"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:
My lovely friend Cala runs Rose and Lula - a wonderful bag and accessory business, and in tandem she writes an inspirational, whimsical blog about setting up shop, realizing her dreams and achieving her goals. She recently posted a very entertaining piece about turning 40 - you can read it here and has allowed me to shamelessly copy her (thank you Cala). Whilst mine isn't a milestone birthday, I'm certainly another year older, definitely greyer and just possibly that little bit wiser. So here are 47 random things about me I thought I would share with you:
1: Happiness is being on a beach, anywhere, in any weather.
2: I wish I could play jazz piano.
3: My favourite book? "Love in the Time of Cholera" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
4: The song that makes me cry - "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol.
5: I can't bear busking accordion players - they bring out the worst in me.
6: Wardrobe staple? Converse Allstar lowtops in white or cream.
7: Donny Osmond or David Cassidy? Definitely David Cassidy.
8: I can happily watch "Finding Nemo" on a loop.
9: Would like to spend the day? Discovering Paris with Inès de la Fressange.
10: New Year's Eve makes me melancholy.
11: Favourite movie - so hard to choose but I'll say "The Way We Were".
12: Clothing obsession: Breton tops - blue and white stripes are like a magnet to me.... I have one that was my father-in-law's by Armorlux, it's still going strong.
13: I'd like to escape to - Parrot Cay, Turks & Caicos.
Photo: www.cntraveler.com
14: My favourite season? Spring.
15: In 2013 I'm trying to "dare greatly" as Brene Brown puts it - watch her TedTalk and be inspired.
16: I dislike bananas in any shape or form.
17: Anger is such a negative energy - I try to give it as little houseroom as possible.
18: I'm superstitious about magpies (1 for sorrow, 2 for joy), ladders and the number 13.
19: Lifestyle guru: Mary Poppins. There's nothing she couldn't solve with a dash of common sense and good humour.
20: Audrey Hepburn is my ongoing inspiration, for her style, sincerity and love of humanity.
21: I take great satisfaction in crossing things off my 'To Do' list.
22: I'd say I'm a patient person except at 8.19 in the morning when we should be out the door.
23: I'm a very British girl who doesn't drink tea.
24: If I could come back in another life? I'd be Karl Lagerfeld's cat Choupette -with 2 maids and a Twitter account, what's not to like?
25:Herbal tea or stiff drink? Stiff drink - preferably a Martini (Hendricks gin, stirred, with a twist of lemon - or cucumber).
26: Best smell - my childrens' hair when they are sleeping. Yes, I still do it....
27: Good mood food: a Thai duck curry.
28: Best song lyric: "Don't get me wrong, if I'm looking kind of dazzled, I see neon lights, whenever you walk by" - The Pretenders.
29: Practising yoga makes me a nicer person - fact.
Photo: Pinterest
30: I find other people very interesting - I think I am inherently nosy.
31: I wish I had skin that tanned easily - sadly with my Celtic roots, factor 50 is essential to avoid the lobster look.
32: Laughter is definitely the best medicine - my boys' laughter is the best sound in the world.
33: Favourite Christmas movie: "White Christmas" - I am completely word perfect (ask English Gent).
34: Other people's junk is so often my treasure - upcycling is my byword.
35: Fresh flowers will always lift my mood and I would love to be a trained florist.
Flowers: Scarlet & Violet
36: Favourite art form? Cinema. I was lucky enough to work in the film industry for 10 years - crazy but good.
37: My greatest achievement? Giving birth to my two sons.
38: Yotam Ottolenghi is my current culinary hero, I am obsessed with sumac.
39: Glass half full or half empty? Half full.
40: Guilty pleasure? Watching "Lewis". (I have a secret crush on Laurence Fox.)
41: I don't like wearing skirts.
42: I absolutely love a bargain, in any shape or form.
43: Hope, truth and love are my three Graces.
44: I believe if you spend time doing good, then good things will come to you.
45: Favourite love song? "Fix You" by Coldplay.
46: Shoes and handbags - you can never have too many.
Jane Birkin & her Birkin bag/Photo: Telegraph
47: Official Middle Age: more time to live, laugh, love well and be true to myself, oh and try to grow old gracefully...
