MNV Vol 88 - start of a new roaring 20's??

[libertyonhertravels]

New year, new decade, new thread. Come join us for friendly fashion chat, you can agonise over the right length to wear your jeans or deliberate the exact tone of lippy. A frivolous space in tricky times. All welcome.

Picking up from here

Some nice purchases there @libertyonhertravels Very best of luck with the new role

Have just had a massive read back, loved the book discussion, I want to read more William Boyd Mara I read 'Any Human Heart' for my book club and I loved it. We're reading Crawdads now.

Have loved all your links, great shopping Lib the dresses are great and I think the black one will work well for you too.

Apple I loved the coats you linked way back, I really pared pack on my coats found that the ones I have are not suitable for my reclusive lifestyle.That bracelet is exquisite and good advice from Caroline

Shop Im glad the jumpsuit is a good fit, it's very you. I feel your pain on the home schooling front. I've had to give up nagging for my own sanity.

A bit late to the game but Mara I like the backless ones but yeah I don't know how practical they are to walk around in. Aesthetics over practicality.

As for me I'm feeling like the rest of you, trying to combat lockdown weight, I'm day 6 on a 21 yoga challenge which I started 3 weeks ago. I downloaded the Fitness Plus app as it has 10 minute exercises but I not doing them regularly enough - I really miss the gym.

And as for fashion it's Sweaty Betty leggings all the way I bought these recently

camo I don't know if it's all in my head but they seem more flattering that other leggings. They seem to hold me in more.

Due to my more casual nature I, again far too late, decided I needed a another coat /jacket as my wool ones and thick NF parka weren't cutting the mustard.

I bought this
black puffa jacket but sent it back as it was too hot and shiny. So now I've got this arriving today

Canada Goose in black although after reading the CG thread on here I'm having second thoughts I'll look like a drug dealer and I'm not altogether overly enamoured with the logo on the arm. Buy hey considering I only go to Tesco and back it should be okay. Maybe I'll convince myself to go for extra walks now I have a suitable jacket

Great to hear from you @MissKittyKitty, can’t imagine you look anything but chic in your CG!

That was a big shop lib and a good one. Love that the shops are all different too. My favourites are the cropped trousers and sage green cardigan, so nice.

Today I upped my game on the top half for zoom calls with an equipment shirt, men’s style fine blue and white striped. Bottom half was still joggers but my ‘best’ ones lol plus cashmere socks and clogs. Clogs are these Marant which I bought in sale last year to wear last summer and never did but they are great house shoes.

I can definitely walk fine in backless shoes, never even thought about it being an issue. My issue is more about the state of my feet! I have the Princetons in red from around 4 years ago and once walked home from Tate modern in them (several miles). Am thinking those ones where you can wear as standard loafers or backless could be a better bet but you do lose a little bit in the design, not as clean. Like the list of desires @Applefairy btw

APC bag did you get @MarshaBradyo ? I trust your dh to choose well for you on the style front!

Hello everyone.
Up and down here. It’s tough on the other side of home schooling too, v v tough. I feel for all the parents and esp for the children. I’m daily getting asked “when can we come back to school?”.” It breaks my heart. It’s crappy for everyone.
The one good thing about working in a workplace is that I can wear my smart/casual stuff but it’s all getting a bit snug.

Does anyone else feel their life has become v small? Just home, immediate family and walks. We will all go crazy when the restaurants and shops are properly open won’t we?

B

@MissKittyKitty it is not in your head. Sweaty Betty leggings are a thing of genius and well worth the extra £££. If you know a local yoga instructor make friends with them immediately as they get a massive SB discount.

@DryWhiteagainW yes to life shrinking. Highlight of my day today was a massive dog walk with my bestie, and digging over the compost heap. I was so impressed with the quality of my compost I nearly put it on Insta. What have I become?
Top tip for some sunshine and joy is a Freddie’s Flowers subscription - I get them once a month and really look forward to arranging them. Have a look on my Insta for the latest arrangement. And if you fancy a try I have codes to share. No affiliation - just a happy customer.
Loving your purchases @libertyonhertravels - the dress is v you.

Here’s a question for you all Voguettes. Tell me the following that you have enjoyed most recently..... I need inspiration.

1. family meal
2. podcast
3. TV series
4. movie
5. musician / album

Dry I agree with you about life being small. I just want life my old life back - and some spontaneity.

Shop you are too kind, good tip about SB I usually manage to find a 20% discount code knocking about.

Answers to your questions

1 Family meal - I love cooking from my Rukmini Iyer Roasting Tin books - generally very simple recipes and delicious food tonight I'm doing peanut butter chicken with tomato rice from the Quick book. Another recipe that always goes down a treat is balsamic sausages
recipe here

another sausage recipe that goes down well basically I love a tray bake meal if I'm cooking! I don't always cook with sausages but chicken and chorizo in anything always goes down well.

this went down well too last week

I also turn pasta meals into baked meal as well eg meatballs, carbonara etc etc everything tastes better shoved in the oven with mozzarella on top - although that's not good for the waistline!

when in need of inspiration I put in an ingredient in the search box and sees what it throws up at me

2 I don't really listen to podcasts but when I'm trying to be good I listen to a Coffee Break French whilst ironing to improve my French.

3 TV series - I'm late to the game and am currently watching Brigerton - which I think you've seen, Schitts Creek, Chernobyl and my dc insist I watch Friday Night Dinner which is really funny.

4 I haven't watched a film in ages

5 When cooking I ask Alexa to play some blasts from the pasts that I haven't heard in a long time ie Macy Grey, Morcheeba, Terence Trent D'Arby, Sneaker Pimps, Air, Propeller Heads, Chemical Brothers, Moby, Leftfield, The Smiths a bit of an eclectic mix.

Is it just me who thinks SB is a bit overrated? I have found Gap leggings more comfortable and last longer too.

Fave family meal - have been cooking from Falastin cookbook when I can - weekends only - and it is wonderful.

Podcast - finance and economics ones only lately to keep me on top of things work wise

TV/film - none lately, no time :-(

Music - various classical music playlists lately to encourage the DC and random 90s dance for my runs

Now I can really see how small my world is at the moment!

Yep life has become a drudge!

Struggling massively trying to manage my job and help DS with his schoolwork, he's not self sufficient at all and my job is full on so I find it stressful to do what I need to be a good parent and a good employee. Its an impossible ask 🙁

I bought The Meal Prep King book, so far everything I've made is lovely and designed to be frozen so I'm eating better and not just grabbing rubbish when I'm tired at the end of a hard day.

Have just watched Cheat on Netflix, really good. Now watching Fire flys.

Have recently Watched all the Bridget Jones movies, My Big Fat Greek Wedding and The Witches and Employee of the Month with DS!

Live SB stuff, power 7/8 leggings are fab. Have been doing more running (as nothing else to do!) and the running jacket I bought at Christmas has been perfect.

I just want to see my friends, dressed up at a nice restaurant or bar, go to the gym and be able to plan weekends away/ holidays etc all the normal stuff really!

I should have offered my own answers too shouldn’t I?

1. family meal - we did build your own gourmet burgers last week - went down a treat
2. podcast - Shagged Married Annoyed for the laughs and Grounded with Louis Theroux
3. TV series - Fauda on Netflix
4. movie - The Gentlemen
5. musician / album - Izzy Bizu, Celeste

Right:
1)family meal.....Mexican fajitas always go down a treat. Guacamole, retried beans, salsa etc. Oh not forgetting a starter of cheesy nachos
2)podcast (apart from your 2 *Shop) I’ve loved The Storyteller, Murder most Foul. Fascinating look at a murder case.The Adoption BBC R4 was good too.
3) This is Us on Amazon. (But I’ve seen LOADS)
4)Film....
5) musician.......nothing special, I’m listening to a lot of Indie 90s at the mo. This period is making me nostalgic. George Michael too.

Hello MNVers, hope you're all well. Hoping we get some ❄️ today to break up the monotony.

I have bought a couple of things lately - some R&B black cropped flares from the Outnet (massively sized up from my last jeans purchase a couple of years back) & a small round leopard bag from Hush sale, which is surprisingly good quality.

Good qs Shop although rather depressingly not much springs to mind.

1. Family meal - nothing new but we do try and roast chicken every other weekend. DC insist on Yorkshire pudding.
2. Podcast - haven't listened to much recently but tend to go for comedy. The Guilty Feminist, The Bugle, Richard Herring are all favourites.
3. TV - again barely been watching but loving Staged (nice & short too). Next on my list is It's a Sin.
4. None for adults but we watched Queen of Katwe with the kids which was great.
5. Music - generally listen to the radio, 2,4 or 6 depending on my mood. Kids have had Hamilton on repeat which is great. I had a bit of a nostalgia trip the other day listening to New Order Technique.

Dry yes, world shrinking is exactly it. I am so thankful that nurseries have remained open and I can at least go to the office (because nursery is round the corner so it makes no sense to then drive back home to work). I’m one of a very few in atm but it just stops the world shrinking too much. Means I can go for a walk with my friend daily and I get some adult conversation.

To answer shop’s questions
Meal - definitely a family roast every Sunday, we don’t eat dinner with DS any other day and it’s lovely (and he is very well behaved at the table, thanks nursery)
Podcasts - never listened to one
TV - we are persevering with the Crown but before that we binged the Queen’s Gambit.
Movies - we got some new tv speakers so are rewatching the Matrix trilogy with upgraded sound.
Music - we recently discovered Glass Animals after liking their single Heatwave.

kitty Sb leggings are the best. I only have one pair and was too slow in the sales, I wish I’d got more as I’m only wearing leggings to work at the moment. shop my yoga teacher only offers 10% off SB (in a local store - wish it was online too atm!)

Only purchase to report is a long oversized pink hoodie from Arket. I love it but I received it just when I learnt about H&M possibly using Uyghur slave labour in their supply chain. I thought about returning it but the packaging and paperwork were already in the bin and had been taken out by DH and collected by the bin men. Going forward I am going to contact h&m and see if they will confirm that they have stopped having any connection with these supply chains before I buy anything else from them/Arket/Cos/Stories etc.

That’s a really good way of putting it @DryWhiteagainW, life is indeed smaller. Think I’m actually going to find it quite overwhelming when everything opens up again.

That’s really bad of H&M @BlairWaldorfLovesShopping, I had the impression they were a pretty ethical high street brand but maybe am just thinking of environmental footprint.

Good questions shop, I’ve enjoyed reading the responses. Here’s mine:

Food: lots of comfort food like roast chicken (I love yorkshires too @stokey, can’t wait for a proper good pub Sunday roast), gratins, beef bourguignon, homemade vegetable soups. We have a great new greengrocer locally so really easy to source fresh in season products. Better local shops has been one of the few benefits of lockdown. This past week I’ve made Jerusalem artichoke soup, braised Swiss chard, winter salad with endives and for tonight am doing a gratin with crozets (small square pasta pieces) leek and mushroom plus plenty of cream and cheese. It’s a mountain dish that should be enjoyed after a long day’s skiing so not the best for the sedentary waistline but we did go for a walk earlier!

TV: rewatching Spiral from the beginning which is going to be occupying my evenings for some time. Haven’t watched series 8 yet so will be a treat at the end. Also loved The Queen’s Gambit.

Films: none for ages apart from working through the Netflix Miyazaki selection with DS on weekend afternoons. We love Totoro and I find the magical realism particularly heartwarming right now.

Podcasts: loads on my solo walks including French & Saunders Titting About, Fortunately with Fi & Jane, Dear Joan & Jericha plus Talk Art with Russel Tovey.

Music: Not listening to enough, mainly radio 6 in background when working and sometimes jazz in evenings if having drinks, we try and create a lounge bar vibe to pretend we are out (doesn’t work ).

Thanks for all taking the time to answer my questions. Pen and paper tomorrow so I can add them to my list.
Before I add yours on..... here was my list (minus food) that other people had shared with me - in case it sparks your interest

.

Shop is Thug Life about Tupac?

I just finished reading The Hate U Give to see if it was suitable for dd1. It was a bit old for her but thought it was great, and the title is from Thug Life. I'm trying to walk at least 5k steps a day so will definitely be looking into your podcast list, thanks!

It’s freeeeeeezing!!!! I’m wearing cashmere and a heatech vest and still chilly. Hope you are all ok in the snow.

Nearly at end of this thread, be good to have a new one as we hopefully start to crawl out of lockdown!

My current no spend approach has lasted nearly a month and a half!

Caved in and ordered this lovely MV jumper, reeled in with a 15% offer code!

MV jumper

Hope everyone is managing to plod along!

Brrr it’s verging on Baltic here this morning. Got down to something like minus 15 @libertyonhertravels guess you have started your new job. Very best of luck with it

Really nice jumper @VivaVegas!

It is freezing, I'm so bored of the leggings/boots/jumper and big coat uniform. Roll on spring, I want to wear jeans and jackets. At least it has stopped snowing here.

Hope it's going well @libertyonhertravels :)

I really like the slouchiness of that jumper Viva and the contrasting red on the cuff - great find.

Blair I get you I'm so bored of my lockdown uniform.

I'm not a fan of the snow anymore as an adult however I did feel like a pro out n about in my CG jacket and Sorel boots. I was super toasty too. I was wavering with the jacket but it arrived just the right time to coincide with the snow so I had to try it out.

Good luck with the new job lib

Question - am I supposed to put @ in front of your names now instead of using the two asterisks? What does the @ do? Is it linked to the notifications which I never look at?

kitty

Asterisk still works

• still works by putting the name in bold - @ sends a notification to the person you're mentioning.