At Home With ... Laurie - Vanity & Me - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Good morning my lovelies.

Hope everything is going well for you.

Not much to report since Monday.   I've been having a wonderful time in the garden, getting the grass in order and sorting out the planters.  I've also visited the garden center, it was nice to wander around checking out all the pretty plants and flowers, and aren't the pots & planters expensive!  I bought some pretty flowers to entice the bees, I love having these little visitors in my garden.  I have two big tropical looking plants in pots that have sprouted huge flower stems in the middle which the bees just love - there's plenty busy buzzing around collecting all the nectar.  I would just love to know where they are taking it too - Bee's intrigue me and I've always been very tempted to have a bee hive in my garden!  Just not sure that would be any good with my grand-kids around - they don't like anything that buzzes around them!!  

Tonight I'm off out, I'd love you to stop by my IG stories to see what I'm up to ... I'll share all on Monday in case you miss it. 

Today I'm At Home With .... Laurie - Vanity & Me.

I'm pleased to welcome Laurie to the blog today, and look forward to sharing some secrets about how she goes about her blogging life.

I've long admired Laurie's fabulous style and have often tried to copy.  However with totally different colourings, the shades that suit this stylish blogger don't seem to suit me.  Her style tends to be of a neutral fashion, and everything she wears is finished off to perfection.  So let's get started on the questions and let you see for yourself Laurie's effortlessly chic outfits.

When and why did you start blogging?

• I started blogging due to my cousin's daughter who has started blogging.  We had a discussion about what she was doing and I found it interesting immediately.  I had also read about a mature women in Woman and Home magazine, discussing how she was enjoying blogging at midlife.       After spending most of my adult life in my hair salon and then moving on to run a public house, I didn't have any pc skills whatsoever. I decided to start blogging on that basis.  Talk about jump into the deep end!  I was majorly stressed at the beginning but wouldn't be beaten.  I love a challenge!

You have a fabulous sense of style, did you learn it at college or university? Or is it a natural talent?

• I've never studied fashion at college.  I gained my passion for clothes from my mum!  I've never thought that I have a fabulous sense of style either.  I love cool-girl looks but they just don't suit me.  I have tried a few times and look ridiculous!  I did find however, that when I started collecting my neutral classic pieces I really think I found 'me', if that makes sense.  I've not looked back. 

I love your neutral outfits,do you have a favourite piece at the moment, can you tell us about it.

• My favourite neutral item of the moment hasn't made it online just yet.  It's a simple cream waistcoat that I've been searching for, and for some time.  It will feature on my YouTube channel in the next few days.  I love it.

Does anything surprise you about blogging?

• You never stop learning new stuff blogging.  There's always something new.  I started blogging for the challenge of learning PC Skills, and normally when I conquer something I move on to something else.  That's the beauty of blogging.  You never feel like you've conquered it I guess?  There are new challenges all the time.

Do you have a blogger that you look to for inspiration/help?

• There are thousands of bloggers that I aspire to, and all different age groups!  I learn a lot from the young.  I often wish I had started blogging a lot earlier.  I love our little group of mature bloggers.  We all started roughly the same time I think?  We've all grown together and I love that.

Do you take your own photographs and do you edit them yourself? Can you give our readers a tip about it.

• Dee takes the majority of my photos.  I take some and my daughter takes some.  I edit them myself, although I'm taking on a part-time helper very soon, so maybe that will be shared.  Light is the main key I think.  Always add a little more light.

I know you have dogs, do tell us about them.

• I have two dogs. Chuzzle the edlest, an American Bulldog, bought for a wedding present.  She's really getting on now bless her.  I've never felt like she has been my dog.  She is very loyal to Dee!  Then I have Beau, my horse who's nearly three years old and still behaves like a baby.  Apparently American Bulldogs don't grow up until they are around five years old.  She keeps me on my toes and I love her to bits.  Beau is a mix of two types of the breed hence why she is so big, and always trying to steal the show when I'm filming!

I know you have a YouTube channel, please tell us about it, how do you manage everything?

• I started dabbling with film a couple of years ago.  Last year during lock-down I decided to take my YouTube channel more seriously.  I find it a lot easier than blogging.  That is my new challenge.  To learn film editing and grow on Youtube.  Any subscriptions are more than welcome!  It's tough putting yourself on there for the world to see, especially early mornings or without makeup, but hey, if you looked perfect at my age first thing in the morning I would be looking pretty false!  I also feel I can get my true personality across over on YouTube too.  Often I seemed to be perceived as a real ladylike person just because of the way I dress.  I'm just an ordinary girl from Essex.

Do you have time for a hobby, if you do, can you share with us?

• Hobbies! Ha!  I barely have time to watch TV!  I am the most unorganised person in the world and never seem to have enough hours in the day.  But that doesn't mean I don't take time off every now and then.  Sometimes I just put on the brakes and take some time out. 

Finally, do you have a favourite cuisine and restaurant, what would your ideal meal be?

• Unfortunately, I don't have a favourite restaurant.  I don't eat out at all due to my allergies.  I can have a McDonalds McFlurry ice cream or eggs on toast.  I have to take my own butter if I have toast.  It's a real problem for me to eat out.  I can't have the vaccine either which could become a problem.  I've often thought about documenting my diet.  It's very bland and boring, but I do think it has helped keep me healthy.  I can't drink alcohol either, or any soft drinks.  I can only drink tea, water or milk and maybe one coffee.  I do have the occasional cigarette though.  That's my only naughty vice!

Many thanks to you Laurie for joining me today - lovely to have a little insight into your back story of blogging.  I'm sure my readers new and old will love what they have read. X

You can find more from Laurie via the following links:

• Blog
• YouTube
• Instagram

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Party time, #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Let's meet the favourite blogger from last week.  Welcome Michelle - My Bijou Life.  Black and white is a good solid colour combo isn't it, so with a splash of colour like this yellow makes for a fabulous statement don't you think - I love pairing a colour with B & W!

Now let's start linking up.

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Great to have you stop by today, many thanks.

Hope you'll be back on Monday my friends.

Bye for now. X