Yes, another Dress Up Friday!






Hurrah for Dress Up Friday!

As the weeks progress I'm increasingly thankful for this weekly distraction which has motivated me and so many other like-minded women. I'm very partial to a bit of dressing up meaning this Friday meet up has been a wonderful ruse for me, allowing me to rummage through my wardrobe and try new combinations that I'd not worn previously. Take this dress for example. It's one that I often bypass because it's pretty without being eye catching. Today's styling however, has upgraded it to one that deserves a second look. 




The floral creation by Mango was a purchase a couple of summers ago and has been featured on the blog before (see here). Today's reprise relies on the focus of pink as the accent colour to add a bit of pizazz, mainly due to these cute bow tie satin sandals (Miss Selfridge) and matching stretch belt. 




Word on the grapevine has it that I could be back in the workplace by July which, for a workaholic like me, is a relief (see my recent post on Instagram on this). Yes, I know that with that comes an element of risk and worry as to how this will all pan out, but guidelines are in place and hopefully we will all be able to function within these and with respect for social distancing to ensure safety for all. Beyond that will come the daily excuse to dress up for work once again and that does bring me joy.






Until then, I'll be dressing up on Fridays for your delectation. My thanks go once again to Lucy Walsh our host of #Dressupfriday on Instagram every week. 




The cross over front of the dress allows for a vest top underneath too on a cooler day. It's got a side zip, and a button up opening off centre to give the odd glimpse of thigh - a bit saucy for an old bird like me, but hey, since when has age stopped me?




The New Inn cat was suitably unimpressed with my catwalk sashay.




One or two comments on last week's frock suggested a belt to add definition to the smock, and this week I went with that for not only the colour factor, but also to give the frock a cinched waist - without it the line was just too floppy. The elastic belt was from Ebay many moons ago. Rings were both gifts from friends.






The gold chain necklace likewise was a gift and my sunglasses are a fab new pair by Radley.






Needless to say these vertiginous sandals are of the car-to-bar category!




Thanks for joining me again today. 
Wishing you a lovely weekend!

Anna x

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A seaside stroll in the sunshine


Hello from sunny Tresco!

Today is all about the beautiful island of Tresco and specifically this beach, called Appletree Bay. Steve and I took ourselves out for an early morning stroll along the shoreline to capture some pretty outdoors shots away from the village. This beach is only a five minute cycle or a 20 minute walk from home. On a very big spring tide, this beach dries out completely, joining up with a central sandbar which stretches all the way to the island of Bryher behind me. This is where the Low Tide event is staged - see my post from last year about this here.




My weekend outfit is a mix of pre-loved and newish pieces. My sister Dianne kindly sent me these cropped trousers last year and this is the first time I've worn them. I have posh shoes and a smart jacket that would also look great together, but opted for this relaxed look instead. When I get back to work I'll feature the other option.




The sheer striped top was a second hand buy (brand is M&S) and underneath is a vest top from Topshop (again pre-loved). My mind wandered off then, to consider my preference for pre-loved clothes which supports my passion for recycling and reducing waste. I wonder if UK clothes retailers will rein in their production over the forthcoming months? Or will the hunger for all things new still be present in our consumers? Will these long weeks at home have shaped the consumerism of the future? The big question of "Do I really need this?" might be easier to answer now that we've managed without so much recently. 




My wedge sandals are by Guess and came from TK Maxx last year. Both of my rings are pre-loved. 




The sunglasses of the day are my old faithfuls by Quay Australia.








The turquoise and silver anklet was from Accessorize last year.



A sense of peace is probably the most obvious thing we locals have all noticed over the past weeks of lock-down. With no vapour trails overhead and scarcely a boat to break the silence, we have all been gifted this time to bask in the idyll of island life. We've been blessed with beautiful weather too, enabling us to make the most of our surroundings without seeing a soul. We seem far removed from the reality of Covid-19 and yet we know how fragile and vulnerable our island communities are to the very real threat of the invisible warrior. Social distancing is practiced here as everywhere and our shop operates as those on the mainland do with ours only allowing 4 shoppers at a time. Once freedom of movement resumes we're all aware that our stress levels will rise as we have visitors and workers return from the mainland and we too will experience the kind of anxieties that have become the norm elsewhere. For the moment we are savouring the calm before the storm.




I'll be back on Friday with my latest feature of Dress Up Friday - do pop by if you've got a minute!

                                                                           Anna x

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Style Not Age does Comfy Casuals



Welcome to our monthly Style Challenge!

Thank you for joining us for our end-of-month challenge, this time being that of Comfy Casuals which is very pertinent under the current circumstances. Jacqui chose the theme this month and it really couldn't be more relevant as the majority of us are housebound and therefore are spending our days in comfy clothes. I'm sure that when we exit lock-down from the Covid-19 crisis, one of the most noticeable things for us all will be the effort we make in our appearance once our normal routine comes back. I, for one, can't wait to get back to my daily dilemma of what to wear - what a lovely problem that will be again!




Jacqui starts us off with her comfy chiffon camo top with elasticated waistband paired with 3/4 length chinos. See her backstory on her blog Mummabstylish.




Gail from Is This Mutton blog is looking very sporty in her casual gear. I love those leggings and reckon they'd be pretty inspiring to get you up and at 'em!




Hilda is looking quite sparkly in her diamante bows sweater and neat checked trousers. Do catch up with her take on comfy casuals on her blog Over The Hilda




Emma of Style Splash mixes comfort with style here. Sparkly Peter Pan collar and metallic espadrilles are a lovely counterpoint to her utility trousers. 




This is a great easy to wear outfit and fulfills my requirements for comfy casuals: I like to feel comfy, but also want to have a splash of colour to help buoy up my mood. Everything here is relatively new (bought within the past 6 months), but hadn't made it to the blog as yet. The entire outfit came from TK Maxx (sobbing quietly as even their online store is closed). 




I particularly love these trousers for lounging about due to the elasticated waistband and voluminous shape. These also wouldn't look out of place on some exotic holiday would they?




Steve and I walked to the bird hide along Pool Road for our photo shoot, but again were prey to the mixed light that kept changing and making our shots a bit challenging.




Minimal jewellery today, just this ethnic necklace (charity shopped) and a ring from a girlfriend.




This was the first outing for these funky Converse boots. Soooooo comfy!





 Sunglasses by Radley.




The mustard jacket was also from TK Maxx last year and I'm very pleased to showcase this Orla Keily bag that I was given as a Christmas present from my dear friend Bo. We share a love for the colourful designs of this iconic brand. Cheers Bo!


I hope you've enjoyed this month's challenge and maybe been inspired too for your stay-at-home outfits? Please make a note in your diary that I'll be back at the end of the week with my latest ensemble for Dressing Up Friday. See you then!

                                                                                        Anna x

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Jumpsuit joy!


Hello and welcome!

Since I did my wardrobe overhaul last week I've been able to find a lot of inspiration in my closet, the first being this combination of gingham dungarees and sheer spotty sleeved top. I bought the dungarees last summer from Topshop and they were a mainstay both at work and play last year. I'm delighted to bring them out again, this time with a top that I bought in February from TK Maxx (the brand is Wild Flower). I bought a black version of this too and will showcase that in due course.






Steve and I headed along the beach to Saffron Cove on Sunday afternoon during the last of the sunshine. It was a glorious end to the day. We took our time, wandering through the high tideline looking for treasure as we enjoyed the view. I've always got my eye out for sea glass and found a few colourful pieces to add to my collection.






Simple pleasures.




Back to the jumpsuit. I changed the buttons as I so often do. The previous ones were a nondescript, brownish colour which didn't work so well. I'm a hoarder of buttons and tend to remove any good ones before I get rid of old clothing that's on its way to the bin. I have a button jar, but have just recently found a wooden box while spring cleaning that I'm going to recycle to make it my button box, just like my gran used to have. 




I particularly like the big, oversized puff sleeves of this top. The body of it is a ribbed sweater with these fabulous chiffon sleeves acting as a wonderful contrast. Next time I'll be trying to dress this up with my off-white smart trousers and perhaps some silver or gold sandals.




Rings are both pre-loved,




... sunglasses are by Quay Australia,




... and trainers are by Puma.












We walked back along Farm Beach collecting more sea glass on the way. Many of you are visitors to Tresco and may appreciate this backdrop of New Grimsby harbour. Hopefully things will return to normal soon and we'll be able to welcome you to our island again. In the meantime, take care, keep safe and stay home.

                                                                             Anna x

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Ecru boilersuit from Tu


Happy Friyay!

Friday/Friyay, whichever, I'm still happy to be on the cusp of the weekend. Even though I'm furloughed, I do love to have that Friday feeling where the weekday pressure is off. My weekdays are proving to be much more challenging than I expected. I thought I'd be bouncing out of bed at 5am, galloping off to the beach and then swirling around the house like a hyman tornado, spring-cleaning every nook and cranny before lunch. And yet, it's not like that at all. My sleep is disturbed and my very early mornings often result in a mid-morning slump. I'm trying to avoid the news as it's my main source of stress, but I'm like a kid with a scab on its knee who just can't help going back to it. But, from what I can gather, I'm not alone with this lack of productivity. The simple truth is, we're not quite sure how to deal with these most extraordinary times, are we?




But, one thing that's well within my limits is dressing up! I saw the TV advert for Tu Clothing in March and immediately fell for the charms of this ecru boilersuit. The colour, the elasticated waist, the cut, the fit - all are perfect for my colouring and shape. I seem to be having a bit of a moment with cream denim of late, but that's no biggie is it? I can happily report that the boilersuit is still available online here. At £35 I consider this to be value for money as well as being practical and stylish. Ideal for simply lounging around indoors or for striding out for the daily walk, it really is a great buy.




I opted to add orange as a feature colour to the ecru (mainly because I thought Steve would pass a comment about me looking ready to do a bit of painting and decorating). 




The orange resin necklace is ancient, the orange leather belt and across the body bag are charity shopped as are the rings. The sunglasses are by Quay Australia.




The orange embroidered trainers are by Replay from TK Maxx. Comfortable and very in keeping with today's easy-to-wear look.




I'm very happy to report that I've at last finished my clothes changeover. It took longer than usual, but I've done a fair bit of downsizing and reducing the actual volume of clothes I have available for spring/summer season. 




This year I've chosen to colour co-ordinate the pieces rather than group them into dresses, skirts etc. The shoes underneath reflect the colours above.




I have under-the-bed boxes and on-top-of-the wardrobe boxes housing summer shoes and sandals too. Winter shoes and boots are packed up under the bed too.




The run of colours goes from light to dark. The smaller shelves are home to handbags and scarves. (Not colour grouped I've just noticed.)  A lot of the handbags have smaller ones stashed inside each other.




On the far right are my jackets, tops and trousers, and casual footwear.






Jumpers and jeans are housed on the far right shelving system. The whole run of wardrobes is fronted with mirrors allowing plenty opportunity for self criticism. There's a whole load of angst goes on up here before you guys get to see the outfit of the day!

Wishing you a lovely weekend!

                                                                                       Anna x

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