We can be hereos just for one day....

This post is only a little bit about David Bowie but I do love "Heroes" so that's why this post is titled the way that it is. 

Today I hit the shops, for the first time since Christmas really. Part of it was work related but part of it was to "assess" the sale situation. If anyone thinks that they've left it too late for the sales - think again! Most stores will be going into final markdowns next week and there are some fantastic bargains to be had.

But of course, one of the (many) things that I really loved was this outfit from Jigsaw. It's two separate pieces made up of these Jigsaw cubist drape culottes (£139)...

...and this Jigsaw cubist drape top (£89)

As I've previously mentioned, we have a spring wedding to go to and this outfit appeals to me on a number of levels. For a start, an April wedding could be boiling hot or freezing cold. If it's cold, I can layer the top up with a vest or two underneath and a jacket over the top. If needs be, I can wear leggings (but obviously so that you don't see them) under the culottes, or tights and if it's really freezing, oxblood knee length boots. On the other hand if it's hot, I can go with a bit of  fake tan, bare legs, strappy sandals or high courts (for some reason I'm thinking metallic/silver), lots of bangles and I'm all done.

But the fun doesn't stop there. Oh no! After the wedding these babies will be worn separately. The culottes will be paired with chunky flat sandals, ghillie flats or trainers and the top will go over the new leather (look) leggings that I might just have bought today. Ooops. More about those another day...

And I'm kind of wondering whether I may have taken leave of my senses but I also really like this Rose Gold dress from Reiss (reduced from £195 to £95)

I'm thinking that it might be quite a nice dress for next Christmas (did I really just say that?) Others might be thinking that it looks a little bit like their Granny's curtains. But I've always been partial to a little damask/brocade.

And somehow, I can't quite leave this post without mentioning the sad passing (actually I can't use that word, it sounds like someone is going to the loo) - death, of David Bowie. His music was distinctive and oddly comforting.  He was always there, a part of my 70's childhood and somehow invincible - in my mind at least - as if he was almost other worldly. Oddly we have been talking about him a lot in our household recently as our youngest shared his birthday, which was only on Friday, and our eldest is learning about him in A-level Politics. No doubt he will be missed by millions in a million different ways but for me, the start of the Snowman will never be quite the same again. May he rest in peace.

This season's favourite skirt for any time, anywhere - and a Radio Programme which may be of interest

I know that I wrote about this H&M wrap skirt not that long ago, so apologies for that, but it really is a fail safe that goes with everything (a little like the skirt version of jeans really) so I thought that it was worth mentioning again.

I love coming across something that I wasn't necessarily looking for but which I fall in love with and which I then wear non-stop. It's a bit like when you've been in to Home Bargains. You come out with all sorts of things that you just hadn't appreciated you couldn't live without. Non-slip hangers, coconut oil and a new laundry bin anyone?

In the above outfit I stuck the skirt with all manner of things that came to hand - tartan, denim, a big cardi and pony skin shoes - but I did have the excuse that it was the first school run that I had to do in weeks so I was all over the place.

I'm slightly more restrained in this outfit with a Zara jumper and Topshop leopard print shoes. This jumper is another firm favourite from this winter but you see those sleeves? They've been caught up in more Deliciously Ella/Madeleine Shaw/Joe Wicks recipes that you can shake a stick at.

For anyone who is interested, this week's Radio 4 Food Programme is called "Eat to Run" and it's really worth listening to if you like that type of thing. A listener was interested to know how important diet was to running performance so she wrote in to ask - and the programme talks you through it. Here's a link (which fingers crossed will work) if not, it's available on the iPlayer. Hope that you enjoy it!

The Fitbit - what is it, how does it work and do I need one in my life?

For Christmas, my husband gave me a Fit Bit. Now some might be ever so slightly insulted by this but he knows that I like running type gadgets and I already have a Garmin running watch (which is now about 10 years old and the size of a small TV but it's still fully functioning. In fact people ask whether it's a new, cool, retro style. No, it's an old uncool large style). So, being a slight geek, I was well chuffed. He bought me the FitBit Charge HR which is discreet and which looks like this..... (I'm not going to include the price because being a present that wouldn't feel right.)

I've also recently had a reader contact me to see what I think of Fitbits (or similar gadgets) and whilst I know I'm only in the first flush of geekiness with it, I really love it. 

I didn't really appreciate what these little watch sized things could do until I had a good play around with mine so I'll give you a quick whizz through.

This is the first screen. I've set mine up to show the information detailed below but there is more to add if you wish. We did a really long run yesterday so I wanted to set it as against my running watch to check the stats. It actually came up short on the distance so I'm not quite sure of its accuracy in that sense. I've nothing to measure the other stats by so I wouldn't rely on them too heavily but they offer a really good indicator of what I'm up to. 

Each of the above can be broken down further by clicking on the arrow next to them. So for example you can see from the above screen that I burned 2,982 calories and the screen below shows you how that's broken down. See that plateau mid afternoon where not much happened? That's when I went to the cinema to see Joy and sat on my butt for two hours.

I guess it's a bit scary really - I'm sure that the police could use this type of information as evidence somehow in the future. (No it wasn't me who was seen running away from the crime scene, I was sitting at home watching TV. Really? Your heart rate/step rate/calorie burn from you Fit Bit would seem to suggest otherwise.) OK, maybe not.

This is the more detailed information available relating to the "Steps" screen. I did a lot of pottering around the house today, plus some low intensity exercise which doesn't show up hugely, but then it shows that I took quite a few steps tonight when running - and I seem to have created an image of the Empire State Building.

Then it's possible to get down to the whole heart rate business. This graph shows beats per minute and how long you spend in each of the heart rate "zones". Oddly I only seem to be able to get my heart rate into the optimum zone when running, although the HIIT workouts that I do feel far more challenging. I measure this in the most scientific of ways ie whether I'm still able to chat to my friends or not at the same time as undertaking the particular type of exercise in question.

And, it's also possible to get stats relating to your sleep. I haven't quite worked out how I'm restless for so many minutes as I'm never aware of even moving in the night, let alone being awake but that gives me something else to investigate *geek alert*.

So, there you go! That's what a Fit Bit is all about. For those starting out on an exercise journey, I think that they could act as a great motivator. Getting to 10,000 steps a day with a sedentary job probably wouldn't be that easy but it might just encourage someone to take extra steps wherever possible to reach their goal. Or they could just hate the bloody thing, chuck it out of the window and open the nearest packet of biscuits. I guess it all just depends on how you're wired.

Pleated skirts - another one to ponder and how to style them....

Recently, pleated skirts have become a firm favourite. Many are midi length and in this mild weather they lend themselves to being worn without anything underneath (or hidden leggings if you want to add just a little warmth) and they can go from being worn with trainers as I'm doing above, to being worn with a fitted jumper and high pointy shoes for a really glam 1940's style look. They come in lots of different finishes, from pleather to lurex and silky fabrics too, so they offer a huge amount of versatility.

I came across this pleated skirt in Topshop (£50) yesterday and whilst I've had to link to the petite one, they come in standard lengths too. This is a really beautiful pale blue colour which works really well with grey or camel.

This Zara lace pleated skirt would make a great alternative to a more traditional going out outfit...

For some ideas on how to style them, Pinterest has once again come up with the goods.

So first of all we've got the whole cool leather jacket/diaphanous fabric juxta-position going on, with the elegant heels. Nice, very nice!

Then we have the metallic skirt/metallic shoe combination which is quite futuristic...

And finally the head to toe black which plays with texture to create some interest. 

We have a Spring wedding to go to so I'm sort of thinking that a pleated skirt would work well. With it being in early April the weather has the potential to be a) as it should be for the time of year b) snowing c) 20 degree plus - so I could have a variety of tops on standby. A bit of fake tan and some heels and that could all work quite well, plus I can wear it in the summer too. But it's early days yet...

I hope that 2016 is off to a cracking start and many thanks to all who have left feedback on the new style blog posts. I will respond to you all shortly and thank you for your ideas for future posts!

Healthy eating tips and, as requested, tips on how to cut down on calories...

Thank you so much to all of you for leaving comments on my exercise post. It's really lovely to know that you are enjoying the new posts. One reader commented how she had recently managed to swim 50 lengths non-stop (amazing) but wondered if I had any tips on how to cut down on the calories. And as it happens, I do, so this one's for you Debbie.

Before I start though, I should say that I'm not qualified to give any sort of nutritional advice and this is a personal view point only. In my humble opinion however, to maintain a healthy weight long term, it's important to find a sensible way of eating that you can keep up year upon year, not just for a few weeks before reverting to old habits. It doesn't have to be boring, or limited and we all need treats.

But before I start, I thought that I would list some of the things that I really don't like;

• Meal replacement drinks and bars. I worked in a factory packing these thing when I was about 22 and soon got the measure of them. More than anything though, they don't teach people how to eat sensibly;
• False promises made by people in the diet industry. They play on people's lack of knowledge about nutrition and insecurities about themselves, often fleecing them in the process;
• Low fat foods. Most of them are full of sugar to replace lost flavour. Apart from semi skimmed milk, everything is full fat in this house. Greek yoghurt, butter, full fat cheese (although generally not hard ones), mayonnaise. In fact it drives me nuts when I can't find full fat Philadelphia, or full fat cottage cheese or full fat creme fraiche or proper cream. White slimy stuff is disgusting. Better to eat a little less of the full fat version and feel satiated; 
• Processed foods that are full of preservatives. If the list of ingredients contains words that I can't read, I'm not going to eat it;
• The use of different terms to disguise the addition of sugar. We're not daft! 

It's a simple equation really...

Weight gain, or weight loss, is down to a simple equation - calories in vs calories out. A calorie deficit will result in weight loss. A calorie surplus will result in weight gain. So if you consume more than you expend, you'll put on weight and if you expend more than you consume, you'll lose weight. 

So, thinking more in terms of how much we've moved in a day (ie does my body need this for fuel) rather than thinking in an emotional way (I'm sad so this cake will cheer me up/I've had a hard day so I deserve this) helps with the whole deficit/surplus equation. It also takes things back to basics - how things were before we all got lost under a mountain of cheap convenience food and huge portions. 

Aside from being pregnant, I've been pretty much the same weight since I was 14. For anyone who is interested, I don't count calories, I don't weigh myself, I never, ever, miss a meal. I never go hungry, I never eat low fat products unless it's by mistake. If I know what's in them (ie if they're home made) I'll eat desserts and cakes - proper, full on sticky toffee pudding and chocolate caramel shortbread type desserts full of fat and sugar and I'll enjoy them! But on the other hand I do move quite a bit, I do try to eat really healthily most of the time and I only have those puddings as occasional treats.

So to answer Debbie's question, what tips do I have for cutting the calories down? I have a few...

• Takeaways - Best avoided! Even if you choose wisely, they're generally full of calories. However everyone has things that they couldn't bear to give up, so if a Friday night takeaway is a weekly treat, or fish and chips on the beach is a family tradition, don't go without - just be aware and maybe order a child's portion (which can still be more than enough);
• Drinks - it's easy to consume a huge amount of calories through what you drink. Cappuccinos, lattes and hot chocolate are very calorific. Juice is full of sugar and squash is full of chemicals. Generally I drink mint tea, fizzy water, the occasional diet coke (I know, it's bad but we all have the odd vice) and miso soup;
• Alcohol - I read that someone recently worked out that she was having the equivalent of a doughnut each evening in red wine - and that made it easier for her to give it up. But again the odd treat is never a bad thing!
• Portion control - generally people eat too much. Using a smaller plate or bowl and filling it up, rather than having a large plate looking half empty, is a really good approach;
• Know when to fuel your body and when to say no. After exercise your body need carbs. If you haven't exercised you don't need that extra energy, so give them a miss;   
• Carrying on from the point above, carbs aren't the enemy but many meals are based around carbs with other things taking second fiddle - sandwiches are all about the bread, pasta and sauce, curry and rice, pizza, jacket potatoes - in all of these, carbs take centre stage. The answer?
• Try and make the basis of your meals something other than carbs, especially if you haven't exercised and don't need them to re-fuel (see below for quick tips);
• Cook from scratch - then you know what you're having; 
• If you're going out and there will just be canapes and snacks, eat something properly prepared at home and pass on the snacks when you go out. Generally they're full of fat and not very nutritionally dense;
• Use garlic, chilli, soy sauce, ginger and a little bit of honey to flavour stir fries and chicken and use herbs too instead of creamy sauces;
• For me, some things belong in desserts not main meals - mostly cream and butter which I avoid in sauces, on veg and so on, saving them instead for a pud!  
• Muscle burns calories much more efficiently than fat, so include weights in your work outs (subject to medical advice etc);
• Don't have things on display in the kitchen that will tempt you. Put them in a tin, in a fridge or in a cupboard. Out of sight out of mind and all that! 

Helpful hints if you're busy....

• Soup is a godsend in the winter. You can make a batch and get a good few meals out of it. Dense, thick soups with lentils or chickpeas and lots of veg are brilliant (not creamy/buttery ones) as are stews minus lots of mash!!
• A microwave meal takes about three minutes. In that time it's possible to put some raw veg on a plate with some hummous, mozarella and some parma ham or chicken breast and nutritionally you're on your way.  You can still have a perfectly good meal just by sticking a few things on a plate - it doesn't have to take hours or even be cooked!
• Use non-carb foods as a basis for your meals especially if you haven't moved too much - omlette, poached eggs with bacon and grilled mushrooms and tomatoes; cottage cheese and mackerel with avocado (sounds gross but I love it); minute steak marinaded in garlic, ginger and chilli with steamed spinach and tomatoes; smoothie pancakes; dahl made with lentils, chickpeas and coconut milk, butter beans with prawns and veg, spaghetti bolognaise served in lettuce boats with salsa on top - again it sounds gross but it's not. It's just a different way of approaching things;
• Although I don't count calories, if I was really stuck and wanted to know what I was having, I would buy food with the calorie content clearly labelled, then there would be no excuse!
• Sometimes if I'm working from home, I'll eat my main meal at lunchtime so that in the evening when I'm out and about with the children and doing their food, I can do something much quicker for myself;
• For a quick pudding have some Greek yoghurt with raspberries and a little honey or one chunk of the BIG Toblerone. No one can feel cheated eating one of those!

Some of my favourite cookery books...

Madeleine Shaw Get the Glow (£10) - I bought this last year and love it. Most of her recipes are low carb but still filling, tasty and the ingredients are readily available plus it's really educational.

Jamie's Dinners - really good tasty recipes. Every time I go through this book I find new ones - and we've had it since 2004!

Joe Wicks - I love a bit of Joe and I like the way that he only has two recipe chapters in his book - one for low carb meals for days that you're not moving much and one for higher carb meals on the day that you train. It's as simple as that!

Not being deprived, not following fad diets, not excluding entire food groups, having a little bit of knowledge, moving a fair amount and preparing food from scratch means that I can eat pretty much what I like, even on holiday, and not much changes. And even if it does, because I don't weigh myself and because I return to my usual eating habits once home, I'm none the wiser anyway. Follow your instincts, be honest with yourself as to what you need and what you should leave behind, watch the portion sizes and (health issues aside) you should be able to maintain a healthy weight without too much trouble. 

Do let me know what you think? Have you found this helpful and what ideas and tips do you employ on a daily basis to maintain a healthy weight? I would love to hear them. Beth x

Cropped wide legged trousers - maybe one to consider if you haven't done so before...

Happy New Year to you all!

So, how has your New Year been so far? How many resolutions have you made and broken? I've broken all of them. Even the ones that I didn't make. 

It's not so much a resolution but I have decided to give up alcohol until after I've run the marathon. I need any psychological advantage that I can get, no matter how small. And guess what I keep thinking about? Yes, having a glass of something fizzy - which is ironic because I'm really not much of a drinker at all. Clearly that's why diets don't work. Deprivation is not good for the psyche, or the soul. 

Anyway, that aside, it suddenly dawned on me yesterday like a flash from a higher place, that a pair of these wide legged cropped trousers from Whistles would be a really good addition to my wardrobe. I saw them before Christmas and they've obviously been lurking around in my sub-conscious since then. I recognise that I am very fortunate in that I have enough clothes and so I'm only going to buy things if they are really different to what I own already. And these are. 

I nipped into town yesterday morning, Christmas money in hand, to see if there were any in my size and there weren't. I could have managed with the size 10 but because they were too big on the waist, they sat too low on my hips making them look more like trousers that were slightly too short, which given their name (cropped trousers) is almost certainly what they're meant to look like. But I just wanted them an inch or so shorter, so that they looked more like a long skirt (and slightly less clown like).  

Obviously research needed to be done to establish that these were worth the investment (I say that in the loosest sense of the word) and so I wandered over to COS to see what they had. Their selection was really good but most of them still fell at that funny length on me, apart from these wide leg jersey trousers (£59). I don't think that these images are selling them very well at all - so let me explain!

I could wear these with trainers and a chunky roll neck jumper for a casual look. Trainers are still a big love of my life not only for comfort but wearing them means that I can complete my requisite 10,000 steps for the day much quicker than I might otherwise. Which also means that I can then sit on my bum for the rest of the day watching TV. (Spot who had a fitbit for Christmas!)

I like how these look with flats...

For a smarter look I could go with my high neck lace blouse with a bow, which I finally managed to get around to ironing, plus some heels.

I like how VB wears hers although the shoes? Hmmm, not so sure.

Image courtesy of Pinterest

In the summer, chunky sandals and a lighter weight top or shirt would be good. So I definitely think that they have legs.

I like how Olivia Palermo wears hers too...

The worst thing that will happen is that I will put them on, laugh loudly at myself, post a pic on Instagram so that everyone else can laugh too and take them back. But if you don't try you never know.

Now the one thing that I did manage to find me that fit yesterday were these Adidas superstar trainers from Schuh. Unlike the sparkly ones that I really loved, these are leather so I figured that they would be warmer.

Again I've had my eye on them for a couple of weeks now and my Stan Smiths are looking a bit tired, plus if my husband will buy me a Fitbit for Christmas what does he expect? If I'm going to meet my targets I've got to have the right gear haven't I?

Whatever you're up to, I hope that you're having a brilliant New Year's Day. Beth x

The two most important questions to get your head around if you want to exercise for life....

It's always a bit scary doing something for the first time and for me, writing a post about exercise is no exception. I'm concerned that there's a danger that I might come across as smug or patronising and I would hate that. The written word doesn't allow for the communication of the sub-text and facial expressions that talking to someone face to face does but I hope that the gist of what I mean comes through enough! 

I know that not everyone is born to run but I'm pretty sure that we were all born to move. In some way, shape or form, we feel better and our bodies respond well to getting a bit out of breath and a bit hot and sweaty a few times a week.

The problem for many is first, finding out what we might like doing and secondly, working out how to fit it in to a busy life. I believe that they are the two main obstacles and that once they are overcome, the key to exercising for life is answered (subject to a bit of strapping down of things that bounce around, of course) so I thought that might be a good place to start

Re the first question, if you want to stick to any form of exercise, you have to enjoy it. Maybe not at first but it has to have legs. (OK, so it took me 30 years to really love running but I think that's at the very furthest end of end of the spectrum.)

So what did you do when you were younger that you loved? Were you good at team sports, athletics, dancing, gym or cross country? What made you feel good and what did you have fun doing? If you want something new take a look on YouTube - Kettlebells. zumba, HIIT training, ballet based exercises, yoga - it's all there for the taking and in the comfort of you own home (so perhaps no strapping down of things that bounce around would be required after all, which is a bonus). Pair up with a friend and go for a power walk a few times a week or sign up for a mud run. They're brilliant - more like being a kid than exercise.

Re the second question, how do you find time to do it when life is so busy? Well there is no magic answer, exercise is just one of those things that you have to prioritse or else it won't happen. After the essentials of working and taking care of whomever you need to take care of, exercise has to come first. So if that means that a couple of nights a week you don't all eat together as a family, so be it. If it means sneaking out early on a Saturday morning, so be it. If it means foregoing a favourite TV programme, so be it. If it means that a particular cupboard stays messy or you sit on a bit of the washing rather than ironing it, so be it. That's not being selfish as everyone around you will benefit from you being fit and healthy.

Everyone feels weary at the end of a long day but there's a difference between that and being literally too exhausted to exercise. Exercise, without a doubt, energises you. A friend who works nights, weekends and on calls and who earlier this year started out with the "Couch to 5k" App has said that paradoxically her 5.30am (5.30am I know!) runs make her feel more energised. A barrister friend runs then too. They both make me look like a wimp!

So I hope that's given a little food for thought. Do you have any exercise aims or goals for this coming year? However small they seem, however scary it may all seem, everything is a step in the right direction and I already think you're amazing for it.

Five outfit ideas for New Year's Eve...sparkles, pleather, lace, bright trousers and spotty shoes, though maybe not all together

With New Year's Eve only around the corner, I thought that I would post some outfit ideas for "the big night".  These outfits are all made up of things that I already have in my wardrobe. Bits and bobs could be mixed around - shoes swapped with other shoes, tops swapped with other tops - you get the idea. I'm hoping that this post may provide a light bulb moment - for me too!  If there's anything that you like the look of, have a think and see if there's anything that you have in your wardrobe that you could use to create something similar.

The 1970's shoes and midi skirt

I liked the idea of wearing these M&S 1970's inspired shoes in the winter but I haven't got around to it yet. However a party, or something based largely indoors, would be the perfect opportunity to give them a whirl. Because they are quite chunky they can hold their own against the heavier pleather fabric of the pleated skirt. For me the skirt needs to be midi length to avoid the whole "mutton" look. I chose the top because I really like the sleeve shape but plenty of other top options would work with this skirt.

The PJ top

Wearing PJs for evening wear has been a huge trend for a while now. Whilst my trousers aren't PJs they are probably the nearest thing in terms of comfort - satin joggers from Topshop. The top is a PJ top though. It's by Rosie at Autograph and I really like it irrespective of whether it's a PJ top or not - and it's probably the comfiest evening out outfit going. The spotty shoes are from Aldo. I love their shoes for their reasonable prices and half sizes.

The fun shoes and sparkly skirt

I bought these shoes this year and they always make me laugh as they definitely verge on the slightly ridiculous. The skirt is a Whistles one that I bought in the sale last year and didn't ever wear. There's a closer shot of its sparkle and "fluffiness" below. The silver ribbed top from Primark doesn't come through very well in the photos. A strappy silky top would work well with this outfit - just not on me! As would sparkly trainers - if I could find any in my size :( I love a big floral midi length skirt too for an evening out. If it's chilly, wear it with a short chunky jumper for a modern take on evening wear.

Full on sparkle and ripped jeans

I've been photo bombed! Sometimes all you need is jeans, a pair of heels and a sparkly top, especially for a trip to the pub. The jeans could be swapped for cigarette pants to make the outfit that bit smarter for a restaurant trip/house party where you're not quite sure of the dress code.

The top is H&M, the jeans are Zara and the shoes Dune. 

The bright trousers

For this look you could go with brocade trousers, or sequin trousers, instead of coloured trousers.  A black silk shirt would work well with a louder bottom half, or the lace black top from the first outfit would work with these too, or again, a strappy silk top. Whatever its style, I prefer a plainer top when wearing "shouty" bottoms. I like how the addition of a pair of heels can make an outfit party worthy - so if you're not a fan of full on sparkle/evening wear, they are a good investment to give a bit of a life to an otherwise plain outfit.

You will note the absence of any dresses. I think that it's because I don't have any midi length dresses and a shorter one would need tights and they then present shoe difficulties and anyway the 16 year old needed a lift as she was going out for the night because she has a better social life than I do and now I'm just a taxi driver.....(but I do love being a taxi driver really).

Thank you to everyone for your kind words following yesterday's post. I really appreciate you all taking time out of your busy lives to drop me a line and offer your words of wisdom.  Beth x

What the future holds for Style Guile - and flashing the ankles whilst the tan remains!

Trying to keep the ankles out whilst they are still vaguely tanned...  

Trousers and knitted jacket: Boden, Blouse: & Other Stories, Shoes: Topshop, Bag: Whistles

During our return flight home I spent some time going through all of the photos on my phone. It's amazing the story that they tell, a lot of them relating to Style Guile.

I think that it's fair to say that recently I've been grappling with where to take the blog next. During the time that I've been blogging I've been so fortunate; I've been invited to some wonderful events, met amazing people, worked with some iconic brands and received some fantastic gifts - all of which makes me feel ever so slightly guilty.

Also, there are so many fantastic bloggers out there now and I do wonder what (if anything) I add to the blogosphere. I'm not very good at planning posts in advance, or covering the sales, or trawling sites for the perfect whatever it may be. Style Guile has always been a little more instinctive - a sort of "oooh, what do I fancy writing about today?" kind of approach, rather than a structured approach - a bit of an antidote to both work and life if you like (both of which I adore, of course.)

And then I thought about why I started Style Guile in the first place and sort of came full circle. I love writing and sharing my finds and I find it fun and rewarding. None of that has changed and I'm so, so grateful to all of you who have stayed with me over the years.

So, Style Guile won't be going anywhere but I feel that it's important that it evolves to reflect interests in other areas of my life as well as fashion. We will be having our house knocked around next year and from time to time I hope to write about that, sharing the progress and interiors that we choose. (This is my very rudimentary image board!)

I am also going to (hope to?) run the London Marathon, so I would like to write about the training involved and the nutrition side of things. Exercise is a big part of my life and over the years people have asked me about my training so I hope to share details of that too. There are lots of balls that us mid 40 year olds have to juggle so it will be good to write about those balls too as well as the fashion ones of course.

And as for beauty, that's not really my thing for now but if anyone wants to let me know about any wonder creams that stop your eyes from disappearing into your head, please do let me know!

I'm looking forward to fun times ahead and I hope that you will come along for the journey. If there's anything in particular that you would like me to cover, please do let me know. Beth x

Christmas fun in the sun but it's GREAT to be back!

Top: J Crew/ Shorts: Home made Topshop cut offs/ Sandals: Aldo/ Sunglasses: Jigsaw

Call me a bit of a bah humbug, but, pleased as I am for people when they're on holiday and I'm at home in the rain, there's a part of me that finds it mildly annoying. So I will try very hard not to be one of those annoying people!

I did try to post this when we were away but the wi-fi wasn't having any of it, so this is really a bit of a catch up post. Other than the odd shorts pic, I've tried to keep it relevant to what you might be thinking of wearing in the UK or perhaps buying in the sales. The evenings were slightly colder when we were away, so it gave me a chance to wear pieces which, with a tweak, could be worn at home.

It was great to wear my Topshop denim jumpsuit again. It has become a firm favourite for travelling in as it's so comfortable. If I'm too hot I just take the top down (yes I do wear a vest underneath!) tie the arms around my waist and I'm good to go. Really I could wear it at home but I quite like to keep a few things just for the warmer weather as it's always so nice to re-visit them when the season changes.

This outfit is made up of a pair of Boden sequin joggers (limited sizes available), which I recently bought plus a Zara jumper, and Banana Republic shoes, all of which were sale purchases. The Accessorize bag was a present from a friend for my birthday. Stick me in top toe navy with a bit of sparkle and all of it being comfortable and I'm as happy as Larry. And given that our holiday was all inclusive, the elasticated waistband (oooooh, sexy) didn't go a miss either! If I swapped my shoes for a pair of silver heels, this outfit could work equally well on New Year's Eve.

Here's another warm weather favourite - a Hush dress. It's probably not quite warm enough to wear this at home right now but I did wear it at the back end of the summer with pale grey suede Jigsaw ankle boots and a little knitted jacket, which put a nice spin on it.

This playsuit outfit is obviously one that is too chilly to wear just now but I've included it because I bought it in the Baukjen sale just after Christmas last year. Again, being all in one, it's one of those uber comfortable pieces which I can wear in the day, or dressed up a little for the evening.

And here's an outfit that no-one would ever want to be seen in - summer or winter, day or night, rain or shine. But when you're up a volcano and it's chilly, you just have to stick on whatever is to hand - and if that includes you son's (clean) socks with your sandals, so be it.

And moving on to a vaguely - OK so totally - ridiculous outfit. Here's another gem!  

 It was fantastic to be away but it's amazing to be home too, catching up with friends, getting back to my running and we had our own Christmas Day number two this afternoon which was fab.

I hope that you have all had a wonderful time and that you have plenty more exciting things lined up between now and the New Year. It's good to be back with you all. Beth x