Thursday 19 February 2009

Colour me a picture



Can it really be nearly the end of the week? Half term almost over? I'n sure days over half terms are at least two hours shorter than any other day of the year ... We've been having a good week, a gentle week trying to find some colour despite the grey skies. My lovely M gave me this beautiful pink posy (perhaps too big for a posy) of flowers for Valentines Day. Roses, tulips and ranunculus, some of my favourite flowers in my favourite colour...



We had a lovely day at home us Roses. Mr Roses disappeared into the kitchen late afternoon, leaving us girl roses in front of the TV watching I Capture the Castle (again, but really oh so perfect for Valentines Day) and passing round a huge bowl of chocolates that Big Sister had bought for us to share. Once again Big Sister and I blubbed our way through it whilst Little Sister rolled her eyes and did her best to comfort us. Meanwhile in the kitchen M had rustled up an almighty feast for us all including heart shaped mashed potatoes for the girls ... I waddled back to the TV afterwards to watch Edge of Love with him. Not perhaps the perfect pairing of films. more a heads and tails of love, but I enjoyed them both.



The days this week have been grey and overcast. On Tuesday we went for our walk.



The skies may have been miserable but there were tantalising glimpses of sunshine. Us three girls climbed up and down our favourite paths along the Downs and through the woods.



Six years apart in age, it does me good to see my daughters united sometimes like this, walking hand in hand, if not shoulder to shoulder, laughing and giggling, who'd have thought that only an hour earlier they were screeching at each other at home?



We are all together so rarely these days and I know as the girls grow up those days will dwindle even more and I am learning to treasure these times as much as possible - screeching apart.



Yesterday we decided on a whim to go to London. To see some colour. Another grey day but there's always colour to be found in London. This florist stall sits at the end of a street that I remember coming to when I had just left school. I'd just been given my first reading list for University and I'd come here to buy my French text books, feeling oh so excited and grown up. Just seeing all these beautiful flowers brought all those memories back.



Big sister has had lots of art work to do recently. I remembered how wonderful a visit I made to the National Gallery was when I was her age with my school. So we decided to go there and pop in first of all to National Portrait Gallery. I'm glad we did. So many wonderful portraits, photographs etc. A great collection of photos from Vanity Fair too. We looked at the more modern portraits from the last century or so, fantastic! A great collection of Bloomsbury paintings. The girls couldn't believe they saw so many famous people painted in so many different styles. (we also spent an inordinate amount of time examining in close up how to paint shoes, but that's another story ...).



We ate some sandwiches in Trafalgar Square and it felt so strange to be sitting there like a tourist when I had grown up in London and knew the place so well. A whistle stop tour of the National Gallery allowed Little Sister and Big Sister to see some of the most famous paintings in the world - they couldn't believe that there in front of them was Van Gogh's Sunflowers and Yellow Chair, in one corner was that famous painting by Renoir - in fact so many paintings that they had seen so many times in books, postcards, t shirts were there in front of them. It was lovely to watch them looking at them close up for the first time.



But there's only so much culture us Roses, well the younger ones, can take. With vouchers from Christmas burning a hole in their pockets, I knew it was time to tackle Oxford Circus. We walked up Regent Street, passed the shop I used to work in on Saturdays when I was at school, we pressed our noses against the window at Hamleys, waved at Libertys and arrived at teenage heaven - Topshop. No shortage of colour here! I watched Big Sister dance her way through the rails, Little Sister and I trailing behind, she swooped from one item to another and I remembered how I used to feel in just this very shop years ago. We emerged relatively unscathed, minus the Christmas vouchers, but Big Sister triumphant holding a skirt that coincidentally resembles all the beautiful paintings we'd seen that day and the promise of Spring days that lie ahead.

28 comments:

Lisa said...

Beautiful skirt, great choice, I'm sure she'll look fab in it!
Lovely mix of activities this half term, hope you all enjoy the last few days as much.
Lisa x

Cape Cod Rambling Rose said...

Oh Kim! What an enchanting post! You've transported me back to London! I remember gasping at the ORIGINAL paintings that were before us when we went to the National Gallery. Hubby let the pigeons do a dance on his arm in Trafalgar Square! =) And TopShop - wasn't there when I was (I've just dated myself)! lol But I do remember trying on some dresses at Laura Ashley and buying two identical dresses in different prints (and I can still fit into them)! =) At least I THINK I can! lol

It sounds like you had a beautiful Valentine's Day! It will be Spring one of these days. We have warmer days, but each night brings yet another inch of snow...

Emma Herian said...

Its a shame we missed that walk Kim, but looks like you had fun. LONDON! Oh you lucky lucky girls.
Even with dull grey skys I am sure yougals brought colour to the town!!!
M has very good taste, beautiful flowers. Mr Sew Recycled must take note!
Emx

Louise said...

Love the skirt. If I was stones lighter and years younger I would wear it! You have had a fun packed half term. The posy from your husband for Valentines is just beautiful. x

Poppy said...

I’m glad you liked the bits Kim!

You write the most beautiful posts, I felt like I was there with you all, I love going too London!

If only I was younger I would be wearing that skirt, I love it!
Enjoy what is left of the week. love Lou xxx

Jane's Fabrics and Quilts said...

Oh, I so enjoyed reading your post, I have three girls one 27, married and expecting out first grandbaby at the end of march, one 25 and getting her PHD in History and our youngest age 13 and in 7th grade. it is so fun to take the girls places and for me to se how kind the older ones are to their baby sister. do not worry, my girls still "play" together and yours will to when they are older. By the way, those would be my favorite flowers too. I adore pink roses. Thank you for sharing your fun!

Thimbleanna said...

What a perfect day Ms. Roses! Did you by any chance see my favorite painting? I forget it's official name -- it's the beheading of Lady Jane Grey. I'll never forget the first time I saw it -- on that little bench in front of it, staring up at it, I felt as if I were there! You're so lucky to live so close to such fabulous museums!

And ahem. Surely you didn't think I could post without a mention of those mashed potatoes< did you? Mr. Roses must truly be a peach to fix such a special treat. And really dear... you KNOW you should have eaten them! {wink}{wink}

Sal said...

What a beautiful skirt!
I remember my first trip to London after I had gone to away, to train to be a teacher. It was a Sunday and I could not believe how everything was so alive,shops open, the buzz of the place blew me over totally.
I used to spend a lot of time in the city,doing the galleries and museums...and I adored Biba!!
Happy days. ;-)

Willow said...

Thanks so much Kim! You have just described the perfect day in London that I *wanted* to have this half term .... but sadly, never got around to!

The National Gallery sounds wonderful - it's definitely next on my list. Luckily, both DD & DS are quite arty and love galleries & museums. We visited the Tate Modern last time we were in London and surprisingly, they really enjoyed it (ok, we may have used a trip to Oxford Street as a bribe for later!). I'd also like to visit the Shakespeare exhibition - have you been?

Willow xx

Simone said...

I remember the thrill of going to Top Shop and looking for the most outrageous item of clothing to wear! I am a Londoner and I don't remember ever going to the National Gallery or National Portrait Gallery although I probably did when I was small. I must put it on my 'to do' list.

Fancy Elastic said...

Great skirt... I still get excited about going to Topshop, but am always disappointed when i get there and realise that everything is far too young for me! Old habit die hard, hey?!

xx

Shabby Chick said...

Beautiful flowers, Mr Roses is good isn't he! Ranunculus is one of my favourite flowers though didn't do too well in the garden here when I tried growing them.

Sounds like you had a great time in London. It's so long since I went, I would like to go again but I do find all the travelling v stressful. I like the skirt your daughter found, I always found Topshop too intimidating even when I was a teenage size 10!

Mel xxx

{Love, Love, Love} said...

I love your valentines flowers: they are so beautiful!!!!
Your day in London sounded lovely: I love to go there for the day, do a bit of shopping and discovering as there is always something new to find! x

Carol said...

I enjoyed reading this Kim...gentle lifestyle. You have two wonderful girls, so much still to look forward to with them. I remembered on reading this, spending our half terms doing just the same. Time flies too quickly. My little girl is now arrangeing Judes Christening!
Take care,
Hugs,
Carol xx

Carol said...

I enjoyed reading this Kim...gentle lifestyle. You have two wonderful girls, so much still to look forward to with them. I remembered on reading this, spending our half terms doing just the same. Time flies too quickly. My little girl is now arrangeing Judes Christening!
Take care,
Hugs,
Carol xx

Tracy said...

What a lovely time you are having...such fun! And what a beautiful, eloquent musing of it...These photos are stories in themselves. Enjoy the last days before back to real life again. :o) ((HUGS))

Deravelled Gem said...

What a lovely day out you had!! And that skirt is yummy!!! My little sister lives and works in London, but I don't get to go down there as often as I would like. The National Portrait Gallery is always worth a visit - it's got to be one of the most incredible places to visit in London. :)

Gemma x x

Emily said...

I love your pictures! Especially the flowers :) We got some of those big pink cabbage roses in at our shop for Valentine's Day too. They're georgeous!

Cowboys and Custard Mercantile said...

A wonderful trip down memory lane and a muddy lane..
Mr Custard and I went to the National Gallery a few years ago and spent most of our time there gazing at the icons.. exquisite works of art..
The mention of Hamleys made my heart leap.. My dear mother took me there every Christmas and I always headed straight to the top floor to visit the dolls...
Such happy memories..
Treasure these moments my friend.. they are so very precious..
Dxx

silverpebble said...

Oh I'm rather envious of that skirt - a great choice! Beautiful posy too - glad you had such a lovely trip to London - looking forward to my girls growing up so we can have adventures like this too! Emma x

dottycookie said...

Gosh, you did well for a single day in London! We never manage nearly that amount.

We were sorry to miss you the other day, but we raised a teacup to you at Badgers anyway - next time perhaps!

Curlew Country said...

Now that's a half-term to remember! I started to buy fresh flowers for myself when I moved to London (always had them, from um's garden before) and tehy were so expensive but they were a wonderful treat! I think hyacinths were my first bought bunch from a stall near Ledenhall Market. Thanks for brigning back a lovely memory.

Your bunch is so beautiful and I love the idea of heart-shaped mash!
Hope you all enjoy what's left of the holiday.
Stephx

Pam said...

I especially love the pic of the two sisters walking together. Sweet!

meggie said...

Another lovely post. Taking us from your beautiful boquet, to the country walk, the horses, then into the busy city, the art, the bustle, & a lovely skirt to round off the day.

Kathryn said...

Love the skirt, it's so pretty.
Kathryn

A time to dance said...

I love the skirt it looks really vintage...sounds like a wonderful day out..I loved all your pictures...I am afraid I find Topshop too loud and bright...my experience of t recently made me feel old...thank goodness our trips into town are far and few between..have a good week...H

OhSoVintage said...

What a lovely day out together, Kim. The 'Roses' family seem to spend a lot of time doing great things together - you sound like such a united family!
Ruth x

Shirl said...

TopShop in Oxford Circus, now there's a store. I used to have my hair cut downstairs at TopShop years ago when I worked around the corner.

Lovely skirt; those eighties florals are back again lol!