A little bit of Knee-High

 Coat - Joules
Bag - Furla

 Jumper (though not particularly visible) - Nicole Farhi Outlet
Leggings - Primark

Boots - Unknown...

 A major, but hilarious, photobomb

As a child, I spent most of my time in Ealing, particularly Ealing Broadway, so going back there tonight to see my friend Chiara was very nostalgic. Recently I've been heading there more often as there are a few old and new places that have been tickling my fancy, for example 'Rumbles', the adorable little boutique-and-unique gift and accessory shop that has been there for years, and is still one of my favourite places to go to for great presents (and a treat or two for myself), and new coffee shops such as Harris and Hoole, and Artisan (my favourite small coffee chain). Ealing Broadway is definitely getting itself back on the map!

I was heading out for an evening coffee with my friend Chiara after her shift at work, and wanted to wear something comfortable, warm (although it's still not too cold here in London!) and chic. I chose to go for quite a classic look - loose roll neck navy jumper from Nicole Farhi that I bought at Chiswick Town Hall's Nicole Farhi outlet sale (The original price of this jumper was £150 and I nabbed it for £25!), black leggings, a navy military coat from Joules years ago, and a pair of brown suede knee high boots. Knee high boots have always been a love of mine, however I haven't worn them in years. I found this pair that I bought absolutely ages ago in Belgrade, and I'd honestly forgotten how much I loved them! I folded the tops down to add a "3 Muskateers" vibe, which I think worked well with the military coat.

Let me know if and how you've been styling knee high boots in the comments below - I'd love some inspiration! I'm hoping to maybe save a little money to get myself a black heeled pair :)

(p.s. apologies for the poor camera quality - my digital just wasn't focusing properly in the dark tonight!)

Flashback: London Mela 2015

 We were really intrigued by the long line of people waiting at the Falooda stand, so me and Nina went to see what all the fuss was about...

It was beautiful, but odd - milk flavoured ice-cream, thin strips of rice noodle, a type of seed and dyed pink cream - was surprisingly tasty to begin with, but was too big a portion even for me and Nina to share, but look at the COLOUR OF IT!

 Nina and I were tempted...

 So we did it!

I love the end of Summer. When you've still got the long, sunny days, that are just ever so slightly cooler and crisper as you head into Autumn. It's one of the reasons September is my favourite month (aside from it being my birthday month too...)
One of my favourite end-of-Summer celebrations is Zee London Mela. It's an annual Asian food and outdoor festival in Gunnersbury Park. For years, my Mum and I have loved going - it's colourful, filled with activities, live music and the smell of amazing food.
This year, however, we were hit with a bit of an unwanted surprise. In the past, London Mela has always had free entry. This year, we had to pay around 7 quid EACH just to get in. I was outraged! It was such a shock to me, my mum and our friends, not to mention the other dozen people who had just turned up. The fact that entry was so expensive put me in a bit of an angry mood, but I thought to myself, the food and the rides (there's a funfair) and the smells have to be worth it. And they pretty much were.
As much as I love London Mela, the food and rides still cost money, so the fact that entry was so expensive, I no longer felt that the festival was quite worth it. The trick is, go later in the day, when food stalls start to drop their prices. And there are some stalls (e.g. Rubicon, where me and my friend Nina got a fabulous "beach" photo taken of ourselves for free at their booth) that give free samples, but overall, this unfortunately was not my best Mela experience. Having said that, I'm not going to lie, the food, is GOOD (Be careful what you choose though, cos Nina and my Mum got some amazing stuff, whereas I didnt choose the most interesting meal...)

London Mela is a lovely day out with your friends and family (especially if it's sunny - I'm lucky that my only Mela experiences have been sunny!) But be warned - if that entry fee makes its way back next year, I may have to kick up a fuss...!

The Pink Coat

 Lunch at Busaba Eathai (I think that's how it's spelled...) in Kingston

Backpack - Furla

Black polo-neck thermal - Walford
Jeans - Vintage Levi 501's
Ankle Boots - Mistress
Coat - Banana Republic

My cute Mama!

So I'm a little bit obsessed with this baby pink coat... I'd been looking for one that wasn't overpriced (I found too many that were 400 quid!) or made 100% out of polyester for a long time, and eventually found this gorgeous number from Banana Republic. It's got that smart casual vibe that I long for in many outfits, and is made out of 70% wool, and for the price that it was, I would say it was definitely worth the money, as a coat like this will last me years! I wanted to pair the coat with a relatively casual outfit, to give it a more pulled together look, and here it is - hope you enjoy the pictures!

The Artisan

My favourite coffee shop, pretty much of all time, is a small chain called 'Artisan' - it can be found in Stamford Brook, Putney and Ealing Broadway. The one I frequent in is in Stamford Brook, and it is definitely the place to go if you want a cup of good quality coffee and maybe a quick lunch and a slice of cake (or two).

Iced-Latte

Mocha and a chocolate fairy-cake

Latte

A quick breakfast

How adorable?

A little preview of the Artisan interior

The 'Where's Wally?' wall collage by the bathrooms

The interior decor in the shop is simple but stylish - blackboards, recreation hardware, old-school tables and chairs, and loads of mismatched metal lampshades. Very much industrial chic!

My Top picks are:

- The Latte: It is perfect. Smooth, not too strong but not too milky. The perfect balance.
- The Hot Chocolate: The perfect winter pick-me-up, rich but smooth and milky
- The Ice-Latte: Summer. Need I say more?
- The Chocolate Guinness cake: YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS! This is the most perfect, dense chocolate cake, and a coffee's perfect companion

They've also got brilliant sandwiches, daily soups/foods, breakfast goods, cakes, biscuits, and an array of teas. And did I mention that the staff are always friendly and sweet? Oh, and that they have a spin-wheel for when you collect 8 coffee stamps? No? Well then GO!

Navy Jumpsuit in Kingston

 Top - Amor-lux
Jumpsuit - Whistles
Boots - Office

 Pistachio ice-cream in a hazelnut cone

Salted Caramel and Biscuit ice-cream...

I find Kingston to be a really serene area. It's technically in London, but technically not, so it makes you feel like you're in a small town - I love it!

Towards the end of September, I went for a nice riverside lunch with my Mam at Cote Brasserie, one of my favourite restaurants. She had the salmon, and I had the fillet steak with bernaise sauce - it was sublime.

I chose to wear this navy-blue jumpsuit I bought from Whistles earlier in the Summer, in the sale. It creates such an effortless "I-just-threw-this-on" vibe, and I love pairing it with this breton stripe shirt from Amor-lux, to create a casual Parisian touch. This outfit either makes me feel super French, or slightly like a toddler, but oh well, I love it. The jumpsuit's not usually this baggy, but as I hadn't worn it since going on holiday in August, it was still a bit creased from the suitcase...

We finished the day with a spot of gelato from our favourite ice-cream place, Gelateria Danieli. There's one in Richmond that we usually convene at, but finding one in the Bentall's centre in Kingston (one of the BEST shopping centres, seriously) meant we couldn't resist.

Navy and White

Breton Top - Armor-lux

Harem Trousers - Topshop

Navy Leather Jacket - Stepland

Boots - Office

Bag - Longchamp

One of my favourite old book shops on Chiswick High Street.

I had two photo's left on my disposable camera, so I asked my friend Anna to snap up a few outfit photo's for me. It was a warmer, but still brisk, September day when I dug out this pair of harem trousers that I hadn't worn for years. They were from Topshop at least 5 years ago, and are probably the most flattering pair of harem trousers I have ever found. Navy blue, not too baggy, and with zips either side of the front.

 I paired them with this new breton top from Armor-lux that my Mum brought me back from France - my old (favourite) breton shirt from Gant was beginning to fray a bit too much, so I'm slowly trying to replace it with this one - it's super comfy, a little bit thicker and has cropped sleeves, which I love.

I have been absolutely obsessed with this Navy-blue leather jacket! I found it in a shop called Stepland in Serbia (I was there visiting some relatives in early August - haven't taken off the jacket since!) and initially bought it for my Mother and I to share...I don't think she's seen much of it...

It has a gorgeous, vivid inner-lining, which I felt needed showcasing, so I rolled up the sleeves and - voile!

You'll probably be seeing a LOT more of this jacket on the blog very soon.... I can guarantee!