Where has the sun gone?

Last week in England was absolute glorious sunshine- a rarity even during the summer months and a a result everyone was in a good mood, having garden gatherings and visiting the pub. Drinking outside in the warm summer air at ten at night without the usual necessity of a second layer is a perk all on it's own. Making the most of the beautiful weather (which was at times, almost unbearably hot) I had been lying flat on the grass in the back garden for the most part of three days. I usually save this for the annual summer holiday but the late June, early July uncharacteristically warm weather meant that I should be making the most of it and thus caught the sun incredibly easily and the result- a natural, glowing, dark tan. This made me somewhat happy and it was then, the moment my skin went from pale to a deep brown shade, that the short summer dresses, high-wasted shorts and colourful strapless tops were retrieved from the crevices of the wardrobe for good.

But then it got to Monday of this week and the sun began to hide away and then the rain started to fall - cue the storms, windy conditions and the retrieving back indoors to watch films. One of the first on the list was The Beach, which I hadn't seen before but thought was amazing- vibrant, great casting, tapping into insightful ideologies and interesting characters. It really caused me to begin thinking about life on a beach; living, co-existing with strangers, along with it's pros- there would be no need to work, no need for possessions, no need even for money.

Another on the list was the child friendly, rather cliched Aquamarine starring a young Emma Roberts. On looking at her profile on IMDb (like Twitter which I find myself constantly checking for the latest fashion news and laughs from Britain's comediennes, I have the iPhone app), I found myself instantly becoming completely captured by her beauty- long flowing locks of golden hair, petite frame, wide eyed and complementing her great choices of evening wear with that amazingly large smile. So, sharing with you now, are my favourite red carpet looks of hers. I'd never noticed before- I have become more of a fan of British beauty Emma Watson in recent years- but she is as beautiful, a talented actress and a new favourite of mine, style wise. 

My only hope is that the sun makes it's appearance again tomorrow in the same way it was this time last week, but you never know. 

There is always a film to whack on and obsess over if not. 

In the meantime, enjoy the pictures. Who is your latest girl crush? What has the weather been like where you live?

 MICHAEL KORS

At the 2011 Met Gala where I was at the time, viewing the famous faces as they arrived.

AMANDA UPRICHARD
At the Beverley Hills screening of The Art of Getting By

ELIE SAAB

At the launch party of Nylon Magazine's Young Hollywood issue in May

BURBERRY 
At the L.A. premiere of Scream 4

KOVA & T

 At the London premiere of Valentine's Day

 JENNY PACKMAN

At Elton John’s AIDS Foundation’s Oscar Viewing Party in L.A.

WONDER FULL

N.Y.C. = FUN. FUN. FUN.



After being in England now for a few days after a hectic but nonetheless amazingly fun week in NYC, I am now beginning to feel in the right mindset to blog all about it and share with you some of the pictures taken as I was whizzing around the city in awe of it's sheer vastness and magnitude and didn't want to leave you in the dark any longer with regards to my goings on.

Well, one of the most exciting spectacles we were lucky enough to enjoy was waiting outside (against metal barriers across the road and for 3 hours I hasten to add) the Met Gala (in celebration of the Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art) for invited stars to arrive. These included Andre Leon Talley, Grace Coddington, Edward Enniful, Suzy Menkes, Colin Firth and wife Livia, SJP, Demi Moore, Renee Zellweger, Madonna, Daphne Guinness, Alexa Chung, Chrsitina Ricci (looking soooo beautiful in Zac Posen), Karl Lagerfeld, Lily Donaldson, Doutzen Kroes, Beyonce, Ciara, Bruno Mars (whose hair is actually larger than he is), Eva Mendes, Salma Hayek, Bradley Cooper, Donald Trump (who was booed by the awaiting audiences), Sir Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger, all of whom I was excited to get a glimpse of on arrival. It was a whirlwind of a day which was previously filled with trips to Times Square's Forever 21, Bleeker Street's Michael Kors, Rockefeller Centre, Ground Zero, the 9/11 memorial and St. Paul's Chapel. It was such a great day and only some of what we got up to over last week.

Andre Leon Talley

Colin Firth and wife Livia

Suzy Menkes

Grace Coddington

The absolutely stunning Christina Ricci (my favourite outfit of the night)

The Met Gala entrance

Other adventures included strolling around Central Park, a long awaited dinner in Serendipity, overlooking the views at night from the Empire State Building, appreciating the art in the Museum of Modern Art, viewing the collections of the graduates from Parson's The New School of Design, spotting Elmo, laughing in the M&M shop, imagining the SATC girls whisking down the steps of The New York Public Library, catching the subway from Grand Central Station, admiring the craftsmanship at the His and Hers exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Technology, being entertained by the Meatpacking District and Soho, drooling over tattoo clad models at V magazine HQ, riding the Staten Island ferry to capture the Statue of Liberty, spotting Essex House (my home town) as well as Macy's, Saks, Madison Square Gardens, The New York Times, The Magnolia Bakery, Tiffany & Co., Christie's, snooping in Bloomingdales and leaving a gorgeous pair of Elie Tahari shoes behind at Bergdorf Goodman.

And to top it all off, dancing in a tiny fun spot known as Snafu and being blown away by the Alexander McQueen exhibition, accompanied by a really great book.


It truly was one of the best weeks of my life and now sitting in my bed trying to make sense of what day it is, I only wish I was back there with sore muscles and tasting the city and it's amazing food all over again with some of the best people I have had the privilege to share the past three years studying with.


Enjoy the pictures. x

DAY 1:

All pictures are my own so please ask for permission if you wish to use them.

WONDER FULL