This Christmas I'll be wearing...

Happy Christmas lovelies and thanks for swinging by at this busy time of year! Without you, my dear readers, it would be a very pointless hobby indeed to run a blog with no viewers, so my sincere thanks go to you for turning up - I'm sending a virtual hug to each and every one of you. For those of you who take the time to comment, I'm indebted to you for the ongoing dialogue that ensues, giving me an insight into your fashion likes and dislikes as well as snippets of your own lives. It's a joy.

A couple of months ago I was asked to take part in a fashion feature about Christmas Day outfits, the resulting effort being here. I was delighted to be approached (forgive my vanity) and am thrilled that the feature is now live in the Christmas edition of Yours magazine. 

Regular reader Phyllis responded to my call out for a copy of the magazine and here it is, just in time for Christmas! We've not had newspapers or magazines in our island shop since March, so can you imagine my frustration to be told I've got a wee claim to fame and yet not be able to buy a copy? 

My spin on a festive outfit is based around these rather fabulous embroidered trousers which I paid £20 for in the Truro branch of Oxfam. Red may be a huge cliche for Christmas day, but sometimes you just have to play it how it feels and this felt right. We normally go out for a glass of fizz at our local pub at lunchtime on Christmas day, but we've decided to give that a miss this year. The ritual of standing in a lovely friendly huddle around the bar as people mill around hugging and kissing as they pass on their Christmas wishes is sadly a step too far now. 

I'm particularly pleased with this look especially as it's mostly created from second hand and vintage pieces. The only thing I bought brand new were the M&S tartan boots which are now two years old. The red duster is a vintage Chinese jacket scattered with sprigs of embroidery, costing the grand sum of £3. The pleated men's shirt was another pre-loved bargain at £4.50. The Tommy Hilfiger belt was another charity shop trophy find showing no signs of wear to the leather at all. 

The cocktail rings are both pre-loved, worn with my much loved Vivienne Westwood pendant and Quay Australia sunglasses.

Do florals and tartan go together? Why of course they do!

I'm counting my blessings more than ever this Christmas that I have my children living nearby. Our Christmas day meal will be the same as ever for the four of us; we all acknowledged our fortune as we shared our Christmas Eve dinner together this evening. How lucky are we to all live within half a mile of each other? Not only that of course, but to be in Tier 1 is what's relevant. 

I must sneak off now to wrap up the last few presents. Do take care of yourselves and I hope to catch up with you again soon.

Here's wishing you all a very Happy Christmas!

Anna x

Chartreuse and silver Christmas styling

Well hellooooooo! How's tricks? I can honestly say that I'm in full-blown headless chicken mode now. All my plans for Sunday and how many batches of fudge I'd manage to make dissolved into a state of choas with far too much time being taken up with tree installation and the hunt-the-box-of-decorations that ensued. Yes, I did manage to make one batch of fudge, but honestly if I'd been more organised that really ought to have been at least three if not four. And now that leaves me very behind meaning I'll have to get up super early to make one every morning before I go to work. I also seem to have failed to buy enough boxes for packing of fudge and truffles, meaning I'll have to gift wrap old boxes. Ho hum, the best laid plans of mice and men!

I recently promised you a festive month of Christmas dressing, including the obligatory Christmas jumper and here it is! My Elfie Selfie was from H&M a long time ago but is still in good shape as well as being great fun. 

Christmas wouldn't be the same without the odd cheesy jumper would it? Please tell me that you have a couple of these darned things too!

Silver and chartreuse is a new combination for me, but it's rather snazzy don't you think? Sasha bought me this fun fur coat for my birthday in January which was a wonderful surprise. I'd never have looked for this colour of jacket and yet it's a great zesty shade that really perks up my mood. It injects fun to any outfit and works so well with my new-to-me boots.

I'm not sure how well it shows up, but there's silver lurex thread running through the brocade which ties in perfectly with the silver and chartreuse of my ensemble. Oh, what joy that is for me to get these little touches working together!

These brand new ankle boots were a find from my friend Ben who lives in London. He saw them in the window of his local charity shop and suggested I buy them (pre-shopping ban). They only cost me £12 despite being brand new, with labels intact. The funny thing about them is that I managed to lose one of them during my autumn closet changeover - they were the half pair I mentioned when I tallied up how many pairs I owned. Don't ask, I think I've forgotten. 

The toning rings are also both charity shop trophies from long ago. My sunglasses are by Topshop from last year. I love the funky retro vibe of them.

Outfit details look like this: coat and jumper by H&M, jeans by Zara, boots by M&S. Yellow and white beaded earrings are vintage.

My thanks go to Fiona, photographer of the day, purely by default of being in the right place at the right/wrong time. We do have fun on these little stints together. Don't we Fi?

I'll post my Christmas Day outfit on Thursday as I'm sure you'll all be far too busy to be visiting blogs on the big day. Hope to see you all then!

                                                                                             Anna x

Silver style inspo for Christmas

Hello again!

Yikes, can you believe it's only a week until Christmas?! I'm battling rising panic at how much I still have to achieve between now and then, but also experiencing that flutter of childish excitement at the very thought of Christmas day. I love the moment when the turkey is in the oven and we all get together to open our presents. I've never gotten over the joy of seeing how others react when they open their gifts. Christmas is all about giving isn't it?

So here we have today's Christmas style inspiration for you and it's all about silver and textures. I love the metallic shine of the pleated skirt paired with the heavily beaded top. Too much bling for some? Maybe. I love the extravagant nature of beads and sequins and all things sparkly. Adding fur and feathers brings even more luxury to this luxe look. 

The outfit details are like this: jacket by New Look (a hand me down from my daughter), skirt is from Tu at Sainsbury's (old), beaded vest top from Topshop (second hand), fur scarf (gift from Polly), fishnet tights (pre-loved), pink boots by H&M (old), handbag (very old indeed!).

Both diamante rings are charity shopped.

 The bright pink fishnet tights and toning boots add that much needed pop of colour into what would have been a very monochrome palette. I'm really pleased with how this look came together and do hope it might inspire someone out there.

Before I go, here's a tip for all you mums out there who struggle to find gifts for their grown up sons/daughters. I give a few of these to my son every Christmas for him to redeem over the following year. Last week I painted his new windows and his bathroom when Jamie traded in a couple of his vouchers. I think it's a great idea and means I'm not wasting money on unwanted gifts and he is getting help with a chore he can't find the time to do. A win/win situation I'd say!

And finally, if you're out at the supermarket or local shops this weekend, please keep your eyes peeled for the Christmas edition of Yours magazine. Yes, that's yours truly smiling out at you in the fashion feature, What to wear on Christmas Day. Grab me a copy and post it on please!

                                                                                              Anna x

Brocade and burnished gold for Christmas

Yay, it's only 11 sleeps 'til Christmas!

How are you today my lovelies? Are things coming along nicely? I start back to work again today and know that it'll be like the fast forward button being pressed in my run up to Christmas. You may have caught my Instagram post about me making my Get Ahead Gravy a la Jamie Oliver recently see it here. Well, apart from that I've really not done much more prep for the big day. The mail has become sluggish all of a sudden and I'm slightly stressed that everything will arrive on time. The courier services to the islands add up to a week extra on top of normal delivery times so all in all, we do feel at the end of the line here.

But, hey let's focus on something that I can control ... Here's another dose of style inspiration for you, straight from my closet. There's nothing new here, but I fancy I may not have showcased all of these separates previously, namely the gold jeans and the pale gold shirt. Burnished gold is a wonderfully festive take on Christmas don't you think? 

It's only a matter of weeks now for me to conclude my 12 month shopping ban and what a sound lesson that has proved to be for me. Of course it's been made a whole lot easier by not leaving the island for the past 9 months, but I had made this decision before Covid-19 appeared. I've learnt that I don't need new clothes every couple of weeks, nor do I need that rush of excitement as I carry a basket full of new clothes to the checkout. I've fought the hunter gatherer gene even if it's only short term. I can't wait to see what I shall do when I get to the end of this ...

Anyway, the inspiration for this particular Christmas outfit was the fabulous brocade jacket by Clements Ribiero, which is actually part of a two-piece (see it here). This is only the second time I've worn it in two years, so shame on me for neglecting such a glorious piece of design. The 3/4 length sleeves are flattering as is the collarless round neck and slit pockets without flaps - all work together to allow the brocade star billing. The green and gold stitching gleam together and are so flattering for my colouring. This was a dry run of the ensemble before the Gallery re-opens next week when I'll definitely be wearing it.

It'll be no surprise to hear that these rings are both pre-loved. 

The amber mirrored sunglasses are by my favourite brand, Quay Australia.

The glitter jeans (second hand) are by South and the patent boots are by Topshop.

My thanks go to Fiona for today's photos. We were surprised and delighted to find that one of our favourite backdrops had been upgraded to this buttery yellow colour. The metal door fronts the fire engine shed and so far we've managed to avoid getting caught up in any emergency.

See you again on Friday with my next festive dose of fashion!

Anna x