Help me spend super-generous Selfridges gift card

[herbaceous]

Hello ladies

It was my birthday yesterday, and one of my gift requests was 'some vouchers, and some time to go shopping, unimpeded by toddler son'.

I was expecting a £50 Dotty P voucher or something. But no, my darling DP got me a £250 Selfridges gift card! I'm going into the London mega shop on Wednesday. Having a rater delicious dilemma about what to buy.

I'm 45, 5'8", 12-14, flabbier than I'd like to be but a pear-y hourglass. My wardrobe is full of things I liked five years ago when I last had money, plus cheap bits of tat I've bought in the past year.

So, do I go to the cheap concessions and buy loads of new stuff, or just a few 'key pieces'? If so, what? I have a couple of posh-ish dos coming up, so could do with a nice frock, a little bit Anglomania, kind of thing, but with sleeves and not showing too much leg - I have hideous fat knees.

Fuck! If I knew where you lived I'd come and rob your house for it! I'd get thee a decent dress, shoes and new make up and a cocktail in one of the fab bars!

How about a personal shopping appointment? It's free I think!

I was gonna suggest the personal shopper aswell.

I won a Selfridges card for the same amount and decided to put it towards a Mulberry handbag as thought that would last me forever....I still can't bring myself to buy super expensive clothes as I always manage to wreck them.

I had been thinking about a personal shopper, but was worried she'd kit me out in 'this season's essentials', that would be out of fashion by spring, leaving me back to buying things from Peacocks.

This is such a mega-treat. I usually have NO disposable income, meaning my clothes shopping has been restricted to sneaking in a Sainsbury's t-shirt while doing the big shop.

Other things I was considering:

Good bag, enough pockets to use as a changing bag type thing, but nice enough for just me

Decent jeans, though not sure any amount of money could make my thighs look good...

Cashmere hooded cardi, to replace my Primark one of five years, now full of moth holes

Stripey jumper - always a wardrobe staple...