Moving On To Makassar.

Just a short flight (comparatively) from Jakarta is Makassar, a city on the island of Sulawesi. It is the main gateway to this island since it actually has an airport that is up and running. Although it is still fairly westernised with plenty of little minimarket type shops and a Dunkin' Donuts, we noticed a distinct lack of other foreigners..

On Day 1 in Makassar we flew in, arriving late in the afternoon with just enough time to check out the old Dutch Fort Rotterdam before watching sunset. The only downside to picking the best and most popular sunset-watching location was that everyone else there seemed more interested by the tourists - we even got filmed by an Indonesian TV station.

Dress & Earrings - Forever 21; Shoes, Bag & Bracelet - Primark.

Taking in the gorgeous blue sky and crumbling fort, I decided to have a mini shoot and pose a bit.. I adored this dress because the bright colour is holiday perfect and the embellishment adds tribal interest. By this point holiday hair was kicking in, so I threw it into a simple side plait. While I was posing there were a few people watching, but apparently the word "model" was thrown around in their conversation, so I am going to take the positives. Oh, if only I were a foot taller!

Inside the fort.

Sunset - I've seen better.

On Day Two in Makassar we struggled with dubious local transport to an older part of the town, before doing it in reverse and dawdling around.. We watched sunset again, after helping an awful lot of school kids out with English projects.

Top - New Look; Shorts - Blue Miss; Bag & Shoes - Primark; Necklace - Accessorize; Heart Earring - River Island; Ear Cuff - H&M.

This set of photos was taken while we wandered along the seafront, and my posing attracted a fair bit of attention... I opted for denim shorts and a bright tribal vest, accessorized with bright blue eyeliner and an ear cuff to add a playful edge. My hair was just shoved up into a messy bun to complete the not-totally-practical look. The Muslim acceptance of shorts is limited, and that top gave me some severe tan lines..

Some of the many school kids we helped.

In a Muslim cemetery.

Take me to my third world Alice in Wonderland..

Shipwreck.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Jakarta.

The first hit on my holiday was Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. It is on the island of Java and is fairly westernised - meaning that in some areas you can't move for McDonalds, 7-Eleven, KFC and Starbucks. After arriving in the evening we literally crashed into the hostel, found some dinner, then tried to sleep off the insanely long journey. We were in transit well over a day, and I barely slept because aeroplanes are uncomfortable..

The next day we staggered down and out for some sightseeing, going to the monument and the old Dutch area, and just generally exploring.

Top - Forever 21; Skirt & Sunglasses - H&M; Shoes, Bag & Headband - Primark; Necklace - Topshop; Earrings - River Island.

My first on-location outfit was a little haphazard. I still managed a good clash of tribal prints, toned down with some neutral accessories and a simple ponytail. This was taken on the roof of my hostel, and I am loving the sun!

The monument dwarfed me.

Reaching up proudly.

Being awkward.

Reflection.

Holiday selfies with Mum.

Look closer..

Lunch - mie goreng sayur (fried noodles with vegetables), yum.

The drink of the holiday - ice tea.

Falling into disrepair.

Chinese temple lanterns.

Nasi goreng sayur (fried rice with vegetables) for dinner.

And some tofu/tempe to share.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

NEWSFLASH: Today was results day and I got AABB, and a place at Birmingham University for September 2013!!

Je voyage.

Finally - just as I am about to leave Indonesia I manage to start my holiday posts! Yay for free wifi in my hostel, but I am flying back to England tomorrow evening and landing Tuesday am.. It's been an amazing trip but of course not long enough!

Getting to Indonesia from the UK requires an incredibly long flight, or two.. or three. We flew from Heathrow (London) to Munich, then to Singapore, then finally to our destination in Jakarta. It took a very long time, which I am not going to calculate because it will make me sad, and I barely slept. I wasn`t in the best mood to appreciate Jakarta when I landed after that, but a plate of food and I was okay. Obviously since I would be in such variable temperatures and sitting still travelling for such a long time my outfit needed to be well-thought out.

 

 Top - Reiss; Skirt & Parka - New Look; Sandals - Primark; Necklace - Accessorize; Earrings - Love & Wonder.

I always think thin layers and comfortable fabrics are the way to go on aeroplanes - you have to beat their viciously cold AC, but still be ready for possibly tropical temperatures at your destination. I opted for things that were all either new or never-been-worn to put together this outfit, and found some new favourites. This hi-lo tribal skirt is absolutely perfect for travelling because it is so loose and comfortable, but still looks du jour and fairly conservative. The parka was also a good choice because it was so lightweight!

Abusing some free internet at Singapore airport.

Awake for sunrise 35000 feet up.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Simples.

I am still in Sulawesi at the moment, and took the opportunity to get online while I can! I am seeing a lot of tribal things, walking a lot, eating a lot and still attracting attention wherever I go.. 

Oh my god I just realised it has been ONE WHOLE YEAR since I started blogging! Happy Birthday obsession du jour - now where can I get a celebratory cake? Thankyou all for reading, commenting and following, it means a lot. Love to you all! 

Our holiday actually started with an overnight visit to my relatives, who live much closer to the airport than we do. It breaks up the journey and was lovely to see them - I like to keep up with my family. Since it was such a casual occasion (being in the car and then chilling at my granny`s house) I opted for some simple separates.

Shirt - H&M; Jeans & Shoes - Primark; Ring - Topshop.

I adore this shirt because it can be dressed up or down, and it was the perfect casual accompaniment to these bright cobalt jeans - so much more interesting than regular blue. The mint green toe-cap pumps are new and I have now discovered how much I like them because they are so cute. Although it is typical that I should decide to be all covered up, only for the sun to come out.. and just before I go away too!

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Going Gaga.

I have finally found another 5 minutes to blast out a blog post while away, so here comes another pre-written one.. If you want to know how my holiday is going, well it is amazing. And I haven't even bought anything. We have moved on to the island of Sulawesi and are ready to go see lots of traditional buildings and ceremonies - expect lots of photos when I get home!

You may or may not have noticed my total love and adoration for Lady Gaga, and you might be aware that I am going to see her at the Born This Way Ball in September with my best friend.. Well, a big part of getting ready to "ball" with Mothermonster is going to be getting ready, so my outfit must be perfect. This is me rationalizing my latest purchase..

Heels - soyoushoes.com

That's right, GAGA SHOES. Well, not officially. But that is what I call these fierce, fabulous heels - if heels is the right word considering they are heel-less! Anyway, they are in the style of Gaga herself who has often worn these bemusing heel-less heels, especially so thanks to the studs all over. And honestly, they are a lot easier to walk in than they look! These are going to form the basis of my BTWB outfit, even if I do have to take them off at some point in the queueing process.

What do you think of them? These are possibly another opinion-dividing purchase - in true Marmite style they will either be loved or hated. I adore them, but do you think they are just too much?

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Where them girls at.

I am currently in Jakarta, abusing some free wi-fi to post - so here comes one of my pre-written posts about some English shenanigans. I am creating some more so that when I can`t upload pictures I can still keep the blog ticking over and keep you all interested. I haven`t quite disappeared off the face of the earth! All I can say about my holiday so far is that the flight was hell! Oh and traffic in Jakarta is killer. 

I love all my best friends, especially my closest girls. Of course, my very best friend lives too far away which is sad, but some of my other besties were close enough to go out with me last Thursday! We hit our local town after some pre-drinks at mine while getting ready, dropped in by my lovely parents before drinking, dancing and generally having an amazing time. I love nights out, and these girls were perfect to go out with.

Small confession.. I got so carried away with the good times that I didn't take an proper outfit photos, but I have cropped in on myself in the group photo to give you an idea of my outfit.

Top - River Island; Skirt - H&M; Clutch & Shoes - New Look; Ring - Miss Selfridge.

For going out I always like to dress up - the more glitzy and glamorous, the better. Metallics and sequins like this gorgeous top and skirt combo always look good on a night out because they just scream party, and look good under the lights at a club! The peplum shape of this top was also super-flattering and really comfortable, which I love. Next time I will try and style it up for day..

Here is the group picture in full of all of us dressed up and ready to roll!

My girls are stunning.

And here come some more snaps of me and my girls - love them all!

Heather & Claire.

Me & Ashleigh - pre-drinks!

Alison, Sammie & Ashleigh flicking through Vogue.

Sammie, Georgia & I.

Only 18 but we walk the streets so mean.

Minus the straw this would be beautiful.

Georgia & I - love this one.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

We're all going on a summer holiday!

This is just a quick warning post to say that I will be going on holiday tomorrow so my blogging will be even less frequent than it has been lately! I have prepared some posts to go up whenever I find an internet cafe, and I will try and upload pictures to share with you all while I am away, but just bear with me. I am hardly going to be in a country where electricity and internet run free and wild.

I am going to be spending 3 weeks in Indonesia with my parents - I am super excited because I love Indonesia and Asia in general, and can't wait to see the culture, have some authentic food and of course finally get some true summertime!

Thankyou anyone and everyone who reads my posts/follows me, I do love you all, and I will be back blogging regularly in about 3 weeks time.. For now, I hope you have an amazing summer and I will check in with you all when I can!

hehehe, just a little gif because I love you

Love and kisses, Tara xox