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!)

Wow vin - you look amazing! Your DS is mega cute and DD - such beautiful eyes, what a stunner.

Poorly dds this week so just catching up on thread now..is it wrong to sneakily enjoy older dd's extra cuddliness when ill.#

Have ordered the 'marant-a-like' courtesy of esher..with 20 % off online definitely worth a punt.

vin can only see your ds on profile..he's scrummy

oh! Just quickly popped on and saw Vin's pics! Wow wow wow...truly gorgeous. DD was so beautiful with those amazing eyes wasn't she. And DS - what a cutie.

Right...have to go and watch ex-factor. I'll catch up later.

wow Vin, you are really beautiful, beautiful babies too.

I'm in the bath! I have worked out a clever system of balancing laptop on bin. Hope I don't destroy it

I don't have a kindle, but I do like ibooks on my ipad as you can download anything over s'th like 50 years old for free. I'm reading Saki stories at the mo. A kindle must be good for journeys, but the ipad trumps it as you can put films on too, and it's an ipod, and you have internet. It's not a matte screen though . We have thousands of books - about 10 big floor to ceiling bookcases. I do love them, and also love swapping (not sure you can do that with electronic versions?).

Jil Sander hasn't arrived yet Marsha - I hope it will brighten my Monday. My usual monday highlight otherwise is Lucy Kellaway - any other fans?

I counted my shoes today as a post-car-vacuuming reward. I seem to have 57 pairs, not including flip flops or wellies. Please all give me some benchmarks!!!

Any advice for my trivial problem about work? I have mentioned - ad nauseam - how much I loathe it, but I'm coming to the conclusion that the real problem is that I find bureaucray ridiculous, and can't bear being told what to do. So maybe, at 38, I'm belatedly realising that the office is not my thing? What to do? How does one decide whether a more radical change is needed? That aside I'm resolved that this is the week I will tell them I'm doing 40hrs tops per week and my boss will have to manage the overflow rather than me.

I wanna Shred too. Can I join in with the shred newbies? DS has just begged me to order him Harry P 5, 6 and 7 on Amazon, so I may just have to click buy on Jillian too.

Hi vin I can only see the pic of your DS, he's v cute and smiley.

Meant to say before I was v at idea of going commando but then I did grow up in the home counties (not far from esher's neck of the woods). Which reminds me, esher I thought the outfit you wore for your mums' night out sounded lovely, it's made me want some shorts. I've been looking online but haven't found any yet, I want brown or grey based tweed, not too short. Any suggestions?

Isn't there a risk of damp patches if you go commando? Wouldn't you need tampax or something just in case? Ignore me if beyond Home Counties etiquette, I am from Surrey, but went to school in Hammersmith, so that's where I get my edge

Vin - your pics are gorgeous. You are so pretty! Such a cute pic of your dd and your ds.

Hells you really made me lol with your "my Spanx have no holes, are they fake?" comment!!!

Marsha / Reine - hope the Marant-alike fits you. I still think it is lovely but have tried on again today and think the XS is just a bit too tight on my bum . I may go back and re-try the size S but I think it will be too big at the shoulders/neckline. I think it would work if I was more straight up and down/in proportion top and bottom.

MrsJ - sorry to hear about babyseat and freezer incidents. Our freezer door is a bit rubbish and I live in fear of coming down one morning to the same scenario.

Verity - hello, great to hear from you

Bloss - could you have a look at my rugs thread please and see if it rings any bells as I think we read the same magazines......

BTW, Bloss - did you see the belts I linked to for parka belting a la WIT?

Regarding commando - I find that dampness issues aren't an issue most of the month - and there speaks some-one who got way too obsessed with such things when ttc

I went commando on wedding day as was obsessed I could see a vpl Bit too cold at the moment though.

RG - Why thank you . My shorts were cheap as chips - £14.99 iirc from H&M - they still had them in today when I popped in briefly. Grey herringboney tweed, will see if I can link.

I have also just bought these - slightly different more cullotte-y vibe. (Don't buy from ASOS though as they are reduced at whistles, JL etc).

Lovely, lovely photos vino. To carry off the black and red like you do, you must be a winter!

Was it last night you linked them esher? I'll scroll back. I really want some help here. I'll look at your other thread too.

Thank you dear Roma for voicing concerns that I had but would not have the nerve to fo myself!!

I've just remembered a commando occasion. I was wearing a Ghost silver maxi to a ball in about 1996, and I think it rather pre-dated decent invisible underwear, so I didn't bother with anything but the dress and shoes. It learned later that it hadn't escaped the attention of the assembled menfolk (I'm not sure whether they knew or wondered as I obviously didn't flash anyone in my slinky maxi) and I was asked on a lot of dates in the ensuing weeks, including by a violinist who invited me round so he could play his violin to me in his music room . And also a marine, iirc

bloss are you saying I could be more delicate, hmm???

Vin- you are beautiful. What lovely skin. Your Ds is v cute and your DD was so lovely.

Roma- love the idea if being Wise and Avid in the bath, but does sound a bit risky! In terms of job, would you be interested in coaching or senior team development work? If you have an interesting and broad enough cv, then that sort of thing could be open to you.

roma could you use your skills in any freelance capacity, partly working in a client's office and partly at home? I love being able to swoop in, enjoy the adult company, do my thing then swan off and leave them all to it without getting involved in the politics etc. They probably hate me

reine I was tempted by the Oasis dress to but have been restrained. Does look fab.

My parents have a library. Three walls of books, one of windows overlooking the garden. Also their music room where we do all our rehearsals. No fireplace though sadly!

Advice please - have won a cream and gold brocade skirt on ebay - what to wear with it? I was thinking of black silk tank, statement necklace but bare legs? Black tights? Lots of fake tan?

vin you little stunner! And beautiful DCs as well.

tracey I have just put aside 50 things to eBay - 46 items of clothing and 4 pairs of shoes. Decided it was ridiculous that I keep stuff for so long.

roma I have just over 100 pairs of shoes/boots etc. See above - I don't get rid of things!

vin you are loveliness. Those Angelina lips! Wow. Beautiful, beautiful dc too.

Looking fwd to hearing about exhausted's shopping trip.

So pleased you finally got the M&S dress, if not the skirt ny. Good stuff. Can't take credit for Breton + leopard, pretty sure it was Fritzi who got me thinking about it ... anyway. today wore jeans, the H&M bib bling (surely henceforth to be known as the Janice of jewellery?) red Jaeger coat, breton top and leopard pumps and it was just right. I love to wear dresses but it really would have been the wrong thing. RG I think you are perfectly within your rights to react the way you did - why should you not feel good about yourself and your body and talk about it? My good friend and I had due dates within 2 days of each other back in 2005 and when I lost our dd late in the pregnancy she said/ did some things that I found very difficult to handle with grace. With hindsight,I think I was being a tad unreasonable as she was just excited about her pregnancy and the world didn't stop for me and my grief.

Anyway oddly enough this friend today was one who was super-fab to me at that time so I would never in a million years make her feel bad! Generally speaking I take friendship quite seriously, I try to be a considerate friend, hate fair-weatheredness and fluffy false crap.

Hf you are so impressive! I would be dead on my feet.Sounds like a really great weekend though, and wonderful to have an appreciative comment from your dh

So I was only joking about cruising the retail heaven that is Westfield - was with the worst shopper in the world (dh) plus the dcs, so was just a dash into Gap with voucher (thanks Hells!!) to get some basics for him and pair of true straight black trousers for me.. then Cos where I saw an esher dress, I think ... black mini tunicy style with long leather-look sleeves. Tres futuristic foxy.

RG - I have the grey shorts third picture along (sold out online but still instore). I sized up a size for a more flattering fit over tights.

roma re the damp thing, that's why I'll only go commando if I'm wearing my spanx slip so at least there's a layer in between me and the dress, just in case.

The damp thing has just reminded me bizarrely that my mother used to sellotape her nipples down when wearing t-shits way back when to avoid the acorn look

And now you can buy fake nipples to get the acorn effect - how times change

Silly snort at t-shits.

I went out the other week with a new friend and I swear she had acorns in. They were ping.

Vin Truly gorgeous - and beautiful children.

Commando? Isn't that something the Marines do?

NY Well done on that elusive dress.

The jungle beckons!

Nipples, Sellotape.......ouch!!

And don't even get me started on the t-shits....

at my own message. Honestly have only had one glass of sauvignon.

And ok I've had a g&t but when I turned up her male friend did this swishing thing with hand and said oprah style girlfriend look at you you are fab u lous etc etc God I lol'ed and lol'ed.

Yes that dress looks very pretty NY and I adored your NAP one.

HF - off to bed young lady!

I am laughing. And meant to be watching a film with dh.

One with c heigl who has a haircut how I imagine Traceyb's.