Do emerald green and fuchsia go together?

Happy Friday to you all!

Hurrah for Friday and hurrah for the joyful combination of emerald green and fuchsia! It's not for everyone this colour combo, but I'm delighted with today's look. I've worn the jacket and trousers before with black as the complimentary hue - see here. 

It's not just the wonderful colours that make me smile though. I'm so happy with this outfit because it represents my take on fashion perfectly. I've mixed vintage with pre-loved and high street finds to create a look that is totally unique to me. We're all individuals and I love to see a woman dressed with her own sense of style. For me it's not so much wanting to be noticed, more that I like to challenge myself to wear the same clothes differently each time. I may wear the same dress four times in a month, but each time the jewellery and shoes will be different. God forbid that I find my look boring!

The outfit details are - jacket is second hand, by Autonomy; trousers are from TK Maxx; the vintage blouse is by Shubette Separates, boots are from H&M.

This look is all about fun and oh, how good it makes me feel! The frothy, filly blouse screams glamour and even daytime dressing can be glamorous in my book. Another bookends look is a winner too. 

I paid £15 for these leather joggers and for the majority the price might reflect the fact that no-one surely would want green leather joggers. But hey, I do! I love the funky nature of leather plus joggers and on top of that they're really comfy.

It's great to bring out my Vivienne Westwood orb pendant again and doesn't it go well with this? My rings are pre-loved, charity shop buys. 

Another pair of Quay Australia sunglasses from my stash from this wonderful brand. The sleek black framed mirrored lens glasses top off the look perfectly.

Long live these pretty pink sock boots from H&M!

This weekend I hope to start, if not complete, my wardrobe changeover. It's with a funny mix of dread and delight that I approach this all-weekend task. I'm so ready to pack away furs and velvets and knee high boots, swapping them for lightweight fabrics like cotton lawn, chiffon and summer sandals. The weather is mocking me however, as we have a showery forecast for the next couple of days making me doubt if it's too soon for this. But it's the deed that must be done! We've been having some lovely sunny days lately causing me to struggle to find the right clothes, especially now that I'm back at work. Wish me luck with this!

                                                                       Anna x

Tickled pink

Hello lovelies!

As you can see, normal service has been resumed today. My all black look was a token gesture from me as to what is a very common colour choice for so many women. I remember when I was in Sicily five years ago the streets were full of women wearing black from head to toe, a look that for me seemed very drab and depressing. Their reaction to me was almost a mirror to my confusion. We viewed each other as some strange other worldly vision. 

Today's outfit ties in with an Instagram prompt from my blogging friend Jacqui of Mummabstylish who has been posting #tickledpink over the past week. She's had a brilliant response and has extended this for another week. See some of the outfits here. 

The pink top was a Zara purchase from a few years ago, but today is its debut on the blog. I bought an identical orange one at the same time, but it too hasn't been aired yet. They are a very fine cotton yarn more suited to the summer, but ideal for this warm spring day.

The oyster satin trousers were gifted to me by my daughter (ages ago). I must admit that I've been a bit biased against them due to the lack of punch colour-wise, but today have discovered the joy of them when paired with this double dose of fuchsia. This is another test drive of an outfit for work next month. I'm quite excited to wear it.

Taking the lead from the oyster shade I've chosen rose gold rings (pre-loved) as my accessories.

I love the contemporary shape of these Quay Australia sunglasses. 

The final flourish has to be my fabulous bubblegum pink sock boots from H&M. 

I hope my tickled pink offering has brought a smile to your face or better still, acts as inspiration for a pink day for you sometime in the future. 

Take care everyone!

Anna x

Zebra print dress

Hello again my lovelies! How are you?

Today's outfit is a trial run for next month when I'll be back at work, customer facing again. I'll be perfectly honest with you and say that I'm not sure how I feel about that. I've had a pretty idyllic lockdown again, enjoying being at home with my sewing projects interspersed with daily sea swims, each swim different to the one before according to weather, state of the tide and whichever beach is the most appealing on the day. The prospect of being at work doesn't exactly rival this daily routine. And yet, I do know that the nature of me is to commit 100% to the task in hand and therefore the role of Gallery Manager will consume me as it always has before. As human beings we're so adaptable, able to acclimatise to change very quickly. 

So, what do you think of my new dress? This was my birthday present from Jamie in January and I've not had a chance to wear it yet. I've wanted a Zebra print frock for some time now so this was a brilliant find in the Zara sale at the time. The classic shirtwaister is fitted over the hips and drops away to soft pleats in the most flattering manner. The deep buttoned cuffs balance out the puffed sleeves. It's a stylish shape in a contemporary print which is a winning combination.

A pop of pink seemed like the perfect foil to add to this monochrome look. The stretch belt was from eBay many moons ago. The pink flower ring was a gift from a friend and the heart shaped one was a charity shop buy.

My old favourite sockboots from H&M finished off the look perfectly.

My white and black print sunglasses are from Quay Australia.

And finally, have you had your vaccine yet? I got my jab on Tuesday and didn't feel a thing! My only after effect has been a sore arm which is still present three days later. I know some people have felt quite ill and had flu-like symptoms so I suppose I've been lucky.

Well, I'm just about to head off to the beach now. I've started posting these little time-lapse pieces on my Instagram to share the swim of the day - you can see these here. 

Have a fabulous weekend!

Anna x

Scarlet and cerise - my joyful colour therapy!

Happy Monday dear readers! How are you? Did you have a good weekend? Mine was a busy one, but a happy mixture of work and play. I had a good long swim with Fiona on Saturday when the weather was fine and then on Sunday she stepped in as blog photographer to do a mega shoot for various forthcoming features. Add to this some long-overdue housework, cooking for the freezer, catching up with laundry and a family meal on Sunday and I was flushed with success by the end of it.

This was Friday's work outfit, a joyful pick-me-up in scarlet and cerise. I'd had a blah day on Thursday which I blamed on a very dull outfit that set me of in the wrong frame of mind. It's not something you've seen and maybe won't see either! A navy flower sprigged dress is being charged guilty of dreary, drab and dullness on all three counts. I had tried my best to pep it up with red cowboy boots, red belt and red accessories which sounds great, but didn't really have the desired effect. 

Friday saw me utilise red in a much more successful manner when paired with a dazzling pink trench and handbag. The two tone dress (pre-loved) is by M&S and delivers colour therapy with a punch every time I wear it. During the winter months I pop a coloured long sleeved thermal top under it, add some tights and hey presto, it earns its place in both my seasonal wardrobes!

If I was channeling the 80's on my last post, then maybe this could be a throwback to the 60's? (Although the sock boots would probably have been knee high ones.) As you can gather, I'm not one to pay any attention to trends from this era or that - I'll throw pieces together regardless of what decade they hail from.

I'm rotating three very different bags for work at the moment and this cute little Candy bag by Furla always gets compliments. My pink rings are both charity shop pieces.

My red sock boots from H&M are still going strong. What will I do when they fall apart? Maybe I ought not to think about that until the time comes...

My white and black Quay Australia sunglasses tie in with the gingham checks of my Topshop trench. The rose gold heart pendant was a retail purchase in a little boutique in Truro a couple of years ago. 

They say laughter is the best medicine and I must admit it works for me. Well that, and some colour therapy. Keep on smiling everyone, and have a great week!

                                                                        Anna x

Transitional dressing for autumn

Hello again! How are you? Is a local lock-down affecting you personally, be it physically or mentally? It's difficult not to let it get you down isn't it? On a different note, I'm missing having a work mate more than ever now. Just having someone to pass on those little daily niggles can make all the difference. Poor Steve really gets it in the neck some days, I can tell you!

Anyway, let's talk clothes shall we - it's my favourite subject after all! I managed to get most of my wardrobe changeover done last weekend (no photos of the bedlam - not inspiring in the least, I can tell you!) and will finish this weekend. I packed most of my summer clothes away, giving extra time to checking whether they would work as transitional outfits.  This much worn and much loved two piece (aka the old fashioned trouser suit to you and I) has survived the cut purely because I know it works so well with my other big passion, the sock boot. 

The white and black check of the Primark suit lends itself to a multitude of colour options to play with, and yes I do mean play. Dressing for me is fun, even on a work day. Using this look as a template, I could easily add pink to replace red and have yet another fun and colourful ensemble. If the weather holds out, I'll try to get that variation captured for you next time. Black is another obvious permutation as is white. I have ankle boots in both of these neutrals which look equally sharp. The only limitation for this suit will be when the temperature drops and it becomes too lightweight to be functional.

I have no regrets buying these H&M sock boots. They have been an asset to my wardrobe and seem to go with so many outfits, both dresses and trousers, giving an edge that normal boots don't deliver. My son Jamie bought me the pink version for my Christmas last year and I've worn them endlessly too. Hurrah for the sock boot I say!

The frilled linen top is by M&S, a pre-loved purchase from last year, but only showcased this summer for the first time. Rings are charity shops finds too. My black and silver necklace adds a sharp contemporary feel to the jewellery - this is by Melissa James, a brand I sell at the Gallery. And talking of sharp, I've changed up my usual Quay Australia sunglasses for a different, but equally cool pair of shades. I'm hoping that one of these days this brand will reward me with a discount code for my readers...

One look that I've not tried out yet is to wear this two piece as separates. I did try the jacket on today over a pink pleated skirt and black top, but felt it didn't really pop the way I had hoped. Perhaps that's a project for next summer.

According to the weather forecast we're about to be hit by high winds and endless rain for the next couple of days. Fingers crossed there will be a lull at some stage over the weekend otherwise I'm not sure what I'll have to show you in my next post! But before I leave you, I just would like to share some news...

Myself and my blogging friends, Jacqui of Mummabstylish, Hilda of Over The Hilda and Gail of Is This Mutton along with Josephine of Chic At Any Age have all been featured in the latest edition of Yours magazine!

I've not managed to get hold of a copy of the magazine yet as our local shop is no longer selling newspapers or mags, but Jacqui posted this snippet on her stories the other day -

The feature is about over 50's bloggers to follow for style inspiration - what a fabulous showcase for us all! Do rush out and buy a copy now x

                                                                                     Anna x

Hush dress and H&M sock boots

Hello again! How are you and how has your week been? It's been another busy week at work, which is great as the time has just flown by. Weather-wise, it's been a mixed bag of sunshine and fog making the job of getting photos together for the blog interesting to say the least. My good friend Fiona has stepped to the fore, helping out with some end of day sessions which has been great. I know I promised to share the newly-found summer jackets, but this summer dress seemed too lovely not to feature. 

The animal print dress is by Hush, a brand that I hadn't come across until last summer when a customer walked in wearing this exact dress, sparking an in depth grilling from me. I tracked one down online in the summer sale and have worn it again a few times this summer. Today I've paired it with my red H&M sock boots, which gives it a funky edge that garnered me quite a few compliments. Much as I'm not averse to buying high street brands, I do like to style them in my own particular way.

I'm suddenly very aware of the fact that we're hurtling towards the end of September and I still have quite a few summery outfits I want to show you as well as a beach shoot Steve and I did on St Martin's last weekend. We visited Great Bay for a picnic and also managed to take three variations on my beach outfit too. Anyway you'll see those in due course, although I'm not sure if that will be before or after the summer jackets...

The trapeze dress in pink and red zebra stripes with hankerchief hem and side splits is cool and airy, perfect for a hot day in the gallery. In fact, I did start the day off wearing a trouser suit and a long sleeved blouse, but by lunchtime it was simply too hot to bear. I often finish my lunch hour but doing a quick change due to the weather. 

I thought this Topshop tribal beaded necklace was a great partner to the dress, along with two pre-loved resin rings in tonal hues. My sunglasses today are by Radley London. Did you notice the animal print theme continues with these too?

I suppose today's look could be my first forray into transitional dressing between summer and autumn. My sock boots are much loved and do add an element of joy in what might be otherwise seen as the end of summer. I'll be squeezing every last drop out of these golden days of this, my favourite time of year. I'm sure the internet is full of the latest autumn fashion, but I'm not in any hurry to follow suit!

So, here we are, on the brink of the weekend yet again and the question is, what will you be getting up to this weekend? Much as I'm taking a break from retail therapy, I'm very aware that I would normally be taking a week off work at this time of year and be treating myself to bit of clothes shopping within that time. Will you be making your first autumn purchases this weekend, and if so, what are you looking for? Please share all the details - if I can't shop then at least I can enjoy hearing about your shopping. 

Have a lovely weekend!

                                                                                       Anna x