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....

esher - well - they put some dresses on mannequins not quite the 'show' I was expecting. The dresses were beautiful. Truly. And they ranged in price from £3,000 - £28,000. I reserved 2.

No - actually I shuffled out rather red faced realising this was for people with a very different life to mine!

Blossoming - hurrah for DH. Also need your advice on the barbour. I'm fed up with getting rained on and I guess I have to succumb. How is the sizing. I'm a size 10 but I have a large bust and shoulders. Is it fitted across the bust?

esher I have the Isabella Oliver cardi coat from last year - here - they've trotted it out again this year - lovely but would not rec for anyone less than 5'7" or so
Gap one looks nice!

Hells - £28,000 !!!!

LTEC - I am def too short for that IO cardi-coat. Need something more fitted and shorter (though still mid-thigh).
Am seriously considering breaking by no-boden rule for www.boden.co.uk/en-GB/Womens-Knitwear/Cardigans/WK612/Womens-Metropolitan-Cardigan.html?NavGroupID=6 this. Might be in vicinity of the Boden shop tomorrow so may run in and check.

Right, off to bed. MIL arriving tomorrow am.

I picked up on of these today when getting my fruit and veg. Four quid so I couldn't not! Oh I love a bargain.

Its funny about the boots in fashion atm, when I was first made redundant this recession I found a job as a TLO (tenant liaison officer)liaising between a sub contractor, a social housing landlord and their tenants and as I was working on a building site I was issued with the required PPE: Steel toecap boots, high vis vest and hard hat. The boots are bang on trend! I don't wear them but I could! I keep them for gardening and car maintenance.

hells, good to hear from you. I think the Barbour is 'true to size' and you should stick with the 10. Size 10 and big bust, how envious am I??
Shame about the NAP visit.
notyummy, I have no bad news, that I can think of..but thanks!

ABO the toast code is W0p5PL - it's actually for 10% off and free P&P not 15% as I originally said. Hope it works for you.

Hope you're okay this morning bunny. I can't imagine how you must feel about the nanny situation. Hope you find a great one soon.

Doh!

blossoming - sorry to confuse you - my sympathies were meant for bunny and her nanny situation.

LTEC - well done on your restraint and that useful 'what looks good' round-up! I will be purchasing lace tights next week.

Morning!

LTEC - I think I stole that line from Marsha Am loving being mentioned in your blog though And also loving your new gilet - well done your mum! Could you not persuade her to get a job in Selfridges too and bring you home bargains from there

Bunny - aaagggghhhh about your nanny! But best to find out now that she's not reliable.

Hells - glad you're back and did lol at you putting your name down for 2 of the dresses.

Thanks for all the sympathetic messages! Very annoying and stressful, esp as thought I had organised child care well in advance. But, as DH was saying to cheer me up, its good to know now (turns out he wasn't completely sold on her, but was happy to go w my decision) and we will end up w a better nanny/result, which is the most important thing. My whiny side is not thrilled about having to do all the work of interviewing again and having to wait longer for help.

So... plan is to treat myself (buy lunch every day etc to make life as easy as possible) and just get on w finding another nanny.

bunny - just caught up. That is totally rubbish. What an awful woman. But DH is right I suppose.

Bloss - thank you - that is helpful. And while the dimensions I describe look good on paper they no longer do in reality (unless wearing a full size industrial bra). Thanks to breastfeeding I am left with sad, stretchmarked covered sacks. Really horrid.

I know I should stop moaning and get them sorted but with my horribly addictive personality it would be a slippery slop and I would become a plastic surgery obsessive. Getting everything done. I'm going to try everything else possible first. Can anyone recommend an wondercreams for sad shrunken breasts?

sorry forgot to say....love the blog LTEC and Tracey - whether it's your quote or not - it's fab!

Cake i did want the peg trousers from io but they're sold out. I'm going for cardi coat, obi belt and a richer dress. I'm ailing in bed today - have just had to kick dh back out of it!! Does he not notice there are children that need fresh air and a dog that needs walking? He was actually cross that I pointed out he had to do these things himself as I have a fever. Gah!

More boringly I really need to get a job lot of jeans for my boys. Theirs are nearly all a bit threadbare. Any recommendations for the most resistant boys' trousers?

Bunny I'm really sympathetic. I don't think there's any perfect and durable solution to childcare problems. I've been left in the lurch more times than I can remember - years of sneaking out of the office for crèche pick ups etc. Very stressful.

Roma - I don't have boys, but little DD does v well in the Gap jeans (30% off...) and I see Zara does boys jeans too. I get the impression the Zara jeans might be good for those who are longer of leg (DD's Zara cords are longer than her Gap skinny jeans).

Hells - am feeling v forlorn about new stretchmarks on my stomach, so once I have had the babies, will be hoping like crazy I can get some sort of normal stomach bag. Breasts aren't faring too well either (huge and not so perky - yuck). Told DH they need to be re-perkified, too. Fast forward 10 years to Bunny of Wildenstein...

Ruched dress btw

gosh - lots of typos sorry! slop meant slope of course.

Bunny - we shall find the solution to stretchmarks! I've just bought an industrial sized bottle of bio oil and shall report back on its results. I have also heard that they've really sorted out laser solutions for stretch marks and it's working much better (somehow I'm persuading myself that isn't 'proper' plastic surgery!)...so maybe that's an option.

Roma - sorry to hear you are ill. Hope you do get better quickly. I agree with Bunny on the jeans. DS seems to find the gap ones the most comfortable and they are relatively hardy.

Romana - hope you feel better soon. LOL at your DH - sounds just like mine.

Jeans for boys - I rate boden for quality and also gap skinny fit if your boys like that shape.

Hells - I tell you - I so want a boob job - Romana - are you still booked for yours?

Oh and House of Fraser have got some wolford tights in the sale.

Giggling at Bunny of Wildenstein

Tracey - I know, scary thought isn't it?! Crazed eyes due to excessive facelifts etc. Heavens to Betsy.

Hells - await BioOil results w baited breath. My typing is iffy - meant to say "normal stomach back" not "stomach bag" (shudder).

Roma - thanks for the sympathy! To date I haven't actually "needed" childcare ie no job to go to, but I will v shortly. I can only imagine how stressful it's been trying to "bridge the gap" between the childcare you have and the childcare that you need whilst also doing your job.

Libra

If you are out there I would like to pick your brains ref some training/nutrition tips. Trying to reduce my body fat % by 1 or 2%. I know it is healthy at the moment (25%) - just want to get it into the 'excellent' range! Would have thought it is a better measure than either actual weight or BMI, no? (I know you can be v slim by unhealthy because of body fat for instance.)

LOL at bunny's stomach bag

did I miss any boot success during my absence? I"m still on the search for the perfect winter boot. Black please.

I tried on these www.net-a-porter.com/product/80468 I know they are very expensive but I will wear the chosen boot EVERYDAY! But they were uncomfortable on my wide wide feet. I'm still searching.

oops I've been away so long I've forgotten how to link!

Was just about to put together M&S basket to be delivered to a store when we are in London next time and discovered that tracey's gilet is gone from my basket Can't find it on the whole website, arghhh. I have to be superorganised with my shopping. DH has to work for two days while we're there and I can't drag DD through shops all day. I'm currently planning one shopping tour in the Marylebone area (Papillon, Matches, White Company and I love this shop) and one on the King's Road (for everything else really).

The Miumiu boots are gorgeous hells. I am tempted by a pair of grey Belstaff boots but I might be swayed.

Haven't given up the search for a messenger type bag and ordered this bag and this.