White Stuff linen tops

After last week's joyful find of that gold 80's two piece, I decided to delve a bit deeper into my closet and did indeed find more gems. I'd bought these two White Stuff linen tops on the same shopping spree last year and had put them away until the summer. The aqua and white boat neck tops were both £6.95 each from the Cancer Research charity shop in Truro and were a great bargain. They still have that crispness of new linen which makes me wonder if they've been worn at all. The aqua version goes well with some wide beach trousers (another blog post in the offing).

The loose linen top and wide low slung trousers proved to be a winning combination on the heavy, muggy day at work. A boat neck top is a new style for me and one that I wasn't sure would suit me. I'm a big fan of a necklace and yet it seemed difficult to find one that worked with this neckline. The photos show that this doesn't look like anything is lacking at all which was another new learning curve. The next challenge was to find the perfect neutral colour bra - I'm not a fan of a white bra under a white top. I have three neutrals currently - one with a pinkish hue, one a slightly toffee colour and one that is genuinely flesh coloured which did become invisible under the pristine white top. 

The cotton hipster trousers are by River Island (thrifted) and look great with a wide belt and fitted top (maybe a look for next time). 

These sandals aren't new, but rediscovered in the recent wardrobe rummage - the brand is Sixtyseven and were from TK Maxx.

The rings were both gifts from friends. The mulitcolour one is perspex and the other is Venetian glass.

My white and black sunglasses are long time favourites from Quay Austalia.

So, Bank Holiday weekend is upon us and what does that mean for you? Like many people I'll be working on Monday, but am home over the weekend catching up on chores and fitting in a couple of swims on the high tide. On Monday I'll be back with the latest Style Not Age challenge and I'd love it if you could drop by to see what we're up to.

Until then, have a super weekend!

Anna x

My mermaid dress

Helloooooo!

Yes, here it is, my mermaid dress. I've had this stashed away in my wardrobe since last summer when I found the silk beaded beauty in a charity shop in Truro and was delighted to pay £12 for it. The brand is Scala and it still had the dry cleaning label attached, therefore felt like an absolute bargain. The moment I saw it, I envisaged a sea themed shoot somewhere, wondering if I might be able to swim in the heavily beaded gown without having an underwater camera to catch the whispy hemline floating behind me. 

I know that this gown isn't quite as sensational as my other mermaid outfit (see here), but it still conjured up watery images when I found it. The ragged hemline is akin to a tail perfect for dousing in the wash of the waves. The previous owner donated this to their local charity shop probably expecting it be whisked off on holiday, perhaps as cruise wear and here I am wrecking it in the sea! In fact, the dress recovered very well, with no staining at all. 

I was quite relieved that there was no-one else on the sandbar to see my antics as I skipped and splashed around in the sea. This was the second photo shoot (catch the first one here) and had involved a quick outfit change and attempt at hair taming in the breeze for this very al fresco session.

I had earmarked this sandbar for a photoshoot last July when Steve and I had spent the day on St Martin's. I had espied the pure white spit of sand and it conjured up all sorts of romantic images of me in something equally glamorous. See the post here when the sandbar revealed itself in the beautiful heart shaped form. 

I'm once again wearing my favourite Quay Australia sunglasses. The necklace was another charity shop piece costing me all of £6.99. This whole outfit is testament to the joy of thrift shopping and how it can help one create a look of individuality. Things that crop up in charity shops are mostly well out of fashion and not available on the high street which is why I prefer to shop this way, making my look unique to me which is surely what we all aim for.

                                                                                                      Anna x

Summer pattern play

Hello again!

Great to see you again! This was my work outfit from the other day and as you can see it was all about that playful bit of fun called pattern mixing. Sometimes I like to clash my patterns, but this outfit was more about complimentary patterns and colours and how they work well when they have this common thread of lemon to tie them together. 

I'm having great fun shopping my closet, finding clothes that haven't been aired since last year. I've never worn these pieces together before and so this really is like a brand new outfit to me. I was very pleased with myself when this all came together - a new ensemble without shopping or spending a penny - hurrah! Who knew that being thrifty could look so good.

I bought the skirt in the Zara sale last year whilst in the shop in Oxford Street. I didn't have time to try it on and it's a tad small for the size on the label. I've been missing the odd meal, working late, swimming longer and faster on each outing and this is the pay off - I've dropped a few pounds and everything fits so much better. I have to revel in this fact now as I know how easy it'll be to drift in the other direction as winter descends.

The summer sandals are by Europen brand, a TK Maxx find from last year too. This neutral colour works with everything and goodness, they have a lovely squashy insole making them really all-day-long comfortable too!

My friend Fiona lives just around the corner from the Gallery and did the honours with my photos. It was just like the old days with Polly - lots of heckling and telling me to stop talking!

This jacket by Heyton is joyful piece. I love the 3/4 length sleeves, the tiny leaf pattern, the crisp clean colours and especially the overall quality of it. It'll be no surprise to you that I bought it from TK Maxx. The white vest top has an element of stretch to it and is also quite thick fabric. It was £3 in Topshop sale last summer - result! My resin and flowers necklace is an old piece that I've had for almost 20 years now. It's by Daisy Dunlop, a Cornish jeweller. I've just checked out her website and she's working in silver and gold now. My rings are pre-loved pieces and the sunglasses are by Quay Australia.

My oh my, haven't our lives changed so much in the past six months! Who'd have thought we'd all be making and wearing face masks? My sister made this one for me from a template she created. Here's a few things to keep in mind when you're buying or making a face mask - 

• Make sure it's big enough for your features. I've got a long face with a big nose and some masks are simply too tiny to cover my nose, mouth and chin.
• To be effective against the virus our masks need to be 4 layers thick. This one has two layers of interfacing as well as the inner and outer fabric. Government guidelines suggest 3 layers, but the scientists are recommending 4. 
• The fabric needs to be a tightly woven non-stretch type, ie cotton or linen. If you have a stretchy jersey fabric one then they won't provide sufficient protection making them ineffectual. 
• You need to be able to talk with it on. Again, some masks can be really pretty, but if they fall off your face when you talk then they're not providing you with the safety needed.
• Wire across the top of the mask to tighten it over the bridge of the nose is essential. Without wire, when you talk the mask will simply slide down over the nose. I see this a lot with clients constantly readjusting their masks. 
• The more you touch the mask, the more chance you have of introducing the virus onto its surface. Keep washing your hands and keep your hands off your mask. Again, this is a good reason to wear a well fitting mask.
• Disposable masks can't be carried around in your pocket or handbag for days on end without becoming laden in bacteria. Medical masks are meant to be thrown away after use, not used as if they are fabric ones with a long life.
• When taking the mask off, remove it by the loops to avoid contaminating the face covering.
• You ought to wash your mask after one wear, that means daily. In other words, you're going to need more than one mask for the forthcoming months so that you've always got a clean one. 

I've got some fabric that may also match this jacket and plan to make another mask or two this weekend. 

Running the Gallery alone is proving to be both challenging and rewarding. I'm working longer hours, but finding that the job satisfaction is greater as every time I sell a painting it's through my own efforts. The appointment system means that I take only two clients at a time for half hour sessions. This really is personal service, giving me time to share stories about each painting and the artist who created them. 

I sold this pair of paintings the other day. Created by artist Rosemary Trestini, they do look stunning together, but were actually painted some 12 months apart with no cross referencing to each other. The client had requested to view all of the work I held by this artist and we moved them around, rotating them to see which looked best as stand alone pieces and together. On placing these two side by side we both witnessed a little bit of magic as it was like a beautiful homecoming for them. They truly look like they ought to be together and within a minute the client had decided she must have both.  It's such a joy to make this happen. We all deserve beauty in our lives and if I can find the right thing, be it a vase or a necklace, a sketchbook or a fabulous oil painting, I'm thrilled to be part of the process.

                                                                                     Anna x

My signature colour - July's Style Not Age challenge

Welcome to another Style Not Age challenge!

Suddenly it's the last Monday in July and time for this month's style challenge. Where has this month gone? Since returning to work three weeks ago I've fallen back into that crazy headless chicken mode again. In fact, it's as if I never had all of those months on furlough, getting on top of chores and making home a place of order, tidiness and calm. Now it's back to the chaos that seems to come with normal working life. But hey, let's focus on the challenge of the month - My Signature Colour. As you can see I have opted for a veritable rainbow of colours as I have no single one that is my signature. We'll have a closer look at the outfit in a minute, but first let's check out the rest of the Style collective to see what colours they chose.

Jacqui from Mummabstylish is bit like me, not able to choose only one colour, instead she's opted for this pretty pink and blue patchwork dress that she picked up in the Next sale.

Style Splash's Emma is a big fan of red and is sporting this fabulous creation by Dark Pink from Asos with co-ordinating shoes from M&S.

Blogger Gail from Is This Mutton has chosen lilac as her favourite colour and how very flattering it is! I do love the pink accessories too Gail. 

Hilda says orange/red is her colour and this looks stunning on her. She's recently had her hair coloured and it, and she, look great. Catch up with Hilda on her blog Over The Hilda.

I'm never happier than when I'm wearing bright colours and this look has it all! The Jaeger skirt is a vintage piece, pre-loved of course and a much loved favourite of mine. 

The net underskirt gives body to the skirt and add that bit of pizzazz that I so love. There's nothing understated about this outfit today, but sometimes I'm just larger than life!

The white ruffle blouse is by Jovonna, a find from TK Maxx last year and perfect for this over the top bit of dressing up. 

Much as I think the skirt and pop art shoes are perfect together...

... by adding this handbag it takes the outfit to a whole other level. It's pure riotous assembly in colour and yes, represents my signature style colourwise. 

The handbag has no label and is a charity shop find from my November shopping trip in London with my friend Ben. My rings are both charity shopped too.

A show-off outfit deserves show-off sunglasses and these old favourites are just the job! In case you've missed them before, the brand is Quay Australia.

Steve and I had an interesting time when we did this photo shoot last weekend. Within a minute of leaving the house (which is actually exactly here in this photo) the heel of my shoe came apart from the sole. In true the show must go on style, Steve bashed said heel and squeezed it back into place so that I could walk about (albeit gingerly) for the shots.

The heel came off the other shoe almost a year ago so I posted it to the cobblers in Truro to have it mended. And then when it came back, a funny thing happened. I had lost its partner. As it sat on a book shelf during the winter I kept looking at this beautiful solitary shoe mocking me for having paid £30 to have it repaired and now it seemed that it would forever be a showcase piece with its wearing days a thing of the past. I even put it out of the way at one point, annoyed at my stupidity. I questioned the chain of events. Had I just thrown the partner away when the shoe broke as I was appalled at the quote to have it repaired? The shoes had cost me £8.50 in a charity shop in Harrogate, worn only once before and now it'd cost me £30 to have it fixed? Yes, clearly I'd been so cross that I'd chucked the other one away in disgust. From time to time throughout the winter I'd come across the single shoe and get all excited that I'd found the other one. Only it wasn't! And then when I was unfurloughed I was digging through a pile of boxes at work and hey presto! The partner was in a shoebox under some files. So here's another £30 gone as I have this one repaired too. Man these shoes aren't quite the bargain I thought they were!

                                                                                   Anna x

Friday means dressing up!

Hurrah, it's Friday!

Hi there! How are you? I'm ready for the weekend, aren't you? I worked right through last weekend, getting the Gallery cleaned and prepped for re-opening on Monday and it's great to be back. I've loved seeing all of the familiar faces of our regular visitors, and it's also good to have that sense of control that working gives too. I'm offering viewings by appointment only and in between times am trying to catch up on the admin as well as unpacking the new artworks being delivered. It looks like this summer will be hectic as ever. The great thing about that is that the days simply fly by - in fact I can't believe it's Friday already! 

Steve and I took these photos a couple of weeks ago and already I can see how my hair has become much more unruly since then. I'm at the stage of having to wash it much more often so that it looks presentable. Have you been to the hairdresser yet?

I'm taking part in the Dress Up Friday feature again this week, but decided to opt for this much loved and pre-loved trouser suit for a change. I adore the deep midnight blue colour and it's also got massive deep trouser pockets and oh goodness, I do love a deep pocket! It's a man's suit, hence those pockets and the reason I have to roll up the sleeves - but hey, that salmon pink lining looks okay revealed doesn't it?

You'll remember seeing these shoes last Friday (see here) when I wore them with my colourful vintage frock. From Primark these babies cost me £5 - I just can't help bringing up the price of these bargain beauties!

My other feminine addition is this heavily beaded top (from Next). Like lots of my clothes it's a charity shop find and actually came in under a fiver! It even still had the dry cleaning label on it. One or two of the longer beads were loose, but it only took a few stitches to repair and now it's good as new. Sunnies are by Quay Australia.

Today's blue rings are recycled too.

Are you back at work again now or are you still working from home? I must admit that I did love to have the focus of Dress Up Friday when I was at home. Searching through my wardrobe, trying on clothes and finally taking the photos was all a great reminder that there was more to life than just housework! I'm a glass half full kinda girl however and did love my time at home, becoming more domestic with every week that passed. Already my house is looking a bit neglected and forlorn. I plan to have a big blitz on Sunday, although if the weather forecast is correct, we may have high pressure about to bring a sunny spell our way. Gardening may well take priority in that case.

Thanks for joining me again today. Do leave me a comment if you like the outfit or even drop me an email if you want to chat - it's great to have your feedback.

In the meantime have a super weekend!

Anna x