Blue Monday post

Hi there! Thanks for swinging by again. I'm posting on Blue Monday, allegedly the most depressing day of the year as we're all supposed to be in a full post-Christmas slump, but hopefully it's not been too much of a trial for you. This year it's on the 15th of January which is my daughter's birthday (she's 35). We met up with Sasha yesterday to have brunch with her in one of the Seagarden Cottages where she's enjoying a few days of luxury as a gift to herself. I dodged outside to take a few shots of my outfit, but couldn't find the right spot either out of the sun (too bright)... 

...or in the shade (too dark). The view was pretty spectacular though!

I've been itching to wear this wonderful waterfall tulle skirt since I bought it recently on Vinted. I can hardly bear to tell you how much it cost. What do you think? Would you believe that even though it's brand new it only cost £5? Honestly! The rest of the outfit is from my wardrobe, nothing new. The waistcoat is years old and may not ever have been shown on the blog, but do tell me if I'm wrong. The blouse is ancient, was a charity shop buy from years ago, boots are from ASOS, sunglasses are from Quay Australia and cream tights are very old indeed.

Later on I swapped the waistcoat for this fitted jacket (very old). I really like this look; the yellow tweed jacket has a gold fleck to it and works so well with the soft fluid nature of the tulle and chiffon. The chunky boots toughen the look up without being too overpowering.

The broad tan leather belt is another way to add an accent without it becoming too much of a focal point. For me this outfit is all about the skirt, so hopefully the balance with the other pieces works to allow the tulle to remain at centre stage.

Nothing new with these citrine rings - I've had them for years now - they were gifted to me as part of a collaboration with Gemporia way back in  2017 (see here).

No doubt you'll see this skirt again and again and again this year. It's an obvious piece for summerwear, but I so wanted to try to winterise it successfully and think I did. Do you agree? I actually wore my cream cow print fur coat over the top of this as it was so chilly - sorry I forgot to get shots of that but we were running late. It's great to have your company again - many thanks and have a great week!

                                                                                         Anna x

Vintage winter coat and cowboy boots

Hail showers and stormy days are still with us on the Isles of Scilly meaning this winter coat is as useful as ever. The bonus feature of it has to be the rich colours which would cheer up any dull day.

On my recent trip away I found these amazing cowboy boots in the vintage section of a charity shop in Penzance for £9.50. They're real leather, made in Spain and are hardly worn. The moment I saw them, I thought they'd go perfectly with my woollen winter coat (as well as so many other things in my wardrobe). 

Black jeans and checked shirt emphasise the cowgirl look and I picked out some red and black accessories to pull the outfit together. The belt is by Tommy Hilfiger (from TK Maxx), the red and black ring and necklace are both from charity shops and the silver and gold ring by Emily Nixon is the one Steve bought me for my birthday last month.

The day looked deceptively bright here, but the wind was hurtling along the beach towards us as Sasha and I tried to take these shots. I took cover behind the wall but the gusts whipped around us and played havoc with my hair.

This was my Donald Trump moment.

Seconds after this the hail started again ending our photo shoot. 

I just want to end with a note on sunscreen and moisturiser. Since turning 60 I'm (somewhat belatedly) questioning what order these ought to be applied and if it's even necessary to apply both. Well, I can only say that if you Google the question there are so many trains of thought that it left me baffled. I can see the importance for daily sunscreen protection and wear sunscreen from the word go as I head off for my morning swim. After my swim and shower, I'm now applying facial moisturiser with factor 30 sunscreen which seems as if it might be the right compromise. 

And finally, since writing this last paragraph I did a further search which advices to allow your skin 30 minutes of exposure to sunlight every day without sunscreen to avoid vitamin D deficiency. Ought my 30 minutes outdoors on the beach be my skin's time to receive the necessary daily dose of vitamin D? Or do I simply take vitamin D in supplement form?  I'd previously read that we in the Northern hemisphere are generally deficient in vitamin D. You can tell this is all as clear as mud to me. If any of my readers can point me in the right direction for some sound advice on these subjects I'd be really pleased to hear from you.

In the meantime, have a great week!

Anna x

Leather and fur

Hello again! How are you settling into 2018? Made any New Year's resolutions? I've not. All too often I set my sights on new goals and promises of improvements and then feel bad when they peter out after a few weeks. 

This year I'm taking a new approach to life. Gratitude is the way forward I've decided. We're constantly bombarded with images on TV and social media telling us what we need and how we ought to look to achieve happiness which, in my opinion, only causes us to feel disgruntled with our lot. Instead, I'm counting my blessings for all that I have.

What do you see? A crazy Scottish woman? Or a joyful soul who has started her day with a positive activity that enhances her well being? After my swim I always take a moment to give thanks for the opportunity to swim safely, to reconnect with nature and revel in the sights and sounds of the big outdoors. Never do I feel more alive than at this moment.

This was the view from my kitchen window just a day later...

It's almost a year since I bought these leather trousers (from TK Maxx) and yet I've only worn them a couple of times. I suppose green leather joggers (yes, real leather) aren't that easy to slip into the everyday.

I've been so keen to feature my new sock boots, but have been finding it difficult to put the right outfit together. Every time I came to do the photo shoot, my perfect pair of jeans seemed to be in the wash. I must speak to the maid about that. Anyway, these joggers were my next item of choice.

One thing that does seem to be an everyday item for me at this time of year is the turtle or polo neck sweater. I always feel chilly, (maybe something to do with that cold swim in the morning?) and rely on a high neck jumper to keep me cosy. I came across this version in Primark and proceeded to buy the same one in grey and black too. Primark is brilliant for basics like this.

The little fur gilet is a hand-me-down from my daughter and is the ideal length for this get up. I'm wearing my much loved Vivienne Westwood pendant (a gift from my husband) and the rings are both charity shop finds.

The fur coat was another TK Maxx find, by The Boutique Collection and has been a wonderful addition to my winter wardrobe. My thanks must go to my dear friend Ann who encouraged me to try this on when we were shopping together in London in October. She spotted it while we were browsing the aisles in TK and insisted I try it on. I had my eye on a huge furry coat in baby blue, but it was very over sized and just swamped me. Ann prompted me to try the green, "So your colour!" and she was right. I love it and can see it will be a Christmastime favourite from here on.

I recently read about the gratitude jar; you write one blessing from your day and pop it inside. The best part of this is to have it to call upon when you're feeling low and need a reminder of all of the joys in your life. A simple but effective way to give yourself a lift. 

Best wishes until next time!

Anna x