Winner, winner, chicken dinner…! I couldn’t resist that expression – it just about sums up the craziness of this weekend that was the UK Blog Awards.
What can I say – I’m STILL totally and utterly in shock at the fact that I was the Individual Fashion and Beauty Winner at what is probably the UK’s biggest blogging awards event (you can read more about it in last Friday’s post). I had convinced myself this year that I wasn’t going to win after being shortlisted twice before, so I went simply to have a great evening with the girls from the Over40Collective, celebrate all things about the blogging community and just be proud that I represented the over 40s in what is always a very tough category for older women.
However, not only did I win, but Midlifechic was Highly Commended: So 25% of the category was won by over 40 bloggers. That in itself is an incredible boost for the 40+ blogging community, and I’m immensely proud to be part of that.
Anyway! Today’s post is all about the outfit (I’ll discuss the event and what it was like to win in Friday’s #SaturdayShareLinkUp post) – these photos were taken during the calm before the storm so all I can say is: CHECK OUT THAT DRESS!!
There’s no getting away from it – I had to pour myself into that dress, but boy was it worth it… I won’t lie, and there’s no use being modest here, because I absolutely felt like a MILLION dollars. I can see why celebrities have such confidence on the red carpet: Put on a magnificent red carpet-worthy dress and it changes everything about the way you stand, the way you move, the way you feel. Being somewhat restricted is actually a benefit because there is no slouching, all night long. And mine wasn’t even designer, it was high street – the Abriella red dress from Coast which is currently on sale at Zalando. And also available in black, direct from Coast.
Once I knew I’d been shortlisted I knew I had to find a dress that would top last year’s fairy princess outfit – it seemed like a completely impossible task. That outfit was stunning, it was so pretty and floaty and sparkly… What do you do when you have to beat THAT?
SHOP THE LOOK:
There was only one thing for it: WEAR RED. Look at any red carpet and the dresses that stand out are usually a bright colour, and as I did neutrals last year I thought pillarbox red was just about the only option I had. And once I saw this photo of Kate Winslet in Elie Saab at the Emmys a few years ago I knew that was the look I wanted.
I won’t bore you with the details, but after much searching I found the dress from Coast and that was that – all it then needed was the right sparkly box clutch, crystal earrings and red suede heels (they didn’t have to be too high because you really couldn’t see them – comfort FTW, yay)!
I totally took inspiration from Kate’s hair that night and I’m not ashamed to admit I did a copycat hairstyle. (If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, right?) The same went for makeup: I kept it simple and saved the red lippie for another time, choosing a pinky nude colour instead, and pink nails that would contrast with the dress (where red ones wouldn’t).
I so, so want to witter on for ages here about how proud I am and how grateful I am to everyone that voted for me to get shortlisted, I want to thank my blogging BFFs for coming to the event to support Nikki and me, I want to thank my Instagram husband Keith… But that’s Friday’s post. But I have to say a quick and mahoosive THANK YOU to all my readers for all the support and congratulations… I’m still trying to catch up with all my thank yous on social media even now – I will reply, I promise!
Today was just about the outfit – I couldn’t have loved it any more if I tried. And as I did on the night, I’ll mention it now and then not again: Yes I KNOW my boobs were “out there”, and they never normally are – I loved the dress too much to reject it on account of it making me too boobilicious. To say that’s out of my comfort zone is a massive understatement, for once I simply had to OWN them. I had no other choice if I wanted to wear that dress.
But don’t get used to it, they’re going back under wraps from now on…!
And in case you’re wondering, we photographed these shots with a tripod and remote in the middle of Chelsea, just off the King’s Road. It’s a popular spot for bloggers to shoot apparently and I can see why: Beautiful trees lining a gravel drive where no one really walks (there are pavements each side so there’s no need to walk on this bit). Yes, we got a lot of stares but as I often say (HAVE to say) now as a blogger:
Stares? Who cares!
A video of the winning moment
Luckily Keith filmed the winning moment and I posted it on Facebook – once Midlifechic was read out as a highly commended I just relaxed because I thought there was NO way I’d win if she was a runner-up… you can see the look of shock on my face:
Come back Friday and read all about the event and what winning means to me…!
Link up: Do add your outfits to this week’s link up – and if you’ve added a link to here or my button to your post you may be featured next week!
I CAN’T THINK OF ANYTHING TO ASK HERE SO I’LL JUST SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT!! DO COMMENT BELOW 🙂
Dress: Coast via Zalando (on sale! also available in black) | Clutch: Amazon (US link) | Shoes (not seen!): Marks & Spencer | Earrings: Amazon (US link to very similar ones) | Bracelet: Lizzy O c/o | Fingertip rings: New Look | Lips: Maybelline Nude Flush | Nails: Revlon (similar) | Keith’s suit: Mod Clothin
OTHER RED GOWNS TO TRY:
(20% off Phase Eight with code SPRING20)
Photo credit above and below: Greetje, No Fear of Fashion
Posing with the girls from the Over40Collective, L-R: Michelle Tyler, The Barefaced Chic, The Sequinist, Me (with my award!), Midlifechic, Lady of Style. Unfortunately What Lizzy Loves couldn’t make it 🙁
You are outrageously gorgeous. I remember when you first started this blog as a side project! Many congrats and for all the haters… keep walking.
Wow, I am late to the party I know but you looked magnifique! And your hubby so dapper to compliment you! Gorgeous dress, you made the right choice letting it do the talking with regards to makeup too – so chic in every way! Congrats again, it was meant to be! Not that last year's look wasn't prefect, too, but it was meant to be that you wore the perfect dress at this moment! So amazing to see so many of the 40+ bloggers killing it and looking fabulous too! xo
You look absolutely stunning! That dress-swoon. It looks identical to the Elie Saab number. I was invited to her show in Paris and couldn't make it btw. Weep! Huge congrats, so well deserved. Love that shot of your husband looking at you with such pride like, 'This gorgeous woman is with me'! x
What can I say? I have already congratulated you in person. Coming over to cheer you two on is very rewarding when you become number two and number one. What a triumph. And how good the Over40Collective women looked. Also compared to the younger women, you were all really outstanding. And a very clever choice this red dress. You looked perfect in it. Well, you are perfect so that figures (pun intended).
Thanks for including me.
Greetje
Catherine, all I can say is About blooming time too! You're so deserving of this award that it was surely just a matter of time that you should win. I'm thrilled that our wonderful style guru, mentor and all round blogging oracle has at last been recognised. You looked every inch the Hollywood star and that dress is AMAZING!!! I loved the video – thanks for sharing that great look of surprise with us all. Congratulations and well done xxx
Anna
http://www.annasislandstyle.com
check out the dress? Is it available through some sort of lending library then or have you lost your understanding of the english language.
by the way, females over 18 are women not girls
Oh gosh Edward it must be so tough being forced to read to read all these terrible blogs when you work for the Dictionary Police… That's a really hard job, my heart goes out to you. And thank you for pointing out that we're not girls – next time we go out together I'll tell my husband "I'm going out with the women", he'll know exactly what I mean. Thank you for correcting me.
And thank you for the warm wishes of congratulations as well! You're too kind taking time out from your busy job as Chief Inspector English Language to come and visit my blog, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.
Much love to you… C U next Tuesday!! MUAH x
Catherine, you look stunning! And a huge Congratulations to you on an award very much deserved!
Shelbee
http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com
You look freaking AMAZING Catherine! The dress is absolutely divine on you. You're right about it being boobilicious lol. Congratulations!!!!!!
Suzy xxx
http://www.suzyturner.com
Congratulations on your win it was very much deserved. You look absolutely stunning in that dress.
Congrats!!!!!! Looking gorgeous!
Catherine, we are all so proud of what you have accomplished. Not only that, but you were smokin' hot in that red dress! Congratulations!! – Amy
http://stylingrannymama.com/
Waaahoooo! Congrats Catherine! You deserve it! Fabulous outfit. You and the hubby look amazing!
Paula
thatwasthenthisiswow.com
You looked like a total Oscar Winner, never mind a Fashion and Beauty Blog Award Winner! The red dress was crazy-amazing on you, and I truly didn't think that last years was 'toppable' (that glittering frothy perfection of a dress!!!!!).
I am deeply proud of you and Nikki for representing the 40+ category so strongly. The joy that you take in blogging is palpable, and this award was so well deserved and a bit overdue! xx
Hello there and congratulations. Would you please give us an update on that exercise and diet regimen that you had signed up for a few months ago? Thanks… PS you looked great!
Not surprised at all…you have one of the most well thought out, provoking blogs out here. Congrats all around!-Laurel Bledsoe littleblackdomicile.com
oh wow Laurel what a compliment!! Thank you so much! x
Fantastic !! and well deserved. You look fantastic
aww Lynn thank you so much!
Congratulations! That's amazing news! Just look at your dress. : ) xxxx
thank you Carly xx
Booblicious, delicious!!!! Yiu look ravishing and the confidence just oozes from you. I love the photo of Keith looking at you too. I'm so sorry I didn't get to see you win, but you know I was there in spirit. Once again, congratulations and thank you for being my inspiration but mostly for being my friend xxxxx Love Lizzy xxx http://www.whatlizzyloves.com
Oh Liz we did miss you but it's lovely that you put your son's birthday first, that's soooo much more important!! I *know* you were there in spirit and thank you for all your good wishes and love MUAH xxxxxx
So great to see the Over 40 Collective together bar Lizzy. THAT DRESS gorgeous! I almost can't believe its from Coast it looks proper high end and I'd happily assume it had cost lots. Congratulations on winning the award lovely, so well deserved. Lizzie xo
Lizzie thank you!!! Yes the Coast dress was amazing, I'd have happily paid full price for it but getting it for less than half price was just sweeeeeeeeeet 😉
So incredibly stunning, the pair of you!
Catherine I have to say you chose an incredible dress & the obvious quality IRL is superb but lady, your figure! Hubba Hubba
Well you know how nervous I was about getting THEM out (you know what I mean! 😉 – but as I said on the night I just gotta own it! Thank you my darling friend – your support meant the world to me, I'm just so glad we got to celebrate together!! x
This is such a great achievement, Catherine, congratulations and for many more to come. You look stunning in this dress, absolute perfection
https://lookingfabulousat50.blogspot.com.au
Oh wow Anna thanks, that means a lot! x
Feeling the love in all these comments – well done and congratulations Catherine. Your dress is stunning and again those shots wow!
P.S all you ladies look divine too. x Jacqui
http://www.mummabstylish.com
Jacqui thank you so much xx
Way to go, dearest Catherine!! What an amazing (and VERY well deserved!) honour; you must be up there on Cloud Nine even now!! And I'm going to ride along just a little on your coattails – or should I say the hem of that magnificent ruby gown! WOW! – and tell everyone who will listen, "yep…she's one of my blogger besties!!" ;D
http://www.StyleIsMyPudding.com
You ride away, Monika…!! hehe thank you so much my lovely – it's the support of readers like you that give me the boost I need to keep going! Big MUAH to you xx
Congratulations Catherine! It seems strange to say I'm proud of you, since I don't know you personally, but that's definitely how I feel! Its amazing to know that good, hard work really can pay off. You are radiant!
Heidi || Wishes & Reality
Aww Heidi that's such a sweet thing to say, thank you sooooooo much hon x
CONGRATULATIONS!! I can think of no one better to represent over 40 bloggers, Catherine. And I might add that both you and the hubs look absolutely gorgeous! Thanks so much for choosing me as one of last week's favorites!
Debbie
http://www.fashionfairydust.com
Debbie thank you – and it was my pleasure! x
Congratulations on your win! That dress is stunning
that's kind of you, thank you Charlotte xx
CONGRATULATIONS!! You are a total knock out in red and that gown is gorgeous! I am thrilled for you and your continued success. Bravo!! xo
Adrienne thank you so much!! xx
That dress is to die for and you look amazing. I'm so happy for you! You are a wonderful blogger and deserve this. Yay! Cheryl Tucker
Aww Cheryl thank you, that means a lot! C x
It's about time, right?
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! BRAVA!!!!!!!!! ENCORE!!!!!!!
Well deserved, my friend.
haha third time lucky, Anne..!! thank you MUAH xx
Huge congratulations
thank you Sandra x
A well deserved win, congratulations – you looks so stunning, a la Pretty Woman – gorgeous!! xx
Yvadney
Mums That Slay
I DID think it was a bit Pretty Woman afterwards, Yvadney – minus *that* necklace…!! Thank you hon x
Congratulations!!! You look absolutely stunning in these pictures and that dress is gorgeous!!!
xoxo,
Kellyann
http://www.thisblondesshoppingbag.com
Thank you so much Kellyann! x
Wowza you look absolutely stunning! Such a gorgeous dress! Huge congrats on the big award – very well deserved!
Sophie
x
A Story of a Girl
Sophie that's so sweet of you, thank you! x
Congratulations, it is well deserved. You look stunning!
Em thank you!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!! Such a stunning dress! You look beyond amazing!!!
I had just read your post on Friday on my phone when I saw Greetje's video on Instagram!! Your win is so exciting & so VERY well deserved!
Andrea
Andrea’s Wellness Notes
Andrea thank you so much for those kind words!! x
Congratulations, Catherine! You deserved it! You look stunning!
Tatiana
https://myfabforties.blogspot.com
thank you so much Tatiana…!!
WOW, WOW, WOW Catherine! For your very well deserved win and for choosing such a stunning gown. Truly you looked radiant. I hope you will take your time to bask in all the glory! Congratulations.
Cherie
STYLE NUDGE
http://www.stylenudge.com
Thank you sooooooo much Cherie – I certainly felt great wearing it and the winning was just the cherry on top…!! x
Congratulations Catherine. Well deserved and you were so beautiful on this momentous occasion! You are stunning in red. Every photo sings. Enjoy every minute of this honor!!!
I will, Judith – -I hope every woman over 40 sees it as a sign of encouragement that we are not invisible!! Thank you so much xx
CONGRATULATIONS again and again, dear Catherine. I felt I was with you all the time. I couldn´t believe it, and jump of joy when I new, awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
About the dress, I am still in love with the princess one, hahahha, but I must agree that this dress enhances curved body in the right places. You not only beautiful, but unstopable and powerful.
So proud !!!
Ole, ole y ole!!!
Oh wow Sacramento what lovely compliments! Thank you my darling friend!! xx
Congrats! All you ladies look fab 🙂
Nora
Nora thank you soooooo much xx
Congratulations, Catherine, what a fitting end to a three year wait, yes? 🙂 much deserved, very much deserved.
p/s that bodice, no, you in that bodice, baby!!! xoxo
aww thanks Sheela – I'm glad I won this year now rather than the other two years because all the girls were there to celebrate together…!
Wowza, wowza & triple wowza Catherine!!
I'm super ecstatic that you won since you are one of the reasons I started blogging…and it's fabulous that the over 40 crowd is making such strides!!
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Oh Jodie how lovely of you to say, that means a lot – thank you!! x
You're a knockout!! A well deserved win too, what a fantastic success story. You and the rest of the 40+ collective are quite the stylish group aren't you? Enjoy the feeling, it's not everyday you win a major blog award!! xx
Aww Sarah honey thank you so much!! And yes we scrub up okay for a bunch of 40+ and 50+ women, haha…! ;))
Okay, I teared up watching your video. I'm getting to be such a sap!! The surprise, the hope, the dreams, the sheer drama… Fantastic clip. You are a knockout in red – the perfect colour choice – and I like how you went with a muted lipstick with it. So great, Catherine. I'm glad all your friends were there offering support. Fantastic photos by Greetje too.
hehe it's a great video, isn't it Melanie – normally if you film these things you DON'T win, and you DO win if you don't film it! I'm so glad Keith managed to capture it, the clip makes me so happy and I love the girls' reactions..!!
Thank you so much sweetie xx
Congrats gal, you rock. You really deserved it!
Hurrah for the over 40s, Nicole!! 😉 Thanks hon xx
You look so amazing in this dress Catherine! Congratulations on the wonderful success of your blog – you are really fabulous!
xoxo Yvonne
http://www.funkyforty.com
Yvonne you absolute sweetheart, thanks so much!!
Congratulations! I knew it'd be a case of third time lucky for you! You look spectacular in that red dress! Thanks you so much for the feature, mwah 🙂
Emma xxx
http://www.style-splash.com
Aww Emma thank you so much – *I* certainly didn't think it would be third time lucky!! I think you can see how shocked I was in the video…!
Such a stunner in red! Congratulations!!!
OXOX
Dawn Lucy
http://fashionshouldbefun.com
Dawn Lucy thank you!! xx
Congrats! That is wonderful and you look beautiful!
Jaymie
http://www.jaymieashcraft.com
that's so kind of you, thanks Jaymie x
Congratulations on your win. You look stunning in this gorgeous red dress!
Jenny thank you!! x
Catherine, as brilliant as the pics are they don't do justice to how gorgeous you looked on the night! You were absolutely radiant.
I can't tell you how proud I am of you, all your hard work as paid off. Thank you for being an inspiration – not just as a blogger but as a friend.
Michelle xxx
http://www.thebarefacedchic.co.uk
Aww bless you MLD… We all scrubbed up well, didn't we?!! 😉
And thank you – I couldn't be prouder to have done it for all the 40+ gals out there! Here's to another 40+ winner next year! x
Congratulations on the win-you deserve it.
thank you so much Teresa…!!