Weekend wear




Yay, here comes the weekend!




The weather has changed dramatically again from the lovely spring days of last week to the Westerly gales bringing not just rain but also hail, blasting us here in the Southwest over the past few days. Different weather means different outfits too! It's funny how even during lockdown I've still punctuated my days with weekend wear being a tad more relaxed. This all black look is a bit different for me and was actually my alternative outfit for a recent faux leather challenge - see what I opted for here




The black longer length hoodie is another new piece never shown before. It's by DKNY Sport and was a joyful find in TK Maxx a couple of years ago for the ridiculous price of £8. The fabric is a lovely soft velour with the DKNY logo in tiny print across the whole fabric. The kangaroo pouch pocket is great for stashing all sorts of random bits and pieces or just for slouchy hands.




The faux leather biker jeans are by H&M and are years old now, goodness knows how many. I love the heavy duty knee patches on them which just add a bit of extra interest to what would otherwise just be black jeans. The floral boots are from Primark and were a hand-me-down from my daughter. I seem to have worn them lots this winter without them making it onto the blog. Sorted now!




This carefree pose belies the fact that I'm having a bit of a wobble about returning to work. I think I've become institutionalised during these long weeks at home. What seemed like lots of time to do deep cleaning, de-junking, in-depth admin and shredding of paperwork never mind that glorious sewing project, and daily swimming and even walking - what happened?! I've only achieved a fraction of what I had planned. Oh, I've loved being at home! 




As my start back day rattles wildly towards me, I'm going to use that knowledge to settle down and get some stuff done. I know, I know, I know - I'll be fine when the time comes to be a Gallery Manager again. I just want to finish some bits and bobs before the madness of another season hits me.




Anyway, enough of that! What do you think about these fab rings? Both metal; one silver and the other a black metal finish but looking like perfect partners. I found them in charity shops (of course), one in Truro and the other in Harrogate. My old faithful sunglasses are from (all together now) Quay Australia. The silver necklace is from Melissa James jewellery.




At the moment the whole island of Tresco is gearing up to re-opening. In a month's time we should all be ready for the big welcome back to our guests. So, in the meantime I'd better knuckle down and get some more of my to-do list done. What about you? Will you be going back to work or staying at home? Have you enjoyed lock-down or are you chomping at the bit to return to normality? Please share, I'd love to hear how it's been for you.

                                                                                              Anna x

Share:

Bubble sleeves and scuba skirt


Happy Friday to you!

Yay, it's Friday and I'm ready for the weekend! What about you? It's been a busy week at work and now we've got storm Ellen blasting over the top of us. My photos were taken a little while ago which is just as well because the same view looks like this today -




Island life does mean that we really experience the full benefits of the weather, be it a wild storm like today or a wonderful sunny day. The big outdoors is only a step or a boat ride away and what a joy that is!




I've been delving into my wardrobe again, playing mix and match with skirts and tops, this time coming up with this old scuba skirt (from H&M) and adding the bubble sleeved top from TK Maxx (the brand is By Clara Paris). My silver and white sandals were a hand me down from my daughter (the brand is River Island).






The stretch and leather trim belt was a charity shop find and works a treat to pull the two separates together. The ribbed jersey top is quite thick and does bunch up just by the nature of the fabric, but I find that a snug belt adds a bit of smoothing and control. 






My black pair of Radley sunglasses work really well with the bubble top. See the pretty rose adornments close up here. Cute eh?




Both of my rings are charity shopped too. The rose one is particular favourite.




Weather permitting I'll be going to St Mary's tomorrow to have my hair cut and coloured. This will be the first time I've been since March. We've not had any boating for the past two days however due to the storm so I may not make my appointment. Wish me luck with that! In the meantime, here's a shot of the Gallery from a couple of minutes ago. I was in at work early this morning, but decided to leave when the spray started hitting the gallery windows. I didn't like the prospect of high tide still to come and even more water dashing against the building.




I'll be back on Monday with the Style Not Age Collective, so please do join me then.

Late edit! The Style Challenge is next Monday, the 31st! 

Anna x

Share:

Yay! Another Dress Up Friday


Happy Friday!

Hello and happy Friday to you all. And yes, Friday now means Dress Up Friday which surely has to be the highlight of my week currently. I do miss dressing up for work so this is the next best thing. What about you? Do you have a day when you bring out your glad rags? Sunday maybe when you Zoom the family? Do let me know what merits some dressing up in your life.




I bought this fabulously colourful jumpsuit in the autumn of 2018 when I was in Manchester filming an advert for JD Williams. The all-in-one was from H&M in collaboration with GP & Baker fabric which I picked it up in their end of summer sale. See my styling of it then, but mainly to check out my sharp haircut of the day - oh how I'm missing getting to the hairdressers!




I chose neutral sandals (Bertie) and belt (pre-loved) for today's outfit along with my lovebirds handbag (also pre-loved) to tie in with the pink and blue of the flowers. 




Orange is my accent colour for rings and bangle - all of these are charity shop finds.




Today's sunglasses are by Guess. The tonal beaded necklace was from a market in Cape Town.






Thanks for joining me again today. As the lock-down restrictions are gradually being eased in England, I can say I'm delighted to report that sea swimming outdoors is now legal again as are water sports. Wednesday saw a flurry of boats being launched in the harbour at New Grimsby. Apart from that we're not seeing much different here on the island currently. Plans are afoot to gradually restart the business within the next month or so which has galvanised me into action again. I'd determined to achieve as much of my spring cleaning as possible before I have to return to work. 




The view from my kitchen window looks as quiet and calm as ever.

Anna x

Share:

The summer trench


Hi, hello and how are you?  I did wonder if summer and trench ought be in the same phrase.  Surely summer is all about not wearing a coat? Unfortunately as the UK weather is so fickle, a summer trench maybe isn't such a bad idea. Steve and I had arranged to meet up at the end of the day to do this photo shoot and it had been a glorious afternoon right up until 5 minutes before we left when we had a heavy shower. Enter stage right, this bright orange trench which hasn't yet been aired on the blog, in fact this is the very first time I've worn it. The brand is Harvey & Jones and I bought it in TK Maxx last summer.


The wind was fierce so I took cover behind the Old Blockhouse ramparts whilst watching a huge dark cloud mass scudding across the sky. A bright blue patch of sky appeared and I rushed to undo the trench to reveal the outfit of the day.


You may remember this jumpsuit from last year - it's from H&M in collaboration with GP & J Baker. I styled it badly that time, yes that has to be said. I wore it with my green sock boots and honestly it didn't do the jumpsuit any favours at all. 


Try as I might to defend it, I knew I ought to have worn these (H&M) sandals, but the chilly autumn air prompted me to change my mind. If you don't believe me see it here. However, the boots may have been wrong, but the haircut was sharp. I may have to revisit that style again ...


My photographer took a great shot of the rain falling onto the Eastern Isles behind me don't you think? Well done Steve, I'll keep you on!


I decided to add an orange vest top underneath the jumpsuit to counter the slightly wide neckline. It felt more comfortable too - not quite so drafty!


Anyway, the jumpsuit is back on my go-to list as it's exactly like a dress, in that you don't have any matching to think about. Separates are fine when you have time to try things out and find the right pieces to go together. But dresses and jumpsuits win hands down when you're in a rush. And to be perfectly honest, my mornings always seem to be a bit of a mad rush. Up at 6am I try to fit in a bit of blogging, a bit of housework, a cycle to the beach for a swim, shower, grab an outfit and dash out the door to work. I'd love to be organised and sort out an outfit the night before, but don't get me started on how my evenings look!


I chose to accessorise the outfit with a wonderful medley of colours. The necklace, purchased from a market in Cape Town, is a great for picking up the pink, orange and green. The flower trimmed sunglasses were from Sainsbury's, the bracelet and orange ring are pre-loved and the pink ring was a gift from a friend. The pink stretch belt is a regular on the blog, but that's because it seems to work with so many looks. I found it on eBay a couple of years ago and it was certainly worth the £5 I paid for it.


My summer handbag of the moment just happens to go with this outfit like a dream. I felt particularly pleased with how well these went together. I've had this Monsoon bag for ages and have reinstated it as my summer handbag this year. I love the pattern and the tassel is sweet too.



I'm a big fan of the colour orange and do wonder why it's taken me so long to wear this lovely trench coat. It could be the fact that when it rains on Scilly, it really rains! You know, that proper downpour affair when you actually need a full set of wet gear - and welly boots! Oh so very different to life on the mainland when you simply hop out of the car and put up a brolly as you nip across the road to the shops. Hey ho, island life suits me fine!

                                                                                       Anna x

Share:

January jumpers with the Style Not Age collective


Hello and welcome to our January challenge with the Style Not Age collective. I chose jumpers as this month's theme as I thought it would be our go-to item at this time of year. We've all had a pretty challenging time just getting our shots in on time as the weather seems to have played havoc everywhere this weekend. But hey, here they all are, so let's start with Hilda shall we?


Hilda's sweater is all about the back view and rather nice it is too! The ladder back with a deep V certainly lifts her jumper out of the ordinary. Skinny jeans and heeled boots round things off nicely. See more on her blog Over The Hilda.


Skinny jeans too from Emma of Style Splash and she's taken various shades of yellow as her feature colour for sock boots, hat and that cute graphic print jumper. Do hop across to her blog to read her back story.


When I first met Jacqui she told me that she has a three colour rule when she's putting a look together and today these are black, white and fuchsia which has proven to be a great combination. See more on Mummabstylish.


You could say that I'm following Jacqui's three colour rule too this month as well as taking a leaf out of her book with an injection of fun by way of the brightest of bubblegum pink, surely the perfect antidote to winter. My son Jamie bought me these sock boots for my Christmas and this is the first time I've worn them. They're the same as my beloved red ones and are also by H&M. My jumper is by ME+EM and is pre-loved, jeans are by Lee and are a lovely fit with a touch of stretch.


I've had this suede two tone belt for years now. I bought it from Benetton in Truro, another shop in the city that has recently closed down. However, it has at least been re-opened by another clothes retailer. As my nearest and most favourite retail centre I have a great interest in the city of Truro and it's future. And forgive me, but I'm just gonna have a mini-moan now about my most favourite of shops, TK Maxx. On my recent travels I've been in branches of TK in London, Manchester, Dundee, Edinburgh and Truro and I have to say how terribly disappointing the Truro branch is with regards to shoe stock. Years ago the entire width of the back of the store was full of shoes. Each size had its own rack which spread across the rear of the shop, ranging from 3 to 8. That's at least 6 islands of shoes and sometimes my sizes, a 5 and 6, would have two islands. I was in the shop a few days ago and was saddened to see that their entire shoe stock has been shrunk down to two measly racks. At the checkout I asked the assistant if they were running down their stock completely and was told it's a chicken and egg situation. Seemingly they aren't allowed more stock because their sales have fallen, and yes their sales continue to drop as the selection becomes smaller and smaller. I'm just about to write to them (a good old fashioned letter) to say my piece rather than just rant on to you.


My sweet little handbag was a recent charity shop find, costing all of two pounds. I took it abroad with me and it was the perfect size for keeping all of my valuables close at hand. Not only that, but it was ideal for both daytime wear and evening outings. I took it out to dinner and also to a party in Cape Town and this bag didn't look in the least out of place at either venue. Someone even asked me if it was a designer piece! My other accessories are two pink resin rings, both pre-loved, which my photographer and I omitted to get close-ups of, as well as a silver Tree of Life pendant and of course my obligatory Quay Australia sunglasses.


You can hardly tell from this sunny backdrop at the time that yesterday we had a gale raging across the island, could you? Steve suggested this sheltered spot, the walkway to the bird hide, timing it just right to capture the late morning sun. I'd been up early, keen to unpack my bags and get a sense of order before going back to work today. I also wanted to get back into my morning routine, so after spending some time on my blog, I waited for daybreak and got my swimming things together. I've missed my daily sea swims and am keen to get the old routine established again. I donned fleecy over trousers, big woolly jumper, fur-lined jacket, boot socks, fur lined boots, bobble hat and gloves and jumped on my bike to head to Appletree Bay.


The sea was wild, all white tops and choppy waves. 


The sun was just emerging from behind the clouds as I arrived at the beach. I watched the waves surge in and suck out again. I watched a bit longer. And then I decided that my first swim ought not to be quite so daunting - the tidal run was about 15 to 20 feet, which makes even just getting into the water a scary business. I love sea swimming, but I'm not as brave as I'd like to be. 


So I took a few photos and cycled back home again. In the distance, beyond Cromwell's Castle, I could see the waves pounding over Shipman's Head on Bryher. So no swim today then? Ah, well, maybe not. A couple of hours later when the sun was shining and the tide was high, I did a first swimming wise. I literally ran from my house in my swimsuit, out across the road and into the sea at the slipway below my kitchen window. I swam across the bay towards the quay and back. Not a big swim, but certainly a brisk one, but more importantly, a safe one. The bay was protected from the strong Northerly wind and was relatively calm. Job done!


And that's it for our January style challenge. I do hope you'll take a moment to check out the other ladies in full on their blogs. If you want to see more of these, then the December challenge is here, November here and October is here.

Thanks for dropping by. It's lovely to be home again and I'm so keen to hear from you all. Please leave me a comment to just say hello - it's great to know you're out there!

Have a super week!

Anna x

Share:

Floral jumpsuit


Happy Sunday and hurrah for some beautiful autumn sunshine!


I'm pleased to have a chance to show you the rather fabulous floral jumpsuit I purchased from H&M in Manchester the last time I was there in September. The two shops I always managed to visit during these trips were H&M and TK Maxx, both providing me with some new inspiration and joyful finds. Polly tells me that there are lots of vintage and charity shops in the city, but they're in a different quarter to where I was located. I did find one, near to Piccadilly railway station, and yes was successful there too with those striped Boohoo culottes you may have already seen (here).


This jumpsuit is from the collaboration between these two brands and if you love it as much as I do you can find it still for sale here


I had to make a small adjustment to the jumpsuit as it had an open back with only a button at the top of the scoop neck. I bought an orange zip and unearthed my sewing machine - et viola! A camisole or vest top would have worked equally well, but I fancied not having to make that extra decision every time I wore it. 


The fabric of the jumpsuit is a blend of viscose and lyocell which feels silky smooth and light. I think I've just managed to sneak this in below the wire before cooler weather descends for the rest of the year. I tied the sash around twice to give a lovely snug fit and also cover the elasticated waist. The other noteworthy point is, of course, the large roomy pockets - yay!


With so many different colours to choose from it would be easy to accessorise this with pretty much any colour from my jewellery box. I finally chose this collection of orange pieces all of which are preloved. I added my gold chain necklace and Quay Australia sunglasses too.


Now, the jury may well be out as to whether these Zara sock boots are the right thing to wear with this floral (and therefore summery looking) ensemble. Because it's autumn I couldn't really bring myself to wear sandals, despite having orange strappy ones that would work a treat. I somehow wanted to anchor the whole look with a solid and autumnal colour, hence the olive green. The sheer comfort of sock boots plus these funky silver heels were the other deciding factors. Do pitch in here and give me your thoughts, especially if you think I've got better footwear for this.


As I look at this last photo I feel a pang of sadness at the thought that I'm going to lose dear Polly to her winter job in less than three weeks. Her input into these daily sessions is what sparks joy in me, producing these happy shots for all to see. In the meantime, let's enjoy Polly's flair and ability to bring out the fun in me.

Until next time, have a lovely week!

Anna x

Share:
Created by bo design