Winter Opulence, our Style Not Age Challenge for December

Welcome to this month's Style Not Age challenge.

Hello to you and thanks for dropping by. This month's theme for our challenge was chosen by Emma and goodness, what a lovely idea to opt for Winter Opulence. We've all taken to this one like ducks to water so without further ado let's see how Emma starts this off shall we?

Emma looks positively regal in her velvet dress with teeny velvet bag and that crown like headband. Find all the details on her blog Style Splash. 

Jacqui's take on Winter Opulence is all about lace in the shape of this rich red lace dress, styled simply with red suede shoes. See more on her blog Mummabstylish.

Hilda has chosen a double helping of fur to compliment her gold brocade skirt for her sumptuous look. Catch up with her on her blog Over The Hilda.

At the mention of Winter Opulence I immediately thought of fur - but which of my many pieces was the dilemma? I've not yet showcased the velvet and fur coat which I bought in London in November... But no, maybe not. This silver fur jacket captured my attention as I rummaged through my wardrobe. 

It's a hand-me-down piece from Sasha, the brand is New Look and is quite old I think. Anyway, I like the short length as it feels young and a bit more funky when paired with this satin jumpsuit, pre-loved from H&M. 

The satin bowed trainers (new with labels) were a recent purchase in London. The brand is Kelsi and I've found the same ones online here. I thought the silver pumps were a great match for the silvery hued jacket. 

My bejewelled turtle handbag continues with the Opulence theme perfectly don't you think? I bought this in a boutique in St Andrews almost 12 months ago, but there's no label to show the brand/maker.

No brand with the necklace either I'm afraid. I bought it in London too at the Crisis shop in Finsbury Park. The necklace was one of many bargains I found at only £6.95. I can see this will be a great asset to my jewellery collection. Both rings are pre-loved too. And my sunglasses are by Quay Australia.

Fur, satin, velvet, lace and brocade - we've pretty much covered the who gamut of Winter Opulence here. What do you think of our outfits for this month's challenge? Do drop me a line or post a comment if you have something to add. Next month I'll be starting us off with our first challenge of the new decade. What on earth will that be I wonder?

Until then, I'll wish you all a very 

Happy New Year!

Anna x

Fur and sequins

Hello to you on this very fine Sunday!

As the countdown to Christmas continues I'm striding out in fur and sequins today. The super soft fur bomber jacket (from New Look) is a hand-me-down from Sasha which she gave me last winter. It's the first time I've worn it and now I can't imagine why I've waited so long! 

I decided to up the fur factor by adding this grey cuddly scarf that Polly gave me for my Christmas last year. Much as the day was bright it was actually very stormy and cold warranting this bundled up weekend outfit. Steve and I had to search for a spot out of the wind to capture these shots. The view behind me is called Penzance Road and I suppose if the road did continue off the island it would eventually reach the mainland.

The snuggle factor continues with this turquoise cashmere sweater (very old from M&S). I have this sweater in three colourways and really, you can't beat cashmere for the perfect combination of warmth and comfort. I'm always on the lookout for cashmere when I visit charity shops as you can find them at any time of year. I have a turquoise V neck cashmere sweater that somehow I managed to shrink in the wash and yet I still can't bear to get rid of it. The turquoise rings are both pre-loved and I actually had on a matching necklace which I forgot to reveal. Ho hum.

As ever, I'm sporting my much loved sunglasses from Quay Australia, and why not?

I'm most definitely a jeans at the weekend kinda girl and these embroidered (Next) ones with beads and sequins were a happy find in a charity shop months and months ago. I think it's the first time I've worn them though as they're quite long and needed some high heels. I like to wear my jeans with trainers, hence why it's taken so long to find the right outfit. By adding my metallic silver Buffalo ankle boots I feel this has taken on a lovely wintery look.

This weekend has been a busy one with a trip to St Mary's yesterday to buy a few Christmas presents and have my fringe cut. I spent the afternoon wrapping all my Christmas presents while I watched "It's a Wonderful Life" - that was my idea of a perfect afternoon. 

Last night was the island Christmas party and I'm afraid we ducked out of that this year. Being a non-drinker sometimes stops me wanting to socialise. Being totally sober as everyone gets more and more merry can be a bit of a downer, leaving you on the outside looking in. I don't drink out of choice and for health reasons, so this year I decided to sit it out. However, I did take some shots of what was going to be my outfit and will show you those on Wednesday. What I would have worn seems a bit of a crazy post, but some of you may still be interested ... In the meantime, I do hope that all of your Christmas arrangements are coming along. I'm off to make a few batches of fudge today. I seem to be quite popular at this time of year with those who have a sweet tooth!

Anna x