MN vogue vol 17

[QueenCadbury]

Following on from vol 16

C'mon lurkers, come and join us and talk fashion/style bringing lots of links please...

Dauphin welcome back to another Brocante lover. Am drooling at the sound of your linen sheets. I always buy masses of stuff from them plus French pharmacy stuff, school stationery (for me), books such as Asterix, TinTin and Babar and socks and tights. I love French hosiery. I bought some gorgeous notebooks and A4 exercise books from Monprix of all places in SFrance. Very retro with their squared paper. I always look out for cafe glasses with drinks branding on. I have 8 Orangina bar Tabac glasses, a Pastis jug and glasses and several old Absinthe ones.

Shop. You are not too far away from virtually the whole maternal side of my family. None of us originate from Norfolk but they've ended up there. In fact if you or yours needed to see a GP surgery, you may end up being treated by my sister! I love it up there but never get to Norwich which is quite mad really as it is lovely. Where did the Panama come from? Are you going out to see the seal colony at Blakeney Point? There's some great seal sanctuaries nearby too.

Marsha great look. Am seeing a lot of poncho's about.

I have just ordered blue loafers and tan chelsea boots to be delivered to my local Topshop tomorrow - I love this service, just go in, try on and if they are not right return there and then. Really hoping the boots are keepers.

I really should order a Pilage - I have wanted one for ages but I always put off 'sensible' buys!

Mig where are you seeing the poncho's - out and about or in actual shops? I can't seem to find any....

Liberty, Dh is gadget man. I buy T3 and Stuff magazine twice a year and get him the latest gadget. Plus probably clothes or accessories. You are right men are so hard to buy for! Nothing sends me into a tailspin like the prospect of present buying for dh.

Mig ILs live just outside Norwich city centre. I bought the Panama from a v interesting lady on the market in the city. Blakeney is further away but pre DS, DH and I used to go there for weekends away at least twice a year. It would have been nice to take him to our special place just as our little family of 3 but that's not to be. MIL, FIL and niece will be in tow too. Still, good seafood is on the cards so I am hoping the sun shines for us. I think we will take DS to see the seals. One of our friends runs the boat trips so we'll see what the weather does. It's cloudy and grey here ATM. Off to put a jumper on!

Novice Have you seen the Harris Tweed range of men's holdalls, wash bags here is one type. Next do a range with the little logo on. If he likes music they make Harris Tweed headphones http://www.peggsandson.com/urban-ears-headphones-harris-tweed.html here or you could try these. here is another wash bag. And I like this Harris Tweed manbag.

If he cycles how about a beautiful leather bike seat? Harley Davidson make some great T shirts and merchandising too that isn't all in your face stuff. I like the idea of utilitarian objects/garments in luxury finishes or fabrics.

Novice is he into his cars? dreamcarhire.com/

Or his gin? www.sipsmith.com/tours

oooh shop that'd be brilliant for DP, he loves gin. That could well end up being one of his Christmas presents

Liberty They are all over the fashion press ATM. NAP has this

Joseph

Burberry

MiuMiu

miumiu

Sass & Bide

MuuBaa

valentino

There will be more in store later. The A/W drop hasn't fully happened yet. MY Theresa has some £££££ Lora Piana ones!

Liberty yes you could definitely do that look too. Love those loafers and chelsea boots.

Dauphin I am indeed , love choosing lighting and colours, good times. Holiday sounds fabulous.

Shop you sound good. Going well!

Novice BIL is a big gadget man, has just been trying out a robot lawn mower!

DP is also big on gadgets. He's got so many, I've run out of things to buy for him!

Here are the ultimate luxury things for BIL Dry

leather wheelbarrow

leather bike

concrete Gaggia

pocket knife sharpener

Harris tweed hipflask

Mancave

opener

excesses notebook

pain is good sauce

Gin glass

Appletons rum from Jerrys of Soho -one of my all time favourite shops.

I love that first look in the cape links, mig. you are the queen of links!

almost another day of flying solo down, phew. children out of bath and playing with their castle in pjs. have collapsed on sofa for ten mins, deciding whether to watch dimitrov tennis or james anderson cricket. jimmy winning for now, helped by the fact we've just got another wicket!!

both frankly way too young for me, but who cares?!

Well done Foxy

thanks shop. hats off to ALL the single parents, I just don't know how they do it. it's only day two and the cries of "where's daddy?" "i need daddy" etc are getting to me more than anything else

What used to get to me was DS asking why he didn't have a dad like all the other boys and girls at school

If it makes you feel any better Foxy DS cries those words every day, about 50 times a day, even when DH is right in front of him

Shreddies Love your scarf and thank you thank you for the Becksondergaard sale tip off! I love their scarves and have just bought this for now and my upcoming holiday (for chilly majorcan evenings that may not exist in august) and this "spring" scarf for autumn (ha ha)

Basically the same scarf in a different colourway. But hey, my tastes are predictable! ( And both at a v reasonable 50% off).

I am now zoning in on le pliage ( dithering over colours....something summery would be nice for now, pale grey would be nice for autumn, navy would be my instinctive safe choice).

Dauphin ooh tell me about Monica Dickens. Not long ago I read Excellent Women by Barbara Pym and really loved it.

Well done Foxy. I can't imagine looking after youngsters alone although I should because my Mother had to bring all of us up alone for half of each year because Father worked all over the World at a time when phone calls had to be booked days in advance. we'd then have to sit by the phone waiting for the domestic then overseas operator to connect us.

Have been indulging myself with MN and Pin because when I return to work later this week my online time will be restricted to quick browsing whilst sitting in my car before and after each DV. It has been fun.

My DH adores good whisky and Rum alongside real ale. I bought him some Midleton 'Very Rare' 2006 John Jameson Irish Whiskey from Duty free yrs ago that was nearly £100 and he has a few drams a year. He also recommends Kraaken Rum (avail from Sainsbury's/Ocado/Waitrose), Old Salt Rum and whisky from the English Whisky Company. I recently bought some Lychee liqueur from Waitrose (so pretty) and adore Saint Germain elderflower liqueur.

Indulge me in this little quiz I have devised for you all tonight (and any other day you like)...

1. What was the first clothing item you remember really loving?

2. What perfume did you recall your Mother wearing? And what aftershave did your Father wear?

3. What was the first 'Designer' item you bought?

4. What is your most sentimental item of clothing/accessory?

5. What is your children's favourite item of clothing?

6. What do you wear now that feels the most 'you'/ defines your personality?

7. If you could dress in any designer, but only one, who would it be?

8. What style/type of clothing does not suit you at all?

It's hard Foxy sounds like you're doing a fab job though.open the bubbles!

Mig a quiz goodie!

1.a v cheap but red v neck jumper I bought with my own money from my Saturday job because my mother never let me wear red!

1. Femme de Rochas...her only fragrance .i get emotional if I ever smell it, reminds me of my childhood. Classy.
2. My wedding dress

4.my gold bangle...I had it made with some gold I'd been left by a dear family friend, the names of my children and DH are engraved on the inside, a little gold star given to me by my DSis for my 40th hangs from it and every birthday /Christmas DH studded it with a few little diamonds. I have left space for my grandmothers (shes 102) diamonds she has promised me. V special, it has a story and I wear it every day. 5.DS Holister top, DD dip dyed jeans in pink and white...these change daily.

1. My whistles Bella dress makes me feel amazing, ....I had a red full length dress once that was v me, I always got into trouble in that dress!

7.Alberta Ferretti ...love the dresses.

1. Anything masculine

Well done Foxy

I've been a single parent and apart from being a bit lonely at night, it was ok.
We could do what we wanted, whenever we wanted.
It was just ds1 and me.
We had a great time and we're really close now because of it.
Sometimes when Ds2 is having screaming heebie geebies, Ds1 will say 'remember when it was just me and you mummy, that was nice'

Now... quiz time...

1- a denim jacket I bought with birthday money at about 14.

2- opium, and joy - mother.

3- JPG black trousers, very unusual with a wrap bit on the front.

4- my wedding ring, never thought I'd get married.
It's beautiful, it's a delicate band of tiny diamonds and it came in a blue box and I love it.

5- grey tee with a brown bear dj-ing on the front.
Camouflage shorts.

6- Dunno... Will come back to that one.
Also got a full length red dress that used to get me into trouble :o

7- Chanel.

8- Shorts.

Anni, neighbour looks like Michael Hutchence!

Lovely scarves, Negroni.

The weather in Mayo was great, Liberty. We spent hours on the beach in Fanore.

Hi Dauphin, exciting about the house.

Good choice, Grumpy, that one's my favourite.

OK, quiz.

1. A red velvet party dress, think I was about 6

2. Chanel No 5, father didn't wear aftershave

3. Moschino t shirt on hols in Italy when I was a teenager

4. My mother's/grandmother's engagement ring

5. Dresses (preferably Disney Princess ones )

6. I do wear the boring sahm uniform of skinny jeans/nice scarf quite a lot but it works for me atm and I feel comfortable

7. Diane von Furstenberg

8. Maxi dresses make me feel dowdy, hate them