Autumn Hues our SNA October challenge

Hello again! And welcome to our monthly Style Not Age challenge which comes from Hilda this month. Autumn Hues are very much my colours, as in what's recommended for my skin and hair shades but the season of autumn isn't one of my best. I begrude the dimming of sunlight, the shortening of the days and the general decline into winter gloom. But, hey, as you'll see from my shots, the day was golden when we captured this outfit so let's just leave it there shall we? 

Hilda has shopped her wardrobe for this stylish look, one that I'd happily wear myself. I love the pattern clash of cardigan and leopard print pumps! See more from her on Over the Hilda. 

Jacqui too has shopped her closet for this month's challenge, and very successfully I must say! The faux leather culottes in particular are very much to my taste. Catch up with all the latest news from her very busy life on Mummabstylish blog. 

Emma's following the trend of recycling her outfit apart from her new snazzy jacket from Jenerique, a brand I've not heard of. See all the other details on her blog Style Splash. 

Gail has just completed a seven day skirt challenge on her blog and continues to style it up with this cute mini here. Loving the brogues and belt Gail! See her back story on Is This Mutton. 

My outfit comprises both old and new (to me). The faux suede bomber jacket was a recent Vinted find as was the floral turtle neck sweater. I do like a thin knit turtle neck for layering up in the cooler months and this flowery version will be very handy in the months ahead.

The wide legged brown trousers were from TK Maxx many years ago and I was pleased to find that they still fit. The older I get the more I battle with an increasing girth, but I fancy I may not be the only one to struggle this way. To be honest, the latest setback for me has been the influx of purple stinging jellyfish that have been swarming across our shores for almost two months now. 

I'm staying out of the water as their stings have to be treated with a get normally used on chemical burns. I've been walking the beaches to try to find a clear beach to swim in but honestly as the tide washes in and out every six hours, well it's almost impossible to predict where they'll turn up next. That cold water blast to my metabolism has surely helped to keep my figure in reasonable shape but I'm noticing the difference lately. Hey ho!

My cream boots are old, from ASOS, I think. The handbag was a purchase in Rome when we were on a cruise there many moons ago - see that post here. Anyway, the strap broke and only recently Sash borrowed it when she went away for a wedding and very kindly bought a replacement one. 

Suddenly this little bag is back in the mix again! Nothing new jewellery wise though, one preloved ring and the other is an Emily Nixon Scribble ring (see here for similar) and old sunglasses from Radley London.

Steve and I dashed off to capture these shots one evening just before sunset. The golden light is very flattering and ties in perfectly for this challenge too. See below for the view in front of me  - what a fabulous sight that sunset is!

I do hope you've enjoyed this month's challenge! I'll be back next week with another dose of colourplay for you. In the meantime, take care!

                                                                    Anna x

The party outfit

Well, here it is - the party outfit from last weekend! I packed three options for the surprise birthday bash for ex-Tresco farmer, Paul Christopher who turned 70 on Friday. Paul was indeed totally surprised at the turnout for him and we were all so happy to see the look on his face when he opened the door of the pub in Cornwall. Family, friends and work associates filled the venue, sharing stories, filling the air with laughter, and showering Paul with hugs and kisses. The night was a fine celebration for this unassuming, gentle and kind man to give him the affirmation that he so deserved.

My wonderful husband, diplomatic soul that he is, advised me not to wear my beloved pea-pod suit to the party and how right he was. It's not that kind of party, he told me, as I was giving him a show of each outfit an hour before the party and it was great advice. This, however, was just right to ensure I felt comfortable, not out of place, leaving the focus clearly on the birthday boy and not my extravaganza of an outfit.

The trousers were new from TK Maxx in the spring and this was their first outing. They're a mix of polyester and elastane, making for a heavy drape with a comfy bit of stretch too. The high waistline is emphasised by the twin belts with brass popper fastenings, an unusual feature that lifts these Oxford bag style trousers out of the ordinary and into something quite stylish.  A white turtle neck body ensured a sleek, streamlined fit avoiding that constant tucking in that a vest top might need. The zip up crochet cardigan in autumn hues is by Karen Millen, a pre-loved purchase from a charity shop from some time ago. 

My Asos ecru platform boots finish off the look. The trousers are too long to wear with flats so these will be what I wear with the trousers next time too.

The vintage necklace works well with the colours of the cardigan don't you think? The rings are old as are the Quay Australia sunglasses. 

No mainland trip would be complete for me without a tad of retail therapy. I dodged into TK Maxx, rattled through Primark and bustled into a couple of charity shops during the couple of days resulting in an armful of new and pre-loved clothes in a rainbow of colours -

Trousers, sweaters, cardigans, a skirt suit and two pairs of boots plus one pre-loved necklace was the haul. It's so lovely to end the season with an array of bright colours to dress in over the drab winter months ahead. I really don't enjoy the gloom of these next few months, but having some cheerful clothes to ward off the winter blahs will surely help!

                                                                       Anna x

A riot of pattern

Hello again and how are you doing? Was yesterday a big day for you? Did you, like me, reopen your business? Or maybe you braved the rush and went for some non-essential shopping? If so, how was it?

We've had a steady influx of guests arrive on the island within the past 24 hours and they were greeted by the most glorious day. Honestly, the Isles of Scilly were sparkling in the spring sunshine and just couldn't have looked any more beautiful! It was a perfect start to the new season and did feel very special. I had three appointments which was a lovely gentle way to reopen the gallery. Behind the scenes I've got a part-time assistant, Lora, who is doing my admin for me, allowing me to focus on unpacking all the new artworks and deal with the appointments too. It feels like a good balance of the workload so far, hurrah!

Fiona took these shots post-work on Friday - it was great to have her help again. With regards to my tripod and camera debacle, I now have a weight in a bag to use suspended below the camera when I'm out and about on my own and it's quite solid and heavy and feels secure even in the wind. I used the set up on Sunday when I went to the beach and the wind was gusting quite a bit. I used the tripod on both rocks and sand and it was perfectly stable.

 

I've worn this outfit before, but with a different top and shoes (see here). Going back to see that post I was more than a little envious of my hairstyle some 10 months ago. I've not had a hair appointment since December and I've still got another month to wait until my next one. 

The back view of my mop of hair shows how long it is now. I've had some lovely compliments on my new longer style, but honestly it's driving me mad. My efforts at scooping it up in a scrunchie or scarf aren't in the least bit flattering, so I just have to keep it super clean and conditioned to make it look okay.

Anyway, back to the outfit. The joy is in the wonderful mix of prints. Fiona remarked that she would never have thought of pairing the two florals together, but agreed that they really worked. They're not the same colour exactly, but tonally they tie in beautifully. The fact that they are both in a silky satin fabric ties them together too. I'm already planning on wearing it again this week as it's a new favourite. The trousers were from TK Maxx and the blouse was a charity shop find. Sasha gave me the jacket as a Christmas gift a couple of years ago - she know's what I like eh?

My checked Converse boots add a playful element to the outfit. 

The statement necklace by Topshop has all of the right colours in it to work here too. The floral rings echo today's theme. And of course, my sunglasses are by Quay Australia.

The majority of my weekend was spent doing my seasonal clothes changeover. I've done a kind of half way house thing this year, bringing some pieces into my wardrobe and others are in big plastic boxes waiting for the warmer weather. We're still having cold winds here at the moment and despite the sunshine it's not exactly warm as yet. 

I've kept a lot of sweaters and cardigans to hand and lots of short jackets too for layering up.

I'll show you the other side of my wardrobe when I've brought out my summer dresses and sandals. For the moment I'm keeping my boots in circulation until I feel ready for that bit of swapping - the gallery is always cold in the morning, but if the sun shines it can be like a greenhouse in the afternoon. I'll be bringing spare footwear to work so that I can change if it gets too hot.

I'll leave you with some shots from the weekend. As I said, the islands are looking beautiful at the moment.

 

Thanks for dropping by. See you again soon!

Anna x