A Crepey Advent-ure

[MontserratCaballe]

Over here, my darlings....

Ds2 wants a poncho??!! WTF?

Any guilt I felt at buying 3 (three, III) Nice Jumpers from M&S is evaporating as DD has already borrowed two of them & has her eye on the third ('what can I say Mum? We have the same taste in jumpers').

Herbs, I really don't know what to make of your association of cheezy Wizzard hits with recorder consorts. Should I be offended? Professionally concerned?

I mean, yes, recorder people can be weird. Sometimes even cheezy. And, come to think of it, slightly wizardy/witchy. And bizarrely dressed. OK I think I'm getting warm now.

Stropps yes to the zillion miles with Flash the irrepressible!!

Cold sort of lingering at the mo - maybe will come to nothing...

Cords - hmm- loved them when I was a skinny thing, less convinced now.

Big thanks to BTM for organising us!!

Saw Fantastic Beasts with ds - fun!

Just passing through, so will catch up properly later.

crem - how are you feeling, now? We have matchy- matchy patches. They're a bloody godsend to me. I'd be in a gutter with certainly no DH by now of it wasn't for them. Hope they have kicked in, and work for you.

Hurrah for HRT.

Oh, and quicky... How do you rate COS?

I love their stuff, but always consider myself too curvy to even attempt to try anything on. Also, my arms tend to get stuck in tight armholes, so am wondering if they're an issue, too.

I really want to rock the Scandi-architect look.

< Colly probably now sniggering into her cornflakes thinking "What the..???">

Lalsy have you considered looking for moleskin jeans instead of cords?

Just a thought.... (I couldn't logically think myself out of a paper bag, but I could do it laterally!)

Right. I'm off. This place is addictive and I have stuff to do.

There was a long thread on here cocoa, where people started off slating cos, and by the end we're ordering it in their drives. Partly because devotees posted pictures of themselves (at my suggestion, ahem) in the clothes to demonstrate what they look like in real life, and real bodies, rather than the starved Soviet asylum orderlies they feature on the website.

I know GGG is a big cos fan. It generally looks appalling on me, but I may have not found the right item.

Auriga - I was jovially drawing comparisons between your high brow and genteel musical activities, and my rather more populist efforts. Though I'm sure we could arrange the song for recorders. Might be rather fun...

I was just thinking that GGG rocks the Scandi-architect look and then I saw your post, Herbs!

I have an odd bit of Cos stuff, including a v warm jumper-dress that I love.

I really like the look of Cos clothes on other people but when I put stuff on it looks....odd. As if I have put my head through an armhole or something.

Cocoa, moleskin would be fine but I can't find them in black and "normal" shape either at reasonable price. BD, yes, they are to go with a uniform sort of thing. I will stop about them now until Rose or Rudy (?) find some.

Hope the cold holds off, BD.

at recorder people. What were your jumpers like, Auriga?

not a huge fan of the boot cut but I'm tempted

Getting very fed up of the cord quest but really do need some trousers that aren't denim or black jeans....

frumpy?

I tried the Jaegar Outlet ones, Rose - they were baggy on the thighs, hint of that in the pic but much worse. I looked like Colonel Bumpty Tumpty.

At the risk of putting the cord-y cats among the moleskin pigeons, what about a wool-blend trouser? Stretchy and warm and comfy. These beauties even have an elasticated waist!

I believe Cos devotees swear by their trousers too - now might be the time to try!

Have I broken the thread with my outrageous non-cord trouser suggestions?

Once again in limbo work wise until I hear the outcome of yesterday's job interview.

Was trying to tot up the number of places I've worked for, and had interviews for, over the past year. It is many.

Jobs in past year (some voluntary), all of which I had to hunt down and then have interviews for:
Teaching FE in Haringey
Teaching teenagers English as foreign language
Teaching sixth formers basic literacy
Teaching kiddies literacy/maths/not killing each other
Teaching parents grammar
Tutoring sixth former. Nearly tutoring adult (she blew me out)
Writing features on housing

Successful interviews that have yet to start work:
Tutoring kiddies English at tutoring centre

Interviews that didn't come to anything:
HLTA at secondary school
Comms officer at sec school
HLTA at different secondary school
Editor of magazine
Website editor

Things I have attempted but have yet to bear fruit
Local wordsmith
Selling my course into schools
Tutor of polish builders, general kiddie literacy
Freelance writer for previous clients, plus new.

I would like some stability. Preferably some stability that also pays me a living wage.

I am a huge Cos fan Cocoa - a lot of my clothes come from there - and I am very def8nitely not straight up and down or the least bit slim. I think while not cheap it's very good value and much of it is natural fibres rather than synthetic creasy shite. Thoroughly recommend a trip to a store and trying lots on!

saw these Lalsy and Rose also come in long and short versions.
Also some dark grey ones at Debenhams
So sorry you are finding it impossible.

Herbs, so impressed with that list. May have to have a sit down.

Waves weakly from sickbay. Antibiotics have floored me.
Cocoa that's funny about the hrt. Jury is still out on whether it makes me feel any better , as have so much else going on I don't know which end is up . I have not unreasonable hopes.

Well, You See I LOVE a bit of Cos , but I only have one thing form there, which is a grey flannel coat. I adore it, but find it's so utilitarian that I grab the fab red felted Olsen thing I got in the charity shop, for a bit of cheer. I would like to adopt the Scandi-architect look too Cocoa, but find I tend to look like Belfast fish-wife mor often than not.
( do pm me if still stuck)btw.

Greetings crepeys from terminal 5. I have been passing the time mooching round the shops here. Now I consider myself to have a fairly indulgent budget to spend on fripperies but there is nothing here remotely describable as worth the price tag. I was admiring a rather lovely clutch bag but honestly who pays over £1,000 (yes, 3 zeroes is not a typo) for a bag that is too small to fit anything in? A bag that will get used once a year at a Christmas party where it will get left on a table, and if and when reunited with its owner will bear the stains of one or more drink spills. A very pretty bag though so I got the transit and went straight to the gate before I could choose between the colours. My credit card thanks me!

MrsW, that was a Good Idea.

Herbs, blimey, makes me want to lie down too. You truly are a Perseverance Manager. Crossing fingers and thumbs the website job comes good.

Crem, thank you so much, they look promising! YOu must be well fed up with feeling poorly now, hope the various drugs kick in in An orderly fashion and you get some back.

MrsW, that is mind boggling and sort of upsetting, that there are people who casually spend that at an airport.

I am going bananas and can't concentrate on anything, waiting to hear if any of those 10 UK editors want my book. I am almost volubly whining. Feel like I have imagined the entire situation. I did write a book didn't I? I want cake and booze and loud dance music but mostly I want my agent to ring. Even with bad news. I think.

Please forgive self indulgence.

Rose - thank you. Bizzy on 18th.

I loved Fantastic Beasts really lots. Didn't cop onto much of the wizardry shit but loved the people stories so much and really fancied the v chubby would-be baker.

WAF - I really feel for you - I remember when DD was waiting for her Oxbridge result - it felt a little like this (and I was only the mother). Would it be worth ringing the agent? - she may be able to give you some clues.

I want to see Fantastic Beasts too - sounds like a good plan for next weekend.

Mrs W - well done for stepping away from the clutch bag - I am still eyeing a £500 green suede jacket from Gerald Darel. I told myself I'd get it if I passed my French exam but I just cannot justify it - I've never ever spent that much before on any item of clothing and this is definitely a fashion item.

Cords - they seem out of fashion this year - Boden should stop trying to be trendy and just do their bootleg cords in a lovely array of colours like they used to.

Cos - the models on the site look dreadful but I like what I see in the shop - more for DD1 who is tall with a fab figure than for me though. I shall await her return and go to Galerie Laf with her (this is where Cos is in Paris).

Crem - I do hope you're feeling a little better. I think I'll steer clear of HRT for the time being as I seem to be OK on the whole, although have felt a little weepy at unreasonable things this week - like parents wanting their child to go up a reading level when their child is not ready (usually I just negotiate this one and make them see reason).

Has got very cold very suddenly here - minus one this morning - braved walking in the forest with friends though as it was sunny. Have also been shopping for stocking presents for the DD's. Have got them Heat Tec t shirts from Uniglo, a pair of fancy socks each; a pair of shorty knickers each; a face mask each and then I forgot the chocolate money damn it!

I have had to choose a biography for Book Club - we go by topics - I ordered Romantic Outlaws about Mary Wollstonecroft and Mary Shelley - it is rather longer than I thought coming in at 540 pages

Oh WAF, how agonising. I don't blame you - just wait till you hit GCSES

Hatty, get the jacket if you can afford it and it makes your heart sing - surely it could be your Christmas present if necessary? You won't look back in 10 years and think I'm glad I didn't spend the money on that jacket. You will think, I wish I had got that jacket!

Cremo, so sorry you're still feeling so crappy. But glad that you are missing shitty work!

It is freezing here too, but has been a beautiful sunny day

BTM - I'd probaby spill something on it I'm waiting for the sales just in case.

Well, yes, always worth waiting for the sales if you think it won't sell out of your size

Shitting Christ.

After scrimping and saving and selling lots of my clothes on eBay etc, I thought I might just make it to the end of the month without a rude letter from the bank. But no. I went and parked on a yellow line outside the hairdresser, and got a ticket. What a DICK. It looked like a space, and I even put a visitor's permit on the dash. But the owner of the garage I'd parked in front of phoned the traffic wardens (rather than seeing if he could find me, knob) and they came and slapped a ticket on it. I can try appealing, but I'm bang to rights. I just don't know what else I can do to earn money... it's something of a constant worry.