AVIDLY addressing the key questions that WISE women ask....like 'full refund or credit note only?' and 'what this would item actually be on a cost-per-wear basis?'

[notyummy]

Hello all!

Bloss

I could definitely live with a world in which there was a prosecco delivery hotline .

I'm off to bed for an insanely early night to maximise recovery before monster shopping trip tomorrow. Mostly fabric, but I suspect I may sneak in the odd extra thing.

Have managed to catch up on most of the last thread!

Am thinking of trying the Me&Em dress. Does anyone have that £10/ 10% of code?

red- pleased that your DD has been d/c and is feeling much better. V good of you to babysit when you are feeling unwell and soldiering on with book club too!

Congratulations again to blue- sounds as if you are really enjoying motherhood second time around!

MIM- hope you are recovered now.

I'm quite relaxed on the ear piercing thing. DD1 (9) has been requesting it for a couple of years and I would be happy with gold studs (nothing more at present) but DH has so far said no. I don't think it would be v fair to deny her as I had mine pierced at 5 and my sister's were a little younger (my mother was persuaded by my Indian G/mother- tis v common amongst Asian girls).

Can't remember if I commented on your dress and bikini purchases, NY. I liked the Janice a like and the ?snake print best and the bikinis all looked good. I'm not really a leopard girl but I do like it with those colours.
I remember that you said something about a pay rise/ bonus so well done- well deserved, I'm sure!
Will PM you our S/pore dates.

Love the look of your Joseph dress, ollie. No PM, btw but v much doubt I could make a June MU anyway :)

Some of you (blue, marsha, hopefully, MIM and probably more) are making me a little jealous over your SS purchases. I am feeling a strong desire for some gorgeous silk shirts- love several MD ones, the Pure one Hopefully linked too and the Hobbs one I linked to the other day. Sadly, it would seem like a waste of money at the moment as I probably won't fit them and will then be BF (hopefully) and still unable to wear them . I also love the bracelet and necklace that you linked too blue. I think mrsCB has it too.
I thought these were v pretty in the Wrap catalogue and this too but not sure whether it would be to loose fitting. Was unimpressed with the rest of the things though.

Good news re your LKB purchase, scarfi. Some brands always seem to do well.

pickled v of your Patiserrie Valerie trip. I am a big cake/ French pastry fan :) It sounds as if you are relishing being at home again!

annie- you are not the only person on the thread with DC at state school and easy to purchase (and much cheaper) uniform. I rather like the blue and white checked Summer dresses. I usually get DD1's Summer dress in Tescos and they have always washed v well- rubbish for boy's trousers though. I'm looking forward to DD2 starting so that I can buy some cute pinafores and make her wear them with red tights!

I hope that I haven't forgotten too many people. Hi to everyone I have missed.

I have (surprisingly good, and good value) prosecco on my houra.fr regular shopping list

I also get DDs summer school dresses from Tesco or Asda. State school but in the winter most wear the school crested polo shirts and jumpers. Very practical- and no blazer so no angst there! Quite strict rules over footwear, which is fine.

Ollie- meant to say thank you for the PM. Will have a look, though have 2 weekends already planned without DD in May so may be a stretch. She is with DH for one and my mum and dad for the other, but I still feel guilty (curse of the working mother...)

Annie, do you have a travel potty for her?

Pretty bracelets, Looby. I like this Wrap dress and top, am I deluded?

I am probably a completely Victorian parent, as is my dh, and shall probably be hated by my girls for this, but I loathe make up or nail varnish on little girls... I there is plenty of time for all that. I shall be very strict and make them wear smocked dresses until they are 16!

Seriously, I do think grooming is important and shall advocate that, but I do feel make up and such on young (under 14 yr olds maybe) looks tacky ... DH would have a complete fit anyway, so no go there!

Yes, swoon Jared Leto here too.

I wanted to be Claire Danes too.....she is fab in Homeland isn't she?

DD1 used to use her travel potty in the playground behind a tree, but I didn't assemble it properly and it collapsed while she was sitting on it. She was none too impressed and refused to use it again. I like the Next dress, will get it for my DD. She goes to a nursery attached to the state school where she will hopefully go next year, if she gets a place.

I wouldn't mind the DDs getting their ears pierced either and wearing studs. I think I was 5 or 6. Things like that didn't bother my parents but I wasn't allowed out much, no phone calls or friends over Mon-Fri to distract from studying etc.

I agree Anniemac. It's extremely difficult, and I am with you on the 'battles worth having thing'. And, yes, a bit of varnish on toes is by the by.... I just feel that giving in on one thing invariably makes them want the next, and so on....I have a friend who has a DD aged 8. It started with make-up, nails, then she wanted hair extensions (luckily not endorsed), because her barmy Grandmother with clearly more money than sense paid for her cousin to have them at 15! Yikes...

I want my DDs to look pretty and well groomed and I don't think little girls need any artificial enhancements.

Right, I shall get down off the soap box now.....

Think I am finally on the mend. Painted my nails in Chanel 'April' this evening and also planned some delicious meals for next week. The fog has lifted!

scarf I am going to say that i am not keen on either I am afraid. I prefer that blue maxmara dress you linked to a while ago, I'd be putting the money towards that.

Shame about the lack of presecco at chez ollie, I'd murder one too at the moment.

marsha what colour MIH's are you going for? I really like those jeans that are styled with the MIH blouse on Matches. Cannot wait for spring to come.

Right, I've got to get this baby moving this weekend before they scan me on Tuesday and scare the living daylights out of me by saying it weights 16lbs or something.

So if I absent this weekend, that's what I'll be doing. !

Scarfi - I wasn't allowed out much either...and strangely didn't rebel, but my DS did, boy did she!!! Moving on...

DPs were a little over-protective. Still are. My Mother still asks me to ring to make sure I'm 'home safe', when I get back from her place and I am 42...

Sweet dresses, annie. I never but anything from Next either for myself or the DC but might have to check those out :)

I don't mind a bit of (children's) nail polish but can't stand a lot of the girl's clothes that are in the shops- far too trendy, tarty even so I'm with your there, dauphin

scarfi- the dress wouldn't do anything for me but I think you are taller and ? more hour glass shaped. The blouse is pretty.

Had to google Jared Leto but sadly not my type at all (too skinny and pretty).

Off to watch a bit more of The Atonement' before collapsing into bed. :)

Has anyone tried any Skinceuticals stuff? Hearing pretty positive reports (mainly the fact that they are scientifically based.)

Just watched Homeland, thanks for the recommendation, it was indeed great and Angela was fab.

Do you remember her friend with the blonde streak? I forget her name, R something? I loved her too!

Interesting thing about clothes bought when younger and clothes-buying propensity now Annie. My grandma is a really glamourous woman, really into shopping and my Mum went completely the other way and hated shopping, much to my Grandma's disapproval. I was bought the necessities and used to desperately hanker for other bits. I got a job by lying about my age at 13 and used to blow all my money on frivolous clothes (not much has changed tbh). Mum would roll her eyes at some of my bits, but was brilliant at letting me express myself and figure things out on my own. I went to a liberal secondary and my more outlandish stuff was so mocked by friends that I learnt to censor myself a bit. I went off and had my ears pierced by lying once more about my age at 12 and Mum was seriously livid. For about an hour and then she let me ooh and aah at all of her earrings.

Have overdosed on crap telly; pramface (don't go there), MBFGW, OBEM and The Good Wife. Lovely.

Argh, hideous 5.30am start with DS. Felt DH should have a lie in given he has rushed around all week and looked after everything.

Off to eat pineapple...

Oh my god, now entering day five with no sleep, lay ins or naps and have picked up the virus the baby has had. Raging temperature and cannot sleep even though she is now asleep at last. She is much better but now horrendously constipated, so screamed most of the night through that. Don't think I'll be stopping the cosleeping as planned this weekend

Yy to new clothes, some of my fondest memories are of my mum meeting me from school with a bag of tammy girl spoils, and for my 7th birthday party I insisted on having this amazing full skirted frock with a gold belt and bejewelled shoes. Whole ensemble came from Selfridges and cost over £100 in 1991! My mum must have been mad, but I hope she's kept it!

Re. Grooming I'm a bit draconian, not least because my mum attacked me with an epilator at about 12 and I'm still not over the pain! Can't be too pious though as I have five tattoos, but no piercing will go on due to the fact I had my bellybutton pierced at 15 and managed to tear it out climbing over a fence when drunk a couple of years later. I then did the obvious thing of getting it redone in a tent at a festival. Needless to say it didn't work out well and I now have a huge scar. Also hate inappropriate clothes on little girls. My nephew rocks green toenails though which I think is pretty cool.

scarfi such a shame about the LKB, I would have bought it from you had it been a 10 as it is gorgeous.

ollie hope you were able to overcome your disappointment and enjoy the Chardonnay.

red how's DD?

mim so glad to hear you're on the mend, hope the bump cooperates!

bloss such great news re. Weight loss, would love your willpower!

Am I the only one who really doesn't rate Marni? Just not my look. If H&M could do a Marant/Acne/IRO/Wang collab that would do nicely though...

Catching up while having a lie in. Marni doesn't suit my style either amber.

anniemac - the Next school collection is very inspired - the designs look great. Whenever I am in England and I see the school collections in the big chains (and even in the private school uniform shops) I always think the cuts are so dreadful, but the Next cuts look very nice. I particularly liked the little puff-sleeved blouses.

Sadly, gingham summer dresses are not part of DD's dress code (plain navy/grey/white only). Most of the little girls at DD's school end up wearing white cotton summer shifts (the sort that can be washed hot to get stains out), with a navy or grey cardigan, and wear pretty sandals to liven things up a bit.

Just so we are clear here: I hate make-up on little girls and DD wouldn't ask for it anyway as no little girls wear it here. Even teens stay bare-faced for ages. One of the reasons I don't mind ear piercing and toe varnish on DD or other little girls is that true Parisian girls don't go in for tarty. The traditional austere Catholic mindset still informs an awful lot of behaviour and expectations of school children, and that is very true of their clothing. I was in Monoprix yesterday trying to find some cheap-ish combats for DD's forthcoming school trip - the looks are ultra-conservative.