Hen Weeken - Chic & Stylish Linkup.

Good morning my friends. 

Wow, what a busy few weeks that’s been!

I vastly underestimated how busy my weeks would be. I thought I’d have plenty of time to blog, but unfortunately having fun with family & friends took over! 😉 So there’s been no Link up for a week or so. 

Since my last post on the 7th July, I’ve been to Sicily with David to celebrate our 40th Wedding Anniversary and the following weekend I’ve spent in Salou for my youngest daughter’s hen weekend. 

Cobalt blue maxi with matchy matchy accessories.

Morning all!

What’s happening in your world?

Mine is going well thanks for asking (I’m assuming you did) lol! I’ve been having fun getting back into the blogging and Instagram game recently and again as you might remember the main reason is photos. I’ve been taking full advantage of nice weather outside or my dressing room to get some super shots - todays included. So do let me know what you think. 

Todays outfit has been in the pipeline for a couple of weeks & I’ve been telling you it’s “on its way” for a while and hooray it’s here …. finally. 

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

Styling my colourful wrap dress - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hello, welcome to the blog and I hope you stay for a while.

I went back to the gym on Wednesday, boy was that a shock to the system. To be fair I'm glad I went as I felt amazing after it.

We've booked our skiing holiday.  We're off to France at the beginning of February, and I'm crossing everything that they will have a big dump of snow as it's been sparse to say the least in Europe.  

Our destination does seem to have plenty at the moment, so I hope it will at least stay like that until after we leave!

I won't been buying anything new as I've got plenty to see me through and as it's not a dressy holiday all I've got to take will be good enough. I literally can't wait to get away, our little grandson Max is coming on his first Winter skiing holiday and although he's only just one, there'll be some snow play for sure.  I did send my daughter a TikTok video of a little 10 month old skiing, but I think that's just a tad too much to expect, lol!

I have got a new dress to share with you though, this cute little wrap dress was gifted to me from Bonmarche.  I do hope the weather improves so that I can get back into wearing my dresses.  It's been way too chilly for me recently so I've been rocking my jeans and jumpers.  It's all about the warmth factor for me.

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

A Navy Padded Coat for Winter - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hello and welcome to the blog.

Huge apologies for being so late today!

Wow 1st December has finally arrived and all I ask is "Have you finished you Christmas Shopping"?

I'm feeling smug as I'm getting it done slowly and surely.  This is the best I've done over the past few years, so I'm on target to get everything done in time to really enjoy the run up properly.  

I want to be enjoying the Christmas films in a relaxed state with a glass in my hand and wrapped presents under the tree.  The only thing I want to be worrying about is where to spend Christmas Eve lol!

I've been a busy bee this week as I'm away tomorrow.  I'm off to the Black Forest in Germany. It will be my first visit to this European country and I'm looking forward to enjoying the scenery of Baden Baden, visiting the Christmas markets and the savouring the Bratwurst and dare I say the Jagermeister (I love a Jager-bomb so will be sure to have one or three when I'm there 😏!!!)  What else should I be looking out for, do let me know so I don't miss out! 

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

August Review.

Hiya, everyone.

Hope you're all okay.

Can’t believe it was over a week ago I left for my long weekend in Sicily! I’ve a post planned about it, so will get it published as soon as possible. 

This weekend was quite the opposite! You know we’ve started our new build in our garden and I like to be as ‘hands on’ as I can. So Saturday morning David and I had to spread sand over the plastic membrane which goes under the block and beam floor. I obviously looked a picture and laughed at the contrast from my previous Saturday look! (Obviously no photos of that).

Saturday night I had dinner with my daughter and her family, she’d cooked a delicious beef curry with all the extras of potato and mushroom curry, poppadoms & mango chutney and also a naan bread - it was yummy. I then played with the kids in the garden on the trampoline and then in the tunnel - they rolled me around the garden and thought is was hilarious.🤣 {See our fun here}

I didn’t do much on Sunday which was wonderful, having done so much in the garden on Saturday it’s was good to just relax and blog!

David has been inspired to cook some pasta dishes after having had some tasty local specialities last weekend.  So set about copying one he found delicious at the hotel Borgo San Rocco. it's made with the basic ingredients of bacon lardons, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil served on Rigatoni - it was divine and tasted even better as I didn't have to cook it! Lol.  To be fair i’ve also been looking through my Gino D’Acpo Pronto Let’s Cook Italian in 20 Minutes and have seen some tantalizing meals I want to try.  Let's hope they turn our as good as David's did!!

So let's talk about today's blog post, it's the beginning of September so time to look back on my August posts for the ...

August Review.

Style Not Age - Share their Maxi's.

Hi there my friends.

Hope you are all okay.

I'm actually away at the moment, well due home today - but not able to sort the blog out I'm afraid so I pre-planned this one.

I've actually had a long weekend in Sicily with David, he's a big fan of The Godfather and has always wanted to visit the island in Italy that holds so many memories of the iconic film.  I'm hoping we've been able to visit the places featured in the film like the cafe that Apollonia's father owns, where he asks for her hand in marriage.  I'll try and share in another post so you can see. X

I've kept the packing to a minimum as we've only got cabin bags plus one extra case between us.  I'm sure I won't need many clothes as we're only there for a couple of days, so long as I've got a few nice dresses and a comfy pair of sandals I'll be a happy bunny! 😉

Anyway back to what usually happens on the last Monday of the month, yes let's take a look at what my friends from Style Not Age have been up to.

It was Hilda's challenge this month and she went with the topic of ....

Maxi Madness.

The madness is that it's a size or two smaller than I would normally wear!!!

It's a Wrap ... Dress from Per Una - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hi there my friends, hope you are well.

How's your week been?

Since Monday's post I've been doing a little bit of DIY.  For the first time ever I've put wallpaper on the wall!!  I'm so proud of my achievement and you'd have thought I'd painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel .. lol  Let me tell you a little of the back story, you see David and I are planning to build two new houses on our property - so we haven't done much to our house and most certainly many of the rooms need serious attention.  You'll have seen my new dressing room that we created back in January, but I only did a little bit of painting then.  This week I've been putting wallpaper up! (Is there a proud moji?)  I was watching some TikTok's showing how to make-over a cloakroom and was introduced to self adhesive wallpaper!  Have you heard of it?  Well as you can guess you peel off the back and stick on the wall.  It was a bit fiddly in places, but I eventually got to grips with it and managed to paper the whole of the room.  It was only halfway down as the rest will be painted, but so far so good.  Will share some photos when it's all done.

For my birthday the other day I had a gorgeous wrap dress given to me from the children, they tend to put their money together and buy one or two big presents - I got this pretty wrap dress, the lilac mules, a statement summer hat and some chocolates.  I'm happy to say the dress is a perfect fit and just what I would buy myself.

March Review.

Morning my lovely friends.

How are you all?

Cold, that's my word of the week!  I've been absolutely freezing, how about you?  I was saying to my daughter I expect weather like this in Jan and Feb, but after having a few lovely sunny days this cold snap was the last thing I wanted or expected!  The wind has been blowing such chilly weather all I really want to do is hole up inside watching TV and eating crap!!!  Let's hope a warmer climate it on it's way, but as it's the Easter holidays, I'm sure that wont happen!

So as it's be start of a new month, shall we see what the March looked like for Mummabstylish?

March Review.

Back in the beginning of March I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of another grandchild. Our beautiful little Kimberley was born nearly two weeks late!  All safe and sound now and I've had plenty of cuddles.

I was also styling some gorgeous outfits and here's the first beauty of the bunch.

A dark floral dress caught my eye on the Dorothy Perkins website. I clicked the button and it arrived after a couple of days, here's how I styled it and all the details about it - love the bright Spring vibes it gives off and with the vest it's made more suitable for Winter weather.

Dining at The Ritz.

Morning my friends.

Have you had a super weekend?

I've had a really busy one.

On Friday I was in London with my husband and son for another presentation at Waterman's Hall.  This was for winning the Doggett's Coat and Badge race last year - you can read all about it on this post.

I wore a dress that was featured on the blog a while back and the black and white shirt dress looked good even though we'd had to travel in the rain! 

Saturday was a very slow day due to mixing my drinks.  I'm the one who always preaches to the kids not to mix drinks and there I was doing the very thing I shouldn't have!  I did pay for it the next day and even went back to bed to try and get over my hangover!  Will I ever learn to say no to the last drinks? Lol.

Sunday was a different story, I woke early and popped into town to try and get something to wear yesterday.  I did come home with two dresses, you can see I picked this pretty cornflower blue Spring dress to wear even though it also rained yesterday too!  I'll be featuring the second on the blog later in the week so I hope you'll stop by to see it.

With lots of charming Spring tea dresses, brightly coloured trousers and some tempting jumpers I was spoilt for choice.

One Night On The Spirit of Discovery - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Morning my lovely friends.

Many thanks for joining me today.

How's July going for you?

I decided to head over to my local outlet yesterday, I was so looking forward to spending a couple of hours wandering round the shops - Imagine my disappointment when every shop had hardly anything I liked!  I wanted to see what M & S had in there, especially the underwear - very little was being offered.  Same in Clarks, the shoes and sandals were pretty naff to be totally honest.  Phase Eight and Roman weren't any better and after an hour I decided to call it a day and come home.  I might have to resort to doing what I hate .... online shopping!  I just don't enjoy it - I like to look at clothes, feel them, see what the fabric is like, do the colours suit me up close and finally try them on in the store!   Am I the only one who feels like this?  Please tell me I'm not!

Anyway enough about my shopping antics let me tell you about my night away. 💓

Style not Age - Spring Sweaters

Hi there everyone.

Glad you could stop by today.

You're just in time to see what the Style not Age collective have been creating from the prompt set by

Anna.

She made it easy for us with the challenge ....

Spring Sweaters.

Let me tell you a bit about my week.  I took charge of my Giveaway prize on Friday.  I was lucky enough to win a stylish lounge suit from Asquith London and I'm revelling in the comfiness of the two pieces - do pop over to IG to see them.  

Saturday night we managed to have drinks and food al fresco with our good friends - it was rather chilly so not a late and raucous night we would usually have - that will come, my friends that will come! 🤭

Another two birthday's celebrated over the weekend with my daughters on Friday and daughter-in-law's on Sunday - all celebrated outside I'm pleased to say but was bloody cold though!  There's another two this week and then a bit of a lul until the next three-in-a-row!!!  (I told you it was an expensive couple of months - lol) 

Asos if you're Over Fifty - Yes! #chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hi there my lovelies.
Today is my 32nd wedding anniversary.   It only seems like yesterday I was planning my wedding.  Five children, two grandchildren, two dogs, four houses, umpteen cars, plenty of holidays and a lifetime of happy events, all shared with my gorgeous hubby.  My oh my how the years seem to go by quickly!
Maybe he will be taking me out for a special anniversary meal, but let's just wait and see.
If he does, I've got just the dress to wear! Have you heard of ASOS?

I purchased this ASOS dress last year, happy that they proved a point back in 2017.  Being familiar with this company and assumed (wrongly) that their clothes were only for young girls, probably because my daughters' bought so much of their wardrobe from them, how wrong I was!  You don't have to be young and carefree to wear these clothes!

Reliving Adu Dhabi.

Hi there - how are you?

How's the Christmas shopping going?  Is your house bedecked with decorations?  Yes mine is and I adore seeing the house festooned and looking all Christmassy.



If you've been watching me on Instagram you'll see I've just returned from a week in Abu Dhabi to watch the Grand Prix.
I had made a start on my gift buying before I went on holiday, but now home I'll be tackling the job full on, aiming to get all the presents within the next week - ha ha, who am I kidding?  I'll still be running around on Christmas Eve buying last minute gifts & wrapping them whilst stuffing the turkey and making pate! 😁

We flew with a wonderful airline that I knew nothing about.  Etihad Airways have got long haul flights sorted.  With a speedy on line check-in meaning you only have to drop your bag and go. 
The usual security checks completed we were now free to start enjoying ourselves.  Into the bar for a bite to eat and drink.  Followed by a quick wiz around a couple of shops for last minute goodies!
I had been a little nervous about the time of the flight, having only been on one long distance flight many years ago, but I need not have concerned myself the flight was a breeze!  Drinks served and dinner eaten I settled down to watch the in-flight films.  I was rather taken by the camera views - watching take off and landing, along with all the details of the flight!

Arriving at the Intercontinental Hotel, I couldn't get enough of the opulence and beauty.  Enormous Chandeliers, beautiful couches, grand piano and an aroma to die for!  Whisked away to our room on the 7th floor, I was wide awake and wanting to see more!

Back to reality.

Hello there,  I'm back and raring to go.
December already and it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
Full steam ahead for present buying, card writing, food shopping and partying!  How's your preparations going?

What a fantastic time I've had in Abu Dhabi, I'll be featuring this in a blog post within the next few weeks.

Sharing today one of the dresses that accompanied me on my holiday.
This Asos Warehouse dress has a Swirl print, & is a midi length AND it's now in the sale for under £35. Not my first choice as it wasn't my favourite, it was my daughter's pick which, once on, actually turned out to be my personal best, getting a big thumbs up for the unusual style and design, making it a real statement dress.
A partially lined dress with a one side off the shoulder detail, with a drawstring waist and striking tie sleeves this dress is just that little bit out of the ordinary!

I've fallen for not only the style, but the colours as well. Navy blue and yellow are great colour matches.  I've worn plenty of outfits with these hues, you can see Mustard and jeans & Mustard dress with blue scarf are two options.
My Asos dress ended up being the perfect holiday dress and went down a treat on my visit to Abu Dhabi last week.