A Very Crepey New Year

[Cremolafoam]

Will this do ??

Dashing in to cheer Molly's privates, agree re bright wall decor ideas. And say a sad thanks to Auriga for wise. If hard hitting, words.

Also. How's this for a 'bracing afternoon. Turned up to what I'd thought was going to be a meeting between me, old boss and a client about a new mag only for it to be a huge meeting in a grand room with about 10 sceptical people. I had to come up with loads of editorial ideas for a mag which they want by March. Seat. Of. Pants.

Luckily I was wearing my new Cos dress so looked the part. See how flattering it is:

Molly, and hysteria. And hurrah for ladyparts!

Hatty, we went to Slovenia the following year (because it rarely gets bakingly hot) which also had cool lake swimming, lovely walking (Alps) and that same very down to earth, peaceful, sensible feel that I liked about Iceland. Ditto slightly basic accommodation and food but better weather. dh and the dc did rafting and canyoning and whatnot, same as in Iceland. Yep, Iceland was August and we were apparently unlucky with the weather. Depends what you mind about though. I agree with Molly, don't try to do too much if you go to Iceland - we made it as far as the iceberg lake beginning with J and back again and that felt quite leisurely. But as I say if the dc had been older, we'd have gone to one of the spots in the interior on a coach and stayed in a hut with hotsprings but you have to take all your food for two days or whatever and it seemed too much faff. Where have you liked before?

Sorry, cross post hatty.

You look fab, herbs!

Hmm Lalsy, DH is from the Alps sounds as Iceland is the Alps witb hot springs. I think the US might actually be good but again expensive for flying in August.

Dress looks good Herbs.

Like the shoes, Herbs - where are they from?

Good ld clarks. Sale, natch. They are one of my four pairs of metallic shoes.

at Colly - I have a mental image of young doctor rummaging around down there to see if he's able to locate any 'Hysteria'

Reassuring news Molly I'm so pleased. I do find it irritating that the term "hysteria" was derived from the term for uterus.

MI your living quarters and decor and curtains and cushions all look lovely and stylish. I would like to show my turquoise accents around the house but I'm scared it'll out me.

tilly fingers crossed DS has had a better day on the new regime.

Herbs You look the business in that dress.

All this talk of travels is giving me itchy feet. However we have taken the decision to stay in the UK this year. A month at the flat in August...am I pathetic to be actually loving the idea? The DC may have their own ideas but I'm not budging.

My top has arrived from Woolovers but not tried on yet...and I couldn't resist this little beauty, (reduced locally) ...non leather but I prefer it for everyday because I always trash my bags
and it can carry a lap top. And it has a nice silver F on it....

Herbs, it looks better than you than on the model on the website - perfect

I caught an interview about Embrace this morning - sadly very few screenings, but hopefully it will be out on Netflix before long.

Hatty, Vietnam could be good. Or how about 2 weeks in Nicaragua - very easy to travel around, lots to see and do and very chilled. Or Costa Rica?

Rose, I'm with you in having both turquoise and highly identifiable features in my sitting room - though I don't really think the www is that interested in me or my life. I love the colour though.

Hatty - friends went to Vietnam last year and said it was fantastic and their photos support that claim. I know exactly what you mean re the older offspring complaining that exotic holidays become affordable once they stop coming. We went to India with dd3 in their first term at uni - and to make it worse we flew first class on the grounds that it was cheaper than business for some inexplicable reason.

Crem PM me your address and Ill send the Pur Primer!

Oh and I keep meaning to ask but forgetting - is anyone else getting a French connection dress flashed in front of them every time they log on? It's a black and white fitted dress reduced from £85 to £29 - I'm quite tempted as I think it would be a useful dress assuming it fitted ok.

I know all about Rose's turquoise touches; she was busy shopping for them while we milled around antique shops.....

I love turquoise and I hanker after this http://loaf.com/products/crumpet-sofa/select/colour?size=large&customisation%5Brc%5D=1&colour=peacock-brushed-cotton

The sofa it will replace was bought in 1994, so price per day should be ok

I am very pleased I'm off work, but tentatively doing a little research on where to plop myself back in (making interesting and advantageous connections on LinkedIn mostly)...

Not appearing on the app version Mrs W, but am intrigued. Much of those pop up ads click bait have tracked your own personal clicking, thus I get la Redoute and Plümo alternately (annoyingly)

Molly , am so glad you have the all clear. I have been worried for you.

Herbs -rocking it in that dress madam , and like your style winging it in High Powered Meeting.

Beachy I love that little bit of Turquoise and also like the Bahama velvet colour very much.

MI I also think bringing some red to the room will work wonders.

Hoorah for Molly's Minge!

For those of you who have "done Europe", may I recommend: Estonia (hot in summer, Tallinn is a beautiful mediaeval city, with a beach, lovely countryside, little islands and a short ferry ride to Helsinki), Transylvania (castles, mountains, mediaeval cities, hiking, cheese) or northern Poland (lakes, sea, ancient castles, the Tri-City, beaches, pine trees, amber, day trip by boat to Kaliningrad).

I am contemplating a week on the beach in Rio, drinking Caiprinha by night. I feel I need a break.

Nice sofa, Beachy.

Good news: got tickets for Hamilton for DD2's birthday next year...

Thanks for the suggestions BTM and Mrs S - I'm going to get googling. Rio sounds good Mrs S.

Beachy - I absolutely love that sofa (although I'd probably spill coffee or red wine on it).

Yes to Estonia, Mrs S. Beautiful country, and they really love singing, so surely the perfect Crepey destination. I was going to suggest Seville , Grenada, Córdoba triangle Hatty, as tis beautiful and exciting and the food is marvellous. You could get to Sevilla by fast train ( terrifying Gallic vehicle ) TGV and then on through Espagne.

I am obviously obsessing about your front room Mi, but here's some schemes.

Colly glad it's good news :)

Cremo, there's no way I can get DP to agree to a repainting when it would be simpler to swap the curtains...

I'm still boggling at the whole concept of coming home to find one's DP has bought curtains.

Reading with interest all the holiday suggestions. Latest holiday discussion at The Chateau dinnertable centred around Croatia - any other teen-friendly, reasonably sunny, cheap destinations?

Good to hear you have the all-clear, Molly.

Herbs - I really do think you are sliding towards POA for your DM. I realise it will be a whole heap of work, but if she is getting stressed out doing this year's taxes, it isn't going to get any better. Why does she have to do a tax return, by the way? On a separate note, that dress looks great on you! And the shoes.

Phew Molly, you must be very relieved re health scare.

No advice re holidays - I need some myself. Suggestions please for a few days (4ish) in Europe beginning of August, me, dh and the dss. Not Spain. Somewhere with culcher and good food... TIA.

Agree with others that it sounds like POA might be needed Herbs, then at least you can be proactive rather than trying to sort out the mess in a panic at the last minute.

I too am perplexed re the curtain scenario MI. Did he say he was planning on changing them? Did you agree? Dh would never dream of doing that - and nor would I without consulting him. I think they are perfectly fine if a bit dull but for me it would be the principle of the thing I would struggle with - are you expected to be grateful even if you don;t like them? Pfffft to that.

GGG - the Netherlands? You won't get heat, but I love that place.

Ah. You may recall I've been saying our previous curtains actually had holes in them. Actual holes. They were also horribly faded. We've been saying we needed to replace them and DP has made various suggestions of different alternatives for the best part of a year. It wasn't just an impulse buy!

And Rudy - Prague is lovely, lucky you. We did a bike tour, and discovered all sorts of interesting corners of the city. But maybe a bike tour is a bit "coals to Newcastle" for you.