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

The Anti Tour outfits.

Yes, I am dragging this whole 'I met Kylie and am a crazy fan' thing out a little longer. I'm apparently not content with simply getting near the front of the show on Sunday, meeting her on Monday and then blogging avidly about it on Tuesday, since there is yet more Anti Tour goodness coming your way today on Thursday. 

And yes, I'm well aware I'm currently competing for the crown of Most Inconsistent Blogger as I disappear for days, pop up again and then miss another day's posting.. Nothing huge or exciting happened yesterday, I was just out for longer than I thought and couldn't quite face blogging at 11pm - I'll get back into my daily blogging routine soon, promise!

Anyway, this slice of Anti Tour fabulousness is a lot more fashion-oriented. Anyone who's a fan of Kylie is usually on the edge of their seats trying to work out what she will wear to play a show (I know I was) and for this concert she was suitably toned down...

This was the first Anti Tour outfit, worn for most of the duration of the show. In keeping with the stripped-back, pared-down concert, instead of wearing her usual sequins and feathers Kylie opted for a newspaper-print tee paired with denim hotpants, a black waistcoat, lace body, fishnets and high heels. I personally love this look on her because it meshes casual with glamour seamlessly. I love the newspaper print on her t-shirt because it is actually a story from the 60s about mods and rockers clashing, and it adds a level of interest, while the rest of the outfit simply makes her look stunning. I am actually considering doing something like this myself when it gets warmer..

For the encore Kylie changed into this similar ensemble of pink denim shorts, high black ankle boots, fishnets and a Boy London top. Boy London is having a bit of a revival with celebs like Rihanna sporting their clothes, and they have gone up in my personal estimation since I saw Kylie in this top. I love the pink lettering. But mostly I was a bit crazy over these shorts - I was desperate to find out where she got them and get a pair for myself! That scarf she is wearing is actually a vintage one from one of her old tours, the Enjoy Yourself one way back before I was born.

This is a snap that Kylie herself tweeted after the first Manchester show (the one I went to!), and this is the outfit I saw in the dark from the stage door as she got into her car. It's a perfectly cool, casual post-show ensemble, and I love the kiss-print t-shirt. See, Kylie really is a normal person!

And this, dear followers, is the outfit Kylie was wearing on Monday pre-show, when I met her! Off-duty she really does have a casual, comfortable, effortless sense of style and I love it. I'm going to have to start wearing my denim shirt again, and I must dig out my black skinny jeans! The only thing I disliked about this outfit was the sunglasses - don't get me wrong, they are super-cool but I would have like to have seen her eyes..

Before you think this is just a manifestation of my crazy Kylie obsession (which it might be), here comes the lowdown on what I was wearing on the night of the concert.

Blazer & Earrings - Topshop; Blouse - Blanco; Skirt, Ring & Cuff - H&M; Shoes - New Look; Tights - Primark; Necklace - Accessorize.

 

Here I am with Becca pre-show, all dressed up and excited. I needed an outfit that would look appropriate for queuing all day, as well as for dancing in a concert all night, so I went for a casual mix of textures, with a black colour base. As I said myself, sequins for Kylie just had to be done, so I wore my sequin miniskirt but dressed it down with my new tropical print blouse, black blazer, tights and wedges. I love the new blouse because it is so summery that I want to be on holiday already, yet the print manages to be versatile. The wedges were a necessary addition - for once heels were practical since I knew I wouldn't be able to see a thing without some added height.

I really loved Becca's outfit for this concert - the dress is totally gorgeous and springlike, and I love the way she toughens it up with fierce heels and layered black tights. I am actually really tempted to steal those shoes...

Love and kisses, Tara xox

"Are you going to a party instead of college?"

Those were the words my mum greeted me with as I emerged from my room in my usual haze of lipstick, perfume and sleep, dragging my college bag behind me. And to be fair, I did then look in the mirror and realise I looked more like a Saturday night than a Thursday morning.. But there was no way I was changing! For no apparent reason, other than it being the first of the month, I decided to dress up, up, up today. Oh, and first of March? Someone please tell me where on Earth 2012 is going. I seem to have barely any time left in college before exam season, then it is off to the big wide world.. Since that thought is causing me no end of mini heart attacks (so much work to do, so little time!), I am thinking that maybe I channelled my feelings into looking as good as possible..

Blazer & Ring - ASOS; Skirt - H&M; Top, Tights & Shoes - New Look; Bracelet - Pandora; Earrings - present from a friend.

I saw this orange top in the back of my drawer a few days ago, and realised I hadn't worn it in a good while.. So of course when dreaming up today's outfit it leaped to the forefront of my mind. Super-brights are a vital part of my Spring wardrobe, so this top is making a welcome reappearance. Since it is quite loosely cut though, I styled it up by tucking it in to my sequin skirt, then added a cute print with my starry tights and topped it all off with my much-worn, much-abused blazer & a slick of popping pink lipstick. There is a part of me that feels too overdressed for college, but a larger part of me just does not care. For me, fashion right now is all about bending the rules, whether it be clashing your prints, working the old faux pas colour combinations (red and pink, black and navy.. all totally cool at the moment) or simply making party-wear work for day.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Someone make it SS'12 already!

Today my half day at college was made even better by a quick shopping dash, and then arriving home to yet another package full of goodies I bought online last week. I can only liken last Friday to a total shopping binge - after the Mary Katrantzou blowout I just carried on chain-shopping on ASOS.. But my wardrobe desperately needed a new season update, so I limited myself to must-have key pieces as much as I could. I am most definitely in the mood to really rev up my SS'12 style, and I wish the weather would let me. Today I did slightly disregard the rain/cloud/wind/cold in favour of some spring style though...

Jumper & Clutch - New Look; Skirt - H&M; Shoes, Necklace & Earrings - Topshop; Tights - F+F at Tesco; Ring - Temporary Secretary; Bracelet - Lola Rose.

I am more than a little bit in love with this candyfloss-pink jumper - it is the perfect way to wear spring's sweet pastel hues while maintaining some vestige of warmth in these icy February days. To juxtapose the slouchy, relaxed, casual shape & style of the jumper I opted to dress it up with lots of sequins, glitter, and a statement necklace, along with a pop of bright pink lipstick. These all made today's ensemble look very pulled-together rather than thrown-together, and I really like the clash of textures between knitwear and sequins. Something that really brings the outfit together is the lipstick; I said only this morning that putting on lipstick always makes it look and feel like you have put some effort in - I honestly don't feel dressed without mine! My favourite little detail though is my Lola Rose bracelet, courtesy of my free shopping spree.

Now you've seen me working spring pastels today, take a look at which SS'12 styles are going to be popping up in my wardrobe soon, thanks to my ASOS goodies..

First up is this gorgeous tropical print pencil skirt - take me to Hawaii! I am now dying for summer, sun, beaches and blue sky.. But this skirt will have to do for now. The main reason I love it is that despite being tie-dyed and crazily printed with digital blooms, the pencil shape keeps it chic.

Alright, so I am going crazy for florals.. what can I say? The new digi-flowers are just too cute and eye-catching not to end up in my wardrobe, especially the ones on these stunning trousers. Not only are they gorgeously tailored, wildly printed with just a touch of neon from the orange detail, and achingly du jour, but these trousers are from the petite section, which means they will actually fit me well! I can't wait to wear them, but I will expect more than a few funny looks, since they are pretty out there..

When I saw this dress online, I literally had to get it. Do I need another dress? Realistically, no.. but there was no way I was letting this dress go. I think everyone is familiar with that gorgeous SS'12 Louis Vuitton collection that starred Kate Moss & was basically the epitome of pretty.. Well, I dreamed of owning one of their dresses, and then along came this little beauty - it is a stunning powder blue, with large, cutout broderie anglaise style lace and a cute fit-and-flare shape.. basically it is so Vuitton it hurts. Therefore, it was always going to be mine.

It does feel a little premature to be buying sunglasses, I'm not going to lie. Then again, if we do get a sudden burst of unseasonal good weather, my peepers will be bang on trend in these perspex, pastel pink cat-eye shades. Trust ASOS to have the perfect addition to any summer outfit on hand!

When I went to town shopping today I will admit that my latest purchases were playing on my mind.. leading to two things. Firstly, a lot of restraint since I spent rather a lot of money recently. And secondly, when considering what to wear with my new ASOS trousers & skirt, the realisation that I don't own a pair of simply black high heels. Well, that had to be fixed..

And the solution came from Dorothy Perkins. These simple, suede effect shoes are exactly what I wanted - a chic pointed shape, sleek black colour & the perfect heel height for walking around all day. They did come in a rainbow of other tempting colours, but I needed black shoes, so black shoes I bought!

I think this ought to be the last major shop that takes place for a while, because totalling up what I have spent recently just gets painful. I don't even want to look at my bank statement! A few weeks of restraint are in order... which will also give me a chance to get creative with my new purchases. So just to be clear, this should be the last shopping haul post you see for a while (or a day or two until I just buy something anyway), but prepare yourself for a lot of outfits...

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Practically minimalist for me..

If you know me at all well, you will know that pared-back minimalism just isn't my thing & that I would rather get stared at than wear something boring that makes me feel uncomfortable. So imagine my shock when I woke up this morning and wanted to wear something almost simple, without any bells or whistles (well, without many) and with a distinct lack of my favourite accessory - colour.

Blazer & Ring - ASOS; Shirt, Skirt & Earrings - H&M; Shoes - New Look; Tights - Primark; Necklace - Christmas present; Bracelet - Pandora.
I said without many bells & whistles, okay?! This is as low-key as I think it's going to get. But honestly, look at the components of this outfit and it really is simple.. Plain black blazer, crisp white shirt, plain black tights - the only statement, detailed piece is the sequin mini. I actually quite like how the staple separates really let the skirt shine (ouch. no pun intended.), and even though I have a more-is-more attitude, I quite liked the feeling of not wearing too much colour. It's true, black is perennially chic. And in my defence, it is winter so black is appropriate, although the sequins were just necessary to make January a little bit more fun.. I didn't quite resist the temptation to accessorize though, but I kept it fairly simple with some small touches of silver. Obviously, by tomorrow I am expecting to be back to my colourful, eclectic self, but it wouldn't surprise me if I went for some serious minimalism in the future. Love and kisses, Tara xox

Monochrome & sequins.

Today's look was another more thrown-together outfit, as I scrambled around my bedroom trying to match up pieces. Yet again I had woken up with no clue what to wear, and ended up building my outfit around a necklace. Not the easiest starting point, but I do like a challenge. So what you see before you is a bit quirky, a bit eclectic and hopefully a whole lot of fashion.

Top & Shoes - Topshop; Skirt - H&M; Tights - Primark; Blazer - ASOS; Necklace & Camera Ring - Temporary Secretary; Pearl Ring - Yumi; Scrabble Ring - Rock N Retro.

Okay, so I might be a bit late for 'Movember' seeing as it is mid-January (my timing has never been amazing) but I absolutely adore this moustache necklace from Temporary Secretary. You might have noticed I am slightly obsessed with their jewellery, which is why this necklace was the basis of my outfit. I think I was going for quirky - but keeping it together with a limited colour palette of black, white and gold. Again, it's the detail that makes this work, from the kitschy jewellery to the glittery shoes, sparkly skirt and suspender tights. I'm also loving this lace top right now, which I bought a while ago in Topshop, because lace is of course still in for spring, and is one of the cutest fabrics around. Before you ask, yes I nearly froze to death. But I am living for SS'12 - my mind is firmly in the balmy days of blue sky and lazing around outside eating ice cream.. so winter fashion is not really getting a look-in. Love and kisses, Tara xox

Christmas chez Tara.

First off, I hope you all had an amazing day yesterday - I know I did! Now, brace yourselves for another long one as I share the fun...

I kicked off Christmas 2011 bright and early with my cute little stocking, in the traditional way - aka curled up in bed, still in my PJs and dressing gown. Definitely a good start.

I love waking up to presents...

Good job, Santa.

And these are the goodies that Santa brought me in the night.. I must have been a good girl this year! My favourite thing so far is the super cute Lindt bear - almost too cute to eat. Almost. But not quite.

Once up and dressed (which my Dad didn't believe since it was before 9am), I finally set eyes upon the pile of presents. To combine two joys, here is what I'm wearing, and the presents neatly snapped in one picture.

No, they're not all for me...

Jumper - ASOS; Skirt - H&M; Tights - Primark; Earrings - handmade locally; Ring - Accessorize.
For my 'christmas at home' outfit I tried to strike the right balance between relaxed-in-my-own-home and all-dressed-up-festively. For most of my Christmases we have visited relatives on the big day, which of course required intense dressing up - but celebrating quietly at home this year meant I wanted to be a little more toned down.. To hit that midpoint I opted for my much-loved Christmas jumper (it has never been more appropriate), which I styled up with my sparkling sequinned mini and statement earrings. Oh, and before you ask, the presents are on the sofa because we don't have a Christmas tree. Never have, probably never will.

Presents!

This is my haul from this year, mostly courtesy of my amazing parents who somehow took my scrambled, last-minute Christmas list, fulfilled it, added to it and made me feel so loved with their finds. Now let me break it down for you...

1. Metallic H&M dress. Gotta have some Christmas sparkle!
2. ASOS faux cardigan jumper - so cute it hurts a little bit..
3. Kylie Les Folies Live In London DVD. Basically, I love Kylie, and being at this show was the best night ever, so I'm going to relive it.
4. Kylie calendar 2012 - from Santa, because Minne is my idol.
5. Bridesmaids DVD.. pure hilarity, enough said.
6. Breakfast at Tiffany's DVD, I will finally get to watch it.
7. Japanese Doll Tote bag. So sweet, and perfect for cosmetics.
8. Coral clutch bag. Just gorgeous.
9. Burgundy clutch - I picked this out myself and waited patiently!
10. Leopard bag, which is isanely cool.
11. Teacup ring.. the perfect nod to my mini-obsession with Alice in Wonderland.
12. Umbrella necklace. How appropriate for England in winter, or in fact any time of the year.
13. Egg timer necklace - very, very sweet and unusual.
14. Cupcake necklace. I think we all know I love cake.. moving on.
15. VINTAGE 50s Hannah Troy dress. My very first vintage piece!
16. LUSH Angels Delight soap, possibly my favourite soap and only available at this time of year..
17. Versace for H&M handbag - after all the fandango of getting the dress, I'm not 100% sure how Mum got her little paws on this, but I'm incredibly glad she did!
18. Versace for H&M earrings. Ditto these - once again, all hail Donatella (and my mum).
19. Temporary Secretary lucky dip bag & 'keep calm carry on' necklace. I adore Temporary Secretary & the blog too, and can't wait to wear these goodies.
20. Pandora silver chain bracelet. I had a cheapie version of one of these bracelets, but it broke recently and I hadn't gotten around to replacing it.. now I have an actual Pandora one - gorgeous.
21. Gloves and scarf, from my aunt and uncle. Seasonal, practical and pretty.
22. Penguin hand warmer. I pointed this out in River Island - I need a way to keep toasty warm while waiting for the bus!
23. River Island diamante headphone covers. Can't wait to bling up my MP3 with this dazzling beauties.
24. ASOS moose mittens (supposedly from my darling cat). Moose mittens - need I say more?
25. River Island grey dress, which I adore for the almost 20s feel of the straight cut and flicky fabric embellishments.
26. The Hunger Games books.. I have been waiting forever to read these!
27. What's New, Cupcake? book. I am already overflowing with excitement for cake baking.
28. Fashion Box book, full of inspiring pictures of fashion icons. I'll admit to losing myself in this yesterday afternoon.
29. Icons of Fashion from the 20th century book. God, I love fashion.
30. Fashion Doodle Book, basically a chance for me to release the fashion from my brain. Love.
31. Smirnoff miniature - best enjoyed straight, while watching Ab Fab. At least that's how I like it.

So yes, I am a very lucky girl because I got such amazing stuff - I can't quite believe it all myself. Don't even ask me to pick a favourite present, I couldn't do it if I tried! After the present-giving extravaganza we didn't quite know what to do with ourselves, and ended up watching the final Harry Potter, before starting to cook Christmas dinner. Well, Mum and I did, Dad fell asleep (but shhhh, don't tell anyone!). Here's the low down on our festive meal...

Lights!

Starting off lightly with melon..

My slightly shell-shocked parents & dinner.

My delicious veggie Christmas dinner. Nom.

My hilarious cracker joke.

The meal was topped off by a cake made by yours truly.

And that is basically the essence of my Christmas Day. After that came the obligatory episode of Doctor Who, where I counted the Narnia references, more chocolate than I care to remember and much more Christmas TV while the fire blazed.. Rounding off the evening was Ab Fab - which is comic genius. I love Patsy... And the final moments of my glorious Christmas day were spent watching my idol, Kylie, sing Let It Snow on Michael McIntyre's Christmas Comedy Roadshow - she was stunning. And now I want snow! I will leave you now with this image of me in the evening, before the vodka, but towards the end of the champagne.. Kudos for reading all this and I hope your Christmas was just as much fun!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Love and kisses, Tara xox

A bit of daytime luxe.

After the simplicity of yesterday, I had to do something a bit more interesting today - keep all my friends/fashion critics on their toes etc. That and the fact that I just felt more bold, unusual and seasonal meant that today's outfit became a bit of a trend-driven mix of textures, layered up to give a bit of depth. So go on, here's what I looked like this fine Thursday..

Jumper, Skirt & Rings - H&M; Top (underneath) & Earrings - Topshop; Tights & Shoes - River Island, Fur Cuffs - ASOS.
Told you I went a bit more seasonal and trend driven.. Sequins! They are the hottest party time trend right now, but since I've got no festivities on the agenda (so far) I decided to dress my sparkles down a bit for daytime. And of course, the only way to do that is to add a light knit, peter pan collar, faux fur and polka dot tights. You'd be forgiven for thinking this sounds a bit OTT for a college look, however, because the jumper is a plain dove-grey, I haven't gone crazy for other colours, I stuck to flats and only let the faux fur loose as cuffs it is just dressed down enough. Although I'm thinking that with the addition of heels this could be the perfect day-to-night outfit.. just wishing I had had somewhere to go. Oh, and final little detail - the popping pink gloss takes the look to another, playful level.. This gloss was *free* with this month's COSMOPOLITAN, go snap it up! Love and kisses, Tara xox