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!!!)

oh MM LOVE the arrangement you have with your florist - you must be a great cook.

I hope you'll feel better soon ollie. You're being very proactive with regards to your future. Hopefully you're having a fun family day today.

Everything I thought things must've improved very rapidly! On a lighter note, did you get the Zara coat for ds? Dp got dd a Zara padded parka which looked warm but wasn't in rl as the padding is just thin foam. Just a warning. Gap ones are v good & I've heard people say good things about the Boden one. I got dd a brilliant boys' parka from No Added Sugar last year which was v warm and practical & stylish. They're dear but they sell on eBay for almost initial price.

Ollie Professional expat thingy and workshop sounds good. We do the St. Martin with lanterns too, but no knocking on doors on that day. Only church service followed by walk to the park to admire impersonation of St. Martin on horse. Haven't decided about dress for party yet and surprisingly I'm not as stressed about it as I would usually be. Probably because I have such fabulous options in my wardrobe since I joined the A&W lot.

dolcee Maybe it will be YOUR house today! You never now. When we saw the house we are living in today, I knew immediately. Think I fell in love with the apple tree in the garden.

monkeysmama Feel the same about footwear at them moment. Now that ballet flats are packed away I feel that there is one perfect type of shoe missing and some of my clothes just don't look right. Think I need black shoeboots similar to cake's, only slightly lower heel. Hope DD will be better soon and that some of your M&S stuff will be keepers.

Sorry about jumping to conclusion everything . Hope you have a nice weekend with DS anyway. Could you maybe take him to the cinema or watch a movie with popcorn at home in case the weather is bad? Just do something special for only the two of you.

conclusions - sorry... need a coffee now.

Sorry everything - what a nosy lot we are! If I lived nearer I'd come over and eat help you with your mincemeat danishes. Yum yum!

Not much happening here this weekend either. DH out with friends tonight and will no doubt roll in long after I'm asleep and not want to get up in the morning. Sadly for him he'll have to so I can get to my body jam class at 10am. Am not nice enough to miss it and let him sleep in

Congrats on the tickets mrsj and hope you get your hands on some everything

Yeay - off to see the lovely take that boys (ok middle-aged men) on the 1st July - well done to my sister who persevered as I got too fed up.

OWW - I have days like that too - it does all get a bit relentless sometimes but then my old job did too.

Fritzi - hope job calms down and party goes well. What are you wearing?

tracey Well done on the tickets!

As an aside what other places have you got earmarked in Germany? Sorry!

Jumping in and out as out with DH and kids but Boden Spring Preview available with 20% off - here

everything - re jackets / coats, I 2nd the Gap ones if they are down filled. There are plenty of them on eBay, ditto Zara. DD has about 6 jackets/coats courtesy of eBay (they were all virtually brand new). I quite like getting them from eBay as, aside from the cost, you get a choice of colours. Whereas I think Gap are only doing bright purple or pink this season for the down filled ones. Not for me.

Tracey - congrats on the tickets!

Fritzi - snap! I am feeling the same way re groundhog day. If I wasn't about to have twins, I would be job hunting already. Cannot be SAHM forever. Again, not for me.

Can't believe that Boden has a spring preview already!? Have just got my head round A/W....

I know Fritzi its madness - but I like these here

Now where did I leave my DH and DSs? (currently in a Maritime Museum!)

Ooo - and a nice pewter bag here

Fritzi and Bunny, me too. I was offered a contract yesterday but can't do it as I have no one to look after DD.

Zembo, an LV scarf would make a nice new baby present from your DH!

Like the pewter bag ollie! Have been looking for one like that for ages!

that bag does look good!

Tracey - I'm so jealous - guilty pleasures and all that.

Zembo - I got that very same scarf off ebay a long while ago - I probably got diddled too. So sorry you had that but thank goodness you got your money back.

MM - when New kids were visiting England many years ago my brother and I walked past the hotel they were staying in (not intentionally) and got chased down the road by squealing fans as they mistook my brother for the lead singer (though DB is far more handsome )...

I'm in grump mode with a bad back and endless meal prep. But very excited about getting DS all dressed up for trick or treating...he loves it so much.

and the trousers are very like the ones the WIT lady always wears (from Zara)

Thanks for the Boden link OWW - I always buy my DDs knickers from there. The current winter version are a minging off white colour so we didn't keep them,so will order from the spring preview. Also glad to hear you're thinking ahead about doing stuff for yourself. As Tracey says work life can feel like ground hog day too!

Hells I think most of the rose Sprouse scarves on ebay look like fakes. The seller I bought from guaranteed hers was original though . Sounds like it's a bit late to be bothering with getting yours authenticated now. A few years ago I bought a Mulberry Elgin from Ebay. Had it authenticated at a Mulberry shop and all was fine. I don't usually buy expensive items on ebay, but if I do I make sure the seller knows I'll get it checked out and agree return terms prior to receiving the item

House crappy....photos much nicer than reality...i knew it probably wasn't going to be right but thought I'd be more open minded and take agents advice. Shall stick to my guns in future! We will meet our house soon I'm sure!

Managed to pop to local boutique as parents babysitting and bought a lovely neat shaped sweater dress in charcoal...v flattering on by Passport. And several pairs of knitted tights (one pair grey/black tartan).

Good weekends everyone! [hsmile]

Oh Zembo - just quickly...DS has the coat and very thick with the fleece so think okay...

Zembo DS1 has the coat too and I've got a nice GAP fleece to use with it for when it gets really cold. They are on offer at the moment online so you can buy 2 for 15 pounds each (allows you to mix with girl fleeces too so you could get DD one too?)

Zembo my dd had the girls version of that anorak last year and it was plenty warm. She wore it lots in the snow rather than the 3in1 padded warm coat I'd got her for the really cold. I do think layers are preferable to a very thick coat. It washes beautifully too, dd is wearing it again this year and it looks new.

There are lots of pretty girls tops in boden spring preview and a very cute playsuit. I like the ladies pleat trousers - I too thought of wit straightaway!

hi A&W ladies

hope everyone is well and happy - am way behind but have had a quick skim - very sorry to hear of various stresses with partners, poorly dc, ils, floral arrangements and new jobs, but 1000 congrats to Zembo on such wonderful news and how exciting to be so close bunny!

have been massively avid of late and have virtually a whole new wardrobe .. but have culled lots too, so that's good.

Now I think I am going to buy these shoes as my fondness for red shoes has been kept in check far too long. Will wear with rolled up jeans, l/s Breton and new camel coat. Yes?

hoping to go back and click on lots of lovely links later.