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

[OllieinOrange]

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

Helmut Lang dress is lovely. Would be double lovely if I was a size 8! I am loving this Vivenne Westwood, but it is way out of my budget, I have no occasion to wear it to, and the colours aren't perfect. Oh, and my boobs are too big. Other than that... (Oh, and I also love the leather jacket that the dress is styled with. A weeny bit out of my leave at £895 though )

NYE I haven't seen this scarf, have I? Can it be that you have a wardrobe item that I haven't scrutinised? It sounds good for you. I love scarves. It is a running joke with DP and I that every time I go shopping for anything of any description, I try to buy a scarf instead. I like big drapey ones, like the Lily & Lionel silk/wool mix, but quite fancy trying an enormous drapey silk chiffon one. Cannot find a nice one (i.e. acceptable print and suitably huge and drapey) that I can afford though. Boo.

league. Not leave.

Oh, and he's DH, not DP.

Morning!
So funny, all this 80's film talk...still can't think of any non central yet prominent characters, but sounds like you've got a few to go on Red .
Did like the sound of the J Crew coat, Verity ...can you link? And the TB flats ...I do like a lot of her stuff.
Rather stressy morning as DD1 woke twice in night screeching about dinosaurs in her room. DS was on a massive go slow with regard to eating breakfast, dressing etc and had to be dragged in to school, only to burst into tears and say he feels sick. DD1 then proceeded to say she felt sick....in the least convincing manner. DD2, bless her, was glad to leave them there; with school promising to call if necessary (fingers crossed). DH (no fool) has bravely gone to work, despite having Man Flu (!).
Have dull chores to do today, hence being on here!
Over breakfast my mind wandered to my Wish List for Spring:
Navy loafers
Cream/neutral leather bag
Taupe blazer
Some white pretty blouses
New wedges
Therefore I am not buying any more Winter stuff....
What are everyones New Years Resolutions?: mine are to do more Pilates; and try to be more patient (could be tricky); and learn a new language (thinking Swedish, as we are going there later this year).
Oh, we have meeting with Planners this week re the extension we propose(fingers crossed).

NYE I have been debating the ballerina scarf too, but think maybe it's a bit 'pretty' for me, although from a distance it's actually a reasonably abstract print, iykwim. Have bent trying to gauge the redness of the red version on various websites too.

been. FFS I am useless today!

Morning ladies!

Dauphin You have my sympathies, I hate those mornings!

Bloss that Acne dress is fab, I could see you really rocking it! As for the JBrands - Plaid- please what were they thinking?!

Ollie Lucky mums, yum banana bread! That HL dress is really nice, I wonder how long it would be on a real person?

Annie The mind boggles, rubber nurses dress! Do you post on other less worthy forums!?

Morning all, horrendous night here as well - DD crying on and off throughout the night and DS up at 5.30. Yuck. The little angels are now both having an extended morning nap (and DS rarely naps these days so must be exhausted) whilst I try and keep my eyes open and enjoy the silence. Have just finished reading Sense of An Ending by Julian Barnes for book club tonight, which I'm looking forward to. Although I really didn't like the book.

Dauphin your parking story made me laugh.

NYE I like the sound of your bug scarf very much.

Hope you have fun this morning Ollie.

Any nice recipes in there MiM? Thought it looked like a nice book to own when I saw it in the other day. I think I might order that Boden dress you linked to, but umming and aahing about colourway. It is probably bf'ing incompatible, but lovely. Was thinking about your gorgeous BR silk Breton dress the other day and regretting not getting it.

Lovely trews annie although I am concerned at the behind shot of the model - she looks worryingly thin to me!

Morning all.

Sorry to hear about various broken nights and poorly children. DH had to get up at 4 30am this morning so was banished to the spare room, but I hear him downstairs at that time trying to shave quietly. Managed to get back to sleep though, so can't claim the same levels of sleep deprivation as some of you!

I also love that Helmut Lang dress Ollie. So much that I keep going back to look at it!! Having said that, I am suspicious that there is no rear view of the model. Hmm. I am not fond of my bottom at the best of times, and I am not sure how forgiving it would be - even with spanx!

Those are nice trousers Annie, but I do agree with reds assessment of the model's skinny frame. Not good from the rear view particularly. That said, I can never be doing with the Whistles models - all scowly and slouching. The side view picture in those trousers makes me want to shout 'pull your shoulders back gel' in a 1930s school mistress style. My mum was always hot on 'standing up straight' and 'looking confident' and I used to HATE her for it when I was younger and not happy with my height.....but she was SO right. Regardless of height, good posture makes such a difference to how you look and how others perceive you. When I did a management training thing years ago, they did a section on first impressions/perceptions etc and posture was one of the biggest indicators that people picked up on (consciously and subconsciously) within the first 10 seconds of meeting someone.

Also - I looked at the measurements for that HL dress and it said for a size 8 (which the model is wearing) that it is 30 inch hips....that's not right is it?! I am fairly sure my hips were that size shortly after coming out of the womb.....

Bloss, very cool dress. The plaid trousers are now top of my wishlist!

Rufus, I would quite like my dad's house so would move to Howth for that! But so would my brother and my dad isn't ready for Shady Pines quite yet.

Roary, hope you aren't too warm!

Mim, I like the breton dress. I was thinking of you earlier as DD1 wore her nurse's uniform. Will post a photo.

Dauphin, do you have a bag in mind? I am not buying any more winter clothes either. I've just ordered this White Co top. I like the tan bag the model's holding. Wonder what brand it is.

Ollie, great dress. I love the happy wife, happy life phrase, will tell DH.

DD2 woke at 4am and unfortunately also woke up DD2. I thought it was 6am so we went down, had breakfast. I eventually noticed the correct time so we all went back to bed and I didn't wake DD1 for nursery school this morning. I am still in my pajamas (Hush!) with these slippers, which I only allow admit to wearing as they are so comfortable and DD1 keeps laughing every time she looks at me.

NY, my mother was forever correcting my posture, I used to slump as I was a tall teenager (like you). I will be the same with my DDs!

Carciofi I'm so glad you found a good and more reliable babysitter. I think it's the best thing to do. Not at all spoilt in any way.

Anniemac thanks! and for the Marni skirt. Will have to wait on that one I think. There is another round of interviews with different people before I find out.

Hopefully your 'slightly ordered' made me chuckle. See you fit in very well on this thread

All went well this morning. I felt the effect Ollie mentioned as I got there so early I had a little espresso all alone.

Ok ds wanting to do stuff, back later on.

Morning everyone.

Well after an active morning with a full of beans DS and a trip to his favourite activity, gym club, I'm back on the sofa yet again! Lovely MIL has got the boy for a few hrs. Just wanted to echo what everyone else has said carciofi, time off when you're a SAHM is essential. I know I'm extremely lucky with the supergrans as we call them but I actually wouldn't be a happy mum and wife if I didn't have some time to myself each week (and lately I've had help almost every day!) Love the 'happy wife, happy life' comment from someone's DH! I subscribe to this! I really enjoyed roary's take on this as well and absolutely agree; child-raising is not supposed to be a solitary burden and extended family and lovely babysitters / nurseries play a vital part. I never feel guilty when I have time away from DS as I know that everyone benefits.

Enjoyed the 80s films nostalgia last night, though I am rubbish with fancy dress and have never really done it. Also enjoyed reading about annie's wild wardrobe past! It is a regret of mine that I wasn't more daring with clothes when I was younger. I lived in London and was a size 6 FFS, I could have worn anything! I curse the 90s and their bad boring clothes. Also annie which are your TS faux leather skinnies? Have decided I really want some and have these in mind but not sure they're quite right?

Love, love bloss's acne dress and hopefully's VW finds.

amber I am desperate to have a colours and style assessment too! Top of my list for spring although would like a personal recommendation if possible. Midlands ladies has anyone been to anyone local or should I plan to travel to London? Ooh perhaps it could be a first post-baby treat.

Much sympathy to all those with broken sleep issues; it will be me very very soon. Am quite astounded at how stoically you seem to cope and have finally realised how fortunate I have been with DS. He has not woken in the night (7pm - 7.30am) since he was 16weeks and is now 2.5... Clearly I am due a non-sleeper this time!

zembo am going to try cream roxy in JL on Friday and will also return coated skinnies which I've decided I don't love enough. Was working out what I've actually achieved in the sales / recent shopping last night and it's not actually that much as so much has ended up going back. I even have a little bit of DH's Christmas fund leftover so am still keeping an eye out for the mulberry Rosie and the grey leopard CE skinnies.

Today's outfit: grey TS Baxter skinnies, long sleeved see thorough white top layered over white vest, pale pink drapy fine knitted scarf really large, gorgeous and cheap from KG, black TS Jess Bis lookalike ankle boots, TS leather jacket (poor roxy substitute). I really do wear too much Topshop for a 30something!

I am obsessed about looking at the HL dress too. Really obsessed.
Do you know, I may just order it, just to see what I look like in it and of course apply the Roxy test.
I have been banging on about this year being all about buying less but better no?

Found it a bit cheaper on this website here which sources items from boutiques worldwise (nice website in general) and Shopbop too but could get stung on import duty? How do they work - is it just bad luck if you have to pay them and if so, how much are they? Knowing Holland, I guess they would be high!

Fit wise - I dont think it wouldn't be any less forgiving than Janice? The back shots make out that its v clingy on the bum and looser around the legs which may not work. Not sure if I am kidding myself tho esp given its length and my not so long lengths & chunky calves.

NY did you see there is a maxi length version too? here

Wohoo, it's busy on here .

Just running in to ask whether we could confirm MU date. 10th or 17th? Like ollie I need to book flights.

The HL dress is beautiful but the length wouldn't work on anyone shorter than the model. She is 180cm, I'm 170. That means the dress would end mid-calf .

I'm 177cm...perhaps with heels it would work...?

I vote for Ollie trying it on, on behalf of all of us .

Fritzi - I think when people originally put their names down against dates, the 17th definitely had the biggest list. I know it is a problem for the Irish crew though - what a pity! What does everyone else think?