It's show time!

Easter weekend is generally when we kick off the season with our first exhibition of the year, and this year is no different. On Good Friday Polly and I worked late, stripping the gallery and rehanging with brand new works commissioned for the show. You can see the entire collection online.

Another thing that doesn't change from one year to the next, is the last minute flurry as I try to find the perfect outfit for the occasion. The sunshine belies the very cold temperature thanks to a chilly north wind which just added to my stress. 

"Give us a twirl" demanded Polly, but the camera couldn't quite keep up with my moves. I wanted to include it anyway as it shows the mood and movement despite the lack of my camera's technical abilities.

The dress has been showcased on a previous opening night, but not with these boots. The kitten heel sock boots are from Primark and I seem to recall that they were only about £15. I added an extra petticoat to counter the static that had built up during my wardrobe malfunction. 

And what one was that, you may ask? With only five minutes to spare, I decided that my frock did indeed need an iron despite it's crinkled effect and so I attempted to iron the skirt part whilst I was still wearing it! Please don't try this at home!!!! The result was that I could barely remove the wrinkles and also it just created a whole load of static. A lightweight net underskirt did at least douse things down.

For those of who haven't succumbed to the charms of the sock boot already, may I just tell you that the combination of kitten heel and soft fabric plus gentle grip around the ankle all go to make for an incredibly comfortable boot. At the last count I seem to have four pairs, but I don't think that's the end of it by any means.

For once I'm not sporting any charity shop jewellery - the pendant is by Vivienne Westwood, the citrine solitaire is c/o Gemporia and the other citrine ring was a purchase in an airport terminal somewhere. 

The evening was a runaway success, so much so that we had no time to capture the support team as they and I were working right up to the last minute. My thank-you shot of the group may be missing but my thanks still go to Polly, Hannah and Connor for making everything run smoothly. While the youngsters went off to party I stayed late and packed up paintings ready for despatch first thing in the morning. And that I'd say, was pretty much as it should be.

On Friday I leave the island to travel north to Harrogate for my annual buying trip. Please do drop in again on Sunday though, as I plan to post my outfit of the day that I'll be wearing. In the meantime, have a great week and I'll catch up with you again on Sunday!

Anna x

Eyelet trousers with silver boots

Happy Easter to you all! The aroma of chocolate is heavy in the air as I write, but I'll try to keep my focus on the matter in hand, that being these silver boots which I've rediscovered after months of neglect.

I styled these up in the run up to Christmas (see here) and then tucked them neatly away in the back of my shoe cupboard and promptly forgot them. That's the problem with new things, you can easily forget them when they're not an established item. Anyway, I came across another blogger wearing something similar the other day which reminded me of mine too.

Like most of my styling, I start off with one idea and it seems to evolve into something quite different. I had imagined these with some cropped, faded denim jeans, but much to my surprise I found these don't exist in Anna's Island Style closet - what a nasty shock for me! (Note to self: source these next time I'm dosing up on retail therapy.)

So after a couple of false starts, I came across these eyelet trousers which I'd bought in the Zara sale just after Christmas. Maybe I forgot to mention them? My selective memory is just another way of coping with my clothesaholic condition. Forgive me.

This shirt from Sainsbury's is fast becoming a classic for me and is the ideal partner to echo the eyelet detailing of the cropped trousers. I added the gobstopper gemstone belt to give a streamlined look which also fooled Polly into thinking that this was actually a jumpsuit.

The belt was an eBay purchase a long time ago, but has only recently come into play since I chopped off a couple of inches of elastic from the back of it, making it fit at last. The jacket was a hand-me-down from Sasha (from H&M). You may recall the silver and gold frilly ring that Steve gave me for my birthday this year and the other silver and gold etched ring is by Diana Porter, but so very ancient that I don't think she makes them any more. Mine says "In heaven on earth", but wait - I've just searched her website and found one similar here.

This is a better shot to see the detail of both rings. Follow this link to see more like the frilly Emily Nixon one here.

It may be mass produced, but the jacket is still really well made, right down to the pattern matching which shows beautifully on the back seam.

After a busy morning of beetling about in the gallery, it dawned on me why these boots have been relegated to the depths of the wardrobe - yep those heels are a killer! I can see they need to be kept for desk days when I'm seated for the duration or maybe just for outings to the local pub which is only 100 yards from home. I still love them for the glamour they represent, even though (or maybe is it because?) their vibe is reminiscent of the erotic Barbarella!

Wishing you a lovely Easter Sunday!

Linking with -

Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb

Patti of Not Dead Yet Style

Jacqui of Mummabstylish

Anna x

Show and tell

It's over two weeks since I returned from my little jaunt to the mainland and I thought I'd better fess up - yes I did have a shopping spree while I was away. Mostly it was charity shopping, but a bit of running amok in TK Maxx may have taken place too.

You've no idea how delighted I was to find this orange mini skirt (in a charity shop in Truro). Polly has an orange leather mini skirt, my niece Kate has an orange woollen one and I must admit that I've coveted both of them for ages. So this little beauty by Pretty Little Things (brand new with labels intact) was a joyful discovery indeed, especially as it was only £2.50.

Knee high boots and very thick tights make this mini skirt acceptable despite my age. I can assure you that no-one is more critical of me than me, but I'm happy with this. Whatever you're thinking now about a 60 year old woman in a bright orange mini skirt, please jot it down in the comments box below because I'm all ears. 

Or maybe don't bother, cos at the end of the day you know that I always dress to please myself. My motto of "Let's bin the beige and have fun with colour" is never more true than with today's outfit. 

Pleased as Punch? Yes!

I missed a trick here - I should have had my orange nail polish on!

Anyway, that's the skirt, in faux suede, lined in orange silky whatever and this might be the only time you see it until next winter as spring is most definitely trying its best to make another appearance. The jacket is pre-loved too, by Next, polo neck is from Primark, boots are by Lotus and rings are pre-loved. So let's take a look at the loot, shall we?

This maxi dress is what I bought with my TK voucher for Mother's Day from my kids. It was wonderful to have a legitimate excuse to browse the racks, but of course I did spend much more than the value of the voucher.

I couldn't make up my mind as to which of these pretty mules to have, but at only £12.50 each I plumped for both. The grey ones are to go with the fabulous pyjama trousers below (also from TK).

I love the idea of slouchy summer dressing, pairing these with a simple white tee.

Diesel jeans reduced to a crazy price, well how could I resist?

Yellow and cotton make a perfect spring sweater.

A linen chambray shirt, another classic too good to miss (£3).

Red, pink and pleats make this M&S dress adorable and affordable (£8).

Another polka dot item to add to my collection - this time a halterneck jumpsuit, ideal for the summer season.

The kimono is authentic, vintage and was only £2!

These are trousers, fully lined and still with the brand labels on, all for £4.50.

A lightweight black jacket at this price has to be a no-brainer.

Another vintage find for only £3.

And this vintage top was from "Out of the Closet" the fabulous vintage shop I've been trying to storm the battlements of whenever I visit the dental surgery in Penryn. Success as last! Follow the link here to see the Instagram feed and you'll understand why I've been so desperate to get through the door.

That's it my lovelies until next time. I hope you have a great Easter weekend lined up and I'll be back on Sunday with another snapshot of my little island life.

Anna x

Style Not Age do polka dots

Hello again, and thanks for joining me today when I'm taking part in the monthly collaboration, Style Not Age. Jacqui has chosen polka dots as our style challenge, so let's get on with it!

I'll be honest with you and say that I don't wear polka dots very often meaning I was a tad panic-stricken when the challenge was revealed. As luck would have it though, I found this top when I was on the mainland recently. It's from F&F at Tesco and was reduced to £8 in the sale. Kerching! Problem solved.

It's Jacqui's challenge and she's looking as sleek as ever in this fresh combination of yellow, navy and mustard. Her fashion rule of take three colours works a treat here - see the full story of how she pulled this look together on her blog Mummabstylish.

Hilda has opted for her favourite dotty dress from Biba, topping it with a peplum sweater for a cosy yet trendy twist. Do pop over to her blog Over The Hilda to see more.

Emma from Style Splash is sporting micro mini dot trousers for this month's challenge along with a dotty trimmed top. Her jacket is just like a burst of spring, don't you think? Join Emma on her blog to read more about how she created her look.

When I bought the tunic I somehow imagined that I'd wear it with some black jeans and maybe my silver brogues, but when I started playing around, I thought these culottes (from Primark) were much more suited to my mood of the day - flamboyant, I suppose. I liked the idea of some pattern play with dots and checks in this palette of black, white and grey. 

Plus it also gave me a great excuse to bring out my favourite sockboots. You may be sick of seeing them, but I'm afraid they're here to stay. The brand is H&M, but I fancy they sold out long ago.

My collection of red toned jewellery is ever expanding thanks to all of these charity shop finds.

If you're a regular reader, you'll probably recognise the familiar backdrop, taken just a few steps from my workplace. The gallery is open once again and Polly is firmly ensconced as my  Gallery Assistant-cum-blog-photographer. Cue lots of hamming it up for the camera as Polly tells me off for too much chat and not enough action.

My antics have become so commonplace now that no-one gives me a second glance as I jig about for two minutes in the morning before we start work.

And there you have it, another monthly style challenge in the bag. I do hope you've taken some inspiration for the group and would love to hear from you if polka dots are your thing.

I'd like to take a moment to say hi to our two blogging friends who were part of our previous collaboration the 5 Over 50 challenge. Gail of Is This Mutton just so happens to be featuring polka dots on her blog today so you may want to pop over to see how she's done. Gail is still having fun blogging as well as preparing for a big walking challenge with her husband this year. 

Laurie from Vanity And Me is going from strength to strength with her fashion and beauty blog. Barely a week goes by without this lovely lady popping up in social media and the press. This doesn't surprise me as she is a great role model for the older woman who is refusing to be labelled as one of the invisible generation. Laurie truly has her finger on the pulse of everything that we want to know. Do take a moment to read the varied features about this busy woman's life. 

Linking with -

Patti of Not Dead Yet Style

Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb

Jacqui of Mummabstylish

Anna x