Wave goodbye to your free time..

That's what I sadly did today anyway. Today was the start of the spring term of my second, and final, year at college, which means being thrown back into the world of early mornings, sitting in lessons for an hour and a half at a time and trying not to feel lost, then coming home in the dark only to spend the evening on grammar homework and revision. Or at least that was my day. I'm not going to lie, my only free time comes from blogging - and even that is going to get severely minimised. No more hours discovering my new favourite blogs, and posting at the speed of light. To get me a little more in the mood for college today, I decided to break out some of my gorgeous new clothes..

Top & Coat - New Look; Shorts, Tights & Ring - Topshop; Boots - Primark; Socks - Dorothy Perkins; Scarf - Accessorize.
Let's start with I love these shorts. They are the cutest raspberry colour, fit perfectly (without making my legs look uber-chunky) and are really comfortable - hello, new denim best friends. I am also very glad I teamed them with some layers, since today was absolutely miserable. I got pretty wet, since my umbrella turned inside out 6 times and broke, and the substantial boots, thick socks and gorgeous chunky scarf were basically my lifesavers. Now, just a word about these tights.. They confused quite a few people today, some of whom seemed to think that the black bit was tights and the skin-colour part my legs.. No people, these are just half-and-half tights! And however many weird looks/comments I received and may receive in the future, I love them - they are quirky, unusual and make me stand out from the crowd. I also painted my nails again, if you can see, and I adore the candy-pink colour (it is Barry M in 305 Pink Flamingo) which was a nice pop of colour on such a dismal day.

Possibly to cheer me up, or possibly because I'm just lucky, I arrived home to a surprise today. My lovely, generous mother had been sale-diving for me (even though I'm pretty much broke again already) and wanted to surprise me with some gorgeous jewels from Republic.

Two necklaces, and two supersize cocktail rings. They're all pretty statement pieces, to say the least and are very welcome additions to my expanding jewellery collection (which no longer fits in the box..). I always love finishing off my outfits with jewellery, especially unusual, bold pieces like these because they really add detail and interest to my daily looks. I simply adore the silver and red ring and necklace, because they are tapping into a bit of a SS'12 trend of Indian influences. The huge gems (not real, of course) and worked silver look fit for a maharaja, and are echoing the mini-trend set up by Karl Lagerfeld and his recent Indian-inspired runway shows. The other ring and necklace are no less beautiful though, while they echo more of a decadent, ladylike theme. That giant gold ring would be the perfect accompaniment to my new beaded flapper dress, and the necklace will add an almost Victoriana feel to any simpler outfits. Kudos to mother.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Today, dreams came true.

I literally cannot describe the feeling. I guess I will start by saying that my curiosity was piqued when my mum told me there was a surprise waiting for me at home - clueless, I waited impatiently to get in and find out what in the world it could be! Well, after the whole eyes-closed-hands-out ritual I found myself holding an H&M box. A small struggle ensued to get into said box. And if you are following my train of thought, you have probably already guessed what was inside... Yes, today was the day that this little shopaholic got her paws on some VERSACE!

As you are well aware, I was crazily excited about the Versace for H&M collection that burst into stores last Thursday, and it won't shock you that I had stalked all the pictures and devised a plan of action for the release day, consisting of my wonderful Mum agreeing to face the online shop head on and try to pick up one of my favourite pieces. However, the 17th came around and although my Mum tried diligently to get some Versace in my life, it seemed we were unsuccessful, and so I resigned myself to the fact that I would probably never own any of Donatella's masterpieces.. Then this happened. There are no words. And not only do I now own Versace, we managed to score my absolute favourite item from the collection..

How gorgeous?? It looks a little bit weird and short hung up on the back of the door, but come on. It's a stunning dress. I am in love with every single aspect of it, from the iconic Versace print to the all over sequins, and from the leopard print background to the simple, flattering shape. Oh, and it looks pretty amazing on. Even on a pint-sized blogger like me, this dress is a perfect length, and has a cut that suits me down to the ground. I will never get bored of this dress, and I could talk about how beautiful it is all day and night, but for now I will settle for saying that if any special event crops up, there is no question, I am wearing it. And with minimal accessories - this dress deserves to make a statement.

And to preserve my Versace in its current flawless condition, I will be storing it in the complimentary, fabulous garment bag that came with the dress - well played Versace, well played. I adore the vibrant print and colour, I am so ridiculously proud to have this hanging in my room that I don't even mind not being able to actually see the dress through it.. 

So yes, today was the day that one of my dreams became reality. I now possess a bona fide designer item, and not just any designer item, it's Versace! Okay, it's a diffusion high-street line, but it contains an iconic print and literally screams high-end. And honestly, my chances of getting a real Versace dress (at least for now) are pretty darn slim. This has made my year. 2011 = AMAZING. I think I will stop rambling now, and let you get on with your lives.. I am just in such a state of excitement that I am not even sure how much sense I am making! I'm off to go admire the dress again.. Love and kisses, Tara xox