Paris Day Two!

Waking up in Paris was a pretty beautiful feeling, and that sensation was only improved by croissants with nutella and some good coffee! Day Two was our cultural day, so we went to the Sacre Coeur, then the Notre Dame (followed by a picnic in a nearby park) and then the Louvre, where we found a funfair and went on a chairswing. For dinner we found possibly the only vegetarian food (two of us are veggie!) and had a good old curry, before continuing the culture with l'Arc de Triomphe, a stroll down the Champs Elysee and crossing the Seine. I'm not going to lie, we did an awful lot of walking!

The weather on the second day was gorgeous, so I really dressed for the sunny weather!

Skirt - River Island; Bralet, Bag, Shoes & Ring - Topshop; Sunglasses - ASOS; Earrings - New Look; Bracelets - Pandora, Lola Rose & Accessorize.

Like a true British tourist, as soon as I hit vaguely sunnier climes I start to wear as few clothes as possible. I have wanted to put these two pieces together for quite a while, but was waiting for the right opportunity.. Paris was perfect. I love how the silhouette becomes like a classic retro prom dress (aka uber flattering) while the prints complement each other well. This daytime look was surprisingly comfortable, especially thanks to the flat shoes and gorgeous cat-eye sunglasses to keep out the sun's glare, even if that bralet did not allow a lot of room for pastries.

And here are some of our photos from Day Two...

It's not all serious here..

Do you like my shades?

One of my fave pics of the whole trip!

The Sacre Coeur from below.

Getting touristy.

I would quite like to live here.

Pont Saint Michel.

Writing postcards apres picnic.

Myself & Claire outside Notre Dame.

These made up a large proportion of my Paris diet.. BNs!

Oh my beloved BNs.

Here we are now, entertain us..

Myself and Claire at dinner. (yes, I changed shirts)

The poppadoms disappeared too fast to photograph!

My very yummy rose lassi - so French, I know.

Haagen Dazs for dessert.. nom nom nom.

Imploding with joy at the LV store.

On the statue of Charles de Gaulle.

City lights on the Seine.

Okay wow, that was quite picture heavy.. The trip continues in the next post with Day Three!

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

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

I live for mornings like these.

Finally, the moment I have been waiting for. A Saturday morning where both an absence of work and gorgeous sunshine have collided, and this can mean only one thing - shopping! Yes, I know, I spend way too much money, but honestly even if I don't spend very much I love being in shops, looking at all the new pieces and trying on things I can't quite let myself buy. Shopping is one of the most pleasurable activities ever, and I actually think that Topshop is my natural habitat.

Top, Bag & Ring - Topshop; Skirt & Earrings - River Island; Shoes - New Look; Bracelet - Temporary Secretary; Necklace - Accessorize; Sunglasses - ASOS.

The summer sunshine today meant that I finally got to put together an outfit without a single hint of black - I stuck to confectionary colours for a bright, cute look. It's also very rare that I don't have print on at least one piece of clothing, but today I was going for something fresh and light. This may look like a simple outfit, but I am working in my SS'12 references - 1950s cat-eye shades & A-line skirt, shimmery metallic vest, candy-pastels bag. For once I also wore my hair up, on a complete whim, and I am surprised to find that a simple ponytail looks perfect with the amount of trends going on in this outfit.

This shopping trip I didn't actually buy too much - I just got sucked in by the gorgeously stylish and affordable dresses in New Look..

I adore this dress. For once it doesn't swamp my petite frame, thanks to the mullet hemline, and the print is completely gorgeous. It is perfect for summer with those oversized daisies, and the floaty fabric - I can't wait to wear it out in the bright sunshine!

This next dress caught my eye because of the beautiful tropical print that just makes me dream of my summer holiday! It's so bright, and absolutely perfect for long, lazy summer days. But what really attracted me upon closer inspection was the retro shape. Indulging my 1950s dreams, I love the cut of this dress with the fit-and-flare shape, as well as the cute tie-up detail on the back.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Now this is my kind of weather.

Oh sunshine, how I love you. I have been waiting for months and months for it to finally feel like summer, and now, at the end of May, we appear to have made it. Lots of people I know are already complaining about the humidity, or it being too hot to concentrate - have they forgotten just how dismal winter was? I certainly haven't, and I am loving this weather. It often seems like I was born in the wrong country since my natural preference is for 30+ degrees, blazing sunshine and so much heat that you need a drink every five minutes. I will never be glad of rain or cloud the way I adore a blue sky. So naturally, this burst of gorgeousness that is the weather is right up my street, and yes, I have been sitting out in the sun with ice lollies as often as possible, as well as relishing the chance to venture out without some form of jacket.

Top & Earrings - Topshop; Jeans, Sunglasses & Cuff - H&M; Shoes - New Look; Ring - Miss Selfridge.

First of all, sorry for the terrible washed-out photo - there's the one downside of bright sunshine. Trying to balance the camera on a trampoline probably didn't help either. Right here I am relishing the joy of being able to wear just a top, but again I didn't quite get whole-heartedly into summer clothes,  since my treasured gold jeans were the perfect match. Metallics are still hot right now, and I gave them a bit of a summer update with a floral, 1950s style top. And the sunglasses were a necessity, especially when driving!

Who else is enjoying the sunshine right now?

Love and kisses, Tara xox

On holidad part two - the purchases.

As promised here comes a quick show-and-tell of my Madrid shopping haul, disappointingly small though it is. It was mostly the product of a last-day shopping frenzy, although I did try not to waste all my Euros..

The first thing that got me was a pair of sunglasses on the first or second day, since I had forgotten to pack mine! I was caught by these in H&M and decided that they were a very practical, yet stylish purchase.

I love the classic, Wayfarer-esque shape that means they will go with most outfits. I actually have some Wayfarers in black, and I adore them, so getting a similar style in another pattern makes sense (to me at least). The again classic tortoiseshell print gives this style a chic twist and adds a bit of interest. I got a fair bit of use out of these on the trip itself and can see myself living in them on any future holidays thanks to their versatility and the fact they were so cheap I won't mind subjecting them to a bit of a battering.

Next, my eye was caught by a gorgeous blazer in Bershka..

It's a little plane-crumpled from being squeezed into my cabin-baggage suitcase, but I think you can still see how beautifully summery it is. I have been contemplating a coloured blazer for what seems like forever - basically since I discovered how versatile and incredible the black one could be! Since head-to-toe pastels is a bit of a trend this season I thought that if I was going to go for one, pastel was the way to go, and this stunning peach shade was perfect. It is also really well fitted, even on a petite girl of 5'0. I think it must have been intended to be cropped, but that just means it is a perfect length on me. I also love the bold black button and striped turn-ups on the sleeves for that extra little detail.

At every turn I was drawn to tropical print shirts, and in Blanco I finally caved and bought this one.

I wasn't initially sure about this blouse, but the print certainly attracted my attention. Then I saw one of the shop assistants wearing it and really liked the cut and how it fell on a person, which made my decision for me. I didn't even try it on, I just picked it up in an XS (European sizing was mind-boggling to me) and bought it. Now I am back home I am so glad I did, I love the bright, beautiful print of a beach - palm trees, flowers, sea and all - and can't wait to wear it. This will be a perfect piece for day all through spring and summer.

I also decided to replace my purse, since it was getting rather battered and saw this one in Blanco too.

I absolutely love how chic this purse looks, how simple and classic it is with that clean shape and gold detail. My favourite thing about it however is the colour combination - it is the perfect way to work a pop of yellow into my wardrobe.

Finally, I got a bit overexcited in Muji. I don't know what it is, but their practical-meets-quirky take on useful things just pulls me in like a moth to an electric light. 

Something about cute stationary can attract me and excite me in a similar way to clothes. I don't know what it is - maybe a desire to accessorize absolutely everything. All I know is that I had to force myself to stop with just a black rubber, two pens and a notebook. The pens are in rose-pink and sky-blue and are possibly too beautiful to ever write with. And the notebook, well, that I just could not leave behind - it is tiny and has rainbow coloured pages. Isn't it the cutest? I don't know if I will want to waste it with my trivial scribblings, but I love it anyway.

And there you have my actually quite restrained and small set of purchases from Madrid - what do you all think? Worth it?

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