The road to nowhere?

I'd spent all day at work, more than a bit envious of everyone having Sunday off while the weather was glorious. Later in the afternoon it was so hot I pinned the gallery doors open, and that's when I decided I needed to get out to capture this wonderful day on film. At the end of business I dodged home, grabbed my kit, jumped on my bike and headed south to the far end of the island. What may look like the road to nowhere is in fact Carn Near quay, the most southerly point of the island, and the nearest to St Mary's (the main island of the Isles of Scilly). This quay is where the boats dock when the tide is too low to arrive at the other quays on the island. All the day-trippers had gone home and the high tide was washing over the top of the quay giving it a surreal look. Great - something different for my photo shoot.

This is the view of the far end of Appletree Bay - the beach where I often have my early morning swim. I start off at the other end, where the road runs along the edge of the beach and I swim along the shoreline in this direction. In the height of the summer I can stay in the water long enough to swim the entire length and all the way back again. In the midst of winter it's only a matter of some 50 or so strokes and I'm frozen to the core. Currently I'm working things up and this morning swam half way along and back. I could swim much further if I donned my wetsuit, but that's not the point. The challenge is to brave the waters no matter what the temperature with only my swimsuit to keep me warm.

I was cycling on my way home when I came across these little kiddies boots marooned on this roadside bench. Surely someone must have noticed their barefooted toddler was missing something? I'll drop them in to the "Lost and found" at the island office tomorrow. The next photo shows that this little girl must have been a budding fashionista and really ought not to have been separated from these cute little boots.

Aren't they fab little boots? I do hope they've been reunited with their owner by now. Anyway, back to the outfit. I just want to add one final photo to show the pitfalls of doing your own photo shoot. I know it's unavoidable for us a lot of the time, but I think if Polly had been with me she definitely would have told me off for over-posing! I thought I looked like an aspiring 1950's model.

Notice that over extended front leg as I try to take on the look of a long-limbed beauty. Hahaha! Thank goodness I don't take myself too seriously. This one really had to be shared. Today's outfit is a mix of new and new-to-me items. The cardi is from H&M (sadly already sold out), the shoes were from TK Maxx, and the trousers are M&S from a charity shop. The trousers fit really well, but are a strange cut - not exactly harem pants, but loose fitting with a drapey crossover front which really didn't photograph as I would have liked. Some well chosen poses and my strategically placed handbag seemed to get round this quite well though. Feedback on today's offering, or anything else featured on the blog, is as always very welcome. It's good to know that I'm not just twittering away for my own entertainment here.

Cardigan: H&M. Trousers: M&S (charity shop). Shoes: SixtySeven (TK Maxx). Necklace: Debenhams. Handbag: Accesorize. Watch: Michael Kors. Bangle: Kate Spade New York. Flower ring: charity shop. Sunglasses: Quay Australia.

Linking with 
Cherie at Style Nudge
Jess at Elegantly Dressed And Stylish 

One simple dress + one red underskirt = Joy!

So this is one of my charity shop finds from my recent jaunt to Harrogate. I mean the dress, which was originally from Topshop before it ended up in someones "to go" pile. The underskirt was my Christmas present to my dear friend Bo a couple of years ago. She lives in Portugal and I don't think has had many opportunities to wear it, therefore she very kindly sent it back for me to wear. And now that I've found the perfect frock to showcase it, I trotted off to work feeling pretty pleased with myself. Vain, what, moi? 

Sometimes an outfit just comes together without much orchestrating from me. A colour starts things off, then one item leads to another, and before I know it, the whole shebang is there. Without the red underskirt this is an OK outfit to my mind, but by adding that splash of red, the whole thing just sings. I feel duty bound to add a bit of joy to my life as often as I can. And the thought that this joy may be spread and shared through my ramblings and colourful blog photos is a real bonus. Life is a gift, and gifts are all the better for sharing.

My early morning sea swimming starts me off with a burst of joy. By the time I get out of the sea, after whatever distance, my mood is one of joy. How can I not feel fantastic after the ultimate exercise in clear, blue sea with only the birds and an occasional seal for company? To experience nature, to be part of this daily wonder, well, I'm forever grateful for that rebirth every morning. I get a chance to count my blessings, say my thanks for all the riches my life offers up, and ask for guidance with whatever challenges may occur in the day ahead. On a much more practical level, I'm always grateful that the icy waters have been good to me; the current and swell not been too overwhelming; and the sea hasn't been too choppy or too plain-old-freezing for me to bear! 

Jacket: TK Maxx. Dress: Topshop (charity shop). Underskirt: eBay. Tights: Dorothy Perkins. Shoes: Boden. Belt: charity shop. Rings: charity shop. Sunglasses: Quay Australia.

Linking with
Jess of Elegantly Dressed And Stylish
Cherie of Style Nudge