We asked what Jude would like to do for her Twentieth birthday (yes, you did hear me correctly: twentieth birthday) and she asked to go out for afternoon tea. I’ll be honest, when I agreed, I was thinking more like at a National Trust cafe, but Jude had in mind the full afternoon tea experience. Apart from on a cruise, I’ve never done this, (it’s the sort of thing I’ll do when I grow up) so was looking forward to experiencing the proper deal….
Styling a short cord skirt (autumn/fall 2018 trends)
On Saturday we went to Bath for afternoon tea to celebrate Jude’s birthday. Of course I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity for a lovely Georgian Bath stone background, so I dressed in an outfit I knew I wanted to feature on the blog and Chris brought the camera with him! I had in mind a fashion video for my YouTube channel where I styled this cord velvet skirt three different ways, so I picked one of them….
Making a social outdoor dining area
We have been dragging our heels for ages over buying a new set of outdoor furniture. Our old wooden table and chairs are well and truly rotting away. We have also had it in our minds to build a verandah at the back of the house, leaning against the kitchen wall. However, each spring has come along and we’ve ended up spending any spare money we’ve had on a holiday instead. So it hasn’t happened, but the idea was still there, and it made a choice on the garden furniture difficult to make…..
Do you need me to tell you how to transition your wardrobe from summer to autumn / fall?
‘How to transition your wardrobe from summer to autumn’ is a typical title for blogs and YouTube videos at this time of year, but really the cynical side of me wonders why? Why on earth do we need someone to tell us how to dress? It’s not rocket science: As the weather gets colder, our clothes get warmer. Right; let’s go home!
However, as you probably know by now, I love all things fashion, so I absorb this sort of content all the same. So here’s my take on how to transition your wardrobe from summer to autumn…..
Making a flower fairy dress for Threads of a Fairytale
I haven’t shared my work for Threads of a Fairytale here for a while, so I thought it was time I changed that! I’m also planning on blogging more often and linking more blogs with videos on my YouTube channel. There’s something about September that feels like a new year isn’t there? Even though this is the first autumn neither of our kids are starting a new term! So this dress is perfect for princess flower fairies off to the ball or alternative brides who would like to wear pink on their wedding day…..
No longer living in limbo-land! 3 tips if you’re thinking about emigrating
I feel like I’ve been living in limbo for the last two years. If you watch my YouTube channel, you may have noticed the odd subtle hint of something big changing soon. That change was a move to America for a year. At first it was a small idea that went away again when we found that we couldn’t take our dog, Loki with us. However, after our trip to Connecticut last July, we looked into it again….
Styling an end-of-summer summer dress
I’m slightly worried because I had another of those, ‘Yes I’ll just buy it without trying it on’ moments the other day in Tesco. I loved the mustard yellow colour (something that’s creeping into my wardrobe more and more lately) and the ditsy blue and red floral print over it was so pretty. The ruffles confirmed the purchase in my mind. Because, you know, I just love ruffles….
What to do when your photos don’t match your Instagram! (A black and white photography project)
The use of Instagram means something different to different people, and I’ll write more about my feelings on that in another post, but briefly, I’ll tell you that my Instagram, @HelenHobden is fairly curated with some of my best photography included. However, whilst away in Connecticut, slouched on the hotel-room armchair, having a break from typing; I realised that the simple scene with my feet up on the arm would look great as a square-cropped photo in grainy high-contrast black and white….
Review of The Firebird by the Rogue Theatre Company in Cornwall
Imagine, if you will, being met by a fairy at the edge of magical woodland, and led down a secret pathway shaded by old twisted rowan and chattering leaves of beech, but lit by glinting lights strung through the branches. Each way you turn you’re met with strange and eerie settings of mysterious white princess bedrooms, strangely metallic baby clothes hanging on a line; gothic ravens adorning old books; abandoned tea parties disturbingly strewn with red; and odd antique paintings foreseeing the future; each with its character singing, dancing or otherwise performing as you pass. And that’s just the beginning…..
The Book of Mormon musical review – on Broadway, New York
Last week Chris and I were lucky enough to watch the musical, The Book of Mormon at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre on Broadway in New York City. We were staying in nearby Stamford for a couple of weeks for Chris’s work, and this was our treat out one night….
