Press "pause" and soak up the sun!

I really don't do this enough! This morning as I walked through my local park I decided to veer from my usual route and stop by the Cottage Coffee Shop, which funnily enough I walk past everyday and despite it's cute exterior never have time to stop and explore what it has to offer. Today however was different and I thought why not? You gotta live a little! 

So as I sip my English breakfast tea and munch on this very tasty bacon baguette while basking in the glorious sunshine, I'm forced to remember when's the last time I did this? When's the last time I stopped rushing and stopped trying to do a million things and see a million people and just took some time to sit back, relax and think? At this very moment I'm reminded what a wonderful thing this is and somehow in between work and being social and trying to make my business come to life I vow to factor this in! It's definitely the perfect way to start the weekend....

Tahlia xx

Why do all good things come to an end?

Once again, this morning I was greeted by the sun that so gently woke me from my sleep and said "hello" to another hot, bright and beautiful day. Don't you just love it?! I swear London (and Londoners) completely transform when the thermometer teeters over 16 degrees and we officially enter into a "heat wave" which although does not always warrant a bikini and hot pants, tends to bring out the best in everyone. Today for example, apart from receiving many more smiles and hellos from strangers than usual, I actually witnessed one women on the tube compliment another and exchange a chat and giggle. I know, I know, I too was shocked! We can only hope that we have a few more than 3 consecutive days of this to encourage more of this un-London-like behaviour, as if the result of some rays has such positive effects, I sure hope the sunshine is here to stay!

I must say that I'm slightly in denial that the weekend is now over as it has been the perfect combination of relaxation and frolics, which started off with some cocktails in the sun with an old friend on Friday eve among a see of City revellers and ended with dinner semi-alfresco in Angel to celebrate my sister's graduation from her dance teacher training course. Congratulations to her - I am a very proud sister indeed!

It it with great sadness that I now face the unwanted truth that Monday looms so I take with me this warm and fuzzy feeling and my new summer glow and pray that we are blessed with many (many) more sunshiny days just like this!


Have a great week! :)


Tahlia xx

Beauty is Patience!

"Patience is not the ability to wait but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting"

- Joyce Meyer 

There is nothing more frustrating than a train delay and sadly South Eastern trains are the worst culprits.

I left my house for work early this morning and thought I'd experiment with a new route, and now here I am sitting on the train in sight of London Bridge station...my location for the past 40 minutes...oh the joys of the daily commute!

As easy as it is to huff and puff (which is what I've done several times) it's times like these when we must just take a deep breathe and embrace the gift we've been granted. I've used this time to catch up on this week's Stylist, emails and even write this blog post, all of which would not have been possible had I not had this unplanned "pause".

So with life's inevitable delays and hold ups, I think it's really the universe telling us to slow down and remember the things that are really important. Patience allows us to embrace the now and simply remind ourselves that the best is yet to come!

I just hope that I'm not here for too much longer and can get to work perhaps by lunch...

#nomakeupselfie - Unleash the beauty within!

"I am humbled to admit that the only difference I see on Earth between being strong or weak is the honesty with which we face ourselves, accept ourselves, and share ourselves, blemishes and all.

- Mark Nepo

Spring is officially here and although I'm seriously disappointed that I'm still having to wear my winter coat, I just can't help but feel the magic of this beautiful season. For me, what I love most about spring (other than the anticipation of warmth!) is the blossoming of daffodils - as long after their petals have wilted and their stems have shriveled, their roots find the strength to break ground, rise up and reach for the sky and in doing so unleash their inner beauty - fragrant petals of vibrant yellow that dance in the sunshine.

Like daffodils in full bloom, this week has been all about unveiling natural beauty, as since Wednesday Facebook has gone absolutely mad with #nomakeupselfies and my news feed has been flooded with posts of bare faced beauties exposing themselves to the world, flaws and all in an effort to increase cancer awareness and raise funds for Cancer Research UK.

To be completely honest, at first I really didn't get the connection between cancer and the nomakeupselfie but then it clicked! Sadly 1 in 3 of us will be affected by this terrible illness and with the coming of any struggle we have two choices: to shrink with fear by letting our vulnerability and weakness consume us; or like the daffodil, find the strength to fight against nature to keep the roots of our soul alive and blossom to unveil the beauty within.

What really makes us beautiful is being strong enough to "face ourselves, accept ourselves and share ourselves, blemishes and all" and irrespective of the struggle continue to be happy being exactly who we are.

So in the spirit of #nomakeupselfie and cancer awareness, of course I had to get involved and bare myself to the world, like the thousands of others who did the same this week and paid tribute to all the strong women who have had the courage to dance in the face of cancer and declare "you will not defeat me!" and throughout the battle, have found a way to smile.

Your strength and beauty will always be an inspiration!

xx

Right place, Right time - Kelis was here!

If the right place is here and the right time is now, why wait till tomorrow to make the most of what we have in front of us?

As a Londoner, there is nothing I love more than a little bit of randomness to put some zing into my week and keep me on my toes. For this to happen, all I need is to be prepared for the unexpected, and with these three essential items I'm all set:

1. iPhone at the ready (with enough battery life and storage space to get you through the night)
2. (At least one)  friend who is up for anything and on call
3. The right shoes (girls and guys you know exactly what I mean here, UGGs/trainers have the potential of messing up a whole game plan)

So armed with these essentials I headed to the renowned Troy Bar in Shoreditch this Tuesday for their weekly open mic night to get a little taste of the best of London’s unsigned musical talent and yummy Caribbean food. Please note: If you do plan to take a trip to this cosy nook of musical heaven, I must advise that you to come with an empty stomach as the food is not to be missed!

Having been to Troy Bar several times, I thought I knew what to expect, and so when I entered this packed-to-the-brim dimly lit bar and shimmied my way through the sea of people in search of my sister and friend, you can imagine my surprise when I literally bump into the gorgeous KELIS! 

Me with my new BFF, Kelis

Did her milkshake bring all the boys to the yard, you ask? Well luckily you can be the judge as shortly after my arrival she took to the stage and blessed us with this impromptu performance of "Acapella"...

So it's confirmed, Kelis is back! and although she didn't share anything from her new album entitled Food, which marries her two loves of music and food (girl after my own heart!) and is more of a rootsy soul-funk vibe, her husky vocals, eclectic style and authentically carefree spirit tell me that this is likely to be something that our ears will thoroughly enjoy. Her first single, "Jerk Ribs" a raw melodic funk fusion will get you acquainted with a side of Kelis that we haven't seen before and will give you a  taste of her beautifully unexpected new flavour...

I hope you love it as much as I do! 

Tahlia

Xx

How bad do you want it?

SUCCESS = PASSION + PLANNING + PERSEVERANCE

But only with passion can we be committed to plan

And only with passion can we have the strength to persevere 

and push through in hard times to achieve the goals that await.

So as you climb towards success I must ask, how bad do you want it?

This week London was buzzing. Couples walked hand in hand (en masse) as the remnant spirit of St.Valentine lingered in the air. The crème de la crème of the music world performed and were awarded for their achievements at the Brits. Designers unveiled their A/W14 collections to crowds of eager celebrities and fashionistas at London Fashion Week and we watched (shouting at the screen and sharing tears of joy in my case) as athletes continued to battle for gold at the Sochi Winter Olympics. But in the midst of it all, there was only one thing that united everyone in their pursuit of success: Passion.

My week started with a stroke of luck, as by way of my sister (who happened to sit next to the Jamaican High Commissioner at a show on Friday night) I found myself invited to an exclusive fashion showcase and panel event in Mayfair. Here, five emerging Jamaican designers presented their collections and shared their passion in an exhibition called "Thread Bare", which formed part of the International Fashion Showcase organised by the British Fashion Council and the Jamaica Business Development Corporation.

Clockwise (from top left): Abenah Adelaide Designs by Abenah Gonzalez; Spokes Apparel by Dexter Huxtable; Clairely Upcycled Jewellery by Claire Requa; Ms. Sim by Simone Nielson & ASD Clothing by Ayanna Dixon

In a setting that combined three of my passions: fashion, food, and Jamaica (my motherland) you can imagine that I was in my element! Coupled with the panel of industry experts - Susan Bender, fashion stylist and consultant, Claire Sulmers, founder and editor of Fashion Bomb Daily and Aloun Ndombet-Assamba, the Jamaican High Commissioner herself, the event was nothing short of inspirational. As each shared their experience and imparted words of wisdom on the topic of the "It" Factor, what stood out for me was their emphasis on three things which they felt were the key ingredients of success: Passion, Planning and Perseverance and with this I couldn't agree more!

Top: Panellists - Aloun Ndombet-Assamba (Facilitator), Susan Bender & Claire Sulmers
Bottom Right: Me with Aloun Ndombet-Assamba

As I mingled afterwards, discussing a mix of things such as the difficulty of juggling a 9-5 with a creative calling, the years they have spent perfecting their craft and how we manage to stay motivated during the daily grind, it was confirmed that success is definitely not an easy mountain to climb. However as I looked on to admire the finished work of these five budding designers (who had all flown from Jamaica for the week-long exhibition) and watched them beam with pride, I was assured that despite the inevitable struggle, it is all worth it, the only real question is: How bad do you want it?

Pretty.Young.Things

How do you create something out of nothing? 

Something that makes others want to go and create their own - 

slice it up, add a twist and put their name on it 

giving birth to something that is living, breathing and strutting down the runway, 

commanding our attention?

This week I had the pleasure of attending Pure London, the UK's definitive fashion trade show which took place at Kensington Olympia. As a relative newbie to the fashion scene, my plan was to fully immerse myself in it all: attend seminars, fashion shows and wander in and out of the trade stalls to discover the latest and greatest of today's cutting edge fashion spanning across womenswear, footwear and accessories.

During my two-day stint, I was really inspired by the range of talented designers whose exhibits I stumbled upon and who have used their passion and creativity to create something out of nothing and present it to the world for all to see and enjoy.

I put the spotlight on three of my favourite "pretty young things" whose beautiful fashion creations caught my eye and who I'm sure will soon be taking London's high streets by storm!

1. Ema et Malina

There is a magnetic force that takes over me when I catch a glimpse of a beautiful item of clothing (usually jackets and blazers in my case) and despite trying to fight the urge, I find my self drawn, touching, stroking, arm in sleeve...and before you know it, the card is out and it's game over!

Ema et Malina is young and edgy brand from Denmark which oozes personality and which had this very effect, I must admit it was love at first sight.Their items are a union of  "fierce" and "sophistication" and what I would call "off the beat chic" accentuated by their suede and leather panel detailing which look and feel gorgeous.

Sadly though, we will have to wait a few months until we can get our hands on any of these goodies, but the lovely co-founders did assure me that they are definitely on their way...so I will be keeping my eyes peeled and will be sure to keep you informed!

Facebook: Ema Malina


2. Y.A.S

You know Vero Moda? Well Y.A.S is it's cooler cousin also from Denmark and stands for Your Apparel and Style. This fresh new brand promotes individual expression of style with items that have an understated beauty to them, very trendy, yet very down to earth with a warm, genuine spirit that has me hooked. Y.A.S is not afraid of bold print, funky textures or the beloved jumpsuit and this is why I love this pretty young thing...I hope you do too!

Website: Vero Moda
Also available at: ASOS.com

3. Elie Tahari

I couldn't leave without mentioning shoes, could I? In my old age (of 26), I refuse to purchase shoes that either restrict me from walking more than 50 metres or prevent me from dancing the night away and by no means does that mean I buy ugly shoes...It just means that I buy shoes precisely like these (pictured above) by Elie Tahari, which combine comfort and ultimate style. 

I am quite certain they have just perfected the shoe boot, and although they are a little on the pricey side, the A/W14 collection above is at very least something to drool over!

Website: Elie Tahari 

***

So that's my Pure London round up, I hope you enjoyed it - let me know if you love these Pretty Young Things as much as I do and please feel free to share!

Tahlia x