Alright in Abstract - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hello everyone, welcome to the last blog of the year, next stop 2022!

That sounds so scary doesn't it.  Twenty twenty one came and went full of Covid and all its restrictions.

Let's hope and pray that the next year improves and we have some kind of normality ... please!

Do you have any plans for NYE?  Did you catch my post on Monday, the ladies from Style not Age were sharing their Little Black Numbers, do have a look.  I'll probably be in a lounge suit on the sofa .. again, as I'm not going out. 🤣

You all know I'm a huge fan of wearing dresses, somewhat a signature of mine to wear dresses more than separates (except for wearing jeans).  So when Roman Originals asked me to pick a couple of pieces from their new range I had to include a dress in my list didn't I!

Style Not Age share - Our Perfect Little Black Number's for NYE.

Hello and welcome to my over fifties blog.

To be honest it's not only for over 50's, everyone is welcome.

And just like that Christmas was over.  All that stress, worry, anxiety and panic for one day and it comes and goes in the flash of an eye.  Why oh why do I worry so much?

My Christmas day was rather a different version than the one I had planned in my mind!  One of the family tested positive for Covid and I had to re-arrange the whole day!  We managed to pack three cars full of cooking ingredients, utensils, cutlery, presents and the turkey and use my daughters house.  At least I could enjoy my day unlike last year but one I hope I don't have to relive next year!

Hope your's went well, I ate way too much as usual.  The gym and spin class can't come quick enough - oh are the gym's still open?  I do hope so.🙏

Can you believe it's the last challenge this year for my group of friends from the Style Not Age Collective ... do stop by for a brand new challenge next month - I wonder what we'll be set!

So are you venturing out for NYE?  With the Government changing plans for day to day, it's hard to know what will happen.  We aren't actually going out so I'll probably be indoors in a lounge suit or something equally as comfortable to laze about in!  Had I been going out and if I hadn't eaten my weight in chocolates over Christmas I'd be wearing this classy number.

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

Hello and welcome to my blog Mummabstylish,  

So pleased to have you join me today as I'm sharing another respected blogging friend Jess for my 

At Home With ... series.

I've followed Jess since I started blogging and get lots of inspiration from her stylish and well-put-together outfits.

Before we learn more about Jess, I'll briefly tell you about my week.

Since getting back from my holiday and weekend in Scotland I've been full on getting everything ready for the big day.  Every year I plan to have things sorted by the beginning of December and alas every year I fail big time! Lol.

I've just about got everything ready now, just one or two little gifts to buy and a couple of deliveries and then put a fork in me I'm done! 

I'm going to share a holiday photo with you all, and hope I don't make you too jealous!  I had an amazing time in Abu Dhabi for 10 whole nights in heaven with my hubby, (watch out for the full post).  This was our last day in paradise, and I travelled home in this floral beauty - soon changed into jeans and boots once I landed at Heathrow - certainly noticed the cold!!!

#Chiandstylish #LINKUP

Hi there my friends.

Hop you're all well.

I have a big apology to make as I've been AWOL.  You see I've been away on holiday and I came home for a couple of days and went off for a long weekend to Scotland.  What a busy lady I've been and now I'm frantically trying to sort out my Christmas presents and get the house in order for the festivities.

I'm planning a dedicated post about my trip to Abu Dhabi, until that is ready here's the #linkup to keep you and me busy.

Everyone Needs a Holiday! - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hi everyone.

So sorry for my late post today I've been away and things have just got on top of me!

Just going to share the #linkup with you so hope you'll join me.

I'm away to Scotland in a whirlwind visit to Loch Awe tomorrow, so will fill you in upon my return.

Lots to tell you about my holiday to Abu Dhabi too, so join me in the next weeks to find out more.

November Review.

Hello and welcome to you all.

As we speak I'm flying home from Abu Dhabi soon.

If you follow me on IG you will have seen many of my outfits, but I'll be showing them to you on a dedicated post in the next few weeks.

For now I'd like to share my November Review with you.  Just in case you've missed any of my posts, you can catch them all here. 

Do you remember my hubby buying me some jumpers?  Well I still have two that I've not had a chance to style yet, so do watch out for them, but until then why not hop back to this post where I showed off a couple with jeans and a big smile!

Grey Coat From Bonmarche - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hello my friends.

I'm mid-way through my holiday and I'm probably enjoying some sunshine, some wonderful food and a few delicious drinks!  What more could a girl ever need ....  (the Mall is just a slip away, through a door in the foyer of the hotel - sweet!)

I'll share my trip to Abu Dhabi with you in the coming weeks as I have some new dresses to show off.

Until then I wanted to re-visit a gorgeous little coat I was lucky enough to be gifted from Bonmarche.

I've had the wonderful opportunity of styling many of the new looks recently and wanted to spend a bit more time on the gorgeous coat* I chose as part of the gifted pieces.

Items marked with * have been gifted to me, however these are 100% my own honest comments.

Style not Age - Festive Finery.

Hi there my lovely friends.

Hope you're all doing well.

Can you believe it's nearly December!  I still haven't finished my Christmas shopping and even though I vowed to have my shopping finished by now ... I haven't!!!!  I'm on holiday now and have weekend away in Scotland as soon as I return so once I'm back from my galavanting I'll have to get my bum into gear and get my shopping done!

So it's time for me and my friends from Style not Age to share our looks for the prompt ...

Festive Finery.

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

Good morning my lovely friends.

Hope you're all okay.

Don't forget to join the #Linkup today, I'm looking forward to seeing what you're all wearing.

I'm a rather elated Mummab today!  You see I'm actually going on holiday on Saturday and I'm so excited!  There's been lots of things to sort out, but it's finally happening, all I need to do is get packed and finish off my blog preparations - hooray!

I hope you're enjoying the At Home With ... series as much as I am, it's been great to find out a little more from our blogger friends.

I'm pleased to welcome another of my blogging pal from across the water today, a big hello and welcome to Carrie - Curly Crafty Mom Mummabstylish.

Before we get started I want to share an Autumnal look that I created from a Summer sale dress.

Layers are key for transitional outfits, and this is a perfect example of how to do it.  I have a long slip under the dress and popped on my vest top and boots to keep the look warmer.  I also wanted to add a long sleeve jumper under the dress too, but with the heating on indoors I was too hot!  Shame I rushed out to the shops like this because I did get a little bit cold by the time I got home.  I picked up the loose style dress in the Wallis sale, and it happens to fit right in for both Summer and Autumn dressing!

Evening Dressing at Fishmongers Hall.

Morning my lovely friends. 

Hope all is well with you. 

Another busy weekend for me.

Friday evening the usual ballroom dancing which had me spinning round the floor learning the Viennese Waltz!  It was a one off taster lesson where we learnt some 12 steps they were all quite basic and easy, but put together with fast music made it a whole lot harder!  I have to say I loved it too, and have another classic under my belt.

Saturday I popped into town to grab a couple of bits and came home with another pair of River Island jeans.  Do you recall that David bought me a pair recently and I was so impressed with the quality I had to have another pair in a different style.  Do watch out for my straight leg jeans, they're going to be getting quite a lot of wear I think!

Saturday night was spent at a friends celebrating her 60th.  It was good to get together with our friends, have a drink, chat, bite to eat and we even managed some dancing and singing!  The typical Sunday morning followed, you know the one where you wished you'd said "no" to the last glass of fizz! Lol.

As you can imagine Sunday was a slow day, with a roast for family & not a lot else being done.  We also welcomed our new addition!  Max had his first Berry Roast, even if it was 'second hand' from Mummy. 💕

Today's post is all about my visit to Fishmongers Hall in London a couple of weeks ago.

My son, who won The Doggetts Coat and Badge Race, was presented with suit, watch and trophy.  You may have already seen my post on IG where I shared what I wore and a bit about the evening.

Four Essentials from Bonmarche - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Morning my friends.

Hope you're doing well.

A very excited Mummab this week as we welcomed a new arrival to the Berry family.  I'm in love and besotted with my new .... grandson.  I've had my first cuddle with him and frankly can't wait to do it again.

Another thing I'm really excited to share with you is my essential picks from the latest collection from Bonmarche.  I'm a big follower of their styles and have many items in my wardrobe from them, my favourite has to be this gorgeous black lace dress I picked up in the sale for a bargain price of £20, followed closely by my stunning biker jacket that's a bold and bright shade of fiery orange.  So it was no surprise to me that I loved these four items that were kindly gifted to me recently too.

Items marked with * have been gifted to me, however these are 100% my own honest comments.

Ice Pro Hairdryer, NYK1 Lash Serum, FM World Perfume

Hello and welcome to the blog.  

I hope you're having a good day.

As I write this I'm an anxious Mummab because my middle daughter is due to give birth any day now, and by today she may have had it (hate using the word 'it', but we don't know if she's having a boy or a girl).

I'm actually really pleased they didn't find out, I never did with any of mine as it wasn't really 'done' then ... I rather liken it to opening a present when you know what's inside.  I know my views are different from many, and I appreciate everyone doesn't feels the same. Did you find out the sex of your child before they were born?

Anyway back to fashion talk.  Do you like the dress?

It came from Amazon!  I've never bought any clothes from them before and as I have a voucher to spend I thought I'd try them out.  I must admit it wasn't all the money in the world and isn't particularly good quality, however the style, pattern and fit is okay.

Item marked with * have been gifted to me, however these are 100% my own honest comments.

Rose Tunic by Bonmarche - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Morning everyone.

How's you day going?

I've had a fabulous evening in London last night.  You might remember my son won The Doggetts Coat and Badge sculling race back in June.  Well as a result of that he was presented with his 'coat and badge' and Harold Pinchbeck watch at a wonderful presentation and dinner event at Fishmongers Hall on the banks for the River Thames.  

I'll be sharing a dedicated post about the evening in the next few weeks, you might have seen my IG stories featuring some snippets of the event, but please do stop by again to read about my fun night.

(I wore a long sparkly dress and was thrilled to get all dolled up in it, that's worth a look eh?)

I've been lucky enough to share some gifted items from Bonmarche in the past, and today I wanted to show another of their pretty garments with you.  A tunic is high on my list of wearable and desirable tops and look amazing over jeans for a glamorous but casual outfit.  Read on to find out more about this Batwing top in a stunning shade of rose.*

Items marked with * have been gifted to me, however these are 100% my own honest comments.

Latte Neutrals - Shopping my Wardrobe.

Morning my friends.

How you doing?

I hope you've had a wonderful bonfire weekend.

Do you celebrate Guy Fawkes night?

When the kids were younger we always went to some sort of display.  Never really did anything at home as I felt it was safer to go to an organised event.  We occasionally had a nice big bonfire, usually when we'd got wood and rubbish to get rid of.  If you did participate I hope it was warm, safe and fun to watch.

Do you remember my son winning The Doggetts Coat and Badge race?  Well on Wednesday I'm off to London with the family to attend the presentation ceremony.  It takes place at Fishmongers Hall and I'm excited to say it's a Black Tie event!  I've been to two before, but didn't wear a long evening dress ... I chose to wear cocktail dresses for both events.  But for this one I'm pulling out all the stops and wearing a glamorous long evening dress.  I'll share all the details with you soon, however the dress is black with sparkly sequins and is quite fitted (note to self, watch the diet before Wednesday) lol.

I'll leave you thinking about my gorgeous dress and I'll share this look with you that I shopped from my wardrobe.  It reminds me of my favourite coffee ... a latte.

Shein Jumpers - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hi there everyone.

Hope all is good with you.

I met up with a couple of friends on Wednesday, we chatted for a few hours drinking tea and planning our up-coming trip to Scotland.  With over a year of Covid to deal with this is the 4th attempt to get away to this little hotel on Loch Awe.   I won't believe it's happened until we finally arrive!  

David and I have been there before a few years ago and it's just the prettiest place by the side of a huge Loch.  There's literally nothing around it and we drove for about half an hour without seeing much at all.  So once we get there we'll explore in the day time and spend the rest of the time in the cosy sitting room ... that's right next to the bar!  Oban is a short drive so we'll probably go there and maybe go to a distillery to sample some local offerings. 😉🧉  I'll be sure to keep you informed as to how it goes my friends.

If you follow me on IG you may have seen I've been totally spoiled by my husband recently ... he's bought me a few new jumpers and this week I've worn two already. 

Check out what I paired them with & let me know what you think. X 

October Review.

Hi there,

How are you on doing on the 1st day of November?

I'm shocked how fast this has come around, and only yesterday was thinking I've not spent much time in the garden over the Summer Months!  Most probably because of the lack of nice weather we were 'blessed' with over the past months.  Fingers crossed next year will be better, but that's such a long time to wait!

I do like the different seasons we experience in the UK, colder days in November mean coming in from the cold to a nice warm house, hearty stews and casseroles, cosy weekends watching a good film (or football) depending on who's got the TV remote 🤣 and preparations for Christmas.  I've actually started mine, and am happy to announce I've got about 3!!!  Have you got any further than me?

I've been celebrating a couple of birthdays over the past few days, my mum had nearly all the family up to her's for pizza, cake and a little drink on Thursday.  Another super evening spent with family - was nice to see all the kids playing together, although they did get a tad loud for Mum at times!!  

Saturday night we shared a lovely evening having a take away Thai from a local venue.  This was for my daughters birthday.  She's only got 2 weeks until her baby arrives and she was worried he/she might make an appearance on her special day ... she didn't want to share that ... lol.  Happy to say baby is still well and truly staying in place ... nice, cosy, warm & safe. 

As it's the first on November, it's time to share what I've been wearing over the past month for my ....

October Review.

Way back at the beginning of October I found this gorgeous Dior dupe in H & M, I just couldn't resist this fabulous bag.  The dog-tooth pattern is so striking and I've had lots of comments about it.  Do pop back to read about the outfit I created around it.

Forever You Beauty - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Good morning my friends.

Hope you are well.

I've had a super weekend away with my mum and sister, we went to Rye in Sussex (you may have seen my stories).  We travelled down on Friday, stopping in the town before heading to the hotel after having lunch and a couple of drinks in the pub nearby.  We also had a look in the only supermarket Rye has - Jempson's (opposit the station) which had an amazing array of cakes, biscuits, cheese, wine and just about everything you could want!  I left with a nice bottle of fizz - how on earth did that happen? 

The River Haven Hotel was our home for a couple of days, and it served us well having a nice little bar, lovely food, really pleasant and helpful staff and excellent rooms.  I'd thoroughly recommend staying there!

We ate at a local Italian on Friday evening ... dining on chicken with chips and bang went the Keto diet on that day!  We had a nightcap in the hotel and returned to our rooms for what turned out a difficult sleep for me - I don't often sleep without my hubby and really missed him.  

On Saturday we had a day checking out the town, having a nice scone with cream, jam and a delicious hot coffee.  We decided, after a busy day in the town. we would eat at the hotel. Another super meal for the three of us, and also a cheeky brandy before bed ... yes a better nights sleep for me!  

Returning home on Sunday we arrived upon a chicken roast dinner cooked by some of the family and my hubby, what a nice welcome home that was.  We've decided to look further afield next time and would appreciate any positive recommendations from you lovely lot. x

Do you wear makeup?  

Well I hold my hands up to wearing makeup most days.  I just don't feel dressed without it, and am always watching YouTube for tips and tricks to get my cosmetics routine just right. With that being said I don't wear makeup ALL the time, when I'm at the gym I don't wear it, however I certainly don't like the look - I often have people don't recognize me when I'm dressed up and not in gym attire! How rude ... lol!

I've always loved wearing makeup and can definitely confirm to wearing more now that when I was in my teens and early 20's, and since I started my skincare routine last year have been interested to find new, more age appropriate products for my particular skin.  So you can imagine I was delighted to have been approached by the team at Forever You to sample some of their products.

This is a sponsored post, however these are all my own honest comments. 

Style Not Age share our Cosy Autumn Coats.

A big warm welcome to you all.

Thanks for stopping by today, it's good to have you here.

Welcome to the blog today, it's the last Monday of the month so it's time to share the latest challenge that was set by Hilda - Over The Hilda.  She gave us a interesting topic to work with and it fell into my lap at just the right time, I needed a new coat so Cosy Autumn Coats has been well received!

As usual the weather in the UK is playing games with us, one minute it's cold the next there's a warm breeze in the air and Summer dresses are being worn again!  So when I was buying a new coat the other day it seemed a tad silly, I've been way too hot to wear even a jacket recently let alone a big padded coat!   But I know when the weather does change for the worse I'll be more than thankful that I've already got mine!

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

Hello and welcome to the blog.

I like to share my styles & a bit of my lifestyle with you and I'm an over fifty blogger.

Thanks for stopping by, you're just in time to check out another of my blogging friends.

I started the At Home With ... series to share my wonderful friends with you, there's many that you may know, but also some that you might not.  If you'd like to be featured, please do send me an email or drop a message in the comments box below.  Today I'm happy to introduce Michelle - Fifty and Fab to my blog, I'm sure you'll like her just as much as I do. 

It's been a busy week with a couple of gym classes, a ballet class and a trip to see the new Bond film.  Have you seen it yet?  I'm not going to spill any beans on here in case you've not watched it yet ... a little under-whelmed to be honest, and could really have waited to watch indoors - the amount of times some people come and go in the cinema is nobodies business! So annoying!  Why can't they just sit and watch a film!! Grrrr!  Rant over .. lol.

I'm away for the weekend with my mum and sister.  We're off to visit Rye and having stayed there before I know it will be a relaxing time, pondering a few shops, having a bit to eat, a couple of nice evening meals and a good old catch up!  I'll try to take some photos and share how it goes on IG.

Sharing another pink look today - I simply can't get enough of these pretty wide leg trousers and feel they might come away with me at the weekend, just depends on the weather!

Burnt Orange & Baby Shower.

Hi there, hope all is good in your world.

All good here, I've had a lovely couple of days ... especially Sunday for my daughter's baby shower.

Most of you are probably familiar with what a baby shower is, but for those who don't know let me explain.  When a baby is on its way it's not only the parents who are excited, it's also a joyful time for grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends who all eagerly await the special arrival.  It's usual for the female family and friends to get together and have an enjoyable few hours having a drink, bite to eat and maybe play a few games.  Much like it's a male 'thing' to 'wet the baby's head' with a few drinks in the pub.  It's not everyone's 'cup of tea' but for those who do like to join in it's an exciting time to celebrate the anticipated arrival of a cherished baby.

So Yesterday was the suitable date for it to take place.  About 20 of us congregated at my eldest daughters' house to enjoy a beverage or two, some delicious snacks and join in the amusing games of guess the bump size of mum-to-be and guess the chocolate snack hidden in a nappy - urgh!

It's a fun time to relax and and enjoy some time together before baby makes an appearance.  It's also nice to take a gift for mum-to-be or baby too.

I decided to wear a dress, you know how much I love to don a dress for most occasions, this sale buy from Wallis worked a treat and felt the longer length and full arm was a great choice for the cooler weather we've been having.

Pink and Tan ... it Works - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Morning my friends.

Hope you are all well.

Anyone else feeling really tired lately?  I seem to feel completely exhausted most of the time and could literally fall asleep!  I've just started a new fitness class -  Absolute Abs, that's on top of the Cycle class I do, so that might be the reason - ha ha!

Today you find me styling pink again, actually pink with tan - It's a combination I seen lots of times before but never actually tired it.  What do you think?

Leopard with Mustard & Black.

Good morning my friends.

How are you all?

I've had a lovely weekend.  David and I went on a little shopping trip to our local outlet and came home with quite a few bits!  He found a few shirts and I bought four dresses!  Well there's 'talk' of us going on holiday, so we needed some new pieces to take away.  It was really nice to just get out shopping and actually find something I liked.

I adore Autumn for many reasons including watch Strictly Come Dancing on a Saturday night, sometimes prefer to do that rather than go out!  Must be getting old eh?  Talking of dancing, my evening lesson on Friday night was learning the Rumba.  I'm getting to grips with the harder moves and having the teacher or his wife to partner me makes it even better.  It's nice to have someone steady me when doing twists and turns.  I'm still trying to persuade hubby to join me, but as it's on a Friday night (pub night) I've got no chance!

So here's what I wore for my trip to the shops.

On Saturday morning, whilst scrolling through. I spotted a lovely lady wearing a similar look to my leopard and mustard ensemble, so I set about copying it. 

Dior Dupe! - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Morning all.

How you doing?

A really chilly Mummab today, well all week really.  It's like I have a switch inside me that changed from being hot all the time to being cold.  I really wish my temperature controller worked better!!

I had a trip into town to collect a Next parcel on Monday, I also came home with a couple of bits I'd bought whilst out.  Guess what! The two items from Next will have to go back as the court shoes were too small & very heigh and the jeans were totally the wrong style.  I didn't have much luck with the skirt I picked up in Primark either.  To be fair I should have known it wouldn't be right as it's that bias cut style, not really one that suits my pear shape, so all will have to be returned.  I did come home with this cute bag from H & M  (This one is green and black, but mine is black and cream).  It's a copy of the trendy Dior tote and I'm over the moon with it!

September Review.

Hi there my friends.

A huge welcome to you to my over fifty blog and also to October.

I'm psyching myself up to start my wardrobe change over.  I neglected to do it last season, so still have boots and sandals all mixed up as well as Winter trousers, jumpers and coats.  I got a bit out of sync due to Covid and lock-down restrictions, but want to get my wardrobe sorted this season.  I'm going to try to get this done in the next few weeks. 

Another lovely day with the family yesterday, I had a roast beef dinner for 11.  There was plenty to go around as I'd bought a big fore rib of beef from a local butchers.  It just about fitted into my oven along with roast potatoes, roasted cauliflower (remember I'm following a Keto diet), yorkshire puddings and plenty of vegetables.  Of course we had my husbands 'special' red wine gravy to complete the meal.  It was a fabulous day and there was even loads of meat left so I can cook a chilli with the rest.

At the beginning of each month I share a review of the past month, so today you've arrived to find out all about what I wore last month, thanks for joining me for the ...

September Review.

Way back early in the month I was relishing wearing this beautiful dress I picked up on a trip to the seaside.  I love to wear pink and although I don't have much in my wardrobe I was thrilled to find this one in a little boutique and take it home with me.  You can read about my pretty pink buffet dress here.

Neutral Trench, Animal Print Blouse - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Morning everyone.

Thanks for joining me today.

I can't believe it's the first day of October tomorrow and just like that Autumn has arrived.  It's like a big switch has been clicked on ... I've been cold for the last two days!

I've started a Keto diet again, since putting on the two stone I lost I've decided now is the time.  I'm only on day 4, but it seems to be going well so far. 👍

So with changed weather I've been wearing jeans more recently.  I need to get some warmer dresses and maybe a couple more vests and jumpers so I can layer up in order to still wear the dresses I've got.

Today I'm sharing a look that's pretty normal for me, jeans, shirt and jacket ... my lightweight trench coat.

Style Not Age are Pretty in Pink.

Morning my friends.

Hope you're doing well.

My oh my, didn't September fly by, tell me who's started buying Christmas Presents already?  I've made my list and will try to get bits and pieces throughout the month and hopefully will manage to get all I want.  There's rumors of not being able to get much in the run up to Christmas due to a shortage of lorry drivers, I do hope the get the situation sorted out as we've all had enough of crap times haven't we!

Saturday night, after a quiet day hubby and I went out to dinner with my daughter and hubby.  After finding out one of our favourite restaurants has now closed down, much to our devastation, we ended up in Cote Brasserie.  Annoyingly it wasn't our first or second choice, but nothing worked in our favour time-wise so we ended up in there.  We didn't think it would be any good, especially when being told after we had our drinks that half the menu wasn't available!  They had been waiting for a delivery from the day before!  Bizarrely the delivery arrived whilst we were there and they managed to find more items that we wanted.  We ended up having a really nice three course meal and a few glasses of fizz, and enjoyed a night with our family before the approaching arrival of their first baby in November ... I can't wait. 💖 

Now back to the Style not Age prompt - Pretty in Pink. I was so pleased when Anna picked this as her choice.  Pink is my all time favourite shade and although I don't have much in my wardrobe it's a colour I love to wear.  I suppose it's because it's associated with being girly and graceful, the type of person I like & try to be and think I am, it doesn't always work because I'm often found in jeans or track-suits and not at all very feminine. Lol.

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.

A Busy Week calls for a Relaxed Weekend.

Hello and welcome my lovely friends.

How you all doing?

I've not been feeling the whole blogging and social media thing recently, you see I've been doing Jury Service at my local court and quite honestly found it not only hard work, but quite exhausting and draining.  Having not worked for a few years now, the whole aspect of getting myself up and ready in the morning quite a shock!  Coupled with the fact it wasn't a particularly nice case I'm honestly glad it's all over.  Even posting blogs and IG posts seemed like hard work for me, so please excuse my lack of visits, comments and likes.  I'm back now and looking forward to getting back to work!

On Saturday it was nice to do something a little different.  Hubby and I accompanied our youngest son to Putney in London, where he took part in a sculling time-trial race on the Thames.  We enjoyed a few hours on the river bank sampling a couple of drinks, a bite to eat and to watch not only the race, but the world go by.  It was a busy little environment with all sorts of people going about their Saturday's and it was so nice to see a bit more normality.

Saturday night we relaxed with a takeaway and a good crap film!  Yep you read correctly it was an absolutely awful film featuring John Travolta and Morgan Freeman.  Eye for an eye was supposed to be an American Thriller but left me almost laughing at some ludicrous scenes that had me wondering just how these two famous actors agreed to appear - definitely wouldn't recommend this film at all!

Yesterday was a very lazy Sunday, we cleared a few jobs in the house and as most of the kids were doing their own thing we decided not to cook a roast dinner and venture into town to our local Posillipo restaurant to have our 'usual' choice of dinner.  Nice to have a meal served to me and not having to cook it myself ... bliss. X

I'm hoping to get out to the shops to see all the new Autumn looks that have been arriving.  I'll also be going through my clothes as I know there's so many I've not worn over the past year or so and it will be nice to sort and replace anything I don't need.  Have you bought any new pieces for the new season yet?  Do tell if you have.

Jury Service - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hiya my friends.

Hope you're all doing well.

I'm still on Jury Service so haven't had time to get my planned post together - do forgive me!

So I've decided to just share the #Chicandstylish #LINKUP with you,  I hope you'll add a post or two.

Next week I'll be sharing another At Home With .... post, do remember to stop back to see who it is.

Have a lovely week and don't forget to add to the linkup party. X

Midaxi dress - Have you heard of It?

Hiya my gorgeous friends.

How's it going for you today?

Another christening for me on Sunday, this is the outfit I wore.  It's a midaxi style.  What's a midaxi I hear you say?  Well it's a hemline of a dress or skirt that's in between the midi and maxi style.  It sits just above the ankle and below the mid-calf.  It's a seasonless and versatile fashion that you can wear with boots for Winter or sandals in the Summer.

When shopping in London the other week, my daughter and I nipped into TK Maxx to avoid the rain and this is what I came out with.  

I'm still on jury service for another week, so might still be a tad thin on the ground for visiting, commenting and liking your blogs.  I'll be back to normal service next week my friends.

A Ray of Sunshine Yellow - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hello my lovely friends.

How are you all?

Been a very strange week for me so far, you see I'm sitting on Jury Service and have come home everyday with a brain like mush (nothing new there people that know me will say).  It's been an interesting situation and I can't say I'm enjoying it really.  You see I haven't been to 'proper' work since before I had my first child ... she's 33 now so It's all been a bit of a shock to the system.  I've had to get up early for a reason!  I usually get up fairly early, but it's not the same when you don't have to be somewhere is it!  

Concentrating has also been a hard one for me too, I'm usually engrossed in blogging of some description or scrolling through IG .... and having not been able to get on there much am really missing it. 

Last week this was the outfit I picked to wear when it was much cooler to actually wear jeans.  With warmer weather enveloping us at the moment I'm not sure when I'll be wearing jeans again!

Items marked with * have been gifted to me, however these are 100% my own honest comments.

August Review.

Morning all, a very different day for Mummab today!

I'm actually off to do Jury service at my local courts.  Waited 57 years for this and now I'm not sure I want to do it!  Wish me luck, I'm going to need it!

Over the weekend it's been quite a busy time.  Saturday hubby and I popped to the local shops to find him a shirt, we have two christenings this month so he's all set now.  Later Saturday afternoon we got ready to go out with friends for dinner.  You may recall I ventured to Broadstairs with the same girl friends but this time we went out with the boys.  We had a super evening and, as always the food was excellent.  I'm a  boring lady creature of habit because I ordered my usual - Scaloppine de Pollo that came with a side of saute potatoes and spinach.  No room for dessert and again rather boring finished with a cup of tea! (To be fair that was after a few glasses of fizz)!

Sunday was the first of two christenings. It was my nieces' daughter who was in the limelight and she a pretty little princess who lights up the room.  All the family were there again, so it was nice to see them all in happy & relaxed surroundings.  I found a cute little dress in my local M & Co (I'll share that another day).

Beginning of the month calls for a review, so I'm pleased to share my August Review with you today.

Having seen lots of ladies wearing white dresses, I thought they all looked so cool so decided to buy one.  This came from F & F in my local supermarket and was happy to find I needed a smaller size.  It has so much potential for Autumn too as it can be paired with loads of other colours and tones.

Here I've opted for good old black and white!

I Love Wearing Pink - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Morning all.

Wow, welcome September, I do hope you wont reward us by being typical Autumnal weather - I really would like a bit more summer sunshine to relish before cooler days strike!

A few weeks ago I was thrilled to go out for the day with three friends.  We went out to play ... well have a meal and a few drinks and we caught the train to do it!

I can't tell you how excited I was, you'd have thought I was a teenager getting out in the Summer holidays.  

The station is just down the road so my daughter dropped me off.  Not having caught a train for a long time she told me where to go and what to do in order to buy a ticket at the machine and what platform to go to!  I sound like an idiot, but getting older and usually driving and not having been out much due to Covid really did squash my confidence.  It was so easy to get the ticket and I was soon waiting for the train to arrive, I'd asked my friends to look out for me, which they did and as soon as the train arrived I made my way to find them.

Statement Sleeves - Style not Age

Hello my lovely friends.

How's your Bank Holiday weekend going?

Hasn't the month just flown by!  I think it's because we've had a little more freedom as I'm fitting more and more into my weeks.  I've been enjoying it, but admit it's been hard keeping up with it all, I hope in time I'll get used to it again and fit even more exciting things in too.

Over the weekend I enjoyed a family party at my mum's house.  Fortunately the weather was good for us and we had an outdoor event with a bouncy castle for the kids that lasted into the early evening when the weather got windy and much cooler.  We made it easier for mum by all taking a plate of food - I made some smoked salmon pate and coronation chicken with rice.  It was a super afternoon and we all had a thoroughly great time - and that was without any adults having a go on the bouncy castle!

Anyway enough of my weekend antics, let's jump into the August Style Not Age challenge.

The challenge was set by Emma - Style Splash who's prompt of Statement Sleeves certainly got me thinking!  I have many items with noticeable sleeves and knowing I've used most of them on the blog already made the challenge a little hard for me.

I've ended up picking a pretty top that you may recall seeing in the past (I've had this Bonmarche top for years).  I wanted to pair it with a classic white skirt but couldn't find one suitable so decided to go with the Autumnal transitional look and wore these grey culottes .... complimenting grey leaf on my pretty blue floral blouse perfectly.

Coffee & Cream - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Morning my friends.

Wow, how late am I, sorry for the delay - just been such a busy bee!

Hope you're all enjoying the last few days of August.

I've had a some nice outings over the past few days, you may have seen my IG post's sharing a belated Christmas Present at The Fordwich Arms and also my day out in London with my daughter. 

I have a family party on Saturday at my Mum's all the family plus my sisters family and my uncle will be there.  We're all taking a plate of food which will make it much easier on my mum, so she won't be left having to prepare food for 30!!  I've opted to make a salmon pate & coronation chicken.  I can't wait to get together with my extended family as it's been way too long - will hopefully take some photos to share with you all.

I've been to two classes today, then had my hair trimmed too!  I'm looking bright & fresh with my newly coloured and cut locks X

A Day out in London in Bonmarche.

Hiya, how are you?

I've had a busy few days over the weekend and have thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Friday the usual dancing into the weekend finishing off the waltz I started learning the week before.  As a young child I loved watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing across a huge stage with fabulous backdrops and often wished I could dance like they did.  I went on to learn ballet, tap and modern dancing and loved every minute of it.  I was involved in shows and taking exams, but rarely entered any competitions.  Since beginning Ballroom dancing a few years ago I've wished I'd have learnt earlier than just over fifty, so I'm having to make up for it now and look forward to Friday evenings with excitement.

Saturday night hubby and I got to enjoy a long awaited Christmas present from the kids.  We had a voucher to sample the tasty cuisine at The Fordwich Arms which is not too far from us. Do have a look at this post to see what we ate!

Sunday was spent in London.  My husband and SIL went to watch football at Arsenal - not something my daughter and I really enjoy so we spent a few lovely hours shopping and having a snack.  We did the usual Covent Garden and surrounding area, and had wanted to see a show but the times didn't fit for us.  It was nice to just talk about all sorts - her baby is due in November & when she finishes work I'm sure we'll have a bit more time to catch up before baby arrives - then she won't have time to think let alone talk eh!

I opted for comfort over a dressy dress, I would have preferred to flounce around in one of my buffet dresses, but the weather hinted at rain (which we got) so my jeans and trainers were a more suitable substitute.

Items marked with * have been gifted to me, however these are 100% my own honest comments.

At Home With ... Hilda - #Chiandstylish #LINKUP

Hello and welcome my lovely friends.

How's it going in your neck of the woods?

After a busy weekend with the family, it's been back down to earth with the usual spin classes and general household duties.  

Yesterday I caught up with a friend for a nice lunch in our local Zizzi, we had planned to visit Prezzo that was over the road, but it was closed!  Think this covid 'pinging' is affecting everyone in some form or other.  Our restaurant had run out of wine, they literally had two to offer due to lack of deliveries.  I've noticed shelves in some supermarkets have been empty of random items - it's a crazy world we are living in!

The weather has still been so changeable, I started off in jeans, and ended up in a dress with boots, does it feel like Autumn is just round the corner?  I've even put the duvet back on today - maybe that will entice an 'Indian Summer' to appear! 🌞

Today I'm lucky to share enough fabulous blogging friend with you for my At Home With .... series.

I'm so pleased to welcome Hilda - Over The Hilda to the blog - I wonder what secrets and helpful tips she may have to share!

White Horse Energy - BBQ Time.

Morning everyone, how was your weekend?

Mine was fabulous.

All the family round for dinner yesterday as Hubby and I prepared Beef Wellington with Dauphinoise Potatoes and a mixture of veg followed by fresh fruit with marshmallows and dipping chocolate.

I love to have all the family round, but it isn't always possible as some have families of their own to think about.

I also had a family gathering last week and enjoyed a BBQ in the garden with some of the kids, I'm trying to make the most of any snippet of warm weather as I'm afraid Autumn will be upon us soon and we'll be thinking of getting all snuggly indoors with the heating on!

Where do you get your BBQ supplies from?  Have you heard of White Horse Energy?

I've been excited to receive a box of EcoBlaze Charcoal Briquettes* and EcoBlaze Natural Firelighters.* from them and am thrilled with the results.

White Horse Energy supplies wood pellets, kiln dried firewood and wood briquettes nationwide, with blisteringly quick delivery times and a commitment to exemplifying all that customer service should be.

Items marked with * have been gifted to me, however these are 100% my own honest comments.

Mellow Yellow Maxi Dress - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hello there my lovely blogging friends.

How are you all doing?

It's been lovely to enjoy some warmer weather over the past couple of days, even had the roof off my car and soaked up the sunshine whilst I was driving around.  Hubby bought me a new car for our anniversary last month and my convertible has been a joy to drive, I must admit I am a very spoiled & lucky lady. 💕

I've also been lucky enough to style another item from the Bonmarche website too!  Take a look at this super classic maxi dress.*  I seem to be drawn to a yellow maxi dress as I've got two in my wardrobe already!  See this one I wore to the beach in the UK and one I wore in Spain.  To me a sunny lemon shade brings on the sunshine for the dreary days we often have in the UK, and I adore wearing it on holiday too.  I do hope we can start getting away safely soon, I can't tell you how much I long to get away, I'm sure I'm not the only one.  Have you booked a trip abroad yet?

Items marked with * have been gifted to me, however these are 100% my own honest comments.

Styling a Shirt Dress from Bonmarche.

Morning my friends.

How are you all getting on?

Another weekend with changeable weather - hasn't the rain been absolutely  brutal!  On and off leaving outfit picking an absolute nightmare.  It's still warm which makes wearing anything that gives coverage in wet weather awfully sticky.  Hubby and I went out to look for a new sofa (I know we're still looking) and ended up sitting in the car until the rain stopped.  I wore this nice new shirt dress from Bonmarche - which sort of kept me dry with the addition of my faux leather jacket.  I picked mules which did make my feet get wet, so maybe I should have worn the second choice you will see below - my trusty trainers!

Do you have grand-kids?  I'm so lucky to be a nanny to five little darlings 💖 (and another due in November) and I enjoyed a sleepover with my grandson on Saturday night.  His sister was also on a sleep over so we decided he could come to ours on his own as he's usually shares with her - he felt very big and grown up and was a pleasure to have around.  

Have you been watching Love Island?  I'm hooked on the program, although I hate watching it - it's something I love to hate, what do you think of it?  It's not aired on Saturday night, so we try to enjoy a good film and a takeaway.  

So here's my weekend look.  I'm obsessed with this black and white check midi and it's one I'll certainly be wearing again and again come the next few months, hope you don't get bored of seeing it! 

Items marked with * have been gifted to me, however these are 100% my own honest comments.

White Midi with Black Additions - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Morning my friends.

I do hope you are all doing well.

Writers block has hit me today, I'm finding it hard to write anything really!  It's a hard time of the year with memories of loved ones who've passed away in this month - it proves to be a tough time for all the family.  It's something we all have to come to terms with isn't it, but I have a good strong family around and I find talking really helps.  

I also think I've just about had enough of Covid and all it has brought with it, but I do feel things are very slowly beginning to settle down.  Masks have become second nature and I feel quite naked when I don't have one on when I'm anywhere near the shops - lol.  How are the Covid restrictions where you live?

What I can tell you about is something I've been enjoying styling and wearing recently, and honestly who doesn't love a white dress
If you follow me on IG you might have seen me styling this white dress a few different ways - here's a link if you'd like to see it.  I had lots of lovely comments and found that most of you favoured the same one that I liked the most.  It's just a black and white combination, and doesn't disappoint in the fashion stakes. 

July Review.

Good morning my friends.

Wow August already .... It's crazy to think we've arrived here, sad to think Summer is beginning to ebb away, I've even had mushrooms pop up in the garden - a sure sign that Augutmn is just around the corner.😢

With torrential rain at times over the weekend I starting to think Winter isn't far away - I've still got plenty of Summer dresses to wear and a host of BBQ's to enjoy.  I actually had to sit under my fur blanket yesterday and was very nearly tempted to put the heating on!

Friday night at ballroom dancing we learnt a new dance, the Samba!  I've never tried it before and simply loved it!  I picked it up really well and felt like I'd danced it previously, (I think I've been watching too much Strictly Come Dancing, and often secretly dance when nobody is watching). 🤣

We'll be finishing off the sequence next week before moving onto a new dance - but I'll keep practicing, well you never know SCD may want an over fifty blogger to compete one day!!!! 😉

Saturday morning I went with my Daughter-in-law to help look after my grand-daughter whilst she ran around with my grandson at his Little Kickers session - he spent most of the 45 mins running off in the other direction!  It was set up really well getting the little ones to collect cones, balance them whilst walking around obstacles and then following an obstacle course which ended with them kicking the ball into the goal.  All the kids loved it, but I think the most fun was had by my DIL ....😉



As it's the beginning of the month it's time to look back on July to see what I was doing and catch up on any post's you may have missed. Welcome to the ....

July Review.

Well it's been quite a busy month for Mummabstylish - way back at the beginning of the month we were celebrating my son winning the Doggett's Coat and Badge.  His hard training over the past couple of years paid off and we couldn't have been any happier for him.  Do pop back to read about our special day on the River Thames with our family and friends.  In support of his chosen colour we all wore white outfits.

Bonmarche Gypsy Skirt - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Morning my lovely friends.

How are you all doing today?

Seems I've missed a day, thought I had another one to prepare today's blog post!  My reason for being late is that it was my daughter's birthday yesterday and the time just flew by!  I mowed both front and back garden by lunch time, then we had a stream of family and friends visit to wish her well on her birthday - but as they say "better late than never" eh!  She had a lovely day as I did too and it was so nice to catch up with family who I'd not seen for a while.

Today I'm trying out a new-to-me gym class .... Body Balance!  Anyone heard and tried it?  I'll let you know who it goes, I've also booked a spin class straight after so wish me luck ... 😅

I try to wear dresses in the summer, but I'm also smitten with a skirt, and if it's a swishy, twirly version then I'm all over it, just like this one from Bonmarche.

Items marked with * have been gifted to me, however these are 100% my own honest comments.

Style Not Age - Jackets for July!

Hi there my lovely friends.

So pleased you could join me today.

I've had a fantastic weekend, which started on Friday when I had a trip to the seaside with friends.  My Abu Dhabi ladies decided to catch up for an afternoon of fun and laughs, reminiscing about our previous holidays and the possibility of planning another when we can get away safely - who knows when that will be!  We're all wanting to get away as soon as we can and feel, like everyone, that we took going away for granted!  

We took the train to Broadstairs and found our way (via a gorgeous boutique - and yes I did buy a dress!) to the little Italian restaurant which overlooked the beach.  After a delicious meal and a couple of bottles of Prosecco we moved onto an outdoor bar for cocktails and more laughs and chatter.  It was so nice to actually feel free and normal.  I hadn't realised just how different and restrained I'd felt.  We had a couple of Porn Star Martinis (my favourite) and felt even more relaxed with the great company and enchanting surroundings. We made our way back to the station and then back home, all feeling happy and content with the meet-up and looking forward to doing it again. X

Saturday was a spent in the garden cutting yet more hedges ... seriously who needs the amount of garden and hedges we have!  😖  

If you're lucky enough to have grand-kids you'll know how fun it is to have them for a sleepover.  It was my daughter's wedding anniversary so whilst they celebrated with a night out having dinner - we had McD's and a house full of children (3 to sleep and 1 more for dinner)  It was bedlam, but they all had fun bounching around playing with toys, hide-and-seek and generally being loud!  I got them settled at a reasonable hour making way for a film and a glass of chilled rose - well maybe more than one glass was consumed - ha ha!

Okay I'm going to pull myself away from the weekend frolics and talk about the July Style not Age challenge which was set by me!

Jackets for July.

I felt this title would give a wide scope for everyone, and with the weather being so changeable it would be the perfect prompt to cover every eventuality.  I had a few ideas for today's outfit, but settled on this new number from Bonmarche.

Items marked with * have been gifted to me, however these are 100% my own honest comments.

Vibrant & feminine OTS Dress - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hi there my friends, hasn't it been scorching weather recently?

I must admit to finding it a tad too much at times - I'm sure it won't last too long so I should just try to enjoy it. Trouble is doing everything I want to do makes it twice as hard when it's hot!  I've still been to gym classes and have done work in the garden, but it's totally taken it's toll on me!

The garden is looking really nice now, I'm keeping on top of the grass cutting and with the flowers blooming everywhere, it's a real joy to sit outside.  Today I've planted some wild flower bombs - I can't wait for them to grow and I'll be putting them near my little bee hotel - think that might be quite helpful to them. 

On Tuesday I joined my daughter and mum for an afternoon tea.  It was actually my mum's present from my daughter for Christmas, but with covid and lockdown Tuesday was the earliest opportunity to go.  They invited me too which was so lovely - I really do enjoy an afternoon tea and had fun spending the whole of the afternoon with them both at our local  nearest Cafe Rouge in Bluewater.  We dined on sausage rolls, quiche, ham and lettuce rolls followed by my favourite ... Scones, jam and clotted cream, Fruity Carrot cake, Billionaire torte and Blackforest mousse.  We drank endless amounts of tea, but I just had to add the optional glass of Prosecco to my meal, well would have been rude not to!

Yesterday I did a lot of 'getting things done'  I tend to leave things to the last minute & if they don't need doing I wont start them ... my mum calls it 'finding it hard to get to first base'  my daughter spurred me on and I got about 3/4 of the list completed.  Not big endless tasks, just small things like arranging a carpet cleaner and sewing part of my ripped gazebo.  It's quite refreshing to finally tick them and a few other jobs off my list!