Meet My Amazing Friend & See How We Styled Our Sneakers!

My sweet and incomparable friend, Cathy Williamson, from The Middle Page, recently visited my new hometown, Telluride with her family… and I was SO lucky I had the chance to spend an afternoon with her! I’ve known Cathy for years now. We’ve been to conferences together, on trips together… she is THE BEST! Read our fun Q & A below. We also both wore outfits with sneakers to give you some casual outfit inspiration below. Keep scrolling.

Cathy Williamson, The Middle Page

Can you imagine saying, oh that’s my grandma?? I mean how gorgeous is Cathy? And, she is 57 years old! AND… a triple-negative breast cancer survivor! Cathy’s blog is called The Middle Page. If you are not already familiar with her website, you need to go there TODAY and check it out! She shares her favorite fashion picks, outfit ideas, lifestyle highlights, and a lot of skincare favorites. Cathy is the mom of three kids, and a grandma to two sweet grandbabies.

Q & A with Cathy

I could go on and on about how amazing Cathy is, but I wanted to share a fun Q & A we did so you can all get to know her better.

Erin: Tell us about your exciting five-year cancerversary milestone!! Five years of being cancer-free! Did you feel joyful, emotional… or a mix of emotions??

Cathy: That is such a great question that no one has asked me. I was and still am so emotional about it. The whole week leading up to July 1st, I cried every time I thought about it. Even thinking about answering the question makes me tear up. I think because it is such a milestone, and I am just so extremely blessed and grateful to be here it makes it more emotional.

Erin: I’m in awe of you and your strength. I think it’s so amazing that you also guide other women by sharing your story.

Erin: What is the difference between being a grandparent and a parent?

Cathy: A grandparent gets to spoil a lot! Before I had my first grandchild, I wondered if I would be able to love him like my own child. I found out that I do, and with that comes such responsibility. I find that I let my two grandchildren get away with much more than I would have let my children… and I am a sucker for whatever they ask for!

Erin: Your grandkids are SO adorable!! I would spoil them too!

What is the hardest part about having adult children? I want to prepare myself for the years ahead 😉

Cathy: Well, they are still your children and the bigger they are, the bigger the problems are. I have always wanted to be the “fixer”, and it’s really hard to step back and let them figure it out. My daughter was recently divorced after a short marriage, and that was so hard to watch. The flipside is that they are more like friends now, and we have so much fun together!

Erin: How did you meet Buster and how long have you all been married?

Cathy: We were young and dumb and met when we were 18 during our first year in college at SMU! We just celebrated 35 years last week!

Erin: 35 years is incredible! I want to know the secret to longevity and marriage!

Erin: Where is your favorite place to travel and why?

Cathy: In the US, my favorite place is Rosemary Beach, Florida. It’s just my happy place! Abroad, it would be London. I am such an Anglophile, and I think I must have lived there in a previous life (of course I was royal!)

Erin: Need to add Rosemary Beach to my list!

Erin: Top 5 favorite fashion items at the moment?

Cathy: Jeans of any kind, Leopard (always), shine, blazers, and military.

Erin: One piece in your closet that was 100% worth the splurge!

Cathy: My IRO black leather jacket. I wear it year round!

Erin: I love mine too!

Erin: What do you think you should NOT spend money on when it comes to your wardrobe??

Cathy: Tee shirts

Erin: How do you dress differently now that you are in your 50’s? Or do you dress differently?

Cathy: The only things that I won’t wear anymore are short dresses or skirts, ripped jeans at the knee, and cropped tops (duh!).

Erin: You always look chic and modern, what is one piece of advice you have for other women who may be struggling to find their way with style in their 50’s??

Cathy: Just because you are over 50, does not mean you have to dress like a granny. Jeans, white button downs, and blazers are always chic!

Erin: You are SO funny!

Erin: Best anti-aging beauty product?

Cathy: Besides botox and fillers!!! SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic and Sunscreen

Erin: Favorite foundation?

Cathy: Cle de Peau, The Foundation

Erin: Where do you see your business going? Five-year plan?

Cathy: I think about this a lot. I’m not getting any younger, and I’m not sure that I will be doing this in five years. It’s such hard work and no one really understands that unless you do it.

Erin: Do you feel your age is an advantage or disadvantage?

Cathy: Relating to blogging it is a HUGE advantage. When I started 5 years ago, there weren’t that many over 50 bloggers, and it was such a niche. It still is, but more and more over 50 women are blogging and it is amazing!

Erin: What advice might you have for other women 50+ who might be interested in getting into this crazy business?

Cathy: Lordy! It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever done. I love and hate it at the same time. If it’s something you really want to do and you want to make it a career, be prepared to work your ass off! What I didn’t realize, was how much time is spent on the back end of things. The technical side is so hard for me. The best thing though is meeting people like Erin, and all of the other women I have met. It is a huge gift!

Please be sure to go check out Cathy’s blog here. You will be so happy you did!! I did a Q&A on her blog!

You might also like my top picks from QVC here, my favorite summer shoes here, or check 10 tips to help you look stylish in a hurry here. Don’t forget to subscribe to my exclusive newsletter.  Thank you SO much for stopping by!