One of the secret resolutions I have made this year is to lounge more.
Ok, so it’s not so secret anymore. But it really is. I need to learn to relax more, and do it in a bit of style. I was inspired by this photo of Faye Dunaway on the Penny Dreadful Vintage Facebook page.
I then spent the weekend lusting over luxurious robes online. I might not have a pool (though there is a large puddle in my garden) but I can certainly look at fancy robes and imagine lounging on a day bed (John Lewis have some fancy ones!)
I started on the Marks & Spencer site where I fell in love with this in the sale
Autograph Pure Silk Lace Wrap £59 £35
But then later on I logged on again to find new stock online and fell in love with this one.
Autograph Pure Silk Floral Lace Chiffon Wrap £59
Except I wasn’t keen on the pink. So I kept looking around and found this beauty from Kiss Me Deadly
Elle Robe £75
I may not team it with horns. The more eagle eyed amongst you will note an upward trend in the price of the items I was looking at…..
Then I realised I didn’t have any money anyway and in the absence of robes and a day bed I ought to get started on my lounging, so I grabbed an old floral satin kimono I’ve had for yonks and got on with lounging indoors on a regular chair.
I’ve still not found my beautiful vintage china (come on, I only moved in August, why would I have unpacked yet?), so I made myself a relaxing cup of green tea in an old whittards floral cup. When I went on holiday to Germany back in 2011 whenever I ordered a peppermint tea I got a tea bag full of actual fresh mint in my cup, rather than dry dust. So when I got home I tried to find something similar, and I found teapigs . I don’t often order green tea, but last year I got sent a sample set of 6 tea bags as part of a Downton Abbey promotion and this was among them. It was far nicer than other green teas I’ve tried, which can sometimes be a bit bitter.
I felt very elegant lounging with a green tea.
Then I decided that green tea was far too healthy for the sort of lounging I had in mind, I needed a bit of decadence, so I made this. Hell yes. Hot chocolate, squirty cream, marshmallows and Baileys.
I regret to say it was somewhat downhill from there in the elegance stakes. The fizzy wine came out, then so did the box of Drop Dead Chocolates that have mysteriously survived in my house since they were part of my Christmas Giveaway. I was saving them for Valentines Day, but hey ho! (Hint: They have a new “Queen of Hearts” box design if you are looking for Valentines Gifts)
Possibly it’s for the best that I don’t currently own a hugely expensive silk robe for lounging, as I think I need to work on the elegance part a little before I can be trusted with silk.
All in all I think my first proper lounge was a huge success. With practice I’m sure I can only improve.
It’s good to have goals.