

I hope you all like these vintage labels from a lady's dressing table. They are fabulous images and would look great covering a bottle filled with rose scented water, talcum powders, face creams and the suchlike.

Imagine using this to wash your smalls! Beats the labels of today's detergents....

... and after a hard day's house work sit back and relax on a plumped up chaise lounge with beautiful cushions to prop you up whilst you sip a sweet tea and eat a sugary cup cake...