Eyelet trousers with silver boots

Happy Easter to you all! The aroma of chocolate is heavy in the air as I write, but I'll try to keep my focus on the matter in hand, that being these silver boots which I've rediscovered after months of neglect.

I styled these up in the run up to Christmas (see here) and then tucked them neatly away in the back of my shoe cupboard and promptly forgot them. That's the problem with new things, you can easily forget them when they're not an established item. Anyway, I came across another blogger wearing something similar the other day which reminded me of mine too.

Like most of my styling, I start off with one idea and it seems to evolve into something quite different. I had imagined these with some cropped, faded denim jeans, but much to my surprise I found these don't exist in Anna's Island Style closet - what a nasty shock for me! (Note to self: source these next time I'm dosing up on retail therapy.)

So after a couple of false starts, I came across these eyelet trousers which I'd bought in the Zara sale just after Christmas. Maybe I forgot to mention them? My selective memory is just another way of coping with my clothesaholic condition. Forgive me.

This shirt from Sainsbury's is fast becoming a classic for me and is the ideal partner to echo the eyelet detailing of the cropped trousers. I added the gobstopper gemstone belt to give a streamlined look which also fooled Polly into thinking that this was actually a jumpsuit.

The belt was an eBay purchase a long time ago, but has only recently come into play since I chopped off a couple of inches of elastic from the back of it, making it fit at last. The jacket was a hand-me-down from Sasha (from H&M). You may recall the silver and gold frilly ring that Steve gave me for my birthday this year and the other silver and gold etched ring is by Diana Porter, but so very ancient that I don't think she makes them any more. Mine says "In heaven on earth", but wait - I've just searched her website and found one similar here.

This is a better shot to see the detail of both rings. Follow this link to see more like the frilly Emily Nixon one here.

It may be mass produced, but the jacket is still really well made, right down to the pattern matching which shows beautifully on the back seam.

After a busy morning of beetling about in the gallery, it dawned on me why these boots have been relegated to the depths of the wardrobe - yep those heels are a killer! I can see they need to be kept for desk days when I'm seated for the duration or maybe just for outings to the local pub which is only 100 yards from home. I still love them for the glamour they represent, even though (or maybe is it because?) their vibe is reminiscent of the erotic Barbarella!

Wishing you a lovely Easter Sunday!

Linking with -

Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb

Patti of Not Dead Yet Style

Jacqui of Mummabstylish

Anna x

Show and tell

It's over two weeks since I returned from my little jaunt to the mainland and I thought I'd better fess up - yes I did have a shopping spree while I was away. Mostly it was charity shopping, but a bit of running amok in TK Maxx may have taken place too.

You've no idea how delighted I was to find this orange mini skirt (in a charity shop in Truro). Polly has an orange leather mini skirt, my niece Kate has an orange woollen one and I must admit that I've coveted both of them for ages. So this little beauty by Pretty Little Things (brand new with labels intact) was a joyful discovery indeed, especially as it was only £2.50.

Knee high boots and very thick tights make this mini skirt acceptable despite my age. I can assure you that no-one is more critical of me than me, but I'm happy with this. Whatever you're thinking now about a 60 year old woman in a bright orange mini skirt, please jot it down in the comments box below because I'm all ears. 

Or maybe don't bother, cos at the end of the day you know that I always dress to please myself. My motto of "Let's bin the beige and have fun with colour" is never more true than with today's outfit. 

Pleased as Punch? Yes!

I missed a trick here - I should have had my orange nail polish on!

Anyway, that's the skirt, in faux suede, lined in orange silky whatever and this might be the only time you see it until next winter as spring is most definitely trying its best to make another appearance. The jacket is pre-loved too, by Next, polo neck is from Primark, boots are by Lotus and rings are pre-loved. So let's take a look at the loot, shall we?

This maxi dress is what I bought with my TK voucher for Mother's Day from my kids. It was wonderful to have a legitimate excuse to browse the racks, but of course I did spend much more than the value of the voucher.

I couldn't make up my mind as to which of these pretty mules to have, but at only £12.50 each I plumped for both. The grey ones are to go with the fabulous pyjama trousers below (also from TK).

I love the idea of slouchy summer dressing, pairing these with a simple white tee.

Diesel jeans reduced to a crazy price, well how could I resist?

Yellow and cotton make a perfect spring sweater.

A linen chambray shirt, another classic too good to miss (£3).

Red, pink and pleats make this M&S dress adorable and affordable (£8).

Another polka dot item to add to my collection - this time a halterneck jumpsuit, ideal for the summer season.

The kimono is authentic, vintage and was only £2!

These are trousers, fully lined and still with the brand labels on, all for £4.50.

A lightweight black jacket at this price has to be a no-brainer.

Another vintage find for only £3.

And this vintage top was from "Out of the Closet" the fabulous vintage shop I've been trying to storm the battlements of whenever I visit the dental surgery in Penryn. Success as last! Follow the link here to see the Instagram feed and you'll understand why I've been so desperate to get through the door.

That's it my lovelies until next time. I hope you have a great Easter weekend lined up and I'll be back on Sunday with another snapshot of my little island life.

Anna x

A day of culture in London

The 14th of March will be forever remembered by me as my Day of Culture, when Steve and I took in the Picasso exhibition in the morning, the Super Troupers ABBA exhibition in the Southbank centre at lunchtime and then the Paloma Faith concert at the O2 in the evening.

I think this piece, Sleeping Woman, has to be my favourite of the exhibition. I love the tenderness conveyed through colour and pose. The body of work comprises of not only paintings, but sculptures, notebooks, sketches and installations. The show marks a significant period of Picasso's life, one of turmoil and change, and is well worth a visit. If I get back to London in the summer I will certainly view the exhibition again. 

Given my passion for ABBA, it's no surprise that I had to include this in our trip. The show took the form of a group tour throughout a collection of memorabilia that was staged in rooms recreating strategic events in their 10 years together. A recording studio with a microphone used by them, a hotel bedroom with a guitar from a performance, even a catsuit in green satin from the Mama Mia show - all made for an authentic and at times, interactive exhibition that had us singing and (for me) holding back the tears at the finale. I'm so pleased I had the opportunity to see it.

Last autumn I bought tickets for the Paloma Faith concert at the O2 as part of Steve's 60th birthday celebrations which also meant it could be part of mine too. We were all booked to fly out from the islands on Saturday the 10th, but the weather got a bit iffy resulting in us having to leave two days early. After a few days spent pottering about in Cornwall we took the train to London on Tuesday and on Wednesday had an entire culture vulture day. 

This shows where we sat, just above the stage with a fantastic view of the proceedings. Paloma came on stage at 8.30pm and sang for just over two hours. The arena was at full capacity, teaming with fans of all ages, and it don't think we were even the oldest there at all.

Paloma arose from the centre of the stage like a shining vision. The stage set mirrored her 3D silver space age jacket which she quickly dispensed with to reveal a shimmering cape and matching bodysuit.This tour is the first in two years since she had her baby and yet she looked like she's never been away and her voice was as strong and clear as ever. 

A sublime duet with Zac Abel, "I'll be gentle" went down a storm. See a full review of the show in the Independent here.

Paloma plunged into the audience to hi-five her fans.

Watching you, watching me.

Much of Paloma's appeal is her quirkiness and yet as she talked about her life we saw her as a very ordinary mum struggling with post-baby weight (I kept a little bit as a reminder, she said), sleepless nights and even her fears about the world sliding towards world war three. Her words about kindness particularly struck a chord with me after my recent Mindfulness retreat where this was a major talking point. Paloma gave a heartfelt plea to the audience that we all take part in instigating a global kindness epidemic through small daily acts, such as talking to a homeless person or checking up on a neighbour. She urged us to read more on her website here.

I'm left with a few paper reminders of our day of culture on the 14th March, but I also have a host of memories to play back. One might even say Thank you for the music...

Anna x

Feels like spring

I don't know about you, but I've had enough of winter coats and at the slightest hint of spring I've been embracing a lighter look. I bought this rather fabulous pinstripe trouser suit for £7.50 in a charity shop in Penzance in January. The lining caught my eye before the price, but the combination of the two meant I just had to buy it.

I decided to push the boat out colourwise by adding my favourite floral satin shirt (preloved from Next) which upped the style factor to at least 8 out of 10. 

And to finish the look it had to be these old faithfuls, my silver brogues from Office. Between these and my Quay Australia sunglasses I'm pretty sure this could be a 10 out of 10 outfit today - what do you think?

For this shoot Sasha and I took a wander off the beaten track and ventured onto the boardwalk that leads to the bird hide. Her photographer's eye saw the creative opportunities that lay here. Not only did I benefit from some lovely photos for the blog, but she gave me some lessons with her snazzy camera too. 

At the moment I'm actually on the mainland with Steve on a little jaunt. We're spending a few days in Cornwall catching up with friends and then on Tuesday will be travelling to London. Wednesday will see us at the O2 as we join the thousands of star struck fans gathering to enjoy an evening listening to Paloma Faith. Our tickets for this have been delivered to a guest house in Truro so I'm not 100% convinced that we're really going until we and tickets are firmly together.

I'll be posting on Instagram over the next week, but I'm afraid that there's no blog post lined up for you mid-week this time. The hiccup with the loss of broadband for five days meant that I've struggled to get ahead of the game before I left.

In the meantime, I hope you're having a breath of spring wherever you are. Enjoy your week and I hope to be back with another post next weekend.

Anna x