White and Silver Glamour: And Link Up

I love white and silver together - they are the epitome of summer glamour. What started as an idle browse on Asos for kimonos led me to discover this embellished beauty from River Island, and I had to have it, even though I may not wear it very often.

Floral dress at the Chelsea Flower Show

Many months ago in the gloom of winter I booked tickets for one of the members' days at the Chelsea Flower Show, including a slap up three course lunch  (well, I knew that was one way of persuading Mr Mutton to come).

On the appointed day, the sun shone and the Muttons were off early to try to see as much as possible before the crowds arrived.

I wore a new crepe de chine dress with lovely soft fabric and drape from Nancy Mac, a UK boutique run by two sisters.  If you're going to a wedding this year, this shop may be one the place to go. Lots of 30s inspired tea dresses, coats, kimonos and beautiful prints.  Mine was very suitable for Chelsea with its hydrangeas print. It came with a petticoat, which was great for avoiding too much cleavage being on show.

The various "stalls" selling garden apparatus, clothes, ceramics, you name it, lead the way to the Great Pavilion and show gardens.

This was the D-Day Garden, where there were several soldiers and veterans on hand to describe the scene and their memories.  The "Kate Middleton garden" had huge queues and was very small when you got inside.  We were literally in and out within a couple of minutes. She had crammed some old-fashioned children's activities into the space: a tree house, a "swing" where the seat was a football covered in string, and a camp fire. The forget-me-nots and natural planting made it look foresty.  As a kid my den was in overgrown land, long since built on, and featured sprawling brambles, old-fashioned roses doing their own thing, and "snake's food."

Inside the gorgeous smelling pavilion, I had a look at the Croyeux irises, brought over from France, which were featured on one of the BBC's Chelsea programmes. To be honest, irises don't set my heart beating.

Roses do.  It was very hard to get a photo of just me, under the archway of the David Austin Old English Roses stand. David Austin died a few months ago but his roses live on, and it's a family business so his sons will continue the work.  I have several David Austin roses in my front garden.

Here I am with the heucheras.  I have a few "heuchs" in a border that doesn't get too much light, as they cope well with partial shade.

I'm wearing sandals from last year, by Vionic, which have special foot bed technology to make them comfortable. At an event like this you need shoes that aren't going to ruin the day. I didn't really need the jacket but it's a brave person in the UK who sets off without a jacket or cardigan. I needed a fairly big bag but it soon became an irritant. 

There were a couple of flower walls which were excellent for Instagrammers. Here Mr Mutton looks like a blogging natural with his pose, but in reality I had taken three pictures already and he was bored and wanting to move on. To lunch.

Lunch in the Rock Bank restaurant was certainly a highlight. We started with a delicious glass of Fortnum and Mason champagne and the wine was unlimited, depending on how often you could attract the attention of the busy waiting staff.  I had two glasses of wine and it was a bad idea at lunchtime for someone who seldom drinks.  I had to have a lie down when I got home!  My three courses were smoked salmon, dressed crab and cheese and biscuits - I'm not big on desserts.

It was my third time at the show, the last time was two years ago (see my post here) and on one of the "public days," where the demographic was a bit younger. On a members' day, it's mostly people over the age of 60 in sensible shoes, although I did manage to find a few stylish ladies.

So that was our experience at Chelsea. I may also go to Hampton Court flower show in July - it's less formal and the crowds are a bit more manageable. Do you go to any of the RHS or other flower shows?

Sharing this post with: Creative Mondays at Claire Justine, Visible Monday at Not Dead Yet Style, Chic&Stylish at Mummabstylish, Top of the World Style at High Latitude Style, Fancy Friday at Nancy's Fashion Style; Fabulous Friday at A Pocketful of Polka Dots, Thursday Moda at Elegance and Mommyhood, Anna at The Glamadventure, Spread the Kindness at Shelbee On The Edge, #iwillworkwhatIlike at Not Dressed as Lamb,#BloggerClubUK at My Random Musings, #MuttonStyleMondays at Muttonstyle, #Stylewithasmile at Stylesplash, Color and Grace

For More Mutton

Stay in the loop: follow Is This Mutton? on Bloglovin or Feedspot. I post extra goodies (handbags and shoes) on the Is This Mutton? Facebook page. Check out the Is This Mutton? Pinterest boards, including boards on other bloggers in fab outfits plus beauty, jewellery, hairstyles and fashion picks. Is This Mutton? is also on Twitter. 

Don't forget to come back on Wednesday for the #WowOnWednesday link up.

Meeting a fellow blogger to see the Mary Quant exhibition in London

One of the best things about blogging is meeting fellow fashion bloggers. On Saturday I met up with Penny from Frugal Fashion Shopper, and we spent an enjoyable day at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

In The Pink - and #WowOnWednesday Link Up

Last week in my post about making poor fashion choices for summer  I mentioned I had my eye on a particular pink skirt. Here it is in all its pepto-bismol glory.  Reader, I bought it. I love the length, colour and the fact it has a belt. Check it out here. Pink is centre stage for spring/summer 2019: there are variations of it everywhere. And pink really does suit everyone.

Dancing for Joy in White Jeans

Having enjoyed such fabulous weather for the long Easter weekend, I'm dancing for joy in my new print shirt and wide leg white jeans - a perfect casual outfit for summer.

Lilac Brogues Give Me a Spring in My Step - and Link Up

Be still my beating heart, for I have found a pair of lilac brogues! I love brogues - they're a stylish addition to any outfit and can look a bit edgy - and I love lilac as well. So I was thrilled to find this pair of Brighton brogues from British firm Yull at The Bias Cut.com.  They'll look great with jeans and trousers, but also with a long skirt as an alternative to white trainers.

Fast fashion or thrifted chic?

It's only logical that after my post about what I'm doing to reduce the use of single-use plastic, I would return to the issue of "fast fashion". This is a contentious topic for fashion bloggers like me, and lately it sometimes feels as if we're letting the side down by not buying more in charity shops  ("thrift" or "consignment stores" in the US). But it's not as clear cut or easy as it sounds.

A new shape for jeans: Boden Helston

I've written before about how tricky it is to get jeans trends right. When you were rocking straight/drainpipe and flared jeans back in the 70s, wearing them second time round can make you look dated. But even worse is wearing "mum jeans" which make you stand out as middle-aged.

Monochrome - and Link Up

I'm a big fan of the monochrome look, which is not as many think, wearing black and white.  It applies to a single colour, which can be worn in different hues, applied head to toe.

Green for St Patrick's Day

"Green for St Patrick's Day? How original," - it could be a quote from Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada.  Green is always the thing for the Irish saint's day.

St Patrick's Day celebrates the Roman Catholic feast day of the patron saint of Ireland. St. Patrick died on March 17, 461. But he wasn't even Irish. Patrick's birth name was Maewyn. He was born in Roman Britain. He was kidnapped into slavery and brought to Ireland.

A dress for all seasons

I don't buy dresses very often and I often wonder why, because when you find a good one, all your prayers are answered. They're comfortable, easy to style, and flattering. The Studio by Preen line at Debenhams has been raved about by many fashion writers and I couldn't resist this asymmetric dress featuring my two favourite colours, pink and green.

The Sunshine Blogger Award for Is This Mutton!

Sharing a few sunshine-y images from Skiathos last year to go with the fact that I was nominated for the Sunshine Blogger Award by the lovely Penny from Frugal Fashion Shopper. (I also enjoy her Other Blog which covers the weighty topic of Brexit among others!).

The award is given from bloggers to fellow bloggers who inspire creativity and positivity by bringing sunshine to the blogging community and to their readership alike. It is a way of encouraging one another as in saying ‘Hey, you are doing a great job and we can see it. Keep it up!!"

Penny nominated four bloggers and posed eight questions. So here goes!

Why did you begin blogging?

I started way back in 2006 with my other blog  because I was looking for a creative outlet. I've spent 22 years now in the hi-tech world of semiconductors, covering PCs / servers / embedded devices, and I yearned to write about topics like gardening, the arts and politics. I originally trained as a journalist so I've always enjoyed writing.

Is This Mutton? started in 2013 but quickly ran out of steam. I revived it in 2016 as a project to help me keep my hand in, as a digital marketer, when I was looking for a new job.

Has your blog changed since you started it?

Definitely - initially I posted just outfits, and the images were low-res. Here's an example from 2013. My hair is a different colour but the garden still looks the same!

I didn't really have much of a sense of my own style. My confidence has grown in the last three years and I experiment a lot more, plus my images are high res! I also put a lot more effort into promoting the blog with paid promotions occasionally and careful use of SEO and Pinterest. It's hard to find an audience because women over 50 don't generally seek out blogs, unlike the millennial age group. Even my female family members of the same age think my blog is a useless hobby and don't read it!

Blogging is time-consuming – what are the challenges you face in finding the time?

I work full-time, so I operate to a fairly strict schedule. I usually publish twice a week, Sundays and Wednesdays. I take the photos at the weekend and write the posts on Sunday, scheduling the post for Wednesday which includes the #WowOnWednesday link up. I try to have a couple of spare posts in reserve in case I'm away. If I'm going on holiday, I'll write something in advance. On Wednesdays I get to work early so that I have half an hour to promote the new post on my social channels.

When do you write a post – the morning or the evening?

Always in the morning or afternoon - never in the evening.

What is your favourite topic?

That's a tough one.  I cover my two favourite topics, beauty and fashion! Beauty posts sometimes take longer because I might take before and after pictures, and photos of the products.
I love writing about jewellery too but I've exhausted all the world's birthstones, except for a couple of gems and a new series (pending) about the precious metals.

What’s the thing you love most about blogging?

The over-40s blogging community is lovely, so supportive, from all over the world. Everyone is so positive about each other's posts. I would love to meet them all!

What’s the thing you like least?

You do worry if anyone is reading! A lot of the comments are from fellow bloggers, which is lovely, but it feels very special to have comments from non-bloggers who have taken the trouble to visit and read a post.  I think we all beat ourselves up about our numbers not increasing as much as we would like. I'm philosophical about it - as I said earlier, our target audience is not huge. As long as I'm enjoying it, that's the main thing.

Where do you see yourself and your blog in five years time?

I'll be retired by then and I hope Is This Mutton? (and me!) will still be going strong.  We're all getting older and hopefully the readers will still be interested in seeing an ordinary woman,  by then over the age of 60, adopting ridiculous poses in the garden and trying to get miracles from face creams.

Now for my nominations!

Mary from Guernsey and her blog The Pouting Pensioner

Irish blogger Hilda for Over The Hilda

Leslie from the US with Once Upon a Time and Happily Ever After

Anna from Mutton Style

The Questions for my Four Nominees

What's the blog post you're most proud of?

How do you get the ideas for your posts?

Where are your favourite places in the sunshine?

Tell us an unexpected fact about yourself

What's your favourite social media site and why?

Do you keep yourself on a budget for clothes for your blog?

How proactive are you in trying to build collaborations with brands, if at all?

What does your family think about your blogging habit?

The rules for this award are as follows:

Thank the person who nominated you and include a link back to their blog.

Answer the questions given by the person who nominated you.

Nominate other blogs and give questions for them to answer.

Notify your nominees through social media or by commenting on their blog.

List the rules and display a Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post.

Thanks again Penny, it was fun answering the questions! Look forward to reading my nominees' replies. Sharing this post with: #MuttonStyleMonday at Mutton Style, Creative Wednesdays at Claire Justine, Anything Goes at My Random Musings and #ShareAllLinkUp at Not Dressed as Lamb.

I'll be back tomorrow with Sentence a Day for February.

For More Mutton

Stay in the loop: follow Is This Mutton? on Bloglovin or Feedspot. I post extra goodies (handbags and shoes) on the Is This Mutton? Facebook page. Check out the Is This Mutton? Pinterest boards, including boards on other bloggers in fab outfits plus beauty, jewellery, hairstyles and fashion picks. Is This Mutton? is also on Twitter. 

What I've Been Wearing

My bedroom is now overshadowed by the looming form of a fully extended tripod with a camera on top. No, I am not shooting dodgy videos but trying to capture more outfit shots. The selection below were mostly taken at 6.30 in the morning, just before I set off on the drive to Cambridge.

I had a bit of an existential "I don't know what to wear for work" crisis when I first started at my new job 16 months ago. It's an engineering tech company like my last one, and most people dress fairly casually.  I always think jeans are a minefield for the older woman, so it's not a look I choose for work except occasionally.

I bought a few outfits that were too dressy, but now I've found "my uniform," which is either a patterned blouse with dark skirt or trousers, a cropped cashmere cardi and ankle boots, or a print skirt with ankle boots and a plain top.

The outfit below was what I wore on Saturday for my usual food shopping, except that I was also popping into a trendy new hairdresser's to have a patch test. So I decided to up the usual shopping ante by wearing my Bowie jumper by Orwell and Austen,  and silver boots. I have worn the jumper a lot, but here's the thing: it was expensive (more than £200) but the cashmere is a fantastic quality and it washes and retains its shape beautifully. So it was a worthwhile investment. And it always gets compliments.

The jeans are parallels from Warehouse. As I mentioned, I find jeans a minefield.  You can so easily wear the wrong sort and be instantly labelled as middle-aged/staid. I read recently that boot leg jeans are back, but for many they didn't go away.  I would advise caution until the really young and trendy start wearing them. Then we can reclaim them without looking retro.

Next up, a fairly innocuous work outfit: shades of camel and beige livened up with a pair of leopard print boots. But a trifle dull, don't you think? I was regretting all day that I didn't add a leopard print belt or scarf.  See how the scarf instantly lifts the outfit (this photo was taken a few hours later, and without flash, which seems to have aged me about 10 years!  (Memo to self:  ignore those who say "don't use flash....").

Note the long cardigan, which came from Marks and Spencer Autograph.  I have two long cardigans and find them incredibly useful.  How did I manage without them all this time?

I wore this Lily and Me print skirt (also reduced) a few weeks ago with a burgundy top that has a spectacular bow, and a special pair of knee-high suede burgundy boots.  This time I wore it with a pink silk shirt, cropped cashmere cardigan and flat burgundy boots and navy tights.

Handy tip: I keep all my navy tights, belts and socks in a bag that hangs on the door, to avoid me wearing black by mistake. The light in the bedroom is very gloomy in the early mornings and navy and black both look the same in that light! Wearing black and navy together can traumatize me for the day.

Finally, back to the eerie yellowy glow of 6.300am flash with my other signature look:  flat ankle boots, straight trousers, a patterned blouse and a croped cardigan. The blouse is from The-Bias-Cut.com and it's now in the sale.

#WowOnWednesday

Last week's readers' favourite was Mary from The Pouting Pensioner, with a popular post on What I've been Wearing Lately. I've chosen my favourite oufit from the selection:

Now let's see what you've been wearing. Any fashion or beauty posts are welcome in #WowOnWednesday.

An InLinkz Link-up

White and black

After no spend January I was itching to get something new, so here it is, an abstract print midi skirt and baggy white jumper with buttons. Plus my gorgeous Russell & Bromley white boots.

Fashion tips for the Petite Over-50s

This is the first in a new series on Is This Mutton? addressing some of your fashion dilemmas, as revealed in our recent fashion and beauty survey - results here. Today the spotlight is on tips and know-how for petite women.