December round up

Hello lovelies and Happy New year to you! I thought I'd do a quick round up of my December outfits as I know I missed posting for a week when I was laid up with the lurgy. These are all work outfits apart from the final one which was destined for our New Year's Eve party, but more of that later.

This sparkly number comprises of an old sequinned top (a Christmas present from a couple of years ago) and these silver jeans that are also old. The pink and aqua blouse was passed on to me from my daughter some time ago, so nothing new there then.

The grey floral boots were bought in Penzance earlier on this year in Rackys, a small independent shoe shop. I've found a link to something similar in stock with them currently here. These are super comfy, with memory foam insole making them all day wearable which earns them top points in my book.

Black and gold was the theme of this workday ensemble, and none of it is new. All of the items are charity shop finds from previous years or earlier this year. The lurex polo neck is very ancient, but is wearing well. The heavy gold lurex cardigan was a find when my friend Ben took me thrift shopping in London before Covid struck.

The black velvet jeans are a recent purchase and the Elvis belt was an eBay buy earlier on this year. None of the jewellery is new either. 

These gold pumps are second hand too (£20), a rather fabulous find in Truro in December and just look at the back view of them -

Aren't they totally fab!

An all in black day is unusual for me, therefore worth documenting despite it not really having the wow factor to my mind. The sweater has a bronze lurex thread running through it and the black lurex joggers are incredibly slouchy and easy to wear. The two items came to £8 in total in my Truro charity shop haul in December.

I finished the look off with my old favourite patent boots from Topshop. It's a simple uncluttered outfit but still with a festive feel. Jewellery is all old or pre-loved.

And this my dear friends is what I pulled together for New Year's Eve. Again, nothing new here, all shopped from my closet. If you're a regular to my blog then my mermaid coat will be familiar to you. I've paired it with a champagne colour sheath dress (pre-loved, brand Monsoon) for which I paid the grand sum of £5!

I've had these satin kitten heel sling backs for over 15 years, but they still look perfect for this outfit, don't you think?

I dressed up and took myself off to the gallery to get these photos on NYE, but not for the party. Steve and I were still struggling with this terrible cough, as were my children too, so we all stayed home that evening. 

The frosted silver necklace was purchase from M&S many moons ago, but still is a favourite of mine.

Maybe next New Year I'll get the chance to sashay around in this shimmering pastel ensemble to another party, but in the meantime I did have fun swishing about to Fleetwood Mac on my own private dance floor.

                                                                                   Anna x

Sparkle and Shine, our Style Not Age challenge for December

Merry Christmas and welcome back my dear reader! I've been awol for a week, laid up with a chest infection at this most inconvenient time of year. Today's photos were taken earlier on this month before I went out to the island Christmas party where I was doing my best to Sparkle and Shine in the name of this month's challenge, which just so happened to be my choice of subject.

 

Hilda combined a mixture of shopping her closet with borrowing from her sister to create this sparkly look for maximum effect! Find all the details on her blog Over The Hilda.

Another black sparkly top comes from Jacqui, worn with equally dazzling shoes by Lotus along with these eye-popping yellow jeans from Zara. Check out the full details on her blog Mummabstylish.

Emma from Style Splash is a big fan of secondhand clothes and this mega sparkly kimono was a super find on eBay. Follow the link to catch up on her backstory of this glitzy outfit.

Shopping her closet too was Gail, showcasing her fabulous winter wonderland colours in this white sparkly duster over her silver sequinned skirt. Read more from Gail on her blog Is This Mutton. 

My sparkly ensemble is a mix of shopping my closet and second hand finds. The bolero sequin jacket was an exciting find in the British Red Cross shop in Truro earlier on this month. The brand is Zara and was new with tags, selling at £20 rather than the retail price of £49.99. I love the 80's shoulder pads giving this a sharp silhouette. 

If you're a regular reader then you may recognise this fabulous floral tulle skirt that I bring out every Christmas. It's by Ted Baker and always earns me lots of compliments. 

I added a new belt, again from Zara, to pull the skirt and top together. The sheer top with devore pattern was a bargain piece many years ago from TK Maxx, but this is the first time I've worn it. I've been waiting to find the right underwear and finally came across a lace body in TK Maxx that turned this from saucy to stylish.

The fabulous shoes were another charity shop find from years ago - £20 very well spent I'd say! And don't they go perfectly with my skirt?

More charity shop finds: the rings and clutch are very old, but still rather fab!

My thanks go to Fiona for her photography skills and her ability to always make me laugh. She was my partner in crime that evening as we danced our socks off!

                                                                                                 Anna x

Outdoors versus indoors photography

Hello lovelies! I thought I'd check out what you think about my recent indoors photography for the blog and if you prefer to see my outfits outdoors. It's a terrible dilemma at this time of year when the weather is so changeable and the light can be dull and uninspiring. I'd hoped to catch the early morning sunshine, but by the time I'd chosen my outfit and done my make-up the weather had changed and it was even raining in the distance.

Obviously artificial light is much more reliable and highlights much more in the way of detail, but I do worry that you'll tire of the same old backdrop, especially when I normally feature some lovely vantage points on Tresco. So today I'm mixing up indoors and outdoors for you in the hope that you'll comment with your thoughts.

You'll probably have seen my orange sequinned jacket before as I always bring it out at this time of year. I found it in TK Maxx a few years ago and still love it as much as ever. The mixture of sequins plus cosy padding equals a wonderful winter layer with lots of glamour! I've recently unpacked my Christmas suitcase and think I need to be wearing some sparkle every day from here on to give it all an airing!

My faux leather trousers were a recent purchase from Primark. They're great for this time of year as they are wind proof and rain proof too. I added an old leather belt and an orange roll neck to complete this festive look. My jewellery is all old as are my sunglasses.

It was great to rediscover these olive green sock boots in the back of my wardrobe, a perfect match for my new trousers. They were from Zara years ago - love the silver heels!

So that just about rounds it up for this week's post. I'd love to hear back from you as to which is your preferred location at this time of year. Or even if you think it's not relevant. As we're in the run up to Christmas I know I'll be battling with the elements but do want to keep you entertained! 

                                                                                                               Anna x

My new Zara winter jacket

Hi there! How's things with you? I'm sharing my new winter jacket today, one that I found in the British Red Cross charity shop in Truro. I wanted to give them a name check as they now have a dedicated rack of clothes which come direct from Zara, all brand new still with labels on, so if you're in the area do drop in for a look.

The jacket is rain proof and will be excellent for my daily lunchtime walks meaning I'm ready for all weathers. The main body is a high shine finish with a matt finish over the shoulders and a lovely snuggly hood that fastens with velcro at the neck. Zip front with poppers make it toasty warm, in fact it's a proper duvet jacket with a tog rating of 15!

The full retail price was £49.95 but I only paid £20 for it - what a bargain! I've had a couple of mainland trips recently and you can understand why The British Red Cross shop is top of my list when I hit Truro! I've just spent a few days away and managed to pick up the perfect sequinned jacket for the party season (again, new from Zara via the BRC shop), so keep your eyes peeled for my Christmas post!

To complete my outdoors look I've added my orange leather gloves, not new, and black Quay Australia sunglasses. This was my weekend outfit and one that you'll recognise as being an old favourite of mine. The two piece is another Zara purchase from years ago when Steve and I were on holiday in London and I found it in one of the Oxford Street branches. The embroidered velour has worn well but the cotton trim is fading to grey now, but that's not going to stop me wearing it. Much worn, much loved.

My new Steve Madden boots (from TK Maxx) were bought with this look in mind. I wear this lounge suit most weekends during the winter and I thought the green soles would tie in perfectly. The sock of the boots are stretch making them uber comfy!

Practical, functional and fun is how I'd describe today's outfit and for a busy working woman that ticks all the boxes as far as I'm concerned. My winter works involve me visiting all of our 100 holiday cottages to upgrade and rotate the artworks, so I need to be comfortable and have practical clothes for the job. This co-ord fits the bill for both work and play and now topped off with my new jacket, I'm ready for any weather too!

                                                                                                 Anna x