Today is not going according to plan. I had it all mapped out in my mind that I would rise early and down my customary bowl of porridge ( rocket fuel) and set off on foot to deliver more Christmas cards by hand and try to burn off a few of the mince pies that are stuck to my hips and thighs!
Yesterday was such a sharp beautiful day and I walked and puffed my way up hills for several miles ( it seemed ) and came home feeling bouncy and buoyant and just a intsy wintsy bit slimmer for having had some much needed exercise.
I can't seem to get motivated this morning and have been whirling around the house like a Dervish.. trying to restore some order and re-arrange the dust, that conspires to settle the moment my back is turned.
How do you do it ??
Whenever I see your gorgeous homes on display I feel such a failure... ME ... the original neurotic housewife has failed to keep up standards.. Do you all live on film sets I suspect??
Please tell me that it is all carefully arranged and tweaked for a photo session..!
I think I should get out now and continue with the outdoor pursuits rather than going mad indoors and achieving diddly squat in the process....
I will return I hope with something to show for my efforts...
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3.00 p.m and home for tea with a slight degree of red nose and cold paws!
Unfortunately I do not have any photos of my afternoon jaunt to share with you... the skies were murky and my hands so cold that I couldn't operate the camera properly.
I have decided it is too dark now to embark on any significant housework.. so in order to thaw out I have made a nice cup of tea and I am going to eat my whole quota of calories for the day in a slice of my home-made chocolate cake..
This recipe came from the latest edition of Country Living magazine and though I say it myself... it is truly truly scrumptious.
For a true confession now.. this is the first chocolate cake that I have ever made.. as I prefer fruitier cakes or Carrot cake most of all! It is an easy recipe to follow but uses obscene amounts of chocolate and sugar.. oh well... I'll go on a 10 mile hike tomorrow to burn it off!
I have just received this lovely Christmas email from Collelungo in Chianti Italy where we stayed for a brief 3 day visit in August.. it was 90F around the pool and the most idyllic peaceful haven you could wish to find tucked away in the Chianti hills in Tuscany...
It looks slightly cooler in this Christmas photo card but nonetheless... heavenly!
Tuesday, 18 December 2007
Much ado about nothing...
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Well I've just come home after a morning which was meant to have been serious shopping, almost empty handed! I left home really early to avoid the crowds (so did everybody else) and the house looks like a tip - no photos today for me! I don't know where my mess comes from, it's incubating somewhere in a corner ...
Kimx
Dear Michele, no point in letting the dust get under your nose today, get out and do those few puffs and pants up and down the hill again, then plan yourself a candle lit bath tonight, infact go to the shops and buy yourself some nice bubbldy smelly stuff to add to it, crack open a can of guiness and sink in to a relaxed state for at least half an hour, tell them all to turn down the TV and music, and have complete peace and self indulgance...go on ..your allowed, never mind about photogenic house sets, brillo those pots and pans and then relax...........from a fellow relaxer today,
I have opened a box of chocolates(oh dear!)thatI bought for a neighbour for Xmas, and sat and watched a movie on Sky, my beds are not made , the breakfast dishes are lying in fairy's who don't wash up!!! liquid, and my two dogs have been running in and out the garden all morning, no walks today!!
Today is for me, and no I don't feel guilty!!!
TOMORROW I WILL
WORK MY LITTLE COTTON SOCKS OFF!
Go on Spoil yourself girl...
Hugs and kisses , Kath x
Fear not Michele... You are NOT alone!
My house looks like a tip... maybe we should all revolt and instead of doing these marvellous 'magazine' style photoshoots of our homes, we should just go and photograph some dustbunnies instead!
I keep saying 'when I've done.. such and such.. I'll hoover the stairs etc'... however... such and such keeps evading me and I just can't get around to it!
OMG Michele, my package has just arrived , whooopee, need to go and open it , will take a photo, bye for now.....
the simple pleasures in life make me happy, a package with my name on it , and it's not a BILL !!!
right where are tose scissors, og no I'm haveing another Dory!!
Kath x
That is such a funny post, because just yesterday I was telling my daughter that for me Christmas means a half eaten cookie (biscuit) sitting on a dusty table surrounded with crumbs.
"How long has that been there? Why didn't someone throw it away? I hope company didn't see that!"
Oh we have dust too, but usually my photos are just blurry enough to conceal the dust.
i used to always wonder how everyone had such perfect homes. then, when i started blogging and would set up a photo. i would stop to move something from the background, then back to taking the photo, only to see something else that needed to be moved. then it hit me...everyone(at least that is what i am telling myself) does the same thing. the photo is pristine while dust and chaos surround it! my house is in much need of a good cleaning.
Oh my goodness! What an appropriate post! I've been enjoying (EATING!) all the holidays treats laying around the house since our Thanksgiving (last November!), started a near panic yesterday over the condition of my house as we are entertaining BOTH sides of the family on Christmas Day, only just started my wrapping yesterday... the thought of a walk outside sounds lovely (except I'd probably suffer frostbite today)! lol
It's obviously in the (freezing cold) air - I was meant to run 6ks this morning and only managed 3. Too cold and I managed to convince myself it wouldn't be good for my lungs! I think you're doing great. Keep up the good work.
Its freezing outside, so you did well to get out and about. Your house always looks wonderful. You should see my work room I'm working on that, work in progress.
I spent half an hour on the phone to my sister today bemoaning the fact that my house is always a tip. In retrospect if I had spent that half hour cleaning it wouldn't be such a mess! I always strategically place things in my photos so you can't see the total devastation behind me! I don't know where the mess comes from but it is a constant in this house!
Cathy X
I'm having the same sort of day, minus the vigorous excercize (good for you). I overslept and when I looked at my To DO list, I was already behind schedule.
So, I did what any sane woman would do... made a cup of tea (my mom's side of the family is from England).
Now instead of being productive, I'm reading my fave blogs. Perhaps, I'll get some real work done after lunch!
You sound like me!
My greatest achievement of late is watching my sons girlfriend get up off the sofa and pick up the cushion, give it a fluff and replace it strategically. It's like poetry in motion!
Calories are what will keep us warm this winter!! Why worry! :o)
That's the great thing about blogging, you can show what you want to show and no-one need know about the rest. I move the mess for a photo and put it back afterwards. Were anyone to visit my house in person I would run away and hide with embarrassment!
Lucy x
Most impressed you delivered by hand- we did the same- meaning we handed the cards over to the postman!LOL! We will have to do more to work off some calories than that, especially if we indulge in that yummy chocolate cake (even though we like carrot cake better too!!)
Merry Christmas blessings,
kari & kijsa
Don't be too hard on yourself Michele, I agree with previous comments that we only show what we want people to see in our blogs, I wouldn't want to post pictures of my house in all it's dusty glory! It is like a film set, but more Eastenders or the Royle Family than the Country Living sort of house of my dreams!
Once again, your blog has brought a smile to my face. Its hard for me to think of Bath as being cold, since I was there in April when it was so green and lush. If that Chinese noodle house is still there by the train station, you should drop in for some hot dumplings.
I really like your motto of expecting the unexpected. I think it goes right along the lines of not worrying too much about what life hands you. I'm taking lessons in that right now.
Thanks for the smile. :)
Sorry to post again, I just remembered two things I forgot to say last time. 1) I visited your website last night just before bed and I LOVE your work. You have some really adorable cards and shadow boxes. It must be so wonderful to have such a creative outlet. 2) My grandmother had some really neat vintage figurines that I inherited when she passed away last month. Her two favorite pieces are on my dresser to remind me of her daily. I will take some pictures and post them up so you can see them. I think you will really like them.
Happy Wednesady!
Hi Michele, porridge uugh! Haven't you noticed the majority of my photos are close-ups, zoom in is what I say, don't zoom out, it's then when you start to see the bits you don't want too and other people don't want to see, or do they? I must confess to keeping a neat orderly place, but the same cannot be said of my cupboards, drawers etc, they are a disgrace, I have been handed this trait from my mum, she was the same. I have got a chocolate recipe creation I was going to try out when I get time, an alternative maybe to yule log? Yours looks lovely by the way surrounded by stripes and spots, had any mince pies lately, I have got one lined up for this morning, a treat on my day off, I ate the other 5 yesterday! x
I had a rather frustrating day yesterday too. I was actually off work as I started the day feeling unwell. But by lunch time I felt a lot better and really I could have used my time to be productive but I just couldn't summon the energy so spent most of the afternoon flopping on the sofa with Christmas tree lights on watching old episodes of ER and Location, location, location! Very productive. Of course at about 10 oclock last night when I was realising just how much I still have to do before the weekend I was wishing I'd spent my time better.
The chocolate cake looks delicious. Will have to give it a try.
That choccie cake looks delicious. I saw the recipe and did wonder how easy and how delicious it would be. Might just have to give it a go now :-)
I totally sympathise Michele - Seriously it is a tip here and I have reached the 'oh my God, theres so much to do - i'll just potter from room to room in despair without actually doing anything about it' stage !! Which is stupid 'cause if I procrastinated less and just got on with it I'd be much further ahead!
Anyway, sounds like we aren't the only ones ;) x
Speaking purely from personal experience the camera does lie!! It's just a matter of choosing your subject/photo space veeeery carefully and avoid any giveaway ironing piles/dog hairs/breadcrumbs/dirty socks. Don't go wide angle if you live in a house like mine ;)
See I should be tackling that housework right now but hey.....
((BIG HUGS)) Take heart...I don't think most of us really live in magazine-quality homes with film-set interiors or are model-slim ourselves. I've given up the mind-traps of glossy magazines life...No point in wasting too much of my life on attaining impossible perfection. A certain amount of chaos and diorder, pet hair,and too many sweets makes life interesting after all--LOL! You are NOT alone! I still have yet to sort out Christmas Eve dinner, baking to do, no end of cleaning, and trips to the post office...Christmas has a way of getting done, before we become undone. ;o) SO have another mincepie...and another walk ((HUGS))
I'm tellin' you, girl....you so make me just rare back and laugh out loud! I am in awe of your sense of humor.
And, don't you know that when you are looking at picture after picture on a blog it LOOKS as if you made that stack of candy, that hugh box of cookies, decorated every single room in your house in 15 minutes, wrapped all those gifts, PURCHASED all those gifts, had those toenails done....all in ONE DAY.? Believe me, it just LOOKS that way. We forget to tell you the candy and cookies have been in the freezer for a week...the gifts were bought during last January clearance sales, wrapping happens over a period of a year....decorating starts in November....YOU aren't behind, girl....believe me!!
hugs, bj
If I carry on visiting blogs it will be too dark for me to do any cleaning as well. Hip hip hoorah! (Any excuse)
Carolyn
Willow House
Love this post...
Your blog is delightful!
Thanks for the visit, and here's to many more!
Happy Holidays...
Priscilla
Lol.......Michele you would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in my house today!
The family room which is a big room was so junked I just gave up, sat down amongst it all and thought.....this is a home after all, bugger it!
The sofa was piled with presents waiting to be wrapped.
The floor was covered with Freddies toys....the ironing board was up and not in use! the iron on the floor behind a chair so Fred could not pull it off the board.....the shopping was all over the kitchen counters......washing up on the side as the dishwasher was full of clean stuff! diing table full of LISTS and cards and buttons that needed to be sewn on and dirtly plates and mugs but amongst the chaos the candles were lit beautifully and the fairy lights on! are you imagining the scene. It is still the same this evening.
Tomorrow I will.... like a whirlwind whip round like Mary Poppins and it will all be fine again.
Hugs,
Carol x
I used to babysit for an artist friend of my Mum. She lived in one of those wonderful arty houses full of things collected on her travels, given to her by friends, made ver the years.
The house featured in lots of magazines over the years and each time the stylists and photographers arrived with their piles of props and the fginished photos looked nothing like her home.
I now that any photos of my garden are carefully cropped to exclude the abandoned plastic toys and so on.
In my opinion a house should look as though fun things actually go on in it - otherwise what is the point?
J
x
Just a quick message to say that I adore your Domestic Goddess card :D
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