Recently Katherine came to my house and we had a style review!  And I loved it!  Even for a blogger who loves shopping and style keeping my wardrobe in order can be a challenge and I still buy the wrong things sometimes. 

Over the last few years I had gained some weight and although not much by some standards it was a lot for me and it meant I started hiding behind loser styles and a good few size 12’s had landed in my wardrobe.

Now I am back to a size 8-10 and much leaner and petite again my wardrobe needed some help too – I needed to ‘be brave’ and get rid of those clothes that were concealing my shape.

Before the appointment, Katherine emailed me some basic questions to help her get an idea of what I wanted to achieve and to understand me and my wardrobe a bit more.

When she arrived we had a general chat about my style and we shared some ideas by looking through Pinterest.  My style icon is Kate Middleton (Duchess of Cambridge).  I love her simple, classic style, always neat and pulled together without being over fussy.  She shows off her lovely slim figure and always looks stylish whether she’s walking along the Kings Road, hiking in Canada or appearing at a royal engagement.

First of all we looked at my coats and made the decision to sell one that the style meant it now drowned me.  And discussed ideas for a new one!  We then went through everything in my wardrobe one by one.  It was interesting that Katherine could tell immediately for my demeanour or words if I liked something or not – we were on the same wave length.  Her advice was ‘is this a 7 out of 10 or a 10 out of 10’?  Don’t keep the 7/10 as although they might be okay, you won’t love wearing them and you want a wardrobe that is full of 10/10’s.

I now have a winter wardrobe full of all the items I love.  What I noticed when looking at the end result was the colour palette is very co-ordinated.  I have gone for black, grey and an accent colour of burgundy and red tones.

I’ve already sold a few items on a selling site I belong to and I will be putting a few more bits on eBay, this will then help me fund some new items I need (not much though).  It is hard to get rid of clothes that are unworn or hardly worn but if I don’t enjoy wearing them, if they don’t make me feel ‘fabulous’ then I don’t need to hang onto them.  I hope that with Katherine’s help going forward I will make less mistakes.

Katherine has some great packages available on her website, including some slots available for a ‘free 45 minute style consultation’ and I was keen to hear about her plans for the future.  I will certainly be calling on her services more regularly.  Employing the services of a Style Consultant may seem expensive but the savings that can be made in the long run are much more beneficial.

Take a look at her website www.katherineb.co.uk and follow her on Facebook and Instagram for lots of inspiration and support.
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Michelle xx

I was asked this recently as part of a theme day on a Facebook page I belong to.  It got me thinking. 

I have been at home now for 19 years with my children and soon they will no longer need me, well not as much anyway.  I was fortunate enough to be able to be a stay at home mum and I have enjoyed it and been incredibly grateful that I didn’t have to worry about trying to ‘do it all’.  It has been an honour to bring them up to be the happy, confident young adults that they are today.

During those 19 years though I have worked at home and done some voluntary work.  I set up and ran my husband’s business and helped him with a property development project.  I’ve volunteered at the primary school and I also volunteered for a while at the local Citizen’s Advice Bureau.  I oversee the care for my brother in law who has Downs Syndrome; I have fought his corner on many occasions and met some wonderful people along the way.

Before giving up work I was a PA at senior level, for VP’s and a Chairman.  I worked in quite diverse industries – power tools, IT, technology and pharmaceuticals.  I’ve not missed it though and I am very happy to be at home and continue to be so.

When I was at school my dream was to be a nurse.  But a one night stay in hospital following a fall from a horse and suspected concussion made me realise that maybe it wasn’t for me after all – unfortunately I have a phobia to vomiting so being a nurse wasn’t really going to work!  I am still fascinated by all things medical though and if I had my time again I’d find an alternative medical career.

But as I have said before this blog is part of my little plan for my 50’s.  I am not sure yet where it will take me but I like having a little part of the internet to record my life and offer ideas and support to other women.  Recording my Body Coach journey has kept me accountable.  I love fashion and shopping and I enjoy sharing my outfits on Instagram.   And so maybe it might be the start of a new dream job for me?
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Michelle xx
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Are you looking for a job?  Try Jooble!

My son was gifted a voucher for two to do a Segway Adventure near Bray Lake in Maidenhead for his 18th birthday.  And he invited me to join him!  Which was actually very touching, whatever the reason for choosing me!

We went out for lunch first to Bill’s in Marlow, the day before had been heavy rain and cold but this particular Sunday it was warm and sunny, a perfect autumn day so we were able to sit in the garden and relax.

I do try to spend one to one time with both my children.  Especially as they get older, it is easy to spend more time with my daughter but I really do enjoy my son’s company and hope that we can carry on doing things together even now he is working full time and has a girlfriend and a busy life.

I was a bit unsure of the Segway to start with but it was easy to learn and I quickly grasped how it worked and how to stay on.  It was a wooded trail by the lake and was simply for fun but I know Segway’s are available for tours in lots of the big cities like Paris and London so I’d definitely consider doing it again.

My son’s voucher was from Segway Events so do take a look; it makes a great gift if you are stuck for ideas for teenagers.

Who says we can’t do these things even at 50!?

Michelle xx

Outfit details below

I wore dark denim rebound jeans from French Connection with my Boden stripe vest and a navy hooded knit from The White Company and my Adidas superstars!  My scarf is from White Stuff.  The jacket is from Uniqlo and is a lightweight down that can pack easily away into a bag so great for travelling.

I’ve been blogging now since February so about 8 months and I’d like to thank all my lovely followers for being a part of it with me.  I’ll be honest, this is mainly a hobby, I love sharing and talking about fashion and lifestyle for ladies of a similar age to me.  I don’t always get it right but may be that is part of the attraction – that we are all only human and we have good and bad days.  My hobby might develop into something more, I don’t know yet, only time will tell but for now I am very happy to be getting to know you all.

I have quite a few posts on my blog now so I have added a ‘search’ box to make it easier to find things that interest you.  I know a lot of you are following me to read about my journey on The Body Coach Plan so hopefully you can search posts that are related to that and it will help you find what you need to know.

Do come and join me on Instagram where I post mostly daily outfit ideas and inspiration.  I also have a Facebook page where you can find all my blog posts.  If you sign up to join my mailing list then you will get my blog posts directly into your inbox and I send out a newsletter every month with a summary of all my posts and some extra news and offers.
Do comment on my blog if something appeals to you, I love to read your comments.  And you can email me at [email protected] too.

Lots coming up!  Later this week I have a wardrobe consultation with Katherine B, I have way too much in my wardrobe and whilst I try to keep on top of it all, I know that my capsule wardrobe  approach could be much better so I am hoping that I will get some ideas and help with that.  I will of course be sharing how it goes with you all.

Love
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Michelle xx

Boden Ravenna Top with Mint Velvet Jeans
Hush Naomi MiniDress