Styling a vibrant jumpsuit - Chicandstylish Linkup

Good morning everyone.

Thanks for joining me today.

Apologies for no post on Monday, in my head I'd planned a post, but in reality it didn't materialise!

I've been away for a long weekend break to Porto in Portugal.  It was amazing and very much needed by both hubby and myself! You might recall it was a birthday present for the children, they all clubbed together for a joint 60th present and our trip away was the result.  They had planned to send us to Savoca in Sicily, but you can read all about that story here

Well I’m working on a post telling you all about Porto which will follow next week. Until then let me show you this vibrant jumpsuit that I was kindly gifted from Jenerique. 

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

Memory Lane & Insurance - Chicandstylish Linkup

Hiya, how are you?

All good with me. 

I'm getting a tad excited for my weekend away this Saturday.  The kids bought us a trip to Porto for both David and my 60th birthdays and the time has finally come.  I've planned a little capsule wardrobe to take with me comprising of some new and old pieces - I'll try to share them on Instagram in the next day or so!

I've done the online check in and up loaded the boarding passes to my phone wallet.  We've got some euros left over from our previous holiday and we have insurance with our bank - which is really helpful (I always check the small print to make sure we are properly covered) so all I need to do is get a couple of toiletries and pack! Porto here I come!

Our new build is coming on nicely, slowly but nicely - do you know we've lived in this house for 15 years now.  We sold our property on the sea front in Seasalter and made the move to this house which had lots of potential and lots of land!  Remember how I go on and on about the size of the grass I have to cut, well it's had about 1/4 taken away now which is where our new house sits!  You can see more on my dedicated Instagram account Mummabbuilds which shows what we've done and how far we've come.  

So back to the house, lots has happened in the passing years, we've had numerous birthdays - many big ones, two weddings, two dogs (both passed away) and we've also lost special people along the way.  We've had so many good times, and generally it's been a good house to us, albeit an old, in-need-of-lots-of-work house. 

You might wonder why I've been so nostalgic, well it's house insurance time which always takes me back to when we got the house keys.  Well to be honest we didn't get the keys, our daughter did! We’d sold our previous property and there was a short period before we could move into this one so we moved lock, stock and barrel into my Mother-in-laws house.  I've got wonderful memories of our time there and it just went really well.  We decided to book a holiday to Turkey and half way through we completed and could have moved in, pair that with the fact that my eldest daughter and her husband returned home AND it rained for the whole weekend, I really wanted to be in the UK moving in to my new house and not in rain-y Marmaris!  

Now back to my household insurance. and with inflation increasing that too is going up.  Because our house has suffered from underpinning in the past we decided to keep the original insurance going and not break away from them, but I guarantee there's some fabulous home insurances out there which have quoted me in the past and it's definitely worth doing your ground work and getting a good deal!

This post has sponsored content, however all words are my own. 

My Chanel Inspired two piece.

Hello everyone

How’s it going?

I’ve had a mad weekend really, it all started really well but went downhill rather quickly on Saturday. My youngest managed to fall from a scaffolding tower and spilt his underarm open - so I spend most of Saturday in A & E. 

He was helping at my daughter’s new build when the injury happened, suffice to say he won’t be doing that again in a while. Fortunately they are nearly at a stage of interior painting etc. He ended up with five stitches and some antibiotics & the sad thing is he’s off to Centre Parcs today so won’t be able to ride the bike or swim!

Isn’t it such a worry when our kids grow into adults, we still worry and care about them but have to leave them to their own devices and not get too involved. If anyone has learnt how to do this please let me know! 🫣

Sunday, I’m pleased to say was an improvement with David and I and his sisters’ and brother visiting our nephew for his birthday. We had a wonderful lunch compromising of pulled pork and all the extras, paella with some delicious salads - Greek, carrot & beetroot and burrata with rocket, peaches and pine nuts. Everything was delicious and the afternoon ran smoothly with only the addition of better weather improving it!

I ended up wearing this dress yesterday which was perfect for the cooler temperatures, but this cute little number would have been a possibility had I managed to get them in smaller sizes. 

Styling New Trousers - Chicandstylish Linkup

Hello my friends. 

How’s it going?

I really do seem to have blinked and missed the summer, I’m still hankering after wearing my summer dresses, and fear Autumn will be upon us in no time - making jeans, boots, jumpers and coats top priority! Having said that it’s still hot here, so I’m still in my shorts and Tee shirts! How’s the weather for you?

Feeling quite pleased with myself recently as I’ve been into town and bought a couple of new bits for the new season. Some super trousers from H&M accompanied me home and I’m looking forward to styling them with a slinky top I picked up from them a week earlier. I had to grab a bigger size trouser (anyone else think H&M come up small),  Upon doing so I spotted a matching silky top, so will possibly get that online for my weekend away to Porto the weekend after next. 

Thought you might like a sneak peak of my new trousers, what do ya think?

August Review.

Good morning everyone, great to have you here!

Welcome to September too!

I still can’t believe it’s the beginning of Autumn, we don’t seem to have had any Summer really!

This weekend has been hard work, David and I painted the whole of the outside of our new build. We want to get to the next phase which will be taking the scaffolding down and it’s within touching distance! All that’s left to do is put a couple of tiles on the tile hanging area along with some lead work and get the guttering and drainpipe put in place. So this weekends painting really seems like we’ve reached a milestone! Mind you I felt completely whacked out. I’m proud of the seriously difficult positions I got myself into - hanging from scaffolding and balancing on steps I’ve really quite surprised myself. It looks amazing and both David and I are rather pleased with what we’ve done. Do stop by Mummabbuilds_ to see more of our achievements. 

Remember I told you I ventured into town last week? Well I came home with a couple of nice pieces and was really happy with what was in the stores AND we have a new shop opened in the city along with a new restaurant (The Ivy) which is being constructed as we speak! I’m excited to try it out as soon as it opens after visiting one in London a few months ago. 

The new clothing and jewellery shop  - Oliver Bonas has taken up residence in the city centre and it was lovely to have a browse in the store and spotted loads of bits I wanted to take home with me, I’ll be sharing one I nearly bought on IG soon, be sure to look out for it. 

As it’s the first Monday of the month, it’s time to draw your chair up and grab a cuppa for a look back on what I wore and did last month for the …

August Review. 

Stripes are making headlines this season so this dress will be a winner for next month & beyond - maybe with another layer or two and some closed in trainers. Do have a peak back here and let me know what you think about this summery look. 

Smart Skirt, Casual Tee - Chicandstylish Linkup

Hello and thanks for stopping by. 

How are you all doing?

I’ve been enjoying a few quieter days and haven’t even been to the gym so had a bit of time for photo taking and reel making. I’ve got a lot more enthusiasm for Instagram recently which has been really helpful. Do pop over to check them out and let me know what you think. If you’d like to follow me on there, here’s a link!

I’ve planned to pop into town today, first time in ages! I've been so disillusioned with the local shops and hope they might have improved! Fingers crossed for that! I want to see what’s ‘new in’ in M & S along with Zara and H & M, have you been checking the stores out in person or seeing what’s new online?

Today’s outfit is all shopped from my wardrobe and came about because of this satin skirt. Read on to find the backstory to this slinky midi. 

Style not Age - Lovely Linen.

Hello and welcome to my blog.

If you're new here, I'm an over 50 year old blogger who likes to share my own styles and a bit of my lifestyle with you and maybe a few holidays thrown into the mix too!  Good to have you here. X

Wow what a weekend that was! I did something every day and today I’ve got nothing on so I’m just going to sit back relax and take it easy! 

Friday I was excited to be taken out to lunch for a belated 60th birthday present. The Pig in Bridge was the venue and what a lovely place it is. 

Situated on the outskirts of Canterbury this red brick building is an interesting old house that’s had a rock and roll lifestyle of its own. Back in the day it was a country club and hosted disco’s over weekends and was definitely the place to be! I remember spending many a night dancing, drinking and generally partying into the early hours. Taking full advantage of the checkered dance floor and basement restaurant on many occasions!  Fast forward to the 2020’s and it’s now a renowned restaurant chain sharing signature pig touches including some mouthwatering ‘piggy bits’, fish and meat dishes from within a 25 mile radius along with home grown vegetables that you can wander around the gardens to see them growing, it’s not unusual to have the menu change twice in one day depending on what’s available from the garden. 

I actually opted for a small lamb plate and throughly enjoyed it and knowing I was out again in the evening and wanted a lighter lunch to make room for the delicious meal I’d be having in the evening. 

Friday night I went for my last ever meal to my favourite restaurant Reads. You might have seen me mention this venue in the past as David and I often had our anniversary meal there. So the couple who own it are retiring, they’ve worked as restaurateurs for over 47 years and much to the sadness of many customers have decided to finally shut the doors for the last time. David, my mum & uncle and my sister and her husband enjoyed one final wonderful evening there along with a full restaurant of valued customers. I opted a lighter option and had halibut which was divine as was the cheese soufflé and panna cotta. Sorry if I’ve made you hungry!

Saturday night we dined with friends. Their new house, which overlooks the coast,  had me oo-ing and arrhh-ing at the modern interior which was stunning - given me lots of ideas for our new build. 

Sunday afternoon was my mum’s annual garden party. Thirty five of us gathered in her garden to drink eat and be merry. We were fortunate to just about avoid the rain, we had a big downpour for about 5 mins which dried up nicely making way for warm sunshine which was a joy. The kids spent the afternoon on a bouncy castle and we all relished the homemade dishes we’d all taken. A much better plan to take dishes so it wasn’t all down to one person to prepare. I took pate and coronation chicken which I have to add all got eaten! It wasn’t a late night so I got to relax on the sofa and have an early night. 

It’s nearer the end of the month which can only mean me and the style not age ladies taking centre stage and sharing our  …

Lovely Linen outfits with you!

Leopard Print Skirt Styling - Chicandstylish #Linkup

Morning all. 

How’s your world treating you?

Nothing much to report really, just a normal week so far but a busy weekend on the horizon for me. 

I missed gym on Monday after not feeling 100% so Wednesday’s were my only two classes this week. I’m still going to Fight Club and have to admit to struggling with the routine yesterday! Maybe it’s because I’m getting over a cold or just getting old but trying to grasp the whole routine was a nightmare, I kept having to stop and I think the instructor had given up on me! If you’re messing up the routine you have to go and do either press up’s or burpees so guess who was doing those first! 😂. So fingers crossed I’ll be back to normal and grasp the workout quicker next week or I might have to consider doing a different class! 🤷🏻‍♀️ 

On a better note though I went through the jacket section of my wardrobe and added a few, that I didn’t want anymore, to Vinted. I’ve got rid of about 5 so far, only for a few £’s but it’s good to pass them on and give them a new lease of life isn’t it! Do you sell on Vinted or what’s a similar site where you are?

Today I’m sharing something I wore on Tuesday to visit my mum, it’s an old faithful skirt and new Tee shirt & I’m really pleased with the look. Do let me know your thoughts. 

New Season Essentials from Bonmarche.

Good morning my friends.

Seems we're flying through August aren't we!

After hectic weeks It's been good to slow down and enjoy a quieter weekend. I had Max on Saturday and introduced him to the Peter Rabbit film. It’s all about the children’s story written by Beatrix Potter featuring the fictional character Peter and his family and shares all the funny antics they get up to. Peter is voiced by James Corden, whose wit and personality shines through - do watch it with your kids, grandkids or just watch it alone, it’s a fun one to see - I guarantee you’ll love it. 

Max was smitten and nearly watched it all the way through! I was in my element too as I really enjoy watching kids films. 

Sunday we had a small BBQ nothing fancy but it was good. My daughter prepared most of the food, with the help of my other daughter and my son was in charge of bbq-ing so I could sit back and relax and then enjoy some delicious food making the most of the warmer albeit cloudy weather by sitting in the garden - I’m not sure how long that’ll be happening eh! I’ve also noticed the thing I hate! The nights are starting to draw in! Winter will be upon us before we know it! Urgh!

As promised on Thursday today I'm sharing some new in pieces from Bonmarche.

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

Two Nights in Cornwall - Chicandstylish Linkup

Hi there,

How are you today?

I've had a wonderful couple of days away followed by a busy couple of days with the kids.  If you didn't know I went to Cornwall with my mum and sister for my uncle's 80th birthday.  He lives in a remote area near the South West coast in a little place near Lostwithiel.  It's beautiful down there with stunning scenery which I hasten to add was even more improved by the fact that it was hot and sunny.  I've been when it's rained and even though it's very damp and dreary still looks very picturesque. Have you even been to Cornwall?

Today's post is all about the wonderful couple of days I spent there, so I hope you enjoy my memories.