Someone call Shopaholic's Anonymous.

Last weekend I went shopping - a dangerous, foolish activity for me I know, but it was necessary. My summer holiday is coming up and I needed to supplement my hot weather wardrobe with mix-and-match-able pieces that will mean I can keep creating new outfits while I am away, while remaining appropriate for both tropical heat and more conservative cultures. For the shopping trip I eschewed sensibility and ignored the wind/threatening clouds to wear this..

Shirt - New Look; Shorts & Tights - Primark; Creepers - Amazon; Clutch - Cos (secondhand in Paris); Cuff - H&M; Earrings, Ring & Bracelets - Topshop.

I love a good pair of high waisted shorts because they are just so flattering, and this pastel stripe pair is really cute. I paired them wiith a sheer white shirt tucked in to emphasize the waistline, and buttoned all the way up in that girl-meets-boy way that looks very cute. I then threw my creepers into the mix because they are gorgeous and a little bit edgy, as is the new clutch. Lashings of jewellery and a bright lip completed the ensemble.

Primark

 

It's fair to say I got over-excited in Primark - what a haul. The cross tee and ballet pumps aren't even for my trip! 

New Look

The sales in New Look were bursting with gorgeous prints and colours - I just couldn't resist! And that parka is the perfect lightweight cover up, an alternative to my beloved blazers.

River Island

I have had my eye on these pieces for a while, but never quite had the cash to buy them. When they appeared in the sale however, I snapped them right up. I adore the paisley print on the dress and the mermaid-esque shell pattern on the skirt.

Topshop

 This neon dress is completely stunning, bright and beautiful, and will look gorgeous with a holiday tan.

Hair Bow - River Island; Black Rose Headband - Topshop; Ring & Gold Headband - Primark.

On holiday my hair will have to be up most of the time, so I invested in some cute accessories to keep it fresh!

Love and kisses, Tara xox

In love with my mint shoes.

Once again I am sorry for the long wait between posts.. I am a truly terrible blogger at the moment! Honestly, the past few days have been lazy days interspersed with work and revision, but mostly consisting of hiding at home in my sweats watching Disney films - I haven't had much time to myself recently so the opportunity to just relax has been lovely. Today however I was out and about shopping again and attracting a few looks..

Shirt - Blanco; Skirt - River Island; Shoes - New Look; Bag, Earrings & Bracelets - Topshop; Ring - H&M.

I think it was the shoes that were attracting attention. Well, they are pretty gorgeous - I love the mint green hue and those immense platforms.. and they are suprisingly comfortable too. I ignored the weather again and even though it was cloudy with a chance of rain I wore a summery outfit. The bright skirt and tropical print were the perfect way to brighten the day and make it feel a bit more like summer, especially with bare legs and a bright lip.

Dress - Topshop

This dress was a complete impulse buy. It caught my eye as I walked in, I tried it on and fell in love. I adore the bright print that is a mix of so many florals and paisley, which looks bold, eye-catching and perfect for summer (if it ever gets here). I also love the cutout detail which captures the trend of showing your high-driff (the top bit of your stomach) this season, and is also super-flattering because of how it is placed and how the dress is cut. It gives you awesome curves too.

Shorts - Primark

The stripes on these shorts remind me of a stick of rock - the epitome of a summertime beach trip. They are high waisted, which means they will go with anything and the light hues makes them perfect for if we ever get some proper sun. 

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Paisley print.

Finally. The day has come where I can wear a sundress without tights or a jacket or any kind of practical layering - nothing needed other than shoes, jewellery and sunglasses! People might be complaining about the heat, but I am still loving it. I live for days like these. Besides, I hear that it is meant to rain here on Wednesday, so I have to squeeze in some sunshine appreciation while I can..

Dress - Dorothy Perkins; Shoes & Earrings - New Look; Necklace & Rings - Topshop; Bracelet - Pull & Bear; Sunglasses - bought in Malaysia.

I have had this dress quite a while and worn it on a fair few occasions, but I couldn't remember ever wearing it solo so I decided to break it out again today! The paisley print is still totally on-trend, and I love the colour palette. The bright blue, white and purple on a black background is a gorgeous way to work a print without looking over the top, and is echoed in my purple wedges. Yes, I am wearing those wedges to death this summer, I love them! Sunglasses are obligatory when driving on sunny days, and I opted to up the glam factor with this classic, oversized pair.

This week I tried out a new nail colour again - Maybelline's Forever Strong polish in Ceramic Blue, one of their new SS'12 pastel shades. It is safe to say I am completely in love with this pale blue colour which looks fresh, unusual and achingly pretty on my nails! It was also surprisingly easy to apply, possibly thanks to the '100% Precision' brush..

Creepers - Amazon

Another new purchase came in through the post today - I am now the proud owner of a gorgeous pair of creepers. I could have just bought a plain colour, but of course I opted for some super-cute leopard print on mine! At the moment they are being sold on Amazon for some ridiculously cheap price, so I snapped my pair up quick. Ever since flatforms came into fashion and brothel creepers seemed to be making an impact I was tempted by them, but only after seeing Karl Lagerfeld incorporate them into his ensembles was I completely sold. It may be a little warm to wear them now, but I love them anyway!

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Getting a little patriotic.

Okay, okay, normally I don't get swept up in these kind of events, and I can safely say that 'royal fever' hasn't struck me down before. Last year, I was so sick of the royal wedding between Wills & Kate that I was ecstatic to be on holiday on the day, and only really cared about who designed Kate's dress (McQueen was definitely the right choice). However, I truly believe that one of the biggest events this year (other than the 20120 Olympics in London) is the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. She has been on the throne for 60 years now, and in my opinion doing a fabulous job. Her and the entire monarchy are a British establishment that we should all be proud to still have, and there is something exciting about having a woman as a ruler too.. Not to mention a rather stylish one at that!

Yes, my latest style icon is possibly an unlikely one, coming in the form of our very own Queen Elizabeth. She may be getting older, but her style remains impeccable - she is never over or under dressed, she always accessorises perfectly, and probably has the largest collection of hats the world has ever seen. Elizabeth also manages to work in new-season colours, and there probably isn't a shade on the planet that she hasn't pulled off beautifully. 

From the start of her reign, she ruled in style..

In her early official photographs the Queen looks gorgeous, and never OTT. Of course, the crown is the perfect accessory, but in the second photo I am in love with her necklace and that stunning off the shoulder dress.

The bows on this dress are super-cute, and she is already showing her penchant for pearls..

This outfit is simply perfection - retro glamour at its finest. The lace looks simply beautiful, and her regal accessories of elbow length gloves, a parasol, and one of her many hats are the perfect complements. If I could wear this dress now, I so would.

Don't even get me started on her wedding dress. That train is simply breathtaking - Elizabeth is doing nothing by halves!

The vintage Elizabeth looks may be totally gorgeous, but the modern day ensembles are pretty spectacular too..

Only a queen could pull this off, and Elizabeth definitely does! That crown is the perfect accessory, and I love the cosy fur trim on this silver gown.

And the journey through Her Majesty's colourful wardrobe begins.. Seen sans hat for once, this outfit is anything but dull. Perfectly combining pink and red, which should completely clash, Elizabeth looks bright and beautiful here.

The Queen has an amazing collection of coats, as well as the complementary hats, and I love this one in particular. The red trim and buttons are so cute, and the feathered hat looks pretty darn stylish. She has accessorized well with soft black.

I am actually pretty jealous of this cape trench, it is a complete style classic and pretty effortlessly chic for a rainy day.

Severe style kudos goes to anyone who can pull off lime green, and the queen has definitely gone up in the style stakes by working this tricky hue.

I love the detailing on this matchy-matchy monochrome ensemble.

Royal blue is the perfect colour for Her Majesty to wear as she greets the troops, and this flattering coat is gorgeous.

Sporting an incredibly du jour paisley print suit, Elizabeth looks bold and bright again here. This Queen is far from boring, and will never fade into the background!

A good cherry-red ensemble is all Elizabeth needs to look stylish on or off-duty, and I actually really like her hat here. The carbon black accessories are timelessly chic, especially when paired with red.

Dressed perfectly for a sunny day, this light pastel blue is again very du jour, and the white gloves keep the entire look light.

This powder blue spring coat is incredibly stylish right now - pastels are a key trend for SS'12. There is no denying the fact that this monarch is a style queen too! That hat is quite cutting edge with the black feather, but the soft blue flower keeps it suited to the prim coat.

Who could forget the Queen's pale-yellow ensemble at Wills & Kate's wedding? In a stronger yellow this would have been blinding, but the soft hue means it is perfect. Pastel yellow is another gorgeous SS'12 shade so Elizabeth was ahead of the trends. I love her light white accessories and nude courts that keep this look fresh and oozing springtime chic.

And finally, this is our Queen's official diamond jubilee portrait. In my opinion she looks simply glorious - what better way to celebrate your diamond jubilee than wearing a dress that looks like it is encrusted in them? 

I am sorry if this post is a little long/picture-heavy, I hadn't quite anticipated how carried away I would get looking at the Queen's ensembles! I am now eagerly awaiting the Diamond Jubilee for the chance to celebrate her years on the throne - how about you, readers? Do you like the monarchy? As far as I'm concerned, God Save The Queen! There is one thing I am still ridiculously curious about though. What exactly does she carry in her handbag?

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Breaking up again.

Today was my last college day before breaking up for the Easter holidays. While I'm pretty keen for a holiday and looking forward to lounging around in the sun (if it lasts), reaching the end of my penultimate term at college has made me realise just how close the exams are. Time to get my head down and do some revision, I think! Tomorrow. Today is going to be one last fully lazy day, especially after some car issues first thing and the sheer joy of handing in a finished piece of coursework..

Blouse, Shorts & Sunglasses - H&M; Shoes & Ring - Topshop; Tights - Primark; Necklace - New Look.

Excuse the strange morning light in this photo, and try instead to focus on the clothes.. I opted for an outfit that I again was not convinced by in theory, but actually loved in practice. I thought that combining some bright digital florals with scarf-print shorts would be too much, but apparently in this 'anything-goes' season it works. I surprised myself a little with this, and am proud I had the guts to wear it out! I did tone it down a little with plain black opaques and glitter flats, as well as some much-needed sunglasses.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Paisley & mint.

It was back into college again today since I was feeling a bit better.. Luckily it was only Wednesday, a half day, but there was the joy of parents evening as well. To kill time between my last lesson and parents evening only four hours later, I decided not to go home, but went out for lunch with Mum, treating her as a late mother's day present. It was actually a pretty good day, topped off with some more gorgeous weather - although today my dressing inappropriately went to the other end of the spectrum and I ended up being too hot.

Blazer & Ring - ASOS; Dress - Dorothy Perkins; Shoes & Tights - Primark; Earrings - H&M; Necklace - Avon; Bracelet - Pandora.

In one of my more foolish moments, I picked out an outfit more suited to January than March, or at least more suited to a cold day than the beautiful blue one we got today! I was even wearing my heavy-duty black tights, since the others were in the wash.. Big mistake. But however warm I may have been (and don't get me wrong, I adore hot weather), I was actually pretty pleased with this minimal-effort outfit. I have had this dress for quite a while, but since paisley scarf prints seem to be everywhere at the moment, I decided to break it out again. Since the majority of the outfit was black (I am turning into my mother apparently) I opted for my new mint ballet flats to add a pop of new-season colour to the look. A few pieces of delicate silver jewellery finished it off in a classic, slightly understated way.

Okay, now for possibly the first time I am going to do a little bit of shameless promotion.. My best friend has just set up her own fashion blog, literally a few days ago, and even though I might be slightly biased it is absolutely amazing. She has brilliant style, is really entertaining to read & is basically all-round amazing. Go check her out at Dress me i'm your mannequin - it's totally worth a click and a read. Oh and Becca, I love you! 

Love and kisses, Tara xox

You can't take me anywhere.

I was in Birmingham today for a uni visit day, to find out more about my course & see whether Birmingham is in fact the place for me.. Turns out, yes, it is. Bring on the uni years. But since we had driven up the night before and the actual visit day didn't start until 1pm, we had a whole morning to fill. And knowing me, I think you can guess what I did... Yes, I went shopping! This is why you literally cannot take me anywhere - I literally home in on the nearest shopping centre and end up finding amazing things. 

Blazer - ASOS; Top - Pull & Bear; Skirt - Internacionale; Tights & Shoes - New Look; Bracelet & Ring - Temporary Secretary; Necklace - Accessorize.

Mixing and matching my separates for the uni visit day, and I think I might wear this leopard print skirt too often! It just goes with so many things and creates a really flattering silhouette. Today with my print I was going for metallics and bright colours, which, when framed by my blazer & topped off with some bright pink lipstick, made a look that was very 'put together' as well as quirky for daytime.

Now here comes the extent of my little detour to the shopping centre.. It was actually relatively contained, since I only actually bought things in H&M, but it was definitely a good bit of impulse buying. Massive thankyou to my mum for fronting the money though, claiming it was a birthday present (even if my birthday isn't until the end of April), because I am definitely on the skint side at the moment.

First up is this super-cute butterfly vest. It's a bit too summery to be appropriate now, but the print was far too cute to pass by, and I can always layer it!

I seem to love gold jewellery at the moment, and statement cuffs always add an edge to outfits, so this chain detail one is perfect for me. I can't wear massive jewellery because it looks ridiculous on such a small person as me, so again, this is perfect.

I had seen this shirt around a bit, on other blogs and in those tempting catalogues H&M keep sending me, and was seriously debating buying it online. Then I saw it in store and literally grabbed it, because it looks even more gorgeous in person. The print looks a bit like curtains/wallpaper, but I absolutely love it. 

I realise that it looks a bit like I've raided an old granny's wardrobe, what with the floral shirt and now the pleated skirt, but I couldn't resist. I love pleats because they are just such a cute detail, and the pastel colour blocking on this skirt makes it unique. 

Just to complete my eclectic little combination of purchases, I picked up these gorgeous paisley print shorts. Scarf prints are hot property right now, and this coral pair are totally catwalk-inspired. 

And that's my shopping haul! Loving the early birthday present, and it's a good thing I don't have to wait until my birthday to wear it all... 

Love and kisses, Tara xox