Meeting Mary

I've not managed to meet up with many other fashion bloggers since I started this caper and that's probably down to living in such a remote part of the British Isles. When Kezzie spent a day on the island last summer I was quick to offer my services as tour guide which resulted in a very happy time for us all (her mother played the part of blog photographer). Read about our day here

Recently I had the pleasure of meeting up with Mary aka The Pouting Pensioner. We decided that the Ruin Beach Cafe was the best spot to share a cuppa and swap our blogging stories, and so it was. As you can see it's a pretty idyllic setting, not to mention the delicious menu that covers the whole day. I have lots of food intolerances, but never have any problem eating here.



Mary was here on holiday with her family who have all stayed on the island many times before. My role as tour guide was therefore redundant, but we had a fair old chinwag for a couple of hours before I confessed it was time for me to get back to work. We thought we ought to have some more photos before I did and set off to find a good spot. The sun was high in the sky making it difficult to capture the sea view without us ending up in shadow. We crossed the lawn and alighted on a view over towards Northwethel island. And this is where the fun began. Without my tripod I was flummoxed as to where to prop my camera to get a good shot. I suggested a bench, but Mary said it'd be too low; she was right. A few shrubs and lots of low lying lush plants were all that was around us, until I spotted a big boulder behind some Agapanthus. With that we agreed where the right spot would be for us to stand which did however, entail a bit of clambering over a bed of mesembryanthemums which covered rocks and also hid a fair few dips and holes too. Mary and I pussy-footed our way across to a flat rock. Yes, this was ideal. I left Mary in place and proceeded to set up the timer for 10 seconds and zoomed in for the shot. "Wait!" said Mary, "Bring me my phone so that I can get my angle of this too." And this is how we got the perfect selfie -








And this is the shot -


Mary suggested we take another for good luck, but you'll kinda get my drift when I say that the second run-through was pretty much like the first. Mary and I wandered back across the island, chatting nineteen to the dozen until we parted, me to work and she to her family. Our common bond of blogging helped us overcome that getting-to-know-you phase as we fast forwarded to subjects like instagram stalkers, collaborations and what we hope to get out of blogging long term. Mary is a warm and kind soul, intelligent and funny with lots to say as you'll see on her blog. As we said our goodbyes I was pleased to know that we'd thoroughly enjoyed our meet up despite is being so brief. Kezzie and Mary both left the islands smitten with the sights in a way neither of them had expected. That's the magic of the Isles of Scilly I'd say; nothing really goes on here - just peace and quiet, beautiful landscapes and seascapes with time to do what you want, at the pace you choose.

Later that day, Steve called me up to say Happy Anniversary. We'd forgotten somehow, in the run of our everyday lives, that it was our 36th year of being married. He suggested that we go off-island to one of the desert islands that are scattered around the main islands. The sun shone down as we headed across the sea to Tean, the same island that we visited when Johnnie and Tiggy were here earlier in the summer. 




Our hastily gathered picnic comprised mostly of beer, nuts and chocolate; all the vital elements for a perfectly balanced diet.


We had an inquisitive visitor while we ate. Maybe seals are like dogs and have a great sense of smell. He kept bobbing about, looking at us and disappearing for a minute or two just to reappear further along the bay. If it was an invitation to join him, I declined. We're still awash with Men of War jellyfish that have lethal stings in their long tentacles. I've had to hang up my cossie for the past few weeks as I don't want to have the close encounter that could put me off sea swimming altogether. The biggest ones have tentacles that are 30ft long!



Heading off home before the sun dipped out of sight.


And here's the photo shoot from the morning before all of this unfolded.





I'm smitten with these fabulous pink shoes. But, I seem to have bought them in too big a size - this is why I hate online shopping! If I were savvy enough, I'd have known to buy them in a couple of sizes. I've added insoles, to no effect as I still walk out of them. I wonder if thick tights might give a bit of grip? If you're got any ideas to remedy this and make them wearable, I'd love to hear from you.

Outfit details - shoes and trousers: H&M, jacket and shirt: Next, sunglasses: Sainsbury's, rings: gifts.

Linking with - 
Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb
Cherie of Style Nudge



Anna x

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Vintage vibe

So here's a lovely perk of having my daughter return to the fold; the hand-me-down of this vintage dress. A pop of pink is a perfect midweek pep up! (No extra charge for the tongue twister!)


The midweek rush did mean however that I forgot to bring out my new pink metallic shoes for this. Since my wardrobe changeover I've discovered a lot more winter shoes and boots than I knew I had, causing me a bit of a headache as I try to fit them all into accessible spaces. Hence the pink shoes aren't in with the main shoe collection. Hey ho, I'll just have to showcase them in my next post.








Much as I love these glitter brogues I really think the outfit would've looked better with heels. Chaos still reigns in my life even though it's October and I had assured myself that all would be calm by this time of year. My husband's 60th birthday has sidetracked me as I try to arrange a party for him this weekend. Last weekend we went to St Mary's for the night to join two of his childhood friends who are also turning 60. We had a great evening of gourmet food with immaculate service in unique surroundings followed by drinks in a local hotel. We spent the night in a B&B so that we didn't have to come back in our boat in the dark - very easily done when you know the way, but not how I wanted to end the evening. Can you believe I forgot to take my camera for that little jaunt? I'd love to do a repeat performance (perhaps for my 60th) and get some shots for the blog. Both the restaurant and the guest house deserve a shout out for the high standards they offer.

Sunday's post will feature a blogger's meet up here on the island. Do join me to see how we achieved the perfect selfie with lots of hilarity along the way.

Anna x

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Thank you Sheila!

The world of blogging can be a wonderful place especially when it comes to making friends. Enter stage right, Sheila of Ephmera who was one of the first over 40's bloggers that I discovered prior to starting my own blog. As a friend Sheila gives me great advice, provides me with inspiration and of late has sent me a couple of her hand-me-downs. The first being this shot silk dress. 








Time for a little whooshing about! Check out instagram to see my boomerang clip of this.





Now, if I were as organised as my dear friend, I would have the precise details of when she wore this gorgeous dress. Sheila keeps a record of each piece and when it was worn linking back through all the previous times it was showcased too - how impressive! She was uncertain as to how flattering this dress looked on her, giving rise to lots of comments from her readers. To my utmost shame, I was a bit brutal and said I thought it was maybe a bit short on her and to move it on, adding that I would help her out by taking it off her hands. My motives were completely selfish, but golly, it worked, and here am I thrilled with my new inheritance! The joke is on me however, as it seems that Sheila and I must be the same height. Without the petticoat my knees would have been the rather unsightly focal point. With the petticoat, however, I think it's sensational. Late edit - here's the link to the post.

An additional bit of raving from me has to be about my fabulous new sock boots. Ever since I first saw these, which must be a month ago or more, I have lusted after them. And, may I add, so have many others, meaning that they're virtually impossible to get hold of. You magazine featured them in September (or was it August?), immediately causing a stampede. Within a day the only size they had for sale on their website was a 2.5 and soon even that was gone. My ever resourceful daughter tracked this pair down to eBay (brand new with labels attached) and even though they were twice the retail price, I had to have them. Just as a fish needs water or a bee needs nectar, I needed these boots. 

The dress is a coral colour, but being shot silk, the secondary tone is pink. I decided to go colour crazy by mixing the red petticoat and boots, pink belt and coral dress all together giving this eye-popping effect. My accessories are rose gold in keeping with the warm hues. Sheila, I do hope you can forgive me my ulterior motives, but as you can see, this is a truly joyful outfit that you've helped me to create.

Outfit details - dress: Big Fish, belt: eBay, boots: H&M, sunglasses: Sainsbury's, jewellery: pre-loved.

Linking with -
Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb
Cherie of Style Nudge
Samantha of Fake Fabulous
Anna x

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The joy of autumn

You know me - Joy is my middle name and I'm constantly looking to find it in all I do. After all the grumbling about the demise of summer I've remembered one of the joys of this time of year and it's The Fluffy Jumper!


Poor Polly just about had kittens when I decided to clamber on the sea wall for this shoot. I think she confused my childish actions with the me actually being a child and therefore in danger.


My Titanic moment.







Yes, I just love to snuggle up in a fluffy jumper. This one is pre-loved and the brand is Atmosphere (Primark). I'm sporting all of my favourite autumn colours as well as these most comfortable of trainers by LA Gear. The slim fit trousers are from H&M, have a stretch fit and yes, add a lovely bit of pattern play which gladdens my heart. A thermal layer (I have lots of these in different colours) from M&S becomes one of my mainstays to keep out the chills at this time of year. Rings are pre-loved and my chain necklace was a gift.

As the days become shorter and the mornings inevitably darker I would offer this one piece of advice - fight off the gloom by using more colour in your outfits. It's all too easy to drift into the greys and darker colours as we get further into the winter months. The fashion magazines are prompting us to jump onto the bandwagon of wearing berry brights and pillar box reds and I must admit I have to agree. That punch of colour has a positive, mood-enhancing effect. I'll be following my own advice in my next post when I showcase my new pair of red boots, seemingly the must-have piece for our winter wardrobe. Not one to doggedly follow trends just for the sake of it, I have however, fallen head over heels with the sock boot and am keen to share the joyful, sleek, sassy footwear with you. Until then, have a great week!
Anna x

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5Over50 do hats!

Hello and apologies for the radio silence over the past few days, but life has been hectic. However, here we go with this month's challenge, chosen by Gail, creator of the 5 Over 50 group and I must admit that a challenge is indeed what it was for me! I don't have a #hatface so this is the best I could do -


I've used the ploy of a stunning background to distract from what I feel may not be the best of styling for this challenge. But let's gloss over that and see how my companions tackled the subject of Hats.


Jacqui borrowed this floppy 60's style hat and golly, doesn't it suit her! The look somehow reminds me of Mary Quant - before your time? Oh dear! Pop over to see more on Mummabstylish here. Great pattern play, by the way, Jacqui!


Laurie, like me, admitted that hats weren't her favourite topic, but see how her outfit belies that. I love the orange and gold hues together. See more on Vanity and Me Style here.


Gail did in fact name this challenge "A woman wears many hats" and she certainly carries hers off with true panache. All of these berry colours suit her skin tone so well. Read Gail's account on Is This Mutton.


Hilda is sporting the most beautiful of Fedoras in a giraffe print. Much as it's way over my budget, she happily paid... well you'll have to pop over to her blog Over The Hilda to find out exactly how much. But I have to agree with her that it was a great investment - she looks pretty sharp, don't you think?


Unlike Hilda, I knew that I wouldn't really have cause to wear a hat again, opting instead to pick this bowler up in a charity shop for a few quid. By the time I got it home, however, I realised that I had no idea what to wear with it. I didn't want to go with the tweed and brogues idea that first came to mind as I felt it would be overly masculine. 


But a bowler is none-the-less a masculine item so I took that as my lead when choosing this shirt and tie combination (both pre-loved too). The slim cut trousers are from Boden - yes androgynous and yet the colour adds a feminine touch to the look. 


By adding these metallic pumps I've injected a splash of the playful, fun look that feels so very much my style. These were a snip last month from Primark at only £3. I like the texture of the trousers against the shine of the shoes.


The jacket is a corduroy H&M number from a few years ago. I read in a magazine this month that velvet and corduroy are big this season, meaning it was time for me to drag this out of storage. Keep something for long enough and it'll come back into fashion!


Brooch and rings are all charity shop finds. 


Not #hatface, but #happyface here once the shoot is over. I must give a mention to the huge outdoor painting that's shown here. It's of the view over Old Grimsby, painted by local artist Richard Pearce who has a beachside studio and gallery on the nearby island of Bryher.

Linking with -
Catherine of Not Dressed As Lamb
Samantha of Fake Fabulous
Judith of Style Crone

Anna x

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