WIW Wednesday

So I continue my week playing my "as if" game.  Acting as if I'm a professional blogger with a posting schedule.  As if! I hear you exclaim, for you know full well that consistency is definitely not my forte.  But hey, I'm a hobby blogger who fits in her posts around her busy pensioner's life!

So, it's Wednesday and of course you've popped in to the blog expecting pics of what I wore the previous week … don't I always post that each and every week, consistently (haha, having fun with this role play!).  Joke!
But seriously folks, I thought it would be nice to do a post of what I wore each day for a week.  It's a good discipline for me to take regular shots and I hope you enjoy it too.

I was without The Photographer, so it was selfies all the way, every day.

Day 1 - Tuesday

Took TP into hospital for open surgery.

Ultra Violet cardi, white skinnies, pewter sandals and multicoloured beads (all M&S) and a V T from Peacocks.

I played around with my Accessorize silk scarf.

A beautiful scarf takes a plain outfit to a whole new zingy level.

Day 2 - Wednesday

Continuing with colour, it was cool enough for a twinset.

This ultra soft Cashmillon set was bought in the M&S sale.

Only a bigger cardi size was left available - so I'm calling it a slouchy fit, but truth is it's just too big!

The s/s sweater is nearer to size.

I'll tell you this scarf's story in another post.


Day 3 - Thursday

(Clearly an updo is mandatory when wearing orange!)

H&M linen drawstring skirt and Wallis cami under slouchy orange cardi.

I'm so pleased I bought these skirts in both stone  and white 15+ years ago, I have had so much use out of them.  They're like little playmates who I hang out with in the school summer holidays and our friendship deepens with every year.

That scarf again!  It goes so perfectly with this soft orange colour.

Something happened to this outfit in hospital.  That's for another post.

I hooked out this necklace and earring set a few weeks ago to wear with my pink dress.  Turns out it goes with orange too!  I'd fretted a little about jewellery to go with my soft orange and it's not a colour I've worn since 1967, but rather magically, the colour of the outfit is reflected in the cubes.

Day 4 - Friday

Next aqua asymmetric top, white Peacock bottoms.

Cashmere cardi, Jones of New York, bought 2009 in Arizona.

Top tip.  Buy cashmere in a hot place, they really knock the price down as they don't get a lot of buyers for woolly cardis, strangely.  I got this one for £17 in Macy's knockdown sale!

I had a hygienist appointment that day and she commented on this top and was really surprised that it comes from Next.

I like to keep my hygienist happy and always dress smartly for her.

(Bought TP a couple of pairs of shorts PJs whist I was in town, perfect for the hot ward.  Must share them with you, he loves them!)

Day 5 - Saturday

I eased off the colour on this day.  Perhaps it was my mood (yesterday had been a bad day for our patient), or perhaps it was the weather. 

M&S mum jeans, Woolovers cashmere/merino cardi, Next chunky heels.  T and leather lariat necklace, Peacocks.

And you may just be able to see my Claudia Bradby double pearl earrings in grey and my Wink leather plait bracelet with pearl drop.  Matchy-matchy eh?!.

Day 6 - Sunday

Well, I totally dropped the colour here!  Black silky jersey tunic with chiffon hem and cuffs, 7/8ths chinos, both M&S.

I had Sunday lunch (uber yummy!) with the family before visiting TP.  The day was rainy, so perhaps the rain got to me.

Black/brown/beige pendant, black leather bracelet.

Day 7 -Monday

Got a call from TP telling me he was being discharged!  It's 6 weeks of no lifting, no driving for him … so that's me as designated Slave No 1 for the foreseeable then!

Well I couldn't stay away from Ultra Violet for too long.  Here it is, back again, draped over a sequin graphic T from Peacocks.

Clarks metallic toe flatties.

So I wore this last outfit to pick up TP from hospital.  Technically, the selfies should stop at that point but, you know, I quite like the discipline and I may just pick it up again in a few days.

Perhaps it got me thinking a little more about what I was going to wear, even for those days when I did nothing but sit by a hospital bed for 7 hours!

I've really enjoyed looking back on what I wore and I hope you do too.

Perhaps it's something you fancy giving a go yourself …

A la perchoine.

There's Something About Aqua

Well, here I am, back from my hols and busily dealing with many hundreds of holiday snaps which dear Tresco Anna did quite rightly say are always a challenge for we peeps of a certain age.  But i'm slowly getting there, without too much swearing and storming away from the laptop!

Meantime, I thought I'd share my excitement with you about a certain Next top

(Just got poked on the nose by a rogue grapevine branch)

Each season Next seems to create a slightly tweaked version of this drapey top.

They offer it in a range of colours and prints and I fell for this Aqua print.  I've mentioned it before, but I'm pretty hard to please with prints, so when I find one I love, well, I fall for it big time!

(Now keeping face well away from said branch)

No matter what the variation of style and fabric, these tops always seems to fall so beautifully; it's something to do with the weight of the fabric and the cut..   But no matter what magic those Next peeps are conjuring up in their cutting room, when you see these tops on sale, go find your fave and buy it, because they quickly become your wardrobe staple.  Trust me.

(And now fearful of branch invading ears!)

There are certain colours that I find exceptionally fresh and feminine and minty aqua would be one of those colours that works for me, it gives me a lift and a zest for life when I wear it.

I'm sorry that the pics aren't showing the top in its glory,  but what can I expect when taken early evening and in the jungle we have returned to that was the pergola.

(Vigorous garden growth - El Skorchio has left its calling card!)

(Bowing head with caution)

But despite the jungle's shade, I'd still like to point you in the direction of these soft bronze sandals which I bought whilst attacking the Sussex M&S store.  These are soooo comfy and I wore them often on holiday.  They are that special type of shoe that instantly gets me to walk in a slightly sassier way. 

Do you get that with certain shoes?

(Strategic move away from invasive leafage)

We were to eat al fresco and the el skorchio temperatures seem to have dissipated in the last couple of days, so I added a light cashmere cardi, just in case.  I was soooo excited when I discovered that the aqua top went pretty well with this soft duck egg blue cardi from Jones of New York … well, I'd sort of guessed it might when I ordered the top!  I bought the cardi during a touring trip of the South West states of the U.S. 9 years ago. 

(Shame I lost it's classy grey sista  pretty soon after returning home. I have learned that cardis and scarves must in some way or other be tethered to me at all times, for I get carried away with conversations and the moment and the unattached has sometimes stayed unattached forever more.  Boo hooo!)

And yes, my caution paid off, it really was a cardi sort of night out on the roof top deck of Crabby Jacks.  I met with The Sibs and had a great night.

The tempura prawns on a bed of stir fry were delish.

And Sis pointed out that the bracelets went perfectly with the cardi's colour.

I say Cheers to that!

So how's the weather where you are?

My Dutch friend La Duchesse tells me that up to 40c is forecasted for Holland in the coming days.  El Skorchio?  That's El Meltdowno!

A la perchoine.

Navy Skirt Gets A Try-On Session

15c.

Not 10cc.  15c.  That is today's June temp on Pout Island.  That's after heatwave conditions where I registered 45c on the patio (ok, it is a sun trap so not a true indicator).  Within a minute of sitting here in my little skirt, I have closed all windows and draped a thick cardi around me.  That is how cold 15c feels.

Oh, and did I mention rain?  Yes, the precipitation has brought the temp right down to that shivering 15c. 

So it's raining.  What am I going to do?  Do amazing things to the house, like Janet of thegardenerscottage has been doing?  Nah, can't do that, I've got the builders in and things are stacked up, shoved away (you need to know this for later) and I'm sure the whole house is covered in a little bit more dust that the 1mm I usually having going on at Chez Pout.

So instead of achieving wonders in the house, I did something I've had on back-burner for a couple of weeks ever since I posted pics of my little navy print skirt here.  Some of you lovely readers were so kind to respond to my call for help when I asked what colours I could wear other than the navy tops I'd been teaming it with.  Yes, peeps, today I had a good old try-on.

This was Jean's idea.

Jean came up with grey.

Short grey silk/cotton Woolovers cardi, grey camisole and snakeprint flatties from M&S.

This is what I wore today.  I like it.  The grey blends in with the shading in the skirt.

And here I pressed an effects button instead of "save".  They are right next to each other on the screen.  Bad laptop design.

Anna and Jennie came up with pink.

Limited Collection modal top, pink wedge sandals and a pink/grey necklace, all from M&S.

This felt quite smart casual. It's old but it just may sneak in as Blush?  

I swear I heard this ensemble say "do something  civilised with me, like taking me out to lunch".

Still on pink, a Next cotton top and still accessorised with the pink/grey necklace.

It needed something more.

So I accessorised with a pout to snazz up the look.  (Thanks for "snazz", Janice of theviviennefiles!)

Steph suggested a whole rainbow of brights, which my wardrobe is short on so the nearest I got was her fuschia (M&S).  I felt fresh and vibrant.  I could see me wearing this with my fuschia sling-back heels.

Jennie, Christy and Jean gave me white.

A layered white top, which was a usual panic buy the day before holiday; bought last year for my trip to Denmark.  It didn't come out the case and I still haven't worn it.  I will now.  Teamed with my Next linen mix navy cardi.  This look is telling me that I desperately need some navy wedged espadrilles, n'est pas?

And yes, I missed "save" again.

Nobody suggested duck egg blue.  This is my suggestion to self.  I spotted this one as I was a-rummaging through the wardrobe.  It's cashmere from Jones of New York.  The plait-edged camisole is from my East Aqua period, ca. 2002. 

This combo surprised me, I felt it worked and again the shading in the skirt invites quite a few colours in that area of the spectrum.

 Anna and Jennie's suggestion of yellow excited me.  The colour has really surprised me in the last couple of years.  I like it.  Never thought I would be such a fan.

The vest is a nice thin cotton jersey, so cool in summer.  I love it with a white bottom (clothes-bottom, not my untanned nether region!).   Again, navy espadrilles would finish off this ensemble.

And the bit you need to know about things being stored away is this.  I have an M&S cardi that goes beautifully with this vest.  I hunted high (top shelf of cupboard) and low (floor of wardrobe in case it had fallen off a hanger).  I could not find it, so I think it must be in the upstairs wardrobe.  The builder has declared the upstairs floor a no-go zone, due to him storing precariously balancing big panels of plaster board on the landing.  So, dear reader, you get me in my bare-armed state.  Sorry about that.

I included a blow-up of my head (oh, peeps, please do not take me literally!!).   I thought this shot displays my swathes of grey streaking.  Loving being grey!

But back to our little fashion show.  (Enjoying it so far?)

As a wild card, I brought in this little peplum short-sleeved cardi, a sort of off-white, pale stone sort of colour.  A non-colour. It's M&S Limited Collection and was a find on one of those £5 rails they sometimes have.

I bought it to top summer dresses to hide arm tops.

I don't think I've ever worn it in the 5-6 years I've kept it hanging around.  I will now.

Because I can see it looks cute with skirts as well as dresses.  And I could see it with coloured bottoms too - oh, here we go again - bottoms, as in crops and jeans, not my derriere after exposure to sun during a long sleep on a sunny beach (yes, I have done that!)

And just when The Photographer thought his good work was over, I had another flash of inspo.

What about another wild card?!

(Roofer's scaffolding in background)

Let's mix up stripes and floral. Fashionistas do this, eh, so why not The Pout? Quite like it.

What a productive way to spend a rainy June morning!  In my view.

I was able to try out some of your helpful and inspirational suggestions on colour mixes.

I have identified a need for espadrilles, maybe navy.

And I discovered pieces that I am now excited to try out, v. soon.  When the sun shines again.

A Big Thanks to all you lovely ladies who came up with colour ideas.  I still have quite a few to try out.  But I think by the time I got to Wild Card No. 2, I really had tested my Photographer's patience.

So, what do you think, ladies?  Which work?  Any? Some? All?

Could you bring any of these colour mixes to your wardrobe's aid?

I really appreciate your input and creativity and I do love to hear from you.

And as all those fun Looney Tunes films ended, so endeth your fun time today with The Pout, for

That's it, folks!

Oh no, I spoke too soon!  I also found this combo.  Add a denim shirt to the list of looks still to try, folks.

Now, how am I going to sweet-talk The Photographer into taking yet more shots of this skirt  ... ?

A la perchoine.