Still Intrigued

The royals are such an interesting lot. Castles and estates, wealth and adoration. The history and pageantry can be awe-inspiring. But the thing that continues to pique my imagination is the contents of Queen Elizabeth's purse.

The carrying of handbags/purses is something obviously inculcated from birth, especially for the older generation. Purses, hats, gloves… all part of the era. While snooping through images of Lizzie through the years, I noticed her handbags have been pretty much the same old rather boring, rectangular shaped ones we see her carrying today. Maybe all of the old age pensioners carry this sort of bag because it's all they've ever known. I'll have to check it out once we move back to Surrey next month.

Black, white, silver, gold and cream are her preferred colors, with practical black being the obvious frontrunner for most occasions. But the burning question is what the heck does she carry around inside her rather staid handbag. Keys to Buckingham Palace? Pressed powder for her nose? Hand sanitizer to get rid of the commoner's germs? Kleenex to wipe the smeared lipstick off her front teeth? A toothpick in case she gets seeds or a bit of spinach stuck in her dental work? I'd just love to know what she keeps in there.

I had to chuckle at Prince George's christening picture because if you look down at the queen's feet, you'll spy her ever present black purse. Really? Why didn't the photographer just move it out of the shot. I say there, Camilla, just put this behind the couch for Lizzie, why don't you? Be a good chap, Harry, and toss granny's purse in that cabinet for a minute.

Eh, maybe the photographer was just lucky to get the old girl to take that highly practical black bag off her elbow where it typically rides, and have her put it on the floor.

Leased House (check)

We've got a house in the UK and we zeroed in on it our first day of hunting. We saw 10 houses on a Tuesday and knew this house was ours by Friday. We met the current tenant, a lovely lady from Australia that's relocating to Houston for her husband's job this summer. We told her they'll be all the rage in Texas with their lovely Oz accents.

This house is a bit bigger than we need, but at least we'll have plenty of room for guests. The location can't be beat - just down the street from the 9th grader's best friend and less than a 5 minute walk to the Walton-on-Thames high street. 

We've traded 1930s character and charm from our first expat gig house for something a bit more modern. Underfloor heating has replaced radiators that often went on the fritz. And we sincerely hope we won't suffer through any invasion by ants, wasps or even sweet little ladybugs with this new(er) home in the leafy suburbs of Surrey.

Now that school is out, I've been busy plotting furniture and decor. Nothing pricey, but merely more modern than our current rustic hill country chic. No taxidermied critters or nailhead trimmed leather sofas are crossing the pond. Fresh citron, yellow and serene blues are my new color palette for the kitchen, with nary a red rooster in sight.

Here are some pics of our new digs. I'm looking forward to getting everything on the freighter in a couple weeks so I can have it all set up before Momcation 2015-16 (the start of school) begins.