VALENCIA

I've just come back from a fantastic six day holiday to drizzly, rainy London and a cold, food-less flat which is making me crave Valencia even more...  I don't know what the Valencia Tourist Board is playing at, they should be promoting the Spanish city as foodie heaven way more than they are.  I ate well here every lunch and dinner - far better than Barcelona and Madrid - and I am recommending a long weekend there to all my foodie friends.  You must go!

FRIDAY'S FFFFOUND: NEON BEAUTY

neon nails and bright red lips in Grazia

PRINTS CHARMING

Worn together or apart, the geometric print on Carven's mini skirt and luxe t-shirt is perfect for two reasons: it knocks the futuristic trend nail on the head and purple isn't going anywhere this season.

The structured skirt with its origami fold and smart linen blend fabric makes it work-appropriate and the versatile, laidback tee can be worn day and night, work and weekends.

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AZURE BLUE

A couple of weeks ago I received an exciting parcel containing dresses from a sweet vintage-inspired womenswear label called Jarlo.  As the London weather hasn't allowed the wearing of summery little dresses lately, I took a pretty pale blue and pink floral dress to warmer climes in Valencia and wore it visiting La Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencas.

GOOD GOLLY MISS HOLLY

I am loving your work.  British designer Holly Fulton's Spring/ Summer 2013 collection at London Fashion Week was one of her strongest (almost as good as her excellent Spring/ Summer 2011 show).  Look at that colour palette!  I wanted to wheel this rail right out of Somerset House...

plastic fantastic in pink

FRIDAY'S FFFFOUND

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SEQUIN STRIPES

Marc Jacobs' SS13 collection was one of my highlights of NYFW.

TOKYO TRAVELS

J.Crew always uses such great bright colours.  The American brand took some colourful womenswear pieces to hang out in the Japanese capital, and the shots are beautiful.

JAMON JAMON

After spending about ten hours of dithering on Expedia, we finally booked a trip to Valencia for six days in the sun before it disappears until spring.

We wanted somewhere in Europe with direct flights, which is still warm at the end of September, preferably with a beach, we went to Croatia in May, Italy last September, Sweden in March, Portugal the September before and fancied a holiday somewhere neither of us have been before so settled on Valencia.  I say "settled", but I can't wait to try the original paella, eat my weight in jamon and bump into a bunch of Javier Bardem lookalikes.  Adiós!

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JULY INSTAGRAM PHOTOS

1. USA vs Tunisia Olympics Men's Basketball match 2. Rooftop dinner 3. strange summer weather 4. dinner at Aurelia in Mayfair 5. Damon Albarn's Dr Dee at The Coliseum 6. Aluna George live 7. Penhaligon's Peoneve Harvey Nichols rootop launch event 8. blue skies 9. Olympic rings at Tower Bridge

1. Miss Guided press show at The Box 2. Mad Hatter's Afternoon Tea at the Sanderson Hotel 3. final stretch at the Olympics Cycling Road Race 4. dove grey Nelly Bracelet and Topshop handbag 5. holding the Olympic Torch 6. Daniel Galvin salon 7. France dominating the handball at the Copper Box 8. Dwell AW12 press show 9. I miss the London 2012 flags...

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THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKING

Thank or blame, depending on your taste, Isabel Marant for all the cowboy-inspired stuff around at the moment.  Whether you wanna dress like a cowgirl or subtly nod to the trend, there's some fringed suede, floral embroidered shirts or studded boots for you.

PRETTY TEMPERLEY

Alice Temperley's collection for Spring/ Summer 2013 at London Fashion Week was elegant, vintage-inspired and very feminine.  Nipped in waists reigned supreme with full, flared and 50s circle skirts, trousers were slim, long and simple and half the models wore Dior-style wide brimmed hats or little lace gloves.

TOPSHOP UNIQUE SS13

Being sat behind Anna Dello Russo and her standard crazy hat on the FROW (I was on the... SROW?) at the super duper Topshop Unique show has been my LFW highlight so far.

Cara Delevingne and Jourdan Dunn

FOOTPRINT

Footwear designer Nicholas Kirkwood has collaborated with Peter Pilotto again to design some beautiful shoes in Pilotto's signature kaleidoscopic prints.

I'm pleased to see from NYFW and LFW that electric/ Yves Klein/ cobalt blue isn't going anywhere for the next couple of seasons (nor is print) and I'll be stocking up on pieces in my favourite blue hue to last me right through to spring/ summer.

These Printed Ankle Strap Sandals, spotted on the cobbles of Somerset House, in colourful printed satin are a great transitional pair of shoes - they'll look great with black opaque tights in the colder months or bare legs on the rare occasion it's warm in England.

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BATMAN VS BOND

Earlier this week I went to the latest Batman movie The Dark Night Rises at the IMAX which was pretty awesome.  It could have been shorter, it had the standard annoying, unnecessary indulgences you come to expect from a Hollywood blockbuster and Marion Cotillard - though very beautiful and normally a decent actress - wasn't great; her character, her death...  Oops, spoiler alert.  Anyway, overall it was good.

KNOCK KNOCK WHO'S THERE LFW

My goodness, LFW is here again already.  I've got a few shows and parties lined up but my planning efforts have been drained from the Olympics, I don't have the usual energy this season.  Here's one of my outfit photos from last London Fashion Week in February.  Ashish sequin dress, vintage grey tweed jacket, Zara metallic shopper, vintage emerald green gloves, black Office platforms and Paperself lashes.  See you at Somerset House...

FALL FOOTWEAR

I've seen a couple of brown leaves fall in the past couple of weeks in London, but today's the first day which feels like proper autumn.  My thoughts turn to - quelle surprise - shoes when the temperature drops, particularly a new pair of boots which will see me through autumn and winter.  Let the shortlist-building commence...  I like these ankle boots and knee high boots in black suede or leather from Spartoo.

ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD

... Some is rose gold!  Nails Inc has launched another wicked trio of full sized nail varnishes called The Backstage Collection featuring Abbey Road, a new holographic silver polish, Porchester Square, the bestselling mushroom polish and Stratford, a new rose gold mirror metallic polish.

glitzy neutral shades = cool contrast nails

HOUSE OF HOLLAND

Henry Holland and his House of Holland label have gone from strength to strength since launching six years ago.  I remember buying the purple and pink GET YOUR FREAK ON, GILES DEACON slogan t-shirt (as modelled by Agyness Deyn back in the day) to wear at London Fashion Week in September 2006 and high-fiving some of the many others wearing the same.  What a way to explode onto the fashion scene; getting Giles, Gareth Pugh and half the FROW in your designs...

VICTORIA BECKHAM

Victoria Beckham's Spring/ Summer 2013 Ready To Wear collection at New York Fashion Week had some really cool dresses in a simple, neutral palette of black, white, nude and tangerine orange.

5 INCH AND UP NELLY LAUNCH EVENT

On Friday night, I attended the launch event for 5 inch and up's collection with Nelly.  The Finnish babe Sandra Hagelstam is one of my favourite fashion bloggers and I love Scandinavian fashion brand Nelly so this capsule collection is a match made in heaven.

wearing Aubin & Wills dress, neon Furla bag, Miista shoes with Sandra and Sophie

OUR GREATEST TEAM

The London 2012 Olympic Games is officially over...  Boo hoo.  This afternoon I went down to see the Our Greatest Team parade as it travelled through the streets of London from the City through Trafalgar Square, up the Mall and ending at the Queen Victoria memorial to cheer on the Team GB winners for one last time.  A fantastic finale to the best Olympics.

We love you, Queen Vic! Cyclist Victoria Pendleton with her Gold (women's keirin) and Silver (women's sprint) medals

SOMERSET BY TEMPERLEY

Designed exclusively for John Lewis and named after the designer's home county, Somerset is Alice Temperley's first collaboration for the British high street.

WEEKEND IN PARIS

Last week I was in Paris for a long weekend as my boyfriend's sisters Santa Claus gave us Disneyland tickets for Christmas.  I'd been to the ones in Florida and California before but not the French resort and I love any excuse to visit Paris.

TRANSCEND THE SEASONS

The new Autumn/ Winter womenswear from Reiss is perfect for in-between season dressing; minimalist style with light separates in understated colours and natural fabrics perfect for layering whatever the weather.

Acne-ish Priestly Twisted Colour Pocket Jumper in mint green

212 VS 1991

212 came in late last year and pipped Kanye West and Jay-Z's Otis to the post for my song of 2012.  Cool NYC MC Azealia Bank's second single from her debut EP, 1991, features her nice balance of rapping and singing over incredibly catchy beats.

It's a fairly derivative 90s dance track, but after the fourth or fifth listen it really gets you.

It'd take a lot to top her debut but I'm loving this.  Come around, come around. Let the litte Bambi run it down, run it down...

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BLUE BLUE ELECTRIC BLUE

Meet the new label by Isabella Oliver, Baukjen. Isabella Oliver is known for its luxury maternity clothing with a cult following of stylish sexy mamas wanting to retain their fashion sense throughout pregnancy and Baukjen is the label’s cooler, (non-pregnant) little sister selling versatile, day-to-night dresses for the modern, working woman.

FRIDAY'S FFFFOUND: WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

Vintage editorial from Vogue in the late 80s/ early 90s.  I saw girls in similar get-up at last night's Fashion Night Out...

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ESPRESSO CHEZ LE BOULANGER

Last night I met my BFF Saskia who's fresh from a month performing at Edinburgh Festival for an overdue catch up dinner.  We went to a sweet little French cafe on Upper Street in Islington called Espresso Chez le Boulanger, which serves salads, quiches, ciabattas, savoury and sugary crepes, pastries and cakes.  It's perhaps more of a lunch venue but it's open until 11pm every night and as it was balmy we sat outside at one of the tables spilling out onto the pavement.

POLKA DOTS AND PEPLUMS

Inspired by Louis Vuitton's Yayoi Kusama dotty windows which have taken over the globe and the back to school season (sorry kids, I remember how much September used to suck...) today my outfit is a polka dot shirt and smart peplum skirt.

I'm wearing my vintage Fenn Wright Manson polka dot blouse under this peplum LBD from ASOS, silver metallic bag, usual stacks of arm candy and white Converse trainers because my sprained ankle has still not recovered.

My bright red dip dyed hair has now faded to, well, ginger so I'm heading back to the salon soon for a little refresh and I hope to make my heels comeback any day now...

Louis Vuitton store window

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GLAM ROCK

Inspired by today's 70s soundtrack of David Bowie and T.Rex, I decided that I need to inject some glitzy glam rock into my autumn/ winter wardrobe to complement the dark gothic trends coming our way...

I’ve always admired Terry de Havilland's gloriously glamorous and impractical shoes although don’t own a pair yet. I figured that a high heeled platform in a (relatively speaking, for TdH) everyday shoe boot style (platform courts here) made from black leather and metallic pewter is a good place to start.  

Marc Bolan would be proud.

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FACE TO FACE

Paul Stolper Gallery (one of my favourite art galleries in London) is hosting a private view this week for the Face to Face exhibition of drawings, prints, collages and textiles by British artists John Dove & Molly White from 1968 to the present day.

Face No.5 (Debbie Harry)

signed and numbered, edition 100, 76 x 56cm   2012  

After teaching art in the sixties; artist and illustrator John Dove and textile designer Molly White went on to create work using the same silkscreen machines as other artists were making prints on, but instead created democratic, affordable prints to be worn on the streets by the masses; on t-shirts instead of canvas.

This screen print of Debbie Harry is printed on handmade rag paper made from recycled T-shirts.  If portrait prints conjure up Andy Warhol's pop art, John Dove and Molly White's works are are punk art.

John Dove & Molly White: Face to Face

Private View Thursday 6 September 6 - 8pm

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MINERS COSMETICS

Beauty brand Miners Cosmetics is up there with Mizz magazine and Spectacular nail varnishes as one of my favourite brands when I was a pre-teen which I haven't really heard much about since...  But it's back on my radar.  Miners recently sent me a few products to try (nice lipbalms too) and some of them have genuinely become favourite every day products.  Alongside beauty heavyweights like Dior, Chanel and Bare Minerals, my make up bag now houses the excellent Beauty Brilliance multipurpose highlighter stick which is a golden pale pink cream perfect for highlighting cheek bones, brow bones and lips.

The Dip and Define range of loose powder eyeshadows come in handy little tubes with an applicator inside so you can smudge for smoky eyes without using your fingers.  There are six intense colours to choose from, which come with metallic flecks for shimmering undertones.  I use the dark and glittery charcoal grey Rough Diamond most days.  The Marshmallow nail varnish is the perfect shade of pastel pink, gives dense coverage so you only need 1-2 coats and costs less than a Pret baguette - in fact, all these products are super-cheap, hence the loyal teenage following.  Much like mixing designer, high street and vintage in your wardrobe, it's good to mix it up with beauty brands too.