Girly night

"Every girl should use what Mother Nature gave her before Father Time takes it away." Dr Laurence J Peter

Pull and Bear Blue jumper-similar here

Urban Outfitter red skater skirt-similar here

Zara gold spike necklace-similar here

Alex and Ani bracelets

And so it begins. Today was my last day of selling for the next two months, deadline day, D-Day with a capital D.  The next time I will be selling is the middle of July. You know what that means, holiday time!!! First thing's first though, with light at the end of the tunnel, I looked in the mirror this morning and was like wooooo where did those sausages come from?? 

Everyone is the same if your life is busy then times get left to the side. Tonight I am having a girly night, catching up on myself, my washing, tidy the house, my favourite program's, ohh the excitement!!!  I also have to organise what to wear to a bloggers conference and I have 2 articles/ photo shoots to do for an American magazine and a London fashion website.  Can't wait! I hope everyone has a great weekend too!!! 

Wildest Fantasies

"Abandon the search for the truth; settle for a good fantasy." Arthur Conan Doyle Sr

I feel like I am avoiding fashion. Apart from my own wardrobe and working with samples everyday and writing the blog & modeling.....ok, still pretty much surrounded by fashion everyday!!! But I can't remember the last time I looked at Asos. This is coming from the girl who was on their website, a minimum 3 times a day. Easter Monday because it was the first day that you could tell that the season was starting to change, I really wanted to go into town and go shopping so instead I drove 20miles away from Belfast to Connor's house to ensure that I didn't fall to temptation. Now when I go into shops with Connor, we don't kiss at the door and part our ways for half an hour. One to the male section, one to the female section. I trail behind him to the male section to play the doting, opinionated girlfriend. I haven't bought as many magazines either.

I'm scared, scared that I will see something I really like. I don't know, I don't think I will but who knows. I feel I am failing as a so called fashion blogger. So this weekend, I will be catching up on the fashion that is out there at the minute! Shops, magazine, blogs, u name it. I will be having a nosey to see what is out and about & letting you know my favorite looks as I find them over the weekend! Stay tuned my friends :)

Clothes Fight

"Fight club is about winning or losing." Narrator, Fight Club

 All saints Grey Tshirt

Green Maxi Skirt Primark-similar here
Office Nude wedge trainer

Last night was my fashion swap event in conjunction with Belfast Fashionweek and IKEA! Again a mad dash from work at 5pm to IKEA, my life at the minute is a mad dash! I have never even been to a fashion swap before, it was one of the original challenges I wanted to do when I started this blog so I was excited to experience my first one! What did I expect? Casual flicking through the rails, fighting on the restaurant floor of IKEA over a dress or simply sneaking off to have a nosey at IKEA furniture??

At 5.30pm, now granted the event didn't start to 6pm, there was a queue at door. Women standing on there tippy toes to see the rails, sneakily trying to peak at the other people's bags to see what they have and you could see the light in their eyes sparkle when they saw something they liked. I was scared to even go near one of the rails just in case I got tackled from behind!

Wine, chocolate nibbles, goodie bags with a gift from IKEA was all supplied for the attendees (I choose a goodie bag with some lovely smelly candles) And GO!! Clothes on the rail, women bustled bumping into each other trying to find something they liked and their size. As quickly as it started as quickly was it over. I didn't even get a chance to look at the rails! I was too busy chatting to people that by the time everything was gone! Fail for me but at the same time, I am so happy so many people turned up and got something for them!

I would definitely love to hold another fashion swap! Maybe in Autumn/winter season. I just like to give a special thanks to Belfast Fashionweek and The IKEA team especially Jane Williams for organizing the event! Great success!!

That was a long tea break

"Strange how a teapot can represent at the same time the comforts of solitude and the pleasures of company." Author Unknown

 

 

Well that was a lovely tea break! Pretty long to be honest! Sorry about that, I haven't stopped and it hasn't helped that since the city wide power cut on Friday night, my phone has been messing me around! Ggggrrrr! Who is sick of the snow??? I am currently looking at holidays on my other tab bars, curled up in bed with the electric blanket on listening to the wind howling.  (It's Sunday night as I write this.)

 

So a thank you to Stephen Potter for letting me use his images to finish off my review of Friday's Designer and Boutique at Belfast Fashionweek.  I didn't want to forget the last two shops because there clothing is always gorgeous and tops off Friday night with a bang!

 

 

First shop is the gorgeous Blush! When I was reading the running order for Friday night, I just knew that I couldn't wait for this shop to show their Jenny Packham dresses.  Aw thus begins the fantasy wedding that I have going on in my head while wearing a Jenny Packham dress on a beach with no shoes on.

 

 

 

 

The last shop of the night was that of Jourdan on the Lisburn Road.  A favourite of my Agency boss, Mrs Alison Clarke, the dresses from this shop are perfect for all events and occasions. A day at the races, formals, to casual wear, the shop always supplies a shop stopper!

 

 

Again a well done to all who braved the snow on Friday night to come and see the show! It was one not to be missed! 



1 skirt, endless possibilities

"I will be a president that wears a skirt, but I will wear the pants" Josefina Vazquez Mota

H&M Denim Shirt

Asos Jumper

Black Skater Skirt Topshop

 

 

It is Wednesday, no longer known as hump day but rather back to basics day.  To me this whole outfit is a great foundation to have in your wardrobe.  Oh the possibilites with a denim shirt and a grey jumper.  I wear this denim shirt all the time and the grey jumper is great especially when there is no heat in work (gas leak, oh the joys.)  But today, I am going to focuse on the skirt.  Black skater skirt from topshop, £16, what a buy.  I love it, it's so simple but goes with so many things.  I am so glad I bought it (Before Christmas!!!!).  I know the skater style suits me, I actually think it suits everyone.  I have never seen it look bad on anyone from tall, petite, curvy to skinny.  I have this skirt in grey too! Though I am finding it harder to piece the grey skirt with other items from my wardrobe so I would say, start with black and go from there.

 

 

 

Here is the skirt in a completely different style. I wore the skirt going out one tonight (ignore the state of my room, It is always like this before I go out!) This just shows you that this skirt is great to have for casual to fancy, work to a party, it works.  And for such a staple piece of clothing that you can wear so many times for £16 that isn't bad at all!  The only problem now is what colour you want?!?!

Mrs Ikea

“You can’t be melancholy in fashion because people don’t respond to it.”  Isaac Mizrahi

Firetrap Coral Thread Jumper -similar here

Topshop navy Leigh Skinny Jeans

 

 

Standard lunchtime for me, quick scoot (all within the speed limit of course) across town to Ikea to shoot more photos for helping to promote the Fashion Swap event on the 23rd of March in conjunction with Belfast Fashionweek.  This time I got to wear a gorgeous dress from Ruedi Maguire! Ruedi, winner of In Magazine Breakthrough Designer of the year 2012, is one of the main up and coming fashion designers in Northern Ireland at the moment.  His gorgeous dresses have been worn by the who's whos's of Northern Irish elite to events across the province. You are able to spot his occasion wear or bridal wear a mile off on the catwalk.  I was lucky enough last week to get a sneak peak of his new Spring/Summer 2013 collection which will be coming to a catwalk near you soon! Ruedi has been kind enough to offer an fabulous prize of a bespoke dress as a raffle prize for the "make room for your life" Fashion swap event!  Even more reason to come to the event on the 23rd of March in the lovely Ikea restaurant from 11am to 2pm!

So casually sitting in a wardrobe getting pictures taken in a gorgeous canary yellow dress.  Yup, standard lunchtime for me at the minute.  I even got called Mrs Ikea by some random child.  I think cause I was wearing yellow & of course one of Ikea's main colour is yellow, not because I look Swedish.  Honoured to be called that actually.  Really just wanted to walk around Ikea wearing the dress pointing out my favourite furnishings to random customers.  "Buy this, I have it in my bathroom & it is wonderful!" If anyone from Ikea is reading this, is this a possibility????

Here is me in Ruedi's gorgeous dress.  I didn't have the breasts to fill it so that's why my arms are tight against my body.

 

Did everyone see my lovely new header??? A special thanks to Tony Webster (Big Bad Llama) Connor Kerr (Connor Kerr Hair) and Emma Mcconville (Emma Mcconville MUA) for their amazing skills.  Can't wait to see the video!!!

You buy rose?

"The dress must not hang on the body but follow its lines.  It must accompany its wearer and when a woman smiles the dress must smile with her.  ~Madeleine Vionnet"

Stills White Blouse 

Topsjop Khaki Skinny jeans 

River Island Brown lace wedges 

Zara Tweed Blazer 

I know that on this lovely Monday, the 1st Monday of March, you all have a burning question that you need answered. It has been ticking over in your brain all weekend. Your spouses, partners, dogs, friends, aliens, everyone who you hung out with this weekend has wondered why you have been spaced all weekend. You literally been pondering the answer to this question all weekend. No it's not the question of why we are here but actually did Laurina wear the red or the yellow dress to her cousin's engagement party on Saturday night?!?

My Little Sister & I. She is wearing a gorgeous new Topshop Dress

I wore red! Boom! You can all rest your weary heads now. So yes, just a quick recap. I attended my cousin's engagement party at the weekend and wasn't quite sure what to wear as I have never been to an engagement party. I had a couple of options. Ok, more than a couple but after a quick fashion show to my aunts, cousin, little sister and mother (what lucky ducks!) I decided to go with the lovely dress in the above photo.

I have a gorgeous yellow dress that I have only worn once last August that I really wanted to wear but I felt it was a bit over the top for the party. The party was in a lovely pub in Dublin called The Bath House and I don't know if I would have got away with rocking up in a yellow skin tight low cut mustard coloured dress. Aw well, just have to keep it for another event! It was great to catch up with all my family and they got to meet my Beau, Connor. Best part of the night for me was finding that they had blankets at the front door for the beer garden! Just added to the style of my outfit I think.

So saturday night was a fashion success while yesterday was a fashion fail as I never even got out of my pjs even when I drove back up to Belfast last night. (Thank god, I didn't get stopped!) Just was one of those days when you can't be arsed even putting on a bra. I actually didn't even realised till half 8 last night, I still had my nipple petals on. So sexy...Nat. All in all a lovely weekend :)

And guess what? What a way to make you smile on a Monday morning when you wake up and check your emails! I learnt this morning that I got voted British Style Blogger of the month! Thank you to everyone who has viewed the blog in the last two months!

Keep up to date with all my going ons by hitting follow on the little tool bar on the right or just put in your email address & you will get a lovely email saying that Laurina has been writing her rambling thoughts again :)