Happy Birthday Jamie!

Hello again! Tomorrow is my son Jamie's 30th birthday and like all good party animals his is a 3 day long event which started on the beach last night. Here we are, en famille, at the start of the evening. Beer and pasties were the order of the day for this surprise birthday bash, organised by his sister Sasha and ex-Gallery Assistant Polly. Jamie was hijacked by a friend, being brought into the beach by boat as we all sang him Happy Birthday from the shore. 

I feel that this shot should be one of those "Add the caption" photos. Jamie and his old school friend Joanne are straining to hear/see each other or maybe not...

Appletree Bay was a glittering backdrop for the gathering of friends and family with lots of little babies and children too.

The zero from his 30 balloon popped before it reached the venue, calling for a bit of inventiveness from Rachel; both are balloons, just not necessarily a pair!

The party was punctuated by the arrival of the Penzance Helicopter causing everyone to grab hold of loose objects and small children as the downdraft hit us full force. A party with a difference is what you might say!

In between these photos there had been a boozy treasure hunt for the birthday boy, through the Monument Walk and across to Plumb Hill with the merry revelers following in his wake, bringing them on to our house at Timothy's Corner where Steve and I hosted a Port pit-stop with some freshly baked cheese biscuits to help mop up the excess alcohol. 

 

Some of the younger members of the company looked bright eyed and bushy-tailed despite the late hour...

...others were looking less so.

Day one of the party trilogy was coming to an end for Steve and I, but Jamie, Sash and Dave were heading off for the final leg of the evening.

While I'm very happy to show this before picture, I fancy that the after version wouldn't look quite so good. Here's a very Happy Birthday to my dear son and heir. I hope that the 3 day long 30th party is memorable for all the right reasons!

                                                                                      Anna x

Statement sleeves for our Style Not Age challenge

Hello and welcome once again to our monthly style challenge! Statement sleeves is Emma's idea this month and it seems to have been embraced with glee by all of us. For once there was an instant piece that came to mind when I read about the theme and I was  pleased with the results of the outfit and photos which my dear friend Fiona caputured for me. But more of that later. Here's how my style sisters approached Statement Sleeves.

This hot pink top of Emma's was an absolute bargain from River Island and one that I'd have snatched up too if I'd seen it. The leg o' mutton sleeves with shirred elastic cuffs make for a stunning look. Catch up with Emma's news on her blog Style Splash here. 

Hilda's double dose of denim also includes these fabulous sleeves. See them in close-up below.

Ever stylish Hilda has borrowed her hubby's hat to lend a cool edge to her denim ensemble. The mini pleats on the puffed sleeves are very unusual and effective too. See more from Hilda here. 

Fluted sleeves from Jacqui in this pretty summer top fit the bill nicely don't you agree? Grey crops and handbag work well with the pastel hues of her top and pumps. See more on Mummabstylish here. 

These huge frilled sleeves certainly fill the remit Gail! The blouse is another River Island gem - I clearly need to be checking out their website. Catch up with Gail's blog Is This Mutton here. 

I had great fun swooshing about in this pleated sleeved top in the golden evening light. Fiona and I had the beach to ourselves allowing for much uninhibited exhibitionism by me. We were there to swim primarily, but I managed to combine the photo shoot with our daily dip too. The location is Cradle Porth, my favourite beach of the moment.

My top was a charity shop find from years ago; so many that I forget when exactly. It was an eye catching piece that I knew was a worthy addition to my clothes collection. I haven't worn it often as it's quite a memorable piece.

I had great fun hamming it up for the camera! It's been a while since I've had a photographer to help out so I was making the most of it.

The mint stretch jeans were a £5 bargain from Tesco's a few summer's ago and the sandals are from TK Maxx, again some time ago. Nothing new in fact. 

There's nothing new jewellery-wise either. The rings are both pre-loved and the pearl necklace with glass lozenge is rather ancient, well at least over 10 years old. The Quay Australia sunglasses were given to me by a friend.

I've no idea what G means with these sandals. I've looked up shoe brands and there seems to be many using a capital G. Do let me know. 

I'd like to finish with a big shout-out to Sandra, my sister, who had a rather significant birthday yesterday. She lives on a tiny island on the West Coast of Scotland and consequently we've not seen each other for some time now. 

Many thanks for dropping by again. It'll be September before you hear from me again!

In the meantime, have a great week!

Anna x

DKNY summer dress

Hello lovelies and hurrah for that Friday feeling!

I'm finally showcasing this perfect floaty frock by DKNY which I bought at TK Maxx in May when I was away in Truro. It's such a pretty dress and feels so very summery that somehow I've been waiting for the perfect day to wear and photograph it, and along came this one!

New Grimsby quay is hardly the most exotic location on the very picturesque island of Tresco, but the morning was so golden and the sea so calm I just wandered around there before going to work to see if I could find a good spot - and here it is. I managed to take these shots between the jet boats which take the arrivals and departures; this is our equivalent of a bus or train stop on the mainland.

 

And so, on to the outfit of the day. The frock is midi length with a shorter lining, 3/4 length sleeves and pintuck front. It came with a self tie belt, but I did away with the belt and loops, opting for this looser fit. Usually you'd find me cinched in at the waist with a nice elasticated belt, but the very hot weather has me choosing an airy fit instead - even with the doors and skylights open the gallery is like a greenhouse by mid-afternoon!

The silver and white sandals are very old. They're from Topshop and were a hand-me-down from my daughter. They're maybe getting a bit scuffed now, but are so very all-day-long comfy!

Both rings are pre-loved, charity shop finds and regulars on the blog, as is the silver disc necklace - an old M&S purchase which was well worth the £15 I paid at the time.

My white and black mirror sunglasses are from one of my favourite brands, Quay Australia.

At 7.30am there wasn't a soul around, not a boat disturbing the silence; it was the perfect way to start the day. It was lovely to just stop and take a moment to drink in the early morning sunshine and enjoy the stillness of the surroundings. A time to count my blessings for my life and this place called home.

Monday heralds our end of the month style challenge so please to swing by if you get a moment. In the meantime I'll leave you with a shot of the quay taken from my house just across the bay - the still water acted like a mirror giving an awesome reflection.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

Anna x

Floral Converse boots and purple agapanthus

Hello again! How's your week been? I've had the day off today and even though the weather wasn't perfect, Steve and I took ourselves off in our boat and headed out to the Eastern Isles. White sand, clear turquoise water and a few glimpses of the sun as we lazed on an uninhabited island were enough to create our very own chill zone. A couple of beers with our picnic and we pretty much set the world to rights in a few hours.

And so on to the outfit of the day. I've recently bought a new pair of Converse boots which inspired this look. The floral boots are on sale from Office currently (see here). Increasingly I seem to be wearing flats for work and these are a bright and breezy way of lifting an outfit out of the doldrums.

Aren't they totally funky and great fun too!

I've paired the boots with with these patterned wide legged crops from H&M (pre-loved) which I've had for a couple of years now. The white floral top was from New Look in a summer sale, but not this year. Setting the whole shebang against the purple agapanthus is a riot of colour, one that will be over very soon, hence I was keen to capture the flowers while they were still in bloom.

I picked out accent colours of pink and turquoise for my statement rings, adding my favourite Quay Australia sunglasses for another jazzy aspect. My sea glass pendant is a tiny blue droplet made by Drift jewellery out of sea glass I collect from our beaches.

The pressures of work are gradually calming down now meaning I'm more able to fit in my wild swimming again. I'm back at the ever-so-heavenly Cradle Porth in the shots below. 

I'm so lucky to have the chance to swim in these clear waters all year round. I feel the mental health benefits are almost more important to me than the physical ones. My solitary swims in particular take me to a calm place; a welcome state of zen, an escape from the norm and into a watery world where my senses are devoid of sound (with earplugs in place) and are taste and sight oriented. The delicate shades of sea greens and aquas lull me into dream world where under sea creatures like bold little brown crabs fend me off and purple globe jellyfish pulse their way on by. Nature unwinds me, undoing the knots of tension in my shoulders and emptying my buzzing brain. I emerge refreshed and revitalised, ready for the next challenge that life may throw my way.

Anna x