Another New Yorker

  When we went shopping on Saturday morning I hadn't planned on buying the New Yorker, but when I saw the newest edition on the shelf with our late Majesty on the cover, I had to get it to add to the growing collection on the living room wall. Though can you call two - now three - a growing collection? I suppose you can.

The only reason I am fond of the New Yorker is for the cover art. It's always totally different and beautifully done. Sometimes I don't care for the picture and it's easy to leave it on the shelf, other times I have to get it knowing it'll go straight in a frame.
It's a very verbose magazine, I flick through it, skim through articles, but don't really read it. It's purely for the cover. I'm hoping they'll have a glorious festive cover later in the year.

The spacing on the wall looks odd at the moment, but there is a reason. I left it like that so I would have room to add a further two framed magazines. It would look really odd if I hung this one up now, so I'm going to frame it then leave it until I see another copy of the New Yorker that I like.

Did you see the photo I added yesterday of the state of the bathroom? It wasn't too bad, even with the bricks showing through.
To be completely honest it's nowhere near as daunting as the kitchen, and I feel fairly relaxed about it all. It's why I'm quite happy this time to show photos as changes are made, it just doesn't feel as dramatic or all consuming. We're almost halfway through week 1, and if things carry on this way two weeks from now things will almost be done. 3 weeks in total is the estimated timescale, fingers crossed it can be done by then. Today is a delight, as my favourite electrician is here. I call him East London, he calls me M'lady! He's a good bloke and it's a pleasure to have him back. Same with the plumber, a really lovely chap who I have total trust in. We have good chats about college, his daughter has just started the same one as Violet.

Yesterday was spent in the kitchen and on my laptop looking for various things. I happened upon something, not sure where or who wrote it, but someone was lamenting about how they have to keep off media such as Instagram because all the 'picture perfect' houses made them feel glum that their homes were not as nice, and that in turn made them feel like a failure. So they had to get off it altogether.
As I read it I thought how sad that is for a couple of reasons. Firstly, why compare yourself to people on the Gram, who are very clearly showcasing the best bits of their life or home. Nothing wrong with that, and I'm sure people would happily admit that they are showing you the better slice of life rather than the mundane.
And secondly, why let that make you feel bad when you, your home, your life is just a valuable and wonderful,it just might not seem very photogenic to you.
Even if you are proud of your home and confidently share pics, you can guarantee someone is going to rain on your parade, the skill is recognising it and accepting 'their problem' and ignoring, even if the comments sting for a while, just ignore.

When I look at the things I'm about to share in a blog or gram post, I ask myself if it's going to come across as bragging or boastful, and if it does, then I hold back. Which very likely explains the hesitance I've had with showing the kitchen. I did a short reel for the Gram, but other than photos here and there of evening scenes or the flowers and candle on the island, I've not shown much and it took a while to press publish the other day. I'm still dithering over archiving the post.
In another dash of honesty I shall admit that I'd noticed since I'd mentioned the kitchen someone has been having little digs at 'farmhouse style' kitchens, or saying while they didn't have an Aga or Range cooker they were happy, that their kitchen was old but worked so that does them nicely. Which is all great and I'm happy for them, and maybe it's my own paranoia but it very much felt aimed my way, it does make you want to step back when it seems as if someone is having a pop at you purely for ditching your old and falling-apart kitchen to replace it with your dream of one. It is another example of how social media makes you question yourself. But like I say, when you recognise it and remind yourself that it's someone being a bit snide and nothing more, then you can move on and ignore it.

It also makes me laugh a little when people complain about picture perfect homes and how life isn't really like that. Of course it isn't! We all know that. Who wants to see piles of dirty laundry or washing up, cat toilets that need scooping, mould in washing machines, or grimy floors needing a good wash? We can find that sort of thing in our own home at any time, I know I don't want to see that sort of stuff on the Gram, I'd rather seem pretty rooms to inspire me to tidy up or redecorate.