A sad day

I'd rather not dwell on the subject of death, but now the trees have lost their leaves, almost everything growing above ground level is a lifeless brown. Then there’s the interminable greyness of the British sky, the drizzly (or downpoury, depending on the day), rain - and the fact it gets dark so impossibly early. It makes the late Autumn and Winter months something you either have to get used to, or get SAD.

Today I was the latter as I helped my mother sprinkle my Dad’s ashes into a pot in the garden in the pouring rain. How did my mother pick out this curiously blue ceramic pot  - and why did she not opt one of our eco-friendly acorn urns? 

Well, she says she was drawn to it – and when she looked inside the bowl, she discovered that someone had painted a large ‘H’ inside, which is the initial of my Dad’s first name. So it was meant to be.

Anyway, we planted some flowers in the pot of her choice and some bulbs underneath – dark mauve fritillaries and irises to work with the blue of the pot.  The cyclamen are there purely because they are flowering at the moment  - I guess they too will die once it gets frosty? 

I love the fact that something new will grow out of my father’s ashes. I think it’s important to accept death as part of life, because everyone dies. Even animals. In fact, ShopCurious’s poet in residence, Matt Bryden, has written a poem about burying his cat.

Spadework

The tool weighed heavy in my hands as I lowered

her in a blanket into the hole which perhaps

that night would be raided by foxes.

I brought the back of the spade down

hard against the soil, tried

not to laugh as I cast my eyes

at the ground before my family.

Afterwards, I went up to my room,

knelt on the bed and gazed outside.

I was sure my voice would be stronger if I spoke.

I’m looking forward to the Spring.

Are you?

Flowers, frills, feathers and fans

 

The Queen was dressed simply, in powder blue, for the first day of Royal Ascot. My own curiously cobbled together outfit comprised of faded pastel shades – I customized an old pair of Top Shop shoes with ‘found’ floral embellishment, which I’d purloined from a vintage hat the night before. Thankfullly, I found a pair of 'nude' tights before I left too...

I wore one of the 'mad hatter' creations from my extensive millinery collection, along with a Missoni (thrift shop) dress, a vintage couture jacket and a 1950s beaded bag,which was borrowed from ShopCurious. Amazingly, I didn’t spot anyone wearing anything similar…

Along with the inevitable red, white and blue, hat and dress trends on Tuesday seemed to fall into several categories: Floral hats – ranging from modern, nature inspired to old fashioned bathing cap style.

Frills (and later in the day spills) were spotted on hats and dresses alike.

      
































Feathers were everywhere – occasionally getting in the way.

One lady couldn’t get enough of them and took a spare hat along, just in case her companion didn't turn up for afternoon tea.

Flying saucer hats were also in evidence, like the ones worn by retro girl-band, The Tootsie Rollers (below right). 

And there were Far Eastern style fan-pleated numbers too.












As well as fitted trouser suits. One woman sitting under an escalator reminded me of Diane Keaton. Whilst another seemed to be wearing her pyjamas.

Then there were the fashion mavericks – like Tracy Rose, who never conforms to any style but her own. 

I also noticed a couple of girls with crazy tattoos. And, from afar, saw a fabulous pair of striped-heeled sandals.

    

After a fun day of fashion spotting, I pirouetted back to the car park. Next time I might even watch the races..

Will you?

PS check out men’s racy Ascot fashions in today’s post at The Dabbler.

Champions of curious creativity

There’s so much going on in London - I sometimes worry about venturing outside our culture-crazed capital, for fear of missing something… Nevertheless, next week I’ll be travelling a few miles up the road to attend Royal Ascot. I’ve yet to decide which hats to wear. I’ll probably find myself doing a bit of DIY decoration at the very last minute.

As florals are in fashion, I might take my inspiration from the finalists in the Florist of the Year award at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, whose theme was 'a day at the races'. They created these magnificent jockey vests from freshly cut flowers, all displayed around Tom Hare’s stunning 2-D willow sketch of a race horse (see right and below).

































































For men, one of the advantages of Royal Ascot is that they get to dress up too. If you’re going along, ShopCurious has some curiously appropriate accessories, like these vintage ‘steeplechase’ cufflinks, which will certainly set you apart from the crowd. They’d also make a great gift for Father’s Day, which is useful, since that falls just after Royal Ascot – so if you’re curiously clever, you can save a few bob by using them for both…

Will you?

Perennial Summer style

At this time of year, it’s nice to wind down and relax in the sun, but in the Caribbean the sun shines all year round, and the curiously slow pace of life is a major attraction for tourists.

Looking out over London’s cloudy grey skies, I’m dreaming of the lazy days I spent a few months ago at the charming Antiguan resort of Galley Bay – a beachside paradise that’s a haven of eco-friendly style, with smiling, helpful and warm-hearted staff.

One day, I was soaking up the sounds of the sea over lunch, when a fashion show suddenly popped up in front of me. How refreshing to see naturally beautiful models of all shapes and sizes wearing swimwear, sarongs and brightly coloured holiday fashions.

It’s hardly surprising that the Caribbeans are so big on colourful clothing, what with all the amazing colours of nature in and around their stunning tropical islands.
































Anyway, I thought it would be rather fun to show the Maggio sisters’ handcrafted recycled jewellery from ShopCurious alongside the outfits I saw on the uniquely Caribbean catwalk.



The hand painted earrings with scenes from Italian gardens are curiously complemetary - but for a pretty finishing touch you could also add a locally picked flower, worn as a corsage.








By the way, the dresses are from a boutique in Heritage Quay, St John’s, called ‘gingerlily’ that specializes in casually elegant clothing for women, using cool and comfortable fabrics like linen, cotton and silk. And the menswear is available at a store called Nautica.

















And, how about some floral holiday nails too?




















I’m not entirely sure about these as men’s accessories – perhaps this single blossom earring might work… What d’you think?













Do you?

Flower filled Summer opera gardens

Summer opera festivals are a time to appreciate the joys of music and nature. Seasonal opera venues are usually in the grounds of magnificent country houses, each with their own uniquely beautiful gardens.

Italian is the traditional language of opera, so it’s hardly surprising that many famous opera gardens have a distinctly Italian flavour.










Garsington Manor’s Italian Garden Pool is one of the most romantic spots to share a pre-opera picnic, amongst classical style stone statues, whilst enjoying sweeping vistas over the Oxfordshire countryside.





Although the opera is moving to pastures new next year, you’ll still be able to visit the garden through the National Gardens scheme, as well as local events.

The house and gardens were restored from near dereliction by the wonderfully eccentric Lady Ottoline Morrell and her husband, Philip, who mixed with London’s Bloomsbury set in the 1920s. Lady Ottoline, a six foot tall redhead sounds curiously fascinating. She was described by Vita Sackville-West as, “a very queer personality…with masses of purple hair, a deep voice, teeth like a piano keyboard and the most extraordinary assortment of clothes, hung with barbaric necklaces… a born
bohemian.”


I was wondering about her exploits as I took a stroll around the kitchen garden, sipped a glass of champagne beside the pretty dovecote, and soaked up the scent of classic passion red coloured roses…









Grange Park Opera in Hampshire is rather different, sitting as it does amidst a working agricultural estate, owned by the Baring family. Lord Ashburton apologized for the curious appearance of surrounding fields this year, as sheets of biodegradable wrap covered the maize crop to prevent damage by late frosts...




Ingeniously, the plants grow up through the cover, which eventually disintegrates into the soil. You can see the difference in the amount of greenery that’s visible from these two photographs, taken only a week apart.








Although GPO, as it’s affectionately known, isn't quite so Italianate, it’s got some really dramatic features, like the stunning cedar tree, which becomes ever more magical as the light fades in the evening.











I’m also especially fond of the little twinkling trees at twilight, but then I’m a sucker for anything sparkly.







The opera season at Glyndebourne has an altogether more international following, but the gardens are decidedly English.









Artists in residence have also added their unique touches to the landscape and house, in the form of paintings, photographs and sculptures – like Nic Fiddian-Green’s imposing monumental horse heads.




Here you’ll spot elegantly dressed opera goers picnicking by the lake, beside a field of sheep (grazing on the other side of the the ha-ha), or under the monkey puzzle tree.












Others wile away the afternoon by wandering around the grounds, enjoying the authentic charm of country garden style and the natural beauty of the Summer flowers.






If you’re London based, Holland Park has its own opera season, whilst The Garden Opera company hosts events across the country, including London – they’ll even put one on in your back garden, if you so desire.







By the way, when it comes to finding appropriately dressy accessories for a grand operatic occasion, may I suggest some of the exquisite handmade wooden rings by the Maggio sisters at ShopCurious. With delicately hand painted images in the style of Old Master paintings, each of their Italian garden inspired rings is a one-off work of art. They’re great as special gifts and keepsakes too, especially if you're keen to revive fond memories of flower filled Summer opera gardens.

Are you?