I am stalking a lady with auburn hair. Not literally. I’m not prowling around her garden or trailing her around the supermarket. I’m not that weird. I’m simply stalking her in my head because she is fabulous and I want to be her. Or marry her. Or insist she be my best friend so a bit of her fabulousity could rub off on me.
I fell in love with her house first. A huge Victorian villa on a road lined with them. Most elegant and lovely but none with a bright pink caravan in the front garden. For she of the auburn pin curls has a pink caravan in the garden, presided over by a hairdresser’s mannequin that sits rather splendidly in the window, casting a beady eye over passers by and no doubt declared mawkish by those who do not appreciate the derring do of the blissfully eccentric.
The house sits across the road from Ste’s place of work and each time I picked him up, I muttered my appreciation of the pink caravan, and the rather wild fake plants stood about in matching pink pots and watched as the people of the house transformed it with a stern grey paint that offset the pink delightfully and wondered frequently who could possibly be so deliciously madcap and then one day I rocked up in the middle of the day and there she was: the woman I do believe the universe intended me to be. A woman of a certain age, wearing a dramatic black kimono, with bare legs, a headful of pin-curls and jewellery dripping off her. A woman who had dragged her maiden into the front.garden and was busy draping it in vintage linens.
In her dressing gown. Drying the loveliest laundry in the whole wide world in the front garden. With fabulous hair and a pink caravan.
It was love at first sight.
I love her. I told Ste.
Why? She looks a bit mad. What do you love about her? he replied.
But oh, how to explain? That she was so extravagantly, deliciously herself? That she didn’t care about causing a pin-curled stare, by conducting her domestic business on the glorious steps of her glorious house? Caring not a jot about blending in, but busy being so authentically her that her life had become a work of joyfully pink art?
I have seen her many times since then. Once in a silly, happy, tattoo revealing, sundress with a head full of bouncy auburn curls artfully arranged and once in a floaty, floor trailing tropical print, her pin-curls and a simply enormous pair of earrings. Always fabulous. Even when she is rearranging the plant-pots, or raking the white gravel her caravan sits on.
And each time I see her, I want to jump out of my sensible white car, in my sensible uniform of head to toe black and ask her to show me how to be my own version of who she is: my own version of living out loud authenticity. How to find the energy? How to give no hoots? How to un-tether the aura of dullness I do believe I have recently draped myself in?
I want to say “Were you always like this, or did something set you free?”
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.
The HouseKeepers Festival. A weekly celebration of all things scrumptiously homely. Contributed by you. With prizes! The Brocante Salon. A fabulous new forum and members area where we can natter to our hearts content… HouseKeepers Wisdom. Showcasing all the very best advice…
There is a funny little article by Nikki Racklin (above) about the gender divide between men and women when it comes to Cath Kidston, on The Daily Telegraph this week… Says she: "My husband just doesn’t get it. "Ugh, too much chintzy…
Oh Kristy thank you, thank you, thank you. I love my scrumptiously pretty tin. It’s the perfect size for the dolly pegs in my little laundry room. You are an angel. I’m sorry I’ve been such a rubbish friend lately. Hope you…
On Friday night, Mark had just returned home from a fourteen hour shift, when the phone went at 10.30pm and he was called back to work for the entire night… So by the morning of his birthday he fair old crawled his…
The cutest little matching aprons for you and little you to wear to stir in a sixpence or carve the turkey, by Sugar Chic Baby on Etsy. Other Things To Do At BrocanteHome Browse the Bookstore Discover a curated list of books…
Alright my little Munchkins, ready to meet the second of my wonderful guest bloggers? A Thrifty Mrs will be well known to many of you so I am delighted to have the honour of her committent to bringing her scrumptiously thrifty ideas…
11 Comments
Yes, yes, yes!!! I thought I was the only one who like to breakout of my boring, everyday self. If I only knew what that would be. Thank you so much for this post!
Go say hi!!!! Casually walk by and tell her you love her caravan. Stick out your hand to shake hers and say “Hi, my name is Alison…” Maybe she is your friend in waiting. Maybe she’d love to meet you. And… isn’t it fascinating to think the impact that any one of us could be making in the world just by our presence without realizing it? Who could be stalking any one of us right now? But the connections are never made because we all live in our bubble of what’s considered socially acceptable ways of interacting.
Oh, to be the deliciously authentic mystery woman…I think we all possess some version of her within us…but we’re just waiting to get the nerve to set her free.
Oh Alison, lovey – go and ring her doorbell and simply look at her and say “help me be free” and I guarantee she will do! Meanwhile, paint your toenails metallic beetle-wing-green. It’s a start…
Tell her you’d like to interview her for your blog. I’d like to meet her, too. She makes me think of Tasha Tudor – an artist who left the world behind to follow her heart…living on a farm, gardening, painting, and all the while dressed in dresses from another era, including bonnets and aprons. She inspires! When I retired I said I’d never put on another pair of pantyhose, wear long skirts and flip flops. Ive done it. (tried to put on a pair of pantyhose recently, but couldn’t manage it – I’m too stiff!) LOL – Oh well. Oh, I quit shaving my legs, too. Yeaaah – I feel so FREE!
I’m thirding the suggestion from Gigi of going and ringing the doorbell or simply talking to her over the garden wall, asking if you can interview her for your blog! Go on – it’s the perfect excuse! We really DO all want to meet her too!
{"id":null,"mode":"form","open_style":"in_place","currency_code":"USD","currency_symbol":"$","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":300,"top_media_type":"featured_image","featured_image_url":"http:\/\/brocantehome.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/tipjar-2.png","featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"Leave a tip","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"BrocanteHome","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"BrocanteHome","form_subtitle":"Help Me to Keep BrocanteHome Online","currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thank you so much: helping me keep Brocantehome online really means the world to me.","payment_confirmation_title":"BrocanteHome","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to tip?","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please choose a valid currency."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}
Yes, yes, yes!!! I thought I was the only one who like to breakout of my boring, everyday self. If I only knew what that would be. Thank you so much for this post!
I love this so much!!!
You need to get out of the car and go talk to her!
Go say hi!!!! Casually walk by and tell her you love her caravan. Stick out your hand to shake hers and say “Hi, my name is Alison…” Maybe she is your friend in waiting. Maybe she’d love to meet you. And… isn’t it fascinating to think the impact that any one of us could be making in the world just by our presence without realizing it? Who could be stalking any one of us right now? But the connections are never made because we all live in our bubble of what’s considered socially acceptable ways of interacting.
Oh, to be the deliciously authentic mystery woman…I think we all possess some version of her within us…but we’re just waiting to get the nerve to set her free.
I wonder…if she is a Brocante reader!
Oh Alison, lovey – go and ring her doorbell and simply look at her and say “help me be free” and I guarantee she will do!
Meanwhile, paint your toenails metallic beetle-wing-green. It’s a start…
Tell her you’d like to interview her for your blog. I’d like to meet her, too.
She makes me think of Tasha Tudor – an artist who left the world behind to follow her heart…living on a farm, gardening, painting, and all the while dressed in dresses from another era, including bonnets and aprons. She inspires!
When I retired I said I’d never put on another pair of pantyhose, wear long skirts and flip flops. Ive done it. (tried to put on a pair of pantyhose recently, but couldn’t manage it – I’m too stiff!) LOL – Oh well.
Oh, I quit shaving my legs, too. Yeaaah – I feel so FREE!
Yes, say hello! I love the idea of asking to interview her for your blog; as Gigi said, I’d love to meet her, too.
I’m thirding the suggestion from Gigi of going and ringing the doorbell or simply talking to her over the garden wall, asking if you can interview her for your blog!
Go on – it’s the perfect excuse! We really DO all want to meet her too!
Oh how fun! ? Maybe we can let the wild lady out just a bit at a time? ? Maybe no one will notice until it’s too late! ?