Last week's most loved...

Hello lovelies! This was my most loved outfit from last week and what a surprise that was to me. As you know, dressing up is my daily pleasure, but that doesn't mean I always have a plan. On this particular day I returned from my morning swim and as is my habit sat in front on my wardrobe with my hot drink in hand to find inspiration for what I might wear to work. It was a muggy morning and therefore I knew it would have to be something loose fitting. Squeezed between my trouser suits I found this - a brand new pyjama suit with labels on which I had bought from Vinted, but goodness knows when and had stashed it away without even trying it on.

I'd obviously bought it because I liked it but for me the colours are very understated and therefore it hadn't caught my attention whenever I'd scanned the hangers over the past months. Anyway, I tried it on, thought it was okay so snipped off the labels, ironed it and got ready for work. 

My first compliment came from Steve when I dashed in to collect my bag for work. He's so used to me dressing up in all sorts of flamboyant outfits that he often doesn't pass comment, but this morning he was very enthusiastic about my look. I was a bit taken aback as it seemed so different to my shout-out-loud outfits but he said it really suited me.

Minutes later I was at work being greeted by Rachel with great enthusiasm too. She totally loved everything about this - the colour, the pattern, the fit - it was a 10 out of 10 from her. I was slightly bemused as I didn't really get it.

As the day went on I found myself showered in lovely compliments about the suit. At work I had so many kind remarks and later when I was out and about the pyjama suit seemed to be a bit of a showstopper. I was more than a little surprised.  In case you're interested the brand is H&M and I have no idea if it's current or from last year.

The Dune handbag was from TK Maxx a couple of years ago and every once in a while I find the perfect outfit to warrent its appearance. My rings are both from Emily Nixon.

The necklace is an old favourite and was from Topshop many moons ago. I wear it often as the colours work with so many of my outfits. The sunglasses are by Quay Australia and are very old too.

The cream mules are by Zara but were a charity shop find last year. I don't wear them often as they still need to be properly broken in which means they pinch a bit by the end of the day, but sometimes one has to suffer for one's art!

My thanks to Fiona for doing the honours with the photography last week. She too was very keen on the look. I must admit that the suit was incredibly comfortable and once on was so easy to forget about. I think I read that a good outfit is meant to be put on and then calls for no further thought as it simply works. By the end of the day I had acclimatised to this elegant, stylish suit that seemed to attract attention wherever I went - what a joyful find!

                                                                        Anna x

July and shopping my closet

I'll cut to the chase and tell you that it's not been the best of days today. I've lost a key at work, an important one, although at least not the only one, but lost somehow. Then later at home I couldn't find my best tweezers - completely gone, not in the usual place, not anyplace in fact. But what really confirmed me having a bad day was on returning home after a day of manning the desk, I'd popped upstairs to spend a penny and when I looked at my reflection as I washed my hands I discovered that I'd forgotten to finish my make-up and had spent the whole day wearing only blusher and lipstick! Not a scrap of eyeshadow or a sweep of mascara!! Maybe not earth shattering for you, but I'm one of those women who won't be seen outside without full make-up on. Am sharing all of this with you in case it's part of a gradual decline into something more ominous and a darned sight less funny. Ever the drama queen me!

But this was funny: me enjoying the fact that a cyclist had just managed to avoid knocking Fiona over as she stood in the middle of the road to take my photos. It was a tad risky on her part, but she likes to live on the edge does Fiona! Anyway, on to the outfit of the day, shall we? The jeans jacket is by Bennetton and must be at least 10 years old. I love the colour, plus it's got stretch, and pockets. Pretty much my dream jacket then.

The jumpsuit is one I bought in Manchester 5 years ago in H&M. I've recently made small alterations to it meaning it fits much nicer now. The neckline was previously too wide so I've added some darts in both back and front for a snugger fit. I've added an orange stretch belt to give a bit of definition to what is quite a baggy outline.

Shopping my closet includes my jewellery, so nothing new with rings (pre-loved) or necklace (from Topshop) or even sunglasses (Radley).

My brocade trainers were from TK Maxx many moons ago, the brand is Replay. Super comfy as all of my Replay trainers are, hurrah!

Let me introduce you to Jill who's my latest sewing friend. Jill and I got chatting in the Gallery the other day after she complimented me on my dress. We nattered on comparing stories and then later that day we met up again and this time she was wearing her new homemade dress. The pattern is from the V&A website and the fabric is from Liberty no less. Isn't it fabulous and didn't she do well with the contrasting sleeves and placket!

Jill is here on holiday on Tresco and is a true vision of loveliness! I'm thrilled at how sewing has brought lots of new people into my life already. It was super to meet you Jill!

                                                                                          Anna x

Outdoors versus indoors photography

Hello lovelies! I thought I'd check out what you think about my recent indoors photography for the blog and if you prefer to see my outfits outdoors. It's a terrible dilemma at this time of year when the weather is so changeable and the light can be dull and uninspiring. I'd hoped to catch the early morning sunshine, but by the time I'd chosen my outfit and done my make-up the weather had changed and it was even raining in the distance.

Obviously artificial light is much more reliable and highlights much more in the way of detail, but I do worry that you'll tire of the same old backdrop, especially when I normally feature some lovely vantage points on Tresco. So today I'm mixing up indoors and outdoors for you in the hope that you'll comment with your thoughts.

You'll probably have seen my orange sequinned jacket before as I always bring it out at this time of year. I found it in TK Maxx a few years ago and still love it as much as ever. The mixture of sequins plus cosy padding equals a wonderful winter layer with lots of glamour! I've recently unpacked my Christmas suitcase and think I need to be wearing some sparkle every day from here on to give it all an airing!

My faux leather trousers were a recent purchase from Primark. They're great for this time of year as they are wind proof and rain proof too. I added an old leather belt and an orange roll neck to complete this festive look. My jewellery is all old as are my sunglasses.

It was great to rediscover these olive green sock boots in the back of my wardrobe, a perfect match for my new trousers. They were from Zara years ago - love the silver heels!

So that just about rounds it up for this week's post. I'd love to hear back from you as to which is your preferred location at this time of year. Or even if you think it's not relevant. As we're in the run up to Christmas I know I'll be battling with the elements but do want to keep you entertained! 

                                                                                                               Anna x

Cool dressing for another heatwave

Another week and another heatwave outfit - who'd have thought it? Friday's work outfit was all about keeping cool in the stifling heat. It was another scorching day on the Isles of Scilly and at work we had no way of escaping the intense temperature despite having the doors and sky lights open - there wasn't a breath of wind.

I chose this new airy smock dress (from TK Maxx) to keep me cool and it was pretty successful. The fabric is light and the cut very generous to allow lots of movement and air circulation - not that this was on my mind when I bought it as I simply loved the mix of paisley and floral patterns together. This was another purchase from the spring when I was on the mainland and I had scooped up some new clothes for the months ahead. 

I'd spent most of the day longing for a sea swim at the end of work. The thought of the refreshingly cool water was what kept me going as the mercury rose. At one point while I was serving a customer I bent down to get a paper bag and felt two beads of sweat trickle from bra line down over my tummy - how little exertion was needed to work up a sweat! 

The end of the day couldn't come quick enough for Fiona and I so we had a lazy walk to the south end of the island to find a spot for the photo shoot. It was a bonus to find an empty beach in the height of the summer - this is known as Bathing House Beach. Afterwards we crossed the road behind here and dropped down onto Appletree Bay for a delicious cooling swim.

The outfit was all about comfort so I opted for my sparkly flower sandals to finish off the look. These were from Amazon and are a wonderful mix of comfort and style - the insoles are nicely padded making them all-day wearable. 

My sunglasses are from Radley London and the chunky necklace (Topshop) earned me lots of compliments as it picked up most of the colours of my dress. 

Nothing new jewellery-wise at all. The rings are both old, but work fine with this look.

The islands are busy as ever at the moment which is exactly as it ought to be. We're having a bumper time in the Gallery for our artists too. Sales are strong and I'm just about to fill our art container ready for shipping to the mainland this week. We no long host exhibitions, instead we showcase one painting per artist and from there offer private viewing for the clients to see more from their chosen artists. The gallery has a wonderful mixture of paintings, a real eclectic gathering of styles offering something for everyone. We've hit upon a winning combination for artists and clients alike. I love this new format and as a business model it's a huge success. Hurrah!

Wishing you a great week ahead!

Anna x

How can I follow that?

How can I follow that? That being the last post of mine, celebrating my 7th year of blogging (see here). The only way I suppose is to keep moving forward, showing you the outfit of the day, another work outfit, captured by my blogging photographer Fiona. 

We were suddenly caught just as a heavy shower of rain appeared on the horizon turning the blue into grey. As the camera started to flash in response to the darkening sky, tiny specks of rain fell onto my sunglasses making the whole idea of a photoshoot seem absurd. How crazy we might have looked had anyone been on the road. Luckily there seemed to be some important football match or other on TV meaning that we were more or less alone. Fiona snapped frantically as I described the scene that was unfolding behind her, laughing at the ridiculousness of it all.

Two tiny figures in the distance were paddling like fury on their SUP boards, trying to make it to land before the blustery weather hit them. Be quicker, click faster, I urged Fiona as the curtain of rain enveloped the figures and headed towards us.

But, let's focus for a moment on the outfit, shall we? The cream linen dungarees are new, from Tesco, £25. I predict that these will be a wonderful easy-to-wear basis of many a summer outfit. My bookend look happened when I found a top that is the same coral colour of my new Guess trainers, from TK Maxx. Comfort is the name of the game here, perfect for my long work days ahead.

These slip-ons are a dream to wear. Not as formal as some of my footwear, but for the days when I'm scooting up and down ladders hanging paintings and moving art into the storeroom they're perfect. Increasingly I'm opting for trainers in the workplace purely for the practicality of them. 

My Topshop tribal necklace picks up the colours to match with this outfit and I've added a couple of chunky rings to finish the look off. My rather ancient sunglasses are by Accessorize.

And there it was, our two minute photo shoot! We both retreated home to dry off and enjoy our evening. I wonder if we ought to have a time limit set on these sessions more often? 

                                                                                     Anna x

A riot of pattern

Hello again and how are you doing? Was yesterday a big day for you? Did you, like me, reopen your business? Or maybe you braved the rush and went for some non-essential shopping? If so, how was it?

We've had a steady influx of guests arrive on the island within the past 24 hours and they were greeted by the most glorious day. Honestly, the Isles of Scilly were sparkling in the spring sunshine and just couldn't have looked any more beautiful! It was a perfect start to the new season and did feel very special. I had three appointments which was a lovely gentle way to reopen the gallery. Behind the scenes I've got a part-time assistant, Lora, who is doing my admin for me, allowing me to focus on unpacking all the new artworks and deal with the appointments too. It feels like a good balance of the workload so far, hurrah!

Fiona took these shots post-work on Friday - it was great to have her help again. With regards to my tripod and camera debacle, I now have a weight in a bag to use suspended below the camera when I'm out and about on my own and it's quite solid and heavy and feels secure even in the wind. I used the set up on Sunday when I went to the beach and the wind was gusting quite a bit. I used the tripod on both rocks and sand and it was perfectly stable.

 

I've worn this outfit before, but with a different top and shoes (see here). Going back to see that post I was more than a little envious of my hairstyle some 10 months ago. I've not had a hair appointment since December and I've still got another month to wait until my next one. 

The back view of my mop of hair shows how long it is now. I've had some lovely compliments on my new longer style, but honestly it's driving me mad. My efforts at scooping it up in a scrunchie or scarf aren't in the least bit flattering, so I just have to keep it super clean and conditioned to make it look okay.

Anyway, back to the outfit. The joy is in the wonderful mix of prints. Fiona remarked that she would never have thought of pairing the two florals together, but agreed that they really worked. They're not the same colour exactly, but tonally they tie in beautifully. The fact that they are both in a silky satin fabric ties them together too. I'm already planning on wearing it again this week as it's a new favourite. The trousers were from TK Maxx and the blouse was a charity shop find. Sasha gave me the jacket as a Christmas gift a couple of years ago - she know's what I like eh?

My checked Converse boots add a playful element to the outfit. 

The statement necklace by Topshop has all of the right colours in it to work here too. The floral rings echo today's theme. And of course, my sunglasses are by Quay Australia.

The majority of my weekend was spent doing my seasonal clothes changeover. I've done a kind of half way house thing this year, bringing some pieces into my wardrobe and others are in big plastic boxes waiting for the warmer weather. We're still having cold winds here at the moment and despite the sunshine it's not exactly warm as yet. 

I've kept a lot of sweaters and cardigans to hand and lots of short jackets too for layering up.

I'll show you the other side of my wardrobe when I've brought out my summer dresses and sandals. For the moment I'm keeping my boots in circulation until I feel ready for that bit of swapping - the gallery is always cold in the morning, but if the sun shines it can be like a greenhouse in the afternoon. I'll be bringing spare footwear to work so that I can change if it gets too hot.

I'll leave you with some shots from the weekend. As I said, the islands are looking beautiful at the moment.

 

Thanks for dropping by. See you again soon!

Anna x