Autumn styling tricks

Hello lovely peeps, how's things with you? You may recall me bemoaning the end of summer in a recent post and the fact that autumn represents a struggle for me style-wise. Well today I've taken the simple approach by following the fashion advice of Red magazine. The feature captured my attention mainly as I could see that I already had similar items languishing in my wardrobe.

There's nothing better than finding all of the necessary pieces in ones closet to make up a brand new outfit. My pale peach utility wear jumpsuit is so comfortable and now it seems I can extend the life of it for another couple of months. I bought mine in Topshop in the summer sale.

I'm a big fan of belts of all widths meaning that I already had this very similar one. I've had it for yonks and have no idea where I bought it. It's a lovely piece made of soft, thick leather which is why I've held onto it. On trend or not, I keep hold of quality items, not just because of the inevitability of the fashion coming around again, but because they're an absolute asset.

The snakeskin biker jacket was gifted to me by JD Williams earlier this year. See it online here. It's a lovely soft fabric, an artificial suede that wears well and hangs nicely. The rose gold necklace is pre-loved, the rose gold edged sunglasses are by Quay Australia.

My snakeskin print ankle boots were from New Look. They have a new version for this season here. This shape of Chelsea boot seems to fit my foot shape perfectly and are all-day comfortable for me - just enough heel, but not too high.

Another quality leather item is my natural leather Radley bag. If you hurry you can catch the Radley half price sale online here. Mine was an snip from a charity shop which won't surprise you. It pays to have an eagle eye, even if you're not that into second hand shopping. The flower enamel ring was another charity shop find and the ethnic ring was from a market in Cape Town (happy days!).

So, what have I learnt from Red's fashion styling tricks? It seems that by simply adding a jacket and pair of boots to summer clothes, well hey presto, that amounts to autumn dressing! I'm going to be applying this to lots of my summer clothes, that's the ones that haven't already been packed away at least. Coming up later this week, I'll be showing you how one of my favourite summer dresses looks when it gets this autumn treatment.

Did you like today's feature? If so, please let me know.

Anna x

38 years ago today

Thank you for joining me today on our 38th wedding anniversary. Apologies for this thoroughly sentimental walk down memory lane, as we travel to the Registry Office on St Mary's for the ceremony, then by taxi, boat and finally horse and cart to our Wedding Reception at the Island Hotel on Tresco. Steve and I, both 23 years old, felt ready to embark on this lifelong journey together and it still makes me smile to see how terribly young we look. 

This handsome young man stole my heart.

Sitting inside the cabin of the Commodore with family surrounding me, the day took on a dreamlike quality. Basking in sunshine we were protected from the wild October weather. I was bathed in the rosy glow of the bride, oblivious of the storm that raged all around us. Our friends and family were sporting full wet-gear and some were even tucked under a tarpaulin in an attempt to keep their finery dry on the inter-island crossing. 

Our boatman, the legendary David Stedeford, steered us safely through the boiling sea between the islands. All other boating had been cancelled that day due to the raging storm.

As the boat pitched and rolled in the heavy sea, my poor Maid of Honour, Marjory was holding on for grim death, puking over the side as seasickness overwhelmed her. Nobody knew, as she was tucked under the tarpaulin, head being thrashed by the waves as they slopped over the side of the boat. Poor Marjory!

Old Grimbsy quay, sanctuary from the gale.

It was a great privilege to be taken by horse and cart to our Wedding Reception at the Island Hotel. We were the last couple to enjoy this romantic mode of transport before the horse and cart were retired.

Behind us Steve's fellow crew members of the Czar held the gig paddles aloft - the honour of an archway of oars is an old island tradition.

And so, 38 years down the line, my memories of the day are some of the happiest of my life. I somehow had been lucky enough to land the most eligible bachelor on the island and he had promised to love and cherish me forever. And he has. But more than that, he has taught me some of his best qualities: humility, loyalty and diplomacy. He has anchored me when the storms of life have battered me, showing me a personal strength that I didn't know existed within me. He has encouraged and supported my outrageous adventures, believing in me even when I might lose sight of my goal. He's my protector, my mentor, my best friend. Susan Holmes sums up perfectly my feelings on my darling husband.

Anna x

Autumn florals, our Style Not Age challenge

Welcome to September's style challenge! Autumn florals is what I came up with for my theme, which feels like the halfway house to admitting that summer is over. I've unpacked some of my autumn clothes today, but I'm not convinced that I'm ready for the decline into what I find the most difficult months of the year. Drab and dull is what comes to mind when I think autumn and winter, but I mustn't confuse the weather with the clothes must I? Anyway, let's see how my co-conspirators have done this time shall we?

Jacqui gives her florals a light touch by adding white to the mix. This is a clever bit of transitional dressing if ever I saw it! Read more on her blog Mummabstylish here.

Another pair of light coloured boots lifts Hilda's dark floral frock and adds a funky element that I really love. See her back story on Over the Hilda here.

Editor of Style Splash Emma is sporting a #secondhandseptember frock for the challenge. I would have snapped this pretty offering up too if I'd seen it! And how cute is that little bag?

So let's get down to details shall we? My floral frock is by Zara, an earlier purchase from this summer. The mustard suedette jacket is by Boohoo which I picked up in TK Maxx this year too. You may remember seeing these chestnut suede boots before. I've had them for a couple of years now - they're from Office and are still comfy as ever despite the height of those heels.

The maxi dress has one side split giving the odd flash of thigh. I think I'll be happier to wear tights with this during the colder months. The tiny and beautifully soft leather bag by Gigi is preloved and was a bargain at £3.99. I was rather pleased to match the orange flowers with the orange trim of the bag.

I've got a few maxi dresses that I'm planning on wearing with boots over the next month or so to see if I can extend their life beyond that summer fling. I think a bit of layering may be needed to carry it the look off, but it may be worth a try. My cream and peach floral frock from Zara (see here) is one that I'm loath to pack away just yet, so watch out for that bit of styling soon.

Rings are both preloved, as is the leather belt by Evie and my necklace is by Daisy Dunlop. Did you notice the punched floral pattern on both ring and belt? I can't help these tiny link-ups.

Sunglasses are by my fave brand Quay Australia.

So that's another month's challenge in the bag. Thanks for joining us again. Are we inspiring you? Does autumn inspire you? If so, please do share with me what fires you up most for this new season as I do struggle with this. Perhaps you've had your colours done and autumn is you? I think I may be autumn, but that doesn't seem to make it any easier for me. 

Have a great week and let's catch up again soon!

Anna x

Goodbye to summer?

Oh my goodness, is it really time to say goodbye to summer? I keep seeing these posts from other bloggers embracing autumn and oh, how I hate to give up on the joys of my favourite season! I'm dragging my feet at the prospect of cosy clothes, but here I am nonetheless posting my last summer offering for you.

Is summer your favourite season too? How on earth can it not be? I love the warmth of the sun, the promise that each day holds, the lightness in my heart, the spring in my step, the joy of my summer wardrobe and the delights therein. Nothing can rival the happiness I feel when I'm on the beach at six in the morning with the heat of the rising sun on my back, the company of a few Oystercatchers chattering their way along the shore. My morning swim sets me up for the day. As the sunlight reaches the turquoise water my mind turns to the outfit of the day. What shall it be? Can I find that winning combination of style plus comfort, especially in the shoe department? Today's ensemble pretty much fills all of those requirements.

Topshop seemed to come up trumps for me several times over the summer with this cinnamon zebra print skirt being one of those that were in the sale. The double splits up the front make for a bit of a flirty feel which is no bad thing. If seeking joy is my mission statement then this fits in nicely thank you!

This gold blocked logo tee was from TK Maxx, the brand is Public Envy and it cost me all of £5.99. You can't go wrong with a white tee shirt for summer, can you? And this one has the perfect message too.

It's a job to tell if my expression is one of outrage or laughter at something Polly had thrown at me. "Shut up" was her most often interjection, probably due to my endless stream of nonsense during these photo shoots. Happy days!

My white Puma trainers were well worn throughout the summer months and goodness how my feet loved the gentle support and comfort of these simple shoes. Will fashion dictate something as feet-friendly next year I wonder?

I sometimes wonder if it's right that I'm still having this much fun at my age?

I'm sporting a mix of old and new jewellery today - preloved rings, Primark gold chain necklace and rose gold Michael Kors watch, plus a new pair of Quay Australia sunglasses that I found in Topshop, once again in the sale. 

This weekend I'll be dragging bags and cases out from under the bed, ever hopeful that my autumn/winter wardrobe will be full of lovely surprises. The past week on Scilly has been a time of changing weather, one that I can't ignore any longer. Thick tights, tweed skirts, fluffy jumpers and cosy jackets will be back in evidence by the end of it - I hope!

In the meantime, please join me and the ladies of the Style Not Age Collective on Monday as we tackle this month's theme of "Autumn florals". My choice this time, so wish me luck with that!

                                                                                        Anna x