Hobbs, unexpectedly

At a dinner on Wednesday night, at which the hostess, as ever, was in one of her proper designer dresses (she doesn't do high street, and nor of course would I if I were rich) I wore, after a lot of hesitation, a two-year-old purple silk dress from Hobbs, which is a British mid-range chain. And was gratified to get an email the next morning remarking on my 'beautiful dress'.

For years I simply ignored Hobbs, the epitome of English rose ware (what you wear if you can afford better than Boden) dull and dated, until I actually saw the purple dress in the window of the Kings Road branch and bought it. Last year I bought an excellent pair of wide-leg black trousers. This summer I bought a plain blue unlined linen jacket to wear with a simple white very hot weather dress. (We have to cover the arms). The range was not exciting but you could find the occasional useful piece.

I now read, from the pen of the fabulous Polly Vernon in the Observer, that Hobbs is hot:

We did not see this one coming. Hobbs – previously the spiritual home of the uninspired day-dress, the enduring-but-dull crew-neck knit and not very much else, let's be honest – has come up with a storming collection of clothes for autumn/winter 2008. These pieces are brilliant: sharply tailored, totally dramatic, with significant fashion edge. We're especially enamoured of the silken cocktail frock with the feather ruff (and why wouldn't we be? It's exquisite!); but we'd be pretty happy with any of it, really.

The Hobbs revelation compounds Observer Woman's strongly-held theory (first expounded in the mag, by me, in the December '07 issue,) that mid-market grown-up lady fashion is going to rule the world, any day now. To wit: Whistles totally rocks under Jane Shepherdson, Banana Republic's had such an amazing inaugural season in the UK that it hasn't even bothered getting itself into a dirty summer-sale scenario, and Jaeger's incoming collection is blowing our minds. We love it when we're right.

I already have one piece from the Jaeger collection and plan to buy more.

Suddenly seeking singing

i don't know why, but this evening while getting ready for bed, i started telling marlon about john tavener's "the tyger," my most recent ultimate favorite acs song of all time. ah, i remember now -- i was reading tracy chevalier's girl with a pearl earring. i had spotted another tracy chevalier novel in the library, which captured my attention with its title: burning bright. yes, as in "tiger tiger" etc etc. which led me to thinking about the tavener piece. and of course once i started trying to describe it, marlon wanted to hear it, which is why i'm still online at two in the morning.

i miss singing that song. i found a clip of the acs singing it on youtube, and wished it could have been a clearer recording -- i was hardly satisfied and just wanted to be bowled over by the sound, as i always am.

sana meron akong pwedeng salihan dito na makakakanta nun ng maganda. pero parang wiz eh. 

sadness.

Friday Hodge Podge

Hello from my office at home!

I returned from my trip, all went well but I have to say air travel is not the glam life it use to be when I was a kid! I spent 6 hours in a Chicago airport to have flight after flight canceled, I witnessed people screaming , crying and just simply dumb founded at their travel woes.

This weekend is a busy one for us, the last busy one before our family beach vacation. The weekend starts tonight with a baseball game for the hubby and I a date night of sorts!

Saturday is filled with errands and chores, the start of packing for vacation, a BBQ of a work colleague of Dan's ending with book club for me with the neighborhood girls. The book this time was nineteen minutes and while I found it to be a well written book I must say that I was a bit disturbed reading it. I hear this author has a couple of other books out that are just as well written, I am hoping they aren't quite as disturbing.

Sunday is my Official Birthday!!!! I know I have been celebrating for a week or more but I love birthdays especially mine. This year though I get to share my special day with my God Daughter Allie. She is being baptized on Sunday at 1pm. I haven't seen her since a few days after she was born so I am looking forward to hanging out with her!

Sunday after noon early evening we have a beach planning dinner with the other 2 families that we are going to the beach with! should be a good time and I am sure a few martinis will be enjoyed!

I have some of the best blog readers in the blog world, you guys have given me several blog awards and I need to get cracking on handing them out, I promise this will be a task for next week.

In the meantime I am looking for guest bloggers the week I am away Aug 11th to the 15th. Leah at
Laughing Leah Loves Lilies has signed up and I am so excited, but I have room for more and I would love for you to guest blog so email me and let me know if you are interested, swhln72 at gmail.com

Have a great weekend, enjoy the weather and I will catch up with all of you on Monday!!!!