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]

dt Sorry don't like boots either.

bloss Apron is so cute! Would be perfect as a present for my nephew. Please put me on waiting list

notyummy Your DD is so cute! I also buy a lot of second hand smarter stuff for DD but find it more difficult to find nicer things the older she gets.

Oh another Janice! Now that I know my size I'll send him to P8 and pick one up!

Lovely stuff ABO! Sounds like a great day.

Diwali / fireworks party tonight. Hostess very stylish (and pretty!) need to find something nice to wear.

Bloss that apron is very cute, be good to see everything when it's done.

Ooooh, I get such a thrill when people purchase 'my' things! What colour did you ger ABO?

Thanks mrsj! :)

Who are the other autumns? I need some advice :)

I'm intrigued byt the stripey Janice. I found Navy Janice didn't do a lot for me - I think it needs a heel so for me it would be evenings only, not work, but the stripey might be better.

DH is buying me a Pure Collection jumper as a treat because of the week from hell (vomiting bug, blueberry choking incident, crowned by a Thursday where DS and DD cried continuously from 4:30 till 7, and DS was so sick he would only sleep on my chest and was awake all night. DH made the error of arriving home after a few nights away and the first thing he said was "the house is REALLY messy". He has made up for it )

It is this jumper either in chocolate or turquoise (I think the turquoise might be the Kingfisher/peacock, both chocolate and kingfisher are wows for me). I have 25% code I'll dig out for you.

Girls names: Nameberry is genius. I love it.

DD is Tatiana and DS is Jonah. We really struggled with boys names. ALso like Francesca and COrdelia. Fantasy girls names here include Raffaella, Cosima, Adeline, Alina)

I am thinking about asking for this jacket for Xmas: chocolate agian

morning all,

tracey - what time is your viewing? I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you.

DT - I think you made the right decision sending those boots back and I will join you in your Russell and Bromley petition - I think it's commercial suicide that they don't sell online.

Roary - I've ordered the pink cowlneck too

ABO - fab haul and what a good idea to buy stuff in V&A - I hadn't thought of that.

LTEC - hurrah to sequin dress success. I am very envious of WW's clever find for you. But now I'm too scared to send back the tibi as I have to face the fact that as I am a few inches shorter, a fair few pounds heavier and a bit older than you I probably do need all the help I can get and this one does feel pretty good.

I too am tempted by the stripey Janice...but I do have to face the fact that I really don't need anything else for a while.

Hells don't send back the Tibi! It is sensational.

I would love that dress, but need a code or two, are there any MW codes about these days?

at roary I'm autumn too! I got the helonica. In the shop they seemed to have two colours similiar to the one online; one stronger than the other and I went for that one. Have you read your book about how to wear autumn colours together? Kingfisher is one of my wows too, but I find that colour tops hard to find bottoms to go with; the blending colours that they talk about looks fab and there aren't really colours to blend the kingfisher with. Chocolate on the other hand is my new black and I love it! The boden jacket is great (although I still find myself preferring the grey and wishing I could go grey...)

I also found that Janice wasn't the best shape for me across the shoulders, but I didn't size up and it's a perfect day length for me (at a fairly mingy 5' 4 1/2"). And it is so flattering across the tummy I thought it made up for slightly dodgy neckline.

Plum maybe you could me by craft fairy too?! Last year my mum and I made fabric chains a bit like these in christmassy fabrics. We'd intended to make bunting but thought these were more christmassy. I'm looking for something else to make that we can both do. Perfer something that I can pick up and do for an hour or so in front of the TV at night (which is why these were prefect). Any thoughts please?!

hells the V&A shop is amazing - such a brilliant price range from cheap as chips to £££ and stuff you don't find on the high street. My favourite necklace of all time came from there; it's red fabric discs sewn flat onto a long thread.

ABO how lovely to have you back. What a great day of RL shopping. Am intrigued by Day Janice with boots and may have to give this a go.

hells not at all, The Tibi dress is fabulous. I just couldn't manage it cost-per-projected-wear-wise. I am very happy with my cheaper version though and will be wearing, like you, with opaques and Edelmans.

how nice to see some sunshine! Dh has taken dd and ds1 to buy supplies for tonight and bub is asleep - so best go play dress up crack on.

all of those with house things going on this w'end - good luck!

ABO What a lovely day indeed!

Hope everyone has fun at parties/fireworks/lunches in and out/dinner in and out and house hunting!

What glorious weather - will have to squeeze in another NationalTrust free day out somewhere.

just tried lace dress on again.

Is not see through as per vin - as dexter said has nude underlay ... think it is a keeper as shape is good and I still have a waist in it. Shame in a way as wanted day lace dress and this is not it ... (M&S brown one going back) but still think that it's worth hanging on to ... any opinions?

LOve it LTEC - although, I agree, not a day dress.

Am toying with this for work, but might be a bit frumperama...thoughts anyone?

Also thinking of getting this.

Well I made my little annoucement to DH last night - wasn't as bad as expected, he didn't say an awful lot. I thought it was quite romantic actually, with all the fireworks in the background, as if everyone was celebrating my our news

NY can't imagine that dress looking frumpy on you -I like it.

Cake sure you look fab in the lace number -wasn't sure about the colour of your brown M&S one.

Bunny did you really only find out you were pregnant at 18 weeks , or have did I misread that?

Abo good to see you back.

roary boo hiss to critical absentee dhs (I get that too!!) but hurrah for the sweater.

NY think you would look great but think you could go more bodycon with the black dress, you have a great figure that deserves to be seen - it's a little too trapeze style, no?

Some good bargains in the sale section of the Phase 8 site ... who was looking for jersey dresses? seem to be a few there ..

Zembo glad you've been able to share your news with dh. Love the pyrotechnic backdrop

(sorry if tmi but am fairly certain that dd was conceived Bonfire Night 5 years ago .. or is that just me romanticising? )

Glad everybody had a great bonfire night!
Was a bit overexcited by news of stripey Janice. Wanted to say that I might send DH to pick one up for me the next time he is in London.

Love the sequinned dress Cake! What are you wearing for party tonight?

roary had some mild criticism re my housekeeping abilities from DH this morning which resulted in argument but all resolved after a few minutes. Last week has been pretty hectic for us. DH apologised by taking DD to softplay hell while I bought lovely cashmere and silk tops at Cos. Also had time for quick lunch with one of my friends and it really feels like a proper weekend now. Going to buy filet steaks for dinner tonight which will make DH happy. Sorry for long me, me, me post...

Fritzi and Roary- the striped Janice is lovely and definitely has a more casual look than the navy one. I think it would work with boots and a layer underneath, whereas the navy one seems better for an evening out or possibly work. I would probably get more wear out of the stripy one although I find the navy v flattering :)

Bunny- you hAve great taste in names so I am sure you will find a perfect name!
I have a DD called Cecily and I think it would be lovely with Cordelia as it sounds v different even though the initial is the same initial.
Carciofi-I love Francesca- it is DDs middle name.
I like all of hf's suggestions- Genevieve is my personal favourite :)

fritzi - sounds like the make-up attempts from DH were almost worth the critisism

NY - not sure of the length on dress one...could possibly be too knee length if you know what I mean. It's quite a tricky length.

Roary - meant to say - you look wonderful in your photo.

Marsha - I don't think there are any codes . I had a ton of vouchers to use up so it wasn't quite such a huge spend.

Oh yes cake - tell us about your planned outfit.

fireworks last night were wonderful. DS & I stood, hoods up, in the pouring rain for 20 mins but 1 minute before they started the rain stopped. Perfect timing.

Tonight I am going to a goth themed party. I found a vintage lace dress (rather like the one Tracey linked to) in the depths of my wardrobe. Too small before but now it fits! So it's that with opaques. I want to wear the Edelmans but DH thinks not goth enough ...they are black though. A tiny bit of me agrees that it will be too glam with the heels and I may have to wear boots.

I'm going to try and do a 'smokey' eye which is dangerous territory for me (think drag queen). Wish me luck!

Hells, wear the Edelmans and say you are a glam goth!

Fritzi, if your dh won't be in London for a while, feel free to have the dress sent to me and I will forward it on.

I like the sweater in kingfisher, Roary.

Someone rang our doorbell at midnight and woke DD up, she was wide awake until 3am. Yawn.

Not crazy about the first dress, NY, but I like the second one.

Looby, Cecily is a gorgeous name. I am trying to sell Caleb or Gabriel to my DH as I have decided we are having a boy :), but he isn't convinced.

Enjoy the parties tonight. I will be in bed early thanks to our mystery caller last night!

cake I love the lace dress. I have one from a few years back (Reiss) and still wear it.

ny I also like the first option - HOF.

This dress
arrived whilst I was in the post office queue with no further comment boots!! It fits really well and I am pleased with it. I am thinking of wearing it to work with a fitted black jacket for Fridays. I will need the jacket to cover up the brightness in the corporate world.

Even though I told myself to keep out of LK Bennett I also bought a pair of red patents for wear with grey trousers and/orcamel cigarette trousers and blush red thin jumper. This particular 42 shoe fits perfectly so they are not going back even though DH made a comment about the Grinch for some bizarre reason. Please do not say you agree with him .

Happy afternoons everyone. I am going to skip around for a bit in my red patents.

DT, I love the dress and shoes. My friend has that dress and I would buy it if I weren't pregnant. In fact, might just buy it anyway and make it fit!

Am intrigued by stripy Janie,but see that it is not online yet

Agree LTEC re Phase Eight sale.Have spotted a few good bargains.
I saved all my St Clare's,Malory Towers,Fmous Five's for My DDs.They have loved them.DS not so keen

ABO Like thesound of your Janice shopping outfit,and great Vand A purchases!

Off to a friend's bonfire party tonight but will need to be well wrapped up,so am wearing black skinnies,grey stripy tee,grey cardigan with hooded jacket for outside.
Am considering buying some cheap wellies too!

Georgina - Stripey janice

Fritzi - I think glam goth probably is the way to go

carciofi That is too kind but DH is there almost at least once a week and if not next week then I think I can wait . Thanks for your offer anyway. DT's dress could work with bump I think!

dt Love camel and red! Saw camel/red/stripes combo in Cos today and looked great. Very WIT.

Sorry no time to comment on posts properly will do so later ... But I am very bad as tempted by stripe Janice. and think deffo glam goth hells!!!

Party starts In half hour so am dressed... Rather appropriately in Phoenix dress (fire, you see) over long sleeve AV black tee and black falkes.

Various things bubbling on stove so better go. Have fun nights all (and a good rest carci)