Sparkle ON

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROZ ALCAZAR

Christmas makes me very happy, and today even more so. I am going home for the holidays and I just had the greatest night in the city to give my goodbyes until the new year.

Every occasion over the festive period has been so good to wear shiny outfits (hence my OOTD here). But to be honest, I think it is a great excuse to put all my metallics at once and not give a damn. But as I was saying: my last day in London could not have been better: last-minute Christmas shopping (see me faves here) followed by a great evening overlooking the Christmas lights while having a delicious drink with even more delicious company. Man, should I be thankful! Which reminds me how much I like the american tradition of thanksgiving.

I think we should all do the same kind of therapy over here. After all, most of us will look back at what we've done this 2016 and realize we are thankful for so many things! I am particularly thankful for...

• The new and ever-lasting friendships 
• All my travels and cultural discoveries: Peru, New York, Switzerland, Denmark, Portugal...
• A great new job that allows me to travel and enjoy the #goodlife in London
• Having friends that still come and visit me every year, that is really true love
• Some sort of good health (not really counting all my alcoholic nights out) and a fabulous family 
• Pushing boundaries, always exploring further
• Having a new place to live in East London, after a very f****** stressful time aaand for having great new roomies to share new experiences with

Now, what are you thankful for?

Merry Christmas Careless Readers, 

TCB xx

WHAT I WORE?

CiCi London Metallic Pleated Skirt (also available at TopShop Oxford Circus)
Maria La Rosa Metallic Socks
Mango Ribbed Turtleneck
ZARA Gold Sandals (sold out, similar here)
Marc Jacobs Heart Clutch (circa 2010)
Vintage Leather Jacket

What's Cooking on NYFW?

If there is one thing I would highlight about NYFW is how well organised it is. First time attending fashion week overseas and, despite not having a tone of shows to attend, I felt like a star.

NYFW is not only about fashion. Is about the people, the showbiz, the after-parties, the who-knows-who, the yellow taxis and all the extravaganza that comes with being in the city that never sleeps.

I’ve never seen so many good looking people walking the streets. It was kind of intimidating! But a lot of fun too. I am very competitive, so I was not gonna be less. 3 outfits a day? Sure, let’s.

All the catwalk shows here are set up to stand out, and everybody is very welcoming. You also get to sit and casually chat with big names, which I guess is not as frequent back home. Quite an experience, I reiterate!

Rebecca Minkoff

First show of the day was Rebecca Minkoff and I was blown away. She totally outdone herself this season. She closed Greene St entirely for the show, and while we were literally roasting on our pretty dresses, she showcased her new AW17 collection, which was fab. 

She clearly knows what she is doing when she invites big names like Shea from Peace Love Shea, Caroline Vreeland or Gala Gonzalez to walk her runway, too. Her leitmotiv jackets were the stars of the shows, though I must admit I really liked the entire collection, which for once was very read-to-wear. 

Self-Portrait

Self-Portrait was very pretty, but also very pretty the same in terms of collection. I love how xx uses those fabrics to create such beautiful outfits, though I feel is a bit of the same every season. 

Nevertheless, it was fab, don’t get me wrong. I totally want that pink dress. 

TCB x

Candy Land

Candy Land, an unknown place for many and a delicacy for some.

Located on what I call the outskirts of London (that is anything beyond Zone 2 on the tube) is a beautiful workspace for artists and designers called SugarHouse Studios. It seemed to have an up an running café, a pizza service and a yard but, to date, is rather leftover and empty of Londoners.

The area is quite rough to my taste, despite having Stratford and the Olympic Park quite near. Nevertheless, what would seem an unreasonable trip for many was a perfect adventure for The Careless Blogger. The Spanish Mafia dressed up for the day and went exploring the area.

Why CandyLand? You may wonder. Unfortunately, there are no sweeties involved but spots called like it: PUDDING Mill Lane is the stop you'll need to get off to go to the studios or alternatively you could stop by MARShgate Lane on the bus. Not to mention the studio is called SUGARHouse? Put that on a pipe and smoke it.

As we weren't aware of what we would encounter we brought some sweeties ourselves. We enjoyed a very cold morning of girlie catch up and took some pics for you to see :)

#FUNFACT: the studio front facade was made from colourful tiles handmade on site! The colours are random, for each batch different amounts of pigment were added, decided by whoever was making tiles at the time. Similarly there weren't any rules or patterns followed for putting them up, just whatever looked good to whoever was doing it at the time. How awesome is that?

Below you can see the results!

P.S.: Yes, I support #freethenipple.

TCB xx

WHAT I WORE:

SheIn 90s Top
Topshop Mom Jeans
Gewel Boutique Sunglasses
Miista Eva Galactic Heels

Crisp

photography by jide jj smith

BLIMEY it's cold in London these days! Never mind the pissing rain that gets me everytime cause I've learnt not to carry an umbrella (too big for my mini bags), but this cold...this cold gets to my bones.

OH WELL! What are we gonna do, stay home? Cause that's certainly not my style, my friends. If I were you I'd brave the weather and have a lovely day in South Kensington, the pretty neighborhood near my ends :)

If you are out and about in SW London, SouthKen is a must. And I will tell you why:

• There is a majestic feeling about this area; it just makes you feel good by just walking around it. Take in the landscape: white houses, beautiful greenery, royal parks and grand architectural buildings will make your time here worthwhile. 
• There is a huge variety of culture: the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum and the V&A are within meters of each other. I'd say the first two are more enjoyable if you are going with your boyfriend or if you are really into geeky/nerdy/historical stuff (which I am totally into), whereas the V&A usually is more girly. Nevertheless, I suggest you check them all out regardless of your gender as the structure of these buildings is mesmerizing. 
• There's so many sweet choices for a snack I literally struggle every time I go there: Tombo Café is perfect for matcha-lovers (you'll find literally ANYTHING you wished for); Hummingbird Bakery is great for delicious american-style cupcakes (we've been through this, right) and Maitre Choux is my favorite for Parisian eclairs in the city. 
• You can get lost through Kensington Gardens (20 minute walk from South Kensington Station), visit the latest crazy-as-f**** exhibit at The Serpentine Galleries, or get into some more British culture by visiting Kensington Palace or sipping tea at its Orangery. You'll be set back to Jane Eyre times. 
• According to the area you are in, there's lots of pubs and cocktail bars with a pristine setting, although I'd suggest you head towards Sloane Square or High Street Ken for it, as the options are better. The Windsor Castle is quite an isolated pub in Kensington but if old-school is your thing, you'll love it here. Otherwise, The Botanist in Chelsea is always a good bet.

All in all, you've got a whole day out in the city just planned right there, so wrap up and get yourself going! I probably wasn't wearing enough layers but hey, how cute is this look? As we say in Spain: "To be/look beautiful you must suffer".

TCB x

WHAT I WORE:
Ci Ci London Blouse
Boden Pink Coat
H&M Denim Flares (SOLD OUT, similar here)
ZARA Pumps (old)
Fendi sunglasses
House of Mackage Cross-body Leather Bag

Outtaspace Punk

I was playing with my new toy (a Penny skate) around the hood and as soon as I jumped on it the song Complicated from Avril Lavigne came to my head. Or Sk8ter Boi, obvs. Ahh, listening to these songs takes me back to when punk music was so cool that all we listened to was raging or utterly depressing music. What good times!

In any case, how cute is Notting Hill? I love walking around this neighborhood. Discovering new spots and enjoying the beautiful hues around me has become one of my favourite passtimes. Also I've lately realised that:

1 - Westbourne Grove is the perfect location for a quiet yet great shopping experience: Joseph, The Kooples, LOFT, Sandro, Maison Scotch...plus you've got two cafes for a perfect pit-stop: Daylesford Organic and 202 by Nicole Farhi. Great for people watching too, which is SO much fun.

2- Not only you've got lots of trendy foodie spots: Hummingbird Bakery, Electric Diner and Ottolenghi, as I mentioned endless times...but also calmer and more classy ones like The Dock Kitchen, The Ledbury or Chakra.

3- Portobello Market on Saturdays is my fave market for antiques, fur and good vintage finds but if you can't bear crowds by all means avoid going there. 

I was skating myself away from the crowd when we saw a brick of coloured houses that really got us. We decided that it was too matchy matchy to let it go so we came back home, took the camera and started playing! By the way, I'm TOTES into velvet these days. Why aren't you yet?

TCB xx

WHAT I WORE:

Town Clothing Outaspace Velvet Body
ZARA A-line Skirt (old)
&Other Stories Velvet Leather Pumps
Skinny Dip Planet Clutch
Amazon Mini Cruiser Skateboard