Discover my Spring Buys

Dear friends. It's been a while since I shared a style or beauty post. This will probably be a long read, so you may want to grab a coffee. 

l have completed my spring/summer fashion buys, so will share what I bought and why. 

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No Precious Truth by Chris Nickson

 

Dear friends. I've got a treat for you today, the first in a new WWII historical thriller series. 

No Precious Truth introduces us to one of the very first woman police sergeants, Cathy Marsden. She becomes pivotal in the desperate search to find a spy who's believed to be at large in Leeds. 

Today is my day on the blog tour for this enthralling book by Chris Nickson.

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March in Review {2025}

 

Dear friends. We're now fully immersed in Spring and have even had some suitably mild weather.

My focus in March was mainly on cycling, as we're back in the routine of 3 rides a week. 

I did manage a few other activities, including a theatre trip, another colour club meet up, the Ideal Home Show, a massive clear out and a refurbishment of my home office. 

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Bare by Lorna Tucker

Dear friends. Today's book spotlight is on a real tour de force. Both heart breaking and inspiring, Bare tells the story of Lorna Tucker, now a successful documentary maker, whose life spiralled into degradation on the streets of London. 

It's my turn on the blog tour for Bare by Lorna Tucker. 

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The Secretary by Deborah Lawrenson

 

Dear friends. Today I'm on the blog tour for a book that's exciting on several levels, The Secretary by Deborah Lawrenson.

It's a thriller set in Moscow in the late 1950s, and centred, unusually, around a female "spy" at a time when they didn't officially exist.  It's based on the real-life diary of the author's mother.

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March Books

 

Dear friends. Spring has arrived and with it a lot of exciting new books, most of which I read last year, thanks to NetGalley.

It's a superb array this month with something to tempt everyone. Those with an asterisk are books I bought myself.  Those without were sent to me as digital advance copies in return for an honest review.

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Get Great Arms over 60

 

Dear friends. One of my fitness goals at the start of the year was to get toned arms. I didn't wear my sleeveless tops much last year because I suddenly had bingo wings and crepey skin.

You might think that's to be expected after 60. But I knew I'd slackened off, and wasn't lifting weights.  Improvement was possible.  

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The Crime Writer by Diane Jeffrey

 

Dear friends. I'm back with an intriguing thriller today. A renowned crime writer comes under suspicion when the body of a woman is found on Exmoor in this twisty novel from Diane Jeffrey.  Join me on the book blog tour for The Crime Writer.

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Every Day Colours

 

Dear friends. I'm back after a brief blogging hiatus, and full of inspiration for new posts. Join me again for topics including: toned arms for sleeveless tops, best trends from the fashion shows, more book reviews and more beauty products with honest reviews.

Today I'm sharing a few of my every day outfits. Now that Spring seems to have arrived my thoughts turn even more to the bright colours that suit me best.

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Death at Horsey Mere by Ross Greenwood

 

Dear friends. Regular readers will know I enjoy a Ross Greenwood.  He writes crime thrillers that have complex plots, realistic and memorable characters, and a bit of humour. 

I must confess I don't care for the name of his latest book - it makes it sound like cosy crime, which it certainly isn't. But the story itself is a winner. Join me on the blog tour for Death at Horsey Mere by Ross Greenwood. 

PUBLISHER'S DESCRIPTION

When a teenage couple go missing, the police aren’t too concerned. Young lovers often make bad choices. Then a body is found near a Suffolk lighthouse, and shortly after, two girls seem to vanish into thin air. Newly promoted DI Ashley Knight knows she has a battle on her hands to keep the public safe, and she’s going to need expert help.

Ashley turns to her old protégé, Hector Fade, seconded from The Met to analyse an avalanche of data. But neither Hector nor Ashley are prepared for the chilling connection his work uncovers to the body by the lighthouse.

Another victim is found at Horsey Mere and their worst suspicions are realised. A member of an Eastern European gang has gone rogue and is taking lives for fun. When Hector uncovers a pattern in the choice of victim, time is against the detectives to stop the murderer killing again.

MY THOUGHTS

Death at Horsey Mere is a showcase of Ross Greenwood at his best - there are gritty prison scenes, scenery, human interaction, poignant moments, and organised crime gangs - plus kidnap, prostitution and murder. 

This is number four in the Norfolk Murders series but it can be read on its own.

Our police investigator is DI Knight and this is her most challenging case yet. It revolves around a  trafficking group who were active in Europe but have since moved to Norfolk and Suffolk. 

Another Greenwood character from a different series, Inspector Barton, pops in, which is fun. 

I enjoyed the vivid and evocative descriptions of the Norfolk surroundings, having never visited that area.  It's a fast paced and tense thriller with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ross Greenwood has had an eclectic career, ranging from financial advisor to Prison officer. The advent of parenthood and the terrifying rise of Spice in prison led Ross to become a stay -at-home parent and a novelist.

Social Media Links

Facebook: @rossgreenwoodauthor

X:  @greenwoodross

Instagram: @rossg555

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/RossGreenwoodnews

Bookbub profile: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/ross-greenwood

Thanks to Rachel Gilbey at Rachel's Random Resources and the publisher for an advance copy in return for a review.

MORE FROM ROSS GREENWOOD

Death at Paradise Park

The Village Killer

You May Also Enjoy

February 2025 Books 

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Fabulous February {2025}

 

Dear friends. How was February for you? As usual it seemed to rush by, unlike January which seems to last forever. I had some fun in February. Read on....

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February Books

Dear friends. I'm back with some more reading delights, including two five star books. 

Those with an asterisk were books I bought myself; the rest were given to me as advance copies by NetGalley and the publishers, in return for an honest review.

Do share your thoughts and recommendations in the comments. 

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Ideas for Styling Stripes and Spots

 

Dear friends. Are you Team Stripes, Team Spots, or Team Both? I vote for all three. 

I like the opportunity to wear stripes and spots together, but one of the pieces needs to be small (a scarf or bag) for a small scale person like me (short). 

In today's post I'm showing how striped t-shirts, a summer staple, are also brilliant to layer up in cold weather.

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Tantalising Tartan

 

Dear friends. I've got a bit Scotland and Tartan crazy in the last few months. After falling in love with Scotland during our mega cycle ride, I started researching tartan  (plaid, as it's known in some countries). 

I was thrilled to find this stunning Kettlewell tartan dress, dating from 2018, on Vinted. 

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Finding Joy in January {2025}

#JanuaryinReview #WBOYC 

Dear friends. January is behind us! The days are slowly getting longer.  I try to find good things to do in January, and I treat myself with kindness, not giving anything up. 

Here's my account of the first month of 2025. I start on Dec 31 as it wasn't covered last month. 

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Mocha Mousse 2 Ways

 

 

Dear friends. Today I'm examining the Pantone Colour of the Year, Mocha Mousse. Pantone describes it as:  "A warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nurtures us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort."

It often takes a good while for the Colour of the Year to make an impact in retail, and it doesn't always happen. But Mocha Mousse, in its various nuances, does seem to be hitting the spot.  If you search for it on Asos, you'll get a lot of results for shades ranging from chocolate, tan and taupe. 

You don't have to wear exactly the same shade.  In colour analysis terms colours are either warm or cool.  Mocha Mousse is on the warm side, but in a different incarnation, such as Kettlewell's Mole, it is a neutral shade that every season except Spring can wear   (and of course Springs can wear Mole too, but it will look better with Spring colours brightening it up). 

I don't have a lot of brown in my wardrobe, apart from trousers and a skirt.  I look at brown as an extremely useful neutral that replaces black or navy.  On my top half I prefer to wear my brighter, lighter spring colours.  But I was keen to get on the Mocha Mousse bandwagon so I was thrilled to buy, preloved from Vinted, a Kettlewell Roxy jacket in shade Coffee. 

I styled it in two different colourways.  Red is perhaps an unexpected pairing with brown, but the bright shade of my tee (Salsa Red from Kettlewell) looks good with Coffee, and the blue from my jeggings adds another splash of contrast.  Yes, I do still wear skinny jeans and jeggings.  I have a few pairs of bootcut now, which are OK, but wide legs and wide flares make me look short and stumpy, in my view.

Scarf is from Shelley Faye Lazar. Boots, old, Office.

Next I tried Coffee with Coral. I'm wearing the Roxy jacket with Celtic chinos in Coral, an antique white tee from Kettlewell, and new gold flats from Oliver Bonas.  The scarf is a fabulous shade of warm pink, from Sarah Lonergan. 

I added some on-trend animal print pops with my belt (Kettlewell) and bag, made of recycled leather pieces (Nephele Bags).

For any of you still sceptical about colour analysis, this selfie shot is a good example of how the right colours accentuate our eyes and make our skin look more alive. I'm wearing lipstick English Rose by Max Factor.

Are you minded to have a bit of a play with Mocha Mousse, and similar shades? Or are you turned off by this colour?  Do tell in the comments.

OTHER POSTS ABOUT COLOUR OF THE YEAR

PEACH FUZZ, 2024

ILLUMINATING YELLOW, 2021

LIVING CORAL, 2019

ULTRA VIOLET, 2018

GREENERY, 2017

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A Great Start to a Bookish New Year

 

Dear friends. A new year stretches ahead with the promise of outstanding fiction. January has got off to a superb start. I read most of the books below a few months ago. They're all published this month.

It was great to see two wonderful female authors from the Virago stable being republished with gorgeous new covers, Molly Keane and Patricia Highsmith. 

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Fitness and Fashion Update

 

Dear friends. Quite a lot to tell you today, as I haven't written a style post as such since the start of the year (and that was a look back at the learnings of 2024).

I'm sharing a few of my latest buys and my philosophy for shopping in 2025, plus my goals for fitness.

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Oliver! London: Flawed but Fun

 

Dear friends.  Having read a glowing review of the revival last year in Chichester of Lionel Bart's musical Oliver!, I rushed to book when it transferred to London.

Judging by the packed Monday performance we saw, and the fact it's booked until September,  it seems a hot ticket.

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City of Night Birds by Juhea Kim

 

Dear friends. I'm a keen balletomane and adore books about ballet, both fiction and non-fiction. My specialist subject for Mastermind would be Vaslav Nijinsky  (my collection, below!). 

Consequently I was thrilled to dive into the wonderful new book, City of Night Birds, by Juhea Kim. It's the spectacular and epic fictional account of one woman's determination to dominate the world of ballet. Today is my stop on the blog tour. 

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5 Style Learnings

 

Dear friends. Looking back on 2024, I realise I've learnt a few lessons and thought these might resonate with you. 

Lesson One: I Love Retro! 

2024 was the year I went big on  a 60s-inspired retro look. Having recognised at last that my style personality has some gamine in it, this made perfect sense.

I'd always thought it would be too difficult to find suitable pieces in the right colours. Not to mention, would this style make me look dated, in a bad way?

My first acquisition, the lime dress with crochet overlay, was picked up in a local charity shop. I then discovered Voodoo Vixen, who sell new pieces with retro looks. That's where I got the navy and white dress.  The white Mary Jane shoes were also new, from Jones Bootmaker

I got more confident in terms of experimenting with things other than dresses. The cute cat jumper went very well with one of my shorter Boden skirts.

My two most successful outfits, in terms of likes/comments, were the gold brocade dress, and the Madcap England dress, below. 

If you want to start collecting retro, there are four main ways:

• Brand new, from companies like Madcap England, Joanie, Voodoo Vixen and Top Vintage. Most of these have clothes from different decades, so if you like 40s, 50s or 70s style, they'll have outfits to suit.
• Genuine 60s vintage in excellent condition, from various sellers on Etsy. They will give specific measurements for every garment and it's important to make sure these are right for you. 
• Charity/thrift shops
• Vinted and eBay. Set up searches for the type of styles you're interested in. I'm always looking for Peter Pan collared tops and dresses!
• Amazon is good for low cost boots, like my white ones. They were described as "fancy dress boots" but don't let that put you off.  Flat T-bar shoes are also excellent and available from many places including Next and Boden. 

Lesson Two:  Keep Experimenting 

I prefer myself in shorter or knee length skirts, being petite, but that doesn't mean I never wear longer styles.  It's important to keep experimenting. Sometimes a longer style surprises me, like this denim skirt from Kettlewell (current). 

I wouldn't have considered these striped trousers either (Cotton Traders) but I was pleased with how cool and easy they look. (NB - I never noticed at the time that the neighbours' cat was on top of the pergola!). 

Lesson Three:  I Learnt my Best Colours 

I can't recommend enough the value of finding out which colours suit you best.  It's amazing to see the journey that women go on, over at the Facebook Kettlewell Colour Club.  Their confidence soars, and they are excited to wear all the colours of their season or tonal definition.

I already knew I was a Spring, but colour consultant Amanda Richardson gave me my 10 best colours from the spring palette.  

Lesson Four: Less is not a Bore 

I'm not referring to this in the Iris Apfel sense.  She said: "More is more, and less is a bore," and famously wore lots of jewellery. 

I refer to having a lighter wardrobe.

I was feeling stifled by the number of clothes I have around the house: in the attic, under the beds, in various cupboards.  A lot of it doesn't work for my retired life style.  I'm going through it in terms of deciding which pieces give me joy (the keepers) and the pieces that need to go, even though they made me happy when I was working, or going to glitzy events.  This also applies to jewellery and shoes/boots. Every time a bag goes to the charity shop I feel lighter. 

Lesson Five:  Ignore the Click Bait "Don't Wear This" brigade

We're always seeing posts on social media and in the papers where women, usually a lot younger, dictate what older ladies should be wearing. 

There's some value in it when the woman giving the critique is a well dressed female of our own vintage.  It is quite easy to look staid when your personality is anything but.

There's a lot of psychology in what we wear.   When I've been overweight I tried to hide it by wearing loose clothes, mostly in black, even though fitted with belts still looks better. Here's a reminder. 

If certain styles make you feel confident, don't give them up just because some trout lipped influencer in her 20s thinks she can lecture us. And don't take any notice when told that leather, short skirts, shorts and so on make the over-50s look dated / Mutton / desperate. We should wear what we like. Clothes spark joy. One of the benefits of being older is that we dress to please ourselves and our friends.

What do you think of my learnings from 2024?  Does any of it resonate? Do share in the comments. 

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