Friday, November 6, 2009

Floss is trying ~ very trying!

Over at Red Gingham, Sarah pointed us in the direction of an interesting post she discovered on the blog A Commonplace Life. It's a post that's clearly struck a chord with a huge number of readers - about how as bloggers we select the 'perfect' parts of our life to blog about, and how as readers we can be left with a sense of inadequacy compared to the percieved perfection of other bloggers.
I've certainly been in awe of a number of bloggers' homes and their crafting. Generally, though, I've sensed that they don't want to present a false impression - they just show pikkies of the nice stuff, which is fine by me.
What really threw me, however, was when I showed pictures of my indulgent little 'Country Living shoot' the other day and some people talked about how perfect things were and how their home will never look like that! Neither will mine, dear reader! That was a tiny corner of my patio, well-swept and well-cropped. This experience is what made Amy's post ring bells for me. My response has been to write the little 'Reality Check' to your left. I don't want to post about boring or unpleasant things, or downright laziness on the houskeeping front, but please realise they do exist! I'm just trying, like the rest of us.
j
Right, got that off my chest! Do you like the mantelpiece cloth I bought in Veti Relais today? I shall keep it until the season for fires is over, and will celebrate the arrival of late spring with bluebirds!This is the second piece of wool embroidery I've picked up recently. Ironing? But that's sooo 20th Century, daahling!
What I really love on it is the felted fringe.
Now, at Troc'relais, down the road, one of the ladies is a keen knitter. All summer she collects the balls of wool that come into the charity shop, and when winter approaches her blankets come into stock. That means now! You saw last year's multi-coloured single blanket yesterday, under the dog (seems ungrateful, doesn't it?). Today I bought this lap blanket for 2 euros 50. It's over the armchair near the computer, but I sense it may become a blogging blanket this winter...
I've seen this damaged potholder there for months, but a) I hadn't seen what Tif could do with pot holders then and b) it was damaged. I decided to go for it this time, and managed to pick up some mending equipment for it in the same shop...
Back at Veti Relais, they sell cotton crochet lace for 80c a metre. Ha! thought I. But in fact I have a project in hand right now which requires more lace, and more varied laces, than I am prepared to sacrifice, so I got a metre each of these two. I also met a friend from church, who will apparantly be working there for six months. I'll have to find out more...
Come on, needlewomen - is this kind of doiley knitted or crocheted? I really can't tell.
Finally, to business. My new, terrifying job teaching business English requires a smarter wardrobe than I currently own. Cardies not required. I was delighted to pick up three jackets which are acually quite 'Flossie', which fit, and are hopefully quite smart. Brown cord with a slightly Victorian feel:
Plum cord with ruffles:
Ruffled neck of same:
Beige linen-type country-style jacket.
I think they probably all belonged to one woman of the same size and taste as me!

And finally, we're keeping the home fires burning for Ben, who should arrive around midnight tonight. He says the red light district of Copenhagen is a lot less dramatic than you readers may have imagined!

20 comments:

Unknown said...

Oh Floss how true! My home is just the same! Just ordinary really, with lots of things that aren't perfect at all! And a few places and things that are as I want them, but such a long way to go! We have lived here for a year now, and there is so much to do yet!! In fact more to do than not! Good post, nobody wants to make anyone go away feeling inadequate, but I like to make cheery colourful and pleasant posts, so I do focus on my good bits! Maybe we should all have a show us your rough bits party!!! Love your cloth by the way, the colours are gorgeous. Thanks for visiting my good bits before! I think its wondeful being inspired by other peoples lives and choices. I love seeing your life in France! Suzie. xxx

Sarah - Red Gingham said...

Floss where do I start? I love that cloth with the wonderful bright coloured wools, the lace is heavenly, the doilies too, the jackets an amazing find on The Challenge, and that blanket for that price??!! Fabulous. You are doing well.

How disappointing about the red light district! Just kidding really.

So how about a rough bits party? You up for it?They would have to be real good photos, don't want to see a bit of dust on the mantle. Gosh I don't even dust.

Marigold Jam said...

I do so agree - we naturally don't post about the dross in our lives but that doesnt mean we don't have any! I'm up for the rough bits party too!

Love that jacket - Jacqueline Riu I noticed and one of the shops I loved when in France although much of the stuff was way too young for me.

I'd say that doiley was crocheted rather than knitted but I may be wrong.

Lucky you to have a charity shop you can go to they were few and far between in our neck of France.

Jane

Floss said...

PS How did that happen? I was just ordering a second hand book for Son 1 on Amazon when my hand slipped and I ordered a second hand copy of Cath Kidston Tips for Vintage Style! It is truly SCARY how easily that can happen.

Floss said...

I shall make it my Christmas present to myself.

Pomona said...

I have a friend who teaches English in France and she says just the same thing - sartorial standards are definitely higher your way! The little mat looks crocheted to me - although some of them were knotted or netted as well I think. My mind is boggling over the red light district - I am not sure what I imagined, never having (knowingly) been in such a place! But I am glad that it is reasonably respectable!

Pomona x

French Nanny said...

The mat is definitely crocheted. Good luck with the teaching!

Amy said...

I love that blogging blanket especially!
Have a great day.

Glenda/MidSouth said...

Oh - My home definitely has some rough spots. An excellent example of that would be my dining table right now. I have 4 different projects I am working on right now that has a lot of paper work involved and am waiting on returned phone calls, etc. before they can be finished up. I love seeing the beautiful tablescapes that so many bloggers do, but my table has not stayed clear long enough to decorate in a very long time. :)
Nice finds - I really like the brown and plume jackets.
Have a great weekend.
Glenda

Jeannette said...

And I loved your blog from that moment on. ;)
You have been really busy blogging in my blogfree weeks. I will come back tomorrow to read it all. Looking forward to read how well you do thrifting. Just saw that you ´thrifted´ a Cath Kidston book? You clever girl! ;)
Have a great weekend Floss

Beck said...

That's his story!! Just joking Floss. I enjoyed this post and your comments about blogging and keeping it real. I also think it's important to show the not so happy parts of life sometimes, not that you need to go on and on, but things don't always run smoothly do they? I actually find it hard to read blogs where the writer is endlessly happy and life is perfect every day. It's good to share the ups and downs as well, I think. Anyway, on another note, I woke in the middle of the night last night when I realised I had sent you a little bottle of something special in your parcel and I HADN'T WRAPPED IT or PUT IT IN A SEALED BAG!!!! Now I am worrying that it will have leaked into the parcel and gosh I hope it hasn't. Fingers crossed dear Floss, silly old me! xo

Laura @ 52 FLEA said...

Hi Floss,
Yes, it's time to get real! Of course, we all try to put our party dresses on when we are meeting people for the first time! We want to make a nice impression. I love to show all my collections but if you should show up at my home unannounced...I would panic as all those treasures are not always so well organized! More stuff means more clutter! But, we must be gentle with ourselves....after all so many of us work long days outside the home and have lots of family responsibilities too. I think it is amazing that we can find any time at all to be creative and blog about it as well! So, hats off to you and to all of us....we're pretty darn awesome! We're real women!
Take care, Laura

Ashley said...

Plum cord with ruffles - delicious!
It is so true that we blog about the more perfect aspect is our lives. Then again if I blogged about the bad aspects of my life I would feel so whiney and blog is supposed to be about inspirtions and acheivements. I do love to know that others live in the same sort of real state as me - sure I can make my house look presentable even beautiful for guest - but don't open the bedroom doors! Invairably I have shoved a stack of clothes and books in there to hide my messy nature! I never mean to give a false impression of how I live, but I wouldn't want to put up a picture of a mess on my blog either.

Unknown said...

Hi Floss! I love all of your thrift finds. I hope that the mirror you missed will still be there waiting for you. I know what you mean about people saying nothing about your decor. While I get a lot of comments, I also get complete silence sometimes. It does make you wonder, you'd think they would have SOMETHING to say! I don't think any of us mean to give a false impression of how we live. On the other hand, I can remember plenty of times when I kicked something to the side before I took a photo.

Sal said...

Funnily enough, myself and a very good friend were discussing the very same topic, a few days ago! I know of people who get to feel very inadequate when they read other blogs. I think this is really sad because, as you say, noone has a perfect home or a perfect life! I certainly don't!
I must admit that when I started to blog I decided that I would try to never moan or groan on it but try to keep cheery!!

Hope you enjoy the CK book which you accidentally ordered!! ;-)

VintageVicki said...

Your jackets are great - the French obviously pass on better items than the Brits.

Am definately up for a reality post every now & then - might even do a post today to show a 'real' space.

Enjoy the CK book - it is lovely.

Sarah said...

I completely agree about blogging (one of the reasons I disappeared off the blogging radar for a bit). Then realised that actually noone is perfect and in reality most of us have a completely hectic and stressful life. Having said that, I do fall into the 'trap' of mostly blogging about the good bits of my life. Em, food for thought!

Jen Walshaw said...

I tend to focus on the good bits too, who wouldnt. I am not sure I want my blog to be a warts n all expose of my life. I think that it is important to focus on the positive in life. I can not believe that any one would think that with two boys with 15 months between them that life would be a bed of roses.

I choose to remember and comemorate the good times, sometimes I record the terrible times too, but it is my choice.

I love reading your blog adn seeing all the good things, but I guess you have a large laundry pile too and I am quite happy to leave that to my imagination!!

Jenny said...

Those jackets are gorgeous.It is very slim pickings here for decent second hand clothes as most of the population wears cheap easily replacable clothes and that is what turns up in the op shop with an occasional treasure.

I can't believe that people who read blogs genuinely think that blog pictures and posts tell the whole story and I have no desire at all to see the piles of rubbish that people edit out. I can see that in my own home, especially in my sons room. I also tend to think that people who get upset about not seeing or hearing about the mess are perhaps spending a little too much time in other people's lives and not enough living their own.
I don't see how someone else's blog could make anyone feel inadequate - we all run homes, we all know that if you are spending a lot of time on one thing then something else isn't getting done unless we have hired help or are very good at deligating to our families.

Angela said...

Sitting here nodding and smiling and agreeing with you all- in an UNSPEAKABLY untidy room surrounded by clutter and rubbish - but no way will I blog about that, or the DREADFUL day I had at school on Friday which almost reduced me to tears. Yes, if I had SERIOUSLY sad stuff going on, I'd mention it, because my blogfriends are kind and loving and supportive - but the everyday small misery stuff we all have and we all get on with, we share the good bits and the fun ideas. Oh and btw I LOVE the plum ruffled jacket! blessings x