December round up




Hello lovelies and Happy New year to you! I thought I'd do a quick round up of my December outfits as I know I missed posting for a week when I was laid up with the lurgy. These are all work outfits apart from the final one which was destined for our New Year's Eve party, but more of that later.




This sparkly number comprises of an old sequinned top (a Christmas present from a couple of years ago) and these silver jeans that are also old. The pink and aqua blouse was passed on to me from my daughter some time ago, so nothing new there then.




The grey floral boots were bought in Penzance earlier on this year in Rackys, a small independent shoe shop. I've found a link to something similar in stock with them currently here. These are super comfy, with memory foam insole making them all day wearable which earns them top points in my book.




Black and gold was the theme of this workday ensemble, and none of it is new. All of the items are charity shop finds from previous years or earlier this year. The lurex polo neck is very ancient, but is wearing well. The heavy gold lurex cardigan was a find when my friend Ben took me thrift shopping in London before Covid struck.




The black velvet jeans are a recent purchase and the Elvis belt was an eBay buy earlier on this year. None of the jewellery is new either. 




These gold pumps are second hand too (£20), a rather fabulous find in Truro in December and just look at the back view of them -




Aren't they totally fab!




An all in black day is unusual for me, therefore worth documenting despite it not really having the wow factor to my mind. The sweater has a bronze lurex thread running through it and the black lurex joggers are incredibly slouchy and easy to wear. The two items came to £8 in total in my Truro charity shop haul in December.






I finished the look off with my old favourite patent boots from Topshop. It's a simple uncluttered outfit but still with a festive feel. Jewellery is all old or pre-loved.




And this my dear friends is what I pulled together for New Year's Eve. Again, nothing new here, all shopped from my closet. If you're a regular to my blog then my mermaid coat will be familiar to you. I've paired it with a champagne colour sheath dress (pre-loved, brand Monsoon) for which I paid the grand sum of £5!




I've had these satin kitten heel sling backs for over 15 years, but they still look perfect for this outfit, don't you think?




I dressed up and took myself off to the gallery to get these photos on NYE, but not for the party. Steve and I were still struggling with this terrible cough, as were my children too, so we all stayed home that evening. 






The frosted silver necklace was purchase from M&S many moons ago, but still is a favourite of mine.




Maybe next New Year I'll get the chance to sashay around in this shimmering pastel ensemble to another party, but in the meantime I did have fun swishing about to Fleetwood Mac on my own private dance floor.

                                                                                   Anna x

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Chartreuse and silver Christmas styling




Well hellooooooo! How's tricks? I can honestly say that I'm in full-blown headless chicken mode now. All my plans for Sunday and how many batches of fudge I'd manage to make dissolved into a state of choas with far too much time being taken up with tree installation and the hunt-the-box-of-decorations that ensued. Yes, I did manage to make one batch of fudge, but honestly if I'd been more organised that really ought to have been at least three if not four. And now that leaves me very behind meaning I'll have to get up super early to make one every morning before I go to work. I also seem to have failed to buy enough boxes for packing of fudge and truffles, meaning I'll have to gift wrap old boxes. Ho hum, the best laid plans of mice and men!




I recently promised you a festive month of Christmas dressing, including the obligatory Christmas jumper and here it is! My Elfie Selfie was from H&M a long time ago but is still in good shape as well as being great fun. 




Christmas wouldn't be the same without the odd cheesy jumper would it? Please tell me that you have a couple of these darned things too!




Silver and chartreuse is a new combination for me, but it's rather snazzy don't you think? Sasha bought me this fun fur coat for my birthday in January which was a wonderful surprise. I'd never have looked for this colour of jacket and yet it's a great zesty shade that really perks up my mood. It injects fun to any outfit and works so well with my new-to-me boots.




I'm not sure how well it shows up, but there's silver lurex thread running through the brocade which ties in perfectly with the silver and chartreuse of my ensemble. Oh, what joy that is for me to get these little touches working together!




These brand new ankle boots were a find from my friend Ben who lives in London. He saw them in the window of his local charity shop and suggested I buy them (pre-shopping ban). They only cost me £12 despite being brand new, with labels intact. The funny thing about them is that I managed to lose one of them during my autumn closet changeover - they were the half pair I mentioned when I tallied up how many pairs I owned. Don't ask, I think I've forgotten. 




The toning rings are also both charity shop trophies from long ago. My sunglasses are by Topshop from last year. I love the funky retro vibe of them.




Outfit details look like this: coat and jumper by H&M, jeans by Zara, boots by M&S. Yellow and white beaded earrings are vintage.

My thanks go to Fiona, photographer of the day, purely by default of being in the right place at the right/wrong time. We do have fun on these little stints together. Don't we Fi?

I'll post my Christmas Day outfit on Thursday as I'm sure you'll all be far too busy to be visiting blogs on the big day. Hope to see you all then!

                                                                                             Anna x

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Anna meets... Ruth

It's been a while since I posted one of these, but I'm delighted to bring it back with today's guest, Ruth Connolly. Ruth has been working on the island for the past few months and has become a friend of my daughters, and as such I've got to know her. And now it's your turn. I posed a few questions for Ruth to answer.


Ruth and I are both wearing H&M Christmas jumpers, but not just any old jumpers, as these (my Elfie Selfie and her Penguins) were designed by Ruth. 


A. Tell me about these jumpers and how they came about.

R. Whilst completing my Textile Design degree I was given the opportunity to spend a year working in the fashion industry. I was fortunate enough to be selected for an internship with the Ladies Everyday department at H&M in their head office in Stockholm. One of the projects we were working on was the 2015 Christmas jumper campaign. 


A. Is your background/training in fashion design?

R. I am a specialist in Printed Textile Design so I create the fabric that is used for garments. Although I specialise in print for fashion I am also experienced in designing fabrics to be used for interior purposes too. As a print designer I have a good eye for colour and current trends and also strong drawing, painting and digital skills. Print Design is a fantastic way of working with both traditional drawing methods and digital technologies to create innovative designs. 


Trend Forecasting is my other passion. This involves analysing key movements and trends both artistic and political to predict what we will be seeing in store within the coming years. This allows me to discover new concepts and ideas to work with which for me is the most exciting thing about being a designer. 


A. Do you prefer to shop on the high street/designer/charity shop?

R. I primarily shop on the high street (Zara and &otherstories are amazing for key, on trend pieces) but seek designer finds in thrift and charity shops. I like to keep a file of images from magazines, lookbooks and fashion history books that inspire my wardrobe. I buy key items for each season and pair them with existing garments I already have. I have lots of images of Victoria Beckham’s pre-fall 18 and Valentino’s A//W 2017/18 collections in my file at moment and am lusting over the colour combination of blush pink, terracotta and mauve. 


A. How would you class your style?

R. Classic and on Trend: one of the many advantages of being a trend forecaster. You’re unlikely to see me dressed the same as the crowds or in head to toe TopShop for example (although I do own a pair of those oh-so popular Stan Smiths... just too damn comfy). I spend a lot of time in London so channel classic YSL: a good black trouser and jacket but will jazz it up with a quirky pair of shoes (my absolute weakness). 


A. Where would you like to be in 5 years time?

R. Still designing and trend forecasting. I would also like to have expanded my concept design work and collaborate with artists from other areas of the arts such as choreographers and filmmakers. Also, I want to go back to university to get my Master of Arts in Textile Design and History of Art. 


A. If you suddenly came into money (say £5000) how would you spend it?

R. I am going to talk fashion here rather than all of the boring everyday bills and loans I could pay off. 

I would invest in a printed Valentino A//W 17/18 floor length coat. The prints remind me of David Hockey’s LA work and I haven’t been able to find a high street alternative this season. 



Or I would turn to Dior and their beautiful A//W 17/18 sheer gowns in stargazer print- grungy, elegant, beautiful.


A. What are your plans when you leave the Isles of Scilly?

R. In January I move to Vancouver, Canada for a few months. I will continue to freelance whilst exploring and capturing the beautiful landscape. I am on a hunt for #vancouverssecrets which I will document on my website (www.pipicon.com) that is launching soon. 


A. Will we see you back here again?

R. I holiday on Tresco every year so will definitely be back in September with my family. The Scilly’s are key inspiration for my collections so I come and explore the islands at least once a year to photograph, draw and write. 


A. What will be your abiding memory of your time here?

R. Apart from the luxury of waking up to, in my opinion, the most beautiful landscape in the world, it would have the be the people of Tresco. My biggest fear before moving out to the Scilly’s was if I would fit in with island life and make friends. The community made me so welcome that I am the happiest and most myself I have been for a number of years. The thought of leaving this amazing island with its equally amazing people is very sad, but I thank them for giving me the most incredible experience. 


A. What possession is most precious to you and why?

R. A letter my late father wrote to me inspiring me to live my life with love and optimism. 

Many thanks to Ruth for taking part in today's feature. I'll be following her with interest as this young lady will surely do well no matter what path she takes within the fashion world. 


No style conferring had gone on prior to our photo shoot, so it was quite funny when I met up with Ruth to see her sporting silver boots too. In the battle of the bargains however, I won! Mine were £5 from Primark and hers were £8 from TopShop. My jeans were from Zara in my Black Friday shopping spree. Silver jeans are exactly what you need when you're about to turn 60, don't you agree?

Before I sign off, I just want to acknowledge those amongst us who find this time of year a struggle. Whether you have painful memories of years gone by or are alone and feeling lonely it's not always easy to live up to the Christmas dream we're fed at every turn. A fellow blogger, Tamera Beardsley has posted an article giving some timely advice that may be helpful - see here.

Anyway folks, I'll take a few days off now and be back later in the week to show you my Christmas day outfit. I do hope you have a wonderful time catching up with family and friends. So let's eat, drink and be merry. Until next time -

Happy Christmas!

Anna x

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