Party frocks ahoy! Avidly and wisely dressing ourselves for the party season!

[blossoming]

Sorry to hear about your dd dolcee. Hope things improve soon.
Glad to hear your family were better behaved this time ollie.

I wonder what an avid and wise Christmas party would be like. Where would we have it? What would you wear? (Complete fantasy obviously!)

I would do breton stripes with leopard flats and red coat

Have new large leopard pashmina from Warehouse of all places...love it, and I think looks fab with my Barbour biker jacket...but dh passionately hates leopard anything....weird!

Thanks beautiful!! Done!

Yes, I have to say I am not a gal who is usually found to be sans knicks - I am normally sniffy about such things too, but as Verity says a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do...aided and abetted by dh of course who kept saying the knickers were 'ruining' the line of the dress

sorry to hear about the houses tracey...so hate it when agents push you to go somewhere and you know its not going to be right! Something will happen soon.

Right must get on...dh gone off for 2nd viewing on a house (the auction one), armed with hard hat and torch! dcs watching dvd as all exhausted and I need to organise lunch...and grab a coffee of course.

Oooh friend has texted to ask us to be a bit late... Westfield here we come!!

exhausted have a lovely lovely day

hey...what luck Cake...! Happy shopping Cake, and exhausted have a well earned rest and shopping trip...share your news of purchases with us!

Marsha - I love books too. I love to collect old books with beautiful bindings...and someday hope to have a room where I can install a Library - I think a real treat...an open fire, cosy armchairs a desk, and row upon row of books...from Maupassant to Milton...

At the moment many are stored and others stacked rather haphazardly...

Off to light fire as so chilly...

Oh me too Dolce .

The parents have a library with big chairs, fire place and loads of books. Father has a book thing too, collects old ones, beautiful ones etc

There was a lovely library on Grand Designs once, oh I would love one.

In your new house perhaps!

Going to make some yummy food for usual Sunday lazing around. Luxury!

hi all,

Trip to Bluewater was a waste of time. Zara red coat is not suitable for me. Sleeves too short.....the usual story.

Decided not to look around the rest of the shops as the centre was packed with Christmas shoppers!!

Off to Sunday lunch. Stripey Janice is coming out today (in the horrible rain) with shoeboots, Wolford hold ups (can't do tights)and faux fur coat.

Happy Sunday to all.

verity you reminded me of a bargain I picked up in Robert Dyas of all places this week - they are selling Orla stem print water bottles for £1. Not online but picture here. Reduced from something like £7.99. Bought green for me and pink for my mum

Hello everyone,
Just dashing in to say Aghhhhhhhhhhhhh. Friend who stayed over last night managed to leave our freezer open and defrost most of the contents so am madly cooking random combinations trying not to waste too much.
Have pm'd you tracey about the belt.

We have a library of sorts - no open fires or moose heads on the wall or anything but a big room with plenty of books. In my former life (pre dd) I organised all 4 floor to ceiling bookcases - non fiction into topics & fiction alphabetically. There's still some semblance of order but I'm not happy If we stay in this house I guess the room will become DD's playroom but it doesn't really have a purpose apart from housing the books & a sofa bed. It's a waste of space really.

Everything - you sound so pissed off and sad at the moment. Only you can make the decision but it does sound like you've tried your best. How do you see yourselves in 5 years time? Do you think things will improve as F gets a bit older and more independent or does it go deeper than you both being tired and busy? Good on you for taking your wedding vows seriously though.

Love all the delurking - hope you all feel welcome. This thread is fab although harsh on the bank balance (ubnless you are a drug dealing mugging pimp like plum & hf).

at the real life meeting. Have a feeling I have met a mnetter recently - not from this thread I don't think but she definitely seemed the 'type'. Worryingly she seemed convinced that she knew me from somewhere even though our paths had never crossed.

Great to hear from you verity. Dh is an academic, it constantly amazes me how badly they all dress. Honestly, you would cross the road! He is dressed by me, so stands out (doesn't take much!)

ollie, I felt for you the other day. I hate it when I'm expecting dh at the door and I get a txt to say he's just leaving, over an hour away.
I've been considering a kindle. I love to take 10 books on holidays, but that is so heavy. Maybe hold out for an ipad (could be dangerous, I might never look up again!)

Hope everyone is having a lovely day. We just gad roast chicken with roasted squash and bread sauce.

Enjoy your day out exhausted, and don't feel guilty.

at the W&A thread/reality collision! HOw peculiar!!

welcome red!

ltec you are selling Cos rather marvellously to me- haven't bene in since July I think when it was all a bit 'meh' but itching to go to Cos right now. Do you find you love shops more when they are not online? Since banana republic is online, I don't know, it's not so nice. The actual stores are much nicer

what day are you meeting MM ? I might not be at work every day this week

Of course P will assume I am also having an affair with LTEC and MM if I meet them and will no doubt follow me the whole way there! Or get ex SAS friend to follow me, as he has done before--- least said the better, but I really appreciate all your comments and roary and verity your links and monkeys thank you for being so honest. It does help to have these 'reality checks' with you because deep down I know it is not normal but it's been so long that it does become it. It used to be physical violence but now it's not, so now I think 'wow he's being nice' when actually he just used to be even worse, but he's still abusive and I am left wondering where I went? I really want him to get a job then I wouldn't feel guilty telling him to leave, or even leaving him myself- it would be tough financially at first but I could make it work. At the moment he can't really afford to go anywhere.

Anyway end of rambling! I am about to scoff choc brownies fr lunch- is that bad>?

since I've stopped BFing and started back at desk job I feel a rather large waist expansion going on. Tempted to start shredding

Happy shopping today exhausted and Cake. I still haven't been to westfield. I left the area just before it opened and then regretted it!

Sorry to everyone feeling poorly. Tin of lemon and echinacea infused salmon to you all

Happy shopping LTEC and exhausted.

exhausted - that must be stressful with your DS, my DD has various allergies (haven't needed adrenaline pens though) and I have to check what's in everything she eats.

Tracy sorry the houses were no good, we saw over 40 before we found ours and it gets v boring. Friends of mine have resorted to leafleting streets they like but that's in London and I'm not sure if it would work elsewhere.

LTEC you're so thoughtful not wanting to over glam when seeing pg friend. I was a completely childish and did the opposite last wk, I saw a friend who's due 2 days after I would have been had I not had my mc, she knows about my mc yet talks about nothing apart from her pg so last time I saw her I wore my new skinny jeans and talked about my recent weightloss. V childish but it made me feel better. Oh, I think I have the cos blouse you mentioned, mine's a v pale pink / nude colour with little rosets on the shoulders.

hells how was the architect's visit? Are you going to have the work done on your house.

Oh vin that's really not right. I know nothing but i know the ladies on the relationships board often recommend phoning women's aid who can help you with just about everything to do with leaving. So sorry.

On a more positive note i'll be your virtual gym partner if you want. Going to start shredding again tonight on bloss's promse of a pert bottom by Christmas.

Sorry, I also meant to say vin and EIE I'm sorry you're having such unhappy times. Vin I'm v upset to hear P has been physically violent in the past, you deserve so much better. My father (who I'm barely on speaking terms with) was physically and emotionally abusive towards my mum and we were all so much happier after she left him. Take care of you and DS.

Dolcee - snap with the warehouse scarf. What colour did you go for? I've got the grey which is great for anyone (like me) that loves wearing grey with brown.

vino, grab your documents, passport, birth certificates etc, take them somewhere safe, bank, solicitor, grab the baby and leave. I didn't realise he was physically abusive.

I haven't worn nail varnish on my fingers for years, but have felt inspired by esher, and choo at meet up. I got a free nails Inc varnish from Glamour in exact grape shade as the dress I'm wearing today. Lovely, although I may need practice!

This is a fab belt that can be expanded discreetly with one hand . It's nice if you wear it fastened in a jaunty fashion (less of a faff than tying it).

I've also got the H&M bib in black and I managed to pick up a figure hugging black stretchy lace (sounds horrible but is actually v. nice) dress whilst I was at it. It's not on website so can't link.

RG- her insensitivity is quite astounding so I cannot blame a little retailiation.

Today I had to do a trolley dash round Gap to try and get a little more out of my voucher...

Got this which is much more flattering in RL and has super long sleeves which I like. Also a stone coloured jumper. I know this is absolutely not a colour I should wear but with a scarf it's good I think and the shape is suitably slouchy with my shorts and wooly tights combo.

I also did a jewellery raid on H&M...I too now have the bib necklace and also picked up some wide bangles and a very bling necklace. Alas I also had to purchase a horrid pink braclet thingy as DD managed to grab and break it and I felt too guilty putting it back.

Off to get DD up...will catch up on posts properly later - it's been horrid today hasn't it? Non stop rain in North London!

- Vin - so sorry - hadn't caught up (still haven't) so didn't mean to come in blythly talking about gap and ignoring you. Sorry. Promise to catch up later