BLOGGER. MAKEUP JUNKIE. FASHION FREAK.
Hello, my name is Yolanda. I am a mother of four, grandmother of five, and a full-time legal secretary. I am also a recovering DVT and stroke patient who loves to travel, attend dinner dances, follow fashion trends, watch makeup tutorials, take photographs, and write. Recently, I have become a YouTube makeup enthusiast and have reignited my passion for chic fashion. I am currently soaking up all I can learn about the power of accessories.
Two years into attending the gym five days a week and having lost a considerable amount of weight, on March 15, 2013, a clot was discovered in my right leg. I had difficulty breathing, and the swelling and agonizing pain made it difficult to walk. The ultrasound revealed that the embolism had moved and was traveling to my heart. Joy France, the poet in the Nationwide Building Society advert, and her poem about her Nan's loyalty brought back instant memories of how my mother would end every sentence with "if God spares my life" whenever she was making plans into the future. Finally, it all made sense to me. Mum never took life for granted as no one knows if tomorrow will ever come.
Daily stressful and disheartening attendances to the Medical Day Unit soon took its toll. One morning, after dreaming about mum the night before, I knew that I had to snap out of it. Zig Ziglar once wrote, "A negative thinker sees a difficulty in every opportunity. A positive thinker sees an opportunity in every difficulty." So with my fresh dogged attitude, I seized the first two weeks of being at home with my foot elevated to write my first novel. It didn't matter whether it was any good; I was merely determined to start something and see it through to the end.
Since the age of five, I have loved writing. One story for me consisted of many exercise books glued together and lovingly covered in Dad's off-cuts of wallpaper so that they stood out from everyone else. Completing my novel was a transformative experience that helped me grow as a person. It gave me a newfound respect for writers, bloggers, YouTubers, and other content creators who consistently generate engaging content for their followers. As someone who spent most of my life caring for my family, I was eager to unleash my creative side and embark on a new journey of self-discovery.
At 55 years old, I decided to reinvent myself post-D.V.T. and a stroke I began prepping for formal dinner dance events, creating travel vlogs, and sourcing fashionable clothing and shoes to accommodate my swollen right foot. I even started experimenting with audacious makeup looks with the help of my favourite YouTube gurus. I set up this website to inspire and be inspired on this mature right of passage with you. I share snapshots of my social life on Instagram and other eventful moments of my life.
In June 2020, I embarked on a health journey that involved no negativity, no dieting, and no weighing myself. At the time, I walked with a limp. Fast forward two years and nine months, and with your support, I have dropped six dress sizes and graduated from walking with a limp to jogging three times a week!
As I approach my 61st birthday, I am grateful for the transformation that sharing my blogs and weight-loss compare photos with you has brought to my life. We have shared self-care, travel, mental wellbeing, food, shoes, fashion for my ever-changing body, make-up and so much more.
For those new to my journey, I hope you've enjoyed learning a little bit about me. And for my lifetime followers, thank you for keeping me on the right track and helping me maintain my consistency.
Yolanda x
