Long Weekend in L’Escala - Chic & Stylish Linkup

Morning my friends. 

How are you?

First I need to apologise for no post on Monday. You see I got back from Spain late on Monday and quite honestly didn’t have the energy to do a post!

The weekend went by in a flash. We traveled out to Gerona Spain mid day and arrived in the town of L’Escala late afternoon which was perfect. The hotel is one we always passed when we stayed there years ago. It’s mid way between the old town of L’Escala and Riells beach and an ideal position to get everywhere. We’ve got so many memories of this pretty fishing village that’s sprawled out to almost being unrecognisable in some places! We always rented a villa and self catered, well that’s how it started but soon the children got a taste for adult food we ate out. It became quite expensive at times as their liking for filet steak grew each year. The weather is really changeable and we often encountered rain, and boy does it rain there. We had a storm on Saturday night too. The government sent emergency messages with what to do should it get that bad!! Yeah that was scary! 😱 

I bought a couple of new bits for the trip and also took some outfits I’ve already worn. I thought you’d like to see the two new ones today. 

June Review.

Hi there. 

Thanks for coming by. 

Another wonderful weekend with the family, culminating with my mum’s annual garden party.  My mum likes to have all the family round for a big party nearly every year, so yesterday was the day. We usually have rain! She picks a day that we can all make (except my youngest son couldn’t this year) which is a different date each year! Nonetheless we seem to always have rain! We don’t have the thunderstorms as promised by the weather readers - fortunately, but did have a couple of showers but that didn’t deter the kids from enjoying the bouncy castle - or me for that matter!

My daughter helped mum organise everything from setting the date on a poll on our phones to arranging what food to bring etc. we decided on smaller amounts unlike previous years and I was pleased to see most of the food got eaten and only small amounts was left! I made a coronation chicken dish with wild rice which went down a treat, and that was teamed with charcuterie and cheese, coleslaw, potato salad, salad and a couple of cold pasta dishes too. There was also crisps and pate with bread to devour & I admit to doing just that as my diet was on hold yesterday. I also relished the desserts too, homemade banoffee pie, biscoff cheesecake and Eton mess went down a treat, there’s something about homemade puddings that I can’t resist!

Back to today. It’s the beginning of July and as it’s the first Monday of the month let’s look back on my styles for June for the ….

June Review

Having just got back from my weekend in Amiens, I thought it would be good to share a little insight about my weekend and this beautiful French city. Hope you enjoy the read as much as I enjoyed my weekend break. 

Giveaway Time with Izabel London - Chic & Stylish Linkup

Good morning my friends. 

How are you all?

I’m getting very annoyed with the weather here lately, we’ve had very windy days which are playing havoc with outside photos! Have you had that trouble? Fortunately yesterday there was a lull in the weather system so I managed to get these fabulous shots and not only that if your in the UK and follow me on Instagram you could enter the Giveaway to win a similar dress! Read on for more details. 

My gym classes have been going well and I’m really pleased to say I can see a big difference in the way I engage in my classes - I was pleased to get approval for the side pike sit-ups I tried on Wednesday. I can also see a difference in my physique too. There’s nothing better to spur you on than looking better in your clothes. ❤️

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

 

Chunky Sandals from Lotus Shoes.

Hi there. 

How are you?

Wow wee! That was a busy weekend, so much so I didn’t manage to get blogging until tonight!

Nothing to report on Friday as there was no dancing but Saturday was a busy, busy day.  I started off in the garden, cutting the grass, trimming the hedge and collecting the spoil ending with a bit of weeding! I was completely shattered and don’t actually no how I managed to get out on the evening. I went with my girls to celebrate my best friend’s 60th celebrations (I was at her party last week).  She’d arranged a bingo night at a local venue and 20 of us had a fantastic night enjoying games of music bingo with drinks and some piccy food. The premise of the game is to mark off each tune when it’s played and anyone who gets one line, two lines or a full house wins a prize! They also had a game which you paid £2 for a chance to play black or red! I didn’t get called out for that one, nor did I win any of the games but my sister-in-law did which was fabulous! Plenty of drinks flowed and in-between the games there was lots of dancing. You can imagine I was up and dancing as soon as I could! 😂

I wore an outfit you’ve seen on here before.  So today I wanted to share these new sandals with you. 

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

 

Style not Age share their Winter Woolies.

Morning my friends. 

How are you on this last Monday of the month?

I’m a bit sad. Emily and family moved back home to their new house over the weekend and I have to say I’m feeling the empty nest syndrome again! They’ve been here for 18 months which is a long time and I’ve got used to them being here including little Max and our new darling Violet. I’ve given myself a talking to as I know these feelings will pass, after all I’ve done it with her once already and I’ll still spend quality time with them in the future. It’s such a beautiful little house now, everything is new and it’s been lovely to watch it all come together after so much hard work. I’m hoping to get back into photo taking, blogging and sharing on all my social media platforms much like I did before they arrived. I’m sure many of you know how I feel and I’m very fortunate to have her and her older sister down the road only 5 mins away and my son is just 1/2 hour away too. X

So let’s get into this post. As you know I get together with three other ladies (did you see that Gail has taken a step back so is no longer joining us)? I wish her well and all good vibes for whatever she does, I’m sure you’ll still see her when she puts a blog post out. 

Our challenge is set by one of us to style clothes around a particular prompt and this month it was Anna’s turn and she came up with a snuggly title of ….

Winter Woolies. 

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

November Review

Good morning everyone. 

How’s your week been?

Welcome to December! It’s scary just how quick this year has gone hasn’t it! 2025 sounds months away but in reality it’s just around the corner. I’m looking forward to the new year as I always do, excited to see what the new year brings, what fashions will be around, what holidays there will be for me, if my new house is finished and lots more exciting things that will come up unexpectedly for sure, but that’s the joy of life isn’t it!

So as you well know a new month means we say goodbye to the last one but it’s nice to look back on November & marvel at some of the amazing fashion trends I shared with you. ❤️

Welcome to the November Review. 

Pink Boots and bag were my first post for the month by way of these gifted beauties that looked right at home with these jeans and a cute summery dress too. See more of them here. 

Red Lace Dress from Izabel - Chic & Stylish Linkup

Hi there. 

Hope you are okay. 

Last post of the month and then it’s ….. December … blimey I’m in shock to think the end of the year is just a blink away and we’ll welcome 2025 before we know it!

I’m actually feeling quite chilled about the whole Christmas thing if I’m honest. I usually get my knickers in a right old twist the month or so before Xmas day, but what will be will be. I’m not getting stressed this year as I realise life itself is much more important and people really and truly remember doing things and not getting things. I asked my kids recently if they could name any specific presents they got for Christmas when they were younger and quite honestly bar a couple of gifts they couldn’t name any! What they did remember though, were occasions spent together - dinners out, playing games, entertaining family friends and doing something exciting. We habitually took the kids skiing just after the big day and we always had an amazing time. There were lots of funny stories, magical events and special family times that they recall and it’s really made me realise ‘time spent’ together is much more important than ‘money spent! 

With Christmas Day literally round the corner, how about an idea of what to wear for the big day itself! Think this gorgeous lace number should be considered! I might wear it and have linked it for you incase it might be a contender for you. ❤️

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

Style not Age do Full Skirts.

Good morning everyone. 

Hope you are well. 

Hands up who’s put their tree up? I’ll go first … 🙌 yep I put mine up with the help of Max who put the baubles on, yes I re-arranged them when he went to bed! It looks beautiful with so many pretty decorative ornaments over it, on nearly every branch! I try to pick one or two up when I’ve been away for special weekends or out for days near Christmas. I bought three on a trip to Scotland a few years ago and two on my long weekend to Baden Baden with David and our four good friends. It’s nice to come home with little keepsakes, they make lovely memories and it’s nice to recall buying them. 

Back to Friday. I went to a friends for a girly evening with some other friends was to celebrate her birthday and we dined on chillie, followed by cheese and biscuits and a couple of glasses of fizz.  It was nice to chat and catch up along with marvel at her stunning new house that over looks the sea. It was an early night, so no sore head the next morning. That was a good idea for me as I went to paint the last bit of my daughter’s house. Carpets are being finished off in the next few days and the kitchen is being installed today! The move back home is getting ever nearer, but I’m hoping they’ll still be here for Christmas - fingers crossed for that. 🤞

So today is the last Monday, and it’s my turn to choose the prompt. I saw that voluminous skirts were hitting the headlines so opted for the title …

Full Skirts. 

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. 

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. 

July Review.

Hello and welcome. 

Thanks for joining me today. 

I’ve had a lovely few days. Starting with lunch with my mum and sister on Thursday to a local hotel. We dined at Hempstead House which is about 3/4 hour away from me. I picked the burger and chips which was divine. I’ve added a piccy below. 

I ended up wearing an old maxi that looked a real picture. It was a dress I’d already worn to a wedding way back in 2022! I like to wear and rewear all my outfits, although it’s often harder to don a dress that’s been seen before but given a bit of time and different occasion it’s all good. Do you rewear your dresses again and again?

Sun Dress from Oasis - Chic & Stylish Linkup

Hello nice to see you here.

Hope you're week is going well.

The hot & sunny weather has finally arrived - yippee.  It’s been absolutely glorious here over the past few days and I’ve been loving being in the garden pottering around. Well not pottering as such, I started with the grass, next I strimmed the edges, trimmed some of the hedges, weeded (my daughter did most of it) sorted some pots and generally tidied up the garden. All the time I had the sun on my back and managed to get a bit more colour, shame I’ve still got lines on the front from my recent holiday to Mallorca! Time to sit in the garden and do nothing I think. 

Isn’t it nice to shower after a long day working in the sun. I think that’s the best feeling to get all the dust and dirt off and relax in something cool and comfortable. Well today's outfit is just that. 

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

My Holiday Edit.

Morning all!

How’s it going?

Sorry for the late posting, with one thing and another this blog got put to the bottom of the pile!

Back down to earth with a bump afternoon a fun filled fab 10 days in Majorca with my eldest & her family. It was really nice to stay for the extra couple of days, and had I only stayed for a week I'd have encountered disruption at the airport as it was flooded!  I had a couple of bad days with rain and clouds, although it was still hot and I managed to have a great time with the kids at the go kart track and in Alcudia. I've stayed at the hotel twice before once with all the family and the time before that with my eldest daughter again - obviously the children were much younger then so it was nice to watch them having a bit more freedom and enjoying the whole hotel much more.  

I always love to hear what people pack for their holidays so today’s post is all about what I packed!

I’ve been lucky enough to have been gifted some lovely dresses and sandals recently, and also some swimsuits that I’d also like to share with you today!

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

Styling my Lilac Sandals.

Hello and thanks for stopping by today. 

How’s your week going?

All good here in Majorca, with mostly sunny weather, plenty of food choice and an array of cocktails and drinks. My go-to this week has been Pina Colada, in the day and cava in the evenings, I never feel drinks abroad have the same effect and have felt fine on what could be described as a on excessive amount (don’t judge me I’m on my holiday).😂

I’ve taken some lovely dresses and a couple of co-ords away with me - along with this striking jumpsuit, although I’m playing this one by ear as I feel it’ll be a bit too hot to wear. 

I’ve been saving this dress specifically for my holiday and found it on Vinted as I wanted a lilac dress to team with these sandals. 

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

Sandal Season - #Chicandstylish #Linkup

Hi there. 

Do you recognise me?

Well I’m another year older having just my big birthday. 

I was 60 last Wednesday and didn’t want to reach this one at all. I’ve had a busy few days resulting in no blog post on Thursday. I thought I’d post the linkup today instead which will run to through to Thursday when there’ll be another one!

Back to the 60 thing, I now have to tick the next box don’t I! I certainly feel a lot older than when I reached 50! The body really does give out tel-tail signs doesn’t it. My knees have aged noticeably, they ache most days and I have to push myself really hard to go to the gym nowadays, I could easily give it up but know they’ll ache even more and most probably sieze up! Most of my joints ache daily, the annoying ones are in my hands, I like to ease them in hot water - do you have any tips or tricks to stave the progression of arthritis? Anyway enough of the moaning it’s time to talk birthdays. 

So I’ve just looked back to check and realised I didn’t tell you about David’s birthday present. I’ve booked for us to return to Sicily for a long weekend. You can read about our little trip to Godfather land in 2022 here. I couldn’t think of anything he wanted or needed and felt a trip away just the two of us would be perfect - it’s good to escape normality and have a nice relaxing break isn’t it. Well I’d got it all planned for his birthday morning. He actually needed some aftershave so I bought a new bottle of his favourite Hugo Boss and carefully replaced the new bottle for an old one! I wrapped a note inside carefully replacing the packaging so it looked like it hadn’t been touched! On the note I’d printed this. 

Happy 60th birthday. 

You can replace this empty bottle of aftershave with a new one at the airport when we go away to Sicily!

Love Jacqui. 

Imagine my surprise when he threw his hands in the air and said “Well that’s messed up my plans, I was going to give you the same gift on your birthday.” We had the same idea! Just shows how alike we’ve grown. So we’ve decided on adding an extra couple of days to our trip which will be heavenly. I’m so excited to travel back to this little Sicilian village high up in the mountains. 🖤

So fast forward to the night time when all the children were at ours for the birthday celebrations. Our turn to receive their present. We both had a parcel to open. In mine a ten euro note and in his a bottle of Portuguese rose and a letter. They had booked for us to have a long weekend in Porto! I’m also excited for this one as I’ve not been to Portugal and have always wanted to visit this interesting place, but the funny bit was that they too were going to send us to Sicily, but with both David and I sharing our intended idea with them in secret, which they couldn’t divulge to either of us, had to change to a different destination! Great minds think alike eh! lol!

Let’s get thinking of holiday attire, do you like my new sandals?

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

 

My weekend on the Isle of Wight - Chicandstylish #Linkup

Good morning. 

Welcome to the blog. 

Big apologies for being so late with Thursday’s post, various reasons that I won’t go into now have hindered publication. 

So good to have you here, I’ve got lots to tell you about the weekend.

You may recall I’ve been away for a long weekend to the Isle of Wight. Today I’ll share what I got up to with some photos thrown in too!

On David’s 60th birthday celebration our good friends gave us both a present (we are both 60 this year). They’d booked a long weekend on the Isle of Wight the following weekend! I was shocked and immediately told them I couldn’t make it as I was baby sitting Max for the night! Little did I know it was just a ploy for us to keep the weekend free! It had all been planned in advance in secret! I wasn’t looking after him but going with David and our friends for a weekend of laughter, food, drinks and fun! I was very excited and planned my clothes making sure I’d cover every weather system we could possibly encounter.  (We have to do that in the UK don’t we!)

This was the outfit I wore on Saturday night. I’m chuffed with this jumpsuit from Jenerique. 🖤

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

 

April Review.

Hello and welcome to my blog on Bank Holiday Monday. 

It’s not really the weather we’re all expecting for the first BH of May. With wind and rain taking centre stage it’s been hard to get into the swing of the spring season let alone wear some lighter clothes!

 I’ve actually been away this weekend and am on my way home from the Isle of Wight now!  I’ll share a dedicated post with you soon to let you have a little insight as to what it’s like on this little island and what I got up to!

It’s the first Monday of the new month so time to take a look at what I got up to in April. 

Welcome to the April Review. 

This dress from Roman has got my name all over it!

I adore the colours as I’m a pink girl at heart. Mauve is one of my favourites too, although it’s not a shade I wear very often or feel it really suits me. Hop over to the post where you can not only find out about this striking mesh dress but find a link to my stunning heels too!

Bold Leopard Print Dress - #Chicandstylish #Linkup

Hello and welcome to the blog.

Hope you're week is going well.

The weather has been pants here recently. It’s been so windy any photo opportunities have been well and truly scuppered! 

I’ve got the run of birthdays starting next week so it’s going to be busy and rather expensive! David’s big birthday is the weekend after next and we’re having a few drinks & nibbles to celebrate it. Mine is 18 days after that and I hope to have friends round to help me get through it! Unlike me as I usually face everything full on but if I’m honest I’m not looking forward to this one at all, 60 seems so old (no offence to anyone already there) and my aching joints confirm the advancing years. I know once it’s been and gone I’ll be fine and in the words or my best friend’s late mum … “I don’t fancy the alternative”!

So let’s put that talk away and concentrate on my latest dress from Jenerique London. 

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

A Bonmarche dress from David Emanuel.

Good morning my friends. 

Hope you’re all well. 

I’ve been enjoying the warmer weather of late and it’s really starting to feel like Spring has arrived. 

I even went out with bare legs and sandals at the weekend! Yeah I know get me! I finally got the meal booked for my mum’s Christmas present, five of us went to Reads again (see her celebrations here) and enjoyed an amazing meal in the beautiful surroundings. Sadly the whole business is up for sale and I know whoever buys it will probably change things making it very different for what I’m used to! It will definitely be an end of an era! Anyone got a spare 3 mil in their back pocket?

If you follow me on IG you might have seen I was kindly invited to view the new collection from Bonmarche at Fortnum and Mason in London. They had an afternoon tea in the board room showing off the new range from David Emanuel. Today I’m sharing one of their fabulous dresses and what a delight it is!

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