Vronni's Style Meanderings

You know the Chinese saying/curse 'May you live in interesting times'? Well, the week of my birthday was one of those. I posted my blog a few days earlier than usual because of the Sunshine Award nominations, and on the day I posted I received a call from my second cousin in Ireland to say he had something to discuss with me. He had signed up for Ancestry DNA some months ago and had found a close match in the UK: he'd received a response and was able to tell the matchee she had a first cousin (me!) living less than 50 miles away from her. Please meet Marian and her daughter Katherine: Marian is my maternal aunt's eldest child born in 1953, out of wedlock, and adopted (the same as my brother Julian) and therefore my first cousin. She and her daughter came to see me last Friday. It was an emotional  meeting but it was so lovely to meet them both. I was able to show Marian pictures of her biological mum and of her extended family in the UK, Ireland, Chicago, Fl

I have a new icon on my blog called the 'Sunshine blogger award' for which I was nominated by Penny of  'Frugal Fashion Shopper' see  here . I must first say a very big thank you to Penny and how pleased and surprised I was at her nomination. If you go to Penny's blog, which is always a very good read, she explains the origins of the award and what is for: 'the Sunshine Blogger Award is given from bloggers to fellow bloggers who inspire creativity and positivity by bringing sunshine to the blogging community and to their readership alike. It is a way of encouraging one another as in saying ‘Hey, you are doing a great job and we can see it. Keep it up!!   Penny is in her 70s, buys a lot of her clothes from charity shops, has an amazing hat collection and writes interestingly and informatively about ageing and other issues.  She has just started a a series of You Tube videos  here of make up tutorials for older women. I am so honoured to be nominated. Tha