Jewel Brights, our Style Not Age challenge for January

Welcome to our monthly style challenge!

Hello and thanks for joining us again for this month's Style Not Age challenge where we're featuring Jewel Brights. It's probably no surprise to you to learn that this was my choice. Who else would be proposing these colours? Needless to say this was a joyful undertaking for me; it gave me the perfect opportunity to showcase this fabulously ornate patterned skirt that does indeed shine with lots of jewel bright colours. Enraptured though I am, I'll hold back and direct us to the other ladies of the Collective first to see what they made of this theme.

Clearly Jacqui enjoyed this theme as much as I did! She's incorporated a wealth of rich and bright colours in this gorgeous outfit. Plus, she's sporting an envy-inducing tan from her recent skiing trip! Catch up on all her latest news on Mummabstylish.

Hilda struggled (she said) with this challenge, but eventually unearthed this superb ruby red coat and toning necklace which totally fit the bill. Pop over to her blog Over The Hilda to see more.

The Style Splash Emma has truly embraced Jewel Brights with this glorious emerald green trench alone, never mind all of the other colours that adorn this ensemble. Hurrah and well done I say!

Not satisfied with the vibrancy of the satin skirt, I decided to add these red cowboy boots and red glitter tights just to get the message across - I love Jewel Brights! The skirt is from TK Maxx and the brand is Urban Gypsy (I mixed the labels up with the silver trousers from my previous post). 

The boots are vintage, no label.

I found this suede crop cowboy jacket (second hand, no label) when I was on the loose in London a couple of months ago. My friend Ben had encouraged me to buy it, saying I ought to create a Dolly Parton look. 

This is my take on his suggestion.

The rich colours and pattern of this gorgeous skirt caught my eye straight away when I was browsing in TK Maxx. I know it will work well for an opening night party at the gallery this year, so do keep your eyes peeled for that. A pair of dainty high heels and perhaps a lace blouse would be equally pretty.

The gold flower ring was a Christmas present and the other was from an airport concession.

Many thanks for joining us today. Perhaps you've been inspired to run riot with some jewel brights too or maybe pick some up when you next go shopping? 

                                             Have a great week!

                                                                           Anna x

Yay, it's my birthday!

And this is what 62 looks like!

Thanks so much for joining me today. Yes, it's my birthday today and I'm 62. January can be a rubbish time to have a birthday, but the older I get, the more I understand that every birthday is a blessing. I've nothing special planned for today apart from having the day off work and lounging around, but I did go out partying last week to celebrate my birthday with some girlfriends (hubby was too exhausted after a very long day at work). Partying for me just means dancing and that's exactly what I did. There's no photos of that I'm afraid, but here's the outfit that this 62 year old bird wore.

The shirt is pre-loved (£3.25), the brand is ASOS and the metallic trousers were £30 from my favourite retro shop in Truro, Enjoy Clothing.  I think the brand is Urban Gypsy, but I snipped the label out and it got mixed up with some others. I love to have a rummage around Enjoy Clothing as it has all sorts of retro pieces and the best dressing up clothes you can hope to find in Cornwall. The prices are reasonable, the staff are very friendly and remember me from previous visits even though I don't get there very often. They've expanded into the premises next door which offers not only more lovely clothes, but also blankets and rugs, ornaments, bric a brac and furniture too. All so very tempting!

I was maybe the oldest lady on the dance floor, but at least I was the most sparkly too!

My silver leather ankle boots are by Buffalo, purchased from TK Maxx some time ago. Two hours of dancing was my limit on heels this high, but golly what fun I had!

This was me taking a little breather while the band rehydrated during the break.

Thanks to Fiona for taking these birthday shots on the night - these were the only kind of shots for me as I'm tea-total, but being stone cold sober didn't stop me having fun! 

Thank you for joining me today. I'll be back on Monday with the Style Not Age Collective when we'll be showcasing our Jewel Brights as chosen by me. I do hope you'll drop by again to check out if we managed to shine bright for that.

                                                                                Anna x

Spring in January?

Hi there!

Yes, doesn't this look like a lovely spring day? This past weekend we were blessed by the most balmy spring-like weather which prompted me to bring out this bright outfit as an ode to the season ahead. I came across the various pieces when I was having a big sort out recently and had it earmarked for when the gallery re-opens in March. But on Sunday I decided that I couldn't wait any longer...

The jacket, skirt and handbag are all pre-loved items, charity shopped over the past couple of years. I added the black dotty tights to tie in with the spots on the skirt and chose a white lace top (from Zara) and white stiletto heeled boots (from New Look) to pick out the white polka dots too.  I do like this prim look. Ever the chameleon I love to ring the changes!

Apologies to those of you who aren't keen on black tights with white boots, but in this case I do like them.

The charity shopped handbag was brand new with labels still attached and only cost me £6.99 when I was in London before Christmas.  I do enjoy a bit of pattern play and this checkered bag against the spotty pleated skirt is most definitely a fun partnership. The rings are also second hand. Sunglasses are by Quay Australia.

I'll be back again on Friday to share a rather sparkly outfit that made its debut on Saturday night. It was a special outing, but you'll have to join me on Friday to find out why ...

I hope to see you then!

Anna x

Zara loungewear, perfect for work and play

Welcome back!

Hello again and thanks for dropping by to see me. No new outfit today and no apologies for that either. I'm more than happy to share this velour and embroidered lounge suit which has worked so hard since I bought it just a little over two years ago when I was in London. I remember picking it up in Zara and showing it to Steve who didn't quite know how to respond. Was I merely showing him this outlandish outfit or asking for his approval? For me, it was love at first sight and trying it on simply sealed the deal. I've topped it off with my green fur coat by The Vintage Boutique Collection and a diamante dog brooch (pre-loved).

At this time of year one of my most pressing jobs is to check the art in the holiday cottages on the island to make sure that all the paintings are in the best condition in time for the new season starting. I'm currently upgrading the art in some of the houses and that's what I was up to here. The painting I'm brandishing is by artist Iona Sanders. The bright contemporary piece will lift this traditional cottage interior injecting a breath of fresh air to the surroundings. I love this aspect of my job as it's such a quick fix and very rewarding to transform a room with a handful of select paintings. 

Anyway, back to the outfit of the day. Despite the ornate stitchwork this jogging suit is surprisingly hard wearing. On days when I'm hanging art it's great although I wear it mostly at the weekends; the stretch waistband and roomy trousers make it perfect for doing the housework/shopping or for just lounging around. The hooded top is loose enough to accommodate a thermal top underneath and by wearing cotton tights underneath the suit is toasty warm, extending it to become an all-year-round piece. I machine wash it on a cool wash (almost weekly) and there's no noticeable fading or shrinking or even going baggy which happens all so often with a high cotton content jogging suit. But wait - this leisure wear is far too luxe to be called a jogging suit!

Last weekend I helped out at our local Community Centre as we were having a big island clear-out to send off our bags of clothes, books and toys to the British Red Cross. I had a very hands-on role, helping to fill the container which appealed to me and made use of my packing skills. The stacking of boxes and crates was a satisfying task for Sasha and I and we were soon squeezing the last few bags and bundles into the little nooks and crannies left around the towers.

The container has been shipped to the mainland where it was collected and transported to the sorting centre in Plymouth. Our island contribution will be redistributed to the Red Cross shops across the West Country. We, as a small island community, feel we can enjoy our post Christmas dejunking, and at the same time we're helping to swell the coffers of this great British charity.

As comfort was the watchword of the day for this outfit, I chose to wear my pull on stretch boots (again by Zara). I've had these for about 18 months now and they are still holding up well. I foolishly wore them out in the rain a couple of times which has caused the adhesive that glues the sole to the upper to start to come adrift, but I'll continue to wear them until they fall apart as they are soooooo comfortable!

Many thanks to Lora who is helping me at work and also as blog photographer when the need arises. We're having fun working together on the art collection although at times last week we did resemble the Chuckle Brothers as we staggered about moving large paintings in high winds and driving rain, tripping over each other's feet as we were blasted sideways, dissolving into hysterics once we'd battled into the safety of the cottage. Any damage was confined to fingers and toes rather than the artworks thank goodness!

                                                                              Anna x