Conversations in toilets

"When I compliment you, I compliment myself, because I am who I associate with.”   Jarod Kintz

Stills Cardigan

Stills Tshirt

Zara Black leather trousers

 

You know when your world has gone mad when you are minding your own business, releasing your bladder in the toilets of the wine bar and from outside the locked door you hear, "Omg are you Laurina's mum?" Now granted the first thought that went through my head was oh no, who's that? and oh no, what have I done now.  But then for my mum to be like "yes that's me" (And I know mum was probably thinking the same as me,) and for the lovely Joanne to be like "I recognise you from her blog," was the funniest thing & most surrealist thing to me.  The fact I had to then casually walk out of the toilet & be like Hello!! It's lovely to meet you! Thank you for reading my blog, sorry let me just wash my hands before I shake yours!

Primark Baseball top-similar here

Asos Wrap linen skirt

Zara Necklace-similar here

 

I spent my lovely long bank holiday weekend up home visiting all my family that I hadn't seen in a while.  My little sister got amazing GSCE results so we were celebrating those as well.  I am still getting loads of wear out of all my birthday presents.  I love baseball tops at the minute, loved this look that I wore on Saturday night to the Mermaid Kitchen in Portrush.  My BFF zoe asked me what I craved the most for my birthday and I said that Connor had hunted high and low for a baseball top but couldn't get one.  Well that's gay cause they are in Primark for £3 was her reply. Probably the one place he didn't look but thanks to Zoe who then went and got me this one!

 

Topshop Cropped Denim jacket

Asos Coral Skater Dress

 

After my slight mishap with my work clothes recently, I have been really trying hard to dress up for work and wear as much of the sample pieces of the collections that we sell.  So now for weekends I just love dressing down.  I am fighting not to get back into my jeans until the last possible moment when my legs fall off from frostbite! But it's becoming harder and harder.  But then I think well technically you only have 4 months to go till you can shop again! And that man from the Waterboy pops up in my head, "You can do it!!"

 

 

But when I am off work, I am never truly off work.  On Monday, Mum, Carla and I made a mad dash to Derry/Londonderry! Derry seems to be the place to be this year! With it winning the City of Culture 2013, the amount of events happening in Derry is amazing!! For a week in September, they are holding a Culture Tech week with events through out the city! Check out the website, there is just too many to name! http://culturetech.co/

 

 

Myself and 2 other bloggers from Northern Ireland, Gemma-Louise from That Belfast Girl and Caroline from the Red Dutchess will be attending some of the events over the 9th of September to the 15th of September to tweet, take photos and blog our experience! In conjunction with Foyleside Shopping centre, we each will be modelling fab outfits from the centre at these events! More on that later!  

Waking up

"Our life is made up of time. Our days are measured in hours, our pay measured by those hours, our knowledge is measured by years. And yet time eventually runs out and you wonder in your heart of hearts if those seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years and decades were being spent the best way they possibly could.” Celica Ahern

Topshop Drape black blouse-similar here

Asos Wrap skirt

Warehouse neon necklace

 

I am getting very bad at this blogging thing.  I know, I am very sorry. Last you heard from me I was leaving on a jet plane to support my boyfriend in a model competition in London for 12 hours.  It literally took me 4 days to recover from it saying that I arrived, partied, had about 3 hours sleep then up on the plane home & straight into work for half 9.  It was a great night & coco did amazing even if he didn't win.  He did so well that I might be blogging from London in the future ;)

 

Not one to exaggerate but I felt like a prostitute that night.  Not that I didn't feel good with what I was wearing or confidence in myself but in the sense of I felt I was very smouldering & sexy compared to everyone.  Don't get me wrong, it's not that everyone else wasn't dressed up but everyone was wearing quirky outfits. Crop tops & baggy leggings, sequin backless dresses & big wedge ankle boot heels, baggy tshirt dresses and one girl was wearing grey dungarees and a black crop top.  While I arrive in a tight, short black leather dress and then left in a tight, short black leather dress from my boyfriend's hotel room at 6am in the morning.  Maybe I am twisting it to sound funnier than it was.  It was a good night overall.

 

Other than that, I feel that I have just woke up.  I can't believe that a week has gone since I blogged.  Nothing has happened since then but it doesn't seem that a week has gone pass.  Time is going so quickly.  7 months in and I haven't bought anything.  I can't believe it is 7 months, I can't get it in my head at all. 

 

Houston, we have a problem though.  The next 3-4 months are usually when I buy all my clothes in the sort of annual year. I don't know why but this is the time I find, I usually have a wee bit more disposable income.  Last year I spent £2000 in 3 months on clothes.  That's a lot, I don't know what I spent it on but I just remember working it out when I started this challenge. Scary biscuits.  I am heavily relying on my birthday presents at the moment.  Today I am wearing my new necklace that was gifted to me from Warehouse and the black wrap skirt that Connor got me for my birthday.  I am reverting back to my old ways, only wearing something new.  I need to go through my wardrobe again and remind myself what I have. 

 

Laurina's top secret successful tip to trying to not to buy clothes

• Go through your wardrobe once a month to remind yourself what you already have.  It is so easy to forget.

You are welcome.

I promise I'm not dead..

“We become what we repeatedly do.” Sean Convey

Topshop Crossstitch skater skirt

Urban Outfitters White beaded vest-similar here

Black Waywafer Raybans

 

 

I promise I am not dead.  I am just being lazy.  I am not going to lie and say that I have been run off my feet and had no time to blog blah blah blah. I haven't it.  I haven't been doing anything, simply enjoying the weather, enjoying the quiet time in work, enjoying my birthday with the family, enjoying time with Connor without being on our phones all the time.

 

 

I am awful, if I don't have routine then I won't do anything. If I get out of the habit of doing something then I won't do it at all. Lazy Laurina. Such a pretty name.  But Samples are back in work so busy again there, my diary is filling up over summer so no more can't be arsed attitude. Back to letting you all know my every movement apart from when I go to the bathroom.  (That's a whole different blog that I have planned).

  

First never have I walked to work without a coat or cardigan or something over me.  It is beautiful at the minute, so nice to actually have a summer in Northern Ireland.  The lift light was kind to me this morning, (probably cause I had my new sunnies on), it usually makes me look like I've just done a Buffy and crawled out of my own coffin so a special new lift selfie! ooooohhhh

 

I still haven't bought anything. No clothes, no sales, no nothing.  Though with my birthday last week, I have had a lot bought for me to probably last me the next 6 months till this challenge is over.  

 

 

This was my bed, the day after my birthday.  Literally exploded with clothes. My mum got me clothes, my housemate got me clothes, Connor got my Asos password repeatedly shoved in his face and my best friends got me specially made personalised clothes.  So now begins the showing off of all my new threads.  The skirt and sunglasses I am wearing today were a birthday present from my darling mother.  

 

This was me out for dinner on my birthday.  White shirt you have seen before, actually you have seen it loads of times, standard Topshop. White Shorts, standard Hollister short shorts. Gold glitter bag, Monsoon, it was my formal bag in Upper sixth but look, look at the shoes. Oh god, look at the shoes!!!! I am not a shoes girl. Never have been.  I have some pairs of pumps since I was 16 & that's not good cause I have smelly feet but these shoes are my new God. Zara, Spring season, I have them in black as well bought to me by my mummy.  And the angel herself bought me the blue pair for my birthday. Amen, you sexy lady. I am privileged to have popped out of your lady garden. Mum of the year goes to Piera Morelli Armstrong!  

 

 

 

The woman does it again! I had lusting after this blue shirt for 2 months in Topshop.  My mum had bought it and it is so soft.  Yes, I know I do not need another blue shirt (total is now sitting at 7) BUT its so different! Its a different shade of blue, it has pockets on the front and its so soft and easy with rolled up sleeves.  I rest my cause.

 

Topshop Casual Blue Shirt

Now this is an outfit is all new.  Top and maxi skirt picked out by me but bought by my little sister and necklace bought by my mum.  That woman is really a legend. Though I think Carla, my little sister helped her pick this necklace, kinda fuzzy in this photo but I am sure you will see it over the next 6 months.

 

Topshop black & white cord necklace

Asos white swing cami

Asos black maxi skirt

 

Now on to the boyfriend who had my Asos password repeatedly shoved down his throat.  It took him a while to realise but he got there in the end. Actually the black cami is another present from mum. Jesus mum!!! You need to curbed your presents!!! The black skirt is from Connor though.  It is one of the black wrap skirts that all the bloggers are wearing.  Can I just say it is dangerous!!!! Gorgeous skirt but the slit is right over my va jay jay & I don't know how someone hasn't figured this out yet & why it is selling so well!  That's actually probably the reason why it has been selling well.

Last & not least, what I have wanted for months.  Black trainer wedges. Praise the Lord. Praise the Cocopops. He done well, oh he done good. 

Topshop black Cami
Asos black wrap skirt
Topshop Black hidden heel wedges

Oh trust me there is more to come.  I was a very spoilt girl from everyone. I think they just felt sorry for me as I have stupidly taken on this challenge or maybe it is a reward for doing amazingly so far.  Yeah that's it. Rewards.....Not spoilt...rewards. Wish it was my Birthday ever month.

 

Backseat driver

"Whenever I get a new calendar, I flick straight to the month of my birthday to see what picture I get." Tim Sands

Benetton Striped Boob tube-similar here

Urban Outfitters navy chinos-similar here

Therapy Coral Cardigan- similar here

 

 

I might mention this a few times in this post but it is my birthday next week. I am 25 years old on Tuesday.  It's a scary thought, 25 sounds so much older than 24.  But the most important thing about my birthday is presents!!!! That might sound highly materialistic of me but I will literally be pushing people out of the way to get my presents! Why? Cause most of my birthday presents are new clothes!!!!

 

In the last 6 months, I have had 3 new items of clothing (none of them bought by me)

1) Valentines day present of a grey All Saints tshirt from my bf

2) a white shirt from zara that my mum bought me as she felt sorry for me

3) a pair of high heels from zara that my mum bought me for my birthday that I begged her to give me early (I used puppy dog eyes, they work a treat).

 

Now of course I have picked most of them. My mum said she was too scared to buy me things as it is my only chance to get new clothes till the end of this challenge which is 31st of December.  I also simply gave Connor my Asos password and filled my saved box with half of Asos (I did cut it down cause I felt bad).  Looking forward to doing a post of hey, this is actually what I would go out and buy if I wasn't doing this challenge.

 

So with my birthday next week (told you I would tell you this a lot), I have set myself a few goals to get down over the summer.

Examples of goals:

• tidy house (standard goal)
• paint kitchen ceiling
• redecorate parts of the house (bored of it at the minute, pinterest is amazing)
• go glamping
• get a family photo done
• update sky tv

Sort of your standard grown up people goals.  Of course, trying to juggle all these goals, the 1 project that is taking a back seat is the blog.  I did try to type a blog while I mopped the other night. Multitasker is my middle name but it didn't work. I will be getting back on track with the blogging this weekend, bore you with my moaning of how I can't buy clothes. *Joy!*

 

P.S body tube, KEEP.  Haven't worn it in years but it is one of those things that you just keep in your wardrobe to have.  I mean it is a tiny piece of material, it doesn't take up that much room in my wardrobe.

 

 

 

Buck wild

"Being a sex symbol is a heavy load to carry especially if one is tired, hurt and bewildered." Marylin Monroe

Peach Knit Miss Selfridge-similar here

Orange Vest top Stills

Beige Basic trouser Zara

 

 

It has taken me a day or two to recover from the weekend.  Even though I got 9 hours of sleep on Sunday night, it is only now on Tuesday that I am starting to feel normal again.  I am only 24! nearly 25 but at a house party which was in my own house on Saturday night, I sneaked off at half 12 to go to bed.  Granted we started at 6pm which is early! But still, I just can't hack it anymore! Especially when you are working the next day.

 

This is Jaynes and my faces at the fact we agreed to work on the sunday after her birthday party. What silly girls we are.  Aw well, it wasn't bad at all once we got a cup of tea into us.  On sunday, I was lucky enough to get called in last minute to take part in the catwalk for Fashion Afternoon tea at Newry Style City.  AN event that I actually was going to go to but instead got paid to take part in! Bonus! Sabino Hairdressing created an almost teapot shaped bun style in my hair, it was amazing! I amazes me that I can barely brush my hair but some people can create such different styles with my hair.  Just shows how crap I am!  The make up was down by the lovely girls from the Canal Court Spa.  It was a simple smokey eye, they wanted to keep it quite basically as they knew our clothes would be very bright and colourful.





Me: Yellow Floral dress @ Berling £189

Jayne: Multi Coloured Floral Dress @ Berling £145

Georgina: Nude Floral Dress @ Berling £75

Berling Website

 

Newry Style City is a week long event that helps to promote and showcase the local boutiques, shops and shopping centres that Newry has to offer.  The event we were working at was the Afternoon tea in the Canal Court.  The lucky ladies at the event were graced with sandwichs, cakes, buns, tea and a beautiful serenade by a piano player as we walked around the tables. Each model had 10 different looks from shops like Silk, Berling, Elite Hats and Jack Murphy Jewellers.

 

Here is my favourite photo from the day! Gorgeous hat from Elite hats, jewellery from Jack Murray Jewellers. Kindly stolen from the lovely Kelly McAllister, photographer on the day for Sugahfix.com. Amazing image!

 

For All info on Kelly, check her out here: Kelly McAllister Photography

 

So yes, Sunday saw me being all civialised and professional while rewind back to saturday night and it was a different story.  My lovely housemate Jayne had a little gathering for her 21st birthday of her nearest and dearest.  It was a fancy dress themed where we had to dress up as what we wanted to be when we grew up.  So I was sporty spice! Zigga zigga ah! Girl Power! Still actually can't get the tattoos that I painted on off my arms. Below are some photos from the night, jusy so you can have a nosey and a laugh at my expense. Pouting and a peace sign.  So nineteen nineties!

Rock Star verus Pop star....who is cooler???

 



 

Cinderella, aka the birthday girl & Sporty spice

 

Sporty Spice, No fancy dress as going to work Spice, Scuba Spice

Gifts

"I don't want expensive gifts; I don't want to be bought. I have everything I want. I just want someone to be there for me, to make me feel safe and secure." Princess Diana

  

Red Jumper Zara- similar here

Light Denim Shirt Primark - similar here

Topshop Leigh Skinny Jeans

I survived! Friday night was messy but I awoke on Saturday morning with only puffy stuck together eyes and a headache, saved by Dragon again!! (Dragon Rendezvous, a lovely Chinese restaurant in Belfast where drunkards like myself can go enjoy a proper sit down meal at half 2 in the morning.  Have you ever tried to use a knife & fork when you are drunk???)  Keeping with the Spring 2013 key trends, I went for a monochrome look.

White Blazer Zara

Black Leather Dress Zara

As you can clearly see from the top photo, my bedroom mirrors definitely need a good clean!! This dress was actually one of many dresses that is in my wardrobe with the tags on it! I was so excited to wear it as well, as I had got it for Christmas from my darling mother.  However, I didn't even really get to show it off as I didn't take my blazer off all night.  Oh well, I'm sure it will get another outing this year!

This weekend was a big weekend for me, this weekend I got my first clothing items of 2013. Ok, I am going to refer you back to one of my 1st posts before anyone starts arguing with me THE RULES I refer you to rule number 4 and 5, no hinting or slipping people money to buy me clothes but gifting is ok.  This weekend I got my first gifts, both were a complete surprise and unnecessary! But I accepted them with grace (I did not sleep with them in bed with me last night, hugging them for dear life...)

The first was from my dearest & nearest Mr Cocopops aka Connor.  I came back from work on Friday to this sitting on my bed

My first thought was Omg is someone watching me?!? I promise it wasn't me!!! I don't know where this came, please believe me!! Have I been shopping in my sleep??  But no, a cute note was attached & a t-shirt I had pined after was in the bag. (You don't need to know the soppiness this early on a Monday) Completely overwhelmed, it went straight on me & didn't come off all weekend.  Now at the weekends I usually take a break from blogging so it never even crossed my mind to take a photo of me wearing it.  But here it is on the All Saints website. All Saints grey Tshirt Why out of not buying anything for 6 weeks and potentially for the next 46 weeks would I crave a grey t-shirt so much that it penetrated my boyfriend's mind and clicked with him that it might be nice to get this for me?? a) he is an absolute sweetheart *sigh* b) from not buying things and looking up new ways to piece my wardrobe together, you learn the basics that you need to do this.  I did not have a grey tshirt, I now do and can now do 50 million new outfits with this 1 piece of clothing. (ok, maybe not 50 million but I've so many ideas that I may have to write them down so I don't forget)

The second item of clothing I received was a sympathy gift.  On Saturday I went up home as my aunt was visiting my mum and celebrating her 50th birthday!  Sorry I just announced your age on my blog Auntie Lisa!!! I arrived on sunday to my mum's house to be greeted by my mum in her outfit from saturday night, classy mum, classy.  She still looked great though! My aunt had purchased a red dress from Asos, that she wasn't sure about so I got it instead!!!  She said she couldn't be bothered to send it back but I think she just felt sorry for me as I stared at it longingly, the Asos tag hypnotising me, calling my name.  Now it's a size 8, and as I have the body of 14 year old boy, it could potentially not even fit but here it is.

 

Asos Midi Red dress

So can I just state that I still haven't bought any clothes or accessoires for myself in the year 2013. I promise, turn around, touch the ground, no comment about it.....

The fear

"Alcohol is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” Benjamin Franklin

 

White Blouse Sandwich 

Skinny combats trousers Zara 

Fur lace up ankle boots Zara, similar here 

It is lunch time on a Friday afternoon and I have the FEAR.  It is my best friend's birthday tonight, the gorgeous Miss Zoe J Watson (you may know her as the grumpy face, f**k me boot wearing PR manager of Rain Nightclub but to me, she's the Ron Weasley to my Harry Potter).  Oh I am scared, you ever get that feeling where you know it is going to be a good night but there is going to be a lot of drinking as well. I have nothing planned tomorrow on purpose.  Now I will be the first one to admit, I am a light weight.  I am not the biggest drinker,  never have been and probably never will be.  I don't even think I have been properly tipsy this year yet, I have had a few West Coast Cooler but none of the hard liquor of Apple Sours yet.

Here, we are! Zoe, Miss Jenny Curran and me! The best friends anyone could ask for. We bonded during Miss Northern Ireland 2009 were we drew penises on Jenny's chicken fillets so it would transfer on to her skin during bikini rehearsal. Those were the days! We lived together for 2 years and have now sadly went our separate ways. I can't remember the last time we had drinks together! It's going to be a mad one!

Speaking of mad, Jenny Curran is mad. That's the only way to describe her. I love her to pieces but she is mad. She gives her everything to anything she is involved with. Queen Journo for the Sunday World, she sets herself challenges and writes about them. I've seen her become a female bodybuilder in 6 months, bake for the whole of Belfast and wing walk. Zoe & I think she should call her 1st child Charity as it would be very fitting.

Less than 6 months ago, Action Cancer set Jenny the challenge of turning £1000 into £7000 anyway that she wanted. She opened "Jenny's Baps" a quirky cafe on the Lisburn Road for a week. She baked everything herself, we all pulled shifts in the cafe and thanks to the generous donations of customers and people who donated milk, fridges, furniture; Jenny made an amazing amount of money but she's not quite there yet.

Shove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras or simply Pancake Tuesday is coming this Tuesday the 12th of February. And guess what, her baps are turning to pancakes.  Jenny will be opening her legs, sorry I mean doors to people and baking pancakes for all!! Everyone knows the Wellie Park Hotel beside the Bot and Eg on the Malone Road. Many of us, including me has visited the chippy just outside it late on a Wednesday night but Jenny is taking over this and selling Pancakes for all who passes this coming Tuesday! Get down and get a Pancake, open all day!!! I'm a plain & simple kinda girl so I have already ordered sugar and lemon one.

I might get Jenny to practice on me & zoe tomorrow morning and in turn help cure the hungover that I know I will have.  Question now is, what the hell am I going to wear?  I'm thinking a possible leather dress from zara that my mum got me for Christmas that still has the tags on it! You see, this not buying clothes is easy!!! Happy weekend everyone.

Back, sack & craic

"Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder" Kinky Friedman

 

Asos Army Jumper 

H&M Denim Shirt 

Topshop Midi Black Skirt 

Lovely name for a blog post but I think it explains exactly what I will be doing tonight.  Tomorrow after work, I will be sprinting straight to the lovely Paddy McGurgan Make up Pro store to get my hair & make up done then upstairs to Khara Pringle photography studio to shoot the West Coast Cooler Belfast Fashionweek S/S13 Trends shoot! Its a friendly affair as my annoying poohead yet gorgeous boyfriend Connor & another of my housemates, the gorgeous Jayne Higgins are shooting it too.  Incest is best as they say.

So tonight, eyebrows need done, nails cleaned (I am like a five year old, always dirt under my nails), a lot of areas need shaved (sorry about that last night, Connor!) & my whole body needs exfoliated and washed. Sometimes I hate being a girl.

It's really great to be involved with Belfast Fashion week in any way possible. I've gone from attending it to West Coast Cooler Promo girl to walking in it to the face of Spring/Summer 2012. So tune in tomorrow where I will be blogging directly from behind the scenes with all the craic & goss.

As yesterday was a review blog (skin is getting better & better, fingers crossed! Thank you Medi Comestic!), just a quick update on my going on at the weekend. My lovely Furby aka Ciara, my housemate had a big birthday bash at her house in Newcastle! Aw I hate dressing for house parties! Here's what I wore.

 

Zara Neon Blazer 

H&M grey Vest 

Topshop Black Skater skirt 

Topshop Black & Gold neck- similar here 

Ok so I probably over dressed. But better to over dress than under dress. I was green with envy, not only by ciaras gorgeous legs all night which turned into me just taking pictures of them all night but also of her gorgeous skirt that her boyfriend had got her for her birthday! 

It was £175 down to £50 in All Saints Victoria Square at the minute.  And according to Ciara, there are loads of sizes in the sale and I should def go buy one.....yeah thanks ciara.  Not shopping for a year, remember?!?!?!?! So yeah, still haven't bought anything, still haven't saved any money and not feeling enlightened at all. Please some one remind me why I am doing this again???