What has been getting me through the glory of May. Concrete floors, car boot gifting, potatoes, Sun In throwbacks, flexible coords, travel plans, good sleeps and hair horror stories. And help, please.
Fun fact - I went to primary school with someone whose dad invented Sun In. Made a fortune out of it and lived in a huge house we called blow wave mansion (he was a hairdresser by trade) 😂
I would definitely keep an eye on my cousin’s insta - she’s a personal stylist and has just done a trip to Marrakech to see her friend (travel writer), who’s based out there - shopping guides incoming!
Oh my God, this post Lisa. Further proof that we must've been separated at birth!! 1981 -my neighbours, my brother and I were the perfect brother and sister 4 person act to stage Making your mind up show to our respective mums, complete with skirt ripping choreo. It was probably my idea and we worked on the show for days!
I too went through the Sun in, Toners and too-short haircut phases. You're right, it gave ptsd and now I hardly mess with my hair at all. 🤣 Boots is still on Eastcote High Street btw.
Lastly, your courtyard has totally inspired me. We have a neglected patio and long patch of chihuahua dog poo filled grass. If you can make the postage stamp look gorgeous, I really need to get enthused about redesigning my outdoor space.
I had a huge poster of Bucks Fizz in those outfits on my wall. And I agree, my hair never changes style ever it's always the same, ha! My garden really is a postage stamp but honestly, it's giving me the greatest excitement at the possible end result! Go for it!
I've been to Marrakech a couple of times and absolutely love it. Came back in November with a stuffed suitcase and had a beautiful rug and pouffe shipped back. Would definitely recommend buying with cash - Dhirams or Euros (we all took both) - and negotiate the shipping price along with the cost of anything big you might buy. A friend of mine managed to take a rug home wrapped up in cellophane on the plane, outsize baggage. Would recommend hiring a guide to take you to some of the sights and shopping. You can skip queues and see things you might otherwise miss. I can give you the number of a guy we used who was very knowledgeable. Kabana is fun for cocktails and food - there is a good party vibe here and is for all ages - https://www.kabana-marrakech.com/. I really want to go back!
We’re going to Marrakech at start of June for the first time. I’ll check some of the suggestions.
We got lots of tips from my sister who was there last year so we’ve planned: lunch at Le Jardin; La Famille and Clock Cafe - also El Fenn. Jardin Majorelle (combined with YSL museum), Secret Garden (maybe), Dar el Bacha museum (get there early to get booked into the cafe which is supposed to be a new level of coffee experience which I’m always there for!) and The Souks - apparently some retailers will make a bag to a design you show them (I can report back if so🤪).
Top tip is that M&S now do money exchanger for Moroccan dirham. Jx
One, I too love being single in my 50s with no one, not even a dog (though I desperately miss them and will get more soon) to answer to. So if I want to strip off my bra and sit watching tv all night after work, no one cares!
Two, my blond brother was the Sun In fiend as I never wanted to lighten my brown hair that naturally turned auburn in the summer. But the feathered bags and occasional wavy perm? Oh, yeah!
Three, I continue to be extremely jealous of those of you living in the UK and Europe. Not only because you aren’t living directly through the hellscape that is the US and being angered and utterly embarrassed on the daily but because you also can jaunt off to Marrakesh for the weekend for a small fee.
And four, I feel your small space pain as someone who also loves thrifting. I just popped into a local thrift store and found several nice pieces of clothing that filled some gaps in my wardrobe for less than $20, forgetting that I don’t have space in my closet for said cute items. After being in the suburbs surrounding Denver, Colorado for the last twenty-years before moving into an urban part of Denver a few months ago, I haven’t fully absorbed the fact that I no longer have a large walk-in closet in the bedroom. My mid-century (ancient by western US standards) apartment has a tiny reach-in closet and mine is a quarter full of my two young adult children’s things, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to ship their stuff to New Zealand, where they are currently living (yep, jealous of them and their alternative citizenships too!). So, I guess I need to declutter some of my clothing again and stop buying more. You’d think I’d learn since I now help midlife women declutter their homes 🙄.
Do you! That is such a cool job Brooke. My second bedroom wardrobe is also full of absent kids who have no intention of returning homes clothes and it's driving me crazy, I feel like I need to take them to the charity shop. It's really hard not to buy stuff isn't it when it's not only well priced but also has history! I have just bought two vintage stone doves for the top of the wall and honestly, I am so excited about them. And believe me, there's a lot of anger and embarrassing politics here in the UK at the moment too, it's horrific on all sides! Have a lovely week and thanks so much for reading xxx
Ah Shaders and Toners! I have also been reflecting on the lack of dinner parties in my life compared to my parents'. Time to get going, I think. I see someone has already recommended L'mida in Marrakech - I actually went to Marrakech in 2022 after cooking recipes from the chef-owner's blog on a particularly miserable February day.
Oh, the Sun In! Plus, just putting lemon juice directly on to our (dark brown) hair. And olive oil on our faces, and sitting on the balcony with a sheet of aluminium foil held up. What the hell were we thinking? I hate the sun and now live in Factor 50 - and have a lot of sun damage to boot!
I dreamt of running away to Morocco, and nearly did with a boy when I was 18, but luckily (and strangely out of character) remembered I had to start my A levels the next morning. I think that spooked me and I have still never been!
I love that Samson Reed coord, which is not at all my kind of thing, but so pretty!
I have the same Princess Diana mug from 1981! Great article Lisa. My dad took me for a haircut just before the start of secondary school in 1979 - my mother usually took me. I ended up with a really short cut which made me look like a boy too so I feel your pain. My dad was unrepentant and said it looked “neat” - it was previously quite long and past my shoulders. I was horrified when I saw myself and then had to start secondary school with a really odd hairstyle for a girl! I’ve never forgotten and will NEVER have short hair again!
We just had the most amazing holiday touring Morocco. In Marrakech we enjoyed a lovely meal in the rooftop restaurant L’Mida. Eating in the main square in the evening is a must, there are a host of stalls, there are menus etc and each stall has a number so some reviews will direct you specific stalls. Shopping with a guide can also take you deeper into the souks where some of the more authentic sellers are, they probably get some commission but it does help with navigating the maze! We focussed on smaller purchases such as spices, beauty products (argon oil/rose products produced in Morocco) and tea glasses. I loved the secret garden and would recommend Ben Youssef Medersa and Bahia palace. The tourist sights can be quieter late afternoon. Do get out of the city if you can. We stayed in the beautiful Ouigane Ecolodge in the Atlas Mountains but from Marrakech you could hire a driver and visit the Atlas Mountains for half a day. Some excursions take you to meet local people and eat with them, which is really special. Take comfy shoes as the pavements and roads are often dusty, rough and unmade. Also people really appreciate if you can manage hello, thank you etc in Arabic. Enjoy!!
Yes my god. We had one pair of scissors in the house and my mum hacked our fringes off with abandon. Most memorably (in the traumatising sense) a week before I started secondary she hacked away, leaving me with a bright white strip across the top of my face that had been hidden under my fringe all summer. The shame. Also had my hair hacked into a choir boy style at 6 and had multiple people mistaking me for a boy 😂
Weirdly the same happened to me when I was about 14, had a haircut which made me look like a boy and was told so! Never ever again. Definitely PTSD. Brilliant piece and loved all the trips down memory lane too. X
Fun fact - I went to primary school with someone whose dad invented Sun In. Made a fortune out of it and lived in a huge house we called blow wave mansion (he was a hairdresser by trade) 😂
Haha blow wave mansion! That's so funny, I bet he did make a fortune, everyone had it!
I would definitely keep an eye on my cousin’s insta - she’s a personal stylist and has just done a trip to Marrakech to see her friend (travel writer), who’s based out there - shopping guides incoming!
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXaGS59CGCL/?igsh=MWdvbzk1N25rY2ptYQ==
This is excellent intel thank you! I'll find her.
Oh my God, this post Lisa. Further proof that we must've been separated at birth!! 1981 -my neighbours, my brother and I were the perfect brother and sister 4 person act to stage Making your mind up show to our respective mums, complete with skirt ripping choreo. It was probably my idea and we worked on the show for days!
I too went through the Sun in, Toners and too-short haircut phases. You're right, it gave ptsd and now I hardly mess with my hair at all. 🤣 Boots is still on Eastcote High Street btw.
Lastly, your courtyard has totally inspired me. We have a neglected patio and long patch of chihuahua dog poo filled grass. If you can make the postage stamp look gorgeous, I really need to get enthused about redesigning my outdoor space.
I had a huge poster of Bucks Fizz in those outfits on my wall. And I agree, my hair never changes style ever it's always the same, ha! My garden really is a postage stamp but honestly, it's giving me the greatest excitement at the possible end result! Go for it!
I also think I’m separated at birth from Lisa! Most things she says, does and likes I’m “yes yes that’s so me too! “ 😆😆 x
Hahah! We are all the same xx
This too for me was a hugely nostalgic read. Loved it 😍
So glad thank you!
I've been to Marrakech a couple of times and absolutely love it. Came back in November with a stuffed suitcase and had a beautiful rug and pouffe shipped back. Would definitely recommend buying with cash - Dhirams or Euros (we all took both) - and negotiate the shipping price along with the cost of anything big you might buy. A friend of mine managed to take a rug home wrapped up in cellophane on the plane, outsize baggage. Would recommend hiring a guide to take you to some of the sights and shopping. You can skip queues and see things you might otherwise miss. I can give you the number of a guy we used who was very knowledgeable. Kabana is fun for cocktails and food - there is a good party vibe here and is for all ages - https://www.kabana-marrakech.com/. I really want to go back!
This is all excellent info, thank you so much! And will look at Kabana.
We’re going to Marrakech at start of June for the first time. I’ll check some of the suggestions.
We got lots of tips from my sister who was there last year so we’ve planned: lunch at Le Jardin; La Famille and Clock Cafe - also El Fenn. Jardin Majorelle (combined with YSL museum), Secret Garden (maybe), Dar el Bacha museum (get there early to get booked into the cafe which is supposed to be a new level of coffee experience which I’m always there for!) and The Souks - apparently some retailers will make a bag to a design you show them (I can report back if so🤪).
Top tip is that M&S now do money exchanger for Moroccan dirham. Jx
Have booked into El Fenn for dinner already and am desperate to see the YSL and gardens. And ooh yes please do report back! And great intel about M&S.
Make the Secret garden a definite! A really lovely oasis in the medina. Have fun!
Thanks - we will!!
I think Sam Ryder would have won if not for the Ukrainian war - Spaceman was fab! P.s. as ever, love the content - you are high in the charts!
Spaceman was really good! And ah thank you so much I so appreciate you reading xx
You may not follow Rebeccaloves on instagram but she did a Marrakesh highlight. Worth a look.
I'll find her thank you!
One, I too love being single in my 50s with no one, not even a dog (though I desperately miss them and will get more soon) to answer to. So if I want to strip off my bra and sit watching tv all night after work, no one cares!
Two, my blond brother was the Sun In fiend as I never wanted to lighten my brown hair that naturally turned auburn in the summer. But the feathered bags and occasional wavy perm? Oh, yeah!
Three, I continue to be extremely jealous of those of you living in the UK and Europe. Not only because you aren’t living directly through the hellscape that is the US and being angered and utterly embarrassed on the daily but because you also can jaunt off to Marrakesh for the weekend for a small fee.
And four, I feel your small space pain as someone who also loves thrifting. I just popped into a local thrift store and found several nice pieces of clothing that filled some gaps in my wardrobe for less than $20, forgetting that I don’t have space in my closet for said cute items. After being in the suburbs surrounding Denver, Colorado for the last twenty-years before moving into an urban part of Denver a few months ago, I haven’t fully absorbed the fact that I no longer have a large walk-in closet in the bedroom. My mid-century (ancient by western US standards) apartment has a tiny reach-in closet and mine is a quarter full of my two young adult children’s things, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to ship their stuff to New Zealand, where they are currently living (yep, jealous of them and their alternative citizenships too!). So, I guess I need to declutter some of my clothing again and stop buying more. You’d think I’d learn since I now help midlife women declutter their homes 🙄.
Do you! That is such a cool job Brooke. My second bedroom wardrobe is also full of absent kids who have no intention of returning homes clothes and it's driving me crazy, I feel like I need to take them to the charity shop. It's really hard not to buy stuff isn't it when it's not only well priced but also has history! I have just bought two vintage stone doves for the top of the wall and honestly, I am so excited about them. And believe me, there's a lot of anger and embarrassing politics here in the UK at the moment too, it's horrific on all sides! Have a lovely week and thanks so much for reading xxx
Ah Shaders and Toners! I have also been reflecting on the lack of dinner parties in my life compared to my parents'. Time to get going, I think. I see someone has already recommended L'mida in Marrakech - I actually went to Marrakech in 2022 after cooking recipes from the chef-owner's blog on a particularly miserable February day.
They really did have loads of dinner parties didn't they? Going out to restaurants was such a rare trip. And I will find L'mida - thank you!
Oh, the Sun In! Plus, just putting lemon juice directly on to our (dark brown) hair. And olive oil on our faces, and sitting on the balcony with a sheet of aluminium foil held up. What the hell were we thinking? I hate the sun and now live in Factor 50 - and have a lot of sun damage to boot!
I dreamt of running away to Morocco, and nearly did with a boy when I was 18, but luckily (and strangely out of character) remembered I had to start my A levels the next morning. I think that spooked me and I have still never been!
I love that Samson Reed coord, which is not at all my kind of thing, but so pretty!
OMG the aluminium foil! I had forgotten about that. Absolute madness. Ha, imagine if you had ditched the a levels and ran! xx
I have the same Princess Diana mug from 1981! Great article Lisa. My dad took me for a haircut just before the start of secondary school in 1979 - my mother usually took me. I ended up with a really short cut which made me look like a boy too so I feel your pain. My dad was unrepentant and said it looked “neat” - it was previously quite long and past my shoulders. I was horrified when I saw myself and then had to start secondary school with a really odd hairstyle for a girl! I’ve never forgotten and will NEVER have short hair again!
Our stories are identical! Honestly it put the fear of god into me. I can't have short hair now for this very reason.
Total PTSD!
I heard both these Gary Davies remixes too. Sooo nostalgic & also knew all the words.
And omg the hair toners - I’d totally forgotten about but seeing the packaging brought it all back 😆 such a fab read. Thanks Lisa x
I love Gary. He's not as fun as Scott Mills was but the music he plays is fab. Thanks so much for reading Adele xx
We just had the most amazing holiday touring Morocco. In Marrakech we enjoyed a lovely meal in the rooftop restaurant L’Mida. Eating in the main square in the evening is a must, there are a host of stalls, there are menus etc and each stall has a number so some reviews will direct you specific stalls. Shopping with a guide can also take you deeper into the souks where some of the more authentic sellers are, they probably get some commission but it does help with navigating the maze! We focussed on smaller purchases such as spices, beauty products (argon oil/rose products produced in Morocco) and tea glasses. I loved the secret garden and would recommend Ben Youssef Medersa and Bahia palace. The tourist sights can be quieter late afternoon. Do get out of the city if you can. We stayed in the beautiful Ouigane Ecolodge in the Atlas Mountains but from Marrakech you could hire a driver and visit the Atlas Mountains for half a day. Some excursions take you to meet local people and eat with them, which is really special. Take comfy shoes as the pavements and roads are often dusty, rough and unmade. Also people really appreciate if you can manage hello, thank you etc in Arabic. Enjoy!!
This is all excellent info, thanks so much Julie and glad you had a nice time! Will get my google translate out pronto xxx
Always enjoy your posts. Thanks for sharing. xx
Thanks so much for reading xxx
Hairdressers of the 80’s were traumatising us all AND parents lobbing inches off with the bluntest household scissors 😂 x
Yes my god. We had one pair of scissors in the house and my mum hacked our fringes off with abandon. Most memorably (in the traumatising sense) a week before I started secondary she hacked away, leaving me with a bright white strip across the top of my face that had been hidden under my fringe all summer. The shame. Also had my hair hacked into a choir boy style at 6 and had multiple people mistaking me for a boy 😂
Hahah! Those memories never leave us!
God they so were. Kitchen scissors!
Weirdly the same happened to me when I was about 14, had a haircut which made me look like a boy and was told so! Never ever again. Definitely PTSD. Brilliant piece and loved all the trips down memory lane too. X
Shocking times for hair! And thank you so much for reading xx