Animal print jumpsuit

Hello again my lovelies! Today sees the start of my transitional dressing - that tricky time when the weather fluctuates during summer and autumn or winter and spring causing havoc with one's outfit choices. Last weekend I had big plans to do my seasonal wardrobe changeover, but life as they say, rarely goes to plan. It was our Ruby anniversary (yes, 40 amazing years of marriage) and although the celebrations were decidedly low-key, I still couldn't find time to do the deed that needed to be done. One thing of note from the weekend was the arrival of my long-lost friend Caroline who was my accomplice on our Thelma and Louise adventure which brought us to Tresco 43 years ago. We had a few catch up sessions together, visiting the site of the Island Hotel where we spent our summer working together and we also had a lovely sea swim at Cradle Porth followed by tea and lots of reminiscing. Happy days!

Anyway, on to the outfit of the day. This animal print jumpsuit is on sale on the ASOS website currently (see here). I've had a small trickle of new purchases recently for which I'll make no apologies. Each new item has been actioned by a moving out of something old to free up space in my closet. If I had time to spare I'd be selling these things on eBay, but for the moment I have no such luxury. 

As you can see, the main feature of the jumpsuit is the wonderfully wide legs. It looks like a maxi dress unless you make exaggerated poses like this. The fit is relaxed with a v neck and button front. The loose fit is perfect for layering a thin thermal top underneath for this time of year, easily whipped off if the temperatures suddenly rise during the day.

Made from 100% viscose, the fabric is drapey and elegant. 

For those of you who have been following the pink trouser suit saga - well the suit arrived, but turned out to just be a jacket in one material and trousers in another meaning that the colours and fabrics were too different to say trouser suit in my book. And so the search continues. I fear it may be next summer before another rash of pink suits hit the market.

Rings in neutral tones were both charity shop finds from a long time ago.

Retro sunglasses are a few years old, from River Island and the necklace is positively ancient, from goodness knows where!

Very soon I'll be packing my Puma white trainers away in favour of white patent boots, although my black patent boots will work fine with this ensemble too.

I'll finish with a couple of anniversary shots from my Instagram page. This was Steve and I in the pony and trap on our way to the wedding reception at the Island Hotel in 1981. We were married on St Mary's and our guests had endured a rather bumpy boat trip after the ceremony, some of them loosing their breakfast along the way. 

And this is the painting I bought for our Ruby anniversary. It's by Lizzie Black, one of our popular artists at Gallery Tresco. See more examples of her work here. These are the Blockhouse Cottages at Green Porth. Steve spent most of his childhood living here and we also had our first year of marriage at Blockhouse no.3 while we waited for work to be completed on our home at Cliff Cottage over at New Grimsby. The row of cottages is due to be rebuilt over the next 12 months, so it's good to have this as a reminder before construction begins.

Many thanks for joining me again. I'll be back after the big clothes changeover and hope to have found all sorts of inspiring clothes to share with you. 

                                                                    Anna x

Dressing for a heatwave

Hurrah, we're having a heatwave!

Hello lovelies! Are you wilting in this weather? The heatwave here in the UK is a wonderful summer bonus for us, but golly it's a challenge to keep cool at work. You may have seen how I was keeping cool in my previous feature, but for work I need to be a bit more formal. 

Long and loose was my way of coping at work the other day. A double dose of lightweight fabric in my most favourite of patterns, paisley of course, was a wonderful way of wafting my way through the day. Neither the skirt or top is new, but that doesn't detract from their loveliness. Sasha gave me the H&M orange top a few years ago and it pops up on the blog with regularity. The paisley maxi skirt was a charity shop find a few years ago too and has that sweet sparkly stretch waistband making it uber comfy! The whole outfit is perfect for a hot day.

Simple yet bold accessories today in the shape of two turquoise coloured rings, both pre-loved, and a gold chain from Primark. Retro sunglasses are by River Island.

The silvery blue embroidered mules were from TK Maxx years ago and are still going strong. I often bring them out to wear with this skirt as they work so well together.

The weather is due to break today with rain arriving in the Southwest by the end of the day. I'm off to raid my wardrobe for inspiration to cover this eventuality. It's still hot at the moment so wish me luck in finding the right outfit to fit the bill!

                                                                                       Anna x

My yellow linen frock

Hello again! How has your Monday been? I started the week with this burst of sunshine aka my new linen frock by Francesca Bettini, a recent purchase from TK Maxx in Truro. I've replaced the self-tie belt for a beaded number from Tu at Sainsbury's some time ago which adds a dash of colour.

I've swapped over to my every day summer handbag, an Oral Kiely waxed canvas bag that's a great size and also a lovely combination of colours for this time of year. My friend Bo gave it to me as a present a couple of years ago, not long after I had visited the exhibition of her works in London.

Jewellery-wise I opted for these orange and lime green rings, all pre-loved. The bangles in yellow and multi colour plastic are second hand too as is the gold metal brooch. 

The gold framed round sunglasses were from River Island many moons ago, but are wearing well. They add a quirky edge to any outfit or even a 60's vibe if the outfit calls for it.

The orange strappy sandals were from H&M a couple of years ago. 

I'm so pleased with this linen frock that I'm considering trying to make another one myself. I've not ventured into the world of dressmaking, but I fancy that it's not so different from the sewing I did during lock-down. I've sent off for some linen samples and am now torn as to whether I can just wing it and copy the shape of the dress or if I ought to buy a pattern. If there are any experienced seamstresses out there, then please do chip in with your advice. 

Wishing you a fabulous week!

Anna x

Rocking 60's fashion in my 60's

What a glorious day we had here on Tresco yesterday! Hurrah for the signs of spring too. These daffodils have been greeting me as I cycle to and from Appletree Bay for my daily swims and what a wonderfully joyful sight they are.

It's cause for celebration for me today as it's exactly 12 months since I bought my last item of clothing. My year of not buying clothes or shoes, bags or accessories, be they new or pre-loved, is over! Ta-dah! I know that for many of you this may be pretty much a reflection of the current restrictions and how you're responding too, but last summer when lock-down finished and the shops were back trading I felt a terrific draw to have a retail splurge. But hey, I didn't and to my doubting sister-in-law I hope she is duly proud of my restraint.

I had a good old rummage to find something to party in and came up with this homage to the 60's. The vintage psychedelic top is not dis-similar to one I had at the end of the 60's. It's a charity shop find, but goodness knows when or where I bought it. Oh to be organised and keep a record of these things!

The orange satin disco pants are from the Conscious Collection by H&M from ages ago. And the groovy white boots are from New Look and were a ridiculous £5 in their sale a couple of years past.

The Lulu Guiness Union Jack purse was an amazing thrift shop purchase one time I was shopping in Harrogate. I love the fact that it opens up and converts to a shopper. That said, I daren't use it for shopping as I cherish it too much! I have a big collection of colourful plastic rings that are great 60's jewellery. My round framed sunglasses are from River Island and the two tone metallic necklace was a boutique purchase.

I popped out during Sunday lunchtime to take these shots, convinced that it would be a quiet time to set up my tripod in the middle of the road... In the space of the first 5 minutes, I had encountered two golf buggies (3 passengers, 2 dogs), 4 joggers, a young couple having a romantic stroll and the local Church Warden. So much for a peaceful session! But hey, you can't really blame them as it was such a beautiful day! We're due for another dose of wild winds and wet weather soon so it was probably a good idea to top up on our vitamin D while we could. 

Hope you have a lovely week!

Anna x

Bold in gold

Hello again my lovely readers! Yes, I'm bold in gold today as I try to feel more like my old self. To be perfectly honest, I'm still a bit washed out and not exactly bursting with energy, but I'm working on getting my fitness levels back up to speed. I've been back in the sea again a couple of times this week and golly, what a shock that was to the system! I could barely catch my breath when I got in on Sunday. Those first dozen strokes had me gasping as I submerged my face in the icy cold water. Seemingly the average sea temperature for Scilly in November is about 12 degrees which would definitely take your breath away! 

After my most recent post I set myself the challenge to perk up my dressing as I thought I'd drifted into the gloomy levels of brown, brown and more brown. Hence today is all about the gold! I'm still shopping my closet and delighted to showcase these old items which epitomise enthusiasm when paired together. 

The gold sweater is from H&M, is very old and was a hand-me-down from my daughter quite a few years ago. My Toxic3 jeans are a couple of years old and did I tell you, that I actually bought two pairs of these as I was worried that they'd go out of stock by the time I'd need to replace them? I wear them both in rotation so that they look the same. Crazy? Maybe...

The gold Chelsea boots are very old and are from River Island. They're real leather hence they are just going to keep looking better and better as they age. 

The wide band ring was a charity shop find and the other one was a concession purchase as I went through an airport. 

The oval link gold coloured chain was a Primark purchase a couple of summer's ago. It's one of those timeless pieces that work with so many outfits. The round framed sunglasses were from River Island a couple of years ago - cute aren't they?

My thanks to Sasha who stepped into the breech with today's photos. The winter is always a challenge weather-wise and she just happened to be in the right place at the right time - well, at least I thought so! 

Take care and let's catch up again soon!

Anna x

Sgt. Pepper comes to Tresco

Hello again! How did your weekend go? Mine seemed to whizz by in a shot with a couple of good swims, a dash of cooking and a laundry catch up and here I am suddenly back at work. Today's 60's look is instantly recognisable, even to my dear hubby who chirped up "Sergeant Pepper" as I appeared for the photo shoot.

So, here we are, it's mid-October and I'm working hard at keeping on top of my mood by using colour therapy. The past few posts will testify that not only is it working for me, but you too, are finding it a pick-me-up. Thank you for that! I'm delighted that something so simple can change my day and make a difference to yours as well.

I last wore this Polo Ralph Lauren military jacket in the spring (see here) and it's been playing the waiting game since then and the trousers made their last appearance on the blog last Christmas (see here). I've always thought the jacket would work well with these brocade trousers, but I wasn't happy with the cut of them. They are actually men's trousers and as such are quite straight legged - or should I say they were until last weekend, when I decided that I wanted to streamline the shape of them. Every now and then I take a crazy notion to undertake some sewing and this was one of those times. It's crazy because I'm not very good at it and even find sewing in a straight line a challenge! But I turned the trousers outside in, tried them on, pinned them to fit, then ran a running stitch down the pins and finally machine stitched them. Ta-dah! The fit is much neater now and makes them much more wearable. Off to work I go!

And if last weekend's little bit of crazy was sewing, then this weekend's was counting shoes. I'm not sure why this came about, but I think it was because I couldn't find a particular pair of shoes and had to go through all of the cupboards, wardrobes, shoe boxes and tubs under the bed. At some stage I've had a comment from a reader asking how many pairs of boots I have and it must have stayed with me. Before I confess to the amount, let's take a moment to reflect on the fact that I haven't bought a single pair of shoes or boots since the last time I was in a shop, which is February. I'm on month 8 of my shopping ban and might have felt slightly smug about that had I not discovered that I possess 183 pairs of shoes and boots in total. (In fact, it's 183.5 pairs as I have one odd boot - a brand new, with the label still on boot - which seems to have come adrift from its partner somehow. My dear friend Ben sent them to me last winter and I've yet to wear them, although the chances of that are looking rather slim currently!)

Note that I don't looked in the least abashed at this excessive amount and that's probably because I'm not. Clothes and shoes, jewellery and bags are all part of my collection of finery that makes my life all the richer. I love them all, and if I don't then I get rid of them. Once I'm done with them I pass them onto charity shops so that someone else may enjoy the fun of them. I could justify my excesses by explaining how I don't smoke or drink, I can't eat cakes or sweets, crisps or chocolate, but really, that's got nothing to do with it. Dressing up is my daily pleasure. It makes me feel more me: brighter and happier with a spring in my step and hopefully it brings a bit of joy into someone else's day too - and surely that's no bad thing!

Anyway, let's have a quick run down of the outfit shall we? Jacket, by Polo Ralph Lauren, brocade trousers have no labels, but cost me £20 from the Oxfam shop in Truro (beautifully curated for a charity shop and well worth a visit if you can get to it). White lace blouse is from Zara last summer, black boots from Topshop (oops, I wore these last time!) and the red leather belt is pre-loved by Tommy Hilfiger. 

Jewellery is pre-loved and my sunglasses are by River Island, although they are rather old by now.

I love the close-up of this, showing all of the ornate details of the outfit. Sometimes my idea of dressing up might be mistaken as fancy dress and goodness, that makes me laugh!

Thanks for dropping by and thank you too if you follow me on Instagram. It's great to know that I'm inspiring you to try new things. Lovely too, to know that you're enjoying seeing the snippets of my island life. Perhaps the blog is a momentary distraction from the everyday stress of COVID-19. I hope you're coping with the latest upsurge if you live in the UK and are managing to keep safe as you go about your daily business. Wherever you are, look after yourself and come back soon.

                                                                                              Anna x

Episode two piece

Week 46 of 2019 (November 11th to 17th be precise) I was on the mainland, in Truro and the reason I know that is because I uncovered this gem in my wardrobe recently. It's a linen two piece that I'd bought and hidden away as a surprise for myself for the summer. At that time, little did I realise that I'd be deep in the midst of a 12 month shopping ban! What a great gift therefore to unearth it this summer just when I was needing a little retail therapy. I wore it to work for the first time last week with white trainers in the afternoon, but had started the day with sandals, like this -

Steve took these shots at the Old Blockhouse castle on Saturday after my return from the hairdressers. Not that you can really tell I've had my hair done! Storm Ellen was just on the wane, but it was still very windy up on the ramparts.

I ducked out of a revamp of my hair as I wasn't really sure what I wanted. Instead I opted for a tidy up of the ends plus fringe and had a few highlights and lowlights added to give a richer colour overall. For the moment I'm going to carry on growing it as Steve likes me with longer hair and in the meantime I'll try to find some style inspiration for next time. The salon experience was great - my stylist was in mask and visor and there were only two clients in the salon at a time. I was sat by the door which was open and it all felt very safe and clean. 

So, back to the outfit. The linen two piece has big shoulder pads which indicates this may be from the 80's, the decade of power dressing - a proper vintage find then. That, plus the shorter length dress place in in that era. It's in very good shape, feels hardly worn and the colour is strong and bright making me think it's been one of those old gems where it was kept for best. The lovely gold and green colour is a great combination. I got lots of compliments when I wore it the other day.

The shiny gold buttons led me to add gold in my accessories with my go-to gold chain necklace, gold rings (preloved) and gold cuff. The retro sunglasses are from River Island.

The gold coloured cuff is an old piece that I bought in the gallery from Almost Perfect, a brand that doesn't seem to be trading currently.

The gold wedge sandals were from TK Maxx, but not this year.

The neutral (see how I avoid using the word beige?) handbag is a beautiful Radley piece, second hand from a charity shop in Harrogate a few years ago. Every time I bring it out I wonder why I don't use it more often. It's a lovely size and the quality is superb.

The rest of my weekend was filled with ordinary domestic chores. I did have a lovely long swim on Sunday morning on Pentle Bay. The yachts around the islands are beginning to thin out now and Pentle Bay was completely empty. I do love to have a beach to myself in the morning. My swims have been few and far between of late due to the pressures of work, but when the tide is high in the morning I feel the call of the sea quite intensely and will juggle what I can to create space for this chill time. Storm Ellen had curtailed swimming for a few days too and it was a real bonus to get back in the water again. One of the results of the storm was finding a line of detached thongs of seaweed, each about four foot tall, which were staggered along beach in the sea at about chest height. They were each spaced about 20 feet apart, maybe about 10 of them in total, drifting in the water showing a round knobbly head on the waterline like sentinels. As I swam the length of the beach I could observe them underneath the sea, resembling Dementors from the Harry Potter movies, their long cloaks of seaweed billowing beneath them, hanging in a strange limbo unlike anything I'd seen before. The high tide was creating a rhythmic dance, wafting them this way and that as I passed by them. There presence was all the more spooky as the sun kept disappearing behind the clouds making the sea gloomy and dark. Typically, I didn't have phone or camera with me to capture this strange sight!

Thanks for taking the time to visit. Apologies to my blogging friends for my lack of contact recently, but as you know, work is all consuming at the moment (work, eat, sleep, repeat). I'd like to think that September will see an easing up for me. Fingers crossed I'll be back at the end of the week with something else to share with you. The forecast isn't too good and I've not got any photos taken yet, but hopefully I'll be on top of things by then!

Have a lovely week all of you!

Anna x