style board for jones + jones

I love light denim washes this season. Whether it's a shirt, a pair of jeans or a dress, for me they are a definite summer wardrobe essential. I'd style this particular dress with a bright floral headband and a pair of chunky white or nude wedges to accentuate the shape of the dress. I like very natural, effortless make-up during the hotter months, so I would wear a little mascara and add a pop of colour to the look with a candy pink lipstick. To finish off, I would wear a neon orange nail polish to contrast with the blue colour of the dress. For a more casual, day-to-day look I'd swap the wedges for pastel-coloured flats and add a cute pair of earrings.

rose week

Once again Rose Week was upon Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park in the unusually sunny (for once) city of Belfast. And what better way to spend the afternoon admiring the flowers than bringing along a picnic (courtesy of M&S, they really should pay me for promoting their food).

No exaggeration, this is quite literally the best juice I have ever tasted.

The roses were in full bloom; the ones above were my particular favourites.

What a great way to finish off the day; a classic 99 (I've consumed to much of these in the past week).

craving pulled pork

Having heard many great things about Bubbacue, a restaurant specialising in slow-cooked pork that has recently opened in Belfast (and by that I mean last November), I finally paid it a visit two weeks ago. And boy was I glad that I did.

The menu may seem pretty limited, but they have perfected every dish (which in my opinion is better than a more extensive, mediocre menu). I went for the pulled pork sandwich with a side of chips and a glass  jar of their homemade lemonade. It didn't disappoint. 

Although their portions are a bit on the large side for me personally (I struggled finishing my sandwich once I'd eaten all the pork around it), I would highly recommend it and can't wait to go there again!

procrastination and more retail therapy

skirt & dress; topshop, bikini & make-up bag; primark, shoes; new look gold hoops; debenhams

It wasn't as hot this time but it felt like the longest shopping trip of my life #lapper the heels of my feet felt bruised afterwards and mumma hurt her knee, definitely not a good sign. We were like two old ladies by mid-afternoon. I also spent over a tenner in Primark. I feel slightly robbed.

burnt and bored

Less than a week in and writing something interesting is already proving to be a laborious task.

So if anyone happens to stumble upon this blog, please please please leave a comment on this post with suggestions for future posts... Otherwise there won't be any :( how sad.

interior decorating

All photos taken from tumblr

the summer shone beat down on bony backs

top; reading 'The Great Gatsby', middle; lil' treat, bottom; my personal Wimbledon 2013 highlight

only miss the sun when it starts to snow

Books; The Great Gatsby, Wuthering Heights, Top & bra; Urban Outfitters, Bracelets; BHS

The Saturday shopping trip wasn't nearly as successful as planned (mum and I only hit three shops). I blame the recent heatwave that has hit Belfast city and the Womens' Wimbledon final, which was projected on the big screen outside City Hall. We spent a good hour there and it was a welcome distraction from the crowded, sticky, sweaty shops. They should put up more screens like that.

summer reading

Since the beginning of Easter until 19th June this had been my standard response to any reading material presented to me other than my Chemistry and Maths textbooks.

Now that my exams have been out of the way for quite some time, I was long overdue a visit to Waterstones. Naturally, I made a list of all the books I wanted to read. Unfortunately the original contained in excess of one hundred books, therefore the following is the super-condensed version. 

1. The Great Gatsby, F.Scott Fitzgerald

2. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë

3. Middlemarch, George Eliot

4. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy 

5. To Kill A Mockingbird, Harper Lee

6. Catch-22, Joseph Heller

7. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov

8. The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger

9. Atonement, Ian McEwan

10. Bonjour Tristesse, Françoise Sagan

11. The Wasp Factory, Iain Banks

12. The Master and Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov (my namesake therefore I am naturally inclined to read it)

13. Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell

intoduction

Hello, my name is Rita. It's short for 'Margarita'. There is an island called 'Margarita' just off the coast of Venezuela. Coincidentally it also happens to be the name of both a pizza and an alcoholic beverage, and before you ask, no, I wasn't named after either of those things. I am 18 years-old and will hopefully be starting the MPharm course at QUB next year (A-Level results permitting). I like love tea (and the occasional coffee), photography, fashion and reading.  I’m also an avid tumblr-er floralhedgehog.tumblr.com and instagrammer @ritalisenkova and tweeter @ririlarov for you stalkers out there.

Don’t be a stranger,

Rita