after a long winter comes the first breath of spring. the days are longer, tree buds burst into blooms, and when june rolls into town, we glimpse the first blush of summer. tell me, what is not to love about this season? except for the spring of 2020 was a bit different than years gone by. there were travel restrictions, restaurants closed, hair and nail salons too. weddings were canceled, graduations postponed. life as we knew it hit the pause button. yet, our goal at Style at a Certain Age was to give you a fashion distraction, and we managed to do just that.
and i was lucky enough to have my total knee replacement surgery take place as planned on April 6th. for the next six weeks, i headed to physical therapy, worked out at home, and prioritized a quick recovery. no, my hair and nails didn’t look the best, and i struggled with a few extra lbs due to that sedentary lifestyle pre-surgery. but i was more than thrilled to have a pain-free and working knee. and life went on. the sun rose in the east and set in the west. the birds chirped, the bees hummed, and surprise, surprise, i managed to have enough toilet paper… but the best part of summer came in June when i was able to take oscar for long walks again.
april reader favorites
opens in a new windowdress up when you’re feeling down
so many of you reached out yesterday to check-in. we’re all hanging in there; that much is clear. and we’re all here for each other in the way in which a virtual community allows for. and that’s so important. united together, it’s our collective resolve and hope for days ahead that will carry us through the day. but there are days it can be a challenge to keep our spirits high. platitudes can wear thin, and there’s only so much Netflix we can actually watch. so i’ve got an idea to change things up just a little. it’s simple and totally doable: dress up when you’re feeling down. ( opens in a new windowread more…)
opens in a new windowpants | opens in a new windowsimilar pants | opens in a new windowsimilar pants 2 | opens in a new windowshoes | opens in a new windowsimilar shoes | opens in a new windowsimilar shoes 2 | opens in a new windowsweater | opens in a new windowsimilar sweater | opens in a new windowsimilar sweater 2
opens in a new windowtop 5 ways to wear white denim
over the years, i’ve spent a lot of time writing about opens in a new windowhow to wear white denim. it’s one of my favorite pieces in my closet and one with which i’m not afraid to break all the rules. yup. you guessed it: i wear white jeans year-round. guilty as charged. and if you’re a fashion rule-breaker like me, then today’s post is for you. we’re going to walk through 5 ways to wear white denim. i’ve even got an accompanying YouTube video for you, so make sure to check that out. ( opens in a new windowread more…)
opens in a new windowa lightweight blazer is a must-have spring/summer jacket
we’re well into April. hard to believe, really. and that’s an understatement. time may be going quickly for you or incredibly slow. but before getting going today, i wanted to do a quick check-in. how are you all doing? how are your spirits? how are you staying busy? have you exhausted Netflix shows yet? there are so many unintended consequences over the past six weeks; it’s impossible to gauge the true fallout. but we still have to be here for each other. we still have to continue to lift each other’s spirits. as always, the entire crew over here at style at a certain age remain committed to bringing you a daily fashion distraction. but do let us know how you are in the comments below. ( opens in a new windowread more…)
opens in a new windowsimilar denim | opens in a new windowsimilar shirt | opens in a new windowsimilar blazer | opens in a new window similar espadrilles | opens in a new window similar handbag
may reader favorites
opens in a new windowmy skincare routine for mature skin
the past few weeks have been a doozy, to say the least. stress has crept into our lives whether we want it or not. there may be many things out of our control these days. but today, let’s focus on what we can control. one way i like to de-stress is by pampering myself. self-care is so important, and it doesn’t have to take up hours of your time. it’s good for us to put some effort into our skincare, and with all that extra time at home, now’s as good a time as any to focus on a core routine. so here’s my skincare routine for mature skin. ( opens in a new windowread more…)
daytime
opens in a new windowColleen Rothschild Cleansing Balm | opens in a new windowFresh Rose Hydrating Toner | opens in a new windowNeal’s Yard Remedies Lift Serum | opens in a new windowSulwahsoo Eye Cream | opens in a new windowFresh Rose Moisturizer | opens in a new windowLa Roche Posay Sunscreen | opens in a new windowBiossance Renewal Mask | opens in a new windowMalin+Goetz Clay Mask
nighttime
opens in a new windowBiossance Cleansing Oil | opens in a new windowNeutrogena Cleansing Wipes | opens in a new windowFresh Toner | Retinol A Serum | opens in a new windowBiossance Vitamin C | opens in a new windowNeal’s Yard Remedies Frankincense Lift Moisturizer | opens in a new windowRe Vive Glycolic Renewal Peel | opens in a new windowMalin+Goetz Glycolic Pads | opens in a new windowFresh Rose Deep Hydration Sleeping Mask
opens in a new windowa day in the life | a tour of my remodeled porch
last week, on fridays with oscar, i gave you opens in a new windowa view of my remodeled porch. we received so many requests for a more in-depth look, so today, i’m giving you a tour of my remodeled porch. as my regulars will know, my house has been an ongoing work in progress. we started slowly, and each year, try to take on one or two refresh projects. my porch is the first room i put together when mr. style and i moved to Athens four years ago. it’s a place where the family always gathers for long summer evenings and even longer conversations. so enjoy a fresh OOTD and a look at my take on a southern porch. and be sure to let me know what you think in the comments below. ( opens in a new windowread more…)
opens in a new windowfaux fiddlehead fern | opens in a new windowdining chairs | opens in a new windowchair cushions | opens in a new windowsweater | opens in a new windowsimilar sweater | opens in a new windowsimilar sweater 2 | opens in a new windowshorts | opens in a new windowsandals
opens in a new windowwalking with a spring in my step | life update
oh, happy day! not only are my gorgeous Nikko blue hydrangeas blooming (my favorite flower after peonies), but i thought i’d share today how i’m dealing with my knee surgery. yesterday, i had my six-week post-surgery check-up, and i’ve been discharged from physical therapy. everything is A-Okay with my new plastic knee. but now the real work begins. it’s time to hit the gym, ramp up my walks, hop on my Peloton, and get the recommended 10,000 steps in. what’s my plan? a ten-day detox for starters (i’ve turned to these many times through the years for a reboot) to cleanse my system from the effects of surgery and anesthesia. both trigger the release of stress hormones that activate inflammatory responses in the immune system. inflammation worsens many diseases, including heart disease, cancer, dementia, and can even trigger type 2 diabetes. surgery undoubtedly causes pain, stress, and anxiety, but couple that with anesthesia and low body temperatures during surgery, and you get an immune system that’s been rattled in a BIG way. but i’m thankful for modern medicine and my new bionic knee.
jumpsuit (similar opens in a new window here and opens in a new windowhere) | handbag (similar opens in a new windowhere and opens in a new window here) | c/o opens in a new windowsandals
june favorites
opens in a new windowwhy i love summer dresses | a glance at my near haircut
i took the plunge and got a new haircut! but before we get into that, it’s why i love summer dresses this week on the blog. on Monday, we featured a opens in a new windowmaxi dress and yesterday a opens in a new windowshirtdress. with so many different types of dresses and prints, it’ll be impossible to get through them all. but i think you’re going to love today’s OOTD: we’re giving you a glance at my new haircut and a shift dress for summertime. [ opens in a new windowread more…]
opens in a new windowfloral shift dress | opens in a new windowsuede sandals | opens in a new windowcrossbody bag | opens in a new windowwicker bag | opens in a new windowwicker bag 2 | opens in a new windowbangles
opens in a new windowhow to wear denim this summer
my regulars know that when summer rolls around, i don’t necessarily wear jeans as much as i would the rest of the year. but that doesn’t mean i won’t wear denim this time of year. there are so many good options, some of which i talked about recently in my latest opens in a new windowYouTube video. i wanted to deep dive a bit more on that topic, so today, we’re talking how to wear denim this summer. i’ve got 4 denim items that every woman should have in their closet. [ opens in a new windowread more…]
opens in a new windowhow to stay organized a look at my kitchen
happy Monday, ladies! as my regular readers will know, home design and decor is one of my favorite things. a key component to this that often feels like a chore is organization. to me, organization comes before decorating because having a well-organized home is the foundation of home design and decor. it provides the blank canvas that makes home decorating such a pleasurable experience. we’re starting a new series this week: how to stay organized. today, we’re doing a deep-dive into my kitchen. [ opens in a new windowread more…]
opens in a new windowgirlfriend chinos | opens in a new windowtop | opens in a new windowbelt
can you believe all that’s transpired this year?! and we’ve only made it to june with our retrospective posts. looking back at photos always conjures memories of good or bad. what a treat to visit the hair and nail salons. boy did that feel good! self-care is so important, especially when under stress. so i hope you are giving yourself some well-deserved TLC. tomorrow we’ll tackle july, august, and september.
Thanks for your blog. I really enjoy reading it. I like your hair shorter.
i so appreciate you being here. xo
Hi Beth I really like the combination of your suede jacket and blue shirt and white jeans.
definitely a favorite ootd of mine! glad you liked it.
It is very hard to pick an outfit
all of them are gorgeous.
A little down but when I see your post
I go back to normal again.
Love the navy blazer with those pretty buttons.!!
we all struggle with normalcy these days. but we’ll keep taking one step forward a day at a time.
Well this is optimistic…..we are only 8 days into Winter with 2.5 months of SNOW to come and you are looking at Spring.
I used to be able to see what other readers posted as Comments….those do not show at all now….where did they go?
the comments are at the bottom of the post. just keep scrolling.