A Short List Of Things Bringing Joie

The New Year Edition. What I've watched, bought, worn, eaten, read and lusted after this month, including jeans that fit, quizzing, good art, good dupes, Lemsip Max and Liz from Shrinkings wardrobe.

Cover artwork, Aline Gaiad.

Hello, my Substack friends! Yes, it’s been a while. I signed off back almost three weeks ago with a poorly disguised hint that I might be doing something else other than celebrating the festive season and I can confirm that yes, I have been packing and then unpacking boxes as we finally sold our home of almost ten years and moved into a new one. I have never lived in a house for ten years before in my entire life - my childhood was spent zooming between London, Somerset and Hong Kong - and since I met Joe in 1999, we have now moved ten times. We did a LOT of moving in the beginning and have stayed in numerous rentals in order to avoid chains - this new current one included - you can read and see all the houses and our leap frog process on the post below which I wrote last year.

This ten year slot has wreaked HAVOC on the belongings situation. Anyone who has followed me on my social channels will know that I have a penchant for the charity shops, car boot sales and second hand stores and my home has born the brunt of this love over the past decade. Is it possible to own too many vintage platters, trifle bowls, wooden deer, mini glassware for when you are drinking sherry, crochet blankets, mid century coffee sets and tablecloths? YES. Yes, people, it is. As I have now found out to my peril as they will now remain stacked in boxes for the foreseeable future whilst I assess their fate, realising finally that I should press the STOP button when I’m ‘in the mood for a rummage’ (not a double entendre). I will not quickly forget the horrified faces of the removal men who opened what looked like a simple John Lewis sideboard to discover enough vintage table glassware to furnish a restaurant. Possibly two.

But anyway, I will write more about the moving process over the coming weeks but in the meantime, I’m returning to the Substack fold with a list of Joie which has brightened what has been a rather stressful life event (albeit a VERY exciting one). Here’s a little run down of what I’ve watched, bought, worn, read, eaten and lusted after during the festive period.

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