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Styling a ruffled mini-skirt plus the value of a cardigan – Weekly Wardrobe

I’m pretty sure back in the day, we called them Ra-ra skirts, but to be honest, I was never fashionable enough to really know! Choosing an outfit that looks good, but is also suitable for climbing rocks is actually quite difficult and I’m not sure I entirely succeeded with this one, especially considering the wind! However I had thick enough wool leggings on for decency to not really be an issue, and sturdy enough boots to tackle the terrain so who cares about anything else really?…..

Styling a pink chiffon blouse – Weekly Wardrobe

This is another set of photographs we took whilst on our Lake District weekend away; which explains why I’m styling this quite smart outfit with these boots again! Luckily it was much warmer that weekend than it is while I’m writing this, so I was glad to start bringing in more spring-like items to my outfits. This was the first chance I’ve had to wear this top since I bought it in the January sales….

Styling black with lilac – Weekly Wardrobe

If you have a lot of black in your wardrobe, but would like to inject a bit of pastel spring colour, then I recommend adding a little lilac. In my opinion there aren’t many colours that go with plain black: (not counting white and grey,) purple and red are the best ones, but paler colours are more tricky. A strong black and a light tone together just doesn’t often look right, but for some reason, I think lilac is the one that somehow works. Of course, if there’s any coloured pattern on the black you’re wearing, then you can just pick out any of those to wear with your outfit. Anyway, whilst on a mini holiday in the Lake District last weekend, I wore a lilac tie cardigan with a plain black top and skirt….

I knew I should never have given her that fifty pounds

It was one of those freezing cold miserable January days. Everyone is depressed because the fun of Christmas is over and cold and flu bugs are going around everywhere and it was no wonder I’d caught it too. There was no-one at work to cover for me, so I trudged in, coat and scarf wrapped around me, and hoped I wasn’t on the perfume till near the door. My manager took pity on me and gave me the best spot at the back and near the heater. Amy must have forgotten I work at Boots on Mondays. Or perhaps she didn’t know – my shifts do change around a bit. Anyway, I spotted her browsing over the other side and I admit, my attention wasn’t wholly on my customers. She was at the makeup aisles for three-quarters of an hour! Has she not got anything better to do? She swatched lipsticks and tested eye-shadows and I couldn’t believe it when I saw her take a basket of expensive make-up to the tills on the other side. I knew I should never have given her that fifty pounds. It isn’t like I’m rich; it isn’t like I wouldn’t like to spend fifty quid on make-up for myself. How dare she?…..

Styling a pixie-hem waterfall cardigan – Weekly Wardrobe

I went out on a week night! It felt quite rebellious and naughty! Although we had a small meet-up in the pub at Christmas, our community choir had a proper social evening last week with a meal and a quiz, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. (I also got quite merry on two glasses of wine as it was my first alcohol of the year!) So after much thought, I decided to wear the deep berry velvet dress Chris bought me for Christmas Day’s outfit. I’d worn it then with a pink wrap-around cardigan, but it was quite fluffy and shed all over the velvet; so this time I wore this long black waterfall cardigan instead…..

Fantastic Pleats and Where to Find Them

February 20, 2017

The pleat trend is not going away any time soon. I love it as long as I don’t have to iron it! Anyway, I thought I’d give a round-up of some of my favourite pleated items I could find that take us from winter to spring fashion. And yes, I am only writing this blog post because I thought of this amazingly witty title! ….

Review of the L’Oreal Voluminous Superstar Mascara

February 15, 2017

On holiday in America in 2015 I bought the L’Oreal Beauty Tubes mascara. This was amazing, but when I went back last year, I couldn’t find it again. Instead, L’Oreal had this mascara, called Voluminous Superstar. It is one of those mascaras with two ends – a white coat first to lengthen your lashes and then the actual mascara to go over the top. This was just what I was looking for as I’ve liked those kind ever since I bought the Maybelline XXL volume mascara. (See my review here from 2005)……

Weekly Wardrobe – My first jeggings!

February 13, 2017

Yes, that’s right. I have never owned a pair of skinny jeans or jeggings before; however I have been so desperate for comfy trousers for winter, I have succumbed! I have short legs and chunky thighs, but I’ve been working on my squats and lunges, and have decided fu*k it, who cares anyway if they don’t look brilliant – I need to keep my legs warm! So I bought these in the Next sale and have decided they actually look alright with a long jumper. By the way, snow was gently falling outside when these photos were taken and I was too chicken to brave the cold. So I’m afraid these photos are not up our usual quality as we’re inside on a dark winter day…..

Matte eye shadow palette comparisons and reviews – Boots No. 7, Ulta, e.l.f. & Hard Candy

January 22, 2017

I don’t know whether it’s my age or personal preference, but although I think shimmery eye shadow looks great on other people; I don’t feel it suits me, so I’m always on the look-out for eye shadow palettes in matte – particularly if they’re not nude colours. As make-up is usually a bit cheaper in America , when we were there on holiday in summer, I bought a few to try …..

Weekly Wardrobe – a vintage velvet dress

November 28, 2016

It was the wonderful Glastonbury Frost Fayre on Saturday so I wanted to wear something a little bit Christmassy. A purple velvet dress fitted the bill, so that’s what I went with! I bought it from ebay a few years ago when I was invited to a friend’s 1940s party, and I thought this one looked like it matched the theme. The collar, length and style are very 1940’s, but it’s from C&A’s so it’s probably actually from the 1980s….

halloween short story

A Halloween Romance

November 5, 2011

Competition time again at our writers’ group. We were challenged to write a short story with a ghost/supernatural theme. This was my go… A Hallowe’en Romance It was a cold clear night as a witch, a devil and Frankenstein’s monster made their way down the High Street towards Susan. The witch’s head was far too big for her body and she parted her black wig in order to be able to see from the eye sockets. The monster’s cloak had inadvertently wrapped around the devil’s trident and it nearly tripped them both up. The trio whispered to each other as they approached Susan, and just when it looked like they were going to pass her, they suddenly turned, with their hands up in the air and yelled in her face. She’d been expecting something, but none-the-less it made her jump and she let out a little scream. As the kids ran off laughing, she called after them, ‘Your costumes are rubbish.’