Natasha Simonova
@philistella
Research Fellow @ies-sas.bsky.social, Bougie London Literary Woman, cat concierge. Book on 18th-century women's letters forthcoming from Chatto & Windus. natashasimonova.com
Got a new cheap jute rug to go under my colourful antique rug, which in turn goes under the coffee table. Attempt to achieve this arrangement, however, has been stymied.
Snapshot of my life: smiley faces drawn in the renovation dust under the sofa by preteen guests wanting to hang out with Penny (hiding).
Making a curtain to go across the machines, added the radiator, stained and varnished the drying racks myself, ironing board and litter box in the corner, water softener (!) under sink. One day there will be a sash window and a proper windowsill and blind.
As some recompense for all my whinging, have a before, during, and beautiful after (as long as you don't look too closely).
This engraving of the library at Cassiobury Park - big fan of women doing things in country house libraries!
@oldfortunatus.bsky.social My mum can be difficult to recommend books for, but I got her This Is Shakespeare for her birthday and she is a fan!
An incredibly talented friend who shall remain @katemond.bsky.social has made me some Art and he's so much more beautiful and detailed than you can possibly imagine.
Time to yet again be angry about what happened to this Allan Ramsay portrait of the 'deformed' Lady Mary Grey (then about to make a scandalous marriage to an Oxford historian!) in the early 20th century.
Who knew jackdaws liked milk, you learn so much about nature in London
Bought a cheap ottoman bed and reupholstered it, a great use of time and effort that I would definitely recommend to you all.
Got one of the magic gloves that picks all the pet hair off your upholstery and rolls it into tubes, and now I feel like the colour shot in the infomercial. This was cleaned yesterday!
Important to rest well after a busy day of sleeping in various places, throwing up behind the sofa, and appearing uninvited in Teams meetings.