I have now been alcohol free for a week, except for 1 small glass of rose on Friday which made me feel so ill through the night and all of the following day that I’ve sworn off it for life.  However, one of my lovely clients has told me about a site which provides gorgeous tasting low alcohol wines. I’ve ordered a mixed crate and I’m checking it out. Never say that I don’t do my research for you!

http://www.alcoholfree.co.uk/

I’m honestly not sure I feel any better for not drinking but I’m going to carry on and see what happens. It has been much easier than I thought it would be, which is a bit of a relief as I didn’t want to acknowledge that maybe I had become alcohol dependent.

If you are struggling to stop, you might like to try hypnotherapy. Georgia Foster (a colleague of my friend the celebrated life coach Suzy Greaves) has had much success with her book and hypnotherapy CD. Take a look here:

http://www.georgiafoster.com/nustore/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=5

M&S is launching yet another new range aimed at women of 35 plus. Indigo is contemporary style casual wear with the key feature being indigo denim. It’s meant to provide the Portfolio collection, launched last year for the 50 plus woman, with a more casual clothing choice.  Jeans in 4 styles (bootcut, skinny, slim and boyfriend) will be updated according to the seasonal trends in colour, wash and shape.  Denim will also play a key part in dresses, jackets and skirts. Alongside, you will find strong geometric prints and bold florals to add the necessary colour to your outfit. Prices range from £12 for a tee shirt to £69 for a coat, with jeans at around £25.

Then think again.

Camper, a Spanish footwear brand, has just launched a new range specifically aimed at women who are unused to wearing heels.  The Pue Nara range has 15 different styles and a unique last that adapts to your own foot’s shape.  Each shoe and boot is specially cushioned to  minimise impact. The heels are about 2 inches high so give length to the leg without being over tall. Prices start at £34 for the shoe and £44 for the boot.  Tel: 020 733 7514 for more details.

It is with great sadness that we learn of the death of Michael Jackson this morning. He was an inspiration for many other singers and gave us all some thrilling entertainment and everlasting music. He was only 50.

His untimely death sends us a lesson that reminds us that life is short so don’t wait to live the life you want. Start it now. If something isn’t working, can you change it? Don’t wait until it’s too late. Even small actions can make a huge difference.

Photo courtesy of The Daily Telegraph

There is never very much that stays in my wardrobe for more than 2 years - in fact hardly anything if I’m truthful apart from H&M trousers which just seem to fit me perfectly, last in quality and not date. The one item which I have constantly kept is, believe it or not, a denim jacket. I’m not sure where my love affair with this particular item came from but I know it just ticks all the boxes for me.  NEVER wear it with jeans - this is a real fashion faux pas - but teamed with floral tea dresses, wrap dresses, linen trousers, summer skirts and cropped pants it looks fantastic. I have only ever bought 3 in my entire life and the only reason the first 2 have not stayed on the wardrobe is that they wore out with constant wear.  According to this month’s In Style magazine, the classic denim jacket is once again back in mode. Personally, I never think it went away -  you can wear this understated and undervalued essential whatever your age, shape or size, as long as you wear it correctly and it’s a great summer staple.

Just to let you know that I have stuck to my non drinking ‘rule’ and so far so good. I haven’t missed alcohol half as much as I thought I would. In fact I really haven’t missed it at all. Have I slept better? Well, the sweats have disappeared but I seem to find I have far more energy so drifting off to sleep is far more difficult. Perhaps I have to get used to the new healthier body, I’m not sure.

Thank you to all of you who have sent emails to me encouraging and supporting me. Your stories and tips have been inspirational, so again, my thanks. Please feel free to post comments so others in the same position can learn from your experiences.

For me, my whole week seems to be all about sharing resources, talents, time and laughter. Today was no exception.

I regularly offer my time to a fabulous charity called Look Good Feel Better. Along with other professionals, I form part of a team of volunteers who teach female cancer patients how to apply make up and look after their skin while in this fragile part of their lives. Each participant receives a goody bag worth at least £200 of luxury brand cosmetics and skin care as well as enjoying the fun part of learning how to draw eyebrows and apply lipliner. This is always something I love to do as the atmosphere is so charged with laughter and it makes everything seem lighter and brighter.

The workshops are held in participating hospitals throughout the UK but the charity realises not everyone has easy access. In response, they have produced a great booklet and dvd Confidence Kit, which runs through aspects  of skin care, make up application, scarves and wigs and other very relevant hints and tips for women suffering from cancer.

If you know  someone, or if you yourself are a sufferer, take a look at the website http://www.lookgoodfeelbetter.co.uk/site/index.cfm for more details.

If you know someone who could volunteer to help - beauty therapist, image consultant, make up artist - please urge them to do so. They only need to give a couple of hours of their time per year and it really does mean an awful lot.

Today I’m hosting a get together of a number of  other image consultants in the surrounding areas. It’s not really been done before, or not in my lifetime, so I’m really looking forward to it. I only know one of the attendees, so it will be exciting to meet the other girls. The reason? To share some tips and experiences, have fun and to be aware that we’re not on our own out there. Being self employed can be lonely so I wanted to make sure that other professionals know that there is a community they can share and connect with. I also think that you, my clients and readers, will benefit as will the clients of the other image consultants because we all grow when knowledge is shared.

Talking of sharing, the fabulous ladies at The Women’s Room have posted a blog all about Feel Fab at 50 - how thrilling. If you want to take a peek (please do) you can find it here:

http://thewomensroom.typepad.com/the_womens_room/

Have a lovely day and by the way, I didn’t have a drink last night and I slept much better - not perfect, but getting there.

It seems that HRT prescriptions are at a record low. Prehaps the potential risk of cancer is too much for some women or maybe we want to start taking control of our lives in a more natural way. Who knows? For me, HRT is not a route I want to pursue as so far the only symptoms I have are night sweats, resulting in a cumulative lack of sleep. I’ve found that Vitamin B and Evening Primrose taken on a daily basis stops me from getting depressed and I’m quite happy with this combination for now.

However, one of the things I cannot get away from - and I really have tried believe me - is the effect alcohol has on my sleeping patterns. I have always loved to drink and when younger, could drink most men under the table if I chose to do so.  But like everything we enjoy in life, which we know isn’t good for us, there is a price to pay and I’m now fed up with the cost to my health, my looks, my demeanour and my mood.

So from tonight, I am attempting to go  without any alcohol until the weekend. This may not seem like much to most of you but I have enjoyed a glass of wine (or two) every night  since I can remember.  I know my perfectionist streak will decide I’ll replace it with 4 hours of  intensive yoga or marathon jogging sessions but I know this won’t happen. What I’ve decided to do instead is treat myself to some new experiences or some loving treats. This week I’ve booked a luxury pedicure, a Ghost Walk, a teleclass seminar, a yin yoga session and my regular practice with the Rhapsody Chorus. These will all take place at the ‘danger hour’ preceding dinner. Hubby is also trying to go cold turkey to help me. That’s a great husband for you, as he really loves a drink too.

Wish me luck and if you have any tried and tested tips, please let me know.

Great news for those of us who have long awaited a fashion designer to come up with a range specifically for the older woman - well over 35 anyway. George Davies (formerly Next, Per Una and George at Asda) has created a new range which will sell through concessions in department stores across the UK and Republic of Ireland.  ‘It will give great choice and value’ is the hype with a staggering 150 pieces in his first collection. George is said to be targetting women who would normally shop at Karen Millen and Whistles (who have recently done an about- turn on their target audience and are now aiming at 20 somethings) but stockists have denied this saying it’s more akin to Per Una, a different type of client altogether. We’ll need to watch this space. Beales is launching in October and is likely to be one of the largest stockists.  If you’d like more information go to http://www.give.co.uk/

I’ve been so busy recently that I haven’t had the time to enjoy my usual reading matter. I’m always on the look out for inspirational books on image and have come across a couple that have really held my attention. The first is from the author of www.the thoughtfuldresser.blogspot.com, Linda Grant.  ‘The Thoughtful Dresser’ follows on from her success with the previously short listed Man Booker Prize ‘ The Clothes on Their Backs’.  I loved it because she dismisses the notion that dressing is a vaccuous hobby for the vain, empty headed woman. The truth, of course, is that what we choose to wear and how we wear it tells our story, which can change throughout our lives.  It’s heralded as ‘the thinking woman’s guide to our relationship with what we wear, why we want to look our best and why it matters’ and is a very thought provoking read.

The second book I’ve really enjoyed is aimed at women over 40 and demonstrates how many  ‘classic’ garments can age us. I see this a lot in my wardrobe weeding sessions, with many of us unwilling to part with something that cost a substantial amount of money even though it is woefully out of style. This book teaches us that we can still invest in pieces that will stand the test of time if we know which to choose and how to wear them correctly.  So instead of dating us, they remain ageless and stylish.

Style Evolution - How To Create Ageless Personal Style in Your 40’s and Beyond is by Kendall Farr and is well worth a look if you know that you favour traditional, classic clothing and/or you want to be known for your style but are worried about the mutton dressed as lamb syndrome. She also has great tips for buying jeans and other staples. The book is American so it may be a little more difficult to access some of the stockists but a definite worthwhile read.

Lastly, a couple of books that are more age related rather than clothes specific. Suzanne Braun Levine’s ‘50 is The New Fifty’ and Marianne Williamson’s ‘The Age of Miracles’ (which I’ve blogged about before and recently re-read) are both uplifting books that show us how to embrace this part of our lives and not to worry if sometimes we don’t know whether we’re coming or going.   All available from Amazon.co.uk