THE LAST TIME I SAW PARIS, AND OTHER MUSING

 

Ooh, la la, doesn't Queen Camilla look incredible, on Their Majesties first official visit to France since the Coronation...

Pictured outside the Palace of Versailles, with Prime Minister Macron and Madame Macron before the official dinner...

Camilla looks regal and glamorous in navy Dior, with the fabulous King George VI Sapphire Suite of jewels.   Her hair looks different, and I think it suits her well.

On arrival in Paris, Camilla was chic in pastel pink, with a sweet beret-style matching hat..

I think every woman feels a desire to be chic when in Paris...

Springtime bees among the flowers outside the Red Cardinal Chateau...

It was 36C here this afternoon, a record breaking all-time high temperature for a September Spring..

Fortunately, a cool wind has blown up tonight....

I went looking for old pictures of myself in Paris.

This was in 2008.  I no longer recognize this woman...

2014: With Mona Lisa.

Clearly having a Bad Hair day...

Maybe having a thing for French stripes...

Buying hats in Nice, 2019.  We did not see Paris on that trip.

Dinner on the beach, Nice.

It seems unlikely we will ever travel to France again, but you never know.  Airfares from Australia to anywhere are now astronomical, and we are planning to close our family business and retire completely next year.  It is both exciting and a bit daunting.  Mr. Red Cardinal is already decluttering his office....

Keep cool, wherever you are.  

It seems the world is quite the hot place these days.

XXXXX

PREPARATIONS

 

Greetings from the Red Cardinal nest.

Our trip to Canada is nigh, and it has been all go around here as we try to remember how to do international travel and long-haul, 14 hour flights.

The pandemic has changed the world in so many ways.  

We need a travel app, and to not have flat phone batteries.

We need special masks for the plane, and details of our immunisations (both on paper and in our phones).

It has been four years since we travelled, four long years during which we have done a lot of isolating, and very little socialising.

And, to date, we have dodged the dreaded Covid 19 which at our age is definitely best avoided.

I have downloaded several books onto my Kindle.

That will take care of a few hours on the two flights as we travel to Ottawa.

I am taking my embroidery, my camera, and a travel journal plus a tiny watercolour paint set and drawing pencils to record our travels.

I am attempting to embroider a homage to Gustav Klimt's 'Garden Path with Chickens'... I have had that chicken button for years...

A lot of stitchery lies ahead here....

I planted this lovely little shrub about ten years ago, and it flowered for the first time recently.  They are beautiful large bracts of blue flowers, and I now do not recall the name of the plant.  

Well, welcome to the Garden of Neglect.

On the serious matter of a compact wardrobe which spans the cool weather, gradually warming through Spring in a place much cooler than our sub-tropical Brisbane:

My old heavy navy wool coat, plus a new fine wool pashmina scarf, as well as a navy puffer jacket.

 I added in a new light-weight shirt from Adrift, a local designer.

Then made a navy Liberty-style shirt, fabric from the much-loved fabric store Skaffs of Indooroopilly.  Sadly, like many others, they are closing down in the near future:

It does not photograph very well, but it is the popular Olya shirt from Paper Theory patterns which has been around for a few seasons.

There are concealed pockets at the front - I pulled out the opening on the left so you could see how the pocket bag is on the inside.

This is the fourth time I have made this, as it is very comfortable and good for travel.

Otherwise, I just take black and navy ponte pants, Levi jeans, a few stretch tops, two sweaters, black and pink, and a Summer dress hoping for a bright Spring day.

Everything was going along nicely until last week when my spectacles snapped in half.  Panic!  The Optician was unsure if they could be mended so they were sent off for repair and it seemed prudent to order new ones, urgently.

No doubt heavily influenced by my uncomplicated travel palette, I ordered pink frames, and a rush order came back on Friday, all fitted out with my multi-focal lenses. 

Never travel without spare glasses.

Fortunately, the black ones were able to be fixed so I have them in rotation too.

This is Coronation week..

Will you be watching the ceremony?

Take care

XXXXX

PINK

 

And just like that, Christmas is around the corner..

(Warning: this post is heavy on Christmas festive cheer).

It has been a busy, and slightly different, year for the Red Cardinals.

Our son and his family moved from Sydney to Brisbane to be near us.  We have been delighted by the arrival of our first granddaughter, and love spending time with her older brothers, the boy twins as well.

We seen them all once or twice a week for 'play' time..

and are still trying to keep our 'other lives' going as well.

Last week the Christmas tree went up..

I made it pink to celebrate our little grandie girl...

I have collected the occasional pink ornament for years, but never made a big feature of them before.

Selfridges, London, 2004

Ottawa, Canada, 2010

Made for me by my dear friend M.

All the fragile decorations are not coming out this year..

Instead, we are having a child-friendly theme including this fabulous Lego Gingerbread house.

The little boys love it!

Jacarandas continue blooming in their purple glory..

and our Agapanthus have arrived in force:

So what does one do when feeling just a little tired from the busyness, the round of medical appointments, commitment to the community, home and family?

Well, I have begun a 'slow stitching' project, using all my stashed fabric scraps, bits and bobs, to make my 'Roxy's Christmas Journal of Stitchery', a group sew-along on Facebook and Youtube.  Prompts are given every couple of weeks, and stitchers create their own visions.  Many are published on Facebook.

Some of my works in progress..

I am incorporating vintage bits of bobbin lace and tatting, made by my late mother...

Most of these fabrics are left over from quilts made 20 or 30 years ago.

Will I ever actually finish the book?  

I have no idea, but the stitching is soothing, and the creation is fun.

Enjoy the Season, and have a great week.

XXXX

IT'S A GIRL!

 

Hello

We received the most beautiful Easter gift last week: the arrival of a tiny new granddaughter...

She is our sixth grandchild, and the first little girl.

We are thrilled to bits, and can't wait to spend time cuddling this precious little pink bundle...

 She is a sweet baby sister for the twin boys, who are now 19 months old, and full of fun and Young Aussie, our first grandson who is nearly a teen.  We have been spending time playing with them while their parents are at the hospital.  

Naturally, I enjoyed running through the shops buying a few little 'new baby' items, all pink :)

and look forward to going through my fabric stash of dainty little floral prints and making a small item or two....

Best of all, the little one is located here in Brisbane and we so look forward to precious times rocking and singing with her..

Precious tiny fingers..

Have a joyful and Happy Easter

XXXXX