Outdoors versus indoors photography
Cool dressing for another heatwave
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.
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!
How can I follow that?
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.
A riot of pattern
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!
Camo jeans and gold lurex cardigan
Hello lovelies and how are you today? We've had the most amazing spell of weather over the weekend, prompting me to go further afield for my photo shoot. This low tide sandbar is normally under water so it was lovely to capture the view of the islands from a different viewpoint.
My casual weekend look of camo jeans and Converse boots is a lovely easy-to-wear pairing, but I wanted to pep it up and what better way than to add a mighty old dose of gold lurex! I know that this may not be in everyone's comfort zone, but it was great fun to wear and gained not one raised eyebrow from those I met along the way. The cardigan is a pre-loved piece by H&M. The white and gold Karl tee shirt was a TK Maxx purchase ages ago.
I'm wearing Radley sunglasses along with two rings both airport concession purchases from years ago. The statement necklace (old) is from Topshop. I love how my camera surprised me with switching on the flash as I stepped towards it!
Still shopping my closet!
Hello and here we are in February! How are you doing in Lockdown3? Are you coping okay? I'm so pleased to notice the difference in the daylight hours as the evenings start to stretch out day by day. Just that little bit of light adds a ray of hope to our days, don't you think?
It was a year ago since I was last on the mainland and a year ago that I ventured into a (charity) shop. By March last year I'd bought my last piece of clothing online (see it here) and that was to be the final item I would buy for the next 12 months. The most influential read to spur me on to taking a break from retail therapy came in the form of The Year of Less by Cait Flanders. I'd been feeling overdone clothes-wise for some time prior to that: knowing that I had too much to wear despite it being pre-loved and therefore less of a financial drain, it still bugged me that I just couldn't fit anymore into my wardrobe. But not just that; the minute I dropped clothes into the recycling centre, I was driven to replace them with more. This had to stop.
So here I am almost at the 12 month finish line and I'm amazed at not only how easy this has been, but also I have to admit that I'm still finding pieces of clothing with the shop labels attached that I've not yet worn. My shopping ban couldn't have been more timely as unemployment figures soared with families having to prioritise their spending, leaving clothing at the bottom of the list. Reuse, re-style and recycle and buy less, wear more are the kind of hashtags trending on social media, helping me to feel more in step. As we eventually emerge back into normal life again I fancy that we may all find our buying habits and choices have changed forever due to the impact the pandemic has made on the High Street.
Anyway, enjoying our clothes be they new or recycled is what I'm all about and today's look is gathered from the past few years. The jacket is three years old and was a boutique find in St Andrews (the brand is FDJ). The culottes and boots are both from Zara, again about three years ago and the blouse is from H&M. The retro sunglasses are from Topshop.
The rings are pre-loved and the necklace is from Topshop.
The jacket is a fake suede but isn't lined. I've not worn it often and yet looking at the back view of it, I do wonder why. This is often the story with so many of my clothes. It's only when I see them on the blog that I remember what attracted me to them in the first instance.
These bronze boots look as if they have fishnets over the top of them - I do get that remark often. The colours make them very wearable with lots of outfits.
And finally, I've managed to start on my long term sewing project again. I can't remember how long ago it was (maybe six years ago) that I decided I'd like to recover my old sofa. In the meantime, I've collected some fabulous velvets and other sumptuous fabrics together to add to my initial cache and have a renewed enthusiasm for the task. Today I finished one cushion cover and hope to keep the momentum up over the week ahead.
The other side of the cushion looks like this. I'm so pleased to get back sewing again - it's a joy to be creative and to improve our surroundings at the same time.
None of this would get me into the Great Sewing Bee, but it's great to have an indoor hobby at this time of year.
Anna x