Busy or not Busy? - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hi there my friends.

What's happening in your neck of the woods?
My answer is very busy
It's been another hectic few days in Mummab's household with not much blogging getting done!
Do share whether you've been up to much or not - I love to hear from you. X

So please forgive me as today there'll just be the #Chicandstylish #LINKUP
Please link anything today - it's a free-for-all!

Style not Age - Welcome to the Jungle.

Morning my lovely friends.
How are you all doing ?
I'm really getting fed up with this lock-down situation and want to get back to normal now -  pretty please!
After a busy few weeks I thought I'd check my emails to remind Emma for a challenge title for the Style not Age ladies  - thinking she'd maybe forgotten I opened my emails and found she had already sent the prompt some weeks earlier AND there were two post photos already sent!  Having been so wrapped up in the family and lock-down I completely dismissed it from my mind.  I was surprised to find Emma had already sent (and I'd seen) the email suggesting the title of ...

Welcome to the Jungle.

What am I like! So by Friday having already received everyone's photos I had to set about finding something to wear.  This obviously proved a challenge in it's self with no shops open to peruse therefore no inspiration! What's the best thing to do in this situations?  Ask your daughter!  She came up trumps and found two outfits along with a scarf and boots.

Lock-down Birthday.

Morning my dear friends.
How are you all doing?
Have you had a good weekend?
I've celebrated three family birthdays over the past weekend, the first was on Friday and it was mine!
I was really worried my special day wouldn't quite be the same and obviously it wasn't BUT it was a day I felt truly blessed & extremely loved.
Starting the day with a wake-up call from my grand-children was extra-special.  Cards followed hugs and kisses and happy birthday wishes.  Hubby bought me some gorgeous new sunglasses - I had given him a good idea of what I wanted, but love his choice anyway. 😉 I'll show you on the blog soon, but you can have a sneak peak of them here.
I had visits from my sister, sister-in-law and a couple of friends and I had my usual walk to see my daughter too. I also spoke with me bestie via Facetime - such a brilliant thing and also spoke to my son & my mum.   As I get older I realize having special cards with lovely words mean so much, I usually end up in tears when reading them - no different on Friday!   Lock-down is having an effect of everyone isn't it, I seem to worry all the time about things I can't control.  I'm eating too much and drinking far more than I should, but sometimes there's nothing to feel really good about or look forward to.  I am lucky to have my family around me and they do lift my spirits when I'm feeling down as I do for them. X

The family living with me had all been happy to have our dinner delivered by a local fish restaurant.  I've mention Wheelers Oyster Bar before having had many brilliant meals there in the past - it's a quaint little local restaurant serving fresh fish with Oysters being their speciality.  But the lobster lasagne is mouth-watering I must say!
The dinner was completed with some super sparkling cold glasses of champagne - my favourite and the whole meal was rounded off with fresh fruit and dipping chocolate.  I even had a surprise, not one but two cakes - both baked by my daughter, both yummy!!!  Errrr who mentioned diet? 🤣

Pink Pick-Me-Up - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Good Morning my friends.
Hope you are doing well.
I have a very special few days coming up, but they really won't be the same still stuck in lock-down.  You see it's my birthday tomorrow and I will only be able to celebrate with my loved ones who live with me!  I know it's the same for a lot of you, so do share how you would celebrate your lock-down birthday ideas.
It's also my grand-daughters birthday and my eldest son's & I won't be able to celebrate with him, I'll just stop by to give him his pressie and my love from afar.  We will have a little 'party' for my princess with the others joining on the computer via Facebook or Zoom!
Apologies for no post on Monday, everything just got on top of me!
I had a super long weekend with the Bank Holiday unusually happening on a Friday.  We had a BBQ in the garden with some tasty meat I bought from the local butchers.  As the weather was nice I decided to buy a paddling pool for the children, but by the time it arrived the weather had changed for the worst - freezing cold and the last thing they wanted was a cold and wet dip in the pool!  Saving it for the better weather that's hopefully just around the corner!  Maybe we can have a 'pool party' for my grand-daughters birthday on Saturday!

Bonmarche Jeans and a T-Shirt. - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hi there dear friends.
It's all getting a bit much isn't it?  I want this to be over and done with - it's beyond a joke now!!!
I didn't actually think I was high maintenance, but with lock-down still in place I'm 100% used to being well maintained!  I have a list as long as my arm of things that need 'doing'.  My nails are hideous! I always have gel nails done either at the salon or more recently my daughter has recently qualified so she does them.  I'm proud of how my nails look and am seldom seen without beautifully manicured fingers!  I've tried using Rimmel 60 seconds polish - I like the fact it's fast drying, but unfortunately hate the colours and dull flat look they leave.  I bought a gorgeous cerise pink the other day - but it definitely doesn't do "what is says on the tin" it's not remotely the same colour!!!  I've also picked up a Rimmel Top coat, but picked up the wrong one so need to exchange it!

My eyelashes are in need of lots, and I mean lots of attention.  My daughter usually puts extensions on them, but she's not allowed out so hasn't been able to do them - shame.  Waxing? Now waxing is another story, and I literally can't wait for the salon to open - now that will be an experience I can tell you! Enough said about that the better. 🤣

Now let's talk hair.  That IS a more positive story, I've been watching some YouTube videos about fringe trimming, so I've cut my own!!! Yes it worked out alright and I'll be doing more in the future having also purchased some thinning scissors!  What about the colour I hear you ask.  I'm a slave to my roots and have them 'done' every 6 weeks - yes 6 weeks!  It cost's a fortunate - so having to stay indoors with no salons opening any time soon I've resorted to buying a home colour and doing-it-myself, well I say myself my eldest did it for me on Monday night.  I'm really pleased with the outcome.  The shade is a brilliant match, it was fairly easy to apply and washed off easily - with a wonderful smelling conditioner leaving it shiny, smooth and super soft.  Costing £7 from my local chemist, the L'Oreal Casting Creme Gloss (darkest brown) application has really impressed me.  So long as it lasts the 28 washes it suggests I may well be converted!!
With comfy clothing all the rage for the time being I'm delighted to feature an outfit gifted by Bonmarche.  They have a vast selection of stylish, comfy, trendy as well as classic pieces which are just perfect for casual styling, but with the added advantage of being able to be dressed up a notch for fancy functions.  Take a look at my choice of jeans and graphic tee which is really soft to touch and feels relaxing to wear too!

Available in sizes 10 - 28 the £18 pair of jeans comes in four leg lengths for the same price!

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

April Review.

Morning my lovely friends.
All good here in the Mummab household, the first stint of birthdays have been and the next are just around the corner - mine included, although I'm sure it will be a very different celebration than normal!

You might have seen my new series last month - my March Review re-visited some of the previous months posts and today I'm sharing the second one - my April Review.
April was a mixed bag really, some of my photos were taken prior to lock-down and the others were taken by my daughters.  I'm so lucky to have my eldest daughter and her family staying with me, but admit to having a VERY busy house so blogging has taken a bit of a back seat if I'm honest.
The latter part of the month I've been sharing more laid-back styles, but at the beginning of the month I was showing off a stunning dress I picked up in our local Debenhams closing down sale.  It's a stylish and fancy black lace dress with rivets and gold rings, but I think I'll let the dress speak for it's self.

This is a True Story! - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hi there my friends.
How's it going?
Seems mother nature wants us all to return to normal with this horrible wet weather she's dished us.  It seemed slightly easier staying home with sunny, warm weather - but with rain and cold wind it's not pleasant at all.  I stopped by my daughter's earlier today and even with the car window slightly open I got soaked - she got cold standing in the doorway so we had to cut short our chat!  Let's hope there's an end in sight, but I'm not holding my breath for it!
Well today I had planned to share a recent gifted outfit from Bonmarche - but as the weather wasn't playing fair at all I've postpone for another day - hopefully next week if the weather improves for photos!!!  So what to share today???
Well this will make you laugh and be amazed at the same time.  Now do let me know if this has happened to you.
Many, many years ago I was involved in fun hair and fashion shows, nothing big just a local salon where my best friend worked along with various fashion shops periodically putting on fashion shows to promote the salon and some local dress shops.  We'd have our hair done by the hairdressers and wear a couple of outfits selected by the shop owner so we could show them off.  It was always good fun, and we'd all dream about being "super-models" strutting our stuff to Five Stars' album. Lol!

My friend had been looking through some old photos and came across one that showed the two of us in bridal style dresses along with a bunch of other ladies.  We were wearing white dresses and had various hair additions added with a bouquet of flowers to boot - we looked an absolute picture, well we thought so at the time!  She sent the photo to me yesterday along with a close up of another lady - that other lady turned out to be one of my other best friends who I didn't actually meet until some years later!!! Yes I was shocked to find out we had been in the same show years before and didn't even know each other.  Life has a funny way of putting people together, and then they seem to find each other again, really knowing they should be friends eventually.  How weird is that???  Here's the photo - not very good quality but remember it is probably about 30 years old!

That's me far right - with my bestie next to me. 

Style not Age - Comfy Casuals.

Hey there - how you doing?
Been having a bit of a down day actually.
With birthday season in the Mummab household, it's really hit me that I can't celebrate with ALL the family.  I'm so lucky to have my eldest daughter with me, but not having my other daughter and eldest son around is really getting to me.  It was my daughter-in-law's birthday on Saturday and we had to greet from afar - being a tactile person I automatically wanted to kiss and hug them and almost forgot that I couldn't.  We have another two birthday's this week and again I know I'll be with them, but the other family members wont and it breaks my heart.  I keep telling myself it won't last forever, but sometimes it just gets to you doesn't it?

On a brighter note the blog has really been helping me concentrate on something other than the lock-down, and today it's the turn of the Style not Age ladies to share their offerings on the latest challenge - and the topic, which was set by me is .....
Comfy Casuals.

Cream Pleats and Paisley- #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hello my friends.
Thanks for staying with me during these unprecedented times. I really appreciate your support.
My days have been full of quizzes over the past few weeks and some have been driving me mad!  My mum has set some brainteasers of cryptic clues of surrounding towns, and the kids have set general knowledge puzzles to stretch our brains too!
My running is going well and I'm now up to just over 3k - it's a work-in-progress but I'm aiming to increase that to running 5k with ease in the coming months.
Today is my eldest daughters' birthday - it's actually really nice to have her with me on her special day as she's been married a few years.  It's been awkward to get things I need like cards, wrapping paper and gifts, but I managed to buy her something online and have also given her some money to get what she wants.  I normally try and buy the whole months cards in one shop, but as that's obviously closed I've resorted to the supermarket - not much choice and hugely expensive - the big supermarket chains have the upper hand here don't they?  I'm not sure how long before companies will be in uproar.  I was surprised to find all sections of Tesco open and they were happy to sell anything to me - even something from the clothing department (which I must add I often buy from) but it's hugely unfair that other clothing stores are unable to open - even under the "2 metre rule"!
What are your thoughts on this?
So onto today's outfit ..... Another from my closet that you've seen before in a different guise.
The pleated skirt which came from M & S a while ago is a firm favourite for warmer days - it's neutral beige with a gold sheen running over it.  I've worn it a multitude of ways, and as it's a basic colour there's so many options for it.  Today I've picked out the gold/beige in the paisley design of my silky blouse.  Again you've seen this on the blog paired with my palazzo trousers and aztec jacket.