Chanelling lace designer Isabella Catanea Parasole

This month's SIA Challenge - Style Imitating Art - over at Jen's blog, Librarian for Life and Style, threw down the gauntlet to step out of my comfort zone and wear something a bit different.

Is it possible to look stylish when hiking?

The rainbow was a bonus on a day when the weather was mostly grim 

What? I hear you cry. Stylish when hiking? Surely an oxymoron!

Well, dear reader, before we started our trips to the Lake District back in 2012, I had no idea I would soon be avidly scouring The North Face website for their latest drops, or scurrying into George Fisher as soon as we arrive in Keswick each time to buy more stuff.

Wearing neon brights to add some colour to winter

This is a seriously bright jumper - an acid or neon green (my husband would call it yellow). I added a touch more green with the velvet shoes and necklace. And ignored the rule about "red and green should never be seen" by adding red lippy.

Jumper: Sainsburys; jeans: Boden; shoes: Next (out of stock); necklace: Justine at Etsy.

Too cold for photos outdoors today! Keep warm and enjoy your weekend. Sharing with A Pocketful of Polka Dots, Nancy's Fashion Style and Not Dressed As Lamb, #SaturdayShareLinkUp.

When your hands are 20 years older than your face

I'm in good company with this one: both Madonna and Sarah Jessica Parker suffer from the same affliction.
There are four reasons why our hands can age faster than the rest of our face - and it's not just failure to apply hand cream:

Fashion in my 20s: what was I thinking?

I thought I would give you a laugh by sharing some of the outfits from my 20s. This was in the 1980s, a decade not noted for sartorial style. But even so......

5 ways to radiant skin

If I was to envy young women for one thing, it would definitely be their skin: firm and peachy with no hint of wrinkles, shadows or pigmentation marks. As you get older, it becomes harder to replicate that gorgeous radiance. I have five key products I use when I'm looking less than radiant.

Finally embracing cropped trousers

Cropped, or shorter length trousers, have been around for a while but I have been stubbornly resisting them. Two reasons. I didn't like the idea of an expanse of ankle being exposed to the elements in winter, and as far back as 2013, I was lamenting the fact that worn with mid calf boots, they give the "beam me up Scottie" look. And they usually seemed to be worn with high heel court shoes, which I don't wear. 

In praise of Pearls: birthstone for June

It was Coco Chanel who decreed "a woman needs ropes and ropes of pearls." Lady Sarah Churchill, meanwhile, revealed: "I feel undressed if I don't have my pearls on. My pearls are my security blanket.”

Pearls are highly flattering against the skin, with the more expensive pearls casting a gorgeous light against the face. Pearl is one of the three birthstones for June. This post has been updated (June 2020) with a latest shopping guide.

A new look for an old favourite: Lypsyl lip balm

I have been a devotee of Lypsyl since I was at school. This much loved lip balm has been moisturizing the nation's lips since 1891. But it hasn't always been easy to buy. It's had a chequered history, several different owners and a varying presence in the high street. Sometimes it was impossible to find, although nowadays it's much easier to source online.

I'm pleased to see it has now been relaunched with a new range of seven delicately scented SPF balms.

For my US readers I'm not sure what relation UK Lypsyl has to US Lypsyl:  I see that the US product has entirely different packaging and varieties, claiming to date from 1905 and describing itself as "pure Swedish beeswax."

I recently reviewed several lip balms and Lypsyl (in the old original formula) performed just as well or even better as more expensive brands from Rodial and REN - here.

15 Health and diet tips from over-40s women like you

It's the time of year when we're bombarded with diet articles, books and slimming DVDs from celebrities. Most of the diet methods contradict each other and there seems to be no agreement between health organisations and experts on what scientifically works best. Some experts are still saying that low fat is good. Others say sugar is the devil.

Fun with faux fur

 I was thrilled to receive a faux fur stole for Christmas. It's ideal for draping over a shoulder and securing with a belt. Here I'm wearing it with a black jacket, black polo neck jumper, felted brooch of a Herdy (Herdwick sheep, found in the Lake District) and a grey skirt with asymetrical hem, plus my "mean" pointy black ankle boots. The scarf is the same colour, more or less, as my hair!

Wearing Green in 2017

Green is this year's trendy colour  (see my post on 2017 predictions) and the good news is, there's a green shade that suits everyone.

The Pantone shade "greenery" is a ferny sort of green, not the type I would normally wear. I prefer Kelly, emerald green or the yellowy pistachio.  Which greens do you normally veer towards? Those will probably be the shades that suit you most.

Green goes very well with pink on the opposite side of the colour wheel. If that seems a bit too daring as an outfit, choose a couple of pink highlights - a scarf, bag or shoes. In the photo above I've added pink with my lipstick. I like green with navy or black for corporate wear.  The yellowy pistachio shade, below, looks fab with silver. 

Here are some of my green outfits - Boden have traditionally offered some good green choices - plus some new green arrivals available to buy now, below.

Dress: Boden, shoes, Next, sold out; tights, Next; necklace, Justine at Etsy.

Jumper and skirt, Boden (past season); shoes Next (sold out)

Coat and  navy trousers Marks and Spencer (past season), boots Zara (past season)

Indulge now in Green 

St Emile jersey dress, £449, Peter Hahn 

Silk blouse, £169 (reduced), Peter Hahn 

Lace Colour Block Pleated Midi Skirt, £39, Marks and Spencer

Per Una Pleated Belt Front Tapered Leg Trousers, £45, Marks and Spencer

Scuba sweater, £45, & Other Stories, coming soon

Finally, a few parakeets in the garden - rocking green!