Busy times

We've had a busy, but highly enjoyable week.

On Monday Lola had a long-awaited meeting with the stunning Oscar Garfield in Richmond. She was very keen on him and seems to be keeping Theo on his toes.


On Tuesday we shopped on the Kings Road with Great Aunty Maxine.


Now, Maxine is the perfect shopping partner because she does the following:

1. Picks out clothes for you to try on, including items which you wouldn't have necessarily thought suitable
2. Is completely honest about what looks good and what doesn't
3. Looks after your baby for the day allowing you to focus entirely on the task in hand.

(I may start pimping her out).

I'd briefed Maxine when we met in the morning:

I need tops which I can breastfeed in without too much drama (that is, they pull up or button down) and the only shoes I need are flats as heels just aren't practical at the moment. And I have a budget that I just can't exceed as, well, I'm on benefits and I'm a mother.

It was a hugely successful day where we stuck to the plan and I bought some great sale items.

And then I suggested we go to Manolo Blahnik.

Just to have a look. Just so Maxine could see it. I promise that I had absolutely no intention of buying a pair of the legendary Spanish designer's shoes at this point. I secretly hoped that Maxine would find and fall in love with some so she could own a pair (like she and every woman deserves).

I do have a beautiful pair of Blahniks which my father bought me for my wedding. They're oyster, low heeled, leather tie sandals and I love them almost as much as my daughter and my husband.

So off we trotted to the International flagship store on Old Church Street. Amazingly, it's the largest of his boutiques (of which there are only about eight across the globe), but is tiny. Not a huge number of shoes there as he doesn't make that many. Which adds to the whole exclusivity and excitement of it all.

And then I spotted the sign. There was a sale. A SALE AT MANOLO BLAHNIK. The stuff of legend!

I was breaking out in a cold sweat at this point.

Maxine quickly found and fell in love with her pair of coral strappy sandals. They were beautiful and clearly made for Maxine's feet. That's the thing about His shoes, they're not just shoes, they're special and they're made for individual's feet.

Lola woke up from a nap especially to enjoy the experience. Here she is, wide eyed


And then I spotted them. A beautiful pair of mary-janes. Turquoise with a red heel and bar across the front. Last pair in my size. Shit!! I tried them on. They felt so comfortable. That's another thing about His shoes, you feel like you're wearing a pair of slippers, no matter how high the heel is. My brow was furrowing. It would be irresponsible and silly to buy an expensive pair of shoes which I wouldn't be able to wear when I was pushing a pram/wearing my daughter in a sling. Wouldn't it? After clutching the shoes for dear life and going over and over it in my head, I put them down. I was not going to buy them.

So I left the shop in what I can only describe as a deep depression. I was miserable! We got half way back down the Kings Road and I decided to call the Husband. I knew he'd say it would be a stupid thing to do and that would bring me back down to reality and then we could put the whole sorry episode behind us.

But he didn't! He clearly sussed what was going on as soon as he heard by woeful tone and just said "Buy them". And he didn't say it in a disingenuous way, he bloody meant it. I love my husband very, very much.

I don't think my Aunty has ever seen me run so fast. And lord knows what Lola thought, who was strapped to my front in the sling.

And here they are


So, back to the busy week. On Wednesday we met Claire O'Gorman for lunch on the South Bank, our old stomping ground back in IBM days.

And on Thursday Cathy came round armed with an amazing array of edible delights for lunch.



Lovely.