festival fun - wishful thinking

Warning: The following may or may not be a thinly veiled whine at a certain blogger's boyfriend.
The national Parklife tour begins in Melbourne this Saturday, stopping by Perth this Sunday and travelling around the major cities in the weeks to come. Featuring a plethora of exciting seasoned and up-and-coming dance groups, such as Gossip, Duck Sauce, Katy B and The Ashton Shuffle, it's sure to be a party to remember. I've been banging on and on about how much I want to go for what seems like months now.
Sentences such as; "How good is the Parklife line up?!", "Don't you think Parklife is the perfect way to celebrate the start of Spring?!" and "Waaaaah!! I want to go to Parklife!!" have been coming fast and frequently from my mouth in recent weeks but alas, no nod of approval has been received and no tickets have been purchased.
In some perplexing combination of rebellion and spite, here I have for you a festival outfit inspiration. Sure, it's not even forecast to reach the high teens, but I don't care. This is what I would wear and I'd dance my little ass off all day long to keep warm if I had to.
Sure it's a hugely eclectic selection, but that's what festivals are all about; having fun, making unexpected choices and doing things you wouldn't do on a "normal day", like making new friends in the line to the port-a-loo. Oh, and how perfect are the pleated "skorts" below for a day like this?! Sitting on the grass cross legged without flashing any lady parts? Priceless.

festival fun - parklife wishful thinking by tessthomson featuring a black bib necklace

Cropped shirt
gifts.myer.com.au

Alice In The Eve pleated skirt
$70 - generalpants.com.au

Sandals
60 AUD - wantedshoes.com.au

Gathering Eye shoulder bag
$40 - generalpants.com.au

Metal ring
$28 - topshop.com

Peacock jewelry
£2 - peacocks.co.uk

Super sunglasses
$170 - generalpants.com.au

Update: Oh wow!! I was surprised last night with VIP tickets, I'm so super excited and I was so incredibly shocked and surprised. Squeeee!!!

biking through budapest

Did you know that the Hungarian city of Budapest has more thermal springs under it's streets than any other capital city in the world? No? Well you know what they say; you learn something new every day. This fun fact has got me daydreaming of bike riding through it's cobbled streets, from one spring to the next, soaking up the surrounding sights steeped in world history.
What's the ideal wardrobe choice for a day of stylish peddle pushing? A fabulously fun playsuit is your answer, such as the preppy offering below from TopShop. The leopard print and lady-like neck tie are right on trend and I've chosen some sensible flats for a day of adventuring without fear of injuries. While I wouldn't normally recommend an ankle strap without a heel, a short hem such as this one will help elongate your legs enough to balance the look well.
The combination of a feature print plus a bright colour waves the flag for subtle accessorising. I've chosen simple studs to help draw the eye upwards to offset the high necked style of the play suit, and as it's sleeveless more fun can be had with arm and hand candy.

biking through budapest by tessthomson featuring leather cross body handbags

TopShop jumpsuits and romper
$100 - topshop.com

See by Chloe leather cross body handbag
£315 - harveynichols.com

JCPenney gold earrings
$67 - jcpenney.com

Diane von Furstenberg yellow gold pendant
£100 - matchesfashion.com

Citrine By The Stones gold flower ring
€77 - pret-a-beaute.com

JOLIE BLACK SATIN TIE BALLET FLAT
wantedshoes.com.au

9 to 5 inspiration - memo to monochrome

Nothing says "timeless chic" quite like a structured black and white outfit. It's also the perfect choice for a no-fuss, take-no-prisoners professional work look.
Keep yours on-trend with the new rage in pant shapes - the tapered leg, also known as the peg leg. This pant shape may take some getting used to if all your business pants are of the low-rise, boot-cut variety but trust me when I say that this is in fact a far more universally flattering style.
Highlighting your waist becomes a breeze with the higher rise, hips are no longer hugged but rather skimmed over and your heel options become endless with your ankle being beautifully highlighted by this cut.
I'm also swooning over the blazer below, it's just such a fabulous cut and being the super versatile design that it is, would look great dressed down as well. For a chic yet casual look I'd pair it with some denim cut-offs, a bright cami peeking from underneath and some layered necklaces.
P.S. romwe.com, where the jacket is now available, are a particularly awesome online store who offer free international delivery with no minimum spend required. Can I hear a hell yeah?!

9 to 5 inspiration - memo to monochrome by tessthomson featuring white bags

Red Valentino short sleeve t shirt
$94 - farfetch.com

White fitted blazer
$50 - romwe.com

Dorothy Perkins tapered pants
£30 - dorothyperkins.com

Funtasma high heel shoes
$60 - babygirlboutique.com

Star by Julien Macdonald white bag
£24 - debenhams.com

Gunmetal ring
$9.95 - witchery.com.au

baby bump - trusty tunic

I know that purse strings around the country are getting tighter and tighter as the cost of living rises, and I'm sure that if you're pregnant, the last thing you feel like spending more money on is a whole new wardrobe! Rest assured that this truly isn't necessary, and many items already in the your wardrobe can be used as your mini me grows inside the comfy cave you're so generously supplying.
Tunics, and this outfit, are a perfect example of everyday, "normal body" items being totally workable when you're up the duff. They're long enough to accommodate a growing waist line and by investing in a good pair of maternity pants such as the pair below you'll be able to match many tops already in your wardrobe to create different looks.
Thank goodness for the oversized trend, huh?!

baby bump - trusty tunic by tessthomson featuring leather satchel bags

Blue Juice - Sheer Shirt Dress - Birdsnest Clothing Online
90 AUD - birdsnest.com.au

Skinny jeans maternity
$75 - topshop.com

Strap shoes
50 AUD - forevernew.com.au

Leather satchel bag
$60 - bardot.com.au

Ring
15 AUD - ts14plus.com.au

studying in berlin

I've never actually completed any of my many attempts at tertiary education, the most recent example is the Masters Of Accounting that I abandoned after an intensive care induced epiphany which made me realise that the world of small cubicles and numbers was not for me.
My dream is to one day complete formal training in fashion design and production. Berlin has some of the most well renowned universities in Europe and is apparently quite nice this time of year... Hey, a girl can dream!

studying in berlin by tessthomson featuring a denim jacket

Lace top
$15 - allyfashion.com

Denim jacket
50 AUD - jeanswest.com.au

Ksubi lightweight jeans
$170 - net-a-porter.com

Zara leather flat
$16 - zara.com

Volcom strap bag
$50 - zappos.com

Heart jewelry
peeptoeshoes.com.au

9 to 5 inspiration - corporate tweets

I don't know about you, but my part of the world was positively sunny this weekend and all that sunshine inspired me greatly. Spring dresses were calling out to me from my wardrobe and it's great to hear their feminine voices once again. The divine half sleeved silk tunic seen below is an ideal in-between-season piece and is sure to brighten up the office in no time. My favourite thing about this collection? All the items are available right now through Australian websites.

9 to 5 inspiration - corporate tweets by tessthomson featuring a trench coat

Lola Australia silk print dress
$130 - frockaholics.com

Trench coat
105 AUD - birdsnest.com.au

Bootie boots
40 AUD - betts.com.au

Shoulder hand bag
$548 - cultstatus.com.au

Stone jewelry
15 AUD - wholesale.funaccessories.com.au

Gold jewelry
7.95 AUD - funaccessories.com.au

loving right now - knuckle rings

Why? they are such a fun why to shake things up with different outfits, sure to add a feisty touch to whatever you pair them with!
How? any way you can ladies, there are so many different knuckle ring designs kicking around at the moment in as many styles and incarnations as you could imagine.

loving right now - knuckle rings by pie squared featuring round rings

Made Her Think sparkly ring
$150 - maxandchloe.com

Low Luv x Erin Wasson double finger ring
$69 - shopthetrendboutique.com

Zoemou gold plated jewellery
65 AUD - thegrandsocial.com.au

Beyond Rings round ring
$60 - maxandchloe.com

Nissa Jewelry metal jewellery
$50 - maxandchloe.com

Low luv jewellery
£45 - harveynichols.com

Crystal ring
$18 - shopnastygal.com

Urban Outfitters metal jewellery
$17 - urbanoutfitters.com

ASOS spike ring
$14 - asos.com

ALDO knuckle ring
$10 - aldoshoes.com

Miss Selfridge beaded jewellery
£8.50 - missselfridge.com

Forever21 antique jewellery
$5.80 - forever21.com

 


Update: As requested by a fellow Beauty Heaven devotee, here is a picture of one type of knuckle ring on. I got this cute turquoise baby from Sportsgirl recently which I spotted with one of those lovely red sticker discounts. Never pay retail, I say! I tried desperately to avoid getting my unkempt nail polish in the shot, but ultimately failed.