The day of mother's

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. ~Rajneesh

White H&M tshirt

Black Zara Skinnies

Stills Long Cardigan

Office Nude wedge trainers

Zara Necklace - Similar here

 

 

Aw monday, why do you come around so fast?!?!  I hope everyone spoilt their mum at the weekend!  I travelled up to the north coast and spent the weekend with my family.  Well my two families.  My parents divorced when I was four and both remarried and had kids with their partners so my family is kinda extended.  Feel sorry for Connor as there is so many family members! But it is great cause at Birthday's and Christmas's I get double the presents but then of course I have to buy twice the amount of presents! Ah the joys of a modern family!

 

So I bought my Step mum, a gorgeous funky candle that had feathers & everything on it!  My little sister and I then bought my mum a gorgeous basic dress from topshop, perfect for the summer but then she is also able to wear it now by putting a jumper over it. Boom! Brownie Points galore.

 

 

 

Mum's lovely Mother's Day present - link here

 

 

So I had to go into topshop to obviously buy the dress and I really didn't see anything I wanted to buy.  If I was buying of course!  So that made me feel good cause if I had went in and seen loads, I prob would have burst into tears.  My mum has always influenced my clothing style.  I think the more we grow up, the more we turn into our mothers.  Thank god, mine is a MILF (haha extra brownie points!)  I remember my mum telling me not to mix brown and black when I was younger which I do all the time so her advice isn't always right but I still follow the rule that she told me "If you are showing a lot of skin up top, don't show skin down below. It's about balance". 

 

Black Zara Skinnies

White Blouse Topshop

Black Benetton Boyfriend Blazer

White converse

Black & gold cord necklace

 

 

This was my outfit for mother's day lunch.  We went out to the Winebar (duh, I don't even need to tell you where we go to eat anymore.  It is always there) But I really loved this look and it is all pieces that I have worn before and posted about but I never would have pieced it together like this before.  Especially not with the converse!  This week I am going to do a post of basics and how to wear them 50 different ways!  One good thing about my wardrobe is the fact that I have a good foundation of basics like I said on Friday or else I don't think I would be able to do this challenge at all!! So keep a eye out for that post!

 

Here's me & my ma yesterday :)

Merry Christmas Everyone!

"Doing collections, doing fashion is like a non-stop dialogue." Karl Lagerfield

Omg, 2 posts in one day! Really getting into this blogging thing!! I am writting to let you know of this fab little gift I have for you!  Ulster Life, is a fab magazine in Northern Ireland which showcases all things that are fabulous!  Beauty, interior, fashion, interviews with myself included, you name it they write about what is hip in Northern Ireland and beyond! This time last year I was lucky enough to grace the covers to promote Belfast Fashionweek S/S 2012!

Usually at the cost of £20 for an annual subscription, I am offering a yearly subscription for free!! Oh yes, I said free.  I love free stuff, I mean you doesn't love free stuff!  All you have to do is email  LK@myulsterlife.co.uk and you will get the magazine free for 12 months! Couldn't knock it with a stick!!! And guess what???? Your first edition will have interview with moi in it! Even more reason to email!

Also, before I sign off for the weekend (again).  If you would like to nominate me for the Company Style Blogger Awards 2013 of the year, here is the link Company Style Blogger Click & vote for me on the Best Fashion Blogger (Newcomer)! :D pretty please with a cherry on top & sexy underwear. What girl doesn't like cake & sexy underwear???

Back in my day

"Hey, Welcome to the pier!" Random Hollister worker when you walk in to any hollister store

Topshop Fit & flare dress

Black loose Jumper Primark- similar here

Gold Chunky Necklace Topshop

 

 

One good thing about my wardrobe is the fact that I have so many basics.  I had never noticed it before as I used to always buy bits and pieces and be like "Uck this is always handy to have just incase."  I think I have maybe 20 string elastic tops in every colour thinkable from Benetton, just for layering.  Honestly, this is a very Gok Wan thing to say but if your wardrobe has the basics and a few exciting pieces then you can easily make hundreds of different outfits from only a couple pieces.  I love this basic grey topshop dress (got it in black as well!).  I have worn it so many times so many different ways! You will probably see it alot over the next year!  I love it with this black jumper which I haven't worn in a while and the chunky necklace which I have had for years but is completely on trend for this season.

 

My little sister Carla & I. Really wasn't that stylish when I was her age!

 

Tonight, my 15 year old sister, Carla and her two friends are coming up to Belfast tonight to stay at my flat as they are attending the one direction concert.  My head is going to be sore from listening to how amazeballs they are and how harry's hair is just so beautiful! Actually might be going myself so can't really slag them too much.  But is it just me or do kids these days have amazing style???  When I was Carla's age, I wore Tammy Girl.  Does anyone remember Tammy Girl???? It was the hip place to get all your clothes!

 

This was me as a teenager. Tammy girl top, NV string baggy trousers and Sketchers. Sexual

 

But actually where have these kids got there style from? I have a little cousin Siena and I absolutely love the way she dresses.  A couple of years ago she wore a maxi dress and denim jacket all from topshop when we were on holiday in Italy.  I think she was only 11/12 years old at the time and I went out the minute I was home and bought the whole outfit.  I definitely wasn't that cool when I was her age and  I borrow Carla's clothes all the time as well!  How have teenagers become so style conscious?? Is it the development of the Internet and the explosion of the celebrity culture?  I have no idea but I am looking everywhere for style ideas and a lot of my ideas are coming from people who are younger than me!! Surprised to say the least.

This is me wearing the Maxi Dress that I stole from seeing Siena wear it.

Ps.  Still snotty but starting to feel a bit better!

Sick & not in the cool way

“Being sick feels like you're wearing someone else's glasses”  Megan Boyle

Stills Mint Jumper

Topshop Navy Leigh Jeans

River Island brown boots

 

 

I am sick.  Not in the cool way that kids now a days say that they are hip & down with it.  I am generally sick.  There is a box of tissues beside me as I type this & a pile of used tissues in the bin already. ( And also beside my bed at home which I promise I will put in the bin before I collapse into bed.)  I am never sick.  I would say my immune system is one of the only things going for me but on this occasion it has failed.  My tissues are making me smile though as they have glitter on them.  You don't have to admit it to me but everyone does it but you know when you blow you nose & then you look at it?? Well I did that and I thought I was blowing out glitter but no, its just my fancy tissues.

 

 

I don't know how the big bloggers do it?? I mean they must get sick. But do they still upload 50 photos a day? I had to drag myself out of bed today and didn't think at all what I was putting on.  I literally grabbed the cosiest thing I owe that was clean and took a photo. (No make up as you can clearly see)  It also doesn't help that my eyes are very puffy today as well as my housemates and I went to see Safe Haven.  A good old romantic movie on a Tuesday night is a must when you feel this crap.  I even broke out my teddy bear that I used to sleep with every night when I was a kid because I needed that extra loving.  It is times like these that you really miss your mum to take care of you.  I have lived in my own place in Belfast since I was 18.  I think I only waited to the next day after my final A-level and then it was ok, mum I am away to stay in the flat in Belfast for a night out and I just never came back.

 

 

 

Here is a lovely sneak peek of the Ikea press shoots from yesterday! Casual lounging in a Pax wardrobe in Ikea wearing a gorgeous formal dress. (Def should have put tan on, I will just blame it on the sickness.)

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 :)

She's My Angel

"She's beautiful- just like, like an angel!" Bashful, Snow White

Green Day Dress Primark - similar here 

Asos Gold Studded belt - similar here 

Black Brogues Primark - similar here 

Black Benetton Boyfriend Blazer 

 So after creating a food baby with my housemates last night in the form of a Thai Chicken Curry, we decided to roll out the door to the first Miss Northern Ireland heat. The heat is always held in Cafe Vaudeville, a gorgeous bar and restaurant in Belfast city centre (they do the most amazing strawberry and apple martini!) and is always the best heat to go to. Honestly, you simply go to have a nosey at the new contestants, judge them on their dress, make up etc and try and guess who will win. For the girls who enter the Miss Belfast/Miss Cafe Vaudeville heat, I honestly think it is the hardest heat to get through to the final on as there is the highest number of applicants and it has the biggest crowd so it is very nerve wrecking.

Cafe Vaudeville's gorgeous ceiling

So off we went, 2 of my gorgeous housemates Ciara & Jayne, Connor and I. It was like we were Charlie's angels but instead Connor's angels. Now why would my boyfriend like to attend a Miss Northern Ireland heat you may ask? Cause he is a even bigger gossip than girl I know. All night he keep talking about what dresses he liked and who had the best hair, at one point I had to ask him who he was talking too as I had been talking to someone else & he just shrugged his shoulders & continued on. Men are most definitely from Mars.

I have been wanting to try a certain look for a while now. I saw a blogger on Instagram wear a similar outfit to Milan Fashionweek last year and I thought I would be brave and try it.

Now when I think of white, I think of warm summer days so the fact I decided to wear white trousers let alone a full white outfit was quite out there for me. It sorta almost has an angelic look to it which is totally not me! I had thought to wait to try it at Belfast Fashionweek at the end of March but I had no idea what else to wear and I was on a time limit of 30minutes to get ready so all white it was. And my bravery paid off!!!!

 Photo of Moi last night taken by the dashing Brendan Gallagher

At the heat I won Best Dressed! It was sponsored by the fabulous The Outlet, Banbridge (I love going to The Outlet, it has fab bargains and I always get my Calvin Klein underwear from it!!) The gorgeous and sneaky Eve Brannon, The Outlet's stylist presented me with a gorgeous Hot Diamonds Bracelet from Chapelle Jewellery (just another one of the amazing shops at The Outlet) after lying to me and telling me she wanted a photo with me as she was doing an article on winter whites. I was in shock, I never win anything! It just shows you that everybody has great items in their wardrobe and if you don't think you do then start from the basics like a great pair of skinnies or a white shirt & you can mix them up whenever you want to.

My Gorgeous prize from The Outlet

Once the shock of winning wore off and once I had stopped chatting to friends I haven't seen in ages about my blog, the night was nearly over! Congrats to the new Miss Belfast Stacey Webb and Miss Cafe Vaudeville Emma Ward! Well deserving winners, the girls looked gorgeous. I tried to chase them at the end of the night like a stalker to ask them where their dresses were from but they were too busy getting photos done. But I recongised Stacey's dress from stalking Asos and it's a gorgeous Lipsy one! Check it out here!   The super hot babe Finola Guinnane, Miss Northern Ireland 2011 who is a good friend of mine looked out of this world as normal. She let it slip to me that her lovely dress was also Asos, Finola suits a bit of sparkles cause she's a diamond herself ;)

 Top Seven

What an exciting night! And on a school night for that matter! Thanks again to The Outlet for my gorgeous prize!! Just shows me that I am on the right path as I attended this heat last year and I couldn't have been further from best dressed if I tried. Last year I wore a navy long body con dress which went to below my knees, pearls and my hair up in a bun. I looked twice my age so it makes me even prouder of how much this challenge has caused me to change in a short period of time. And the prize was a gift so it was completely within the rules!!!!

 Left to Right: Finola Guinnane (Miss Northern Ireland 2009), Miss Cafe Vaudeville Emma Ward, Miss Belfast Stacey Webb and the current Miss Northern Ireland Tiffany Brien

Check out The Outlet for amazing offers all year round

Just incase you get the bug and want to enter Miss Northern Ireland, click here for the link!