Midnight Walk 2017.... Sara's page for Woking Hospice on MyDonate

Midnight Walk 2017.... Sara's page for Woking Hospice on MyDonate

Midnight Walk for Woking Hospice

For the first time this year I am joining in with the many lovely local women who walk the 10 kilometre Midnight Walk to raise money for the Woking Hospice.

Woking Hospice is a very worthy charity that needs lots of money to run it. It is a vital part of any town to have a hospice where terminally ill people can spend their last weeks or days being cared for by professional, kind people in a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. The people, who work in Woking Hospice, and the Hospices in other towns, are remarkable people who selflessly look after patients who are too ill to be at home but do not want to die in a hospital. They also look after relatives who have to deal with the fact that their loved ones are dying.

The link above the title at the top of the page will take you to my fundraising page. if you wish to donate any amount helps. Every £1 donated is worth it and, if you are a taxpayer, it is worth even more.

Thank you, in advance, to anyone who donates to this very worthy cause. 

💋💋💋

Purple Sunglasses and Jackboots.

Purple Sunglasses and Jackboots.

I am currently losing weight so am regularly checking what fits and what doesn’t. I have given away and given to charity anything that is too big or doesn’t suit me anymore. I have a few pieces that are nearly the right size and the rest I can wear now.  Weather permitting of course. Saying that, I was out very recently wearing my purple sunglasses and my knee high, black leather boots (hence the title) because it was sunny but still cool enough to wear boots. A funny look but I don’t think the fashion police noticed. I have very eclectic taste in clothes so like what I like regardless.

I was trying jackets on when I took these pictures recently and also tried some combinations with dresses, tops and jackets. No one wants to see me prancing around in various outfits like a weeblesque dwarf let loose in a second hand clothes shop, so Bob the Mannequin has kindly stepped in. (Well, more of a drag than a step.)

This is my fabulous £2.99 scarf from Trespass. It was a bargain as it was reduced from £12. It’s warm, but not too thick and it’s a good length too. Don’t worry I always wear mine with clothes, unlike Bob who is obviously a bit of a tart?

The scarf goes very well with my denim jacket. This is my go to at weekends when it’s not really cold. Denim goes with so much so I can wear it with leggings, boots and a long top or throw over a casual dress.  

I do have a rather lovely orange H&M jacket that I could wear in 2014 but it is slightly too small right now. Again it goes well with the Trespass scarf and can be worn with jeans or a dress. (This jacket was a £4 charity shop bargain)

   

Another jacket that I can nearly squeeze into is a New Look, trench style rain coat in a navy and white spot. It is definitely worth losing weight to get back into and versatile over work or weekend wear. Also, I got a little flecked Mexx jacket in a clothes swap last year and it is also in my slim into section and will be fabulous for work. 

One dress I could get back into recently was my Mela Loves London dress. This is a summer dress but also works well with a black, long sleeved top and black tights worn underneath. The belt detail is different and cinches the waist in nicely for a flattering shape. I am lucky to have the navy blue, as pictured, the black and the navy blue in a different pattern. It can also be worn as a summer work dress without the long top and tights. I do love versatile clothes.

One of my current favourite long tops to wear with leggings is this blue/purple toned, Next top. I wear it over leggings with the aforementioned leather boots and my denim jacket. It is a good casual look and the top is a flattering shape. Again, this is one of my charity shop buys.

The next dress was a knock down bargain from Dorothy Perkins. I will probably save it for the winter with thick black tights and knee length boots. It has a sixties vibe which I really love and a black jacket would make it suitable for work. I love the pocket detail on this dress, it is the little touches that make an outfit.

On a recent trip to the charity shop I ended up with 2 bargains. A French Connection dress and a Ralph Lauren Jacket. I got the pair for under £10. Bob and I both decided to model this outfit, she totally rocks it....I need to drop a few more pounds.

Finally, my gorgeous new dresses from Asda. I am a classy bird and get my clothes in all the best places. These were £16 each and are just flattering and comfortable. They are work or going out dresses depending on my mood.

 I don't differentiate too much between what kind of clothes are for what kind of occasions, if it seems remotely suitable, I will wear it. Sometimes it won't seem suitable at all and I still wear it. I don't think the fashion police are heavily armed but I am sure the armchair fashion critics would have something to say. I believe you should wear what you like, what you feel comfortable in and what suits you.

Some people can pull off the sunglasses and boots look, some can't.☺

Blog update 10.04.2017

Apologies for the lack of posts recently, I promise to catch up soon.

Coming soon: “Purple Sunglasses and Jackboots”

You got to rock and roll with it.

I went to see the fabulously brilliant Billy 2 Mates on Saturday night. This amazing three piece band rocked O’Neill’s in Woking with their polished rock performance. The fantastic vocal, the fabulous guitars, infectious drums and the brilliant way the band interacted with the crowd, created a full on gig experience and proved that live music is alive and kicking.

The wonderfully enthusiastic trio, Billy, Vic and Daryl, have a fabulous rapport with each other and an ease of playing that can only be described as professional. Why they are not playing huge arenas is a mystery to me?

The dance floor was packed as the pub rocked to this totally awesome band. Their covers of Sex on Fire, Roll with It, Superstition, Park life, Somebody told me, Walk This Way and many more top songs kept everyone on their feet singing along and dancing into the early hours.

This energetic performance by a proper band playing their own instruments is a refreshing change to the boring, lacklustre, reality show wannabes we see on television these days. Billy 2 Mates take us back to the heart of good music, sung and played well with passion, energy and enthusiasm.

 For more information on Billy Irvine and where to find future dates for Billy Two Mates, go to:    www.billyirvine.com

Filofax uses.... Index/ Addresses/Websites

My large collection of Filofaxes have many uses, I tend to use them instead of notebooks. As all good Filofax collectors know, there is always a reason to use another planner, and if you haven’t got a reason, you will think of one.

The three I am going to highlight today are all ones I have mentioned in discussions on the Philofaxy site on Facebook. 

Firstly, I want to talk about my Filofax index. I use my gorgeous orange Metropol, compact, personal for this. I realised that as I have so many Filofaxes it is hard to remember where everything is. Having an index makes it so much quicker to look up things without pulling out lots of Filofaxes. Of course I do remember what most are used for but not all.

The first page has an index to show me where the different sections are. There are sections, 1-6 and each section has several headings, For example, section 1 includes addresses, blog, books and computer info.

Each numbered section has a different page for each heading. On each page I list any Filofaxes that have that subject and which Filofax they are in. For example, the address page lists my address Filofax and my websites Filofax.

(Both Filofaxes will be featured in this blog piece.)

This is such a quick and easy way to quickly access anything I have in a Filofax. This could also be used in the front of a Filofax which contains a lot of information. The simplest ways are often the best and an A-Z/numbered basic index is easy to devise or use. If you have a lot of information you can do sub-indexes or sub-headings to break the information down further. It’s also easy to add to or re-do a page where necessary. This incidentally, has always been one of the best features of the Filofax/ring planner system. I hate mistakes and crossing out on a written page and so can re-do a page whenever I want.

≈≈≈≈≈

Note the fabulous musical note button

One of the best uses for a Filofax, (apart from a diary, of course) is an address book. People change their address, phone number, email, etc, all the time. This makes for a very messy address book. With a Filofax you can take out the page and replace it leaving no crossing out or mistakes.

 I currently use my lilac, personal songbird as my address book.  It is a good size and has lots of card slots in the front for any business cards I have been given. I also have added a clear card pocket at the back for extra cards.

Obviously I don’t want to show actual addresses, but I use an ordinary A-Z system and list people by surname and businesses by the start of the business name.

≈≈≈≈≈

The last of my lovely Filofaxes to feature today, is my website Filofax. To be honest it needs updating because I am so bad at remembering to add every good website. This will be rectified soon as I am going to spend some time updating it.

For this I use the very lovely, burgundy Sketch in personal size. The dividers that came with it are fabulous autumnal colours and compliment the colour of the Sketch perfectly.

I currently only use the A-Z section but there is also a numbered section if I need it. I categorise types of website alphabetically, e.g. Filofaxes, music, books, fashion, etc. Having a good list of websites to hand is helpful. It is easy to forget the names of websites that you don’t use very often and it is good to go back to reliable sites.

I do have other Filofaxes/planners with different uses, and I will write about them all in due course. Below is a list of the Filofax related blog pieces I have done so far and where to find them. Incidentally, they have all been listed on Web finds previously.  

“Filofax”                                                          10^th Nov 2014

“My Filofax diary set up”                                 11^th Jan 2016

“My Filofax Collection.-Blog Filofax setup”      4^th June 2016

The Boyfriend Ad..........Now What Would I Say?

Disclaimer: this post was written as a humorous piece only and does not necessarily reflect the way I feel.

I have decided this year that the only man I will go out with is one who enhances my life, rather than one who drains it. I have fabulous family and friends, a lovely little flat and a job I love; however, I have had a few people tell me lately that I should add a man to the mix again.

This got me thinking about what I want in a man and how I would present it in a dating agency advert. After all, I wouldn’t want to repeat previous mistakes.

“Man required, and when I say a man I mean a proper man, not a whiney, new age guy who is far too in tune with his feminine side. Must be independent; needy men need not apply. Who wants to spend twenty four/ seven with anyone or get twenty emails or texts a day? Don’t get me wrong, it’s always nice to receive a text, just not an all day, endless barrage of them. The applicant need only apply if tall, a minimum of five foot eleven, not five foot nine masquerading as six foot, as is often the case. It is weird how men are such a poor judge of size J This also brings me to the next point; no small hands. Small hands in a friend are fine, small hands in a prospective partner are not an option. If you really don’t know if you have small hands or not, then please do some scientific research. This should consist of a physical comparison of hands with at least ten friends. This way you will be able to work out whether you are creepy or not. Looks are not important as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but please do not apply if your figure can be described as skeletal or skinny as this is very unattractive. I do need to make it clear that I don’t want a man’s money; however rich you are it is irrelevant to me. A good work ethic is important as laziness is extremely unattractive and anyone who thinks I will support a man is clearly delusional. Alcoholics need not apply. A lot of people like a drink but if you have a problem go to AA, I am not a counselling service. This also brings me to men who are obsessed with a previous partner............the door is that way. A man, who actually likes to read, can hold a conversation and still likes to go out socialising would be perfect; but is sadly a figment of my imagination. If a man can’t mix with my friends occasionally, then, once again .............the door is that way. If you are so boring that you can’t hold a conversation, then, need I say it? .............the door is that way. One very important thing.....you must be single. Not married and telling me you're unhappy at home, not going out with anyone else, totally and utterly single. It's not hard to know whether you are already in a relationship, but some men seem to be  a little confused! Finally, if you need to take those little blue pills my suggestion would be to walk away now. I am neither your therapist nor here to stroke your ego.”

Well, I think that could be posted to a dating site with no alterations, I can’t see any problems. I probably should have added that the applicant needs to like short, fat, grumpy blondes with a slight streak of insanity and a tendency to dance, but I am sure that won’t be a problem.  😉

Seems like the perfect man!

Should auld acquaintance be forgot..........not when they sing like Jon-Paul Bradshaw!

We saw the New Year in with our fabulous, funny, local born performer, Jon-Paul Bradshaw. As always JP’s night included his amazing, flawless vocals with songs from the 1960s to the present day; a fabulous DJ set and a multi talented performance full of energy and humour.

Jon-Paul kept us entertained for over 6 hours in an enthusiastic, well thought out set which kept the evening flowing as he changed between singing and being the DJ at The Princess in Maybury. This fabulous, friendly, family orientated pub often has live singers and bands, and Jon-Paul is always a favourite among those who were lucky enough to go to school with him or who just like a really good, live singer.

It takes an excellent, professional entertainer to keep the evening going for such a long time and the whole pub was still alive and kicking at 1:30 am as we filled the dance floor and did what we do best and danced, in true Woking style, to mod, ska and reggae music until we finally let our local boy put down the mike.

Jon-Paul is a natural showman and never disappoints, he has perfected his act and sings with a strong and versatile vocal which lends itself to many genres of music. The humour which weaves through his performance makes the audience connect with him and he always performs with natural ease and a smile.

If anyone needs to book an excellent, professional singer,  then they should go to www.jpbradshaw.com.

Jon-Paul Bradshaw and two of his groupies 😃