Fogbound in paradise

The tourists were seeing another side of our paradise island today as we were surrounded by fog. Or maybe not seeing, was more to the point. When a warm weather front collides with a cold one over the top of these tiny islands, then inevitably we'll be shrouded by fog until the pressure changes or some high winds blow it away. However, Polly loves a bit of fog, as the dreamy, wispy backdrop helps to make colours pop, which was perfect for this floral dress.

I have worn this dress once before but not styled quite like this. So let's draw back, start at the beginning and see the full effect shall we?

Yes, it's time to air this red petticoat again. I think we may suffer from a bit of over-exposure to it this month, but I can't help that I'm in love with this red floufy (Sheila's word) delight (a customer declared it delightful today). We have an exhibition coming up next week and I think I may be pairing this petticoat up with a lacy offering in a very feminine, overdone way for that dressing up extravaganza.

My new yellow Candy bag is so right with this dress. Not only is it a great colour match, but the size is spot-on too. It's cute and just rounds off the whole look perfectly.

Heck, that was a whole lot of photos wasn't it? Polly did such a great job, and those colours surely did pop, that I had difficulty leaving some of these out of the mix. This variation is another hit with me, but maybe not with everyone I came across today. I suppose I might have blended in better if I'd been sashaying down Carnaby Street, but here on my little island home I certainly drew more than a few glances. As I've said before, I really dress to please myself. It's a bonus if others like it, and a real bonus if they actually say something nice. That's the wonderful thing about running a fashion blog. I don't feel like an oddity or out there any more. When I check out some my favourite fashion bloggers strutting their stuff, why I look positively tame by comparison. Check out Sheila, Suzanne or Melanie to see what I mean. 

Friday's post is going to be another first for me, but you'll have to drop by again to find out what that means. Thanks to those of you who have emailed me with your ideas for my feature "As suggested by..." as it will be your turn soon. I now have the next three months lined up and would love it if you keep your thoughts coming. I'm so pleased to have your feedback and will enjoy getting these things out and re-styling them with something appropriate for that month. This month also heralds my first anniversary of blogging and strangely I'm struggling as to what to wear! Yes, laugh, please do, at the irony of this! I have a couple of things in mind, but am not sure which way I'll go with this. I've still got a little while left to give it some more consideration. Perhaps I need to take the pressure off and just treat it like any other day. Phew, that feels better already. Thanks for dropping by and I hope to catch up with you all again on Friday x

Jacket: Lulu and Red Boutique (charity shop). Dress: Vintage: Charity shop. Petticoat: eBay. Tights: Enjoy Clothing. Boots: River Island: Handbag: Furla. Watch: Michael Kors. Rose gold bangle: Kate Spade New York. Blue rings: charity shop.

Linking with 
Jess of Elegantly Dressed And Stylish 
Cherie of Style Nudge 
Sheela of Sheela Writes 

My thanks go to the photographers

Today's post relies on a host of photographs taken by a handful of friends and family who have stepped in when asked. I'd like to say a thank you to them all here, as without them this blogging malarkey wouldn't be as easy or as much fun.

Thanks to Jamie for this shot of Sasha and I after our lunch at the Ruin Cafe the other day.

And to Sasha for capturing this idyllic view afterwards.

To Chris and Val for joining Kate and I on a breezy afternoon to take a lovely series of shots of two friends enjoying a companionable dip together.

Kate is a regular visitor to the island and this year we've pledged to fit in as many swims as we can every time she's here.

Thanks go to Jane, a friend I made on the yoga retreat here last year. She and her family stumbled across us after our morning swim and we imposed on her son to take some snaps before they headed off along the shell-strewn beach to continue with their walk.

Green beach was decorated with ribbons of shells which whooshed and clattered as the tide rose and fell over the top of them. Nature's gentle musical accompaniment for us while we dressed.

Thanks are due also to Kevin's wife Lorraine for taking these photos of one very serious looking training session for someone and a sunny afternoon dip for the other.

"I'm not racing" I said as we stood on the shoreline. But as Kevin set off his stopwatch the competitive streak in me took hold. My front crawl is fine in a short burst, but not at his speed however. We maybe set off together, but it didn't stay at that level pegging for long. Kevin was an absolute gent though and periodically stopped to wait for me as I resorted to my steady breast stroke.

Kevin was buzzing. I waded back to the shore as he headed off for another couple of laps of the bay. We both swam in the Scilly Swim Challenge in 2015 (Kevin in the fast group and me in with the plodders). Now Kevin is in training for this year's event. Well done that man! Read my full account of the most memorable of days here.

And so onto the main event. My biggest thanks must go to Polly my wonderful blog photographer and Gallery Assistant. Polly is a whizz with all the tricks my camera has to offer. She bubbles with enthusiasm for her daily chore and helps in making my blog the sleek, polished showcase that it is. Thank you Polly for all that you do x

Oh, and let's not forget my thanks to all of the locals who cheerily add that special something as they photo-bomb us during our early morning shoots - thanks to another Kevin...

...and to Charlie who insists we capture his best side too.

This relaxed pose comes from knowing that dearest Polly will be doing her utmost to getting the best shot every time. Thank you Polly. Thank you too, to all who drift in and out of my life bringing such pleasure and rich memories. Until next time x

Jacket: Gap. Faux leather jeans: H&M. Polo neck: M&S (charity shop). Pink brogues: H&M. Handbag: charity shop. Silver rings: charity shop. Rose gold bangle: Kate Spade New York. Watch: Michael Kors. Sunglasses: Quay Australia.

A tale of two jackets

If you picked out the colours of the sea today and turned them into a graphic print, you would end up this dress. 

I'm so pleased to have found this in the recent H&M sale. The fit is great, (providing I don't put on another ounce) the colours are so good for my skin and hair tone, plus it makes me feel very smart for work. It also has a real spring-like feel to it, thanks to these fresh, aqua colours. 

At the start of the day my entire outfit looked like this -

This lovely turquoise jacket was a gift from my sister who was having a clothes sort out, and lead to my feature here. As I was getting ready for work this morning, I was in a quandary as to which jacket was the right one to wear with this lovely new dress. However, we're still being thrashed by a bitter North wind, so I decided that this woollen jacket was the better choice. Polly and I dashed out to brave the wind while the sun shone and I even steeled myself for long enough to ditch the jacket and get some dress shots. 

Given that the view you see here is the very same view as from the gallery where I work, you'll agree that it's a pretty stunning panorama to have stretching out in front of your desk all day long. The tide comes in, the tide goes out, but at different times every day. The boats come and go; more of them in the summer, down to just the odd one or two in the winter; sometimes none at all if the weather is too ferocious to be out on the sea. The other day a client remarked to me that she couldn't really find the right word to describe the exact colour of the sea here. It's true, the sea colour is affected by cloud cover, rocks and seaweed lurking just below the surface, and the depth of the water - all add to the conundrum. That's why it was so clever of Polly to line me up against the backdrop of the sea today; this dress pretty much encapsulates all the colours of the water here.

As the day progresses the temperature in the gallery rises, until by mid-afternoon it can be really quite hot; so hot that we have to pin one of the doors open to get some cooler air circulating. Provided there's no wind, we can often open both doors without any danger of the paintings being rocked off the walls. Today was a one door only day due to the strength of the wind coming down from the North. At five o'clock I had to pop home for a change of shoes. Trading over, I needed a bit more comfort while I rounded up all the end of day chores, climbing to and from my office, and that meant putting on these babies. 

I'm aware that if I were a city dweller this combo of trainers and work wear would be de rigeur. All that power walking to and from work couldn't be achieved in high heels, which is where my personal commute wins hands down. The 200m dash can be completed in the highest of heels, even if I have to spend the next five minutes recovering at my desk. These nifty trainers just happen to tone in beautifully with my dress, and you'll notice the thicker wool jacket has been replaced with my mint green faux leather jacket. I'm rather keen on both variations of today's outfit. What about you? Do you prefer one to the other? Let me have you thoughts x

Woollen jacket: Jones, New York. Dress: H&M (sold out). Tights: old. Handbag: charity shop. Trainers: Salomon. Faux leather jacket: Vero Moda (TK Maxx). Watch: Michael Kors. Rose gold bangle: Kate Spade New York. Turquoise multi stone ring: Primark. Opaque ring: New Look. 

Linking with 
Lucy Dawn of Fashion Should Be Fun 
Shellie of The Fabulous Journey