30.05.2010- In The Sun.

The gorgeous Zooey Deschanel photographed by Ellen von Unwerth, from Lula Issue 4.

I love the simple, accessible styling of this shoot and Zooey is just too adorable. Massive apologies for the lack of updates recently, one exam to go and then I'll have finished my second year of university. Which is a scary thought, but in all honesty I'm so ready for the summer break, life has been stress central over the last six weeks or so. Also, this Friday I'm going to the Grace Kelly exhibition at the V&A with my two besties, Liz and Sarah, can't wait! What are your plans for the summer? Will you be posing on the beach á la Miss Deschanel?
  
(Image credit: fashiongonerogue.)

21.05.2010- Summertime, and the livin' is easy.....

The weather here in London today is gorgeous; the sun is shining, there is barely a cloud in the sky and it was warm enough for me to leave the house this morning without a coat! With the temperatures set to rise over the weekend, I've come to the conclusion that I really don't own that many 'summer' clothes, probably due to the fact that the British summer usually lasts for a week if we're lucky. However, this summer I'm off on holiday to Spain for two weeks, so I'm in the process of slowly but surely putting together my summer wardrobe. After seeing the Chanel Cruise 2011 Collection which was shown in Saint Tropez last week, I've got the perfect inspiration:

Also last week in Saint Tropez, Karl Lagerfeld's short film Remember Now was given a star studded screening and launch party. The ever lovely Diane Kruger was in attendance, wearing an outfit which I'm determined to recreate for the summer:

What did you think of the Chanel Cruise collection? And who are your summer style icons?

(Image credit: WWD and style.com.)

13.05.2010- Vintage Sasha

Sasha Pivovarova for Vogue China from November 2005:

Sasha is one of my favourite models, I love the simplicity of this editorial, the ballet theme and the way it has been so starkly lit. Also, how amazing do her eyes look in the last shot?

(Image credit: fashiongonerogue.)

11.05.2010- Always in this twilight...

Florence and the Machine's latest single Cosmic Love, is one of my favourite tracks from the album Lungs and I'm so happy it's the final single to be taken from the record. The video has just been posted on florenceandthemachine.net, and it is epic! Have a watch and see:



A-MA-ZING.

Also, for those of you who couldn't get tickets or live outside of the UK, this Friday (14th May), Florence's gig from London's Hammersmith Apollo will be streamed live from 9pm GMT, go to the website for more details.

Finally, Florence has created a window display for Selfridges, for a project called Sounds Of The Mind, which is a celebration of the power of lyrics. Other artists participating include Hot Chip, Dizzee Rascal and Marina and the Diamonds. Here is Florence's window, based on Cosmic Love:

I can't wait to get myself to Selfridges to have a look at all of the other windows.

(Video credit: florenceandthemachine.net, Image credit: Andrew Meredith via facebook.)

11.05.2010- Urban Love

For a long time, Urban Outfitters has been one of my favourite places to shop. I love the eclectic mix of clothing brands that they retail (which are usually not available anywhere else in the UK) and adore their home accessories. This Spring/Summer, they have got some fantastic pieces in, all of which I'm lusting over:

Pins & Needles Peter Pan Frock, £58. I love Peter Pan collars, and this pale nude colour is perfectly on trend.

Rodeo Fringe Colour Boot in Brown, £75. Every pair of worker boots I tried on over the winter were either horribly painful (hello blisters!) or made me look like a clown. These, however, look quite promising; the chocolate colour is divine and they don't seem overly uncomfortable. Fingers crossed!

Antique Rose Pastel Scarf, £12. Perfect for the brisk spring mornings.

One Of A Kind Vintage Sequin Top, £65. Sadly, this has now sold out online, but I really loved the pink and purple colour combination.

Vintage Leaf Pearl Belt in Nude, £16. So cute, again a way to work a little bit of neutral into your wardrobe.

Lace Up Suede Ankle Boot in Black, £55. Perfect for the transition into autumn, these ankle boots are simple and versatile, a wardrobe staple in the making.

At the moment, they are also having an absolutely killer mid season sale, with many items retailing for less than half the original ticket price. Also, if you buy any three sale items and enter the promotional code 'SALE3' at the checkout, your items will be delivered for free! So far, I've picked up these:

Rose Stem Necklace in White, was £14, now £9

Bonjour Mademoiselle Tee, was £28, now £9.99

Pastal Feather Appliques in Pink and Mint, were £16, now £10 each

By Johann Safari Shorts, were £38, now £17.99, will be perfect for my holiday!

And I recently bought this lovely mirror for my bedroom, which has sadly now sold out online:

Thoughts? Do you love Urban Outfitters as much as I do?

(Image credit: Urban Outfitters and Sarah Farrell, please do not reproduce without permission.)

04.05.2010- MET Ball 2010

Here are my picks of last night's Costume Institute Gala Red Carpet:

Alexa Chung in Phillip Lim. I adore this look on Alexa, the bow detail really reminds me of a scene from Coco Before Chanel (if you've seen the film you probably know what I'm talking about.) Hair and makeup are styled to perfection, she looks effortlessly chic and really at ease here. Love!

Diane Kruger in Calvin Klein, clean, sophisticated and elegant, I really love her makeup here as well.

Chanel Iman in Michael Kors. I love the fact that Chanel chose to wear a jumpsuit rather than a gown, she looks radiant.

Anne Hathaway in Valentino, looking every inch the fairy tale princess.

Nicole Richie in Marc Jacobs, perfectly co-ordinated.

Kate Bosworth in Valentino, love the Jean Harlow-esque hairstyle, and the beaded detailing on the gown.

Kirsten Dunst in Rodarte for GAP; I am utterly in love with this dress.

Who stood out for you? Any I've missed? And who disappointed you?

(Image credit: Just Jared.)

02.05.2010- Blossom in the tree, you know how I feel

In Bloom by Chiara Romagnoli for TEST Magazine:

Really beautiful compostion here, and I love the feeling of movement that has been captured, encapsulating the energy of the shoot and summer season perfectly.

(Image credit: fashiongonerogue.)

02.05.2010

She & Him, In The Sun

I defy you not to have a massive grin on your face after watching this! 

(Video credit: Youtube.)

01.05.2010- I bake, therefore I am*

*Basically my excuse to share my pride in making something that didn't turn into a complete cooking disaster.

A few weeks ago, after a horrible day of writing essays and thinking far too much, I bought The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook on a whim from Amazon;  the cover was just too enticing to resist:

I've always loved making cakes, but have never really had the time since I finished school to develop my baking prowess (if you can call it that!) Last weekend was my cousin's 18th birthday (complete with surprise family gathering), so I had the perfect excuse to test the recipes in the book, making some cupcakes and rocky road bars as a little birthday treat for her and everyone who came to the party. The recipes featured in the book are clear and easy to follow, and hints provided really help if you are a bit of a novice in the kitchen, or, like me, out of practice. I didn't manage to snap a photo of the rocky road bars before they were all devoured, but here are my homemade (!) vanilla cupcakes with pink vanilla icing:

Hand decorated as well! They really were so much fun to make and just as much fun to eat judging by the fact that the whole batch disappeared! I hope to try more recipes from my new favourite book soon, so will update with my progress. Today cupcakes, tomorrow the world!


(Image credit: Amazon and Sarah Farrell, do not reproduce without permission.)