We are avidly wearing our spring/summer buys, whilst wisely wondering when autumn/winter will arrive....

[notyummy]

Use this thread instead! I mucked up the title of the other one

oh god tracey I am really sorry that I'm not getting amongst the discussion of your jacket but I just can't bear it. Clinging desperately to last scraps of summer

OWW I did a treasure hunt at dd's party a few weeks ago. Wrote rhyming clues - Handed out first clue which led to a table with tattoos, sponges and water - plus an envelope with the 2nd clue. 2nd clue led to the apple tree, where they had to collect an apple and the 3rd clue. Third clue led to treasure chest at back of garden, filled with gold coins (gold cardboard circles) and the number 4 on one side and "Kingdom of P" on the other - plus final clue saying take your coins to the Princess P's dad and trade in for a party bag - and farewell!!

happy to send you the clues if they'd give you something to work from? It occupied them for that last half hour before hometime.

Summer - summer you say - I am sat swathed in a cashmere wrap its soooo cold. Grumpy emoticon.

And who knew it was so hard to find nice shoes for little girls - finally have ordered these as they fit my criteria of not being too glittery.

My mum's coming for dinner and to stay tonight - told her it was diet dinner of baked cod and steamed veg - she didn't sound too enthusiastic .

EIE - sounds like you had a fab time at Goodwood. Loved the photos.

Fritzi - bad news on the cast but hope it sorts you out.

The sun is out today so I am putting fingers in ears and going la la la la to drown out any talk of A/W! Am off on hols on Sunday and am willing it to be warm so I can wear my summery things.

DD2 being very difficult atm and draining all my energy. I think the long hols (they've been off since 2 July and are not back til 4 Sept) are taking it out of her. Not helped by the fact that there's so much to do on the house before we go away.

It's dd1's 8th birthday at the end of Sept and she's desperate to have her ears pierced. I would rather she waited a couple of years more but we have said she can as long as they do it properly over here and provide all the after care stuff. Anyway, she's started her list and one of the things on it is a rose plant . Bless, little does she know roses are a bugger to lok after. Maybe I could get her a bunch of fake flowers to keep in a vase in her bedroom instead. I can't remember if any of you have older girls, what do they like playing with?

On the subject of Ryanair, I've used them loads and never had a problem. I know people have had issues with them but I feel like I can't complain when I'm getting return tickets to London for less than the cost of a one way train to Paris.

Ooh yes - meant to say sorry ref the cast fritzi!!

Surely we can all come up something FAB-U-LOUS to accessorise it with....?

dolce my friend has the Mulberry Anthony and finds it very practical. Plus it won't date.

tracey I prefer the barbour Kate but in the navy, although black more versatile. Also, forgot to say thanks for the LA cape link - it's lovely and doesn't look too voluminous so I'm going to try it on when in town.

everything you looked fab in your pics and seems as though it was good fun. Lucky you, going off again so soon! Hope the journey goes well.

We're fortunate enough to have the Startrite factory shop 2 mins drive from our house. You don't always get much choice but for £16 a pair I can live with that and we haven't had anything hideous yet.

Just looking on the Gap eu site - these cords look quite nice here

I've calmed down about the party now! Thanks for all the ideas. Your treasure hunts sounds such a good one LTEC but my translation skills are just not up to coping with rhymes etc! May use the concept as one to give out the bags tho - which I wasn't going to do but found some Toy Story pens and pencils at a great price and gave in as know DS would actually use the pens etc! Like the idea of a cinema at home, thanks everything - even if they watched just 30 mins of Toy Story 1 or 2! Have already got popcorn so will make some cones to serve it in. Right - no more party talk I promise!

Bunjies - where are you off to on holiday? V sweet re your DD wanting a rose bush!

My friend has just had a baby girl and called it Adeline which I think is lovely.

this hobbs jacket looks nice and fitted for those of you seeking a quilted barbour-alike. I have a 20% code for hobbs somewhere too which I can look out if anyone interested.

Tracey - I ummed and ahhed over a Barbour International last winter and in the end just thought they were too uncomfy to justify although would have liked to have investigated the flyweight ones they had on my wardrobe. Have to say that I am a bit dubious as to stylistic merits of them - I think they only really look ok if styled a la my wardrobe, ie, killer skinnies, high ankle booties and belt knotted/left undone. Otherwise imo it's a short hop to frumpitty frumpsville. Think it's all a bit emperor's new clothes/clever marketing that only really works on leggy lithuanian teens models.

Don't get me started on the quilted ones - I just cannot get over the Lady Di 80's sloane ranger/ pony club matron wearing horse blanket connotations. Sorry.

Esher - I was just thinking of you whilst flicking through Grazia as Wallis are doing loads more leather stuff this AW.
I tried that hobbs one on last winter and it was too long in the waist for me but do like that style.

Hows your holiday been - are you now back?

I know what you mean re. barbour but just sort of think they're practical and I really need something waterproof.

So have ordered the kate in navy and will see. DH seems very keen on it but largely because it lets him off the hook of finding me a birthday present.

Talking of which its our 5th wedding anniversery tomorrow and I haven't even got DH a card - how rubbish is that!

Zembo A peaceful Ramadan to you. I have a colleague who is fasting - I have great admiration.

Well I ended up in A&E last night with dd. Constant vomiting, temperature over 40. They say it is just a virus. Have just been for a walk to the park and she is now sound asleep.

Apart from dd being the priority you get the guilt trip thing with work, having to cancel appointments etc. Luckily my boss is lovely.

Sorry for the self-indulgent post. It's just been one thing after the other this year.

If I have missed anything important I am sorry.

Esher Hope you had a great trip.

Afternoon all,

Good luck with the party OWW, hope DS enjoys it. Sounds like it will be great fun!

Hf - hope your DD feels better soon, poor thing. Its so horrible when the little ones are poorly.

Its freezing here, windy and drizzling. Wrapped up in a big cardy.

I ordered a few bits from NL last night. I followed a link to some boots on cyb's boot thread and got carried away from there!
Will link to keepers once arrived!!

Your poor dd, hf. I hope she recovers soon.

Had forgotten about Gap going online. Am liking this in the grey, this in the heather, this in the charcoal and this in the grey. As you can see I am channelling my office manager look .

am so sorry hf, you poor thing, there's been too much to contend with just recently.

esher are you back, please say yes!! have missed you much

happy wedding anniversary tracey - another 2005 wedding eh (me and zembo also) - trad gift wood, if that helps!!

sorry oww was totally overlooking the dutch aspect, doh.

uber stressful day here - can't put myself through the trauma of recounting it all so will only say appointment at passport office -> dc3 refused passport -> holiday next week.

And because I like to focus on the little things to distract myself from the big, I will have a massive moan about the fact that it is blazing sunshine outside and I didn't bother to put a load of washing on this morning bc it looked so blimmin' grim. Ugh.

yes am back but having trouble fitting in a bit of W&A-ing as school hols = dd's non-stop demands/whining etc = not allowed on laptop plus for some reason, I thought these 9 days between hols was the perfect time to have new windows fitted on one side of house . Apparently having new windows fitted is not at all a messy job,

NY we've got this digital luggage scale, highly recommend it. I bought one for my mum too and we always make sure we use our absolute max allowance.

Cake passport office experience sounds intensley stressful. I'm sure you'll get it sorted though. Nothing must thwart this holiday of yours!

Thanks for all your Ramadan wishes. Tracey the not drinking bit is more difficult than not eating, but even that is strangely manageable (even for me who 'can't' ordinarily go without food or drink for even a few hours ). Happy anniversary for tomorrow. Oh, and my DD has had several pairs of Pom D'api shoes - they're expensive but they often come up on ebay.

NY we always break our fast with dates and water as per worlwide tradition. Then in our family we have a fresh fruit salad followed by maybe a samosa / pakora snack. Then tonight we're having aubergine and tomato curry with homemade chappatis. I actually find I can't eat that much though after a day of fasting.

Where's Marsha?

I won't know re: Oct 16th until my DH gets his work contract extended and a new on-call rota.

Looking forward to checking out links later on.

Hi! Dh is on holiday so I am working at home. Because dadada I am not always carrying a plumpo seven month ds in my arms.

The old Saab is blowing white smoke and need to get it fixed (grump. Anyone walk the school run and enjoy it?

(Sorry not to catch up properly, on iPod.)

Oh dear LTEC - v stressful for you. I truely sympathise - I think my trip to the London Passport Office when DS1 was 1 month old was one of the worst experiences of my life - awful place. Hope it all gets sorted.

Am loving the baking show thats on BBC2 now. Oh yes, speaking of which - DS1 casually mentioned at bedtime that I am expected to make cakes for all the teachers of the other 3 Group 1/2 classes - so he can pay them all a visit, give them a cake and get a special card signed! Gah! Am just going to get up early and bake a batch of cupcakes!

Ps the way you break the fast sounds really lovely Zembo.

hf - Hope your DD will get well soon!

OWW - Ideas for party games sound great. I'm sure your DS and his pals will have fun.

cake - What do you mean they refused to give your DS a passport? Don't they know the obstacles you have already faced with regards to this holiday? Hope everything will get sorted. Think of lovely Tibi dress ... and breathe.

bunjes - Love your Gap links!

Got this dress in navy today and think I'll keep it. I know it's not exciting but I love everyday dresses I can just throw on and go.

EIE - have a good trip

Fritzi - I like that dress and often think the plainer boden stuff is nice and like everything just depends how you wear it.

Zembo - agree with Marsha - sounds a lovely way to break your fast.

Lovely evening with mother last night but she's left already on the way to a meeting.

Off to view another house today and then a trip to local national trust property for lunch I think provided it doesn't rain too much.

Morning all.

Everything - Hope you enjoy your break, even if the sun doesn't always shine. I am sure your DS will love it.

Zembo - the fast breaking food sounds lovely! Thanks for the link to the scales. We have digital ones at home that DH will use this time round, although they are not designed for luggage, so maybe for the future....

LTEC - Sorry to hear about passport stress. Really hope you get it sorted soon - were they being funny over the picture or was it the paperwork?

Fritzi - That dress is very nice, despite my general ant-Boden stance!

HF - So sorry to hear about your dd and hope she is back to herself soon. It's horrible when they are like that isn't it? We had dd in the hospital with pneumonia in Feb and I know how worrying it is.

Bunjies - Loving all the Gap links!

Well, at work in black linen suit to dayfor meetings. Got halfway to work before discovering that I have forgotten my make-up bag. I don't wear much as a general rule (usually just stick on blusher, mascara and lip gloss - with touche eclat if feeling extra tired.) So at work feeling slightly 'naked' at the moment - but not vain enough to turn the car round and drive for 30 mins back home to collect said bag.

Mad rush when I get in tonight. Quick wash and change of clothes and straight back out again to drive down to Oxfordshire for canal boating. Packing for that was complicated when friend rang DH last night with more details - he has booked us all in for dinner at smart gastro pub tomorrow evening which is on canal, so I need something semi-smart for that - but is also practical for canal boat!! Will also have to take dd to this cool gastro pub place, which looks like it may not welcome a boisterous 4 year old in the evening with open arms. There are a number of people in our canal boat party going, but none of the others have kids, so understandably friend has not necessarily thought 'child friendly' when planning eating arrangements. As it is old friend of DHs and he will want to atach up, I can see me trailing back to the boat early after just managing a starter as dd gets too tired to carry on.......

OWW - Good luck with the party!

notyummy your evening sounds like it will be wonderful

everything great shopping at goodwood! I saw in on tv and yearned to go but screechy DS in a babybjorn may not go so well with my vintage frocks [shakes head and wonders where her life has gone]

LTEC! I too sympathise re the passport office, they refused DD's passport when I went with no time to spare because of her photo (which I had taken professionally and was assured was fine) too much shading on it apparently. What a hassle. AAARGH. Lovely dress though!

tracey navy kate best choice I think, well done.

Well.. I had a serious bout of shopper's remorse yesterday when ALL the things I had ordered turned up at once (anyone else run to the door in a shifty style and pretend it's not a delivery?!) Anyway monkeysmamas jacket is SO SO NICE oh my goodness it's so soft and the colour and style are just wonderful, sadly I got the wrong size (aaargh) and although my BF boobs have shrunk (TMI?) still no hope of it fitting and I'm quite slim at the moment so no point keeping it in hope of shrinking so I have sent it back it was so lovely though, enjoy it monkeysmama!! Also sent back the small cami top but kept the larger size.
Have to rave about the VW dress though. Oh my, great cut, it shrinks your waist dramatically and gives you perfect curves and no real need for spanx. No idea how VW does it with jersey but I am an anglomania convert (think may be required in various colours!)
Also have this scarf which I am not sure if I should keep. I love the butterflies and love erdem in general but silk scarf + baby food = not chic at all, and something about it reminds me of my grandma and I'm not sure if that's a good thing

current quest is for some black peep-toe shoes which are not patent and not platform soles, currently failing at this vin forgets she isnt meant to shop for months now!

Better go I am temporarily relieved of DS and am meant to be doing some work

PS a friend of mine is fasting too Zembo and I am always amazed every year by her willpower, it must be more difficult in summer. Ramadan mubarak to you and enjoy your evening meals!

Vino - lovely purchases! Particularly loving the dress.

HF - meant to say - hope DD is feeling better - its always worrying how quickly they go from slightly under the weather to very feverish.

LTEC - will passport issues get resolved? Fingers crossed and toes too.