Is it bad that shopping is my main extra-curricular activity?

I used to be a gymnast, with training 3 times a week not leaving much time to do anything else.. However, that all ended a good few months ago, and now I find that if I'm not working the only thing I do is shop! It's either meeting friends in town, pounding the pavements with my mum (because she's like a best friend too) or just happening to be near shops wherever I go.. So it won't shock you that I was out in Taunton today spend-spend-spending then. It's a dangerous habit, I'll tell you! Not only do I want more clothes pretty much every time I read a magazine and see the latest pieces hitting the AW scene, but I take it upon myself to look awesome whenever I go shopping too - leading to a necessity for more things to keep creating my outfits.. Some people probably don't 'get' my shopping obsession, but I just love the feeling of new clothes. Plus spending money on my card doesn't feel real.. so the pricetag isn't so important. And I can cheekily count it as excercise - walking + carrying heavy objects (if you buy enough) = the perfect combo of cardio and weights.

So, here's what I wore out shopping today..

Blazer & Long Necklace - Topshop; Top - New Look; Shorts - Blue Miss; Tights & Short Necklace - Accessorize; Shoes - Lime; Bag - H! by Henry Holland; Bracelet & Ring - Primark.

Part of me hasn't quite let go of summer - even though I love AW11 style, my fetish for florals gained over the summer just won't fade! Luckily, this season they just need a darker background (like these tights) et voila.. flowers are not over. I also won't quite sink to wearing a coat in September.. I am resolutely saying it's not cold enough, even though I got wind-blasted today. Besides, if I did, what would I wear in the middle of December? Two coats?

I am prepared to admit that I need layers though, and chunky ones at that, which is part of the reasoning behind treating myself to some gorgeous autumn-wear today. It's not escaped my attention that in the early hours of the morning (okay, 7.45am) it feels sub-zero while I wait for the bus, so the tiny part of me that buys clothes for function has won out - although the rest of me made sure they were as on-trend as possible!

First up, yes, I have finally gotten some knee high boots! I have been craving some ever since I saw that 60s, 70s and heritage were big AW trends.. but finding them has been a nightmare. Not only do I have a budget, but I don't wear leather and am quite tiny - meaning that other pairs have been too high or wide on my poor little legs! These featured in my original boots wishlist, and after looking at every pair possible I decided I was right the first time - these New Look beauties are ideal. And with 20% student discount, I didn't stop there..

You might recognise this chunky knit from my latest wishlist.. well, the wish is reality now! What with the 20% off and trying it on to realise it was gorgeous, I just had to get this. And it will be so cosy that I might even fall asleep on the bus. New Look is officially one of my favourite shops - it's defiantly high-street, full of undeniably gorgeous clothes and loves students.

I couldn't resist these jeans either - total impulse buy! The picture quality is a bit awful, don't know what's up with the light.. but these are actually a more burgundy-wine-red than in-your-face-red, a bit more of a tonal, autumn colour. They are also a total steal from the New Look Generation 915 kids department! Yes, I had a bit of a spree in New Look. And yes, I'm so small that I fit into age 12 jeans. Let's just move on from that, shall we? Coloured jeans are a perfect update for denims this season, a celeb favourite, and just a little more interesting than blue. This burgundy colour is also straight out of the AW colour palette, meaning it will look bang on-trend with chunky knits or girlie blouses - okay, they're my new denim BFFs.

I called it a day there in New Look, and dashed off to Primark to pick up some tights to replace the two pairs I ripped on Thursday (still pretty livid about that). I basically get all of my tights in Primark because A, they are SO cheap and B, they actually have awesome patterns! Loved this stocking style pair as soon as I saw them - hello warm, stylish legs.

On the list of things to be, warm is followed closely by dry, so it's no wonder I decided to pick up this sweet umbrella while I was in Primark. The fact that we got caught in the rain without one was probably a mitigating factor though.. it reminded me that my old faithful is on its last legs (if it had any), and this bow print one is the perfect replacement. Stylish, compact, and with a practical handle, this one ticks all the boxes.

Pretty good haul today, I'd say! Cannot wait to get be able to wear it all - and luckily I won't have to because Monday is only two short days away (or less, since it's Saturday afternoon!) and I'll be springing back into college. Honestly, where has the day gone? I should have gotten so much done already.. Meaning I'm going to love you and leave you, because somehow I don't think blogging is an acceptable excuse for not doing my coursework. Love and kisses, Tara xox

Gotta get down on friday!

Okay, so I was convinced it was Monday today, but apparently my brain is just not switched on properly - thank God! Roll on the weekend. Despite the fact I will probably spend most of it trying to do homework.. but that's not the point. The point is that I won't have to get up early to go to college every day. I'm not saying college is bad, I mean I'm doing subjects I love and most of my classes are really interesting, plus I have awesome friends.. but it's just the effort of actually going. Part of that effort is dressing cool every day - although the sheer fun of fashion does make up for that. Here's what I wore to college today..

Top, Skirt & Cardigan - H&M; Tights - Primark; Shoes - Lime; Bag - River Island; Necklace - Topshop; Ring - Parfois.
Print clash! I still love having a bit of fun with patterns, but I do believe in toning them down a little for every day wear - hence the black cardi & tights. Which were also very practical.. I was almost warm today! I am seriously disappointed in the English weather though, and it can only go downhill from here. It's a good thing I've been buying lots of jumpers lately then. And suddenly getting them in August feels like good forward planning, not completely weird! Love and kisses, Tara xox

What I wore to college today...

You're probably thinking, does she do nothing but go to college? Well, in truth, not on a weekday.. Monday to Friday all I do is get up obscenely early, go into college and work hard (ish), then come home and try to fit in all my homework around actually relaxing a little. And blogging to you lucky people of course! So here's what I wore today..

Blazer, Necklace & Flower Ring - Topshop; T-shirt & Bracelet - Pull & Bear; Skirt & Bag - River Island; Shoes - New Look; Tights - Primark; Other Rings - H&M.
Take my word for it, those tights are cooler than they look - seam back with bows.. and to make them more winter-friendly I was also wearing two pairs of natural tights underneath! Total non-glam moment, but worth it to have gorgeously warm legs for a change. I felt quite bright today, and a little random, if you couldn't guess. I like to mix and match my separates, and this skirt is possibly one of my best mixers.. you've seen a lot of it, and will be seeing a lot more! Love and kisses, Tara xox

Star Style Obsession - Kylie Minogue

I realised I haven't obsessed about any celebrity fashion for oh, weeks now - my bad. Now, anyone who knows me personally probably knows that I have the world's biggest girl crush on Kylie. I mean I literally died of happiness when I saw her live (front row, love my life). It's been several years now, and I cannot put my finger on the exact reason why I am so crazy about her, but I am! It's a combination of factors I think. While I am well aware most people my age aren't into her music, I love it.. I'm a real pop princess at heart. And the fact that she has been having hit after hit for so long.. One thing I can definitely say about her is that she always looks AMAZING. And I'm not even joking. From street, to red carpet, to stage, every look is 100% gorgeous, glamorous and stylish. I'll give you a chance to look for yourselves now, before you fall asleep on the keyboard during my post..

Throwing an oldie out there to start.. Firstly, the block fringe is super-cute, and secondly, that jewel toned purple J'Aton Couture dress suits her right down to the ground (ouch. unintentional pun I swear.). Love the split up the leg, it flashes just the right amount of flesh.

I actually dream about looking this flawless. Black seems to be a go-to colour for Kylie, and I think we all know why - she looks stunning! This may be a few years old, but the little black lace dress is still an incredibly hot item.. made even more impressive by the fact she looks about 25, not 40-something!

See what I mean about a go-to style? But hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! The details make this look so cute - the slightly cut shoulders, the tasselled shoes and glitzy earrings & ring. That and the dazzling smile that pulls the whole outfit together!

This has been one of my favourite looks of miss Minogue's for ages, ever since she wore it! That black dress has amazing detail, and nothing screams siren like leopard print. The gold accessories are also ridiculously glamorous, as is the dramatic makeup.. All together she looks simply radiant - and so she should, that's an amazing outfit.

More recent now, and still looking glowing in this blue and gold Grecian ensemble that makes an incredible statement! The jewellery stands out perfectly, and the deep blue of the dress complements her golden skin tone completely. Now tell me, does this lady ever look bad?

And I'll answer: no, she permanently looks awesome! Not many people have the skin tone to pull of lemon yellow, but Kylie's doing it with ease. Leopard print is making another appearance in this outfit, again radiating glamour. I know, I know, so far we've only seen her looking undeniably gorgeous at events, probably put together by stylists and makeup artists etc..

But look, here's off-duty Kylie, looking just as glamorous, sophisticated and downright beautiful as ever! That bag is totally lust-worthy, and I love the way she's not scared to wear a maxi, despite being petite like me.. even if she does wear major heels to do it. The obligatory sunnies are also achingly stylish.

And it's not just summer styling that she's got nailed, winter is a breeze when you have her innate style.. and possibly thousands of pounds of designer gear. I am a bit obsessed with this coat - not only does it look gorgeously warm and cosy, but it looks totally on-trend and chic, especially with those long boots. If only I could look this good all cuddled up in a coat - I should be so lucky! (Couldn't resist that little gag.)

This was taken only a few weeks ago in London - look how effortlessly she copes with the indecisive transitional weather. All black, skinny trousers, stunning piped mac (ignoring the fact that Pippa Middleton wore it first) and classic bag. And just how does she look so stunning without makeup? Intensely jealous right now!

Cool and casual on the street in a very du jour outfit of jeans and a leopard print shirt, pulled together with tan accessories and a huge luxe black bag. I wish I could look this effortless and gorgeous every day!

I couldn't obsess over Kylie's style without putting up a picture of her stage style. She has arguably the best stage costumes in the business - always glittering, glamorous, possibly over the top and completely stunning. This is from the Aphrodite - Les Folies tour, the first outfit the crowd saw her in (and the moment I nearly died of heart failure). It's an incredible goddess dress, in keeping with the Aphrodite title, making her look like she just came down from Olympus, and check out those insane glittering gladiators! Plus the mini-wings are just the kind of cute detail that makes this truly unique.

This isn't exactly an outfit, but as you know, Americana was one of my favourite trends, and she looks so gorgeous I couldn't leave this one out.

See, she never looks bad! And always looks so on-trend, while being age appropriate and flattering her shape. It doesn't hurt that Kylie looks way, way younger than her actual age of 43 (who cares if she's had 'help'?), and has a dazzling signature smile. She does have go-to styles, like an LBD or leopard print, but it's good that she knows exactly what works for her - yet doesn't shy away from experimenting and standing out from the crowd a bit. Anyway, as I think you can see, I love her style, and her, and will try to emulate her as best as a brunette, non-rich, non-superstar can! Love and kisses, Tara xox

I am determinedly ignoring the arrival of winter.

It is only September 14th. It should still be warm. Therefore I refuse to wear a coat yet. The same way that I refuse to turn the central heating on until at least October - on principal! I also refuse to dress at all sensibly, apparently..

Shirt - H&M; Shorts, Socks, Earrings & Ring - Primark; Shoes - New Look; Bag - River Island; Bracelet - ASOS.
I felt more than a little uniform-y in my white shirt, but I love a classic look. In my head, I am going for English heritage, with the tweed shorts & wool socks - let's hope I pulled it off, and didn't just look like a schoolkid. Also, as many people asked me, yes I was cold. I spent basically the entire day with very un-glamorous goosebumps, but I honestly couldn't find a jacket that worked! And as you all know, weather doesn't factor into my fashion calculations! Oh, and hair up probably didn't help.. but I like to do other things than just leave my hair down.. which I've been doing a lot lately. Aren't I lazy?! Love and kisses, Tara xox

Long days make me forgetful, okay!

Just realised I forgot to add one of the most awesome parts of the day to my last post - it wasn't all murdering tights & swanning around college! I arrived home to a nice little parcel that I wasn't expecting so soon..

Winging its way from Spain, I had thought this would take forever to arrive, but no.. sitting in wait for me was my gorgeous gold top from Pull and Bear! I absolutely adored this on a mannequin in the P&B shop in Madrid, but they didn't have any in stock, so I had to wait until the online store opened on 6th September.. so worth the wait. Metallics are huge, so this top is basically perfect. That and the fact that it could be worn over skinny jeans, or casually tucked in to pretty much anything means that I will definitely get my money's worth out of it (even including the delivery cost). Can't wait to wear it, and can't believe I forgot it in the first post.. Blame the early mornings and demanding lessons! Love and kisses, Tara xox

Oh, it's only Tuesday.

Absolutely convinced it should be nearly the weekend. I'm already a bit tired of college, and quite want another lie in. Tuesdays are always a little disappointing like that. But anyway, yet again I got to put together another little outfit - it's fun always trying to look different, but a little bit stressful when you've got about 5 minutes to chuck clothes on.. I try and plan, then end up hoping for the best. To be honest, whenever I think about what to wear, my brain throws up possibilities and one of them floats to the front. So here's what rose up from my mind today..

Jumper - New Look; Dress (under jumper) - Topshop; Tights - Primark; Shoes - Lime; Bag - River Island; Necklace - Dorothy Perkins; Ring - Parfois.
Just a few little points about this one.. First, ignore the fact I am blinking in the photo, it really was the best of a bad lot today. Next, notice how I wore a jumper.. and it was sunny. Told you I always dress for the wrong weather! And also I was originally wearing different tights, but I ripped them before I even left the house. And I laddered these ones halfway through Spanish. Today I was basically massacring tights - RIP my faithful leg-warming friends. Oh, and I went quite casual today because yesterday had felt so prim and proper, but I did sneak in some layering, which is a vital part of my winter wardrobe! Love and kisses, Tara xox