Blood is thicker than water.

I have to admit that living down here with my parents in the middle of nowhere I don't see the rest of my family that often. Last weekend however my grandparents (Mum's side) came down to visit and we had a meal out for their anniversary/grandma's birthday, which my cousins came to as well. Unfortunately while my grandparents were down I was working a fair bit so I haven't got much to say about the rest of the visit, other than we watched insane amounts of tennis..

On the Sunday however we all went out to a hotel/restaurant nearby us, fighting through those awful floods to get there. We (I) got all dressed up and had a lovely meal out, spending hours just talking. I did, however, get a few minutes to take some not-at-all-awkward outfit photos outside when the sun came out!

Shirt & Skirt - H&M; Shoes & Clutch - New Look; Earrings - Forever 21; Rings - Miss Selfridge & H&M.

This look was inspired by Marilyn Monroe, or rather one of the outfits Michelle Williams wears while playing her in My Week With Marilyn. That look consisted of a shirt and pencil skirt too, but in neutral colours - I copied the silhouette but added my own modern twist with bright colour, print and some super-cute wedge heels. I love getting dressed up, but obviously going out for lunch isn't quite as formal as dinner, which is why I kept this look casual without too much ornate jewellery, and the collar unbuttoned.

It was lovely to catch up, and a nice change to sitting at home on a Sunday!

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Paris Day Four!

Okay sorry about the massive gap in my Paris posting, my grandparents were down so I couldn't blog! 

The last day of a trip is always a bit sad - packing up your things, saying goodbye to your holiday and going home to reality.. It is especially weird on a trip that is this short, it felt like we had barely arrived and then we were leaving again! On the final day after packing and checking out we left our bags in the hotel and went straight to the Eiffel Tower on the metro. I can't believe we left it to the last day to see the most famous thing in Paris. And it was so impressive, even bigger than I imagined and of course beautifully situated. It was also packed with tourists.. After that we got lunch (pasta - finally something veggie!) and then took a walk along the Seine, before ending the day with gorgeous crepes. Feeling quite full we wandered along back to the hotel and went to the airport, squeezing in a cheeky glass of vin blanc before the flight home. It was slightly disappointing to be back in England...

Here was my outfit of day four..

Top, Bag, Shoes & Bracelets - Topshop; Skirt & Earrings - River Island.

This outfit felt a little more casual, and less put-together than the others of the trip. I am not sure why.. But I still like it because again it sticks to light, clean, girlie colours for a summery feel, and you may have noticed my preference for pink. I also love the lace detail on my new top, which takes the otherwise simple outfit away from block colours and adds interest. I opted for my hair up, which is unusual, but I just went for a simple bun and left it - messy is better in my opinion.

And the final snaps of my little trip..

Tour Eiffel!

I have too many photos of this tower.

Trying to be artistic.

Claire & Alison being tourists.

Me being awkward with Alison.

Claire at lunch.

Chilling in the park.

Claire & I.

Another of my many Parisian exspressos.

Nutella crepes. Nom.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Paris Day Three!

Waking up in Paris just doesn't get old. Even if it is in a slightly dodge area. After an even more croissant-heavy breakfast we embarked upon a shopping morning, only to be halted by a quick downpour. So we had a coffee break (or hot chocolate in my case) and then hit the shops. In the morning we wandered around Montmartre, discovering cute little shops, then we headed into central Paris. We had lunch in the Saint Germain area, then chose to split up according to what we wanted to do.. In the end we all went our separate ways - Alison to sketch in the park by the Louvre, Claire to see inside Notre Dame, and myself to carry on with some hardcore shopping. While I wandered surrounded by designer labels I had no hope of affording I was having the time of my life, and it got even better when I found a second-hand/vintage shop down a backstreet! After shopping, I carried out my little Amelie fantasy and checked out the Canal de Saint Martin and the Cafe des Deux Moulins. Then we had a picnic dinner by the Sacre Coeur before cocktails.. A very good third day.

Here was my outfit of day three..

Dress, Bag, Shoes & Cross Bracelets - Topshop; Floral Headband - New Look; Wishbone Bracelet - Accessorize; Ring - H&M.

I absolutely adore this Topshop lace dress - not only is it a celeb favourite, but it looks effortlessly pretty and summery. Before Paris I had only worn it layered up with tights and blazers, but while away in warmer weather I finally got to wear it by itself. In my typical fashion I didn't leave it all simple though as I added a ladylike bag, some glittering flats and a Lana Del Rey style floral headband. I would swear blind that all day in Paris the only person I saw with a headband was my reflection.. I am definitely too British to blend in!

Here are some more snaps of my daily activities.. quite food-based this time.

Our emergency cuppas.

Casual Montmartre graffiti.

Paris is so damn photogenic.

Canal de Saint Martin

Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amelie Poulain anyone?

Some top quality vin rouge.

Macarooooons!

Coming up next is the final day, and then my shopping haul!

Love and kisses, Tara xox

My week in instagram.. #2

I am home from Paris now! And what better way to start posting about it than with my instagram shots from the week?

Getting my Marilyn fix on Monday | Tuesday's uber bright look| Un chocolat chaud | Enjoying the Parisian sun in Wednesday's outfit | The Sacre Coeur | Getting fat just from looking at these French cakes | Wednesday's carb-tastic picnic | Hanging out in the Cafe des Deux Moulins comme Amelie | Un cafe frappe | Un mojitoooooo | Friday's girlie ensemble | Details of my fave Topshop bracelets

More details to come on the whole Parisian sejour, but this is just a quick sneak peek of my shenanigans abroad. One thing I will say is that being vegetarian in France is difficult - hence why my intake has been mostly BNs, pastries, bread and coffee. Oh, and I never realised just how much I dress like a Brit-girl.. the contrast with classic French chic was more than a little obvious..

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Hitting the capital.

One of my all-time favourite places in the country is London. Despite being a complete country girl who lives in the middle of nowhere and feels completely small-town in anywhere remotely resembling a city, I just can't get enough of the capital. I try to go there at least once every year, generally lured in for the shops.. This time I went up with a friend and as well as blasting our way around Oxford Street we also went to the Christian Louboutin 20 year exhibition at the Design Museum, which was a completely beautiful celebration of a shoe genius! I wanted to stroke every pair in there. 

Blazer - Bershka; Top, Bag, Earrings & Cross Bracelet - Topshop; Skirt - River Island; Tights - Primark; Shoes - New Look; Cuff & Ring - H&M.

My trusty peach blazer got another outing today, working with one of my favourite cute summer prints - fruit print a la D&G, in the form of my cherry print skirt. I like the way the lace top stops me looking too covered up considering the high neckline, and the cute peter pan collar is just sweet. I had originally planned to wear this outfit without tights, but since the weather was pretty typically british (aka rainy) I had to add them in. I like all of the light, bright tones of this outfit, which make me stand out in the busy London crowds!

Here you have seen me looking like a complete tourist taking my outfit photo on Tower Bridge, and I am sure you will have clocked the shopping bags in my hand.. Well, they deserve their own post, so coming soon is my Oxford Street haul!

Love and kisses, Tara xox

PS. I am going to Paris tomorrow for a few days, so I may not be very vocal on the blog. I will try to post some more (such as my London buys) while I am away but I might get carried away living it up a la Parisienne.. So for now, au revoir et a bientot mes amies.

Star Style Obsession - Mollie King

While everyone goes crazy about the jubilee today I am currently sat at home flicking through magazines and blogs. Which means that instead of some crazy royalist post (well, I have already obsessed over the Queen's style..) you are going to be getting some inspiration from another of my style heroes. This girl does, oddly enough, have a suitably royal name considering she is Mollie King, but other than that and a bit of a link to Prince Harry, this is quite unrelated. I just happened to see one of her latest looks and was then reminded of all of her stylish appearances that have impressed me. 

I am not a Saturdays fan in the slightest, but I have to admit they all scrub up pretty well and look irritatingly gorgeous in every appearance, and Mollie is in my opinion the most stylish of the five. Unusually for me, the looks I love the most are not her on-duty, red carpet ensembles, but her off-duty street style looks because she manages to make a stylish statement with every look, as well as being the epitome of easy-breezy daytime fashion. So for once, I won't be drooling over couture gowns that have no practical place in my wardrobe, but eyeballing some gorgeous daytime pieces that I could legitimately consider trying to buy.

Okay, you know me, I can't resist a few evening looks. This dress is pretty much perfect on Mollie - I love the lingerie-inspired lace and sleek midi-length, as well as the super-flattering silhouette.

 This is such a cute, playful red carpet look. I love the 60s style shift dress with oversized polka dots, and simple styling she has employed, with a voluminous up-do, heavy eyeliner and black heels. The look ensures she stands out next to Vanessa too.

 Working a hi-low hemline before most of us got in on the act, Mollie looks beautiful at the Harry Potter premiere. The ethereal, floaty dress is simply stunning on her and is perfectly complemented by white heels and her gorgeous tumbling waves and natural makeup.

A slightly more casual evening look, I love the polka dot body-con dress because the sleeves and high neckline are perfectly balanced by the shorter hemline that shows off her enviable legs. The matchy-matchy tan accessories are perfect with her navy dress.

Now we are really hitting the more casual looks as Mollie walks through an airport working that killer combination of tan and navy. That gorgeous scarf-print skirt is perfect for summer and really makes her stand out in the crowd, while still being comfortable and casual enough for travel.

Here's Mollie with a masterclass in how to work double denim - simply choose a light wash jacket and shorts, then team with a contrasting floaty top, messy updo, sandals and a luxe handbag.

Chic tailoring at its best here I think. I love the clean lines of this outfit and the neutral-yet-contrasting hues of navy, beige and white that are perfectly offset by some super-luxe accessories. I am incredibly jealous of her bag collection.

Tailoring seems to be one of Mollie's specialities. These gorgeous blue shorts could easily have been smartened up with a blazer for evening, but I love how she has toned them down with a cute white top, polka dot scarf belt and oversized sunglasses.

I promise I am not just in love with this look because I have the exact same dress in pink.. It helps though. The lace overlay is gorgeous and so Valentino, and again those tan accessories make it perfect for day but with a luxe edge.

Breaking out some gorgeous tailoring again on an outing with Frankie, but this time working a shorts suit in powder-pink. I have always been dubious about matching shorts suits, but Mollie does look gorgeous and sweet in this one, especially thanks to the pastel hue. I like how she has kept the look light with a white scallop-edged vest and blush-pink heels.

Another airport look, but not one that I am sure I would be brave enough to replicate, however much I love it! This grey t-shirt dress is gorgeous and super-cute with that rubber duck motif, and I love how it has been styled up with fierce heels, a luxe bag and uber-cool sunglasses.

Finally, this is the look that reminded me of Mollie's stunning style. I simply adore the 1950s trend this season, and I have been wanting to try a bralet with a pencil skirt for quite some time - this look has inspired me to go for it! I love the sweet white bralet with the brightly printed skirt, and again those gorgeous tan accessories and beautiful blonde locks.

I love Mollie's style and am hopefully going to emulate some of her daytime looks, especially in that she always looks very "done" and polished - definitely not a lazy-day-in-trackies girl! What do you think of her style?

Love and kisses, Tara xox

My week in style.

Since I had all of my birthday shenanigans to post about this week I held back on the outfit posts, and now you lucky people can feast your eyes on all of this week's outfits in one (long) post! In my first official week of being 18 I haven't really gone crazy with it, and to be honest I can't feel much of a difference aside from being legally an adult - there's a little bit of new self-responsibility there. I certainly haven't made any changes to my style, which is still ever-changing, fun, experimental and intrinsically girlie..

Monday

Blazer - ASOS; Blouse - New Look; Skirt - River Island; Shoes & Tights - Primark; Earrings - Topshop; Necklace - Accessorize; Bracelets - Lola Rose, Pull & Bear, Topshop, ASOS & Accessorize.

I opted for a fun mix of patterns to beat the Monday morning blues - there's nothing like my cherry print skirt to add a playful edge to an outfit. I can't wait to wear it in a more retro fifties style outfit, but that will have to come when the weather finally improves! For now I settled for pairing it with a polka dot blouse, framed with black tights and a blazer and finished with my much-abused mint green shoes. I also wore my hair up for once, and it looked better than I thought.. I still won't make a habit of it though.

Tuesday

Blazer - ASOS; Dress, Shoes & Flower Ring - Topshop; Tights - Primark; Earrings - New Look; Bracelets - Topshop, Accessorize & Lola Rose; Star Ring - Forever 21.

With Tuesday came a very girlie look - inspired by the gorgeous lace on the Valentino catwalks I wore my new Topshop lace dress (a birthday present!) and kept it feminine with glittery pumps and statement earrings. Then of course I added a boyish edge with my blazer, and I love the juxtaposition it adds. Again, I can't wait to wear this dress without the necessity of tights and a blazer, but for now I like it layered. I just felt super-pretty wearing this and can't wait to break it out again.

Wednesday

Denim Shirt - River Island; Dress & Bracelet - Topshop; Belt, Tights & Shoes - Primark; Ring - H&M; Headband - New Look.

Since Wednesday was finally a sunny day where I am I decided to go for a more summery, almost festival-esque look. White has rolled around again as a key colour for this season, so I pulled out my broderie anglaise dress, and made it a little more seasonally appropriate by layering it with a pale denim shirt and patterned tights. My mint shoes added a confectionery edge, and I topped it all off with a sweet floral headband. I have been waiting for a sunny day to start wearing my floral headbands again, and this new one is super cute with its gorgeous yellow flowers. I loved feeling so summery and pretty, and I want more sunny days!

Friday

Blazer - ASOS; Top - Yumi; Shorts & Tights - Primark; Shoes - George at Asda; Bracelets - Topshop, River Island & Lola Rose; Ring - Miss Selfridge.

With Friday came a gorgeous print mix - a clash of some tropical-inspired parrots (thankyou to my friend who got it for me), and Prada-esque car print shorts. They really add a fun, playful edge to my outfit when put together and pick up on the cute, cartoon prints trend of SS'12. I also love these bright shoes, and cannot believe I picked them up at a supermarket!

Before you say anything, I realise Thursday is missing - I was actually ill then, and nobody wants to see a picture of me in my PJs in my bed. One thing I have realised looking at these outfits is that I can be completely different in my look from day to day, and just how versatile fashion can be, in that you can dress for every different part of you personality, which I love.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

[PS. I realise I am getting ridiculously haphazard with my blogging - when my life calms down a little I will be back to regular posts I promise!]

My bank balance takes another hit.

My bank account must be feeling abused by now, as I keep splashing the cash on gorgeous new clothes.. It feels like every other post on here contains new I have bought - maybe a little restraint is in order? And yes, I say that every time. And then go and spend more money. Someone, call Shopaholics Anonymous.. 

This lovely little (or rather large) haul comes as a result of my shopping trip with a friend yesterday, which was a brilliant way to spend the afternoon. I think I went shopping originally in search of shoes, and she needed an outfit for some event or other in our buzzing social lives.. The mission was partially successful - her outfit is sorted. But take a look at what I bought.. not a shoe in sight.

Vest - Topshop

The first place we went was a dangerous one to start with - Topshop is probably my favourite shop on the high street. And then there was a sale. I got more than a little excited and got a few gorgeous things, beginning with this shimmery, opalescent vest top. I had seen it in the store before, but it was a little pricey for me. On sale however I couldn't resist this - it is perfect for the under-the-sea trend that is a big hit this spring/summer. I love the pale, shimmering, iridescent hue on such a simple shape, which means it makes an impact but will still be easy to style.

Jumper - Topshop

Another sale find that I couldn't resist. This is the perfect, lightweight jumper for now - all my chunky ones are being banished from my wardrobe because I am optimistically believing that summer is just around the corner. This is such a fine, light knit that it will be ideal for the transitional weather, and the dove-grey hue means it will go with pretty much every item of clothing I own.

Jacket - Topshop

I have resolutely packed away my coats for this year, and the suddenly wintry weather has taken my remaining jackets and cover-ups by shock, so I was really excited when I found this jacket. Number one, it was a complete steal in the sale. Number two, it is cute, light and cropped enough that I won't feel depressed wearing it in April/May. Number three, it is so Chanel-esque that it hurts a little.

Bralet - Topshop

This is my final Topshop find, and I know what you're thinking. Yes, it's a slightly strange, retro-style bra. Well technically yes, this is probably meant to be underwear. But I intend to wear it as a very cute, vintage style bralet for a bit of a 1950s vibe. It looks enough like a top that you won't be able to tell it is underwear, especially by the time I am finished styling it. I just couldn't not buy it, I totally fell in love with the structured, vintage corset shape and those quirky giant polka dots.

Skirt - River Island

River Island has also become very dangerous territory for my debit card - I am literally in love with about 70% of their stock right now. My friend walked in and started pointing out all the things she could see me in and it took a lot of restraint not to go on a complete spending spree. I did however pick up this insanely cute 1950s style skirt. I just couldn't resist the kitsch cherry print and the gorgeous shape of this skirt - it's the ultimate curve creator on someone as curve-less as me! 

Shorts - Primark.

Okay, okay, maybe I am getting a little too obsessed with the 1950s Americana trend that is going on. But come on, just how Prada are these shorts? I have wanted some car print in my life for months now and procrastinated over the River Island car print pieces, always finding a reason not to buy them. These however were such a bargain that I couldn't find a reason! The print is so cute and fun that I just want to go running around on a beach in blazing sunshine, so I am hoping the weather picks itself up soon..

Skirt - New Look

I may have gone a little skirt-crazy here - but at least I am all set for mixing and matching my wardrobe now with the variety of prints! This gorgeous floral skirt caught my eye straight away with its bold blooms and rich blue background hue.. you know what I am like with florals. This will be so versatile for summer with its light fabric and flippy shape, and easy to pair with most of the tops I have.

Bracelet - Accessorize

Finally, something that isn't 1950s inspired! This harks back to a slightly earlier time still since it is reminiscent of the 1920s/30s costume jewellery worn by the screen sirens that are my idols. I just loved the slightly over the top feel of this bracelet and couldn't resist buying it to add a bit of glamour to my outfits.

Skirt - H&M

This is the last skirt, and the last item - I ordered it a week or so from H&M and it arrived on the same day as my haul.. Fate? Definitely. Especially since it will work so well with pretty much all of the tops I bought! This is another retro-inspired piece, a sweet-yet-chic lace pencil skirt. With its sharp, vintage cut I will have a gorgeously retro silhouette, and the candy-pink lace is the perfect pretty colour to wear in summer. This is an uber-feminine skirt, and will be so versatile. I love it!

And that is my haul! It is all deliciously summery - I am eagerly anticipating the warm days when I can wear the skirts and shorts without tights, and when the tops won't need to be covered with a jacket unless I specifically want them to be. For now, I am looking forward to layering them up for the transitional weather, and making good use of that Chanel-esque jacket. I am seeing a bit of a theme in my purchases though.. I am definitely being drawn towards retro glamour, from the 1920s to the 1950s. And why not? It was an undeniably stylish era, full of high octane fashion and screen icons. I am fast becoming obsessed with old black and white movies, so maybe my fashion sense is just reflecting my general interests. Oh, and it doesn't hurt that pretty much the entire fashion world is loving that era too..

Love and kisses, Tara xox