New Clothes, and an Award!

Firstly, the award. I've only just noticed that Tina very kindly nominated me for the Stylish Blogger Award; Tina, thank you very much and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to realise! Now I have to tell you 7 obscure things about myself. Crikey; could take me all night to think of seven vaguely interesting things about myself.

1) I used to have seven piercings - my tongue, my nose, three in one ear and four in the other. I took my tongue stud out the day my little boy was born (so that's nearly two years ago - time flies) because I had to go into theatre to have a forceps delivery and there was a chance it could turn into a c-section, so no jewellery was allowed. After that I didn't think a tongue stud was the sort of thing a mummy should have! Not long ago I lost the earring that was in the top of my ear when my hairdresser accidentally knocked it out while washing my hair and it went down the sink; I haven't been bothered to put another one back in. I'm now debating whether a 39-year-old should have a nose stud. I may take it out on the eve of my 40th birthday.

2) I'm an only child. Never really bothered me. Sometimes I think it would be nice to have a sibling to talk to, but I've seen enough families where siblings don't get on to realise being a "lonely only" isn't so bad after all!

3) I went to a private, all-girls secondary school and loved pretty much every minute of it. I'm still in touch with several of my very close friends from the time. I wouldn't hesitate to send my little boy to a single-sex, private school (finances premitting, of course!)

4) I studied Latin and Greek at school - that's the sort of thing that a private school enables you to do that a comprehensive usually doesn't. I'm pretty sure that learning both of these languages is what has given me such an interest in words, grammar, spelling, etc. It's amazing how may words in the English language have a root in Latin or Greek.

5) I love to cross-stitch and knit, when I have the time and the inclination. I have a pattern and I have the wool to make Arthur a jumper; now I just have to put the two together.

6) I love to read. There are currently 140+ unread books on my bookshelf. At an average of 18 books a year (which is the number I've read for the past two years), that's about 9 years worth of books. And still I can't stop buying more. Obessession is the word that springs to mind. However, now that I've worked out how to balance a book on the treadmill when I go to the gym, my yearly average should be going up!

7) My first job when I was still at school was in a greengrocer's, every Saturday. In the winter it was absolutely freeeeeezing - no heating allowed as it would make the fruit & veg sad and wrinkly; but at least I know the difference between a swede and a turnip, I can wrap 5lbs of potatoes in a sheet of newspaper (that's how we did it!) and I can roughly work out how much a quarter of mushrooms is without needing the scales. What a grounding in life!

I now need to nominate 15 bloggers for this award, but I figure since it has clearly been going round for a while and I took so long to realise, most of you already have it. If you don't, consider yourselves nominated by me!

And now for my new clothes. Hubby & the small boy are up in Wigan visiting Grandma and Grandad this weekend so I've had plenty of time to myself for popping into town. This afternoon I picked up two long jersey tops in M&S (reduced from £19.50 to £12); when I went to the changing room to try them on I took an 18 and a 20 - the 18 (that's a US14, I think) fitted! Yay! Doesn't look anything special in the photos, but they'll be great, easy tops to pull on. And it just goes to show that there's really no need to avoid horizontal stripes (or 'hoops' as hubby insists on saying).

Then an even bigger and better bargain caught my eye in John Lewis (on the 'East' concession stand) - a lovely wrap dress reduced from £75 to £25, and again in a size 18. Now, I'll definitely need the Spanx pants on when I wear this, but I'm so chuffed to have a dress that will do for any vaguely 'tidy' events. Excuse gormless expression, I just can't figure out how to photograph myself in the mirror.