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

[notyummy]

Evening all!

bloss just looking at Zara. Have you seen this top? www.zara.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product/uk/en/zara-W2011/122005/484024/POLKA%2BDOT%2BTOP

Amber have you seen this zara clutch in gold?

www.zara.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product/uk/en/zara-W2011/118156/437058/METALLIC%2BCLUTCH%2BBAG

Feel absoultely shattered - what was I thinking having 3 lots of visitors in 2 weeks? M&Ds visit was ok but lots of tea making on my part (quote from Mum "we have saucers with our tea at home - and a slice of cake" ) Enjoyed our day out on Weds but failed to buy anything despite there being amazing shops as Mum acted like a shopping conscience ("you've got one just like that at home etc etc")! Will plan a solo trip soon.

Can't quite believe the boys start back at school on Monday - holidays have gone by so quickly and I'm not quite ready to launch into the school run again.

Hope Bloss, NY and Pickled all have great holidays.
Rufus those ASH boots look good. Can I add you name to the meet up list? Hope so!
Ambernj1 did you find anything suitable for your wedding outfit?
Icey glad the scan went ok, bet it all seems very real now!
Ants I sort of like the Gant dress (ie if it fitted well, could look great) and think the Pure silk top is a great buy.
Annie what are you wearing to the wedding? Love the sound of a yellow clutch for Marsha

Hello to Bonsoir, Roary and WAN - lovely to hear from you all again.

Gosh Ollie you are making me feel faint - three sets of visitors in a fortnight? How many visitor nights is that in total? You definitely require a spa day to put you to rights.

Went shopping again today, though mostly for DD's school clothes. Got her some Start Rite Margaret leather riding boots in black, because she was absolutely determined to have them - I think they are slightly grown up for a 6 year old, but she has strong pre-teen fashion instincts kicking in and wanted boots to go with her new Bonton Winter Shorts. She was very pleased, which was very sweet to behold. Also got her a load of school clothes in Bonton: Navy Blouse, Navy Skirt with Sparkles, Grey Cord Skirt (colour not shown), one navy and one grey www.bonton.fr/gilet-sans-manche-point-mousse.html Gilet. Still need to find some nice white tops (got fab ones last year in Monsoon but haven't seen anything on their website yet), tights, and some classic Start Rite shoes, trainers and wellies, and a winter coat (will wait for Benetton arrivals as usually best source of reasonably priced navy coats).

And then we wandered up avenue Montaigne on the way home as I wanted to have a look at the Marni store, having had my appetite whetted at the Marni corner at Bon Marché on Wednesday. OMG - the Winter Edition 2011 is just amazing and the whole bang lot was on display. I couldn't resist a padded Capelet (but in green/black rather than the colour on the link) which looks gorgeous and is über practical for the school run. Wanted to buy the whole damn collection it was just so lovely...

Fritzi - is your DD's uniform a real uniform English-style, or a dress code like my DD's?

Marni sounds great Bonsoir. I'm quite keen on a particular Marni bag.

Dh has some days off and I am going to Aveda, and scouting Liberty for A/W stuff. I cannot wait, time to relax and swan around.

Ooh, link to bag please Marsha, so I can indulge Marni fantasies by proxy!

I haven't successfully bought a bag since 2007 when I bought the most beautiful duck egg Leonello Borghi bag from Liberty. It is so heavy I can't bear it for everyday use.

This is the Marni one, but I need to consider others too. I remember seeing some lovely Marni ones last season at Liberty so I am going back to see what they are like.

I'm looking for a really nice bag that is slouchy not structured. (Wang, Marni something like that, not MJacobs or Mulberry etc). It has to be really lovely soft leather too.

I know what you mean about heavy bags . I had a lovely gold bag from Marni for Christmas 2007 but it was just too big and too heavy and gave me terrible back and shoulder ache. I couldn't bear to abandon it, so used it all the same, but it taught me a lesson! I now buy tiny bags, or very light ones (hence the new Repetto, which is very light and very soft).

I think you need to go and try the Marni bag on - it is certainly very nice, but whether or not it is wearable is pretty hard to tell on NAP. Why don't you go to the London Marni store?

Good idea, Sloane St. I have plenty of free time next week to explore options.

I have thrown down heavy leather bags in irritation, which is a shame because they are lovely things really.

Go for it, and try on some clothes while you have time to indulge! I thought there were some really gorgeous winter dresses...

Sooooo I was skimming the thread waiting for visitors to arrive and I bought the yellow bag from Cocosa. You lot are a terrible influence... and I love you all It looks fab. 21-28 day delivery though

Anyway, off to bed, will catch up properly tomorrow. Happy weekends everyone!

So, to catch up!!

Frances - welcome and great boots. My friend has them and I will confess to a pang of envy when she wears them! They look rather nice with an oak Bayswater...

Red - that company looks fun! Foreplay lessons????

Bonsoir - as ever, amazing shopping and SO much more glamorous than mooching around Bluewater....

Rufus I love those boots and am rather taken with the tassels!

Amber - I guess you're ready for the wedding now but I liked the leopard print suggestions. Hope you have a lovely day, it's raining here so I hope it's nice where you are.

Ollie - thanks so much for the link to Kate Moss' wedding - wow!! Why didn't I have Mario Testino as my wedding photographer?? She does look amazing in the photos but I thought she looked a bit knackered on the day, amazing what good lighting can do!! Need to get out and buy a copy.

I'm loving the school holidays in many ways but I am looking forward to having just an hour alone in September! On thursday my friend and I are taking our girls out shopping for school shoes and to have lunch. DD is my middle child and is nearly five so really ready for school. I feel that, as she has been in the school nursery for two years, wears uniform, knows the teachers etc, it doesn't feel like a huge landmark so thought I should make a bit of a fuss. I have a babysitter for the other two so it should be lovely.

Not much news on S&B front as I can't get to the shops but DH did buy me a cream tuxedo jacket from Whistles which I love and, a Petit Bateau outlet has opened up nearby so I got a gorgeous cashmere mix jumper dress for winter.

Also, I'm not in love with WIT's bag - I realise that me and navy leather just don't go together!! Now if it had been black or tan....

How do I get onto Cocosa btw? Does anyone have an invite code and is it worth doing?

I don't even like WIT's bag. Actually, I don't like Chanel at all - maybe because of all the wizened little Asian ladies that flock to the Chanel corners and the rue Cambon store? I cannot relate to that look at all...

WIT is sometimes a bit dull, don't you think? Very put together but not at all original.

Yes I thought WIT was quite good at first, but a year later it's the same stuff. Don't look at it now, bit boring. (Sartorialist is great for ww fashion).

I agree, Sartorialist is always worth looking at for inspiration. Am going to Florence in October and always love looking at Italians - men and women - and the way they look.

Hello all!

Thanks for your help and links - I had pretty limited shop to work with and the local Zara was full of hideous fluoro scarves so I went with this in the end, my rationale being that it will tone down the brightness of the green and offset the gold accessories.

ants I did see that clutch, liked v much, but as I persuaded DH I needed my gold annina to be my go-to wedding bag I think eyebrows may be raised! They do have some lovely shoppers in the same metallic leather though... Also love the IO dress - v slinky!

Lots of Marni action going on on the thread ATM - very exciting!

Bonsoir, will you make a trip to the outlets? Marni and Prada both worth a vsisit if you've the time.

Am still very fond of WIT. She always looks well-put together and has some lovely pieces. Sure lots of her outfits are on a similar theme, but so are mine, day to day!

Just been into town to meet friend for breakfast, left a very hungover DH in charge. Bought two pairs of jersey hareems in TK Maxx, and these old lady sandals in Clarks of all places. So am sat here in comfortable shoes, and elasticated waist pants. What next? A plaid rug on the back seat of the car?

Hi all! Just giggling reading Plums description - perhaps driving gloves as well?!

Am on a train heading to Glasgow (via Edinburgh) to see my friends for Big Night Out. Surrounded by young luvvies who are going to put on a fringe show. There is a v high self- love count.....

My MIL will leave this afternoon after being with us for a couple of days. Reasonably ok visit but she did swing round dd and knock over a full cup of tea onto new carpet. Grr. Now, I realise accidents happen but I had just finished saying to dd 'please dont swing round like near the table with nanas tea on it' in full earshot of MIL (i.e it was really directed at her...) when she swung her round again. We now have big stain on carpet in main area of the house. Hmm.

Hope all those heading on holidays have a lovely time. We have one week to go and I'm getting excited!

Still not sure what to wear tonight so have brought 2 dresses and Gap skinnies to allow some choice depending what others are wearing.Have grey silk asymmetric TS dress and the famous leopard maxi so we will see....

Hope you all have great weekends.

Plum - you've reminded me about the outlets so yes, I might! I've been to the Prada and Gucci outlets before but never to the Marni outlet. I'll have to work out how to get there, though - a Florentine ex-BF drove me for my previous visit but I don't think I'm going to rope him in if DP and DD are in tow

Bonsoir, we caught the bus, was about 2.50 each way, but as there are the 3 of you, it might make sense to have a driver. Prada is all on its own, as you know, and Marni is at The Mall, along with Stella McCartney, McQueen, Balenciaga, Pucci, YSL and more. I found this blog v. helpful when working out how to get there. travelista.com/art-of-travel/outlet-shopping-near-florence-italy/.

An oak bayswater, you say, petitdonkey? Nice but beyond my budget atm.

Re WIT - I like her, she has a nice smile and is always so polished looking. Certainly, her look is a bit samey but I prefer that to fashion bloggers who are constantly showing off their interpretation of the latest trend and careening all over the place style-wise. I find the idea of my clothes going out of fashion very quickly induces anxiety in me so I try to go for things with a degree of staying power and to read fashion blogs that share that attitude. That said, I think the search for classics that will never go out of style is futile, as it's impossible to predict what will look and feel right 2/3 years from now.

And that's enough babble from me for the moment!

Good point Frances. Ok WIT not too bad, bit samey but there you go. If I were to pin my flag to the blog-mast, I will choose The Sartorialist. Some Florentine fashion here.

I am feeling a million times better as my hair has been cut. Ah

I was restrained in Liberty, but am doing a Sloane St visit next week.

Hi lovely ladies!
I am sitting outside eating a nice ripe peach. Cooler now, but generally temperatures in mid 30sC. I am wearing a slate grey sheer racer back tank with the light grey shorts and my metallic silver havaianas. I have just been to the bar for a beer..
This afternoon I wore my White Co ring insert swimsuit to the pool. I was really pleased I could pull myself out of the pool in one go. So pleased I didn't notice my boob hanging out in the process! The look on DH's face!
Well it was a good job I wasn't wearing my Pour Moi bikini. But probably better if I wear the Seafolly swimsuit when I meet friends and family on Tuesday .
(Also hoping Orange got my text re paying £3 per day for roaming...)

Oh Bloss, how funny! I am sure you were perfectly graceful though. Sounds like you are having a wonderful time.

I bought some maternity baxters from topshop today, plus a White maternity shirt from H&M. Putting the jeans on was heavenly, so comfortable.
I look dreadful though, blotchy skin and lank hair. Roll on the second trimester!

ice-cream glad your scan went well, sounds like you have a wriggler there!

NY have a great evening, despite the self love of festival! I can just imagine.

I still like WIT, although she doesnt inspire me as much as she used to. Agree that she does have a very well put together look though, and a great figure.

Does anyone here have regular highlights done? I am finding the upkeep of mine a pain. So expensive and, feel like they need doing so quicker the older I get. I used to get away with doing them three times a year. Now I am looking at every eight weeks. The thought of being mousey again terrifies me! Any advice or suggestions?