Avidly assessing Autumn buys, whilst Wisely still wearing summer styles...

[notyummy]

Evening all!

It has been a very hectic few days. DS is fine thai goodness but he became very I'll on Thursday night. Have spent last few days in hospital as they suspected menigitous. Awful.

We were due to go on on holiday on sat. DH and DD went and we have just been discharged so mad mad rush to pack and grab flight to Athens this pm. Hotel will be organising taxi.

See you in a week

Ps will not be stylish on holiday I fear as have just thrown summer things in bag!!!

Xxxx

How awful for you ants. So glad he's better. Hope you manage to relax on holiday.

Ants how worrying for you all. Glad DS is better now. Have a wonderful holiday - you deserve a very restful break after all that!
Pickled congrats on getting the interview but can't wait for the meet up so we can hear all about your business idea - an apple developer ???
Icey holiday sounded lovely. My sister loved IOW this year too, said its perfect for kids.
Ambernj1 hope DH found the hotel eventually!

Was in a right old grump getting ready to go out last night - really need a top that dresses up jeans or Agnes - the Wrap blouse would have been perfect - only 1.5 months to go until its back in stock - grrrr.

DS1's Pirate Party went down a storm - great trip to the Sea Life centre (helped by a lovely employee dressed up as Captain Jack Sparrow who gave the tour). All DH and I had to do was follow them round and do the odd loo run (and eat the pancakes at the end!)

I brought an ipad yesterday - any tips for apps for DSs to help keep them quiet entertain them?!

Very stressful Ants. Glad to hear that DS is better though, and hope you all get to have a happy holiday.

red sounds like fun at the IL's. Hopefully your be home by now.

Amber I was watching SATC last night too. Hope DH found his way in the end.

We have had a good day, took a trip to Spitalfields market. Very nostalgic for me, as I lived and worked in that area for 15 years, and has lots of happy memories for me...both with my career and friends. We walked through to the city farm, which DS loved.

Ollie I thought about your kew boots today - I am getting so much wear from my Jalouse, so they really would be a good investment. Today I had them with opaques, denim mini, white shirt and last years warehouse leopard print scarf. They really make an outfit feel a bit more modern feel. Your story about the tooth made me smile.

Good to hear from you icecream, IoW sounded great. What about something from Isabelle Oliver that will fit your shape as you grow?

Fritzi you better wear the Max Mara - its stunning.

Fingers crossed for you pickled.

ollie what about some of the blouses in whistles? You can get delivery from John Lewis. Something like this

Ants, hope you have a lovely holiday.

Red, glad you are surviving the ILs.

WAN, sounds like a really nice day .

Ollie, if you hang on a while I'll write some apps for you - that's my business idea! In the meantime I can recommend Angry Birds, Cut the Rope, Doodle Jump, Fall Down and Super Rope - all games I'm afraid. Someone ought to develop some great educational ones .

Enjoy the Bank Holiday everyone.

ants Emergency visit with DS to hospital sounds scary. Glad everything is fine now. Enjoy your holiday!!!

emo Thanks for tips re hotels! I have made a note for later. DH has just casually mentioned that he might pop into the office "from time to time" during our holiday. Think it will be better if we stay in London for the week.

wan Mr Ollie will love the collar on that Whistles blouse .

ollie Great FB pics. Looks like DS1 had a fantastic birthday.

pickled I am intrigued about your new career: apple as in fruit or computers???

I still feel terrible and drinking alcohol last night didn't help. Have returned to Lemsip and tea.

x-post pickled

Ollie - you need to look in comptoir - some lovely blouses in there - particularly this one.

Welcome back Annie- glad you enjoyed the wedding and you're making the most of your holiday. And how exciting about the ttc- good luck!

That sounds very scary ants- glad he's better now. Hope you can have a restful holiday. Don't worry about the packing- sounds like a good excuse to buy some lovely new things out there to me

Ollie- that comptoir blouse would look really good on you- they have some beautiful things.

Going to try to do some major sorting out of clothes, books etc today in readiness for moving. I hate the thought of moving all the clutter from one house to another!

Hi all, Outnet Splendid poncho/hoodie arrived today, am v pleased with it! Had a successful eBay day yesterday making nearly £100 towards my winter wardrobe, and will soon be selling all the trousers I have bought since DDs birth as they are too big (yay), will be sad to see the Earharts go though, will have to replace!

Am also pleased as I have remembered a forgotten handbag - a vintage pink Dior snakeskin number that I got for my 18th, in storage at my parents house - it may be coming to the meet up with me! Have also got an LV and a gucci there, how had I forgotten this?!

ants hope DS is on the mend - I live in permanent fear of the big M.

mrsCB love the CdeC blouse!

marsha did you use a pattern for your Stella scarf?

Enjoy the bank holiday all!

Hi annie. Glad the holiday and wedding went well. Very exciting news about TTC for you. Good luck.

Lovely sunny day here. We have walked into town, and now back cooking roast chicken and root vegetables for lunch. Hoping to bake some egg free gingerbread men for DS later.

icecream Just to let you know, there are some excellent maternity trousers in H&M at the moment. They are skinny, but in a soft material. I have them in black and grey and they are comfortable but look good with boots and ballet flats. They are only £15 each too.

Thanks for that wan- they sound very useful.
I did think about an IO dress for meet up but they look quite long or my short legs!

I have made the classic mistake of engaging with the clutter so have spent and enjoyable but not entirely productive afternoon reading my university dissertation, teenage diaries (cringe) and our wedding invitation replies and putting old photos into albums! Dh has sorted out 8 bin bags of stuff to get rid of in various ways so at least we weren't both slacking.

Good news that you're too big for your trousers Amber. I'm sure you'll get lots on eBay to spend on new ones.

Icey haha yes I can understand that take on clearing clutter. It is so hard, I love finding old photos I haven't seen for ages.

Anniemac welcome back, glad the holiday was fantastic. How exciting about number three! What a text to get, must have made you beam.

Amber I just made up a simple pattern, quite close to the Stella M one. Doesn't look the same, but like a well-made hand knitted scarf. (How do they do that? the luxuriousness of it, not sure. Is it really just the use of a machine?). Just did rib and popcorn for one, and rib and garter for the other.

Ants I hope you are having a really lovely holiday to make up for the stressful time before hand.

evening all. ants hope things are better now, sounds awful. icey your DH sounds fabulous, the day mine helps me with any sort of admin or decluttering will be the day hell freezes over etc etc! Amber it feels like your baby only just arrived - big congrats on the oversize trousers issue!

I broke my "no new black purchases for winter today" - but for good reason! Found some boots in Comptoir- second from the left, black They are a wedge heel, can fold down or up, just gorgeous and comfy (yes, I am not ashamed to state that I shop for comfort in footwear...) I also got a black skirt for work, really flattering, can't find on the website though.

Back to work tomorrow, dare I say for a break..?!

Nice Emo!

I must have a look in C de C soon.

You may dare say it . I have a lovely train ride to a client and then a coffee with another client on Wednesday. Oh my goodness... will be lovely.

Emo, lovely boots. I'm sure black is a great colour on you. LOL at you and Marsha escaping the kids - light-weights the pair of you .

Icey, you sound like you've had a nice afternoon, well done DH.

Amber, glad you like your hoodie. Good luck getting rid of your trews on ebay, bet it feels great.

Annie, welcome back! What a great break you've had and the perfect end to it too. I'm so pleased for you .

I've spent most of the day swotting for my interview; it's not for a few weeks yet though.

Pickled great stuff about the interview!

Have just returned from PiLs - DH persuaded me and it wasn't awful. However, we weren't exactly prepared and borrowed their clothes. DH looks like an equine vet and lets just say, it's not my finest hour. Thankfully no service stops.

Ants, hope you have a wonderful, relaxing time. What an awful few days you must have had.

Icey i had a lovely afternoon doing the same thing. Lovely although thank goodness no diaries; all that angst!

Exciting news Annie - great that you're on the same page.

Boots are lovely Emo, i don't think black accessories can count.

I want to live with you Amber - no discoveries of cash or Dior here.

Well the fashion god gives snake-print accessories with one hand and takes away with the other - I seem to have lost my favourite Maje scarf! Sometimes use it as a sunshade on the pram and fear it may have fallen off. Feel unreasonably sad about this, but will call Maje in the morning and see if I can source another. DH not sufficiently understanding of my scarf induced funk - especially when I pointed out this possible replacement.

Had very un-glam day at local fete, wore new hoodie and Agnes. DS discovered hilarious new game "keep-letting-go-of-my-helium-balloon-and-laughing-as-mummy-chases-it-across-the-fields" still, good cardio. DH and I also managed first meal out sans-DCs which was lovely.

thanks marsha will instruct my mum :)

red other recent discoveries have included the fact DS had unscrewed the pipes under the sink and a pineapple full of fruit flies so it's not all glamour...

Thanks for all the nice comments - have lost a stone so far, still got another to go, but starting to feel a bit more like me again. Last time I was back to normal in days so this has been a bit disheartening (but is the price you may for 9 months of living off cake, I suppose).

Sorry I haven't caught up, but just wanted to say ds1 had a good first day at secondary Such a relief, I had a sleepless night last night worrying Going to bed now, hopefully tomorrow will be more relaxed!

I keep thinking of the day he started primary in his red duffel coat and navy and red breton, those were the days when he would let me dress him!

Running in quickly as popping to the shops in an attempt to look for a nice blouse - loved all the links esp the CdC and Reiss ones. Thank you. If i don't find one today, will have a good look when over in London in a few weeks. (I promise not to come back with anymore ponchos!)

Verity thats great about DS1!

Saw this new dress on the M&S site and thought it would really suit a Winter? here

verity Glad that things are going fine for DS1 at secondary! I am worrying a lot about DD at the moment. She said no one wants to play with her and the teacher made her sit by herself at lunch last week because she had pushed another child in the playground.

amber Well done on losing baby weight so quickly! I can imagine that it must a lot more difficult when you have a baby + toddler to look after. We have fruit flies too in the kitchen. It is officially autumn...

red Would have loved to have seen you and DH in your borrowed outfits . As much as I love my MIL, I couldn't imagine wearing her clothes.

emo Love your new boots!

pickled Have you decided on an outfit for your interview yet?

annie Ohhh, how exciting!!! Any chance of a pic of your wedding outfit???

What are you all wearing for transition into autumn? Cold but sunny here today. I am trying to wean myself off wearing Houlis and ballet flats every day. For school run this morning: COH bootleg jeans with bargain H&M red Hasbeens, Breton top and navy cashmere cardi-coat. Cold feet but felt good .

fritzi sounds like a very chic school run, especially when compared to my nursery run outfit - yesterdays splendid hoodie, leggings and uggs. In my defence it was cold and I overslept :)

red my MIL appears to divide her time between Per Una and Classics in M&S and the only nice thing she owns is the cashmere jumper we bought her for Xmas which she never wears. Needless to say i'd go home naked...

emo nice boots!

ollie happy shopping!

Still mourning the loss of my beloved scarf - though as DH said last nights it's a good excuse to go shopping (he also said it's only a scarf, but I've let it go)