Well Hello Jean Season - Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Good morning my friends. 

How are you all doing?

Still been a busy bee, but have to admit to enjoying the cooler weather here in the South East but with that being said it’s still humid at times which makes me so miserable. I just get so hot! My hair sticks to my head and looks an absolute nightmare, I put 'weather suitable' clothes on and have to change halfway through the day into something warmer/cooler. Well that is Autumn I suppose!

I’m really enjoying my gym classes now and feel I’m improving with each visit. I’d like to do more classes but they become so time consuming as travelling to and from the gym, home to shower and wash my hair makes it almost a half day event! Two of my daughters have started couch to 5k so I’m contemplating trying that again, at least I can do that at my leisure. Do you regularly visit the gym or do home workouts? To be fair anything that we do involving exercise has to be a good thing, doesn’t it. 

Are you excited it's jean season?  I am!  I adore wearing my jeans and have a few waiting to be worn again.  I do need to sort through them and get rid of some that are probably too small or unflattering, so that’s a job on my to do list. Wide leg styles are prominent at the moment which I'm pleased about as it's a style I find compliments my shape.  So today's look is based around my light wash jeans.  Are you embracing jeans yet?

Autumnal colours with Cream Jeans.

Morning everyone. 

How’s your month going?

The weather is definitely heading into Autumn isn’t it!
Dewy mornings, and cooler evenings with the nights drawing in are major signs. I’m usually a big fan of the new season arriving, however the fact that we’ve not had a very good Summer gives me mixed feelings - I’ve not embraced all my Summery clothes and have certainly not used the garden to full advantage, I feel very short changed this year to be totally honest!  How’s you year been?

I’m building on my autumnal capsule wardrobe, which is based around khaki green.  I’ll be sharing some looks over the next few weeks and today my outfit is based around a borrowed tunic top. 

One of the advantages of having my daughter live with me is being able to rummage through her wardrobe (my old dress rail that I sorted a few weeks ago) and find any little gems I can style.  Do let me know what you think of this season inspired look. 

This is a sponsored post, however these are 100% my own honest comments.

White with Pale Blue Accents - Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hi there,

How you doing?

Well we're really holding onto the dregs of Summer here in the UK aren't we ... isn't it hot!  As I write today's post I'm anticipating a big storm, well that's what it feels like anyway. This heat has made me feel SO tired.  I'm not sure I'm sleeping well with it either (our room is like a sauna) so even going to bed early I still wake up shattered!  Sorry I'm going to stop moaning now, because I know once the weather changes it will be so cold and miserable, just like me ... ha ha ha.

I've had a real few days of it to be honest.  My blog/computer have had problems.  I've not been able to comment on certain blogs and after being sent to GoDaddy who said they couldn't help, then onto Blogger who helped with another problem (I didn't know I had) couldn't help with this one.  Anyone know about having "access denied GoDaddy website firewall" ?  Any help on this subject would be greatly appreciated!

So my afternoon on Monday was filled with trying to sort this out but still haven't got anywhere!  I've also got a problem with my RSS feed on Mailchimp, that's not recongnising me so won't send any automated emails out!  I'm having to do a new one each time I post and it's very time consuming.

** Late edit, both issues fixed now**

I've just read this back and all I've done is moan, thanks for staying with me, I'm going to change my tune and share a nice Summer outfit with you, just before I start packing everything away - say hello to my white trousers again. 🤍

Denim Skirt with Black & White Cold Shoulder Top.

Hi there everyone.

How are you?

We're still enjoying the hot sunny weather we've been experiencing here in the UK, how about you?  I wasn't expecting this and have been wanting to get my season appropriate clothes on and enjoy a bit of cooler temperatures - I know I'm outnumbered - especially by the family who are all over the hotter weather, it's hard to know what to put on though isn't it!

Today's look is a bit of both. Denim skirts are making quite a statement for Autumn, so I thought I'd pop mine on with a thinner, lighter top.  The cold shoulder style isn't really on trend now, but you know me, I'm not a fashion follower, so donned it anyway - what do you think?

I don't really want to be talking about the 'C' word but have you seen any Christmas bits in the shops yet?  I have in quite a few and although I don't want to be thinking about it or doing any shopping I feel I should as every year I leave it to the last minute and end up panicking!  Tell me, have you bought any presents yet? Well having said all of that, I do have a little Christmas list up and running .... for me ... lol. There's only a couple of things on it so far, do you want to know what they are, if so I’ll give you a few days Grace and share them with you next week!

Caramel, Blue and Grey - Chicandstylish #LINKUP

A big warm welcome to you all.

Thanks for stopping by today.

Typical Mother Nature in the UK.  We're now having a heatwave just as the kids have gone back to school!  Anyone else struggling with it?  Well I'm not struggling with the heat, it's just I've gotten my head-space into Autumn and have recently been buying and thinking of a new capsule wardrobe (something I've never done before).  I've been and bought a few new bits in khaki green and aim to utilize some clothes I already have to build upon.  Khaki or olive green go with quite a few colours and I've already got lots of cream which will work well, but also black, blue, gold and tan could pair beautifully with it too.

Have you got any other suggestions for me to try, my wardrobe is a riot of shades, so I'm sure to have something else that will work.

So with the temperatures in the high 20's I've been cooling off in shorts and tee shirts, with the odd dress thrown in, but I've still been melting in it and not enjoying it very much.  I like to be on holiday sitting by a pool with a large drink in hand, not cutting grass and going to the gym lol!

Today I thought I spare the horrendous shorts photo and share an outfit I wore the other day when it wasn't quite so hot, in fact the weather was quite stormy as you can see my the photos, we did have a sprinkling of rain, but nothing to write home about which was good.  The outfit came from being inspired on Instagram and it just so happened to emulate my surroundings that were a mixture of grey's, blues & caramel - let me know what you think of my typical 'Jacqui' look.

August Review

Hi there. 

How are you all doing?

Wow, welcome September. How on earth did that happen? I’m still waiting for Summer to arrive and Autumn has rocked up instead. Maybe Mother Nature will be nice and friendly and share some good weather for the new season - I’m talking warm temperatures, nothing too hot and any rain to be had at nighttime please 🙏. Then I can wear suitable outfits for the odd hot flush that I’m still getting (it’s getting boring now)!

With that being said I’ve been wearing my favourite 'go to' styles over the past few days, wide leg trousers and blazers have a certain flair and it’s a style I feel so at home in. 

It’s been a busy weekend for sure. Friday I went to my usual dance class, we learnt some Foxtrot steps, adding to my repertoire nicely. I just need an occasion to show them off now! 

Saturday I spent the morning working at my daughters house. I’m very hands on and love to get involved with the labouring side of the build. They were stripping the roof of tiles and wood as it’s all got to come off in order for the extra building to make it a house! I was loading the wheelbarrow and unloading it into the skip. I have to admit to feeling great in the afternoon and didn’t even suffer the next day either. 

I popped into town in the afternoon to return the broken sandals, alas they didn’t have any in store so I got a refund. I might look at some chunky trainers as I think they’ll be more worthy come the Autumn. I did come home with a few new pieces though. I’m planning on trying a capsule wardrobe and khaki is my preferred colour, so far I’ve got a new slinky skirt, a skinny jumper, a roll neck stretchy chiffon top that’s snakeskin and a khaki shirt dress - I’ve a gorgeous pair of green loafers that will team beautifully with them all. 🥰

As it’s the first Monday of the month this post is dedicated to last months styles, so welcome to the …

August Review.

Barbie Pink meets Midnight Black - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hello there,

How are you doing?

Are you looking forward to the new month and season? I’m in two minds as usual, half of me wants to keep my Summer dresses and sandals out and enjoy some sunshine, as we’ve not had much nice in the UK and as I’ve not been abroad on a Summer holiday since my hen weekend in Majorca, I’ve missed out on soaking up the Sun and getting a tan! It’s a shame I’ve not enjoyed the sun on my skin or worn some of my pretty Summer dresses and I’ve definitely not got a nice tan to show off!

The other half wants cooler Autumnal days to arrive so I can put to god use all my blazers and long sleeve shirts, I’ve got so many patiently waiting and lots of ideas how to wear them. I’ve also had my head turned by loads of clothes in the shops - I recently visited H & M and fell for some of the offerings that were khaki green. It’s going to be a fashionable colour next season and one I think will suit my colouring so I’ll be buying lots in this shade for sure. 

Today’s outfit features a mix of Summery and Autumnal shades. Barbie pink meets midnight black in this classic ensemble. 

Style Not Age are Craving Crochet this Month.

Hi there my friends. 

How’s you week been?

A busy one for me with my daughter and her family moving in last Thursday. 

If you read last week’s blog you’ll have seen I had to clear out the bedroom where I keep all my dresses. I’ve put nearly all of them for sale in Vinted and so far I’ve sold about £60’s worth. Lots of the items have been, quite frankly, worn to death, so it’ll be nice to put the money to good use and get some pieces for Autumn. I’ve seen plenty of khaki green bits in H & M so will be checking out the website and adding to my basket. 

After a busy weekend, it’s been nice to chill today, although I’m cooking a roast so I’m not sure how ‘quiet’ it’ll be!  

On Sunday David and I went out to have dinner with some friends, we had a delicious roast beef dinner in the local restaurant RockLodge which is done out just like a ski lodge in the middle of a Winter season. It brought back lots of memories of skiing and will be top of my list come Winter when there’ll be a difference in the weather - it’ll be even more like I’m on a ski break .. lol

It’s the last Monday of the month so time to make way for the ladies of the Style not Age collective and checkout our outfits for latest challenge ….

Craving Crochet.

Showing Off on Repeat - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Good morning my friends.

Hoping you are enjoying the week.

Has it turned Autumnal where you are?

Rain today after a few nice days that were quite hot!

Yesterday after the usual gym sessions I came home to tackle to bedroom. My second eldest daughter her husband and son are moving in whilst their bungalow's extended and made into a house, so her old bedroom (my room for my dresses) had to be sorted and found new homes for everything in it! 😱 Yes that’s been very hard to do. With the help of two of my daughters we went through the rail of dresses, separating them into piles keep, charity. Vinted and ditch. It was actually rather therapeutic and I returned from the charity bin feeling like a weight had been lifted off my chest! I’ve already added the pieces to Vinted and within an hour had sold three items! 

It’s been really good to go through the dresses, remembering when I wore them, how many times and would I ever get into some of them again! Lol. 

So the room is almost empty now, I've got parcels to post and a run to the tip but I’m exciting see it filled mainly with Max ❤️

So you can imagine I’ve not had much time to get blogging, hence this late post and the dress I’m sharing today is a ‘just for fun’ look.  You might have seen this last year when I was debating wearing it for Christmas and since then haven’t had the opportunity to don it. It’s waiting patiently for its outing and I’ll be sure to let you know when I do. But just for now let’s enjoy the colours. 💕💙

Items marked with * were gifted to me, these are my own honest comments. 

A visit to the Rare Breeds Center in Ashford.

Hello my friends.

Hope you've had a wonderful weekend.

Another busy one for me.  Saturday was spent with the kids at the Rare Breeds Centre in Ashford, Kent. Since going for my grand-daughter's birthday back in March I'd suggested all the family go as it was such good fun, Saturday was the first opportunity for us to get it sorted and go.  Read below to find out how the day went. X

Saturday night I went out out!  David and I had a fun evening with four friends in Canterbury having a few drinks and a wonderful meal.  We ate the the restaurant that has become our Christmas Eve haunt.  El Sol is a tapas style restaurant with delicious plates of food such as garlic prawns, albondigas, potato bravas and chorizo with tomatoes - all very tasty and very mouth-watering.  We had lots of bread to 'mop up' (who else does this)?  We left in plenty of time to catch last orders in a local pub - the singer who was there before we ate had finished his set, which was a shame as we'd have liked to have a bit of a boogie too!  Taxi's home to bed were very late and suffice to say I had a long lay-in on Sunday morning!

Sunday was fairly quiet, after the busy previous day, David and I went to our eldest daughters for an impromptu BBQ, just a few sausages and burgers whilst enjoying the sun, but we could clearly see it's the end of the season as the sun set earlier and the night got a bit chilly!

A walk in the woods - #Chicandstylish #Linkup

Hi there my friends. 

How’s your world turning?

I’ve been enjoying the last few days of sunny weather, doesn’t it make such a lovely change. Everything is so much rosier. I was walking to the gym yesterday and was delighted to have to warm morning sun on my skin whilst listening to the birds chirp and gazing at the flowers as I passed by. Isn’t it such a special time when there’s not many people about! I love early mornings in the sun. What’s your best thing you like about Summer?

On Tuesday I went with some of the kids & grandkids to a local woodland, Oare Gunpowder Mill is about a half hours drive from me and is an idyllic walk in woodland with lakes surrounding it, it’s about an hours circular walk and let’s the kids explore all the little nooks and crannies, learn about what it was used for & let off some steam.  As you can imagine they loved it all. We saw fish, squirrels, various dragon flies, picked and ate blackberries and fed the ducks (some oats) we even made friends with a three legged dog! I took some sweets, but to be fair they were too interested in their surroundings so didn’t have many … yeah shocked! 😳 

What to wear with Tan Sliders

Hello dear friends and thanks for joining me today. 

How’s your weekend been?

A busy one for me and it seems I shut my eyes on Friday evening and opened them again last night and seemed like I blinked! The weekend just flew past and the reason being I was out both Saturday and Sunday so don’t feel like I’ve had a proper weekend!

So on Saturday David and I went with his brother, sister and their partners to a friends Summer party. We had a good old dance to the singer who was there and had bbq’d food and lots of drinks.  We ended up catching the bus, yes the bus into town to meet up with my son and son-in-laws who had been out for a boys day out go-karting and having a few drinks. It wasn’t a late night for me, but I did suffer the next day after broken sleep and a big headache! No more drinking for me …. Until the next time ..lol!

On Sunday I went with the family to my sisters for a bite to eat and a few drinks. No I didn’t have anything alcoholic and opted to drive. I felt shattered all day and couldn’t wait to get into bed last night. It was lovely to see the family and extended family at my sister’s house as it’s been a while since we did it. I picked this outfit which was based around some new sandals, so let me know what you think of it!

Strive Sandals with Beige Dress - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hi there everyone.

How are you all today?

Rather tired to say the least.  I went to the gym yesterday and came home to cut the grass.  Well I wanted to take advantage of the dry warm weather before the grass had a chance to get any longer!  I mean!  It's been the ideal conditions for it to grow, rain and a bit of sunshine makes the perfect conditions, but not only for the grass, for the weeds and the hedges!  Urgh, yes I'm knackered after working all afternoon yesterday!

On a brighter note, Tuesday evening I went, with David, to my daughters for dinner.  Her husband is a really good cook and produced a delicious & tasty dinner featuring scallops, fish cakes and king prawns with mash, pea puree and a delicious sauce that I couldn't even begin to tell you what was in it!  Suffice to say it all went down rather well as did the bottle of Prosecco and the red wine (drunk by hubby and SIL).  I can't wait to be invited again. X

If you follow me on Instagram you'll have seen I managed to find the pair of black sandals I've been searching for, will share them on the blog soon, but today I want to show off another stunning pair with you, they are from the Strive range and have been a joy to wear as they incorporate podiatrist designed 'Biochemical Footbed Technology' which re-designs the classic flat footbed to the natural contours of the feet.

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

July review.

Good morning everyone.

Hope August started well for you!

The weather has been bloody awful here in the UK, so there's been no enjoyment of Summer outfits - I've resorted to wearing jeans recently and even wore a jacket out the other day!  What is the world coming to!

I managed to get dancing on Friday evening, the new dance was the Rumba and I grasped the basic steps okay but just struggled with the technique - it'll take much more than the one hour a week I practice, sadly I don't think that'll be happening anytime soon, I really don't have the time.

I've not much to report about Saturday and Sunday, I looked after Max for a couple of hours and had a tasty curry takeout on Saturday night whilst watching a mediocre film featuring Denzel Washington.  Most of his films are bangers but Fallen didn't really hit the spot for me or David, so it's not one I recommend!  I have bought a book to read though.  I can't remember the last time I bought a book, not that I've even started it yet.  It's the sequel to The boy in the Striped Pyjamas.  All the Broken Pieces is about secrets and atonement after Auschwitz and is narrated by Gretel, Bruno's guilt ridden sister!  I'll let you know what I think of it, but have any of you read it yet?

As it's the first Monday of August, I'd like to share with you my recent posts from July for the ...

July Review.

I started the month with a warmer outfit because the weather was cooler than it should have been, and to be fair it didn't get much warmer as the month went on as my outfits will show.

I wanted to join the waistcoat crusade, but shamefully I still haven't got myself on the trend and am still looking - maybe I'll find one in the sale and keep it for the Indian summer we may probably wont have - Lol! Catch my similar look featuring a knitted vest top and wide leg trousers here.

Not Much to Report - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hi there,

Thanks for joining me today.

I've had a busy couple of days, so not had a chance to arrange today's blog post!

I did get to see Barbie at the cinema on Tuesday evening.  Loved the film!

Style Not Age - Kimono my House.

Hello and good to have you join me today.

What have you been up to?

It was my daughters birthday on Friday, so instead of my usual dancing we had all the kids over for a takeaway and a couple of drinks.  As you can imagine with 7 kids running around, it was quite hectic and VERY loud and busy.  

On Saturday after mowing both lawns David and I had a date at a local restaurant.  We'd got vouchers from the kids for Christmas and this was our opportunity to use them.  The Firepit at The Cave in Boughton was every bit as good as they'd told us it would be.  We decided to have the taster menu and added a further dish which, fortunately we managed to devour.  Let me tease you with our choices - 

Voodoo Prawns, Sugar Snap Peas, Panko Black Sesame Monkfish, Marinated Beef Strips, Smoked St Louis Cha Sui Pork Ribs, Tempura Fried Sweet Potato, Charred Tenderstem Broccoli followed by Chocolate Mountain (amazing) and Strawberry Lime Pavlova all washed down with a bottle of champagne and an interesting cocktail called a K Pop Martini - you must check out my Instagram post featuring this alluring drink.

It's the last Monday of the month which means only one thing ... the ladies from Style Not Age are sharing their ideas on a topic challenge set my Gail.  She's suggested we all style our kimono's for the title ...

Kimono My House!

Reviewing my Zuvi Hair Dryer - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hi there, and welcome to the blog.

Did you have a wonderful weekend?

I seem to have been busy over the past few weeks and you may have caught one of my experiences last week when I went for a Punt on the River Stour.  the kids have been round lots too and have been keeping me very busy, along with the gym and dance classes there wasn't much time left.

The other Saturday I went to a friend's house who lives up the road.  It was the annual croquet tournament and you can read all about my lovely afternoon sharing what I ate and who won here.

David and I had a wonderful afternoon with lots of laughs, drinking and advising how to play the game which got funnier as the day went on!

Are you a "leave your hair to dryer naturally" type of person, or do you religiously dry your hair with a hairdryer?  I'm the latter and am always interested to hear about & use new products - so I was delighted to review the Zuvi Halo Hair Dryer * which has been inspired by nature.

Items marked with * have been gifted to me - this is a sponsored post.

White and Green, what I wanted to wear!

Morning all.

Well what a weekend that was.  

Saturday was the family party, we were worried about the rain making an appearance, and yes you guessed it poured all afternoon!  Mum had booked a bouncy castle for the little ones, and they did manage to play on it ... in the rain and they were all soaked!  We all crowed in my mum's house - fortunately she has two big reception rooms which we made good use of, my only worry was the cream carpet that was in one of them!  We'd all taken a dish or two each and we had so much food there was something for everyone.

I'd made a coronation chicken with wild rice and a lemon tart.  Both, I'm pleased to say went down really well.  There was also: chicken drumsticks, tortilla, salad, potato salad, coleslaw, pizza's, cold meats, a fish dish, crisps & dips and lots of other delicious plates of food.  Mum supplied the drinks of which there was copious amounts (I didn't have too many - do I get brownie points?)  She'd also got some big outdoor games that some of the children played inside, but to be honest they just like playing together and made good use of the rooms getting quite rowdy at times (I blame the sweets they had).  There was also ice cream in cones and lots of sprinkles to squander - fortunately none left any marks on the carpet, so all in all it was a winning afternoon.

Today I thought I'd share what I wanted to wear to the party, but figured with the weather not being great and the fact kids would be having ice cream - Neopolitan - probs wouldn't be a good choice eh!

Tilletts Clothing Jogger Set - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Morning my friends.

Hope you're all great and enjoying the month of July.

The weather here in the UK has been very strange. Still quite hot most of the time, but with thunderstorms and rain to contend with what to wear has become quite a conundrum. I even put on a jogger suit the other day as the rain had dropped the temperatures and it felt quite chilly!

We have a big family party on Saturday in my mum's garden, so I hope the weather plays nicely and stays dry for us all, or it's going to a big squeeze in her house!  Mum tries to have a get together every year, but that doesn't always work, but this year most of us will be there to enjoy lots of lovely food (we all take a dish) plenty of drinks and fun times with the kids.  She's got some giant outdoor games, like connect 4, and snakes and ladders which will keep them entertained, but when they are all together, they seem to play their own games so everyone is chilled and has fun.

I haven't got any plans for Sunday, I just would really like to get in the garden and have a nice BBQ, I've not had one this year and my garden furniture hasn't had the chance to shine this year.  I want to feel the sun on my legs so I can get a bit of a tan.  In past years I had a few sessions on the sunbed early in the year, but with no holidays to get ready for this year I haven't bothered.  My legs are an embarrassing pasty white, and I've been meaning to get the fake tan on, but for various reasons that hasn't happened either!  Do you fake tan, or do you get a lovely golden glow naturally in the sun?  If it's the latter, like David I'm extremely jealous! Lol.  I'll let you know on Monday if the BBQ happens.

Today I figured I’d show you the aforementioned jogger set I’d been kindly gifted by Tilletts Clothing. You may remember some of their other items I was also gifted like these fabulous pearl embellished jeans, this Barbie pink bag and my snuggly gillet.

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

My Afternoon Playing Croquet.

Morning everyone.

How are you?

I've had another super weekend.  It was the croquet tournament on Saturday.  David & I play with two other couples nearly every year , although we've not done it religiously over the past few - especially when covid was happening, but this year we managed a date which was last weekend.

Have you ever played croquet?  It's a really fun outdoor game which uses balls and mallets.  The aim of the game is to hit the ball through rings in the grass and finally hit the center post - the first one to do so is the winner.  I've not played it very much and am not very good at playing so you can read on to find out where I came - it's not very impressive I have to admit.

Our friends live just up the road so armed with a bottle,  a box of beers, some ice and a homemade tortilla we started the 5 minute walk to their house.  The weather was not nice, it was VERY windy with gusts every so often that nearly knocked us over - it knocked a glass over.  Someone (me) had drunk the contents and I hadn't refilled it .. lol!  It was still warm with sunny intervals so I was thankful it didn't rain like it had in the morning.

I ended up wearing this pretty blue tea dress.  I've worn it once before to The Ritz and had forgotten about it. When my first choice ended up being too big, I searched through my selection and found it again.  It teamed really nicely with my white trainers - fortunately they were the perfect shoe to be playing croquet in.  

Punting on the River Stour - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hi there.

How are you all today?

How time flies when you're having fun!  I celebrated my 37th wedding anniversary yesterday, and it seems only yesterday we were two naive twenty-year-old's.  Look at us now, five kids, 7 grand-kids, numerous houses, plenty of holidays, cars and good times it's been an absolute ball so far - and it's still going!

We didn't go out for dinner as we couldn't get a reservation - the restaurant is up for sale and we're not sure if they are still open, so decided to have dinner sent in by way of an Indian curry.  to be honest I'dd been out in the day celebrating a friends birthday and David had been hard at work so we were both happy to stay in and celebrate at home. 

I've lived in Canterbury area since I was 11, and as you can imagine living in such a historic city there's plenty to see.  I've visited Canterbury Cathedral twice, both times when you didn't have to pay! There's also the Roman pavement, Beaney House of Art and Knowledge, The Marlowe Theatre and The Kent Museum of Freemasonary to name a few.  The only other one I visited was the Roman Pavement, when I accompanied my youngest on a school trip.  Well I can add one more to my list after my visit yesterday to go punting on the Stour!

I was not gifted this tour, and my comments are my own!

White Trousers & a Hot Pink Crop Top!

Hi there my friends.

How are you?

I’ve had a super chilled weekend which started Friday night with no dancing but an overnight stay from Max. I have to say I was rather worried he wouldn’t settle with me as he’s definitely a grandad’s boy with me not getting a look in! He even dismisses me with a hand most of the time. Anyway to my surprise he was brilliant and we had a lovely couple of hours when grandad went to the pub.  I gave him dinner and watched Monsters Inc! My giving him some sweets and chocolate backfired a bit because he then didn’t want to sleep when we did - he was blowing raspberries and jumping on the bed when we tried to get him to sleep!! Yeah I know! 😱

He eventually went off for the night and was transferred to the other bed when his mum got in from the concert … McFly at Dreamland! She’d decided to stay to make it easier for me.  She needn’t have worried because he didn’t stir all night!  It was great to have them both and has given me a taster because when their bungalow is being extended they’ll be staying with me again … can’t wait!

Saturday we actually went out! Yeah I know get us! We’d been invited for birthday drinks with my brother-in-law at his local and it made a really nice change to get out and relax in good company.  We came home, a bit worse for wear and made short work of the curry my daughter had ordered. My philosophy of drinking water in-between drinks worked a treat and I woke up feeling fine!

With the weather being awful on Sunday, rain definitely stopped a BBQ day so we decided on a roast and popped to the supermarket for a joint of beef which we had with Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes and veg. It made a nice change and was devoured by all who came!  

Do tell what your weened comprised of and I’ll end my weekend diary with what I wore to the pub on a very hot Saturday afternoon!

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

Styling a Vest Top with Wide Leg Trousers - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hello and welcome my friends.

What have you been up to since we last connected?

Not much going on for Mummab at the moment, back to normal with the kids and I've enjoyed seeing them since they came back.  The weather is still pants and quite cold at times and as you can see my today's outfit I've resorted to warmer clothes!

I wore this yesterday.  You see I've wanted to try this style for a while as I've noticed the trend of wearing a waist coat over trousers.  Having not got a waistcoat (yet) I thought this vest top would be a brilliant replacement, so today that's what I'm sharing.

I must tell you about my afternoon first, having been to the gym and then out helping hubby collecting something (I got lunch out of it too), I came home to shower and get ready for some photos, a reel and to enjoy the evening.  I've recently had my eyelash line top up so haven't been able to wear mascara, and yesterday I put all my makeup on with excitement, I would see the full finish of the procedure, which I might add looked amazing.  So I was all set to start my reel when I bent down and managed to get a great long hair in my eye.  It was right across it and no matter how I tried I couldn't get rid of it.  My eyes were streaming and it literally hurt like hell - who'd think a small hair could hurt so much more that an eyelash.  Well eventually I managed to ease it out with a piece of tissue, but the makeup was all smeared down my cheeks and the mascara had blackened my eye from rubbing and watering, I looked a right state and had to reapply everything!  Anyway I sorted myself out and got these super shots ... eventually lol!

June Review.

Morning my friends. 

Hope you have a good start to the week and the month for that matter, yes July already. 

Im a happy lady as all the kids are back home now and I’ve been catching up with all the stories from their week away.  Have you been away yet, or are you off soon? Do let know know where if you have or where you are going!  David and I are concentrating on the house build and it's coming along very nicely indeed.  The roof has been covered in felt and battens so is covered in, tiles will go on next and we need to look at windows.  It's taking shape and looks super, you can follow my journey via my Instagram account Mummabbuilds - do stop by and say hi. 👋

As it’s the first of the month, it’s time to look at what I wore and did last month for the …

June Review.  

My month started with a favourite style of mine, these wide leg trousers made an appearance as the weather remained rather cold and chilly, June has been a mixed bag weather-wise and I hope now we're in July it will settle down and behave! 

Another Vibrant Dress from Jenerique - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Morning all.

Hope all is good with you.

Did you catch me and my four friends on Monday?  We styled our jumpsuits for the monthly challenge and you can view mine and find out my reasons for not keeping the 60's inspired abstract all in one!

As you can imagine it's been a quiet week so far (my two daughters and son are away with their families) so I've been getting on top of a few jobs that I've let slip.  I've been sorting through my dressing room and putting things away and making piles for the charity bin and for adding to my Vinted account!  I'm such a hoarder and keep nearly everything.  I'm trying to go through my things and ask myself do I really need it and will I wear it again!  Chances are if it's not been worn for at least a year (yes I keep things for longer than that .. lol) it's probably not going to get worn again.  I just find it so hard to get rid of anything, especially if it’s a loved item that I've worn for a special occasion!  

I've also been trying to up my Reel game on Instagram, and even though I say it myself, produced an enchanting reel featuring some gifted perfumes ... have a look on my page and let me know what you think!

So whilst clearing up I noticed a dress that I've not shared with you and today is the perfect opportunity to feature it on here.

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

Style Not Age Share ... June Jumpsuits.

Hi there,

How you doing?

All well and good here with me, and I'm excited to have a little friend to stay this week, Halle Berry is here with me.  There'll be plenty of walks, weather permitting, and as some of the children are away she'll fill my daytime up so I don't miss the kids.  

The new build is coming along nicely with the roofers putting felt and batten on it to making it a bit more water-tight, just need the windows installed to make it fully weathered in!  I've long awaited to be at this stage, although I know there's still LOADS to be done before we can even think about moving in, but I feel it's a milestone. 

That's enough of my ramblings, let's get back to this months challenge. We looked to Hilda for our title and she gave us a rather nice one to celebrate the hot weather here in the UK.

Jumpsuit in June.

I have a liking for jumpsuits and have often worn them on the blog as they're a real winner in my eyes.  As you know, and I often say, I adore wearing dresses, so for me a jumpsuit is similar but in trouser form.  There's no worry about trying to match items and often forget about a certain top until after the event!  So for me an all-in-one works really well.

Now the only trouble is that as I mentioned above all my jumpsuits have been feature on the blog before, but you can see some of my favourites here .... Coral on holiday, this Floral beauty I managed to find in a smaller size, finding my casual vibe in this one, love these citrus tones over this beauty and this abstract patterned version from Izabel London.

I did a little online shopping and found this flamboyant beauty and thought it looked super - so could be a welcomed addition in the Summer.

Styling A Black Knitted Dress - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hi there, hope all is good with you.

I'm enjoying a quieter week after a busy period with birthdays, the wedding and the hen/stag weekends.  My youngest daughter is in Glastonbury so I'll be avidly watching the telly to see if I can see her ... lol!

The other two are away with their families on Sunday and my son is also off next week too!  It's going to be very strange to have most of them away, and to be honest I'm not sure I'm going to like it!! Fortunately my youngest is still around but will be working shift work so he'll be in and out.  I'm looking after Halle so I'm sure she'll keep my busy with needing walks and lots of attention.  It's nice to 'borrow' her every now and again, and it reminds me that I don't want the tie of having a dog full time - so this'll do nicely for me.

I must just share this story with you as I’m chuffed to pieces about it. Yesterday I met a friend for lunch and a catch up. Whilst sitting at my table a lady came over from the next table and showed me her phone. It had a photo of me on it (from Instagram) and asked if it was me!  It was and she told me she follows me and just had to come and ask. Her husband also confirmed it was me because I had the same handbag with me that I used in the piccy!  Well you can imagine I was thrilled to bits and felt amazing. She told me her name so I mentioned it on the gram and am now following her too! It’s nice to actually meet people in real life isn’t it and I would have felt the same, bit like meeting someone famous! 

After borrowing my daughters knitted dress the other day, I knew that it was offered in black too, but was a previous season so I set about finding one on Vinted!  There were lots on there and I managed to bag a bargain with this one for £4 BNWT.  I got the same size as Sophie's and am really happy with the fit.  I popped a full slip under it to gain a smoother appearance, and paired it with some new sandals. 

A Tea Dress for Brunch.

Hi there,

How are you today?

Glad to have you here, it certainly means a lot.

Who else loves wearing a dress, especially a lovely floaty version that’s perfect for afternoon tea. Well what about wearing a tea dress for Sunday brunch?

I’ve been kindly gifted this feminine beauty from Izabel London recently and decided to wear it on Fathers Day when we had a fun and busy day with the faimly.   

We started off going to a local restaurant for brunch.  It's a venue we've been to before, in fact my daughter took me there for my Mother's Day treat back in March.  It was a hot morning, so we decided to eat in the garden.  There were many people there with a couple of them having dogs.  I don't mind having dogs at a restaurant, especially when they are outside, however the one of them wasn't 'small child friendly' so Max couldn't walk around as he'd like to have done.  The waitress who served us didn't seem particularly 'au fait' with her job and it took a while after she came to our table to place the order.  We must have waited nearly an hour for drinks and then a further 20 mins for our food to arrive, which I must add some things she got wrong!  The food was nice, but the whole experience wasn't up to our usual standard, which the owner explained was a result of us arriving for a 10.15 table (along with a whole load of other customers) and as it was Father's Day service took longer than normal!  At no point did she admit to being sorry and understanding our situation, which has left a bad taste in my mouth and I feel reluctant to go there again!  

Anyway, after having a decent classic breakfast (the sausages were very tasty) we came home and popped to our local for a couple of drinks.  It was nice to sit outside in the fresh air, where David and I could chat and catch up somewhere different.  Two drinks later we came home for me to change my shoes and went to my eldest's house where all the family have a curry delivered.  There was lots of talk about forthcoming holidays, one daughter is off to Glastonbury and the other two are away to Greece next weekend, so it'll be a quiet few days with them all gone, especially with my son & his family are away to Center Parks as well!

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

Festival Season - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hi there,

How are you all doing today?

With June well under our belt we're most definitely heading into Festival season.

Festivals tend to be arranged for the Summer months in the UK when the weather is supposed to be hot and sunny - well that doesn't always ring true here does it and often there's scenes of mega mud pits at the various venues.  To be fair we're equipped to handle that now-a-days and the highest sales are in the all-round products that help out these situations.  Wellies are now firm favourites to purchase prior to a weekend of camping fun, food, drink and music for ‘just in case situations’ as are fashionable rain jackets and hats.  Anyway enough of bad weather talk, let’s talk about what other items are needed for festivals.

My daughter is off to Glastonbury this year after a couple of years not being able to get a ticket!  I like to listen to all her chats about it, like who they are going to see, what stage etc ... Sir Elton John is headlining on the main stage and I'm so envious.  I had tickets to see him many years ago, unfortunately he suffered a throat infection so had to postpone the concert that was at Leeds Castle.  The new date was when we were on holiday so sadly we had to sell our tickets and didn't get to see him, that's one of my big regrets.  I can't wait to hear about Glasto when Sophie returns and I'm sure she'll have loads of stories.

Sophie and her boyfriend have been out looking for tents, they've both decided it will be better to go for a bigger five man version - that's so they've got plenty of room, not so they can share with anyone else! 

I suggested a camping trolly to ferry everything from the car, it's a huge venue and I'm sure they won't want to carry everything.  They aren't taking any food as such, just plenty of snacks that will keep them going.  Also they won't bother with much alcohol.  It will be hard to keep it cold and there's nothing worse than a warm drink eh!

Items marked with * have been gifted to me, comments are my own. 

Another Jumpsuit!

Hi there,

Well that was a busy few days!

Last Thursday I went to my nephews wedding and what a lovely day it was!  I ended up wearing this dress that I featured for the Style Not Age challenge.  You can see here that I changed the accessories and opted for white rather than the tonal greens.  Do let me know in the comments which one you preferred, although both were very striking.

On Friday after a slow start I went to visit the bride and groom at their house.  They put on another fantastic spread to celebrate their wedding and I enjoyed more delicious food followed by a small amount of fizz and a general chat about the previous day.  Everyone commented upon having a wonderful day and enjoying the whole event, asking could we all do it again please! Lol.

The weekend was spent in the garden on Saturday, working hard on cutting the grass (me), trimming the hedge (David) and tidying up (both of us).  If you've followed the blog you'll know I have a love hate, hate relationship with my garden.  It's the bane of my life come the Summer months and it keeps me busy every week getting things in shape.  Oh for the days of a small garden ... lol.  With that being said I do enjoy seeing it when it's done, it's quite satisfying and something I'm very proud of. We were thoroughly shattered by the end of the day and sat down to watch the football with a tasty Chinese takeaway meal.

So here's today's OOTD.  I wore this to enjoy the BBQ yesterday at my daughters house.  She's got a big kitchen/family room and enclosed garden which is perfect for the kids, and they've got all their gardens toys to play with too.  It's been a hot couple of days and I'm not really used to it!  I know I can hear you sun worshipers shouting at me, but I need a few weeks to get into hotter weather.  We've gone from jeans and jumpers to full on shorts and t-shirts.  The British weather certainly does keep us on our toes, just don't know what it's going to do next!

How to Wear the Chunky Sneaker Trend - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hello and welcome to Mummabstylish.

Hope you're having a super week so far.

I'm actually at the wedding I've been talking about for the past few weeks. I know you're probably so bored of hearing about it now - but I promise there won't be much more.

Do pop by stories on Instagram to see what I decided to wear and what accessories I found.

It's been a busy few weeks and I'm looking forward to having a quiet more relaxed time, although with my big family I'm not sure that will happen!

I'm happy to share today's post with you all & I for one am excited to say I've actually taken notice.  I decided to style my daughters sneakers on the blog and really like how they look, so much so I'm going to invest in my own for the next season.  I'd love to hear your thoughts on this style that's trending right now.

This is a sponsored post.

Jumpsuit in June & May Review.

Morning all

Hope your first days of June have gone well. 

Birthday Celebrations yesterday for me, it was my youngest who celebrated his 26th. We got together as a family and had a few drinks and a takeaway. The weather was sunny but still very windy so we didn’t sit outside which was such a shame. We all squeezed indoors to enjoy food and drinks.

The three of us popped up the road to our local for one drink early in the afternoon, it was great to relax and unwind in the sun, although we had to move locations as the first table was VERY windy!  I'm just so over this wind now, need some proper summer weather eh!

I’ve had a really busy couple of weeks and the next one won’t be any different! I went out for afternoon tea twice and then took my mum out to lunch with my sister last week, it was a belated Mothers Day treat and we all thoroughly enjoyed our lunch out at Crescent Turner which is about a 10 min drive from me. It’s a stunning venue and offer weddings there too!  There was one going on when I was there which was lovely to see and also quite exciting as I’ll be there for my nephews in the week!  Do you remember I’ve been toying with two dresses and have finally, with the help of David, decided on one to wear.  Do watch out to see which one I picked!

My jumpsuit today has been in my possession for a couple of months now.  I’ve featured it on IG before, but donned it for the celebratory afternoon and loved how it felt and looked. 

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

How to Style Wide Leg Trousers - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Good morning everyone

How are you all today?

Well isn't the weather awful here?  Nothing but cold wind and dreary skies, it's hard to think it's the 1st day of June!  I'm doubting we'll have any sort of decent Summer which makes me sad.  I can't even look forward to a holiday of sunshine because both David and I want to concentrate on building the new house.  I've got so many lovely Summer dresses and sandals to enjoy wearing, but all I feel like putting on are trousers, long sleeves and warm jackets like this outfit I wore yesterday for an afternoon out with friends. I had in mind this pretty dress but just could not get my legs out - even if the weather was accommodating my legs haven't had any sun are a paler shade of white and in the cold they'd have a pretty 'mottled' tinge to them ... lol! I seriously need to get some fake tan on - any recommendations?

Anyway more about my ensemble.  I had in mind to wear the trousers once I'd decided a dress would be too cold.  I popped them on and headed to the wardrobe for a shirt.  My hand fell upon this one and I figured the colours would work with my black faux leather.  I toyed with black heels too, but ended up with these lighter coloured feminine heels and matching padded bag, read on for all the deets!

Style Not Age - Frilled to Bits.

Hi there. 

How are you and have you had a good week?

Finally starting to feel like me.  It's been a busy week, but nice to be back doing the things I love.

Dancing on Friday was great, we learnt the Rumba and I mastered the steps well, but mastering the technique is another story.  I don't think I'll ever get that right.  I have to admit I really wished I taken up this kind of dancing years ago, I love everything about it, from the different movements to the sequins on the outfits, with the tans and makeup making everything look magnificent.  Shame I only get to wear my usual clothes when I go.  The club does run dance events where students can practice what's been learnt, but I never go to any of these are I don't want to go on my own and not have a partner for all the dances.  I'll have to settle with my 3/4 hour each week and imagine I'm competing ... lol!

Saturday I had Max overnight, I have to say he was an angel, he really did settle well with me and considering I don't ever get a look-in when he comes over I was so happy - he was so good so I'm hoping we've turned a corner and he'll be my friend from now on!

Sunday was good weather so I went to my eldest daughters for a BBQ.  It was lovely to spend time with the kids playing on the trampoline and 'trying' to play football with them.  Kids do keep you young don't they, and I feel in my head about 20! Ha the body says otherwise though! Downside was the wind.  The sun was shining and had it not been so blowy it would have been brilliant to sit in the sun, but It got so cold we ended up indoors.  I neglected to take a coat or jacket too, so walking home was really chilly so I reached for my furry blanket for the rest of the night.  What did you get up to over the weekend?

Today has yet to be decided, but what I did decide on early in the week was my outfit for the Style not Age challenge. We looked to Anna for our prompt and although at first I didn't know what to style I eventually came up with this easy to wear wrap dress for the monthly challenge.

Frilled to bits.

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

Everyday Casual - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hi there.

Hope you are okay.

Just about starting to feel normal after the busy week I've had.  Another birthday yesterday so a celebration with drinks, Chinese and some delicious Rocky Road made by my daughter.  Yeah don't mention the diet please ... lol

I seem to have got my zest back for blogging and 'graming and have created some photos to use on both platforms.  It's been good to hear feed back from fellow bloggers and Instagramers alike stating they've felt just like I did and what they did about it, it's been helpful to read and actually know I'm not the only one!  I've also been back to the gym and this ALWAYS makes me feel better.  Well doesn't exercising release natural endorphins???  I'm also returning to Ballet after my couple of weeks off, last week I just didn't feel 100% so decided to give it a miss, I've also been away from ballroom dancing too, the first wasn't my fault, but the second session was the club was closed - it's back on this Friday, and I can't wait.

Are you like me and keep special things for special occasions? 

Suits Me!

Hello everyone.

Hope you are well and had a lovely weekend.

Mine was rather different than normal as David has been away on the 'Stag' weekend with all the boys.

It's been really rather strange having him away for so long especially after my weekend with the girls and a busy week in between I feel I've not seen him in ages. I think we'll plan a few nice things to do together over the next few weeks and we have a voucher to use in a local restaurant that we need to make a booking for so that will be nice for us both!

Whilst David was away I spent a lot of time with the girls, watched some girly TV including Queen Charlotte (from Bridgerton) - have you seen it?  If you liked Bridgeton, you'll love it! I caught up with a couple of girl friends and finished up a few jobs that had been 'waiting' to be done.  That always makes me feel better to get jobs sorted that have been laying around for ages.  I did a couple of sewing jobs, trimmed the hedge and cut the grass and sorted through my emails.  I feel I've accomplished quite a lot over the past few days and feel pleased with myself.  I did have one of those headaches though, the ones that stay very much uninvited for a few days.

I mentioned above I met my friends for lunch on Saturday.  We met in town and had a lovely lunch in a local restaurant.  I decided to drive so had a couple of soda waters along with a yummy fish finger sandwich.  It was great to sit and chat in the sun and as we'd picked a restaurant with a sheltered garden the temperature was really warm and I'd almost wished I worn something lighter.  Upon walking along to another venue I was pleased I'd picked this suit because the wind was really quite chilly!   

Saturday was the perfect opportunity to show off my neutral two piece, you might remember when I styled it with citrus orange it really did make the colour pop!

Belated Birthday and My new Teddy Blake Bag - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Morning me friends.

I hope you are well.

So sorry for no post on Monday, after the weekend away and a couple of family issues I just couldn't get myself going ... plus the fact it was my birthday.  I got some amazing gifts and cards (love getting and reading cards) & had a super Indian in the evening with the kids and my mum.  You might remember me saying it was my grandaughters birthday the following day and then my son's the day after so it's been full on.  David is away on the 'stag' today, so I've made sure everything is ready for him and also my youngest son who's going too.  I'm looking forward to a quiet couple of days with the controller to catch up of girly telly ... Lol!

Last weekend was good fun and I'm working on a post so I can share some of the antics with you.  I'll also be sharing a couple of new dresses with you but today I wanted to show off another bag from the stunning collection of Teddy Blake.  I'd love you to check back to my older post sharing the stunning pink Lola bag too, it's such a pretty colour and a useful size bag.

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

Hen Weekend to Majorca - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hello there and welcome to the blog.

Hope you’re doing well and have had a super week. 

I’ve planned this post in advance as today I’m on my way to Majorca (after the early departure of 1.30 am I’m probably there now)!

If you remember I’m on a hen weekend for my nephews wife-to-be. There’s about 17 of us including my three daughters and my daughter-in-law so will be good fun to be away together without the grandkids. I managed to get everything sorted by Tuesday, with just my spray tan on Wednesday just before I got a few hours sleep before the very early start!  It’s like a marathon getting everything ready for a trip away even for a couple of days like this!

You can imagine the chats we've been having and we've also also got a Whatsapp group to find out what everyone its wearing, thinking and doing etc.  It's been on fire the last few days and has got us all very excited to get away with the right stuff.  Does anyone else have a specific group for things like this?

Today I thought I’d share what I’m taking. We’ve opted for a carry-on case, so I’m packing light - very light lol!

This is what I wanted to wear, but I’m actually in jeans, sandals and a hen T Shirt!

Red, White & Blue for the Coronation.

Hi there,

Welcome to the blog.

Happy Bank Holiday Monday, sounding very familiar doesn’t it the second one in a couple of weeks! 😂

How did your weekend go? I’ve had a ball. 

Dancing on Friday night was brilliant, I’ve been away from it for a few weeks so it was great to get back onto the dance floor. It was the second week of the Foxtrot and fortunately it didn’t take long for me to pick it up and get into the swing of it. It’ll be finished off next Friday, but again I’ll be away in Majorca for a hen party and the following week the club is shut, so another few weeks away from my much loved hobby. 

On Saturday, after a quick trip to the shops to get some bits for the aforementioned Hen weekend I got home in time to watch the Coronation of King Charles. 

What an amazing event to see and at times I was quite emotional! I love all the pomp and ceremony and am very proud to be British and have all this history. Did you watch the events unfold, do let me know if you’re a fan too!

I also had a 30th birthday party in the evening. It’s my son’s birthday this month and his wife was also 30 in April, so they decided on a double celebration. It was such good fun seeing all the family friends and extended family. Plenty of drinks and food and lots of familiar songs to dance the night away too, opps upside your head was one of the golden oldies (those over a certain age will remember this one - lol).  My legs felt awful the next day, as did my head and tummy (but the Prosecco tasted good!)  You may remember I said they got married there too. It was in lockdown so they were only allowed 15 people, it was wonderful for them to celebrate their 30th’s there as it really did make up for the wedding celebrations they missed out on.  

As you can imagine Sunday was a lazy day although I did get a few jobs done, in the afternoon I just vegged out on the sofa watching TV.  No cooking for me as fortunately, a takeaway was on the menu - perfect. 

Today all the family will be round for the roast turkey I had got for Easter (remember I went skiing over Easter),

All the traditional accompaniments will be on offer so it’ll be a busy morning getting all that ready, especially after two gym classes!  What have you got planned for today?