Avid & Wise, Eyes on the Prize, Our Gorgeous Spring Summer Buys!

[blossoming]

New thread here!

I had a wonderful day out in the sun. Wonderful, that is, apart from both daughters whinging about the sun in their eyes. Yes dd2 is only 5 months but she is an expert at moaning

redllama erm, I was watching Submarine yesterday too. Wondering if we were at the same place You wouldn't have happened to be in an arts centre in a Welsh city would you?

ltec I love that scarf. I realise you didn't ask me, and I'm not an expert on scarves, but I know a good pattern when I see one

OWW your posts have made me very much fancy a High Tea. Could I invite myself to yours?

What glorious weather. Have been wearing skinny breton top, cropped navy chino's and new dark nude ballet flats...feeling all summery for a change. Carciofi- can't believe only 9 weeks to go! Where has the time gone?...
An autumn here too...(i think).

Another vote for Cos, and agree that it needs to be mixed up with other things but then head to toe in one label never works anyway...even VB gets the hi-low thing nowadays...
Made the Harry Eastwood choc cupcakes today for a tea party tom...delicious.Bizarrely I always assumed 'she' was a 'he'...
Oh, and two new novels to read...fantastic! (simple pleasures and all that)

ABO total fantasy!

pricey, but an investment?

colour and good price

Oh gosh everything - sounds tough-I know what you mean about the part time working. I've had a shitty day today and often think that it would be easier to go back full time but I wouldn't want to leave DD. We would notice if you went off the radar so don't worry about that.

OWW- really hope you have a lovely time tomorrow - thanks for the invite but don't think I'll make it . Thanks for the compliment on the fb photos too. I have to admit though that a well (?) timed stomach bug probably did more for the bikini body than my flaky shred dedication!

Coloured jeans...hmm - my mum was a big fan and they made up a large proportion of my wardrobe growing up. Think I will leave that one for now.

bouncing - sounds like you're doing great. I'm sure ds2 will settle with the nanny soon.

Like the unicorns LTEC. Btw - pickled I keep meaning to ask where your duck scarf that you wore at MOAMU was from.

ABO, sorry, I was a bit slow there! I was thinking, but it's a June baby.

Dolcee, your outfit sounds lovely.

Everyspring, are your parents nearby? It sounds hard for you.

LTEC love the unicorns! A great reminder of glitter and rainbows and FUN, unicorns, but especially glam in a sedate print.

Everything :( sounds like a tough time and you could use some virtual unicorns. I've got to say I've not been in your situation but that is one of my big fears about living alone so I see where you are coming from.

Ok, have slight fashion crisis.We need to have a picture taken for DH's work tomorrow en famille. What on earth do we wear? I have pretty much no trousers that aren't suit or jeans or Foolihans. Suit too fancy and jeans too casual, I think. I wanted to wear www.jcrew.com/womens_category/dresses/eveningdinner/PRDOVR~29867/29867.jsp this dress, I have a brown sparkly belt like in the pic and thought I might wear a longline orange cardi over the top. But is it too suity for a jolly family photo? Gah. God knows what DH is going to wear, he cannot be trusted in these matters (sound familiar, OWW?) but I suspect he will either appear wearing a suit and tie (which will be way too formal). I was thinking of putting him in a nice shirt/jumper combo and grey trousers. DCs have lots of cute clothes and hey, they're 1 and 3 and look cute anyway.

Speaking of which DS is actually one tomorrow and I am up late baking carrot cake cupcakes which seem to take 5 times longer than the allotted recipe time.
The timer has just gone so will go check!

everyspring hope you're all right, you sound like you're in a bad mindframe. I know exactly what you mean about part-time working being hard, especially if your colleagues don't help. Do you have anyone who could come to give you a hand...doesn't have to be a close friend or someone you see every day...it could be someone you haven't seen in a while. People might not be offering to help as they think you don't need it.

If it makes you feel less alone, I used to have similar thoughts when home alone with dd1 (for two years). I would worry that if I died, then no one would know, and dd would have to be alone till dh came home!

Well I'm glad I asked everyspring, and thanks for confiding in us. As mrsjuan said, we would miss you if you fell under the radar. I can relate to some of your feelings having lived alone for 6 years before getting together with DH, and about being fiercely independant. We create a rod for our own backs with that one. I do hope you find happiness again soon. Hopefully you'll both feel better soon. In the meantime you know my answer to everything is a bit of Jillian for that natural high!

everyspring - sounds like a really stressful time for you. I agree about the whole part time working thing, in essence you are doing a full time job in part time hours. My boss often changes stuff for when I am not there, last week I had to cancel a hospital appointment for DS and I had to go in on a day off. As for living alone, like bloss I can relate, I lived alone for almost 10 years before living with DH. The independence is great, and you know you can totally rely on yourself, but at the same time there is a sense that everything is on your shoulders. Is there any off your SAHM friends that you could have a chat with the explain how you are feeling? Just thinking that if you go with the angle of how much you have missed them lately, they may be a bit more sensitive to you and your time commitments. (Everyone loves to be flattered!) Really hope that you are feeling better soon though.

Good morning all.

Every - I hear you and empathise - and I only have part of your worries (work/living alone thing - albeit living alone temporarily for me.) I think people as a general rule really like to help others out (I am an optimist about human nature) and it may be case of plucking up your courage and testing the water with some of the ladies you see when you are not at work. Sometimes everything can get on top of you (me, last night after long day trying to reason with wailing exhausted daughter; malfunctioning burglar alarm going off every 2 minutes;and a huge long list of things to get done.....thinking MURDEROUS thoughts about DH NEVER being here etc etc.) If I can get myself into that frame of mind without all the other pressures you have had recently, it is hardly surprising that you are going to feel stressed.

Bloss - I watched Biggest Loser last night and nearly cried. (DH would tell you that means something is VERY sad. I didn't cry at either our wedding or when DD was born.....he cried mightily at both and thinks I am heartless. Don't even mention Finding Neverland....he was in bits for ages .) I think the right person went home though.

Roary - quite nice weather at the moment - could a summery dress be a possibility for the family photo?

I fancy seeing Submarine - very good reviews. Did anyone watch The Crimson Petal and the White last night? (There is an IT Crowd connection between the two, isn't here? I love the IT Crowd.) I have sky plussed the Crimson Petal thing. Have also sky plussed Spiral (FRench crime thingy on BBC 4) after feeling bereft that The Killing has finished. DH and I are trying to force ourselves to like Treme at the moment after everyone said we should (and we love The Wire, which is by the same writer) but we are struggling a bit with it. Oh - does anyone watch Raising Hope on Sky one on Friday nights? Really funny (nearly as good as 30 Rock) and with the cutest baby in it. Am also watching brain improving shows - Wonders of the Universe; Secret World of Whitehall and Civilisation. That makes it sound like I watch a LOT of tv. I don't! Probably about 2 hours max on 4/5 evenings a week - and occasionally during the day for an hour whilst on crosstrainer/doing some circuit training.

Gorgeous day here - made me feel quite chipper this morning at 6 15am being able to put sun glasses on and drive to work! (With the Foo Fighters on LOUD.)

OWW = hope the tea party goes really well.

Yummy it would be perfect except I don't have one! Have a few on order but 4 summers in a row of pg/bf means no nice dresses in the roary cupboard. Argh.

Don't even think time for emergency shop as we only heard last night and pic is at 12.

Hmm. Pretty tunic/top with leggings and heels?

That dress you linked to is lovely - but yes, maybe slightly formal. Having said that, if you feel confident in it then it is worth its weight in gold!

Was it you that had the boss with 'interesting' taste in clothes?? I say that because I appear to have a similar one in my new job! Seems like a nice (if slightly scary) lady....but the phrase 'dressed in the dark' could have been invented for her.

That makes me sound like a right bitch doesn't it? . I worry that she sees me as some dizzy lightweight because our views on clothes etc are fairly obviously from different ends of the spectrum.

Everyspring, sorry you're feeling so down. I can only second the advice to reach out and speak to those around you. I have a tendency to refuse offers of help and let people believe that everything is fine, so they stop offering. I was having a horrible time a few months ago and when I followed advice to seek a bit of help from friends, they were completely taken aback, having had no idea I was feeling so low.

No Nan - a Picturehouse in Sarf-East London. What did you think of it?

I watched The Crimson... last night NY (thanks for reminder Carciofi) and enjoyed it very much, Romola Garai was surprisingly good I thought. Have V+ so will have the rest waiting for us on our return.

Emergency shopping for holiday bits that I've forgotten. DS is so excited about going on an aeroplane, he can barely contain himself.

Happy birthday to your DS, Roary. I remember you posting about looking for jeans that didn't fall down when you were pregnant! The J Crew dress is nice but maybe a summer dress as NY suggests.

NY, I watched The Crimson Petal and the White, it was well done. Going to watch Filthy Cities tonight. I go through spells of watching TV then might not watch it for weeks.

Just got an email from House of Fraser to say that my jacket went missing between their warehouse and courier company, no offer of a replacement or discount code to make up for the one I have missed out on by ordering the AWOL jacket. I have to fill out a form and then they will reimburse me. Why do I have to send in the form before being reimbursed if they know it has gone missing. Rubbish customer service!

That is rubbish Carciofi!

Red - you must be excited about your holiday too! I am excited about going to Geneva and that is only for 3 nights. DD is exhausted after a few busy weekend and a term at school. I just hope she sleeps in the car on the way to the airport tomorrow, because otherwise it could be a loooonnngggg journey... Have you got the wardrobe packed? I have the shoes sorted, and smuggled in an extra dress last night (one I found in the wardrobe with the tags still on ) In my defence, it is a summer dress I bought in the sales last autumn for £10! I had put it away for this year....and it has a tropical/parrot print so actually quite SS 11. Sounds dodgy but looks ok I think - and as it will be 23 degrees and sunny I think it is time to break out the summer wardrobe.

redllama I really liked Submarine. Whimsical, as you correctly said. However, I did watch it with friends and we laughed out loud at certain bits. I don't know if I'd have liked it as much if I was watching it alone...it's very slow at times and nothing much happens.

roary happy birthday to mini-roary and best of luck with the photo shoot. I'm pants at choosing clothes for photographs so won't even try to suggest anything

NY hope you enjoy Geneva and have a peaceful flight!

I'm already worried about whether my two girls will behave themselves in the flight to Valencia. dd1 is a right chatterbox...I usually love it but when dd2 is crying and dd1 won't stop articulating her every thought, it can get very wearing

I haven't had a chance to shop specifically for the holiday as it's a surprise trip (ish). dh sprang it on us two weeks ago! Don't get me wrong, I appreciate him working on it being a "surprise" and I'm looking forward to it, but I would have appreciated some more time to do some shopping. As it is, I'm going to have to pull out stuff from last year and hope it fits. Actually I'm hoping it will be bikini weather and I won't have to worry about clothes at all the whole time I'm there

Red, NY and Nan, hope you all have great holidays.

How is your new job going, NY?

Everything, definitely talk to your friends. I would want to know and help if one of my friends were going through a hard time. You sound like a very brave person.

Phoned House of Fraser, the jacket is sold out now online but Westfield have it and they will allow me to buy it at the same discount after they have received the missing parcel form and reimbursed me, if it is still available. Maybe I should just wait for the sales and hope I find it discounted on another website.

carciofi, that's terrible customer service! How can they not let you re-use the discount straight away when the jacket has been lost at their end
for you

Thanks Nan. They said it is their policy. I am not too impressed with them (I was polite on the phone though!), I thought they had better CS than that.

Morning everyone. A mixed bag here. The Kew blouse arrived and is so voluminous. Size down, there's so much fabric. I think it's a keeper though, as I have nothing else to go with the wrap shorts. The blouse is crisp white linen and looks quite fabulous with the indigo skinnies too. And the scarf is just divine.
Hush dress, what was I thinking? The white is cream there too.

Maybe it's a sign carciofi. Maybe save the money for something else (unhelpful)!
Hope the photo goes well roary and have a nice time away everyone.

Good morning.

Bloss - will be thinking about that blouse when my indigos come from Revolve. Shame about the Hush dress.

carciofi - dreadful service. What jacket was it?

Nan - I understand your concerns about last minute holiday wardrobe. We are going out on Saturday and I am stressing about what to wear just for that. (Uber trendy location)

Red - I bet your DS is excited! I would be too!

NY - Not a bitch, I can totally sympathise. I am in a similar situation, except the person in question thinks I am shallow for shaving armpits. We have very little in common.

Not much happening here, DS having a long snooze so all chores have been done. DH at home today, so a lazy day with a shop bought sandwhich lovely picnic in the park.

I will need a strapless bra in nude to go under the blouse. Nothing worse than grubby bra straps hanging down! And I still need to change the buttons on the fuchsia cardigan. Nice together: indigo, white, grey and fuchsia. For winters - disclaimer!