Channelling my inner Morticia Addams

"I'm like Johnny Cash. I only wear black." Adele

 

H&M black vest

Topshop black double tube skirt

Warehouse neon yellow necklace

 

I am going to say the same thing that everyone is saying at the minute.  When did it get to September?? It's basically autumn, summer is over, it's 114 days to Christmas, tights will start to be worn, girls will stop shaving their legs and my electric blanket will be on full blast every night.

 

It also means I've only 4 more months left of this challenge.  It is killing me, the actual thought of having to go back into trousers again and my winter clothes.  The summer allowed me to explore a different half of my wardrobe.  I felt like I had bought new clothes when really I hadn't.  It was all an amazing magical experience that was basically a lie.  How am I meant to completely re-style a wardrobe that I wore for the 1st 6 months of the year and not get sick of wearing the same thing, over and over again? *sigh* Thank god for the changing trends with each season.



And thus with life, there is balance in fashion.  The first half of the year saw the all white outfit being a big hit.  This was one of my favourite looks I was able to create from my wardrobe.  I did find it hard to keep recreating/revamping the look as I didn't have that many white bottoms in my wardrobe.  But as I said thank god for balance.  Ying Yang. Black and white.  The all black outfit is in this autumn. Amazing news for me as I have enough black in my wardrobe for Morticia Addams not to have to do any washing for a month.

 

 

 

I love this look.  Every girl does.  It is effortless, chic and best of all it suits all shapes, all sizes, all skin tones, dressed up, dressed down, you just know that you will look great no matter what.  It is one of those looks that if you are having one of those days were you think nothing is working, just pull on black trousers and a black top & bam!!! Life is back on track.  Add a statement piece necklace, a pop of colour.  Accessorise it any way that you want, it will work no matter what.

 

And on the 7th day, God created black so every girl could pretend that the pavement was a catwalk.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Precious

"Sometimes Pattern trousers come in handy when trying to match the carpet in your office" bourbonbasted, Styleforum

Topshop Black Peplum top

Warehouse Tile print trouser

My shoes are really starting to smell.  Granted I have quite smelly feet already but the fact is I haven't bought new shoes in 7 months or probably more.  If you think about it, I haven't bought summer shoes since last summer so technically I have been wearing these for over a year now & they are starting to get a whiff about them.  My black studded pumps that I wear religiously to work, if they get too close to my face I can definitely smell a pong coming from them.  What am I meant to do??? They are the only black shoes I own other than high heels, trainer wedges or boots.  I am not going to be saving any money from this year due to the fact I will have to bin most of my wardrobe at the end of this year.

One thing I won't be binning are these trousers.  Confession.  They are new.  BUT I didn't buy them.  This amazing thing called blogging has opened doors for me & given me stuff.  Free stuff!!! When I met with the PR girls from Warehouse to hear about them opening their fab new store in Victoria Square in September, they gifted me the gorgeous neon necklace you may have spotted me wearing (If not, check it out here) 

They also gave me a £50 gift voucher!!!! 

I went to the Warehouse in Forestside, think Gollum from The Lord of the Rings with my giftcard. My precious.  It was so surreal, walking around actually looking at the clothes but actually looking at the clothes in a sense of hey, I may buy you.  I wanted something that I had desired for a while.  You have to understand I could have bought everything in the shop because I could have just went crazy and relapsed.  It's like setting alcohol down in front of an alcoholic & saying you are allowed a sip.  Ok, maybe thats a bit more serious than my shopping addiction.

I walked around the shop for 35 mins, touching everything, smelling everything, rubbing my face with wallets, handbags over my arms.  The shop assistants were looking at me thinking who is this crazy person.  I wanted boyfriend jean, really baggy, lots of ribs.  I love the look at the moment of the boyfriend jeans and high heels.  Love to wear them out to dinner with a blazer.  So I tried on Warehouse's boyfriend style jeans and boy were they gorgeous!! Best fitting jeans I have had on me in ages. However, they weren't quite what I was looking for, not baggy enough.  So then I tried these on pattern trousers & we have a winner!!!

 

They just go with anything, you can wear them 101 ways.  I have kept it quite plain so far when I have worn them. Sticking to a plain black or white top & black pumps but I would love to wear them with a clashing top or even a colourful cami.  They are great for work too and I think they would be lovely even with heel highs for heading out to cocktails.  I almost cried as I saw the blue version of the trousers featured in the Look magazine 2 weeks ago.  It is so nice to be wearing something that you know is in style.  Can't remember the last time I saw something in a magazine were I was like ooohhh I have those, totes on trend or they are beaut, I am going to get them.  And the best thing is I still haven't spent all of my gift voucher!!! Oooohhhhh my precious, I am keeping you. Coveting you for a later date. Yes, my precious.

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.

Belfast's got Talent





“Everyone has talent. What's rare is the courage to follow it to the dark places where it leads.” Erica Long 

 

 

Asos Crop grey top

Stills Maxi Skirt

 

 

Its a Saturday. And I am in work, just one of those weeks were everything is non stop. All I would like to do is lie out in the sun & enjoy it but aw well. Its a teaching session actually, all the UK agents have come over to our showroom in Belfast to discuss the best way to sell a range to a customer. Our London HQ has acknowledged that Belfast is leading the way for buying our brands of Sandwich, Stills and Turnover.

 

Belfast at the moment seems the place to be. Well to be précised Northern Ireland.  Radio One big Weekend, The Fall, Dr. Leah from the Apprentice, you name it, Northern Ireland is slowly sneaking it's way into conversation across the UK and it's actually for positive things!!! 

 

Just before my birthday, I meet with the girls who look after the PR forleading high street retailer, Warehouse. Effortless trendy, Warehouse has shops across Northern Ireland & the UK and stands out compared to other brands for its laid back chic to the shop who go to for your dressed up dresswear.

 

 

(Check out the Neon necklace that Warehouse gifted me! I have wore it to death since they gave it to me! Looks gorgeous with a tan & goes with so many things!)

 

I was kinda a bit like, why do you want to meet with me when they emailed? But it was literally a girly chat about their plans for Belfast.  If I hadn't have had to go back to work after our lunch, I know we probably would have ended up in the merchant drinking cocktails all night. (Their favourite thing at the moment is Jamie Dornan from The Fall! Sadly he is married if you didn't know. Crew hearts breaking across UK.) 



 

To celebrate that they are opening a new store in Victoria Square, Belfast, they are launching a Talent Spot competition.  Now I am pretty talentless. Can't sing, dance, draw, play an instrument. I am pretty much like Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality.  I am actually not even sure I can do the water glass music thing she does in the movie.

 

Warehouse necklace, accessorised with a gorgeous boyfriend. Boyfriend not available to buy in Warehouse

 

 

Over the next few weeks, there will be teams across Belfast City centre scouring for talented people or you can simply apply on line. Anything that you are good at, apply and show off your skills. Are you a singer? A designer? A writer? A film maker? Anything! They are literally looking to showcase the amazing talent that Belfast has to offer. The chosen will have their work showcased at the brand new Victoria Square store through out the opening week in September.

 

Keep an eye out for me making an appearance with my water glass music!!!

Send entries to talent@warehouse.co.uk

If you want more info on the competition, check out the site:

Warehouse Belfast Talent Spot