MN Vogue - the 20th anniversary edition

[shopafrolic]

All welcome for lighthearted chat about fashion and beauty - but bring your links!
Continuing on from Vol 19 here

Dry I am Irish - I get blank stares when I'm excited as I talk so fast - we'll just create a 'word blur' at our end of the table and baffle everyone else!

One I have the same question re Wolford tights - planning to buy some this year for first time, my friend at work wears them so I was going to ask her - she is v skinny though.

shop and *anni when DS was around 3, he heard someone outside shout 'piss off' he then lay on the floor and for the following half an hour, he was kicking his legs screaming piss off over and over again. Had the same behaviour for the following two weeks including one delightful episode of it in Mcdonalds. Ds does have ASD (proper diagnosis, not just me saying he has it) so had to be cut a little slack for his behaviour but he was still put on the naughty step and/or had privileges/favourites taken away from him for short periods. They do learn eventually, you just have to be consistent about what's acceptable and what's not.

Santa I appreciate your words of encouragement. When you've spent most of your adult life in the same career it's very hard to take a leap into the unknown and odd to imagine yourself w/ a different working identity. I keep a little Moleskine notebook to hand for scribbling down words/phrases that catch my attention and encourage a more creative vocabulary. Non Fiction is my love. I lack the 'spark' for fiction i'm afraid.

Gosh, interior design has always sounded so fulfilling and creative Santa. All those fabrics and the smell of upholstery fabric....I love it. The fabric designs this season are so Klimt like in their inspiration and look.

One I'm not sure as to how blanket a 'rule' that belief is regarding the suitability of hypno for personality issues (don't like the term 'disorder'). A skilled and boundaried practitioner could take you through it. I know that the theory is that the sense of self can be a little compromised and affected by personality issues and hypno requires this to be well grounded. I'll have an ask for you.

The Allan Carr method works though and you could try that? I was THE most unrepentent, militant, addicted smoker I have 'met'. I adored my cigarettes and the idea of myself w/ one- sad I know. But I gave up, cold turkey, no groupwork, Nicotine Replacement Therapy, NHS support or anything. I managed it truly w/ minimum anxiety and manageable cravings. I used a Nintendo Gameboy (it was quite a long time ago when I quit) and every time I craved a cig, I played a few rows of Tetris!

It worked.

A huge smoking cessation industry has been spawned, all of it w/ a vested interest in making smokers feel it is impossible to quit without the use of their smoking cessation aids (which of course cost a lot of money and make them a lot of money). They don't want you to think it is possible to do it by yourself and they would ideally 'like' you to attempt to quit several times hopefully buying plenty of NRT products.

Yes the products can help and if you suit group work and cessation therapy support then the NHS Primary care stop smoking teams will help and I recommend them. I personally dislike group work for myself and get very resistant because I have spent too many years facilitating groupwork myself

NRT is no good for me Mig I'm allergic to the patches, the gums, lozenges and inhalators give me blisters on my gums and tongue and I have been flat out refused the tablets ( I forget their name) as I have a very bad suicide attempt record so no ones getting my money for those products

I only say disorder because that's how it's always been referred to me. I don't do well in group sessions as I just hide away and don't engage as I feel overwhelmed by everyone else, I am very quiet in general and don't much like talking about myself face to face, especially to people I don't know so I am always offered one to one things as my doctor doesn't feel any kind of group setting would be beneficial to me

Job stuff sounds great Marsha. Love it when stuff comes together.

I often say a silent thank you that there are Marie Curie nurses in the world QueenC. It is truly not something I could ever do and I am in awe of people who can and do.

I have Wolford tights. Pretty sure they are size S. I'm a 12 and 5' 2" if that helps?

That's quite a challenge mig! Blog sounds fascinating. Would love to see more of what you've done when you're ready.

Marie Curie were tireless when my FIL died last year at Easter and we couldn't raise a Doctor to certify him after he died (on a very hot day they were going to leave this until the next day).

They made it possible for me to nurse my Grandfather when he was terminally ill w/ a brain tumour. They empowered me and sat w/ me during that last long night, sharing a take away and looking at my family photos. That nurse took a calculated risk phoning me to say in her opinion she felt Grandfather would die that night (they aren't usually encouraged to 'predict') enabling me to go back to his home and be w/ him. I will always be grateful to her.

Precious memories.

I'm sloping off to bed now. Sleep well all of you. A Demain!

Marie Curie were amazing with my Mum when she was dying. The care and support they offered in those final few months gave me the strength to carry on nursing her through it all even when I just wanted to give up and lay down and cry. We also had nurses come from a local hospice and the Macmillan nurses who all gave massive support so anyone who works for and with these organizations has my utmost respect. I regularly make donations to marie curie, macmillan and cancer research to fund research and care for others as I now know how vital their services are

Morning all.

liberty - when I get sick and tired of kids and husband, I take a well earned break and go on an overnight to Paris and just wander the streets and get lost in the city.

sleep - well done on the weight training. Mine restarts this morning, and I anticipate not being able to get out of bed tomorrow morning. Re jean shopping - I usually make a trip to Donna Ida to try one, then just order them from America - so much cheaper there! I wish I had kept y old pony chair things - there might be a Gucci handbag lying about in my Mum's wardrobe that I gave her, which I might have to re-appropriate back to me.

mig : i'm also on the hunt for good quality, fashionable tees. The best quality ones I have are pretty boring (Uniqlo and Petit Bateau). I have interesting ones from Zadig & Voltaire, but they are a fortune, and not amazing quality. J crew is a bit in the middle - they do have more fun tees, and I really like the quality of their Perfect Tees. Ah, I see that shop has also recommended J crew tees.

shop and ani - I found the ignore them when they say irritating words works best. They realise that they can get a reaction by saying silly words - when they don't get the desired effect, they drop the words.

mig and One: the Marie Curie nurses sound amazing. Wish that that attitude was more prevalent in all aspects of healthcare, not just Cancer support.

Am going to wear a grey sweatshirt dress and black high heeled ankle boots. I'll accessorize with a stack of fun silver and sparkly bracelets and a red lip. Missed a bunch of posts, and will respond later.

I love a red lip Mom - your outfit sounds great.
Wow - things get deep on here late at night - Completely agree about the fabulous work of the likes of Marie Curie. And so sorry for everyone's losses and sadness.

I'm taking a critical look at my wardrobe today. Getting rid of the things I didn't get quite right last year and creating my next EBay pile as funds towards those Pistols.
The Zara linen long sleeved tees from last year have been lousy - proof positive for me that buying cheap never lasts as long. I wore the tan one more than the grey and it is double the size of the grey one! Not good. So no more cheap cheap basics - the same goes for H&M vests which don't wash and wear well for me...... a real shame.
Next to go with be the dusky pink knits I bought last year as they just don't suit me - not strong enough.
Then I'll identify the gaps. I need some black boots (Pistols), and I think some dark olivey green skinny jeans / trousers. I wish I'd kept the Houlihans in the Spring at the same time as I bought the cargo pants but £££ were tight. I'll keep an eye on the Outnet. I don't think I'll need too much more......

I have wolfords in S but they are slightly short in the leg so I get the low slung crotch look which I find deeply offensive. I actually prefer Falke as a brand. Have lovely pure Matt 100s in a wine colour on today. I get pretty much all my tights from them.

PM Mig

Hmm, amber short in the leg is usually good for me as I have very short legs. They are just.....big legs width wise. I think I'll probably go for a M as a test run, I'm pretty certain a S wouldn't fit

mig. I am new around here, but really enjoy your posts too . Btw, I think we were looking at the same tartan skirt in Next? Don't bother, it's utterly naff, the material is so thin that it's see through.

So, I am keeping on with my quest for a tartan mini that I like and I can't seem to find....

As my DC are a little older, I do allow the odd swear word (just 'soft' stuff like 'crap' and 'bloody'), it would be incredibly daft of me to think they don't hear (and probably use) far worse with their peers. When they were little, I found ignoring the bad behaviour of any kind was the best policy, but they didn't ever do anything like bite, push, hit other children etc, so I don't know what I would have done in that situation. But things such as running around shouting 'poo' etc (hilarious when you are 4) were just ignored.

Shop - I am looking at my wardrobe too trying to be critical and am frankly depressed.

Morning all! Bloody jet lag I took my 3rd flight in 3 days yesterday but yippee no flying today!!!

God I love New York. Got here at 9pm and its the only city in the world that at 9.30pm, I will happily go for a walk around the block and feel totally safe. And even at that time you get such a buzz. I used to love going home after hanging out with friends. It would be 4am and traffic still busy crossing the Brooklyn Bridge back into Manhattan.

The Saks windows are all Dior down the 5th avenue side and look fantastic. I was walking by all my usual hunts in very close proximity to my office and thought "oh this could be dangerous!" Although the novice coffers might be saved by the fact that I delegated something to someone and what I have got back makes me realise I have made a huuuge mistake so have got 24 hours to turn it round.

Sleep, which area is your dh staying in?

Shop if you have anything that isn't eBay-able and you would normally ditch, can I be very cheeky and ask for it? Happy to pay your p&p. I have a drum filled with my decluttering efforts and when I have filled it up, I will be shipping it to the village. Only stuff you wouldn't eBay though so you may not have anything at all.

LOVE that cashmere scarf. wish they did it in a charcoal, but am tempted by grey and navy too.

cold here today! am wearing grey goldsign skinnies, green honeycomb knit and pointy leopard flats. boden-tastic.

Thanks Needs. I won't bother chasing that skirt up. Karen Millen has a tartan mini here
and here is the marant Etoile one.

Have PMed you Shop. I have taken on board the comments re Zara T's and Mom's Zadig heads up. I have some Zadig pieces. Has anyone bought Comptoir Des Cotonniers T shirts? I also like Vera Moda for basics because they tend to stock those lovely Scandi muted shades.

Am going for a quick shop w/ my DD this lunchtime. I am greatly looking forward to it. She is so lovely and a pleasure to dress.

Liberty I really like Moms suggestion of a runaway day to Paris. I like it so much that I am going to book Eurostar for next week. Last time we went, we stayed in the Marais at Mama Shelter. I booked a walking tour w/ a Sorbonne History lecturer and we walked all over the Marais and Place Des Vosges whilst he told us all about the history and architecture. It was superb. He then took us to the old Jewish Quarter for food and music. I also encountered a place I've wondered about since seeing it on TV years ago- the little urban vineyard in Montmartre and whilst admiring a nearby house, the owner came out and invited us to look around. The house was painted Yves Klein blue and she was carrying a sky blue Chanel flap bag and wearing the classic beige/black toe cap pumps. That was my Parisien moment!

Today I am wearing the same brown/ochre/cream check tweed midi skirt w/ a cream plisse front shirt by Vera Moda from years ago and a marl Saltwater cardigan in dark purple. I have my old ACNE booties on but may change out of them for shopping as very very hot on my feet.

Novice

I do live vicariously through your 'Whicker' like despatches from your travels. I am yearning to be in NYC. Do you ever eat at Juniors on Flatbush in Brooklyn? Have you tried the Spotted Pig, Minerva Tavern, Balthazar and the Milk Bar's cookies and ice creams? If you haven't already, try to get to The Milk Bar to see the cakes. My DD hopes to do a stage there next year in her patissiere training as she greatly admires Christina Tosi and hopes to emulate her career path.

I could contribute to your village shipment. I have loads of good clothing and stuff from my son and daughter plus some childrens books, notebooks and bits like that.

Some lovely stuff from Maison Scotch here in this Cult of Style photoshoot. I am liking the lace blouse in the first photo, the burnt orange Ragga style satin track pants, the rust chevron tie dye effect skinnies, the blue dress w/ orange flashed sleeves and the cuffed boyfriend jeans w/ Breton top. I also like the white pants w/ the black side bar. A way to wear white pants and not look like Elizabeth Hurley! (bitchy)

I've had no time to catch-up yet (or do migs quiz ) but I went into town this morning and saw the perfect coat for marsha

Stella M

I'm not a big Stella M fan (I like her designs, I just don't like her. Like she cares ) but this coat was beautiful and the orange stunning (and I am super difficult when it comes to orange)

I also tried on a couple of Moncler coats and the one that suited me best was santa's in black. I would like to try another model and the Aigle Cuckmere but if those aren't nice I think I've found my winter coat.

I bought some stuff for DC in Zara and I noticed they had that floral pencil skirt I pinned a while ago in stock so I tried it on.

The print was lovely and would go with lots of different colours (cream, burgundy, navy, forrest green, etc.) but it just didn't look right on me.

I also saw different colour ways of the Marant jacket that santa bought and the black/grey/burgundy mix and the black/grey/navy mix were lovely.

Saw some gorgeous Saint Laurant, Balenciaga (cobalt suede!) Philip Lim (a teeny black suede and some kind of animal skin) bags but I walked away quickly so as not to be tempted.

I wore my Jimmies (again,), a navy splendid tee, my navy Hobbs mac, navy suede Tod's shoes and my yellow Nano. I probably felt more stylish than I looked.

Will try and catch up later!

Dd2 was slightly unwell at the weekend with a temperature and is now really snotty. I've caught it off her and feeling sorry for myself feeling all achy.

Like most of you I'm about to put all my high summer stuff away. The morning school run is definitely chilly. I need to do a big shop for dd2 as she has no coat and has grown over the summer so a lot of her trousers and long sleeved tops no longer fit.

novice I wish you'd said sooner about needing bits for your charity as I got rid of a couple of things yesterday. Is it kids or adults stuff you need? I'm about to recycle some kids shoes if they're any good to you?

Can't remember who said about hopping onto Eurostar? Very . Not sure how my dh would react if I did that . I've never been a big traveller myself although did nz for honeymoon but I've never had a huge urge to visit places. I do love NYC though. When I need time alone I try and plan a visit to see a friend even if it's jut for a Saturday night. That works well as I'm around during the day, leave here at 5, get to friends, go out and stay over and be back by lunch the following day. Of course that only works if you have friends an hour of two away which I do.

shop I agree re Zara linen tees. Biggest disappointment ever. In fact all linen tees are. I've re-found my love of gap tees. I went off them for a while but they seem better quality again now.

mig did you set up pin boards?

I hated the zara linen tees as well. nice for two mins, then awful.

i LOVE to travel. DH too. good job really, considering the demands of our respective professions.

queenc gentle (((hugs))) for you. shall we postpone friday? weather looks completely grim, duvet and dvd days may be on the cards here.

Drizzly,damp and chilly here today (isn't it Needsa )today's ensemble;
Grosvenor bag by Radley bargain buy at outlet.first outing....smells lovely.
Paul Smith scarf from menswear at outlet. I adore it,the colours are gorgeous....bit naughty just slipping it in amongst DH's stuff,he didn't notice!!!
[[http://pinterest.com/pin/443815738248429771/ chunky loafer] a love it/hate it item I have discovered
Uniqlo grey marl l/s r/n merino jumper quite partial to fine merino
Banana R 7/8 black trs

Popped into my local fabric shop and bought a mtr of wool/cashmere/Lycra grey marl to make a skirt......used to make loads all my curtains and blinds so quite looking fwd to getting on with my project. I'm a nightmare when I have a project,very single minded so will ignore everything else (cleaning,cooking,kids).....

loafer