After 4 years of blogging, we're finally going on location!
We went on a reccy (reconnaissance mission) to a local beauty/tourist spot to find out if it could be a practical venue for us to take some outfit shots in the future.
I thought I'd share the outfit I wore, not because it's particularly 'wow' but it is a great comfortable and casual look.
{Although thong sandals are NOT great on hilly cobbled streets.
My feet were slipping around and it wasn't pretty...ouch!}
This outfit may not be the prettiest, granted, but it was practical for this cool summer day in Scotland!
Today I'm doing something a little different!
A couple of cheeky time-lapse videos of me applying dark lipstick and a bright red lippy too.
Both colours are quite tricky to wear with a 45-year-old asymmetric face!
However, as I was saying to a friend the other day, if we don't start experimenting with brighter and bolder lipsticks NOW when are we going to get round to it?
When we are pushing up the daisies??
The time is now people.
Seize the day.
It's time to say goodbye to spring and hello to the Scottish summer.
Cheerio to thermal baselayers.
Hello to bare ankles and maybe even a spot of suncream!
Here is a round-up of my favourite spring outfits.
Which is your favourite?
This look is my favourite!
I love this (maybe) vintage dress, the boots and the layers.
Pop over to the original post... Vintage dress outfit... and find out the story behind it.
This outfit is all about My ugly cardigan.
One of my favourite pieces of clothing, and it only cost me £1!
It's certainly a marmite item (love it or hate it, no middle ground).
I love it but it's hardly 'fashionable'.
Or is it?
Imagine how delighted I was to find a recent article in Vogue all about the ugly, chunky 'HERO' cardigan making a comeback.
The uglier the better!
I love this casual matched up look.
So simple and comfortable.
The post is all about matching accessories without looking twee.
Read 4 ways to match your accessories HERE.
I wore this Pastel Outfit when I wanted to lighten things up a little but it was far too cold to take off the layers.
I'm layered up to the max here, nice and cosy.
I love this Red trouser outfit.
Red trousers are so easy to mix and match with different pieces to create completely different looks.
A classic in any wardrobe!
It's another statement knit.
(There seems to be a theme here!)
Bold and brash.
This time my statement knit is a jumper that is perfect for lazy day outfits. A jumper that does all of the work for you... what's not to love?!
Or listened to some self-righteous person telling you:
"I never judge people, it's just wrong!"
Hmmmm....
They're kidding themselves on.
The fact that they feel the need to boast about their lack of judgemental behaviour means they're judging you, and your intelligence!
Making judgements is a normal part of life.
Human nature.
Instinctive.
An essential tool for survival.
We judge situations.
We constantly risk assess.
We judge people that we meet.
Are they trustworthy?
Think about the importance of first impressions.
Not judging (or making the wrong judgement) can be a dangerous business.
Sometimes serious.
However....
It's important to make our normal-human-nature judgements then be sufficiently open-minded to be flexible.
Flexible judgements are the only way!
A first impression might leave you thinking someone is horribly rude but you may later discover that person has autism and their perceived rudeness was just them being literal.
You might think someone else is arrogant only to find out they were nervous and full of self-doubt.
You might make a judgement about someone's appearance:
"Look at that fat person, they must be so lazy!"
"Get off your bum, put down that pizza and go for a walk!"
Or...
"Look at that skinny person, I bet they never eat!"
"Step off that treadmill and go and eat a pie for goodness sake!"
Judging happens, but it can be unfair.
Those people will have a story.
A whole host of background issues.
Inflexible judging is as dangerous as not judging at all.
Let me tell you a funny(ish) story...
I was at the gym the other day (surprise!) standing outside a class talking to an instructor, my good friend and two other regulars.
The instructor was looking for suggestions so we were all discussing tracks we loved and disliked.
The topic of lunges came up.
{Cue a collective groan!}
Then I pipe up:
"Oh, I LOVE lunges!"
My friend laughs:
"You're just weird!"
The other women laughed too.
Then one of the women says to me... with her lip slightly curled and her tone serious:
"Lunges?!.{eyeroll}"
"Of course, it's alright for you...your legs are too skinny."
"Lunging is easy when you're so skinny!"
{"Too skinny"?!
Ouch... that took me back to hurtful comments like "knotty cottons" and "Chicken legs" from my childhood.}
I laughed.
Not because it was funny.
But because I'm used to these kinds of comments and can't be bothered getting defensive about them.
What's the point?
Even though comments like these are not okay.
I still accept them.
I'm sure she didn't mean to be so venomous.
I bet she was even joking (a little).
Maybe she thought it was some kind of compliment to be called skinny?
I realise that her comment is not really anything to do with me.
It's more about her and her relationship with her own body.
But these comments DO still hurt.
The most surprising part of it all was that my friend was very offended on my behalf and got VERY angry.
She rightly pointed out that the woman had no right to judge me.
I might have a background story.
What if I had a medical condition or was recovering from an eating disorder.
Or have other phycological issues that nasty comments about my physicality might push me into an unhealthy place.
{I HAVE been in an unhealthy place and it's not pretty... it's also a waste of time.}
What if you'd said to her:
"No wonder you hate lunges, your legs are too fat!"
"You weigh too much!"
Everyone would have been up in arms!
You'd have been thrown out of the gym, barred.
Put in the stocks and pelted with rotten eggs
BUT it's okay to call you skinny?!
I'm so annoyed!
I must tell you that I felt very grateful for her protective anger.
What a fab friend.
And she's spot on!
I shouldn't have to accept comments like that.
No one should.
Why do some women think it's okay to tear each other down?
Are you a flexible judger? Have you been on the receiving end of body shaming comments? Or, have you ever skinny-shamed someone without realising it could hurt them? I'd love to know!
I have bought a pair of smart white Bermuda shorts.
I can't believe I just said that!
Blimey...
What have I done?
Even the sentence makes me shudder a little.😉
Contained within that first statement are combinations of words that fill me with fear...
Smart shorts
Bermuda shorts
White shorts
Is there such a thing as truly smart pair of shorts?
Should shorts EVER be white... I mean E.V.E.R?
Are Bermuda shorts THE most unflattering garment in the history of unflattering garments?!
Last week the #fakeituntilyoumakeit link up returned to the sound of rapturous applause...
The internet went into meltdown.
People took to the streets!
Okay, you've got me.
The rapturous applause was me having a mini-celebration that I'd managed to sort it all out and go live before I was due to go out.
The internet meltdown was the broadband on a go-slow.
The 'people' taking to the streets was my husband and I heading outside for a cheeky cold beer and some salt and vinegar crisps.
{I might have slightly over-egged that pudding 😀}
