Patriotic Picks

With the Queens 60th Jubilee round the corner, Euro 2012 in 9 days, The Olympics in 58 days and our shambles at the Eurovision song contest - I've been looking at all things patriotic!

The weather is either too hot or too cold, we complain, we complain about complaining, we have scripted reality TV (need I say anymore on that matter?!), we queue, we are too polite or too rude and we become overly patriotic only when it matters. But, it's ours - would I change it? Probably not.

1. Yumi £40 // 2. River Island £30 // 3. Ju ju Jelly at Mr Shoes £21.99 // 4. Kath Kidston at Asos £16 // 5. Mr Shoes £19.99 // 6. Next £18 // 7. Dorothy Perkins £16 // 8. Topshop £34 // 9. River Island £15

With patriotism you can be overt or covert. We don't always want to look like Joey from Friends in his giant plush union jack hat. I'll admit... I bought one when I was 12 on a trip to Alton Towers. 

Let it be known

I love the Yumi and River Island jubilee inspired dresses! Pop on a cute summer dress adorned with red busses, telephone boxes, teacups and teapots, taxis, umbrellas, crowns, english roses, flags and bunting. 

It wouldn't be Great Britain without the Union Jack so a t-shirt bearing the symbol is a classic and hugely versatile.

Celebrate the past and classic designs with Next and The Olympic Museum who combined to create a collection of tops inspired by artwork and photos of past olympics. A look to the past and classic adverts are a sure winner.

Let's keep it simple

Finish a look by going British with a pair of classic Brogues or a cute mini union jack heart necklace by Cath Kidston. 

Want something casual?  Scarf prints are hot this season and this scarf print crown tee is perfect if you don't want to look too in your face- I love the simplicity of the design. 

Swans are protected by the crown so take a unique twist on the Jubilee with this swan motif skirt from Topshop.

Jelly shoes! These cuties by Ju Ju Jellies remind me of all my childhood summers! Holidays were spent on the UK coast wearing the same pair; just a few sizes smaller.

Jeepers Creepers!

I don't find Creepers the most attractive shoes out there, I think they're far too gothic for me.

And admittedly, when I first saw flatforms I was sceptical (just as I was with the Slipper shoes) they looked far too clompy and like what I used to wear when I was doing my spice girls imitation when I was 7! But recently, I've seen some really gorgeous ones and I thought I'd share.

Izzel tassle brogue loafer creepers £29.99

These fab Loafer style flatforms/creepers are courtesy of Mr Shoes. They come in five great colours so you're spoilt for choice. I'm stuck between the black and the mustard.

1. Asos Vienna £40 Asos 2. Zeya suede £26.99 Missguided 3. Asos Verity Mary Jane £30 Asos 4. Asos Varsity £40 Asos 5. London Rebel Leopard £34.99 New Look 6. Asos Vera Pointed £40 Asos 7. Asos Vera Pointed £40 Asos 8. Monumental £45 Office 9. Monumental £45 Office

I really love the style of numbers 6 and 7, the sole is quite a bit bigger than the others and the suede follows throughout, they do them in a gorgeous black too and I'm tempted to buy! Any discount codes hanging about?

Wedding Guest

I've never been to a wedding before! Shocker right? At least I'm not in the group of 'Always a bridesmaid, never a bride' so that's a plus. 

My cousin is getting married this May which is pretty exciting! We aren't really close and my family have not seen theirs for a good few years, so it'll be great to see them, and what better way than over a Spring wedding?

I've made a, er, 'short' list of dresses I love. If I could have every one then that would be great, but I don't have a fairy Gok mother. 

Top: 1. Love at Asos.com £50  2. Oasis at very.co.uk £55  3. AX Paris £25 4. Love at Asos.com £48

Bottom: 1. Oasis £60  2. Asos.com £60  3. Asos.com £50

Top: 1. Fever £59.99  2. Oasis £50  3. Dorothy Perkins £39.50

Bottom: 1. Fever £64.99  2. Darling at very.co.uk £45   3. Asos.com £45  4. Fever £59.99

I'm enjoying flirty and romantic dresses and I think all of these dresses incorporate this in a beautifully light and summery way, but I'm going to have to painfully narrow down my choices soon. 

Living in a Fantasy...

... don't even know reality

Above: The Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girl and Just My Luck

Masquerade balls, in my imagination and media interpretation, exude glamour, secrecy and seduction. It seems each book I read or each film or TV series I watch feature at least one of these; all the more making me yearn to attend one.

This Wednesday I have an excuse to dress up masquerade stylee for the first time as my photography group are having fun dress up evening where we will be the main models. Of course, this isn't the said scenario I had imagined above, yet it'll do for now.

Here are a selection of some of my favourite masks, quite a theme going on with the golds, blacks and nudes. 

1. Etsy partymask $76 USD approx £49.25 // 2. Just Posh Masks £35 // 3. Bluemoon Venice €55 // 4. Samantha Peach £39.99 // 5. Venice Masked Ball £7.99 // 6. Bluemoon Venice £23.50 // 7. Bluemoon Venice €16 // 8. ebay venice2802 // 9. ebay partymask £6.95

I settled on buying number 9, partly because it was the only one that would really go with my dress, but mainly because it was only £6.95, number five had sadly sold out and the rest were way out of my budget just for a bit of fun. A real masquerade bash would of course have me reconsider my options. 

I ordered it today and it was despatched right away hopefully in time for Wednesday. Tomorrow I'll pop into Boots to have a good look at the Revlon colourburst and matte lipsticks to find a gorgeous vivd red. They have an offer on at the moment- two Revlon products for £10- and what's annoying is that I have £9.97 in Boots advantage card points and, unless they've changed it recently, I won't be able to mix cash with points. 

Zooey Deschanel Style Idol

She's my girl crush too, but the thing I most love about her is her style and her characters. She always manages to bring a part of herself into these characters whether it is her mannerisms or her style. These are all on my wish list!

1. Dress £35 River Island // Shoes Dorothy Perkins Sale // 2. Playsuit £40 River Island // 3. Pussy Bow Blouse £25 ASOS.com // Skirt £16 River Island