I just received this from my friend and a former colleague, Suzanne Douglas of Style Capital, who is now working back in the States, her native country:

I was just up in New York, at More magazine’s annual “Reinvention Convention”. A lovely lady came over to take my picture for her blog (I was wearing a sensational animal-print jacket and she must have thought I looked stylish).

I looked at her name tag, and it was JoJami Tyler and her partner, who write the fabulous blog www.fabulousafter40.com. I told them that, before any picture could be taken,  I had been instructed by Sue Donnelly to give them a hug the minute we met – which I promptly did.  We were so excited to have connected, and they of course send their love.

Just goes to show, what a small world it really is!

As someone who wears an AA cup, sometimes an A if I put on weight, lingerie is never really on my radar as something I love to buy. Limited choice and sporty styles make it a very uninspiring task. Though I don’t covet a larger chest, I know those of you who have one often wish you too had my measurements, which just goes to prove we are never satisfied.

Anyway, if you are in this category, help is at hand. KEIA lingerie specialises in the larger cup sizes ranging from D to HH. Pretty underwear, often not easily available in the larger cup sizes, guarantees to show off your assets to the best advantage. Cup styles include moulded, fully and semi padded, underwired plunge and full, all providing great shape and support.

Obviously, I haven’t been able to check these out for myself but they do look lovely, have been expertly crafted to provide comfort and support with a specialist bra fitting service also available. The KE of KEIA stands for Karen Ellis, who started this company because she couldn’t find bras in her size that were both practical and pretty, so she knows what she’s talking about.

If you sign up for their newsletter, you can access a £10 discount voucher. In addition, as a client of Feel Fab at 50, you are entitled to 20% off if you quote the following reference: KEIAFS20

www.braz.co.uk or email cara@keia.co.uk for a list of local stockists.

If I had a pound for every time  I heard my clients say that when they look in the mirror they see their mother staring back at them, I’d be very rich by now.  It just seems to creep up on us. One day we look like our unique and individual self and then the next, there she is. How has that happened without us noticing? I know for sure that is what has happened to me and I have never even remotely looked like my mum in the preceding 50 years. 

Bobby Neel Adams’ Family Tree is a series of portraits of father/son/mother/daughter combinations, whereby he photographs both parties, makes them the same size and then rips and glues the two halves together so you can instantly see the similarities.  Quite spooky. Perhaps there is no escape after all. At least we’ll know what to expect, so I suppose that’s a blessing.

Take a look at his site for more information and a fascinating read:

http://www.bobbyneeladams.com/family.html

I’ve just returned from my last conference as President of the governing body of the image industry – The Federation of Image Consultants. If you every worry about what to wear, think of this. What do you wear to look  good in front of all your peers, who all know their stuff? Well, as you know, I’m all for authenticity so I brought my Fashion Feng Shui principles to the fore when making my selection. I truly wanted to connect with my audience, show my passion for what we’d achieved but also make it fun.  I needed to stay ‘earthed’, so I wore tan shoes to ground me and teamed with a square bag in a similar colour. To be authentic, you need to inject your own sense of style. Mine is a little bit on the quirky side as you know and that had to play a large part in my final choice. I knew I’d got it right, when I walked down stairs the day before the event to seek my husband’s opinion.  His reaction “that’s the one, don’t even think about changing it” confirmed what I knew.

Unfortunately, no-one took any photographic evidence of that day, so you’ll have to take my word for it that I looked good. All I know is that I felt marvellous, receiving many compliments that backed up my theory that if you can forget about your clothes, because they are absolutely right for the occasion, you can concentrate 100% on the task in hand.

The designer – you guessed it, Vivienne herself. You may also remember that I blogged about this particular outfit when I first purchased it because I couldn’t wait to wear it. That’s what I call a good Return On Investment.

This month is Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) so you can shop ’til you drop without feeling guilty.

If you want to support breast cancer and you like funky clothes, then get yourself down to Warehouse. This lovely pink and black bow T-shirt is £20 and £2 will go towards Breakthrough Breast Cancer.

Origins will donate £2 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation from every sale of its pink, limited-edition, Peace of Mind On-the-spot relief (£11), sold throughout the month. The product draws on Origins’ natural heritage and is a best-seller for the brand, thanks to the powerful de-stressing properties in its key ingredients of basil, eucalyptus and peppermint oils.

It seems that the British lager lout could soon be a dying breed. Sales of non alcoholic lagers, such as Cobra, have seen a steady increase in sales to the detriment of their more potent rivals.

As you know, I like a drink (or two) but recently, I have opted to drive on a night out and have stuck religiously to sparkling water with a ton of lemon slices to give it flavour. As one of my values is ‘fun’ (which I found out on the wonderful Motivate Me course run by Lisa Spencer-Arnell for Welland Enterprises) I have always believed that enjoyment was synonymous with alcohol. My perception being only frumpy, health nuts or boring people don’t drink.  Well, I’ve been proved wrong once again.

Last night was our Feel Fab at 50 night out on the Peterborough town – well Flamas at Hampton Hargate actually. Only 2 of the group drank any alcohol, and that was limited to one glass of rose wine per person so hardly worth counting in the scheme of things, and yet we all had a fabulous, fun filled evening.  Better still – no hangover.

Am I maturing as I age or just getting wiser do you think?

Cheers!

For more details on the Welland Enterprise’s course go to: www.wellent.co.uk or contact Heather Smith on 01476 531004. The lovely Lisa Spencer-Arnell, who I met when we were both reaching for the same chocolate biscuit at a network event 5 years ago,  can be found at www.ccs-coaching.co.uk

For recipes on what to do with sparkling water – yes really –  go to

http://oodlesofgoodles.com/blog/?p=1847

I’ve had a few emails recently asking for more advice for the 16 plus sizes on how to look sexy without breaking the bank and I came across a site that really fits the bill.    

www.drapiere.com

Owned by Carolyn de la Drapiere,  this is what she says about her beautiful designs:

“Using only the finest fabrics – silks, velvets, wool and top quality cottons I have created a high end label that exudes elegance and sophistication. Proving popular via our online boutique, the pieces are very wearable, highly desirable and are filling a niche market for women with curves who have been searching for top quality trends.

I am passionate about fashion. Beautiful fabrics and stylish, shapely designs that emphasise the best parts of the body and subtely hide the rest.

Being a curvy woman myself I despaired at the little choice available in luxe fabrics and styles. I longed for detail and figure enhancing shapes. Thus I have created my own label and have produced a stunning winter collection that includes velvets coats, smart wool jackets, gorgeous shirts and tops, not to mention slimline skirts and dresses.

The look is classical yet very sensuous and bang up to date. The garments are made in small quantities, predominantly in London and are beautifully tailored and finished.

Prices range from £45.00 for a simple t-shirt style top to £500.00 for a velvet coat.

Aimed at women 30 and over we are starting to get a loyal following of customers who have been longing for garments of this sophisticated quality.”

I’m really impressed, and wishing I was more curvy so I could wear these stunning designs. Take a look for yourself. You’ll feel very special wearing these clothes, that’s a given. AND – they are not all in black!

Apparently, it’s not us women that are happy these days but our men folk. Women are way more complicated so this research doesn’t surprise me in the least. My own head is a constantly juggling numerous problems over and over again like the proverbial hamster on the wheel. Add to that a swollen foot so no regular exercise and well, you can get the picture.

So I decided to take the bull by the horns and sign up to an event run by my good pal Suzy Greaves from The Big Leap Coaching Company. While you will be watching fireworks, I’ll be finding my inner peace. Interested? Go to http://www.thebig-leap.com/big_peace_yoga_retreat.phtml

Suzy has been names as one of the top ten lifestyle gurus in the UK so she is definitely the real thing.

Here’s what some previous recipients of ‘peace’ had to say:

“Thank you so much for inviting me on The Big Peace weekend – it was a bootcamp for the soul! I found the whole experience deeply powerful and profoundly moving. I loved how each element of the two days dovetailed so neatly into all the other bits creating a multi-layered experience. It’s definitely the best workshop I’ve been on this year by a long way. I don’t see how you could have improved on it, everything was perfect, from the beautiful setting, to delicious food and drink,( an unexpected treat on a retreat!) to the content of the sessions. All this and tiaras too! Also the itinerary was very cleverly designed, to have Georgia’s amazing session at the end, so that we take away the entire experience of the weekend in our subconscious minds, wow.
On the yoga side, I was a bit apprehensive about wobbling my way back onto a yoga mat after such a long time, but Viv’s practical, real world teaching was just brilliant and as I said to her on the first day, why on earth did I ever stop doing this? I soon realised that although I’m fit, because I run, my fitness is totally out of balance with all my strength in my legs and lungs and no where else. I will be continuing my wobbly journey back to it after this weekend. So i would definitely recommend the big peace for people who are new or like me just lost touch with yoga practice.
Lastly, what a great bunch of women all gathered together, wow! Looking forward to leaping into 2009!”
Anita Chaudhuri, features writer for Sunday Times Style magazine.

“It’s 48 hours of inspiration, insight and motivation that leaves you feeling capable of anything!” Sally Brown, freelance features writer for Zest magazine.

“Life changing, incredibly enjoyable, everyone should do it. The best value for the cost imaginable.”
Mary Gwynn, Editor and Publishing Consultant

Looks like M&S may not want to be outdone by their former designer, George Davies, and the launch of his new venture, GIVe. So watch out for a premium Per Una collection hitting the shops, well 11 of them, with higher price tags and better quality fabrics (strangely similar to GIVe’s offering).

Featuring 36 styles in a ‘limited collection’ with quantities around 200 per style which means that, unlike the normal Per Una range, you might not be spotted wearing the same garment as everyone else in your town. Hopefully, it will be a bit more modern than their current offering. I cringe every time I go into my local M&S and can’t for the life of me work out which customers they are targeting. I’ll keep an open mind and hope to be impressed.

Prices from £69.50- £175.00

Sandwich offers effortless, easy dressing by layering their quirky cuts and interesting fabrics. Loose-fit jersey tunics can be worn over jeans or leggings, whilst their gorgeous, slouchy knits add instant style.

Farhi, the diffusion line by Nicole Farhi, is a classic collection for the perfect timeless wardrobe. Neutral basics in greys, blacks and whites are punctuated by investment pieces in unusual prints and bold colours.

Collections by knitwear label Marilyn Moore blend the softest yarns with pretty detailing for the ultimate in feminine dressing. With her trademark use of luxe cashmere and vintage prints, these are investment pieces to be worn time and time again.

LA based Paige Denim offer jeans in classic washes and premium denim that are specially cut to flatter all figures. Created by fit model Paige Adams-Geller in 2004, they come with a global reputation as ‘the best butt jeans n the market’.

Michael Stars is another brand hailing from LA. With a name for being pioneers in creating “casual couture”, their beautiful quality tees are distinguished by their contoured fits, unique colours and super-soft fabrics

Swedish label Odd Molly design pretty, quirky and feminine clothes and are all about helping women both look and feel great. Their uninhibited designs offer a fresh boho look that are super easy to wear whatever the occasion.

Great Plains are an affordable label that create fantastic everyday basics. These great quality pieces are perfect to fill any gaps in your wardrobe.

Getmyfashion.com encourages women to coordinate their outfits from across the range using a feature called ‘Get the Look’ – an image-bank of individual and stylish new looks. This not only shows customers how to optimise their wardrobe by selecting and utilising key pieces in various ways, but also helps them to get the most from their money. The ‘Get the Look’ section encourages and assists customers with buying a capsule collection that will work for seasons to come. Not only that, but the site is up for a prestigious Drapers Award – so it must be good.

I’ve had to hide my credit card as I LOVE all the ranges on offer. Take a look for yourself.