Anchors Away

Dress: Primark

Jumper: Vintage

Boots: French Connection

Told you to keep your eyes out for these boots making a reappearance didn't I! Yes they have barely left my feet since I acquired them, they're so comfy but I've been trying to avoid wearing them too much in all this rain we've been having-I don't want to wreck them, though I have sprayed them with my ever useful Clarks suede protector to stop them going all spotty if they do get rained on.

I wanted to share this jumper which Adrian bought me a couple of years ago, as part of my birthday present. I love it because it's so kitsch and cute, plus it's a really good fit and I like to wear it layered over dresses as it's quite cropped in length so it doesn't drown me too much. I love the water and everything to do with it; before we moved to Bristol we lived very near a beach and I am a keen surfer, believe it or not! I surfed shortboards for over 5 years, I used to go with one of my very best friends and we would always have an amazing time, even if it was 5am on a snowy February morning, if the waves were going off (and sometimes even if they weren't!) we'd be out there catching them. We would surf for a few hours and then head back to our cars and get changed out of our wetsuits (my mumma made me this amazing towelling changer just for this purpose-there's nothing fun about trying to take off a wetsuit, hold onto a towel, and put your knickers on in a howling gale) and after that we'd head to one of our favourite greasy caff's on the front (yay The Sunshine!) and warm up with wear hot chocolates and beans on toast whilst watching the waves roll in. In the winter it would be amazing as the beach would be deserted except for a few locals, in the summer it would be hideous-nowhere to park, jellyfish floating about (I got stung several times one particularly hot summer) and inexperienced surfers dropping in on you and stealing your waves. Despite this surfing is the one thing I miss the most about not living in Devon (apart from my friends and family, obviously!) and one day I know we will move back and I'll get my wetsuit on again! My boards are currently in the custody of one of my bro's who lives in Newquay so they are still being kept in shape for when I need them back! I feel very calm in the ocean, I respect it and I am afraid of it, but I love it. Even as a child my mum would take me to the beach and I'd be straight in the sea, come rain or shine; it's just a place where I feel very at ease. If I ever had any problems or if I was feeling a bit off, I would always head out with my board, paddle out past the breaking waves and just sit and take it all in. It's a very special place to me and is a place I will definitely revisit and hope to live near again at some point in my life.

So there you go! Something you didn't know about me! This may account for the love of all things nautical in my life, this jumper definitely being one of those!

XO Amie