Dress Of The Day with Angela

  Cute book ear Rings from The Literary Gift Company.  Worn by Liz Horrocks.

  I bought a scarf, second hand, pre-loved, whatever you want to call it, which had the label 100%. But 100% what? It felt soft. But not quite as soft as silk. I had hoped for silk. Was it a good modern imitation? I tried googling lists of words for silk in all languages. It was not silk. \What was the language?  It looked like Russian. I worked out from another Russian word that the first letter was L.   What was the E with the two dots? The e pronounced like ay. The last letter looking like an H was N.  Lane/  The French for wool is laine. The word was not Russian for wool. I had invited a friend to lunch with me at a restaurant. I showed her the scarf. She suggested linen. That sounded like the letters L A for ay, N. But the scarf did not feel thick and heavy and tightly woven, like linene suits which are stiff, resembling denim jeans. Linen. However, a search for the Russian word for linen produced a match. So did copying the word as an image and asking...

  The label, of the merino wool and cashmere scarf. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.  Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. Scarf in merino and cashmere. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. I was in St Luke's charity shop in London looking for a brightly coloured scarf, and at the last minute decided to  try on this scarf with its subtle colours. In the end I bought this scarf because it felt soft and soothing.  When I got home I looked at the label. It said Cashmere and merino wool. Cashmere! That sounds expensive, exclusive, exotic. Cashmere is a different spelling of what English-speaking people call Kashmir. The technical term for changing the spelling is Anglicization. Cashmere is not sheep wool but from a goat. To sum up a long article on Wikipedia, the goat moults in spring, loses the hair it needs to keep warm in winter. You can do machine sheering, or comb it by hand. The tougher hairs are used in brushes and the softer ones for clothing. The goats have ...

Open Top Tote Bag Problems When I put a tote bag under my seat at a meeting, or a hotel airport, when I pull the bag out, the contents scatter. There's a delay. I feel foolish. My companions are annoyed. I shall lose my place in the queue to board. I look under the chair again from the other side and find I nearly lost a pen. I vow that I shall do something to solve this problem next time. Temporary Tote Bag Solutions There are two temporary last minute solutions to this scattered souvenirs problem.  Carry a stapler.   Or string or piece of wool to tie up the handles of your duty free bag and attach it to your main luggage, with the top held together. Permanent Solutions - Zips and Press Studs Put zips in a tote bag, which you use for extras you buy. Or, after boarding, put the duty free bag inside the zip-up tote bag. Today was next time, to find a permanent solution. As usual I have my mind on packing for my next holiday. Check every item of clothing. Stains. Looks seam...

  Dolls' House with DIY bedding. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. What can you do with small pieces of cloth, cotton or towelling, saved from torn, stained and thinning garments? Turn them into dolls' clothes and dolls' house bedding, curtains and furniture covers, rugs and bathroom mats and tiny towels. You might also have small pieces from dress making. Or cutting off hems, or unwanted bandannas and scarves, tote bags, tea towels and caps and old curtains and nets. I had scraps of towelling. No sewing needed. I fastened the edges of the pillow on three sides with staples. I raised the towelling duvet or sleeping bag or Japanese roll-out bedding, by sliding three toothpicks underneath. A white toothpaste cap is a bedside mug. It could be a mug for a kitchen table, sofa side table or bathroom sink.

 I had this in mind for a humorous speech. Or a stand up comedy act. Or a fancy dress party. What about a clown hat? Clown hats are available from Amazon, Ebay, Etsy, Joom, and Party Picks. Useful Websites