My diy trousers



Hello again and how are you? I've just been released from the spell cast by Game of Thrones. Steve and I have been held captive since Monday when series seven was screened on tv. We've binge-watched the entire seven episodes and here I am, spat out and feeling a tad frustrated that it'll be another year 'til the final series will hit our screens. Are you a fan? We held out for some time, poo-pooing the fanciful notion of dragons, bloody battles and resulting gore, but once we started we were hooked and have raced through the entire box set in a matter of weeks. (Yes, my fellow bloggers, that's where I've been, when I ought to have been visiting you.)


Anyway, on to the topic of the day, aka my diy beading on these velvet trousers. They were a charity shop bargain at £1 but never quite inspired me. Too long and too boring in their original form, I was suddenly taken with the idea of perking them up one weekend. Last month I was struggling with the mightiest of toothaches and the sewing project was absorbing enough to take my mind off things. See the before elements of the project here.


The sewing was all done by hand, in the smallest of schoolgirl stitches that I could manage and was a lovely challenge. I have these odd times when sewing takes my fancy and realise I have to make the most of it, as I know the phase will soon pass for months on end. I've still not finished reupholstering my sofa cushions and now live with the entire sofa covered up under a throw to disguise the jumbled mess lurking below. 


So here we have the finished article and I'm rather pleased with them if I may say so myself. The beading gives the trouser hems a beautiful weighty swish that makes these culottes feel like the Rolls Royce of trousers now. I love that they're unique and might even pass as designer...?


Styling them up wasn't too troublesome once I'd rediscovered these pink glitter pumps. That led me onto the hunt for my blue bejewelled glittery belt - in my belt box under the bed, surprisingly enough. Playing up the details, I was pleased to add the pleated cuffed blouse as well as pink glitter nail polish. Understatement is not the look I'm going for.


I bought the blue velvet clutch in a little boutique in Truro just before Christmas. The best part of it has to be the rose gold clasp and trim. At the time of buying I had great intentions of pairing it up with my rose gold heart pendant, but that will have to be for next time. 


This necklace was a Christmas present from a girlfriend and is sparkly too, but doesn't show up very well in the bright sunlight. The rings and shoes are pre-loved, sunglasses by Quay Australia, blouse from Sainsbury's and biker jacket by Toxic. 

In a couple of weeks, I'm going to be celebrating my 60th birthday with an island party. But not just any old party, that'll be an ABBA party! My favourite movie of all time has to be Mamma Mia. So, the invitations are posted and the feedback good, with lots of talk of catsuits, platforms and wigs being ordered, and that's just the men! The more resourceful are recycling their disco outfits from the 80's, but no matter where it all comes from, as long as it comes together I'll be happy. Some of my nearest and dearest are dragging their (non-platformed) feet so may need a bit of help from me - what colour of satin shirt would suit my husband best, I wonder? Rest assured I'll be putting a post together of my ensemble as well as any incriminating evidence I can gather on the night - I fancy the fashion police might be out in force!

In the meantime, I'll say adieu and wish you well until we meet next time. Take care! 


Anna x

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Ping Pong Post 3

Hello and welcome to the third edition of Ping Pong Post. For any new readers, you can catch up on how this feature came about here. Today's outfit is spawned by this wonderful jumpsuit from Samantha of Fake Fabulous. Even though I own a couple of jumpsuits, it's still a great challenge to style up one that I hadn't chosen myself. The fabric is silky, hangs really well, and the cut is quite slim so is very elongating for my short frame. All in all, it was a super piece to style up. 




First of all let's have a look at what Ann made of the purple all-in-one. Ann is the creator and editor of Kremb de la Kremb which showcases not not only her fashion stories, but also her travel tales and imaginative diy projects such as her handbag featured here. Ann lives in Hong Kong, and therefore benefits from a very colourful and highly decorated environment, meaning her photo shoots are always unique. In our first Ping Pong Post Ann managed to find a backdrop which featured all the colours of our jacket that day which wasn't any easy task - check it out here. She has done another great job in finding this beautiful sky blue background to perfectly offset the purple jumpsuit and also to compliment her gorgeous tan.






I love Ann's styling of this. Sleek, elegant and understated. Well played, Ann. The idea of tying up the hems is brilliant and really gives the jumpsuit a very different outline. 

Ann's outfit details are -
Silver necklace and bracelet--Target
Jumpsuit--Sam's
Clutch--DIY by me!
Satin pumps--Goodwill (US charity shop)


Next up is Samantha wearing her jumpsuit in March before she sent it off its travels. In our PPP2 Samantha showcased a very unique looking fishbone necklace which was most definitely the star of the show - see it here. Today's necklace is another made-to-match piece that sets off the rest of the outfit to perfection. Great choice Samantha. And those metallic green pumps are worth more than just a mention too!





Samantha's fashion blog Fake Fabulous is a great source of inspiration to many. She posts three times a week about the latest trends as well as giving fashion advice on all sorts of dilemmas such as her recent piece on How to avoid looking frumpy as a wedding guest. Her style is cute, quirky and constantly evolving. She has a huge following who love her honest, inquisitive and challenging take on the boundaries imposed on female fashion. Can a woman wear...? is a theme which crops up frequently on her blog as she sets out the argument and then steers the reader through the pitfalls of the item in question, inevitably meaning that the answer is ...yes she can!

Samantha's outfit details are
Jumpsuit: I can’t remember!!
Jacket: French Connection.
Vest top: Charity shop
Necklace: Oliver bonas
Shoes: Marta Johnson
Bag: Linea
Sash: Salvaged from another dress


So here we are with my spin on this ferocious jumpsuit. I had to don my highest heels to wear it, but the shoes ended up being the linchpin of the entire ensemble. By introducing stripes to the mix I found a lovely collection of pieces which married up beautifully. See what you think.




My regular readers will know that I love to do a bit of pattern mixing and this clash of spots and stipes means I'm in my element. Although I love to mix things up, I never want to look thrown together. My outfits are always well considered, balanced in both colour and shape so that the whole thing is effective. Even though I might wear some pretty way outlandish things from time to time - this red petticoat comes to mind - even the outlandish has to look polished. Dressing up is my daily pleasure, it's what makes me, me. 

My outfit details are -
Jumpsuit: Samantha's
Waistcoat: charity shop
Tee shirt: Primark
Shoes: M&S
Handbag: "Borrowed" from my daughter
Pendant: from New Zealand
Turquoise bangle: old
Gold bangle: charity shop
Rings: charity shop
Sunglasses: Quay Australia

Today I'm linking up with 

So there we have it. Ping Pong Post 3 accomplished with each of our own personalities shining through. We're enjoying this new feature and I hope that you are too. On the 20th June we'll all be sporting something from Ann. That particular something is currently mid-air between Hong Kong and the UK and I think may well be a dress. Hopefully summer will arrive about the same time it does so that Samantha and I can do a bit less layering up next time. Until then please do drop by on Sunday for my next post. Thank you for taking the time to visit, and I would love it if you could add a comment to my blog if I've inspired you or sparked an interest. Or perhaps you might to prefer to follow me on Instagram
Anna x

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