Hello, I’ve been pondering how to start a blog post after such a long absence, and I decided to just start.

So here I am, back again. With good intentions of posting at least a few times a month.

All that’s left is for me to decide what I’ll be posting about. I used to witter on about my wardrobe, or rather the clothes in it and the outfits I made from it, and share to-do lists that never got entirely ticked off.

But these days I don’t have the time to write a to-do list much less tick things off. And my outfits are few and functional.

So I’ll be just writing. Capturing thoughts and ideas, memories and moments. My blog has never followed a schedule so perhaps it won’t feel all that different?

I’ve missed my blog, and the blogs I used to regularly read. They both feel like old friendships that I’ve been neglecting, much like some of my real life friendships (and my poor cats)! I hope to be more present here, and IRL.

What have I been up to? Everything and nothing. There’s almost too much to share. Too much time has passed. Let’s just say parenthood has been all consuming in the best possible way, but it has paused a lot of what made up my life pre-Bub.

The housework, DIY, and garden have all been put on the back burner, in fact I feel that I should probably be ironing or something similar instead of sitting here typing but I felt the need to do something just for me. So here I am, it feels good to be back.

I hope you're well, take care, more soon.

xx

In an attempt to get back into blogging I had a thought that I could do a quick weekly post showing my latest charity shops finds along with general chit chat and musings.

A few times this year I’ve popped to my local charity shop with Bub on a Saturday morning to drop off donations that I’d collected from my random moments of decluttering during the week (yep, that’s still on-going). And of course it makes sense to have a rummage whilst we’re there.

I’ve found some nice bits and pieces this year, and once I’d decided that, yes, I like this idea for a new series of blog posts, I just had to figure out a new way of putting the posts together. The way I’d always done it just wasn’t working anymore. I decided that I could write them on my mobile whilst feeding Bub, then I could quickly crop, size and add an image on my computer when I had a moment. And then I tested positive for Covid and that scuppered plans for trips anywhere for a few weeks.

Husband tested positive a few days later and whilst neither of us were particularly poorly, we did as we should and stayed at home (I can’t believe that at the end of the month self isolation will be scrapped, I can’t even begin to tell you how ranty I got when I heard that!!). Anyway, not to be deterred I thought I’d tell you my plan and do the chit chatty bit anyway. The charity shop hauls can start when I’m allowed back out into civilisation.

So how was Covid for us? Well, not too bad considering. We both felt bunged up and had a bit of a cough. Both got tired very easily, which meant looking after Bub was a bit of a challenge at times, but we took it in turns and made the best of all being at home together. Bub had a high temperature and snotty nose for a few days so I suspect she had it too, but she was happy enough for the majority of the time. She was a little bit clingy and slept more than usual but that’s entirely understandable.

I was so surprised to get it if I’m honest. I don’t go out much at the moment and I only see the same five people each week. They all do LFTs before they visit, and not one of them has tested positive before or since I got it. The only place I go is a baby sensory class on a Tuesday (I hadn’t been to the charity shop that week due to being car-less for the weekend ). I suspect this is where I got it.

I felt really tired one day and just put it down to being up with Bub throughout the night but by the end of the day I felt like a cold was imminent. Lying in bed that night I thought to myself ‘at least it’s just a cold and not Covid… oh wait….’ I did a test the next morning, still not really believing that I could have it.

Still, I guess it was inevitable and thank goodness for vaccinations and boosters!

Well, this has already turned out to be a much longer post than I expected. My new system worked pretty well, so hopefully I’ll be able to post more often than recent months. I’ve also mysteriously stopped having issues when I try to leave comments when using my phone, so you might find me popping up in your comments too. So I’ll just say I hope 2022 is going ok for you (it’s too late to say Happy New Year, right? Even if I haven’t said it yet?), and I’ll be back soon with more witterings.

Take care

Xx

It's been exactly ten years since I started World of Joy, so I thought it would be fun to look back at my first post, where I introduce myself, to dissect it a little and add a few photos.

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Hello, I'm Hazel (Still true). Also known as Very_Hazel (No longer true). I have been blogging for the Very.co.uk VBlog for the past six months and have enjoyed it so much I have decided to branch out a little (I really enjoyed blogging for Very but it turned a little sour towards the end, they employed a new member of staff to oversee the blog and she made it very clear that they only wanted 'celebrity' bloggers, so I decided to call it a day. I had my own blog by this point and I enjoyed writing for myself much more).

Whilst the VBlog lets me indulge my love of fashion (I did love fashion back then, not that I considered myself to be trendy but I did like to keep up-to-date with what was current and tried to incorporate fashionable elements into my wardrobe) there is more I would like to talk about, discover and share (I wanted to talk about things not connected to Very, to do style experiments of my own and have full control of what I said and published).

I enjoy blogs that post pictures of real people's style (still true). What Katie Wore - one girl's challenge to wear a different outfit everyday - is fabulous, I'm hooked.

The Uniform Project is a splendid idea that takes one LBD and tests the role of accessories to the limit but more importantly raises money at the same time (I can still spend hours looking through all of these outfits). Bright Young Things (no longer live) created the LBD for The Uniform Project and encourages 30 Day Wear-a-thons which I find seriously tempting. One day I will do it... (something I still ponder).

I love style experiments (still true). Recently Grazia magazine challenged writer Francesca Hornak to survive for a month wearing only six pieces of clothing. HOW is that possible?! (Having dabbled with capsule wardrobes I can now see that in the summer, with the right pieces, that it would be entirely possible).

Another interesting experiment, was another monthly challenge, to try something every day that you wouldn't normally consider ie crimped hair, harem pants or glittery mascara. I wondered what would be the things that I would try? (perhaps I should try all the things that I've declared I can't wear?)

But the best one, and maybe the one that launched them all, was Alex Martin's Little Brown Dress, much like the Bright Young Things Wear-a-thons only on a larger scale, she wore one dress for 365 days. Alex finished the Little Brown Dress project some time ago and has gone on to do more which you can also read about on her site (this site isn't live anymore, which I wrote about in back in 2016, it's such a shame that the record of her experiment no longer exists, above are a few photos I managed to find online. I still remember reading about this for the first time, it was an article on the back page of a magazine and I spent ages looking at the small selection of images they'd featured. I tore out the page and kept it for years. I wish I still had it).

I am an advertisers dream, if I'm promised that a product will give longer lashes (they usually don't), shiner hair (debatable), smoother skin I will try it. I promise to share my trials with you and let you know what works and what doesn't. First up will be the new Lash Accelerator from Rimmel. Product tests found 95% of users noticed a lengthening effect on bare lashes in two weeks. Watch this space... (I did write that product review, and many more followed, but it's not something I've done for a while. I'm no longer trying lots of new products. I've found what I like, what works for me and I stick with it.)

My jewellery collection gets ever larger. Unlike my clothes that tend to have a classic, simple style I like my jewellery to be a little out of the ordinary. Chunky rings and bracelets being my preferred pieces at the moment. (I still like jewellery but my taste now runs more to simpler pieces. I love bracelets and have developed a liking for delicate beads, and I'm rarely seen without a Fossil watch - there is something about the styling of these that really appeals to me. I went through a phase of wearing statement necklaces but that waned, I'm now on the verge of exploring earrings a little more, not huge Pat Butcher type things, but something a little more than the studs or small hoops I usually go for.)

Read my VBlog posts to date. (These can no longer be found. Back in 2016 I discovered that all of the posts I'd ever written for the Very blog had been attributed to someone else - a staff member. When I got in touch and questioned this they said that they'd been clearing out the back end of the website, and to create space all of the old bloggers, and their profiles, had been deleted. They offered to delete any posts that I'd written if I could prove that I'd written them. I had all the proof I needed but I let it go, it seemed like a waste of my time for posts that were probably rarely read anymore. You've got to pick your battles, right? Since then the VBlog has been deleted altogether, so I was right not to spend anymore time on it.)

You can also find me on Twitter and Facebook. (I rarely use either of these nowadays, the Facebook page is still there but hidden from public view, the Twitter page just languishes, I visit and post something random once in a while. I've moved over to Instagram instead, it's much prettier and less shouty.)

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So, that's me then, and me now.

Some things are very different from when I wrote this first post and the posts that closely followed. My interest in what's fashionable has waned along with my passion for chunky jewellery and finding the latest wonder product.

My fascination with style experiments stays the same, but my consumption of fast fashion has drastically changed - something I attribute to the blogs that I follow, the best ones showed me the treasures that could be found in charity shops, the worst highlighted the needless and constant stream of disposable fast fashion, that endorsed the idea that you shouldn't be seen in the same outfit twice. These are the blogs I stopped following years ago, but I have to admit that they served a purpose, although, for me, it was the opposite of what they were trying to achieve.

Writing this blog and following blogs, both good and bad, shaped my outlook. When I started I didn't think about what it would turn into, or how long I'd do it for, but I don't think I ever believed that I'd still be blogging a decade on. Thanks for being part of the journey.

My last post was a bit heavy, there's no easy way to talk about baby loss. Thank you for your kind comments, they mean so much. My blog has always been a safe place for me to write but I often wonder how to follow a post about such a hard subject. To jump into a light and meaningless subject seems, I don't know, not quite right somehow. The truth is I can switch from feeling sad to feeling upbeat easily in real life. Grief can sometimes be fleeting, and sometimes in the midst of sadness I can crack a joke, which can be surprising and unsettling for some.

I'm just going to get down some random bloggy / baby type thoughts before returning to my more standard posts.

Having been quiet on the blogging front for a while I often find it hard to write a post to bring me back into the swing of it. It's a thought I recognised when I read it on Betty's blog. Should you come back with a Bang! Or simply pick up where you left off, like you'd never been away? I guess it doesn't really matter what you do, people will still return to read what you have to say, and hopefully be glad to see you back.

I'm getting bored with some of my posts. My Buyer's Archive posts are starting to feel repetitive, but I can't bring myself to stop until I've completed the year. I don't want to stop sharing my clothing purchases altogether though. I enjoy seeing what other people buy, especially pre-loved items, so I don't want to stop sharing purchases altogether, I'll just have to find another way of writing about it.

My Weekend posts are OK as a way to remember nice things that I've done, as well as some of the more mundane tasks that find their way into my weekends. But I also do lovely things during the week too, so next year I'll change these posts to be a collection of memories that don't get to have a separate post all of their own.

I don't want this blog to be all about baby loss, and I don't think that it is, but it's a part of my life and I don't want to feel that I shouldn't mention it. Life has good bits and bad bits and the internet is full of people showing off their 'perfect' lives, even though we all know that life isn't perfect, and can get pretty damn hard and challenging at times. I want to be real, what's the point of offering up a fabrication? It's not that I want to be all doom and gloom, I try to present a positive outlook, but, sometimes you've just got to be honest and say 'so this happened' both on the internet and in real life.

Life has been really busy lately. I might only work part time but my to-do list has been insane. And life keeps throwing little challenges my way - the fridge, hairdryer, and dishwasher all broke down within a fortnight of each other. There are so many little jobs I want to do in the garden. Draft posts remain unpublished. I'm crafting for stalls I have coming up. Maybe starting to decorate our bedroom and plunging us into chaos wasn't the best idea? The contents of our room is spread all over the upstairs of the house.

I just don't seem to have enough hours in the day, and yet I wasted an afternoon in town because I convinced myself that I needed new shoes for the Memorial Service, when in reality I really, really didn't. If I'm honest I knew this at the time, but I was displacing my nerves about the service into finding the perfect outfit.

It'll all work out, there's nothing that's insurmountable, it just all feels overwhelming coupled with coping with the anniversary of losing our child. I know that as soon as I've finished the bedroom life will seem calmer. I just hate the clutter, the current disorganisation.

I'll keep plodding on, making daily progress and soon life will return to as close to normal as it gets.

And then it'll be time to start thinking about Christmas.

Here I was only a few weeks ago talking about how working part time allows me to live life at a slower pace. Maybe karma felt I was being a little bit smug?

Don't worry this isn't a cry for help, just a brain dump. I'm mostly OK, and for the moments that I'm not OK I just allow myself to be that way, during all the other times I'm pulling on my big girl pants and getting on with it.

Normal service will resume soon.

Today marks seven years since I published my first post on World Of Joy. I'm celebrating with some French Fancies, because every celebration requires these pink, yellow, and chocolate squares before it can really be called a celebration! The little creamy bit on top is the best bit isn't it?

I've been thinking about all the ways in which my blog has enhanced and influenced my life.

I love having the opportunity to write, it's not something I'd do a lot of otherwise but it's something I really enjoy. It's become a record of my life, one which wouldn't exist if writing in my diary was to be relied upon. I don't know why I can't keep on top of a daily diary, I really don't.

Blogging introduced me to social media, I didn't bother much with it before, but Twitter was a good way to find like minded bloggers. I've since stepped away from Twitter a little and now spend far too much time on Instagram instead. Connecting with people via social media is a very modern form of company, and reading someone's blog is like getting to know them better. I've grown very fond of my little circle of online friends. And those that I've met in real life have always been as lovely as their blogs suggested.

Without my blog I wouldn't read in the way that I do. I read about so many interesting sounding books that my book buying habit became a little out of control, and I needed to ramp up my reading habit to keep up! Almost all of the books I buy are the result of a book review on a blog or Instagram post.

Without my blog I don't think I'd photograph everything in the way that I do. I love having so many photographs to look back on. And while I do sometimes photograph things specifically for my blog, they're memories none-the-less.

Without my blog I never would've visited The Harry Potter Studios. My real life friends didn't seem keen to go, and it's only now that I've been, and told everyone how much fun it is, that they are interested in going along.

Without my blog I wouldn't go along to things alone. I used to blog for an online department store, and then I covered maternity leave for a full time blogger, both of these things offered me the opportunity to go to cat walk shows and blogger events. They were great to experience in themselves, but it also taught me that I could rock up somewhere on my own and the room wouldn't fall silent, with everyone turning to stare as I entered. It allowed me to go places and try things that I don't think I would've done before. When I tell my real life friends I've been somewhere they always ask 'who did you go with', they are often surprised when I say I went alone, 'you're brave' they say.

Some examples are a patchwork quilting class, a needle felting class, a beach clean up, and a 4 night trip into the Sahara. I've always been very comfortable being in my own company but the opportunities blogging gave me taught me I can 'go it alone' without fear of  any one of the number of awful things I imagined happening actually happening.

Without my blog I wouldn't have got into charity shopping. I can say without a doubt that my charity shop habit is a direct result of seeing the things other people found. Charity shop hauls are one of my favourite types of blog post. It opened up a whole new way of shopping and, I've said it before, but I'll say it again, some of my absolute favourite clothing items are pre-loved. I love the ritual of rummaging through the rails, following the same route through town to visit 'all the good ones', and then when you find something you really like, it's such a great feeling - more rewarding than in regular shops.

Without my blog I don't think I would've started and continued a capsule wardrobe. If I hadn't blogged about it, it would be easy to let it slide, but blogging makes me accountable. I like the challenge and sharing the results spurs me on.

At times my blog has been a source of therapy. I've had something on my mind, so I've written about it and the response and support has always been amazing (thank you).

Without my blog I never would've learnt about the existance of the film The Holiday. I don't know how it passed me by but now I watch it every Christmas, sometimes several times. It's become a tradition that I really look forward to each year.

And finally, without my blog I wouldn't have discovered the culinary delight that is Corkers Duck and Hoisin Sauce crisps (exclusive to Waitrose, where I seldom shop). Corkers very kindly sent me a selection of their crisps and these are a taste sensation! If I'm ever near a Waitrose I'll always pop in and buy a bag.

I could go on but you get the picture - blogging has changed and enhanced my life in ways I could never have anticipated. So that just leaves me to say thank you for returning, reading, and commenting, not to mention blogging yourselves and for being friendly and welcoming online friends.

What has blogging done for you?

Today I've been blogging for six years. Six years! I really enjoy writing, and creating posts for my little corner of the internet.

I've never been any good at keeping a diary so I'm surprised that I'm still blogging after six years. I'm happy that I am though, and grateful for the friends I've made along the way.

Thank you for reading, commenting, and making the journey all the more enjoyable with your presence. I'm not looking to build a massive following or into turn full time blogger, but it is nice to have regular readers, and read your blogs in return. Although I am aware that my posts can be sporadic at times, and I tend to binge read your blogs when I can, as I rarely find the time to catch up everyday, but it really is a part of my life that I enjoy.

Today is a memorable day in many ways. It's the day I left home at the grand old age of 23, it's the day I was a bridesmaid to my favourite Aunt, aged 11. And it's also Socks and Tink's birthday, they're nine years old, making them 52 in cat years.

What follows is a collection of cat photos. I tried to keep it to just nine photos - one for each year - but it was impossible, so look away now if you're not a feline fan, there are a lot of photos. A lot.


I'd intended to have just the one cat, Tinker, but I bought Socks home with me because my friend's Mum wanted him. Her cat was very old and nearing the end of her life, so I was to look after Socks until her old cat passed away. But after about an hour of having him home, I knew I wouldn't be able to let him go. I was quite distraught at the thought of having to part with him. Luckily, my friend's Mum completely understood, and I was able to keep him.

I can't imagine life without cats now, and since becoming a cat owner I have learnt many things about cats, like how they love a box.


And that box envy is a distinct possibility...

Cats will pretty much sit and sleep anywhere, regardless of how comfortable it actually is.



And they can get annoyed if you interrupt them.




Catching a cat mid yawn is always funny.


You will be jealous when they choose another lap over yours.


Food will never be your own again...

You'll love their stupid little faces...

and you'll never tire of taking photos of them sleeping, or being awake.




You'll be really chuffed every time you get a good mid-wash photo or a protruding tongue! (And in all honesty you'll happily take numerous photos just to capture it perfectly)



They'll be 'helpful' at all times.

The 'my cat's really Batman' joke will never get old.


Cat selfie's will always be hard to resist.



And they will never like going to the vets.

Well done (and thank you) if you go this far.  That's a lot of cat photos (I did warn you).

I hope to be blogging and taking cat photos for years to come, I promise not to bombard you with this many cat photos ever again - that's what Instagram is for ;-)