And so we Wisely turn away from any summer purchases to Avid thoughts of stylish winter coats. Which means (surely) that the sun will shine, after wool jackets are bought....

[notyummy]

Stamp

Weather going to be great next week, and DH is on holiday, so we can make the most of it! Hooray!

T-shirt has been claimed. It's so nice when you can find a good home for lovely things which just don't suit.

Marsha really love those trousers!

Love those trousers marsha.
Yes to Judy Blume and I also loved Lace. Think I might revisit Jilly; I'm feeling nostalgic.
I'm really pleased about your fashion karma mim. Much deserved.
Am wearing reiss cobalt blue lace t shirt, navy nobody skinnies and Zara floral blazer which I am loving though DH likened it to a pair of curtains. Ha ha, what does he know?!
So excited about my Zara pink boots darkness; I am seeing them as an exchange for my broken raspberry blochs and therefore they were practically free. I barely wear ballerinas in A/W anyway as my feet get cold and I need socks! I will be initially shopping my wardrobe to wear them with navy or black or maybe grey super skinnies and white or cream tops I think. Simple and plain will be best I imagine. When it's colder I will do black opaques and short simple dresses with them and hopefully the yet to be bought black leather (probably faux, sadly) leggings.

Yay to the imminent good weather! I wil start fake tanning tonight in its honour.

Lovely morning. Walked almost 6 kilometres in Dayanas; had a smoothie in a seaside cafe. Cloudless skies, bare legs. Lots of tourists, the ports are full of gigantic white cruise ships. The atmosphere is relaxed and festive - almost everyone is on vacation.

Rifled through some vintage shops - nothing for me this time, prices outrageous, on par with high end sales. Saw a lovely Jean Louis Scherrer couture dress (winter colors) and a very stylish breton dress with a clever raised collar (too gamine). Stepped into Maxmara - they had a tunic version of my watermelon dress on sale, had to buy it. The color is so good on me.

Saw lots of stylish people. An old lady who rocked a neon yellow sweater and neon green cardi (technically a twinset!) with white jeans. A girl who had black lacy bloomers under a flyaway black skirt. Lots of boring Scandi modern, Filippa K, COS, Acne: pared down minimalism can sometimes look very tedious. When people watching, I really prefer the crazy vintage looks, 1950s pinups and fearless color combiners.

Now relaxing while DD2 is taking her nap. DH took DD1 swimming. Looking forward to a fun evening with friends. DH will babysit, he will cook Greek food and listen to an opera [Borodin's Prince Igor]

Marsha love that look - certainly not boring!

GoS I have recently started enjoying self-help books. Have had to read some mindfulness books for work and love the zen vibe - very useful for everyday life.

Amber very happy the T shirt found a new home!

Ooh Blue do you have The Zara Floral Blazer? Love it, very D&G, but they didn't have my size (L probably) in Rome Don't listen to your DH, sounds lovely, am !

Oooh - I loved Judy Blume too!

Can't wait for some sunshine. May have to dig out the expensive long lasting fake tan and apply as it may be worth the rtaher lengthy process if we are going to get more than a glimpse of sun.

Have sorted some playdates for DD over the holidays which I am pleased about. She is going to a really good Holiday Club (the same place where she goes to After School Club so she knows all the staff) for 2/3 days a week over the holidays and they are doing some great stuff - trips to the forest and the theatre and lots of arts/crafts and cookery.

Cammping weekend away booked for 2 weeks time, so the sun had better stay - or at least no torrential rain! Also booked a hotel for a couple of nights the weekend after next for something to look forward to. If I am not having a classic summer holiday, i am determined to have a few fun things in the diary!

Great that your DH can enjoy a glimpse of summer with you Amber - and those boots look great Blue.

MiM I'm so happy for you! You have the power now. A good outcome from a horrible situation.

GoS hope trip goes well and you are home soon. Must buy envelopes, dd has something to post

Hopefully good point about the Dickers, that and the suede makes them pretty impractical.

Ds1 was just telling me this story really made me laugh. He is 14 and the spitting image of Harry Styles. About 6 months ago people started coming up to him in the street asking if he is HS. It happens all the time now. Anyway, yesterday he was in the car with dh and they stopped at the traffic lights in town. A group of girls started screeching and taking photos of him! it's funny when he retells the story, the mixture of mortification and delight I tell him it's better to be mistaken for HS than Wayne Rooney!

Good to have something to smile about - I smashed a brand new bottle of Diptyque Baies room spray last night. I'm so cross with myself. The house smells amazing though.

Am stuck in a badly parked car with two sleeping DC's. Naturally we are streets away from our house so not able to carry them both in!

Thanks for the good wishes from you all.

Red top runs true to size.

Off to catch up properly now.

You poor thing mim. Have you got your kindle/ipad/iphone? I get very panicky if I don't have something with me if I'm on my own like that. Well done on not reacting to your mum.

Thanks for the info 7th and mrscb. I am looking forward to filling that gap in my literary education. Love Jackie Collins.

Your life sounds gorgeous dona. Really hope we get some nice weather here soon. Have already been fake tanning with my fingers crossed!

It is end of term!! No more school till September! I do feel like skipping. There is no feeling like it, and it is a feeling I really missed when I was a sahm. Friday nights and end of term were never the same!

Completely agree with you re Pin marsha. I have already deleted some of mine because I've gone off them!

I am watching E News and thinking Catt Sadler has great style. I will research images of her for those who don't know it and see if I can pin some great examples. Have really liked discovering Olivia Palermo too.

Argh, I know that feeling MiM we live on a street where people who work in nearby offices like to park. I can never get a parking space near the house, used to cause me such stress when dc were younger. I eventually perfected the art of transporting sleeping child from car to cot without waking them, but agree two is impossible. I keep a supply of Grazias in the car for such circumstances!

Thank goodness for my iphone.

That's so funny Verity, as I was talking to DH the other day about what sort of things I should keep in the car - his response was a waterproof and jump leads. Much prefer the Grazia idea!

Well done on getting to the end of term Bloss. When are you off on hols?

Am off to library later to seek out some Jilly, feel I have been missing out

I have been pinning but just pretty things, must get cracking on my wardrobe. As predicted I have become addicted. Hmm, didn't mean to rhyme about it

Priorites MiM, magazines and emergency chocolate are much more useful!

Not for another 3 weeks verity. Have done 8 days of my no junk challenge, and seem to have lost 4 lbs. No word of a lie. And only one shred a day.

Have been digging deep, and have realised that the reason I love the Kardashians is that they make me feel better about being brunette. I used to have serious self esteem issues relating to not having long blonde flicky hair. Wish they'd been around then! [shallow emoticon needed]

It was DD1's last day today at nursery, I can't believe the year has gone so fast. There was a good collection for her class teachers, enough to buy them big bunches of flowers, vouchers for a beauty salon and a bracelet each. DD1 has already been giving me dirty looks and saying "what do you mean, no school until 10th September?" Clearly I'm great fun.

What are you ordering to celebrate, Bloss?

Well done on not reacting, MiM. Grazia and chocolate sound like splendiferous emergency rations.

But Bloss, we had Jaclyn Smith! I know what you mean though, my brothers are blond and my mother was too.

GoS I totally get the not reading thing when you have a proper intellectual job thing. I have only started reading for pleasure very recently as an escape from the banalities of Peppa Pig and the residents of Greendale.

I love the idea of emergency car supplies MiM maybe stash a Jilly Cooper in the glovebox. I am so thankful for internet phones I really thought time was going backwards at the playground earlier.

I remember the dinner ladies confiscating our copies of Forever. I loved Judy Blume but was so hopelessly naive I only realised years and years later where Deenie's "special place" was.

Verity New Look have some brown Dickeralikes in real suede.

Marsha I love those trousers.

Sunny here and guilty DP has bought me an ipad and is coming home early tomorrow

An iPad on order here too, Suburban, courtesy of DH. :)

I like the trousers and also the top they show it with, Marsha.

DonaAna your life sounds idyllic - wonderful escapism for those of us still labouring under grey-ish skies. I am at work for a further two weeks (but much quieter than a week ago).

I read on train on Iphone and read "light" literary fiction - not Russian novelists or chick lit but something in between. Somebody here recommended the Stef Penney which I am enjoying - I am also going to read the Marriage Plot having really enjoyed Middlesex.

Will need lots of reading recommendations for our holiday in France (it is here lagrasse and is currently abut 12deg hotter than London. As well as some summer clothes - looking at the dregs of the Toast sale and wondering what would work. I really need a racer back type bra or crop top to wear under vests - any suggestions (am 32C)?

Loving the Pinterest links, DH is perplexed as to its worth though!

Look forward to that verity will respond in kind

Feel knackered have been up since 4am and a long way still to go...

Sympathies re those with other halves working long hours. DH does too (including night shifts this week) but for rest of week is forced to spend some time with DC as a result of my plans - which he now seems to be ok with now despite initial resistance (to put it mildly). DC do love to spend time with him it has major novelty value.

So wish I didn?t have to be away though ? my poor DC having a working mum at this time of year.

Wish I could celebrate end of term too! Agree though that one good aspect of working out home (scrapes barrel) must be the ability to appreciate time not spent at work!!

I read Judy Blume but don?t recall any raciness most likely I missed the point

Never ever wanted to be blonde (with respect to the gorgeous blondes on the thread) I am brunette to the core . There is a slightly unimaginative view of beauty alive and well in this country though IMVHO which drives a lot of women to the bottle (the bleach bottle mainly).

Oh yes Issimma Flowers in the Attic

Thanks folks! I think the blouse could work or may be another one. But would like get that sort of thing together. Someone from Melbourne repinned it which made me happy (waves to Melbs).

I am happy to be blonde and happy to have the help of Aveda. But really it's just something I am used to.

I am doing tax calculations (ie, passing on information) which makes me slightly nervous. Really must impose some sort of order on these things.

On my year abroad, I somehow managed to bag the best looking guy which put the blonde bitchy hair flicking girls' noses out of joint. I had low self esteem and thought they had a valid point. Didn't stop them flirting like mad with him though. I could go back and shake me really!

What shall I buy decam? Have bought some hot pink shorts to match the green ones yesterday, and some white vests this morning. Nothing fancy. Oh and have bought j brands in a smaller size this week (note to self, do not put weight on! - massive difference between the 28 which arrived yesterday and my baggy-ish 29s). So have done some spending this week

Marsha you are a true Blonde cant imagine you dark!