A Very Crepey New Year

[Cremolafoam]

Will this do ??

Phwoar. Chocolate cake. Nigella's storecupboard recipe involving jam is also a goody.

Interior decor history: it's a game of a number of halves. Parents were groovy hipsters in the 60s, and built three of their own homes, all acres of endangered hardwood floors, floktaki rugs, deep red bathroom suites, bright white walls, oversized doors painted 'tangerine'... Then we moved into an old wooden house with all our Ercol, teak and deerskin rugs.

That house burned down, with all our possessions in it, and as they were woefully underinsured were short of money to buy new furniture for new house. So bought antiques, as they were cheaper for the quality, and held value. So it was a modern house, with a mixture of John Lewis and antiques. It had to be proper antique, not repro. Repro is terribly Brexit.

I now live in a Victorian terrace, white or grey walls, lots of antiques from the fam, but also lots of Ikea and knock off scandi chic. Except the Ercol table, which is real. No carriage clock.

I grew up with net curtains, wall to wall carpeting, Lino in the bathrooms, but thank goodness, no brown. DM loves pink and green so apart from which ever room was the nursery, (which was always yellow) there was no brown or sludge except for the 1970s kitchen which was state of the art at the time, and in the end became a relic of the melamine era. I do miss the comfort of wall to wall carpeting actually... we are all hard floors downstairs, which looks lovely with the rugs and is fashionable and practical, but it's noisy and at times, cold!

I have strong colours against neutral walls at home.. although the flat, is somewhat brown in places as we CBA to do very much to it.

I am having a strange week of chopping and changing in the diary. I have suddenly got a place on a mandatory study day in London on Friday, very last minute as I was on the waiting list with little chance of a place coming up or so I was told! Very convenient, in GGG's neck of the woods, and prevents having to schlepp to Bristol in Feb which was the only course that still had places. Another tick in the box.

Birthday weekend is shaping up...theatre with DH on Saturday, a family tea out on Sunday, don't know where yet but I am pushing for the Ritz and DH is taking the day off on Monday...I think we are going to the RA and then to choose me a new watch apparently. Why do I still feel so bloody glum about it all?

rudy will you be there in 11th? Otherwise I'm very happy to put the Rodial in the post to you!

Did someone say cake? I would shelve my feminist principles for chocolate cake any day!

On another note, WIBU to offer DD1 a small incentive (like the Latitude ticket she wants) if she puts the work in for GCSEs? Not payment by results but payment for effort.

YWNBU.

YWNBU - although only if you are confident she will make lots of effort!

She worked pretty hard for the mocks but not quite as flatout as she thought, given she still had plenty of time for such activities as a little light snogging.

YWNBU. As an aside, both my dc needed a bit of help learning how to revise - especially with new syllabi as less available online - in terms of organisation, timetabling, methods etc. They had been told it all at school but only switched on when I bought them coloured fineliners and index cards .

Rose, erm, why do you feel so glum? Is it dissatisfaction and worries about the rest of life spilling over?

In partly S and B news, the wonderful Land's End has come up trumps with gym trousers that are not tights or leggings.

Am pleased to announce that Dark & Stormies are back on the Happy Hour menu.

Less pleased to announce that I was popped to the job by a man with no knowledge or experience, but whose wife works there. I am spitting and contemplating taking things further.

Do you think the D'n'S change is down to us

MrsS that is so galling!!! I would take it further...

Rose, is it possible to enjoy the weekend for what it is, a family get together and a wee shopping trip?
Forget about the actual birthday I suppose. Would that work?
Dangling a ticket for Glastonbury worked here, when the heat needed turning up, but as very wise Lalsy said, as long as there are no other issues preventing her getting head down.

Fascinated by the interior chat. It's amazing how our parents choices have to some degree fashioned our own.
Except my momentary dip into al things Cath Kidston, a phenomenon that my mother couldn't understand. It all reminded her of her childhood and rationing and boarding school and damson jam and custard. One time in London with her I dragged her to the original shop off the Kings Road and she wouldn't come inside as it was all too awful. I now think she probably had a point, but it suited this little cottage we lived in at the time. Now after all the chintz I have white everywhere with many colourful things set about, and finally my paintings and pictures on the walls.
What will happen to my parents Victoriana? I don't know what I would do with it.

In style (!) news, I have bought more gym clothes from H&M in navy including an extra long zip up hoody lined with soft fleece. I am so happy with it.

I suspect it's us, BD. In fact they probably have a special menu they get out when they see a Crepey hove into view.

Ah FFSMrs S. Yes grill them and get every ounce of feedback possible. I'm really sorry.

Crem, at Cath Kidston controversy. And glad someone else shares excitement over new gym clothes. I am hoping new ones will not need so much public hoiking.

Jeez MrsS they are not subtle are they? I really hope you can take it further, that is shocking.

Re birthdays - I have appropriated successful but unrelated events afterwards in manner of politician. Going skiing for the first time, being brave enough to try and liking it will henceforth mark my turning 50 a couple of months earlier.

Lalsy, could I have a link to the Lands End trews? Good for dog walking, where mud seems to get everywhere, so jeans are just a pain. Lovely walk today, with both dogs. Biting cold but blue, blue sky and very few people.

Mocks are almost over. Today was a very heavy day (3) and he walked out of one, after a panic attack frankly I'm amazed we've only missed half an exam in over a weeks worth. Now for the next 156 days yes, I have counted

Style wise, it's difficult to pin the house of my youth down. It was very similar, architecturally and in age to where I live now, but this house had a lot of very severe 1980's frou frou decoration spat at it, by the previous owner, which we've slowly tried to remove over the years. I'm really not into antiques, as there were quite a few when I was growing up, but I like good art. Lighting is my nemesis. I find it incredibly hard to get right.

Also if anyone has any 'how to revise' materials they can send me or can link to a good website, I'd be very grateful.

Mrs S, ask for formal written feedback.

Beachy sorry about the missed exam, but as you he's done pretty well really.

I could murder a D'n'S right now.....

Dp is generally better at the interior design than I am. But I do have my window seat ;) and patio :)

Slim leg here but in black and bootcut here. But they are thin (that's what I wanted as gym is hot). For winter walking, I wear quick drying Mountain Hardware trousers, very comfy, with Land's End thermal leggings. All about the S and B, me.

It sounds like ds is doing really well, considering. What a strain on you as well. My dc didn't use website that much I don't think but they did use CGP books. And when they were young, I showed them how to draw up colour-coded timetables, which helped keep revision in its place in holidays (properly focus, then properly stop and do something else). dd was anxious and disorganised, which is not a good combo, or I would probably never have invented this OTT system but it did work.

Sorry, that fascinating post was for Beachy

I'll be ok. Its nothing new...I've had the January blues for as long as I can remember...I guess the birthday just becomes the focus of it. I am also being stalked by Annoying Trustee again...she just doesn't give up and although I don't respond at all, block her right left and centre on soc media , she just finds another way. Copying me in on stuff to mutual colleagues...referring to me by name in emails in a weird, indirect, passive aggressive kind of way...sending texts wishing me Happy Hanukah.... It's on my mind, I guess.

Anyway, Beachy you've done well to get DS to his mocks all bar half of one. The Rose school of Revision Technique involves a lot of shouting, sighing and eye rolling (not to mention head spinning...)...so I won't advise on that one The CGP books were really good, though...

Tilly How is DS?

Where is Stropps? MM? Addle

MI YWNBU. I've got a friend who has decreed that part of the pocket money deal is a certain time for homework and a certain time for music practice otherwise the DC only get their "basic"....

In better culinary news I have made salt beef in the pressure cooker YUM

x post...thats 2 votes for CGP!

Beachy - have you come across Tougher Minds? It was developed out of sports psychology I think but has lots of revision guidance. I don't know what's available on line but if you can't find anything I can see what an excavation in dd3s bedroom can unearth. She was pretty scathing about it as all being obvious - but she did seem to follow it. I thought it made quite a lot of sense.

Really sorry to hear about the job Mrs S - very frustating in a banging your head against a brick wall kind of way. Agree ask for feedback.

Beachy I'm sorry I can't help as my approach to revision is much the same as Rose's.

I think Stropps is on her uni course.

Not much to report here - still icily cold here. Not gone above freezing all day although we have had sunshine.

Gosh.. must have missed that...what a bloody travesty MrsS. Yes, questions in the house... for you.