Here we are in our 505 and Hasbeens still waiting for spring, and still shopping wisely!

[VerityBrulee]

Following on from here

Surely the sun will be out by the end of this thread?

MM good haul!! Love the porcupine (or was it hedgehog) top and have added it to my "saved for later" items ... I ordered those Chinos on the w'end too and got the despatch email today.... so fingers crossed they work on the large of rear me.

who asked for the light choc cake? will type it up.

Sorry about the other poorly dcs

Also .. there was a newbie on here the other day saying that they'd bought the Oushka Phoenix in Ash .. it was prob me who did the recommendation, as I have it plum. Really glad you like it!!

Okay - QOTW: what, other than clothes, can you not resist spending on?

For me it's stationery (esp cards) and blankets.

My NaP email today is hilarious: from the sublime to the ridiculous

Right, DH is having issues with an email and requires me to be his Cyrano de Bergerac. (sp??) Minus the schnozz.

Evening all. DD joins the ranks of poorly little ones - we were up every hour last night. Ugh! I had a nap while DD and DS napped after lunch today. Needed it.

Have had a few glasses of wine tonight so not quite myself - our church group came to ours for takeaway and we now have a house full of leftover wine, beer, chocolate and chinese. I won't fit my spring wardrobe at this rate

Should go to bed as I am accompanying my mum in a concert for the opening of an art exhibition tomorrow. Will not be at my best! Have spent all afternoon practicing (apart from nap time) but am tres nervous...

LTEC - I think your MIL was rude. Whatever she may think of you being wheat-free, as her son's wife, she should respect your wishes. Up her bum, I say! It's been 2 yrs!

roman very of your choos

Speaking of which, choogirl if you list loads of gorgeous things, you'll have to let us know your ID so we can find them.

mm do you have some Bertie shoes for sale or have I got the wrong person? Searched for the Steve Madden boots but I have some Top Shop ones very similar to that. Funnily enough, I used to wear them with denim shorts but less Daisy Duke, more festival. Not since the DCs though!

hells, shall I mail and ask for a 40 in the Choos then d'you think? They have still not despatched anything.

I do commute but I think would change on arrival rather than destroy anything so lovely as those Choos! In Rome I used to walk to work in flip flops and put my Tods on when I got there.

OWW I'm in Brussels, haven't been here long, and haven't been to Antwerp yet - except the horrible zoo, as would like to go with dh (who loves shopping for clothes for me) and no kids. I speak fluent French and don't think I'll bother with Dutch. You don't really need it here and we're not in Belgium for the long term. Hope not anyway, I can't bear miserable grey northern climates.

Anyhow for shopping here, apparently Rue Dansaert is a sort of mini-Antwerp with lots of Belgian designers, so I plan to go there soon. I also will head into town for some H&M and Zara this week, all being well with dcs.

Ltec I also got to bed at about 11.30 having rewritten s'th for dh. What nice wives we are!

Can anyone recommend me a place to order some black leather gloves, not too expensive?

Morning all, hope the poorly DCs are ok.

DD has got worms. OMG. Has had them before so we know the signs. Treated with her with a tablet last night.

So gross.

Ordered this:

cheapie for work Will see if it is any good when arrives tomorrow.

LTEC - your post about your nap email made me laugh -I got a mystified email from a friend with a link to nap on Friday night, just saying wtf? It was to a pair of Balmain combats that were £2k! No leather, just cotton and zips.....!

morning all.

LTEC poor little DS - I hope he gets back to normal soon.

Would you mind if I ordered this. I remember liking it when you first linked but thought I should avoid as I was in danger of becoming your clone but I think you've sent it back now?

So glad the seahouse is beautiful. Enjoy wearing it.

Roman - I have got wide feet so perhaps makes it worse. NAP are pretty good on that sort of thing. Maybe worth emailing them for advice.

Where is carcifio? She comes on, bestows gifts (my-wardrobe code, lionel and lily link) and vanishes. Come back

I am going to the theatre on Thurs. Mum offered tickets to any show as a present for my last birthday (may last year!!!) and we've only just been able to book it now. V. excited.

Fleecy - how exciting...what are you playing (and more importantly what are you wearing!)

I haven't been for ages. Is it still smartish?

Monkeysmama, did you track down your Topshop jacket yet? Am going into the flagship Cardiff store today, so can have a look. They often have styles that have sold out else where for some reason (Plum mutters to herself that she knows exactly why, but had better keep her thoughts about her unstylish city-mates to herself)

Let me know, and even if you don't, I'll have a look anyway.

I'm here, Hells! What are you going to see? I like the pink bag.

Fleecy, I'm impressed. What do you play?

LTEC, I'd like the choc cake recipe please but no rush.

Won't be able to check in for a while so I look forward to lots of lovely links on my return!

glad you are here!

I'm going to see Wating for Godot - it's supposed to be an amazing production so I'm really looking forward to it.

Oh hells of course I don't mind! It's a gorgeous bag. Enjoy!

Sorry - that's "Waiting for Godot'

LTEC - thanks!

Morning ladies. Hells I think LTEC has that bag. Consider yourself enabled.

Roman I am 39.5 and find Choo true to size. Unlike CL.

Just had to prise DD's fingers off my coat at teh school gate, while she wailed 'Mummy, I miss yoooooooooooou!'. Sob!

Am going to RL shops to get over it, I may be some time...

oh yes, meant to say - I find Choo runs true to size, Louboutins come up small. Am comfortable in a Choo 42, crippled in a CL of the same size.

Had that pink bag, sent it back for an orange one after buying the pink MJ bag. Now have sent back orange and am heading to Primark for a canvas summer bag. It's the cloth nappy thing. I'm not carrying wee-soaked nappies around in a £100 bag. End of!!!

Dragonfly back from Alex Monroe already!! what great customer service!!

carciofi - I'll post the recipe in the recipes section, as it's in danger of getting lost on this thread otherwise, esp as you are not checking in for a while

it must just be my fat feet that are causing problems with the choos!

Will stick with the 39.5 - hope it's OK. Is it normal for nap to wait so long before despatch? It's been 48 hours. I think I'll email and ask what they're up to.

I'm going to see Spandau ballet tomorrow night . Wish I had those rats already

ltec that HH jumpsuit is lovely

Hells - I really want to see that play!! Its had mixed reviews, but seeing Sir Ian McKellan would be a treat. DH and I love love the opera, too, so am excitedly waiting for ROH tickets for next season to go on sale.

Roman - I used to wear my havaiainas to walk to work every day in Sydney, then change into my heels (had v brown feet w tan marks - not v stylish). Many ladies did it. In London I wore ballet flats for the walk into work instead.

Fleecy - good luck today!!

Cakey - oh, be still my beating heart - that Halston jumpsuit... No comment re that oddity NAP also suggested.

Plum - happy shopping! I feel for you w DD missing you, so heart rending when they are upset.

Right, off to get ever more closely acquainted w our washing machine and tumble dryer after this morning's vomit session. Note to self: wear hair up when holding sick DD as she will be sick in it and it will tangle my hair. My poor darling, she is so miserable (although thankfully asleep at the mo').

Thanks Cakey, will look out for it.

Oh no, more ill DCs. We have been lucky recently but I am sure we are due a cold or bug soon.

Enjoy the play, Hells.

I have just been looking at a gorgeous pink Mulberry messenger bag but Christmas/birthday is a loooong way away!

oooh carciofi if you're here I'll do it here while bfing

actually just came on to tell you bargainous Missoni scarf on outnet, but gone already

3 med free range eggs
160g caster sugar
200g peeled & grated butternut squash
120g white rice flour
3tbsp quality cocoa powder
80g ground almonds
1tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb soda
1/4 tsp salt
125ml buttermilk

icing
50g unsalted butter, softened
200g icing sugar, sieved
50g mascarpone
4tsp cocoa powder
small pinch salt

preheat oven to 180c/ 350f/ gas 4. Line 2 18x5 loose bottomed tins with baking parchment and brush veggie oil over base & sides

whisk eggs & sugar in large mixing bowl for 4 mins til pale & fluffy. Beat in grated squash followed by flour, cocoa powder, ground almonds, baking powder, bicarb of soda & salt. Add buttermilk before beating again one last time to make sure all ingredients well introduced to one another

pour evenly into both tins, place in middle of oven for 30mins

remove from oven when cooked, unmould, peel off parchment, leave to cool

make icing - beat butter with 100g of sugar until forms a rich paste. Then continue for another 10 seconds. Next add mascarpone, cocoa powder, salt and the remaining sugar. Beat again to combine

refrigerate icing for 15 mins. Beat again with wooden spoon before icing middle and top of cake. Decorate top with flowers.

Afternoon all.

Have finally decided not to get the hasbeens - they just don't look worth £150'ish to me and thought of returning them to Sweden puts me off too.

Instead I am currently loving these.

Happy Birthday VerityBrulee - hope you're having a lovely day.

Love the Choos Romana. When are your interviews?

My DvF ebay top arrived yesterday and I really like it, although it's far too cold to wear on its own. I don't know what it's like in the UK but it's bloody freezing over here. Gloriously sunny but minus 5°C during the day. Seriously fed up with it especially as it is stopping dh from getting on with our build.

After hearing about them on here I bought this Sea Folly bikini on ebay last night. A bit about buying 2nd hand swimwear but it's supposed to be new without tags so hopefully it won't be used . I'm hoping the style will suit my figure as it looks like the bottoms are fairly substantial and the top is underwired and has nice sturdy straps! Anyway, we'll see. If they're no good I won't have spent much on them so I can try and re-flog them.

Good news is that I have booked my trip back to London for 22/3 so less than 2 weeks to go. Can't wait, new haircut, new jeans and whatever else I can find!

Oh, and thanks for all the recipes. I can't wait to get started on them.

oh Tracey - you were my partner in hasbeen crime we shall have to change the thread title now! But I do agree those shoes look great. Apparently the designer used to be a Podiatrist or some such foot specialist! And designs the shoes to be as comfortable as possible.

I have been buying new bras. There are a lack of pretty ones for small backs/bigger cups - I've got a few to try (from the figleaves site) but was so jealous of the millions of beautiful styles in smaller cup sizes

Also got this as a holiday cover up. I can't bear spending too much of stuff that will be splashed with chlorine and salt water!