How to wear jeans in winter | Winter Outfit Inspiration
“SNOWCIALMEDIA WHITEOUT” (Snow’shul’meedja white’out): the situation that arises when every snowflake that falls on the British Isles is so ruthlessly documented on Twitter, Facebook and other social networks that all non-snow related commentary is excluded, and a state of complete “Snowcialmedia Whiteout” is achieved, with the afore-mentioned networks being used solely to comment on the presence or absence of snow. (“It’s snowing!” “Oooh, you lucky thing, it’s not snowing here yet!” “No snow here either :(“) Suggested usage: “Finally! The last one of my Facebook friends just posted a photo of their garden under a small dusting of snow: that makes it a complete Snowcialmedia Whiteout!”
Yes, I’m a sarcastic little snot today. I’m also a raging hypocrite, because here I am, contributing to the ongoing Snowcialmedia Whiteout myself, by posing in a field covered in a very slight dusting of snow. (By the time we took these photos, it had already melted everywhere else, so I had to stand on the rock-hard ground in order to get the white background, which is why I ended up looking like the kind of idiot who wears heels to walk on grass. GOD.) And, of course, because talking about the fact that everyone’s talking about snow, is… still talking about snow. I kind of hate myself right now. I would’ve liked this site to be a kind of refuge from all of the OMGSNOW hysteria – the last homely house east of the sea, if you will – but I may or may not also have taken a blurry iPhone photo of my garden on Saturday morning, and by “may have” I mean, “you’ll be seeing it any day now, as part of that 365 thing I’ve been doing.” What can I say, folks: the snow madness is clearly spreading. It infects us all, even those of us who have well and truly reached their saturation point with exposure to the word “snow”.
While I’m on the subject, here are some other words and phrases I have now reached saturation point with and never want to hear ever again:
Les Miserables
Fashion Week
Valentine’s Day
“Can you send some snow to me?”
“inbox me”
“reaching out”
“Let’s arrange a deskside!”
OK, that last one has only ever been said to me once, and I actually still don’t really know what the person was suggesting (A conversation…at the side of a desk, presumably? But why so specific, if so? I mean, I don’t ask people to come and have a “sofa-in-front-of-the-TV-side” with me? Maybe I should? I am so confused right now.) but it annoyed me so much I still think of it from time to time. Yes, I know: I need to get out more. I can’t, though, because I don’t know if you were aware of this, but it’s been snowing here in the UK. Ha, we kept that one quiet, didn’t we!
Anyway, having read thus far, you now find yourselves with three options:
1. Tell me off for being such a “Negative Nancy”, only please don’t use the phrase “Negative Nancy”, because that’s another one I never, ever want to hear again.
2. Join in by telling me which words and phrases YOU never want to hear again.
3. Completely ignore me and go and update your snowcial media accounts.
Over to you!
Mel McGregor
I love to see the snow, it was pretty warm here in Melbourne today! Love the bag!
Katie
I thought Australia was the only place where snow made the news headlines. It’s rather funny, actually – the second a small dusting of snow falls (and generally melts five mintues later), it’s on all of the news broadcasts. It’s such a novelty here that we all have to stop and stare.
As for the one thing I never want to hear about again, that would be Easter. I don’t mind talking about Easter when it’s close to Easter, but I do not appreciate seeing hot cross buns in supermarkets on the second of January. What is this madness?
Amber
It’s exactly the same here, which I will never understand… I mean, sure, if it snowed in July or something, that might be newsworthy, but our headlines are all “BREAKING NEWS! WINTER IS COLD!” which is just… yeah.
I’ve actually yet to hear Easter mentioned yet (It’s all “Valentine’s Day! Valentine’s Day! OMGVALENTINESDAY!”) but that might just be because I avoid supermarkets like the plague!
Rachel
“I’m pontificating” is a phrase my boss uses, a lot. Drives me crazy and he’s not even using it in the right context. He means he’s pondering. Although he pompously tells me so, therefore I suppose he is pontificating.
Amber
Haha, and even if you were pontificating, it’s not exactly something you’d want to be boasting about! I don’t like pontificating, and I also don’t like it when people always describe themselves as “waxing lyrical”. For some reason that phrase always makes me think of court jesters…
Nina
Well for me it must be the use of “in 2013” (or any other year for that matter) in German. The correct version would be “in the year 2013” or simply “2013” (no “in”). It’s an anglicism that makes me want to cringe every time I hear or read it, but I’m afraid it will stick with us in the long run. Language is a living, breathing thing after all…
Louise
I have to say, I’ve been contributing heavily to the snowcial media whiteout. I was out with my camera on the first day of snowfall taking lots of Narnia like photos for my blog… Oops.
Totally with you on the Les Mis though, enough already, it looks so depressing. Love your boots btw. X
Amber
Well, as I said, I contributed to it too, so I can’t really talk 🙂 I do realise I’m pretty much alone in my dislike of it, though, so I’m just an old grumpypants when it becomes the only topic of conversation for days on end!
char
Have just spent the last few minutes trying to figure out what on earth a deskside is.
I considered taking some snowy outfit photos this weekend, as I love it when it snows. But I didn’t, as I’d have felt like a bit of a dafty posing around with the camera on self-timer, balancing precariously on a snowy branch or something.
naiadknight
Around here, snow is so uncommon that a 1/4″ fall is a snowpocalypse and they shut down schools. I’ve gotten used to white outs around here, and yes, I do participate in them (usually with “There is dandruff falling from the sky.”)
As to the phrases I’d be happy to never see or hear again:anything pertaining to my niece’s latest boy band crush, the words “doomsday” and “apocalypse,” Twilight ANYTHING, and gods so help me, the next ijit to try and cram their stupidity into law (your husband wasn’t killed by texting, he was killed by not wearing a seat belt), I will bludgeon to death with a clunky metaphor.
Sarah Rooftops
“Inbox me”?! THAT’S NOT A VERB!
Amber
I KNOW! And it’s also not any quicker/easier to say or type than “email me”. Gah.
Vix
My most DETESTED phrase, whilst out with 5 dogs (I’m a dogwalker), bearing in mind they’re all following me like I’m the Pied Dogwalker of Hamelin is……….”Are those your dogs?” *cut to my face staring blankly like I’ve just tripped over the village idiot*
2nd runner up, same situation…….”YOU’VE got your hands full!” If I had a penny for everytime that’s said I’d have approximately £3.81. This week.
Amber
When I’m out with Rubin, I constantly get, “Awww, is that a puppy?” No. Not all small dogs are “puppies”. Stop it.
Vix
The general public just need to go away. I am the January Grinch.
Roisin
I’ve mostly been ignoring the snow and staying indoors where possible. It worked well until I had to go to work today. I’ve been finding the actual snow a lot less annoying than listening to people from other, snowier countries, sneering at how shit the UK is at dealing with snow. I mean. to be fair, I know we’re shit at dealing with it, but it only really affects us for a few days a year so WHATEVER SMUG CANADIANS.
As to the other annoyances – no-one has ever said ‘deskside’ or ‘inbox me’ to me, but today we had a meeting where we got told that EVERY work email we send now has to start with either “For ACTION”, “For INFORMATION” or for something else that I can’t remember but is probably FFS. Gah!
Amber
Yeah, the commentary on the snow is definitely way more annoying than the snow itself – it’s actually not been very heavy here, but people are still taking photos of 1mm of snow sitting on top of their wheelie bin and freaking out about it!
I basically hate any kind of management speak, too. I am so glad I rarely have to listen that nonsense any more!
Roisin
In a meeting yesterday one of my colleagues in all seriousness said “We need to find a way to solutionise this problem”
WTF.
Amber
I want to cry now. All hope is gone.
Tiffany
I have to say you made me laugh…out loud!! Not just giggle inside! I’m definitely going to be coming back to read your blog from tomorrow…added you to my blog reading list! Btw love your white ruffle jacket, its looks lovely with your hair colour! Tiffany xoxo
http://www.loveaffairwithfashion.blogspot.com
Alvina
There are SO. MUCH. language mistakes people usually do in french. French is not that easy, ok, but I am sad to hear such lazy tongues everyday.
And imagine just how lazy french people can mix bad french AND so-called english, doing such cool neologisms. It makes me very, very sad. (Is that why I’m a grumpy person, or am I first of all, a grumpy person?)
Oh, and let us know please, what’s a deskside!
Suya
Hilarious! I may be guilty of taking several (way too many) photos of our cats in the snow, but I lost the enthusiasm while shoveling the damned thing off the whole front yard & drive way…
As for words, I’m bit of a grammar nazi and my language (Czech) is really hard to learn even for native speakers, so the list would be long.
But what irritated me a lot once was an American guy who would constantly ask “What’s that?” when he didn’t catch a word someone said. Can’t you just say “Pardon” or “Once again, please” like we are people and not monkeys?
daria
haha, love the socialmedia whiteout! it’s like Instragram’s coffee pics & feet-from-above pics that are all the rage. strangely, you get very much less of those in real life.
Corinne
Haha, you are so funny. I always get annoyed that everyone constantly talks about snow on facebook, or at work, it’s all about the snow.. ‘have you seen the snow’ um now I’ve clearly missed the 8 inches I had to battle through to get here.
But I guess it is just fun and exciting and dramatic and also something for us British to complain about, even if we secretly love it. I mean, I complained about having to dig my car out of the snow to get to work this morning. But I secretly loved it, even the part when I car drove past and splashed all my work uniform with sludgy black/brown/icy water and I had to go back in and get change. I also posted a photo of my back yard/the farm on instagram, facebook, tumble and my blog. Basically looked the same as every other photo on there but I guess we are all in this competition to get the best photo of the deepest looking snow. Or something. I don’t know. I hate people. I need a job where I do not have to talk to them every day. Any ideas?
The other week we got an American range in at work (I work at Tesco) and everybody was going on about how a box of Lucky Charms cost £5, like, kept going on and on and on about it as they bought them. It was the hot topic in our canteen for 2 weeks.. £5 for a box of Lucky Charms.. gosh’. It’s like how customers complain about us putting Easter Eggs out on boxing day, just as they are putting the Cadburys Creme eggs in their trolleys there are ‘I can’t believe they sell them so early, it’s ridiculous’. Don’t even get me started on the horse jokes.
I don’t remember what my point is. Something about people. And how they complain about things they secretly love. Like snow. And selling mince pies in August. Just for the point of complaining.
Anyway, I enjoy our outfit and cannot wait to see your snow picture.
Corinne x
http://www.skinnedcartree.com
Amber
Oh God, don’t get me started on the horse jokes either… I mean, it’s been a week, and people are STILL posting lame jokes on Facebook every day?! I can only imagine how much worse it must be when you actually work there!
Surinder
Please never ask me if I’m having a case of the Monday’s. I will shank you. No snow here ( in Chicago) but REAAAALLLY cold.
Caitlan
I think it’s short for deskside chat, from fireside chat.
Elise
God yes! It’s not snowed once here and I’m incredibly glad, which apparently makes me some kind of Scrooge for not rejoicing about getting to fall on my ass if I happened to venture outside. Woohoo… I love your boots, nice and practical 🙂
Caroline
I did post snow pics on my facebbook page, but we have 8 inches and have been properly snowed in – it has all been very exciting! Plus, am trying to demonstrate to work why it is that I’m snowed in near Birmingham whilst the office in Oxford has little more than a dusting…
Also, I do love the OMGSNOW! I actually came by Forever Amber today hoping that you’d have written an OMGSNOW post!
There are a lot of phrases I never want to hear again though. My current pet peeve is “I’m so into ….” or “I’m totally into…” Then there are the usual misuses and abuses of “actually” and “literally”. I really hate “blue sky thinking” – and pretty much anything uttered by the cast of Made in Chelsea!
Amber
You have a fabulous view, though – I’d take photos of that, too! I also have an irrational hatred for “into” in that particular context: I have no idea why, but I thought I must be the only one!
Janine
Like Caroline, I was looking forward to your OMGSNOW post as soon as it started to snow too haha.
I am totally and utterly immersed in the snowcialmedia whiteout that is going on. In fact I just made Mr Bertie take photos of me jumping around in/laying in a 15 foot snow drift/pile in Tesco car park (I really don’t know how that got there it is only knee deep everywhere else, it was IMMENSE) Then as we parked the car up I saw a two faced snowman with an igloo coming out of its arse that lets you go up inside the snowman, it was amazing!! I have some photos of that too (well I couldn’t not could I? I mean it is a two faced snowman and you can enter it’s arse!!!) so I can add them to my snowcialmedia whiteout extravaganza that I have going on right now on my blog/FB/Instagram 🙂
As for phrases I hate, well I hate it when I can’t think of something to end a conversation with at work so I either end it with “and then let’s take it from there shall we” if I am matching someone to a job or “Well lets just leave it there shall we” if I am sacking someone or telling them off. Where is this ‘there’ I keep going on about? Ugh, I make myself cringe!
You look lovely in these photos, I wish those boots hadn’t already sold out, I feel an ebay hunt coming on…
Janine xx
Katja
I find it pretty wierd that we get these new about snow in Sweden each winter, since it would be worth all the headlines in Scandinavia if we wouldn’t get snow in the winter. . Mind you, we get new about all sorts of weather over here – ir’s raining, it’s a bit warmer than usually, it’s getting colder again, the autumn is comming early this year, yadiyadiya. It’s like the newspapers and facebook is oblivious to the fact that talking about weather is BORING and a conversational faux pas…
Fran
The fact that you used the expression ‘the last homely house east of the sea’ makes it all golden for the Tolkien loving geek that I am. 😛