JOY PARADE No.2
Flappers, Napkins and Crimplene Frocks.
HELLO!
Firstly, connected to absolutely nothing, here is a picture of a vicar/priest from my sketchbook.
I drew him at 2am the other night when I couldn’t sleep and I have no idea why this was what I decided to draw. However, as insomnia activities go, drawing members of the clergy is pretty safe. Insomnia shopping, I’ve found, is less so. On one restless night during Lockdown I lay in the dark and did some online what-I-thought-was-just-window-shopping. Two weeks later a van arrived and unloaded from the back of it was a full sized plaster and fibreglass sheep that I had no memory whatever of buying. (After the initial surprise I painted her bright pink and called her Barbara. She lives in the garden much to the bemusement of the chickens who spend a good part of their days trying to communicate with her..)
So, another week has whipped by and there is blossom EVERYWHERE!
My little apple tree is in full bloom and I drove past another tree yesterday that looked like candy floss. Gorgeous!
It’s been so sunny and lovely these past few days that I made a makeshift studio and took it outside. It was still a bit chilly despite the sunshine so picture me if you will furiously working on the final images for a book whilst looking exactly like Maggie Smith in Gosford Park.
Nice to be in the fresh air though especially when I’ve spent so much of this year so far huddled inside hunched over either a laptop or an iPad.
The dogs have joined me outside too. Well, Elvis Potato and Betty Lou have. HRH Poppy is not what you would call an Outdoorsy Sort. She will not be participating in the Duke of Edinburgh Awards Scheme any time soon. Despite the good weather she has been mostly inside lording it over the sofa and only tiptoeing outside to remind me of the existence of a) the fridge and b) the food within it.
Also, this week I’d like you to please admire these paw prints I spotted embedded in the pavement.
Vicars! Blossom! Sunshine! Pawprints! - altogether it’s been a good week!
Now onto this week’s ✨JOY PARADE!✨
1. LOOK AT THESE DAFFS!
I bought a bulb lasagna from my local primary school’s Christmas Fair in December. They were made by the junior gardening club supervised by the caretaker/groundsman/Head Of All Things Outside. There were snowdrops in there and now these daffs have arrived. There will be tulips then something else that pops up about June but I can’t remember what that is. Anyway - these beauties have been a real surprise! I have no idea what flavour of daffodil they are, but the whiff from them is such a treat. A bit hyacinth-y and very potent and their scent fills the garden just from this one little pot. The pong of them has made my mid morning tea breaks when I sit in the garden getting sun to my Vitamin D deficient face, inhaling them like mad.
2. I’ve just finished the artwork for a book (I’ll tell you all more about this in the full April News Briefing of the Pigeon Post.) Finishing a book (especially one with an eye-wateringly tight deadline) always leaves me a bit frayed at the edges and as limp as a damp sock so this Burnout Soup has been deliciously Just Right for my current state of mind. (I added mushrooms because I always add mushrooms.)
3. I like this lovely little song
(I also like watching how the pianist feels the music. It’s in every bit of him not just his finger tips.)
4. These Mark Herald cards (above) are great. (I’ve bought three sets and have stuck them flat above the doorframe into my living room from the dining room as a sort of decorative border. V effective and cheering.)
5. Look at this baby armadillo tip-tapping around to all her business appointments on her Alexander McQueen heels
6. I love the beautifully sensitive and painterly portraiture work of Brogan Bertie:
7. These embroidered cocktail napkins in lilac and poppy are super nice!
I think I’m going to get some with “Carriages at Midnight” emblazoned on them.
(Found via this great article.)
8. Original flappers reminiscing about the parties in the 1920s. Glorious! I would have loved to have been their pal.
9. On the subject of flappers reminiscing - here’s Julie Walters (via Victoria Wood) recounting her time in the ‘20s…
“Japes and hoots from sun up to twilight…”
10. If like me you enjoy small dogs, bouffant hairstyles and pictures of people in highly flammable crimplene frocks, I would HEARTY recommend trying to get your hands on a copy of this book.
Thank you for joining this week’s Joy Parade!
I hope you all have a lovely weekend. A few weeks ago my very old wardrobes literally collapsed so this week I’ve had a new (vintage) wardrobe and an antique chest of drawers delivered so I will be sorting them out, aka - Ramming Things Into Drawers. I’ll also be buying some sweet pea plants. I’m already giddy at the thought of the smell of them in midsummer.
I’ll be back with a full PIGEON POST News Briefing soon and I’ll probably sneak in before that with more ✨Joy Parades✨
In the meantime do follow me on Instagram (I’m @mralextsmith over there) and also subscribe and share this newsletter to all your chums. Thank you so much!
In Tearing Haste,
Alex T Smith
HEAD PIGEON.
Delightful as always. And I am going to make that soup!
Another gorgeous Joy Parade! Thank you for bringing such cheer to Saturday morning! 🌸✨