Down and Dirty

"I realized this week that I just cannot do it all. So I will choose to do what I can fabulously." Clinton Kelly

 

Topshop White drape blouse

Zara black combination leather blazer-similar here

Skirt stolen from my mum-similar here

Sandwich knit snood-similar here

 

How is time passing so quickly lately? It's October next week! I have literally not bought clothes for the last 9months! Just October, November and December left and that's me. Finished this silly challenge.  It's not silly really.  I love this look that I am wearing today and I don't think I ever would have been able to piece this together last year.  Oh don't get me wrong, I would love new stuff. Black ankle boots. Nice ones, not too big a heel but still stylish enough to dress them up or down. Technically this skirt is new, well my mum didn't want it anymore so I took it off the charity pile that she leaves in my bedroom up room.  I can be seen as charity really. I have no idea where she bought it, I think a tiny boutique in Italy.  Who knows, it's mine now.  Insert evil laugh.

 

This last week, I have just been trying to sort my life out.  At the start of the summer I set a long list of goals that I wanted to do and I am slowly but surely achieving them.  Exciting things like resealing my bath, repainting the kitchen roof, clearing out my store room.  All very very exciting stuff. I have a new housemate moving in this weekend so I am trying to tie all lose ends up. Shout out to my mummy who I forced to help me last weekend with the cleaning of my bathroom. Wee legend and the bathroom looks brand new.



 

 

Before I got down and dirty over the weekend, I went to the Directory 14 Catwalk event on Thursday night but my lovely fellow blogger Gemma Louise Bond.  Events like this annoy me now. Oh don't great me wrong it was a great event.  It was a catwalk geared towards you.  No models on the catwalk that you think, aw I could never wear that, she looks great in it with her model figure & the fact she is 7ft and has legs as long as spaghetti.  This is coming out wrong.  The models were gorgeous but they ranged in age, size and represented the majority of society.  Young models, plus size models, older models, size 8 to size 18.  It was get to see variety on a catwalk.  It was more commercial.  But I hate events like this now.  May sound sad but it's the pressure of what to wear.  Wearing something new always take the edge of it but I of course, don't have anything new so I am trying to think up ways to my smelly old clothes.

It's like I feel people are looking at me going, there is that blogger Laurina, what the hell is she wearing?!? Though these events are also fun because I get to play around more with my clothes and experiment more which is something I have always been too scared to do.  Take a look at my photos, I rarely do anything with my hair but for this event I tried the slicked back look.  I loved it, my family made some funny comments about the fact that it just looked normal & like I hadn't washed my hair as usual.  Fair comments.  I am a bit minging. I then took a cotton stretch top that I use for layering and tucked it in half & into my bra so it wouldn't fall down.  Ta da!!! My very own crop top.  Totes on trend.  Then paired it with a black pencil skirt.  I had a good tummy day so was happy to show a bit of skin. Loved this look.  Ignore my grumpy bake, I was trying to be fierce. I failed.

Starting to come into catwalk season, I am doing a catwalk for Cruise tomorrow night so lots of backstage photos to come from that.  Then I will blogging from the Victoria Square A/W Fashion and Beauty Spectacular. Lots of backstage craic and photos of the gorgeous clothes that the fab Rebecca McKinney will be styling. Can't wait! I promise to have cleaned my nails by then.

Sleep is for losers

"No rest for the wicked" Book of Isaiah

 

Zara Navy Studded Blazer-similar here

Topshop striped Jumper-similar here

Zara Beige skinny trousers

 

Channelling my inner Paris chic today or well trying too.  Not my favourite look of this year, I think the jumper doesn't work as well as I expected. Anyway, a few posts ago I had mentioned that I haven't stopped recently. I think my quote of the day was about how females can not rely on men but must strive for themselves especially in their careers.  My boyfriend Connor was like hmmm *cough* *cough* is this a subtle but quite obvious quote directed at me??? I was like quiet, baby.  All will be relived. Do not question what actually goes on in my head & my trail of thought. Hush.

 

I don't actually speak to him like that. I sound almost like Yoda.  But to be honest it was sort of about him but not in such a negative way.  Connor at the moment is back and worth to London a lot with work as he has just signed a contract with Elite Model Management. (Remember I flew over to London to watch him on a catwalk in the Elite Model Look competition in July?? Sexy leather dress? Blue heels?) Well, with him away a lot now, I am trying to keep as busy as possible.  I miss him when he is away, he's my best friend so busy equals time flying & actually the good point is that I am able to focus completely on blogging.

He does these photos & I'm like what the heck??? I don't get this sexy man beast, I get my goofball.

So events galore! Last night I was at the Debenhams A/W launch.  The girls were showcasing their key looks for Autumn/Winter 2013.  A lot of monochrome, berry colours and animal print coming through. Was lovely to see all my blogger friends & have a cup of tea with them before I had to sprint off to yoga at 7pm. Namaste.

 

 

I am also one of the finalist in the Directory 14 competition as an individual with a standout sense of style in Northern Ireland.  I had to go to judging on Monday night, where we were asked questions like what is fashion & what is style.  The winners will be announced on the 19th of September at Riddel Hall, Stranmillis so keep an eye out to see how I get on. Fingers Crossed! 

 

 

I actually destroyed a pair of jeans because of this event.  I can't even acknowledge it or else I will probably freak out.  I want boyfriend jeans, I want them so badly.  There was a gorgeous pair in Zara yesterday when I was wandering around town. I haven't really tried to DIY any of my clothes due to the fact I am crap at physical creative things.  Sure I have cut backs out of my tops to make them backless but other than that nothing.  So I took one of my cropped pair of jeans and thought...hmmm I could cut some holes in these & they could be boyfriend style.  No.  They just looked like Edward Scissorhands and I were having a mad passionate love affair and he had tried to take my jeans off. Fail on that front.

 

So I have got loads of things on in the next few weeks. Culture tech this weekend, Directory 14 event, Cruise Fashion Show at the Merchant, Victoria Square Style September catwalk, RSVP/Oasis Ireland Style Blogger of the year. I know this isn't really a fashion post, more of a rant that my diary is stuck to my hand lately to make sure I remember everything but I think it's nice to let you know what's going on & to stay tuned for final few months of my challenge!! I think they are going to be the most difficult!