Wisely and avidly planning our Christmas lists..

[blossoming]

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

Well, if any of you have any wise advice re:jewellery for Christmas I'd appreciate it. A while ago I saw some gorgeous stuff, but can't remember where or by whom. It was pearl and gold or silver. Quite delicate but modern. Necklaces were not just a pendant, but had pearls and small charms along some of the length. About £200ish. would love something similar.

Xposts Marsha, thanks for asking

At home yangy. I don't have to go to the office except Tuesdays. As the kids get older evening absence is increasingly difficult to manage, what with all the homework, tests and various school issues. Working from home is much easier.

Everything, that sounds horrible. I can't believe it's your fault - doesn't sound like that at all to me. Was h there too?

Issa Dress

Rufus - I would recommend staying St Martin which has a fab restaurant and bar.

Roma and Yangy no wise words about working ft. I'm fortunate to have a SAHP who makes the travelling/long hours possible. I decided when I returned after maternity leave that it didn't matter how late I had to work in the week the weekends were free for me to spend with dd.

Forgot to say EIE Sorry you are feeling down. It's not all your fault.

eie that sounds terribly unfair. It takes 2 to make a relationship work. It is certainly not all your fault.

Choo that dress is beautiful. I think I am going to sell my MJ atomic

Roma well done

Marsha go on spill, as long as it doesn't involve Oprah hand gesture we won't laugh, promise!

re work/ life balance. I have just been offered a longer contract with more hours. Too lucrative and useful re going home to pass up but difficult as I refuse to leave ds3 with nanny/ carer and DM goes home in Jan. So dh and I have decided to get part time housekeeper (4 hours per day) so that all I do is children and work. Will still involve working nights but at least will be totally with dc in days (other than nursery - 2 and half days for dd, 2 mornings and one full day for ds1) without stressing about laundry, and can get on with work as soon as they go to bed without trying to play catch up on chores.

Feels terribly self-indulgent but there it is.

Thanks for that link ollie. I haven't seen them before. I just spent £185 on a coat for him from Crew clothing, which he loves - I made him try it on! So that may be his lot!!

Welcome back rufus, we've missed you. You're so kind. I like eating in Harvey Nichols 5th floor cafe at lunch. Great people watching, but then I'm normally on my own. I've been to Bentley's, Richard Corrigan's place in Mayfair and I loved the Wolseley. I'll pm you my name before you go then you can tell Frank the mad woman who travels 31/2 hours every 8 weeks sent me! He has given me direction, yes. I already had the fringe from his colleague at a previous appointment but Frank suggested going shorter.

choo, re-buy the Bec!! (But you knew I'd say that!)

everything sorry about your day.

Thanks for that link ollie. I haven't seen them before. I just spent £185 on a coat for him from Crew clothing, which he loves - I made him try it on! So that may be his lot!!

Welcome back rufus, we've missed you. You're so kind. I like eating in Harvey Nichols 5th floor cafe at lunch. Great people watching, but then I'm normally on my own. I've been to Bentley's, Richard Corrigan's place in Mayfair and I loved the Wolseley. I'll pm you my name before you go then you can tell Frank the mad woman who travels 31/2 hours every 8 weeks sent me! He has given me direction, yes. I already had the fringe from his colleague at a previous appointment but Frank suggested going shorter.

choo, re-buy the Bec!! (But you knew I'd say that!)

everything sorry about your day.

similar to Issa dress ??

I have ordered today in the hope of finding a decent boot with heel to wear with skinny jeans/thick opaques and skirts. I am still looking for leopard print too...

try again

Ooh! Thanks for all the suggestions. Am on the iPhone as wifi not working for some reason.

Thanks Bloss! Glad he'll take control a bit and be directive.

Am very envious of those if you who have managed to negotiate work from home. Would love to do that, but doesn't suit my job. Sigh.

plum - re your link to zara leopard coat in last thread. I saw it in rl on Sunday but was really looking for a thicker and warmer style. I do like the zara though.

plum - re your link to zara leopard coat in last thread. I saw it in rl on Sunday but was really looking for a thicker and warmer style. I do like the zara though.

Morning all!

Those shoes are amazing dt!

Well done on the new job cake. Housekeeper very wise.

plum, that is a gorgeous dress you linked for me from the Boden preview. I bought the chunky roll neck tunic yesterday as previously linked by roman. there's a 5 week wait, but there'll be plenty of winter left! Good for snowball fights I'd imagine.

Very wild here this morning. May have to take the car.

EIE, sorry you are feeling low. It can't possibly be all your fault!

LTEC, congratulations on the new contract. The housekeeper sounds like a great idea. I feel fine thanks, a bit tired but that is because DD has a cold and cough and is waking in the night.

I love that Issa dress.

Choo, get the Bec!

20% off at LK Bennett GRZ3

Plum, great about your DS. The hv told me that dd was lazy because she wasn't walking, she was only 10 months old at the time.

Morning! Issa is all sold out on nap already - nothing at all from the label left!

Working from home is good Rufus - fewer distractions, no commuting. Cheaper because no travel or having to buy ready-made food. Can be a bit lonely and sedentary if your job doesn't require you to go out to meet people though.

Cake sounds like a good plan and congrats on the contract. I can't see why it's self indulgent - cleaning's just cleaning after all. No prizes for doing it yourself nor penalties for getting someone else to do it. I would really recommend if possible finding someone who can cook and is nice with the kids too, so that if you need a babysitter you can have the same person to do that too. Nothing worse ime than having a whole coterie of people to organise on top of everything else.

I'm interviewing a housekeeper today - also to do 4 hours per day, plus evening babysitting as and when. Hope she's OK!

Morning all, I've just caught up on the end of the last thread and this new one and there were lots of things I wanted to say...

vin thank you for letting me see your pics, you're v beautiful and so young looking, I loved the pic of you and DS on the swing and your DD was gorgeous

esher thanks for the shorts advice, I managed a quick trip to h&m after work yesterday (had to abort on an h&m mission on mon when DD threw a massive temper tantrum and everyone in the shop looked at me pityingly), couldn't find the shorts but I did get a v pale grey cardi with sequins on the pockets. I think I'll try and get the whistles ones. Oh and for 20% off at LK Bennett use GRZ3

roman v pleased to hear about your 8 till 4 arrangement, I hope it works out. I was going to ask if your job could be done PT or as a job share (not sure how common job shares are outside the public sector) but no need now.

cake loved the 'flying knickers' tale and was v at VPHL, not something I've ever witnessed.

Oh, and another dukaner here, my recent weightloss was due to a combination of dukan and shredding but I haven't been so good this week, I'm planning to start again this weekend because I want to lose another half a stone by DH's 40th in December.

yangy sorry your struggling with FT working, it's really hard. I work PT but do 3 v long days (I've already been in the office for 3/4 hr - I'm only on MN cos my bl*y computer is playing up and I've had to restart it) during which I barely see DD and find that quite tough.

EIE so sorry to hear about your relate session, you seem to be investing a huge amount of energy into trying to improve your marriage so don't be too hard on yourself. On a completely different note, thanks for the colours link, by a process of elimination I've decided I'm an autumn (brown hair, pasty skin, sludge coloured eyes) and I'm now considering colours I wouldn't.

Do I remember someone liking this? 'Tis in the sale now (green and, ahem, grey versions too ....)

www.mintvelvet.co.uk/moody-floral-shift-dress/sale/mint-v/fcp-product/477