Summer show 4

This was Saturday evening, the 3rd of August and the fourth of our summer exhibitions at Gallery Tresco. Artist Chris Hankey joined us for the reception party, enjoying the opportunity to chat to our guests, explaining the locations of his work and his inspiration for this beautiful collection. See the full August line up in our brochure here. 

The outfit of the day wasn't meant to be this one at all, but the promised sunshine didn't appear making the flimsy frock I had planned look completely out of kilter with the grey weather. A last minute flurry of trying on commenced at 5.20pm which, when you consider that I was due at work at 5.30pm, made things a bit tight! Even as I legged it along the road to the gallery, I wasn't convinced that this was actually what I wanted to wear, but it was the only outfit that didn't need to be ironed, making it the winner.

I've worn this lace jumpsuit before, but not with these accessories which almost almost constitutes a new outfit doesn't it? The brand is Darling London and I found it at TK Maxx a couple of years ago. 

I added this (pre-loved) metallic belt to cinch in the waist as the cut of the all-in-one is bit straight. On reflection it may have looked fine without, but I was in a mad rush and didn't have time to co-ordinate a proper look as such. The necklace was from the Topshop sale this summer, as were the sunglasses and the rings are from Boots. 

I've had these pale gold sandals for ages and wish I could tell you what brand they are, but I slipped out of them at the end of the party when we were closed. I tootled around the gallery clearing up wearing some silver flatties and then left these glamorous heels at work. Do message me if you really need to know the brand and I'll check later today.

Cue a few actions shots for Polly before the rain appeared.

The post party shots are always the best, much more relaxed. Chris had a great evening, ending with a red spot for his first sale and talk of a commission to come. Chris's work is showcased across the whole of the island from the Ruin Beach Cafe to the Flying Boat Club spa and in many cottages in between too. The commission piece will be a copy of the large painting housed within the changing room at the spa - a painting that is much admired. 

And that's it folks - another show opened and another to come in less than 10 days now. Summer is rapidly slipping away bringing about a slight sense of panic in me. In just over a month's time I hope to swim the full 360 degrees around Tresco island. I don't know exactly how far that will be, but I think it might be about 7 miles, depending on the effects of the tide. My training, or lack of, is always at the back of my mind as I try to plan for another long stretch into deeper water away from the balmy turquoise shallows that are my daily playground. If the weather is reasonable on Saturday, Steve and I hope to venture out to the craggy North End of the island where the waves around Kettle Rock crash and surge in a way that creates fear in my belly rather than joy in my heart when I think about it. But, I've set myself this challenge and won't be happy until it's done. 

Wish me luck with the training!

Anna x

Utility wear for summer

Hooray, it's the weekend! Do you have to work weekends? I do sometimes, but yesterday Steve and I both had the day off and found time to go for a walk together rather than rush from chore to chore as we seem to have so far this summer. Talking of which, can you believe that we're more than half way through July? Oh my goodness!

Anyway, Steve's work shed is tucked away off the beaten track and it was here that I decided we might capture my weekend outfit. Utility wear is a big trend this summer and much as I always protest that I'm not a follower of trends, well if you shop on the high street then of course the trends are waiting to pounce on you whether you're aware of them or not. And so it happened to me. My foray into the Oxford Circus branch of Topshop was hot and hectic yes, but at least it was fruitful with this and my other gingham playsuit (see here if you missed that post).

Call it utility wear or just bog standard boiler suit, but whatever, I do love this nude cotton overall, especially for downtime. The cut is loose aka very cool and airy which is perfect for the hot summer we're having down on the Isles of Scilly currently. I do like the fact that the back has a elasticated waist giving a feminine shape to what could otherwise be a shapeless piece. Steve kindly added that I was suitably dressed to be hanging out at his workplace as I looked ready to fix chainsaws - the sawdust would hardly show at all he assured me!

Some you may wonder if I'm on commission here as I'm about to add that these chunky trainers were also from Topshop, in the sale. I seem to have fallen hard for the high street brands of late - what can I say? The temptation was too much for this island escapee!

The all-in-one has become my go-to wear for when Polly and I hang our exhibitions. It's ideal for climbing up and down ladders, stretching, lifting art and generally getting the job done. The roominess means it's comfortable without making me overheat. Perfect!

I've chosen rose gold jewellery to compliment this pale apricot outfit. My watch is by Michael Kors, from a couple of years ago, the knot bangle is by Kate Spade, the other was from the Barbican shop last year (forgotten the maker), the broad rose gold ring was a charity shop find and the knobbly ring was from a street market in Cape Town. Oh, last but by no means least, the new sunglasses are Quay Australia (my favourite brand).

I'll be wearing this again tomorrow night as it's time for our next exhibition to go up. How quickly these 10 day shows seem to come around! Next thought will be, what on earth am I going to wear to the Opening Night party? Do swing by to find out on Thursday!

                                                                                           Anna x

The JD Williams spring campaign is live!

Yes, after much nattering on from me, I can at last share some of the final shots from the spring campaign which has now gone live. Watch the TV advert here. Paulina and I weren't used in the commercial this time, but can be seen over the social media campaign.

If you recall, this was day two of filming at the Dairy Shed just a 20 minute drive outside Cape Town. This was the middle of the day and the temperature was in the early 30's.

The wedding scene was set against this fabulous floral archway with all of the cast wearing pale pink and nude outfits. 

When the filming was done the stills photographer Elisabeth Hoff stepped in to take my shots. Once again it has to be said what a privilege it is to be photographed by Elisabeth. If you check out her profile you'll see that she's very much the photographer of the moment with recent subjects being Mary Berry, Marco Pierre White, Emma Willis and Davina McCall, to name a few. Elisabeth is making her name as a modern day David Bailey.

Elisabeth gives strong direction, thank goodness, and yet also helps to relax her subject with a great playlist. I have a funny clip on my phone of me drifting off into a bit of a reverie when the music had me dancing and singing as if I was on a music video - Elisabeth soon brought me back into the moment! 

View this post on Instagram

I AM starting to stand out.⁣ Embrace bright red this season like the gorgeous Anna who we think looks amazing in our red mac and spot print trousers. ⁣ Coat: BB177 Trousers: FH339⁣ .⁣ .⁣ #JDWLife #styleinspiration #ootd #colourpop

A post shared by JD Williams (@jdwfashion) on Mar 19, 2019 at 12:06pm PDT

The brief video above (working or not?) is from the JD Williams Instagram feed and can also be seen here. 

And so, back to reality. I've returned from my short trip to the mainland. Storm Gareth tried his best to disrupt my plans, but I arrived on the mainland, diverted to Newquay instead of Land's End and was slightly shaken not stirred from the flight. I had an appointment at the hospital for a bone density scan and will get the results anon. So what on earth did I manage to do with myself for the rest of the time? Shop, I can hear you all shout out. And shop I did! Below is a veritable rainbow collection of shoes, boots and separates to bulk out my already busting-at-the-seams wardrobe. When the big seasonal clothes changeover takes place I'll be turfing out the least worn pieces to go the next charity event locally.

The jacket from Primark (£15) matches a pair of trousers I bought recently and will make a fabulous summer suit.

The brand is Boohoo, price £7.99 and was a TK Maxx find.

Topshop had a sale on... these were reduced from £42 to £20.

Another TK Maxx scoop - River Island trousers at £9.99 instead of the ticket price of £40.

The New Look sale this time, and these sandals were £8 from £22.99.

TK Maxx again and the brand is Vera Moda, price £9.99.

A culotte jumpsuit by Spense, found at TK Maxx for £24.99.

Another TK Maxx bargain, from Zara at £15.

Ethnic print trousers from TK Maxx £12.99.

Topshop jumper reduced from £25 to £10.

Topshop polo shirt reduced from £15 to £9.

Various vest tops in the Topshop sale for £2.50 each.

New Look sandals reduced from £22.99 to £11.

Paint splattered deck shoes by Sioux Grasshopper at TK Maxx £20.

Stradavarius jumper from TK Maxx £5.99.

Black patent boots from Topshop reduced from £70 to £35.

White kitten heel boots from New Look £7 from £25.99.

Frida Kahlo tee shirt from Primark at £6.

Yes, this was me in the changing rooms at Topshop seeing what the camera had to say about this outfit. It said yes, obviously!

It's great to be back home again, back to work where Polly and I are still licking the gallery into shape as the first trickle of customers come in to see us. I'll be back soon with some work outfits made from these new separates. I hope you've enjoyed this image heavy feature and look forward to seeing you again next time!

                                                                                         Anna x

Save and splurge

Today's outfit sums up my shopping ethos of save and splurge. The majority of the time I like to shop to save, preferably from charity shops where I'll often find a gem vintage piece or even just a high street brand from a few seasons ago. I'm not averse to shopping from the high street, but I do like the varied selection that pre-loved shopping offers. 

I bought these alphabet trousers in a charity shop in Truro when I was there recently. The brand is River Island and they cost me £2.50. I'll hazard a guess that they would have cost about £30 in store. A quick wash and they're as good as new.

The jumper was again second hand, the brand is Topshop and this time costing me £3 as opposed to, say £25. Over these two items alone I've saved nearly £50 to set against the cost of the (non-charity shopped) shoes.  

The brand of the shoes is Church's - check out their website here with the other fabulous city smart shoes on offer currently. I found these ones at the Edinburgh branch of TK Maxx when I was there in January. But that's not the price I actually paid for them ...

This was the ultimate in savvy shopping. I saved a massive £363 on these, and gained a pair of high class shoes at the same time. So maybe not so much of a splurge after all!

And yes, the blue soles on these Oxfords was a big plus point when I was considering buying them. Well, the considering took a very brief time in fact, only as long as it took to try them on. I love something a little bit quirky, a bit off-centre and these pretty much tick all of the boxes for me. Plus, I knew how versatile they would be - black and white are a wardrobe staple - as they've proved to be today.

My only piece of jewellery is this charity shopped ring which cost me 99p and again is just a bit unusual, a little bit funky to go with this retro inspired ensemble.

Polly and I were forced indoors yesterday for our photo shoot due to the storm that was blowing across the Isles of Scilly at a ferocious speed. I don't think there were any flights into the islands all day and the freight ship has been affected by the weather for days too. But such are the joys of island life. If I hadn't been at work I would have loved to be wave watching at the North end of the island. I bet it would have made for exciting viewing!

                                                                                           Anna x