Frilled To Bits our SNA challenge for May




Hello there! How are you this fine Bank Holiday Monday? So, here's our Style Not Age challenge for May, as chosen by yours truly. Frills are all the rage with me currently, so why not share this penchant with my style sisters?




Gail from Is This Mutton is sporting her blend of citrus brights - the frilled blouse is from eBay, crops are from Roman and sandals are from ASOS. It's a fab summery look, isn't it!




Jacqui's frilled wrap dress is from Izabel Clothing and fits the bill perfectly. Sage green and paisley print are a winning combination! Catch up with Jacqui's backstory on her blog Mummabstylish




I love the pink frilled and pearly top of Emma's! This was a happy purchase when she was in Funchal recently. See more from her on Style Splash blog.




Hilda's frilled dress is from Whistles, a fab thank you for contributing to a recent fashion feature in Good Housekeeping. Catch up with her story on Over the Hilda blog. Hilda's perched on the balcony of her daughter's house during her child-minding stay - what a view!




If you're a regular to the blog, you'll recognise the frilled petticoat as one of my recent sewing successes. I've just altered the length, shortened it, so that it sits better under my orange dress. (See the whole outfit here in case you missed that one.) Today's offering is more vintage than new - the frilled blouse was bought in a vintage shop in Exeter many years ago and the skirt must be at least 20 years old, from good old Dorothy Perkins. 




The boots are new, bought especially to wear while I'm in my pink and orange phase. I found them on ASOS, see here. They're available in three colourways but this one is perfect for my summer trend.




Nothing new today with my accessories. Sunglasses are from Radley, belt is old as are my rings. 






My friend Fiona volunteered to take the photos when I told her about my fab new cowboy boots. We had fun as we always do during these sessions, with me doing lots of bossing about while she heckled from the sidelines. The evening sun was soft and flattering to the skin and the new walkway to the bird hide made a great catwalk. The view from the hide was glittering in the evening light.




Hope you're basking in the early summer sunshine too. Looking forward to seeing you again soon. Please leave me a comment if you've enjoyed today's post.



Have a super week!

Anna x

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Ping-Pong Post no12

Hello and welcome to the 12th edition of Ping-Pong post, the monthly collaboration between myself, Samantha of Fake Fabulous and Ann of Kremb de la Kremb. To see the background of this style challenge read here. This month Samantha proffered her black drapey top which almost flummoxed me completely. Despite being simple in shape, it was still one of my least favourite of colours to work with. Let's start with Samantha who certainly didn't seem to struggle -



The black top has a scoop neck and cross over front, but very cleverly Samantha has chosen to wear it back to front revealing a stunning strappy feature below. Wet look leggings, and patent boots lift this plain cotton top into the realms of fabulousness. She has finished this off with a statement bag and necklace leaving no room to doubt that she is indeed a true style icon. Follow Samantha on Instagram here.

Details -
TOP: Yong Kim
NECKLACE: Oliver Bonas
LEGGINGS: Pamela Mann
BOOTS: Vagabond
BAG: River Island



Ann has given the top a more casual spin with her snakeskin jeans, biker boots and striped shirt, but hasn't forgotten a dash of glamour by way of her diy ostrich handbag (see the link below). A roll neck and gloves give a nod to the cooler weather Ann is experiencing in Hong Kong this week when she took these shots. Black doesn't look very difficult to wear when you've got the right hair colouring does it? Fab styling Ann! Follow Ann on Instagram here.

Details -
Outfit Details
Earrings--my guy Ben in Jardines Bazaar, a great ladies market in Hong Kong
Turtleneck--heat technology, Uniqlo
Striped Shirt--Zara
Black Top--Sam's
Gloves--market in Shanghai
Ostrich Bag--Kremb de la Kremb DIY
Snake Jeans--Bershka
Moto Boots--boutique on Houhai Lake, Beijing







Those who know me will recognise my default setting here - when in doubt, dress it up! Glitter tights and glitter boots, seemed like a great way of detracting from the pallor-inducing colour of the top. Adding some softer, more neutral tones against the skin also helped. One feature I did like was the pockets and by adding a belt the tunic took on a bit more shape. A splash of silver jewellery and studded clutch were the finishing touches. Samantha - I gave this my best shot, but heck it's been my least favourite of our challenges so far!

Details -
Top: Samantha's
Dress: H&M
Belt: Dorothy Perkins
Tights: H&M
Boots: Topshop
Necklace: M&S
Rings: old
Handbag: charity shopped

The news on Ping-Pong Post is that having completed a whole year of this style challenge we're going to evolve the series a little next month, so do come along to see exactly how on the 20th of March.

Linking with -
Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb



Anna x

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And yet more sequins...

Sequins yes, but not as you may have expected. Well, I wouldn't be me if I didn't deliver something a bit different, would I? This outfit channels the rock chick in me, but more than that, it also feels so blooming good thanks to trousers which fit like a dream, paired with boots that definitely put the ROCK into rock chick. It's a huge contrast to last year's party fare as seen here, but I think that's why I've been showcasing all of these other outfits: it's time for a change, but which me should I be this year? 









The sequins don't show their true colour in the sunlight - they're actually silver, yellow and rose gold on a black backdrop. 


I fancy that today's outfit may need me to convince you in it's favour. So firstly; paisley pattern is one of my all time favourites and when you add to that a liberal sprinkling of gold thread as well, then these trousers are pretty much top dog; next comes the dash of leopard print to give a funky edge, not to mention the fun of pattern clashing; finally, the top may look a bit dark or even blue/grey, but the fact is it's actually silver and gold and looks much more stunning in real life, matching the tone of the trousers and boots really well. A change in plans mean that I'm now attending the party without my husband as he's having to make a unexpected trip to the mainland. I'll tag along with some girlfriends instead, but this means I don't feel quite so bold about being all dolled up on my own. This, the most casual of all of the outfits, may feel more comfortable. (Casual = 4inch heels and metallic coloured sequins. Welcome to my world!)

The thing that can be said about all of my sparkly outfits is that come the summer months I'll be hosting my gallery exhibitions again which will afford me ample opportunity to dress up with all the glitz and glam not looking the least bit out of place. Whatever doesn't make the grade tonight can have it's debut in a few months time.

Details - trousers and top: H&M (old), boots: Michael Kors, handbag: charity shop, sunglasses: Quay Australia, necklace: Dorothy Perkins, rings and bracelet: old.
Anna x

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Not #PPP

Sometimes we Ping Pong Posters have an item that's been on its travels and that for one reason or another doesn't quite make the grade. Today's post is one of those. These fabulous paisley trousers belong to Ann of Kremb de la Kremb. They're her Thanksgiving pants she says and I drooled over them this time last year. She very kindly sent them on to me with a bundle of other goodies which have all since been aired. These lovelies, however, were too short for our long-limbed Samantha of Fake Fabulous and so were dropped from the schedule. 









Paisley is one of my favourite patterns, but translated into rich corduroy and these trousers become my ultimate winter wear. I kinda hoped that Ann would donate them to my undernourished wardrobe, but no such luck. I spent this particular Sunday gadding about with these on, mixing and matching with all sorts of separates that didn't get in front of the camera, but which were all rather lovely. A fair isle cardi and orange pussy bow blouse looked rather gorgeous, as did a sleek polo neck with these long beads and chunky belt, but this charity shop tunic gave the best look of all. I love the pattern clashing, the bold colours and the real autumnal feel of this version. It was great to come across these photos in my draft box although for some reason they do look a bit dated - or is that just me?

Trousers: Ann's, tunic: charity shop, boots: River Island, cardigan Fenn Wright Manson, beads: gift, watch: Michael Kors, flower ring and bracelet: Dorothy Perkins, perspex ring: gift, rose gold bangle: Kate Spade New York, sunglasses: Quay Australia.

Anna x

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A dog with a bone

Yes, I'm like a dog with a bone currently, and you may well be sick of it soon. It, being my obsession with these sparkly trainers and my quest for the perfect styling of them. The last time I wore them here, I had to chuckle at my lovely friends who all left me comments - mostly about the outfit and how it could be improved rather than about the blessed trainers! So you'll have to forgive me (or move quickly on if this bores you) as I'm going to keep subjecting you to this until I get it right. What right means for me is totally elusive/unknown until it happens. So here's the latest effort with the footwear of the moment.









I'm a bit happier with this version today. I like the metallic of the trousers and trainers echoing each other (the trainers are bronze and brown, so work tonally much better with peach and gold too). I like the tux, blouse and necklace and how they go together. All in all, I'd say this works or at least it's an improvement on last month's offering. I still have reservations. I could do better. 

I'll be back soon with another reprise. If you're not a trainers/runners kinda girl, then please feel free to whizz past, I'll understand. I can't help myself with this obsession, this seeking perfection in all things - terribly tedious for some, I know. I've got to keep at this until it's resolved, sorry!

Before you go, just a quick reminder that Sunday is the 20th, and for me that's #PPP or Ping Pong Post day. Samantha and Ann will be joining me with a an eye-popping pink offering for your delectation. Hope you're come back to see it!

Details - tuxedo: Whistles (vintage), trainers: TK Maxx, trousers: H&M, blouse: charity shop, necklace: Dorothy Perkins, gold bangles and rings: charity shop, watch: Michael Kors.
Anna x

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Summer show: 6 of 6

Ah well, as the saying goes "All good things must come to an end", and so it has with my summer exhibitions. We've had an amazing run of shows this summer including this last one featuring three fine artists all so very diverse in their styles. But more about that in a moment as I really have to point you in the direction of the star of this particular evening, yes it's Polly! My darling assistant saved the best 'til last, making a dazzling entrance in this gold seqinned skater dress which sparkled and shone.


I'm so happy for Polly to have knocked me off my perch for the last evening.  She looks radiant from that gorgeous smile down to every last sparkling seqin. A passing boatman commented that she could be seen from Bryher! (The island opposite the gallery)


And as the evening sunshine dazzled these guys, let me introduce the attending artists, Alasdair Urquhart on the left and Stuart Kettle on the right. See Alasdair's work here and Stuart's can be seen here. The third of the trio, Anthony Garratt, couldn't make the opening night but you can view his striking paintings here. I love the fact that these three artists, more than ever, have managed to portray these islands so very differently. Their interpretations are as unique as the islands; full of character, individual, unrivalled in their beauty.










And for one last time this summer I'd like to say a very big thank you to the team who have held things together behind the scenes as well at on the frontline. Thank you Max, Polly and Heather!


Well, if we had to finish, then let it be on a perfect note like this. These two guests had spent an evening with us, enjoying the art, chatting to the artists and finally sipping wine as they watched the sun drop below the Bryher. We couldn't have laid on a better entertaiment than that I say.

My dress for the event was an absolute find from Tesco of all places, although the label denotes AX Paris, a concession I've previously found at New Look. Shoes are from H&M (sold out), necklace is from Dorothy Perkins (similar), my old faithful watch is by Michael Kors, bangle by Kate Spade New York and the rings are charity shopped.

This week I'll be linking with
Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb
Cherie of Style Nudge
Patti of Not Dead Yet Style
Jess of Elegantly Dressed And Stylish
Anna x

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