Welcome back!
Hello again and thanks for dropping by to see me. No new outfit today and no apologies for that either. I'm more than happy to share this velour and embroidered lounge suit which has worked so hard since I bought it just a little over two years ago when I was in London. I remember picking it up in Zara and showing it to Steve who didn't quite know how to respond. Was I merely showing him this outlandish outfit or asking for his approval? For me, it was love at first sight and trying it on simply sealed the deal. I've topped it off with my green fur coat by The Vintage Boutique Collection and a diamante dog brooch (pre-loved).
At this time of year one of my most pressing jobs is to check the art in the holiday cottages on the island to make sure that all the paintings are in the best condition in time for the new season starting. I'm currently upgrading the art in some of the houses and that's what I was up to here. The painting I'm brandishing is by artist Iona Sanders. The bright contemporary piece will lift this traditional cottage interior injecting a breath of fresh air to the surroundings. I love this aspect of my job as it's such a quick fix and very rewarding to transform a room with a handful of select paintings.
Anyway, back to the outfit of the day. Despite the ornate stitchwork this jogging suit is surprisingly hard wearing. On days when I'm hanging art it's great although I wear it mostly at the weekends; the stretch waistband and roomy trousers make it perfect for doing the housework/shopping or for just lounging around. The hooded top is loose enough to accommodate a thermal top underneath and by wearing cotton tights underneath the suit is toasty warm, extending it to become an all-year-round piece. I machine wash it on a cool wash (almost weekly) and there's no noticeable fading or shrinking or even going baggy which happens all so often with a high cotton content jogging suit. But wait - this leisure wear is far too luxe to be called a jogging suit!
Last weekend I helped out at our local Community Centre as we were having a big island clear-out to send off our bags of clothes, books and toys to the British Red Cross. I had a very hands-on role, helping to fill the container which appealed to me and made use of my packing skills. The stacking of boxes and crates was a satisfying task for Sasha and I and we were soon squeezing the last few bags and bundles into the little nooks and crannies left around the towers.
The container has been shipped to the mainland where it was collected and transported to the sorting centre in Plymouth. Our island contribution will be redistributed to the Red Cross shops across the West Country. We, as a small island community, feel we can enjoy our post Christmas dejunking, and at the same time we're helping to swell the coffers of this great British charity.
As comfort was the watchword of the day for this outfit, I chose to wear my pull on stretch boots (again by Zara). I've had these for about 18 months now and they are still holding up well. I foolishly wore them out in the rain a couple of times which has caused the adhesive that glues the sole to the upper to start to come adrift, but I'll continue to wear them until they fall apart as they are soooooo comfortable!
Many thanks to Lora who is helping me at work and also as blog photographer when the need arises. We're having fun working together on the art collection although at times last week we did resemble the Chuckle Brothers as we staggered about moving large paintings in high winds and driving rain, tripping over each other's feet as we were blasted sideways, dissolving into hysterics once we'd battled into the safety of the cottage. Any damage was confined to fingers and toes rather than the artworks thank goodness!
Anna x
