December is for Dressing Up, our Style Not Age challenge this month

Hurrah and Happy Christmas to us all! I do hope you're having a wonderful time. Our challenge this month has a festive theme and was chosen by Gail. I'm not averse to a bit of dressing up as you may know and so it wasn't a terrrible hardship to push the boat out for this most special of posts. Let's see how the others fared and come back to mine later...

Gail has totally embraced her prompt by pairing lime green sequins with a gold faux leather skirt to glamorous effect! Catch up with her on Is This Mutton blog for the full story.

This is Hilda's Christmas Day outfit which looks not only fabulous but also comfortable too which is very clever bit of Dressing Up. Read her backstory on Over the Hilda blog.

Gold satin and red wide legged trousers are another successful festive take on December Dressing up from Jacqui.  See more from her on Mummabstylish blog.

Pink, silver, glitter and sequins - Emma's brought it all in her Christmas outfit, even a bottle of bubbly! Find out what she'll be getting up to today on her blog Style Splash.

My trouser suit is a Christmas present from my son (under my instructions obviously) and is by Lavish Alice, a brand I've not come across previously. Its silver and gold pattern screams out festive dressing and I hope to find an excuse to wear it soon. 

I've teamed the suit up with a silver and white sequinned top which is very ancient and was a charity shop find. Sparkly rings are also pre-loved and the silver chain necklace was a Vinted purchase recently. I'm wearing classic black sunglasses by Radley London and must admit I felt red carpet ready in this glitzy lot!

I took myself off the Tresco Abbey Garden for this photo opportunity and think it makes for a lovely backdrop to the silver outfit.  My leather boots are old, from TK Maxx and are utterly fabulous don't you think - the brand is Buffalo.

And just in case you're wondering, I didn't traipse the mile from my home to the Garden dressed like this. I made use of the large loos on site to act as a changing room as no-one was around on the quiet Sunday afternoon. It was a two-for-one day as I captured last week's ensemble and this one at the same time.

And that rounds up another year of our Style Not Age challenge. Thank you so much for joining me and my blogging friends and I do hope you've been inspired to maybe try out something you've seen with us.

Wishing you a very Happy Christmas!

Anna x

That Friday feeling!

Hellooooooo! How are you? I'm pleased to say that I'm very well, thank you. This is my Friday outfit, a bright pop of pink which is a wonderful dose of of colour therapy. As November draws to a close, I feel the darkness of the winter months continue to unfold in front of me and know that I still have quite a battle to wage as I fight off the winter blues. My best armour for this battle has to be joyful clothes in vibrant colours, hence this lovely ensemble.

I'm delighted to find these fuschia separates are such a good match; it's the first time I've put them together. I love the different textures of them too; the fine pleats of the chiffon skirt are the perfect ploy for the fluffy winter sweater. This is the first time I've worn this skirt - it's by Sabrina Diamanti, an Italian brand, and was a charity shop purchase from long ago. The sweater was from Enjoy Clothing in Truro.

The white lace top has a very prim Edwardian look to it and reminds me of the kind of fashion that Princess Diana wore. I bought it from Zara last summer and it's been a great addition to my wardrobe.  And talking about Diana, are you watching the new series of The Crown? I'm trying very hard to spin it out and make it last. Riveting viewing as always, but more than ever I find the reality of it so very sad.

I've mixed preloved and new with my jewellery: the rings are both thrift pieces and the Tree of Life pendant was from a small boutique in Truro. 

The black and silver geometric tights were another charity shop scoop, paired with these silver leather ankle boots by Buffalo London, bought from TK Maxx. Once again, nothing is new, but that doesn't detract from the pleasure of the outfit.

So as I head off for home, I'd just like to remind you that the last Monday of the month is time for our Style Not Age challenge. "A touch of sparkle" was chosen by me, so no surprises there then. I do hope that you'll be able to swing by to see the fabulous outfits that very much serve as a warm up to Christmas.

Hope to see you all on Monday!

Anna x

Dress up Friday, again

Happy Friday!

Hello my lovely readers and thank you for coming back. As promised, here's my second offering of Dress Up Friday. I'll be honest with you - it's great to have the chance to dress up again. After 4 weeks on furlough, I'm chomping at the bit to put on my finery and this is the best reason I could find. The trend is gathering momentum on Instagram for this feature, so why not check it out when you get a minute.

I'm missing the routine of work. The daily dressing up is always a joy, rarely a headache for me. I like nothing better than to rummage around in my colourful clothes collection finding the pieces that reflect my mood of the day: sometimes playful, sometimes arty or bohemian, others I'll strive for a sleek professional look with a quirky touch making it all mine, but never is it a chore. 

The flower strewn top and silver ankle boots are from TK Maxx, but aren't recent purchases. Delving deep into my closet revealed this fabulous pleated skirt (from Tu at Sainsbury's and also old) that has pale golden tones that shimmer to silver depending on the light. The waistband is elasticated making for an easy to wear fit. 

The leather boots are by Buffalo and cost me £50 a couple of years ago. I still love them as much as ever, probably because they defy the expectations of what a woman ought to wear when she's classed as "older". I do wonder if the rebel in me will eventually fade away or if it's just part of my character.

This fluffy feathered handbag is almost vintage by now. I bought it in a boutique on Ghandy Street in Exeter many moons ago. I only bring it out every couple of years and yet it gets me lots of compliments whenever I do. The handles are suede, the lining is satin and has a popper to close it. If I were a handbag, then this would be it - totally over-the-top and attention seeking! The rings are both pre-loved. The rose gold knot bangle is by Kate Spade and the other one I bought at the Barbican Centre a couple of years ago.

Radley sunglasses.

Today's outfit surely has twirl appeal!

I'm happy to say that my focus has been better this week meaning that I've managed to get lots done on the spring cleaning front. I've finished the entire upstairs of the house and am now based in the kitchen. I bit the bullet, attacking the oven first of all. I couldn't bear to show you how bad (filthy) it was with baked on grease on the racks and glass door making it a two day marathon clean. I don't like those heavy chemical cleaners that tell you not to get it on your skin and have lots of fresh air so that you don't inhale the fumes - yuk! 

First of all I soaked as much as I could in the bath for two days (racks, side bars and glass facing), refreshing the water every 12 hours. I used Biotex as my pre-soak. Yes, I know it's meant for clothes, but it  also works like a dream on this most tricky of jobs. After soaking, it really didn't need too much elbow grease to bring them back like new. I dread to think how long it's been since I cleaned my oven, but I would like to try to make it a weekly habit now. The only problem will be when I return to work and become that crazy over-run creature again. Will I be able to sustain that routine? The alternative is not to allow anyone to use the oven ever again!

The highlight of our week here in the UK has been the celebrations for Captain Tom Moore, fund-raiser extraodinaire who has prompted us to dontate over 32 million pounds for the NHS through his walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday on Thursday. Captain Tom embodies all that is great about Britain, proving his grit and determination despite his frail stature. He has stolen our hearts, lifted our spirits and shared his gentle philosophy, that the sun will shine again and we will all be okay. We have taken this humble hero to our hearts and are all the richer for his presence in our lives. Hurrah for Captain Tom!

                                                                                       Anna x

Yay, it's my birthday!

And this is what 62 looks like!

Thanks so much for joining me today. Yes, it's my birthday today and I'm 62. January can be a rubbish time to have a birthday, but the older I get, the more I understand that every birthday is a blessing. I've nothing special planned for today apart from having the day off work and lounging around, but I did go out partying last week to celebrate my birthday with some girlfriends (hubby was too exhausted after a very long day at work). Partying for me just means dancing and that's exactly what I did. There's no photos of that I'm afraid, but here's the outfit that this 62 year old bird wore.

The shirt is pre-loved (£3.25), the brand is ASOS and the metallic trousers were £30 from my favourite retro shop in Truro, Enjoy Clothing.  I think the brand is Urban Gypsy, but I snipped the label out and it got mixed up with some others. I love to have a rummage around Enjoy Clothing as it has all sorts of retro pieces and the best dressing up clothes you can hope to find in Cornwall. The prices are reasonable, the staff are very friendly and remember me from previous visits even though I don't get there very often. They've expanded into the premises next door which offers not only more lovely clothes, but also blankets and rugs, ornaments, bric a brac and furniture too. All so very tempting!

I was maybe the oldest lady on the dance floor, but at least I was the most sparkly too!

My silver leather ankle boots are by Buffalo, purchased from TK Maxx some time ago. Two hours of dancing was my limit on heels this high, but golly what fun I had!

This was me taking a little breather while the band rehydrated during the break.

Thanks to Fiona for taking these birthday shots on the night - these were the only kind of shots for me as I'm tea-total, but being stone cold sober didn't stop me having fun! 

Thank you for joining me today. I'll be back on Monday with the Style Not Age Collective when we'll be showcasing our Jewel Brights as chosen by me. I do hope you'll drop by again to check out if we managed to shine bright for that.

                                                                                Anna x

Summer show 3

It's not by chance that we always have our group shot taken after the exhibition party rather than before, as by then the sheer relief and perhaps a glass of wine or two help us all look beautifully relaxed. The third summer show features artists Iona Sanders and Richard Guy (shown here) along with Neil Pinkett in a glorious collection of work (find the third July show images here). Each of the July exhibitions has been a diverse showcase of the artists' work and this final one is no exception. Red spots were dotted about, sales were made and we all had a splendid evening. Painting stories were exchanged between artists as to where's the best spot to see the finest Agapanthus blooms at the moment with my own particular highlight being when Iona's lovely father regaled me with tales of his time at sea as Coxswain aboard the ships that serviced the Trinity Lighthouses around the UK some 25 years ago. It was fascinating stuff.

And so on to the frock. This week's outfit is a mix of old and new; the new by way of this maxi dress by Zara which is on the website currently if you love it - see here.  I must admit I'm still utterly enchanted by these longer length summer frocks, not just for the romantic nature of them, but for the cool waftiness (made up word) which has come into its own during these wild summer temperatures we're having again. Loose fitting and lightweight fabric is a winning combination for this super maxi. I'll be dressing it down soon with simple sandals or those natty white trainers of mine for a cool and practical summery look.

This week's dress may not have the same big swoosh factor as last time but it makes up for this in its sleek contemporary styling. I know that white and black is an understated colour choice for me too, but sometimes I like to throw in the odd wild card with something unexpected. 

Pretty summer sandals would have been an obvious with this dress, but I chose these silver stiletto heel boots (by Buffalo) to give a bit more of an edge to the outfit. Polly tells me that this is Zara's dress of the moment as it's turning up all over Instagram. And if that's the case then styling this is more of a challenge to find that individual touch. I carried on the silver theme with all of my jewellery. The disc necklace was from M&S a few years ago, but still gets lots of admiration. The sunglasses are by Quay Australia and just happen to go perfectly with this black and white get up, don't you think?

The pre-loved accessories go a long way in helping this dress looking different. The Vogue clutch, bangles and rings are all charity shop finds, each one a delight at the time. These inexpensive trophies help me to stamp my personality onto an outfit. There's no better thrill than finding an unusual piece in a tiny charity shop, knowing it will one day add that certain twist to an ensemble. What simple pleasures I have!

My next post coming up will be on Monday when the ladies from the Style Not Age Collective and I will be delivering our latest offering. This month's theme is "Steal her style" which has certainly had me chopping and changing my mind over the past few weeks. I'm still in the throes of getting the look together, but fingers crossed, I'll be ready in time. I do hope you'll pop back to see how it goes. In the meantime, keep hydrated, keep slapping on the factor 50 and enjoy the sunshine!

                                                                                           Anna x