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Beating the January Blues by Following our Wise & Avid (Roxy) Rules

999 replies

OllieinOrange · 09/01/2012 21:32

Best I could come up with......

OP posts:
OllieinOrange · 18/01/2012 12:56

I say early dinner at a local restaurant at 5pm, get to bar for 7pm and be extra nice to those nice young gentlemen who were running around last time and sweet talk our way to a cave downstairs around 9pm if they haven't been booked?

OP posts:
MarshaBrady · 18/01/2012 13:00

If the cave hasn't been booked it will be ours I'm sure.

Wing it, early, plus I'll check in a few times closer to the date to see if any tables have been booked (none have so far, but hopefully not a rush towards the end).

If it's looking full-ish we could think about booking, If still empty then getting there early will be ok.

NewYearEverything · 18/01/2012 13:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

OllieinOrange · 18/01/2012 13:10

Forgot to say Happy Birthday Red!

OP posts:
OllieinOrange · 18/01/2012 13:15

Hey Marsha you made it into the Mumsnet Swears By email thingy - your comment on the Hush PJ's thread!

OP posts:
notyummy · 18/01/2012 13:17

Could still do bar-restaurant thing NYE - there is one nearby so we wouldnt need much time to move.

MarshaBrady · 18/01/2012 13:19

Haha Ollie so I did, that stuff goes to a yahoo address I rarely look at.

Insightful quote Wink Grin

MarshaBrady · 18/01/2012 13:37

Hopefully what an amazing shop, bravo. I love everything too. How exciting to have a nearly new wardrobe to start wearing.

Ollie I think I prefer the Zara one, called shopper basket. But Zara does great shots, so depends what it's like in rl.

NYE great outfit, love it when something feels right.

notyummy · 18/01/2012 13:44

Hopefully and Ollie - will save your links to look at later. As a reward for writing a 'why I am great' document in 500 words or less. Tortuous. Have been invited to apply for a Senior Development Centre at work - which is good, in that they obviously think I am the right material for it, but bad in that I have to write this bloody thing.

carciofi · 18/01/2012 13:45

Hopefully, it would have come across better had I spelt calculated correctly!
Glad that you are happy with your purchases.

I like the first Zara bag, Ollie, though I have to say I am still a Mulberry fan despite the tree. The jeans and top look great.

NYE, your outfit sounds lovely.

I am wearing black jeans and a black top, boring and now splattered with DD2's lunch so I will change.

carciofi · 18/01/2012 14:22

Amber I have also run next door to collect a parcel but I think the mum at Ollie's dc's school is pushing it a bit!

ApuskiMcClusky · 18/01/2012 14:31

NY, lol at your 'why I am great' essay! I'm sure you've got it under control, but in case it helps - they will no doubt have a set of criteria to assess it against, and if you havent been told what this is, it can really help to write down what you anticipate the criteria to be, then adjust what you plan to include or how you describe it accordingly. Or even assess yourself against it!

FritziGreenEyes · 18/01/2012 14:31

hopefully Great shopping haul! My favourites are the orange JBrands and the Anglomania for evening. You could get a pair of the M&S patents to wear with the dress.

ollie If you are looking for an everyday bag that you can also put in your bicycle basket I would neither go for a Mulberry (would be a waste, non?) or the Zara shoppers (they are open and things might fall out). I loooove the Oushka Dover and think it is perfect: big enough, but not too big, can be closed with a zip and no blingy hardware. And snap: I bought a silk shirt in light raspberry today Smile. Plan to wear it with navy Houlis.

I am getting confused about the cave/table arrangements for the MU. Maybe we should just get there early and have a little something to eat there. There is always the option for a late night meal after the MU on the way back to the hotel Wink.

Dauphin · 18/01/2012 14:40

Firstly, Happy Birthday Red!

Lovely to have weekend booked off Carciofi. It will do you good. It will also be fab for the girls and DH to have some time together: so, beneficial all round.

It is frustrating to have to wake a baby to do pick up...in the end I stopped the morning nap altogether and put them to bed for a longer afternoon nap after lunch (unless I was shopping, whereby baby would sleep in motion, as it were).

I freaked out recently when a Mother I know slightly left her baby in the car with the engine running, in a secluded car park and ran across a busy road to a hall about 5 mins away..

Hopefully - your haul sounds pretty fab....the blood orange jeans sound great.

God, I am normally a positive person but feel completely wrung out.That's January for you, I think. Have had a mental morning ! Not least because my 2 year old seems to want to divest herself of her clothes at any (inappropriate) opportunity.....including in the Bank!

Dauphin · 18/01/2012 14:47

I mean 'know slightly', not 'slightly left her baby' gah.....

I dream of returning to a high paid career too Fritzi (but not doing what I did before IFYSWIM)...and do get rather frustrated sometimes. Dh has exciting career in many ways and do sometimes feel a bit resentful (shush, though).....

Oh notyummy....I used to run SDCs in my former life....Interesting challenge that title...should imagine most people finding that quite tricky !

AmberNectarine · 18/01/2012 14:50

Dauphin I've got a stripper too. Not ideal in this weather!

Dauphin · 18/01/2012 14:51

I wonder if as a woman with a previous professional career, and a 5 year career break (yikes), you can get careers advice (not Jobcentre plus stuff though!)...guess you are into paying a Consultant for it?!

Off for school pick up...

Dauphin · 18/01/2012 14:53

Yes, Amber, its very disconcerting...talking to the Bank Manager and spotting your 2 year old stripping in front of the plate glass window, out of the corner of your eye. Tsk.....How old is your's?

FritziGreenEyes · 18/01/2012 14:55

ollie I like this bag too. The website is Dutch, the brand of the bag very popular over here.

dauphin Grin at your DD.

Russianred · 18/01/2012 15:05

Thanks for your wishes lovely ladies - had a trip to John Lewis this morning, lunch with a friend and am just post-Waitrose where a very helpful lady suggested enforced abstinence when she realised i was buying my own birthday cake. Loudly.

Will be back later to read thoroughly!

AmberNectarine · 18/01/2012 15:24

He's just turned 2 Dauphin, apparently I was the same; my mum often fondly reminisces about the time I waved my dad off one cold January day, swinging on the front gate, in the altogether. She was mortified.

AmberNectarine · 18/01/2012 15:30

Happy birthday red!

blossoming · 18/01/2012 15:53

Happy birthday red!

Hopefully · 18/01/2012 16:04

OIO I like both the Oushka ones. The Zara ones are a bit big and plain (mind you, if big and plain is what you're after, they'll fit the bill perfectly!). Having just google the Effie tote I can categorically say it is nicer than any of those bags though. The bag Fritzi linked to is really nice too.

I've actually just been looking at a couple of Mulberrys. Apart from the INSANE price tag, they are quite nice, aren't they? My old ones lasted incredibly well, and sold on Ebay rather nicely too.

NY I hate writing things where I have to sell myself. I am shite at it.Good luck!

Was just reading the thread from newest to oldest, and saw Amber's "I've got a stripper too" before reading Dauphain's post. Was slightly concerned as to why strippers were being booked Grin

Have had haircut. It has taken me all of about 45 seconds to get used to the (more sensible, slightly longer, but still angled) bob that I went for, and I am already wishing I had more taken off! Hairdresser very sensibly said that it was probably wise to go for a halfway house so I could see if I was constantly wanting to tie it back, in which case a bob possibly isn't the way forward, or if I found it easy to have down, in which case shorter is better. She also recommended the BBH, which amused me. Maybe I will finally have to give in to MN and buy one.

I am loving all my many purchases more and more as I look at them. Am waiting for DH to come home so I can try them all on again and decide what to keep/re-order more cheaply from sales and what to send back for good. Decisions decisions! If anyone has any words of wisdom about VWA jersey I'd be most grateful Smile

blue2711 · 18/01/2012 16:20

Happy birthday red! Any exciting presents to report? Have you found navy (or sapphire blue or whatever they're calling them) skinny j brands anywhere? I really want some but can't bring myself to pay full price, especially now I've got my bright pink ones and my CE leopards at such good prices. I think amber said they were on sale at harrods but I can only see full price online. hopefully if you do want to keep the petrol blue ones (and I agree they could totally work SS if they are for you, though I love the orange ones too) maybe you should look for some that are reduced? Mine were c.£80 from Donna Ida.

So glad you're getting the roxy mim. Still think about her often myself! zembo I have my fingers crossed you're bringing yours to the MU on Monday! Pleased to hear about the babysitting too mim. Time spent alone with DHs is in my opinion invaluable. I laughed over Christmas when I overheard a (childless but ttc) friend ask my DH how we would cope if we didn't have the supergrans at hand. "Divorce" was his immediate response. I hope he was joking but I can see his point!

Great shopping hopefully. You have got me wondering about VW dresses myself, though have never thought of it as a very 'me' label. Do like a good figure hugging dress. You have also inspired me to buy some aggies. Love them in Wendy's video and the height sounds good for 5ft 1 inch me. What colour/finish do you have?

I'm afraid I'm no good with advice re.bags. Running contrary to the mulberry backlash I keep reading about in s and b, I'm still loyal to their bags, most of which I love (well, and Chanel but that's mostly in my dreams). I never even really consider other labels for leather bags and am quite happy with that for now; I dither so much over clothes that I don't have any time left over to do the same about bags! Weirdly, I'm the opposite on shoes and boots and only seem to purchase below £100.. although Stuart Weizmann has been testing my resolve lately. I still want the 5050s (do they do these every year, am now thinking next autumn?) and now want bloss's shoe boots too.

Am really happy today as have finally settled on a pre-school for DS for September. Did some touring this morning (got dressed up in orange chiffon dress, cream Chloe coat and tan boots and bag) and loved one which is a convenient 5min drive away. Uniform very cute too: royal blue with yellow trim. And a tie! Can't believe how grown up he's getting but feel excited for him; he will love it.

Really interesting to read the work/life/career dilemmas and sacrifices. I too will be faced with a 5yr ish hole in my CV although I have tried to keep my hand in with a few hrs per week and some tutoring. I sobbed and sobbed when I turned down my old school's offer of part-time when DS was 1. Loved that job so much but it was the right decision for our family and the time is flying so fast. I do wonder whether I'll ever regain my ambition and work ethic though; I used to be so driven and keen to be head of dept but now that seems like a different woman!

DH out tonight and I'm quite tempted to take off the dress and get into pyjamas already! Looking forward to some me time on the sofa and have cunningly avoided giving DS a nap so he can go to bed happily at 6.30.