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....

NY Quite difficult to tell with the flash but photo no 1 looks very nice. Good cut and shape - and you have good legs!

What's the fabric like?

Fairly heavy and drapy - although a bit shiny!

Yes - not best quality shots I'm afraid.

Hello again,
DH away so have managed to get on the computer and was drawn here to catch up with you lovely ladies! I dont post so much these days but am still around thinking W&A thoughts

Notyummy well done your DD on picking up her reading so well already.
Ds1 started school 2 weeks ago as well. He has never been interested in his letters and sounds and I've never pushed it but now he is doing it at school he is a lot more interested and is happy to practise them each evening so I'm really pleased
Love your H&M maxi too

Zembo Fingers crossed that your forgetfulness is a sign!

Plum I really enjoyed your blog, you've a real way with words

LTEC Sorry to hear that you ahve your friends little boys funeral coming up, must be a very sad time. I agree with the idea to wear muted colours but not all black and scarf would be a nice touch.

I have completely forgotten all the other things I had in my mind to say!! So sorry to those I meant to mention but havent!!

Off to do some shopping now. I have an urge for an autumn knitted dress.....

NY - I think that dress looks really good on you - I love the shape and the colour - go for it.

Carcofi - that's a bit cryptic - is there something you want to tell us?!

Felix - good to see you back - I am also on the hunt for an autumn knitted dress - tell me if you find one.

On the subject of men - I have found that going to an all girl secondary school has left me with a lasting legacy of feeling a bit awkward when talking to men and I can veer towards flirtatiousness when I'm nervous. Not great
Still wouldn't describe myself as a girls' girl though.

Notyummy - that dress looks great on you - v glam!

Err, I am a bit flirty, but not w intent, so do get male attention (but not of the wolfy whistle variety). However, am also a bit of a stereotype (blonde, boobs, slim-ish) so actually think men who are attracted to me could use a bit more imagination. Am sure having 3 within 18 months will put the kibosh on all that anyway

Hey ladies, I need some advice/honest opinions. I'm after a pair of wedge boots to wear to park, playgroup etc with skinny jeans and leggings. I've already ordered and returned one pair so I thought I'd get opinions before I order these not sure about the logo on the back. I think I need to go shopping in RL but it's so hard to find the time, especially this week cos poor DD has chicken pox so I'm having to take time off work and then catch up on work in the evenings.

notyummy I like the dress, it's a great colour.

Hello to everyone else, like the KG boots, if I can't find some wedges I'll probably get those.

bunny meant to say your pics are lovely, you have a very neat bump and your DD is gorgeous.

mrsj I don't think they've got any in yet but last winter I had 2 fab knitted dresses from uniqlo.

NY That's probably the only problem then - the shiney fabric. So I would say go for it.

Also like the H&M Maxi - well done you!

MrsJ Going to an all-girls convent boarding school had the complete opposite effect on me!

I tried on the Top Shop leather mini today - it's quite nice - for the price. I didn't buy it though.

Hello All! I am going to have a good catch up and look at all the links but have only skimmed so far so apologies if I have missed anything.

LTEC- I am so sorry for your friend's loss and for memories of your own loss.

Plum - I love your blog! You write so well. I love your bird necklace. I have a very similar but more sparkly one from Toppers.

Bunny - you look stunning. I wish I had looked half as good when pregnant.

LTEC- I'm sure we had the conversation about 'earnest' women at work on the AIBU board. I remember being deeply relieved when I saw your thread about missing men while being at home with the dcs while also loving your dh dearly, and thinking thank god its not just me! (god I hope it was you or you will think I'm very odd). Now I am back at work I love the male banter and general thick-skinnedness iysyim (not that I go around offending people)!

On the subject of men, I get a few comments and mostly of the harmless variety. It makes me smile generally. One guy once ran into my work saying I was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen and then just ran out. It was a long time ago and as you can tell I have hung onto it since! Oddly I have a 'thing' for Bruce Parry, the 'Tribe' guy.

I have just bought the pewter Ash hi-tops (I know I'm a year behind all of you) and they seem to come up quite big. Did others find this? I'm a bit concerned that the 5 is too small.

Zembo - I'm so pleased for you. How did you manage it? My dh is till pretty adamant we should stop at 2. I'm quite gutted tbh and although I know I'm blessed with my two dds I would love another.

NY, the dress is lovely on you, gorgeous colour.

Reallygrumpy, I like the boots and I don't think the logo is noticeable.

We aren't trying for #2 but were a bit careless. If it happens, great and the decision is out of our hands! If not, I will start thinking about going back to work next year.

I used to work on the trading floor and had a penchant for short skirts (when I was younger and skinnier!) so used to get a few comments but perfected a disinterested look. Now I am quite preppy, I think, so the comments are few and far between!

Dilemma: do I go for this navy Barbour or save for the Cameron

I swapped the WC poncho for this cardigan. I wanted the navy knitted dress but they didn't have my size. I was very tempted by suede shoeboots in Russell and Bromley (probably the same ones you were looking at, Bloss) but I think I would trash them in no time. It was nice to hang around with my cousin and not have DD shrieking to go to the playground. My friend is fab!

Verity - lovely to hear from you. So glad the course is going well even if it is knackering!

Bunny - you look gorgeous in your pics and your dd is such a cutie.

Cake - so sad about the funeral. I agree with the others re sober rather than all out black. Maybe black and pale grey?

NY - I like the blue dress in your photos. From what I can see of it it is a good shape. You have a lovely figure.

I don't seem to get much male attention. Walked past heaps of builders today without so much as a second glance in my direction.

Can I ask you ladies to do me a favour please? Not quite W&A but it does involve shopping.....I have just had the dds' bedrooms redecorated (have gone all out with the pink bunting fairy cupcake ballerinas look ) and over the weekend I bought one of those lightswitch covers from Laura Ashley but stupidly forgot that dd1's room has 2 lightswitches so now i need another one but the one I picked up was last season's design so no longer on internet or my local store. So please, if any of you are in LA please could you see if they have a pink polka dot lightswitch cover (reduced to £6 in my branch) and grab one for me pretty please and I will reimburse you? Thanks ladies.

Thanks for your good wishes ladies I've been feeling pregnant during the day but just feel pre-menstrual now . I'm fairly in tune with the rhythm of my body so pregnancy is a possibility - will test on Sunday if AF not here by then. Not expecting it to be this easy though!

Whelk my DH is only doing it for me and for that I feel selfish (but obviously not selfish enough ). He loves me and knows it means a lot to me, and that's about it really. Oh, and he's a very clever man, must have realised happy wifey, happy family.

Fleecy where are you?

NY like the dress.

carciofi those Barbours are v different from each other. If you want warmth it's got to be the Cameron, I like the look of the first one too.

I only ever get compliments from women these days and prefer mixed company. In the past I've also had a little too much interest from women at times

Ladies, thank you. Seems like the consensus is to keep the dress - so I will! It is the cheaper of the two as well.

Zembo - Fingers crossed.

Reallygrumpy - I like those boots.

Oh, and in terms of working/being with men and women - really got me thinking actually. Current workplace is 50/50 and fine. Last one was more female dominated (although was only there a year) and I did get a bit fed-up by how easily upset people seemed to get (hopefully not by me...) It's not that I am a heartless cow, but most of the things that pissed people off frankly seemed a mystery to me.

The consultancy I worked for was entirely male apart from me. As I was leaving, two other women joined, but up until then I was it! Generally it was good - but I did have to rein in some of the ladishness if basically it was going to be bad for business (or pissed me off.) When I got pregnant they all fussed around me like lifting a sheet of paper might kill me (kind of sweet in a way...) And obviously, in the military it is still pretty male dominated. Interestingly I genuinely felt that if I put in as much effort as a bloke and didn't use my sex as a tool to avoid anything, then I was never treated any differently than a man. I am sure others have had different experiences, and the RAF is probably slightly better than the other forces in that much of what it does is not based on sheer physical strength, so there is more equality in what we can do.

Marsha I would say I am not asked for directions especially but certainly have a look that people feel the urge to come over and tell me how attractive they think I am. Sounds even more odd writing it down but it's a standing joke amongst friends that on nights out I always get a little fan club of men wanting to tell me how lovely they think I am. I am absolutely not a drop dead beauty or even the most attractive of my friends so why I get singled out is weird. I seem especially endearing to older people, boyfriend's parents/grandparents used to always approve.

My work is all female now and I miss the easy atmosphere of men. Women seem to have so many more gripes and petty disputes. I like the banter and especially miss my old team that was 80% male and so laid back.

Carciofi I love the first Barbour, the feminine shape with the defined waist is such a great classic look.

Ooh sounds nice Happily. What or who do you look like? What are your favourite designers? Need to build up image. (You're not Fleecy are you?)

I used to get that more. Fave one in Hollywood by a couple in a red convertible. Wish I had hung around to see why but I scarpered!

Morning all!

carciofi, I loved that first Barbour but it would serve a quite different purpose than the cameron, which I have worn every day since delivery!!

really sorry I don't like those boots, have you looked at Camper they usually do a wedge heel boot.

I used to work in IT for investment banks so always worked with men, quite unusual to be a female Oracle DBA. I liked the fact there were always cake and bicuits and no diet talk :)

Morning.

Notyummy - thought the dress looked great on you - v flattering on your lovely figure.
Carciofi - the first Barbour is lovely but not as practical as the second me thinks. (get both!)
Everything - your team at work sounds like the one i used to work with. I really miss them - we worked hard but had fun doing it! I have never laughed so much in an work environment and used to enjoy just being there!

Re being noticed - I was (am!) the girl that always had the pretty friends - so went through that whole teenage years thing of being at a party/disco and being approached by a boy only to be asked if I knew if my friend had a boyfriend or being told my friend likes your friend etc! Don't recall it upsetting me much at the time - think it helped me to develop a sense of humour when talking to boys (went to an all girls school) which stood me in good stead! The last time I got any male attention was when a gorgeous guy started talking to me at a tram stop and I had to glance over my shoulder to check he wasn't talking to someone behind me!

It was half girls/boys for us and no talk of diets. Pre-dc and skinny! We could all eat and drink a bit, and talk about food and where to go out. There was silly gossipy talk which was irritating. Mostly good fun, we would laugh. But definitely a young environment.

I don't discuss diets rl now either. Just seemed to come up on this thread. (Although Hell's mention of the Dukan has been great for me).

Morning.

Another gorgeous day - the 'last of summer' according to R4 this morning. Good job my lace tights arrived yesterday! Am wearing new (well, new to me - donated by a friend) butterfly pattern dress over leggings, with wedges and an oversized chunky cardie that I got in the Monsoon sale last winter. It appears to still be 'in' this year, so thats an even better result!

Fe1ix - Welcome back and great to hear from you. Hope you find your knitted dress- I was on another thread about them and there seems to be a lot out there at the moment.

notyummy I like the dress on you. You look gorgeous even though a flash is hiding your face .

ollie I always imagine you to look like the counterpart of that gorgeous dad of your DS's friend you described. I know you are not Dutch but as you live there I just associate all that fair-haired, easy-going gorgeousness with your name.

To be honest I don't miss working in a team or an office that much. Working freelance and just having the occasional meeting suits me much better. I had really difficult female bosses in the past: When I worked in London a Frenchwoman who felt that everyone in her team who wasn't French was in some way inferior. Next boss was a divorcee without kids who was 10 years older than me and just so contemptuous of everything I did and represented (newly married, double uni degree, fluent in English, just starting out on a new career, not yet wrinkled by years of smoking and sunbathing like she was). And last was probably worst: A boss who was an absolute control freak, wouldn't trust me with anything and as soon as there was any sort of conflict would break down in tears. Even in meetings with our next-level boss or with clients. She probably had all kinds of issues and I sort of pitied her but what a nightmare to have someone like that to work for. Sorry long post with too many details. Just realised how relieved I am to have left all of that behind me.

NY I like the dress on you. It looks good, though tis a small image.

morning - just squeeeeeeezing in to say NY, think you look great

have a good day everyone