MN Vogue - Vol 24

[shopafrolic]

Continuing on from here
A happy and safe place to talk fashion (from high end to high street), beauty and the arts. All welcome to bring a positive state of mind, lots of links and an eye for detail. Lurkers...... you know you want to..........

MNV book club is a great idea!

Agree with instructions for a heat wave - excellent
Also recently loved Capital, American Wife, big Brother. Just started The Light Years which is the first in the Cazalet chronicles. For a bit of light trash the Penny Vincenzi Toils of Time trilogy is excellent.

Morning!

I have just started reading Jennifer Saunders' autobiography and I loved Tina Fey's one when I read it a couple of months ago.

I have also re-read most of Jane Austen's novels lately as it was years ago since I last read them. Probably ca. Colin Firth in his wet shirt and breeches.

I also loved The Paris Wife, a novel based on the years Ernest Hemingway spent with his first wife in Paris, which inspired me to buy his autobiography but I haven't started that one yet.

For a bit of fluff I re-read Bergdorf Blondes and He's Just Not That Into you

Today I am wearing a black high-waited Ossie Clark skirt I bought years ago in London, a black cashmere ballet cardigan, black Falke tights and some black over the knee suede boots (flats) DM bought me from Robert Clergerie. Back to Black!

Ooh, loving the idea of a mn book club, I have such a long reading list for my course though, I doubt I'm going to be able to join in til next year .

Just back from kickboxing, it's sparring on Saturday. Caught a backfist in the face from a large an over-enthusiastic Russian guy...think I may have a black eye later, how should I accessorise that for dinner at some friends of DH that I don't know ?

my new purchase I blame Marsha. Showed them to dh. His smile was somewhat disturbing

So, today is one of those rare days where I get casual look right. I am wearing Gap always skinny jeans with a plain white long tee from Primark. Over it I am wearing this helmut lang knitted jumper and when out wore these Aquatalia boots. I had three compliments! The jewellery is v blingless...silver.

I used to be such a reader but don't get much chance these days. By the way I have worked my way through daily edition of FT, various websites, forbes, twitter and linked in, I am all read out! I shall be very

Oh dear Sleep!

WooooP! Novice nice one
Sleep sunglasses? Ouch!
I keep getting bombarded with requests for consultancy on LinkedIn at the moment........ Perhaps it's time to take another look.

Oh that's very flattering Shop. Could you do it without travelling?

I have just been sorting out Halloween decorations for next weekend. The dcs are having a celebration tea on the day with their cousins but I won't be here so having to be organised!

I am also casually flicking through the John Lewis new in page.

Novice! Excellent . So glad you got them. And I bet, re your dh.

Shop go for it I say, sounds good. I much prefer consultancy.

I read on another thread that high impact training is the way to go, who does that then? Running seems highly effective. But it does take quite a long time in comparison.

Also inspired by Foxy emailed someone about Ashtanga classes but just remembered haven't heard back yet, will look again.

Actually Sleep's sounds rather high impact in more ways than one! Hope your eye isn't too bad. Cripes at contact.

Ah and I forgot about a birthday party so I didn't make it into town to look at boots.

Shop it will be when I get the voucher now, so I'll hold off on the Gap voucher if you want to use it.

Have you paid yet Marsha? It must seem like such a long agonising wait

I do lots of cardio when I actually get round to exercising. I had my annual medical this week and am distraught as I weigh the same but my lack of exercise has caused my body fat percentage to creep up quite a bit. It's slammed me right back into the gym for the first time in a couple of weeks. Actually, if anyone has a home gym/fitness room, can you let me know? We're creating a decent size fitness room in new house so any tips would be very welcome!

Due tomorrow Novice, well tomorrow is 30 days, so will see how timely they are in paying.

If I had my ideal gym I'd make it light and airy. A friend has a home dance studio for classes, it's lovely. I'd make it like that.

In the current environment, there is a good chance the money may not arrive tomorrow. If it hasn't arrived in your account on Monday morning, do make sure you call them (don't chicken out with email!!) and ask them very nicely for immediate payment.

I like the idea of fitness room being light and airy like a dance studio. That really appeals to me.

I have a yoga room at home novice. it's very light, clean, simple.

there is a high ceiling with the original cornicing, original floorbards (which are currently unstained but I may get resanded and stained a walnut colour during the next year). the walls are off white, a dulux shade i think, but i may re do with an F&B white soon as I find their depth of pigmentation unbeatable.

I try to keep it uncluttered. there was a navy and gold brocade sanskrit ('om/aum' symbol) wallhanging but i've taken it down and may not replace. I have a small poster of my teacher demonstrating the primary and intermediate asanas on one wall. then a brass Ganesh (remover of obstacles) on the door as you come in. I have the bare minimum of props/blocks as prefer my students don't use them, so just some spare mats rolled neatly in one corner and a space for candles/incense.

having an uncluttered room is so fab. I let the children bring a box of toys down occasionally, great for train sets etc. and I have one friend who comes round for tea, takes her cup into the yoga room and just sits on the floor to drink it for ten mins on her own. she LOVES it! so funny. says it revives her coming from a house of clutter

Oh that sounds so lovely Foxy.

We definitely want machines etc in there. But not too much so it's not too much. It's a huge room (35') and I would love to split it into two, and use half as fitness room and half as games room. Dh doesn't want to formally split it but I think it will look weird otherwise.

How are you feeling now Foxy ? Have the new drugs done some good?

Do you mean high impact Marsha? Or HIIT?

Novice - consider getting some decent free weights for your gym - I know you are into your cardio but if its a choice between that and weight training due to time constraints I'd go for the weights for maximum benefit, especially as we age, every time. I think I bored several of you to death on my soapbox about this at the MU last week ! Also don't be too hard on yourself, a slight rise in body fat is natural as you age - although weight training will counteract this .

Hi Sleep, oh no I wasn't bored at all! Yes dh wants free weights and one of those multi gym thingies. You're right about weights. It was how I finally got toned after dc1, but can was worried about doing it properly so got a personal trainer. He was fab and I trained with him till I was 8 months pregnant with dc2 and then decided I was knackered so stopped. I might just have to go back to him.

Ouch Sleep I say wear with pride so they know how kick ass you are! Great conversation starter - you are icing it I assume?

Novice wow at the shoes. Great choice. For an at home gym I think I'd go for a treadmill, selection of weights, decent space for stretching, good sound system and adjustable lighting so you can use as a meditation/relaxation space.

Wore my new poncho today and love it.

Oh dear I thought they were the same thing. I'm still making decisions between swimming/ yoga / running. Feel out of touch. But I read about it on here.

I'll keep running as it's free and better in the cold. But could bring in other stuff to mix it up a bit.

Bloody hell Novice they are gorgeous....v love your outfit today.
Our gym comprises of a very dusty rowing machine in a dark,cluttered garage

Sleep noooo.....at least your friends know you're a fitness lady though. Boing by Benefits if a fab (if heavy) concealer. What are you wearing to go out?

I loved the Paris Wife....it started my Spanish phase , Guernica, the Return and The seamstress all set in Spain. Did not like Hemmingway though.

Interesting step and tone class with stand in teacher.......we had to do press ups ( was v keen as wearing halter neck tonight) so did full press ups, she boomed across the room "FULL PRESS UPS WELL DONE!!!" I was a bit then got in a mess with breathing in a Pilates section and got hiccups....Foxy is there a trick? Not good at slow stuff......just prefer going a bit bonkers really.

Linus why oh why did you go and mention Colin in his breeches?

And......I've bought a table!!!! I'm pretty decisive . Knew what I wanted, saw it, managed to get DH into shop, liked it , bought
it. Done. Big and chunky......table,not DH half the battle is getting DH into a shop, once he's in there I know we'll buy because he can't stand shopping, he actually crawled under the table to check how it was made

Well done on the table dry!

DH is the same, he hates shopping. But when I finally got him into the shop we bought half the shop.

sleep ouch!

All this talk about exercise is making me realise I really need to get my arse into gear. I have been thinking about going swimming again but I just have to do it now.

Oooh I have seen those shoes IRL novice and they are über gorgeous.

DH told me today he has bought my birthday present and now I am sooooo curious. In fact, he said he bought two but is not sure about giving both of them for my birthday or keep one as my Christmas present.

I know he has been looking at my pinterest wishlists so I have my hopes up! I just have to wait a few more weeks.....

yes one I feel a bit better. would say i have sensation now in arm rather than pain. pain is such a grey area anyway, so subjective. am all for diazepam, wooo.

dry - controlling breathing v hard and takes practice. in through nose, out through nose. mouth breathing is SO SO SO bad for you i cannot emphasise this enough. should ONLY be used in extreme 'fight or flight' situations. and I mean all day everyday - if you breathe through your mouth you need to retrain yourself not to.

liberty where did you get your poncho? i have a drapey cardigan that's on the way out, I want to replace with a voluminous poncho. love the duffy one sleep has but would prefer sub £100.

That is very exciting linus

Dry our big table is solid and chunky. It's not E15 is it?