At Home With ..... Gail - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Welcome to you all.

Great to have you here today.

Just in time to find out a few little secrets and tips from another stylish blogger who I'm pleased to call my friend.  Yes there's another installment of my At Home With .... series.

This month I'm happy to welcome Gail who blogs at Is This Mutton to my post, scroll down to read all about her and her fashions. 

First a little about my week.  I took a trip to my local shopping outlet earlier on in the week and although I found a couple of pieces to add to my wardrobe i'm still a bit dismayed at the lack of clothes and shops around.  I am now having to admit defeat and resort to shopping online.  What I've decided to do is buy a few pieces and send back any I don't like/need.  It's just so time consuming isn't it?  Tell me, is it the way forward that would like or do you still yarn for shopping IRL?

Another long over due purchase I made this week is a new mattress.  Ours is years old and not at all comfortable so I've been doing a bit of reconnaissance over the past couple of weeks and managed to find (amid the maze of choices) a suitable replacement.

My #ootd yesterday was this one.  I shopped my wardrobe for this maxi skirt and knitted short sleeved jumper and it was perfect for the cooler day we had - still a sunny day but definitely Autumn has arrived!  I took my jean jacket with me but didn't need it as the tan knitwear keep me just the right temperature.  Catch my daily outfits on Instagram here.

I'm going to let Gail jump right in and answer the questions I sent her.

When and why did you first Is This Mutton?

• I first started Is This Mutton in 2013 but only wrote a few posts.  Those awkward and blurred first photos are still out there!  I wanted a creative outlet because I work in the technical world of semiconductors, and have done since 1996 .  I didn't have enough clothes or fashion knowledge to justify Is This Mutton back in 2013, and I felt out of my depth when I looked at some of the other popular bloggers who were around at the time (some are still in action).  I revived Is This Mutton in 2017 and created a new domain and look/feel for the site.  I was in between jobs in 2017 and it was a good way of "keeping my hand in" with digital marketing including SEA and social media.

I know you work, can you tell us a little about your job.

• I work in marketing at a semiconductors company.  I manage campaigns for the AI/ML and IoT Developers teams.  The campaigns include digital marketing, events (virtual and FTF), social media, email marketing and web content.  I've been working from home since February 202 but will soon be doing a couple of days in the office, which is in Cambridge, a 55 mile commute by car.  I'm looking forward to seeing everyone again, and already working on a big event in Nuremberg next March which will be fully face to face.

Do you have any hobbies - do share what they are.

• I love gardening and keep meaning to write a post about how we transformed our back garden.  It's not a very big garden and I'd love to get an allotment when I retire  I also read a lot, fiction and non-fiction.  I'm doing a challenge called Walk 1000 Miles, and have just hit the 1000 mile milestone.  I'm now aiming for 1,500 miles this year, but might not make it.  I'd like to say I've learnt a language or baked sourdough bread during lock-down, but I was still working full-time and blogging, so didn't have the time!

Where do you live, did you grow up there?

• I live in East London and have done since 2005.  I moved here to be with my usband who I met on a singles holiday.  I'm originally from Plymouth in Devon, where my mother and brother still live.  I retain a Plymothian accent.  People often ask me where I'm from in the Westcountry.

Do you have a style, please share what you like to wear.

• I'd describe my style as minimalist with an edge.  I like to adopt trends but on my terms, making them work for my shape and age.  I'm very keen on accessories for bringing outfits up to date, and adding a bit of sass.  I love brigues and ankle boots in different colours and have quite a big collection of shoes by Poetic Licence and Irregular Choice.  In the last year or so I have got very interested in colour analysis and have been experimenting with colours that suit me like Chinese Blue and Fuchsia.  As you get older I find you know instinctively what shapes and styles will work for you.  I avoid anything oversized like buffet/tent dresses because they make me look huge.  I prefer fitted clothes and lately I try to spend more on pieces that will last, rather than "fast fashion".

What was the last item of fashion you bought, and can you tell us why?

• Last week I bought a lightweight ribbed jumper in Neon apple, a very vivid green, from Kettlewell Colours.  It was intended for Winter and was in the sale, but I wore it to the first ever London meet-up of the Kettlewell Colour Club, which is a Facebook group.

Who's the most famous person you've ever met?

• I started my working life as a trainee journalist and met a few people who were famous in the 80's - The Stranglers, Margaret Thatcher, a comedy due called Hinge and Bracket (I loved them!)  And I once had a letter from Iggy Pop after I wrote him a fan letter!

Do you have any pets?

• I have an elderly cat called Molly, who's 17.  She was a rescue cat, and is very feisty.  I dread taking her to the vet for her annual jab because she refuses to be examined and they have to use a blanket and gloves.  But she's very affectionate with me and we have lots of lovely little routines. She comes into my home office around tea time and jumps up on the desk, sometimes appearing in Zoom calls where she plays to the camera.

Did you enjoy school, what was your favourite subject?

• I did enjoy school and my favourite subject was English.  I loved writing stories and acting in little plays.  I was terrible at maths.  I now know I have the equivalent of dyslexia, Dyscalculia.  It's nowhere near as well known, although 10 to 15 per cent of people have it.  I've had to disguise it during my career, when there were times when I had responsibility for large budgets and used to dread the times when I was told to apply a nine per cent reduction.  It was never an easy number!  Thank goodness for calculators.

What is your favourite season, why do you like it?

• I have to say Spring because it's always so welcome after the long and dark winter months.  I keep looking for signs of spring bulbs and it's exciting to see them pop up and to see the days getting longer.  Being a gardener has made me appreciate nature and the seasons all the more.

Many thanks Gail for joining me this month, it's been lovely to find out a bit more about you.

You can also see more from Gail here:

On her blog - Is This Mutton

On Instagram - Is This Mutton.

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Time for the #LINKUP are you #Chicandstylish ready?

Favourite blogger from last week is Darlene - Aquamarine Style  Wow what a stunning and also fun dress she's wearing.  I'd like to find one the same, let's see if I can find it. X

Now let's start linking up.

Here are some guidelines.

Please follow your host on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Link up your fashion and beauty posts, other topics allowed.

We all like to get compliments, so please leave a nice comment when visiting a blog or two.

Also link back to Mummabstylish blog post.

You can also share the love on social media.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Good to have you here today - thanks for your support my friends.

Bye for now. X

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At Home With, Knitwear. Vionic Trainers., Maxi Skirt