WIT or Wisdom? Who cares... the festive season is nearly upon us and one thing is certain: Avidity is the new black.

[LetThemEatCake]

Trick or treat! [hsmile]

Verity - what patterns do you use to make the dresses? I know Bonsoir has linked to some in the past . . . I can imagine a range of liberty doll's dresses would sell very well

Did anyone see the article in the times yesterday about children's clothes - was quite interesting.

roary, I click on your name and nothing happens!
Dd will definitely be joining other a&w dds and getting a corolle!

Citronille?

Thats them Fritzi!

Do you go to the christmas markets Fritzi? And are they as lovely as they seem on Nigella's christmas programme?

It is so windy here - did I read that gales are forecast? I am really hoping we don't get as much snow as earlier this year - lordy we were cut off for days.

Fritzi - what a rubbish day. Poor you and poor dd.

Esher - yeh, a childfree shopping trip! I think MM got that Zara bow blouse too. Looks nice.

NY Yes, indeedy. I met the lady in question at a cocktail party a few weeks ago. To put it mildly I am not surprised in the least!

God your work situation is so hard for so many. One of my colleagues got sacked last week for gross misconduct - she was escorted out of the building. All very dramatic.

Bloss They really are lovely dolls. We got dd hers last year and when she opened it on Christmas day she ran away to the kitchen - we wondered what on earth she was doing. She came back with napkins to use as a blanket! So sweet

Most of them are really crowded and I find it stressful with small children because of all the pushing and shoving. Would avoid famous ones like Munich or Nuremberg. Almost every small town has a Christkindlmarkt though and some of them are truly lovely. I like to go as the smell of hot Glühwein makes me instantly feel christmassy.

Bloss try now?

Ooh, Christmas markets are lovely. We always just nip over to Lille for a couple of days before Christmas. Might try Bruges this year.

Tracey House sounds exciting!

Those Citronille patterns are adorable, saw them last week in this amazing haberdashers. I have never been anywhere like it, talk about alladins cave!

Tracey i was just going to make them up myself, my mum has been sewing for years, so I know my way around a pattern, IYKWIM! She makes liberty dresses for dd, I use the left-over bits to make her little flower clips for her hair(which she admires but refuses to wear ). Now there's a cupcake and bunting business idea - matching liberty print dresses and accessories for little girls and their dolls

Bloss hope dh is back safely, v windy here too.

I love those dolls, yes my two will be getting the A&W Christmas dollies too now.

Thanks Tracey and Bloss for advice re white Co dresses - have now ordered the purple Pure Collection one (as well as a cashmere snood). Apparently it is going to get much colder this weekend. Good to be prepared

roary, no, still not working when I click on your name.

Thanks for the amazon link tracey. I'll bookmark it for my mother. Agree, second viewing indeed exciting.

Dh hasn't started back yet verity. He said he'd text before starting and nothing. Those academics sure can talk! Unless he's sitting next to one in particular, and that will be all rugby talk! Then it's 40 miles of wild country, no mobile phone signal roads.

Blimey .. another monster day to catch up on. Fritzi your poor dd and poor you - I hate seeing my dc sad. Bloss hope dh gets home safely and soon - I am also awaiting return of dh tonight I wore the Nars today and looked rather fresh and dewy, if I may say! Thanks again roary wow, (no pun) that sounds intersting but confusing!

esher gutted you were in London but nowhere near. Great shopping, I love that pussy bow blouse and have eyes several times, think yangy has it?? Plum I tried that dress on - love it. Slightly obsessed since trying this on in Selfridges post-meetup, thought I could achieve similar with Phase 8 - didn't quite cut the mustard but lovely regardless.

am feeling a bit blue as it's my high school reunion this Sat and obviously I can't go. Was fine about it but now the FB messages are flying around and I feel gutted to not be going. On the other hand, this Sat is our annual bonfire night party - we live at the top of a hill with a view of pretty much the whole of london so it's quite spectacular. Our backyard is about the size of a football pitch too so the dads get to indulge their pyro tendencies with a massive fw display at back of garden while the kids are safe down the other end and the mums get pissed watch over them carefully. Unsure what to wear but it needs to be good - baby L was 6 weeks old last year and I look foul in the pics, not even the Bjorn can hide the fact that I was Puffy Puffofferson. Any ideas?

ehser I am not keen on any of those dresses for you, nor on WC in general, sorry. Agree something with more pizzazz and shape needed for your gorgeous self.

Am about to sign up to ASOS premier unless anyone says not to bother, what do you think?

hells which red jumper dress did you buy, the See???

Libra if you are there, I hope all is well

NY if you change your mind, offer is there.

Ummm .... what have I missed?

oh, toys. Any tips on how to make a brand new toy look 4 years old and well-travelled? Have soaked in a vat of tea, put through wash several times and rubbed soap in mane to get matted effect .. what else?

Cake - I don't see the need for premier as £150 = free next day delivery so that's what I do. Returns are so easy (and free) and refund is so prompt I never get caught out on the cc balance iyswim.

Thanks to you girls, I have just sent off for further information about becoming a House of Colour consultant!

omg just made mistake of clicking on some of the doll links

I am so weirded out by dolls

BTW , keep meaning to say that I would like to come to meet-up on 12th Dec (is a Sunday right?) but we are out the night before and dd1 has a birthday party till 1.30pm that day which dh would have to collect from - should be fine but I like to pick my moments when negotiating "time-off" with dh so am biding my time

Bloss - you know, I meant to suggest that to you the other day - I really think you would be great at it.
I'm right there in the queue behind Tracey.

LTEC I spent a happy half hour sitting in car reading the new Vogue, which is gorgeous, and has a starry theme for christmas. Anyway there is a fab bag, from Jigsaw, can't find it on their site, slouchy and decorated with stars. Made me think of you, as Tracey did the other day. You and yours will forever be associated with stars for us all I think

Top of a hill on bonfire night - I would wear thermals, with your red coat!

Ok, I think my picture should be there now! :)

Bloss, you would make brilliant HoC consultant. Seriously, my friend and I couldn't stop talking on the way home about how someone actually current and stylish could make a killing. I think this lady was very good and gets tons of corporate work on colour, but I can't imagine taking clothing (rather than colour) advice from her!

Bloss you would be brilliant at that

LTEC I presume this is an animal of sorts you are putting on a spin cycle?!

It's the Reborn Dolls that really freak me out. We were once having lunch in a hotel and there was a lady with one - treating it like a real baby. It was actually very sad.

Thanks everyone. I loved my consultant, but she was of a different generation. And yes, she looked good, but.. I wouldn't have gone for the style day, put it that way.

roary, I can access your page, but it says that none of your photos are public yet. (The suspense is killing me).

LTEC am with you on the baby dolls. THey really freak me out. Esp when DS was a tiny baby and DD left them flung around the floor in terrifying positions.

How to age your toy? Have you read this book? It would suggest loving it and going on adventures until it is a REAL TOY. Perhaps it could come to the next meet up?