December round up

Hello lovelies and Happy New year to you! I thought I'd do a quick round up of my December outfits as I know I missed posting for a week when I was laid up with the lurgy. These are all work outfits apart from the final one which was destined for our New Year's Eve party, but more of that later.

This sparkly number comprises of an old sequinned top (a Christmas present from a couple of years ago) and these silver jeans that are also old. The pink and aqua blouse was passed on to me from my daughter some time ago, so nothing new there then.

The grey floral boots were bought in Penzance earlier on this year in Rackys, a small independent shoe shop. I've found a link to something similar in stock with them currently here. These are super comfy, with memory foam insole making them all day wearable which earns them top points in my book.

Black and gold was the theme of this workday ensemble, and none of it is new. All of the items are charity shop finds from previous years or earlier this year. The lurex polo neck is very ancient, but is wearing well. The heavy gold lurex cardigan was a find when my friend Ben took me thrift shopping in London before Covid struck.

The black velvet jeans are a recent purchase and the Elvis belt was an eBay buy earlier on this year. None of the jewellery is new either. 

These gold pumps are second hand too (£20), a rather fabulous find in Truro in December and just look at the back view of them -

Aren't they totally fab!

An all in black day is unusual for me, therefore worth documenting despite it not really having the wow factor to my mind. The sweater has a bronze lurex thread running through it and the black lurex joggers are incredibly slouchy and easy to wear. The two items came to £8 in total in my Truro charity shop haul in December.

I finished the look off with my old favourite patent boots from Topshop. It's a simple uncluttered outfit but still with a festive feel. Jewellery is all old or pre-loved.

And this my dear friends is what I pulled together for New Year's Eve. Again, nothing new here, all shopped from my closet. If you're a regular to my blog then my mermaid coat will be familiar to you. I've paired it with a champagne colour sheath dress (pre-loved, brand Monsoon) for which I paid the grand sum of £5!

I've had these satin kitten heel sling backs for over 15 years, but they still look perfect for this outfit, don't you think?

I dressed up and took myself off to the gallery to get these photos on NYE, but not for the party. Steve and I were still struggling with this terrible cough, as were my children too, so we all stayed home that evening. 

The frosted silver necklace was purchase from M&S many moons ago, but still is a favourite of mine.

Maybe next New Year I'll get the chance to sashay around in this shimmering pastel ensemble to another party, but in the meantime I did have fun swishing about to Fleetwood Mac on my own private dance floor.

                                                                                   Anna x

DKNY summer dress

Hello lovelies and hurrah for that Friday feeling!

I'm finally showcasing this perfect floaty frock by DKNY which I bought at TK Maxx in May when I was away in Truro. It's such a pretty dress and feels so very summery that somehow I've been waiting for the perfect day to wear and photograph it, and along came this one!

New Grimsby quay is hardly the most exotic location on the very picturesque island of Tresco, but the morning was so golden and the sea so calm I just wandered around there before going to work to see if I could find a good spot - and here it is. I managed to take these shots between the jet boats which take the arrivals and departures; this is our equivalent of a bus or train stop on the mainland.

 

And so, on to the outfit of the day. The frock is midi length with a shorter lining, 3/4 length sleeves and pintuck front. It came with a self tie belt, but I did away with the belt and loops, opting for this looser fit. Usually you'd find me cinched in at the waist with a nice elasticated belt, but the very hot weather has me choosing an airy fit instead - even with the doors and skylights open the gallery is like a greenhouse by mid-afternoon!

The silver and white sandals are very old. They're from Topshop and were a hand-me-down from my daughter. They're maybe getting a bit scuffed now, but are so very all-day-long comfy!

Both rings are pre-loved, charity shop finds and regulars on the blog, as is the silver disc necklace - an old M&S purchase which was well worth the £15 I paid at the time.

My white and black mirror sunglasses are from one of my favourite brands, Quay Australia.

At 7.30am there wasn't a soul around, not a boat disturbing the silence; it was the perfect way to start the day. It was lovely to just stop and take a moment to drink in the early morning sunshine and enjoy the stillness of the surroundings. A time to count my blessings for my life and this place called home.

Monday heralds our end of the month style challenge so please to swing by if you get a moment. In the meantime I'll leave you with a shot of the quay taken from my house just across the bay - the still water acted like a mirror giving an awesome reflection.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Anna x

Summer show 3

It's not by chance that we always have our group shot taken after the exhibition party rather than before, as by then the sheer relief and perhaps a glass of wine or two help us all look beautifully relaxed. The third summer show features artists Iona Sanders and Richard Guy (shown here) along with Neil Pinkett in a glorious collection of work (find the third July show images here). Each of the July exhibitions has been a diverse showcase of the artists' work and this final one is no exception. Red spots were dotted about, sales were made and we all had a splendid evening. Painting stories were exchanged between artists as to where's the best spot to see the finest Agapanthus blooms at the moment with my own particular highlight being when Iona's lovely father regaled me with tales of his time at sea as Coxswain aboard the ships that serviced the Trinity Lighthouses around the UK some 25 years ago. It was fascinating stuff.

And so on to the frock. This week's outfit is a mix of old and new; the new by way of this maxi dress by Zara which is on the website currently if you love it - see here.  I must admit I'm still utterly enchanted by these longer length summer frocks, not just for the romantic nature of them, but for the cool waftiness (made up word) which has come into its own during these wild summer temperatures we're having again. Loose fitting and lightweight fabric is a winning combination for this super maxi. I'll be dressing it down soon with simple sandals or those natty white trainers of mine for a cool and practical summery look.

This week's dress may not have the same big swoosh factor as last time but it makes up for this in its sleek contemporary styling. I know that white and black is an understated colour choice for me too, but sometimes I like to throw in the odd wild card with something unexpected. 

Pretty summer sandals would have been an obvious with this dress, but I chose these silver stiletto heel boots (by Buffalo) to give a bit more of an edge to the outfit. Polly tells me that this is Zara's dress of the moment as it's turning up all over Instagram. And if that's the case then styling this is more of a challenge to find that individual touch. I carried on the silver theme with all of my jewellery. The disc necklace was from M&S a few years ago, but still gets lots of admiration. The sunglasses are by Quay Australia and just happen to go perfectly with this black and white get up, don't you think?

The pre-loved accessories go a long way in helping this dress looking different. The Vogue clutch, bangles and rings are all charity shop finds, each one a delight at the time. These inexpensive trophies help me to stamp my personality onto an outfit. There's no better thrill than finding an unusual piece in a tiny charity shop, knowing it will one day add that certain twist to an ensemble. What simple pleasures I have!

My next post coming up will be on Monday when the ladies from the Style Not Age Collective and I will be delivering our latest offering. This month's theme is "Steal her style" which has certainly had me chopping and changing my mind over the past few weeks. I'm still in the throes of getting the look together, but fingers crossed, I'll be ready in time. I do hope you'll pop back to see how it goes. In the meantime, keep hydrated, keep slapping on the factor 50 and enjoy the sunshine!

                                                                                           Anna x

Boden Richmond trousers

Hi, hello, and how's your week going? I'm off-island currently but have scheduled this post for you to enjoy in my absence. Did you see my Mother's Day feature? If so, you'll have picked up on my love affair with pink at the moment. This was a workday outfit from recently when the sun was a constant for a few lovely days. 

The Boden trousers were in the sale, in fact some still are, but not this bubblegum pink version I'm afraid. Did I cause a run on them? Hahaha, maybe not! The trousers are akin to chinos in the smooth cotton fabric which has a slight sheen. The regular length is long enough for high heels, but also not too long for flats and did you notice the neat slit at the hemline? The cut is a slim, sleek fit with deep front pockets and fake back pockets. The back pockets did have a bit of extra bulk to them which I snipped out to create a smooth outline. Cue rear shot - (sorry)

Anyway, as I write this my mind keeps wandering to the next project this evening which is to pack my bags ready for leaving to go North to Harrogate tomorrow. Travelling by train does restrict how much luggage I can take, but also I have every intention of scouring the Harrogate charity shops so I need to try to create that elusive capsule wardrobe thus leaving space for all of my finds. I'm away for a week, travelling for four of those days and at the trade fair for the other three. How many/few outfits can I get by with? Wish me luck with that!

But let's talk about this spring outfit first shall we? This top does have a connection to Harrogate though, as I found it in the Asda store there a couple of years ago and it's still good as new. I love the ruffled and fluted sleeves as well as the checks. I almost added the pink trench with the checkered lining, but it was too warm to warrant a jacket. I'll maybe have to try that another time eh?

Check out this bit of sleeve action! My necklace is old, but was from M&S and the sunglasses are from Quay Australia.

The silver leather boots by Buffalo were a TK Maxx find from well over a year ago. The very high heels do restrict my gadding about nature though - I usually only wear them when I know I've got a day in the office planned. By lunchtime I had to dash to the Post Office and ended up changing into some flats. But not any old flats - these ones

They seem to be the perfect compromise of comfort and style, don't you think?

I'll leave it to you to decide which is the star piece of this outfit today. I love to have your feedback and enjoying reading your comments, so do please stop for a moment longer and get in touch. I'll be home again by the weekend with tales to tell and shopping bargains to share with you too I expect. Hope you'll come back to join me for all the latest news!

                                                                                         Anna x