Leaplings and knot tying

A very happy birthday to all those leaplings celebrating their birthdays for the first time in four years.  I hope the pressies are huge and the fizz flowing in spectacular style!

Did you know that February 29^th is known as an intercalarity day? It is also meant to be the day that women can propose to eligible potential mates.

Speaking of proposals, him-at-home and I will be celebrating our nuptials on March 10^th. It will be very low key with all my stress and angst kept for my coursework and essay deadlines.

Kate came up from West Sussex on Sunday to sort me out with a suitable outfit and I swear she has turned into a fearsome honey badger!

First she supervised my makeover in a large department store. She issued the following instructions:

“Make sure that  Mum doesn’t end up looking like:  

•  it’s been trowelled on”.
• orange
• Amy Winehouse”

She took extensive notes and a multitude of photos so she could replicate the look on the day.

We then headed off for my ‘fashion consultation’.  Everyone knows that jeans and boots are my default outfit complimented by my biker jacket and helmet. You can imagine how apprehensive I felt as Geraldine, the fashion consultant, showed us into a fitting room with plush curtains and cushions, a chaise lounge and floor to ceiling mirrors.

I had decided not to be particularly bothered – if I couldn’t find anything, I still had my Christmas dress which I had only worn twice.  However after, after being mistaken for the mother-of-the- bride and presented with an outfit in black and white polka dots, with cream jacket suitable for attending a local race meeting, I was ready to run screaming for my familiar territory - the skinny jeans section in M&S.  However Honey Badger calmed me down, and after giving poor Geraldine the full list of nos...

• No big fat fluffy meringues
• No tiaras
• No sparkles
• No frills and flounces
• No white or cream
• No tiny floral prints
• No cleavage

...marched off with her.  They returned 10 minutes later with the perfect dress – a lovely above the knee Spring number that will be perfect for lots of different occasions.  As a poor student, I was delighted to discover it was 25% off the original price – quite a bionus!  Then it was time for the shoes – another problem area, so we had to fortify ourselves with coffee and cake first.  My feet are size 8 and I don’t know why shoe shops have to treat anyone taking over a size 7 as a freak or a giant. It was bad enough growing up with a big sister, serenading me with “Your feet’s too big”!  

Five minutes into my rant to an unsuspecting shop assistant half my height blessed with minute feet, Kate dragged me out, calmed me down and apologised to the poor woman.  As we entered the next shop, she sat me down, banned me from talking to anyone and went to sort things out.  We ended up finding THE shoes and happily headed home to a wonderful roast dinner cooked by a serene him –at-home very glad to have had nothing to do with our big adventure.

...so – there we are – my entire outfit sorted in an afternoon.  Now for the food!  Wanting quite a low key event, we thought the easiest thing would be to pop next door from the registry office and enjoy the economical delights of the local hospital canteen with its lovely views over the local park.  Unfortunately honey badger put the dampeners on that so we are having to go a bit more upmarket!

Anyway that’s enough of frivolities - 10 days to go now but only six to get my case study finished and submitted!