Splash of Red...

Contrary to popular belief, the perfect shopping day is not necessarily one where you come back with an absurd number of bags - a perfect shopping day is one where you manage to find the perfect item, an item you know will bring a new life to your wardrobe and will help you create an endless number of outfit combos.

I'm going to tell you about this particular perfect shopping day - I fell in love with this jacket the minute I saw it, for me it ticks all the boxes for what I am looking in a jacket: gorgeous colour, loose unstructured fit, casual enough and smart enough. Almost instantly I could see myself wearing it over a t-shirt and denim shorts, over a tank top and a maxi skirt, over a maxi dress, over a cocktail dress… A world of opportunities ;)

For dinner in a wonderful Thai restaurant with very good friends, I decided to pair this new-found favourite with another recent purchase that has also quite quickly become a favourite. There really isn't anything that special about this dress but I just love it - the print, the loose fit that still allows you to show some curves, the length that allows you to wear it as a dress or as a top paired with skinny trousers or leggings, I just love its versatility ;)

Dress French Connection / Jacket Reiss / Sandals Just Cavalli / Bangles Mango

Hope you are all having a "fabulastic" week! :)

Grumpy Monday...

It doesn’t really matter how much you love your job, if you had a wonderful weekend or a terrible one, if you have big plans for the week ahead – none of this really matters, because Monday will never ever be an easy day. For some reason, even people who always manage to wake up with a big fat smile in their faces, even those people feel a little bit grumpy and resent Mondays, that’s just the way things are.

And there are a billion things you can try and do to deal with this grumpiness – some people start planning next weekend, some have a proper “hotel’s breakfast”, some simply listen to their favourite music, some don’t waste time trying to deal with the grumpiness and instead just face it point blank, etc

My very own suggestion? Dressing up! Just think about the one moment when you feel happy, relaxed, like all the stars are duly aligned, like nothing can really spoil your mood - when you’re dressing up for a night’s out with your friends! Am I right? You play one of favourite albums, whilst you choose every item of your outfit ever so carefully, then you do your make up, you choose your accessories, and while you’re doing all that you manage to forget about the real world, only you matter during that hour – that’s why I always try and recreate all those happy feelings every single Monday.

So, here it is, my suggestion for your next grumpy Monday – a gorgeous crochet top with a little bit of sparkling for a touch of boldness, adventure, fierceness; a beautiful green skirt with a different hem; animal print flats for some fun; a XL handbag; and nothing but a watch as an accessory J Now you’re ready to face your Monday J

Zara Crochet Top 

River Island Green Wrap Skirt 

Tory Burch Reva Leopard-Print Ballerina Flats 

Mango Shopper Handbag 

Karen Millen Swarovski Crystal Encrusted Bracelet Watch 

Indian Summer...

This has been the craziest October in Lisbon ever – all of the sudden, the city has been experiencing a heatwave, with temperatures reaching numbers higher than those in August. On one hand, you can’t help but think about worrying things, such as global warming, on the other hand you do feel happy – there is nothing quite like a beautiful sunny day to make you feel happy and instantly put you in a good mood J

 And although I am starting to dream with my winter wardrobe, I love the fact that it is already autumn and we are still wearing shorts and summer dresses!

This was a gorgeous Sunday - all I wanted was a relaxing day, a nice lunch, good company and simply enjoy the gorgeous weather! So, two very good friends of mine and I drove to Sesimbra, for a “fabulastic” seafood meal paired with a delicious sangria, overlooking the sea – absolutely idyllic J And it was exactly what I ordered for that Sunday, good food, exceptional company and amazing weather.

For a day like this, I decided to go for something really casual, fresh, feminine, something that absolutely screamed “Summer is still here!” – I am so in love with this skirt (which, by the way, I wore as a strapless dress with a belt and totally worked ;)). It is simple, yet special, with a gorgeous colour. And for a little bit of something, I decided to go for a mismatch, pairing the skirt with a striped tee – don’t you think that striped tees are the “it” item for Summer? And because all I wanted was comfort, comfort, comfort, I finished up the look with golden flat sandals – it’s like walking barefoot J

Tee French Connection | Skirt Anthropologie | Sandals Jimmy Choo | Bag Michael Kors | Sunglasses Miu Miu | Necklace Fio D'Água (Portuguese Store)

Casual Friday...

I know exactly what Casual Friday means to most people - a permission to wear jeans for work! I used to think exactly like that, I couldn't wait for Friday to arrive, not only for the obvious reason that it meant weekend was just some hours away, but also because it was the day I would wear jeans and most likely flats, the day I was allowed to dress as I would normally if I wasn't working. Well, things have changed - I now find myself rejecting more and more the idea of wearing jeans for work.

The way I see it, Casual Friday is the day when you are allowed to play a little bit more with your outfit, be a little bit bolder, push some bounderies, whilst still looking professional, smart and sophisticated!

So, here is my inspiration for this Friday -  a pair of loose, boyfriendish trousers, comfy but very elegant; a ladylike blouse with a beautiful neckline; colourful bangles and studs for a little bit of colour block and a fun vibe; gorgeous pumps that make you feel stunningly powerful; a clutch to contrast with the XL handbag you usually carry to work, and give a je ne sais quoi element to the whole outfit.


What I love most about this outfit? It is perfect for work and perfect for drinks with friends after work :)

Karen Millen Knot Neck Blouse 



French Connection Sophia Twill Trousers 

YSL Tribute Serpent Head Python Sandals 

Topshop Oversized Wavy Bangle Pack 

Topshop Orange Stud Earrings 

River Island Envelope Clutch 

Miu Miu...

Time for a little confession  - whenever I'm feeling a little bit down, uninspired, under pressure, there are a few things I always resort to in order to calm myself, think clearer or simply cheer myself up. One of those things, and I am not ashamed to say, is to surf through my favourite fashion websites - I just love spending some me-time looking at clothes, shoes, handbags, imagining all sorts of combinations I would do, making several wish lists, dreaming about my perfect wardrobe. Call it silly, shallow, childish, whatever you like, but it just makes me happy and allows me to empty my mind and start from scratch. And to tell you the truth, it is nice to take refuge in this shallow world and forget for a moment all the problems the real world has thrown at you.

Well, the other day I was having a not so good day, so there I was, scrolling up and down my favourite sites doing my thing, creating my winter shoes wish list, when I realised all my choices belonged to the same designer, Miu Miu.

Honestly, it's hard to describe how beautiful their 2011 Fall/Autumn shoe collection is - elegant, edgy, original, feminine, absolutely gorgeous. Those are the kind of shoes that will make you feel stylish, powerful, sexy and ready to face anything and anyone (yes, shoes can really do that for you ;)).

So, here are my favourite designs:

Glitter and suede peep-toe ankle boots

Bow-embellished patent-leather pumps

Velvet bow-embellished patent-leather

Bow-embellished suede peep-toe pumps

Bow-side wool-felt pumps