Kimono My House

 Style Not Age Challenge

Dear friends.  It's the last Monday of the month so time for the Style Not Age Challenge.  It was my turn and I've chosen Kimono My House. Some of you will remember that as the title of an eponymous Sparks album in the 70s.

Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot

 

Dear friends.  Here are my 4 Things for Friday. 

1. Thank you: To the people of the Greek island of Rhodes, who worked in shifts to help the thousands of tourists stranded by forest fires and hotel closures. They provided  food, drink and blankets, and in some cases a bed in their own home. 
2. TV prog:  it's an old one but we've only just discovered it - Godless on Netflix. In the 1880s American West, murderous outlaw gang leader Frank Griffin hunts for ex-protege Roy Goode. Lots of gun toting WOMEN in this one. 
3. Book: if you want a psychological thriller with a twist that really surprises, try Three Sisters by OJ Mullen. See my review. 
4. Podcast: Into the Dirt (Tortoise). Six episodes tell how Rob Moore became a spy in corporate intelligence, after a successful career in television. He was tasked to extract information from an environmental organization,but eventually became sympathetic to their aims. 

I'm back tomorrow - Saturday - with my highlights of July 2023, including a wedding in Devon, one of the biggest horticultural shows, and Paul McCartney's photography exhibition. 

Without further ado, let's get the weekend party started! Marsha, Emma and I am now co-hosting Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot, which features content on every topic under the sun. 

Last Week's Favorite - Most Clicked

Friday Update from Scratch Made Food & DIY Homemade Household

Melynda and family are on their way to a new home in Texas. 

My Pick from Last Week  

I loved the interpretation of  Still Life by Kristy Goggio that blogger Sally from Within a World of My Own came up with: Dressing Down a Fancy Skirt for SIA.  Don't forget to pop over to Marsha in the Middle and Stylesplash to see who they chose as their favorite! 

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Book Spotlight: Three Sisters by OJ Mullen

 

Dear friends. I'm back with another book and author spotlight, having joined the blog tour for psychological thriller Three Sisters from O.J. Mullen. 

Casual Summer Recipe

 & WowOnWednesday

Dear friends. The weather wasn't good for most of July on this particular island  (the UK) so cardigans or jackets have been needed on most days. While it would have been nice to have more sunny days, we escaped lightly when you look at the horrendous temperatures in Europe and the forest fires. 

As a result, I've been wearing my denim jacket a bit more often.  I was puzzled as to why I hardly ever wear it.  I love denim jackets with dresses, but they suit a particular type of dress:  long with a ditsy print. Not my bag.

I have, however, got a recipe for a summer outfit on days that are a bit cooler.  It's a pair of shorts or cropped trousers with a stripey t-shirt and a denim jacket with white trainers. Voila. 

It's comfortable and practical, perfect for walks or doing the shopping. My jacket is old, came from Amazon;  shorts from Roman (many colours available);  Breton from Kettlewell (old, but there are others in the sale);  white trainers are Stan Smiths from Adidas.

Natural Make-Up Look Over 60

I wanted to look natural and fresh. For me the key things are achieving a good complexion and hiding dark circles and pigmentation. I also need to give the eyes some definition with a "tightline" of eyeliner and mascara.

A little eye primer was used to lighten the eyelids. As we get older, our eyes become less visible as the hoods become droopy or slack.  I used an eyeliner pencil and mascara to open up the eyes. 

A rosy warm toned lipstick gives a great splash of colour. Lips look dry, lined and pale without any colour so even if I'm not wearing a lipstick, I'll wear a balm that has a touch of colour such as the new one from Look Fabulous Forever. 

I used: No 7 Protect & Perfect Advanced Serum, Clinique Dramatically Different moisturizing lotion, Lisa Eldridge foundation in no 7, Lisa Eldridge Elevated Glow in Crystal Nebula, Huda #FauxFilter concealer in Coconut Flakes, Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk beauty blush wand in Peach Pop, Code Beautiful Lid Lift (gifted),  Charlotte Tilbury Brow Lift in Deep Brown, Look Fabulous Forever soft eyeliner in amethyst (gifted),  MAC Brow Set, Suqqu waterproof mascara in Bordeaux, Guerlain Kiss Kiss Lip Lift, Lisa Eldridge Wonder Wheel lipstick. 

Do you have a "summer recipe" outfit for cooler days?  Do share in the comments. 

Pop back tomorrow, I have a new book spotlight. This one had a twist that I just didn't see coming!

And on Friday you'll find my #WhatsBeenOnYourCalendar July post, plus the Weekend Traffic Jam reboot. 

You May Also Like:

Finding Your Own Style

Wear Shorts at Any Age

Stop Editing Older Women 

LET'S GET THE PARTY STARTED

It's time for #WowOnWednesday, the weekly link-up where bloggers can find new readers, and readers can find new blogs. I feature three favourites each Wednesday on Instagram, and my five or six top picks at the weekend on Twitter and Facebook. 

Any posts that interest women are welcome: fashion, beauty, home decor, gardening, books, travel, self-improvement, nutrition, recipes. Each week there will be as Featured Favourite for Fashion, Beauty and Other Categories.

Last Week's Favourites

Fashion: Floral Prints are a Celebrity Favorite Year Round by Nicole at High Latitude Style.

Non Fashion Favourite: 4 Frenemes to Jettison from Your Life (Signed Your Size 10 Jeans) by Wendy of The Inspired Eater

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Is This Mutton July Book Reviews

 

Dear friends. I've had a fantastic month's reading with 10 days on the beach in Greece,  where I demolished several books.  In the Good Reads' reading challenge I'm on 61 books, seven books ahead of schedule, with a target of 100. 

Some of the books I read on holiday don't come out for a few weeks so I'm sharing those which are available now, or imminently. 

First up, two 5 star reads, coincidentally both set in the 1950s.

Barbie v Sindy: Who Won?

& Weekend Traffic Jam Reboot

Dear friends. Greetings and welcome to an additional weekly post.  Emma from Stylesplash and I am joining Marsha in co-hosting the Traffic Jam Weekend link-up. 

I'll use this as a weekly opportunity to give a view on one of the big topics of the week. Today it has to be Barbie. There's been so much hype around the new film, aptly named "Barbie," directed by Greta Gerwig.  Stores are reporting huge demand for clothes and furnishings in Barbie Pink (Pantone number  219). 

Tell Us About Travel

Dear friends.  It's time for the monthly Tell Us About challenge. This month's prompt, Travel, was chosen by Australian blogger Sue Loncaric of Women Living Well Over 50. 

As far as travel is concerned, I must confess to feeling a bit of a fraud. Although I have been to 18 countries in Europe, plus Sri Lanka, Dubai, Canada, and 13 states of the USA,  I don't consider myself particularly well travelled. The reason? 

Wearing Purple in Summer

& Wow On Wednesday

Dear friends. Regular readers will know I'm quite keen on the colour purple. I make no excuses for sharing a purple outfit that's ideal for the cooler summer weather we're experiencing in the UK right now.

It looks like a dress but that's the clever thing about separates, and why I love them. I'm wearing a purple shade called Lobelia from Kettlewell: the Darcey top and ruched skirt. 

Book Spotlight: Salt and Skin by Eliza Henry-Jones

 

Dear friends. It's time for another author and book spotlight. This time the spotlight is on Eliza Henry-Jones and her outstanding novel Salt and Skin, which has been long listed for an Australian book prize.

Today is "my day" on the Salt & Skin blog tour organized by Anne Cater of Random Things Tours, in conjunction with September Publishing. 

Are You Set Up to Live Your Best Life in Retirement?

 

Dear friends.  I recently celebrated my first year of not working. When people ask what I do, I say I'm leading my best life. I honestly am. 

But I'm fairly unusual in saying this. Research shows that a lot of people who retire regret it.  There's identity loss for some;  too much time on their hands for others, and financial insecurity for many. 

A new book, Relish Your Retirement by Florance Philip, addresses the challenges and has more than 500 ideas to give women a blissful retirement. 

I'll be covering some of the advice in the book, plus lessons and tips from me and two friends, Penny and Veronica.  

Spotlight: Lessons by Ian McEwan

Dear friends. I can't tell you how much I love the writing of Ian McEwan. Today I'm thrilled to be part of the blog tour for his latest novel "Lessons." Being on a blog tour means you review the book in a prominent way on your blog and social media channels, with each participating blogger given a different day. Today is my day!

This is McEwan's 17th novel and is one of his best in my view.  McEwan won the Booker Prize in 1998 for Amsterdam. 

What I Wore on Holiday

 & WowOnWednesday

Dear friends. We're back from the Greek island of Skiathos and had a fantastic time. I've written about Skiathos a few times and have linked to those posts below.  In this post I'm going to reflect on my holiday wardrobe and what worked/didn't work. 

The Bad Wife by Sarah Edghill

Dear friends. Today sees Is This Mutton's participation in its first ever blog tour. A blog tour promotes a new book, with several bloggers being sent advance copies and choosing a specific date for their "day." 

The book I'm featuring today is The Bad Wife by Sarah Edghill. It's perfect reading for a summer holiday.