So what was it I was saying the other day? Age is but a number…
Well that came back to bite me on the bum didn’t it.
I’m currently finding my way in the world as a woman in her 50s, having turned the big five oh in May.
I love all the ages I’ve ever been, and fifty is no exception. I’m loving it so far. I have everything I’ve ever wanted in life, it’s whole and complete.
In all honesty life has well and truly exceeded all and any expectations. To say I didn’t have high hopes is an understatement, but actually, life has a way of surprising you. I met Chris and my life changed forever for beyond the better.
*of course, the whole still being alive after nearly dying is obviously the top prize, the gold star status…but that aside, my life is utter bliss.
I am absolutely aware of how lucky I am, in more ways than I could even begin to mention.
But after hitting 50 I felt I should reevaluate my approach to dressing. Just to assess if it needs any tweaks and changes.
I went shopping in Milton Keynes last week and I came home with 3 black dresses, so apparently my reevaluation was to start dressing like an 80 year old Italian Nonna. All I need to do now is sit in a sun lit doorway, surrounded by geraniums and I am sorted!!
I hadn’t even noticed that all the dresses were black. What’s happening to me? Am I in mourning? For what reason?
Living to an age of oldness? Definitely not! The older I get the happier I am, it definitely feels like winning.
I made it! I’m here! And I’m going to ******* well enjoy every minute of it!
…but apparently I will be doing that dressed head to toe in black. :)
Nonna outfit number 1.
Dress from Jigsaw, Bag from Dior, Shoes from Chanel
I have ordered this dress in emerald green too. Just for a bit of colour balance in my wardrobe.
*My ever shrinking wardrobe actually!! I’m selling loads of things on Vinted.
The stuff I don’t wear, can’t wear and never worn. It pains me to see the loses I’m taking on the stuff, but pennies in the bank are better than it just all sitting there being un-used in my wardrobe.
I’m not very techy, but Vinted is easy enough, not an ad for them, but I’m happy to be selling things I no longer use.
Also, it’s teaching me, at the ripe old age of 50 to buy wisely. Because some of it was an utter waste. I haven’t even worn it.
Anyway, black dress number 1 was worn to lunch with friends in Chelsea. Our friends Tanya and James picked the restaurant, as expected, it’s really lovely.
Great for people watching, while we were there there were 2 hen dos, always greatly entertaining, and a wedding reception. Can’t ask for better people watching than that.
The wedding was attended by a few celebs from Made In Chelsea. Which was nice. It’s good to have a gawp at people in real life. I can assure you that Jamie Laing and Sophie Laing (nee Haboo) are equally as gorgeous in real life as they are on the telly…not something that’s a guarantee in this world. But they are beautiful.
Great fun! Fabulous food, fabulous friends. I told you, my life is a blessing. Good food and friends, what more could you ask for. Well, friends that over order food is essential when picking friendships. And this table is world class at it. :)
I’m not sure if anyone else’s restaurant catchphrase is “and we’ll have ______ for the table”.
Definitely would recommend Stanley’s.
It’s always wonderful to catch up with the gang. Our friends friends, Sandra and Dominique were meant to be coming too. It has taken years for us to arrange a date we could all make. But they had to pull out due to covid. Which was gutting, but it will make our eventual meeting even more special. Sending a big get well from us. Xx
Tanya James, Michael and Catie were off to watch Take That later that day. I did point out that there’s so few band members left it was more like Ta Tha…oh I’m hilarious, I know.
They had a great night.
*On the way to lunch I stopped off at Anthropologie to try on a dress, yes, another one…and it wasn’t black this time! I really loved it, I said to Chris how much I loved it.
Off I go to try it on…
I went out to show Chris, he said how nice it looked. I really liked it too, but I have a very thick midriff now ~ hormonal weight gain, a stoma, and two hernias later I’m not the lithe 21 year old I used to be. I’m ok with that, I’m at peace with how I look, but I just wasn’t too sure if it wasn’t a bit booby, or I looked a bit tumbly in it.
So I said to the sales assistant (…big mistake for my ego, but at least she’s honest. Hahahah)
“Does this look okay or am I too old and fat for it?”
And she said;
“Oh! Errrrrrrrm, well, errrrrrrmmmm….let me go and find something for you!”
So that answered that question! Hahahahahaha
She came back with a dress so awful on me I can’t even begin to describe it. It was giving off Miriam Margoles in British Vogue vibes. Suffice to say I didn’t buy it, nor did I buy the one I’m too old and fat for hahaha!
After a long and leisurely lunch and people watching Chris and I headed home and waited for Sam, Milly and Zak to arrive for a stay.
Which was absolute heaven. A house full of people and toys and life, that’s what houses are for.
One day we will downsize to a flat. We don’t need a family home for just two people.
I loved the life that filled the house and garden.
Then Sunday was a great day. I wore black dress number 2, of my Adventures of Italian Nonna era.
Dress from The white Company, Shoes from Hobbs.
Sunday was a very special day. The whole family gathered together for lunch. It doesn’t happen often enough to be honest, it’s hard to get everyone in one place at the same time.
But my mum was heading into hospital for knee replacement surgery, a surgery she has been waiting for for 4 years.
She got so close a few times but it always got cancelled. (She’s had it done now and recovering well).
So I wanted to make a fuss of her before she went in. I arranged for it to be a garden gathering, because the last thing she could risk was getting ill and having to cancel it herself.
We cooked (heated up) a delicious meal from M&S. Never feel like you have to miss out on home entertaining just because you can’t cook. I have plenty of dinner parties and literally zero cooking ability. But I can turn an oven on. :)
One of the ways I eased myself into seeing people again after my surgery was to have dinner parties at home. That way if leaks occurred I was in a safe space, with people I love. Much less stressful than being in a public place. It really helped build my confidence.
My mum has been working on a project for me.
A very long time ago my dad’s dad, my grandad, made me a dolls house, it was a scale replica of my house, my childhood home. In fact, it’s still my family home, as my mum and dad moved there in 1969 and stayed there.
So the dolls house is super special to me, because they still live there, it’s home. It’s a warm feeling of love and family and a happy childhood.
I thought the dolls house was in our loft. But actually it was in a storage container that we had filled 17 years ago and had completely forgotten about until last year.
When we finally did get in it it was like a time capsule. And to my shock and horror, my dolls house was in there. A family of mice had actually set up home in it. Which is kind of cute and funny if it wasn’t so awful that I had abandoned such a precious toy.
It was a mess when I re-found it.
I had obviously at some point stripped it to renovate, and then I must have realised I’m not the crafting kind, and given up.
But my mum is amazing at making things and revamping. and generally anything craft related.
The inspiration for the dolls house…
My mum and dad painting our house in 1978
My brother playing football in our 1970s back garden.
And me with my dolls house…
And now she has been incredibly and lovingly restored…
The layout in my mum and dad’s house is still the same as when my grandad made a model of it. Three bed, one bathroom, through lounge. It’s exactly the same as in real life. And it’s perfect.
My boys think it’s not quite accurate as this one is a detached version, but I will give my grandad artistic license, and not expect him to create a whole terrace. :)
Plus my mum added in a garden in the loft space, complete with veg patch, and my childhood pet rabbit (Starsky). Did everyone in the 70s have a rabbit named that? :)
I couldn’t be more delighted. My mum is very talented, there is nothing she can’t do… I am her polar opposite, as there is simply nothing I can do!!
I’m very very happy with it. It’s 45 years old now, and ready to be played with for another 45 years.
We had a wonderful day, and we were able to spoil her a bit before her op. Wishing my mum a speedy recovery…mainly because quite selfishly I need her for all things crafty…and more importantly she edits my blogs for me. ;)
I still have one of the black dresses I bought last week to wear yet. Maybe at the weekend, if I’m feeling particularly Nonna-ish ;)
Much love from this little Nonna. Keep well. Xx