h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Mabel looked fantastic for 100! She says her secret is a glass of port with a chocolate or a biscuit each evening. Gotta be worth a try. And I got to see the card that the Queen sends you these days - very smart, with a gold tassel around it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/organize/?start_tab=one_set72157637348118156

This isnt today, but you can see the sash.

JUst catching up.

TC, that scarf of which you talked is a Mobius one? I've knitted those and they're quite difficult to wear unless you just 'muffle -up' with 'em.


Those wrap-magic skirts are fabulous, I'd lurve one of those.

And Happy Birthday, Mabel

I got in a conversation on the train with someone with one of the Moebius scarves. I thought I might get some tips for TC, but if there's a special knack to it, it must be hard to describe - "You just sort of loop it round" apparently.

I was told by the girls at work "you just have to tweak it a bit". But they took it off me gladly. I felt rather claustrophobic in it.

You have to log in to Yahoo to see the photo, Bea. I can remember my password but I can never remember my login name.

It all sounds rather too complicated to me... for just weraing clothes... guess I'll never be truely* 'dressed' well... not with anything that requries so much difficultity in having to put it on

It did occur to me while writing this; you know the way there's people who live to eat, and others who merely eat to live? I think there's the same dual attitude to clothes.

You're Cat and 2legs is Lister?

I like that

I'm a Listerist meself.

If it is in the kitchen and isn't twitching cook it, if it's in the bedroom and it isn't twitching, wear it; unless they are english.

Wednesday 6 November
Staff meeting in the office, and the boss is off so I'm in charge - hah!

Grey trousers that I collected from the taker-uppers on Monday, so this is their first forray into the outside world. Grey striped shirt (Next) with white collars and cuffs like wot David Steel used to wear, and mismatched buttons - some pink, some green, some shaped like a silver bow. Red knitted short sleeve wraparound cardi (Principles). Both those latter 2 items bought from charity shops in Coleraine, which is great for that sort of thing. Brown lace-up heeled Fly brogues.

I'll have to do some super-fast costume changes later - running training from 6.30 - 7.30 (same outfit as Monday evening), and then a dash to Scottish Dancing at 8 in Holywood. This class meets on the first Wednesday of every month, is a by-invitation-only group, and is where the demonstration team is drawn from. I'll put a pair of leggings and a Joe Browns tunic top in the car, and change into those in the loos when I get to the freezing cold church hall. I ALWAYS have my dance shoes with me.

How big is your wardrobe? Do you have a separate dressing room?

And are you going to bequeath it to the Nation (or a small African country) when in the hopefully far distant future you will have no further need for it.

I have one half of a big double wardrobe - it has a shelf at the top where I store lesser used shoes,in see through boxes, and a shoe rack at the bottom where my daily shoes are kept. When I've done the laundry I'll usually hang things up in complete outfits, though I spread everything out on the bed and mix it up a bit each time. And I keep work outfits at one end of the rail, casual outfits at the other.

I have an IKEA valet stand where I hang the clothes I'm going to wear the next day.

I keep a large carrier bag in the bedroom and in it goes anything that's destined FOR a charity shop. I cull regularly, and this could be something that just doesn't look or feel right, or makes me uncomfortable, or ( as I've just done with a black Skunk Punk dress that should've been dry-cleaned) things that shrank in the wash .

I have one drawer of undies, one of Tshirts, one of scarves and nightwear, and one for leggings and souvenir Tshirts. I tidy and organise these often to make sure I can see what's in there. I use IKEA drawer tidy spacers for this.

In the back bedroom I have half of half of a double wardrobe for overflow clothes - my wedding dress, winter coats, fancy dress costumes.

All my fitness gear, including weights, lives in a box under my computer desk.

Only one draw of knickers?! oops

how... many... shoes/boots do you own? I feel we need to know

I counted them once and it was over 40 pairs. I try to operate a "one in, one out" policy these days.

I used to operate the same policy with women. It seemed to cut down on arguments.

and (at the number of shoes!)) I'm still really* tempted to buy some boots I saw online.... but they're so* expensive

[Amy P]

Thursday 7 November
Heading to Donegal for a formal Board meeting, including a dinner with diplomat/ international observer types.
Weather is crisp and bright.

I'm starting with a Jaegar wasited shirt dress in caramel, £49 in the sale, which was really the start of my love affair with the brand. The Duchess of Cambridge has the same dress in primrose yellow. My boss is off ill, and so I'm deputising, and want to look super smart and business-like. I've matched it with a blazer in a black/ biscuit stripe with reverse pattern on the roll-back cuffs (£15ish from a pop-up designer clearance shop), and pulled the outfit together with a fine scarf in soft apricot patterned with deer in chocolate and turquoise. This was £6 from one of those dingly-dangly dream-catchers and candles type emproia on the Belmont Road. I'm wearing the Dubarry boots for travelling in - I'm staying in Donegal for the weekend and I'll need them for that - but I'll switch to nude heels for the afternoon's meeting.

This evening I'll be debuting a DKNY frock I bought in the Las Vegas outlet Mall ($70). It's green/silver stripe with a chunky zip at the back, which my husband doesnt like, but I tell him it's vewy twendy. If it doesn't feel right, I have a back-up dress, a grey abstract silk LK Bennett which was my best ever bargain - ticket price £245, sale price £10. I wore it at the last Board meeting, and was in this dress when I met Mark Owen. But I doubt if anyone will remember it! I have my Ted Baker heels, bought as a Christmas present by my husband 6 years ago in a lovely shop in Saintfield called Viva la Shoe. KB, are you noting all these fashion meccas in Co Down?

Absolutely! Next time you see me you won't recognise me!