Avid and Wise, up to our eyes in new summer buys!

[blossoming]

Where is everybody???

notyummy - love your haul and am afraid I have ordered that dress too but not sure how it will look with my curves - maybe should have waited until post Shred!! I missed reading where you went for the Personal shopping - it seems she chose some great bits for you.

Just a quick hello ladies sorry I've been missing in action (again!). Big wave to everyone.

Haven't been keeping up but really like the Kookai stripy top you bought NY Also, glad you like the Jessie's. I bought a white pair too but they just made my thighs look porky so they're going back.

Um...yes Mrscb. T'was me...how funny! I probably looked completely on-a-mission. Dd was good as gold in there as I was endlessly trying on shoes...I went back again on Weds as my shopping trip was cut short the day before. How sad is that???

I'm sure you looked perfect Everyspring!

Oh, I tried on some Fry sandals and thought of you Everyspring. Quite liked them - tan - strappy:reminded me of some TBurch ones I'd seen. But thought I'd probably break my ankle as the wedge rubber sole rather solid...shame.

Enough shoes already....

That was Fly by the way...Gawds Sake!!!!!

mrsCB I really recommend here for curtains and blinds. www.naturalcurtaincompany.co.uk/ I have ended up using them in every room in my house.

NY great haul. I have that Karen Millen dress in the top IYKWIM!!! Love the Mango stuff.

Another (almost) A&W mini meet up - how funny!

Fritzi so pleased about DH getting time off and you all having some time away (are you going to hide his Blackberry? )
NY great outcome from your personal shopping! Especially like the KM dress, jacket and jumper.
Everyspring when will you hear about your job. Hope the interview went well. Good luck with your bike ride too (and please don't be modest about mentioning your JG page on here???? Its for a v worthy cause).

More house talk with DH last night - I am going round in circles! Our existing house ticks lots of boxes (eg appearance, running costs, neighbourhood etc) but could do with being a little bigger downstairs, have a bigger garden and DH would like his own study intead of having a joint one with me! Schools not in equation as we are only looking at houses within existing school catchment area. I could easily live with less 'character' but the house we viewed just didn't give me that 'I want to live here' feeling. I woud love a modern house but there just aren't that many available in our area of search - mostly Victorian or 1923/30's. The previous owner of our house refurbed everything so it has modern touches such as a good heating system that works! I think I have been spoilt - I'm looking for an old house that feels modern - without us having to take a huge project on! Spoilt I tell you!

Hope the interview went OK Everyspring - I am sure you seemed pulled together even if you didn't feel it!

Great to hear from you Zembo. I struggle to think of your thighs every looking porky - you look so petite and perfectly formed to me!

We were nearly late for school this morning as I started reading 'Little House in the Big Woods' (first book in the 'Little House on the Prarie' series) to DD and we both got so engrossed that the time ran away. I LOVED those books when I was growing up and it is so nice to revisit them with her. There is so much detail about how people used to live, and DD is fascinated to find out about what you have to do to get food if there is no Tesco/Waitrose. It is certainly going down well so far.

Right, off to do some reading up on Business Support for high growth industry for my presentation on Monday . On my allegedly non-working day. Still, at least there is the hoovering to look forwards to afterwards .

NY Great haul - really like that mango Blazer. Sounds like it was a worthwhile experience getting someone else to do the choosing. The structure of the KM dress looks lovely too, I can imagine it looks great on you. Laughed at your sigh, I too need to do some work over the weekend on, "Creating the expert practitioner in older peoples care - from novice to expert'. Cue a bigger sigh . I am passionate about nursing, but every now and again think about how much fun it would be to do a presentation on say, "The perfect pair of jeans" or "primer - essential or waste of money"

OWW Is there anyway you can extend or create space for another study area for DH in your current home? Whilst I am the first to say that often you need to compromise when it comes to houses, I think you still need to have that gut feeling about somewhere. Hope it all works out for you though.

Every I know what you mean about the post Easter bulge - I am on a strict no chocolate regime here. Did you have an interview yesterday?

Hello to Zembo hope you are well. Have you been wearing the burberry much?

DB Great shoe shopping. I agree that Cardiff shopping has improved a lot lately. Sadly, DH was not in shopping mode last week, so just popped into the John Lewis to get DS a present. Also, there are some nice little shops in the Victorian arcades aren't there? I remember visiting them a lot with my parents as a little girl. We loved St Davids hotel too, the breakfast was amazing. Luckily our room deal included breakfast, because as lovely as it was I thought paying £20 each was a little steep.

MrsCB Have you cooked with an Aga before? I never have, but love to give it a whirl.

Managed to frantically clean the whole house this am, whilst DS was having a nap. Feel like a did a workout racing round before he wakes. Lots of sunshine here today, but rain also on the forecast, not sure what to wear yet.

I swapped by days at work this week, so am having 4 days off in a row. What a difference it has made for me. I feel like I dont have to cram everything in, and feel like I can properly switch off from work.

annie - slightly on the small side I would say, as is most of Mango. TBH the sizing is probably right, but being a European label they haven't succumbed to vanity sizing to the same extent as a lot of UK firms have . I bought a 10, which is v fitted on me - any additional weight and I couldn't wear it! 12 was too big though.

I would wear those shoes unless I had a really big meeting/presentation and wanted to deferr to the safe court option!

Yes - blazer to wear with dresses to work on days when I have no big meetings so can be slightly more casual. I have a black jacket of a similar cut that I have got loads of wear from, so I thought a blue one was a good investment. I also thought I could throw it on over jeans at the weekend to look a bit more 'together'.

Glad that you have your DH back for a while Annie - it makes such a difference doesn't it? May and June not good months for us in that respect. Think he is home for 8 days in total in two months . Rubbish.

Roll on the end of July when we actually get him living at home again!

Just popping in to say Hi post California trip..didn't mean to post and run pre trip but dd2 got eye infection at the final hour..eek!..and 11 hour flight would not have been fun with that.

Was pleased the skirt like this went down well with you ladies but am struggling to think of how to style it..was considering a blue breton with narrow white stripe and red shoes but wondering if that will just look crazy rather than creative!

ltec the moth thing made me laugh out loud..I worry about what might happen in my wardrobe whenever I go away [shocked]

Would certainly appreciate one of fritzi's round ups of the thread as have little chance of getting up to speed as DD2 doing plenty of climbing unwisely/clinging avidly and in a jetlagged haze offered to do cake for DBs wedding so will be focussing on that.

Will need to post a thread on that in food as noideawhati'mdoing looking for tips so will come back to link to it in case you lovely bakers on the thread have any pearls of wisdom..

Reine - I saw this pretty blouse in Zara the other day and though exactly the same. Maybe put them together St Clement's style!

I love that idea morag [clearly still jetlagged emoticon] but DH might stop me at the front door

shameless plea for help with wedding cake!