Next up in my ladies doing it their way series is the beautiful Annmarie of fashionmumof40. I love Annmarie’s classic, simple, chic style. She is very much of the mind set of quality over quantity and within her fabulous blog shares pieces that stand the test of time. Classics that you will go back to over and over as they are key pieces in your capsule wardrobe. She always shares the most beautiful white dresses and pretty white blouses and advice’s us to keep it simple.
Tell me a bit about yourself
I am a 46 year old, married mum of 2 … Liverpool born & bred and now living just north of the city in sunny Southport. We also have a very handsome black lab called Seb. I didn’t meet my husband, Jamie until my mid thirties and I think we both thought finding ‘the one’ had passed us by … thankfully we were meant to be, 12 years, two kids and one dog later. My career has been varied to say the least, starting in banking after my A-levels and then I became an air hostess.
My love of fashion developed at a very early age and definitely came from my mum. She was shoe mad and always looked her best (still is and does may I add at 78!) Then, when I worked on the airlines I was inspired by the European passengers especially the French and Italian. I noticed how simply they dressed and how chic they looked. Today, my inspiration comes from Instagram and yes you guessed it my favourites are mostly French, Clara The Working Girl is an all-time favourite. I also still love fashion blogs … A Style Album and Little Spree are must reads and I adore Sheerluxe, an online magazine. I find lots of inspiration there in their content and what the Sheerluxe girls actually wear… absolutely love Georgie and Lou Hough’s style.
I started and grew my account when Instagram was relatively new, before all the algorithms … so,I was lucky there. Instagram for me was used primarily to promote my blog and still is really. My tips for growing your account are; to engage with similar accounts, comment, like their posts and then use the all important hashtags, but don’t use too many. I have never asked for a repost, a ‘shout out’ or help with a competition I am running. I have just done it the hard way and it takes time and often luck! The luck came from having some good press over the years. I have been featured in Hello Magazine and Who Wore What and I was very flattered to be asked to take over The White Company’s Instagram for a weekend, which all increased my numbers. These days, Instagram stories is huge for engagement and increasing your followers. I must admit I personally have difficulty with stories I find them very cringe to do. The PR wheel has now taken a firm grip on Instagram, making it especially hard for bloggers not based in or near to London to get opportunities as sadly mostly everything happens in London and there relationships and contacts are made. However, I would say just continue to engage and have fun, because brands now look at our engagement (how many likes and comments you get) rather than actual followers. A smaller account with a higher engagement level can win collaborations over bigger accounts were engagement is low because their readers don’t ‘do’ Instagram anymore or have lost their original accounts. So, don’t fret over getting to the next 10k! Sometimes you favour of the month…. sometimes your not.
I try to buy less, but better these days. I love French brands such as Ba&sh, Sandro, Maje and Sezane … I adore Sezane in fact. I like the fact that not everybody will have it. Of course, I am partial to a little cheeky Zara, H&M or Topshop purchase.
Oh my morning routine is nothing indulgent here Shelley. It’s normally a whirlwind of chaos! We get up at 6.40 and have to be out the house at 7.35 for the children to catch their school bus. So it’s wash, get dressed (normally into my gym kit) and then get the kids sorted. I then return home at 7.50 put the kettle on, catch my breath and have my breakfast in peace. Monday’s, Wednesdays and Friday I will go to the gym the other two mornings I get a lot of my blog admin done between 8-10 am I find that a very productive time for me!
I haven’t changed anything in the last 5 years that I can say has improved my life. Other than being brave 6 years ago and starting my little blog which grew and has given me the flexibility to work from home, enabling me to be there for my children and never missing those important school events!
My son’s school advised a book called ‘You are Awesome” by Matthew Syed, WOW my son loved it and he certainly felt empowered by it. I did too when he read out loud too me. It’s perfect for all children, especially children approaching important exams like the 11+ or sporting competitions they may be entering.
