Picnic perfect!

Hello and welcome to this month's Style Not Age challenge. Our quest was chosen by Gail this time, being Perfect Attire for a Picnic. For me this would of course mean a beachside venue and here I am on Skirt Island at the most Southerly end of Tresco. My style buddies are all set, ready to show you their picnic-ready outfits too so let's get going!

Gail set the bar quite high with her fabulous picnic basket alone! Bowie tee, silver pumps and a bottle of bubbly signal a great picnic don't you think? Join Gail over on Is This Mutton to see more. 

This tent dress was made for drifting about in a meadow of wild flowers, however the British weather had other ideas meaning Jacqui had to make do with her own back garden! Join her for the backstory at Mummabstylish. 

Emma from Style Splash chose her outfit because she thinks the pattern is not unlike a picnic blanket.  The pretty pink gingham two piece was a Zara purchase a few years ago and has come into its own for today's challenge!

Picnic ready, Hilda is sporting an entire outfit from Tesco's apart from her trainers. Her cute look is ready for fun. See more on Over The Hilda blog. 

My picnic outfit is a collection of old pieces which are still bright and colourful. The tunic top was a hand-me-down from my daughter which she bought from H&M years ago. I'm a huge fan of paisley print therefore was delighted when she offered it up to me. An outfit for a picnic needs to be comfy and easy to wear, as well as being practical enough for clambering in and out of boats or in this case across the sand dunes to get to this remote craggy setting. 

The tide was still rising, sending splashing foam up as I was setting up for shots. There's nothing like a quick soaking to send me off in a fit of the giggles!

The elegant hat pose isn't just for show; sunhat and sunscreen are part of my picnic essentials, especially as I've had surgery and other treatments for skin cancer. I wear factor 50 on my face everyday now and have established a routine whereby I apply suncream before my sea swimming every day too. My pale Celtic skin is very much at risk of more sun damage even at work where the sun shines into the Gallery window for a lot of the day. 

We all need a little bit of sunshine on our skins to absorb our daily dose of vitamin D, but it's really not that long. In my case only 5 minutes a day and for those with darker skin it's about 30 minutes. These times are for arms, legs and hands as well as faces. After that you start to experience sun damage which is the precursor of more serious problems.

My pom-pom raffia bag was a charity shop find some years ago. I love the bold colours and the roomy size that is big enough to take beach towel and swimming kit too.

The pink plisse trousers are from New Look - they're light and airy and ideal for sunny days. My floral sandals were from Primark years ago. Perspex rings were gifts from a friend.

A tiny seed pearl necklace was a pre-loved purchase. It's a habit for me to always finish off an outfit with a necklace, even for a picnic. Sunglasses are by Radley London.

Time to stop and stare. Nature is the perfect meditation isn't it?

I do hope you enjoyed this month's challenge. I was so pleased to have made the effort to spend some time outdoors on Saturday, as by Sunday we had rain all day long - such an unusual thing for us. The forecast for the UK is another mixed bag of weather, but improving in the southwest later in the week. Fingers crossed for Thursday as I'm off to St Martin's for the day for another picnic outing!

Wishing you a great week ahead!

Anna x

Our Style Not Age challenge for May

The last Monday of the month means we're ready for May's Style Not Age challenge. It was Hilda's turn to choose this time and she has asked that we take our inspiration from the Sky and Sea. Obviously this was no hardship for me! I'm keen to see how the others tackled this one though...

Starting with Hilda; she's looking resplendent her bright blue Kimono from Zara which she bought a couple of years ago. See her story on her blog Over The Hilda.

Emma is wearing a vintage dress the pattern of which is similar to light playing on water. She's wearing cloud earrings to tie in with the challenge too. See more on her blog Style Splash. 

Gail has chosen aqua and blue to echo the Sea and Sky theme with a liberal dose of metallics to add that sunny sparkle - a great interpretation! Find out more on Is This Mutton.

Blue sky and white fluffy clouds were the inspiration for Jacqui's outfit. Her latest passion for her white trainers completes this cute look. Catch up with all of her news on Mummabstylish.

How lucky am I to have the turquoise sea right on my doorstep for this fabulous challenge! I'd been swimming on the other side of the island at Cradle Porth only an hour before this and was still buzzing with the afterglow. I swear that sea swimming actually gives me more energy!

I opted for these aqua jeans from Tesco's to reflect the clear sea colour. They're cotton with a bit of stretch which is just as well as I fancy that they're a bit more snug than last summer... The brand of the pale blue and white blouse is Kew159 and was a charity shop find - I thought this was a perfect rendition of the sky. I rummaged around in my jewellery box and found this aqua and white rope necklace to tie in with the theme. My favourite white and black Quay Australia sunglasses work really well with this ensemble.

Both my rings and the necklace are pre-loved. The suede belt was a purchase from Benetton a few years ago.

To complete the look I've added these turquoise metallic pumps, rather ancient though they are, but still very wearable. I bought them from Primark donkey's ages ago and had lost them in the back of the cupboard until recently. 

Thanks for joining us for this month's challenge - I do hope you've enjoyed it. I'll be back on Friday with my long awaited 6 year blogging anniversary post. I'm working on that currently and can't promise how it'll look apart from very colourful!

I hope you can join me for that on Friday!

Anna x

Borrowed from the boys

Hello and welcome to our monthly gathering, the Style Not Age challenge, where my fashionista friends and I choose a theme to play dress-up. This month it was Emma's turn and she's come up with Borrowed from the boys which has resulted in some fabulous outfits.

Jacqui did actually borrow her son's tee shirt for this challenge. The geometric tee adds pizzazz to the classic combo of black trousers and jacket, all finished off with pink trainers for that ying yang touch. See more on her blog Mummabstylish.

Gail has countered the macho vibe of the theme by playing pretty in pastels. Her penchant for lilac works well here - I just love those lilac brogues! Catch up with her story on Is this Mutton. 

Emma's bee print jacket is from TK Maxx, a men's jacket it turned out to be too! She's embraced the theme to the hilt with her trilby and white shirt while maintaining her feminine wiles. Catch her back story on the Style Splash blog.

Hilda is another one to raid her family's wardrobe. She's sporting her husband's hat which ties in beautifully with these amazing Paul Costello Oxford bags. Read more about this summery outfit on her post at Over The Hilda.

I found this midnight blue suit in a charity shop in Harrogate a few years ago and decided to ignore the fact that it was on the men's vintage rail. I wear it a couple of times a year and each time I like to style it up differently. Yes, the shoulder pads are huge, but it was surely an 80's stunner at the time.

This time I've opted for a mixture of pale pink and rose gold to compliment the dark suit, rolling up the jacket sleeves to reveal this blush tone which is almost identical to the blouse. 

I've had this sweet pink blouse for years and yet am guilty of hardly ever wearing it. It was a purchase from Tu Clothing at Sainsbury's and a bargain piece at only £5. The pleated sleeves are so pretty and beg to be the stars of the show.

This is the first time I've worn flats with the suit. I usually wear heels to add a touch of glamour to such a masculine shape, but I felt that the rose gold trainers were feminine enough to work.  I've had these for three years now and still love them. (I bought them from TK Maxx for my video interview for the JD Williams campaign - happy days!)

The rose gold belt was another charity shop scoop. The heart pendant was from a little boutique in Truro  and the rings are both pre-loved.

These rose gold mirror sunglasses add the finishing touch to my own Borrowed from the boys look. It was fun to put this together and will certainly be an outfit that I'll wear to work this year. Smart yet feminine and unique too - what's not to love?

I do hope you've enjoyed this month's Style Not Age challenge. Please do pop over to see more from my blogging friends if you get a moment. Thanks for dropping by again.

Have a super week!

 

Faux leather February, our Style Not Age challenge

Hello again!

Yes, here we are on the last Monday of the month showcasing our monthly style challenge for you. Jacqui has come up with Faux leather February and in accordance we're all dancing to that tune. So let's see what the lady herself has to offer shall we?

Jacqui wears new faux leather culottes in chocolate brown with cream coat and boots for modern look. The sunflower pattern shirt is a spring inspired addition. See more on Mummabstylish. 

Emma's nod to the theme are the cute puff sleeves of her fitted top. The all black outfit is complimented by the orange check of the skirt and orange handbag. Catch up with her on the Style Splash blog. 

Hilda sports a faux leather bomber jacket with her flared jeans for a rock chick look. To see more of her casual weekend style see Over The Hilda. 

Gail's faux leather ensemble is a zingy combination of black and green, which reminds me of a post I did last year (see here). Her take on the challenge is classy with a stylish edge thanks to the fabulous pop of pink. See her back story on Is This Mutton.

My spin on faux leather had me delving deep into my wardrobe to find these pre-loved yet unworn leggings. The peplum top (also pre-loved and unworn) proved to be a cute pairing inspiring this awe-shucks pose. A peplum does that to me, encouraging me to forget my age and act out that cutesy alter ego. Cringe-worthy perhaps? Then cringe away!

The sheer floral top cost me all of £2.50 about 3 years ago and has been stashed away ever since. I can't bear to pass up a bargain, but only if the colourway is one that will work for me. The autumn colours are definitely ones that suit me and I knew that at some stage this would be a useful top. Now that I've worn it once I can see it will be diverse enough for another spin later.

I wanted to ramp up the retro vibe and choose this vintage necklace (a wonderful charity shop find from Feb 2020) to pair with my Quay Australia sunglasses. I was really pleased with how this came together.

My rings are in keeping with the pre-loved theme and you'll recognise my much worn patent leather boots from Topshop. 

I'll leave you with this final bit of flouncing around. I did actually have another version of faux leather in quite another vein which I'll share with you soon - a much more robust take I'd say... I do hope you've enjoyed this month's challenge and ask that you take a moment to read the back stories from my style buddies.

Wishing you a great week!

Anna x

Lounging at Home, our Style Not Age Challenge for January

Hello again! Yes, here we go with our end of the month fashion challenge and this month we're visiting that most popular of trends, Lounging at Home, chosen by Gail this time. I recently featured this topic in my post Lockdown loungewear and therefore had to dig a bit deeper to find another loungewear offering. Anyway I'll tell you all about that later, but first let's see how Gail herself tackled this one...

Gail's two piece is snuggly warm and perfect for a night in front of the TV. She bought this from Mango, but do swing by her blog for the full details - Is This Mutton? 

Jacqui of Mummabstylish is wearing another two piece, this time in animal print which is her outfit of choice for lounging around at the moment. You'll find her here most days, having fun in her newly decorated dressing room - the envy of most fashion bloggers, including me!

Hilda is chilling out in her sporty pair of leggings and crisp white top, finished off with a cool pair of animal print pumps. Do pop across to see more on Over The Hilda. 

Emma of Style Splash wear joggers from Asda (love that touch of sparkle!) paired up with a starry sweatshirt. Do please take a moment to check out my fashionista friends.

My take on Loungewear is an all in one from ASOS (similar one here). Sasha bought me this for my birthday under my guidance. I love a bit of leopard print and this is a totally glam bit of loungewear in my opinion. I do have a pair of leopard print sheepskin slippers that I meant to include, but by the time I'd set up my tripod and camera I'd completely forgotten about them.

A handful of gold jewellery, none of it new, ramped up the glam factor. My version of Loungewear took on a very Jackie Collins look didn't it? Think racy, perfume laden boudoir and that's more or less it.

The jumpsuit has an elasticated waist for comfort and the sash tie is nice a finishing touch. There's no zip or buttons to fiddle with and the deep V neck is a flattering focal point. The wide legs are another comfort feature too. As I said previously, my go-to loungwear is my flower sprigged velour jogging suit, but I do look forward to wafting around at home in this alternative. I'm not working at the moment, but still haven't actually found much time to lounge around. I've been busy catching up on the home front and do hope to get to do some sewing this week...

Many thanks to those of you who left me a comment on my birthday post yesterday - catch it here if you missed it. I had a fabulous day with Steve taking some shots for the blog, then a very lively swim at lunchtime and finally the kids came down for a roast dinner in the evening. I've had clothes and potions and lots of little bits and pieces as presents. It was a super day and I'm thinking that 63 looks pretty good from here.

                                                                                                  Anna x