holiday footwear...

I really have no intention of wearing these in Ireland. Unless miraculously the sun decides to get off his arse and heat this island up a bit. No, these shoes are ear marked for a little holiday I'm taking in August. A holiday to the island of Tenerife. To say I'm excited is honestly an understatement. I haven't been on a sun holiday since I was ten. That is no word of a lie... AND it's my first holiday with my fella. I know.... It's taken us seven years to go on one but we finally have the funds to do so.

So back to the shoes... I'm not really planning on bringing a lot of heels. Maybe just one staple pair. I want to be able to walk and dance and run around this little island and I feel/know that heels (even though they would look better) wouldn't be as comfortable and I just would like to completely relax. But that doesn't mean I can't look my best. So I have picked out two very interesting pairs of sandals from Zara (oh amazing Zara!) One for the day and one for the night but they'd easily cross over. I'm already planning outfits for both! The tribal ones will look great with khaki shorts, band tees and possibly a black jumpsuit while the blue ones will be divine with long floaty maxis and short satin dresses.

What footwear do you find essential when going on a sun holiday... Am I forgetting something?

long mane...

I have been toying with this idea for a long while... My hair has been pretty much the same for the past
six years. Just longer than shoulder length with layers. The layers were to give body and the only reason it was that length was because anytime I got it long enough my hairdresser would tell me it's too dry and chop it all off again. But not this time! Oh no! This summer I am going have free flowing locks that I can tie in plaits, low lying buns or simply let hang in a careless fashion. Gosh I love carefree hair!

When I was younger (around 15) I had long, glossy hair that fell into hippie style ringlets. I saw a photo of it recently (I was holding up my unamused cat and grinning from ear to ear) and I longed for that hair again. I want to say good bye to my layers and let my hair grow down past my eh chest area... I'm going to get my mum to trim a tiny bit every so often and keep it nice and conditioned and hope for the best. My only issue is that I have quite fine hair so I am hoping that the regular mini trim will encourage growth and thickness (or is that just a myth).

Hopefully it'll all work out and I'll have the hair I covet. If anyone has grown their hair out at all please give me ALL the tips you have!

dress to impress...

Ok, it's April... Which means it's nearly May, which means it's technically really close to summer. And the temperature is slowly (really slowly) starting to creep up. (Saturday is to be a balmy 12 degrees!) So despite the weather being a tad dismal I look toward the near distant future in hopes of a warm summer.  Or at least a summer where I can wear dresses with nude fishnets... That's not a lot to ask for!

Anyway, when I was in college I dreamt about wearing pretty dresses and heels all day, everyday. In college, this attire wasn't hugely acceptable (or practical). But now that I'm in the working world where I sit at a desk and design most days (and the odd photo shoot out in the real world) I feel that the clothes I desired to wear are now, finally, deemed suitable. So you can imagine might excitement at the very idea of this and how I rushed to the online shop windows to see what I might purchase in the coming months. There were loads (and some really pretty ones for bigger busts on Pepperberry) and it was hard to narrow it down... In fact I couldn't narrow it down so I picked some at random some that I liked. The three I chose to show you are fresh and fitted that will highlight my waist without the requirement of a belt (this is always a huge bonus). They look comfy yet still have an elegance (and a slight eccentricity) that I want my work clothes to exude. I'm not really ever in meetings so my work clothes can be quite casual but I still want to look and feel smart. I want there to be a slight difference between what I wear to work and what I wear at home. Let's face it, it's an excuse to dress up slightly, smarten oneself.

Do you have different work clothes? What do dream to wear in work?

a little bit country...

It's been awhile since I blogged and it feels like forever since I did an outfit post. Literally, it was before Christmas. That is shocking! Shame on me... But we have the lovely bright evenings and it makes for far better photographs (thankfully no need for the flash).

I thought this outfit was very country. Like proper old fashioned country (I really should be holding a hen or something in my hand.) I enjoyed the blend of the rugged shirt and boots with the sharp tailoring of the pencil skirt. But most of all I really liked the simplicity of this outfit. This has become a big thing for me lately. Simple outfits that still depict my personality. Working a full day is leaving me weary and I just long for fitted pieces and interesting tones. That outfit that you put on in a rush in the morning but you know it's going to work. Something fresh, comfy and still warm. Thankfully this new need hasn't left me without a wardrobe, I just had to rethink a few pieces. Try a few new things... and buy more tights.

The stretch in the evenings and the gorgeous (yet deceptive) sunshine makes me want to dive into my summer wardrobe. Don't worry I haven't gone mad and decided to ignore the severe weather warnings (like the lady I saw yesterday in flip flops!) I'm just going to try and integrate my winter and summer wardrobes better. I tried this a couple of years ago. It did not go well. But I shall persevere! Thankfully my winter wardrobe is far more colourful that it used to be.

Tartan Shirt: Dunnes

Skirt: Vivien of Holloway

Boots: Office

Locket: Gift

Lipstick: Rimmel Moisture Renew in Rose Passion 

be our guest/wedding hair inspiration...

So this Thursday one of my best friends is getting hitched (finally!), I am so excited for her and have been looking forward to this day all year!

My dress has finally arrived, I'm fairly certain what I'm doing with my make up and the boyfriend is kitted out nicely as well. All that's left to concern myself with is my hair. I like my hair down for special occasions and I like to give it a little body/height. In fact my hair dresser told me I needed body! But I still don't want it terribly fussy, something that can be easily fixed if a gush of wind comes out of nowhere or if I get trampled on the dance floor. And, of course, a little bit vintage-esque, to match the dress. So off I went to Pinterest to see what inspiration lay in store for me.

And this is what I've come up with, A gentle side sweep with a slight bit of lift in the back (not too, just enough). Thankfully my hair is already curly but I might give it a helping hand to keep the curls big. Couple of hair pins and some hair spray and I should be good to go. I am going to practice the hair tonight to make sure I can actually do it (nothing worse than a hair disaster the morning of a big event).

Wish me luck!