Last week

Hello again! Yes, this was me last week at work, outside Norrard Cottage which is having an art upgrade to complete the recent refurb that's taken place. Apart from managing Gallery Tresco, I also curate all of the artworks in the 100 cottages on the island which can be quite a juggling act. This winter I've been tasked with the refresh of over 30 houses to make them ready for a photo shoot for the Tresco Island website. It's a joy to do, to find the perfect pieces to suit colour schemes and layouts of rooms. My new gallery assistant Mel drives us around on a little golf buggy loaded up with armfuls of art wrapped up in bubble wrap and off we hurtle in every direction most days. 

Workwear has to be practical on these days and for me that often means lycra to offer stretch and ease of movement. This camo two piece was from ASOS a couple of years ago and has been a great buy. I've paired it with these comfy boots from TK Maxx.

The orange puffa gilet was a purchase from Primark last summer (yes, shame on me for succumbing to fast fashion, especially after last week's post!). I'm a sucker for anything orange... Sunglasses are by Radley London.

You can check out some of the views from the holiday cottages on the Gallery Tresco Instagram account here. This back door view may not look terribly inviting, but just see the wonderful view from the loo here! Mel and I will be dodging about from cottage to cottage over the next couple of week as we add the icing to the cake in each of these holiday homes ready for the summer ahead. I'll post a link once the images are live on the website.

Have a great week!

                                                                                       Anna x

Slowing down fast fashion

Hello again! Today's outfit is all about slowing down fast fashion. Every so often I get an attack of the guilts about fast fashion and so this is my attempt to prolong the life of one such item. The piece in question is this pair of black and green joggers by Shein which I bought in a charity shop, a move that I can of course applaud myself for as this is step one in affecting a change. 

Step two, for me, is to customise an item, hence making it not only more unique and so the very opposite of fast fashion, but also to prolong my love affair with it as it becomes much more individual and therefore more likely for me to retain and love it for years to come. When I bought these joggers (for only £3!) the one thing I found lacking was pockets. After wearing them once I decided to rectify this by adding my own. It was easier than I expected as I first scavenged two pockets of similar material, but beautifully contrasting pattern, from an old silky dressing gown that I keep as best, therefore never wear. I carefully opened the side seams of the joggers and simply stitched the satin pockets in place. I tested the materials on the sewing machine, but they puckered as they are different fabrics so I sewed them by hand in a tiny stitch first one direction and then back the other to give it strength. Et viola! 

The marriage of joggers and boots is indeed a perfect and very happy one. I'm thrilled to find yet another reason to wear these fab, comfy and trendy boots (TK Maxx, but see similar ones here from ASOS). This was a work outfit from last week. I'm currently updating art in many of the holiday cottages and these photos are from a trip out to the Sea Garden Cottages. Check out the view from Nautilus below - 

Stunning eh?

The rest of my outfit is all old, some preloved, such as the roll neck sweater. The studded jacket is by Michael Kors, a purchase from TK Maxx many years ago, but still much worn. We all love a classic jeans jacket and this one simply has a bit more bling than usual!

None of my accessories are new; the sunglasses are by Radley, rings are thrifted and my Vivienne Westwood pendant is quite a few years old now, but more precious than ever since her recent death. 

For my birthday last month I was given this beautifully comprehensive tome of Vivienne's legacy to the fashion world, one that will be a source of inspiration to me especially when I look to customise clothing in the future. There is nothing that she didn't make and no fashion rule that she didn't break. Bold and brilliant, her designs were cutting edge, her lack of respect and perversity were legendary. The most memorable photo I saw of her was outside Buckingham Palace after receiving her OBE from the Queen when she flashed her knickerless parts for the press. The book catalogues her wit, her passion and all of the models who flocked to be part of her world.

Thank you for joining me for this week's round up. I hope you have a great week and look forward to seeing and hearing from you again soon!

                                                                                Anna x

Fun fur in Feb

Hello lovelies! How are you doing? I hope that you're well and maybe feeling that promise of spring in the air. Here's my favourite outfit from last week. Sunday morning saw sunshine and clear blue sky on Tresco, but the wind was coming from the East, an icy blast if you were on the wrong side of the island. This gave me the perfect opportunity to don my beloved cow print fun fur (from River Island last year) and to have a Sunday saunter along the quayside to enjoy the peace and quiet of the day. You'll notice I was facing the direct sunshine in many of these shots which in turn featured the shadow of my camera mounted on my gorilla tripod; this small tripod has flexible legs, ideal for wrapping around fences, rocks or trees when you don't have an eager assistant to hand.

My outfit was all about animal prints, although I balked at adding my snakeskin boots to the mix, opting instead for my chunky cream boots (ASOS). The leopard print kick flare trousers are from Primark, purchased last year. I love the stretch fit which makes them easy to wear for work or even if I've had a large lunch... The leopard print shirt was a second hand find a few years ago, but is also the Primark brand. The button front and hip length makes it easy to wear with skirts and trousers, but looks best left untucked.

I finished the look off with this orange cashmere sweater, a fabulous charity shop find from a couple of years ago. I paid £10 for it and couldn't get out of the shop quick enough!

None of my accessories are new. The tribal print neckace pops up frequently on the blog, and also at work earning me many a compliment. The sunglasses are by Radley and my rings are various gold rings, including my wedding band, all bought by my husband.

I loitered about on the quay for some time, enjoying the sunshine and the view. If I'd had a soundtrack for these shots it would have been "Easy like Sunday morning" by Lionel Richie - cheesy, but still a great track!

Thanks for dropping by and I'll see you again next week!

Anna x

January Blues, our Style Not Age Challenge

Hello lovelies and welcome to January Blues, our Style Not Age challenge. The third Monday in January has the ominous title of Blue Monday, publicised as being the most depressing day of the year which fell on the 16th this year. My daughter's birthday is the 15th, a fact that I'm to blame for, of course. Now that she's in her 30's she takes the matter in hand, planning things well in advance so that hers isn't a blue birthday. This year she is touring the South Island of New Zealand and is having the best month ever; she spent her birthday out on a boat whale watching eclipsed only by swimming with dolphins the following day. Paragliding, skydiving, sunrise hiking and daily sea swims are all keeping the adrenaline rush going.  No January Blues for her!

Gail from Is This Mutton has shopped her closet for this very fresh spring coloured outfit. The aqua scarf and jeggings are a perfect match, worn with a lemon top and white jacket both from Kettlewell. Her great style tip is to check out the children's shoe section which is what she did for these fab gold boots from Boden.

Emma from Style Splash has given herself a lift in the January sales, finding all sorts of lovely bargains at M&S. This blue teddy coat was reduced to £41, the jumper £15 and her fab pale blue trousers only £9! Catch up with Emma over on her blog now.

Hilda chose this month's theme and is showcasing this classic wrap dress from L K Bennett, a recent purchase from a nearby Village Outlet. You really can't go wrong with a wrap dress, can you, for that flattering feminine fit. M&S suede boots in tan work well with her designer handbag and her Mango hat is sleek and stylish. See more on her blog Over The Hilda.

Jacqui is sporting a fab jacquard jacket with blue jeans and cream boots for a stylish everyday look. Beads and cute belt along with her pretty padded bag show how good accessories finish of an ensemble to lift it out of the ordinary. See more from her on Mummabstylish. 

My outfit is based around a waterproof jacket and matching blue jeans that I found in a charity shop in Penzance when I was there in December. The two items came to £16 which felt like a great bargain. The jacket has a padded lining and a very snug hood that actually stays up without being held in place as so many hoods need. 

Zip and popper fastening and side opening pockets to keep hands cosy all make for a brilliant and practical coat for wet days. Sometimes island life calls for practicality before fashion, but this seems to encapsulate both, don't you think?

My sweater isn't new, but was from TK Maxx some years ago as are my rather fab snakeskin boots which were from Office a long time ago. 

I don't have a lot of blue in my wardrobe, but the addition of this new (to me) jacket is a welcome change. The pace of life is already changing here as we start to prepare for the island opening again on the 1st of March. How quickly our winters seem to whizz past us! 

                                                                            Anna x