100 posts - time for a touch of glitter and glam!

Today marks the 100th post to my blog, and what better reason could there be to bring out a bit of sparkle to celebrate? (It has been said of me that I'd get dressed up for the opening of an envelope...)

The jacket, along with the trousers, has a glitter thread running though it so was a perfect pairing with the ornate stretch belt I bought for the Christmas party.

And what a joy it is to bring out these fab booties once again!

Sometimes you can feel like the cat who got the cream. Apart from the windswept hair of course! I'm always impressed with other bloggers who take outdoors photos yet don't have a hair out of place. My defence is that I'm keeping it real.

When Sasha came home for Christmas she showed me the spoils from her recent shopping trip, but warned me that I would want to steal a pair of her trousers before even revealing them. Well yep, she was right. A couple of days later I went on line and found them at H&M before they sold out. Apologies, darling, for airing them before you probably have, but you must take all the credit for these beauties. I love boot cut and flares as they help balance out my fulsome thighs. Well, they may not look too fulsome to you, but I've missed my sea swimming for the past couple of weeks and am feeling post-Christmassy and lacking a bit of tone.

The good news is that even though I missed out on some of the party season I now have a holiday to plan for which means putting together a capsule wardrobe. Steve and I are having a couple of weeks off the island in February, one of which will be spent on a cruise of the Mediterranean. I've already bought my dress for the Captain's party, so the rest is easy. We've been on a cruise before and I had to laugh when I discovered that a large portion of my wardrobe comprises of cruise wear! Hosting exhibitions (nine of these every season) means that I've collected quite a few glitzy, floaty outfits meaning I didn't really have to lash out on a lot of new garb. I'll be taking these new trousers for those less formal evenings when I'll maybe add a sparkly camisole or perhaps this frilly blouse. I'll give you all a sneak preview of what's getting packed before I go, then hope to post regularly on Instagram while I'm away with a proper catch up on my return. In the meantime it's business as usual with posts on Sundays and Wednesdays until then.

Jacket: Next (charity shop). Trousers: H&M. Blouse: charity shop. Belt: eBay. Booties: Michael Kors (TK Maxx). Necklace: Dorothy Perkins. Smokey quartz ring: old. Yellow ring: Martin James.

Linking with 
Style Nudge 
Elegantly Dressed and Stylish

Winter turquoise

Turquoise isn't a winter colour as far as I'm concerned, but a couple of things have happened recently which have conspired to change my mind. First of all my sister Dianne sent me this wonderful little jacket which she bought from Jones New York whilst visiting the Big Apple a few years ago. And secondly, blogger Jacqueline from Petite Silver Vixen showcased her version of winter turquoise as seen here which blew my prejudices out of the water. I'd always packed away everything turquoise at the end of the summer as I thought it would look out of place in the darker months, but Jacqueline showed me that this pop of colour didn't look anything other than a breath of fresh air amidst the winter gloom.

The tweed skirt has stitchwork in the same colour as my lambswool sweater (lilac/cerise?) but it's so fine it's not showing up at all in these photos.

The cute handbag is by Hope and Benson. It features a gorgeous green velvet lining.

I couldn't resist this tights/skirt combo. 

Another blogging friend, Kezzie of KezzieAG is a huge brooch fan as seen here and I'm delighted to be able to share one of my few, but rather lovely brooches with her today. It's a Kenzo piece which I came across last year in a charity shop. I've waited so long to find the perfect moment for it's debut - I think it was worth waiting for.

Today there was finally a break in the weather giving me an opportunity to chose a jacket rather than a coat for work. Inspiration for my outfit every day has to start somewhere, so why not with this beautiful fine woollen zip up from Jones New York? Dianne took early retirement a couple of years ago meaning that she is gradually culling her now defunct working wardrobe, much to my benefit. I'm hoping that this will be the start of a trickle of pieces she can finally let go.

So with the theme being turquoise, and the jacket in place, then this skirt was an obvious choice. I've got quite of few of these Boden skirts which are a staple within my wardrobe. I love this tweed version with its giant hounds tooth check, the outline of which is stitched in pink thread, but I'm afraid my photography skills have been lacking in highlighting this feature. I thought about donning a pair of bright cobalt tights first of all, then as I rummaged around came across these ones which were too much of a temptation to ignore. Maybe too cliched for some, but I just love to introduce a bit of whimsy sometimes.

The other obvious I did avoid was my aqua cashmere polo neck that could have taken me back down the road to being overly conservative, so instead I've picked up this pink yarn in the form of my simple pure wool sweater. This was a charity shop find in the autumn and although the sleeves are a tad short, I remedy this by layering up with a thermal top of which I have many colours. Regular readers may well have expected to see this look finished off with my signature brogues, but I thought the green of the skirt lends itself beautifully to these kitten heels from Office - these came via eBay. My cute little handbag is by Hope and Benson and has a soft green velvet lining. With green leather gloves, a flowery scarf to add another print, and obligatory sunglasses to cut out the dazzling glare, I'm good to go!

Jacket: Jones New York. Skirt: Boden. Jumper: Compliments. Thermal long sleeve tee: M&S. Tights: Topshop. Shoes: Office. Brooch: Kenzo. Turquoise ring: old. Pink ring: gift. Scarf: charity shop. Handbag: Hope and Benson. Sunglasses: Quay Australia.

Linking up with
My Refined Style 
Not Dead Yet Style 
Not Dressed As Lamb 
A Labour Of Life

Paisley print and fairisle knit

Am featuring two of my favourite prints today, and if I say they go together then they do.

But I don't think I'd have been grinning so much if I knew how crazy my hair was looking!

These Mary Jane's have been knocking about in my closet for years without many outings, so hurrah for the opportunity to get them out today.

Here we have a mid-week, dressed down look that's so very me. I know I've showcased a couple of over the top party outfits recently, but this is the real me. I've never had my "colours" done, but am pretty sure that I'm autumn as these hues don't drain me and make me feel very at home. The rusts, greens and ochre all bring life to my complexion. In addition I also love paisley, fairisle, tweed and tartan which all seem to tie me to my Scottish roots. Featuring fairisle today means I've pretty much covered all my favourites this winter in one way or another.

This injection of colour is the perfect antidote to the post Christmas slump that can descend after all the festive hype. It's so easy to allow a grey mood to influence your clothes choices. I'm aware that I do have a propensity to wear black and greys quite a lot in the winter months. That's why I often spend an hour at the weekend to root through my wardrobe to find items that are forgotten, overlooked or just plain hidden from sight. I'm such a big fan of colour, yet if I'm in a rush I know how easy it is to pull some black and grey pieces together without much planning. A few separates in bold colours are great to mix and match with these neutrals to give a bit of a lift. My other ploys are to add a pair of bright or patterned tights to jazz up a simple outfit and finish the look with some dazzling brogues. A plain black dress can be transformed by the right pair of patterned tights. In fact it's a really inexpensive way to add personality to an outfit.

My own post Christmas slump has be explained by the fact that the cold I'd been battling was in fact flu. Some two weeks down the line, I had a check up yesterday and that's what's ailed me after all. At least I don't feel such a fraud for all this sleeping, listless laying around and croaking like a frog whenever I tried to speak!

Cardigan: H&M. Skirt: H&M. Blouse: charity shop. Tights: Dorothy Perkins. Shoes: Debenhams. Green pearls: Almost Perfect. Flower rings: charity shop.

Linking up with
Jess on Elegantly Dressed and Stylish
Cherie on Style Nudge 

End of year review

A lot of fashion bloggers are taking a moment as this time of year to review the past 12 months, showing their favourite outfits and special moments. I intended to do this myself and then I remembered that my blog has only been up and running for 6 months and therefore doesn't really merit such a review. Instead I thought I'd share some thoughts and images from my other passion, sea swimming. Wait! Oh dear, I fancy I've just heard a (virtual) door slam as many readers have just scarpered. But for those who remain let me start with the view down to my favourite beach, Appletree Bay. This was taken in early December and is the sight that greets me after a brisk uphill cycle at about 7.30 in the morning. As the cove is about half a mile from home, it's far enough to prepare me for the icy dip which is my true wake-up call.

The sun is rising below a bank of cloud over the back of St Mary's. Just a glimmer of sunshine at this time of year is encouraging. Many's the morning I've cycled head on into driving rain with the darkest of skies offering no improvement in sight. These grey, bleak starts have me wondering what on earth I'm doing.

But here's what keeps me coming. This beautiful stretch of white sand is my very own playground at this time of day. The bay is just short enough for a quick morning swim, but most importantly, I'm usually the only one here at the crack of dawn. An occasional jet boat is the only other sign of life giving me an extra workout as I battle against the impact of the following wash. The two things that will stop me swimming are ill health and wild seas. As I swim alone, it's important that I don't take any risks which might also put others at risk if they had to come looking for me. My husband is my weather adviser as he goes out early every morning before me and on his return tells me if it's too wild to swim or at least which beach I ought to go to to keep out of the worst of the wind/swell. In addition I know that if I can't cycle because the wind is too strong, then I ought not to be out in the water either. And finally my advice to any other solitary sea swimmer is to swim parallel to the beach so that you are always within striking distance of the shore. A sudden bout of cramp can be disabling, and an unexpected seal encounter can also take your breath away - any of which can compromise even the strongest of swimmers. Swim safe!

Photo courtesy of Chris Billington

This is the Jubilee pool in Penzance. It was here about 10 years ago that I glimpsed an inspirational sight which was the catalyst for the sea swimming I do now. I'd been walking along the promenade when I heard laughter followed by men's voices coming from the changing booths opposite. I snuck around the gates and there in the late afternoon light I saw about half a dozen old guys standing drying themselves off. These weren't youngsters in training for an event. This was a jovial meet up for a dip in this sea water pool, probably a regular event throughout the season. What struck me was not the white or sparse hair, or the elderly stance of these guys, no what really got my attention was their amazing ruddy complexion. Arms, legs, faces, everything was red, glowing and they, every single one of them, looked so healthy. Coupled with their laughter, the whole scene etched itself into my memory bank. I instantly knew that I wanted to experience this joie de vivre too. I didn't manage to motivate myself immediately, but life finally conspired to get me into the sea swimming groove. For the past couple of years I've swum every day, sometimes even twice a day, if the tide was right and work permitted. These are solitary events; my time to be alone in nature, but more than that; my time to talk to my Maker. This morning commune gives me a clean slate; it's where I share my thoughts, give my thanks and emerge from the salty water, cleansed, restored, rebalanced. 

With goggles and swim cap at the ready, the aim of this snap is to show you the difference in skin colour from before...

 ...to after. This ruddy, glowing complexion is the trophy of a good swim. And I know it's not just my skin that is benefiting - heart, lungs, immune system are all under siege for the duration and my metabolism is boosted for the rest of the day. I know of no better workout, and it's free! My swimsuit is just that - not a shortie wetsuit, but a nylon Speedo-type suit offering no warmth, but with the bonus of thigh coverage which is merely for vanity's sake. I love the afterglow - it gives me such a rush. 

And that's it, mission accomplished! I pile on the layers of thermal socks, fleece lined trousers, cashmere polo neck, fur lined jacket, beanie hat, thermal gloves and furry boots. I jump onto my faithful steed for the dash home to eat, shower and dress for work. Ah yes, dressing for work...



Here's one final outfit that didn't make the cut this summer, although I don't know why as it's one of my favourites as I look through my album now. 
Dress: H&M. Cardi: Boden (customised with buttons by Stockwell Ceramics). Necklace: Debenhams. Shoes: TK Maxx. Watch and rings: charity shop.

I'd like to wish you all a very happy and peaceful New Year and hope that you'll keep in touch throughout 2016