I had a breakthrough today and am feeling very pleased with myself. My diet and exercise plan has been put aside for a few days as I have been very ill again with loads of really nasty coughing attacks with the full works. Today, however, I woke up feeling a lot stronger and was also energised by the fact that I had a hairdresser’s appointment. You all know how much I like getting my hair done!
Usually, Lovely Husband drops me off and picks me up afterwards but, now that I am not dyeing my hair any more, the appointment length is much shorter and not very predictable. My stubborn husband refuses to own a mobile phone, so it has been difficult to coordinate timings etc.
So, today I decided, against all advice, to actually drive myself into town. Parking for the hairdressers is very easy and quite close, so I was able to do everything myself, plus have a quick wandering around the nearest supermarket. That’s why I am feeling so pleased with myself!
Anyway, here is the result: this morning’s before photo, with the after photo…
Before, on the left, after, on the right!
I really do like my grey hair and bear in mind that it looks a lot nicer in real life than in my rather poor selfies 😊. The really silver parts of my hair somehow seem to disappear in photos, which is strange.
At first glance, the new designs for Hermès Autumn/Winter 2018 season didn’t really appeal to me and I believed that the colourways simply wouldn’t work with my wardrobe. I carried on following the season’s thread on The Purse Forum and, whilst some patterns started to grow on me a little, I remained convinced that I would avoid the whole season and save my money.
Then, I decided to purchase a new Massaccesi handbag, drawn in by a wonderful sale offer. I had been getting so many compliments for my clothes and accessories in shades of purple, especially since allowing my hair to turn fully grey, that I added in more items in those colours. A new handbag completed my purchases.
When it arrived, I thought about “dressing” it up a little and pondered various decorative items before settling on an Hermès twilly – Coup de Fouet au Bloc – and a cute gavroche – Baobab Cat. So here is my Scarf of the Moment post about this lovely design.
Baobab Cat gavroche by the Ardmore Artists for Hermès
Description
The Baobab Cat scarf was designed by the Ardmore Artists for Hermès Autumn/Winter 2018 season. I bought the gavroche size – 45×45 cm – in colourway #05 – which is described as “rose vif/prune/gris” on the website. It is indeed a very, very bright pink!
The design shows a luscious baobab flower, set off-centre, fully open with the lovely petals depicted with painterly swirls of rich colour. In my version, the tips of the pink petals are touched with purple. Rows of dots in white illuminate the shapes, which are picked out with black lines. In the centre of the flower there is a leopard’s head in grey, white and black – rather cute in this small scarf. Surrounding the scarf are long feathers in shades of grey, white and black and the contrast hem is a bright white.
When tied cowboy style, you can choose to highlight a corner showing more or fewer feathers, or the flower petals can come to the fore. The leopard tends to peep out however the scarf is tied! The larger 90cm version would, of course, give the wearer far more tying options than the little gavroche.
Colourways
First of all, here are the colourways of the Autumn/Winter 2018 45cm gavroche:
These are the colourways of the 90cm silk twill:
Design story
This is the design story for the scarf:
A mischievous leopard has slipped into the heart of a baobab flower. For the Zulu kings, this majestic big cat incarnated their noble status, while the baobab represented power and grace. The flowers of this colossal tree only open at dusk, just when the leopard ventures out in search of its prey. The play on composition blends the animal and the plant into a single being, haloed by a crown of white-speckled feathers. The Ardmore artists’ collective works to promote the style and traditional imagery of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa, where it was founded by Fée Halsted in 1985.
Details
Here are some closeups of my scarf in a slideshow format:
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
How I wear the scarf
I bought this cute scarf to wear, but also to dress up my newest handbag – Massaccesi’s Victoria in amethyst pebbled leather. The scarf looks lovely with most shades of purple and it could also be worn with pink (although that might overwhelm my colouring), grey and, perhaps, navy. I have very few grey clothes, but may start to use this as one of my base/neutral colours in the future to tone in with my grey hair, so the cat and feathers would look great and the strong pink would contrast beautifully.
As I have only worn this gavroche once so far, here is the outfit:
Outfit of the day 16/08/18 with Hermès Baobab Cat gavroche
And this is what the scarf looks like with my new handbag – wonderful, isn’t it? I am so pleased to see how the bag highlights the purple parts of the petals.
Victoria handbag in amethyst pebbled leather by Massaccesi with Hermès Baobab Cat gavroche
When I have worn Baobab Cat with a few more outfits, I will post the collages here for you to see.
Scarf ties
Here are a few scarf knots which work well with this gavroche:
Baobab Cat – scarf ties
1) Top L: necklace knot using the device which lengthens the scarf. I have mentioned this contraption several times before.
2) Bottom L: simple bias fold. Spot my OTT fuchsia flower earrings!
3) Centre: cowboy knot using the device.
4) Top R: cowboy knot.
5) Bottom R: necklace knot.
You can see that this colourway definitely needs lipstick!
Background information
1) Ardmore Artists
Ardmore Ceramics Origins
Timeline of the Ardmore Artists. Collaborations
Paragraph about collaboration with Hermès.
I hope readers have found this exploration of Baobab Cat both interesting and useful. Once again, if you find any errors or have any additional information that I could add, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Well, my latest parcel had another item inside which I am going to reveal and also model in this post. When I was thinking about how to dress up my new Massaccesi handbag, I also thought about how I would wear the “dressing up items” myself. So here goes:
This was inside the parcel…
Opening up to see the iconic orange box with its Bolduc ribbon nicely tied…
The box is on its own…
The bow is now untied. What is inside?
A nice peek at the contents. What gorgeous colours!
The folded scarf…
Hermès Baobab Cat gavroche, designed by the Ardmore Artists, unfolded…
I wore the scarf in a cowboy knot today with the following outfit:
Fresh lavender cotton vest – Lands’ End.
Blackberry cotton mix cardigan – Lands’ End.
Blue and white linen trousers – Isle Collection.
Lilac enamel and gold plain bangle – Halcyon Days.
Celtic style silver earrings.
Silk gavroche in bright pink, mauve, white and grey – Baobab Cat – Hermès.
Outfit of the day 16/08/18 with Hermès Baobab Cat gavroche
What do you think? Does it suit me? I don’t think that the 90cm version of this colourway would work for me as the colour would probably overwhelm me, but, just as with my bright Bibliothéque gavroche, it is fine as a small pop of colour. By the way, my hair doesn’t seem to photograph well since I went fully grey – please believe me, it looks loads better in real life! Honest 😊.
Anyway, here is the gavroche again, dressing up my Massaccesi Victoria handbag in amethyst pebbled leather…
Again, I think that this tones in very well and is a complete change from the Coup de Fouet au Bloc twilly that I showed you on Monday. So I have some nice options here.
Tomorrow, I will be catching up with the progress I have made towards my diet and exercise goals as it will be four weeks since I began the plan.
It has been a mixed reading bag this week as you will see. I have reached the end of my library book pile and urgently need to visit so that I can select my next, but I have not been well. Still, I can hope to feel better on Friday and Lovely Husband has offered to take me.
The Winter Children by Lulu Taylor
The first book of the week was The Winter Children by Lulu Taylor. Here is the blurb:
Behind a selfless act of kindness lies dark intentions . . .
Olivia and Dan Felbeck are blissfully happy when their longed-for twins arrive after years of IVF. At the same time, they make the move to Renniston Hall, a huge, Elizabethan house that belongs to absent friends. Living rent-free in a small part of the unmodernised house, once a boarding school, they can begin to enjoy the family life they’ve always wanted. But there is a secret at the heart of their family, one that Olivia does not yet know. And the house, too, holds its darkness deep within it . . .
Many of the reviewers on Goodreads rated this book highly, but I only awarded it two stars. This is why:
There were several interesting stories woven together in this book and also several interesting, if mainly unlikeable, characters. But, the whole thing was so slow. So much unnecessary detail. I did finish the book, wanted to know how it would all end and, in fact, the ending was good. It just took far too long to reach the conclusion.
Dangerous Minds by Janet Evanovich
Unfortunately for me, my next reading experience of the week was very unsuccessful! Dangerous Minds by Janet Evanovich (#02 in her Knight and Moon series), has the following blurb:
Buddhist monk Wayan Bagus lost his island of solitude and wants to get it back. The island was about two hundred miles northeast of Samoa. It had a mountain, beaches, a rain forest, and a volcano. And now it’s gone. Poof! Vanished without a trace.
Brilliant and boyishly charming Emerson Knight likes nothing better than solving an unsolvable, improbable mystery. And finding a missing island is better than Christmas morning in the Knight household. When clues lead to a dark and sinister secret that is being guarded by the National Park Service, Emerson will need to assemble a crack team for help. Since a crack team isn’t available, he enlists Riley Moon and his cousin Vernon. Riley Moon has a Harvard business degree and can shoot the eyes out of a grasshopper at fifty feet, but she can’t figure out how to escape the vortex of Emerson Knight’s odd life. Vernon has been Emerson’s loyal and enthusiastic partner in crime since childhood. He now lives in an RV behind Emerson’s house.
Together, this ragtag, mismatched trio will embark on a worldwide investigation that will expose a conspiracy one hundred years in the making.
Well, I thought that sounded interesting and I was craving some humour to lighten up the week, but I simply couldn’t get into the book at all. I gave the book one star on Goodreads and wrote this:
Couldn’t even get started on this one. I read a few chapters and then gave up on it. Not for me.
To Save a Kingdom by Marianne Whiting
After this, there were only two books left from my library choices. I decided to read Marianne Whiting’s To Save a Kingdom (#02 in The Shieldmaiden Trilogy). This is the blurb:
Sigrid has won the battle to restore her family’s honour. Now she must overcome old enemies and take her father’s place among the Cumbrian Norse; not as a daughter or a wife, but as a warrior in her own right. When Cumbria is attacked by the English King, Sigrid is ordered to join forces with her rivals to defend their way of life. She obeys, but the old feuds have not been settled. Can she trust her brothers in arms? Are they, like her, prepared to risk everything to save a kingdom?
Of course, it is not a very good idea to dive in part-way through a series and I might go back and start this again from book one, despite my reservati9ns. This book was worth at least three stars and I wrote the following review:
I have read quite a few books and watched quite a few TV programmes based around this period in British history – the ninth and tenth centuries. It was interesting to see the events of the time through the eyes of the Anglo-Saxons’ enemies for once. Apart from that, this was a very strangely written book. Tumultuous events – battles, war, fighting to the death – are depicted with cold aloofness. There is no fire to the writing, no excitement. I didn’t feel drawn in to the events, unlike when reading something like Cornwell’s Last Kingdom or Iggulden’s Dunstan. It felt more like a historian writing non-fiction.
Moonrise by Sarah Crossan
My final book of the week was definitely the best. As you may remember, I have avoided reading Young Adult novels for quite a while, but I couldn’t resist picking up Sarah Crosssan’s Moonrise when I last visited the library. Here is the blurb:
‘They think I hurt someone.
But I didn’t. You hear?
Coz people are gonna be telling you
all kinds of lies.
I need you to know the truth.’
Joe hasn’t seen his brother for ten years, and it’s for the most brutal of reasons. Ed is on death row. But now Ed’s execution date has been set, and this might be the last summer they have together.
From one-time winner and two-time Carnegie Medal shortlisted author Sarah Crossan, this poignant, stirring, huge-hearted novel asks big questions. What value do you place on life? What can you forgive? And just how do you say goodbye?
I finished this book just a few moments ago and am still slightly weepy. So please bear with this very inadequate review for a five star book:
A brilliantly written YA novel. Sarah Crossan’s free verse style is perfect for this story, which is so touching and emotional. I have been against capital punishment as long as I can remember and I find it so hard to understand how any country can sanction the barbarity of it. The relationships between the family members and the way their family story emerges is wonderfully done.
This is a book which deserves more than one read. The first gives you the full impact of the story and a second allows you to savour the amazing structure and language of the verse form. A triumph!
Just one last thing, I saw a link to this list of 60 great dystopian novels from AbeBooks on Mumsnet, I think. Anyway, there are some interesting books to try.
Last week (starting 05/08/18) was really amazing on my favourite Purse Forum thread: “Scarf of the Day 2018 – Which Hermès scarf are you wearing today?”. The theme for the week was “Your Cheating Heart”, in other words, showing off members’ non-Hermès scarves, including those made by Givenchy, Chanel, Gucci, Ferragamo, Liberty, Leonard, Cartier, Tiffany, Longchamp, Pucci, and many more. There were some absolutely gorgeous scarves shown and modelled, ranging from the highly expensive to much cheaper ones. We also saw scarves and shawls from more obscure (to me at least) designers from all over the world. I don’t think that I have ever seen so many jaw-dropping scarves in one place – simply stunning.
I also posted some of my own non-H scarves which I have already shown you on here. But I have uploaded some of my collages below as reminders:
Liberty of London – Blue Hera scarf
Liberty of London – Purple Hera scarf
Liberty of London – Hera cashmere/silk shawl
Liberty of London – Ianthe silk scarf
Liberty of London – Ianthe varuna wool shawl
Scarves by Aspinal and Karine Assaf
Shibori silk shawl by Cathayana
If you want to explore some other designers, have a look at the Purse Forum theme week, starting from here: Your Cheating Heart (just scroll down the page a little).
I decided that my new Victoria handbag needed dressing up a bit. It looks lovely with the Hermès Jaguar Quetzal scarf (but I wear that), so I looked for something in similar or toning colours. Members of The Purse Forum gave me some ideas and this is the result…
Here is the parcel…
The cute little Hermès cylindrical box…
The ribbon is undone…
A peep inside…
And here it is: Hermès twilly Coup de Fouet au Bloc in such pretty colours…
Another view…
Draped over my handbag – such a perfect choice!
Tied in a bow…
Yes, I will write a Scarf of the Moment post about this design as soon as I can gather enough information. Coup de Fouet is a classic Hermès design by Florence Manlik that has appeared in many formats over the years. This twilly version is from the Spring/Summer 2018 season and is in the same colour family as my Jaguar Quetzal: mauve, violet, jaune soufre. One half has the images of horses and curling whips on both sides in shades of purple, blue, green and yellow. The other half has a floral paisley pattern on a violet background on both sides.
There is another reveal to come, perhaps later in the week…
Living with a family member who has massive ASD meltdowns is very hard and I often post on here, and on Facebook, when I am struggling with this. My son is also very sweet and kind, looks after me so well and tries very hard to get the best out of his life.
One of my favourite things about him is his sense of humour. It is a little childish and naive, which suits me fine! His laugh is so infectious and we often find things to giggle over. He found a video which set us both off and I have posted it below. The last bit, particularly, finished us and we were laughing so much that I got an ache in my side.
Here it is…
I will post an update about my Diet and Exercise plan tomorrow.
What with the heat, my concentration issues and a complicated book, I have only finished one this week. Bad Librain!
The Kill Room by Jeffery Deaver
The book was The Kill Room by Jeffery Deaver (#10 in The Lincoln Rhyme series). This is the blurb:
It was a “million-dollar bullet,” a sniper shot delivered from over a mile away. Its victim was no ordinary mark: he was a United States citizen, targeted by the United States government, and assassinated in the Bahamas.
The nation’s most renowned investigator and forensics expert, Lincoln Rhyme, is drafted to investigate. While his partner, Amelia Sachs, traces the victim’s steps in Manhattan, Rhyme leaves the city to pursue the sniper himself. As details of the case start to emerge, the pair discovers that not all is what it seems.
When a deadly, knife-wielding assassin begins systematically eliminating all evidence–including the witnesses–Lincoln’s investigation turns into a chilling battle of wits against a cold-blooded killer.
I found the book a bit of a struggle to read and gave it three stars. This is my review on Goodreads:
I mostly enjoyed this book, although it was very over-complicated in parts and could have been cut down quite a lot. It took me a long time to finish it (for me) as there seemed to be many unnecessary fillers. Reading some of the other reviews on here, I perhaps should look for some of the earlier books in the series for sharper plots. The characterisation was still good and I liked some of the plot twists, but this needed a good editor.
The Winter Children by Lulu Taylor
Now I am going back to my latest book: The Winter Children by Lulu Taylor. Perhaps an odd book to choose in this long hot Summer!
Another parcel arrived this morning, but I am not going to reveal the contents on the blog yet! My lovely readers will just have to wait a while 😉. Here is a small teaser…
I think this is the last of the really hot days for now and I will be very pleased if I can dress up a bit more if the weather cools down. I really like writing the Outfit of the Day posts, and making collages, as this makes me try out different combinations of clothes and accessories – shopping my wardrobe is the phrase I have read somewhere.
The last few days brought me down a bit as I was ill and unable to take any exercise. Things improved today as I had to get up early to have a blood test at the local hospital. When we got home, I decided to go for a walk around the block straight away. I felt a bit creaky, but managed fine and was not too wheezy when I got home.
This afternoon, I sat in the garden reading. The temperature felt just right under the parasol and it was so pleasant – apart from the odd wasp flying around!
Tomorrow I will be catching up with my reading on a Reading Roundup post.
Well, I had a long wait but it was well worth it! I won’t go into all of the detail, but let me simply say that Massaccesi’s good customer service sorted everything out in the end.
So let’s enjoy the reveal…
Here is the parcel after unwrapping the plastic…
Loads of tissue paper showing careful packing…
The open box with just a hint of what is to come…
Ooh! Gorgeous… 😍😍😍😍😍😍
Out of the box: presenting Victoria in amethyst pebbled leather with pale gold hardware and a lilac lining by Marco Massaccesi…
Here is the back view…
The inside with the pretty lilac lining – such excellent quality. First showing the internal zipped pocket…
Then the leather edged slip pockets…
High quality pale gold hardware…
With the “wings” out…
I bought this bag to go with this lovely scarf – Jaguar Quetzal by Hermès – amongst other things. What do you think? In real life all of the colours match and blend beautifully.
Another view with the scarf…
Last two! Firstly showing the bag with the sides in…
Second photo showing the sides out…
I have another small item on the way that will also look lovely with this handbag and I will model it all when I am feeling better and the weather is cool enough to wear a scarf!
Former professional school librarian, now retired through chronic illness. Trying to keep cheerful by reading, drinking lots of tea, blogging my new life, and my love of bling!
The Librain
Dear Lauren, thank you for your comment. Yes, the scarf is gorgeous! Best wishes, Anne x