Exquisitely turquoise

I must be going through a phase of self-decoration! Why, I know not. Perhaps 2018 is going to be a year of change for me - at least in the clothing, shoe, jewellery and accessories departments.

After all, having lost two and half stones with Slimming World up to early March, I can contemplate wearing styles I'd have previously dismissed as unwearable unless slim. Now I do have sufficient slimness, and can try those clothes out. What fun!

With the toe sorted, I've finally been able to get my right foot into different shoes. In fact I had three pairs - hitherto unworn - ready to step into. And now they fit perfectly. That's so nice. I feel normal again.

All of a sudden, my signature bag is not a big orange one, but much smaller, and blue-green (call it teal if you wish) - not only lighter to carry and more elegant to wear, but (surprisingly) still completely practical. I've adapted to life in a small-bag world. It's satisfying to know that I can still do things differently. And people now notice my clothes - not just a big, dominating orange bag.

As for jewellery, a silver serpent bangle has lately become my all-day companion. It seems much admired. And I am very fond of it. But it isn't the only new item. Two days ago I bought myself another ring.

Here it is. A dainty silver thing, set with a turquoise stone.

It's such a pity that the gnarled and wrinkled Melford hand doesn't show it off to its best advantage! It may indeed be too dainty, too youthful, for the withered claw of an Old Age Pensioner. But who is going to care? 

I wanted it as soon as I saw it in Lewes, at a branch of the Brighton shop Silverado. The perfect thing for the little finger of my right hand. And it had to be little, so that it wouldn't in any way outshine the ring I always wear on the adjacent finger - the silver one curled like a wave. (That 'wave' ring has been away at the jeweller's, for an exciting enhancement: I hope to present a post on that soon) 

This is how the new ring is shown on Silverado's website:

That's right: just £14. Who wouldn't at least consider buying it at such a small price? 

The web picture doesn't reveal how pretty this ring actually is. I love the colour of the stone. And it is a stone, not (as I first thought) just a bit of coloured plastic. Silverado say it's 'synthetic turquoise', which presumably means turquoise mineral dust reconstituted into a hard stone with resin. On the other hand, there is some rust-coloured veining, which you get with natural turquoise when it occurs with limonite. I don't mind which it is - a synthetic blob made in a mould, or a natural chip of turquoise ground to shape. It's all about the delicious colour.

Of course the thing goes well with my new Pittards bag. It also goes well with lots of things around my home. I hadn't realised before now how, in each room of the house, there have been blue-green accents aplenty. Few objects are entirely blue-green - certainly no large ones - but the colour is all around. It's on pots and ornaments, and in paintings, and on tiles, and in my bathroom towels. And if you look inside my wardrobes... 

I must have long had an unconscious bias towards blue-green! Unconscious no longer, though: now, with the purchase of the new bag and this little ring, I need to recognise this preferential liking, and go with it. And with its complementary colours too.

My eyes are a pale blue-green - should this be a clue? (I wish they were in fact not just a washed-out blue-green, but a brilliant turquoise. Oh well)