No TV

Due to my bug/lurgy, I unfortunately missed the opening of the Paralympics, but I will watch on the iPlayer. I heard Dr Stephen Hawking on the radio and his opening speech was nothing short of inspirational.

So, back to Friday and I'm home after having successfully purchased hair straighteners cheaper than expected, and after completing two tours of the supermarket, I can only manage a "small" trolley due to the depth of the big ones and lifting in and out etc, so I do one sweep, deposit in the car and go back to pick up more bottled water, then head home.

By the time I get home, I'm feeling slightly short of breath and a little overwhelmed. I have bills to pay... deadline today, cleaning, washing, ironing, dropping off to do. I decide to pay a bill and phone my cousin L, if she is free for a 10 minutes time out and to get my breath back.

My skin is terrible, I am hormonal to the extreme and I am on a personal safety training course on Monday and Tuesday... after normal work on Saturday and Sunday... do we really think I am in sane enough of mind to go on the PST on Monday????  If the course involves tackling someone to the ground, I think I'll win.

So I thankfully get to speak to L for a few minutes of calming chat.  I pay the necessary bills, catch up on emails and texts and potter while I have on "Murder By Numbers," the one with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Gosling, did I tell you that I am in between TV providers?  No?  Well, I have no TV at present, so it's DVDs all the way.  After "Murder By Numbers", I switch to "The Notebook", no prizes for noticing that a certain Mr Gosling stars in both films, I don't care.

So, "Murder By Numbers" is great and "The Notebook"?  Well, I watch two thirds then sob through the final third, then rewind while I write to you and re-sob through the final third as I missed it first time around through all of the sobbing. 

I burnt the front of my thigh last Monday, while ironing in shorts, I was all ready to warn you of the perils of ironing in shorts but then realised that you have probably done that for the past five years, give or take... without damaging yourself.  Anyway, my burn is about 2.5cm long and is starting to dry out and stretch out and be a little sore.

So I go to bed with puffy eyes after the extended sobbing, and as is normal for weekends these days,  I seem to wake every 40 minutes, thinking that it is time to get up.  When my alarm finally goes off, (when I say alarm... I mean my three alarms, two clocks and one phone, so that I don't oversleep,) it is actually a relief to get up and finally start the day.

Tiny Sandy Bullock

So, it's Sunday morning, it was a little later when I disturbed this morning, I keep waking around 5am but this morning, it's nearer 6, woo hoo.  I keep nodding off but I'm conscious that of all mornings, I cannot sleep late today.  Still, I do nod a little and get up at 7.15, later than any other day this weekend.  I start to unload the dishwasher and get breakfast ready, (when I say, "get ready," I mean I'm getting the fruit out of the fridge as straight from the fridge fruit, pains my teeth.)  JR is up 5 minutes later so we get a move on, no dilly dallying this morning.

We're leaving home at 8.55am, JR drives most of the way then we park up in Ealing and get the Tube into central London so that we can head for the V&A, the Victoria and Albert Museum.  A few months ago, JR and I saw and exhibition of Princess Grace of Monaco's fashion, today, it's an exhibition of ballgowns from 1950's to present day.  I sent JR the link weeks ago, incase she wanted to go, not thinking that I'd get to go before the exhibition was over, but here we are, heading to view.

I wouldn't say I'm a total fashionista, and you would never know from looking at me, (as you know C,) but I can appreciate a good frock ;)  Some of the dresses are amusing, some interesting, some are works of art and are just mesmerising.  Add to that a bit of Hollywood glamour and you have me captivated. 

Three dresses that really caught my attention in particular, and came under the scruitiny of my aesthetic eye; dresses worn by Ms Sandra Bullock, Ms Rosie Huntington-Whitely and Ms Maggie Gyllenhaal, told you, a bit of glamour and I'm a total tart.  Anyway, I lingered longer than I should have in front of these gowns... then at the back of the display to check for bulldog clips.  These dresses are tiny!  I was mesmerised by Sandy Bullocks, she is gorgeous as we all know, and heaven knows, she's obviously slim, but this dress was tiny!!!! Sandy is tiny!  No bulldog clips in sight.  The camera must add more than 10lbs.  All three ladies must be over 5ft 7" and I would estimate that they are between a UK size 6-8, US size 2-4.  Seriously tiny.  The dresses were beautiful too, I've scoured Google and cannot find a close up of the dusky pink number with crystals by Roland Mouret that was Sandra Bullock's, it is beautiful and I soaked up every inch.

Also on display was a work of art by Marchesa, black/white/grey confectionery that any woman would have floated in, just beautiful.  And then the Princess of Wales' "Elvis" gown, remember the Catherine Walker white strapless dress with Bolero jacket that was crystal and pearl encrusted?  You would know it if you saw it.  It's a little lacklustre these days due to age, it's over 25 years old now but you can tell that it was once stunning, again, another tall lady.

I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition, I love anything like that.  I was however worried about getting into London and then back out so that I could get to the airport on time.  Still, all was fine and we even fitted in cheese on toast at home before JR drove me to the airport.



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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2145066/Ballgowns-British-Glamour-Since-1950-exhibition-V-A-museum-Formal-gowns-decades.html

Picture courtesy of Justjared.com