My Christmas detox

Before we go any further let me clarify that the detox was in fact a digital one rather than a food one. My gift to myself over the Christmas period was to take a step back from all things digital. No mobile phone, no Instagram, no blog, no emails - I called a truce with all the digital hungry mouths and stepped back into reality. And it was just like a little holiday.

And here I am, batteries recharged and so very pleased to be back with you again. This was my Christmas Day outfit in festive red and green. The fur coat has proved to be my go-to coat over the Christmas period. It's cuddly soft and has earned me lots of strokes as it's just like a soft teddy bear.

I showed you this dress previously as it came from Zara in my Black Friday splurge. In complete contrast to all of my glittery and sparkly Christmas clothes, I decided dress that this simple shift dress was just what I needed for the day. The feather trim lifts the dress from being too simple, however, as well as giving an element of fun to the overall look.

The other great thing about this dress is the fact that once again, my fabulous red boots come into their own. I may be accused of overkill with these, but hey, shoot me.

All of my jewellery is pre-loved, apart from my Vivienne Westwood pendant. The silver nail polish is called "Pedal to the metal" by Rita Ora.

My regular readers may have noticed the new grey/red/checked theme that seems to have cropped up in my clothes recently. Goodness knows how this has come about, but it's a new found delight for me.

The local pub, The New Inn, very kindly dressed their window in time for all of my Christmas photo shoots, so I really have to thank them for giving me the prettiest of backdrops. 

I do hope you've had a lovely Christmas with plenty downtime as well as fun time. There will be a New Year's Eve party at the pub as is the tradition here on the island, but I'm not sure if Steve and I will be going. We've suddenly hit on the pleasure of the box set and are working our way through Game of Thrones in readiness for the next set (out on the 8th of Jan). What are your plans for NYE? Are you heading out to a party or snuggling up in front of the fire with a movie and a bottle of bubbly? Whatever, I wish you a very Happy New Year!

Anna x

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

Something simple

I thought it was maybe time to step away from all the glitz and sparkle of Christmas and post  a more simple outfit. This was taken just two days after I had my tooth out, calling for a good dollop of blusher and a slash of bright red lippy to brighten up my rather peely-wally (aka peaky) complexion.

All the jewellery is pre-loved, including the necklace and bracelet that I picked up last week.

The grey sweater and culottes are both from Primark, again recent purchases. The grey long sleeved tee is a thermal layer from M&S and the boots are from H&M.

 Oh how I love these boots!

Every time I wear these red sockboots I feel the cost has been justified. But, more importantly, I just love how glamorous they make me feel and the fit is so comfortable too. Today's outfit is all about comfort in fact, as the culottes have a fully elasticated waist which will be very handy round about Christmas time when waistlines have the habit of expanding no matter how good ones intentions are. I've chosen a shift dress to wear on Christmas day for the very same reason. 

I hope to sneak another post in before Christmas Day, but in case I don't I'd like to wish you a very Happy Christmas and also say thank you for joining me as we near the end of another year. Whether you're a regular reader or a now and again visitor I'm so pleased to have you around. But one last thing - I was asked about my party outfit and what I finally alighted on for the event. Well, I wore this skirt and top (see here) but I added these boots instead (see here). The whole outfit made me feel very comfortable, so much so, that yes, I did dance after all! 

Anna x

5Over50 do Christmas jumpers

Hello and welcome to the Christmas edition of 5Over50, the one where we don our Christmas jumpers. This month Laurie chose the item to be styled and really it was a no brainer - we had to go with the festive Christmas jumper!  

I'm going to skip right along here to show you the other ladies from our collective, starting with Gail, the founder of our group.

Gail's posh Rudolph jumper is from Boden which she's styled very classically with her large pearl necklace and tartan skirt. I had to smile when I saw this as I'd put together a very similar look at one stage. Our non-conferring system means we really have no idea how the others are going to present the challenge which is all part of the fun I suppose. See the full post on Gail's blog Is This Mutton here.

Jacqui of Mummabstylish blog has chosen a very understated Christmas jumper for the feature, and the charm isn't lost on me as I just love this gold sparkle. The simple elegance will surely make this a thoroughly wearable sweater for years to come too. Do pop over to see Jacqui's write up on our challenge.

And here's Hilda of Over The Hilda blog with her dear little grandson, both sporting their fairisle Christmas jumpers. How cute are they? I've yet to experience the joys of grandchildren, but can imagine the wonder of Christmas through their eyes as I'm pretty much still a child myself! 

Laurie's Christmas jumper boasts three beautifully ornate Christmas trees which are actually Christmas tree decorations that she has cleverly stitched in place. What a great idea! Pop over to see the full story on Laurie's blog Vanity And Me Style here. 

Outift details - jumper: H&M, skirt: Ted Baker, boots: Topshop, tights: old, jewellery: pre-loved.

My Christmas jumper isn't new, but the skirt is. Since my last post, I've had a mercy dash to the mainland to have a tooth extracted, but as they say Every cloud has a silver lining and this meant a quick burst of shopping in the midst of everything else. I could write an entire post about all the things that I did wrong around my dental appointment, but it would only go to prove what an idiot I was in face of my biggest fear. Sufice to say, the tooth and a lot of infected gum have been removed and I'm all the better for it now.

Moving quickly on then, I found this Ted Baker skirt in TK Maxx reduced from £200 to £49.99. Well, how could I resist? I thought it would be perfect not only for this challenge, but also for my birthday next month. Details of that nearer the time dear reader, but I have plans, I have big plans. 

In the meantime, we from the 5Over50 collective would like to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and say thank you so much for following us over the past few months. Do check out the other ladies blogs too if you get a moment. I'll be back in a few days with something a bit more casual for a change.

Anna x

Sequins, beading and embroidery

It's been an eventful time since I last posted. Unfortunately most of it has been health related, hence this middle of the night posting. I've got toothache, that keep-you-awake, throbbing type toothache. I think it's actually an infection underneath the tooth as antibiotics are helping. On top of that I've also had a two day migraine. I only tell you by way of apology for my absence, not for pity. Hopefully by the next time we get together all will be remedied. In the meantime, let's get on with the party preparations, shall we?

The annual island party is less than a week away and I'm still dithering about what to wear. You may remember this skirt from last year. See how I styled it up that time here.

I'm pleased to say that the only new thing here are the boots, and oh what boots! And best of all, they're super comfy and I can dance in them - I did my happy dance when they arrived.

Beading, sequins and embroidery - I feel very at home with all these embellishments.

Outfit details - skirt: H&M, jacket: TK Maxx, top, clutch and rings: pre-loved, necklace: old, tights: Dorothy Perkins, boots Zara (still available here).

The top is sleeveless, so if I get too hot, I can just slip the jacket off and I'm ready to dance. I know I said about not dancing cos I'm tea total, but honestly, I just like to give myself a get out clause. I'm a bit funny like that. I think I don't like to build something up to being too wonderful in case it doesn't deliver. It saves you from that sense of anticlimax, you know? On the outside I look like a grown woman and yet inside is the 16 year old me still getting excited about whether I'll be brave enough to get up and dance. I suppose that's where a bit of Dutch courage comes into it, eh? 

Golly you can tell it's the middle of night by the amount of blathering that's going on here. There's no filter, just a stream of unconscious drivel I'm afraid. Well done you for hanging on in there in the hope of something worthwhile! But wait, there is something worth a look. I've been doing some sewing, a little bit of hand sewing to take my mind off my toothache.

I bought these velvet trousers for a pound, (yes that's 100 pennies!) in a charity shop in Exeter a couple of years ago and so far I've never worn them. Anyway, I decided to chop a few inches off the bottom and scavenge the bead work from this (very scratchy) top to make...

...these! Beaded crop trousers that are totally unique. The weight of the trim helps to give the trouser bottoms a real swish factor as well as looking lovely, don't you think? It was a labour of love, and did stretch my patience, but I'm so glad I persevered. I'm going to see what I can find in my wardrobe to go with these and will showcase them soon. Thanks for dropping by, and apologies if I've not replied to your comments or visited your blog lately.

Anna x