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

My week in instagram.

I have lost track of which number instagram post this is, but it is going to be the last one for a while since I go on holiday on tuesday and phones have been banned! Apparently charging them up is too much of a nuisance, and the roaming costs would be obscene. Anyway, here is my week in instagram snaps!

This went too fast to be photographed | I have a LOT of clothes, okay? | Flattering shot of my baby | On the way in to town to live it up (post coming soon) | Gorgeous flowers | The love of my life | Off out for a run | My little corner of the world is pretty beautiful honestly | Starting to pack for holiday

I am still in love with instagram and will probably get withdrawal symptoms on holiday.. shameful I know, but I am a complete technology addict!

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Mermaid-esque.

Last night another of my really close friends had her 18th birthday party, and it was brilliant. I was actually enjoying myself too much to take many pictures (but if I had taken them, they would be full of cherry sourz, trampolines, doing the Superbass dance, cake and gorgeous friends). As it is, all I have to show for the evening is beautiful memories.. and an outfit post for you all! It feels like I always do daytime looks, so here is an evening ensemble.

Dress - River Island; Shoes & Clutch - New Look; Bracelet - Accessorize; Ring - Vivienne Westwood; Necklace - Avon.

Last night while trying to decide what to wear I realised I had had this dress since Christmas and hadn't worn it! Of course then I had to work it, since it is party perfect and actually quite on-trend for SS'12 with the mermaid-inspired ruffles at the bottom that fit with the Under-The-Sea trend. I also love the racerback detail on the back with a gorgeous sparkling pin. I kept my accessories fairly simple, sticking to classy silver jewellery, and metallic gold shoes, with a purple envelope clutch thrown in to stop the ensemble being too pale and dull.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

A different girl every day.

I am definitely getting out of my blogging rhythm.. But I have a fair excuse. Yesterday evening I was doing the second part of my Passplus course, which will hopefully save money on my car insurance, and we got back so late that I decided to go straight to bed and not do any of the things I probably should have! So today will be a double outfit post (aren't you lucky!), with yesterday's look as well as today's..

So yesterday I was informed that the weather for the day was going to be stormy, windy, rainy and generally terrible. Most people, upon hearing this, would have reached for their coats, boots and umbrellas before setting foot outside. But not me.

Blazer - Bershka; Dress - ASOS; Shoes & Tights - Primark; Bracelet - Pandora; Rings - Yumi, Topshop & Accessorize.

I dressed in the exact opposite of a storm - namely this season's super-sweet pastels! They all compliment each other so well, why not wear them all together? Colour blocking has been a trend for quite a few seasons now and it used to be all about brights, but now it is seriously cool to look like you were dragged through a sweet shop backwards in gorgeous pastel shades. I am loving these sugar-sweet colours, especially mixed together. I pulled together my favourite pastel pieces - a peach blazer, powder-blue dress and mint shoes - and love the result. This look is probably too feminine and sickly for some, but I am a real girl's girl so I love anything like this!

Today's look wasn't quite so girlie, but that doesn't mean I played it safe either..

Blazer - ASOS; Blouse - Blanco; Jeans & Cuff - H&M; Shoes - New Look; Necklace - christmas present from parents; Ring - Miss Selfridge.

Since today was a half day, I opted for something that I would call minimal effort. Most people would probably say I was still dressed up, but I am wearing jeans! I also decided to dress for the summer again with a tropical print - if I could just dive right into that pattern and onto a beach I would! Just excuse the slightly awful picture - this was taken after I got home, feeling a bit like a drowned rat from getting rained on. Hence my awkward little pose, and the fact my feet are cut off..

So here are two different outfits that all emanate from my wardrobe - I love the way that I can dress up completely differently day in day out. Especially this season when there are so many trends on the go, it is just oh-so-easy to indulge every side of your personality with a different outfit. 

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Unexpected mini-haul.

I wasn't really supposed to be going shopping yesterday, or at least not actually buying much. That's because as college draws to an end I need to be saving up to fund my time jetting around Asia (aka my gap year) and putting some money away for university - neither of which are happening now. At the moment I seem to be investing heavily in my wardrobe. I am honestly going to try cutting back the spending a little, and yesterday doesn't count. I didn't actually spend that much, and I got some gorgeous stuff.

The first thing I was drawn to was the new Maybelline Spring/Summer collection, after seeing a video on youtube from one of my favourite bloggers, Anna Saccone. She got to experiment with loads of items from the new collection and her positive review really made me keen to buy some things. Check out her blog annasaccone.com and watch her vlogs on youtube under the name TheStyleDiet.

First of all I picked up some gorgeous new nail polishes. On the left is Maybelline Express Finish in Turquoise Green which fits in really well with the 'Under The Sea' trend with that stunning iridescent colour. On the right is Maybelline Forever Strong Pro in Ceramic Blue, perfect for the pastel hues trend that I am in love with right now. These are both new shades and I can't wait to get them on my nails.

Next up is one of their new Popsticks lipsticks in Cherry Pop. By now you must have noticed that I am a sucker for a good lipstick, and after seeing how cute these Popsticks were I just had to have one. I tested them all out in the shop, but I found the others a little too light - I am a fan of really bright, pigmented lipsticks personally, and Cherry Pop came out the brightest.

The last of the makeup haul is the Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24hr Eyeshadow in Eternal Gold. This one came highly recommended by Anna Saccone and in the store it was the one that caught my eye the most. I am really keen to see if this stunning colour really will last for 24 hours, because if it does this will become one of my favourite beauty products.

After stocking up my beauty bag I went into New Look, which is always dangerous territory for my bank card, and ended up being caught by a few pieces..

The first thing I picked up was this gorgeous cream chiffon sleeveless shirt. I have said many times that I buy too many shirts, but they are just so versatile! This particular one is ideal for SS'12 because it will go with absolutely everything, and will be light enough to wear in the middle of summer, as well as being a perfect layering piece for the colder days. The cost-per-wear on this shirt is going to be ridiculously low..

I was completely entranced by these Art Deco style earrings by Roam, on sale in New Look. For such a reasonably priced pair of earrings, they look very classy and chic. It's probably no secret that I am getting completely obsessed with the golden age of Hollywood, from the 1920s to the 1960s and these costume-jewellery style earrings are straight out of the jazz age.

Okay, while I love the unashamed glamour of the golden era of Hollywood, the child in me simply cannot resist a good flower headband. These New Look headbands instantly make me think of hazy summer days with blue skies overhead and bare feet in the grass.. The smaller yellow one seems more festival-appropriate, whereas the large rosebud headband is reminiscent of some of Lana Del Rey's 1950s video incarnations, and I love them both. A friend asked me recently if I would be breaking out the floral headbands again this summer, and the answer is a resounding yes.

The last items in this mini-haul are actually just more indulgence - I decided that now would be the right time to treat myself to some new underwear, so I hit the Ann Summers sale.

These two bras come from the Knickerbox line at Ann Summers and are possibly now the prettiest ones I own. I love the purple one with the peacock print because it is just so cute and girlie, whereas the black leopard print one is more fierce (and no I didn't just buy that one because it was called The Bardot Bra). It's almost a shame that these beauties are going to be covered up and hidden by my clothes all the time..

And there you have it, my slightly eclectic mini-haul! I love all of my buys because they are just so summery, and are making me long for the days of sunshine again.. On a slightly less fun note, if I get a bit lax and lazy with blogging in the weeks to come it is because exam season is nearly upon me and it is time for crazy revision to take over my life.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Finally, some Katrantzou is mine..

The first day back after half term is always pretty painful, especially the February half term when you realise there is only a term and a half left of the year. I am currently half way through my final year in college, getting prepped to sit MAJOR exams, and slightly freaking out. So excuse me if from now on my blogging gets more and more rushed and makes less and less sense...

Anyway, to cheer up such an unattractive prospect as the first day back, I decided to go bold with what I was wearing, and also try to compliment my new hair (which I am still not used to).

Blazer - ASOS; Blouse - Lefties; Jeans - H&M; Slippers - New Look; Belt - Primark; Necklace & Bracelet - Accessorize; Earrings & Ring - Topshop.

When trying to step out of the ordinary and rev up a day-to-day outfit, metallic jeans are a fail-safe option, especially in this glamorous gold. Metallics are not just for party season anymore either - they are shaping up to be one of SS'12's big trends for day and night. To dress mine down (but still chic) for day I went for a matchy-matchy coral blouse and slippers combo, topped off with my black blazer which is probably overworn already.. A quick slick of lipstick, some cute gold accessories, ten minutes spent styling my (new) hair and I was good to go!

Now, the outfit wasn't the only way that this first day back was brightened up - oh no. I am sure you are all aware that a certain Mary Katrantzou for Topshop collection dropped last Friday, and that I was absolutely desperate to get my little paws on a piece or two.. Well, I'm ecstatic to say I was successful, and today I arrived home to this..
 

3 gorgeous little (well, quite large actually) packages waiting for me. And inside were 3 beautiful pieces of Mary Katrantzou's genius collaboration.

First up is this cute floral print t-shirt. Mary's latest catwalk was all about florals, so it doesn't surprise me that she has continued to use them as an inspiration. I love the graphic, digital blooms on this black top, and the sleek, slightly oversized cut makes it perfect for tucking in or wearing straight out. I foresee some print mixing with this little baby!

The second piece, and possibly my favourite overall is this absolutely incredible blouse. If I loved the digital floral prints on the first top, I think it's safe to say my brain is overloaded with love for these stunning computer-generated flowers. The unnaturally bright hues and soaring, swirling petals that sprawl across the soft, chiffon-like sheer fabric of the blouse are simply breathtaking in my opinion. When I finally looked past the aesthetics of this shirt, I did get slightly confused though.. both sides have a collar, so until I saw the label I was honestly baffled as to which way round it was supposed to be worn, since the 'back' and 'front' are both equally gorgeous. If you trust the label, the buttons go on the back, but I may end up wearing it both ways round just because it looks beautiful from all angles.

The last thing I managed to snap up on Friday was this beautiful shift dress. Usually I stay away from shift dresses, due to my height, but this one is incredible. Again, the digital print is so eye-catching I can't tear my eyes off it, especially that stylized bird. Mary Katrantzou is literally a creative genius for designing something this gorgeous and this wearable, and making it so affordable that a humble little Topshop girl like myself can own it.

Along with the purchases came a *free* Mary Katrantzou for Topshop printed bag.. And since it took 3 separate orders to get my 3 pieces, I am now the proud owner of 3 of these bags!

These are also amazing, and I can't believe they were just giving them away with the orders! I am also glad I have three, because now one can be kept pristine and the other two can be used, abused and shown off. 

I am completely in love with my Mary Katrantzou for Topshop haul - I am now the proud owner of three gorgeous, bold and wearable pieces by arguably my favourite designer of the moment! I can't wait to wear the pieces, although it feels a waste just to wear them to college.. but then letting them gather dust in their garment bags feels equally wasteful. I guess I will just have to see what special occasions come up soon.. 

What do you all think of my Mary Katrantzou gems? Did anyone else manage to pick up any items? Love and kisses, Tara xox

Shaken, not stirred.

Last night one of my friends turned the big 1-8 (seems like everyone is now an adult, except me!) and decided to celebrate by challenging us all with this theme - Shaken, Not Stirred. Of course, what she was referring to was the uber-glamorous, high octane world of Bond, James Bond, and we rose to the challenge. Thinking of James Bond as a theme, there is really only one way for a girl to go and that is all-out Bond Girl - high heels, glam dresses & a good excuse to be overdressed! Here's my attempt at being a Bond Girl..

Dress - H&M; Shoes - New Look; Belt - Primark; Necklace, Bracelet & Ring - Accessorize.

Nothing screams glamorous like a flash of metallics, and luckily they are achingly on-trend for SS'12 too. I got this dress for Christmas, but as soon as I heard about the Bond party I decided to save its debut until then, because it is perfect. I love the glittering, metallic fabric and the simple cut - all it needed was a skinny belt to create a flattering silhouette with curves I don't possess, along with lashings of gold accessories, and I was ready to meet 007 himself. I also loved the shoes I was wearing, again they were virginal heels that got their first outing at this bash & they did me proud. Super-glam, eyecatchingly metallic and surprisingly incredibly comfortable with it.

This was also the first chance for some of my friends to see my new hair, and it went down well. Everyone said it suited me, once they got over some of their shock.. I hadn't re-styled it since going out to lunch earlier in the day and as a result it was not quite as preened and polished as it had been - but I like to think it was in a casually sexy disarray, not just messy!

I have to admit, however put together and done I looked at the beginning of the night, a few hours dancing etc and I ended up looking less and less classy & glam - but I had fun, so who cares? Letting your hair down is fun! I hope the birthday girl had a good time, she looked amazing (okay, everyone did, but Sammie especially!) and did us proud with decorations, food & awesome music.

There was a selection of my favourite photos where we aren't all making fools of ourselves.. It was a good night though, and I loved that the theme gave me a chance for some glittering glamour! Love and kisses, Tara xox