Its happened before, this- this total absolute abandonent of all that I am . It’s happened before and all who know me survived it and tutted and consoled me and laughed at me, while I, giddy on myself, forgot to change the sheets because I was too busy spray tanning my legs a delicious shade of conker brown…
You see Houskeepers, once in a while, I kind of fall in love with myself.
It doesn’t last and before too long I am back to she who I used to be: a person I like significantly more than my doppelganger in dangly earrings…
But what the heck is wrong with me? Do other women struggle to find a balance between their inner femme fatale and the housewife/mummy/superwoman extroadinaire they pride themselves on being? Do other women find themselves neglecting their laminated surfaces because they are too busy exfoliating their elbows? Are there other women in this world who occasionally find it damn near impossible to create anything more complicated than a rather fetching, accidently on purpose falling down hairdo, when they have a house and a business to run and a three year quite frankly stunned by his Mummy’s vast knowledge of the carb value of everything she allows past her lips?
Is this all part of some mystical grieving process? Will I come to my senses soon? Stop re-arranging my knicker drawer and start ironing my pinnies again?
Goodness I do hope so. All this preening is exhausting and I swear my windows must be the talk of the neighbourhood….
And above all else I miss you! Allow me five more minutes of utter vanity and I promise I’ll be back with a whole new scrumptiously delicious way of making your world a lovelier place to be…
Bear with me? As my Mum always says, this too will pass….
Create your own Brocante Life Book, plan Christmas, set up routines and rituals or live life the BrocanteHome way with my guided workbooks and planners.
I have spent the weekend just gone, lost in a book. The kind of book with such a strong sense of time and place that it was almost a surprise to find myself sitting here at my desk in modern day Ormskirk…
I haven’t baked for a Brocante lifetime. I gave it up as a bad job in favour of prawn salad and smoked haddock. For the sake of skinny thighs. But after a night spent on my knees convincing Finley that the "hair…
Goodness the things that happen to you. First you meet a man happy to cook you bangers and mash and keep you going with a steady supply of chocolate cake (I’m the bestest secret keeper in the world aren’t I??) and then…
N ever a borrower or a lender be. And I my darlings am both. It is books I borrow and books I lend and while other people barely notice bookshelves, I frequently have one eye on the person I am visiting and…
But I’m vain enough to want to share. Forgive my introspection. I’m trying to remember who I am. 1. The pink cardigan I am wearing in the picture above is my favorite garment in the the world. (My Mum has wonderful taste)….
“There is a widespread assumption that wives who don’t go out to work become cabbages. Now I ask you, among the working husbands of your acquaintance, are they all fascinatinating, glamorous and well-informed? Well then, don’t expect too much of women who…
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Remember the Cheriegate scandal? All the twittering remarks Cherie Blair made about being a busy working mother, and having a lot of balls to juggle and occasionally dropping one? While I'm not a huge fan of the Blairs (is anyone, right now?) I think she has a point. I seem to be able to only focus on one thing at a time. If it's the house, then forget about doing anything creative. If it's the kids, then forget about the housework. If it's crafting, then forget about everyone and everything else… If it's my appearance then lord knows that's most of the day gone! I'm sure we're supposed to be juggling with more than one ball, but I can only manage one in the air at once, while the rest lie in complete disarray at my feet. So no, you are NOT the only one!
You are rediscovering someone that has always been there, but has been a bit hidden for a long time. Enjoy it! Relish it! Though you may not spend as much energy & effort on it in the future, you will still reap the benefits of the self confidence that you are gaining!
There is not one single woman on this planet who is perfect (nor any men). We are who we are–good and bad. At some point (frequently) we all drop the ball and worry about finding our balance again. One of my best friends pointed out that she knows all the good things and the bad things about me–she says "I love you just as you are, warts and all." Now if I can only remember to stop and love myself now and then–to remind myself that life is to be lived with joy and hope. So don't berate yourself, Alison, none of us are without our little foibles and we are all off-balance now and then.
You just do what heals and nurtures YOU. If you want to play dress up all day or wear dangly earings on a Tuesday, then, by George, you do it! Your house may not be spotless but you will feel good about YOU and once you meet and greet that new goddess that is emerging, you will see……she will fit in right nicely with your established and familiar routines and not only will your house be lovely and scrumptious, but so will YOU be! It is all a healthy, natural part of becoming one with your "single-ness" and preparing for what………or whom………lies ahead. We are here…we never left. Nancy
You go for it Queen! Listen, if you were to see the state of my "laminated surfaces" and windows then you would not even begin to worry. You have fun! Go with it and we'll all see you on the other side!!
It doesn't have to be one or the other – it can be both, and you can be happy! I guess it's the time factor, but you absolutely have to take care of yourself. That's the first thing, and then everything else falls into place. And think about what a pretty sight you will be on that ladder, in your pretty pinny, cleaning the windows! I love your blog…
I remember reading a comment by Marian Keyes to the effect of"as women we cant have it all because we are too busy doing it all" and its true,you cant be all things to every body,but looking after yourself is no sin,how can the rest all fall into place if we are not taking care of ourselves? continue to pamper and preen to your hearts content Alison you are more than worthy.xx
We all need at some point in our lives to languish in the NARCISSUS COMPLEX. It will cleanse the soul after the battering it recently took. Keep staring in the water as long as it takes.
We all need at some point in our lives to languish in the NARCISSUS COMPLEX. It will cleanse the soul after the battering it recently took. Keep staring in the water as long as it takes.
I read a term today that sums up what we women need to do… it is called self-basting. We have to take care of ourselves and do special things for our selves to make us feel good, because no one else is. Or at least no one else does it enough. I think the term started in the Wall Street Journal. They commented that it is a very common problem with women. So self-baste away dear Alison. You deserve it!
I read a term today that sums up what we women need to do… it is called self-basting. We have to take care of ourselves and do special things for our selves to make us feel good, because no one else is. Or at least no one else does it enough. I think the term started in the Wall Street Journal. They commented that it is a very common problem with women. So self-baste away dear Alison. You deserve it!
You do what you have to do… can't do it all at once, although it does help if you don't lose the thread of paid work! (Especially since it all turns up at once) I laughed at the windows comment, my mum's phrase was "She never irons her nets…"
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Remember the Cheriegate scandal? All the twittering remarks Cherie Blair made about being a busy working mother, and having a lot of balls to juggle and occasionally dropping one? While I'm not a huge fan of the Blairs (is anyone, right now?) I think she has a point. I seem to be able to only focus on one thing at a time. If it's the house, then forget about doing anything creative. If it's the kids, then forget about the housework. If it's crafting, then forget about everyone and everything else… If it's my appearance then lord knows that's most of the day gone! I'm sure we're supposed to be juggling with more than one ball, but I can only manage one in the air at once, while the rest lie in complete disarray at my feet. So no, you are NOT the only one!
We are with you Alison!! 🙂
You are rediscovering someone that has always been there, but has been a bit hidden for a long time. Enjoy it! Relish it! Though you may not spend as much energy & effort on it in the future, you will still reap the benefits of the self confidence that you are gaining!
There is not one single woman on this planet who is perfect (nor any men). We are who we are–good and bad. At some point (frequently) we all drop the ball and worry about finding our balance again. One of my best friends pointed out that she knows all the good things and the bad things about me–she says "I love you just as you are, warts and all." Now if I can only remember to stop and love myself now and then–to remind myself that life is to be lived with joy and hope. So don't berate yourself, Alison, none of us are without our little foibles and we are all off-balance now and then.
Sometimes you have to focus on pampering the goddess that you are. Then you can put that love for yourself into your surroundings…
You just do what heals and nurtures YOU. If you want to play dress up all day or wear dangly earings on a Tuesday, then, by George, you do it! Your house may not be spotless but you will feel good about YOU and once you meet and greet that new goddess that is emerging, you will see……she will fit in right nicely with your established and familiar routines and not only will your house be lovely and scrumptious, but so will YOU be! It is all a healthy, natural part of becoming one with your "single-ness" and preparing for what………or whom………lies ahead. We are here…we never left.
Nancy
You go for it Queen! Listen, if you were to see the state of my "laminated surfaces" and windows then you would not even begin to worry. You have fun! Go with it and we'll all see you on the other side!!
It doesn't have to be one or the other – it can be both, and you can be happy! I guess it's the time factor, but you absolutely have to take care of yourself. That's the first thing, and then everything else falls into place. And think about what a pretty sight you will be on that ladder, in your pretty pinny, cleaning the windows!
I love your blog…
I remember reading a comment by Marian Keyes to the effect of"as women we cant have it all because we are too busy doing it all" and its true,you cant be all things to every body,but looking after yourself is no sin,how can the rest all fall into place if we are not taking care of ourselves? continue to pamper and preen to your hearts content Alison you are more than worthy.xx
We all need at some point in our lives to languish in the NARCISSUS COMPLEX. It will cleanse the soul after the battering it recently took. Keep staring in the water as long as it takes.
We all need at some point in our lives to languish in the NARCISSUS COMPLEX. It will cleanse the soul after the battering it recently took. Keep staring in the water as long as it takes.
yeah right, don`t forget Cherie always has 'help' to do the chores.
I read a term today that sums up what we women need to do… it is called self-basting. We have to take care of ourselves and do special things for our selves to make us feel good, because no one else is. Or at least no one else does it enough. I think the term started in the Wall Street Journal. They commented that it is a very common problem with women. So self-baste away dear Alison. You deserve it!
I read a term today that sums up what we women need to do… it is called self-basting. We have to take care of ourselves and do special things for our selves to make us feel good, because no one else is. Or at least no one else does it enough. I think the term started in the Wall Street Journal. They commented that it is a very common problem with women. So self-baste away dear Alison. You deserve it!
You do what you have to do… can't do it all at once, although it does help if you don't lose the thread of paid work! (Especially since it all turns up at once)
I laughed at the windows comment, my mum's phrase was "She never irons her nets…"