AVID, WISE and keen to debut our Spring buys

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Inspired, eh?!

Is there a link to this Hermes watch?

Ollie - definitely watch or handbag - and what a lovely DH.

You can generally always find money for bits and pieces but harder to justify a watch or handbag i find.

Thanks for thinking of me re the MD jacket mrscb. Looks a lovely cut.

ollie, what a lovely gift. I'd go for the big purchase too. I have a red kitchen aid, and I love it, but not for valentine's day! I love that hermes watch. Welcome sanuk, don't know how to find it to link to it, but it has a leather strap that winds round the wrist.

My dad is much better today thank you all. My lovely mum took dd to the park, and I went on my bike ride after all with DS along the lakeside. Not much cardio involved unfortunately, lots of downhills and freewheeling. Very tired though now.

Poor blue, I had to be induced with 2 of mine. Neither of them were shifting! Have said before that I have felt cheated out of going into labour naturally. With dd, I had my waters broken artificially. It was pretty quick after that. The only thing was, with the 2 of them, I was pretty much attached to a monitor and couldn't do any walking or anything. Still, two lovely babies, and alert from the start.

Hello And happy valentines day! Can't keep up so keeping this short. ants so glad your sister ok, I thought swine flu had been and gone
blue are you having curry for dinner?! Wave to all and welcome to delurkers. olly so excited for you well done DH!

Sorted clothes in wardrobe in to items and then colours on Sunday. Feel better every time I open it now and also found some things to eBay and charity shop. Stage 2 is eBay and charity shop, date tbc.

Experimenting with many different lipglosses at present and my top three non drying non sticky ones are:
Boots poppy king number7 range
Bobbi brown
Vaseline rose tint

Should anyone care... Not such a short post after all!!

Off topic but Valentines pretend dilemma .. Raymond Blanc or Michel Roux Junior? !!

Ooh what a lovely gift Ollie. Definitely go for a big expenditure for yourself. My Mulberry was bought with money left to me from my Grandfather - the vast majority went into the house, but I was so glad I kept a little aside to get myself something lovely, that I still treasure now. I agree that a KitchenAid is a household expense and you musn't buy it! Look forward to seeing a list!

Amber am so impressed with the efforts you are going to today. We're mutually ripping out wardrobes . Am slacking whilst DH does the high up stuff.

Blue I feel your pain. Yes to reflexology - a lot of practitioners will come to you if you can't face getting to somewhere and have heard lots of good things about it.

Big hello to Sanuk!

My lovely friends just called to inform me that we're off to a Spa this weekend as a belated birthday celebration. Two nights away from the chaos here and dinner and drinks on Saturday night. I haven't got a swimming costume, which may make things tricky. What to pack?!

Michel Roux, definitely.

Michael Roux, hands down.

Reine this top made me think of you.

Both Emo.

emo Michel Roux Jr

red You could pack the Seafolly bikini from last summer for spa weekend?

Evening!

I am sitting like a sap watching 'you've got mail' (she's just about to close the shop for good, sob) - hope you're all having a lovely evening.

Welcome sanuk, and breton too!

And - Michel Roux.

I could Fritzi but don't feel shredded enough to reveal the bezza. I quite like this. Valentines wash-out here; DH asleep whilst I watch gawp at MBFGW.

Has anyone ordered a Me and Em dress? Contemplating ordering one to try in my quest for a jersey dress.

Morning all!

Has anyone read this article?. The tool calculated my most perfect clothes as French Connection Size 12 Top, Top Shop Size 12 Skirt and Top Shop Size 12 Dress . I'm not convinced by this scientific approach to fashion and will ignore

I've seen that before fritzi but can't get it to work on my iPhone. Will try on PC later. Will probably tell me I'm an 18 and should shop at bonmarche or something.

Well, DH declared last night as the best V day of his life so a success I feel. He got me the Whistles pineapple scarf which is lovely, and an anniversary card with that part crossed out and 'valentines day' written on it. Because, you know, it's been really hard to find Valentines cards, especially working in an office with a Paperchase on the ground floor . Also got lovely tulips which are my favourite flower, so he didn't do badly at all - I give him 8/10 for effort.

Found an website I'd not seen or heard of before - range by Ronit Zilkha called Lullilu here

They have a couple of breton style dresses here and various stripey jumpers which are nice here. I like the dress and the jumper with the coral blocking

Hi lovely ladies, thanks for the bday wishes. I had a good time at the weekend but have been feeling ill since I came back and can't eat anything but Rich Tea. We are postponing dinner out until I'm better.

Hi Breton, glad you like the goldsigns, I wear the misfits a lot. Hello to Sanuk too.

Glad your sister is on the mend, Ants.

NY, I took DD1 to the Muppet movie yesterday, it was good though we missed a bit in the middle (she spilled apple juice, wouldn't wear her spare pair of leggings so we had to run to Gap where she picked out a pair of skinny lavender jeans ... I'm so proud!).

Amber, I think your DH did well despite the card! As did your DH, Ollie. I agree with MrsCB, buy the bag or watch. In fact, I think I will take her advice as my dad gave me money for the AH bag I liked which has just arrived in red. I feel I shouldn't buy it as I got the tan Alexa (I keep thinking of you, Blue, when I look at it, even though I've never met you!) but then again the money will dribble away on tops etc even if I resist the bag.

Bloss, Rufus is on holiday this week.

Shopping: the Alexa bag, the Me&Em dress but hasn't arrived yet, a navy wax Barbour international (shopping in Heathrow without kids is great fun), red DKNY wallet (present from my friend), Current/Elliott cords (Question Air sale), this Boden top and bought new Chanel make-up on the way home on Friday. Now trying to stop myself going into AH for the red bag, as I said. I do have a babysitter coming and the bag is on hold. Hmm.

I like those stripey tops too, Ollie.

Mim, just reading back a bit. Agree that lowering your expectations from your mum is probably best for you.

Scarf glad you had a nice weekend, sorry about the poorly feelings now though. Am very of your shopping. I'll be interested to hear what you think of the Me and Em dress when it arrives. Although I may just order it anyway, since it's free returns. Am envisaging it for smartish and also for casual with long sleeved tee underneath.

Fritzi I am also ignoring scientific sizing approach, as I know for a fact that the measurements given on the websites of, e.g. Phase Eight have very little to do with the actual measurements of the garments. On the Phase Eight website I ought to be a 12-14 according to measurements, but I know full well that a 10 from there fits me perfectly (I also know full well that I am not a 10, but am not complaining).

Ooh, I weighed myself this morning and am well within a stone of my ultimate target weight! Target weight is actually a pound or two less than I aim to be long term, but I figured I'd rather have a couple of pounds to play with when I first stop major diet efforts. All the Shredding is finally paying off a bit. I might do an extra couple of circuits from BFBM before Shred tonight, it seemed to give the right bit of extra workout when I tried it the other night. It is just so nice to have some kind of sensible figure back and, most importantly for me, have the core muscle strength which I really lost after having the DSs - my posture and core strength was absolutely atrocious, and I hardly ever catch myself slouching now. The whole strong body/strong mind thing also feels very true for me at the minute - the fitter I get, the more I am ready for some new challenges and adventures, it's a really nice feeling.

scarfaholic glad you had a nice trip but sorry you have not been well. Would love to see a pic of Alexa?! Remember the bag in the White Company pics you and I liked? Massimo Dutti has a very similar looking one but think its quite a bit bigger than the WC one. here
Hopefully am going to order the Me&Em dress in navy and grey depending on how the HL dress looks. Will obviously only keep one!
Sanuk Hello! The Hermes watch is called Cape Cod - good blog entry about the different styles here. Am leaning towards getting it. Will go and have a try on next week.
Amber did DH's declaration come before or after the massage? Glad you had a nice time.
Red you have some lovely friends. 2 nights away is such a treat.
notyummy meant to say I was about your FIL story.
annie your Valentine's meal sounded heaven, I miss M&S suppers.
Mrs CB love the tuxedo collar on that blazer.

Im going to try and find this MD jumper - like the zip detail here

And, I know it may be a bit 'cupcake-like' for some, but saw the Emma Forbes website (where I got the LuLLilu website from) I think I have a new soul mate here

Good morning All

Scarf, glad the retail therapy worked its magic . Hope you feel back to normal soon. Is it the red version of the pink AH tote that you are getting?

MiM and Icey, funny that you are both going blonde again before the babies arrive - the things we do to get us through. Hope you are keeping and sleeping well.

Marsha, is your new free time hypothetical or real? As I creep back to SAHMdom I plan to make much more of my free time, especially since DH has now OKed tennis lessons.

I have just returned from a few days in London at an Education related workshop thing and can confirm that The Perserverance pub on Lamb's Conduit Street serves pretty decent pub grub (check out the Moo ale pie) and I picked up a French Connection code along the way - SYTLIST20 to be used by Friday. You can get that size 12 top now Fritzi .

Also just want to share a nice bog post my sister wrote about wearing the clothes you want to wear.

Blimey, 4 links in one post. Im going for a lie down.

Scarfi happy birthday! Great new about the bag.

Pickled I am very torn. On one hand I could use the work money for holidays and nice things and have ds2 around me all the time. Or I could put him in the same place as ds1 for two x half days a week. Just for free time. I am in denial about neglecting my other career and fear they will just dump me soon if I don't produce anything. I cannot do it with ds2 around, impossible.

The trouble is the nursery only does whole days so a friend and I are waiting to see if we can split it. And it is very expensive. So not sure whether to keep going as I am or change things. I would love one of my siblings or parents to give me that break but they are too far obviously. I have done swapping childcare and I find it too tiring really.

Ok that was long!

I did think of you and your free time. Is your ds in school now, or September?