Posts
All Comments
These days, there’s no need to go overboard on the millinery front – elaborately sculpted and embellished headgear has given way to more subtly elegant hair accessories and smaller scale fascinators.
A simple, but uniquely decorated, Hollywood style headband can bring a touch of glamour to the proceedings at Summer events like weddings and Royal Ascot.
These seriously stylish hair bands by Sheena Holland at ShopCurious are handcrafted using natural fabrics, including feathers and leather - and decorated with original vintage jewellery and curiosities. 
Hats can sometimes get in the way, but these are easy to wear and will take you from day into night, without having to worry about your hair getting all messed up.
You can even make your own, by buying a plain metal or velvet covered hair band and adding your own feathers, trinkets and beads.
However, leading ladies usually have far better things to do with their precious time - like posing for photographers and signing autographs...
Do you?
No, this isn’t a post about Girls Aloud, though some may find their music preferable to opera. I overheard an interview recently on Radio 4, in which someone claimed that many opera goers don’t even like opera – they attend operatic events simply to mingle amongst high brow types and be able to say that they’ve been. Apparently, even so called opera buffs agree that the plots are often ridiculous and unbelievable. This sounds to me much the same attitude as many who attend fashion shows – I reckon most of the audience just want to be seen to be ‘in’ with the fashionable crowd at xyz’s show and be able to boast about it. And, in any case, the designs are often too ‘creative’ to be wearable.
Anyway, I confess, I was at the first night of Garsington Opera yesterday, courtesy of some wonderful and very generous friends. I’ll also openly admit that I’m not the world’s greatest fan of opera, though the magical productions at Garsington might help to change my mind - and Le Nozzi di Figaro was spellbinding. Okay, the plot is seriously bird brained and, on occasion, even Mozart’s music, combined with the voices of some of the world’s finest opera singers haven’t prevented me from nodding off during this opera.
But Garsington’s productions are different – cleverly staged and directed; fun, relaxed and down to earth – and all done in the most highly professional way. I was totally entranced all evening - and not just by the Count, played by rather dishy Grant Doyle (was that a chest wig, or is he really that hairy?) The voices were also divine, especially Sri Lankan soprano, Kishani Jayasinghe, as the Countess.
Added to this was a perfect Summer evening, which was lovely – except that every light aircraft enthusiast in the area decided to take out their private plane for a spin, creating a curious background accompaniment. However, as the sun went down, the birds started to sing. At one point there were pigeons cooing, I wondered if they lived in the dovecot in the gardens. Then, as the sun finally set, there was the most beauiful bird song from all around… it was almost as if the birds were competing with the singers for attention.
By the way, talking of bird bands, we’ve got some rather lovely new hair accessories at ShopCurious. Each of these unique, handmade feather hairbands is adorned with a curiously cute feather bird and embellished with original vintage jewels. Plus, these dramatically different fascinators are simply perfect for outdoor Summer events, like the opera, as well as wedding parties, of course.
It’s rather sad that this is the last year that Garsignton Opera will actually be held in Garsington, as next year it’s moving to an estate called Wormsley. I’m sure it'll be even better, but I guess the ambience won’t be quite the same... unless the birds go along too.
Will you?
PS Mentioning Wormsley made me remember to tell you, worm, that you’re the winner of our previous giveaway. A curiously conventional Reebok gym bag will be winging its way to you shortly. Hope you find a suitably appropriate use for it.
I do find the whole cycle of nature so fffffascinating. I love watching the transformation that occurs to plants through the seasons. It's rather quirky that plants can flower some years and not others - and that they're so affected by the weather and the amount of water they get. And I'm curious to know if plants appreciate our loving care and attention as we tend them over the years - let alone our emotional attachment.
Apparently the idea of talking to plants was first introduced in 1848, when Dr Gustav Theodor Fechner, a German professor, suggested the original idea in his book Nanna (Soul Life of Plants). He believed that plants are capable of emotions, just like humans and that healthy growth can be promoted by showering plants with attentive chatter. Later, a botanist called Luther Burbank, suggested that, although plants may not understand the spoken word, they might telepathically understand the meaning of speech.
In 1970, a New York dentist called George Milstein released a record called Music to Grow Plants By. Various experiments were carried out (straight faces all round, of course), and there did seem to be some evidence that soothing and/or classical music was of benefit to plant growth, as opposed to loud agressive rock-type music.
In reality (ie ignoring scientific models and experimental quackery), we don't really have much in the way of confirmation that plants like to be talked to, or that they appreciate the odd blasting of Mozart's Requiem (although perhaps that's not so soothing). I think it's a lovely idea though, and I do often stroke the leaves of my plants and tell them how sensational they're looking. I just hope that the neighbours aren't watching!
I've also been known to place unique feather fascinators from ShopCurious amongst the plants to photograph them, which might seem equally odd, but it's all in the name of art. These are just so naturally beautiful, they could almost be real. They also look fabulous in your hair, or as a fashion accessory on your clothes, attached to a hat - or just as a rather original decoration for your dressing table perhaps?
By the way, for anyone who's interested to know what happened next to my Triffid - here's how the magnificent flower curiously withered and died. I hope that wasn't a reflection of my negecting to converse regularly enough with it. The flower has since been lopped off and the plant looks somewhat less threatening...
Another yukka type plant has just burst into bloom though. Have you got any plants that have fffffascinatingly started flowering at the very end of the 'summer'? Or have you experienced any other curious natural occurences, possibly linked to the strange weather patterns of late? If so, do let us know.
Will you?
