Clare Macnaughton's Blog, page 22

Don’t Let There Be Light

Most summers we head over to France to stay in our fantastic villa in the Limousin.

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The best part of the trip is how well we all sleep and for how long. Even the kids don’t appear before 11am and this can only be attributed to the metal shutters on the windows that keep out the daylight and also keep the rooms cool.

Now I can’t afford to install continental shutters on the exterior windows of my rented home in the UK as that would be too expensive; so my mission has been to recreate the room darkness of our French retreat and prevent my children early rising, or objecting about bedtime during the daylight hours of summer time and so in their bedrooms all of their curtains are blackout curtains.

What does ‘blackout’ mean?

Blackout curtains, blackout blinds and blackout linings all do the same job – they prevent light from penetrating thanks to special treatments and extra tight woven fabrics. They are the same as as regular curtains, blinds and linings, but the material and design stops window daylight from piercing the room.

Blackout curtains

The curtains range from pencil pleat or eyelet headers, and are finished with thick blackout linings to keep out the light. They can be fitted easily onto a curtain track or curtain pole and, of course, can be used in any room. Blackout curtains & linings on Yorkshire Linen Co. are price friendly & delivery is free if order is more than £50.

Blackout blinds

Dunelm have a fabulous range of Roman or roller blind style, blackout blinds, which treated with a unique backing to stop light penetrating the fabric. Fit your blinds within a window recess and you can pair them with curtains to create a layered look with a curtain fabric of your choosing, or install outside the window alcove so the edge of the blind is wider than the window, thereby providing full width coverage.

Blackout linings

If you have curtains already and want to keep the daylight at bay, pencil pleat or eyelet curtains, blackout fabric fits easily to existing curtains, or can be added to new curtains.

Why are blackout curtains so awesome?

The main reason is that darkness improves sleep, adorning your windows to an elegant pair of blackout curtains or investing in a smart blackout blind could create a significant impact when it comes to getting your forty winks.

Sleeping well can be attributed to temperature, support and softness, but blackout products bring something unique to the table. They create an efficient and effective barrier to stop external light sources disturbing your sleep.

If you want to sleep well it’s important that you don’t let there be light!

 

 

The post Don’t Let There Be Light appeared first on Modern Military Mother .

Real Life: Shocked To Discover My Parent Blog In The Hands of Convicted Pedophile

Two weeks ago my blog went offline. I called the guy who was looking after my hosting and I didn’t hear back from him. I had noticed that he was no longer on Facebook but didn’t think much about it because he was a weird, geeky, clammy handed, developer, who was a bit odd. After a few phone calls and emails I reached out to the Business Group on Facebook where I had met him to see if they knew where he was.

A dialogue ensued and then one of the members messaged me to say he was in prison. My journey of how to get my blog back began in earnest. After much googling, with a call to Swindon Crown Court, I found out why he was in prison.

My mission was now to get my blog back without having to make any contact with him. Eventually, I was able to trace the hosting back to WPEngine based in Austin, Texas. The account was in John Drinkwater’s name and so after many phone calls, with their fabulous tech support team, and much back and forth over many days, finally their legal team dropped the bombshell and said that I could NOT have my blog back unless I produced a court order proving that it was mine. This was going to cost me lots of money in legal fees and take ages.

By this point I had enough of being nice and sweet so I sent them this hum dinger of an email:

If there is no breach of contract between JD Projects and WPEngine then why is the site not live?

It is a matter of public record in the UK that John Drinkwater is in prison for 18 months and so will not be able to contact you to renew the contract. Do you need evidence of this? How long does it take until the contract is breached?

I have an email dialogue between JD and myself where he transferred my site to WPEngine and invoices that clearly state that he is reselling hosting so therefore the ownership of the site shouldn’t require a court order to prove the Intellectual Property of the site belongs to me. Would the evidence of this dialogue suffice as satisfactory proof that he does not own the intellectual property?

1.) The website has been in existence since 2010 and only hosted by WPEngine for one year
2.) The domain is registered in my name and has been since it’s conception
3.) The blog is purely about me and my life

I have sought legal counsel and they have advised me that a court order is a disproportionate response to demonstrate ownership.

Therefore I seek to find other evidence to demonstrate that I own the intellectual property of the blog, which I hope will satisfy the transfer of information.

I can supply:
1.) Emails of our dialogue regarding the blog and the content which clearly demonstrate that the blog is mine.
2.) Invoices from JD projects clearly demonstrating a hosting arrangement
3.) Proof that John Drinkwater is currently serving 18 months in prison for child pornography


Would this be enough to satisfy WPEngine that blog is in fact owned by me and cause WPEngine to terminate the contract with JD Projects? Perhaps you could consider it a company policy not to do business with registered child sex offenders and I am sure as an organisation you don’t want to find that WPEngine was being used by John Drinkwater to host images of child pornography for his sexual satisfaction and that of other child sex abusers. Surely, on ethical grounds and as a stand against the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children WPEngine should morally and ethically terminate the contract with John Drinkwater, a convicted pedophile.

As an active parent blogger in the International blogging community, which would be outraged to discover that WPEngine are protecting a convicted pedophile and providing him access to images of my children, instead of returning the site back to me – it’s rightful owner.

Indeed, my husband an officer in the Royal Air Force; a Chinook pilot, with 8 tours of Afghanistan, 3 in a Iraq, Sierra Leone, Bosnia and Kosovo to name but a few, who has served alongside US servicemen protecting the rights and freedom of Western Democracy is deeply distraught that images of his children could fall back into the hands of this monster. [Noted this was a little over the top but I was fighting for my blog – godammit!]

I look forward to a mutually satisfactory outcome in this matter which doesn’t result in a convicted pedophile have unlimited access to images of my young children for his gratification when he is released from prison. The site contains many images of my young children and I think it should be returned to me so that I can be assured of their protection and safety and that they do not remain in the hands of a convicted child pornographer on his release from prison.

And then I tweeted the CEO of WPEngine Heather J Brunner who according to her LinkedIn profile cares about:

@heatherjbrunner please help me my blog is hosted on @wpengine by a convicted pedophile and I would like it back but legal have said no.

I think that is when things began to turn a corner because 30 minutes after the tweet I received an email from legal saying that as long they could verify that what I had said was accurate and prove that the intellectual property of the blog was mine then I could have my blog back. Woo hoo! I was delighted.

Finally, the blog is now back online and being hosted by WPEngine. But the moral of this story is that you need to back up your blog regularly and make sure that you maintain a copy of it. Now I have my work cut out for me, updating the Content Management System and of course, backing this baby up.

And if you want to know what a pedophile looks like – he looks like this.

John Robert Drinkwater

He was sentenced to 18 months for possession of indecent images of children and making indecent images of children. He will spend 10 years on the sex offenders register and has been sent to HMP Bullingdon. The case number is T20150161 and he was sent to prison on the 13th November by Swindon Crown Court.

The post Real Life: Shocked To Discover My Parent Blog In The Hands of Convicted Pedophile appeared first on Modern Military Mother .

Come Fly With Me

It’s funny how life turns out sometimes…I have a friend I haven’t seen for ages, she was a navigator in the RAF on helicopters. She left the ‘Service’ to follow her husband to Australia, to pursue a life of beach time and relaxation while he joined the Australian Army flying helicopters as a pilot. However, it didn’t quite go to plan. She was goaded by a friend into submitting an application to British Airways to try to get a place on their pilot training scheme, which takes people with no pilot experience and trains them to become British Airways pilots free of charge. Its hard work and pretty full on and my friend never thought she had a cat’s chance in hell of getting a place on the scheme, but she went for it anyway. ‘Why not take a chance?’ She thought. It was so unlikely as they lived in Australia! Imagine her surprise when she got a letter back from British Airways asking her to attend the application and selection process back in the UK. So, off she went and took part in the all the different aptitude tests and interviews, with her RAF background standing her in very good stead. Process complete she went back to Australia and thought nothing more of it.

Guess what she does now?

Yup, she is training to be a pilot with British Airways! She made the decision, when she was told she had been successful in her application, to leave her husband in Australia and come back to the UK to follow her dreams and become an airline pilot. He was very understanding and they see each other as much as their jobs allow, I guess she is hoping for long-haul so she can fly to Australia a lot more, and for free! But, this now means that she is living in a ‘student house’ with other younger trainee pilots and is often stuck for things to do, to pass the time when they are not studying for exams or learning how to fly. Imagine my surprise when she posted a picture of herself at a bingo hall, taking part in regular bingo sessions! I guess she figured she had been very lucky when she took a chance on the job front, so though that bingo would be a fun way to keep testing that luck, along with her reactions and ability to multi-task like any good pilot…and then I thought, if she is as lucky and as good at that as she is at being a pilot, maybe she should try bingo on the hoof, or go for mobile bingo even?

I guess she is just one of life’s winners, but it doesn’t come without hard work and dedication and a willingness to take a big risk with her long distance relationship. I hope it all works out ok. She deserves it.

The post Come Fly With Me appeared first on Modern Military Mother .

There’s No Such Thing As Free Money

No deposit Bingo – Is there a catch?

No deposit bingo offers are fantastic try-before-you-buy way to test drive a site without having to splash the cash.

It’s worth noting though that most no deposit bingo sites don’t allow the withdrawal of winnings without signing up to become a depositing player. It’s important to read the terms and conditions before playing.

Deal-tastic

Playing bingo online without any risk is great fun. This is the attraction and so bingo sites offer free play deals to new players without them having to make an initial first payment. Each site is different so it’s essential to read the small print before you begin your play because there are often future wagering conditions hidden in the terms. The free to play scenario is fabulous way to trial the software or the brand, providing the additional opportunity for a new customers a risk free chance to try out their new bingo account.

But Is there a catch?

Many experienced bingo players do use the no deposit deals as a gateway to winning and it can be confusing for newbies.

But there are no online or mobile bingo sites that will allow players to withdraw ACTUAL CASH, without a previous cash deposit. An account will have to be funded for real prior to withdrawal restrictions being lifted. Often there is an imposed limit on the amount of winnings that can be won from these deals too. In some cases wagering requirements are imposed and terms and conditions most definitely apply. It’s important to understand these before play starts.

Wagering is an important part of online gambling and has subsequently featured on the agenda of the online gambling commission’s to enforce regulations on FREE offers that require players to deposit cash up front.

A no-deposit offer is a bonus and the player should not have to pay into their account or provide a credit/debit card. It is described as free money but there are wagering requirements.

Research has shown that 39% of bingo players are unaware of wagering and often sign up for new bingo sites without scrutinising the terms that regulate the no deposit deal. It’s important to read the small print before you play.

 

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Bingo Is Everywhere

Turn on the tv or open a newspaper and it’s likely that you’ll find an advert for online bingo. There’s been a rapid growth of bingo websites. Twelve years ago there were less than 20 Bingo sites operating in the UK, but according to whichbingo.co.uk today there are around 350 and this is a great source of where to find out bingo sites.

Bingo hall owners Mecca and Gala, to newspapers like The Sun and Daily Mail are now operators of online Bingo platforms. Bingo traditionally was associated with the camaraderie of a night spent at crowded tables with friends so it might seem strange that it has transitioned so successful to the isolation of online playing.

Bingo is a game of pure chance and success is about keeping the pace with the bingo caller. In the British version of the game players listen out for the caller (the figure at the centre of the action who traditionally announces each number in a a special bingo language: “Two fat ladies – 88”, “clickety click – 66”) to shout out random numbers between one and 90 and match them with the ones printed on their card.

They are crossed off one by one until someone has crossed all the numbers on the card and there’s a winner – to which they shout “bingo” or “house”.

Online bingo players finds company in chat rooms. It is this chatroom-type element, which is key to the appeal of online bingo for many players. Bingo halls are silent and intense, chat is frowned upon while the game is being played in case the players cant hear the caller. But online users can talk as much as they like.

Many online sites fill the bingo cards automatically, so that players can chat. Online bingo terms have appeared as a result, including BLNG (better luck next game) and HABO (have a better one). Online sites also allow players to message one another privately and this is how they connect.

Traditional bingo’s turnover slipped 3% in the year to March 2012, according to Gambling Commission figures, with main stage, mechanized and seaside-style prize bingo turning over £1.22bn. Among the big brands, Mecca Bingo reports that a fifth of the money it now takes is online, rather than in bingo halls. Online bingo is here to stay and it’s only going to get bigger.

 

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Enticing The Bingo Players

There are ‘foot-in-the-door’ tactics to hook bingo players into other lucrative casino sites, such as including slots games on a bingo site. Howvever, 83% of online bingo players enjoy multitasking while they play the game – so actually offering slots for hungry players to kill time is a great idea.

Fortunately, the anonymity of online bingo entices many men to play bingo for fun. Thanks to mobile, tablet and PC play, men are now safe from being ridiculed for liking a ‘feminine’ game. Research has shown men are now playing online by creating female usernames.

Following this emergence, some male-targeted bingo sites developed, featuring more masculine graphics, black backgrounds and slogans like ‘you play it drinking beer’. Including more neutral, non-cash prizes that appealed to this gender, like cars and iPads.

When you think online, you think about the younger generation – the under 30s. It appears that approximately 30% of players are now under the age of 30. As the most tech savvy generation, they are more involved in chat rooms, and understand the abbreviated texting language.

The UK is leading the way for online bingo, with the amount won online every year tripling since 2008. Players are enjoying new features with the rapid growth of cheap and free bingo on the larger bingo sites.

 

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Bingo: Young or Old? Male or Female?

A recent survey of UK players has shown that 3.4 million people play online bingo, with an annual turnover of £600 million for the industry. Surprisingly 50% of all online bingo players play daily, and 40% have been hooked to online bingo for over five years. But who are they?

Historically the bingo stereotype is that it’s an old person’s game. Truth be known 90% of all bingo players in the UK are actually under 50. This can be attributed to the rise of the Internet, with the younger, more tech aware generation looking for online bingo sites. Not forgetting, the under 30s are more engaged with social media marketing and TV advertisements then any other age group.

Celebrities also like mobile bingo. The outed famous players of the game include Sharon and Ozzy Osborne, Barbara Streisand, Robbie Williams and Catherine Zeta-Jones. These influencers are trendsetters for ages 30-50, however the Osbourne’s reality show delivered an even younger generation in their 20s!

More recently there has been a surge of bingo interest by non other than: Yummy Mummies. The Gambling Commission’s 2010 British Gambling Prevalence Survey alluded that 12% of women (compared to 6% of men) play bingo. Surprisingly, 30% are educated to university level and 50% of the players have children.

Perhaps, more women are playing these days thanks to the anonymity of the internet. It offers a gender-neutral safe space for women to game away, unlike the masculine betting shops and testosterone fuelled poker tables. This is apparent in the design of bingo websites – typically purple, pink or blue, with some kind of ‘cutesy’ setting or character to entice them in. The lower stakes and lighter atmosphere, creates a new type of “soft gambling” which gentles lures women into the industry.

The post Bingo: Young or Old? Male or Female? appeared first on Modern Military Mother .

Hedda Gabler @SalisburyPlay Passes #TheBechdelTest

The only thing I know is that I don’t know much about theatre. But I do know if I have enjoyed or endured a theatrical experience. I have ignorantly dabbled with playwriting and I am enjoying theatre in many different ways to grow my range of experiences.

I have no experience of Hedda Gabler and when I spoke to my screenwriter mentor he said; “Great play but totally dependent on her – you gotta want to sleep with her.”

Previously, we had been talking about including a reference to Hedda Gabler in a screenplay he was writing and he brought my attention to her early feminist tendencies. I looked it up and basically, to prećis, it’s about a bored housewife who goes nuts. Now that is something to which I can relate.

I was excited to discover that it was being performed at Salisbury Playhouse, orchestrated by the Playhouse director, himself, Gareth Machin. Salisbury Playhouse is a warm, friendly theatre and I love going there. The heart of theatrical art in the South West. Salisbury Playhouse presents Brian Friel’s version of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, which premiered at the Gate Theatre, Dublin, in September 2008.

Plot summary:

Hedda Gabler returns, dissatisfied, from a long honeymoon. Bored by her aspiring academic husband, she foresees a life of tedious convention. And so, aided and abetted by her predatory confidante, Judge Brack, she begins to manipulate the fates of those around her to devastating effect.

Kirsty Bushell plays Hedda in Gareth Machin’s astonishing Salisbury production. Bushell’s Hedda  is driven by a combination of stifling ennui and hysterical frustration into deliberate acts of selfish destruction. But she wasn’t quite nuts enough for me. I wanted Beatrice Dalle in Betty Blue, or the coquettishness of Vivien Leigh, in Gone With The Wind. I wanted her to be hot, evil and mad like Elizabeth Taylor in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf. I wanted her to switch effortlessly from one persona to another subtly revealing her machiavellian traits only to me, the audience.

Ben Caplan, was my favourite as the over enthusiastic puppy scholar Tesman who’s so grateful that he managed to bag the General’s daughter, Gabler that he cannot see through her menacing ways

Judge Brack is played by David Bark-Jones, and is charming and seductive. The struggling artist Loevborg is played by Damian Humbly, but he is definitely not hot enough. He was the Johnny Depp of the piece and Humbly didn’t sex it up enough for me. Although his performance was good, I just didn’t fancy him and I wanted to.

There were delightful performances by Kemi-Bo Jacobs as the devoted but annoying Mrs Elvsted (not knowing the plot I secretly hoped Hedda would shoot her), Jane Wymark as pious Aunt Ju Ju and Petra Markham as the abused maid Berta.

James Button’s set was exquisite. The grandeur of extraordinarily high ceilings and doorways, the pale duck egg blue painted walls, the long swishing drapes, the portrait of General Gabler scowling over the proceedings and the divine wood burner in the corner (where did he get those tiles? #covet #covet). There was a real sense of time passing throughout the day and night with the beautiful lighting of Howard Hudson.

It’s worth noting the play is long – first half 85 minutes and the second half 65 minutes.

Hedda Gabler  runs in the Main House at Salisbury Playhouse from Thursday 17 March to Saturday 2 April 2016. For more information or to book tickets please contact the Ticket Office on 01722 320333 or visit the Salisbury Playhouse website. 

Oh yes The Bechdel Test – I nearly forgot:

Hedda and Mrs Elvstead sit together and discuss how Mrs Elvstead was frightened of Hedda at school. Hedda laughs, remembering that she had threatened to set fire to her hair.

 

The post Hedda Gabler @SalisburyPlay Passes #TheBechdelTest appeared first on Modern Military Mother .

Back From The Blogging Abyss

Well hello there! How are you? It’s been an age. I haven’t been present on the blog for sometime because I have been so busy and so very poorly sick. In fact, the truth is I don’t have time to be here today but I have missed you and I have missed my blog. So today, I’m making time to touch base and say ‘hi’. I’m thinking about you all. What’s been happening?

2016 is the year of #CleanEating, exercise and less alcohol. I am working with Clare Oetiker, personal trainer from Move It Look Fab and she has been putting my through my paces with HIIT exercise which is hard work but so much more fun than running.

I am committed to a #GlutenFree, #SugarFree, #DairyFree (except butter) and on the whole #AlcoholFree lifestyle and I LOVE IT! In fact, I don’t even think of it as a diet. This is now how I eat. I feel so much better in myself, and my skin is glowing. I test drove the ‘diet’ in November, with a view to losing a few kilos before a Christmas ‘do’ I was planning to attend and my body in my dress was looking decidedly bulbous. It was the best thing I had ever done and I did indeed lose enough weight to be able to rock my frock. Of course, having not drunk for a month before hand, the minute I stepped onboard the Jaeger train I lost all recollection of the evening, danced like a mentalist and eventually had to be put to bed by two of my very lovely, gorgeous friends.

Me and ma beatches

Sobrietous January began and also, the preparation for the performance of my first ever play “Take Me To The Oscars” for Juno Theatre which was a very interesting, learning experience on many levels. Not least because of managing the complexities of female interactions, which were not as egalitarian as I had anticipated, was exhausting; but also handing over control of my work to a director and an actress and not being wholly satisfied with the outcome. The audience wasn’t disappointed and at face value the piece was delivered in a very predictable way but I think the nuances of my voice were lost in it’s delivery. Only I would notice and those that were close to me. I feel very fortunate to have been given the opportunity to showcase my work and it was a great learning experience, which has created new connections for me which will serve to be invaluable in the future. I didn’t fight the process, I let the process play out without interference and offered consultation when requested. The whole experience has led me to think a lot about the place of theatre in our society, the commercially viability of theatre and the demographic of rural theatre audiences. The Juno Theatre “Circling The Square” showcase sold out and was a triumph for everyone involved and I was proud to be a part of it. I am delighted to be a part of Juno Theatre and to be working with women to support the finding of their voices through playwriting. I think it’s important to keep this in perspective.

Claire Wyatt plays me in my play “Take Me To The Oscars”

In the midst of this I popped over to Paris for the press conference launching the 2016 #VendéeGlobe. I actually rang the footballer Emmanuelle Petit to see if he wanted to attend with me but he was in Normandy, with his poorly maman and so unable to join me. I really want to work on this edition. I am passionate about the Vendée Globe and have been since I first learned of it in 1998. It is by far one of the most interesting and enduring of sport occasions.

Where’s Macnaughty? Find me I’m in the middle of the photo.

Vendée Globe Press Conference

This day trip to Paris by Eurostar was also the inception of a severe bout of poorly sickness from which I am still recovering.

Poorly sick :(

 

The doctor sent me to bed for three whole days. I asked him if I was sick because I was really old (44 yrs) and he said that it was because I was really ill. Hagar had to come and look after me and the kids. It was quite interesting to have unscheduled illness because I had no time to create any contingency plans and suddenly, all the little unseen things that I do every day became very visible when the ‘tidy up fairy’ was tucked up ill in bed. For 24 hours I was appreciated by all and they were worried about me. After three days in bed, everyone had enough and the ‘tidy up fairy’s’ illness hiatus was over and it was back to the grindstone for me.

The Menace and her buddy bottle feeding a lamb

I have also been writing regularly for Wiltshire Life and working with cloven hooves by this I don’t mean Satan himself, but in fact lambs and goats. I went to visit the baby lambs at Roves Farm, Swindon and then in the up and coming edition, (April) I meet the regimental goat of the Royal Welsh. He was a very grumpy goat indeed and his poor goat major had got dressed up in full rig to hang out with me on the steps of the Officer’s Mess. It was indeed and a privilege to see inside the British Army, which is steeped in history and tradition to which it clings like a tree frog; but I couldn’t help feeling that it’s time to let go of the past and move into a new era, where the ceremony  is relegated to the annals and the business of soldiering is modernised to reflect the budgets and needs of today.

He is not amused

Grumpy goat

Lovely ickle lamb!

My latest tome #LookingForMrRabbit now sits at four completed chapters and a prepared overview of the whole book. I am now ready to start approaching agents to test the water and see what they think. Once upon time I was in a hurry to get the book published but a wise man told me to be patient and work with an editor. He said I was to write the best book it could be and I have taken my time, listened to the feedback and developed my writing. At the moment, every day is a school day but I am not giving up. Writing is an emotional roller coaster. I emphatically want to be a successful and accomplished writer. This ambition is a like a noose around my neck. I yo-yo between creating content with a commercial imperative and writing from my confused heart. It’s the slowest ladder I have ever had to climb. At the same time I want to honour my children and be their guiding light so they can be the best versions of themselves as they grow. Whilst negotiating an elitist and traditional culture and not being able to give it my all. Daring to be different but at the same time fearful that being different is too much. I’m scared that the readers are diminishing and the writer’s significance in a creative contribution is ever increasingly undermined. It’s so frustrating and there are times when I question myself and my ambition. The burden is heavy, the washing is infinite and I am a hamster in a wheel. The constant self promotion is exhausting and those who are over exposed are tired of my battle to have my creativity acknowledged. In fact I grow tired of it myself. There is no-one more over exposed to me than me. It’s a been a tough few weeks for me and I have been close to having a complete hissy fit and slamming the door. I just want you to know that it’s laborious, lonely journey being creative and independent. I struggle with it despite constantly ‘smiling and waving.’ The words torment me and it’s not a case of just stopping and moving on. The need to write would still haunt me and the words would still circle my soul, tugging me this way and that way. I can’t stop but at the same time sometimes it’s hard to carry on. Onwards and upwards. Thank you for supporting me through the highs and the lows. 

And finally, last but by no means least, there is my lovely client and friend Kate, from The Balance House. I have been working with Kate since November and I am very proud of what we have achieved transforming her brand into a stylish, eye catching and relevant business. Speaking of the Balance House, I have to go and draft some articles on ‘Women in Leadership’. Whilst Britain debates BrExit the EU is committed to 40% women non-executive directors on the boards of big listed companies by 2020. Now, this is a target I can buy into and I love writing articles that help smash the glass ceiling. I won’t leave it so long to blog next time so please keep popping over.

Thank you for reading. If you want to stay updated then please WATCH, LIKE and SHARE on the channels below.

Big Love, Macnaughty

xxxx

 

Clare Macnaughton; a modern military mother; a feminist, British military spouse, and lifestyle journalist, writing about real life adventures.

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My Beautiful Boudoir

My bedroom is my castle, my sanctuary and a place of peace. As I live in a rented house and have spent years moving around living in military quarters, I can’t be bothered to paint the walls and so I am stuck with magnolia. Instead to fulfil my bedroom decorating ideas I have decided to adorn it with a wonderful ensemble of pieces that provide special memories and moments for me.

My sunken bedroom

The bed was the bed I bought after the birth of my first child, when my husband and I had outgrown the bed we bought when we wedded. It is a giant bedstead be reminiscent of the one in the Disney film, ‘Bedknobs and Broomsticks.’ It is the bed of my childhood dreams, as I nursed my babies propped up at night, thinking about bobbing along on the bottom of the beautiful briney sea.

The colour scheme for my room was determined by a painting by my son did when he was at nursery school. I loved the way the brushes randomly connected, squiggling, and so in homage to his painting I created a colour scheme for my bedroom.

A few years later, by some miracle, my daughter made a feather collection with twigs and sparkles that matched my bedroom colours perfectly.

Once the palette was set and then I became a collector. The pink and turquoise satins that sit on my dresser I picked up in a market on a trip to Dubai. The floral jug, bowl and potty belonged to my mother, who passed 41 years ago and on the dresser is a jewellery box and brush set that belonged to my nana. As I child I used to sit and play with them. I’d dress up in her scarves and put rouge on my cheeks and lips. She would declare that I looked just like Elizabeth Taylor.

Recently at Christmas auctions I stumbled across four antique fashion prints which blended well with an antique railway poster of Swanage, a place we love to visit as a family which mixes town and coast. It reminds me of ‘Sunny Prestatyn’ by Philip Larkin, a bawdy poem I studied for A’level at school.

“Come to Sunny Prestatyn Laughed the girl on the poster, Kneeling up on the sand In tautened white satin. Behind her, a hunk of coast, a Hotel with palms Seemed to expand from her thighs and Spread breast-lifting arms.”

Of course, what bedroom is complete without a soft furry throw and two sleeping kittens. Like I said at the beginning; my bedroom is my castle, my sanctuary and a place of peace.

 

 

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