First anniversary post

Exactly one year ago I stepped out with some trepidation to take part in my first ever photo shoot for the fledgling blog of mine. After months of research, checking out other bloggers sites and content, I was at last ready to step into my own little spot in the blogsphere. The post was short (see here), but fun and a definite indication of the flavour of what was to come over the months ahead. I thought it might be a nice tie-in to feature these signature tartan tights once more in this anniversary post. 

Not one to underplay things, I've gone the whole hog with this today. Age appropriate? Probably not, but who invited the style police to this party anyway? As I said the first time I wore this skirt (see here) -  "Girls just wanna have fun!" 







I think I missed my calling in life. I would have loved to have been a cheerleader with fluffy pom-poms!




These mirror sunglasses are perfect for showing my photographer of the day - take a bow Sasha.

Details of today's outfit are like this - leather jacket: Lulu and Red Boutique (charity shop). Skirt: Green Envelope, Los Angeles (TK Maxx). Petticoat: eBay. Polo neck: charity shop. Shoes: New Look. Tights: old. Necklace: M&S. Rings: charity shop. Sunglasses: Quay Australia. 



To be honest, I'm amazed that it's a whole year that's passed. I had only planned to continue for about 6 months, just as a personal challenge, but was still brimming with enthusiasm and ideas so have carried on. And now after a year, I'm still not done. I've noticed that there are other fashion bloggers who have run their blogs for years and years, but I worry that I may become repetitive or a bit blah after a while, and therefore I can only say, enjoy it now as I have no idea how long I can keep this up! 

A little more than a year ago my daughter Sasha left home, not for the first time, but for the last, I think. During the time my husband was away with her, helping her set up home and doing all those necessary things, like pushing a huge trolley around Ikea to gather bed and bedding, wardrobes and tables, I was here, alone. I have no problem being alone, but this was suddenly a different thing. This state of affairs was one I had read about in many a paper and magazine. Yes, the empty nest syndrome. Now, I never saw myself as one of those sad, fretting mothers, who spent all her time, twittering around her offspring. There was never any running them to clubs and parties, not for me, not here on this tiny island. But I was aware of the space she had vacated, and that was one of female companion, listening ear, someone to share a joke with, or a moan if need be, someone to tell me if my outfit was too way-out for work or even this small community.

And that's when this wee seedling of an idea really took hold. Sasha and I had talked about me starting my own fashion blog previously. One of my close girlfriends often nagged me to send her photos of my outfit of the day, as she spent her whole life in overalls (such is the life of an artist, eh Maggie?) which I did, with her response always being that I ought to run a blog for women of our age. And now here I am, a year down the line, and loving the joy of sharing my clothes, my swimming and my life with you, my dear readers.

I've discovered that I can't be a fashion guru, or a beauty adviser, an agony aunt, or have a full-on magazine type blog with loads of tips on dressing for your shape or age. But I can show you what I wear, in fact love wearing, and hope that it may inspire women like me, of a certain age, what she can wear if she wants to, to step of our the stereotype of the over 50's. It seems that all I can write about, with any depth or knowledge of the subject, is me. This did worry me terribly at the beginning, as I struggled with the sheer vanity of the "look-at-me" nature of what my blog was going to be. I'm maybe a show-off, but I'm not smug. I'm a very generous person, particularly with other women who deserve compliments for making an effort to look good. I love to give positive feedback to women I come across, be it on a train, in the street, or even in the gallery where I work. I'm pro-women, pro-men too in fact, but I really enjoy making a woman's day by telling her she looks fab. We all like to hear that don't we?

Next, I can't do a round up of my blog without mentioning my health. I have a health page which really was the driving force for writing, sharing and putting my story into print. It's not pretty, or easy to share, but is part of me, in fact, it's why I am such a happy, joyful person. You see, when you've been ill for most of your adult life, (in my case since I was 18 when I was diagnosed and yes, I'm 58 now) then you really, really relish being well when you finally get there. I'm totally well, and delighted about this state of affairs. I work so hard to maintain my good health and I urge any of you who are blessed with a strong constitution to embrace it wholeheartedly. The only bit of advice you'll see on my blog is this - Do not take your good health for granted. Every day of my life I'm thankful for being healthy.

But I can't finish without saying thank you to the blogging community for welcoming me in. My thanks go to Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb whose blog is a wealth of advice and sound knowledge on how to go about setting up a blog and everything else that follows. Thanks also to Kristin, the Highland Fashionista whose writing style inspired me to pen a journal type-blog rather than an info-type blog. And thanks to Sheila of Ephemera, whose daily posts were, and still are, creative fodder for me.

And last of all, thank you to those of you who write to me by email, or in my comments, or make contact through Instagram. But the biggest thank you must go to you, the silent majority for bumping up my page views with such amazing consistency. Thank you for coming back again and again to read about my life on this little island. Initially I thought I would just be running a blog for myself, for no other reason than sharing photos and words with my half a dozen girlfriends and a few of my family. And yet now it seems there are so many of you out there. Thank you so much.


Anna x

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





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