My pretty new Zara blouse

Hello again! How was your weekend? Mine seemed to go past in a bit of a blur of cooking, cleaning and yes, dejunking. The boxes are mounting up as I clear out cupboard after cupboard, moving out anything that's not useful, beautiful or loved by us. Even poor Steve was involved as I attacked his guilty area of workwear calling on him to help cull his large, but very tired, collection of checked shirts of which there seemed to be many. We're still in the midst of the job, barely half way through the entire house, but as they say, out of chaos comes order!

So, this is my new blouse, a birthday present from my friend Bo who lives in Portugal. It's from Zara, but I can't find it online here. The fabric is lightweight and will be wonderful to wear in the summer (I'm imagining it with white jeans and sandals), but I was so impatient to try it on then decided to winterise it with my pre-loved Ralph Lauren fairisle vest.

I teamed up the blouse with my ochre Kate trousers from J D Williams - see them here on sale now. I love the fit of these slim trousers mainly because of the stretch which makes them super comfy. This is the first time I've worn them despite having them for years - yes, I really mean years. It's only due to the big clear out that I rediscovered them, still with tags on, and decided to try them on. How fab is that to find a great new pair of trousers hidden away? And doubly fab when they match my new blouse perfectly!

My pre-loved perspex rings pick out some of the colours in today's outfit adding to the pattern play too. Dark green pearls and Quay Austalia sunglasses complete the accessories.

Russet platform boots give a bit more leg-lengthening height to the look which is never a bad thing. These are very old indeed and were from Office.

And just to add a bit more pattern to the mix, I wore my Joe Brown's woolen 3/4 length jacket. This one is out of stock now, but I did find another cute jacket - see here.  The lining is a wonderful bit of pattern play too!

It seems that here in the UK we'll all be hunkering down for the rest of the week as we have two gales lining up to give us a bit of a battering. I'd planned to get some outdoor photos taken on the beach at the weekend, but I'll maybe have to come up a plan B just in case. Do take care, wherever you are and thanks for dropping by!

                                                                            Anna x

My snazzy new co-ord!

Hello again! How's things? Hasn't January just whizzed by? I can't believe we're already a whole week into Feb. So, anyway, here's me in a snazzy new outfit which was Sasha's present for my Christmas. While she was on the mainland in November she had messaged me from Primark to show me this fab co-ord and without a moments hesitation I said Yes! The brown and white colourway wouldn't normally have been my choice but the geometric print and cut of trousers and jacket were a winning combination easily outweighing my reservations.

I hadn't planned on the windswept look for this shoot, but Sasha invited me over when she was staying in Nautilus for her birthday (week) and I'd had this vision of showcasing the suit outdoors on the deck. 

I did also take some indoors shots...

The straight legged jeans work great with the fitted denim style jacket don't you think? I had planned to pop a high neck sweater underneath but it made the whole thing look a bit mumsy. 

Instead I opted for my white ribbed and chiffon sleeved top by Wild Flower, a purchase from TK Maxx a couple of years back. The see-through sleeves lighten the look and are just a bit more fresh and funky. 

I matched the flower motif pattern of the suit with various pre-loved pieces of floral jewellery to give a bit of a 60's vibe. My sunglasses are from Radley London. 

The fab new suit gives me the opportunity to bring out my ecru Chelsea boots which I bought from Asos not so long ago. They're still available here. I've not had the chance to wear this outfit to work yet as I've had a couple of weeks off work spanning my birthday weekend (spent on the dejunking project). However it's just a little over 4 weeks to go now until the Gallery re-opens and I'll be sure to be gadding about in this natty ensemble as soon as I can!

                                                                              Anna x

New year, new challenge!

Hello and welcome to our first Style Not Age challenge for 2022!

January's challenge comes from Emma who has alighted on the Eye of the Tiger, relating to the Chinese New Year which starts on the 1st of February. 2022 is the Year of the Tiger and we fashionista friends are all interpreting this in our very own way. My choice of outfit was guided by the simple fact that I only have one item of clothes with a tiger and this sequined top is it!

Gail has opted for a red and black outfit to showcase her Tiger's Eye pendant. Catch up with her on the blog Is This Mutton?

Jacqui's tiger print blouse is from New Look, paired with faux leather trousers from F&F with slouch tan boots. See her back story over at Mummabstylish.

From top to toe Emma's outfit reads like this - hat from eBay, shirt from Topshop, trousers from Zara and tiger necklace is from Palava. See more from Emma on her blog Style Splash. 

Hilda's tiger print piece is this fabulous handbag, borrowed from a local boutique - way to go Hilda! Find out more on Over The Hilda blog.

My sequinned tiger tee was a sale find in H&M some time ago. I've not worn it very often so am delighted to bring it into play today. A bargain basement piece for only a fiver I have to mention! My shark's tooth necklace was from Charlie Dodge jewellery and my rings are  preloved, sunglasses from Radley London.

The rest of my outfit is all old, seen before, but still makes for a good show, don't you think? The orange sequin jacket is padded and therefore lovely and cosy. Steve says that it's so sparkly it can be seen from outer space! 

I deliberately chose to take myself off to a remote spot on the top of Tresco so that I wouldn't dazzle any passing traffic. I'd hoped to be pretty inconspicuous out at King Charles' Castle until I looked out to sea and there was the local gig crew thrashing on their way down the channel. I think I was a bit more exposed than I planned!

My faux leather jeans are from H&M (old) and as are my patent Chelsea boots (Topshop). My sequin jacket was from TK Maxx and is one of those pieces that stays in my wardrobe all year round. It manages to avoid the seasonal changeover as the sparkly orange vibe can work for any time of year. 

I'll leave you with this splendid view out towards Shipman's Head on Bryher with the wild Atlantic Ocean beyond. This is a terrific vantage point as well as a great spot to escape from whatever may trouble you. There's nothing like the big outdoors to help you get things back into perspective!

                                                                              Anna x

When I'm 64...

Hello lovelies and welcome to my birthday post!

The question as posed by The Beatles, "Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm 64?" comes to mind as I embrace my 64th birthday today. My dear hubby reached this milestone late last year and has given it a test run so I think I'm gonna be fine. Am I defined by my age? Well, of course not. As we all know, age is merely a number. An interesting thought though is that my mother at this age would have already been retired for four years and here I am with three more to go before I can rest on my laurels. 

So this is me, embracing life regardless of my age and loving the place I'm at. I can't see me ever wanting to give up on the shimmering sequins or silver high heeled boots. The thrill of dressing up is for me and me alone. I'm conversely not out to shock (no low necklines or high hemlines) or impress anyone. I really do this all for my own pleasure. I don't care a jot what onlookers think of my outlandish or over the top garb. Life really is too short to curb my enthusiasm for the joys of dressing up just for the hell of it! 

January isn't the best of month's to have a birthday if you live on a tiny island like mine. No big shopping malls for a day out with the girls, or even fancy restaurants for an evening of fine dining. Instead I got all dressed up in my favourite outfit of the day and took myself off to the oasis of calm that is the Abbey Garden. It was Saturday afternoon and I had the place completely to myself as I wondered around, seeking the best bit of light on the overcast day. 

A birthday gift to myself were the rather fabulous flares in a feminine mix of pink and orange hearts. Find them here in the Asos sale. I've had them lined up to wear with my mermaid coat for some time now and just adore them together. I have a party to attend in March and think this might be the perfect outfit for the birthday bash of a friend.

A bit of birthday bling by way of these preloved rings - what d'ya think? My necklace of jumbo pearls is an old favourite too.

I may not be defined by my age, but I definitely am by my sea swimming. My Wonder Woman swimsuit pretty much says it all. I do feel nigh on invincible when I emerge from the cold winter waters. At this time of year I'm one of the few who are still taking a regular dip in the icy Atlantic Ocean that pounds our shores on the Isles of Scilly. I'm proud to be part of a huge groundswell of women (and men) who have found this form of exercise to be life changing. You can read my backstory in the latest edition of the Tresco Times yearbook - see my piece on page 12. 

As the sunset stretches a bit later each and every day now, I'm delighted to find time to capture the last of the suns rays after work. My inner critic has deleted so many of these fun sea shots as they show a post Christmas softness to my figure or maybe simply the body of a 64 year old...

Perhaps this year will bring an easing of this harsh self-criticism that's blighted me for as long as I recall. Deep hurts from my teenage years still ring in my ears, leaving me struggle with self confidence and self doubts. Others may see me as fine while I'm still battling with not good enough syndrome. It's time for a coming to terms with me, all of me, at all times; the leaner summer body and the rounder winter shape that may be inevitable or simply the result of the passage of time. Your thoughts on this and anything else are very welcome! 

                                                                                     Anna x