Spotlight on ……. Debbie from thisweekihavemostlybeenloving

Hello Lovelies, 

This week, it is my great pleasure to introduce you all to Debbie who’s blog,  thisweekihavemostlybeenloving is a great mix of high end treats, budget friendly buys and a really interesting insight in to the world of being a guest house owner.

A lover of Gin, 1 5th of the Twitter diet gang (!!) and a girl after my own heart, Debbie is funny and just down right awesome. I’m sure she won’t mind me mentioning that at 46, she certainly bucks the trend of  ‘young girls’ blogging but as she writes with humour and maturity…. it’s very refreshing so I whole heartedly recommend you check her blog and Twitter out, even if it just to laugh at the gin soaked rants about guests! 


Without further ado, welcome to Debbie….



Q : Tell us a little bit about your blog(s) and why you started it /them 

I started with the photo blog, mainly as a way of sharing my photos with family & friends.  I had been reading nail blogs for years, was interested in beauty and every week on  a Monday I’d email my friends about the beauty stuff I had bought at the weekend and what worked and what didn’t.  My friends used to email me and ask for advice on skin care, or make-up and I decided that actually a blog would be a good way of putting all that information in one place for them to use as they wanted.

Q : What is your favourite part of blogging?

The social aspect, I have got to know so many people as a result of blogging, it’s a really friendly, supportive community and everyone brings something different to their blog, no two are alike, which means there is a place for every blog and every blogger.

Q : What is your least favourite part?

Times like now when I have loads I want to blog about and don’t have the time to do it, I never want it to feel like a chore.

Q : If you could go back to the time you started your blog, what would you do differently?

I wouldn’t change anything to be honest, my blog has evolved over the last two years and I think that’s what makes my blog mine.  The photo blog still exists.  The beauty blogged started out primarily focused on nails, then I got braver and included face photos (sorry about that!) and then in the last few months the emphasis has been taken off of beauty and its just a place where I write stuff about life as a 46 year old mother of two who wants to look the best she can whilst dealing with real life!

Q : What advice could you give to new bloggers just starting their blogging adventure?

Go for it.  Write as you speak, swears and all – if you try and write in a particular “voice” that’s not actually your natural way of speaking your blog wont read well.  The blogs I love most read like you were having a chat with a friend, and much like when  you are chatting to a friend and she says something interesting and you are rushing to reply, a blog post written in that way will elicit loads of comments, which is always reassuring!  Read & comment on other blogs; whenever someone new pops up with a comment on mine I always have a look at who they are and what they are blogging about and very often follow them.  Don’t blog for followers, blog for  you.  And seriously if you don’t know the difference between there, their and they’re please, please, please look it up!

Q : What’s your shopping style – Budgeted, splurge or frugal? Do you ever shop solely with your blog in mind?

It tends to be budgeted with occasional flurries of splurge, interspersed with some light frugal now and then.  I’d be all about the splurge if I didn’t have a joint bank account!  OH has been known to stand in a crowded shopping centre saying “Sixteen pounds! Sixteen pounds, you paid sixteen pounds for shampoo?” frankly if I had £40 and the shampoo would make my hair like silk I’d happily spend it, he’d rather I used something for a quid from Asda!  I never shop solely for the blog, but when I have got my hands on blogging gold I can’t wait to blog it. Oh, add another thing to my “dislike about blogging list”  – having to take photos of everything in pristine condition! I am always desperate to stick my fingers into things!

Q : What are your favourite brands and why?

Currently I am loving Dr Nick Lowe The Secret is Out range of skin care.  I am 46 and so far the wrinkles aren’t too awful – being erm, well upholstered, is great for that – the chub pushes the wrinkles back out again! But I am aware that skin my age needs more than just moisture and a pleasant fragrance.  This range is reasonably priced – its all under £30 but it has the active ingredients mature skins need and that would usually cost a lot more.  I love Avene for times when it all goes pear shaped, nothing calms my skin more quickly and effectively.  I am a complete butterfly when it comes to make up everything from Sleek to Chanel in my make up bag, although if I could only buy one make of eye shadow for the rest of my life it would be Urban Decay, no contest.  And finally my HG foundation that I only found earlier this year is Elizabeth Arden Double Wear Light, this has transformed how I look to be quite honest and I urge everyone to at least get a sample and try it once.

Q : Do you take inspiration from the media or do you go it alone and rock your own style?

Style. Hmm interesting concept!  I am not aware of having any particular style and at 46 if I was still taking inspiration from the media I’d be Liz Jones, which is too awful to contemplate.  I do what I know works for me, with perhaps a tweak here and there to stop it getting stuck in a rut, that applies for clothes and make up.  

Q : What would you say your ‘signature look’ is, whether that’s make up or fashion?

Signature look –harried, middle aged.  Is that a signature look? Maybe not.  I try to look well put together, classy, elegant and as if I know what I am doing.  Attention to detail is important to me; hair and nails are always done and it takes me an hour and 15 minutes exactly each morning to get myself to a point where I am prepared to be seen in public!

Right… now on to the more interesting questions – The personal ones. These are the ones I always wonder about bloggers!

Q : How old are you?  

 A mere 46.  I may have mentioned that already! 

Q : What do you do? Student? Work? Profession?

I run our eight bedroom guest house with my husband, do the admin for his cleaning business, work “full time” on a freelance basis selling advertising for an agricultural machinery magazine and manage their used machinery marketplace website as well as earning some money taking photos of people. Basically I work seven days a week, for about 48 weeks a year.  In my spare time I dream of retirement, or death, death would be a rest too.

Q : What do you like to do when you aren’t blogging?

Sleep.  Only joking! I love reading and always have a book on the go but my main passion is photography, I would be tempted to try and make my living from it but I love it so much would hate to ever turn it into a drudge because I had to do it.

Q : What kind of music do you like?

It’s eclectic and ranges from Mahler to Minaj.  I have a 19 year old daughter and I like a lot of the music she listens to and so it ends up on my phone, especially for the gym – Mahler isn’t much cop on the cross trainer!

Q : Happy to be seen bare faced or do you always wear make up?

Holy cow, no! Not a chance. Full face forever.

Q : What do you love most about beauty and fashion?
 That it can make someone who looks quite average feel they look a million dollars.  I speak from personal experience.  Without it I feel invisible.  Wearing make up makes me feel very much more confident.  

Q : What do you hate most about beauty and fashion?
The pressure for us all to look the same.  What makes us beautiful is our uniqueness.  Confidence is the most attractive attribute any one can have; walk tall, hold your head high and look the world in the eye.  

And finally… the biggy…..

Q : If you had to invest in 1 designer piece… money no object…. would it be a pair of shoes, a handbag or a dress? I want to see pictures!!

A good bag lasts a lifetime and fits even on a fat day, so definitely a bag.  Right now probably the Hermes Birkin in cobalt blue

 although I suspect that my sensible head would kick in and I’d buy it in a much more timeless colour! (Although frankly I’d much rather buy a Canon EOS 1D  X for £5,000 than anything else!)

**Katie**  Debbie… i’d gladly swap my 1Ds for Cobalt Birkin… do you think the brand does swapsies? Must go ask!

Well I hope you have all enjoyed learning more about Debbie. Pop on over to visit her blog and show her some love.