Scarlet and cerise - my joyful colour therapy!

Happy Monday dear readers! How are you? Did you have a good weekend? Mine was a busy one, but a happy mixture of work and play. I had a good long swim with Fiona on Saturday when the weather was fine and then on Sunday she stepped in as blog photographer to do a mega shoot for various forthcoming features. Add to this some long-overdue housework, cooking for the freezer, catching up with laundry and a family meal on Sunday and I was flushed with success by the end of it.

This was Friday's work outfit, a joyful pick-me-up in scarlet and cerise. I'd had a blah day on Thursday which I blamed on a very dull outfit that set me of in the wrong frame of mind. It's not something you've seen and maybe won't see either! A navy flower sprigged dress is being charged guilty of dreary, drab and dullness on all three counts. I had tried my best to pep it up with red cowboy boots, red belt and red accessories which sounds great, but didn't really have the desired effect. 

Friday saw me utilise red in a much more successful manner when paired with a dazzling pink trench and handbag. The two tone dress (pre-loved) is by M&S and delivers colour therapy with a punch every time I wear it. During the winter months I pop a coloured long sleeved thermal top under it, add some tights and hey presto, it earns its place in both my seasonal wardrobes!

If I was channeling the 80's on my last post, then maybe this could be a throwback to the 60's? (Although the sock boots would probably have been knee high ones.) As you can gather, I'm not one to pay any attention to trends from this era or that - I'll throw pieces together regardless of what decade they hail from.

I'm rotating three very different bags for work at the moment and this cute little Candy bag by Furla always gets compliments. My pink rings are both charity shop pieces.

My red sock boots from H&M are still going strong. What will I do when they fall apart? Maybe I ought not to think about that until the time comes...

My white and black Quay Australia sunglasses tie in with the gingham checks of my Topshop trench. The rose gold heart pendant was a retail purchase in a little boutique in Truro a couple of years ago. 

They say laughter is the best medicine and I must admit it works for me. Well that, and some colour therapy. Keep on smiling everyone, and have a great week!

                                                                        Anna x

Weekend casual wear

Hi there!

So how was your weekend? Did you rejoin the workforce on Saturday? After a week of preparation the Gallery re-opens for business today, giving my life structure and that much needed definition between work and play. This outfit surely falls into the play category, although I suppose I could add some wedge sandals and maybe swap the jeans for tailored trousers to give it a smarter look. The tiered smock top with a gift from a friend and was a joyful find when I did my wardrobe changeover in the spring. The pre-loved jeans are by Next.

The outfit screams playful and fun.

I've just discovered the joy of the hairband as the perfect ploy for unruly hair. I borrowed this one from Sasha to see if I liked it. I do, and have since bought a few to keep me going. I'm letting my hair grow for the moment, but am sure I'll get to the stage when I want to have a proper hairstyle again. Have you high-tailed it to the hairdresser yet? Gosh, I bet they'll be busy now! My retro style Quay Australia sunglasses were from Topshop last year. Funky eh? Click on the Quay link above for a buy one, get one free offer on currently!

The chunky ring was from TK Maxx (old) and the gemstone one is a charity shop piece.

The colourful beaded sandals were from New Look (old).

I love the delicate beadwork on this crepe smock, particularly on the shoulder area - it makes for an interesting feature.  You'll notice that the lichen on the rocks is echoes the same shade as the top. I only had to step across the road from home to find this perfect backdrop! 

I'll leave you with a couple of shots from home. The moonlight one was taken from my bathroom window a couple of weeks ago. 

The black swans are our new local celebrities, moving from island to island to be featured on everyone's social media platforms. Seemingly we had a dolphin swimming between the islands last week too! And talking of local celebrities, my husband and son were featured on TV last week. Steve and Jamie work together maintaining the landscape on the island of Tresco which was one of the areas included on the Devon and Cornwall programme. Click on the link to see these lovely handsome chappies at work.

Have a great week and keep safe!

Anna x

Vintage frock for a fun Dress Up Friday

Welcome to another dose of Dress Up Friday!

It's great to have you back again for Dress Up Friday. I love the excuse to get dolled up for this Friday feature and hope that you enjoy the results too. Today I'm wearing a vintage chiffon frock from Borghese by Toplet which was one of my first vintage buys when I started buying pre-loved fashion. The fitted bodice and drop waist style are form flattering and the generous skirt was showcased to its best in the breezy day.

The frock epitomises old fashioned glamour and romance.

Sunglasses are from Sainsbury's (old), rings are pre-loved and gold chain is from Primark (old).

These floral fabric shoes with gold high heels represent my most exciting Primark find over all the years I've been shopping there. I found them in the sale corner at the end of one summer and they were marked down to £5. They're the least Primark looking pair of shoes ever!

This is the perfect posing frock!

As of next week, Friday's will be a normal work day for me. The gallery re-opens for business on Monday with me holding the fort on my own for the first time ever. We'll be trading by appointment only with on-island clients being my priority. This weekend I'll be brushing up on my risk assessments, putting everything in place to make sure we all have a safe retail experience. If July 4th signals a return to your new working schedule I wish you good luck and keep safe!

                                                                                   Anna x

Style or mish-mash?

Welcome to my midweek mash-up!

We none of us live in a bubble and sometimes I'm very happy to dip into the latest magazine to see what's trending or what those in the fashion know are predicting. Other times, like today, I have no fashion compass, no style road I'm trying to follow or icon I'm trying to emulate. Today is all about colour and very much harps back to my fashion motto of "Let's bin the beige and have fun with colour".  

The fun comes by way of the vibrant mixture of checks, leopard print and another pair of vintage boots - not so very different from what I wore in my last feature actually!  I didn't plan this or even notice the connection until I started putting this post together and noticed the similarities.

The season of winter coats is well upon us now; this beauty of mine is a vintage piece from Sicily. You'll have seen it over the past couple of winters no doubt, but not paired with these stretch trousers (Zara). You know how I love a bit of pattern play!

The leather cowboy boots are vintage too, bought from a charity shop in Penzance last year.

The fluffy jumper is a bit old, so much so, that I've forgotten where I purchased it. No matter, the power of the fluff is all that counts. I've layered a thin thermal top (M&S) underneath which truly signals that we're in winter now. 

Today's necklace and rings are pre-loved and my sunglasses are by Zara.

With only 20 days to go until Christmas I'm starting to look out my Christmas jumpers along with all of the sequins and sparkles I've got stashed away ready for the festive season. My recent shopping expedition to London has supplemented the cache which is very exciting. Is it too soon to be adding a glitter cardi to the outfit of the day I wonder? I'm off to check out some of my favourite bloggers to see if they've succumbed to the lure of the glitter yet ...

I'll be linking up with -

Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb

Patti of Not Dead Yet Style

Jacqui of Mummabstylish

                                                                                           Anna x

The Best of the Rest

Welcome to our round-up of the last show of the year, The Best of the Rest, which showcases five of our established and new artists. Above on the left is Morag Hensleigh and right, Patricia Wilson who enjoyed their first ever exhibition with Gallery Tresco. To say the evening was a success is an understatement, as we were inundated with lovely guests staying on the island, all keen to see this diverse mixed collection. At one point we had clients queueing up outside the door as our helpers broke open box after box of glasses to pass wine around to those waiting in the evening sunshine. See the full spread of work here. Both Morag and Patricia sold two paintings each which was a wonderful start to their evening. International artist Hugo Grenville also kicked off his sales with one as did Sara Bor. Our end of the evening photo reflects the post-opening relaxed atmosphere as we raised a glass to a very successful party.

All set up and ready for the fray!

I make no apologies for this repeat outfit, well almost repeat, apart from swapping trousers for a skirt - see the first version here. I simply love this mermaid coat and couldn't let the opportunity pass me by to swoosh about to the shushing sound of this wonderful jacket once again. Steve bought me this from Topshop for my Christmas present. The beaded vest top was also from Topshop, but was a second hand find some time ago (£2.50). The metallic skirt adds to the completely over-the-top sparkliness of the ensemble. It was from Tu at Sainsburys ages ago and cost me all of £5. "I see you've gone for the understated look" quipped hubby as I dashed past him, sweeping by like some minor celeb.

Rose gold mirror sunglasses are by my fave brand, Quay Australia. Rings are pre-loved.

My pale gold satin kitten heels are from Wallis, and may be vintage by now.

One final swoosh!

I was definitely giddy with excitement as we drew a line under the show schedule for another year. The relief of finishing on such a high was a bonus for all involved. My back up team of girls have done me proud again, as did Jack the chef who supplied us with delicious canapes throughout the year. A final thank you goes to Fiona who stepped up as my blog photographer in the final stretch. Thanks to you all!

                                                                                             Anna x

Summer show 6

Hi, hello and welcome to the reprise of our final summer show at Gallery Tresco. The schedule of 6 exhibitions in 60 days is a huge undertaking, but a challenge I love none the less. Featured above is the attending artist Maggie O'Brien, who over the years has built herself a big following with our clients. Her painting above my right shoulder has been sold, but the star of the show had to be her large homage to the swallow, a lament at the decline of our bird population in general which is one of Maggie's passions. See the entire show here. 

Maggie and I are both putting our best foot forward in our frocks of the evening. Maggie is wearing her new dress by Whistles, not brown but snakeskin print she corrected. And me, I'm wearing a Monsoon gown (pre-loved) which of course, isn't beige, but vanilla. Whew, thank goodness we've got that all straight!

I bought the beautiful satin and chiffon dress from the Cancer Research shop in Truro when I was over there last month for my medical appointment. I'd walked past there in the evening when all the shops were closed and this was hanging against the door. I promised myself that I'd return the next morning and if it were less than £30 I'd buy it. It cost £18 and is worth every penny. The dry cleaning label was still stapled inside which itself had saved me about the same amount of money. Hurrah! You do know how I love a bargain.

It may not be the biggest swoosh factor of the summer, but this gorgeous gown certainly wins in the glamour stakes, don't you think?

I added my favourite oversized Debenhams pearls to the column dress for a bit of impact and two pre-loved rings in neutral tones. The sunglasses of the day are by Guess. 

The satin kitten heel shoes by Wallis must be vintage by now as I've had them for over 20 years. They've hardly been worn. The first outing they had was on a New Year's Eve party which nearly spoilt them for good. We walked home in the rain and it was only the next morning that I discovered that they were soiled with muddy splashes. Some gentle mopping and drying redeemed them and I wrapped them up in tissue in their box, put them into the top of the wardrobe and promptly forgot them. It was only earlier on this year that I rediscovered them. Their best feature has to be the pale green lozenge gemstone surrounded by smaller gems - another touch of glamour!

And here, as promised, is the dream team from that evening. From l to r, Duffy, yours truly, Polly and Hannah. The girls worked wonders on the Opening Night party, zipping back and forth with bottle after bottle, keeping the clients topped up with refreshments and canapes. Thank you ladies for the endless support this summer - I couldn't have done it without you!

As we say goodnight in the glow of the evening sun, I also had to say goodbye to Polly. My wonderful assistant of the past 5 years has moved to an office job on the island. Her admin skills will be put to very good use in Human Resources and she is looking forward to new challenges within this very different role. Her departure was sudden and without much notice; a complete surprise to me if the truth be known, but I don't begrudge her the new start and have wished her well on the next phase of her journey. In the meantime, I've been given part-time help to tide me over the last few months of the season (not quite enough to cover her full time support, but hey, such is life). I shall miss Polly's bright, enthusiastic input, her capacity for hard work, her ability to wrap a painting which defies all efforts by the courier service to trash it, and let's not forget her talents as my blog photographer. Thank you for everything and good luck Polly!

Anna x