We shop therefore we are.. Wise & Avid

[blossoming]

Thanks to ltec for the new title.

Cake - how's that poor piggy?

Esher - I don't eat with dcs in the week; at the weekend we usually all have lunch together on Sat and Sun and Sun eve we all eat en famille...In the week, I sit down with them, but have to feed babe (7 mos) and tbh it seems to be a constant, 'eat your supper, sit nicely, don't do that' thing, particulraly with DD, so I am thankful that I am not eating or major indigestion would set in! I also like to eat with DH later, that way I don;t eat my huuuuge supper at say 5.30 pm and then start looking for snacks at say, 9pm!

Good luck tomorrow verity. I'm sure you'll look stunning.

On carciofis recommendation I ordered the White Co navy plait dress, only because ther was a 20% off code, it accepted the code at checkout, but when order confirmed it was at full price I just emailed them to sort it out.

You are right, raspberry it is Just painting nails now. I am going to bring my Lanvin shoes and change into them in the college car park! I am very excited, please cross your fingers for me

Roman far from boring, I thought that was a very insightful post. Dh is the same as yours, he would eat and eat, always looking in the fridge, but he cycles everywhere and plays rugby so he's in good shape.

I really feel for those of you with little ones finding the social side of school hard. It is so hard to leave them in the morning not knowing what's going on when you are not there. In our school there is a buddy bench in the playground, if you don't have anyone to play with you sit on the bench and the teachers find you someone to join in with. It's a simple idea and works really well. Definately let the teacher know though so they can keep an eye on the situation and also reassure you.

Marsha that dinner sounds great, I have a similar habit, if I like something I want to eat it ALL THE TIME! Dh usually objects in which case he can cook for himself

Hi all
speedy thread today! Zara has a v lovely maxi in a White and blue pattern' almost like toile du juoy. Was tempted to try on today but ds was getting hungry. Will need to return denim mini (belts) to topshop tomorrow. What is the a&w pick for a thorough high street browse?

carciofi mil leaves next mon. Dd now pooing only in her sleep as too worked up to do it while awake. mill and dh made an attempt starting thurs despite me and nanny not thinking she was ready. . But have insisted we stop. Really mil kept saying 'we will keep it v relaxed' but it was far from it. I shouldn't complain as she does compliment my parenting a lot but am missing escape of work that I usually ahve during visits.

So let me know your high street browse picks and I willl report with links!

My parents eat everything on their plate and totally overreact when I never used too - still do! My Mum is terrible in restaurants too - goes out of her way to finish off any bits that come with starters such as a pots of garlic butter in Pizza Express! Would not dream of sending it away uneaten! I ignore it now but used to dread eating out with them.
Verity - good luck tomorrow. Outfit sounds fab. Will be thinking of you.
Is anyone else watching High Street Dreams? V interesting - Jo Malone is fab!

enforced plate clearing is a terrible habit. Dh used to make himself feel sick by clearing his plate when we first met. Have trained it out of him!

God, dh would nearly lick the plate clean! I always emphasise to dc that it's ok to stop eating when you feel full, but ds2 is a bit on the picky side and would jump at the chance to say he's full after 2 bites - hard to get the balance right there!

Thanks for the good wishes, I have made a checklist so I don't forget anything, and laid out all my clothes for the morning, feels like being back in school again, but in a good way ( I HATED school, which is why I spend 2 and a half hours a day on the school run so that my dcs can go to the loveliest school I could find)

Notyummy - yes, I too remember wearing playsuits around 1990...Think mine may have been from Oasis! Wistful reminiscing.......

Anyone remember wearing puffballs and having a crop with tiny plaits? And thinking that fishnet fingerless gloves were de rigeur...Madge has a lot to answer for....

Yes, VB good luck tomorrow! We'll be thinking of you...

I'm afraid I've had too many glasses of wine...so reading all the wise and wonderful posts I've managed to get over emotional ...what amazing insights into how we form our body image.

For my part I had a mother who constantly told me I was beautiful (but also berated me for being terrible in so many other ways ) and an intellectual but emotionally absent father...inspiring in all things cerebral (although the constant phrase - 'she's like me - she doesn't have to work at things she is so clever' did not have a good effect...I stopped working at anything!!). He never commented on the way I looked positively or negatively.

I was hideously self conscious as a teenager. I hid my (with hindsight) rather amazing body under layers of clothes. But I never did have any issues with food. My mother is slim and lovely and never dieted (to my knowlege)or discussed issues with food...just fed us gorgeous home cooked food.

I also take on board the very sensible observations about not making too many physical comments about others. Our family were terrible at this. My parents were both beautiful looking and were terribly judgemental (in a harsh but funny way which I hate to admit I inherited)...and I am determined NOT to pass that on to the DC's.

So it is so interesting and scary to hear the repercussions of things parents have said having such an influence on the way we view food and self image. And how very carefully we must tread.

what a boring post! Too much wine - I'll sign off. Night all.

Verity, good luck tomorrow!

I know I am a lone voice, but I have to say I'm glad it's cooling off tomorrow, I've just come upstairs and the bedroom is so much cooler than last night, so will hopefully get more sleep.

On the clearing plates thing, we are careful not to enforce plate clearing with ds (would be hard to do otherwise without being hypocritical, as I can't force myself to eat more than is comfortable); we have to put up with a lot of over-zealous cajoling from MIL when she stays as she thinks we're not trying hard enough to get ds to finish his plate, but I want mealtimes to be as relaxed as possible (for ds and everyone else!).

Dolcee, I didn't do puff-balls but did love my ra-ra skirts - looking ridiculous with skinny little legs. I saw a ra-ra dress on my wardrobe or NAP today as well.

Have you seen this blog? It's a look in the wardrobes of a variety of fashionable people

I have a ra-ra skirt In my defence, it's black so not too ruffly looking. And I haven't worn it for ages because it only just covers my bum and my legs haven't been up to it.

Although that's all about to change... Found my Shred dvd - had the bright idea of asking DD if she knew where it was and she'd hidden it away down the back of a book case to stop DS getting it Took me straight to it and knew exactly what I was talking about! So I have done level one today in lieu of a gym class.

Oh my goodness, by the time I caught up with the last thread, I was too late to post on it! This is going to be very abbreviated as its gone midnight.

Well, I am managing to check out the links and have been seriously eyeing up some of the maxi dresses for an easy-outfit option. Plus I'm loving the compliments you have all been getting.

I managed a haul at Matalan this weekend and got some jeans and tops including
this white shirt which I really like with jeans and also these cute little pumps, for £6 it would have been rude not to.

Tracey, I felt really sick reading about your little one falling down the stairs, so glad all is well.

Good morning and thanks to you all for making me feel so welcome!

I just wanted to order the stitch linen dress from the White Company but it is not available until the beginning of July... Should I order anyway or will the sales be on by then?

Morning all!

A bit cooler today, but in my mind it is officially summer and there is no going back. I am NOT wearing tights to work.

Wearing a very old (does classic/vintage sound better?) outfit today. Long bias cut summer dress (black with junglish print) from Principles - remember them? - bought around 1999. Also an M and S pure wool jacket (not as warm/wintery as it sounds), bought in 1994. This jacket was bought as I started to work in 'smart' environments so myself and my ex-DH went shopping to buy me a 'work jacket' and in those days that meant M and S to me. I remember the shock of paying £120 for a jacket (well, he paid because I couldn't afford it!) 16 years on, and the jacket still gets a lot of wear. It is beautifully cut, hangs well and can be screwed up, and creases will drop out within 10 minutes. I don't really think that M and S make many things of the equivalent quality and price point any more tbh.

So, anyway this got me thinking. What is the oldest item in your wardrobe that you still wear? I have a pair of jeans that I bought when I was 21 in 1993 and I still wear them - but only ever in the house as they are a bit naffola. I really keep them as a means of assessing whether I have put on weight. If the jeans don't do up, then I stop eating as many pies (!) and run an extra couple of miles.

remind me not to drink and post. What a self indulgent pile of

NY that I am a terrible hoarder of stuff...I guess my oldest things are from my Grandmother...so scarves, bags and beautiful cashmere cardis. Alas she was tiny and although they are still perfect (the cardis) they come only half way up my arm so look bizzare...can't bear to throw them out.

DH is on emergancy nanny duty so I'm grabbing a day at work finally. And I found that the Zebra tee (although supposed to be a dress) works pretty well with cargo skinny trousers (I think?)...got compliments already.

Good luck, Verity! I wore the blue dress yesterday.

Fritzi, I assume they don't charge your card until they are ready to ship the dress so will give it to you at the current selling price? Maybe email their customer service to check.

My oldest garment is a ten year old black wool DVF dress, still perfect. I also have a gorgeous silk top that belonged to my mother that I often wear, think it is about 35 years old.

Have to say my parents never made any negative comments until I lost a lot of weight as a student an living abroad (I wasn't trying too and didn't need to, in fact I looked awful and kept fainting), then they worried. We are a tall, slim family and all love our food. An uncle used to tell me that I had a big bum (I didn't) as a joke when I was 10 or so, my mother went through him for a short cut! He also used to tell my little brother that he had big sticky out ears and poor db got such a complex about it that he ended up having his ears pinned back. And this uncle is a doctor.

"I wasn't trying too"
I can't write any more.

Carofi you have to be Irish saying "went through him for a short cut"! Probably should know that by now so excuse me if I'm commenting after the fact.
Hmm! Oldest item in wardrobe. Have a size 14 navy teeshirt from M and S that is DH's favourite tee shirt - on him! (he is strange) Thankfully this predilection does not extend to other items if clothing. I have a grey Jigsaw suit very plain but really well cut, that I term "my lucky suit" as I've done so many successful interviews in it. Also have a pair of Kenneth Cole pair of brown almost cowboy looking boots that are the same age. They're knee length and very dressy although they're distressed looking. Bizarrely I often wear them with the Jigsaw suit and they look really well together. Give the suit a cool edge!
My mother was always commenting on my big bum. I prefer to think of it as Jennifer Lopesque. She will still say "you wear such tight clothes" which of course makes me paranoid, and makes me need mucho reassurance from DH. He could not believe when we first met how much I was under her control. When we got engaged (very quickly after we met....6 months!) she was devastated, and really tried to scupper it. DH reckons it was because she knew she would lose the control she had previously enjoyed. If that is the correct term. We gave a better and healthier relationship now, although it's still all very much near the surface, and u find it amazing how at my age (40) that I can revert so quickly to "child seeking approval mode"

I have a pair of Bally shoes which I bought at Century21 in New York in 1999 and still wear occassionally. A Hobbs bias-cut dark blue cocktail dress which I bought for a summer party when I had my first proper job (long time ago...). And a classic light tan Longchamp handbag which DH got me for my 30th. I have used it so many times but it still looks good and I love it!

Clothes I kept for nostalgic reasons but don't wear anymore:
Wedding dress from 1999
Red summer dress DH bought for me as a surprise in 1995
Grey embroidered silk dress I wore to my best friend's first wedding

Other than that I am a ruthless declutterer. I do it to justify buying new clothes I guess. Which reminds me, I have to go shopping now to replace some summer basics (vests, shorts, t-shirts).

Er "I find it amazing" damn iPhone!

Re oldest clothes in the wardrobe, I was thinking the same thing myself at the weekend.

The oldest item in mine are a pair of O'Neill flip flops bought for a villa holiday in 2001, my first holiday with my new boyf, now dh. Aww!

Everything else I'm just culling. My beloved 7 jeans from 2002 onwards are all on ebay, closing today. I can't wait to get rid as I've been keeping them as an assessor of weight, as the earliest ones were bought when I still smoked and was at the weight I'm aiming for now. They tyrannise me from the spare wardrobe. Someone buy them please!!

All this talk about white company. I have to buy this. So perfect for the beach, and legs still on show. Off to see if there are any codes about.

Very pleased with my new project. Bandeau beach dress in the butterfly print. Almost finished, but no elastic to hold it up in town till Thursday.

TEL20 gave 20% off and free delivery at White Company. Thanks to the promotional codes thread.