The party outfit

Well, here it is - the party outfit from last weekend! I packed three options for the surprise birthday bash for ex-Tresco farmer, Paul Christopher who turned 70 on Friday. Paul was indeed totally surprised at the turnout for him and we were all so happy to see the look on his face when he opened the door of the pub in Cornwall. Family, friends and work associates filled the venue, sharing stories, filling the air with laughter, and showering Paul with hugs and kisses. The night was a fine celebration for this unassuming, gentle and kind man to give him the affirmation that he so deserved.

My wonderful husband, diplomatic soul that he is, advised me not to wear my beloved pea-pod suit to the party and how right he was. It's not that kind of party, he told me, as I was giving him a show of each outfit an hour before the party and it was great advice. This, however, was just right to ensure I felt comfortable, not out of place, leaving the focus clearly on the birthday boy and not my extravaganza of an outfit.

The trousers were new from TK Maxx in the spring and this was their first outing. They're a mix of polyester and elastane, making for a heavy drape with a comfy bit of stretch too. The high waistline is emphasised by the twin belts with brass popper fastenings, an unusual feature that lifts these Oxford bag style trousers out of the ordinary and into something quite stylish.  A white turtle neck body ensured a sleek, streamlined fit avoiding that constant tucking in that a vest top might need. The zip up crochet cardigan in autumn hues is by Karen Millen, a pre-loved purchase from a charity shop from some time ago. 

My Asos ecru platform boots finish off the look. The trousers are too long to wear with flats so these will be what I wear with the trousers next time too.

The vintage necklace works well with the colours of the cardigan don't you think? The rings are old as are the Quay Australia sunglasses. 

No mainland trip would be complete for me without a tad of retail therapy. I dodged into TK Maxx, rattled through Primark and bustled into a couple of charity shops during the couple of days resulting in an armful of new and pre-loved clothes in a rainbow of colours -

Trousers, sweaters, cardigans, a skirt suit and two pairs of boots plus one pre-loved necklace was the haul. It's so lovely to end the season with an array of bright colours to dress in over the drab winter months ahead. I really don't enjoy the gloom of these next few months, but having some cheerful clothes to ward off the winter blahs will surely help!

                                                                       Anna x

Ready to party...

Hello lovelies, and how are you? Today's blog features a dry run for an upcoming party. Steve and I have been invited to join a gathering for a surprise party on the mainland on Friday and this is one of my possible outfits. I'm not sure how dressed up this party will be and can't decide if I'm wanting to be too 'out there' amongst lots of people, some of whom may not know me or my penchant for dressing up. 

Is it just me who feels more confident on home ground? Or even simply with friends? On Tresco I'm known for my over the top dressing and often have people drop in to the Gallery just to see what my outfit of the day is. It's an easy talking point and a great lead-in to more in depth conversations. In some ways, this suit could be an ice breaker at the party, but it also might backfire if I'm seen as an old bird (heck, I am 64 after all) doing the proverbial mutton dressed as lamb thing.

Anyway, to the outfit - this is my (almost famous) pea-pod suit, a gem of a find from H&M in the spring of this year. In case you missed the reveal of this you can read the post here. Over the months I've had readers of my blog and Instagram followers turn up at the Gallery requesting that I wear my suit sometime during their stay - how lovely that is! And thank goodness, it has never failed to please and even astonish. I've never had so many compliments in response to an outfit, even from men! In fact, it seems that the dapper nature of the trouser suit is what's so eye-catching for the menfolk.

I've glammed up the suit by adding a sequinned vest and bejewelled belt along with silver high heeled boots. But maybe I'm guilty of trying too hard? In my head, the word party does mean pushing the boat out and this is my boat well and truly out!

I leave Tresco on Thursday and will be packing my bag in the morning. I would have liked to showcase some other party options but I've been busy this weekend doing my big six monthly clothes changeover and still haven't quite finished. The good news is that this ensemble is close at hand. The bad news is that my confidence levels are dropping as time goes by. One less jazzy outfit I'm considering is this one - see here - a Joe Browns dress. And another is this one - see here - another trouser suit, but much less bling. 

So, here's where you come into play... Please send me your thoughts - drop me a line in the comments box below as to which of these three outfits you would suggest I wear, or anything else you've seen on the blog. This far, I only know that the venue is within a pub, although not the actual pub itself. I know I'd be happy to wear my pea pod suit here on Tresco in our local pub, but beyond that I'm not sure at all. And on a purely practical point, I am more than a little worried that something dire may happen to my precious pea pod suit, like someone spills a glass of red wine on me or I sit on some chewing gum in the taxi. Have I just persuaded myself not to venture off island with my beloved Iris Apfel ensemble or am I missing the opportunity to showcase this spectacular outfit beyond the shores of home? 

                                                                                  Anna x

Summer brights

Hello lovelies! I maybe ought to have called today's post "Better late than never!". August has taken its toll on me, meaning I'm way behind with everything apart from work. Well, maybe even at some areas of my work too if the truth be known... Anyway, here I am in the middle of the night, with a bout of insomnia and an internet connection that keeps dropping in and out trying to put this post together.

My summer brights outfit is a mixture of old and new items - the new being this ruffled skirt, yet another purchase from Number 36 in Penzance dating back to my spring visit to the mainland. The white vest top was from H&M earlier this year too and the pink linen shirt (M&S) was a charity shop find from last year. 

The tiered orange skirt feels flirty and fun and it seemed only right to flounce about on the sand for these photos. Fiona, my photographer extraordinaire, was awol as were family and so I had to make do with the timer on my camera and a bit of hamming up on my own. At least I managed to find a quiet spot on where no-one could see my antics.

I was prepared for the odd flash too by wearing my new bikini. I've yet to do a beach post proper this summer as my every spare moment has been spent helping Steve with our boat renovations. Goodness knows if we'll managed to get it into the water at all this year! Just as we've been trying to finish the last patch of paintwork the weather has turned wet and unpredictable here which is very frustrating.

Said bikini is floral and multi-coloured and is the first new one I've bought for years. Am I bikini body ready I ask myself? Probably not, but it's the only body I've got and may well be on display in September when I've booked a week off work. If the boat isn't launched by then, I plan to take myself off to the beach every day (weather permitting) for a high tide swim and then have a picnic and laze around reading a book and sunbathing. I've already put in for a dose of good weather so fingers crossed that will all go to plan!

There's nothing new jewellery-wise and the Radley sunglasses aren't new either. The beaded belt is very old indeed but has been brought out to tie in with my sandals which again were bought in the spring (from TK Maxx) and haven't made it onto the blog previously.

Side by side, the belt and sandals do look as if they match perfectly which for me it terribly satisfying. Matchy-matchy or clashy-clashy whichever is the plan always makes me happy if I manage to pull it off. Such little pleasures in life please me immensely.

So that's just about all from me. I'm having an overnight trip to the mainland this weekend to have my eye's tested but don't expect I'll have much time for shopping. I say that to almost prepare myself for any disappointment. I also have to get a new passport photo taken and have done an online search, but do wonder how reliable that is - one of the venues is KFC! Anyway, wish me luck and I'll be back on Monday with our Style Not Age challenge. Hope to see you then. Please leave me a comment if you've enjoyed this post.

Thanks for dropping by!

Anna x

Friday's Finery

Hello again! So, here's Friday's outfit - a fabulous jumpsuit from The Finery. It was on the mannequin in the window of the British Heart Foundation shop in Penzance when I was there in the spring. The colours are so eye-catching that it stopped me in my tracks. I was heading to catch my flight home and was carrying my holdall, whilst wearing a jacket that unfortunately had a stain on the front. I mention all of this because it's perhaps why I was spoken to the way I was...

I made my way to the back of the shop and found an assistant steaming clothes in the back room. I asked her what size the jumpsuit in the window was and she said it was a 12. Great, I responded, Can I buy it? At which, she looked me up and down, clocked what she thought was a bag lady and snapped, "It's £20!". "Great" I repeated and she stomped off to retrieve it. Never judge a book by it's cover, eh? To my utter delight, the jumpsuit turned out to be brand new with the labels still attached. I don't buy from The Finery myself, but checked out the website and can see another jumpsuit in the sale in baby blue...

My lace top is old, from New Look a couple of summer's ago, but works well under this neckline. The jumpsuit came with a long sash in the same block colour as the hemline, but I changed that up for a stretch belt in purple. 

None of my accessories are new. Why does that make me feel so virtuous? Probably because last week's outfit was almost totally new I suppose. Anyway, apart from the £20 jumpsuit the rest comes from my closet and jewellery collection. Even the sunglasses are old, by Radley London.

My silver and white sandals (Topshop) are very old indeed and were even passed on from my daughter a few years ago.

Fiona did me proud again with our after work photo session. Some of you may recognise that I didn't venture far from my workplace to get these in the bag. 

                                                                         Anna x

Another week, another heatwave outfit!

Yes it's another heatwave hello from me! I'm gradually learning what works in these high temperatures with Friday's work outfit looking like this. It's not new and has been featured on the blog previously, but the loose fit and total cover up seemed to keep me cool all day long. The paisley maxi skirt was a charity shop buy and the silky paisley top was a hand me down/up from Sasha quite a few years ago.

The agapanthus are in full bloom now so Fiona and I walked out to the Heliport down on the south end of the island to capture these colourful shots. The photo shoot was meant to be followed by a cooling swim in the sea at (nearby) Appletree Bay, but yours truly managed to forget her swimming costume. Barefooted Fiona and I walked across the heather (sprinkled with prickly gorse) to Pentle Bay, but by the time we arrived there to the choppy sea and windy side of the island it was 8pm and my offer of skinny dipping had lost its appeal.

This multicoloured beaded necklace is new to me, a recent charity shop find for the princely sum of £3. I've been holding back to find the right outfit to showcase this and am really happy with the overall look.

Rings are preloved and the pink stretch belt was an eBay buy from years ago. I love the mish mash of colours here though - so very summery!

This must be the year of summer flatties for me! These floral sandals are heaven to wear as the back strap is stretchy and the soles are soft and spongy to assist all day comfort. Apologies if the comfort work keeps cropping up on my blog of late, but heck I'm on my feet all day and really need a kind and wearable shoe for my weary feet. I found these ones on Amazon. 

It's such a feminine outfit and one that had me wafting about with a smile on my face all day long. 

So this was us, Fiona, me and Jilly, partners in crime on Thursday as we staged a picnic on the beach at the end of our working day. After much promising and planning we finally co-ordinated our diaries and managed to spend a few hours lounging about on the sand, eating and drinking and even having a dip to cool off. We laughed and chatted and shared stories of work and home. Our next date will be a movie night at mine as I've got a great film saved on my planner. But anyway, Jilly was in fits of laughter at my tales of woe when the world seemed to conspire on the previous day leaving me frauded and flat.

My day had started badly with a message on my home phone to say that my credit card was showing suspicious activity and for me to press any button to run through a security check. Well, I don't know about you, but I've watched so many of those scammers programmes that I don't trust any automated message. I dismissed it and went off to work. Some time later I found a text message from Tesco's to say that they couldn't fulfill my grocery order as my card had been declined. Typical! On Wednesday's I only have cover at work after lunchtime. I was also due to have an afternoon meeting with a local jeweller bringing some (long-awaited) pieces for our display. It's been two years in the planning so this was going to be a lovely catch up with Sophie especially as she's created an exclusive range for Gallery Tresco.

Finally I manged to leave work just after 1pm and went home to check my credit card account online. Well blow me! I'd indeed been frauded - I had a payment showing for an Uber!!!! (I live on a tiny island, only one mile by two, with not an Uber in sight.) Anxious and more than a tad worried, I rang the number on the back of my credit card and after much waiting, followed by the necessary security questions, I finally got through. "I'm sorry Mrs Parkes" said the assistant on the fraud line, "but our alarm has just gone off and we're evacuating the building. You'll have to ring back later." Grrrrr...

My morning had been punctuated with phone calls from Tesco's regarding the failed payment but I had no time to resolve this as I was manning the desk alone. My next lunchtime call was to them and ironically coincided with the same lunchtime for the only operative who could unravel the non payment and rescheduling of my order. Off I go the to the Post Office, accounts office and then back home for lunch. On returning to work, well would you believe it, but my meeting with the jeweller had taken place with my stand-in in my absence! More seething and gnashing of teeth at the missed opportunity for this face to face as she was already on the boat back to St Mary's.

Various small challenges threw themselves at me within the workplace throughout the afternoon and I also managed to miss speaking to the Tesco's operative when I was tied up selling a painting to a client. Eventually I broke free and dashed home to call him back. We were connected, but surprise, surprise my home phone died at the moment we were about to speak! I put it on charge, returned to work and received several text messages from the bank asking me to call. Finally at 4.30pm I got through to the bank and they succeeded in putting a stop on my card. By this time I was so stressed out about Ubers and missed Tesco's orders that the fraud line assistant actually asked me to stop and take a deep breath. She then went on to say how difficult it is to send any messages by phone or text which are understood to be authentic. She continued, saying that I'd acted responsibly and was 100% correct in using my credit card as the true source of the contact phone number rather than risk responding to what may have been a scam call. Ten minutes later and I had finally managed to reschedule my grocery order too.

By 6pm the working day was over and the dust had settled on my financial debacles. I gathered together my swimming things, safe in the knowledge that a long swim on Appletree Bay was just the tonic I needed. I made a flask, grabbed a snack and a book ready for a couple of hours winding down in the evening sunshine. I jumped onto my bike and headed off. But wait, my bad luck hadn't finished - I had a flat front tyre!!!!  Defeated, I retreated to home and bed. Sometimes bed is the only answer!

                                                                      Anna x

This Old Thing, our Style Not Age challenge for April

Hello lovelies and welcome to this month's Style Not Age challenge! Gail has come up with this month's theme of This Old Thing sparking a variety of offerings. Mine is an old thing that my sister Dianne saw on a mannequin in the window of a charity shop and immediately thought of me. Someone had clearly tired of it and decided to move it on, but their loss is my gain - I love it! Let's see what everyone else has to show us with shall we?

Jacqui has shopped her closet for this month's feature coming up with her old favourite this denim jacket, paired with cream culottes and matching boots - read her back story on Mummabstylish.

Hilda seems to have gathered together a host of oldies but goodies. The trenchcoat is over 40 years old, boots are 20 and jeans are 15. A self confessed hoarder, Hilda was more than prepared for this month's theme. Read more from her on Over The Hilda blog.

Proving that Emma is as trim as ever, here she is wearing a pair of cut-off shorts that she's had since was 13. Wowee, how fab she looks too! Catch up on her story on the Style Splash.

Gail is sharing her grandma's jewellery for the challenge and noted that her cat also falls into the category of an Old Thing as she's 16! See more on Is This Mutton blog.

Another week, another photo-bomber! This time it's my dear friend Jilly who stopped to collect a painting on the way past.

Jilly thought the all-in-one delivered the wow factor and I must admit it did earn me a few compliments at work. There's no brand label, but the care label did say AX Paris SS19 denoting it's three years old.

The jumpsuit has a zip up back and an under the bust tie which cinches in at the waist making for a very flattering silhouette. I popped an old sweater from Primark underneath for warmth and  added a long wooden animal necklace, found in a London charity shop 4 years ago.

My rings are pre-loved and the rose gold watch is by Michael Kors.

My Zara boots are quite old, so much so that I've forgotten how long ago it is since I bought them, but they're still looking sleek as ever.

Probably the most notable feature of the jumpsuit is the additional front layer of fabric that floats about flapping in the breeze in an eye-catching manner. Fiona insisted that I hold these out to let you see these better. I do hope this has proved to be another inspirational post for you, maybe giving you some ideas for this week's outfits.

Keep well everyone!

Anna x