The Penguin Returns: March in Review

 #WBOYC

Dear friends. March saw me going to two art exhibitions, one in Plymouth;  the start of our big garden renovation, numerous walks and bike rides and a Good Housekeeping hairdressing event. 

Let's dive in. 

At Last - Purple Trousers I Love

And #TuesdayTwirl

Dear friends. Do you long for a particular garment in a favourite colour, but are always disappointed by what you find?

My bête noires are denim skirts and purple trousers.  Denim skirts we will save for another day. 

Review: The Waterlands by Stephen Rutt

Any place where water and land join together is where an alchemical sort of magic occurs. So says Stephen Rutt, author of The Waterlands.

It's a lyrical, poetic work of non-fiction that gives us a grateful pause from everyday life.

Barrel Jeans and Woven Mary Janes

 And #TuesdayTwirl

Dear friends. As our "faux Spring" draws to an end for the time being, I was thrilled to get away with just a short jacket over jeans and a shirt for a visit to the Turner & Constable art exhibition.

Barrel jeans are still everywhere and I liked the mocha colour of these, from Reiss. One of the big trends for Spring Summer is woven Mary Jane shoes. I wear mostly flat shoes and it's great to see this style in vogue. Mine are current, from John Lewis. They were comfortable from the get-go. 

Hot Books for March {2026}

 #WOYBS

Dear friends. Welcome to another month's reading. It's a varied selection with a 5 star short story collection, a couple of mystery/thrillers, and a heart warming tale of bereaved women who find friendship.

Non-fiction features a book on the notorious Victorian baby killer, Amelia Dyer, and how to reinvigorate your body through menopause with delicious and time-saving recipes. 

All the books were received as free digital advance copies from NetGalley and the publishers, in return for an honest review. 

The Zouave by Van Gogh: Favourite Paintings

 And #TuesdayTwirl

Dear friends.  For the second part of my favourite paintings series I've chosen an unexpected van Gogh.

The choice of van Gogh is obviously not unexpected. He is one of the best loved artists in the world. But his most admired and copied paintings tend to be the flowers  (irises, sunflowers, cherry blossom), the self portraits,  and the starry night series. 

I have had crushes on all of those at different times of my life. We have a reproduction of Irises in the front room.  It's true to say I have never met a van Gogh I didn't like.

Colourful Versus Neutrals

 And #TuesdayTwirl 

Dear friends. Is purple and orange a combination you would wear? It's the challenge of the month over at the Kettlewell Colour Club. 

For a moment I hesitated before giving it a go.

If you've been seasonally analysed as a Spring or Winter, your orange and your purple are bright and vibrant. A combination that could remind us of Halloween. 

I've Hit a Rich Seam

Greetings dear friends.  Here's a quick book update, sharing what I've recently been reading and my new arrivals.

You'll see there's a bit of a theme developing with my "Just Finished" list.  As a lover of crime fiction, but rather particular about the genre, I dive into a feeding frenzy when I discover an author who ticks my boxes, and has a linked series of novels.

There's something very satisfying about getting to know regular characters, plus a particular part of the world, and Aline Templeton does this with her series of books featuring DCI Kelso Strang. 

In the first book - Death on Skye - we meet Detective Chief Inspector Kelso Strang, a widower whose pregnant wife died in a car crash. As a result, he has a thick scar on his cheek. Kelso has been seconded to run a special Rural Crimes Squad by Police Scotland. He's catapulted into situations where a small part-time police station can't cope with a major crime. 

Unusually for a crime thriller, or police procedural, we have to wait quite a while before the first murder.  This is Templeton's modus operandi for all the books, and it works very well. She introduces us to a particular community and key individuals, and there are clues about tensions and explosive situations. 

PC Livvy Murray is sent to assist Kelso, and what a character she is.  Ambitious and confident, but also rather too bullish and inclined to follow her own initiative in the hope of impressing Strang  (who is the silent, brooding type).  She finds herself becoming jealous of a superior officer and is furious that she can't seem to stop herself. 

And then there's Detective Chief Superintendent Jane Borthwick, Kelso's boss,  described as "Fair, firm and effing formidable."

The crimes themselves are complex and typical of rural communities, with a few surprises for any city dwellers who think that money laundering, people trafficking, murders and organised crime don't exist in remote areas. 

Templeton is very good at constructing a finely woven plot where it's impossible to predict who the perpetrators are until the very last minutes. The hallmark of a good crime thriller.

So yes, I'm hooked on this series, and NetGalley books are getting a rest at the moment.

Having said that, I do have a couple of new arrivals to share with you. These were all provided free of charge as advance digital copies by NetGalley and the publishers, in return for an honest review. 

Fallout by Eleanor Anstruther  (publication date: 21 April).

Set in Thatcher's Britain of the 1980s, this is the story of a radical daughter, a closeted father and a  prim mother turned protester. One runaway girl sets a family on fire—and lights the way to liberation.  The book shines a light on the Greenham Common nuclear protests, a significant feminist uprising which has disappeared into the annals of time. 

Blind Pursuit by Rob Sinclair  

Synopsis:  Callum Murphy thought he was happily married to a corporate consultant. But when police show up at Callum’s work site, informing him of his wife Lea’s death, his world starts to crumble. It turns out her death was just the beginning.  Callum learns that Lea was, in fact, an MI6 agent who was killed because of intelligence only she had. Then strangers with guns break into his home and he’s forced to run for his life. 

A Hard Day's Night by Samira Ahmed (publication date: 11 June)

Well-known journalist and BBC broadcaster Samira Ahmed attempts to answer the question of how a film made to capture a pop phenomenon become an enduring cinematic classic.

It's a film that's particularly close to my heart because it was the first one I ever saw. aged 3, and I can still remember how captivated I was. It's a charming film, full of energy and wit, and the magical songs and personalities of The Beatles. 

Have you seen A Hard Day's Night? What was the first film you saw? Do tell in the comments. 

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Fabulous February Books 

Harvesters by Anna Ancher: Favourite Paintings

 And #TuesdayTwirl

Dear friends. A different post this week but one that is close to my heart. If you read my monthly round-ups or follow me on Instagram,  you'll know that I try to go to a least one art exhibition a month. I find art very uplifting. My favourite paintings fill me with joy for different reasons. 

I'm fortunate to live in London which has several world class art museums.  

Washday Blues and Seurat Hues: February

 

Dear friends.

February always feels like a busy and bustling month, thanks to its brevity. The weather was pretty abysmal most of the time, but there were a couple of tempting peaks of Spring. I had a good month except for a falling out with the washing machine!

A Week of Outfits

 And #TuesdayTwirl

Dear friends. I set myself a challenge to wear a proper outfit each day for a week. 

Most days I wear athleisure all day.  It's not the trendy sort, either. 

But as I miss my outfit round-ups of yore, when I was working, I decided to smarten up my act to wear more of my clothes. I'm showing you what I wore each day last week. 

What to expect:  an ordinary 65 year old woman wearing colourful outfits and accessories to hopefully give you a bit of inspiration. 

Fabulous February Books

  

Dear friends.  February is remarkable for some of the best books I've read for a while.

You'll encounter: a wise woman mistaken for a witch; a forbidden relationship between a priest and a woman campaigning for Catholic reform;  twins whose lives are changed forever by a childhood act of kindness, and female spies in the war sent to comfort German soldiers. 

I'm also on a roll with my non-fiction reading and have two very different books for you.

All books were provided free of charge as advance digital copies by NetGalley and the publishers. 

An Outfit to Scare the Husband

 

Dear friends. We were inundated on Instagram last week with suggestions of what to wear for Valentine's Day. Well, as Mr Mutton and I don't usually mark this in any way, I wasn't paying too much attention.

But then my new-to-me red skirt with purple flowers arrived from eBay.  It's a Boden skirt and you know my love for them. 

The Wives of Henry VIII by Jessica Carey-Bunning

Dear friends.  I am an avid reader of Tudor history. So much so, I wondered if there was still anything new to learn. 

I'm glad to say a new voice (to me) on the Tudor scene, Jessica Carey-Bunning, brings a fresh and welcome perspective to the six wives of Henry VIII.

Health and Fitness: What I've Learned

 And #TuesdayTwirl 

Dear friends. Last week I came to a satisfying realisation.  Maintaining my health and fitness is now a cherished part of my life. I no longer worry unnecessarily about falling off the wagon and piling weight back on. I have all the tools I need.

The realisation came during a fitness bootcamp with FitFarms. This was my third one and I recommend it if you're struggling with diet and exercise. 

Read All About It

Dear friends.  It's certainly a time to hunker down with a good book. We've had so much rain. Nearby Epping Forest is saturated. Apparently arctic air is on the way, so expect dry, cold days by the end of the week.

I love the variety of British weather. I could never live in a place where it was always warm and sunny. 

I've just finished reading the following. I've linked to my Goodreads reviews, and indicated the publication date. 

Should I Go Grey? Beauty Chat

 And #TuesdayTwirl 

Dear friends.  Let's talk about going grey. I'm getting a bit fed up with the hours spent at the salon and am thinking about it, although it's not an easy decision when you're warm toned. 

In today's post I'm also sharing my progress with products and treatments aimed at improving ageing skin. Plus there's a low-cost perfumed treat and a body oil that works marvels on crepey skin.

Everything was bought by me so you're getting honest reviews. 

The Joys of January {2026}

 

Dear friends.  It has an unfair reputation as the worst month of the year. True, the weather is not great, and there are no public holidays until April. But if you're determined to make the best of it, January can still be joyful.

Inspired by Demi Moore

 And #TuesdayTwirl 

Dear friends. Have you discovered Landman on Paramount,  starring Billy Bob Thornton, Demi Moore and Jon Hamm? We absolutely love it, having discovered it recently when we swapped Disney for Paramount. 

Demi Moore is married to wealthy oil company CEO Hamm. I was very taken with the power dressing outfit she wore when addressing the oil barons (plus some snippy young women who made a swipe at her). 

It turns out her cream suit and blush sleeveless Lavalliere blouse are by Tom Ford, and the blouse has sold out. Not that I would have bought it.  I bought a similar style from a new brand to me, Holland Cooper (not an affiliate link).

Blouses with bows are trending at the moment. They've become associated with Margaret Thatcher to our generation but I think the Demi look with the cream and blush is not at all Thatcher-looking. It's a different kind of power dressing.

I don't have much need for power dressing now I'm retired, so I paired the blouse with these fabulous new jeans from M&S. I noticed on the train that young women were all wearing flared jeans with a visible seam above the ankle. I'd nipped into M&S for some food bits and spotted these jeans with their patch pockets. And seam above the flare!

I'm wearing a 10 in Short (say it as it is, M&S!) which are a good length, provided they don't shrink.  I'm 5'3. (1.60). They look smarter and dare I say more flattering than barrel jeans. I wasn't quick to embrace flared trousers and jeans this time round but they are growing on me. 

Strangely,  although these jeans were in abundance at their Oxford Street flagship, they're not available online. I even tried the product code. They cost £40.  M&S stock other brands which have similar patch pockets jeans. 

The blouse I bought, the Ariella, is lovely quality, which is important for this type of fabric. It can be tied several ways. As you can see it's sleeveless and I shall enjoy wearing it on its own in the summer. 

I didn't add a belt because it would have looked cluttered with the bow and patch pockets. 

Demi wore hers with a cream blazer. I don't have any blazers but I tried it with my cream moto style Chloe jacket from Kettlewell. 

Best Footwear for Flares 

According to The Times, the best shoes to wear with flares are  pointy toed boots or kitten heels, or “low profile” trainers. These are streamlined and flat-soled, rather like a plimsoll.  They provide a sharper, more elegant finish than anything clompy. I added a little more glamour with gold ankle boots. Pointy ones! (Oliver Bonas, old). 

Have you discovered Landman yet?  What's your view on pussy bow blouses? Too Mrs T, or a fresh new look? Do tell in the comments.

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Old, New and a Bit of Blue 

A Tale of Two Wedding Dresses

Disclosure:  Is This Mutton is a hobby blog and non-monetised for the best reader experience.  Nothing was gifted for this post. 

GIVE US A TWIRL

Bloggers from all over the world are adding their posts to this week's link-up.  I'd urge you to check them out and leave a comment or two.  Blogging is a lonely pastime but comments make us smile. 

For the joining instructions, scroll down to below the thumbnails. No recipe posts please. 

LAST WEEK'S FAVOURITES

How to Wear Tweed with Ageless Style from Amy at Amy's Creative Pursuits

Finally Getting Around to It:  I Give Up by Rena at Fine Whatever. Fortunately she's not referring to blogging but letting go of gimmicks, themes, and over-planning & (sadly) the Fine-Whatever Link-Up.

Is This Mutton Favourite

DIY Earrings - Vineyard by Mie at MooisVanMie. How pretty are these earrings, and the pictures are great too - very difficult to do.

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Book Update with New Arrivals

 

Dear friends. Today I'm sharing what I'm reading, new arrivals on the Kindle, and what I'll be reviewing shortly.

I'll start first with four new arrivals.  I'm currently reading Eight by Paul Gascoigne and Life Plan by Amanda Prowse. 

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

 And #TuesdayTwirl

The inspiration for today's post comes unashamedly from Dutch blogger Greetje from No Fear of Fashion. She recently featured outfits from past posts, which she classified as good, bad or ugly. See her post. 

If you haven’t discovered Greetje's blog you're in for a treat. She goes out with friends to take her photos and explores different parts of the Netherlands with a lot of humour and style.

Hamnet: Film or Book? January Reviews

And #WhatsOnYourBookself 

 

Dear friends. The hype around the film Hamnet inspired me to read the book and then go to the cinema.  I share my thoughts on this, and also my reviews for January. 

I bought those marked with an asterisk.  The rest were digital advance copies from NetGalley, provided free in return for an honest review. 

Winter Brights

 And #TuesdayTwirl 

Dear friends. Winter is wonderful for wearing colour. So many opportunities to layer up! I wear colour throughout the year. It's badly needed in the colder months. Here are a few of my outfits lately.

I was recently ironing (yep, still do it) when I noticed what a good combination this light blue is with pink. It's a colour called Hawaii from Kettlewell,  worn with pink rose sleeveless cardigan and mock turtle neck in shocking pink. The necklace is by Kama4 You at Etsy. I have it in several different colourways. 

Staying with blue and pink, this is a silky roll neck in Dutch Blue with wrap in Flamingo Pink and chinos in Coral. I had these chinos in size small and they were a bit too big. I was thrilled when an XS pair suddenly appeared in the Kettlewell sale. They're a little shorter than I would like (I prefer my ankles not to be grazed!) but very soft and comfortable.  Scarf is one of the Spring variations at My Season. Leopard belt, old, Kettlewell. 

Wearing the same chinos with a crew neck jumper in Apple, silky roll neck in Pale Peach (both Kettlewell) and rose gold boots, old. Necklace from Polka Dot Drawer at Etsy. The silky roll necks are wonderful for layering - I have several.  Below: adding my trusty Barbour, which is exactly the right colour. It's very warm and hooded - I often wear it on forest walks.

How are you finding winter so far? (And summer, for those in the southern hemisphere, where it's very HOT at the moment).  Also - do you still do the ironing?! Do tell in the comments. 

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TUESDAY TWIRL LINK-UP

Bloggers and Instagrammers are invited to share up to 3 posts.  For the joining instructions, scroll down to below the thumbnails. 

Please make a blogger's day by commenting on one or two their posts, or pinning or sharing them.

LAST WEEK'S FAVOURITES

A New Year and New Beginnings - Hopefully! by Penny at Conversations with an Older Woman

The Best Things I Bought in 2025 Part 1, by Cheryl at Cheryl Shops

Is This Mutton Favourite

Just Because by Jill at Grownup Glamour

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Transform Your Health in 30 Days

Dear friends. I like to keep abreast of nutritional trends and research, and today I'm reviewing a new book which explores inflammation in our bodies, the harm it causes and how to eradicate it.

It's particularly interesting to those of us "of a certain age" because some of the changes brought on by getting older are exacerbated by inflammation.

The book is called "The Anti-Inflammatory 30 Day Reset" by Sophie Richards. She suffered for 10 years with chronic pain, bloating and fatigue. No medical help was available. She set out to find her own way to alleviate her symptoms and completely transformed her life.

I bought the book and this is my honest review.

A Sparkling Start to the Year

 And TuesdayTwirl

Dear friends. Here's a sparkly daytime look which echoes my mood. Full of positivity for a New Year.

You might think white jeans is a bizarre option for winter but I rarely wear jeans in summer (too hot) and think they're perfect for the dry sunny days we're having at the moment. 

Books Lately

 

Dear friends. Welcome to one of my occasional what I'm reading posts. I've indicated with an asterisk books I bought myself. The rest are from NetGalley, who supply digital advance copies in return for an honest review.

In a new development I will share a long book review each week, rather than waiting for the monthly review.  The monthly review will still happen and will capture all the books newly published for each month and everything else I have read. Find it on the third Thursday of every month.