Growing up

As I get older and the petit garcon is growing up my frame of reference keeps changing. I'm still the same but I have to temper my lifestyle, wants and ideas according to so many factors, namely restrictions and the ever increasing cost of living.

This means I have been very good on the consumption front as I no longer earn in the way I did before. But I had to laugh at the forming consumption pattern of a certain young man.

Saturday shopping is my idea of hell but I had to go to Kingston to order a new sofa in the Sofa Workshop sale. It was the only chance of affording one from there and I have to say they have a lovely selection and we had wonderful service. As we were in the Bentalls centre I popped in Gap to get a present for a neighbour who has just had a baby. Well the petit garcon was straight in there to select an outfit for himself! He spied a top which he insisted he 'needed for golf to look like Tiger Woods.' I started to protest but there was no point in upsetting a father/son moment.

I was caught between the idea of not having something just because you want it and also as I had not allocated any money for that purchase and being a indulgent parent! I was also quite impressed by his knowing what he wanted, the ability to create a look!! Anyway, given we never go shopping usually I thought there would be no real harm in it.

And he did look quite cute and grown up as he set off for the driving range the next day with his dad.

The petit garcon wears Gap Kids, polo shirt & chinos

High Street Pick of the Week

True it isn't Saturday, the usual place for this regular post...but as I'm on school holiday mode all rules/bets are out of the window/off.

Anyway who am I to deny you the immediacy of a great high street buy for your sartorial wardrobe. A winner right now for the evening (isn't it chilly of an eve) and a keeper for the coming winter months. It is an all round winner. Wear with red skinny jeans now and then your soon to be bought pencil skirt. Grab it while you can!

Limited Collection Star Blouse T69 3010 £29.50 in stores now.

The Veneto (by popular request)

What I love about a proper holiday is the chance to abandon all and just be and whilst I'm equally enjoying a holiday from blogging et al, I was asked to share my Venetian hols by a few people so here goes... . My number one pastime on holiday becomes reading and on this break I thoroughly enjoyed 'The Snowman' by Jo Nesbo (thanks to Vix of Vintage Vixen - we did a book swap I think I got the better deal!), 'Girl with a Dragon Tattoo' by of course Stieg Larsson. I cannot believe it has taken me until now to read it. A brilliant book. Our current house guest, my cousin's boyfriend, cracked me up in a best dinner party trump type boast when he said he read the book in Swedish! He does live and work there as does my cousin, hence why he is staying with us. I am disappointed the true title of the book 'The Men who hated Women' was change but aside from that and er not reading it in Swedish, I devoured it. My final read was 'The Beautiful & Damned' by F.Scott Fitzgerald. I decided to reread it and I still think 'Tender is the Night' is my favourite of all his works. I love his dialogue in this book but I did tend to skip read it, probably because I've read it quite a few times.

Mr MDS & the petit garcon enjoyed Keith Richard's Life

The book reading was supplemented by a daily 9am swim in an Olympic sized pool. We were staying at 4 star camp site on the Venetian spit - Venice to the rear the Adriatic to the front. I love a camp site holiday, it is the perfect option with children. The petit garcon was free to cycle, swim and lark about to his hearts content. I also appreciate it is an exceptionally affordable and good value holiday and will do a proper write up of why it is the perfect Make Do vacation when I'm back to blogging properly. We ate al fresco day, noon and night. Observed the 1pm to 3pm siesta, lying down reading books apres lunch and kicked off our heels for an afternoon poolside turn. We went to the beach every morning for an hour or two and generally found an excuse for a spritz (Aperol or Campari one) at every opportunity bar breakfast!

A night in Venice, an evening meal in Treviso and a visit to Burano afforded some culture and sightseeing. My love of Italy is increased ten fold and I particularly love the Veneto - we also enjoyed the most spectacular firework display with live music on the beach at Punto Sabbioni to celebrate 150 years of Italian unification. It was emotional....

Well when in Rome....

The cutest bike for kids

The glorious Grand Canal

The delightful painted houses in Burano

his daily chupa chups!

I am truly a faux Italian. It will be hard not to go again next year but 2012 is the year of the London Olympics and I was very lucky to get quite a few tickets to events, mainly volleyball and water polo. Also the cycling comes past us and generally London will be buzzing if not a bit annoying for travel but a small price to pay really. Plus we thought we do little trips to Norfolk, Suffolk and Kent, have a mini cool Britannia summer fest instead. So, Italy I look back fondly....