Silver style inspo for Christmas

Hello again!

Yikes, can you believe it's only a week until Christmas?! I'm battling rising panic at how much I still have to achieve between now and then, but also experiencing that flutter of childish excitement at the very thought of Christmas day. I love the moment when the turkey is in the oven and we all get together to open our presents. I've never gotten over the joy of seeing how others react when they open their gifts. Christmas is all about giving isn't it?

So here we have today's Christmas style inspiration for you and it's all about silver and textures. I love the metallic shine of the pleated skirt paired with the heavily beaded top. Too much bling for some? Maybe. I love the extravagant nature of beads and sequins and all things sparkly. Adding fur and feathers brings even more luxury to this luxe look. 

The outfit details are like this: jacket by New Look (a hand me down from my daughter), skirt is from Tu at Sainsbury's (old), beaded vest top from Topshop (second hand), fur scarf (gift from Polly), fishnet tights (pre-loved), pink boots by H&M (old), handbag (very old indeed!).

Both diamante rings are charity shopped.

 The bright pink fishnet tights and toning boots add that much needed pop of colour into what would have been a very monochrome palette. I'm really pleased with how this look came together and do hope it might inspire someone out there.

Before I go, here's a tip for all you mums out there who struggle to find gifts for their grown up sons/daughters. I give a few of these to my son every Christmas for him to redeem over the following year. Last week I painted his new windows and his bathroom when Jamie traded in a couple of his vouchers. I think it's a great idea and means I'm not wasting money on unwanted gifts and he is getting help with a chore he can't find the time to do. A win/win situation I'd say!

And finally, if you're out at the supermarket or local shops this weekend, please keep your eyes peeled for the Christmas edition of Yours magazine. Yes, that's yours truly smiling out at you in the fashion feature, What to wear on Christmas Day. Grab me a copy and post it on please!

                                                                                              Anna x

Brocade and burnished gold for Christmas

Yay, it's only 11 sleeps 'til Christmas!

How are you today my lovelies? Are things coming along nicely? I start back to work again today and know that it'll be like the fast forward button being pressed in my run up to Christmas. You may have caught my Instagram post about me making my Get Ahead Gravy a la Jamie Oliver recently see it here. Well, apart from that I've really not done much more prep for the big day. The mail has become sluggish all of a sudden and I'm slightly stressed that everything will arrive on time. The courier services to the islands add up to a week extra on top of normal delivery times so all in all, we do feel at the end of the line here.

But, hey let's focus on something that I can control ... Here's another dose of style inspiration for you, straight from my closet. There's nothing new here, but I fancy I may not have showcased all of these separates previously, namely the gold jeans and the pale gold shirt. Burnished gold is a wonderfully festive take on Christmas don't you think? 

It's only a matter of weeks now for me to conclude my 12 month shopping ban and what a sound lesson that has proved to be for me. Of course it's been made a whole lot easier by not leaving the island for the past 9 months, but I had made this decision before Covid-19 appeared. I've learnt that I don't need new clothes every couple of weeks, nor do I need that rush of excitement as I carry a basket full of new clothes to the checkout. I've fought the hunter gatherer gene even if it's only short term. I can't wait to see what I shall do when I get to the end of this ...

Anyway, the inspiration for this particular Christmas outfit was the fabulous brocade jacket by Clements Ribiero, which is actually part of a two-piece (see it here). This is only the second time I've worn it in two years, so shame on me for neglecting such a glorious piece of design. The 3/4 length sleeves are flattering as is the collarless round neck and slit pockets without flaps - all work together to allow the brocade star billing. The green and gold stitching gleam together and are so flattering for my colouring. This was a dry run of the ensemble before the Gallery re-opens next week when I'll definitely be wearing it.

It'll be no surprise to hear that these rings are both pre-loved. 

The amber mirrored sunglasses are by my favourite brand, Quay Australia.

The glitter jeans (second hand) are by South and the patent boots are by Topshop.

My thanks go to Fiona for today's photos. We were surprised and delighted to find that one of our favourite backdrops had been upgraded to this buttery yellow colour. The metal door fronts the fire engine shed and so far we've managed to avoid getting caught up in any emergency.

See you again on Friday with my next festive dose of fashion!

Anna x

More Christmas style inspiration

Hurrah - it's only 14 sleeps 'til Christmas!

So, here we have as promised my Christmas styling of the Scottish icon that is the kilt. I bought mine in a charity shop for only £5 and have been mulling over how to style it up for ages. Can you make a kilt funky was my question and hopefully I've answered that with an emphatic Yes!

The addition of the big, bouffant petticoat goes a long way to reinventing the staid image of the kilt, as does the mighty powers of pattern play by way of paisley and leopard print. The red lurex tights pick up the red within the woollen plaid and also connect tonally with the metallic jacket. All in all, it's a wild rendition and I know, not one for the faint hearted!

Piece by piece the outfit reads like this: metallic biker jacket by Missguided, bought from TK Maxx some years ago: paisley print shirt by Lands' End, second hand: kilt by The Tartan Shoppe, second hand: black petticoat from eBay: red lurex tights are charity shopped: leopard print pony skin courts by BCBGeneration from TK Maxx.

Nothing new jewellery-wise - the rose gold necklace was a boutique purchase when I was in St Andrews a couple of years ago: the big jewelled ring is pre-loved and the other ring was a find in a street market in Cape Town.

I'll be back again on Monday with another dose of sparkle and style for your Christmas inspiration. In the meantime, have fun with your preparations and last minute shopping. My shopping has been totally online this year and thank goodness, the mail is still coming through at this end of the country.

                                                                                             Anna x

A touch of sparkle, our Style Not Age challenge for November

Hello and welcome once again to our monthly style challenge! Never one for understatement, I'm kicking off this month's challenge with a very liberal dose of bright orange sequins as my touch of sparkle. However, you'll see that I'm not so out of step with my fashionista friends with this month's quest as we all limber up in readiness for Christmas.

Hilda has plumped for the glitter option of sparkle in this pretty bronze blouse with black trim to match her black chiffon skirt. Catch more from her on Over The Hilda here.

Jacqui's black and silver sequinned top dazzles in the sunshine, but teamed with these velvet trousers epitomises evening elegance. Read her blog Mummabstylish for her style story.

Gail's take on this month's challenge could be called Glitter, Sparkle and Shine as that's how wonderfully she has embraced the theme! Find out more from her on Is This Mutton blog. 

Emma's interpretation is an eye-catching mix of damson sequins and emerald green chiffon frills. What fun! Do please scoot across to find out all of the details on her blog Style Splash.

As you'll all be aware, I'm on a 12 month shopping ban currently and despite the odd wanton browsing of the Zara website (see this rather stunning bit of sparkle available at the moment), I'm happy to say that this tightening of the belt has only served to show me how much my wardrobe holds. The orange sequinned jacket was from TK Maxx a couple of years ago and the brand is Anothereight. I last wore it almost a year ago (see here) and this is the 4th time I've shown it on the blog. 

And what does one wear with a bright orange sequin jacket? Why, bright orange satin pants of course! These are from the Conscious Collection at H&M, but are quite old. Thank goodness, however, that they're not so old that they don't fit. I have a friend who used to say that some of her clothes tend to shrink in the wardrobe if she doesn't wear them for a year or two ... I know exactly how that goes!

The skinny satin trousers called for statement footwear and these old beauties came to mind. By Office, the chestnut suede ankle boots are far from new, but the towering heels and platform soles still give me buzz regardless. 

Accessories read like this: the gold framed mirror sunglasses (they were just begging to team up with this burnished ensemble!) are by Quay Australia, rings are pre-loved and the rose gold heart pendant was from a boutique in Truro some time ago.

My jewel bright cashmere sweater works so well with today's orange sparkle. In case you missed it last time I was gifted this beautifully soft two ply cashmere jumper by Cashmere Specialist, a mail order company in Slovakia. Please do check out their extensive website and if you quote ANNA10 you'll get 10% off your order, but be quick as this ends on the 2nd of December! 

Many thanks to the ladies of the collective for their joyful contributions and also thanks to Sasha for being the photographer of the day. I love how she managed to capture the reflection of these exotic palm trees in my sunglasses.

Take care and see you next time!

Anna x

That Friday feeling!

Hellooooooo! How are you? I'm pleased to say that I'm very well, thank you. This is my Friday outfit, a bright pop of pink which is a wonderful dose of of colour therapy. As November draws to a close, I feel the darkness of the winter months continue to unfold in front of me and know that I still have quite a battle to wage as I fight off the winter blues. My best armour for this battle has to be joyful clothes in vibrant colours, hence this lovely ensemble.

I'm delighted to find these fuschia separates are such a good match; it's the first time I've put them together. I love the different textures of them too; the fine pleats of the chiffon skirt are the perfect ploy for the fluffy winter sweater. This is the first time I've worn this skirt - it's by Sabrina Diamanti, an Italian brand, and was a charity shop purchase from long ago. The sweater was from Enjoy Clothing in Truro.

The white lace top has a very prim Edwardian look to it and reminds me of the kind of fashion that Princess Diana wore. I bought it from Zara last summer and it's been a great addition to my wardrobe.  And talking about Diana, are you watching the new series of The Crown? I'm trying very hard to spin it out and make it last. Riveting viewing as always, but more than ever I find the reality of it so very sad.

I've mixed preloved and new with my jewellery: the rings are both thrift pieces and the Tree of Life pendant was from a small boutique in Truro. 

The black and silver geometric tights were another charity shop scoop, paired with these silver leather ankle boots by Buffalo London, bought from TK Maxx. Once again, nothing is new, but that doesn't detract from the pleasure of the outfit.

So as I head off for home, I'd just like to remind you that the last Monday of the month is time for our Style Not Age challenge. "A touch of sparkle" was chosen by me, so no surprises there then. I do hope that you'll be able to swing by to see the fabulous outfits that very much serve as a warm up to Christmas.

Hope to see you all on Monday!

Anna x

Lockdown loungewear

Hello again! I've delved into my archive of photos to bring you this feature today. Last month Fiona and I had a lovely photo session in the Lighthouse Cottage, the newest rental cottage on the island. The loungewear suit is suddenly on trend during Lock-down 2, as the must-have item for wearing at home. It's only one step up from wearing pj's, but oh what a glamorous step up that is!

This has to be my favourite dressing down outfit despite it being years old now. I bought it in store from Zara when Steve and I were in London a few years ago. It was one of those instant love affairs and one that hasn't died. The velour is thick and warm, the embroidery is beautifully stitched and has remained strong and colourfast despite lots of wash and wear cycles. I add a long sleeved thermal top underneath during the colder months or a simple lightweight vest for comfort in the summer. 

I've tried to find a similar velour loungesuit on the market currently and found this lovely black version on ASOS - here. My only accessory is a pair of Quay Australia sunglasses today.

In the summer I pair this outfit with bright orange flat sandals and during the winter the perfect partners are my Topshop patent cuban heeled boots.

Thank you for your kind wishes from my last post. It's been about 10 days now since I was felled by gastric flu and today I plan to make my first foray outside. Seemingly there is life beyond my log burner and binge watching of the American TV series This Is Us ...

Looking out across Old Grimsby to the Blockhouse Castle with the view of the Eastern Isles beyond - pretty idyllic eh?

Anna x