My new Adidas trouser suit

Hi there! Yes, it's a rather shocking headline from the woman whose 12 month shopping ban isn't over yet, but hang on, this was hubby's birthday present to me last week. Of course, I did give him lots of guidance. No matter, it's beautiful, don't you think?

Best of all, this two piece by Adidas is still on sale on ASOS now - see here. I have a thing about trouser suits and am always on the look out for another to add to my collection. This salmon pink corduroy number caught my eye when I was searching for Christmas presents and I earmarked it mentally for my birthday. I was delighted to find it had been reduced in the sale when I went back to search for it.

The high waisted trousers are great fit for my figure and best of all the fabric has stretch in it too. I couldn't wait to get out in this lovely weather to showcase it. This is me on the ramparts of Blockhouse Castle, but the view down to the beach below looked pretty inviting too...

The jacket is quite boxy, slightly masculine and for me that needed a bit of softening with either frills or lace. I opted for this lace top from Zara with a vest underneath for warmth. 

That's the problem when you set up your camera and tripod on your own. No-one to zoom in or out ...

Suffice to say I was still having fun!

Silver rings and leather belt are all second hand.

I like the ribbon stripes down the side of the trousers. My leather boots by Besson were from TK Maxx (a Christmas present from Steve).

It was glorious on the beach here. So much so, that I went straight home and put my swimsuit on so that I could swim here in the afternoon sunshine. This was on Monday when I think the snow was falling on mainland UK. 

I swam from Cook's Porth to Cradle Porth and back again. See a wee video from the other beach on my Instagram feed here.

My latest project is some sewing (at last). I'm trying to make new covers for my sofa and armchairs, but it's a challenge to say the least. However, you know me, I do like a challenge! In due course I hope to be able to show you the fruits of my labour. In the meantime, I wish you a super weekend.

                                                                                         Anna x

Jeans and biker jacket with Furla handbag

Hello again! I've been sooooo blooming busy since my last post, but here I am with all my news. I normally post a feature on Fridays, but that was Sasha's birthday meaning my day was filled with baking and doing the prep for her birthday tea. A lock-down birthday is a bit rubbish isn't it, but I suppose many of you will have had one of those by this stage. We seem to have overcompensated by having three days of special family meals and it really has been great fun for us all. (Death by feeding, is what my husband is calling it actually!) Friday's tea was an old fashioned birthday party with sausage rolls, bacon frazzles, cheese scones, salads, cold meats and cheeses followed by millionaire's shortbread and a magnificent birthday cake created by her cousin Zoe of Bryher Bake Box. 

Sasha is 32 now and like most mother's I'm amazed at how the time has flown past since those baby days. I loved being a stay-at-home mum, never missing the world of work or the social aspect thereof. 

Seen here with her cousin David who is only 8 weeks older than her, Sasha loved being the big sister to Jamie.

Sash was dog mad from the start, in fact her very first words were "a dog, a dog, a dog!" as her father's gun dogs appeared in front of our window. Sasha is training her own spaniel, Brigg, now - you can follow his progress on her Instagram page here. 

And so, on to the OOTD, this blue biker jacket and dotty jeans. Like lots of others on lock-down I'm wearing casual clothes most of the time. These jeans by Cosmic Jeans were a charity shop find in 2018 but I've not worn them often. Hipster jeans don't flatter my hourglass shape very well as they seem to accentuate my rounded tummy. Pairing them with my bright blue biker jacket maybe wasn't the best move either as the two barely met in the middle :(  The polo neck sweater is rather ancient as is the leather belt - both are by H&M. My black and white sunglasses are from Quay Australia.

The cute little jelly bag by Furla has been a joyful discovery of late. I seem to have spells where I have a bag of the moment and then they get stored away for months on end. I have the  bigger version of this in yellow and the small one fits inside it meaning I do forget about it in that out if sight, out of mind way. The rings are both pre-loved.

The white leather boots were a Christmas present from Steve. The brand is Besson and they came from TK Maxx. I had a similar pair of white boots (see here), but they fell apart in the autumn, after only a year of wear. I've loved how my shopping desires have been brought into sharp focus since I gave up retail therapy. My wish-lists for both Christmas and birthday (soon) were, and are, so specific and therefore satisfying to receive that their worth seems so much more than ever before. I've found I don't need to browse eBay or retail sites searching for... and that's just it - what are we all looking for? Happiness? Fulfillment? A need to simply have something new? The psychology of shopping is a complex one that's for sure. As I was putting my wish-lists together I discovered that the enormity of choices swamped me if I didn't have an exact thing in mind and it all started to feel rather pointless. As the end of my shopping ban looms large, I find myself wondering what I'll do when it comes.

Thanks for dropping by again. I'll be back later on this week and also on Sunday with my birthday post. Monday the 25th will be our Style Not Age challenge so there's lots to come this week!

                                                                                             Anna x