Holding onto Summer - Chic & Stylish Linkup

Good morning.

How are you?

Welcome to my blog and welcome September!

I'm holding onto Summer in today's post, you see I'm featuring an outfit that wouldn't look out-of-place for a summer BBQ or trip out, maybe if the weather was slightly chilly - which it certainly was on some days in the UK! But with changeable weather in ~Autumn, this sort of outfit is perfect.  We need to layer up as mornings can be chilly, whilst afternoons tend to get warmer. Although today we've got sunshine so maybe it'll rain later!!!

This week has flown by, and the fact I've had a cold has made it even worse. I woke up this morning and soon realised it was Thursday and I'd not made a post!  I didn't do much yesterday and the day before as I felt I'd been doing too much and my body was telling me to slow down.  I cancelled my gym classes and basically enjoyed being at home doing nothing but the essentials.  I have to say I feel much better, even in my head-space which was like a washing machine.  I'll be getting back to normal service, but every now and again it's good to switch off even if it's not your body telling you to do so!

Well let's get back to today's look, as I mentioned above it's a Summery look but with that extra layer!

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

A Ray of Sunshine Yellow - #Chicandstylish #LINKUP

Hello my lovely friends.

How are you all?

Been a very strange week for me so far, you see I'm sitting on Jury Service and have come home everyday with a brain like mush (nothing new there people that know me will say).  It's been an interesting situation and I can't say I'm enjoying it really.  You see I haven't been to 'proper' work since before I had my first child ... she's 33 now so It's all been a bit of a shock to the system.  I've had to get up early for a reason!  I usually get up fairly early, but it's not the same when you don't have to be somewhere is it!  

Concentrating has also been a hard one for me too, I'm usually engrossed in blogging of some description or scrolling through IG .... and having not been able to get on there much am really missing it. 

Last week this was the outfit I picked to wear when it was much cooler to actually wear jeans.  With warmer weather enveloping us at the moment I'm not sure when I'll be wearing jeans again!

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

He Won!

Morning everyone.

I do hope you are feeling good, I'm one very proud Mummab!  Read on to find out why.

Getting ever nearer to hopefully the ending of lock-down, although I know many people aren't entirely pleased with it.  It's a big topic of discussion that I wouldn't even dream of entering into as everyone has their own opinion of what should and shouldn't happen, what I will say is it can't come quick enough for me now!

So back to the post, you might have been following my IG stories recently when I shared the fact my youngest son would be competing in the oldest rowing race in the world - The Doggett's Coat and Badge Wager, and you can read all about if here. 

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) 

My New Neutrals.

Morning my friends.

Hope you are all well.

I'd like to start today off with a big Happy Birthday to Esther Ruby! 🎈

With my busy household at the moment I've yet to changeover my summer wardrobe for more warmer attire. I am planning to do it sometime .... err ... very soon!  I need to get things sorted as I have clothes and footwear absolutely everywhere!  The trouble with having all the seasons clothing around and nowhere to put it means I can't really see anything to be able to match, plan and keep track of.  Watch this space for the mammoth task being completed. 😏

I need to be making room for new pieces like the sweet mint green and biscuit top I wore with neutral culottes and lightweight trench coat last week, and this long line cardigan I picked up in the Marks and Spencer sale along with a caramel snake print shirt from H & M!

White Jeans.

Morning my friends.
How are you doing today?
What a changeable weekend it's been, scorching hot on Saturday and totally the opposite on Sunday with cold, very wet and dreary weather - guess which day we decided to have the BBQ on?  Yep you're right, on Sunday!  We sat under the gazebo whilst hubby and son cooked under the parasol, bloody annoying when we'd finished cooking and eating it cleared up making way for clearer skies!

Well after the last few days I'm almost feeling like a new woman, hair cut on Thursday, a much needed visit to the salon on Friday followed by a manicure and pedicure at the weekend - freshly painted nails in a bright cerise pink has made me very happy. 💕 This might give you a big clue as to what colour I might just wear for next weeks Style not Age post ... My Signature Colour! Lol.

I've been seeing many of you wearing white jeans recently, so with the mixture of temperature we've been having in the UK I decided to wear mine.  I've got a few pairs to my name and of recent years have taken to wearing them in the winter on dry - cooler days when they can look really stylish paired with all white, tan or black - the list is endless!  With temperatures dipping last week I took full advantage & wore my white straight legs with this striking blouse I pinched from my daughter. 😀.

Don't forget to enter the GIVEAWAY that went live last Thursday - there's a pretty polka dot dress up for grabs!!!

Somewhere over the Rainbow.

Hi there, hope you are well.

I'm travelling home today so I'm somewhere over the Rainbow! Not sure I'm going to be a happy over fifty fashion blogger tomorrow!

How exciting to find something hidden away that you'd forgotten about?  Not that this happens very often but it did a couple of weeks ago.
Technically I'd not forgotten, but my eldest daughter had!
You see we'd been clearing out our garage to make room for some gym equipment.  SIL, me and two daughters cleared and sorted the various boxes and bags, with me having a trip down memory lane again looking through old photos, books and other knick-knacks that had been hoarded stored there.
Eventually my eldest daughter came across these Rainbow shoes, having worn them once she found them completely pristine in their box.  She didn't want them so I jumped on them straight away - I'd got designs on these rainbow shoes.

Two ways with a White Jeans.

Morning all,

I'm doing it again!!  What you ask .... comparing my blog to others!  Such a pointless, worthless and futile task!
You know how it goes, check out other blogs, read the topics, discover interesting facts, view fabulous shots along with dexterous writing - resulting in feeling downright fed-up and deflated!  Once I've 'picked myself up and brushed myself down' the answer, for me, is to re-visit some of the inspiring blog posts I've read in the past to recharge my blogging battery, affirm why I started blogging and to realise just how far I have come, and at the end of the day, does it really matter? As long as I'm happy.  I'm sure some of what I write is interesting to some people, and others have no time for it, and being honest I do that with some blogs too! 

"You can please some of the people some of the time, some of the people all of the time, but you can't please all the people all of the time"!

With that off my chest, lets get back to fashion and lifestyle blogging.

How's your weekend going?
Again a lazy day due to the weather, hubby and I were going to make a start on cutting the hedge, it seems only yesterday we were cutting, striming and burning branches from our boundary hedge that seems to grow quicker than Jack's beanstalk overfed on John Innes strongest fertiliser!  Anyway it's raining!  Shame that, I can blog instead! Lol.

Thought I'd show you two ways with white jeans following the 'all white' theme of last week you can see my blog post here.

Last week when the sun shone so brightly it could have been middle of Summer, but the cold, crisp wind told another story, I went to the beach for a photo shoot!  (still love the sound of that - Gigi Hadid eat your heart out!  Hilarious laughter ringing in my ears.)
Esther Ruby took some super pictures again, I'm so lucky to have her work with me so skilfully and with such enthusiasm.

So what do you think about my two slightly different looks?

Having become hooked on wearing these previous season white skinnies from Matalan, 
I love both looks and love equally what I've paired them with.   

First up, worn with a navy blue slip over blouse which has a cute front ruffle detail from the v neckline down to the hem.  Long sleeves with button cuff and an elasticated hemline forming a blouson effect - good for hiding any extra weight that's often carried around the waist for ladies of my age. 
This comes from Bonmarche also available in burnt orange and wine. For a mere £18, you could have all the colours.
I've worn my tan slip on ankle boots from TK Maxx, plus a wooden bead necklace that's been in my necklace collection for ages, I can't even remember where or when I got it!  Similar on the Amazon website. (Link below)

Sporting my Irresistible me cheap hair extensions, they've given me so much volume I thought I was going to take off in the wind.

My "three colour rule" shinning through - sorry it's inherent in me and so hard to throw-off.
White - Tan - Navy.

Now here's white jeans with tan jumper. Having had this in my wardrobe since early last year see where I first wore is here.  It's proved to be a versatile little choice and goes without saying neutral tones are a must in any jumper collection.  I wish I'd looked for a scarf to finish off this look, although I'm not sure I have one, (make a mental note that I want need a tan/other colour and white scarf!)

Really like the colours of the beach and my outfit mixing into each other.

Hey, can you tell I'm wearing my Irresistible me clip in hair extensions again?

Here's my cute tan booties from TK Maxx again - comfortable, stylish and all round functional. Similar from Mantaray in Debenhams for £49 - See website in side bar.

Until the next time, stay safe and have fun!

               Jacqui B.  X