My 2017 highlights


January 2017 and my birthday photo shoot was achieved with tripod, camera and 10 second timer. The day was pretty perfect for this time of year and the setting not too shabby either.


February, and if I could time travel, this version of me would be overlooking the birthday girl below. Blockhouse Castle sits just above that pretty little stretch of beach. Taken again with my timer etc, I felt very proud of the fact that the wild weather didn't defeat my photo shoot, nor was I put off when an out-of-season and thoroughly unexpected holiday maker happened upon me as I sat on the castle steps to change out of wellie boots and into leopard print courts. Not sure who was the most surprised, he or I!


March, and certainly not my most glamorous shot of the year, but one that makes me proud of my sea swimming escapades throughout the winter and into the rest of the year. I love the flushed, ruddy skin that accompanies the wonderful afterglow of my icy cold dip. There's no better way to start the day and once this is done, I pretty much feel I can conquer the world.


April, and this is a bit more in keeping with the glamorous image I like to portray, hehehe! The first exhibition of the season means the start of proper dressing up. This beautifully ornate Italian gown was a charity shop find, causing me immense pleasure indeed.


May, and one of the most joyful of photos - the result of a lovely fresh sea breeze that played havoc with my flimsy skirt. Thank goodness for the fulsome petticoat that protected my dignity! This post celebrated two years of blogging.


June, and the time my husband and I took the afternoon off work as the weather was just too good to miss. We tootled off in our little motor boat to Samson, the nearest uninhabited island and enjoyed our castaway picnic. I posted this photo on Instagram where it was spotted by a PR agency who then approached me to appear in a local campaign to advertise the islands. I kinda like the fact that on this particular day I had decided that I wanted to embrace every opportunity that the blog might present.


July, and the height of the summer means one exhibition every ten days for me and my staff. We all seem to thrive on the adrenlin rush that propels us forward during these crazy, hectic summer weeks. And of course, I revel in the need to find new show outfits almost every week!


August, and another beach day (a bit of a theme going on here, don't you think?). It was my day off and I took advantage of the very low tide and did an inter-island walk between Tresco and Bryher. Despite looking on my ownsome, it was a wonderfully social event with lots of locals and holiday makers taking part in the pilgrimage too.


September, and this was the post where I was featured with Johnnie Walker on his Sounds of the 70's show. A terrifying idea beforehand, but on listening to it, my lovely husband declared it was a great collection of our memories. It was a huge honour and one I'll never forget. Dearest Johnnie, thank you!


October, and I was in London meeting up with some blogging friends as well as helping my husband celebrate his 60th birthday. We had a hectic time, fitting in as much as we possibly could. 


November, and the long awaited images arrived and I could finally post the feature about my summer shoot on Samson for the Island Partnership. I loved the whole thing, even though it was quite funny trying to do yoga on the silky smooth sand as well as having a (sometimes vocal) audience to contend with. Another memorable day of the year for me.


December, and this one didn't make the cut for the blog, but maybe should have. I don't have green fingers and unfortunately the Poinsettia no longer looks quite as healthy as this. Over-watering, under-watering, too hot, too cold - who knows? And if you do, please tell me what this darling plant needs to survive.

It's been a great year, one full of work, play, family life, shopping trips and swimming too. It gives me such a thrill to see the readership of the blog grow and know that you're out there sharing in my island life. I love to hear from you with your comments, so do drop me a line if something strikes a chord with you . My "Suggested by..." feature seems to have dried up, but if you have a favourite item of clothing you'd like to see again, then please feel free to send me an email or pop it into the comment box and I'll style it up for you to see once more. Thanks so much for joining me over the past year and I look forward to catching up with you again soon.

Anna x

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My Christmas detox



Before we go any further let me clarify that the detox was in fact a digital one rather than a food one. My gift to myself over the Christmas period was to take a step back from all things digital. No mobile phone, no Instagram, no blog, no emails - I called a truce with all the digital hungry mouths and stepped back into reality. And it was just like a little holiday.


And here I am, batteries recharged and so very pleased to be back with you again. This was my Christmas Day outfit in festive red and green. The fur coat has proved to be my go-to coat over the Christmas period. It's cuddly soft and has earned me lots of strokes as it's just like a soft teddy bear.


I showed you this dress previously as it came from Zara in my Black Friday splurge. In complete contrast to all of my glittery and sparkly Christmas clothes, I decided dress that this simple shift dress was just what I needed for the day. The feather trim lifts the dress from being too simple, however, as well as giving an element of fun to the overall look.


The other great thing about this dress is the fact that once again, my fabulous red boots come into their own. I may be accused of overkill with these, but hey, shoot me.


All of my jewellery is pre-loved, apart from my Vivienne Westwood pendant. The silver nail polish is called "Pedal to the metal" by Rita Ora.


My regular readers may have noticed the new grey/red/checked theme that seems to have cropped up in my clothes recently. Goodness knows how this has come about, but it's a new found delight for me.


The local pub, The New Inn, very kindly dressed their window in time for all of my Christmas photo shoots, so I really have to thank them for giving me the prettiest of backdrops. 


I do hope you've had a lovely Christmas with plenty downtime as well as fun time. There will be a New Year's Eve party at the pub as is the tradition here on the island, but I'm not sure if Steve and I will be going. We've suddenly hit on the pleasure of the box set and are working our way through Game of Thrones in readiness for the next set (out on the 8th of Jan). What are your plans for NYE? Are you heading out to a party or snuggling up in front of the fire with a movie and a bottle of bubbly? Whatever, I wish you a very Happy New Year!

Anna x

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Anna meets... Ruth

It's been a while since I posted one of these, but I'm delighted to bring it back with today's guest, Ruth Connolly. Ruth has been working on the island for the past few months and has become a friend of my daughters, and as such I've got to know her. And now it's your turn. I posed a few questions for Ruth to answer.


Ruth and I are both wearing H&M Christmas jumpers, but not just any old jumpers, as these (my Elfie Selfie and her Penguins) were designed by Ruth. 


A. Tell me about these jumpers and how they came about.

R. Whilst completing my Textile Design degree I was given the opportunity to spend a year working in the fashion industry. I was fortunate enough to be selected for an internship with the Ladies Everyday department at H&M in their head office in Stockholm. One of the projects we were working on was the 2015 Christmas jumper campaign. 


A. Is your background/training in fashion design?

R. I am a specialist in Printed Textile Design so I create the fabric that is used for garments. Although I specialise in print for fashion I am also experienced in designing fabrics to be used for interior purposes too. As a print designer I have a good eye for colour and current trends and also strong drawing, painting and digital skills. Print Design is a fantastic way of working with both traditional drawing methods and digital technologies to create innovative designs. 


Trend Forecasting is my other passion. This involves analysing key movements and trends both artistic and political to predict what we will be seeing in store within the coming years. This allows me to discover new concepts and ideas to work with which for me is the most exciting thing about being a designer. 


A. Do you prefer to shop on the high street/designer/charity shop?

R. I primarily shop on the high street (Zara and &otherstories are amazing for key, on trend pieces) but seek designer finds in thrift and charity shops. I like to keep a file of images from magazines, lookbooks and fashion history books that inspire my wardrobe. I buy key items for each season and pair them with existing garments I already have. I have lots of images of Victoria Beckham’s pre-fall 18 and Valentino’s A//W 2017/18 collections in my file at moment and am lusting over the colour combination of blush pink, terracotta and mauve. 


A. How would you class your style?

R. Classic and on Trend: one of the many advantages of being a trend forecaster. You’re unlikely to see me dressed the same as the crowds or in head to toe TopShop for example (although I do own a pair of those oh-so popular Stan Smiths... just too damn comfy). I spend a lot of time in London so channel classic YSL: a good black trouser and jacket but will jazz it up with a quirky pair of shoes (my absolute weakness). 


A. Where would you like to be in 5 years time?

R. Still designing and trend forecasting. I would also like to have expanded my concept design work and collaborate with artists from other areas of the arts such as choreographers and filmmakers. Also, I want to go back to university to get my Master of Arts in Textile Design and History of Art. 


A. If you suddenly came into money (say £5000) how would you spend it?

R. I am going to talk fashion here rather than all of the boring everyday bills and loans I could pay off. 

I would invest in a printed Valentino A//W 17/18 floor length coat. The prints remind me of David Hockey’s LA work and I haven’t been able to find a high street alternative this season. 



Or I would turn to Dior and their beautiful A//W 17/18 sheer gowns in stargazer print- grungy, elegant, beautiful.


A. What are your plans when you leave the Isles of Scilly?

R. In January I move to Vancouver, Canada for a few months. I will continue to freelance whilst exploring and capturing the beautiful landscape. I am on a hunt for #vancouverssecrets which I will document on my website (www.pipicon.com) that is launching soon. 


A. Will we see you back here again?

R. I holiday on Tresco every year so will definitely be back in September with my family. The Scilly’s are key inspiration for my collections so I come and explore the islands at least once a year to photograph, draw and write. 


A. What will be your abiding memory of your time here?

R. Apart from the luxury of waking up to, in my opinion, the most beautiful landscape in the world, it would have the be the people of Tresco. My biggest fear before moving out to the Scilly’s was if I would fit in with island life and make friends. The community made me so welcome that I am the happiest and most myself I have been for a number of years. The thought of leaving this amazing island with its equally amazing people is very sad, but I thank them for giving me the most incredible experience. 


A. What possession is most precious to you and why?

R. A letter my late father wrote to me inspiring me to live my life with love and optimism. 

Many thanks to Ruth for taking part in today's feature. I'll be following her with interest as this young lady will surely do well no matter what path she takes within the fashion world. 


No style conferring had gone on prior to our photo shoot, so it was quite funny when I met up with Ruth to see her sporting silver boots too. In the battle of the bargains however, I won! Mine were £5 from Primark and hers were £8 from TopShop. My jeans were from Zara in my Black Friday shopping spree. Silver jeans are exactly what you need when you're about to turn 60, don't you agree?

Before I sign off, I just want to acknowledge those amongst us who find this time of year a struggle. Whether you have painful memories of years gone by or are alone and feeling lonely it's not always easy to live up to the Christmas dream we're fed at every turn. A fellow blogger, Tamera Beardsley has posted an article giving some timely advice that may be helpful - see here.

Anyway folks, I'll take a few days off now and be back later in the week to show you my Christmas day outfit. I do hope you have a wonderful time catching up with family and friends. So let's eat, drink and be merry. Until next time -

Happy Christmas!

Anna x

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Something simple


I thought it was maybe time to step away from all the glitz and sparkle of Christmas and post  a more simple outfit. This was taken just two days after I had my tooth out, calling for a good dollop of blusher and a slash of bright red lippy to brighten up my rather peely-wally (aka peaky) complexion.


All the jewellery is pre-loved, including the necklace and bracelet that I picked up last week.


The grey sweater and culottes are both from Primark, again recent purchases. The grey long sleeved tee is a thermal layer from M&S and the boots are from H&M.


 Oh how I love these boots!




Every time I wear these red sockboots I feel the cost has been justified. But, more importantly, I just love how glamorous they make me feel and the fit is so comfortable too. Today's outfit is all about comfort in fact, as the culottes have a fully elasticated waist which will be very handy round about Christmas time when waistlines have the habit of expanding no matter how good ones intentions are. I've chosen a shift dress to wear on Christmas day for the very same reason. 


I hope to sneak another post in before Christmas Day, but in case I don't I'd like to wish you a very Happy Christmas and also say thank you for joining me as we near the end of another year. Whether you're a regular reader or a now and again visitor I'm so pleased to have you around. But one last thing - I was asked about my party outfit and what I finally alighted on for the event. Well, I wore this skirt and top (see here) but I added these boots instead (see here). The whole outfit made me feel very comfortable, so much so, that yes, I did dance after all! 
Anna x

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