I am writing this to you completely stuffed to the gills with pancakes… I loaded on every sweet topping known to man and thus the reason I must very shortly roll to bed. I hope that you all enjoyed Pancake Day! (and you know full well that the flour you bought specially will be hidden away in the cupboard gathering dust until you throw it out this time next year – just me?)
So onto today’s post, and I’m bringing you a trend that is never very far from the catwalks, and in turn the high street; but it is one that, like Demi Moore, never ages. The new take on stripes for this season is bold colours and statement prints, and as ‘Prada-meets-Jil Sander’ (ooh, that rhymes) as they may be, I will always be fond of a Breton stripe. It is the timid French relation to this new breed of colour-blocking stripe, but one that was born to be paired with huge sunglasses and ballet flats… and a look that French Connection in particular does so well. A word of warning though: keep the stripy garments on the feminine side. You don’t want to look like you’ve taken a wrong turn on the way to the Rugby Club.

{images via pinterest, tumblr, A Touch of Luxe, Runaway Coast, Creamy Life, Made by Mowbrays & Inside the Paper Box}

1. Topshop stripe pencil skirt – £32
2. Jigsaw cotton stripe scarf – £45
3. Monsoon Fusion candy stripe maxi dress – £75
4. Office Mena bow sandals – £80
5. Warehouse brushstroke stripe tee – £25
6. Fashion Union stripe bangles – £8
7. French Connection Somerset stripe dress – £42
8. Diane von Furstenberg striped canvas tote – £65
9. Kookai striped sweater – £55
10. Warehouse half sleeve stripe dress – £35
11. Topshop Laney patent sandals – £75
12. Accessorize stripe socks – £3.50
13. Warehouse stripe tunic dress – £65

Blue will forever be a favourite, and it doesn’t have to mean denim. It’s elegant, versatile and oh-so-ladylike. Just dive in:

{Mulberry oversized Bayswater tote / Chloé strapless silk-chiffon dress / Rupert Sanderson Jupiter suede shoe boots}

Is it just me or has it actually been the longest week in existence? I feel like I’m approaching the finishing line in a marathon… but maybe that’s to do with the cocktails I had last night at the very glamorous, brand-spanking-new and “about time too” W Hotel in London. Go for the Watermelon Martini and you won’t regret it. Anyway, I digress. Truly TGIF, and I’m looking forward to meeting up with family this weekend at one of Jamie Oliver’s restaurants, and meandering around Covent Garden (which is where I work, but have no time during the week to make the most of it). And I’ll make sure I get to the cinema to watch The King’s Speech, no excuses this time.

{images via Donna Wilson, Biscuiteers & General Pattern}
The Royal Wedding is next month! As I was merely a month old for Charles and Diana’s wedding, I’m fully on board with Wills and Kate’s big day… in fact I’d love to go to a public occasion with the wedding showing on a big screen (is this happening anywhere? I need to find out). As a bit of a wedding nut myself, I can’t wait to see all the details: her dress, her hair, the flowers. I get the sense that I’m not alone in this excitement… in female circles mostly, I suspect. The Royal Wedding bandwagon shows no signs of slowing, as the amount of memorabilia cropping up left right and centre is evidence of. Tacky? Pah! I literally want it all.

{images via H&M, Jimmy Choo, Matches, French Connection & Kurt Geiger}
What’s not to like about wedges? They’re the member of the heel family that you can wear all day without being crippled, they have the power to make your legs look gazelle-like, and, well, they’re just so purdy. I can almost smell the Ambre Solaire.

{images via pinterest}
January and February are over, and there’s no better way to celebrate their exit than to buy a bunch of fresh flowers. My kitchen now looks and smells delicious thanks to a cheery vase of tulips – Spring has sprung, and I couldn’t be happier.

As far as I’m concerned you can keep your weird Bang & Olufsen phones – they don’t even look like phones. I’m currently lusting after this vintage model that would add class to any desk.

Supergirl had the ability to fly, She-ra had He-man… and Wonder Woman had the style. So MAC cosmetics have come up with the ingenious idea to collaborate with the fictitious heroine and bring out a Pop Art-esque range of make-up. Now, I’m not the biggest make-up connoisseur, but I love the packaging. Pow! It’s so fierce.

To wrap up the week we have Rosie Huntington-Whiteley at an Oscars party wearing a spectacular Valentino gown that looks like it has been painted on her… the colour and the cut couldn’t be better, making Ms H-W another Brit bringing a touch of class to the Academy Awards. And those stairs, absolutely to die for… not a room as such, but I couldn’t resist.
I hope you have a beautiful weekend whatever you’re doing and wherever you may be…

The Kate Spade website is one of my happy places (it’s been a long-term love affair, as recounted here). Like a moth to a flame, I can’t resist its vibrant colours, clean lines, and it’s – how can I put this – grown-up chic. And the best news of all? Kate Spade is coming to these shores… finally! Their pop-up store in Covent Garden was the talk of the town last year, and now I can’t wait for this gorgeous brand to put down some permanent roots this side of the pond (in my dreams it will be next to Anthropologie on Regent Street). Here is some KS goodness, all zingy colours and elegant French Riviera. Enjoy, my friends:

{1. Essex Scout bag / 2. Wish shoes / 3. Hot to Trot gold bracelet / 4. All Wrapped Up bow belt / 5. Mercer Street Mini Lacey / 6. Gold Coast Shimmer Small Maryanne bag / 7. Sugar Hill Medium Seraphine / 8. Make a Day of It bangle / 9. Ivana sandals}

All hail King Colin! Massive congratulations to him and The King’s Speech team for a right royal clean-up at the 83rd Annual Academy Awards. And well done to Natalie too, a) for a more than deserving win for her incredible performance, and b) for looking a million times more elegant than most non-pregnant women. Although I haven’t seen the whole ceremony, I get the impression that Anne Hathaway never strayed far from shrill during her debut as host, and that James Franco appeared half asleep. Better stick to SNL in the future, guys.
Now, for the important part, the dresses. It was a strange year, really. On the whole most of the stars played it very safe, apart from Cate Blanchett, who can carry controversial dresses off. Jennifer Hudson, not so much. I made sure I didn’t look at other’s opinions before forming my own, which made for quite amusing reading afterwards – some critics made similar comments, but others were effusive in their praise for dresses that I strongly disliked. But that’s personal taste for you! Here’s what I thought of the frocks on show this year:

Natalie Portman – I had a feeling she was going to pull something special out the bag. And knowing that you’re pretty much a shoe-in for one of the night’s big awards means you must pick a show-stopper, because that photo is going to be around forever. It’s got to be timeless, but also have an edge so as not to be boring. Bingo! Also, nice tie-in wearing Rodarte after they designed the fabulous Black Swan costumes.
Sandra Bullock – Yes! Love it. Fits her to perfection (someone’s evidently been off the carbs since the New Year) and an overall feel of Old Hollywood. I’m extra happy when Sandy B gets it right, because she’s one of my absolute favourites and in another life I’m positive we’d be best friends.

Mila Kunis – Mila + Elie was always going to work for me. It was an inspired choice for her. On someone else it might have had a touch of your grandmother’s net curtains, but on this lady it’s a winner. I’m going to stop now, because too much gushing is tacky.
Halle Berry – This picture makes me want to drop what I’m doing, hot-foot it to the gym and stay there until I look like this. Berry has made some dubious red carpet choices lately (*cough* Golden Globes), but she’s back on top with this one. Marchesa is one of my favourite designers, mostly because of their penchant for a ruffle, and the colour and fit is spot on here. Can’t stop looking at it.

Michelle Williams – Thank Chanel for that! I thought she’d struggle to recover from the Valentino gaffe at the Golden Globes, but she looks exquisite here. It works perfectly with her delicate skin-tone and elfin hair. Welcome back!

Reese Witherspoon – I grappled with this one. I wanted to heart it, because I heart her… but it’s just a safe dress, an ok hair-do and cute earrings (albeit a tad Angelina from last year). But it’s a long way off the wow factor of 2007. Although that one did need to be a corker to drive home the “in your face, Phillippe” message.
Cate Blanchett – My head’s screaming, “hate it, it looks ridiculous” , but there’s another voice telling me that it sort of works on her. It may look like something that Lt. Uhura might wear to the Starship Enterprise Summer Ball, but I can’t bring myself to completely slate it. I think it’s the pleats. I do like a good pleat.

Amy Adams – I actually said “meh” in my head when I saw this. I kind of see where she’s going with it, but it looks too fussy with the jewellery on top. Love the loose waves and healthy glow, but Adams has the potential to look a million dollars (literally), so this choice falls a little flat with me. It would have worked better at an office Christmas party and she was trying to pull Dave from Accounts.
Hailee Steinfeld – Turning up looking like an extra from Black Swan is not going to improve her chances of taking home a prize. By the way, this is blatantly jealousy talking that she gets a custom-made Marchesa gown and she’s about 11.

Gwyneth Paltrow – Gwynnie, your hair looks amazing, and well, that’s it. You look a bit like Daryl Hannah’s body double in Splash. I know you’re no Sofia Vergara in the curvy stakes (and that’s largely down to genetics… and doing yoga in your sleep), but this isn’t the best choice for your body type. I see this and all I want to do is introduce you to something called a Mr. Kipling Cherry Bakewell.
Jennifer Hudson – Just because orange is the shade du jour, doesn’t mean you find a shiny, badly-fitted version of it and wear it to the Oscars. This really wasn’t the best time to get it spectacularly wrong. Or expose a two-tone chest. I say this with love, because I know she can do better.

Penelope Cruz – You know what this reminds me of? An item from one of those solitary shops on the high street (called something ironic and misspelt, like ‘Klass’) that sell cheap prom dresses. The ones that are always deserted, smell a bit funny and you only went into because you wanted a plain tank top for 2 quid. And you quickly leave because you fear for your life. Yep… that’s it.
Nicole Kidman – Seriously, Nicole, this dress? It looks like an expertly-folded napkin with some festive glitter sprinkled on top… and that she took a pre-Oscars nap, woke up late and shoved her hair up because she didn’t have time to wash it. These people have stylists, right? Or a mirror would have been a start.

Anne Hathaway – I’m at a loss for words. Actually, I’m not. She is selected as the event’s co-host (why they didn’t pick Bullock is beyond me) and she opts for this number? It looks like the kind of thing your friend has asked you to wear as her bridesmaid, “because it’s a winter wedding and everyone does red” , and you haven’t got the heart to tell her you hate it, so instead suffer through the barrage of photographs and people telling you that you look lovely even though you know for a fact that you look like a badly-wrapped Christmas present with a load of excess paper bunched up at the back with sellotape. Which I’m guessing is not the look she was going for.
Scarlett Johansson – Scar-jo, if you wore this to show Ryan what he’s missing, then you wore the wrong dress. You would have done better coming in one of the Mango frocks you’ve been modelling so beautifully. And not scrubbing off the stamp from the club you went to last night? Leave that to Paris Hilton.

Hilary Swank – I know you weren’t up for an award, but please revert to the ‘Hailee Steinfeld’ memo.
So, tell me dear readers, what do you think? Feel free to contradict everything I’ve just said… I’d love to hear your thoughts!