Let me introduce, Josephine.
Josephine is one of those woman who makes me feel completely and utterly calm.
Do you know that feeling?
When you sit down and start to talk with her you immediately relax and respond to her quiet and peaceful manner. Worries and cares drop away as her beautiful British accent lulls and soothes; you feel as if Josephine has been a friend forever.
Over to you, Josephine,
Josephine Lalwan, London 2016
I enjoy company especially one to one and small groups. I can be quite shy in large groups. I am creative and like to express this creativity through fashion and my surroundings. I try to be non-judgemental and embrace new ideas. I am a seeker of truth and if a subject interests me I shall dig deep. I can be anxious yet despite this I am happy to stretch myself and try new experiences. My family is the centre of my universe. I love to spend time surrounded by my husband, 2 children and 3 small grandsons. Spending time with friends also brings me great joy. I like my surroundings to be aesthetically pleasing and peaceful. I have an ironic sense of humour and definitely the ability to laugh at myself. Tell us about your day-to-day life? I am a lark not an owl and love the peace and quiet of the early morning. I am up by about 7.00am and like to potter around for an hour. I am at my most energetic in the morning when come up with my best ideas. Depending on my schedule I like to edit my photos and write a blog post before lunch. Twice a week I cycle to my Pilates class. Every Sunday morning I go for a swim. Are you the woman you imagined you would become? Definitely not. Having mild dyslexia, which I did not discover until I was in my 40s, I did not excel at school. I was expected to marry well, live in the English countryside and have 2.4 children and a labrador. Instead I have had three thrilling careers which were all connected to fashion. As a fashion PR, Image consultant, corporate coach and now as a style blogger. What are the valuable life lessons you have all figured out? If at first you do not succeed, try, try and try again, especially if you want something enough. Luckily my father told me when I was very young that there is no such word as “can’t”. I have found that miracles can take longer. What do you like most about yourself? What do you like the least? My loyalty and commitment to my friends and family. My sense of humour. My ability to keep going despite adversity. I can be a worrier and lacked confidence when I was younger. I can take on too much and put myself under stress. I am getting better with this. What do you like most about getting older? What do you like the least? As I have got older I have become more tolerant of others and more forgiving of myself. I have grown in confidence and have greater inner peace. I don’t sweat the small stuff so much. I don’t like the fact that time seems to be speeding up and there is more behind me than in front. I have to work harder at keeping my body in good working order. What’s your favourite way to dress? Do you have a signature style? I like to feel comfortable in my clothes and have become more selective in the fabrics that I choose. I like classic tailored clothes with a modern twist. Do you have a beauty secret to share? Smile as often as possible. It lifts the face and makes the eyes sparkle. Prescribed retinol at night and a SPF50 sunscreen every day helps to protect the skin. What’s on the bucket list? If you could change one thing in the past, what would you do differently? To have had more confidence in myself and my abilities in my early 20s. I would then have made different decisions. What age do you feel right now? I don’t think that I have ever defined myself by my age. I never have any problem telling people my actual age. I am proud to have reached this point in my life. Who would play you in a movie?
I close my computer at 6.00pm and spend the evening cooking and eating dinner with my husband. Then I might watch a good drama or documentary on TV.
I stick to neutrals for my basics and like to add colour near my face. Since my hair has gone a silvery grey I especially like the softer pinks, blues, greens and greys.
Visiting Japan during the cherry blossom season Spending some time in India
To see my grandchildren grow and flourish
To continue learning and to express my creativity.
I have learnt to accept the things I cannot change and age is one of them. I feel that developing the inner self is more important than being concerned with the outer.
Meg Ryan (before she had plastic surgery)
