The Locksley-Oakenshield Academy of Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy

[ComeIntoTheSinisterGardenMaud]

All specialisms catered for. We offer courses in

Hairdressing, whether for long hair or a more conventional short back and sides

Manicures

Skincare: facepacks and other beauty treatments

Body art

Advice on styling and personal grooming, ranging from
formal evening attire to casual wear, with specialist sessions on military uniform.

I know what you mean, Maud - the classic Disney films are in a completely different league - I suppose because they were made with passion, rather than with and eye on the bottom line as they probably are these days.

Beauty & the Beast is my favourite!

Philip Glenister is on my mum's LoL but not on mine, Maud :)

Can never make my mind up about PG - there is something about him but in way on my LoL!

Please can someone send me se Lucas Aid!! Feel dreadful. Gastric flu since you ask spiro! Really sore tummy and nausea and aching joints! DD has been fab amusing herself while I slept for 3 hours this morning and then lay quietly next to me this aft. DS currently is still full of energy so think he enjoyed an extra afternoon at nursery. I'm back in bed and they happily playing together downstairs! Do love it when they play nicely!

Hope everyone else is full of the joys of spring autumn.

Should say "...and in no way on my LoL.". !

That sounds hideous Vampy - hope you've managed to sleep off the worst of it.

Going radically off-topic in every sense - I keep meaning to recommend this book if anyone is looking for stocking fillers - it is absolutely brilliant.

Oh Vampy, poor you! It's awful when you are ill but still have to look after kids; yours sound great at letting you rest though, bless them! The one that has been doing the rounds is nasty but very short-lived in most cases (me and DS were only a matter of hours with the actual throwing up part). So hopefully it will be over with very soon!

Thankfully no throwing up involved (yet!). Might be feeling a bit hungry but not quite sure. Have to get up now and feed kiddies. Silent downstairs assuming all is ok?!

They have that book in our local museum gift shop, Spiro,. but I've never really looked at is. It does look fab. I have just started shopping for Christmas - oh woe - but only because I saw a few stocking fillery things and decided to get them while I remembered.

I am now Officially Old. Today I bought my new jeans in Marks and Spencers. Please don't shop me to the Style and beauty Police - I hear they take no prisoners.

Oh Vampy, you poor thing.

::sends week's supply of LucasAid::

Do let the courier know when you need another delivery.

I have to buy my jeans in M&S, Maud because everywhere else seems to do those horrid low-rise styles. Bottom and muffin top on display is not a look I am comfortable with.

So while I may be younger than you in years, style-wise I am far older.

::ego-boosting emoticon::

Ding dong! .

He'll read them a story while you recline listlessly on the chaise longue. .

Thank you for that consolation, LadyD. Really, I am only 27 but I am luring you into a false sense of security. I have a friend who is ::gasp:: slightly older than me who always looks very stylish and well put-together and she buys all her jeans in M&S. Because I don't like them much and don't wear them often, I only have one pair at a time, usually. And I can't be doing with low-slung trousers either - my muffin top needs a bit of heavyweight denim to keep it under control otherwise it would be wobbling all over the place.

I have to go with the horrific 'mom' jeans to keep mine contained. I need a good high waistband, preferably up to my bra line to provide a handy boost to my bosoms which otherwise double up as handy thigh warmers.

On the subject of clothes - where do you buy your DD's from?

I have just spent 2 hours trawling the internet for winter clothes for Miss S and can hardly find anything suitable at all.

Sainsbury's mostly .

You've reminded me, LadyD, that when I was browsing dresses on the Johnny Loulou's website last night, they were kindly offering accessories for each dress, which generally included shoes, necklace and those Spanx things that look like the shortie wetsuits the kids wear on the beach!

The Girl is very keen on La Redoute and Pumpkin Patch - both of which seems to have a permanent online sale.

::thrifty::

Look, Spiro, there's 30% off everything and a clearance

::never willingly pay full price for anything emoticon::

When The Girl was a baby and toddler my favourite shop was the NCT nearly new sale.

Will have a look at that Maud - and at Sainsbo's. Miss S is spectacularly fussy - no high necklines, rigid waistband or chunky knitwear.

Basically she lives in tunic tops/dresses and leggings.

::Staggers up from the basement, where the dust has made her not inconsiderable chest rather wheezy::

It seems to offer something for everyone, including students from the Faculty of Sports Science (Trampolining Department).

Hiya, Spiro. Yes, that's pretty much The Girl's preferred look too - although she now has a jumper from PP that's so chunky it looks more like a dressing gown, which she seldom takes off. Have you looked at dear old Marks and Sparks - they have several leggings/jeggings outfits that The Girl covets and which might appeal to Miss Spiro.

PP is great - I thought they were full of twee, overpriced pre-schooler stuff. It's obviously changed a bit since I last went in there, although may have to provide cushions for my credit card (£20 for a top??!! ) But probably worth it as trying to get long sleeved tunics anywhere else is like searching for the Holy Grail.

What's the fit like on the PP stuff?

I'd say the fit on PP was about standard for age - we used to buy a lot of The Girl's clothes in France to avoid the any colour you like as long as it's pink rule of English shops and there would buy a size larger (French kids must be petite) but in PP I usually buy the age she is (or this year + next year if it's two years in one IYSWIM). The Girl bucks the family trend by being skinny.

If you can hang on for the end of the sale, the stuff is ridiculously cheap. Towards the end of the summer sale, I got The Girl two dresses for next summer for a total of £7 - they had been reduced to £7 each, but it was a BOGOF offer.

Have you also looked at M & Co? They get sneered at on S&B for being a bit naff (and their women's clothing is a bit elderly even for me) but they too have a lot of leggings and long tops which The Girl admires.

Well now, don't get me started on girls' clothes. Do you remember a while back that I was bemoaning the fact that Tesco/Sainsburys etc. stopped selling plain, basic clothes past the age of 6 and that everywhere was Hello Kitty/bling nonsense? Well I spent a fair bit of money (and loads of time) buying stuff on the web and then, whaddyaknow, Sainsburys have started selling the basic stuf fin her size! Argh! We don't go through that many clothes with MissTwigs as she never gets changed after school, so it's only weekend. I usually buy the plain clothes from Boden as they last so much longer than cheap clothes and I can sell them on when she outgrows them. My fave outfit this year is this top with these trousers The trousers are AMAZING, they look much nicer in RL and are soooo warm and comfy with a jersey lining (I'm not on commission, honest). And then she has the same top in turquoise with these cords. Have got a few bits from Lands End, on recommendation from S&B but I wouldn't recommend those tbh. Then I usually get quite a few bits from ebay.

We used to get DD's a lot of clothes from DD in France too Maud, but they are sooooo expensive!

I don't pay full price for those Boden clothes, I hasten to add! I got the cords for about £17 and I'll be able to eBay them later for around a tenner so I figure they've only really cost me about £7 :)

Oh, The Girl would love those cords! I want some cords for me - does anyone know of anywhere selling cords which meet the aforementioned criteria of maximum flab coverage and not too skinny in the leg either as I'm not?

You've reminded me, Twiggy, that I have got some nice trousers in the past from the Land's End outlet store in Oakham as they cater very well for grannies.