What would my mother say ...

I thought of my mother today while trying on a pair of navy blue suede ballerina pumps.

And again when considering a gorgeous knitted plaid scarf in purple, magenta and marigold.

Blue shoes and a crazily-coloured scarf that won't match everything? Mum wouldn't approve! It's not that she doesn't have a sense of fun, she's just a lady of the golden era - carefully consider your wardrobe when you make a purchase, make sure your shoes always match your purse, always buy classic, well-made garments.

I don't strongly disagree with any of this, in fact I adhere to it from time to time. But I have a wild, colourful streak that often says "It's too cute to resist, I'll worry about matching later". In fact, on my window shopping adventures today I saw a ridiculously bright yellow coat that I would have snapped up in an instant if there wasn't a dirt mark that showed no signs of disappearing on the only one in my size.

I think it stems from having too much black in my wardrobe when I was younger.

Having a practical mother meant my shoes were always black, most of my coats were black, and my umbrellas were always black - it was so bad that I made a vow some 6 or 7 years ago that I would never own a black umbrella again. It's been liberating. White floral, grey butterflies, pink polka dots ... The only black allowed is a background to accomodate white polka dots or colourful flowers.

I do own a black coat, but that's sort of essential. And a couple of pairs of black shoes for the same reason.

But for the most part, my motto is the more colourful the better. I'm not sure my mother approves of the pink coats and purple shoes. We agree to disagree :)

On a craft-related note, my friend (she of fabulous brooches) and I are thinking about setting up a monthly Brown Owls crafting club a la Meet Me At Mike's. I'm so excited I've, perhaps a bit prematurely, added a Brown Owls button to the blog. Hey, I'm a Brown Owl in spirit!! If nothing else, it will encourage me to keep the crafting alive ...