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Showing posts from June, 2024

Yellow Tour de France Tee-Shirt Post 354

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 My Australian friend wore an eye-catching yellow Tour de France tee-shirt. It was not an event they attended. They just liked the colour yellow. Bright and cheerful. I found several offers online of yellow Tour de France tee-shirts. Different sizes. Also other colours. The tour de France started as a men's bike ride in France. A women's bike race was added. The race was held in other countries. Useful Websites https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_de_France One of many offers https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334425839832?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-153316-527457- US dollars 15.59.  Please share links to your favourite posts.

Buying Waterproof Shoes & Drying Hiking Shoes Post 353

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Drying hiking shoes over a radiator. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. I went hiking with a group in the Picos de Europe (meaning peaks of Europe) a line of mountains in Spain. The weather had been rainy. I worried that I would fall over, spoil my clothes, injure myself.  The others were wearing old clothes and many of them were up in the rocky areas. some of them hiked every weekend. They were better equipped, or had already got stained and torn clothes which were specially for hiking.  The first morning, near the wait for the cable car, I had gone into a well equipped shop to buy a new rucksack. Waterproof Shoes I had heard a customer in the shop at the base of the cable car ask for waterproof shoes. The seller said the shoes were not entirely waterproof but water repellent. The customer was satisfied and bought them. I had not thought that my shoes had any special qualities, or I had forgotten. Mine are brand FILA, or FIL with what looks like a letter A missing the bar. Made in C

Tattoos To Disguise Blemishes and Scars Post 352

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Tattoo to disguise scars. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. My friend is pretty and elegant. I asked, "Why do you need tattoos?" She told me, "I use them to disguise blemishes I wish to hide. A scar from a fall. Or a reminder of an epidural. Or a vaccination mark. Now instead of looking at a scar, I have something pretty to look at. I have one on my lower leg, one on my lower back on my spine, and one on my upper arm." Please share links to your favourite posts.  

Red, White and Blue Holiday Dress (label Swarna) Post 351

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Angela Lasnbury wearing a red, white and blue holiday dress. Photo by Trevor Sharot. Holiday Buys This red, white and blue dress was bought on a previous holiday. I only wore it once or twice because I bought it towards the end of the holiday. Besides, one of the reasons for buying soething new on holiday is to have something new to wear. Now, on a second holiday, the dress has a second outing. Even though I am with some of the same people, they may have forgotten the dress. I had forgotten it! Advantages Of Thin Fabric The cotton is very lightweight, thin. Takes up little room in the suitcase.  The Colour Scheme The white effect of the bodice is summery. Blue and red gives me a choice of accessories for co-ordination and different looks. Sleeves The sleeves are long enough to protect from draughts and sun, but light enough to push up. Belt I particularly liked the two half ribbons at the waist. They act as a belt and add a bit of shape. I remember looking at a rack of dresses, mostly

Colourful cap from New Zealand with Kiwi bird, gift for a child, or adult Post 350

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  A very pretty cap from New Zealand. It was bought as a gift for a four-year-old child. The cap has the words New Zealand. But is not just advertising nor boasting. It is decorative.  The hat background is both navy blue, and pink. The colours scheme is enhanced by touches of turquoise and purple.  The pattern is a kiwi bird and flowers and turquoise leaves. The flowers appear twice on both the brim and the dome. Four styles of flower, the three small designs have white centres with pink, purple or turquoise petals. The larger flower is white with a pink centre around white, but also bluish points on the white. The kiwi bird is investigating the flowers. The more I look at my picture, the more I find to like.  Useful Websites The hat above is available from https://adorecollection.com/nz-kids-pink-and-blue-cap-size-54cm-kiwi-and-flowers/ Another hat on the New Zealand theme for adults: Ferns and Flowers. $19.95. https://wild-kiwi.co.nz/collections/caps Please share links to your favou

Inexpensive navy blue fitted bodice dress - a success Post 349

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Navy blue dress. Photo by Trevor Sharot.  Copyright.  The brand name is Moyabo. I found it when I did a search for dress with two pockets. It doesn't look that special but it has four or five features which make it a must wear everyday dress. 1 Inexpensive to buy. 2 Two pockets. At the waist. 3 Soft and comfortable to wear. Lightweight and stretchy. I did a search for the label to see whether I could find more about the company and maybe find co-ordinating clothes or similar styles. My search took me straight back to the original listing. The dress was offered twice at different prices. But the cheaper price added extra for postage, and the dearer price had postage included. My first thought was maybe a con trick.  My second thought was maybe they were doing test marketing.  My third thought was, it's to attract both of two kinds of searches, those wanting cheaper prices and those specifying postage included.  My fourth thought was maybe they tried it one way and changed their

Green buttons dark colour - was this a mistake? Post 348

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  Green velvety buttons, pinted buton second down, two ordered buttons larger size and darker colour. Photo by Angela Lansbury. The two green buttons arrived prettily presented in a stiff little bag with a soft white ribbon. Alas emerald green buttons were darker than on the screen and darker than the buttons which I wanted to match. I wrote to the supplier. They offered to exchange the buttons for a lighter green in a smaller size if I sent the dark ones back.  That was not worth my while to do so. It would mean paying for the postage of the return, plus my time and trouble.  Never mind. Lesson learned. Next time I shall write to the supplier in advance instead of after receiving the goods. Please share links to the posts you find most entertaining or informative.

Red and ready - with a Shein outfit - a bargain, post 347

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I received three outfits I had bought from Shein.  One was thin and blue, a dress with thin slit sleeves.The two red ones were a lovely colour but arrived badly creased. I hung them up. No change to the creases. I washed the other red outfit in cold water and hung it up. Cotton tea towels and tee shirts can be washed and hung up and pulled flat when wet. No luck.  I could iron. But I never iron. Or take them on holiday to a hotel and get them ironed - at vast expense. Or just wear them and see if sitting on them and stretching the fabric by wearing it makes any difference. No point in leaving a new outfit hanging up until it goes out of fashion. I found a red, white and black bouse to go with it. The Blouse in Black accents Plus Red The blouse label is Gallery. Five red buttons down the front. The Blouse Plant Pattern Back ground white, refreshing, but not all white so a stain or mark shows instantly. Black which co-ordinates well with a black bag and shoes, and coat. Red roses. This g

Chinese jacket with gold embroidery for a Japanese birthday dinner, and gold buttons. Dress of the night Number 346

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  Angela Lansbury wearing a Chinese jacket with gold embroidery. Photo by Trevor Sharot. The Chinese Jacket I looked at the jacket. I told my husband: 'No washing instructions.When it gets dirty, you buy another one.' He replies, You wash it, cold water and gentle soap or mild detergent. I don't suppose it will come to any harm.' It looks to me like the colour might run. I would try a corner in cold water first. If I love a garment and it is good value, or I can bargain for a reduced price for two, I buy two different colours. If that two colours option is not available, I buy the same colour in two different sizes. The seams are inconspicuously sewn, inside out, so that you can wear the jacket inside out. But then you would lose the colourful and dramatic embroidery. Why would you wear it inside out? Either to protect the outside from getting stained and dirty when travelling and eating. Or to be inconspicuous. Less likely to get robbed. Blend in.  I bought the jacket

Period Pants from Marks & Spencer & More, post 345

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Period pants from Savida. Pants, UK. In the USA they would be called underpants. They come in two colours, black or dark blue with a mottled effect. They are triple layer. Could be useful for hiking and travelling. Or when you have a cough.  A pack of three full briefs for fifteen pounds. I then googled period pants and found lots of results.  Marks Marks & Spencer do a pack of three containing three different colours, black, white and pink, for sixteen pounds.  They also do different absorbencies. The options range though light, heavy, and extra heavy. And more styles, such as pantaloon style, like short tight shorts coming half way down your thighs. You can also buy leakproof swimwear with the brand name WUKA. Wikipedia has useful worldwide reviews of practices. Wiki picture. Useful search words (alphabetically):  A-D absorbent, absorbency adult diapers briefs,  cloth menstrual pads diapers E-K full briefs,  heavy absorbency,  heavy flow,  incontinence knickers,  L-R leaks, leakp

Buying buttons - sizes, shapes, shanks, security, alternatives, post 344

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 Buying Buttons You can buy sets of same colour upholstery buttons. All the same colour.  Fastening Make sure to check the back. Some have attached spikes. Others have indented or tunneled backs. Two or Four Holes I am an amateur sewer and untidy. I don't like having to be sure to get the right colour cotton for all the buttons, matching the fabric. I prefer a button with a shank at the back.  Black buttons, small and large, with two holes, four holes, and domed with a shank. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. You might feel that four holes means the button is more secure. Less included to swivel so that one two-hole button has a pair of holes vertical and the next beside it has the holes horizontal.  I keep my small buttons in a small button box. I bought this in a UK shop. Sets These listings can be confusing. Some of them say sets of ten. Then they say each. Each button or each set of ten? See what is listed when you start to place the order. Others are sold by weight. You can

Replacement button in green on Savida Top, dress of the day 343

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 Green replacement button. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Start colouring dark green 31, water colour pencil. Photo by Angela Lansbury. I bought this jumper in St Luke's charity shop in NW London England. It was reduced to under five pounds because it wasn't selling. The garment was missing one of the buttons on one of the sleeves. On the cuff. No spare buttons supplied. I wore it, with the missing button, to a dinner party at a private home. I discussed with a couple of friends what I could do to restore my top. The missing button was in position four out of five counting up from the end of the cuff. If it had been the last button I could have folded the ends of the cuffs up. But I needed another solution.  Remove the end button and sew it in the gap? So I would have five buttons on one cuff and four on the other cuff. I could turn back one cuff, or both. Remove one button from the other sleeve. So that I had four on each sleeve? Sew on one odd button? Remove button in position 2 o

Blue slit sleeve dress from Shein, dress of the day 342

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  Photo selfie by Angela Lansbury.  Shein dress with slit sleeves, in royal blue. The dress is not a cape, nothing at the back, no back interest. Not as elegant as I had hoped. My other two red items were creased. I ordered sale items.