nice things

 ♥ Peacocks. What's not to like? They're absolutely beautiful birds, and I love the sound of their call. They are one of my favourite creatures, and I find it fascinating reading about the symbolism they have in so many cultures - particularly Hinduism. In fact, I love peacocks so much, I will shortly be having a tattoo done of a peacock feather. 

♥ macarons from Ladurée. I know macarons are going the same way as the cupcake and becoming overly hip, but I think they taste delightful, and I always feel a little bit decadent and indulgent whenever I have some. The last time I was in London I bought a small box for myself, and I came to the conclusion that the Ladurée shop is my version of Tiffany's. Truly, nothing bad could happen in there (possibly because it's so tiny), and it looked so pretty with so many macarons in a rainbow of colours.

♥ sparkly gold nail polish. Such a festive thing to wear, and glitter never fails to make me smile. Whenever I'm a little bit fed up, I just have to glance down at my nails and I always feel a little better. I also feel just a little bit glamorous wearing gold nail polish; for me, it's a step below wearing red lipstick. I love this nail polish, and the Model's Own brand in general. I might have to start building up a collection, I spied a lovely emeral green one on their website recently...

♥ leopard-print. Anything. I honestly don't know why I didn't love this sooner; perhaps the Bet Lynch connotations? I think it's because I've recently started to like the whole rockabilly look, whereas a year ago I wasn't into it at all. Again, as with the nail polish, I feel a little bit glamorous when I'm wearing it.

I was reading a blog a little while ago (can't remember where now) where the author said leopard-print is basically a neutral. And it's true! It goes with most colours, and I love wearing leopard-print to dress up what would be a casual outfit, e.g. jeans or a plain skirt. I didn't own a single leopard-print item this time a year ago; now, I own two pairs of shoes, a pair of boots, a dressing gown and a cardigan (both pictured above), and I am considering buying a dress as well if I can find one that I like. I won't wear them all at once though, I am well aware of its tack-inducing qualities!