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

Come join me by the pool!

Hi and how are you? How's your weekend going? This is my third day in off in a row which is a lovely treat. Polly has returned from Tobago and no, I'm not in the least bit jealous! The two weeks away have done her the power of good and she's still very chilled out, not to mention sporting a super golden tan. It's great to have her healthy vibe about the place.

My outfit of the day is a mix of old and new, mostly from the high street. I threw this together when my friend Rachel said she'd step in as photographer of the day. Plan A had been for Steve and I to head off-island to capture that desert island feel for a summer dress I have lined up, but he's having a boys weekend on the mainland which came about at the last minute. The weather here is suddenly looking like summer and I'm only slightly annoyed at missing the chance of the boat trip, but I know it'll come around again.

These cute little beach huts are mini changing rooms for the swimming pool that's just across the way from Rachel's house. With a swimming pool on one side and the beach on the other she's so well placed for her end of day downtime too. Much as we live on this paradise island, we still have the same work stresses as everyone else and it's good that she remembers to find some time to unwind at the end of the day. Rachel and I both attended the Mindfulness Retreat on Tresco last year and its health benefits have remained with us. My time to chill seems to be during my morning swim which has the same meditative effect as stopping and staring at the view with a lovely mug of tea, as Rachel does.

So, what about the outfit? The jacket was a TK Maxx find in Manchester last summer, the brand is Anja Rock. Trousers are River Island, sandals are by Dune, tee shirt is from Topshop, jewellery is all charity shopped and the straw handbag was a present from my friend Suzie in New Zealand. 

I have to mention that the trousers have that half elastic back which makes for a great snug fit. I'm not sure if it's because I'm shopping more on the high street that I have quite a few pairs of these now or could it be that I'm still carrying that bit of extra weight around my middle that has me drawn to this easy fit style. I'd like to blame my thickening waist (and back fat) on my age and a slowing metabolism, but I fancy that I'm probably eating too much and am just not active enough. I beetle about, dodging up and down the stairs at work all day long, but I finally admitted defeat this week and have joined the gym. I think I need some weight bearing exercise and will be reviewing my week to see if I can fit in some walking too after work or maybe I'll grab an apple and walk during my lunch hour. 

Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not begging for sympathy - it's half a stone for goodness sake! But it's all relative, don't you think? I don't compare myself to others, I just refer to clothes and old photos to see what I used to be. That seems to be the best way for me to keep in touch with what's my best or should I say happiest size. If I'm carrying too much weight it simply gets me down. My clothes don't fit nicely or some of them at all and therefore I know it's time to act. 

When I looked at some of these photos I saw lumps and bumps that I wasn't happy about and so it's my nature to be honest with you and to name and shame myself rather than have my readers see this gradual change and think I don't notice.

The pool was deliciously warm, but not tempting enough for me. Give me a chilly stretch of sea with a brisk onshore wind and the odd bit of wake from a passing boat - that's more my thing!

So this is how Saturday evening at 6pm looks on the island. It's a pretty amazing backdrop looking across the Great Pool from this swimming pool location. The sunbeds were all empty and not a soul was in the water. The island is almost full booked currently which just goes to prove that you can always find a quiet spot when you come to stay. 

Until next time, have a super week!

Anna x