bloomzy /

OOTD: Pastels from Paris

Collared Top: H&M | Trousers: Bought in Paris | Shoes: ASOS

The sun is finally here!! That means no more coats, and I can finally bring these beauties out again.
By ‘beauties’ I mean the purple, blue & white trousers I’m sporting in the above photo I bought them in Paris when it was incredibly hot last Summer and they were my saviour. They’re so light and airy, it feels like I’m wearing silk. They have a very casual, slouchy fit and I love them for warm days when the sun is shining. I also bought the top when I was in Paris, so whether I look it or not I felt rather Parisian today.
I still have yet to find the perfect pair of shoes to go with the trousers though. I despise flip-flops, and they hate me equally, so those aren’t an option for warmer weather. To be honest I also need more light coloured items in my wardrobe. I feel they would coordinate better.
After I finish and hand in my dissertation next month, the real shopping shall begin!
bloomzy /

Photo Diary; Adventures in the World of Amélie

Café les Deux Moulins, Montmatre, Paris

On one particular day during my time in Paris, the fiancé indulged me and we went to Montmatre.
That’s a pretty normal tourist thing to do in Paris, I hear you say. Well yes it is, but as some of you may know by now I am a bit of a Francophile, and my favourite movie is Amélie. Sooo you may be catching on that we went to Montmatre to…visit the places used whilst filming Amélie.
I took a lot of photos around the locations in Montmatre during that day.
So I choose to post these ones first. Probably the most iconic location in Amélie: Café les Deux Moulins.
This is where they filmed the scenes of Amélie and her friends at work, where she choose to eat her favourite creme brulee, and where several of the major storylines take place. I always remember Amélie staring at Nino through the glass screen longingly as she wrote the day’s specials ♥
The cafe itself, is a lot smaller than it looks in the movie. Nor does the front of the cafe look the same as in the movie, and it isn’t in the location they filmed the outside from, so be careful as you could easily walk by and miss it! 
Tables and bar stools take up most of the space, which is filled with tourists (mainly Japanese) and the odd local. 
The bar & toilets have been kept the same as in the movie, whilst bits of memorabilia are dotted everywhere.
Our waiter was hilarious. He laughed and helped us with our pronunciation and chatted with me about Amélie and my love of Macarons. He even tried to get a kiss from the Japanese girls beside us, but the cultural barriers were just too strong.
If money isn’t an issue I would suggest grabbing a bite to eat, so you can soak up the atmosphere.
I had a salad, white wine and macarons for dessert, whilst the fiancé had a burger and beer.
At €40+ this is expensive, even for Paris, and it’s obvious the little cafe is cashing in, especially as the food is average.
However I had been waiting for this for a long time and the atmosphere was wonderful so I didn’t mind at all. 
Trivia: For other Amélie fans out there, remember the scene where Nino finds all the ‘Ou et quand?’ posters?
That was my metro station! La Motte-Picqet-Grenelle, located in central Paris, a 10min walk from the Eiffel Tower. 
It’s a small world.
bloomzy /

OOTD: I love my blog!

Cardigan: Topshop | Tshirt: A store in Paris | Dress: Topshop | Shoes: Asos

Today’s outfit is brought to you by my disappearing dress-skirt! I very much dislike fabrics/items of clothing that don’t work together, especially when they do something like this. I can’t really wear anything over this dress without it riding up, so I find myself constantly pulling it down.
I really didn’t notice how short it looked until I started editing the photos, promise!
Anyway I wanted to try and pair it with my velvet flatforms from Asos, remember those? I love them so much and they really offset a black outfit well…I should know because I wear a lot of black. It’s a habit I’m desperately trying to break, so maybe these shoes can be a start?! I also wore my “I love my blog!” tshirt, which I bought from a French clothing chain-store in Paris. Shame I don’t remember the name of it!
Side note: My ‘2 Year Anniversary Giveaway’ ends in 2 days!! You can enter here.
bloomzy /

Photo Diary; Paris, I Love You

Le Mur Des Je T’aime (I Love You : The Wall), Montmatre, Paris

I was all prepared to finally do my ‘Amelie Adventure’ photo diary post, but then I found these.
These photos were taken on the same day, and feature the popular ‘I Love You Wall’ in Montmatre.
Situated in a small park just outside the metro entrance, you could easily miss it if you weren’t looking for it.
The park itself is a lovely tiny place to relax in, especially if it’s a particularly hot day, as it was when we went.
Luckily there are plenty of trees to offer shade.

If I remember correctly it wasn’t particularly busy, there were only 3 other people there at the time.
I love little places like this that make you feel as though you have stumbled upon something magnificent.
If anyone was wondering, these were taken in July 2011, hence the longer hair.

Frédéric Baron created this mural along with Claire Kito and Daniel Boulogne.
With over 300 languages on the wall, each reads ‘I Love You’ or the equivalent in that language.

Can you spot your language?
bloomzy /

A Source of Inspiration

You can find me on Tumblr, here
I feel you can usually read my current style from what’s on my Tumblr. 
Ever since I started my Tumblr it has been a place for me to store & share my loves & inspirations.
I don’t do it for followers, although I adore the ones I do have, I do it for me.
Simply put, it’s a visual fashion/lifestyle diary, and I love it.
Where do you store your inspiration?
bloomzy /

Photo Diary; Life in Paris

A few random photos from my time living in Paris.
This weekend is going to be a very relaxed one for me…hopefully.
I think I had this in mind when I was choosing which photos to post next. So for me I associate being relaxed with these photos, either because of the scenery or just how I felt at that time.
You’ll notice these photos are mainly of Parisian architecture, well that’s because I love it so much!
I love French/European architecture in general, so simple yet beautiful. Don’t you agree?

I decided to end the photo-set with a lovely homemade French meal. 
Good scenery and good food. A girl couldn’t ask for more.
bloomzy /

My Style Evolution

Tokyo 2010/11 – Paris 2011 – England 2011/12
 
My Style Evolution is something I have been wanting to write about for a while.
I think it’s obvious from this blog, and my pictures that during the past 2 years my personal style has changed quite a bit. When I thought about it, I realised that is could easily be attributed to time, place and culture – see, I did listen in Sociology!
Tokyo 2010/11
My year7 months studying in Tokyo were a major influence on my personal style.
At that point I had been interested in Japanese fashion, mainly「ギャル」fashion for a while, so of course it seemed only fitting that my main source of inspiration during my stay in Japan was ‘Gal fashion’. During this time I only bought clothing from Japanese brands, dyed my hair often and even bleached it.
Paris 2011
When I first arrived in Paris I was still heavily influenced by ‘Gal’. I had always loved European fashion, and being somewhere as wonderfully fitting as Paris saw my style evolve a little more. I took less inspiration from Gal and began to take it from the women and city of Paris.
England 2011/12
Moving back to England meant I had some time to relax and contemplate the last few years, and my own personal style; it had really changed a lot. I no longer felt such an affinity with Gal, and it didn’t inspire me as it used to.
Instead I took inspiration from Western fashion magazines, as well as Japanese. I began shopping primarily in places such as Topshop and H&M. I finally set on a hair colour and style that I loved; which has stayed with me for the past 7 months.
 
So where am I now?
I’m in a very comfortable place. My style is my own!
Once again I look forward to putting an outfit together, or reading about the latest trends in Western and Japanese fashion. It’s true that I don’t ‘follow’ Gal anymore, but I still have a love for Japanese brands and street-style, and I think it will always be a source of inspiration to me. As it has been in the past, my style can’t really be labelled and I like it that way. It’s a bit of everything that inspires me along the way.
 
And the blog?
Well that’s changed a lot too, you will certainly be seeing a lot more personal/lifestyle posts, along with the usual beauty product (Western and Japanese) reviews, and of course outfit posts. For those who have stuck with me this long, thank you so much for being a part of my style evolution, and for my new readers I hope you will enjoy what is to come.