Retro shirt and Liberty doll pendant

Sometimes the inspiration for an outfit comes from a certain colour that I want to wear, other times it's a specific item, and today this retro shirt was the starting point. A recent eBay find, it's been like a lady-in-waiting loitering in the background, lingering until the moment was right. The psychedelic pattern reminds me of an orange and white dress I wore to a family wedding when I was about 10 years old. It had a small stand up collar, zip front, three quarter length sleeves, was a tent dress, and a micro mini too. The fledgling fashionista in me was excited to be in fashion thanks to the very affordable C&A.

I'm loving the mix of fabrics today: the suede belt and shoes, crepe shirt, cotton chinos and patent handbag. The richness of the fabrics makes the ensemble all the more interesting and the sea colours compliment my colouring too, but I also think the pop of fuchsia against the blue is a great ploy. All in all it's a fab feelgood outfit which just boosts my mood for the day ahead.

But a special mention must go to my doll pendant with Liberty skirt by Charlie Dodge. Newly purchased just yesterday (I forgot to put it on for the first few shots), Charlie tells me she's encouraging all her customers to name their doll (her own one is called Tallulah), so I've called mine Jessica and I think she's divine! I'm sure she's going to appear quite often over the rest of the summer, and no apologies for that. I think Charlie could have a bestseller on her hands and I wish her every success with this latest creation.

Shirt: eBay. Trousers: Fat Face. Shoes: Benetton. Belt: Benetton. Handbag: charity shop. Pearl necklace: old. Liberty doll necklace: Charlie Dodge. Blue ring: charity shop. Yellow stone ring: Martin James.

Seals and Stugeron

Well, here we are again one week later and although the weather and sea conditions are almost the same, one thing is quite different - I've overcome my seasickness! Through the magic of modern medicine, aka Stugeron, I managed to swim for about half an hour in a reasonable sea swell without any effects. I think you can tell by the relief on my face that this had been quite an enjoyable experience. Kate was as steady as ever, and I managed to keep an even pace behind her without swallowing sea water or feeling squiffy though the dips and rises of the waves. We even had a few seals as companions at the start of the swim just off Samson. The aim of our training today was to test out the Stugeron and now it's proved effective we are back on track. I know it was a shorter swim, but the swell was bigger and considering I was struggling the moment we hit the surge last week, I'm confident that I've got it covered now. Hurrah!

Many thanks to all who made contact after last week's post with comments, advice and words of support. It's great to know you're rooting for me. Thanks again to Kate and Jamie for their support and for making themselves available. And now the prospect of the long swimming day ahead is a possibility again, I'd better get out there and build up some stamina. Three weeks to go!

Summer exhibitions: 5 of 6

Tonight's team of Rachel Young, Tash Lawson, Beth Inch and yours truly

And so August rushes on. Tonight's opening party is our second last of the summer, and artist Tom Holland was as playful as ever. The fine weather ensured a great turnout again and the gallery extended into the outdoors space embracing the spectacular rosy sunset at the end of the day. We always have our photo shoot once the party is over which works best in showing us all relaxed and stress free after the event. The support team features another permutation with Rachel stepping in for Polly (get well soon) as my assistant and also gaining immediate promotion to blog photographer (the girl done good!)

The beautiful summer evening deserved a straightforward pretty party dress and this little number fits the bill. It's from Monsoon via the that amazing mega-store eBay where with a bit of clever bidding I secured it for £6.01. I bought it last year and didn't take to it immediately as I thought it might be a bit bland, however my silver Dorothy shoes and the chunky rose quartz and amethyst necklace both lift it out of the ordinary. It's really important to try things on before you dismiss them, as with a few well chosen accessories I think you can transform the blah into the bling. 

Dress: Monsoon (eBay). Shoes: eBay. Necklace: Emily Nixon. Brass cuff: Rose Cecil. Rose gold bangle: Kate Spade New York. Silver ring: charity shop. Yellow stone ring: Martin James.

That island breeze blows again

This whole post was nearly hijacked by the amazing hair shots which followed on from the final snap shown. The onshore wind is generally a challenge, but coupled up with the morning sun and high tide today meaning Polly and I had fun trying to get some acceptable shots. Inevitably we have lots of photos where I'm chatting and laughing away which are great, but not always showcasing the clothes. Anyway this morning Polly was in her element with all the crazy, wild hair shots. I plan to do an entire post featuring hair, the windswept look, just to give you a laugh. Coming soon, I promise!

The blog is proving to be so good for me, exorcising all sorts of rules I seem to have inflicted upon myself in the name of perfection. Today I am proudly wearing a favourite pair of brogues that a quite old and therefore a bit scuffed. I want to keep the blog real, show my daily work outfits as they really are. I promise I don't go into my office and slip on another jacket or pair of shoes because they're more comfortable. This is it, every post is exactly what I wore to work. As I've said before I'm lucky that I have a job where I get to dress up every day. I know some bloggers have to fit their blogs around the day job and I admire their effort and commitment.

So finally a quick word about today's outfit. The top was a charity shop find, a snip at £4.25, but more importantly is the fact that it's by Barbara Hulanicki. Result! That just feels so good. Pairing it with these wide legged trousers helps to balance the whole look and I just love the mix of prints. And the brogues were the right colour to finish it all off, even though they are well worn.

Top: Barbara Hulanicki (charity shop). Trousers: TK Maxx. Shoes: Office. Bracelet: old. Pearl necklaces: charity shop. Sunglasses: Quay Australia.