And yet more joy!

Hello again and sorry for my absence, but life is forever busy as we prepare to close the gallery for winter meaning that I change hats and become curator of the Tresco Art Collection which is held within some 100 cottages and public areas around the island. However, here I am, referring back to my previous post about joy. As you can see I'm jumping for joy as I had a lovely walk to the North End of the island and decided to practise what Gaby Roslin was preaching. It really works! I did indeed feel energised, and much happier simply for jumping and leaping around like a mad thing.

For a very small island, Tresco does offer a sense of the great escape, be it here on the rocky heathland, in the depths of the Abbey Garden or along the sweeping stretches of white sandy beaches skirting the majority of the island. It was a good day to visit the North End as I met only three other people, all heading off to find there own place of solitude. 

A day off is a chance to dress down and this was me in outdoorsy mode in this two piece (very old) from Asos. The stretchy leggings and top are perfect for working out or busying around. And a plain white tee shirt underneath was enough layering to keep me warm on this autumn day.

The camoflage boots are by Replay and oh, what a joy they were when I found them on Vinted earlier on this summer! I love the matchy-matchy look and will be seen over the forthcoming months sporting this when I'm lugging paintings around from houses into winter storage. I'm going to show you some of the views from this vantage point...

This bay is called Gimble Porth and is where you can often catch sight of a seal or two at any time of year, but mainly during the quiet winter months. There was one bobbing about while I was taking these shots and you may be able to discern his dark head just above the water.

The view just beyond Gimble Porth shows Northwethel and the Small Islands beyond - all of these are tiny uninhabited islands, popular for picnic trips and adventures for those with a small boat and knowledge of tides and rocks.

Beyond those lies the inhabited island of St Martin's and the Eastern Isles strewn outwards towards the mainland. Steve and I love to escape to these desert islands on our days off.

The lighthouse is perched atop Round Island and is now worked remotely. Scudding across the foreground is one of Tresco's jetboats.

Part two of today's post is to feature my Primark short suit again, this time with different accessories. I much prefer outdoors photography for my blog outfits, but at this time of year I'm held hostage by the weather which has been pretty dire of late. Apologies therefore for the lighting and less clear images. Hopefully the backdrop makes up for what it lacks elsewhere.

The pink and orange tweed shorts suit is reinvented by adding a colourful tee shirt, pink tights and metallic cowboy boots - a bit different to when I wore it for the first time (see here).

Gold chain belt and necklace add a bit of glamour as do the pink and orange rings (pre-loved) along with these bobby dazzler boots.

The metallic boots really do add that punch to today's look. Not for everyone, I know, but very me! I bought them from Asos earlier on in the year, but they're sold out now. Gutted, aren't you! 

Thanks for dropping by and do keep in mind that our end of month challenge occurs on the last Monday of the month. It's my turn to chose the theme - I hope you'll join us for that!

                                                                                              Anna x

Debenhams bolero jacket

Hello again. How was your weekend? The mercury rose here at the weekend and Tresco became thoroughly tropical for a couple of days. On Sunday I took cover for most of the afternoon as it really was too blooming hot for me. I spent a couple of hours indoors doing clothes management. If this is a new term to you then I decided to name the constant chasing of laundry around in circles as such. Not only laundry though as I've been putting away some spring outfits and bringing lighter summer clothes out. The chore is complete for this weekend at least!

This was Saturday's work outfit. I'm so pleased to showcase this yellow linen bolero jacket. I love it! The brand is Debenhams Collection (Petite) and was a pre-loved purchase from my recent mainland trip. I paid £4.50 for this pristine jacket and am thrilled to have this as part of my wardrobe now. The cut is great, the fit is perfect and I do like the notch front too.

I paired the jacket with these silky wide legged trousers from H&M which I bought way back in 2018. Have I worn them on the blog before? I honestly don't remember - (yes, shame on me Sheila!). I've had them hung up alongside a lemon and grey striped jacket for over a year now and I do know that the combination never made it to the blog last summer or the one before. I think the jacket was too long, whereas this cropped length is a much more flattering fit for this high waist Oxford Bag style of trouser.

The cream lace top was a charity shop find from ages ago and has certainly been aired on the blog many times already.

The cream hessian weave sandals are by Europen, bought from TK Maxx, but not recently.

Nothing new jewellery-wise: the gold chain necklace was from Primark, the yellow stone ring was an airport concession purchase and the silver and gold seaweed ring is by Emily Nixon.  

The lemon and cream combo has a lovely fresh feel to it and not only that, but the jacket gives the outfit a sharp edge which garnered a few compliments too. Dressing in lemon and yellow shades are akin to wearing portable sunshine and always earn me a smile or two along the way. Hurrah for summer!

Wishing you a great week ahead!

Anna x

Lovely leopard print!

Hello again! Are you okay? How's life treating you?  I love to hear from you so please add a comment at the end of the post to share your news. This is a hot off the press outfit, taken just an hour ago. 

The look is inspired by a dear friend. We were discussing our plans to clothes shop next month (me in the UK and she in Portugal) and what we hoped to buy. I was bemoaning the fact that I had missed purchasing three wonderfully bright linen summer tent dresses; one in turquoise, one in orange and the other in bright pink. Big, loose and airy for the summertime is how I described them and such a heartache that I dithered over them two years ago when I was in Truro. Her observation was that the voluminous tent dress can swamp me (and her - we're of similar heights). She suggested that I might consider figure hugging styles as they're more flattering for us, giving the illusion of being taller.

Leopard print is one of her favourite patterns, so this one is for you Bo. The skinnies are  indeed figure hugging, but thankfully they do have lots of stretch. Purchased years ago from Zara, the bonus feature has to be the lovely pockets. You can't beat a good pocket can you?

The pre-loved blouse is by Boohoo and is a great match for this vivid outfit. The mix of animal and chain prints in red, black and blue work really well with the leggings. 

The final dose of pattern comes by way of these M&S tartan boots, again not new, but from a few years ago. 

Skinny trousers, fitted shirt and high heeled boots do give a streamline look which does help to quell the voice of the fat woman who lives in my head. Please tell me I'm not the only one to suffer from mild body dysmorphia? My lovely friend Bo has a knack of saying just the right thing to help me open my eyes to what others see. Thank-you darling!

Pre-loved rings, Primark gold chain necklace and Quay Australia sunglasses are today's accessories.

I'll be back on Monday with my fabulous fashionista friends for our monthly Style Not Age challenge. Do come and join us if you can!

                                                                                      Anna x

Chiffon and tweed on a breezy day

Hello lovelies, how are you?

Today's outfit is one that I've been waiting for the right opportunity to wear. However, as no special occasion came along I decided to showcase it for you anyway. When spring arrives and the gallery re-opens for another season I know I'll get the chance to wear this. In the meantime it's had an airing or should I say a blow-through!

The dress is a gorgeous vintage piece that I've had for years; the label states Borghese by Toplet. I chose it for the vibrant chiffon in this giant floral print. It has a fitted bodice with a drop waist, unlined chiffon sleeves with bows at the wrist and bright red lining. The lining was the obvious reason for me to add my beloved sock boots (old, from H&M). 

I love to dress up as you'll know, but I'm also aware that sometimes I might look a bit overdone (aka wearing fancy dress) for everyday life. To this end, I decided to add tweed to the uber feminine frock which gave it a more grounded appearance. Still head turning, but not so alarming I hope.

I love the odd buttons on this second-hand jacket by Joules, in fact that's what drew me to it in the first place. The gorgeous floral lining was a bonus find when I went to try it on. If you know the brand, then you'll understand how beautifully made their pieces are, finished to such a high standard with quirky details like these buttons as well as velvet and ribbon trim. Jewellery-wise I'm wearing preloved rings and my gold chain necklace from Primark. Sunglasses are by Quay Australia.

A sunny day, a billowing dress, castle ramparts and pure white sand with azure water beyond - what a joy this shoot was. Steve did the honours, taking time out on a Sunday afternoon to heckle and tease, getting the best out of me for your delectation. 

The previous day it had been blowing and absolute gale, so much so that I couldn't have stood in the same place safely. My walk with Fiona past this castle was a hoods-up-against-the-storm-and-rain kind of day with no chance at all of any blog photography.

Apologies for the erratic nature of my posting of late. I've decided that I can't afford to be a slave to the schedule at the moment and am simply posting what I can, when I can. I think it's better to be sharing something that I feel is worthy rather than forcing myself to post on specific days regardless of the content. I do hope you agree.

Until next time, have a super week!

                                                                                  Anna x

Goodbye to summer?

Oh my goodness, is it really time to say goodbye to summer? I keep seeing these posts from other bloggers embracing autumn and oh, how I hate to give up on the joys of my favourite season! I'm dragging my feet at the prospect of cosy clothes, but here I am nonetheless posting my last summer offering for you.

Is summer your favourite season too? How on earth can it not be? I love the warmth of the sun, the promise that each day holds, the lightness in my heart, the spring in my step, the joy of my summer wardrobe and the delights therein. Nothing can rival the happiness I feel when I'm on the beach at six in the morning with the heat of the rising sun on my back, the company of a few Oystercatchers chattering their way along the shore. My morning swim sets me up for the day. As the sunlight reaches the turquoise water my mind turns to the outfit of the day. What shall it be? Can I find that winning combination of style plus comfort, especially in the shoe department? Today's ensemble pretty much fills all of those requirements.

Topshop seemed to come up trumps for me several times over the summer with this cinnamon zebra print skirt being one of those that were in the sale. The double splits up the front make for a bit of a flirty feel which is no bad thing. If seeking joy is my mission statement then this fits in nicely thank you!

This gold blocked logo tee was from TK Maxx, the brand is Public Envy and it cost me all of £5.99. You can't go wrong with a white tee shirt for summer, can you? And this one has the perfect message too.

It's a job to tell if my expression is one of outrage or laughter at something Polly had thrown at me. "Shut up" was her most often interjection, probably due to my endless stream of nonsense during these photo shoots. Happy days!

My white Puma trainers were well worn throughout the summer months and goodness how my feet loved the gentle support and comfort of these simple shoes. Will fashion dictate something as feet-friendly next year I wonder?

I sometimes wonder if it's right that I'm still having this much fun at my age?

I'm sporting a mix of old and new jewellery today - preloved rings, Primark gold chain necklace and rose gold Michael Kors watch, plus a new pair of Quay Australia sunglasses that I found in Topshop, once again in the sale. 

This weekend I'll be dragging bags and cases out from under the bed, ever hopeful that my autumn/winter wardrobe will be full of lovely surprises. The past week on Scilly has been a time of changing weather, one that I can't ignore any longer. Thick tights, tweed skirts, fluffy jumpers and cosy jackets will be back in evidence by the end of it - I hope!

In the meantime, please join me and the ladies of the Style Not Age Collective on Monday as we tackle this month's theme of "Autumn florals". My choice this time, so wish me luck with that!

                                                                                        Anna x