This is 48

"Age before beauty" the saying goes - but why should one exclude the other?  Surely the two can co-exist? I recently came across Kristin Perer's beautiful and inspirational photographic blog called this is 50 which Perers started as a roadmap for turning 50 with style and grace, and here you will find both age and beauty in glorious abundance. These are women who are truly "bien dans leur peau" (comfortable in their own skin), following their own particular paths, career or otherwise, and their interviews make for uplifting reading. The photo montages sing with a wonderful zest for life and if Perers' aim is to make other women feel better about themselves through meeting these ladies, then she has certainly succeeded.

Photography: Kristin Perers

Photography: Kristin Perers

Photography: Kristin Perers

One of Perers' subjects is quoted saying "I am not just one picture" which I really like, and another has written an A-Z of what makes her life tick at 50 so I thought that as I celebrated my birthday yesterday I would share my version with you - thank you to Sian Tucker for the inspiration: this is 48

 A:  Adventure, Ageing, Amour, art
B:  Boys, Birth, Beach, blogging, BELONG, bed, Balance, blessed
C:  Cocktails, colour, cat, caring, candles
D:  DAN, discovery, dancing, daring, daughter
E:  Evolving, exploring, energy
F:  FAMILY, friends, fun, flowers, freedom, food, flexibility
G: Glitter, growing, garden, GRATEFUL
H: HAPPY, hugs, home, health
I:  Inspiration, ideas, idling, Instagram
J:  Joy, jeans, Romeo and "me"
K: Kisses, kisses, kisses
L:  LOVE, laughter, LUCKY, light
M: MOTHERHOOD, Mary Berry, macarons, mountains
N:  novels, nature, nurture, nourish
O:  Ottolenghi, optimism, older, outdoors
P:  photos, prayer, play, patience, pebbles, pockets
Q:  quiet...sshh...
R:  romance, renewal, reflection
S:  SISTER, sunshine, stars, smiles, soul, snoozing, singing - SONS
T:  Time, tomatoes, thanks
U:  upside down, ups and downs
V:  Vitality, (la dolce) vita
W: Wonder, WRINKLES, walks, waves, wisdom
X:  eXcitement, eXample
Y: Yoga (to keep me) young at heart, yes
Z:  zzzzz - sleep...

this is 48

Rockboy declared that 48 is "not that old",  so it's good not know I'm not over the hill just yet - phew! And as I always say, you're never too old for a sparkler: