In Dreams

 

Life gets weird at this time of year.  Short days, long shadows, even longer dark nights temporarily illuminated by the glow of Christmas lights and candles, Santa trackers, gridlock on the roads, people feverishly shopping, the fog of alcohol, eating cake for lunch on a Wednesday...I could go on.   

Site of cake consumption (Archie's Attic)

After recently proclaiming that I couldn't remember the last dream I had, Morpheus was obviously listening because I've been having the most strange and vivid dreams inhabited by people and places I've had no recent connection to.  Oliver Reed abducting Gareth to take part in a stage show featuring Monty Python's Gumbys, Cillian Murphy posing as my personal and unsolicited breakfast table Art Critic, Joaquin Phoenix  donning a top hat fashioned from a continuous strip of apple peel and a generic mobile answer phone voicing my inner most thoughts and fears are just a few examples.  Most peculiar.

Many bloggers keep a diary to assist them in their blog maintenance.  Given that my musings don't neatly fit into any particular category, I tend to rely on my visual records...and judging by my recent photos, I must have been eating a lot of cheese.  They certainly seem to mirror my mind's nocturnal activity.

Night walking

A shepherd's hut in the sun

Tim Burton's Christmas Trees making their own way to his place!  Too weird?

Marilyn and her fans.  Actually, this one was taken on a recent visit to a local Antiques Centre and is on my mood board for a forthcoming photo shoot, so an explanation at least.

Generally my view when starting the car at any given point in December.

A recent experiment with intentional camera movement to capture the clouds at sunset.

Just look at the flames seemingly burning from within this property.  

I finally had a film processed from my old Pentax ME Super as it's my intention to use it more often.  The camera has been languishing in a drawer for more years than I care to admit to and so the film was definitely past its best.  I anticipated this and therefore took little care over my chosen subjects.  The resulting images were particularly grainy (even for camera film) but have a certain charm.  I may treat the camera to a service after Christmas.

In other news, here are some recent slow fashion treasures.  The bag below cost me the grand total of £2.00, simply because some of the stitching had unravelled.  The charity shop assistant told me that she wouldn't have put it on display if she'd spotted the stitching.  I repaired it within 30 minutes.  Yes me, the notorious needle dodger!  A seamstress I am not.  The Monsoon jumper also came home with me.

Some winter blues:  Levis denim jacket, Monsoon lightly quilted mini skirt and three quarter sleeve jacket.

These striking Alexa Chung Superga trainers (Vinted) are perfect for winter.  I fell for the patent black, the chunky souls and the buckle.  

A pushBUTTON navy cord dress I inexplicably listed for sale, recently fell in love with again and promptly unlisted.  I'm wearing it here with what is currently the hardest working garment in my wardrobe - a Breton roll neck jumper.  Honestly it goes with everything!  

I recall having a problem with the sleeves on this dress, but they're no longer an issue - even if Gareth told me I looked like a Victorian lady of ill repute.  Not sure if that's what the Korean designer had in mind.  According to a little internet research, the brand was founded in 2003 by Seung Gun Park and takes its name from a song by Madonna, who is cited as the designer's personal muse.  Combining avant-garde silhouettes with a streetwear edge, clothing features twisted seams, draped silhouettes and ruched details.  

The price tags attached to this label are way out of my league.  Online retailers specialising in luxe labels and emerging designers are slashing prices of dresses by this designer to around £700 from their original price tags of just over £1,000.  I think I paid around £7.00.  Clearly this isn't a household name as yet.  Isn't the fashion world strange?

I've also spent a little time nurturing my houseplants, repotting and splitting where necessary.  My cast iron plant (currently priced at £30.00 from Ashwood Nurseries) is now two cast iron plants and mother and daughter are doing OK.  However, the Chinese Money plant and Dracaena are both suffering from dry soil.  Each time I water them, the water runs straight through and when I leave them in the bath for a few hours to take water from the roots, the soil still feels very dry - even a couple of inches below the surface.  Also no matter what I do, I cannot rid the Dracaena of its brown tipped leaves.  Neither plant requires repotting.  Any suggestions?  Maybe I need to take King Charles' advice and talk to them.

Today I had a lovely catch up with friends, Helen Wayne, Redford, Saffy the fox hound, assorted felines (and fridge sentries) and new addition, the cutest spotty eared Jack Russell puppy I've ever seen, Scout.  I didn't bother them with my camera, but Saffy and Redford are just too darned handsome not to share with you.  Scout's too young to give permission.  Here they are, presumably photographed by the obviously extremely dextrous Saffy on Saffy's very own Instagram account @saffyfoxhound.

Redford

  

Saffy

Helen and I had a memorable encounter buying coffees near Stourport's riverside basin, from a business owner who has mastered the art of appearing simultaneously irritated and disappointed when receiving customers.  We're planning to return, armed with a list of hygiene inspection style questions to keep him on his toes.  Three can play at that game!  The drinks were fine I should clarify.

Helen also gave me this beautiful basked of hyacinths, so soon we'll be appreciating their intoxicating fragrance.

I'll leave you with a shot of an angel from our Christmas tree, now taking flight courtesy of the magic of double exposure...and my early Christmas present, a re-issued single of Fairytale of New York at the request of Shane MacGowan's family with all proceeds going to the Simon Project, a charity assisting Dublin's homeless community.

Wishing you a Christmas full of festive pies, peace and people you love!