Black and white pattern mix

Pattern play is one of my style favourites, and today I'm having fun showing off these new smart/casual joggers which I deem smart enough to be work attire. The blouse was a gift from my daughter some time ago which seemed to get lost in the morass of tops that are folded away in the bottom of my wardrobe. But hey, don't they work so well together? I'm delighted with this laid-back combo which makes me feel like a bit of a cool cat. Take a closer look at the print and you'll see the joke.

These silver pumps are so comfortable for work when I want to wear flats, but are still stylish. My only criticism is that I seem to have a bit of tape stuck to the sole - a hazard of the job when you consider the amount of packing we do! 

The outfit proved to be ideal today for the crazy mix of weather we're experiencing in the name of summer. The joggers are from Topshop (get them for £10 in the sale) and are a manmade fibre, but are really light and feel silky smooth. Just right for a cool summer's day when you don't want to wear a skirt/dress as it's too drafty. Island life is always a bit breezy but some days the wind direction is colder than others. The top is from H&M but that was a couple of years ago (this is a similar piece) Shoes are by Dune (these are similar). Rings and bangle are all from charity shops and my trusty sunglasses are from Quay Australia. 

Must dash as I have another busy day ahead with the second of our summer shows to hang this evening after our day's work is finished. The exhibition opens on Saturday so I hope to show you a few snaps of the party outfit in my next post. Still have to find that special something to wear though...

Anna x

Wedges and windy weather

It's a rare day on the island when we are becalmed, therefore you just have to make the most of the almost constant breeze/wind/gale. Polly and I wanted to capture these fab culottes in full sail and that's pretty much what happened. The lively photo shoot took place on the beach just below the gallery where we work and will be a familiar backdrop to my regular readers and those of you who have been lucky enough to visit the wonderful Isles of Scilly. New Grimsby bay is the location and is the main docking point for day trippers to arrive on the boats from all the other islands. Cruise ships tend to use the quay at the other end of the island, Carn Near, if the tide is low enough as that is nearer to the Abbey Garden, the highlight of their visit to Scilly. I've got some lovely shots coming up later of a couple of large ships moored up at the end of the beach where I take my daily swim.

These culottes are so easy to wear as well as being functional for work. Climbing ladders, nipping up and down the stairs, hopping onto my bike to go on errands can all be achieved without the same concerns a skirt might cause. Apart from that, I think they are blooming lovely! I've added this lace, pistachio peplum top to give a bit of femininity along with these sky high wedges. I've worn these a few times on the blog before and will repeat that although they look really high and might look like they are crazy to walk on, they're not. The slope on the front edge means you roll along smoothly despite the height of them. The culottes are from Topshop, lace top from H&M, shoes are from New Look, vest top is from Primark. My necklace was from Debenhams a couple of years ago, yellow ring is by Martin James, sparkle ring was from East, and this wonderful gold nail polish is Oil Slick by Accessorize. Apologies for not supplying any links to these items today, but they are all to old too show anything similar within these brands.

Linking with

Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb

Cherie of Style Nudge

Patti of Not Dead Yet Style

The gorgeous sweep of Pentle Bay is one of the treats awaiting the cruise ship visitors today. Despite it being the middle of July there are only a handful of people on the beach.

This scattering of islands in the distance are the Eastern Isles which are all uninhabited outcrops and mini islands, perfect for picnics and isolation.

This is the view of Pentle Bay in the other direction. Notice the isolated shower over the far end of St Martin's while the near end still enjoys the sunshine. This clump of cloud is heading towards mainland UK - next stop Land's End.

Looking towards St Helen's on the right and Northwethel island on the left - both are uninhabited and are idyllic escapes for those with their own boat.

The Old Blockhouse castle. Read about this island defence here.

This final view is across Old Grimsby bay. I hope you've enjoyed this quick sweep around the island - to find out more about where I live click here. I look forward to seeing you again soon.

Anna x

Shameless, Reckless and Legless

Now that summer is truly upon us, we on the islands find our numbers greatly increased by visitors. These guests are, for most of us, our livelihood and are therefore vital. For me they are also a source of light relief and often friendship too. Enter, stage left, the two Anna's. These lovely ladies (and their families) have been coming to the islands for years and as such have become regulars at the gallery where they have made many a happy purchase from me. Most recently we did indeed have a moment of light relief when I was asked to pose for a photo by Anna R (my brooch pile jacket see here was the object of her admiration, not me exactly). This I did without hesitation which incurred a bit of heckling from her husband as to how brazen I was. "I'm utterly shameless" was my retort. There followed a brief ping ponging of comments regarding the complications of having three Anna's in one place and how it would be useful if we all had nicknames. Hence we now are Shameless (me), Reckless (Anna R) in the centre and Legless (Anna N) on the right. We each of us proffered our own nicknames therefore no-one was in the least offended.

Notice we're all sporting the very same, fashionable windswept look available only on these wild, windy islands. The messy tresses style is absolutely de rigeur this summer daaahling!

  

Today's outfit comprises of trousers from Boden, linen blouse is by Laura Ashley via a charity shop, as is the fab crochet bag. My retro print espadrilles are by Spanish brand Gaimo which I bought from TK Maxx see the same style here but in a different colourway. Sunglasses are by Quay Australia, rings are old, small seed peal necklace is from a charity shop and my dancing girl necklace is by Charlie Dodge. Worth a mention too has to be this fab orange (Tangerine Tent) nail polish by Rita Ora for Rimmel.

Hope that you too are enjoying the start of summer and that you have some great plans for the weeks ahead. See you soon!

Anna x

Summer show: 1 of 6

And suddenly it's time for our summer exhibitions. I can't believe how quickly this has come around again, and also it makes me realise how quickly these summer shows will keep coming and going in the blink of an eye. Here I am with (from left to right) Pamela Harrington, Maggie O'Brien and John Bampfield. The link to their work is here.

We were blessed with a great turnout of guests for the event who enjoyed the artwork on display as well as the fine evening with the high tide view across the bay to Bryher. Polly and I were joined by Ruth on the right and Max as seen below. Our assistants for the show play a vital role in helping to keep things running smoothly and it's good to know that they will be here for every opening night of the summer exhibitions. Thanks ladies!

My pink glitter shoes were pretty much the star of my own show, made all the better by the fact that they were a recent bargain at £5 in a charity shop with all the labels still intact. Brand new, rose gold, glitter shoes - I really couldn't have dreamt that one up could I? My dress is also another brand new find, from H&M (again via a charity shop) and doing me proud to go perfectly with these fancy shoes. My necklace is from Magpie Vintage see their website here for the most wonderful collections of vintage pieces reworked into contemporary styles. I'm wearing my gorgeous Michael Kors watch as usual with my rose gold Kate Spade bangle. My pink ring was a gift and the sparkle ring is from a charity shop.

Thanks for joining me again and I do hope you have a wonderful weekend. See you on Sunday!

Anna x