Whoever said money can't buy happiness, simply didn't know where to go shopping - or the Wise & Avid lot!

[OllieWollieWoo]

Stamp on the new thread (quote from Bo Derek btw!!!)

Morning angels,

Lord but cold here today.

Just had 2 friends round for coffe and bagels with their litties straight from school run, then did a mad tidy (bunging my own wieght in Mega Bloks into plastci crate and shoving in corner) before the architect came round to looks at plans for our kitchen again. He was here all of ten minutes-thankfully, as he is wierd-and I had put DS to bed just before he came, so have now got, I hope and hour or so to myself. Bliss. New copy of Livign Etc and a cuppa just a soon as I've caught up here.

A new vintage shop has opened her, with clothes and housey bits. Was planning to go and have a lok this afternoon, but has just started to rain, so may save it for a dry day.

Had a compliment-perhaps-today. A mum who I don't know but who I pass every morning on our respective school runs has got to know a friend of mine. Said friend came round this morning and passed on that she had said 'Plum is just so striking. The camel coat she's wearing at the moment is amazing, but I don't want to ask her where it's from in case I seem too stalkerish'

The coat thing: fine. But striking? Does that mean ugly, but well turned out? Hmm...

Dolce, I think TV is fine, in moderation (and in vast quantities if you/they are ill). I do what you do, and use it to keep them out of mischief in the morning while I get really to leave the house, and again after tea, because I'd rather we had a wind-down time rather than a monkey-tastic let's all climb into the fireplace time just before bed time.

Cake, never eat with my two-if I did have my supper at 5pm, I'd utterly ravenous again by around 8pm, and rummaging for extras-no good! And anyway, I spend their mealtimes saying 'sit down on your bottom and turn around' on repeat, and if I had to eat my food as well, my supper would always be cold. Also no good.

Bloss, hairclips with felt flowers on like this would be very simple to make, and would sell well, I think. You can buy mixed bags of felt flowers on Ebay, as well as buttons. Stitch together with some embroidery silk, glue-gun onto a clip, and ta-da!

Plum - I think striking is great - hardly anyone is striking these days - it doesn't mean you aren't beautiful as well.

In light of this freezing weather - is it ever o.k to wear a padded coat? And has anyone found a fabulous one yet? Please tell me. I'm sure my ailing has been made worse by freezing myself yesterday.

Plum striking is good isn't it... Beautiful but a bit intimidating. I my mind anyway!

felix - agree - it must be photo shop. Well I hope so anyway!

Plum striking is brilliant. In fact your day so far makes me very . Coffee with friends, architect, cuppa and Living, local shops. How nice

Too right Yangy

I think the Next model is prob just a 6ft size 4-6 anorexic. Some models on the catwalk look like hunger strikers with their thigh bones showing and their knees too big for their legs.

My 2.5yo just said "is this cardi from Markses or Marks and Spencer or Waitrose?" I almost fell over laughing.

Plum, I think a woman using the word striking sounds like someone thinking that 'beautiful' or 'gorgeous' would be too stalkerish, definitely a great compliment. I think if a man called me striking I might be less sure...

I've just stocked up on a load of boys' Boden trousers as they're the 'catch of the day' so 30% off (girls' trousers are too) - they're fab for ds as they have elastic waists so he can manage to go to the toilet by himself.

Hope you're feeling a bit better hells, glad you can luxuriate in your sickness today though!

My day so far has not been glam - cleaner is sick so I am having to do it myself - especially as MIL is coming for the weekend..

Thanks plum, whereabouts in Cardiff do you live again?
I bought 2 Christmas magazines this morning . Lovely ideas though!!
hells, romanarama is right, the trousers were horrific on me. One step away from elasticated waist slacks you see in the back of Sunday supplements.

Hells I bought a padded coat from timberland in the sale last year. Its chocolate brown, knee lenght and down filled and actually quite slim-fitting.

It is incredibly light and super-warm and was a life-saver in the snow.

Would thoroughly recommend. Aigle do a nice one too.

thanks Tracey I will take a look - sounds perfect. I did have a padded coat before but it looks really weird now (odd shape).

Bloss - that's a shame - they looked so good in the photo!

Picture me ladies, prancing about in my new feathers dress.
It is the perfect shape for me: definite scoop to the neckline; pleating on the bust; defined waist; tulip shaped skirt; short enough to require opaques. Styled with black suede platform court and the zara jacket (best buy 2010!) again.
And 100% silk for under £50.

Hells, Zara have one. I have cut out a photo from Times magazine last winter of a very stylish woman in that cold weather. Her padded coat was from Zara. They have a belt I think, to define waist. Can't justify another coat here though.

You beat me to it Hells - just back from an Autumn Walk in a park with the Expat Mums group and froze my bits off standing around the play area. Got my Zara down coat out (black, calf length, slim fitting and v warm - would recommend) and thought it would be too hot as sun is out so threw on my beige cotton pea jacket over shirt/cardi combo with a scarf - wrong choice due to artic winds! Think I need something in between a lightweight jacket and the down coat. I have a couple of longer wool coats but they just seem a bit too smart when I put them on for trips out to the parks etc. Any thoughts?

Glad Baby Bloss ok - its that awful feeling when your brain realises what's just happened isn't it - shudder. Love Plums hairclip link - I would buy for presents (sadly no call for cute hairclips in the OWW household!)

DS2 head wound seems to be healing ok - seems quite proud of it - his best friend from school has a grey tooth and DS2 now thinks they can be proper pirates together!

I had a nice compliment today - not S&B related but still v nice - have made a new friend via the Expat Group who has just moved here (we just clicked) and she said today that meeting me has brought a ray of light into her life (I'd just been telling her about the Phase Eight dress - W&A!) Ah shucks! Its nice to get some non-work related verbal appreciation every so often - insert shallow smiley !

hells, zara puffer coat with belt

carciofi I am a standard 10 uk and I think the us6 is slightly big. Nothing major but smaller might have been better. But you are pg! They fit right on hips so should last you.

hells i think i am a winter (have decided myself) and the pink works for me. But ask bloss

Could you link again roary?
So busy on here yesterday I fear I missed loads. I'll get the swatch book out!!

M&S has 25% off toys and books for a week from today - includes Lego & Playmobil.

LTEC - saw this lace dress on there ?? here

Goodness, yangy, I shouldn't be of me. My coffee/architect/magazine morning is hardly typical, and I imagine a snapshot of anyone's life might seem quite appealing, though the reality is often quite different.

As it happens, I'm not simply a SAHM, I also work, from home, most evenings after the DCs have gone to bed, and really miss my career and my working girl days. I'm a journalist and half the joy of being a creative sort is working in an environment of other likeminded types, not tap-tap-tapping away in the study at home. So I am really rather of you and others like you.

yes Tracey...methinks the 'telly' would be on forever if dh was in sole charge for a few days...he still has only ever been in sole charge when they were all in bed (and no3 was put to bed my moi!)...It all got a bit silly when DS was at the worst with c pox...he was terribly itchy and didn't know what to do with himself and he kept asking to watch cbeebies, with dh saying, 'no, you don't want to watch that', whilst DS retorted, in increasingly loud screams, 'I DO!'....My mother was visiting, and she lost the plot and after a bit said, 'oh, for goodness sake, let him have a distraction !'...I would normally have throttled my mother (metaphorically speaking) for interfering, but in this instance she was talking sense I think....oh, don't mean to moan, but whilst I am happy to do most of it alone (he spends about 1/2 hour in the morning with them, and the same in the evening), I do get a tad tired with really unhelpful comments from him. Especially when we have just come out of Armageddon with all 3 poorly! Rant over!!! Gah!!!!

Can sympathise completely on the house front...DH blithely looks at wrecks that are totally top of the budget, well, over the budget, but to his mind possible with a suitable accepted reduction (!), and says 'we want it'...and it's 'perfectly liveable for a while' and 'oh look, we can have chickens, and DS, we can build a tree house-yeay', whilst I'm panicking and nervously considering that there is no way I can live in that shedhole So no progress here (yet) either....

Yes, want a long slim puffer too....Moncler but fraction of the cost. Not keen on belted ones though...

Plum...'striking' very good.

OWW - what a lovely thing to say...

Bloss - how's DD?

Sorry for my undoubtedly long and arduous post

BLOSS how's your DD? Horrible shock when thye crash to the floor!
Marsha DS is 9 months ish I think (I lose count!!)
Plum striking is like stunning, it's a marvellous compliment!

Well I was bad vin today, all willpower disappeared and I purchased trousers (for work, thus sensible) and some falke opaques (never tried!) and .. some boots, which I'm not sure about. They are knee high black leather with a heel (not stiletto heel)..

Thing is, I can't take them back because P was around so I nipped into (gets worse) a disabled loo, chucked the box away and put them on my feet to conceal my purchase he did not notice my feet, and thus has no idea I have bought more shoes! So to anyone in a disabled bathroom, S London, who wonders why there is a giant shoe box under the sink, I apologise but I couldn't help myself

I got a long slim puffer from Tommy Hilfiger outlet shop - can't find a link, sorry. But it's down-filled, fur lined hood, just above the knee, fitted to waist and slim arms. Mine is dark brown, was £124 IIRC.