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.

Lighten up!

Since the calendar tells me that it is May and we are heading into summer, it feels incredibly depressing to be wearing black. Even my black tights feel like a return to winter, however practical I must be. I am also being told it is summer by every single magazine I read - bikinis, beaches, blue skies and summer dresses taunt me from every page. Honestly, have the editors not looked outside and seen the grey, rainy, cloudy mess that is the sky? With all of this, plus the fact I have invested heavily in my brights, prints and pastels for a summer wardrobe, it won't surprise you that today's outfit was a bright one.

Blazer - Bershka; Top & Skirt - New Look; Tights - Primark; Shoes - George at Asda; Cross Bracelet - Topshop; Wishbone Bracelet - Accessorize; Ring - H&M; Necklace - Accessorize.

I really adore florals right now (not a surprise either!) and mixing and matching them is the best way to feel all springlike and bright, despite the weather. I love the way that the shape of this light blue bralet paired with the dark blue A-line skirt makes a retro-fifties silhouette - I was so glad that the 1950s were in fashion because it meant this top could make an appearance again! Obviously I then had to think practically, adding in the obligatory black opaques and choosing a jacket. I had toyed with the idea of my black blazer, but it felt too stifling, then when I put on this gorgeous peach blazer it just worked. The entire outfit got even more of a lift of colour which even cancels out the darkening effect of the tights. The finishing touches was some cute jewellery, two-tone blue pumps and some softly pastel makeup to keep the look fresh and light.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

April showers.

Call me British, but there is only one thing bothering me properly at the moment - the awful weather. I keep getting absolutely drenched because it looks so lovely in the mornings when I leave the house, and then a few hours later it is raining so much there should be flood warnings. Where I live it is especially bad because I am completely in the middle of nowhere - my poor little Ford Ka had to pull through some terribly deep puddles just to make it home. I know I spent all winter moaning about the weather so it seems pointless to carry on, but I really had expected better from April. Yes, April showers are to be expected, but I was also hoping for a bit more sunshine and some higher temperatures, especially as we edge closer to May..

Blazer - Bershka; Top & Earrings - Topshop; Jeans & Shoes - Primark; Cuff - H&M; Ring - Miss Selfridge; Earrings - Accessorize.

But there is nothing better to stop me getting Seasonal Affected Disorder than some serious colour blocking! I have had these cobalt jeans for years and I absolutely love them - another case where panning for Primark gold has seriously paid off. It would have been easy to let them be the main feature of my outfit, but nothing screams spring more than piling on the bright colours. I did it with my peach blazer and mint green pumps for a very SS'12 take on colour blocking with pastels. I am also wearing the iridescent top I picked up in the Topshop sale, which adds interest with a slightly unusual texture.

Love and kisses, Tara xox

Rain, rain, go away.

Here's a typically British post for you all  - the weather is seriously getting to me. It is April, which is definitely spring, and it should be heading towards summer. But no, this week has actually felt like the seasons are working backwards and we are heading back in to some kind of secondary winter! I really hope it doesn't last because I love the sun, warm weather, and summery clothes, and besides, I have already packed my coats away for the year.. The last thing I want is for this miserable rain to continue and put a downer on the transitional time between spring and summer, which is usually a time I really enjoy.

Cardigan - Dorothy Perkins; Top - H&M; Skirt - Internacionale; Tights - Primark; Shoes & Ring - Topshop; Bracelets - New Look; Necklace - Accessorize; Earrings - Miss Selfridge.

I can't really say I was channelling a particular style today, this was really just an eclectic combination of pieces I love that fortunately went well together. I really love the butterfly print on my H&M vest top, and I feel it combines well with the leopard print skirt because they are in simple colour schemes, and are both vaguely nature-inspired prints. The monochrome, slightly prim cardigan works to tone down the mix of patterns, and the gold accessories add a level of detail without taking over the outfit. I always think that if a piece of jewellery draws too much attention away from the clothes then it isn't working - unless of course you are basing your look around one statement piece. I also always try to avoid over-accessorizing, because that makes an ensemble seem cluttered - there is a fine line with accessorizing outfits and I always try to walk it.

This outfit, while looking perfectly sensible in the blast of early-morning sunshine in the photo, was actually anything but practical today. I managed to vary from being too cold to too hot, and fabric ballet pumps are definitely not the most practical of shoes to wear in the pouring rain..

Love and kisses, Tara xox