Autumn styling tricks

Hello lovely peeps, how's things with you? You may recall me bemoaning the end of summer in a recent post and the fact that autumn represents a struggle for me style-wise. Well today I've taken the simple approach by following the fashion advice of Red magazine. The feature captured my attention mainly as I could see that I already had similar items languishing in my wardrobe.

There's nothing better than finding all of the necessary pieces in ones closet to make up a brand new outfit. My pale peach utility wear jumpsuit is so comfortable and now it seems I can extend the life of it for another couple of months. I bought mine in Topshop in the summer sale.

I'm a big fan of belts of all widths meaning that I already had this very similar one. I've had it for yonks and have no idea where I bought it. It's a lovely piece made of soft, thick leather which is why I've held onto it. On trend or not, I keep hold of quality items, not just because of the inevitability of the fashion coming around again, but because they're an absolute asset.

The snakeskin biker jacket was gifted to me by JD Williams earlier this year. See it online here. It's a lovely soft fabric, an artificial suede that wears well and hangs nicely. The rose gold necklace is pre-loved, the rose gold edged sunglasses are by Quay Australia.

My snakeskin print ankle boots were from New Look. They have a new version for this season here. This shape of Chelsea boot seems to fit my foot shape perfectly and are all-day comfortable for me - just enough heel, but not too high.

Another quality leather item is my natural leather Radley bag. If you hurry you can catch the Radley half price sale online here. Mine was an snip from a charity shop which won't surprise you. It pays to have an eagle eye, even if you're not that into second hand shopping. The flower enamel ring was another charity shop find and the ethnic ring was from a market in Cape Town (happy days!).

So, what have I learnt from Red's fashion styling tricks? It seems that by simply adding a jacket and pair of boots to summer clothes, well hey presto, that amounts to autumn dressing! I'm going to be applying this to lots of my summer clothes, that's the ones that haven't already been packed away at least. Coming up later this week, I'll be showing you how one of my favourite summer dresses looks when it gets this autumn treatment.

Did you like today's feature? If so, please let me know.

Anna x

Goodbye to summer?

Oh my goodness, is it really time to say goodbye to summer? I keep seeing these posts from other bloggers embracing autumn and oh, how I hate to give up on the joys of my favourite season! I'm dragging my feet at the prospect of cosy clothes, but here I am nonetheless posting my last summer offering for you.

Is summer your favourite season too? How on earth can it not be? I love the warmth of the sun, the promise that each day holds, the lightness in my heart, the spring in my step, the joy of my summer wardrobe and the delights therein. Nothing can rival the happiness I feel when I'm on the beach at six in the morning with the heat of the rising sun on my back, the company of a few Oystercatchers chattering their way along the shore. My morning swim sets me up for the day. As the sunlight reaches the turquoise water my mind turns to the outfit of the day. What shall it be? Can I find that winning combination of style plus comfort, especially in the shoe department? Today's ensemble pretty much fills all of those requirements.

Topshop seemed to come up trumps for me several times over the summer with this cinnamon zebra print skirt being one of those that were in the sale. The double splits up the front make for a bit of a flirty feel which is no bad thing. If seeking joy is my mission statement then this fits in nicely thank you!

This gold blocked logo tee was from TK Maxx, the brand is Public Envy and it cost me all of £5.99. You can't go wrong with a white tee shirt for summer, can you? And this one has the perfect message too.

It's a job to tell if my expression is one of outrage or laughter at something Polly had thrown at me. "Shut up" was her most often interjection, probably due to my endless stream of nonsense during these photo shoots. Happy days!

My white Puma trainers were well worn throughout the summer months and goodness how my feet loved the gentle support and comfort of these simple shoes. Will fashion dictate something as feet-friendly next year I wonder?

I sometimes wonder if it's right that I'm still having this much fun at my age?

I'm sporting a mix of old and new jewellery today - preloved rings, Primark gold chain necklace and rose gold Michael Kors watch, plus a new pair of Quay Australia sunglasses that I found in Topshop, once again in the sale. 

This weekend I'll be dragging bags and cases out from under the bed, ever hopeful that my autumn/winter wardrobe will be full of lovely surprises. The past week on Scilly has been a time of changing weather, one that I can't ignore any longer. Thick tights, tweed skirts, fluffy jumpers and cosy jackets will be back in evidence by the end of it - I hope!

In the meantime, please join me and the ladies of the Style Not Age Collective on Monday as we tackle this month's theme of "Autumn florals". My choice this time, so wish me luck with that!

                                                                                        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

Midweek monchrome

Hi! How's your week going? Mine is busy as ever, with a few interesting challenges, but hey what do think about my midweek offering? Monochrome isn't usually my thing, but sometimes I like to step out in something unexpected.

There's something so terribly chic about black and white, don't you think? Classy, understated, elegant, that's what monochrome brings to mind for me. The accessories have to be in harmony with that style too. It's good to have a strong theme to follow.

The shoes were the starting point for today's outfit. Purchased in TK Maxx, these Nine West flatties are stylish as well as comfortable. The black band is made of elastic which means they are stretchy but not grippingly tight. I wore them for the first time here and they were all day comfortable. Hurrah!

The white trousers were a bargain (£5) from Tesco last year in the spring sale and don't get out much. I have a real problem with white trousers as I find them so difficult to wear in anything but scorching weather. They just look wrong on a dull, grey day. But hey, that's just my opinion. Perhaps it's because I spent my formative years in Scotland where women rarely wore white trousers - but maybe that was because the sun rarely shone! The only white jeans I remember seeing were adorned with tartan edging in homage to the Bay City Rollers. Groans from some of you, and quizzical looks from others.

The black and white top, no label, cost me £7 from the Cancer Research shop in Truro last month. Top and trews coming in at £12. The look belies the price eh? Not too shabby I'd say.

Pre-loved rings and a silver Tree of Life pendant finish the look off, plus of course my favourite Quay Australia sunglasses. 

That's all for now folks. Sorry to be brief, but tomorrow I hang the final summer show and bed beckons for me now. Do join me again soon to see how the grand finale looks. (The outfit must be somewhere in my wardrobe, but I've yet to find it!)

                                                                                           Anna x

Summer show 5

Hello and welcome to the reprise of Tuesday night at the gallery where Tom Rickman was our artist in attendance for the opening of his summer exhibition with us. I'm not sure who was the most delighted with the outcome as Tom sold 6 of his 10 paintings. We're both grinning madly here at the end of the night and for good reason! Tom has been showing his work with us for many years now and his passion for the North End of the island hasn't faltered over that time, nor has our guests appreciation for the subject either. Thank you Tom, for making the effort to come across the water from mainland Cornwall to attend the party. The other two contributing artists are Jenny Ulyatt and Alasdair Urquhart. The entire show can be viewed online here. 

I've shopped my closet this week for my exhibition outfit, purely because I love this frock by Finery and have only worn it once before. I fancy that I probably paired it up with the same shoes that time too, but goodness why on earth not? I'm a big fan of Finery as a brand because they do a great job to what you'd call grown up dressing. The cut is always stylish and flattering (see this other dress in the sale currently for more of what I mean). My orange frock was a TK Maxx find last year, so I picked up a bargain there too.

The satin floral shoes are my favourite summer stilettos meaning you'll have seen them many times before I expect. The always earn me lots of compliments, especially for those shiny gold heels. I'm learning to keep it zipped when someone says they love these (and yes, a few ladies did the other evening) as my default setting would be to blurt out the fact that they cost me £5.99 from Primark. Sharing that here somehow doesn't seem to count. Mad, eh?

This frock is all about the f's - flouncy, frilly and fun!

I'm hoping to round up my lovely helpers during the next and last summer show to get a photograph of them all together. The girls are always in a rush to go off for a celebratory meal together at the end of the shows and I seem to get caught up in saying farewell to the artist of the day, missing my chance of a group shot. Needless to say, I'm so grateful to them for all the hard work they put in to make these nights a success - especially Polly who helps to hang the show too - I couldn't do it without you, so thank you all ladies!

I usually have a swoosh factor shot, but this is the best I can do given my limited resources this time!

The rose gold ripple necklace was a purchase in a tiny side street boutique in St Andrews earlier on this year. I've added a rose gold ring (pre-loved) to that along with this bejewelled contemporary ring which I bought at an airport concession during the same trip. Both bangles are in rose gold, the sailor's knot is by Kate Spade and the other was from the gallery in the basement of the Barbican. The sunglasses of the moment are by Guess. 

Thanks so much for joining me again. I'm dreadfully aware how busy we all are at this time of year, all the more so when we have to make the most of these precious last few weeks of the summer. I've come to accept that my readership drops off around now, so I do appreciate those of you who are able to make the time to follow the story of my island life. It would be lovely to have your comments, good or bad - I love a bit of constructive criticism - to let me know you're out there, especially if you've never spoken to me before. I write my blog for you, each and every one of you and it's wonderful to create a connection to you. I'm always happy to widen my circle of friends. And a final thank you to those who comment regularly x

                                                                                         Anna x