Hurrah for that Friday feeling!

Yes, after a week back at work, here I am at the end of the day, flushed with that Friday feeling. Much as I love my job, it's been tough to know that there was a second Triscape retreat taking place just on the other side of the island - without me! I've been green with envy at the very thought of it all. But hey ho, life goes on and I've had a busy week catching up on sales and making plans for the weekend ahead. 

 

I'm sporting my new work glasses here, not too expensive as they were from Specsavers, but they are great for my computer work when my eyes are getting tired. I wear reading glasses for my bedtime read, but apart from that it's only computer work that has me reaching for my glasses for a clearer vision.

And once work is over, it's time for a bit of fun! I love to have a bop around the back of the gallery when we're closed and I'm winding down. The weather wasn't good for outdoor blog photos so I settled down to capturing some shots indoors for a change...

My outfit of the day shows nothing new, simply a joyful collection of animal prints along with my cream Asos boots. The frilled blouse was a charity shop find from many years ago and is still going strong. I had planned to wear a fab fur coat over the top of this, but we had mix of wet and windy weather that scuppered my plans. I'll show you next time!

The cream leather belt was a second hand find, but actually brand new from Country Casuals. Rings are old too, but perfect tonally for today's look.

And it's that time of the year again, when I bring out my Paul Costelloe leopard skin handbag. It's sleek, stylish and great fun!

And talking of fun, the rest of the shoot was all about hamming it up for the camera - and why on earth not?

Hurrah for that Friday feeling and hurrah for having the freedom to dress as I please, even at work! 

Wishing you a fab week ahead x

Anna x

Adidas trouser suit

Hello lovelies! Life rarely goes to plan and yes, I've still not managed to do my autumn/winter clothes changeover, but have mustered up this offering, my workwear from yesterday. The other promise of a round-up post has also fallen by the wayside, but it'll make an appearance at some stage. Disorganised is my middle name at the moment, but I hasten to add that's only on a personal level; work has mushroomed, including the three full days it took for me to pack up all of the art from our local pub, The New Inn, this weekend. The pub is undergoing a total refurb this winter and it fell to me to pack up the art collection and put it into storage for the duration. The back fire exit has a wooden staircase with 15 steps, below which was the container to hold the collection. I can testify that each time I ascended the stairs I ran up them - every single time. What a workout that was!

My salmon pink corduroy trouser suit is a great bit of transitional dressing. It's a heavyweight fabric that's cosy and comfy too, but decidedly smart. The trousers have a touch of stretch and very deep pockets - fab! I decided to jazz things up a bit by adding leopard print shoes (old from Office) and my Paul Costelloe handbag. 

The light was amazing yesterday morning when I took these shots on New Grimsby quay. Huge cloud formations were causing the sun to appear and disappear from shot to shot. 

My 60's vintage shirt is by Mark Roberts and was a find from a couple of years ago and maybe not seen on the blog previously. The white leather and silver belt is another charity shop find.

My gold chain necklace is from Primark (old), rings are pre-loved and jazzy yellow sunglasses are by Quay Australia.

So, the thought has just occurred to me that it's only a week now until the gallery closes and I take a month's sabbatical - sounds so much better than holiday or annual leave eh? Anyway, during that time there'll be no need for fancy work clothes at all. The pressure is off therefore to drag these out this weekend. It might make better sense to have this as one of my projects to do while I'm off. I'd really like to do that whole trying everything on and clearing out what doesn't fit or, more importantly, in the words of Marie Kondo, Spark Joy. As a clothes hoarder I acknowledge the need to delve deep and clear out from time to time.

Aside from the clothes sort out, I plan to read lots, swim every day on the high tide and clean my house! Oh my goodness, isn't that always the first thing to go when you're pushed time-wise? Every day when the postman opens my door to drop the mail onto the mat, I just want to apologise to him for the lack of hoovering once again! As usual, I'll also plan to factor in some down-time, but I seem to be hopeless at that too. Guilt at lying around watching movies during the day haunts me. But I'll be making a stab at chilling some way or another. I'd like to get back into my winter walking again and am sure Fiona will be keen to join in that again. All in all, I'm really looking forward to having a break from work. Work hard, play hard is my motto and it'll be great to have a go at the latter.

                                                                                      Anna x

Bold in gold!

How-de-do-dee! How is your day going? Ask me how I am and I'll tell you, much better! The version of myself in the last post really got me down. I felt dull and dowdy, dreary and uninspired. Today however, I feel much more like myself! 

Bold in gold, perky in patterns and generally in fine fettle, that's me! The teddy bear woollen coat (by Covent Garden) has huge snuggle appeal which is perfect for the gales that are sweeping across these islands at the moment. The big collar turns up against the strong winds making me feel as if I have super powers, or at least that I have an inner furnace glowing away against the weather. 

Now this is what I call pattern play! You may recall seeing this very outfit before, but by including the coat this time I've added yet another layer of luciousness. 

The harlequin cardi (by Country Casuals) and frilled blouse (by Matthew for JoEd Sophisticates) are both vintage pieces. The cardigan has large shoulder pads creating a great line. Low slung pockets give the perfect slouch appeal. 

My gorgeous tartan boots (M&S) are a no-brainer to go with this bright poster colour knit. Even on the most dull wintery day this outfit defies the blahs. It's an absolute mood enhancing rush of colours and golly it certainly worked miracles on me!

My cowhide animal print handbag injects another bit of fun to the ensemble. The leather backed Paul Costelloe arm candy was a wonderful find in TK Maxx last winter. I almost bought it for my daughter's Christmas, but the longer I looked at it, the more I realised that I would love it more than her. Sasha has got to that stage where she discourages me to buy her any surprise gifts as I may just end up wasting my money. She has her very own sense of style and it's not one that I can necessarily keep track of. Much better to give her a lovely voucher instead. I'm sure I'm not the only mum who has found this a happier outcome all round.

Today's rings are both second hand and the poppy brooch was from the British Legion website a few years ago. I found a similar one on their website here. 

Today is my last day at work for a whole month, but never fear, I'll be dressing up for my sanity and for the sake of the blog during that time. I've got a fabulous new addition to my winter wardrobe coming up in November - but rest assured, I've not broken my shopping ban to make that happen! And apart from that I plan to don my walking boots and scoop up my walking friends as part of my push for better fitness over the winter months. I'll be following the high tide around the clock throughout November for my daily swims which will be great fun and definitely a great challenge too if these high winds continue! So do please join me again on Monday when I'll show you my last work outfit for October.

                                                                                          Anna x

And breathe ...

Hello and welcome!

Yes, it's been a hectic few weeks which you may have noticed by the lack of posting on the blog of late, but I'm happy to say that I'm back. The Gallery re-opened for business yesterday and this was my OOTD. My workload prior to opening was particularly challenging this year as we've had an upgrade to our till system. Uploading every item of stock for this was all consuming, waking me early in the mornings as I would remember yet another oddity that didn't fall into a listed category. For the past few weeks I've been bumbling into work by torchlight at 5am, keen to get ahead of the day's chores aside from this. But, at last, it's done and we're open!

There's nothing new to share today, but that's not to say the outfit isn't worth showing. The python print dress was a Topshop purchase last year and draws compliments with every wear. At this time of year I'm sporting a long sleeved thermal top underneath as well as these cream tights to keep me cosy. The boots were gifted to me by JD Williams way back in 2016 before I'd become a JD Williams "I AM" twinkle in their eye. See them styled four years ago here. 

The dress drapes beautifully, making me feel very elegant and well put together. I've swapped out the self-fabric belt, replacing it with a white and gold stretch one I found in a charity shop for £1 - a personal touch that makes the outfit mine. 

Lots of spinning and swooshing!

Jewellery comprises of large ring from TK Maxx many moons ago and the other ring is from an airport concession. My handbag of the moment is still this heart-throb leather and animal print cowhide combination from Paul Costelloe bags. As we all know, animal print is to be treated as a neutral and therefore I can't see that any outfit would battle with this fabulous accessory.

Today's sunglasses are another pair by Radley - check them out now for a bargain!

I  hope you're enjoying some downtime this weekend, just as I am. I had a lovely swim on Pentle Bay on the high tide this morning and when the sun made a welcome appearance this afternoon, I took myself off for a long walk, finishing off on the beach where I collected some sea glass. Next up I'll be putting the roast on for tea. I'm currently listening to Johnnie Walker on radio 2 with his "Sounds of the 70'" programme and today his delightful wife, Tiggy is co-hosting the show. I for one, think this ought to become a regular feature!

                                                                                     Anna x

Spots and culottes

Hi, hello and welcome!

I've been wanting to showcase this spots and culottes outfit for weeks now. In fact, this is the third time I've had it on, ready for the blog. The first two times I spent most of the day waiting for my photographers to turn up and both times they forgot me. I suppose family can get away with that, can't they? We had a good laugh at the end of the day at least.

Even this photo shoot had it's problems with too much wind on one side of the island and then too much sunshine when Lora and I finally found a sheltered corner. Anyway, here we are with a double dose of spots; the mustard blouse is from Primark and the culottes are a hand-me-down from Sasha from a couple of years ago (purchased in Thailand when she was on her travels). She had a big clear out when she was moving house and I inherited a bundle of clothes which have trickled onto the blog ever since then. The culottes are pleated and swooshy as well as having a half elasticated waist at the back, making them comfy as well as rather lovely. My winter coat is by Covent Garden, from TK Maxx.

My sock boots from Zara are wearing well, as I'm sure this is the second winter I've worn them as well as throughout the spring and autumn too. I'm trying to ration myself as to how often I feature this Paul Costelloe bag in case you tire of it. In fact I'm using it as my winter handbag regardless of whether it goes with the outfit of the day, such is my love for this exquisite piece. I tend to leave it inadvertantly in the gallery window on display or at least on the front desk so that anyone passing during these bleak/wild days can share in my pleasure.

The gold jacket (H&M) was another gift, this time from my friend Ben who had seen it in a charity shop window and immediately thought of me. The colour is indeed very me and the fact that it's satin is another plus. The quilted sleeves and plain body are nice feature too.

I do love this spot with spot look but nearly discarded these photos because of the upwards angle. Lora was standing on some steps below me and really tried her best not to offend me with the wattle shots. We did a retake of the ensemble a few days later in a different location but without the mustard blouse but I felt it lacked that bit of punch.

The belt and rings are all pre-loved.

I'll be back again on Monday with the monthly style challenge from the Style Not Age Collective. This month we're all sporting a bit of Flower Power and we have a new member joining our group too, so please do swing by.

                                                                                    Anna x