Appearances can be deceptive

Hello and how are you? Have you had a good weekend? This is Fiona my new swimming buddy. We had a dip together last week not long after she arrived on the island to take up her role in the accounts department. According to her, an office job isn't too bad if you live on a beautiful island like this.

And who am I to argue with her? Fiona is finding it tough to acclimatise to the sea temperature here, but that may have something to do with the fact that she's lived in Australia for the past two years. She'll be fine in a month or two ...

 What did you think to your first sea swim on Green Beach, I asked?

"It was okay. A bit too cold to get my face and head under though." was her response. In the past I've prided myself in helping friends and sometimes mere acquaintances to brave the chilly island waters - mostly with a resounding success rate - but with Fiona I felt I maybe needed to allow her to do it her way.  She's going to try a spell in a wetsuit, which sounds like a good idea.

I really like this photograph. Don't we both look brimming with health and vitality? But appearances can be deceptive. You may recall I had a bone density scan in March. Well, the results are back and it turns out that I have osteoporosis in the long bone in my left thigh. Two bones in my spine and my pelvis are in the osteopenia range too. In one way I was surprised as I have this notion of myself being very fit due to all of the cycling and swimming I do. However, I know that I've been calcium deficient for years thanks to my allergy to dairy products. It's so long since I ate dairy that I've completely lost track of how many years.

When we talk about osteoporosis I imagine a frail old dear, maybe with a dowagers hump, but certainly underweight and looking fragile too. I never considered that an active 60+ woman such as myself could be harbouring this condition. Look at me - I run, I beetle about wherever I go, I spend most of my day at work dashing up and down the stairs - I thought I was fit as a flea, fit as a butcher's dog, however you want to say it. 

The combination of a calcium poor diet, being post-menopausal, as well as being over 60 have compromised my health picture, but it's not irreversible. I've been prescribed supplements (a stronger dose than the ones I've been buying over the counter) and then I'll have another bone scan in a couple of years time to see if the five year recovery plan is working. So, it's not a big deal. But I wanted to share my news with you in case you too are living under the illusion that you're healthy just because you look fit and are well. If you too are lacking in calcium in your diet along with the other contributing factors like me, then it might be worth chatting to your GP to see what they think. I'm currently reading up about bone health on the Royal Osteoporosis Society website which is teeming with information.

The final part of the health jigsaw is for me to include more weight bearing exercise regularly. So lots more of me running (not necessarily along the beach), getting my yoga mat out again and using my gym membership to lift some free weights would all go a long way to rebuilding the strength of my bones. Perhaps giving the bike a rest too in favour of walking briskly to and from the beach might be an easy way to incorporate exercise into my daily life. Seemingly we lay down the foundation for strong healthy bones in our 20's, but that's not the end of it. Our bones are constantly breaking down and rebuilding as we age: we can always work to strengthen our bone density, so don't wait until you're my age - address it now, before it becomes a problem.

                                                                                    Anna x

Citrus brights for summer

Hello, and thanks for dropping by! How's your week going? Are you blessed with good weather, wherever you are? Here in the UK it's a mixed bag again this week, making the daily outfit challenge an interesting one. Not only has it been dull and wet here on the Isles of Scilly, but there's been a cold North wind blowing which resulted in me wearing my long sleeved thermals (in June!) as a base layer to keep the chills out.

We had a last minute burst of sunshine at the end of trading today, so I nipped home and changed into this summery ensemble and Polly kindly did the honours. It was great to have a quick session in front of the camera with her. 

I'm very lucky that Polly and I have a great relationship which extends beyond the workplace. It's lovely to have the chemistry that we do, especially when it comes to our photo shoots. She has a good eye and an inquisitive mind when using the camera plus she likes to throw the odd insult in to get a funny response from me. 

Never one to take myself seriously, I do like the excuse of hamming it up in front of the camera. Acting my age isn't something that worries me too much as you can tell. 

Anyway, enough of that. What about these citrus brights - do you like them? Both trousers and jacket are from the high street, Primark in fact, purchased earlier on in the spring. The jacket is fake suede, a very good imitation to be fair as it's a decent weight with a nice nap to it. Under the jacket I've got a lime floral net tee shirt with an orange vest top underneath, tying the two tone look together nicely. Both of these tops are charity shop finds. 

The lime satin sandals were from TK Maxx last summer and the brand is Steve Madden.

The orange ring is pre-loved, the lime one was from an airport concession, the perspex necklace is very old, as is the orange bangle. My sunglasses are by Quay Australia.

It's only about three weeks now until we start our summer exhibition period with one show opening every 10 days. Where has the time gone? All my good intentions for having caught up with all of the outstanding chores seem to have whizzed past me once again. I can see that July and August will be the same flurry of work, blogging, swimming and boat trips to the uninhabited islands while the housework and gardening seems to be left for another time (goodness knows when!) but I'm all for seizing the day, as they say. Promises I have made to myself to dejunk the loft, read a book a week, and start to use my gym membership - they all appear to be fading into the background as I juggle my life/work/play balance once again. Please do tell me that I'm not the only one ... Leave me a comment if you too struggle with the superwoman image.

Until next time, have a super week!

Anna x

Pink plisse trousers and textured top

Hellooooo! How's your weekend going?

My outfit of the day is from at work yesterday when I was manning the desk, standing all day long, therefore had comfort as my main objective. Our photo shoot was at the end of the day and I was still smiling, a testament to the lack of sore feet, thank goodness.

The plisse trousers were from New Look a couple of seasons ago and are way too big, something like a size 16/18, but that makes them low slung and uber comfy. The striped sheer top is pre-loved, from M&S and a man-made fibre which washes like a dream and dries very quickly. Underneath I have a fuchsia vest top which is quite long and tucks into the trousers helping to secure them at hip level. Without this fabric on fabric bond I fancy they might just descend all the way to my feet!

The silver and white chunky sandals are pre-loved too from Topshop. Sasha gave them to me a while ago as they were too small for her. The wedge sole is a gentle angle making them all day long comfortable. I did actually start off the day wearing my beloved pink (heeled) sock boots, but by lunchtime had to resign myself to ditching glamour in favour of style in another mode.

Keeping it green here with no new jewellery either. Quay Australia sunglasses as per usual, big pink flower ring - gifted from a friend and the other pink ring was a charity shop find. I'm trying hard not to overspend on clothes this summer; I have a few bits and pieces that you've not seen before to sprinkle throughout the year, including a fab new trouser suit that I bought not long after coming back from South Africa. Apart from these, I've made a deal with myself that I'll be strong and keep away from online shopping. Charity shopping will be my weakness, I know, but recycled clothes are the greenest and therefore okay in my book. 

Steve and I are getting into our stride with our evening shoots which are proving to be a lovely way to end the day. We can be chatting about the events of the day and catching up on island news while we're looking for the right location. It all seems quite leisurely to be cycling off together looking for a different aspect or view, especially as the days are longer and the weather more settled. And good for us too, to have a bit of fun larking about together - well, that's what I keep telling him anyway!

Movement was an essential of this particular shoot when we were besieged by gnats as the evening temperature started to drop. Poor Steve was bitten to pieces as he was static for minutes at a time, whereas I just kept jigging about, trying to stop them landing on me. The road we're on is called Pool Road, running alongside the inland lake. I think it's common to have swarms of gnats around a lakes and rivers isn't it? I think we may not be choosing to do a photo shoot here again!

                                                                                 Anna x

The summer trench

Hi, hello and how are you?  I did wonder if summer and trench ought be in the same phrase.  Surely summer is all about not wearing a coat? Unfortunately as the UK weather is so fickle, a summer trench maybe isn't such a bad idea. Steve and I had arranged to meet up at the end of the day to do this photo shoot and it had been a glorious afternoon right up until 5 minutes before we left when we had a heavy shower. Enter stage right, this bright orange trench which hasn't yet been aired on the blog, in fact this is the very first time I've worn it. The brand is Harvey & Jones and I bought it in TK Maxx last summer.

The wind was fierce so I took cover behind the Old Blockhouse ramparts whilst watching a huge dark cloud mass scudding across the sky. A bright blue patch of sky appeared and I rushed to undo the trench to reveal the outfit of the day.

You may remember this jumpsuit from last year - it's from H&M in collaboration with GP & J Baker. I styled it badly that time, yes that has to be said. I wore it with my green sock boots and honestly it didn't do the jumpsuit any favours at all. 

Try as I might to defend it, I knew I ought to have worn these (H&M) sandals, but the chilly autumn air prompted me to change my mind. If you don't believe me see it here. However, the boots may have been wrong, but the haircut was sharp. I may have to revisit that style again ...

My photographer took a great shot of the rain falling onto the Eastern Isles behind me don't you think? Well done Steve, I'll keep you on!

I decided to add an orange vest top underneath the jumpsuit to counter the slightly wide neckline. It felt more comfortable too - not quite so drafty!

Anyway, the jumpsuit is back on my go-to list as it's exactly like a dress, in that you don't have any matching to think about. Separates are fine when you have time to try things out and find the right pieces to go together. But dresses and jumpsuits win hands down when you're in a rush. And to be perfectly honest, my mornings always seem to be a bit of a mad rush. Up at 6am I try to fit in a bit of blogging, a bit of housework, a cycle to the beach for a swim, shower, grab an outfit and dash out the door to work. I'd love to be organised and sort out an outfit the night before, but don't get me started on how my evenings look!

I chose to accessorise the outfit with a wonderful medley of colours. The necklace, purchased from a market in Cape Town, is a great for picking up the pink, orange and green. The flower trimmed sunglasses were from Sainsbury's, the bracelet and orange ring are pre-loved and the pink ring was a gift from a friend. The pink stretch belt is a regular on the blog, but that's because it seems to work with so many looks. I found it on eBay a couple of years ago and it was certainly worth the £5 I paid for it.

My summer handbag of the moment just happens to go with this outfit like a dream. I felt particularly pleased with how well these went together. I've had this Monsoon bag for ages and have reinstated it as my summer handbag this year. I love the pattern and the tassel is sweet too.

I'm a big fan of the colour orange and do wonder why it's taken me so long to wear this lovely trench coat. It could be the fact that when it rains on Scilly, it really rains! You know, that proper downpour affair when you actually need a full set of wet gear - and welly boots! Oh so very different to life on the mainland when you simply hop out of the car and put up a brolly as you nip across the road to the shops. Hey ho, island life suits me fine!

                                                                                       Anna x