The peapod trouser suit

If you're a regular reader you'll be familiar with my peapod trouser suit, a super stylish co-ord from H&M in collaboration with the late Iris Apfel to celebrate her 100th birthday. The suit is one of my most prized possessions, a very special addition to my wardrobe. This summer I've been making a point of wearing it once a week as I feel there's no point in having special clothes that simply reside in my closet. 

These photos were taken last night after our drinks party which is taking a break over July and August. My assistants for yesterday's party were Lucy and Issey, two young girls who are spending the summer working at the Garden Cafe on Tresco. The girls are drafted in on Wednesday evenings to pour wine, chat with guests and generally help out with the practicalities of the night. It's lovely to have the youngsters on board - I swear they inject the place with energy!

Issey did the honours taking the photos last night. I was keen to capture the summer flowers that are suddenly in bloom along my garden wall and don't they make a great backdrop to my outfit?

My styling of the suit is always pretty flashy, but that's because I feel it simply lends itself to as much bling as possible. The peapod pearls always get noticed, as they're such an unusual feature. My accessories are: Elvis style bejewelled belt (from Amazon), dancing girl necklace bought from Gallery Tresco many years ago, cowrie necklace by Julian Warrender, another of our Gallery Tresco jewellers, multi jewelled bracelet by Magpie Vintage, again from a Gallery Tresco jeweller and last of all my rings are both by Emily Nixon, one of our best selling jewellers.

My white cowboy boots are by Besson, a purchase from Vinted last year. 

The bracelet is created from lots of vintage jewellery that has been deconstructed and made into a stunning, modern piece of jewellery.

If you'd like to read the first post about my (now almost famous) peapod trouser suit see it here. It was also my post to celebrate 7 years of blogging which means it's now 10 years that I've been writing this my online diary of island life, family adventures and Gallery tales. If you're a long term follower or a newcomer, you're much appreciated and I do hope you're enjoying the journey. Thank you so much for taking the time to visit!

                                                                Anna x

Winding down at the weekend

Hi there, how's tricks? I thought I'd show you a weekend lazy outfit this time, just for a change. I had a busy start to the weekend as I was playing catch up with chores at home ready for Sasha coming home, but once I'd done that I managed to have a couple of swims as well as an evening stroll on the beach on Sunday. This is what I wore for a bit of relaxed down time.

These lightweight linen trousers are by Joules and were a recent buy on Vinted. Lots of pockets and a loose fit have boosted them to the top of my weekend-wear chart! I love the mulitcolour floral print which will work with so many options, and this time I've paired them with a new aqua sweater by Miss Carla, bought from Number36 boutique in Penzance. Despite the boxy fit the sweater is soft and lightweight, an easy-to-wear piece that will work well throughout the summer months. A simple white tee shirt and some old pale green suede sandals (by Lazy Dogz - very appropriate name, eh?) were all I needed to complete this weekend ensemble.

None of my jewellery is new. The silver and bead cowrie necklace was from Gallery Tresco a couple of summers ago (and we still sell these now - the jeweller is Julian Warrender). My rings are both charity shop finds and my sunglasses are from Radley London.

I sat amoungst the marram grass and wild flowers to watch the sun drop in the sky and enjoy the sounds of birdsong and the sea as it rustled over the sea shells on the shoreline.

Only a five minute cycle from home and I'm immersed in nature, surrounded by wild flowers and the gentle hum of buzzing bees. Nearby are a pair of Oystercatchers as they chastise me for encroaching on their territory. It's nesting season currently and the bossy little birds won't tolerate any intrusion, especially from swooping gulls on the lookout for eggs. I watched the pair from a safe distance, one of them chasing off the gulls while the other played victim, pretending it had a broken wing as it hoped to lure any preditor away from the well hidden nest. 

Jamie met up with Sasha on St Mary's where they checked out the odd pub or two. Sasha is working from home so that she can attend a local wedding on the island. It's lovely to have here back, even if it's just for a couple of weeks.

                                                                            Anna x

Zingy spring outfit

Hi there! How's tricks? I do hope you're enjoying this fabulous springtime weather. It's been glorious here with only a brisk easterly wind keeping us all in check and wearing our jackets when out and about. My pretty spring jacket is by Heyton, bought from TK Maxx a few years ago.

Despite being one of my favourite jackets I don't seem to have many things to wear it with so it was a joy to bring it together with my lime jumpsuit by & Other Stories (from Vinted). Fiona has become my Friday photographer again which is another joy in my life. It's lovely to have a bit of friendly banter to loosen me up for these photoshoots.

I have no idea what this gesture was in response to, but I was clearly having some Friday fun!

I decided on blue and turquoise as my accent colours against the lime green by adding two turquoise beaded necklaces and my recently purchased blue and coral beaded belt (yes, from Vinted of course). 

My white leather cowboy boots finish the outfit off with a sharp edge. Despite looking narrow they are actually all-day-wearable, thank goodness, as I do love them.

I'd like to finish off by giving a big shout out to all the ladies who drop in to see me at the Gallery throughout the year to pass on their positive comments on my outfits. Rosemary, it was so good to see you last week and to have your very kind feedback and valuable input - thank you! It's heartening to have these lovely ladies appear from time to time just to say how much they like popping in to see what the outfit of the day is. It's a real bonus for me, especially as I dress for myself, not for the approval of others therefore that makes it even more appreciated.

Have a great week everyone!

Anna x

My new watch from Storm

Hello and how are you? I had a mini break on the mainland last week which has taken me a bit of time to recover from, but here I am resplendant in my peapod trouser suit to wow you with my latest accessory, gifted from Storm Watches. The Elexi gold watch in Lazer Green is an absolute beauty of a watch - see more about it here - Storm Elexi Lazer Green Watch

When the watch arrived on my doorstep the first thought for me was about the outfit of course and what would showcase it the best. Some of you might say I would be spoilt for choice, but it soon became obvious that something as stylish as the Elexi watch deserved to be paired with my most stylish of outfits - my aqua trouser suit from the H&M collaboration with Iris Apfel.

It's months since I strutted my stuff in these threads and oh, how I'd forgotten how great this co-ord makes me feel! It wasn't by chance that the colour of the satin lining of the suit is the same as the watch face - that was the main reason I opted for this ensemble.

I first wore my beautiful suit back in 2022 with shots from this very same spot and styled not so differently either - see here. Today I've added a simple white vest top from Primark, my Besson white leather boots (recently purchased from Vinted), white pearl belt from Amazon, lemon Dune handbag and pre-loved rings. The mixture of old and new is so very me.

And so, on to the watch. The STORM Elexi is a statement watch with a 21 karat gold plated strap and unique cut glass dial. This sophisticated watch has a deep green jewel face and a two-tone brushed/polished stainless steel strap. The perfect fashion watch for day or evening wear.

STORM watches are made from high quality sustainable materials which are responsibly sourced and recyclable.

My friend Jodie did he honours with the photography for this shoot, helping to set the right tone for this feature. Thanks Jodie, for doing such a great job!

The Elexi comes in four other colourways, even aqau which was quite tempting, but I love the bold rich green of mine and will wear it often. 

Thank you as ever for dropping by to catch up on my news. Next time I'll give you all the latest from my trip off-island, including the big reveal of my shopping spree!

                                                                    Anna x

Friday is fun day!

Hello again! This was my work outfit from Friday, hence the handbag-on-the-beach situation which might appear odd otherwise. Fiona and I wandered off to find a quiet corner for the photoshoot, ending up here on Cradle Porth our favourite swimming beach. It was pretty much low tide so we made our way across the sandbar down to the water's edge first of all.  We found ourselves in the teeth of the wind, but the backdrop is pretty idyllic you have to agree.

Just in case you've missed the back story to my over-the-top trouser suit you can see it here. I'm planning on wearing the amazing get-up once a week to showcase it and share the love for this most amazing bit of tailoring. The feedback is wonderful and creates lots of opportunity to share the tale of my luck in securing such a fabulous two piece.

This week's variation has the joyful addition of a satin blouse which my daughter gave to me last month. It's from Zara although I can't seem to find it on their website now. The pink colour isn't an obvious partner to the aqua suit and yet it does have accents in this same shade. I put the two things together as they lay on the bed and it was a beautiful "this works!" moment.

My recent extravagance hasn't stopped at the trouser suit. I've treated myself to this gemstone necklace with silver and gold cowrie shells. It's from a range by jeweller (Julian Warrender) that we stock in Gallery Tresco and it really caught my eye as the sea colour of the gemstones were such a great match for the suit. How could I resist? Both the necklace and trouser suit are investment pieces which at my time of life seem more important than ever. I shall cherish them both while making  point of wearing them regularly throughout whatever remains of my working life.

My other new tweak to the ensemble is this rather lovely pearl belt which is another thing of joy. I found it on Amazon. The rest of my jewellery is old, including the modesty brooch which might have to be a permanent fixture on this low neck blouse. My sunglasses are old favourites from Quay Austalia.

My Replay trainers (from TK Maxx) are still looking smart and are soooo comfy, all day comfort in fact. The River Island handbag (second hand) is a great choice for this outfit with lots of embroidery in gold and aqua. 

My weekend has been a mixture of work and play. I've been helping renovate some of the woodwork on our boat - simple painting and varnishing jobs that I can't really mess up while Steve is dealing with more major things like replacing the floor and fixing outboard engines. We are very late to be doing all of this, but our lives are always seem to be this way. On Sunday Sasha and I spent the afternoon on the beach. We went to Rushy Porth on Tresco, otherwise known to locals as Borough Beach. After a while I remembered to slap on some sun cream, but by bedtime I discovered how haphazard that had been. I've got sunburnt patches on my legs, one knee, both shoulders and even a random patch on one foot - honestly I ought to know better!

Anyway, that's pretty much it for this week. I do hope you won't tire of seeing this suit over the months ahead, although I do think I'll restrict it to only the odd time when a variation merits showcasing. In the meantime I'll leave you with some beach shots from yesterday on sunny ol' Tresco.

Wishing you a great week ahead!

Anna x