Welcome to the Jungle our Style Not Age challenge for May

Welcome to our style challenge for May!

This month Emma chose "Welcome to the Jungle" as our Style Not Age theme, a great idea if I may say so. I was delighted when she suggested this as I've had the perfect outfit waiting for this very opportunity. But first, let's see what sparked her challenge shall we?

Style Splash's Emma has nailed it with this fabulous trouser suit by Scotch and Soda. In fact, I love everything about this outfit - the cute tee shirt, matching necklace and the orange accessories all amount to blooming perfection!

Hilda from Over The Hilda is a woman after my own heart by borrowing her daughter's cardigan for this feature. I'm partial to a bit of clothes sharing too! The beautiful cardi is by designer Hayley Menzies, as stocked by Liberty amongst other stores.

Gail from Is This Mutton is sporting a snazzy palm tree print jumpsuit with mules from Topshop. A neon see-through clutch and statement necklace finish off the look.

Jacqui from Mummabstylish played a great move here by borrowing her jumpsuit and scarf from her daughter too and boy doesn't she look great in them?

My silky and comfy two piece is from by George at Asda and was a charity shop find last year. I picked up the trousers while I was in Truro at one of my favourite shops. On taking them to the till, the assistant asked if I'd seen the matching top .... Well, I hadn't, but was delighted when she flicked through the racks and yes, it was still there! Both the trousers and top are loose fitting with elastic waistbands making them just right for lounging around or getting out and about on hot days. The two piece cost me £7.50, so what's not to love?

Just a quick mention to my artistic director of today's shoot for capturing these jungle shots. My long suffering husband gets dragged out twice a week for the blog photos and it's all done with good humour, but isn't one of his favourite tasks. I gave him the jungle remit and he delivered this great backdrop. I spotted this fallen log on what looks like a jungle swamp and said it would be great to stand on this for some atmospheric shots. This entailed him carrying me down a slippy bank and across this marshy bog to plonk me atop the slightly rotting tree. Thank goodness no-one saw me getting a piggy back especially as he nearly tripped as we were navigating the downwards slope. I was impressed that he lined up the Montbretia flowers to add to the shots - hurrah for my darling hubby!

Here's a better look at the outfit. The short sleeves have a cute bow as adornment. 

All of my jewellery is pre-loved. The sunglasses of the day are by Quay Australia.

The perfect footwear for today's outfit, these flower sandals were from Primark a couple of summers ago.

Thanks for joining us again this month and I do hope you've found some inspiration from the collective. I'll be back on Friday with the weekly Dress Up Friday feature so I hope you'll join me for that too.

Wishing you a lovely week!

Anna x

#Ping Pong Post 6

Yes, it's crazy I know (where is the summer going?), but here we are already, the three of us with another dose of Ping Pong Post. Ann of Kreme de la Kremb and Samantha of Fake Fabulous are my blogging partners in crime who together over the past six months have been swapping clothes amongst each other. Nothing unusual in that you may say, but when you consider that Ann lives in Hong Kong, Samantha in Scotland and I live on the Isles of Scilly, off the end of Southwest England, then you can see this style challenge has taken some commitment along with a fair bit of planning to make it happen. Read here to find out how this all came about. This month Samantha threw her little shrug into the arena to see how we might style it up and for the first time ever I think we're all singing from the same sheet.

First up is Ann who wears the shrug to top off an utterly feminine, floaty dress with her favourite cowboy boots and leather pouch. This look is perfect for Ann, the tomboy of the group one minute and sexy siren the next. By donning her rough ol' boots she toughens the vibe making it so very Kremb de la Kremb. If you rewind to previous Ping Pong Posts, you'll see that Ann is highly creative with the item of the month and this time I half expected that the shrug may well have been reinvented as a modern day pair of bloomers by her. I think you might have missed a trick there Ann! 

Follow Ann on Instagram here.

Outfit details for Ann are -

Earrings--Boutique in Florence, Italy

Coral Beaded Necklace--made by Venezuelan girlfriend, Mariana Morrill

Evil Eye and Half Circle--Fireworks

Shrug--Samantha's

Dress--Forever 21

Belt Bag--Francesca's

Cowboy Boots--Old West via Zappos

Samantha has chosen to wear the shrug with a print dress too. She is sporting her bolero in a perfectly relaxed style, just popped over as an extra layer to keep her shoulders warm at the end of the day. Her leather clogs add an edge to steer away from an uber cutesy look (it's not Sam's fault that she's so pretty) as does the funky handbag. Samantha always seems to pull out a winning card with these feature handbags of hers and this is one no exception. The finished look is sleek and cool. Full marks Samantha. 

Follow Samantha on Instagram here.

Samantha's outfit details are -

DRESS: Old (new look)

CLOGS: Old (timberland)

BELT: Old (Topshop….there is a theme here :oP)

BAG: Old…actually belongs to my daughter, but she seems to have forgotten that it is hers!

SHRUG: Very old

Introducing a bit of print was my first thought too as this skirt from Jaeger caught my eye when I scanned the rail in my wardrobe. I like the vintage vibe conjured up by adding the big belt and net underskirt. I'm always trying to inject an element of fun into my outfits and the frothy fullness of the petticoat does exactly that. Never one too underplay things, I've added jewellery in lots of colours drawn from the skirt. My shots are looking very cool coloured as they were taken way back in April when the sunshine was a bit weak and watery. I'm also still carrying a bit of winter weight around my middle, a feature I'm only happy to share now that it's all shifted. I did wonder about choosing the shots that don't show my middle ripple, but then I thought it's good for me to show I'm less-than-perfect. I'm no model, nor am I pretending to be, and so it's only fair to show my imperfections to highlight that I'm as ordinary as everyone else. Keeping it real is what they say nowadays isn't it? 

You can follow me on Instagram too, see here.

And my outfit details are -

Shrug: Samantha's

Tee shirt: M&S

Skirt: Jaeger

Underskirt: eBay

Shoes: New Look

Belt and jewellery: charity shopped

Sunglasses: Quay Australia

Anna x

As suggested by...Erin.

Welcome to the third feature of this name where you chose the theme of my outfit. Erin emailed me to say that she really loved these snakeskin print boots and asked to see them again as I've only worn them once before. I had hoped to put a link to the first time I wore them but in the editing I managed to cock this up magnificently and have now lost that entire post from my archives. Showing it would mean I have to republish the draft of a January post in the middle of July. I'm sure it's all irrelavant in the grand scheme of things. It's the first of July, so let's just keep forging on eh?

I'm delighted to be ask to style these beauties up again, particularly as it's not an obvious choice now that the weather has turned mild (at last). At the first hint of sunshine most of us are happy to pack up our boots and bring out the sandals. I'm the same, but still, I do have a few pairs of boots hanging about that have the chance of making one more appearance just as these have today. The colourway is what makes these so easy to translate into a summer outfit. As you see they really don't look out of place with my cream jeans and embroidered top.

And look! Here's my paintbrush necklace again. I'd completely forgotten about this beauty as it was packed away in its box out of sight. Apologies for the whole walking montage that follows. I thought I'd introduce a slight variation to the blog today, but who would have imagined that walking could prove to be so problematic? Just that simple putting one foot in front of the other thing, you know, like I've been doing all my life, but somehow it seemed to be so difficult today. Anyway, I couldn't decide which looked the most authentic and so will leave it for you to decide.

So here you have it Erin. I'm really pleased with this fresh feeling outfit and think these boots are the perfect finish. I really hope that you agree. 

So for those of you who are new to the blog, I'd like to invite you too to take part in this monthly offering. If you would like me to style up a particular piece again but in a different way, then please drop me an email, or message me on Instagram or leave a comment at the bottom of the page. I love to read all your comments, and particularly if you want to spark the next installment of this feature. 

Today's outfit comprises of embroidered top from Tu at Sainsbury (all sold out now I'm afraid) jeans are from M&S, boots are c/o J D Williams, paintbrush necklace is from Zincwhite, sunglasses are from Quay Australia, watch is by Michael Kors, handbag is from Accessorize many moons ago, bangles from a charity shop, brown ring is old and the nude ring is from Boots.

Linking with 
Cherie of Style Nudge
Jess of Elegantly Dressed And Stylish
Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb
Patti of Not Dead Yet Style 

#Ping Pong Post 4

Welcome to the fourth instalment of Ping Pong Post. For any new readers you can chart the progress of this feature back to the start here. This months challenge has been thrown down by Ann of Kremb de la Kremb fame and I have to say it has been the most difficult one for me so far. And yet when the dress arrived I fell in love with it. The white flowered voile looks so utterly romantic, don't you think?

I was pretty confident that I could style this up in a flash. The fact was, it took me three attempts to find a look worth photographing. But hey, let's gloss over that for a moment and move on to the vision that is Samantha of Fake Fabulous. 

Samantha picked up on that romantic feel too and wears the dress very demurely. I think she could be giving a bit of a modern spin on Downton Abbey. I had hoped that she would invite me over for afternoon tea and a glass of bubbly too, but no luck. The gorgeous hat really sets the whole look off making it feel very authentic for that period. Samantha has kept the palette to white and neutral which adds to the understated look. Very classy Samantha! And yet a cheeky little flash of thigh ensures a youthful vibe too. 

Follow Samantha on Instagram here.

Samantha's details are -

Dress: Ann's...from forever21

Slip: M&S
Hat: old
Shoes: Clarks
Nails: BarryM
Toes: Mavala
Necklaces: Various gifts and vintage pieces
Belt: Topshop
Glasses: Vogue

Ann opts for the other end of the dressing up spectrum with a beach babe look. We can always rely on Ann to raise the temperature a notch or two with her sexy take on these challenges, and hey who can blame her? If you've got it, flaunt it! Ann's theme of black and white works so well with her dark hair and sunkissed skin. I think I would love to have some of those shell anklets for my next beach day too. Perhaps you can pop some in the post Ann?

Follow Ann on Instagram here.

Ann's details

White Maxi Dress--Forever 21
Leopard Bikini--ASOS
Jean Shorts--Paige Denim
Puka Shell Anklets--Puka Beach, Boracay
Turkish Towel--Bowl and Pitcher
Sun Hat--Forever 21
Sunglasses--Target
Beach Bag--Bali

As you can see my take on the dress is a bit of a half-way house between the other two. Yes, it lends itself to a beach setting, but I had the same idea as Samantha with the short dress too. Initially I had tried this with a white linen maxi dress underneath, but it looked like I was heading for my boudoir! My next effort was with white linen trousers and an orange vest top, but somehow that seems to detract from the sheer effect of the overshirt. Finally I decided to try this floaty little beach dress in pastel hues of pink, tangerine and lemon. A matching necklace plus an armful of golden bangles all finished off with my neutral sandals completed the look. Once again, I can honestly say this has been great fun to see how these other two fashion bloggers created their own outifts from this challenge, and I look forward to next month when we'll be back on Scilly soil with my next offering.

Details for me are

Overshirt: Ann's -  Forever 21

Dress: Florence and Fred

Sandals: Bertie

Necklace: Magpie and Butterfly

Sunglasses: Quay Australia

Bangles: charity shop

Gold/nude ring: Boots

Cream floral ring: charity shop.

Linking with

Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb

Cherie of Style Nudge 

Anna x

Hand-me-down

It seems that life has come full circle for me. For most of my childhood I wore hand-me-downs from my two elder sisters. It was pretty much the norm back in the 1960's, when money was tight and credit cards didn't exist. Borrowing money was taboo in those days, and life was lived in a much more simple way. If you couldn't afford it, then you didn't have it. My parents both worked full time, but with four children to feed and clothe, my clothes had always done the rounds by the time they reached me. Today I'm wearing a dress which comes from my eldest sister and now that I'm all grown up it's not a bind to have a hand-me-down from her; it is in fact a real pleasure.

Sandra has always been a woman who is confident in what she wears. Never one to follow trends, or worry about making a fashion statement, she knows what suits her and wears her clothes with panache. She scoured charity shops when she was a hard-up student, and to this day still does, usually finding beautiful designer pieces to mix with odd, quirky handmade finds. She moved house a few months ago and managed to do that wonderful clutter clearing thing I talked about recently here. This was much to my benefit as I received a clothes parcel containing all sorts of choice items, including this unusual dress. It reminds me of a skirt that Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb wore when she was on holiday in Santorini see here (not the same, I know, but it brings this one to mind). I've no idea of where it is, or even if the imagery is of a real place or imaginary, but I think it's so pretty. I had such fun pulling my accessories together as these colours are favourites in my personal palette and therefore I had lots to chose from.

I had lots of compliments about this dress and the outfit in general which was lovely. The dress has no label so no details for you there. Sandals are by Refresh from TK Maxx. Lace top was from a charity shop, again with no label. Barrel bag is by NW3 (no longer available), turquoise ring and bangle are old, yellow ring is by Martin James, and rose gold watch is by Michael Kors. Necklace was a gift. Sunglasses are by Quay Australia and the belt was from a charity shop. 

Today is another work day for me and probably many others, but I'd like to say I hope everyone has a wonderful time joining in with the celebrations for the 90th birthday of our Queen. Yesterday on the island we hosted a tea party in the afternoon and last night a crowd gathered to see a huge bonfire lit on the school green as part of our island's celebrations. Everyone raised a glass to toast her Majesty and the peach coloured bubbles infused all with a wonderful rosy glow. In world full of troubles and worries, it's so good to have a positive focus and there can't be any better than this. Good luck to you if you're hosting your own street party today. I wonder if the bunting will be flying in your street? Have a great weekend and I look forward to catching up again on Wednesday.

Linking with 

Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb 

Patti of Not Dead Yet Style  

Anna x