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!

Annie I always appreciate being home with no work to do after a stint of freelance, so am with you on that one. Yy it's the same nursery. Very hard to get a spot so pleased it's easier with a sibling at the school already. Still had to put him on the list at 1 however. I know the patch was sweet but the work was um crap! Must try harder.

Dh and I are both happy with our bits we do. But yes mostly direct debit for some reason he writes lots of cheques too. I pay very little attention!

Vanity Fair pics.

I like VBs make up, Katie Holme's looks like she's been enlarged in some way (like a photocopier increase) next to DC.

Cameron's hair looks a nicer colour but I'm not taken with the sleeveless.

I can see someone on here looking great in this Ce Me dress. I want to say Ollie but would feel bad if wrong.

Ollie, shame about the gaping armhole. If it is 'perfect' apart from that it may be worth having it 'fixed' - pity Hopefully isn't nearer as I am sure she could fix it. Would love to see a photo of it on you.

Marsha, I imagine that you will find it v. difficult to do what you do in just 2 childfree days but the 'headspace' that you will gain will most likely help you to see a way forward. DH may be able to take the boys to his parents for a weekend/during holidays to give you a longer stint etc. You sound like you are in some sort of 'transition' period at the moment - exciting but a bit daunting I guess.

I don't like Gwynnie's hair.

Your dh does make incredible food Annie, really yummy. I like nice food too as I see it as a big part of my own upbringing. As does dh, his mother cooked a lot (different stuff but all from scratch).

yy Pickled. I have put it off as it's expensive and no guarantee that it will let me do very much at all. I'd love to throw lots of money at it, but that's not going to happen! (well unless we up sticks or something and I like it here too much).

Looby, Happy Birthday to your DD - lovely dress, lucky girl .

Marsha, that CeMe dress would be v. nice on Ollie - great price too!

On the food thing - I also attach a lot of importance to eating fresh, home-cooked food, as is my DP. Not eating family meals is inconceivable in this household and I enjoy them - though I do find the catering quite onerous.

Anyway, DP came back from his week ski-ing with the DCs on Saturday. Since I'd had a week on my own I had done a mass of shopping, totally re-stocking the kitchen, and filled the freezer with home-made sauces etc. Quite a bit of work. DP was chatting to me while I prepared lunch, admittedly quite quickly, and he said "It is so nice to eat at home after eating in restaurants all week, so relaxing." [so far, so good. I felt appreciated]. He went on, "It's such hard work for me eating in restaurants, calling the waiter, ordering the meal." .

I told him I thought he was on dangerous ground and should stop there. And he did!

Not at all, annie. It made me giggle. The example of laziness/ 'light weightiness' that I mentioned in front of my family was much, much more extreme than the one you have just given- think wife not working, DC in school, FT housekeeper and still sends laundry out and a second one where neither parents worked, FT nanny for week and another at the weekend.
It was all perfectly normal according to my mother , not at all lazy and having a FT nanny probably enabled the second woman to look after her one DC better . Was quite surprised to hear that my sister (city lawyer), who has recently moved in with her partner- no DC, has twice weekly cleaner who does their laundry and that she sends the partner's work shirts out. Fair enough, they both work lots of hours and earn v large salaries so can easily afford. It just wouldn't have crossed my mind to do so pre DC but she wants to enjoy herself and 'work on her relationship' or similar phrase at the weekend!
DH says I shouldn't go there as I will never change her views and he is quite right, of course. It does irritate me that she (my mother) lives in cloud cuckoo land and that one day she will have some real problems and be unable to cope.
Hope your weekend meeting with your DParents went better, MIM! :)

Shame about the dress, Ollie

ollie One armhole gaping? How can that be? Is it the asymmetric cut? Could you try it with different underwear? Maybe it can be altered? You see, I'm desperate to make that dress work for you if it is perfect in every other aspect.

looby DD wears two sizes bigger than her actual age in Petit Bateau too .

Laundry and catering really is never-ending. This is why I find working from home such a relief because I can run to the washing machine in between calls or go to the supermarket on my way to school. As we have no online grocery service I am constantly restocking basics like milk, pasta, toilet paper etc etc. Then I buy some fresh fruit or vegetables daily. I'd rather eat some scrambled eggs and a salad than any convenience food. We only have proper family meals at the weekends but I love sitting in the kitchen when it is just DD and me too.

Any news from mim or icey?

This is on my wish list from MW:

DVF bag

Grey sweater

Embellished waistcoat to be worn over white Ts

Sequin DVF dress

I like this cuff but could look all wrong in RL

Marsha, are those "your" Lanvins Colour would be too neon for me but I love, love, love them!

I hasten to add, it is only a wish list and I am not going to order any of it any time soon .

Sorry, Matches. From MW I would love to have:

Classic Burberry trench. Have worn my cheapo German-brand one lots last season.

And this clutch, just because

Ooh lovely stuff Fritzi, sequins, colours, trench, plus love the cuff. I can really see you in all of it.

Yes! They are. Ooh I love them. I went into Lanvin and tried on quite a few. The shop assistant and I agreed that if one is going to get Lanvin may as well get a bright colour. They are bright chartreuse, rather than yellow. But I have to wait until next week now. I am kicking myself for not getting my work time approved on Friday as so I have to wait an extra week. And my size is sold out on Matches eeek

But I adore them, so they had better still be around on other sites .

marsha Is it size 40? If so they are available here. Not sure how much shipping would be.

Me too annie! DH and I had a giggle about it in the car on the way home (we should be divorced by now due to lack of 'couple time'). She does want to have DC actually but is v traditional so would want to get married first, I think. She is only a little younger than me so I guess she will worry about fertility, etc.
Not saying that it isn't good to 'work on your relationship' in general at all btw- was just the context and my sister being the way she is. I remember her being shocked when she came to stay with us when DS was a baby and DD1 a v bouncy toddler about how little time we got to spend together! Her view are v much coloured by the fact that she tends to have v wealthy friends who have had night nurses, have FT mother's helps in spite of not working and can afford to socialise just as much as pre DC, etc.
Different people have v different lives, of course and that is fine. I think it just grates on me when these sort of people think they are v busy, terribly important, work v hard or whatever and have no understanding (or interest in) how the other half might manage- (showing my socialist side now)!

Lovely trench, fritzi and DVF bag too!

Annie

Thanks Fritzi that is now my back up on my back up.