Wisely and avidly planning our Christmas lists..

[blossoming]

Come join me!
Not so inspired but I do so hate being threadless.

Just catching up, when I really should be doing breakfast, spent last night at new parents evening for ds1's secondary school Can't quite belive he's that age, but school is great and I think he'll be happy there.

Fritzi this is the bag.

Cat has just arrived - we have been adopted my a persian cat She is a beauty, and such a lovely nature, sits on dc's laps and purrs. I'm not sure who owns her, but she was a bit neglected, so I bought her a brush and spend a lovely 20 mins every day grooming her! She is a soft as silk and a lovely smokey grey colour. It's the perfect arrangement, we get to play with her, someone else pays the vets bills!

LTEC meant to say congrats on extra hours, your plan sounds like a good one. And Bunny, love the names, Roma brill about your reduced hours, just shows how valued you are if they jumped at the chance to accomodate you - hope it went OK with AP.

Right better start the day, hope you all have lovely ones

Morning!

Thank you for all the lovely compliments on the names - feeling v and . DH also v pleased as we wanted to be sure we haven't overlooked something.

everything - re the gold skirt, I also think its nice, but not loving it. And for me I think its because the embellishment doesn't quite match the fabric colour. Will kick myself if you have already bought it. The shape does look lovely, though. Hoping you are feeling better today than you were post-Relate.

Tracey - wow, what a diet?! V impressive results!

Have to run and have quick shower before DD wakes - little monkey didn't sleep till 9pm last night - poor DH came out of her room shell shocked. Although she had been cooing, chatting and laughing at him, so no point him pretending he didn't love it.

Tracey excellent! Welcome to the dukan (side) it is ace.

welcome to the Dukan side does sound slightly ominous doesn't it ...well done though Tracey. I hope/think you'll find that it's pretty easy to stick with in the long run...and rather wonderfully I have found that later on down the line you can cheat spectacularly and not suffer too many consequences (do you agree fellow old time dukaners??)

Zembo - have you heard of the Brazilian blow dry? A friend of mine has just had it done and is thrilled with it. And she looks wonderful. What kind of hair do you have? Hers was the type that got frizzy in the rain....now it's glossy and straight (and it supposedly lasts for ages).

NY - so glad the M&S dress is a keeper...well done for persevering.

Fritzi - that most certainly does sound like time to change the cleaner!

Verity - fab bag and I love the idea of the cat share (even if the owners don't know about it!)

LTEC - I checked everywhere on the blouse but no material description - however the care label does say use a 'silk detergent' so I think that's a big clue . I would say it is silk but not a super deluxe one.

So today Janice is making her north london debut. Already had one compliment (which is more than I usually get). I'm wearing it just like everyone else (I think?) with a black AV top, black tights and my pirate boots. I like to say 'Janice' with a french accent to make her slightly more stylish - no offence to any lurking Janice's out there but the name is not top of my list when thinking of haute couture

Haha hells at the jan- ice.

Yes I am early dukaner and it is spectacular in weight control. If you feel a bit off it takes a day or two and you self-correct.

Anyway it is the best thing I have picked up from this thread I can fit into old size 2s in wardrobe (had never heard of it before).

Dull, but very vaguely W & A related question, ladies. Have any of you got mittens/gloves with strings for your DCs? If so did you buy them or make them? It is utterly idle, but I cannot be arsed sewing a whole load of strings on to a whole load of gloves. However, at the moment DD is going through 2/3 pairs of gloves per week - and I actually lost my rag with her this morning and had a bit of a rant . Not the best start to the day .

Tracey - well done on the Dukan. That will (hopefully...) be me in January! We are going away to a posh hotel for the first weekend in Jan, so think I will do it immediately after that. Then I will be slim and trim for my girls weekend later in the month.

Laughing at the ch - an - neece dress.

Oh, and I think I must be ovulating yesterday - 'why?', I hear you ask. Well, I got a whole load of compliments from men. All guys I work with. My boss said I looked 'particularly nice', and at different other points of the day, one colleague asked if I had 'done anything different with my hair - it looks lovely' (erm, washed it?!) A further man said 'I like your dress.' (Mental note to wear circus print wrap dress more often in future - that was it's first outing this year!)

Got to run, but dropped in just to say I added Zembo and Fleecy to mumsnet mates list, and that vin, no reason to believe anything I say given that I'm just a random internet person, but I really do find you spectacularly beautiful. You may have unusual features but in a wonderful way, a bit like Angelina Jolie. Amazing colouring too.

Don't like that Monsoon skirt much eie

DD has got navy cashmere blue mittens on a string from Caramel Baby & Child.

You can also buy them online at BonTon

ny I sewed the strings on. Makes no difference actually, as when you buy them with the strings on, they always come off so you sew them back on. I'm even thinking of attaching the hat and scarf to the coat - what do you think? Mine lose an absurd number of these things at school, not to mention their coats.

How weird about ovulating! I will pay attention myself - think it's this week.

Fleece H&M mits are v.cheap and v.washable btw.

hells, I might splurge on the Brazilian blow dry for next summer. Handy when on holiday I'd imagine. I would worry about losing volume though.

So I need a black long sleeve a/v type top for the janice to dress it down?

verity, how lovely to be adopted by a cat like that!

marsha, sounds like you've done really well on the dukan. All the papers are talking about Carol Middleton being on it.

fritzi, have a great day, and my hair is mostly down to Frank and the great cut. Nothing else! Although I'm lucky not to be grey yet and not need colour.

Man made fibres have come a long way LTEC, some of them 'feel' so lovely. The cosy warehouse leopard scarf is 100% viscose but feels really cottony. I have 'felt' that bird blouse and I would agree with hells that it has a 'silky' feel although lack of breathability may be a problem . It is a gorgeous blouse though - I love all the birdy stuff around this season.

Janice is certainly not in the same league as bunny's lovely names.

bunny AFAIK Aurelia is related to the name Oriel which is also lovely. A friend's Oriel has nn Ori which I think is sooo cute. You could also have the same sound as a nn for Aurelia. I think I prefer it to Lia (which although it looks lovely written down, when you say it, it sounds like the full name Leah. Anyway, feel free to ignore me. I just thought I would mention it as you said you wanted to be sure you hadn't overlooked anything.

Marsha - how wonderful...can I take full credit for being the one to introduce it to the thread

NY - you do make me smile...that is the kind of thing I say and usually people give me weird looks...nice to know there are others with similar views!

Bloss - yes - I think it does 'dress it down' to have a long sleeve black teeshirt underneath...make it more day (my boots are flat as well).

everything - I'm a bit unsure on the skirt...always wary of ebay if something isnt amazing as lack of return ability!

One last thing: according to my encyclopaedia of Italian names, Aurelia comes from as far back as the Etruscan Usil Italianicized as Ausil and Auril, referring to a sun divinity, and has a common root with the indoeuropean aus- prefix, meaning to shine or sparkle. 16182 Italian baby girls were named Aurelia between 1900 and 2000.

Yes Hells. Yes you can

I love it because it is easy and I can eat what I want (I have no desire for bread or potatoes) so I feel young again. No hard work, no painful dieting, and control just like pre-children. Right sorry that's last Grammy award to the dukan, but I've been thinking for ages.

NY I had a day like that the other day (yet still am sans cycles due to bf). It's great isn't it when it all comes together, and you get springier through the day.

Bloss your hair sounds wonderful. Love beautiful hair. (which reminds me am going to try keratase)

Bunny so close! It is so intense the last few days I find.

Jo-Jo Maman Bebe do clip on cords for mittens!

V depressing to think that is the sum total of my fashion input on this thread .....

Pickled - ah yes, you raise a good point about nn for Aurelia - DH was suggesting Auri (sp??) instead of Lia, and we haven't 100% settled. I think Auri sounds better but Lia looks better and easier to spell. Hmm, pondering.

BTW those of you on FB may have seen that my cousin just told me one of her DCs was 13lbs (aka 5.9kg) [horror] [horror] [horror]- I can't be the only one who has gone pale at the thought?? Cousin on other side of family also had 10lb+ babies. Am going to give DH extra kisses tonight for being small framed and countering the gargantuan babies my genes seem to produce.

Dukan sounds to be the way to go, Wise Ladies - I will join you in a few several months down the track!

Cakey - DH told me we can't afford more dresses for me due to nanny hire. About to be Wily Coyote and do budget in spreadsheet w ample sensible dress allowance in bold and red! Shame that his suit allowance is about to be cut.

Roma - thanks for extra info on Aurelia - v impressive provenance. And yet, we are not MN mates?

Hells - yes, intense it is. Example - sleeping is a lengthy series of uncomfortable poses punctuated w toilet trips. Every night I cross my fingers for early spontaneous labour!