the mermaid bag

long sleeve grey crop top (worn underneath) american apparel link | black polo neck dress new look similar | tall boots new look similar | earrings topshop | 'mermaid' sequin bag topshop | nails: barry m vintage purple 

You know when you just nip into Topshop for a quick browse, justifying it as 'killing time' and don't plan on getting anything? Well, needless to say, this beautiful blue/green sequin bag was one of those purchases. Sitting neatly on the sale shelf in my fave Topshop branch (Knightsbridge, FYI) for a mere fifteen pounds, it called my name. It's small enough to sit firmly in the 'bring only the essentials' category but large enough to actually fit the essentials in. The silver chain is a very decent length considering I'm only 5"2 and chain bags regularly sit half way down my thigh, not looking all that flattering.

Alsoooo, Cara Delevigne looks pretty fine holding this same bag in one of the Topshop promotional images that was in store when I bought this back in December. Between the reduced price tag, beaut sequins and Cara D I was completely sold.

source

So I guess these coloured sequins help commence my journey of inserting some actual colour into my wardrobe. And if not successful in that way, they at least spice up what is otherwise a predominately black outfit.

Until later,

Thalia

xxx

team forest green

forest green crepe polo top topshop link | black zip coated skinny jeans cotton on - Australia link / UK alternative | croc shoulder bag asos link | new balance 410 grey schuh link | watch silver casio mini | spike earrings forever 21 | nails: m&s city grey + barry m matte top coat

They say money doesn't equal happiness, I get that. Not that I assume I'll ever earn enough money to truly put that to the test, but I know that with high-earning jobs come high levels of stress. Now I don't make much money at all, and fortunately, this top didn't cost much, yet it has taught me something very important. As silly as it sounds, clothes make me ridiculously happy. I just love them. The feeling of a Topshop carrier bag filled with new things is overwhelmingly positive (note: approximately 4% negative, as with any purchase comes a tinge of 'I probably shouldn't have done that'). Now, when I buy clothes that I love, I wear them until they die, denying that the small holes and signs of wear that form are significant enough to stop wearing the items altogether.

Nothing, I repeat, nothing beats them when they're at their freshest. The first wear, you know it's looking (and more importantly, feeling) fab as anything. You give it a debut to the outside world, whether this be outside the precincts of your home or in my case, a) sixth form or b) this thing I call my blog that you happen to be reading from right at this very moment. Every once in a while I find something that gives me the same amount of happiness the eighty-fourth time I wear it as it's initial wear. I have a feeling that this top may just fall into that exclusive category (along with my beloved asos a-line denim skirts I wear at least once a week without fail and my silver casio mini watch that has been my partner in crime since I was fifteen). 

So there you go - an ode to my new favourite shirt: possibly the comfiest thing I own, equipped with a seasonally-appropriate polo neckline and finished in a stunning forest green shade. I'd be lying to you if I said the truffle coloured version isn't next on my shopping list.

Thalia

xxx

p.s It destroys my soul a lil' bit that we don't have Cotton On here in the UK. Their jeans are legitimately to die for.

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Mapping the City, Somerset House

I mentioned in my last post that I went to see Somerset House's Mapping The City exhibition the other day and loved it. Naturally, I took a bunch of photos to remember my favourite pieces as well as the whole day in general. 

The exhibition closes this Sunday, on the 15th, so if you're interested in anything cartography-related, be quick! I know you'll love it just like I did.

The entrance to this exhibition was a different one to the ones I've used before, the River terrace entrance, tucked behind the back with a prime view of the 'behind-the-scenes' of Somerset House. The spiral staircase probably excited me way more than it should have, but what can I say...I love 'em and this one was so cute, tucked away in the myriad of old Neoclassical and Victorian-era structures. 

The exhibition's accompanying guide was a huge, folded A2 compilation of all of the necessary details as well as Art History-like descriptions of symbolism, meaning and all of that fancy pants artsy stuff I've never quite got my head around. Cleverly, the numbered pieces were linked together based on medium and theme, communicated in a coloured key.

Barcelona | Sixe Paredes (ES) | 2013

This piece was one of my absolute favourites, depicting Barcelona with geometric shapes in the bright colours I'd expect to see in the Catalonian capital. I'm not all that knowledgeable on art, so the conclusion I'll come to on this is that it would make a hella nice screensaver. Amirite?

Copenhagen | HuskMitNavn (DN) | 2013

Copenhagen shown in one of the smartest ways possible, in my opinion. This one takes a little bit of thinking, processing and that inevitable head shift as you try and get your head around some of the letters. Regardless, this piece is awesome, with striking lines and flowing continuity.

West Virginia / Chicago & Vicinity / Boston & Vicinity | Brad Downey (US) | 2014 

Bangkok | Swoon (US) | 2008

Something I particularly liked about the exhibition was linking some of the pieces to places I'd visited. The piece on the right shows Bangkok, and having been there last year I felt a connection to this one. Physically huge in size, I was taken back by the attention to detail Swoon put in, despite how the details were not necessarily tiny drawings. Huge yet intricate, and a wonderful equilibrium of these two elements. 

A standout piece in my eyes - the bottom map in the trio. Brad Downey has a way of thinking about maps that absolutely blows my mind. Now as a self-confessed map obsessive, nothing fascinates me more than analysing the little back streets and how cities come together. Flipping it upside down and somehow creating an image that actually looks like something is on a completely different level though. Wow. 

Mi mundo / Meine Welt | Martin Tibabuzo (AR) | 2013

Perhaps the piece I'd seen the most coverage/Instagram snaps of beforehand was this one by Argentinian artist Martin Tibabuzo. Now this isn't strictly geographically accurate, however the details were remembered before being drawn as part of a test after he began to lose his memory. Can we just take a moment to appreciate that please?! The detail is exquisite and considering it was done without reference to any other maps or images, I'm blown away. 

The only issue I had with this is how high up it was - seriously, you should have seen me desperately stretching/tip-toeing trying to get a view of the top. Alas, I never quite saw how England was drawn, but from seeing the rest of this I highly doubt it was disappointing. 

Buenos Aires, a city I adored // My previous country of residence - India

An attempt to see England // my favourite country on Earth - Australia

Mapping the City - details online here

Have you ever visited Somerset House? Being one of my absolute favourite places to visit in London, it's on my recommendation list for anyone that ever visits my home city. As I mentioned in my previous post, it covers all things art/fashion/photography as well as London Fashion Week twice a year, so whenever you visit you'll never be at a loss.

Thalia

xxx

roll neck jumper sort of day

 blue roll neck jumper dorothy perkins (link) | black joni jeans topshop (link) | black shearling coat mango | grey chelsea boots dorothy perkins | black backpack new look (link) | watch casio | rings h&m | earrings Camden Market

Location: Somerset House, London

Well hello there. I'm aware it's been a little while that I've been absent from this space. Now I'm a firm believer that nobody should have to apologise for their absence, seeing as every blogger has ultimate control of their own space, and let's be honest, we all have hundreds of other things out there that collectively work to use up our time. But however I do apologise for temporarily abandoning you guys without warning. It's been long, but I'm here to start making up for it.

The past five weeks have been a bit merh if I'm honest - I've never been a fan of January, seeing as it combines the notorious post-Christmas blues with dismal weather and a severe lack of any sunlight. Oh, and a hella lot of rain. Thanks, England. A lil' while back I endured that Winter cold that I think hit everyone I know, and boy did I feel it. Goodbye voice for five days. I never realised how much I took having a voice/the ability to express myself vocally for granted until it was gone. That sounds dramatic, I know. But it sucks and everyone that's whispered to their mate in hope of getting their attention (and has subsequently failed at doing so) will understand quite how real the struggle is. Mock exams were last week and it is really starting to hit me that in four and a half months (!!!) I will be done with school forever. Oh, and I turn eighteen next month. Life is literally flying by and I'm not quite sure how I feel about this. On the bright side, I got a new job and as of a couple weeks' time, I will no longer have to trek outside the M25 to get to work.*celebrates* I'm both excited at the thought of a new workplace and challenges as well as the prospect of no longer having to handle South West Trains on Sundays. I promise you I will not miss that at all.

Anyway, life essay over and onto the undoubtedly more interesting aspect of this post, the clothes. The roll neck jumper was a recent purchase from Dorothy Perkins, who with their online sales combined with their cheeky 'extra 15% off deal' enabled me to pick up this pale blue beauty for less than 8 quid. I've been searching for warm jumpers for so long considering the perpetual English winter, and this one will seriously do for the time being. Their petite section is going from strength to strength at the moment, but I say this with caution: for anything I want even vaguely oversized, ordering at least 3 sizes up is the only way to go. I've worn this black shearling coat from Mango so many times in the past few months as a) it is black so naturally goes well with approximately 99% of the things I own and b) it is so comfy oh my goodness can we just appreciate the softness for a second please. Wow. Oh, and it only cost £13 in the ASOS sale last year. I have an affinity for ASOS, as well as the patience to scramble through pages and pages of items until I find 'the one'. Needless to say, this coat fit the bill just fine. 

Topshop's black Joni jeans have arguably been stuck to my legs since the day I bought them, I must wear them at least 1-2 times a week. The fabric is so sturdy in comparison to the other Joni variations, and still looks decent despite the fading pushing them into the category of 'charcoal with white detailing on the knees'. If you've read my blog before you may have seen these grey Chelsea boots pop up - they're comfy and a bit different to the typical black ones, and also fit the void of my black pair as they're a bit muddy/old/loved beyond repair. Operation salvage my favourite boots commence?! This awesome black backpack is a recent addition to my wardrobe from New Look and I have been absolutely loving it lately. It's big enough to fit the essentials in whilst small enough to teach me that excessive daily bag packing is not the way forward. I haven't worn a backpack in years and in a way it feels liberating to have my hands/arms free of heavy bags and that ache that inevitably forms on a daily basis. If only it were little bigger and could fit some of my school folders in, I would be converted and 100% #teambackpack. 

These photos were taken at Somerset House, one of my favourite places in London. Not only is it where LFW is held twice a year, it also holds so many incredible art/fashion/photography exhibitions throughout the year that are either free or reasonably priced. I dragged Mum along to see the Mapping The City exhibition, which being all about cartography excited my inner Geography/maps nerd so much. I'll be writing about it in the next couple of days so do look out for that!

That's all for now but before I leave you, I'm just going to take a moment to show you how beautiful my mumma is. I posted about her before (blog post here), coincidentally also at Somerset House, and since I published it in August 2013 it has become one of my most-read posts. The power of mummy galaxies xo is evidently strong, I can tell.

Until next time,

Thalia xxx

black turtleneck jumper primark | black tube skirt miss selfridge | shrug charity shop | boots new look | hat vintage/Australia | bag peacocks | watch vintage

recent playlist: doing it -  charli xcx ft. rita ora ◆ king - years & years ◆ nirvana - sam smith ◆ you're on - madeon ft. kyan ◆ northern wind - city and colour ◆ elastic heart - sia ◆ teach me - bakermat