#Ping Ping Post no 7

Hello again and welcome to #Ping Pong Post no 7. The aim of #PPP is to recreate a girls night in where I and my two blogging friends, Ann of Kremb de la Kremb and Samantha of Fake Fabulous, choose an item of clothing and then style it up in our own way. In theory this is a simple enough idea, but the practicality of it is a bit more difficult as we all live so very far apart - Ann lives in Hong Kong, Samantha in Scotland and I live in England, on an island 28 miles to the west of the Cornish mainland. Now in its 7th month, the series started like this - see here. This time Ann has offered up her striped Breton top, so let's see her interpretation first.

Ann has run with the nautical theme here by adding hooped earrings, pirate's scarf, dark eyeliner and lots of gold bullion. Her girl-goes-pirate look is softened by the silky gold skirt that echoes the gold of her socks and tennis shoes. I love her authentic touches of the harbourside backdrop with all the right props. Ann's photos always have a humorous slant, but that never takes away from her skill in finding a story and telling it well. Cute as always, Ann carries off this ultra feminine pirate look with casual ease.

Details are:

Kerchief--second hand shop

Gold Hoops--very long story....but now from Hong Kong
Necklace--Hong Kong
Thumb Ring--Mumbai
Striped Crop Shirt--H&M hand-me-down from my sister
Gold skirt and socks-- Forever 21 
Tennis--Lacoste

Follow Ann on Instagram here.

Both ladies have featured a full skirt. Samantha, however, has given the outline a more pared down look, thanks to some very clever illusionary effects. By tucking the top in and adding a big belt she really changes its shape. Her chunky boots tie in beautifully with the patent belt, and the the pop of blue she introduces by way of accessories is a clever move. Samantha says she really enjoyed this challenge and I think it shows. The cool, funky outfit she created is the work of a true fashionista.

Details are:

Dress: Asos (from a Charity shop)

Boots: Vagabond

Glasses: Tkmax

Necklace: eBay

Belt: Coast (old)

Bag: Linea

Nails: Barry M

Tights: Gypsy

Follow Samantha on Instagram here.

Yes, and here's the top again, but as a skirt. I have to admit that this wasn't my favourite #PPP. I'm not keen on boxy shaped tops and this one swamped me, so I had three options: to wear it as a turban, a skirt or a poncho. Well, as you can see I opted for the skirt version. The length did of course, bring it's own problems which is where the dress came in.

Once I'd pulled the skirt over the dress, the belt was needed to cinch everything together. Cue matching shoes, and once I'd got that far, I thought the whole look was begging for a finishing touch. By topping the outfit off with a hat Polly thought the ensemble was very St. Tropez. What do you think?

Details are -

Striped top - Ann's

Dress - J at Jasper Conran

Hat - Mila Sehon

Belt - TK Maxx

Shoes - BCBGeneration

Handbag - thrifted

Sunglasses - Quay Australia

Watch - Michael Kors

My Instagram link is here. 

Once again, I think we've all had a bit of fun creating our own particular style with the selected item of the month. Next month will bring another challenge, this time from my wardrobe. I do hope you'll come back again on the 20th October to see what's up. And just for a change, our line-up will look a bit different...

Linking with - 

Catherine of Not Dressed as Lamb

Patti of Not Dead Yet Style

Cherie of Style Nudge

Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish
Judith of Style Crone

Anna x

Shopping weekends

It's confessional time. I've had a couple of trips to the mainland over the past few months which did, of course, entail a scour through all of my favourite charity shops. More eye tests for glasses to wear at work were a fine excuse to bring me across to spend a couple of weekends with Sasha. So here I am wearing the first pair of these whilst sporting a natty little dress I found at TK Maxx last weekend. The 60's vibe was helped along by the cute little jacket too.

This shot does make me laugh, as I look so like my father. I have his prominent nose and now that I've got glasses I can see him more than ever. R.I.P. dad x

All summer long I've coveted a pair of these ghillie sandals and it's taken me months to finally find the right pair (at the right price). My blogging friend Jess of Elegantly Dressed and Stylish has many pairs which she has flaunted for months until she has finally worn me down. Hers were more elegant and therefore more expensive however. I found these at Tu at Sainsbury's in their sale last week and paid the bargain basement price of £4.80. Given that I won't have many chances to wear them until they have to be packed up for the winter, it seemed like a good price.

So that's the first reveal. Let's get onto the main event shall we? I'll show you the two lots of shopping in my usual "bed spread" fashion. The first shot is from the end of July and the second from early September. You may glimpse a few pieces that have been showcased already.

I like how the July spread is so summery in colours and that by September the autumnal hues have taken hold. It doesn't worry me that I won't have worn all of the summer pieces before they have to be packed away. If anything, they will act as lovely surprises when I unpack them all again next spring - some new brand new clothes already waiting to be worn! I'm particularly excited by the pair of blue glitter brogues in the centre of this lower shot. They were on my wish list since buying a rose gold pair for Sasha last Christmas. She was wearing hers when we met up last weekend and that just started me pining all over again. Anyway, on Saturday we headed out to the shops bright and early starting with my favourite of all (shoe) shops TK Maxx. I'd put in my order with the universe to find me my glitter shoes and so it was of no surprise to me to find them, the only pair on display which just happened to be in my size. I'm going to hold off wearing them for as long as possible - do you understand that mentality? The need to keep them special for as long as you can? 

My July trip to Truro also coincided with the appearance of the Man Engine to the city. Sasha and I spent our lunchtime on Lemon Quay waiting for the unveiling amongst clouds of smoke while the crowds gathered. The link here gives all the background to this10 metre high feat of engineering. 

The Man Engine had been on a tour of Cornwall at the time and I was just lucky to be in Truro on the exact day it arrived. I think it had been a huge draw for the tourists and locals alike. The centre of Truro came to a grinding halt for an hour or so while the display took place. It was mighty impressive - some things have to be experienced to be understood, eh?

Join me again next weekend where I'll cover our visit to the Jubilee Pool. Sasha and I  were fortunate in being able to have swim there on the last day of the season before it closed for the winter. In the meantime I'll be posting #PPP7, that's Ping Pong Post no 7 to you and I and that will be on the 20th as usual, so I hope to see you all on Tuesday!

I'm so pleased to say that Sasha looks like her father too. Good genes there girl!

Anna x

Applique and lace

I promised you bare legs and summer outfits for as long as possible, and so here we have another September offering. I love peach and aqua, I love lace, and a bit of applique can't do any harm either. As a mid-week outfit I'm pleased with the overall look, especially with the shoes and bag adding that certain je ne sias quoi. 

My magpie nature furnishes me with all kind of random items, which when put together with a creative eye can lift the everyday out of the ordinary. You've no idea the pleasure it gives me to pull pieces of clothing in many colours and styles onto the bed in the morning challenging myself to find a new look out of these (often) second hand clothes. The lace top is a recent purchase from Tesco, and the shoes were also new, but the bag, skirt and bangles are all on their second time around. Pre-loved they call them, and still loved by me. 

This hobby of mine is not only creative, but enduring - I've been hooked on clothes since my early teens. It's also proving to be a wonderful connection with so many like minded women across the world who love dressing to impress no-one but themselves. I also like to share how being middle-aged doesn't have to mean boring, dull, frumpy or beige. Shape or size has no bearing on this frame of mind either. All it takes is a bit of trial and error, adding a belt here, a splash of colour there until you can find a signature that is yours. My own signature style is constantly evolving. I have my favourites, like my brogues, and pattern play, but I'm always ready to try something new. For me there's a real joy in clothes, the right clothes, worn the right way - seek out that joy and you too can have that daily pleasure in your life as I do.

Top from F&F at Tesco (sold out), skirt French Connection (thrifted), shoes TK Maxx, handbag thrifted, necklace old, rings old, watch Michael Kors, bangles thrifted.

Anna x

Joy is a jumpsuit

I hope that you've got the measure of me by now. I love my clothes, I gush, I enthuse, and I'd like to think that's why you keep coming back for more. Today's offering was from last week when the sun still was like me, making an effort to impress. The big sky during my lunch break was an amazing sight. See it at the end of the feature or scroll down now if you can't wait. Anyway, joy is indeed a jumpsuit and this one was from the H&M sale last summer. I wore it the first time around for an exhibition evening see here, and yes it's pretty much a repeat showing, but worth it none the less, I think.

I wafted about feeling rather lovely in my jumpsuit, while the sun shone, the sea sparkled and the islands looked idyllic. Giddy with the sheer excitement of being alive, I smiled at the wonder of how the weather could transform and uplift us all. These perfect days are to be locked away in our memory banks, fodder for the long winter ahead when the sky will turn the sea to gunmetal rather than the brilliant blue of today. 

But for the moment, all is bliss. We are becalmed, and I for one, am joyful in my jumpsuit. 

A note to any new readers. These beautiful islands where I live are the Isles of Scilly which are part of Cornwall in the UK, not to be confused with the island of Sicily which is, of course, part of Italy. On a day like this, the islands here could pass for somewhere much more exotic, but in fact they lie some 28 miles off the Southwest of England where they are bathed in the warm wash of the Gulf Stream. The five inhabited islands are part of a larger archipelago comprising of over 140 uninhabited islands which are a draw for tourists who want to experience a slower, more relaxed pace of life. For them the most important decision of the day is what boat to catch to which island. For all you need to know about coming to stay click here.

Outfit details are - jumpsuit H&M (old), shoes Dune, shrug thrifted, necklace and rings old, sunglasses are by Quay Australia (these are similar and are on offer too) and bracelet in green amethyst is from Morocco.

Anna x