Leap year loving

It has felt odd looking at the date all day today, but you know you are working too hard when you are glad of the extra day in the month to get things done.

I have had a busy old week, as always though I have been splurging & eating lots of cakes (my blog makes me realise how much I do that). March for me will ring in healthy eating, saving for holidays & getting through my to-do-list, may even attempt a spring clean!

Snap shots of my week:

New vintage frames from @eyedresser. I love them with a passion

World's best cake (& sorbet) from Hula in The Grassmarket in Edinburgh - I've been craving more ever since.

Went a bit blouse mad - second hand Urban Outfitters blouses £5 each

Getting a culture fix with Mr TR in Edinburgh

Today's indulgence before the diet starts tomorrow - afternoon tea times at Fifi & Ally

I hope everyone had a good day & treated themselves, since it only rolls around every four years it seems wrong not to.

Ps. Since the changes with GFC hit in March please make sure you are following me on Bloglovin to keep up to date with all my ramblings. xxx

Anthropologie (again)

I do tend to find a brand I love & fixate on it for a while. I was in Edinburgh's George St Anthropologie store on Saturday afternoon & I just love it. Their visual merchandising is amazing & I could quite happily live there in amongst all the silks, draping & bright colours. It was ok they had a comfy couch for Mr Taffeta Ramblings, whilst I tried on silk dresses, bright blouses & huge jewellery & contemplated how to redecorate our flat.

I think they do all their stores really well & make it a visual feast for the shopper.  They had so many lovely pieces, unfortunately I do not have an Anthropologie worthy budget currently, so I was all about the sale section. They constantly have reduced items & the reductions are normally susbstantial & worthy of checking out. My sale picks:

1. AG Stevie ankle jeans in Lilac - £69.95 (was £128)

2. Flared & Cable knitted dress - £49.95 (was £128)

 
3. Glaze Phenomenon bowl £4.95 (was £10)

Since the sale picks were so good it seemed rude not to indulge. I treated myself to this jacket, the fur collar was the main reason, I love it but realise that I am somewhat of a jacket whore. A girl can never have too many right? Besides it was practically free, it was £49 reduced from £178.

Also, I think you know you are in the dark side of coupledom when you get his & her hooks!

What did everyone else get up to this weekend? xxx

Inspiration pins

The days are definitely brighter & I am enjoying putting a bit more thought, other than practicalities of the cold, into my wardrobe choices. I love Pinterest for an injection of creative inspiration. I thought I would share my key inspirations at the moment. Come check me out on Pinterest if you haven't already.

All things pastel & pretty -
1. Gold & mint accessories piled on. Flashes of colour seems like a good way to update for spring.
2. Shades of coral, dusty pink & rose with laid back textures.
3. Lana del Rey. I am definitely in team Lana, loving her album
4. The colours in this bouquet are my spring palette. Just oh so pretty shades.

 Chic French style -
1. Clemence Posey, chic, quirky & great not too try hard style.
2. Vintage Chanel, chunky statement jewellery & Chanel, what's not to love?
3. Chloe gorgeous leather everyday bags (perfect for carrying those baguettes & vin rouge)
4. Still love Breton stripes & super red lips never get old for me.

Hair & make-up updates -
1. Simple paired down make up with heavy eyeliner & pastel pretty lips.
2. Side braid- got to a stage of boredom with my long locks and these are great for everyday ease & general laziness.
3. Hair accessories, loving bows, headbands and scarves.
4. Piled up, undone bun, looks so chic & so easy to do, especially when you sleep in.

What is inspiring everyone on these brighter days? xxx

Mid-week calling

We made it to Wednesday which is always an accomplishment! This week has passed me by in a haze of fashion news (so much nicer than real world news), piles of work & planning adventures. I also have formed a huge wish list for my February payday, excited to own coral and mint and all kinds of Spring inspired shades rather than the black and plum I am sporting today.

My week has mostly been made up of:

My nails are getting ready for Spring.

My new Whistles metallic short jumper (bought from Glorious second hand shop)

Cupcake Saturday - I would like this to become a tradition in the Taffeta Ramblings household

My Anthropologie 'Angel Food' candle - fastly overtaking my Diptique love

Valentine's roses still going strong

I hope everyone is having a good week & has some treats in store to see them through the week. xxx

Fashion week frenzy

For the fashion die-hards amongst us, the fashion weeks are a whole lot of excitement. For me, I love that the internet & magazines are awash with fashion, I love seeing the images of the shows, but mostly I love Frow spotting & seeing what the attendees, (stars, bloggers, models) have on. I have been keeping tabs on Olivia Palermo & excitedly seeing what gamine outfit Michelle Williams would have on. Am I alone in this?

Now I can't lie, my Sunday morning got off to an excited start with spying on the Mulberry show from the comfort of my pjs on the couch. I loved the Where the Wild Things Are inspiration paired with Mulberry's take on rosy English girlie chic & also the shabby dogs that graced the catwalk.

Mulberry - source

 

Other highlights for me included Moschino Cheap & Chic, especially the 60s inspired hair, Temperley London's Russian fluffy fur trapper hats & the Annie Hall-esque tailoring at Aquascutum.

Moschino Cheap & Chic source

 

Sunday also kicked off with an exciting announcement from Mulberry about their new bag 'The Del Rey.' Launching in May the classic simple bag, with postman's lock, inspired by the sultry of the moment star, got me all a flutter with its buttery soft leather & deep autumnal colours. Now to pick which one & join the waiting list!

Source

What got everyone else all a flutter from fashion week? xxx

Mary Katrantzou for Topshop Collection

I am more than a little excited to check out the Mary Katrantzou for Topshop collection in the flesh (it just launched today). Since I am trying to love colour a bit more for 2012, I am keen to check out her signature prints & structured shapes. Championed by the fashion elite, Alexa wears her designs well, I have admired her flair for print from her catwalk collections & am intrigued to see this collaboration on the rails in Topshop.

Her vibrant prints & confident colours sold me & I think her capsule collection is looking amazing. What does everyone think about the collection? Are you excited for any other designer/store collaborations? xxx

Ps. I am super duper excited for London Fashion Week kicking off today - love all the chatter, images & gossip.

Style notes

I am loving that the shops have their new stock in, the morning's are getting lighter & I don't need the heating up to capacity - it makes me want to clear out my wardrobe (my weekend job) & make way for lighter tones & splashes of colour. Thought I would share some of the style notes that are getting me giddy for spring times.

1. Layering up on accessories - I love having arms full of jewellery & its a simple way to add hints of colour to an outfit. These are from J.Crew.

2. Amazing colour dipped nails - nails seem to be playing a bigger part in everyone's style at the moment (mine are bright mint as a i type this). I loved this idea, granted it would take me a while to master but I just loved the subtle effect of this. source

3. Fishtail braids - I really want to master this in my hair, I think it is the perfect Olsen inspired shabby chic but put together look that I love. I love this girl's laid back styling. source

4. Headscarves - I love headscraves & bands for throwing on when I am having a hair lazy day, it instantly makes me feel like it is a style choice rather than I slept in & my hair was the last thing on my mind. Love this one from asos.

5. Splash of colour blazer - this shade would be perfect for throwing over my day dresses or shorts & blouse combos. I do have a bit of a blazer obsession but they are just so easy to wear. Lusting after this Topshop one or the mint coloured beauties I saw in Zara.

How is everyone else getting their colour injection? xxx

Love hearts & resentment

source

Happy Valentine's Day! Love it or hate it, it seems to be an excuse to eat heart shaped cupcakes/cookies/chocolates & that is something that I can support. I am a big believer in that love should be celebrated everyday & that it is the little things you do for the loved ones in your life that makes a difference, with that being said I do think it is nice around this time to take some time eat some chocolate together & get a bit romantic. I think this should be the name of the game whether it is with a special someone or a group of special people in your life (some of the best Valentine's I have had are with friends, drinking wine, watching Mean Girls & laughing at all the couples in our life on their enforced nights out). Last year I received a mystery card in the post, it turned out to be one of my good friends & it was very cute, it made me think about the kitsch & fun of Valentine's day & I think everyone should embrace this & kitsch it up!
Now I have crossed to the darkside, otherwise known as coupledom, I like to do some cute silly things to mark the day. This year, in a very Friends like conversation, Mr Taffeta Ramblings & I decided to not do presents & make things. I am hoping to do some sort of baking in the obligatory heart shape & might cook up one of his favourite meals, other than that I'm not sure...mix cd comes to mind. I will report back on how it goes! Whatever you are up to, enjoy it & remember to eat lots of heart shaped everything. xxx

Picture story of my week

It is the dreaded Monday again, mine is proving to be work & caffeine filled. I have had a busy week but enjoyed catching up with friends, eating cakes (as always) getting my gladrags on over the weekend for posh dining with the boy & chasing end of sale bargains. I also went to see Martha Marcy May Marlene last night, it made for uncomfortable viewing & was very creepy, Elizabeth Olsen is all kinds of amazing though. What did everyone else get up to?

Dressed up in Whistles for dinner with the Mr at Blythswood Square Hotel

My bargain find in Urban Outfitters - hat reduced to £5 (plus student discount) from £25

Amazing cupcakes at Fifi & Ally - love hearts & chocolate, what's not to love?

My Chanel indulgence, Boy lipstick, I love this shade it is so easy to wear

My new boots from Daisy Street - had been lusting after a pair in Urban but £120 was a bit steep

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend & the thought of the next one is keeping everyone going through the week.  xxx

Playful nudes

I cannot lie, I have a secret obsession with beige, caramel & nude tones. Other than the obvious danger of spillage, I just love them, how clean, crisp & sophisticated they can look. Everyone has their vices & like my 90 year old granny, mine is beige.  These are the beige goodies I am all kinds of eyeing up at the moment:

Marc Jacobs tote

Reiss shoes with platform

Norma Kamali at Net-a-Porter ruched swimsuit

Oasis spot print dress

Anya Hindmarch clutch with tassle

Am I alone in my appreciation of a nice beige cardigan? xxx

To auction, to auction I go - well eBay actually

eBay is my guilty pleasure that I go through love/hate spells with (you need to have patience). Buying on eBay is a great place to snaffle a bargain, hunt for that must have piece that you missed out on last season & uncover vintage gems. It is important to be smart about it though or the clicking away & bidding just becomes addictive rather than about spending your hard earned pennies. With that in mind I thought I would try & provide some helpful hints & tips that I have found useful, please let me know if you have anymore eBay pearls of wisdom to add.

1. Know what you want - eBay is up there on my list of time stealers. Using the key word searches are really important to narrow down your search. Think about brand, colour, size, style. A few confessions to make - if you do have the time trawling through the listing might give you the greatest bargain, also be aware that sellers on occasion misspell designer names (eg Mark Jacobs rather than Marc Jacobs) and this will appear in fewer searches and possibly a bargain for a canny searcher.

2. Price - the all important consideration. If you have added an item to your watch list & are ready to bid, I would consider how much you would hand a real person for the item (consider whether it will fit, how much you need/want it, the condition of the item & don't forget to factor in the postage costs). It is easy on eBay to get caught up in the excitement of bidding & forget that if you win it is a contract & you have to pay.

3. Check out the seller - have a look to see how many feedback scores they have, what is their reputation, how many negative feedbacks to they have. Get a feel for their listing in the language, spelling & detail given. Use the 'ask seller questions' feature if you want more details on the item. eBay listings with good, clear photos tend to be more successful, again though conversely if you are after a bargain & are aware of what you are looking for, a grainy fuzzy picture might put others off & leave you to snaffle a treasure.

4. You want it, how to win it? - The main eBay advice I would give is to wait as long as possible before you bid in the auction. The last 30 seconds or so is when the auction gets going & you can see how many people you are bidding against when the price goes up, keep your maximum bid in your sights & try to control your impulse to continually hit 'increase maximum bid'.

5. Some tips - look to see when the auction finishes (statistically Sunday evenings & Thursday evenings are when most people buy on eBay), an auction that finishes at 7am on a Tuesday will more than likely be less competitive, the eBay app allows you to bid on the go (dangerous I know but good for those auctions that end just as you have to leave the house), searching for non-seasonal items is a top tip - I tend to look for boots in summer time & playsuits in winter, there may be less selection but people when clearing out & selling don't consider whether it is the weather for the item & I have managed to score some great bargains (brand new tan Topshop ankle boots for £6 in June), do some research check to see whether the item you want is still available in store/online & how much it is selling for, some people's photography is heinous & searching online for an image of the item might give you a better idea of fit/colour/shape (I do this if I am searching for a Whistles dress or an asos item - so that I can see the original marketing images).

Some of the bargains I have snagged of late -

1. Topshop sample dress size 10, fully lined & with very pretty pussy bow - £5.49

2. Sandro fur gillet - I have been living in this of late - £22

3. Topshop tunic/dress - very pretty floaty fabric & missed out on buying this last S/S - £8.96

How does everyone else feel about eBay & the lure of a bargain? xxx

Head over heels for Whistles

I have always been a huge fan of Whistles, their dresses have accompanied me to most of the big events in my life so far & the occasional night that I would probably rather forget. Their pieces are timeless, durable and oh so pretty to wear (granted they are an investment purchase for my student wage).
I was super excited when their bag collection for s/s 12 arrived in my inbox & wanted to share the buttery soft leather & cool palette of shades.

1. Suzette clutch £135

2. Make-up bag £35

4. Fleur tote £135

3. Fleur tote bag £135

5. Francoise Tote £235

6. Marianne Satchel £195