Wise ladies....step this way and Avidly share your most fabulous fashion finds .....

[notyummy]

Hello all!

Cake - come back we neeeeeed you to tell us about your holiday....

cain I like some of those Next boots,I must admit.
Cannot help but worry that I might look as though I've come from the workhouse,to quote my granny!

Kew is good this season imo.
Zembo I looked at the Toast churidars but didn't like them in RL,I 'm afraid.

@ GeorgianWorsley. I'll just be thankful we are no longer in the 1930s/1940s and the workhouses are closed.

Retail hell! Oxford circus uuuuurgh....

Couldn't even face going into liberty for a drool

Never again. At least, never on a Saturday.

Did see lots of lovely things though....

But purchased only new sensor for Nike+ and lace tights from zara. And salad from Leon, plus ice cream for dd And returned mango dress

So wise!!

Oh what lovely things LTEC?

Bloss - are you on the train yet - come on tell of purchases.

Cain - nice boots!

Zembo - I was in toast this morning with friend and was so disappointed in the carina dress. Thought it looked lovely in catalogue but very shapeless on hanger and not great material. However I find all toast stuff a bit shapeless so feel free to ignore me

Had lovely catch- up with friend this morning and quick perusal of shops but have over-spent recently so cutting back on purchases for a while.

Hello all

LTEC so sorry to hear the news about your friends, it always feels so terribly unfair when awful things like this happen to people who'd be wonderful parents.

And thanks for the link to your blog, you've got such a great writing style.

Well the clarks boots went back, I didn't like the sole and they weren't smart enough for work and were suede so totally unsuitable for park etc. So the search goes on.... esher I really like the second pair of boots.

Oh, and thanks to whoever posted the lily and lionel code, I ordered the classic leopard and it's fab!

I remember my granny saying to me once, 'they look like the boots daddy used to wear!' (My grandad, down the coal mines). I wore big boots for years, can't go back there. Although you may remember the red check shirt I linked to from Fat Face a while back. I was almost tempted.. But had visions of early 90's grunge era which I completely embraced for years! Shudder! (Pass the Nirvana t shirt!)
Did anyone else have a hard time in their twenties? I am much happier facing 40 than I was facing 30.

Anyway, apart from almost being crushed by Catholics, I had a good day. I have lovely swishy hair despite the woman at blink's best efforts to mess it up. I spent ages prancing around R&B in the lovely sky high shoe boots. But I left them there. How can I justify such expense when I will wear them only a handful of times? And so high wouldn't wear them with the bec dress as it is already on the short side. Very sad but best face up to real life!
Bought a great top thing from French connection in JL which I'll try and link to later which will do for the children's party and lunch with the girls. Maybe for meet up too.

Bloss Glad you had a good day and have great hair!

It's very funny when I think of you buying a top in French Connection in JL and thinking 'Ah, that's just beside Great Plains at the back' I think! Must have been spending too long in the shops of late

Yes hf and the fact that I, at least, have turned into that woman who can spend the whole afternoon in JL! Must be the 40 thing!!

But did you find yourself looking at kettles and pillows? Now that would be bad!

Blossoming - that made me laugh - when we were younger we would have day trips down to London. Dad would take me and my sisters off to a museum & lunch (often sarnies in the little park behind JL where we froze to death or if he was feeling flash, a meal in an Aberdeen Steak House!)- Mum would just go to JL in Oxford Street and we would pick her up for tea around 3pm without her having left the shop! Remember her always stocking up on dozens of tights! Glad you had a nice day - look forward to seeing FC top link.

No new jacket/coat for DS1 - the one he liked the best was a Gaalstra one which was lovely on him but 139 euros! At 28 pounds, I'm liking the Boden one more!

Okay I've turned into ollie's mum!!

Just passing through - apologies for recent absence but have been lurking a bit... Had to reply to zembo as was in Toast this week. Sizing is generally big. I got the cotton tunic in the crabapple and I adore it. Am usually a 10 and sized down to an 8 so that it fits into my back; the 10 was too loose on me and was dangerously close to making me look like a rural French painter... But the 8 is gorg Saw somebody in the shop trying on the knitted one you linked to too. It looked a bit on the long side to me. Not sure the proportions were quite right. But she might have been short, I didn't notice HTH!

Hmm, still pondering re: toast. Thanks for your comments. ABO is the crabapple colour basically orange? I think I'm going to order a few things in a size 6 just to get it out of my system. I think I'll give the carina dress a miss though as I am short and Tracey says the material isn't great - it looks like it might bobble easily to me. I hate wool that bobbles and that's what's led me to the cashmere (Brora) habit! I'll give the churidars a go (although not optimistic esp after your feedback GW), the cotton tunic and the needlecord tunic in either charcoal or mulberry, not sure which yet

Bloss sounds like you had a lovely day.

Cake you're brave going to oxford circus on a saturday!

I am very that the last time I seen before I went AWOL was heading in the direction of NAP!

I've really just been held captive by my hugely energetic 7 year old. My only peace being a bit of bribery (ie. offering him the laptop - hence no MN) His school holidays are finally over....and it's mine again!

I have been a little avid but not too bad. I will try to find links but mostly proper shopping so not easy.

I haven't caught up but will slowly. But I must say how sad I was to hear of your friend's loss LTEC. Unbearable.

Now to the frivolous - it's Saturday night so that means 'celebration meal' - fellow dukaners will know what I mean'....fish and chips and chocolate torte. Plus X-factor of course. Night all.

Reddy orange, yes zembo. Looks great with dark chocolate brown tights and long boots. Is the code one you could share? My purchases were wounded-finger-compensation (I trapped my fingers in a fitting room door at Toast a few months back and they sent me £100 voucher!) I also fancy this in olive and 15% off would help!

Evening Wise Ladies!

Got a text message at 12 noon today from The Nanny saying she has accepted another job (she was due to relieve DH and I babysit DD for the afternoon from 1:30pm - my ONLY childcare at the mo'!!). You can imagine my shock/fury/panic - she was due to work FT for us in 12 days! So have been a grown up and bought the M&S 2 for $10 meal so that's one less headache for tonight (ie heat oven, bung in and wait). The nanny search begins again.

On the positive side, wore white maternity Baxters today w lilac ballet flats and black cardi - nice combo. And DD looked adorable in her dusty pink slim cord trousers, silver shoes (ladies - have sinned, been to Papillon again and bought more Hebes in silver ) white cardi and her grey wool coat. Even DH admired and agreed earnestly how important it is that she is nicely dressed. Good DH!!

And since its not all about me...

esher - like those Kookai jodhpurs v much!

LTEC - Oxford St on a Saturday is hell. Lace tights and ice cream w you DD does sound lovely, though. DD is starting to hold my hand when we walk places and its so charming.

Bloss - ooh, sounds like a lovely day out that you had!

Oh bunny those shoes are adorable.

Hells Enjoy your supper. I could cope with that as a treat!

Oh bunny so sorry your nanny let you down. Can'T believe she did give you such short notice, really unbelievable! Hope you find someone else soon. Love the shoes for your DD and much looking forward to shopping at Papillon in two weeks time .

Just as you were on your way in a cab to Harvey Nichols blossoming I was defrosting my freezer. Have also been cooking two 10-litre-pots of apple compote. In total I have spent 7 hours dealing with all those apples and still no end in sight. Going to bake cakes/pies tomorrow. Wore at least a semi-stylish apron but not worth finding a link.

Bunny - crap news about the nanny , hope you manage to find a replacement soon.
Your dd's outfit sounds fab though - I must sort out a shopping list for the dd's for winter.

Bloss - your day out sounds perfect . Well done for refraining on the R&B shoeboots.

Well I thought it was going to be a lot colder today than it actually was so was in tights and knee boots (last year's toast cavalry boots) and was hot and flustered all day.

LTEC - I can only imagine the hell that was Oxford Circus today - we went into Kingston with dh and the dd's and it was pretty hellish. Had nice lunch at Jamie's Kitchen but otherwise dragging two small children around JL not fun. Didn't even get to look at a single shop for me, although when we passed the Mulberry concession I did stop to properly check out the Mitzy messenger cross body bag. Am v tempted but stupidly DH said he would purchase for me there and then and I declined thinking it was too much money to spend without lots of pointless toing and froing due deliberation.I should have just let him buy it shouldn't I?

Anyway, bought lots of new bedlinen for dd's bedrooms which are being redecorated at mo plus new skinny jeans and zip through teddy bear fleece for dd1. My real reason for venturing in was to buy school uniform though but apparently I am too late!! So dd1 has no school pinafores and M&S sold out online too . Did manage to buy her a very nice M&S winter school coat though at a v bargainous £20. Was too scared not to snap it up immediately in case I miss the retail window for winter coats too......

I think I would like a cardi-coat thing. Has anyone got the white co knitted peacoat? I want it to have arse coverage though so I can wear with new joddies/leggings. Wasn't allowed Didn't have time to go in today but thought this gap one looked promising? Any others anyone else can recommend?

Also meant to say hello to Hells.
What happened at the NAP thing?

I was welcomed home at the front door by dh and .. the spider! Dh told me to go and pour myself a glass of wine and he would 'deal with it'! Hurrah! It's gone. Love dh, he's my hero!

Sorry to hear your news Blossoming.

Good to hear from you Hells.

oh bunny how annoying and inconsiderate!

glad you had a lovely day bloss

love the 2nd boots esher, keep 'em both

hello hells and dolce hope you both enjoyed your yummy meals

How was last night tracey? outfit sounded fab. Hope you don't mind but have quoted you on latest blog entry and called you my friend .. please don't be scared of me

glad you scored some chazza shop bargains NY, lots of snugly jumpers in Zara if you are so inclined

ABO and cain have been thinking of you, nice to see you

well, would not have chosen to go to Central London today but trains to Westyfield from CJ all cancelled and it's nearly 4 weeks since dh bought that Mango dress, so really needed to return it ...hence Oxford circus. Some quite nice things in Mango but it's overpriced for what it is, isn't it? Still on the look out for camel cardi a la Stella McCArtney and they do have one with leather patch pockets, nice enough but certainly not wow (nor wool for that matter) and still £70ish.

Fur gilets abounded on every 2nd shopeer and in every 2nd shop - some very nice indeed.

Zara lovely as always (I know not everyone here gets along with it, and I didn't inspect anything too closely so am likely being swayed by clever merchandising rather than quality) but I did see a good number of things that made me think "yes please". Since I was with dd, only tried one thing but loved it- along lines of novelty Xmas sweater of pines trees and reindeer and snowflakes, white on camel background. Resisted but with difficulty. Laugh away ladies: I did.

Saw NYs' long floral maxi, could be worth a punt NY.

Lovely stuff in Cos & Anthropolgie too although not really my style ....

JIgsaw and Oasis also looked good from the windows.

Gap too hectic. And don't laugh (or do if you want) but the windows of this shop were great. I came over all Madonna, circa 2002, in her lady of the manor stage, wanting tweed knickerbockers and a spot of apres-brunch pheasant shooting.

all that's left on my AW wishlist is lace blouse and ankle boots.

Am sure that I can add some more things to list though ...

Roma lovely to see your name here .. I too am loving all the IO stuff but fear not appropriate for my life ... if you order the classic peg leg trousers can you report? can't quite seem to shake my liking despite last week's lovely trouser purchase.

right, witter-tastic. Sorry about that. Happy Sunday all.