We're AVIDly buying Agnes, Anya & Ash (all very WISE buys!)

[OllieinOrange]

Time for a new thread.....

Bloss could you get someone, local teenager maybe, to come in for a few hours 2/3 days a week so you could set that time aside to work. It is impossible and frustrating to try to work with dc around. Don't worry it will all come together, but it's a big life change and it will take a while. My tip is to fill the freezer up with meals so you don't come in from a long day and have to cook from scratch every evening. And get a cleaner

I had a quick look at the remainder of the sales, always love to wait for the 70% reduction! I had a handful of beautiful Maje and Sandro lace blouses and pretty dresses, but put them back as I have lots already. Was very pleased with myself. I am moving on to AW having somehow by-passed SS.

Totally loved Kate Moss's dress, the embroidery was gorgeous and the veil was so pretty. She looked very happy. Also loved that all the bridesmaids were her god-daughters, very sweet. Charlenes dress beautiful too, but so different, very formal. What a train! Must show it to dd in the morning, she does love a wedding dress with a train!

WAN saw lovely draped dress in Whistles today, can't see it on their site though.

Carciofi hats off to your dh, hope he keeps it up and you get lots of sleep

OWW I am taking your recipe on hols!

Roary would love to see you in the Issa!

Thanks annie and roary. My main problem though is I'm away for most of August. All booked a year in advance. I'll sort it out though!

Oh had to come back to say NY I love the hotel story, what a fab idea! Perfect for next meet-up, 10 outfits over a weekend, the fun you could have planning that

Sorry missed your posts there verity and Amber. great tip verity. I have a cleaner and I've sorted childcare: local mum with twin boys in ds's class so he can go there after school too and have 'older' brothers!
Amber, I had multiple sweeps. Did nothing for me just felt violated. I have intimacy issues though. Hope the baby comes soon.

Running is as meeting friends for lunch and I have to finish reading the bloody thesis before we go. Its taking forever. Didnt realise her deadline was tomorrow - she came over at 10.45pm last night to check my progress!!!

Just wanted to share more pics from the Monaco wedding here which includes all the guest pics.

The Mother of the Bride looks amazing - I would have taken her for her sister! Princess Maxima of the Netherlands looks lovely too - . I love weddings!

Anniemac sounds like you had the perfect day with the girls yesterday. Try not to dwell on the late nights for work etc - its days like yesterday that matter and that they will remember. My sister has a demanding ful time job and constantly beats herself up wth guilt but her DS1 loves the stimulation he gets from the various childcare arrangements. Loved what Pickled wrote too - she is very wise. Know what you mean about DD2 being a handful for other people - I feel the same with DSs and limited who I 'impose' (for want of a better word) them on!

Ants, sounds like a lovely afternoon. I love Richmond and there are great shops, might go there on Weds with the baby while the babysitter is here for DD1.

Annie, the cleaning can wait, relax with your girls.

Emo, Hoss Intropia has lovely stuff.

Bloss, you do everything so well. When are your parents back? Hopefully you will get some time then.

I'm thinking of ordering these COH jeans and returning the MIH cropped jeans, they are quite similar.

WAN, I really like the Wildeve/Wilder dresses in LK Bennett.

OWW, agree that they should have left the beading off Charlene's dress! Very unflattering photos of her new husband.

Apuski and Verity, enjoy your holidays.

DH got up with the baby again at 4am, he never did this with DD1. He said he feels sorry for me as I look so tired (must repurchase Touche Eclat!) and also it is our wedding anniversary. He asked me to order another Crumpet scarf for his mother, he was horrified at the price and even more horrified when I told him that was the sale price. I will have to hide my own scarves.

Amber, hope the baby arrives soon. You should get the top!

DD1 is up, gotta go, enjoy your Sundays.

WAN What colour would you like? Is this Coast dress too shiny/wedding like here? Lovely colour tho.

MrsCB bikini fits but suddenly I think I want something in a bright colour. Hmmm!

annie sounds like a lovely day.

Well done MrCarciofi!

amber hope all well - I'm with Bloss on the sweep side of things but clearly for others they have done the trick!

I cannot believe that the highlight of my morning so far has been looking up what time the supermarket opens. DD2 is crawling now and a complete hazard. DD1 needed an emergency bath this morning and is now looming behind me waiting to use my computer whilst demanding I put on a garish temporary tattoo. aaaagh!

ollie You are so kind for reading that girls' thesis and I cannot believe the cheek of her to "check your progress" . I always end up with "projects" like this and think I need to learn to sometimes say no...

annie Hope the weather is nice today and you can forget about the cleaning and enjoy a lovely Sunday with your girls instead.

Feeling very blue today... I wish that DH would for once take the initiative and suggest what we do on a Sunday, what we eat and what DD should wear. We haven't spoken since breakfast and he has shut himself into his study .

Aww Fritzi hope he makes it up to you.

One last (I think) decorating question am in the zone and the ceiling info was fab.

If you use F&B what colour are your radiators? Did you match the walls in eggshell or do pointing or something on all of them??

Thanks

Lovely weather. Just need to finish a thing today for work, will do much later.

Finished reading - have found a gold star sticker to stick on the front too!

Fritzi I have an inability to say no to people. Its terrible! Sorry you are feeling blue. DH has been very snappy the last few days - am hoping he is in need of a holiday so sucking it up til we go on Friday. Asked him to take DSs to the playground so I could finish reading in peace and he acted like a teenager - eye rolling, droopy shoulders and sighing when normally he is great about getting out and about with them. I found it quite amusing!

Off to friends new house for lunch. Can't wait for a nose round!

Emo - have you looked here for swimwear?

WAN - thanks for that! I have just bought the Johnsons and it's pretty good but, after years of using a razor, I have started having my legs waxed and now they are desperate!! The girl recommended three weeks but since last Thurs (2 weeks) they have been driving me nuts!! I need to get an earlier appointment or the Gilette will be out!!

Fritzi - I do know how you feel. DH loves just hanging out at home on a Sunday and I get cabin fever! I've shot myself in the foot with regard to him getting them dressed though - far too many time he's done it and I've changed them as it doesn't match or somehow meet with my approval

I'm on my own today as he's gone away for work - feel really flat after all of DS's birthday celebrations.

Marsha - All of my radiators are painted the same colours as the walls but all of my walls are quite boring neutral colours.

carciofi - how funny, your DH's reaction to the scarf price!! Can't see a huge difference between those jeans but, for me, I prefer the slightly less skinny ankle on the second pair.

Emo - loving the sound of the 'emergency bath'!!

Amber - hope things get moving for you soon!

I wore my Houlis yesterday for the first time and I now realise that they are slighly too big, baggy around the tummy which is not a good look

On a total non S&B note but with talk of missing cleaners this has been my most amazing recent purchase - how sad am I?? (but it is brilliant)

I'm always a bit thrown when a new thread begins - I keep thinking that Ollie is Bloss with the purple posts!! (OP posts being a different colour)

Happy Sunday Everyone.

Hello,Hello
Thank you all for your kind words regarding DD's pony, it was pretty horrific. I've really had a bad week, my business manager was due back from extended maternity leave on Monday and handed in her notice on Friday! So we, at the busiest time of the year,are without a very important member of staff and no time to replace her. I was due to go on holiday this week for 3 weeks and that has been changed to 10 days at the end of the month, which is quite hard to justify to the Dcs, as from their perspective, the business always comes first. This particular member of staff returned from maternity leave pregnant last year, so I had my doubts about the reality of her coming back, but she assured me right up to last week that she would! Sometimes women, give women a bad name in the work place! Sorry end of rant.

Plum I received the Blochs on friday, thank you so much, they really are a nice fushia colour. Can you pm me your address so that I can pay you.

Ollie thanks for new thread, you are so good to read that thesis.

There must be something in the air, as I too was not in good form yesterday!

On an S&B note, 'hope to pop into town this afternoon to catch the end of the sales, 'will report back later.

Portia, shame about the holiday.

I am cross as overheard DH swearing at the baby (mildly, but still) and he told me he finds her difficult, which she is not. He will be mad about her when she is a bit bigger but in the meantime I have told him not to bother getting up in the night with her if that is his attitude. DD1 is back in nappies as she keeps peeing everywhere, I guess it is her reaction.

Petit, I was just being stingy as the COH are half the price!

Hi all

feeling quite virtuous as ventured into Kingston and have come back empty handed (well, save clothes for DC and a cake for DH!)

Tried on navy Minna in Reiss but sleeves too long and colour draining - definitely going to be Freya in blush, but they only had a large and medium Minna was big on me with 40w+ bump so think will be looking for a small.

wan agree with carciofi about the wilder and wildeve dresses - v slinky, was looking at them today (and there are further reductions!)

bloss had 3 sweeps to no avail last time, but feel a bit more 'ready' for one so fingers crossed I have annie's experience!

Fritzi can empathise - DH great but so laid back he is incapable of making a decision, it all falls to me, he never takes the initiative! Quite glad he doesn't dress DS though as on the rare occasion he has the poor mite has come out of it looking like a Romanian orphan!

Portia such a shame about your holiday - is a real PITA when others let you down (though I can't preach as I came back from mat leave pregnant!)

hope you are all having lovely Sundays - really hoping this will be my last as a mummy of one!

Oh carciofi

carciofi - DH was frustrated by DD2 for a long time (didn't help that she wasn't planned). He wouldn't believe me when I told him that he didn't properly fall in love with the other two until they were about 2. He loved them of course and always cared for them but he wasn't madly in love with them IYSWIM. DD was 2 in March and he's now besotted!! (Sorry, I didn't look at the price of the trousers!!)

Ollie - Shortbread making was a big hit and so easy, I can't believe we haven't done it before. Don't know if it's my oven but they were done after 10-15 mins. Thanks so much for a great recipe.

Thanks, we had a little talk. He was the same with DD1, thought she was cute but found it hard work (it is!) but as soon as she started smiling, he was smitten. He said he didn't mean it and she doesn't understand, but it upset me! All ok now. We are both tired.

Glad you have talked it out carciofi. What you said reall struck a cord with me, and by the sounds of it with petit. My DH is a lovely dad but only really gets it when they are 12 months. Until then the kids are sort of mine. BF'ing does not help either as my DH feels a bit pushed out. Anyway as petit said it will come good. Difficult though in the first few intense months when you are both so tired. X

Thanks Petit for giving info for my interesting radiator question

Carciofi I'm glad you had a chat, tiredness was totally awful for our relationship so you sound like you are doing really well. I understand why it would upset you too.