Trend Alert: Pastels.

This trend is a no-brainer unless you've been living under a rock or have been blind to all the signs with endless racks of pastel apparel in the stores. Pastels of pinks and blues and more were all over the runway from the Spring/Summer to the Fall/Winter collections.

Runway

Real way

 Jayma Mays at the Marni for H&M launch

 Katy Perry in a pastel blue Elie Saab beaded gown at the Grammys...

...a pastel coat at the Miu Miu Fall presentation...

 ...and (yet again) a sheer pastel dress while out in Paris.

 Lily Collins matched her pastel-colored dress with white ankle-strap pumps (another hot trend!) and day clutch at the Marni for H&M launch

 Michelle Williams premiered My Week with Marilyn in Paris wearing Dior Couture

 Nicole Scherzinger in a spring Versace number at the 2012 Brit Awards

 Twilight's Nikki Reed beautifully clashes her pastel dress with snake-skin neon shoes

 Paula Patton in Versus at the eBay Gallery Exhibition

Rachel McAdams looked lovely in a strapless Vivienne Westwood number with nude pumps at The Vow's LA premiere

 Dakota Fanning in a pastel pink coat while out in NYC

 LOVE this picture of the three generations of royalty - with the Queen in a pastel blue ensemble. (Duchess Kate in Missoni)

Jennifer Hudson in an azure-colored gown at the NAACP Awards

 Mad Men's January Jones in Jenny Packham at The Paley Center for Media's Paleyfest this year

Brit singer Pixie Lott goes fashion-forward, color-blocking two hues of blue - a very bold yet statement-making take on the pastel trend!

Miranda Kerr also does the pastel-bold clash with her blue dress and Prada bag.

Your way

Pointers:

- An easy way to work the trend into your wardrobe is to get a pastel one-piece (a dress or even a jumpsuit!). Pair them with cleverly mismatched pastel-colored shoes or try white, silver, gold or neutral footwear and accessories. Personally, black would break up the soft look so avoid chunky footwear in the dark color. 

- Color-blocking pastels is the most current way of combining the two trends, as seen on the 3.1 Phillip Lim collection for spring. Don't be afraid to try different color combinations, although your safe bets are pairing pink and purple or blue and yellow.

- Keep your silhouettes clean with classic styles if you're color-blocking the pastels. You can play around with textures and a touch of dimension, such as tulle, appliques, ruffles and pleats without adding too much distraction. 

- If color-blocking ain't your thing, you can never go wrong pairing your pastel separates with white. In fact, white trousers are a great option for a polished look. Pull the look together with sleek accessories and heels (ankle-strap heels are of-the-moment!).

- Go one step further and make a statement with your outfit by mixing in a bright and bold color, a la Katy Perry, Pixie Lott and Miranda Kerr (above).

Check out Topshop and Zara for some great items!

Mum

I haven't blogged much lately, to begin with it was just life, busy, work, the usual, then life got a bit crap.

Mum & Dad at their Golden Wedding Anniversary Party

In late October, my Dad had a massive heart attack. He was rushed to hospital and they managed to (just in time) fix him, he then started the long road to recovery. He following his rehab to the letter. Then, just when he was looking a bit better and could do 'light work', my Mum got sick. My Mum took herself to the doctor.

She never does that.

Not without several months of cajoling at the very least.

He arranged for her to have some tests. Then they waited, and waited, and Mum got sicker and sicker....but her GP persisted and pushed and finally got her admitted to hospital.

She's still there, still can't eat, but is having surgery this week to help her, then they are going to look at the route of the problem. I am not going to go into detail, as my Mum is really quite a private person who wouldn't want everyone knowing her business on the internet.

Although, it seems that half the village she has lived in for the last 50 odd years has come to visit her...and when my brother or I can't take my Dad to the hospital, someone is always there to help.

When my Dad got sick I felt prepared, resilient. I could cope. Dad has done a good job of preparing us for this eventuality.

I am extremely lucky, I am in my forties and both my parents are still alive, my children, who I had in my mid to late thirties will remember them. Which makes me very happy.

My Mum though, is really sick, I am not sure if she will make it through this. She is tough, a fighter, inspirational. This was not supposed to happen. My Mum is supposed to live to be 120 at least! Mostly out of sheer bloody mindedness. And anyone who knows her would agree.

So this has rocked me to the core. I visited her yesterday, and she was so sad and miserable. With tubes in her arms, in her nose. Her vision isn't great, so she can't read. Her days aren't broken up with meals. She is just sitting in a hospital bed with tubes in her.

She is of the stiff upper lip generation, she lived through and remembers the World War II. She makes do and mends. Only this time she isn't mending.

We took a radio and headset in so she could listen to radio 4 like she does at home, but they are moving her to another hospital for surgery, so she made us take it away yesterday as she was worried it would get lost.

I can't help but think of my normally super active Mum, sitting there with nothing to do. Still not 100% sure of what's wrong with her (but we are all expecting the worse). It's been 2 weeks, today, since she went into hospital.

It wasn't a happy Mothers Day for my Mum. I couldn't even take her flowers because the hospital don't allow it.

Trend Alert: White is the new Black.

The head-to-toe white look has been all over the runway from the Spring 2012 collections, right up to the ongoing Fall collections. Here's a preview of some of the labels that brought this color to their ready-to-wear looks:

As one of the year's hottest trends, many celebrities have taken the look off the runway and onto the streets and red carpet!

Debra Messing featured in Gotham, wearing Elie Tahari

Elle MacPherson at the Rodial Beautiful Awards

Tilda Swinton in Celine at the 2012 BAFTA Awards

Tilda Swinton at the opening of Pomellato wearing Lanvin

Jennifer Lopez is white-hot on the set of American Idol in a Barbara Bui jumpsuit

Bridesmaids' Kristen Wiig in Alberta Ferretti at the BAFTAs

The many white-looks of Brit singer Lana Del Rey, just like in her "Born to Die" MV

Sarah Jessica Parker in Louis Vuitton at the label's Fall presentation

Lindsay Lohan at the amfAR charity gala in Tom Ford

Gwyneth Paltrow looked STUNNING in Tom Ford at the Oscars

Emmy Rossum in Katherine Kidd at the John Varvatos Stuart House Benefit

Style Icon: Elizabeth Olsen

She's the up and coming "it" girl of Hollywood, she's so huge you would probably have already heard of her. If you haven't, make a clever guess and you're probably right. Or, just half right. She's one of the Olsens and she's the younger sister of the fashionable twins Mary-Kate and Ashley. While you may be right about her family background, you may not have guessed correctly that the 23-year old carved out her almost ubiquitous name on her own.

The actress began making a name for herself when she starred in the movie Martha Marcy May Marlene released last year. She was an instant crowd and celebrity favorite. You can also catch her in the upcoming thriller Silent House which hits theaters sometime this month (in the US). But Elizabeth isn't just known for her acting skills, she has also become the girl-to-watch on the red carpet, after showing up in repeatedly brilliant outfits and looks. I have also fallen victim to her beautiful features and clever dressing, thus my choice to feature her as a Style Icon on my blog.

At the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, Elizabeth wore a gorgeous white dress by her sisters' label The Row. I love how she didn't try too hard as a newcomer on the scene, and yet looked so pretty in this relaxed get-up with chic jeweled sandals. Her hair and make-up was perfect, completing the sweet look that fits in so well for the photocall held in sunny Cannes.

Switching to formal mode for the movie premiere at night, Elizabeth wore a high-slit number, also by The Row, channeling old Hollywood glamour with her curled locks worn with a pretty embellished headband. She certainly set the trend with this gorgeous hairstyle, which is now a celebrity-favorite look on the red carpet!

I simply adore how Elizabeth takes classic LBD with a twist. While presenting Martha Marcy May Marlene at the New York Film Festival last year, she pulled her hair into a high bun to complement her high collar Alexander McQueen belted number and embellished heels.

Then at the Museum of Modern Art's 2011 Film Benefit event, the actress wore a Chanel dress that features an uneven hemline and matching red inner lining and belt detail. Simply elegant and effortless.

The young star takes the corporate look to a whole new level by kicking things up a notch with houndstooth pumps contrasted against her dotted skirt and shirt ensemble.

 She also shows how flared trousers are done the right way with platforms.

The Silent House actress carries off the vintage look flawlessly as she showed up at the Chanel Pre-Oscar dinner in the label's Spring Haute Couture pieces. She looked so feminine and I must say she nailed this one look that would have been difficult to pull off without looking frumpy.

She does the Hollywood glamour look so well, Elizabeth wore it again with similar curled locks in an updo at the Gotham Independent Film Awards while wearing a Valentino dress. Love the touch of pink with her clutch.

An Olsen is never satisfied just being "safe" on the red carpet. Elizabeth, who inspired her twin sisters' casual label Elizabeth and James (that'll be their brother), takes on prints like a pro. Take your tips on wearing colorful prints from her!

Let the printed piece stand out by pairing it with neutral separates, like Elizabeth at the Nylon dinner with Mary-Kate and Ashley, who wore an Acne tee with her Erdem printed skirt and plain Carven pumps. Also keep accessories to a minimum. 

The same rules apply when you're wearing a full-body printed piece as the actress did at the Toronto premiere of Martha Marcy May Marlene wearing Erdem. Make your printed clothing one that has a classic silhouette and shape to ensure it doesn't get too overpowering. Complete the look with light makeup, effortless hair and simple accessories, like Elizabeth's Ferragamo clutch.

Nominated for Best Actress at the Critics' Choice Awards for her performance in Martha Marcy May Marlene, Elizabeth Olsen wore a bright sunshine-yellow Emilio Pucci body-hugging dress. I love how this look seems to help her proclaim she hasn't forgotten her youthful, fun side when it comes to dressing for the red carpet, amongst all her other matured and feminine looks. Nude, ankle-strap Emilio Pucci heels polished and completed the outfit.

It almost seem like navy blue is the actress' favorite color judging from the many times it has been seen on her.  The color was incorporated into her travel attire as she jets out of LAX wearing an oversized blue blazer over a grey sweater and black denim. I'm so inspired by this simple outfit made up of cool basics and statement-making extras: her blazer, fedora and (I'm guessing) Prada color-block shoes.

Checking out Chanel's Spring Haute Couture 2012 show in Paris, Elizabeth's choice of clothing was a tweed, double-breasted military coat and textured black pants. The ensemble was understated but very cool at the same time.

After making an appearance at Jimmy Fallon's talk show last October, the actress was snapped in her trendy Sandro mixed fabric (of leather and wool-blend) blazer worn to keep warm in NYC over her textured dotted top and skirt. Electric blue suede pumps and Sofia Coppola for Louis Vuitton bag finished up the fun look filled with mixed textures.

At a movie screening in California, Elizabeth Olsen wore a Preen outfit with mixed hues of blue and kept things edgy by throwing in a Helmut Lang leather-trimmed jacket and Chloe booties. I'm not sure if that's a necklace she was wearing but I love the jeweled neckline she created!

And here's the final countdown to my top-5 looks of Elizabeth Olsen's!

No. 5: Elizabeth Olsen continues to demonstrate that black doesn't have to be boring as she wore The Row to the War Horse premiere in NYC. Layering a sheer top with a long blazer worn over a textured skirt, the look was kept chic with some simple jewelry and a textured belt. Green Manolo Blahniks pumps up the look.

No. 4: This is probably one of my favorites because it's definitely a look I'd wear and it's relatively easy to recreate with the right pieces chosen. All you need is a great white shirt of a soft fabric, a colored skirt, some great heels and some genius statement necklaces. Hers are so colorful! And it's brilliant how she cleverly matched the blue beaded necklace to go around framing the fabric psychedelic one!

No. 3: The rising star reveals the right amount of skin with a Proenza Schouler dress, Carven pumps and Edie Parker clutch, balancing the chest/cleavage-baring top with a longer hemline. Absolutely adore her braided hair!

No. 2: At this year's Film Independent Spirit Awards, the 23-year old wore a white Antonio Berardi piece with very intricate details on the top. I really like how this simple shift dress continues to look so elegant and feminine with the detailing. Olsen made the look better than it already is with glittery Cesare Paciotti pumps and that gorgeous Edie Parker boxy clutch. 

No. 1: Finally, my favorite of them all - Elizabeth wearing Chloe, along with Jimmy Choo nude pumps and a matching white The Row bag, accessorized with Alexander McQueen and JewelMint jewelry. I can't simply describe what I love about this look in words, it's just a feeling I had inside when I saw this look. It was an instant recognition that she was a style icon from that moment on. It's a look I'd love to recreate, but I know that you can never replicate the sweetness that oozes from her personality and radiant smile. Last but not least, she has that classic beauty that I would relate to that of Audrey Hepburn and Grace Kelly. I can't wait to see more of this girl!

Credits: Just Jared, GossipCenter

Silentish Sunday

Are my eyes the same colour as yours Daddy?