Sunday Sevens

Hello little birds!

Let's get into it, shall we?

1. Taylor Swift's new song!

I have been singing my love for Taylor loud and proud ever since I first saw the video clip for "You Belong With Me" and will continue to do so as long as she keeps writing amazingly catchy country pop songs, and being generally adorable. I challenge anyone who has ever had a crush, or been through a break up NOT to relate to at least one of her songs - if not all of them. I bet most of you can listen to this song and say to yourself "Ha - damn straight!" whilst thinking of someone from your past... I can already guarantee that it's going to be on every single playlist I make this summer. Also, this lyric video is super cute. Can't wait for the "real" video clip! 

2. Chevron stripes

A peek into my wardrobe will confirm that I have a strong affinity for anything stripey. Usually, I go for the standard horizontal, navy and white stripes, but recently I've been getting into chevron stripes more and more. What are chevron stripes, I hear you ask? They look like this:

I bought this skirt from Marcs recently (on sale! Win!) and now I can't wait until the weather is warm enough for bare legs and I can bust it out. 

3. Ikat

Okay, I hear you say, what the hell is Ikat? Good question! I didn't know myself until recently. It's a particular way of dying fabric that is mostly associated with Central and South America, but is also common in India, Japan and South-East Asia. Here are some pictures of Ikat stuff I would like to buy, which will help explain. You'll probably think "Oooooh...that. Yeah."

Ikat by carolinelt featuring a straw hat

4. New material from Aaliyah

I was pretty devastated when Aaliyah was killed in a plane crash, eleven years ago. She is one of the most under-rated R&B singers of our time and it frustrates me when people talk about how she wasn't a "strong singer" because they are used to Mariah-style histrionics. Her subtlety is well, way too subtle for today's listeners, who are used to Rihanna leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination (and doing it all a quarter tone off key). This review sums up perfectly what Aaliyah contributed to R&B - she had nuance and class that is missing from the genre a decade later.

I know her family is not in support of the post-humous song released recently by Drake, but as a fan, I can't help but get excited. I'm not really a huge fan of Drake - I find him pretty average - but he barely features in the song, so he's easy enough to ignore.

5. Secret Squirrel

I usually lust after clothes from Secret Squirrel from afar, but when their prices started dropping, dropping, dropping on their end of season stock I had to pick up a few pieces. When they got to 50% off, I felt like they had moved into my price range (just) and swooped in. No regrets - I absolutely love their colours, fabrics and patterns. I'm looking forward to getting a lot of wear out of my new purchases, as they work quite well for the office or a bit of a smart-cas weekend.

6. Family time

My incredibly talented cousin Tom lives in Singapore, but was home with his partner this weekend for Tom's birthday. It was so good to see him - I really need to get off my butt and book a trip to Singapore...or maybe we can meet in Bali? ;) I could use a week or two relaxing by the beach/pool with a nice cocktail.

Check out Tom's showreel below - so talented!

7. The end of winter...almost!

I know I'm getting a head of myself, and it's going to be cold for a while yet (by my standards at least), but I'm starting to feel like there's a light at the end of the tunnel. Every morning when I walk to the station I get to walk past these beautiful cherry blossoms, and it really feels like spring is in the air. Or will be soon...

xx