Last minute Christmas details – home, style & beauty

By |2022-12-02T16:39:28+00:00December 2nd, 2022|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas, Interiors, Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , |

And just like that we're in December! I'm bringing you that last of my Christmas prepping posts today, after this we'll be back to chatting about real life until the end of the year and we have a lot to catch up on because November was a funny old month for us. However we'll talk about that soon, for now I have my final post with John Lewis & Partners for 2022 and it's all about last minute Christmas [...]

Early Christmas moments – savouring November

By |2022-11-07T09:42:02+00:00November 4th, 2022|Categories: Christmas, Interiors, Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

It's always a bit of a shock isn't it? Over the last few years life has started to tip straight from Autumn and Halloween into Christmas. This year it's worth being organised though because we're all watching our budgets and nothing makes you overspend as much as a bout of unplanned, late and therefore frenzy driven shopping. So today I'm going to break you gently into a little bit of early Christmas prep with John Lewis and Partners by [...]

A new range of simple, sustainable basics for fashion and home

By |2021-10-08T09:51:28+01:00October 8th, 2021|Categories: Interiors, Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , |

A new range of simple, sustainable basics for fashion As I type this Mr MC is busy filling in our passenger locator forms and we're forcing ourselves to think about leaving the Mykonos sunshine to come home. At this particular moment Autumn feels like a million miles away but I know that in just over 24 hours it will be a reality. However at least we won't be going home to an empty nest quite yet; the eldest has been [...]

Preparing for the empty nest – our new place is done

By |2021-06-21T11:47:41+01:00June 18th, 2021|Categories: Interiors, Midlife, Project Happier, Retail Review|Tags: , , , , , , , |

And at last, our city apartment is just about finished. All we have left to do is find a few pieces of art for empty spots and update the bathrooms - but that will have to wait until there's no longer a global shortage of sanitary ware or plumbers working to six month waiting lists. As we sat back with a glass of wine on Sunday evening and looked around us, it struck us both that we'd done something we'd [...]

Newcastle update – the story so far

By |2021-05-07T17:14:11+01:00May 7th, 2021|Categories: Interiors, Retail Review|Tags: , , , , , |

Given that we've flipped back into the Narnian Winter (it's snowing again as I write) there's absolutely no point in talking about Summer clothes or outfits so it's something completely different this week. I haven't said much about our Newcastle adventure since last September so I'm going to talk about that instead and show you what's been going on there. So here's a Newcastle update - the story so far. The story so far... why Newcastle? You may remember it [...]

Wrapping up Christmas – the last little details

By |2020-12-08T16:59:37+00:00December 8th, 2020|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas, Hair & Beauty, Interiors, Style|Tags: , , , , , |

Thank you for your comments and messages after my last post, I'm going to reply to them tomorrow but before that I have a few last thoughts about Christmas to share. Now that my nest is full again I'm finding myself drumming my fingers and waiting for Christmas to begin but as it is, we're all still busy with work, lectures and school, limping slightly as we see the end ahead. This is the last of my posts with John [...]

Easy ways to make your home cosy for winter

By |2020-10-26T12:24:40+00:00October 7th, 2020|Categories: Interiors|

Well with the news I shared with you about our new apartment you won't be surprised to hear that interiors are high on my agenda at the moment. As it happens I have two big home projects on because we arrived back from our holiday in Turkey to discover that there had been a leak in a bathroom which resulted in the ceiling in the breakfast room below collapsing - and that room is open plan to another so suddenly [...]

How to celebrate under lockdown – happy birthday to me

By |2020-05-19T15:37:56+01:00May 19th, 2020|Categories: Interiors, Midlife, Project Happier|Tags: , , , , , , |

Well hello... on this day that has always been a beacon in my calendar... because it's my birthday. A friend who graduated to the same age as me last week said she was dreading it this time because all it meant was another year on her age with none of the associated fun. And I admit that I'm less bouncy about it than usual but that's because I haven't been buoyed by our usual festival weekend. I miss having  a [...]

British brands – three you should know

By |2019-10-29T17:48:18+00:00October 29th, 2019|Categories: Interiors, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Something a bit different for you today because thinking we were going to be almost through to the other side of Brexit, I planned a British brand focus. As it happens we're not (why am I surprised?) but I'm going to talk about three of them anyway. Before I start though, I have an apology. One of the enquiry forms on Darryll and Bettina's website for The D'Azur failed on Saturday and so all of the enquiries that you sent [...]

Christmas finishing touches – little things that make it feel extra special

By |2018-12-11T11:35:14+00:00December 11th, 2018|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas, Interiors|Tags: , , , |

Please note that this is a sponsored post in collaboration with John Lewis and Partners. As such, links are affiliated and upon purchase, a small commission may be paid to Midlifechic. The retailer pays so this costs nothing to readers but it enables me to continue bringing you two posts a week. Now that Midlifechic is being viewed over half a million times a month, It costs into the thousands of pounds to keep it running and loading smoothly. I [...]

Everything Christmas at John Lewis & Partners

By |2018-11-16T16:50:50+00:00November 15th, 2018|Categories: Christmas, Gift ideas, Interiors, Retail Review|Tags: , , , , , , |

You seemed to enjoy our last virtual wander round John Lewis & Partners in May so when I was thinking about my Christmas posts, there seemed no better place to spend a day. It has to be said that they really have become the kings of Christmas in the UK. Some of my friends now say that they refuse to even think about Christmas until the TV ad comes out - they see it as the official launch of the [...]

A week of two halves at Midlifechic

By |2018-10-05T17:12:20+01:00October 5th, 2018|Categories: Family, Interiors, Midlife, Relationships|Tags: , , , , |

Hello, its a post of two halves today because this week has taken an unexpected turn. I'll move onto that later but I want to start by telling you about the dinner party that I mentioned we were hosting last weekend. You see a little while ago I was contacted by a company called La Belle Assiette. I hadn't heard of them before but they're an online chef service. Their website covers most of the UK and it enables you [...]

Embracing autumn and bringing it in

By |2018-10-30T22:02:12+00:00September 28th, 2018|Categories: Interiors, Project Happier|Tags: , , , , |

It's just a short post from me today because it's been a funny old week. I've been slogging my way through a heavy cold and feeling a bit contemplative after the evening with my friend T. I've been thinking about life and reflecting on the pros and cons of the knowledge that I suppose most of us gain by midlife simply as a result of the experiences that we've lived through. The upsides are many - the 'what the hell?' [...]

Summer t-shirts, skincare and a garden party

By |2018-06-08T17:10:20+01:00June 8th, 2018|Categories: Hair & Beauty, Interiors, Style|Tags: , , , , |

I realise that Wednesday's post was a long one so I won't take up too much of your time today. As the sun keeps shining down on us (I'm typing with my fingers crossed), I've actually got over my usual mania for madly wearing dresses before the clouds come back. This week I've found myself veering towards summer t-shirts, worn with shorts if I'm working from home and wide crops or a skirt if I'm in the office. Now this [...]

Creating a garden for good times to come

By |2018-05-08T17:05:01+01:00May 8th, 2018|Categories: Interiors|Tags: , , , , |

Don't worry - I'm not turning into Charlie Dimmock. In fact when I think of creating a garden for good times, I sigh. It's so hard to get anything to flourish in this cold, windy corner of the north... well apart from the ever expanding collection of balls that pop up in the flower beds. For years, whenever I've looked through the windows I've spotted yet another one glowing in all of its neon glory. However that's another thing that's [...]

Spotlight on John Lewis – a virtual afternoon in store

By |2018-04-06T10:40:27+01:00April 6th, 2018|Categories: Hair & Beauty, Interiors, Retail Review, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , |

Please note that this is a sponsored post in collaboration with John Lewis. As such, links are affiliated and upon purchase, a small commission may be paid to Midlifechic. The retailer pays so this costs nothing to readers but it enables me to continue bringing you two posts a week. Now that Midlifechic is being viewed over half a million times a month, It costs into the thousands of pounds to keep it running and loading smoothly. I thank you [...]

Spring home updates and a wander round the shops

By |2018-03-30T12:31:00+01:00March 30th, 2018|Categories: Interiors, Sale|Tags: , , , |

Happy Easter weekend everyone. After a week of mayhem in the office (it's never good when a forthcoming Bank Holiday coincides with the end of a lot of clients' financial years), I've had some serious disruption to my schedule. So here I am, blogging on a Bank Holiday. However I will be logging off very soon and I'm going to spend the rest of today deciding how I'm going to bring some spring home updates into our house. It's hard [...]

11 spring pick-me-ups: brightening the dark days

By |2018-03-02T16:37:42+00:00March 2nd, 2018|Categories: Gift ideas, Interiors, Shoes, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Wow - what can you say about the weather that hasn't already been said across every news channel?! As I type, Storm Emma is blowing in from the sea. There is nothing to shelter us from the coastline and so the winds are whistling around us like something from a horror movie. In all of the years that I have lived here, I have never known the snow to fall so incessantly. So, I decided it was time for one [...]

Christmas finishing touches: making it extra special

By |2017-12-08T15:02:40+00:00December 8th, 2017|Categories: Christmas, Interiors, Style|Tags: , , , , |

Christmas has felt a bit chaotic in our house this year. When I had more time on my hands I used to shop very methodically, starting with everything planned out on spreadsheets as soon as October half term finished. Now I seem to shop from my own posts as I go along and so deliveries have been piling up in my office. It's only today that I've unpacked all of the parcels to see where I've got to! I'm just [...]

Christmas home updates – a very rare interiors post

By |2017-11-28T17:00:38+00:00November 28th, 2017|Categories: Christmas, Interiors|Tags: , , , |

I was out with some friends last Friday and the group was divided between those who were decorating their houses for Christmas this weekend and those who were giving it another week. We were chatting about the pros and cons of having lived in a house for a long time. I really enjoy unwrapping my much loved decorations every year, it's all part of the tradition of Christmas. But there are so many lovely things in the shops and sometimes [...]

Thoughtful gift ideas for Mother’s Day – Spring 2017

By |2017-03-10T14:42:06+00:00March 10th, 2017|Categories: Family, Gift ideas, Interiors|Tags: , , , |

Mother's Day (or Mothering Sunday as my mum would insist) is fast approaching in the UK. I always say it is one of my favourite days of the year, much nicer than a birthday because you have a lovely day without being any older. And as I'm writing this post, I'm smiling because a funny thing happened when we were having drinks with a group of friends after Christmas. As the women were discussing what presents they had unwrapped on Christmas Day, everything they [...]

Christmas Party outfits for women over 40 and a Christmas tree farm

By |2018-01-08T17:10:29+00:00December 13th, 2016|Categories: Christmas, Family, Interiors, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It's getting closer....Our weekend was a rush of decorating and entertaining. Here's how it went. Festive Friday I was working at home for the day but then had to go to a client's drinks party. Although they were all wearing suits because they'd gone straight from the office, I felt fine wearing a jumpsuit. It's such a saviour for things like this...not too smart, not too casual, not too dressy... Jumpsuit - this year's version; Jigsaw ponyskin heels (past season); Necklace; Earrings [...]

Winter outfits and a bit of Christmas sparkle

By |2017-03-18T15:08:58+00:00December 13th, 2015|Categories: Christmas, Family, Interiors, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |

Well what a week we've had in the aftermath of Storm Desmond. We were stranded at home until Wednesday (much to the delight of the boys) as the schools and the roads were closed. We finally switched over from the emergency generators to the mains supply last night so life is just starting to get back to normal. It has been a strange, dark time, dark because everybody has had to conserve the little bit of power we had, so [...]

A week of midlife chic

By |2015-09-27T21:28:23+01:00May 16th, 2015|Categories: Interiors, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

Another week gone already - before we know it we'll be halfway through the year. It's been an interesting week for me, as you know my day job includes the creative direction of the products that we develop and this week I've had two days out of the office devoted to beautiful things which has to be good for the soul. On Monday I was down in London at a trade show where  the small, creative companies release their concepts for [...]

Casual Christmas party chic …and interiors

By |2014-12-05T18:11:08+00:00December 5th, 2014|Categories: Family, Interiors, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

And we're off - the first official Christmas 'going out' event. One of the karate clubs that Mr MC trains with is at Lancaster University so tonight we are going out with a group of students on their dojo's night out... now there's a wardrobe conundrum if ever there was one. I am absolutely old enough to be their mum and my one hope for the evening is that this isn't their first thought as I walk through the door. So, casual [...]

The best faux leather jeans for women over 40

By |2014-12-01T09:53:57+00:00December 1st, 2014|Categories: Interiors, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

Hello dear friends I've missed you. I have been laid low. Having not had so much as a cold for years and years I can only assume that I picked up a brutal virus in London and can hear my grandmother muttering about keeping away from filthy cities. Anyway I'm back and will respond to all your comments and emails over the next few days. Now, the post that I did a couple of weeks ago about pleather leggings triggered such a big [...]

Midlifechic clothes, food, interiors and accessories – all in one post!!

By |2014-07-15T18:52:22+01:00July 15th, 2014|Categories: Interiors, Style|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

The plan was that this was going to be the epitome of a hot, sunny post but it's all gone a bit wrong again thanks to our bizarre weather. If you're a regular reader you'll remember the post when I was feeling sad about our friends (J&R) who are moving. These are the friends who, for 10 years, have lived just around the corner and, even though they're moving to a village nearby, it won't be quite the same. R [...]

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