19 Mar 2012

“Garbo Talks!” (or hello again, apologies & what’s new?)


Well…what can I say? It’s been a long time? (obviously), What took me so long? (Life & stuff…), do you want me back for good – as in the Take That song? (hopefully???)

What does one say after an absence of…(I can’t quite bring myself to count it) but let’s just say – toooooooooo long!

And why is ‘Garbo’ talking now? Well, to very quickly surmise, I started this blog way back in 2010 after moving to the Norfolk countryside with my family, having been a born & bred, self confessed ‘committed townie’ Londoner.

The move itself was the best thing that we ever did – I have quite happily slipped into a life of Hunter wellies and riding boots and (bar the odd wedding and v. rare town based shindig), my designer heels from my previous life on a magazine are wrapped up in aspic, awaiting their new life as ‘vintage treats’ for my twin girls in about 10 years or so. Anything useful that has the privilege of having it’s own ‘name’ or ‘label’, is either stuffed into the earth to remind me what and when it was planted, or high on a pantry shelf and used to bake cake.

So what caused the prolonged ‘blip’ to my much loved blogging habit? Well quite frankly life came along and kicked me in the shins to remind me that although I liked to think that I was an expert life juggler, sometimes in reality, a few balls have to be left to fall, in order to keep the others going.

Changing ones’ entire life is, for some, the perfect time to commit to writing a blog and document those many changes – however, for me it was a commitment too far. Within a space of months, I had moved across England, given up my career, taken on a ‘project’ of a house & garden (believe me, the polished veneer hid a multitude of sins!) had to settle 3 kids into a new life and school, bought a puppy, had to make new friends of my own (I discovered that I can be quite shy – who knew!). Admittedly, these are all exciting things which I had planned and knew were coming – and no, I certainly don’t expect sympathy – none of it is exactly horrific – although I now realise that I got by on pure adrenalin for the first year. However, the main thing that threw me off course was becoming carer for both my parents in quick succession after two low points in their otherwise healthy lives. (They are both doing fine now – thanks, and that period of our lives is hopefully, fingers crossed, now over – onwards & upwards!)

Anyway, SO much has happened in blogsphere since I’ve been gone. I have managed to keep my eye on some wonderful familiar blogs, such as Simone at The Bottom of The Ironing Basket – and some AMAZING new ones that I’ve discovered along the way – Ben Pentreath who has a fabulous shop and the most divine blog, which frequently features on of the most breathtaking house I’ve seen in recent times – a simply beautiful old vicarage in Dorset, that makes me swoon every time I see it, and it’s heavenly garden, (a lot of adjectives I know, but just check it out – you’ll understand why!) and author Laetitia Maklouf who writes a wonderful gardening blog, and is author of The Virgin Gardener – a godsend to first timers like me. There are lots more, old & new that I’ll mention along the way.

‘Pintrest’ is a totally new concept for me – I’m still pinning things to a notice board with ladybird drawing pins, but I am sure that I will eventually come round to the idea of on-line ‘mood-boarding’.
I spent a long time not quite understanding the point of ‘twitter’, and then I decided just this last week to sign up and start following people I knew and/or admired, and I must say that I’m quite hooked.
Historically, I’m always the last person to sign up for new technology. I rebelled against getting a mobile phone for ages until my work colleagues finally pinned me down and forced me to purchase one – who needs to know where I am during my lunch hour anyway? I also remember my first day at work on a magazine when I was faced with ‘e-mail’ which – terrified of putting a mistake in writing – I refused to use for months – at the time I would rather pick up the phone and talk to everyone – still not quite sure what I was afraid of! Although, that’s not as bad as my early days as a model booker. We worked on ‘swing charts’ which were literally diary charts built into the middle of a table, with every single model appointment, written on a minute by minute basis, which we the bookers, had to write in and rub out by hand. Hundreds, and hundreds (and hundreds) of times. I remember hating the switch to a (much simpler) computerised system – now I really can’t see how I fought against that one, but protest I did!

So hopefully, you will join me while I explore the world of blogging once more. Of course along the way I will show you what’s been happening with the house and garden. I’ll warn you, it’s been slow going, and there are more decorating and organising projects in my head (and on my pin board) than have been completed in the ‘real world’. However, there has been the odd occasional auction bargain or e-bay purchase along the way which you may find of interest – and of course, there are always other peoples gorgeous houses to sigh and gasp over. I can’t wait!

Paula x
(p.s. my gorgeous Mothers Day roses above. Hope that the mothers out there had a lovely one!)

Images: 1)Moviespad.com 2)Vogue Korea 3)Burberry 4)Rose & Grey at www.notonthehighstreet.com 5) Unknown – sorry!

The Diaries

Website by pipdig