MNV Volume 75......the Christmas edition

[Drywhitethanks]

It's time to get out your sparkle. Over here for festive fashion cheer, friendship and anything frivolous.

Karcheer Super Cindy is my Summer nude. Very Victoria for winter. LOVE CT make up.

QueenC not for me, January is shitty enough! And one of my best mates helpfully has her birthday in early Jan so can't go dry either. Shame.

Grr, can't believe that Victoria Beckham is getting an OBE for her services to fashion

mara sorry, missed the bit about the internship. Well done and congrats
vegas lush shoes
karcheer I favour gap and oasis. River island are great shapes but don't hold their shape imo. Suspect you're after high end recs though.
Talking of gap, they are closing loads of their stores. Luckily I think my local one is staying open. Also all uk BR stores are closing.

Meant to ask....what's everyone up to for nye? We're away for the weekend with dh which should be good.

QueenC BR closing in Uk? Whaaaat? GAp doesn't surprise me, they seem to have lost their way.

NY I'm staying in with a bottle of champagne and some good food.....out tomorrow and NYD so really not bothered.

dry i move January 15th, we are just in the process of sorting the flat out and packing me up to leave so the flat can be rented out

NYE I am doing nothing except eating cheese and biscuits, in my onesie on the sofa i haven't been out on NYE since the one where i got knocked to the floor and my glasses broken, it just really put me off and i just don't feel the pull anymore

One word: karaoke.

Great news on the jon Mara

Welcome back Karcheer

I haven't been very excited looking at the sales. I've bought some underwear, 2 bretons from Boden & a grey slouchy jumper from M&S. There is noting that i'm really lusting over at the moment. QueenC, I'm up for the no spend january and possibly semi dry.

i was so annoyed last night. To cut a very long story short I discovered that my nephew has lost a the huge bag of Christmas presents that I sent for his parents,sister & himself somewhere on TFL in mid December. Spent ages choosing & wrapping them. I've filled in the lost property form but don't have much hope.

Merry Christmas MNVers

Bit late to the party but have been in the country with weak wi-fi. Sounds like you all had fun. Got back last night to a freezing house, have had the heating on all night but it's still only at 15 degrees.

Am rather jealous of the mortgage-freers. We're borrowing more next year to do extension, but it should make the house warmer.

My best buy was probably Hush jumpsuit as I wore that a lot - think I'm going to pick up the green winter one too.

Worst buy was Sam Edelman wooden sandals - they didn't quite work but hope to get some wear out of them next summer.

Lessons learnt - stay true to my own style, don't covet what looks god on the tall & skinny

Resolutions - don't panic buy for occasions.

NYE we are having some people over but not sure how many. Definitely one other family, & maybe a second but they may go by 9 and a third for early drinks. Finding the catering impossible to figure out!

And am tempted to pop to the shops & buy a silver skirt to wear with my velour top but am trying to reign self in!

Dream how annoying.

Well, today could have ended one of 2 ways. Had to get broken tooth sorted and was going for my first ever eyebrow tint why? with DDfor advice. I'm an idiot aren't I?

So, I could have be getting ready for dinner with friends with a Freida K mono brow and swollen/numb mouth.

But you know me Botox black eye always searching for the secret for everlasting youth...nothing ventured and all.

1. Visit to dentist.

"Like sitting on death row. Young woman waiting for wisdom tooth extraction having a panic attack..... I ended up hugging her and getting her to breathe ....we bonded. Nice man alsohavung tooth out, v nervous, dribbling, me giving counselling....him ending up giving nice woman lift home. Anyway, my lovely Scottish, oh the accent! dentist rebuilt my tooth , not at all nasty, not a crown as I'd expected althoughwill wait to see if his filling lasts surreal on oabout performance clothing he has the idea that I'm an outdoors fitness loony .

1. Eyebrows are great!!!! I've actuLly seen the light about eyebrows this year much underrated feature imo

So, I'm sure you're all relieved that Cinderella will go to theball tonight and it scare the hosts that would be such bad etiquette

Now for my outfit

have already failed one NY resolution , couldn't resist an incredible nargsin amoungst the frozen chips and pizza........,

Next NY resolution is to not post using phone with tiny keys

on reflection not sure whether random stranger hugging may have exacerbated panic attack

Right, laundry done but still a bit jetlagged so I quickly scanned over the posts I missed.

Welcome back karcheer!

dry today I am wearing the teal Uniqlo merino wool jumper you also bought. Very casual with my Fling boyfriend jeans and a heattech tee underneath as it's only 14 degrees here. Oh and a toasty navy cashmere Loro Piana scarf.

• My best buy from 2016: is a very recent one, my first Hermès bag. A Constance in bleu saphir with palladium hardware. It's a bit more ladylike than I usually go for but I will probably wear it crossbody most of the time to make it more casual.

• My worst buy: I can't actually think of anything atm as I really try to only buy and keep what I absolutely love.

• Lessons learnt: as many have said, to stay true to my own style and also to buy a few quality items that will last for years to come.

Oh, and the importance of great accessories. My Saint Laurent belt can really make the most boring outfit (i.e. Jeans and tee or jumper) look more interesting and pulled together.

• resolutions: to keep up the good work and keep buying only things that really suit me and if I can't find it immediately to keep looking until I do.

A good example is my only sales purchase so far. I have been looking for navy brogues for ages but couldn't find any online or in the shops.

There were ok looking ones or nice black ones but I wanted to keep to the brief so I didn't buy anything. Until last night when I saw a gorgeous pair of Church's burwood brogues online so I ordered them.

Fingers crossed they are as nice IRL and that they fit and that they get delivered as it is a website I have never heard of before

I have also been trying to find some nice sandals since the summer but I still haven't found any, even after trying on a gazillion pairs.

And as I don't really urgently need them (I have plenty of old pairs to wear) I can wait until I find the perfect ones.

NYE is going to be very quiet as usual. I am not really a NYE person and since the DC were born we haven't been to any parties anyway.

and we don't know anyone here yet to party with so we will buy some lovely deli food tomorrow and a bottle of champagne and stay in and watch a film with the DC.

Linus I agree about sticking to the brief leather skirt, camel coat etc I've had many searches for the perfect item, find it hard to be disciplined but it's always worth it when you or MNV eventually find the perfect item.

Ok:
Outfit for first time dinner with new friends scary smart/casual territory

Boden cream guipure 3/4 sleeve top
Black Mint V skinnies
Boden red suede ghillie shoes from hell sitting only
Camel coat
Black Gucci disco

Well, we've sold our house!

BIL & SIL also had their baby today on DS's birthday, so a good news day all round!

amber that's great news.

I need to get a cleaner, it's taken me all day to clean the house and I still haven't done the kitchen, admittedly it took slightly longer due to Christmas faff (tree gone, but dh did that), but I can't spend that long cleaning.

dry I was looking at my beauticians price list earlier and thought I'd ask her to tint my eyebrows next time I see her. My grandma (very glam) was commenting on the fact I don't pencil in my eyebrows over Christmas.

I'm getting a cleaner when we move. The house is nearly 3x the size of our current one and I struggle with this!

Great news amber
Karcheer welcome back. Never clean your house all in one day. Impossible. Little and often (or get a cleaner)
Brow people this is my daily saviour

Great news amber and congrats on the new nephew.

Also, I forgot to congratulate mara on her new job!

I admit to neglecting my brows even though I do have some brow pencils and gels.

I could do with some threading but I just need to find a reputable place that won't take off half my brows and give me a permanently surprised look been there, done that

fab news about the house amber

i'm another brow neglector but mostly because im just really crap at filling them in, i just cant seem to get the hang of making them look natural enough that im happy with them. atm i just have them tinted when i remember and pluck any stragglers as and when i see them. have been thinking of having them threaded next time i go for them tinted but i don't want to lose what ive struggled so far to grow out, my eyebrows barely grow, especially on the bottom end, the inner part towards my nose grows fine but that outer half, nope barely any growth at all

DH came home early and made us a Mimosa.

Morning!😂 Dcs have had a full night sleep back home and assume I have too. Currently entertaining them with their Kindle Fires.

Amber, many congratulations on your house sale and purchase! And congrats on the new addition to the family! What a fabulous end of year it's been for you. Both you and Karcheer should definitely get a cleaner! Our old house had 5 double bedrooms and for first 6 months we were there, I didn't sort out a cleaner. Given how fanatic I am about a sparkling clean home, I would spend every Saturday cleaning the house. Insane

I know everyone else is done with Christmas but it was lovely to come home to our very Christmassy looking home last night!

We aren't doing anything this evening for nye, we haven't for a few years but we are happy with that after a few weeks of parties and holiday as well as recovering from my illness. So it will just be glass of bubbly, some nibbles and Netflix.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas, some lovely presents you've all received, Blingy that necklace, wow so so beautiful.

Just got rid of the last of the guests, hence being a bit awol, just quickly glanced back, beautiful bag queen I too was looking at a very similar bag but it was grey suede and I'd prefer leather.

In answer the the questions, forgo who asked:

Best buy this year - Whistles khaki wrap jacket/coat, it goes with everything

Mistake buy - none really, I haven't bought a great deal and return anything that's not great.

S&B lessons learned - like a lot of you said, accessories can elevate an ordinary outfit, I love wearing a cuff/bangle/snake skin/leopard belt with a simple black outfit

S&B resolutions for the new year - to go higher end for certain items, am lusting a Burberry coat and a Mulberry bag atm

Haven't really bought anything in the sales, I have my "stalk everyday for a price reduction" Pinn board and I'll only try and buy item on it.

Must thank Dry for you Uniqlo merino crew cut jumper recommendation, they are great, bought a grey one to replace the one that dh shrunk and also tried out the teal one too, definitely as good as Tippis will see how they wash though

Karcheer lovely to see you back posting on here, I too had wondered where you'd disappeared!

Mara well done on your new job, looking forward to hearing your ootd

Amber just seen your fab news re: house sale and new addition to the family xx

Dry "interesting" trip the the dentist

Sorry for the essay, new years resolution - must post more often!

2016 shopping is complete. Just scored a Burberry Kensington trench coat with 30% off! Feels a bit weird, like my life's shopping may also be complete?! God I hope I keep it!!

Did you get it in store or online Blair? That's the exact coat I want!!

Waves to Kitty!

Finally wearing my new necklace today with the matching ring after I spent 5 minutes looking for it, absolutely love it!

Well done Blair same question as Blingy the coat I'm after is still fp online and can't get to store.

Glad you're wearing your new necklace Blingy