There are two things which make me feel good style-wise. A good haircut and being slim.

The first is easy. Penny, a Vidal Sassoon trained hairdresser, comes from the city over to Cowal every 6 to 8 weeks to her customers here. She is very skilled and manages to cut my very fine mousy hair into a quite bold shape I am very happy with. She is coming soon. Hurrah! Have you found a good hairdresser?

The second is rather harder, but makes a huge difference about how I look and feel. Every single thing I have looks better on me when I am leaner than I am right now.

I have been fortunate that being overweight has not been a big issue for me, but at just 5 feet tall (nearly) a few pounds makes a lot of difference and I want to lose about 5lbs. I gain and lose these few pounds repeatedly, but just now the extra pounds are proving very hard to shift. (Comfort eating! Though it is not at all comfortable to feel fat in my clothes...)

Is anyone willing to join me in trying to lose a few pounds over 30 days?

I like 30 day challenges and this is quite a modest target is it not?

This little box of chocolates keeps calling me, but I am saving them for my dinner guests on Friday....

PS  I had just written this when I cam across the news of recent research showing that being overweight 'ages the brain'. Another incentive!

I've not posted anything in this category for a long time. (There are lots of posts in August 2014 - see sidebar.)

That may be because since the last time I sorted out my wardrobe I've been very happy with it and needed to buy very little but the odd replacement T-shirt.

However circumstances change and as I have an eye condition that means I can no longer drive and find myself using public transport more often, I am having to re-learn travelling light. (There was a time when I could go away for a weekend with a change of underwear and a toothbrush!)

I found this beautiful Danish backpack in a new shop in Great Western Road in Glasgow called Hoos.

I often put it off longer than I should, but the first of August seemed like a good day to cut back some perennials which were looking rather sad, to encourage fresh new foliage (and maybe a few more flowers).

So the veronicastrum with its yellowing leaves was ruthlessly cut to about 4 inches. Tomorrow I plan to weed and aereate the soil around it and give it a good soak and a liquid feed.

I didn't realise just how much the yellow gate is leaning - better catch it before it falls over into the road!

I was equally ruthless with the pots on the steps. See here how straggly they were.

Fingers crossed for more flowers....

Are you being ruthless with anything right now?

It can feel wrong and yet right at the same time I find, but just being decisive is rather satisfying!

A corner of the cutting patch.