I should be so Lucky, lucky lucky lucky!

I've been a very very very lucky girl indeed ... Lots of treats for my birthday! My hot stone massage in Henley followed by rosepetal bath and choccies yesterday was divine!! Afterwards, Mr Marmalade and I had a spot of lunch and then a wander around the town. I have to tell you that the charity shops in Henley are more like exclusive boutiques! No junk there - i'm talking Monsoon, Jaeger, Diva, French Connection, Kaliko, Jaques Vertes etc! If you're in spitting distance from Henley and you haven't been there ... GO!

I didn't fancy dinner out, even though Mr M had booked us a table at a nice restaurant, so instead I put a roast in the oven, and while it was cooking, I opened my presents. Would you like to see? Well I'm going to show you anyway. I was quite overwhelmed!

There was Jewelery; shell spirals from my mother in law who got them on her recent trip to New Zealand, the message which came with them said "Koru (spiral), derived from the fern frond signifying new life, beginnings, harmony, peace and growth; a gorgeous little fabric/felt brooch from the lovely Kitty, a handcrafted acrylic heart from my favourite sister in law; a beautiful 'sparkly bracelet' from another close friend; a swallow pendant made by The Great Frog; and an equisite pair of opal earrings from the ever kind Miss T.

There were crafting treats too! This beautiful Japanese fabric from the gorgeous JennyFlower, you can't see here, but it's long and looks like it needs to be quilted into a nice wall hanging, I think it depicts the four seasons ... except there seem to be five (?). The gadget is from a friend of mine who also likes to sew, it's a 'multi purpose sewing tool' and is quite amazing .. it has 12 handy tools housed in that pen shaped tube, including a magnet, thread cutter, punch needle, and magnifying glass to name but a few!

There were corsets!


There were girly treats and a weekend away (is there no end to Mr M's generosity?)!

And there were friends. "Dear Fatty" is a reference to Dawn French's partner in crime, Jennifer Saunders. The Italian Connection and I have a similar connection except ofcourse, we're not famous. She's blonde, i'm dark, we do silly impressions, we're funny together, and we bounce off eachother intuitivly just like they do. We have long been fans. Can you see that spangly book there? It's a photo album from my "dear fatty"... except she's not fat by any stretch. She is awfully clever and witty though. And having conspired a little with Mr Marmalade, she put together this wonderful album for me!

With pictures from my childhood


and facts from the year I was born


Details of big events

And fun times - that bottom picture is my first wedding with Mr M in the registry office (we had the white dress day afterwards)

This page is all about our 'getting ready to go out' ritual from 20 years ago which we STILL practice today when circumstance allows!

These are rules from college ... that is, the rules BEFORE we attended. The year after, a new rule was added in our 'honour'. We don't have a copy of those rules, but the extra one was an empatic "nose studs are NOT allowed!". It's our claim to fame, and we love it. (As you can see, they'd already covered the pink hair factor!).

There was reference to my chinese birth year .. ha ha very funny!

And a range of 'advice' matched up to a range of idols ...

And at the end, there was this beautiful poem

Leisure
by W H Davies

WHAT is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?

No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep and cows:

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass:

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night:

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance:

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began?

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.