OK, the title of the post is rather misleading as it’s only ONE outfit and it’s from LAST week, but I haven’t been able to get dressed properly this week. I have been struggling with my mental health and have felt unable to swap my pyjamas for something nice.
So, this is the outfit that I wore last week for my visit to the surgery for a blood test. As I don’t leave the house, at the moment, for anything more exciting, I have decided that I need to take any opportunity possible to wear my lovely accessories. Also, I wanted to use my new purple handbag for the first time.
Here is the collage:
Outfit of the day 30/04/21 with Hermès’ Escales Mediterranéenes scarf
The cotton twinset is by Lands’ End, the amethyst earrings by Blue Nile, the leather wrap bracelet by Ferragamo and, of course, the handbag is my new deep purple Africa leather midi Selene by Massaccesi. The gorgeous scarf is Escales Mediterranéenes by Hermès, tied in a simple bias fold and held by my MaiTai purple scarf ring. To break up all of the purple, I also wore navy jeans and shoes. I think my fantastic purple suede boots might have been overkill!
I expect you have worked out by now that I LOVE PURPLE!
💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜
If you would like to find out more about this lovely Hermès scarf, please have a look at my Scarf of the Moment: Escales Mediterranéenes post.
My plan was to tell you about two books this week, but the second one is quite long and I haven’t finished it in time. It would be silly to rush something so enjoyable just to keep to an arbitrary timetable, so one book it is!
City of Spies by Mara Timon
I haven’t read a good spy thriller for some time (or perhaps I have but have forgotten all about it!). Anyway, I really enjoyed this debut and would love to read more in the series. Here is the blurb:
”LISBON, 1943. After escaping from Nazi-Occupied France, SOE agent Elisabeth de Mornay, codename Cecile, receives new orders: she must infiltrate high society in neutral Lisbon and find out who is leaking key information to the Germans about British troop movements. As Solange Verin, a French widow of independent means, she will be able to meet all the rich Europeans who have gathered in Lisbon to wait out the war. One of them is a traitor and she must find out who before more British servicemen die.
Complications arise when ‘Solange’ comes to the attention of German Abwehr officer, Major Eduard Graf. As they get to know each other, she struggles to keep her lies close to the truth.
But in a city that is filled with spies, how can she tell who is friend, or foe?”
I wrote this quick review on Goodreads and awarded the book four out of five stars:
I really enjoyed this book and was totally glued from start to finish. It is an excellent debut novel set mainly in Portugal during WWII. The book is a highly entertaining mix of genres. There are spies, intrigue, romance, thrills and danger. Our heroine is brave, feisty, intelligent and handy in a fight.
I am currently reading the book above, which is the second part of Kate Mosse’s The Burning Chambers series. Unless illness or some other event intervenes, I will write about the book in next week’s Reading Roundup post.
The reveals have been coming thick and fast so far this year! Boredom because of lock-down and illness is not good for my bank account. Anyway, here is the reveal of a purchase that I made earlier in the year and received last week…
The first peek inside the box…
And this is the beautiful handbag in deep purple Africa leather: Massaccesi’s midi Selene with dark gunmetal hardware and a purple lining.
Midi Selene handbag by Marco Massaccesi
I must apologise for the quality of some of these photos. The sun was shining directly into my bedroom and I’m a pretty hopeless photographer at the best of times!
My first Massaccesi bag was a midi Selene in dark blue Africa leather, although I also added the zip option. I have bought other designs since, most notably the Victoria, but I decided to return to the Selene for what is probably my final bag purchase. I will almost certainly buy SLGs (small leather goods), in the future, but I have now a wonderful range of handbags and no room at all for any more!
Ah, but wait…. there are some other items inside the handbag! What could they be?
This time I am going to show you the contents of the handbag in a slideshow format…
The bracelets are in Persian Green, Cobalt and Silver “Diamond” calf leather with gold hardware. They are a great way for Marco to use up scraps of leather to make sure that there is very little wastage. I might also look at purchasing some mini bags to use inside my larger bags in the future, or tassels, as well as more of these beautiful bracelets.
The gorgeous handbag and bracelets will look wonderful with many of my scarves and jewellery. So, I think that I will plan another post with full photos to show you all. I have already carried the bag, when I went to the doctor’s last week, so that outfit will be uploaded on Friday, all being well.
Right, I suppose that I will have to build up my strength so that I can have a cupboard and wardrobe clear out. Or move into a bigger house!
I tried a small experiment over the last few days. Oh, OK, I love this combination of scarf and twinset so much that I simply had to wear them twice! The scarf is by Alice Shirley for Hermès and is called Under the Waves. The colours are aqua, pink, turquoise, blue and yellow, with the contrast hem in dusky pink. Here it is…
Under the Waves by Alice Shirley for Hermès
After looking through the blog, I have just realised that I nearly always wear this scarf with this twinset! Perhaps I need to change things around a bit. Anyway, the twinset was from Lands’ End and I also wore my dark navy jeans, cute earrings and Halcyon Days bangles in cream, eau-de-nil and cream, and turquoise.
Outfits of the week with Hermès’ Under the Waves scarf
I have to admit to you that I am deliberately missing out the outfit that I wore yesterday. Any trip outside is an excuse for me to “dress up” in something nice and wear jewellery and one of my lovely scarves. I don’t really care about the occasion. In fact yesterday’s jaunt was only a visit to the GP for a blood test! Anyway, to get to the point, I chose my clothes to go with a new handbag purchase from the wonderful Marco Massaccesi and I will wait until next week to do the full reveal!
I have completed one book this week and I must admit that my reading has been on the back burner for a couple of reasons. Firstly, because I am having difficulty with my concentration. Secondly, because I have become addicted to yet another TV series on Amazon Prime: Scandal. Just about all of my choices on TV have been dark and Scandal is very dark indeed!
A Prince and a Spy by Rory Clements
My choice this week was A Prince and a Spy by Rory Clements (Tom Wilde #05). I have really enjoyed this series so far, so was really pleased to see this new episode appear on our Library Service’s ebook catalogue. Here is the blurb:
“Sweden, 1942 – Two old friends meet. They are cousins. One is Prince George, Duke of Kent, brother of the King of England. The other is Prince Philipp von Hesse, a committed Nazi and close friend of Adolf Hitler.
Days later, the Prince George is killed in a plane crash in the north of Scotland. The official story is that it was an accident – but not everyone is convinced.
There is even a suggestion that the Duke’s plane was sabotaged, but with no evidence, Cambridge spy Tom Wilde is sent north to discover the truth . . .”
I awarded the book four stars on Goodreads and wrote this short review (apologies for the brevity. If you are interested in the book, the other reviews are well worth your time).
Yet another excellent episode in this excellent series.
The plot was edge-of-the-seat exciting against the background of the sheer horror of the Holocaust. Accurate historical events were woven together with more fictional, speculative narrative and characters to create a brilliant book. The amount of research that must be tackled before writing a book like this must be enormous.
I must admit that I feel so relieved that Lovely Husband and I have had both jabs. Unlike last time, I won’t go into great detail about the event on Saturday, but will just say a couple of things.
The first time, we arrived at the hospital, walked a long way down various corridors and then poor LH had to queue for nearly two hours before we could enter the room for our immunisations. This time, we had the long walk but were able to go straight into the room. It was all over so quickly!
Like last time, we have both had a very stiff and painful arm around the injection site but, two days later, the discomfort is fading. I also had several migraine attacks with full auras, yesterday, and then a horrible coughing fit in the night. These might have been caused by stress. Today, I feel a lot better and have been able to get out of bed for a few hours.
So, I am not sure how long it is before we get full immunity and, of course, there are rumblings about COVID variations. Generally, however, I must admit that I am in awe of the amazing work by the scientific and health care community who have not only discovered, developed, manufactured, distributed and administered the vaccines, but who have done this with incredible speed and efficiency. Thank you to everyone involved!
I just cannot write today’s planned post. After a misunderstanding, caused by my memory issues, Lovely Husband came to the rescue and, to get to the point, we both have our second vaccinations tomorrow!
Whoop!
I am feeling very giddy and I can’t write properly, so I had better sign off now…
This week I was able to finish two books and I really enjoyed both of them! I hope that you were able to have a satisfying reading week too.
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
Having already read other books in the Jackson Brodie series, I was pleased when I found the first book on our ebook service. Here is the blurb:
”The scene is set in Cambridge, with three case histories from the past: A young child who mysteriously disappeared from a tent in her back garden; An unidentified man in a yellow jumper who marched into an office and slashed a young girl through the throat; and a young woman found by the police sitting in her kitchen next to the body of her husband, an axe buried in his head.
Jackson Brodie, a private investigator and former police detective, is quietly contemplating life as a divorced father when he is flung into the midst of these resurrected old crimes. Julia and Amelia Land enlist Jackson’s help to find out the truth about their younger sister. They embroil him in the complexities of their own jealousies, obsessions and lust.
Another woman named Shirley needs Jackson to help find her lost niece. Jackson meets solicitor Theo Wyre whose daughter, Laura, was murdered in his office and is desperate for Jackson to help him lay Laura’s ghost to rest.
As he starts his investigations Jackson has the sinister feeling that someone is following him. In digging into the past Jackson seems to have unwittingly threatened his own future. This wonderfully crafted, intricately plotted novel is heartbreaking, uplifting, full of suspense and often very funny.”
I really love Kate Atkinson’s writing style. This is the review that I posted on Goodreads:
I am really unsure how to grade this book or how to write the review. My problem is that the writing is wonderful, complex with a wry humour that I really enjoyed, but my memory issues mean that I struggled with the plot.
Since I had a stroke in 2019, my short-term memory has been very patchy. This means that, when I read a book over several days, I have problems with remembering vital parts of the plot and the names of some characters. Sometimes I go back a few pages, which can help, but this author’s style of writing doesn’t! The chapters range around the different characters and cases and I felt like I was really losing the plot!!!
But, of course, this is my problem, and not a fault of Kate Atkinson!
I have read some of her other books, including others in this series, and not had the same issues. So, I think my problems were probably worsened by the multiple cases in this book. In the end, I did manage to straighten it all out in my mind and finished the book feeling pretty positive about it. I love Kate Atkinson’s writing style, so will continue to read her work when I can get it from the library’s ebook service.
Yes, I will definitely have to find more books in the series!
You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce
My second book of the week was You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce. First we have the blurb:
”I wanted someone to know, you see. To know my truth, now that I am gone. How everything and none of it happened.
Everyone knew bestselling novelist Cassandra Tipp had twice got away with murder.
Even her family were convinced of her guilt.
So when she disappears, leaving only a long letter behind, they can but suspect that her conscience finally killed her.
But the letter is not what anyone expected. It tells two chilling, darkly disturbing stories. One is a story of bloody nights and magical gifts, of children lost to the woods, of husbands made from twigs and leaves and feathers and bones . . .
The other is the story of a little girl who was cruelly treated and grew up crooked in the shadows . . .
But which story is true? And where is Cassie now?”
What a strange, weird book! I have just finished it and I have no idea what to write about it. I have given it three stars, but it could be worth five or four, two or one.
I have no idea what to make of it!
The main character is literally away with the faeries, or was she really abused as a child? Are the faeries real, or just sticks and stones, made up and part of her vivid imagination?
I can’t decide and I wonder if the author even knows…
So, this is the day when things in England are supposed to be opening up, including hair salons. As everyone will be rushing to get their hair cut as soon as possible, I think that I might wait awhile. I need to decide what to do with my hair!
Here is a very candid photo to show you exactly what it looks like at the moment. As I am so ill, I only manage to wash my hair every three or four days. When it is first washed, my hair is quite curly – it used to be very curly when I was younger. Over a couple of days, most of the curls drop out, leaving a few at the ends.
My hair has always been fine, but was much thicker when I was young. Its colour was naturally a dark blonde or “mouse”, but I dyed it regularly and all kinds of shades from dark brown to golden blonde, from auburn to mid brown with pink streaks. It is now a dark grey with silver strands near my face. As I have got older, my hair has thinned on top quite drastically, mainly due to a really serious attack of blood poisoning in my late thirties. At that time, my hair fell out almost totally and grew back much finer and thinner than before.
So, what shall I do with it now? I tried to ask Lovely Husband, but he refused to commit himself to an answer, saying that it is entirely my decision. Well, that is a very gallant position, but it doesn’t really help!
Can anyone assist me? Should I just have a trim and leave it longer or cut it short again like I used to wear it. My scalp will always show through, whether my hair is longer or shorter. My hair curls more when my hair is longer, which is a bit strange. Maybe I’m getting a bit obsessed and over-thinking. After all, I am in bed most of the day so only LH and ES see my hair on a daily basis!
Anyway, here are four photos of different lengths. Only one is “straight from the hairdresser” – I expect you can guess which one! Which do you think is the best?
I am feeling rather under the weather as I attempt to write today’s post, so I am unable to make the usual collages for each outfit. Instead, I have posted the quick selfies that I use in the collages and will briefly list the clothing and accessories.
There are two outfits for you this week. The first was with my gorgeous colourway, in denim blue, pink, yellow and a range of purples, of Hermès’ Jaguar Quetzal:
Outfit of the day 07/04/21 with Hermès’ Jaguar Quetzal scarf
Jaguar Quetzal by Alice Shirley for Hermès
I thought that I would show you an image of the whole scarf as well, because it is so amazing! It was worn with my Marks and Spencer lilac cashmere v-neck, a purple scarf ring by MaiTai, amethyst earrings by Blue Nile and a purple enamel and gold Halcyon Days bangle.
Today I am wearing Hermès’ Musique des Dieux scarf, tied in an asymmetric knot with a mother of pearl scarf ring by MaiTai:
Outfit of the day 09/04/21 with Hermès’ Musique des Dieux scarf
Musique des Dieux by Claudia Stuhlhofer-Mayr for Hermès
With this scarf, I am wearing a John Lewis navy cashmere v-neck, ice blue crystal earrings from Sainsbury’s, and an old silver bangle. The scarf colours are purple, green, black, pale blue and white with a border in silver grey.
Once again, I still wore my navy pyjama bottoms with these lovely outfits. They are so much more comfortable than trousers!
Anyway, I hope that you like these outfits and I wish you all a lovely weekend.
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
The Librain......retired 
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