Someone call Shopaholic's Anonymous.

Last weekend I went shopping - a dangerous, foolish activity for me I know, but it was necessary. My summer holiday is coming up and I needed to supplement my hot weather wardrobe with mix-and-match-able pieces that will mean I can keep creating new outfits while I am away, while remaining appropriate for both tropical heat and more conservative cultures. For the shopping trip I eschewed sensibility and ignored the wind/threatening clouds to wear this..

Shirt - New Look; Shorts & Tights - Primark; Creepers - Amazon; Clutch - Cos (secondhand in Paris); Cuff - H&M; Earrings, Ring & Bracelets - Topshop.

I love a good pair of high waisted shorts because they are just so flattering, and this pastel stripe pair is really cute. I paired them wiith a sheer white shirt tucked in to emphasize the waistline, and buttoned all the way up in that girl-meets-boy way that looks very cute. I then threw my creepers into the mix because they are gorgeous and a little bit edgy, as is the new clutch. Lashings of jewellery and a bright lip completed the ensemble.

Primark

 

It's fair to say I got over-excited in Primark - what a haul. The cross tee and ballet pumps aren't even for my trip! 

New Look

The sales in New Look were bursting with gorgeous prints and colours - I just couldn't resist! And that parka is the perfect lightweight cover up, an alternative to my beloved blazers.

River Island

I have had my eye on these pieces for a while, but never quite had the cash to buy them. When they appeared in the sale however, I snapped them right up. I adore the paisley print on the dress and the mermaid-esque shell pattern on the skirt.

Topshop

 This neon dress is completely stunning, bright and beautiful, and will look gorgeous with a holiday tan.

Hair Bow - River Island; Black Rose Headband - Topshop; Ring & Gold Headband - Primark.

On holiday my hair will have to be up most of the time, so I invested in some cute accessories to keep it fresh!

Love and kisses, Tara xox

The night is almost ours.

Okay, I am feeling pretty bad about this now, but a week or two ago I went out with some of my girls from work and had a pretty good night. Despite living in the middle of nowhere, there are still places to go out and have a good time! I also got the chance to wear one of my new dresses, this Topshop beauty..

Dress - Topshop; Shoes - New Look.

This Topshop dress was a complete impulse buy at the time, but I am so glad I got it. The little cut out bares my high-driff in a way that is totally du jour, and the bright colours and prints mean that even in the dark I am noticed. It could easily have worked for daytime if I dressed it down (which will probably be my next move with this beauty), but with some high heels and smokey eyes I was good to go for a night out. These shoes were also a brilliant choice because not only are they bright red and super high, but they are ridiculously comfortable - I wore them all night.

I seem to have so much to catch up on at the moment, I am very behind with my blogging. I blame it on exams. But now I am going to do my best to get up to date!

Love and kisses, Tara xox

London haul.

Bonjour mes chers, from sunny Paris! I am attempting to keep up with blogging a bit and have pre-written this before I left England...

Brace yourseves, this is gonna be a long one.. So go grab a cuppa and settle in for a little parade of my latest buys from the Shangri-La of high street shopping - Oxford Street. I keep on saying that I need to save money, and that I have a lot of clothes and could probably get by without many more, but when confronted with that surreal level of shopping heaven, I cave. And I cave big time..

FOREVER 21

There is no Forever 21 near me, so I hit this one hard! I love the 1920s feel of the first top, it will be ideal for going out, and the other pieces were picked up in the sale for my upcoming summer holiday.

H&M

This top was just so Mary Katrantzou, I couldn't resist!

 NEW LOOK

Gonna get my retro on in this dress from Kelly Brook for New Look. Hello, Marilyn.

TOPSHOP

Me at the Topshop sale is like a kid in a sweet shop.. restraint was impossible. I ended up unable to resist a new cute sweatshirt, yet another gorgeous print, some sweet detailing and with a bit more 1920s fever.

JEWELLERY

Here's a motley collection of my jewellery buys.. All gorgeous, all irresistible. Stud Earrings & Shell Earrings - Forever 21. Bracelet & Ring - Topshop. Ear Cuff - H&M.

SELFRIDGES

I was in heaven in the Food Hall, and ended up treating myself to something naughty but nice - Pink Vodka. Gorgeous. And anywhere that gives you free tasters of vodka at 12.30pm is alright by me.

Finally, the end of my London haul.. I have got some gorgeous pieces.. and not much money! Any favourites among my picks? I can't choose - I love them all.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

In love with my mint shoes.

Once again I am sorry for the long wait between posts.. I am a truly terrible blogger at the moment! Honestly, the past few days have been lazy days interspersed with work and revision, but mostly consisting of hiding at home in my sweats watching Disney films - I haven't had much time to myself recently so the opportunity to just relax has been lovely. Today however I was out and about shopping again and attracting a few looks..

Shirt - Blanco; Skirt - River Island; Shoes - New Look; Bag, Earrings & Bracelets - Topshop; Ring - H&M.

I think it was the shoes that were attracting attention. Well, they are pretty gorgeous - I love the mint green hue and those immense platforms.. and they are suprisingly comfortable too. I ignored the weather again and even though it was cloudy with a chance of rain I wore a summery outfit. The bright skirt and tropical print were the perfect way to brighten the day and make it feel a bit more like summer, especially with bare legs and a bright lip.

Dress - Topshop

This dress was a complete impulse buy. It caught my eye as I walked in, I tried it on and fell in love. I adore the bright print that is a mix of so many florals and paisley, which looks bold, eye-catching and perfect for summer (if it ever gets here). I also love the cutout detail which captures the trend of showing your high-driff (the top bit of your stomach) this season, and is also super-flattering because of how it is placed and how the dress is cut. It gives you awesome curves too.

Shorts - Primark

The stripes on these shorts remind me of a stick of rock - the epitome of a summertime beach trip. They are high waisted, which means they will go with anything and the light hues makes them perfect for if we ever get some proper sun. 

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Yes, I am still here.

Okay, I am going to apologise now for the silence over the weekend blog-wise. I hate people who give excuses for everything so I'm just gonna say this - Friday to Sunday I worked 24 hours, and I had an exam today and one tomorrow to cram for.. The blog took a hit. Besides, since I basically lived at work/in my bed I had done nothing interesting to share with you all. But today I have resurfaced and begun to look human again as I ventured back to college after half term for my English exam.. Yes, as of today my English A level is over! And only two more exams to go! Let's hope this one went well..

Dress, Denim Jacket, Cross Bracelet & Necklace - Topshop; Creepers - Amazon; Tights - Primark; Ring & Earrings - Miss Selfridge.

This Topshop dress has been one of my staples for longer than I care to remember, and people are probably sick of me wearing it to death but it just always seems relevant, and it is one of the easiest pieces to style up. It is floral, but not in a girlie way, and although it can be styled femininely, today I wanted to edge it up a bit. I bought this sleeveless denim jacket last year in Topshop and am so glad I can keep working it since I am still seeing them everywhere! It makes its first appearance of the year as one of my summer loves - despite the rain, it is June and I am wearing my summer clothes regardless. It is the perfect way to toughen a floral dress, especially with my new creepers. Not only was this a cute yet edgy look, but the chunky shoes kept my feet warm in the cold sports hall while I sat my exam.. perfect.

Speaking of exams, my next one is tomorrow and my last one is next week, so I could still be a bit erratic and absent on the blog, but after then I should be able to get back in to regular posting.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Sunshine & showers.

Venturing out for the first real time this week, post-jubilee and looking forward to summer, I hit the shops again. Expecting sunshine, I dressed optimistically for a warm June day, and was instead greeted with odd little bursts of sun mixed into some dismal rain. But I did pick up some gorgeous summery pieces in town today that picked the mood of the day right up.

Top & Skirt - New Look; Shoes, Bag & Earrings - Topshop; Bracelet - Primark; Ring - H&M.

Going for quite a simple, feminine look made up of sweet separates, I definitely was hoping for better weather than I got. I love the two complementary floral patterns though - the bright, abstract skirt works well with the cutout vest, which always feels very summery to me. The pastel bag and glitter flats added another layer of girliness and kept the look light and sweet.

Cork heel sandals - New Look

I couldn't resist these heels. I have needed a new pair of summer heels for quite a while now, and these are just stunning. Mint green is my favourite colour right now, and not only will these give me a serious height boost, but they are actually really comfortable since the heel is so chunky. Love.

Maxi skirt - New Look

Another thing I have been searching for is a maxi skirt, and the search was getting more desperate as my holiday approaches! The colour of this skirt is what really caught my eye, and then the lightweight material and flowing cut convinced me that I had to have it. Of course, to make it fit my petite frame I will need to take it up (with help from my mum) but it is still worth it.

Peplum top - River Island

I have been seeing peplums on anyone who is anyone in the fashion universe, and although I was dubious at first I am now convinced that I need to work one, after seeing so many different and inspirational ways to wear one. I opted for a top because it will be versatile, and this one in particular because I love the fierce, metallic print.

Jewellery - Topshop

Lastly, I got enticed in by the jewellery sale in Topshop and managed to pick up some sweet pieces for under £5 altogether! 

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Am I hipster yet?

Working a completely different style to the previous post, I have attempted to edge up my look a little to match my (gorgeous) new creepers. There is just something about them that makes me want to shop in the slightly grungier half of Topshop and plaster myself in crosses and a serious attitude. But of course, I'm not an all-out grunge kid, so this look was a little half-and-half. I like to call it eclectic. In contrast to the floaty, floral, summertime look of the last post, here I have added a bit more of a twist to my outfit - but of course the girlie girl inside me hasn't been completely overruled..

Shirt & Bralet (underneath) - New Look; Skirt & Eye Bracelet - River Island; Creepers - Amazon; Socks - Urban Outfitters; Bag, Earrings, Leaf Ring & Cross Bracelet - Topshop; Star Bracelet - Lola Rose; Camera Ring - Temporary Secretary.

See, even when wearing some super-cool leopard print brothel creepers, the girlie-ness works its way in there, as seen with my beloved pink skirt, new pastel handbag and pastel blue nails. However, the simple white buttoned blouse with a black bralet underneath and some edgy jewellery (crosses and such), as well as some glittery ankle socks keep it eclectic and cool. It might not be the most obvious way to work your creepers, but personally I like the contrast of masculine and feminine elements, and the way the shoes make the whole look fiercer when it easily could have been sugar-sweet.

These photos were taken out in town with Akikik of DREAMS, full credits to her for capturing me. We also took some more random photos just for fun - once I get hold of the ones she took on her camera you can see us being super-cool, as per usual..

Love and kisses, Tara xox