Well you can make plans but your body doesn’t have to go along with them.
I had a big weekend coming up and my insides decided to have a melt down, literally. Not one to over exaggerate but at one point I thought I must have Ebola. Hahahahaha
I am to say the least a tad health phobic, if history has taught me anything its to fear first.
So even just something as simple as an upset tummy can set my mind racing. In this case though I was able to talk myself down and convince myself it was stress related, I’m sure it was, but that doesn’t help with the practical side of things.
Like I said we had a big night out in London planned as our baby boy turned 20...TWENTY!?! How did that happen so fast! (I know what you’re thinking “oh Suzanne you just don’t look old enough to have a 20 year old son” hahahahaha ok so you weren’t thinking it but I was wishing you were! ;)
I had planned to wear jeans and a nice top, but that was out of the question. (And to those with ileostomies I bow to your superiority, liquid is tricky).
I was going to put out an urgent sos for some Morform (the bag contents firming gel). But Chris suggested I take some Imodium. I do struggle to take anything like that usually as I don’t like the thought of tablets in general, and I really don’t like the idea of trapping germs inside me, but as I felt well in myself, just gripey, it was very likely just a stress reaction I decided to go for it.
A dress was going to be the only way to get round this little upset. But it wasn’t a very dressy night out. I decided to try and keep it a little more casual by teaming the dress with boots. which actually worked out quite well, as the boots very rarely get a night out as they are suede and I live in England, suede and rain aren’t great bed fellows.
Dress from Belstaff, Boots from LK Bennett, Bag from Chanel.
I (Chris) bought this dress for me a couple of weeks ago in London. It wasn’t the one I went up for but this one is so much nicer. It feels incredible on. It’s my second crepe dress from Belstaff and they are probably hands down my two fave things to wear.
I have a thing about crepe in general anyway. I have a small fixation with the stuff. It just feels so good on and it looks incredible. It all started when I was in senior (high) school and one of the gorgeous alpha girls had a crepe skirt, it was so sophisticated and sexy even, I yearned to be like that, I was in awe....sophistication, if it’s ever hit me at all was a lonnnnnnng time after high school believe me. Having been the extreme opposite to an alpha girl my entire life hahahahaha.
That said, I can buy all the crepery I want now so alls well that ends well. Hahahahaha.
If you feel good you look good and if you look good you feel good.
I feel fabulous in this dress, despite the best efforts of my guts to ruin my night.
The bow is perfect for disguising my bag. Which just adds to the feeling of confidence.
We pulled out all the stops for Ben this year, he’s had a very tough time and he’s got through it like the star that he is. He finally admitted to himself and others that at times he suffers from anxiety, depression and self harming thoughts.
Brought on by the trauma of having a brother and mum diagnosed with advanced stage cancer in the space of 6 months. Cancer is a nasty ba*****. It doesn’t just physically affect the patient, it has the power to make deep wounds in the loved ones around the patient too.
He is now on the right track to recovery, and the first step to that is the bravest one, to say out loud I need a bit of help with this please. Brave and inspiring.
I can’t help but feel guilty for putting him through hell from the age of 11. But I blame my bowels and poor medical care for that mainly, so I’m off the hook a tiny bit. ;)
Cocktails in Quaglinos followed by dinner at Mash.
Ben has exceptional taste in friends, we enjoy spending time with them, they’re great kids, well, adults now. I like to think it’s one of the few things he’s inherited from me. I have incredible taste in friends too, they are like my family, no one should have crappy friends, unlike family you get to pick and choose them, so choose wisely. :)
*photo by James Blair
It really was a great night and well deserved.
Then Sunday with my guts still in pieces I could hardly face getting dressed at all really. But rather fortuitously I was at my friend Kim’s house last week when a couple of velour track suits arrived for her. She needed the size 10, so I gave the size 12 version a try...oh my god I think I found heaven on earth! The softest, comfiest velour ever made. I took it off her hands and headed home.
I bought it for relaxed indoor lounging, never intending to go public again in a velour trackie, but I had to make an exception to give my tummy a fighting chance of settling down.
(I do however feel velour track suits should come with a health warning because when they were in fashion last time I ended up as fat as a house because the tracksuit kept expanding with me!! If Juicy makes a come back I will have to stick to my ‘3 days a week in jeans rule’ just to keep me from gaining too much again).
Top from Primark, Joggers from Next, Shoes from MK.
Total comfort in my fluffy bottoms. Gut ache, or bowel ache in this case is extremely unpleasant, you have to go with what’s comfortable rather than what looks good.
Last week I swapped my 7 seater soccer mom car for its antithesis and bought a 2 seater car. Well, if not now then when? I didn’t want to wait till I’m too old and crumbling to have my mid life crisis, I’d never be able to bend to get in the thing if I did hahahahahah
Chris has a little two seater (having beaten me to a mid life crisis last year) as does Kim’s husband Matt, so while Kim’s away on her hols with the twins, the 3 of us went for a drive and lunch.
It was lovely to have a blast out in it, even if I did arrive at the restaurant 45 minutes after them. The car may well be built for speed but I’m not. Hahahahaha
If cancer has taugh me anything, it’s made me realise this is not a dress rehearsal, you get one chance and one chance only. Not that everyone is going to want to go out and buy an impractical car but living every day fully is so important. I’m feeling rather philosophical in my old age, especially today when I’ve heard of 4 tragically untimely passings in the space of 2 days.
Do fun things, do silly things, live life.
I save nothing for best and never go with out a treat or two...that includes cars and carbs...
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Just a reminder to any ladies out there that have been meaning to book their smear tests. Go book it now, go on, right now. I received a letter last week to remind me, thank god as I’d have put that to the back of my mind forever if not.
I went today to get it done. Over in seconds and not ever as bad as you think it’ll be. Better safe than sorry.
And if you live in the U.K. it’s free, I love a bargain I do. Hahahahaha