Another August party night


Hello from Tom Rickman and me.

Last night was the opening night party of Tom's show at Gallery Tresco with a flurry of excitement that caught us slightly unawares. The team and I had a hectic hour or so when the rush was on, the wine was flowing as fast as Polly could pour it and sales were brisk too. The photo captures Tom and I as we chilled at the end of the night, reflecting on the healthy start of another show. See the full exhibition here.


And here are the dream team (from l to r) Max, Tash, Polly and Ruth who all worked their socks off last night, keeping the glasses coming, topping up canapes and generally rushing around behind the scenes. Thanks ladies for all of your stalwart work. Posing alongside them is the latest addition to Gallery Tresco, our "Scilly cow" created by artist Tania Holland.


My party frock for the evening was a charity shop find saving me more than £100 on the ticket price. Brand new, this dress is from Designers at Debenhams by Jenny Packham, a name I've heard of, but not bought before. 



A bargain for me, but also my money makes a difference to this local charity.


The chiffon frock is hand embellished with beads, sequins and flowers making this a very special dress indeed. I decided to add silver as my accent colour which compliments the pale blue perfectly. 




The vintage shoes came from eBay many moons ago and are just right for this outfit.


The rings and bracelet are all preloved, but the necklace is by Charlie Dodge. If it takes your fancy, then do get in touch as I was only borrowing it for the night - it's £75 on sale at Gallery Tresco.


What do you think of the back view of the dress? Pretty eh? Well, that's actually the front of the frock. I tried it on in the shop and by mistake tried the v at the front, but then noticed the label was sticking up by my cleavage. As you may know, I'm not really a cleavage type of person, but the dress when worn the right way around plus these vintage shoes made me feel a bit granny-ish. So, I snipped the label out and took the plunge, hahaha - sorry for that!


And that's another successful show opened! This is our second to last summer show which alarms me somewhat as to how quickly another summer season has come and gone. So many artists, so many paintings come and gone! The 24th of August will see the team and I front our final summer exhibition and I do hope you'll come along to see how that goes. I'll be back again before that though - drop by when you get a moment!

In the meantime, have a great week!

Anna x

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18 comments

  1. What a lovely elegant dress and what a find!! I love the embellishment on the bodice. You do so well with your finds.I have got dresses with the v at the back that work well on the front, I vary which way round depending on the occasion.
    Tessa xx

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    1. The dress is such a classic piece, but the embellishment is what makes it different enough for me to like it. I've not tried this back to front look before, but I shall be checking my wardrobe for more opportunities.

      Anna x

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  2. Such a pretty dress! Perfect for the occasion! And how great that it is a charity shop find!

    Andrea
    Andrea’s Wellness Notes

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    1. It's a sweet dress, made all the sweeter by finding it at this bargain price Andrea! Thanks for dropping by.

      Anna x

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  3. What an utterly lovely frock that is, such a delicate colour, and what a great idea to wear it backwards, creating a plunge at the front! xxx

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    1. Thanks Ann. I was surprised to find how much I like this pretty dress as pretty dresses aren't really my thing, but it's very easy to wear, earning me a few compliments too.

      Anna x

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  4. Oh, I have heard of Jenny Packham - well done, Anna! I never mind paying a bit more for a new-with-tags item to a charity shop. That is one gorgeous dress, my dear! And I giggled that you wore it backwards! Ha!

    Love the necklace, and all your beautiful accessories! Good job on another successful show, and a shout-out to all your lovely crew!

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    1. My first Jenny Packham and a rather lovely one too eh Sheila? It's value for money buying like this and a real investment too. These girls really worked their socks off this time, so yes, a big shout out to them!

      Anna x

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  5. Please take me thrift shopping...I love this dress..I want it in a size 12 please...

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    1. Hahaha, maybe I'll have to keep my eye out for the odd bargain for you when I'm trawling the rails Hilda!

      Anna x

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  6. What a magnificent dress, so elegant and cute, and fits you like a dream! (wearing backwards was a great idea!), and it's even better because it was a bargain at a charity shop! doubled fabulousness!. And I love the accessories you picked, particularly the necklace that you're showing! so cool!
    besos

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    1. The dress is a wonderful addition to my wardrobe and will surely crop up at another show next year. I was thrilled at the savings I made on this purchase too Monica!

      And guess what? I decided to buy the necklace after all! It was the perfect match for the frock, so you will see it again too!

      Have a fab week!
      Anna

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  7. I love the bold, rich, colors in Tom's art.
    I love you in this pretty, pale aqua dress that really suits your hair and complexion. I love the texture of the little fluttery flowers too!

    Aren't you clever to find the way the dress flatters you most!! This kind of creative thinking is so reinforcing when it works this well.

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    1. So many lovely compliments Jude - thank you! I had a party dress in this colour and similar style when I was a little girl so this one reminds me of the first time I discovered that clothes could make me feel special. My quest ever since has been to replicate that feeling and this dress delivered that perfectly.

      Wishing you a lovely week!
      Anna x

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  8. Wow what a bargain, lovely pretty dress in a wonderful colour. Thanks for sharing Anna. Jacqui Mummabstylish

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    1. Isn't it such a special dress Jacqui, and all the more so for being such a bargain!

      Have a super week!
      Anna x

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  9. It is indeed a great frock. Looks very grand on your size 10 body (I am a 14, so you can imagine where the envy is coming from ��).
    Today is the 25th, so all your summer shows have now ended. Somehow I don’t think you can now rest.
    Greetje

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    1. So nice of you to drop by Greetje! Glad you like the frock. And yes, the summer shows are all over and you're right, there's no resting for me. I'm currently onto my next exciting project - more about that coming up on the blog soon!

      Have a good week!
      Anna x

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