Shall we Avidly sprint to the sales for some Wise purchases? Trench coats and cover ups, sadly.....

[notyummy]

There we go!

Morning.

All ready to go, I feel like a dog straining at a leash. Have chosen to wear new red JBrands, navy Velvet over-sized tee, tan ballet flats and of course Gracie.

Planning to start the day on a slightly less than glamourous footing, I want to try and track down some navy star print ballet flats in Primark that are sold out on our local store.

Will report back later, hope everyone has a lovely day today.

Thanks Dona we are going to Rome in September so will bear in mind, I do love spotting fellow Brits abroad

MiM they had lots in my local Primark yesterday so let me know if you can't find them and I can send you a pair. Enjoy your day off!

Love the sound of your outfit Amber have inadvertently put DD and I in matching outfits of chinos and pink t shirts. We are just going to go with it.

Very of your run Marsha I woke up at 10 to 6 and bright sunshine if DP was here I would have loved to go for a run.

I have coral mini Gracie on the way...

Send me pm when you come Suburban - if I'm in town I'll offer you a glass of on our roof terrace.

A/C on at full blast. Wearing D&G high-waisted city shorts (dirt cheap from outlets in America) and my navy knotted silk top from COS and navy Castaner espadrilles. Most of my COS order was total rubbish (a nylon shirt, grrrr) but this is a keeper.

I'm so happy because I've shed 5-6 lbs over the past month and lost my mummy tummy - my waist is visible once again. I do a modified French Women Don't Get Fat diet (plus 1 hour walk about 4 to 5 nights per week when children go to bed and DH comes home) and it really works. It includes very simple things like cutting down mindless eating and drinking. I'm still enjoying all my favorite things, but paying some attention to portion control and substituting evening snacks with yummy fruit and vegs that are in season. A friend lost 2 or 3 stone with that approach and she cooks the most delicious food every day, so I'm a convert. I could never do low carb, carbs are the raison d'etre of eating and also living in Italy for me

Brave Ants

MiM Ive just PM' ed you.

Good for you Ants
Anya Hindmarch people, if you are reading this, you should definitely sponsor a meetup...

Brave??????? That was meant to be Bravo Ants !

Tantrum central here. It would appear ds' rage has reached some kind critical head.

Back later, with wine i would imagine. In the interim, can i be cheeky and ask you to look out for the navy ballerinas in a 6 for me suburban? Nowhere to be seen in briz .

I just realized peplum shirts look really flattering on me. The navy Marc by Marc Jacobs peplum top from Matches sale was a revelation. It completes and updates so many old oufits.

I'm looking for a few nice white peplum tops to wear with skinnies. (I don't like viscose - wrinkles too easily - prefer cotton, silk or modal - not tooe expensive if possible). Have you seen any good ones?

An AH meetup in Rome, please!

That sounds like my kind of diet, DonaAna. I like the Mulberry Lily .

I am wearing the Me&Em navy martini dress. Shivered a bit taking DD1 to nursery but hopefully it will warm up.

Red, good luck! DD2 is not in great form here either, probably due to her injections yesterday.

Lol at brave ants and her Gracie!!

red - my nearly 6 year old dd managed to turn the clock back with a MASSIVE 45 minute tantrum last night. I feel your pain! I sent her up to her room until she was able to come and speak to me calmly, which gave me enough time to do L2 Ripped, with Jillian drowning out the shrieks of 'You are a wicked WITCH, WITCH, WITCH!!!!' that were coming from her bedroom. With the window open. Sorry, neighbours .

It was lovely this morning, the light woke me at 4.30am, we don't have curtains just French doors. Thought I may as well do something useful. I love running in the evening am holding on to these long days so I can when dh gets home.

Suburban does your dp go away a lot for work?

NY completely agree. My absolute favourite is cool, still and sunny.

Bravo Ants!

My outfit lasted five minutes as now in garden in a bikini! Stay sun stay.

NY, I'm sorry but that really made me laugh!

Ah but I am brave ollie , I am!!! Not sure why but I am quite sure am brave in a bodiccia wielding Gracie toting way!!! May, just may, have lost the plot a bit there! DD''s strange rash may a scarlet fever- how very retro. Back to the drs for her. Am watching a couple of other things but I think Gracie might be it for me in the sales (famous last words...?!)

Good days all

Oh NY my DD at 7 loves a good strip with lots of door slamming and screaming that "it's not fair" !!!

Strop!!! Am on iPhone!!!

So no light at the end of the tunnel then Ants?

TBH Decameron, I was just relieved that it wasn't 'bitch', which is what I thought it was when she first started hollering. That would have really raised my blood pressure! I was able to be relatively zen about the 'witch' thing and just blithely ignore and concentrate on my sumo squats.

I bet you had the focussed look of Jillian when she does the direct look into the camera NY

Just slightly pinker and more scowly Marsha.

NY oh thats made me smile!!! My son recently told me he "wasn't bloody well doing...x". I nearly keeled over from shock!!!

Channelling slummy mummy here- nearly 10am and still in dressing gown. Have been working though so now think a cup of coffee in garden in order. Something v decadent about coffee in sunshine in pj's!

Hope everyone has some sun!

Gracie Roll call:

Fleecy - mini, blue
Amber - mini, green
MiM - mini, nude
Emo - full size, nude
MrsCB - full size, black(?)
Decam - full size, black
Always - full size gold lame
CHOOGIRL - mini, blue
Verity - full size, pink
Dona - mini green
Ants - mini, coral

Back later, supposed to be working from home today. Have lovely sunny days .

Supposed to be working here too pickled but clearly AH is far more important!

Can I ask all of you what makes the LKB Davina appropriate for work whereas the Me&Em is not? They are both dark navy, on the knee and clingy. Is it just the jersey fabric of the Me&Em or is it the fact that the lower half of the leg is more clingy than Davina?

I have bought a Davina for my client trip on Thursday but can't justify if the Me&Em will do. Chinti & Parker definitely shorter on me. Have long legs and oddly squat body...

donaana what is the summer look in Rome? Not planning a visit sadly, just curious!

ny I love your going off and exercising, leaving your DD to tantrum it out!

I have the cobalt mini gracie, the tan studded shoulder bag and a pewter one that looks a bit like the fullsize gracie.

DS2 has the most awful rages (he's 4) and agree its testosterone related. Sometimes a drink of water helps but more often than not he just needs to rage in his room and then comes out quiet and remorseful. Tis horrid though.

Lots of dvf on outnet today.

According to my diary (sadd0) the John Lewis sale staretd a year ago on Thursday. Any idea when its starts this year?

DS1 also having HUGE meltdowns at the moment. Sure its hormone related - and the fact he is now not getting to sleep before 10pm most nights (but weirdly is able to wake up around 7am every morning). On Sunday, he kicked off about 4 times over nothing and we had screaming, door slamming, tears, clenched fists - the works. DH and I are not really sure how to handle it either.