We are Avidly snapping up Primarni brogues, whilst Wisely swapping (for charidee!) our unwanted clothes...

[notyummy]

This way ladies....

LTEC - I am wearing said AVEDONs right now, courtesy of Vin.

Welcome Looby!

Right have uploaded photos, copied a few names across but prob forgot most.

I look shocking due to 36 hours of gastric bug (excuses, excuses!) and this was first time I've left house all weekend. Dress needs makeup/spanx/heels/hair etc but would welcome suggestions for jewellery etc.

Have tried it with old faithful platform courts which works, have a gold leather Calvin Klein clutch which I haven't tried yet. Detail on front is beads/studs/chains so am thinking jewellery might look ott?

NY thanks for the recipe, I'm going to try the other mushroom one you posted next weekend and your beany soup (well a version of) is bubbling away on the hob as I type .

Also Cakey made your coconut cake today - think I overcooked it a bit so will try for 25 mins next time. Thetexture wasn't what I expected (didn't rise much) but it tasted lovely and the kids really loved it, so thanks! Also will line the tin next time as it was tricky to prise out.

Tracey in my minds eye you look like a prettier version of Kylie (and with better style)

Marsha your description of your grandmother is how I imagine you, tall and strikingly beautiful, obviously genetic then

Feeling v happy today as my DD learnt to ride a bike (aged 4.2yrs) and is almost swimming too - can do about 5-6 strokes

Hi Looby

Talking of food, (love the sound of those mushrooms ny), I bought Anjum Anand's I Love Curry cookbook yesterday. I can't wait to get stuck in!

Hope everyone had a lovely day today. It was gorgeous here. We went back to West Wales where dc1&2 were born for lunch with friends and a walk along the beach. Beautiful.

happily, I'll try again and see if I can open your page.

Welcome looby.

monkeysmama, sorry to hear of your awkward situation. Love choo's suggestion for your work clothes.

Thanks for the link ollie.

Hi Looby! I have been looking at nameberry (think it's run by the same people who wrote my fave baby name book) - 'tis v good isn't it?! Please do add your suggestions - love to read them. Although I don't want to make this all about me!!

Welcome Looby Nameberry is great!

Bloss What a lovely day - and poignant too.

There were some nice blouses in the Telegraph mag yesterday.

Tracey Mums, I think, will always have their dear daughters best interests (in their opinion) at heart - that is all it is.

What glorious weather today. DD and I went for a long walk through forests and ended up at a cafe at a private airfield watching the planes!

Now back to reality tomorrow. Boo hoo!

Another vote for dress for success. A great organisation.

Thank you so much for all the welcomes- it's a bit intimidating posting for the first time on a thread like this!

I do find nameberry v good as it is international and you can get v interesting and unusual suggestions but v tasteful too!

A few suggestions for bunnymother (hope I'm not totally off beam) : Adelaide, Alice (maybe too popular but lovely still), Agnes, Beatrice, Dorothea, Eliza, Gwendolen, Guinevere, Genevieve, Isolde, Josephine, Juliet, Jemima, Livia, Lucia, Rosalind, Susanna, Vivienne.
Cordelia is v pretty!

This is a bit embarrassing in the 21st C but can someone explain to me how to links properly, without showing the whole web address? Then perhaps I could post some fashion finds another time!

If you want your link to display text other than the web address itself, leave a space after the address then add the text before the ]]. So "Look at this page", would display "Look at this page."

There you go Looby

Bloss have put you on list so please tell me if you can't see photos as I've prob done it wrong!

Hello all

This thread has suddenly taken off again and I'm struggling to keep up again!

Bunny as everyone else has said, you look fab in your pics. Really really fab for 30 weeks with twins - I think I was the same size bump as you but much lumpier elsewhere with my singleton pg's.

ABO - I wore my gold Primarni brogues today (courtesy of Plum) but I would say they are more like the bloch jazz shhoes that LTEC linked to - very very flat and thin soles almost like ballet flats. If you want more of a chunky man style brogue (which I think is nicer imo) then I think the next and wallis ones that Cyb and Noddy linked to are better. The Primarni ones are fine but offer next to no foot support which is not great for me as I have lax ankle joints and fallen arches. Rubbish feet me.

Have done a bit of shopping over the last few days.
Had 2 big ASOS deliveries but absolutely everything is going back bar these trousers.
Went to Kingston today and exchanged these boots in brown for the black,then picked up this chunky cardycoat in grey and this sweater to wear over leggings/skinnies.

I think I want a faux fur coat but not one that is trying to look like real fur if that makes sense. Much as I like a bit of leopard, am not really a fan of the Christine Keeler faux fur coat thing - too often it ends up more Elsie Tanner. Am thinking more apres-ski in Gstaad or cold days with sunglasses on the Via Condotti.
This is the ££££ version and have just ordered this in cream and this as being the closest I can get - will see how they measure up. The uniqlo one is a complete punt, have not seen/touched in rl but I saw the per una M&S one earlier today albeit not in my size and it looks 100x better in rl than it does online. We shall see. If all else fails the Sonia Rykiel is still in stock......

MM - your outfit for the christening sounded lovely. I don't think you should stop going to the cafe btw, you just need to assume a slightly steely older woman of the world persona and go back as if nothing has happened. Am at your mega-watt sex appeal though......mind you, I do always think of you as being absolutely gorgeous.

Looby - sorry forgot to say hello. I like your name suggestions for Bunny

Bunny I also like Agatha, Greta, Gretel, Gretchen and Felicity.

Your photos have worked happily. Doesn't your daughter look like you? Gorgeous! Personally I'd try the dress with a bangle/bracelet in the same metal/stone as the beading on the front especially if, as it looks from the photos, you are slim-hipped. HTH!

Love the Sonia coat esher! And thanks for info on brogues. I'm rubbish in cheap ballet flats (the Blochs Plum sourced for me ages ago are about the only ones I can wear) so think I'll give the Primarnis a miss. Am still seriously tempted by the Carvella ones. The heel is such a good height...

There were some 'Furs' in the ST Style magazine yesterday. Love the Sonia one.

Bunny, since Cordelia has always been top of our list for a DD, I'll take the liberty of telling you what else is on it (though there are some Italian names):

Fiamma, Greta, Elettra, Ottavia, Charlotte, Flaminia, Hero, Eleanor, Domiziana

Have forgotten the rest - I knew all mine were boys from quite early, so have always focused on those names.

Funnily enough, before having children, whenever I imagined myself with children it was always with 4 sons. Does it mean something??

I'm wearing vin's MV black jersey dress today for the millionth time, so thanks again Vin

Happily your dd does look just like you! How sweet.

Ds1 at home today with pukey bug - fingers crossed we don't all get it. Esp dh who's off to the far east tomorrow.

Yangy that dress sounds fantastic - can you put a pic up?

Morning all!

Happily - you DD is lovely - and you look great in that dress. I didn't know that you had it when I recommended it on the other thread! I think the lady there is going with my leopard print recommend - I am gradually changing the world to a big old animal print

Esher - Am liking those Whistles trousers you got from Asos - bargain.

Yangy - that vintage dress sounds very fabulous and perhaps just the thing for Christmas parties?

Roma - Hope you avoid the bug. DH has had a horrendous cold that dd and I have managed avoid so there is hope!

Boring outfit today of Jigsaw silver/grey silk top and black trousers with flats. Have got a new skirt and new patterned tights that I must try out this week - they are both quite thick though, so I am waiting for it to feel more autumnal, which apparently it will be the middle of the week.

Oh, and meet up ladies....we still have to decide where to go?!

happily Your DD is gorgeous and just looks like you! Like others said before I would accessorize the dress with one piece of jewellery, either a gold/metallic bangle OR maybe a cocktail ring, which I prefer to big earrings. But hoop earrings could look good too, depending on what your hair do.

yangymac Love the sound of that vintage dress. I adore bell sleeves. Any special occasion for wearing the dress?

esher Your lace up boots look great! Just the right height of heel for running around in for everyday I think. What do you plan to wear them with? Knits are great basics for winter. Not sure about the fake furs though, sorry. Will probably love them in about two to three years time when everybody else has stopped wearing them .

Have already been chasing after my Belstaff boots this morning and waiting for callback from guy who owns shop where I ordered them. It is cold now and I NEEEED them asap.

Welcome looby!

Roma Hope DS is better soon and you'll avoid the bug.

Welcome looby

bunny am another one who has had Hero on her name wishlist - I think that makes three of us so maybe you'd better choose it?! DH not a fan though so I shall never get to use it. My sis is Felicity so I like that one too.

ny I don't mind where we go - happy for one of the London ladies to make a decision before everywhere is fully booked!

Like yangy am now broke, although I do have a fake fur winging it's way to me but of the leopard print variety. Going to wear it with a vintage sort of feel, less barmaid, more student (I wish!).

Hope the rest of you don't fall ill roma.

happily dress looks lovely (sneaked a peak last night but no time to post) and I think would be good with hair in slightly dishevelled (sp?) up do with earrings. Gold shoes always a winner for me.

Morning all

Just quickly but NY did you check out the options at the savoy Re-opened yesterday after multi-million refit. Savoy Grill not open yet, but Thames Foyer/American Bar are on my list of things to do.

Spurred on by this thread I entered Primarni yesterday to check out Brogues. I lasted 5 minutes.. which is 3 minutes longer than last time. Any tips for dealing with the crowds and randomness of it all?

Godd morning....

Hello Looby!

Well...so much to catch up on;

love the Crumpet sweater dress Zembo.

Bunny - I really like Romilly and Ottilie for girls....oh, and Belle....the last would have been a def but not a good choice with my surname...

Tracey - have a moan on here about dh...we know he's lovely really...it's dangerous territory to moan at Mums and Sis's because they do tend to build up a negative picture...but you sound like you need a break too....how about booking yourself a Calcot Spa day - so relaxing...or Lucknam for that matter!?

I'm still looking for boots too so need to do a reccy in RL as so difficult to really get a feel online...

Cake - what size tin do you tend to use for the cake...love coconuty cakes....now Mrs Domestic Goddess I made your lentily thing last week with feta and beetroot and spinach/rocket salad and was delish...thanks!

Sleb-alikes: Right, I imagine Fritzi as a sort of Rachel Hunter a likey; Marsha as Gwyneth Paltrow - don't know why...but imagine blonde; MM as slim, tall and blonde (can imagine face, but can't think of suitable sleb)....Vino - I imagine dark and petite, Choo - I think of Halle Berry (something you once said, I think)...

Marsha - I had a french Great-Grandmother...

I have a tip - but it's not helpful if you work full-time! I never go anywhere near the place at weekends.

It's always a 9am job, during the week. Otherwise it looks like a jumble sale and is generally unbearable.

I did get some brogues there myself last week but they were a comparatively pricey £12. They're a bit more solid though with a blocky heel for a spot of leg slimming.

DO you want to nominate the venue then choo as you're a bit of an expert at where to go and several of us aren't living locally and wouldn't have a clue!