Archive for » 2009 «

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Just a quick post to say that I hope you all have a lovely Christmas, and thank you to everyone who has supported the blog since I started it back in May. Whether you’ve written about, written a comment on it, told someone about it, linked to it, worked on a shoot for it, hired me through it, or just visited every now and again, I appreciate it all so very much!

Have a relaxing, joyful, merry, tipsy, well-fed day, and try to keep it going well into the New Year.. :)

xBlanaid 

Image by Moselle Foley, thank you Mo! x 

Category: This Website  9 Comments

bloggers-digest

There are just so many amazing blogs & sites out there. Here are a few recommendations, please do while away some time toddling through them, they are very inspirational in one way or another.

more…

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Signage, neon, line drawings, a skull. As you do. 

x Blanaid

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Style Tonic  is my absolute favourite Irish online shopping site, because it’s basically a whole lifestyle site. They do interviews, style news, sell very cool clothes, and a whole heap more, all collated in an effortlessly stylish and cool way. SO! I was beyond thrilled to be asked to answer their ‘10 questions’ segment, and even more delighted when it was included in their online magazine. If I were to design a magazine, their magazine is exactly the look I would be hoping for…

See the interview on their site > here<

Just click on the magazine link, if you so fancy, it’s a fantastic issue.

Thanks a million to Michelle! x

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I was also very honoured to be included in Blaubushka’s ‘A Christmas Carol’, where they asked bloggers such as Miss Milki from A Spoonful of Sugar, White Rabbit, Laura from Whisty Blogs Dublin Fashion and other style folk to answer a few Christmas related questions. 

I really do rate Blaubushka as one of THE best Irish blogs, the amount of work they put in to their blog, and how creative they are with their posts, is an inspiration. Thanks for having me ladies!

Check it out >here<  if you like, and do read everyone else’s far better answers too! :)

x Blanaid

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Reading a lot lately - came across this quote in relation to destiny, in the book ‘Leaving the World’ by Douglas Kennedy : 

The father of quantum mechanics, Niels Bohr said - “There is no way of knowing where a moving particle is given it’s detail, and thereby, by extension, we can never predict where it will go”.

Which got me thinking, probably too much, about this whole fate/destiny thing. As Bohr was saying, we know that things, us, exist, we know we are going somewhere on our little travel through life, but we have no way of knowing what that destination is… We can make choices, and imagine that the way we have been programmed will affect those choices, and some would say that that programming IS destiny, that our choices, subconscious or not, are shaping our paths to our final fate. But how can we know? How do we know that the people around us were part of the plan, that how we react to their words or actions doesn’t send us in a completely different direction? Perhaps there is a final destiny, or perhaps the only thing for certain is death. Religious people are of the mind that God has a plan for all of us, that he controls every action, encounter, acquaintance. I am more inclined to agree with Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, from the same book; 

“…it is not possible to know both the position and momentum of a particle at the same time, because the act of measuring it would disturb the system.” 

After reading all of this, I have decided that there is no more fate and destiny. No more ‘what’s for you won’t pass you by…’, no more ‘it was meant to be..’- there is only today. There is only what you decide today, how you behave today, how you live today. If there is a destiny, it is only to exist, to be present, to not hand over your life to some unknown plan, just to be here, now. Don’t wait for the adventure that is your imagined fate, today IS the adventure, and today is the only thing that is definite. 

..and today was great. 

xBlanaid

Category: Fancy Friday  6 Comments

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I have no excuses for this outfit- it’s mental. But I’m determined to make men’s tracksuit bottoms from Penneys, cut up into shorts, somewhat acceptable. Are you with me? Eh…no?

Okay I know it’s a bit beyond, but I think these are my favourite shots from the shoot with Ciuin Tracey…so had to post them. Thanks again so much to her, add her on facebook here ! >

I used some photoshop actions downloaded from deviant art to create the coloured lighting effect, I’d highly recommended them. They are the ‘50 postwork photoshop actions by Manicho.’ I started with ‘Extreme Vintage 1′, then added ‘Contrast desat 1′. Two clicks, as easy as that!

Vest : H&M

Shorts : Penneys

Belt : River Island

Corsage : Penneys

Socks : Penneys tights cut up

Shoes : Gil Carvelho for Faith.

x Blanaid

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Ah, a glass house. Going to own one of these bad boys some day. On a lake, somewhere hot. That’s the dream anyways. 

x Blanaid

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1.The first image is from an amzing blog called >banshee beats.< The owner creates collages of her outfit posts that are beyond the realms of brilliance. They reminded me how much I wanted to do that type of thing with this blog, so I’m going to get that back on track.

2. Incredible styling via >picked pics<

3.  Where I’m heading on the ring level, via >fashion canvas<. 

4. Rumi works it out on >fashion toast< Slightly in love with that outfit. 

5. Also in love with this look, via >studded hearts<

x Blanaid

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Another outfit post from  the shoot with Ciuin Tracey…this time it’s a bit of a floaty number. I never generally leave my legs un-be-tighted or stockinged, so this is probably more for the shoot than real life..!

Silk dress - by Malene Birger, worn a little see-throughly over…

Gold bandeau and hotpants - American Apparel 

Shoes - Gil Carvelho for Faith

Necklace in hair - Accessorize

Jewellery - mix of vintage, Accessorize and Penneys.

Thanks again to Ciuin, add her on facebook >here<

x Blanaid

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Things to hang on the wall - 

1. Vintage hangers - try etsy, ebay, store liquidations…

2. Fairy lights in odd little shapes - I have it on good authority that Dunnes and Lidl have the best value fairy lights!

3.  Vintage swimsuits - again ebay, and etsy, or try making your own by dollying up some new sets!

4.  Vintage theatre signage - very difficult to get, but I have found some on etsy and ebay.

5. Wooden hangers as print holders - buy cheap ones from Heatons and paint in different shades of greys and beige!

6. Hand mirrors - buy a selection, old and new. Ikea have a very pretty one in at the moment. 

x Blanaid

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 I suppose I’m at an age now when I should know what I want to be when I grow up. I’m the kind of person who can’t do just one job. For example, I have about eh…16 projects on the go at the moment, and some people are telling me to focus, focus, focus on just one thing…you know, so I can figure out what to concentrate my energy on, so I can be good at that one thing, achieve in that one area. But,  I don’t know, is the real answer. I don’t know what I want to be, I only know what I want to do tomorrow. I want it to be different to what I did today. 

Maybe, one day, I’ll find something that I’ll want to do every single day, but how will I find it if I don’t try everything first? Maybe I’ll never be the best at anything, but I might be the best at saying yes to every new experience, and that’s good enough for me. 

x Blanaid

Images via ffffound, tumblr, flickr, for stars will rise again, i can read

Category: Fancy Friday  7 Comments

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New outfit post from the shoot with Ciuin Tracey - this one is a bit of a demented flapper situation….

Top - €55.oo Topshop

Belt - €15.00 Bay Trading

Shorts - €22.00 H&M

Tights - Penneys

Shoes - €80.00 apx Topshop

Sequined head band - cheap belt cut in half.

Jewellery - mix of vintage, Accessorize and Penneys. 

Thanks again so much to Ciuin for the photographs, add her on facebook >here<! 

x Blanaid

 

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A selection of stairs ideas….such a design feature in the home, but often quite difficult to choose which look will suit your eventual interior style. I know a lot of people hate spiral stairs, and I know some who are actually quite terrified of them…Myself, I hate stairs with no risers, and no handrails. Those pesky edges with no backs and sides give me the ‘fear’… ;)

x Blanaid

adviceFound this >here<…words to live by….wish I’d found it around three years ago. My friend is a stylist, she decided a while back to just stop working for free. Since then she always gets paid.

It seems simple, though a lot of you will know how difficult it is to quantify your work..working for free is fine if there is some kind of appropriate reward or recompense - such as prints for time, or invaluable experience etc, it’s a barter, or a favour for a friend you’ve known well for at least two years. After that, if you charge nothing, or charge cheap, I think you kind of set your worth.

That’s the frame of thinking I’m trying anyway, after years of not believing that I should get paid because, well… I loved doing the work so much! But unfortunately, love of work does not the rent pay….

x Blanaid

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I had a lovely email from a young Irish designer called Mia O’Connell, who’s launching her new collection in the Fitzwilliam Hotel, this Thursday from 11am  to 8.30pm! So if you’re wandering about town this Thursday, why not pop in and get a little inspired, and perhaps pick something up for the old party season that’s in it…?

Here are the details! > Mia is from Dublin and has previously interned with Marios Schwab, British Vogue, John Rocha and The Times London. Currently working as a freelance designer, she then set up her own work ’The Eight and a Half Project’.  At a first, the project was just a way to keep her sewing, making a few pieces for friends etc and it has grown from there.

 The first capsule collection of the project is a series of party dresses and select other pieces, perfect for the festive season.  The essence of the pieces is femininity with a hard edge, for those who choose to be that little bit different. Pieces start at €130.00, with the two accessories pieces (a velvet cowl neck hood and a velvet and wool collar)  priced at €45.00 euros and €50.00
All are welcome to come have a peek , just ask at The Fitzwilliam Hotel reception for directions to the conference room!
Good luck with the launch Mia! Visit Mia’s blog >here<
xBlanaid
 
 

 

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I was browsing through some blogs on my break, and this image just made me say oooh! I don’t know what kind of flowers they are, so if you do, please share!

Image via the beautiful site - twolia.

x Blanaid 

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I really wanted to do more outfit shoots for the blog, so was delighted when D.I.T. fashion photography student Ciúin Tracey got in touch about doing a bit of a collaboration.  She really is fantastic to work with, and there are loads and loads of images to post, so I’m pretty sorted for the outfit posts for a while! A huge thank you to her for the shoot…
This outfit is slightly mad, but I think it’s quite appropriate for War at Spy on South William St., which is my new favourite place. Quite demented. Laura and I will be DJing there this Saturday night, if you’re about the place!

Gold bandeau - American Apparel.
Fur - Vintage
Sequin skirt - Penney’s.
Layered top worn as skirt - Pringle outlet store, Rathdowney.
Man’s belt - River Island
Socks - Penney’s tights cut up.
Shoes - Gil Carvalho for Faith. 
Hair - by Joan in Anna Danielle’s, Urlingford, Co. Kilkenny.
Contact Ciúin through her facebook page >here<
x Blanaid

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Have you ever had one of those days, when you know you’re on the cusp of a time that will see you working ridiculously long hours, trying to achieve a ridiculous amount of things? This evening is very cusp-y, I’m full of nervous energy, wandering around, picking things up, putting them down, waiting, because tomorrow it all starts for real. It’s equal measures of exciting and terrifying, but I guess I wouldn’t have it any other way….well, one other way, only one other thing would be different, if everything was perfect. But then, perfection is evasive, time can’t be controlled, and patience is easy when the potential for everything is so great….

Hope you had a lovely weekend.

x Blanaid

All images via fffound

 

Category: Fancy Friday  4 Comments

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Shades of brown -  the anchor colour in either floaty white spaces or the muted tones in an industrial style home. You have to love the tones of wooden floors, simple frames, battered leather chairs, a simple wreath on the wall…just little touches. 

Images via ffffound, decorology, and home sweet home.

x Blanaid  

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I love this idea - buy or find an old vintage fire surround (watch out for the lead paint though)…paint white, place behind divan bed, adorn and done. Simple. 

Images via Decorology on Flickr

x Blanaid

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I was quite lucky to have bought five lame, beshoulderpadded, sequinny cheap tops in Oxfam on George’s St. on Thursday, as I wore every single one of them this weekend with the fail-safe sequinned shorts from H&M! Saved on the old having to think about it situation. 

Friday

The first outfit was for the IMTV awards, which was held in The Sugar Club. Brilliant night, a little merry! 

Top - €8.00 Oxfam George’s Street. 

Shorts - €22.00 H&M Liffey Valley

Studded Belt - €15.00 Bay Trading

Tights - Penneys…Shoes - apx €80.00 Topshop

Jewellery - mix of Accessorize and vintage, the cream bracelet is from Penneys, I love it!

*My hair was by Joan in Anna Danielle’s, Main Street, Urlingford, Co. Kilkenny (056) 8831208*

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The second outfit was for our DJ set in Spy on South William St.  -

Crop top - €5.00 Oxfam 

Gold bandeau bra- American Apparel.

Mustard leather trench coat is an old one from the Urban Outfitters’ vintage section in Glasgow - £30.00

Rest-  same as above.

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The third outfit….Dublin is missing a good place to go on a Sunday night, unless anyone can recommend one? We were a tad tipsy so headed into what we affectionately refer to as Charles Fitzgerald Jenkin’s Mansion House otherwise known as Coppers. Lordy…but the dancing is fun!

Harlequin top - €12.00 Oxfam

Bra - American Apparel. 

Rest - same as above.

I swear, that’s the last post on this weekend! Unless I ever get to do another ‘Ten Favourite Things’, then it will be on that! 

x Blanaid

Thanks to Laura Cunningham and Andrew Clancy for the photos.

 

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A belated Fancy Friday due to the best weekend of my life, and therefore I’d like to dedicate it to those same people , who helped me waste a whole lot of time in the most wonderful way…!

I suppose there is no real way to accurately describe the  feeling of having great friends, but we kind of stumbled upon it in a pisstakey drunken conversation about something completely different - it’s good for the soul! Profound - but true ;)

So, to everyone who came out, from the people who made me laugh ’til I had to sit down for a minute,  to the people who I hadn’t seen in a while, or never met before, all of these wonderful, lovely, brilliant, brilliant people, thank you! x

Hope you all had a lovely weekend too, 

x Blanaid

Category: Fancy Friday  4 Comments
29
Nov

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Sorry for the lack of Fancy Friday and The Bloggers’ Digest, but it’s been one of those weekends…! Laura and I were at the IMTV awards, which were absolutely brilliant - the first Irish Music Television Awards, which recognised the talents not just of Irish musicians, but video directors, stylists etc…then on Saturday night, Laura and I were DJing (!) in SPY on South William St., followed by the housewarming paty. Now we’re on the way out to try and remove the pain of our heads, so full service will resume tomorrow…

To everyone that came out on Saturday night, it was truly one of the best nights of my life, and a special thank you to Anthony Remedy, Corina Gaffey and Lili Forberg for making it happen..It was just brilliant, I’d highly recommend going to SPY, we were leaping about the furniture and they just let us get on with it! Love that…our new favourite place. 

x Blanaid

Category: This Website  5 Comments

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I was quite thrilled to be asked to offer up my ‘Ten Favourite Things’ to the Evening Herald, by journalist Suzanne Yarker, except…I’m really bad at picking my favourite anything. I love music, films, books, chocolate - but ask me my first choice of anything and eh…yeah come back to me in about a week. Thankfully, both Suzanne and the lovely photographer Doug O’Connor were as easygoing as anything. Even when Doug was trying to help me out things, saying like : ‘How about that lamp, do you like that?’…it ended up as…’I do! I do like that lamp!’…’Could you live without the lamp though?’…’I could…I could live without that lamp..’ etc.

Anyway, I’m pretty happy with the results, they all mean something, or remind me of a lovely time, and that’s all you can really ask for from objects.

Feel free to tell me yours..If you can pick ten - it’s hard, try it!

x Blanaid

In no particular order by the Evening Her-dild…

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1. Nikhil & Shantu hand painted gold coat :  This is by far the most expensive thing I own. I make it earn it’s keep by hanging it on the wall when I’m not wearing it, so it moonlights as a piece of art. It keeps my guilt about the cost down a bit..

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2. Green hat : The best representation of thievery from my mother’s wardrobe: she buys it, I steal it. Luckily both she, my sister and I all love second hand shops, so my bill is pretty low. So far.

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3.  Keniche Hoshine print : This Keniche Hoshine print reads “I never stopped writing to you, sending telegrams that read like fevers.” which for me, sums up how intense and insatiable some love affairs can be…His ‘A Polite Winter’ collection is this demented adventure in love and desire, and to know that other people can  feel that way without descending in to all-out insanity, well, it’s a comfort!

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4. Vintage chair : I bought this at a car boot sale for about €15.00 I’m usually pretty disrespectful toward everything I own, but not this chair. It’s very dainty.

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5. Vintage Cameras : My brothers and I are just about to open a new studio in Kilkenny, so I have to practice the old taking photographs lark. These vintage cameras, which cost a euro each, are much cheaper to drop than my brother’s expensive stuff. And I will drop them at some stage. No doubt about it.

6.  Cuban Cigar Box : I thieved this from my Dad years back, it reminds me of him, and my brother Eoin, who are both partial to a cigar. It’s been dragged from house to house, so is looking a bit shook, bit I still love it. 

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7. Turquoise ring : This ring reminds me of a slightly foolish but fun period of my life, when I was very young and knew a whole lot about nothing, particularly relationships.

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8. Brother Sewing Machine : One of the most thoughtful birthday gifts I ever received. It works perfectly and looks beautiful. It has also saved me a lot of money.I get bored with my clothes pretty quickly, but even with my very limited sewing skill, it’s possible to alter things just enough to make them different. Such as the huge scarf from H&M that became a very inexpensive maxi dress…

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9. White silk dress : I bought this in Zara, for €99.00. It reminds me of one of my favourite nights out; one of those mad occassions that started all elegant, and ended a few days later with a dirty fry up.

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10. Photo of grandparents : I love this photo of my mother’s parents, out at a party, looking all glamorous and in love. Instead of showing lots of different photos of my friends and family, who are really all of my favourite things, I think this image sums up my life with the people I love. Laughing, getting dressed up, having fun and just enjoying the whole party.

x

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My brother Eoin and I are hoping to open a new photography studio in Kilkenny shortly. It’s in an old building, not a huge amount of floor space, but plenty of ceiling height, which is handy for the old photo taking!

These are just a few of the images I’ve saved into my ’studio’ folder, I’m thinking all white, bit of stainless steel, retro furniture and theatre light signage. I also love the idea of illustrating a ‘coming soon!’ poster for the windows as soon as we get the lease sorted…

x Blanaid

24
Nov

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x Blanaid

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The only, only thing I dislike about my lovely new apartment is the absence of a bath. I’m considering an old-school tin one in the living room, that I’ll fill with the kettle. Shouldn’t take long, I imagine…

x Blanaid

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Lately, I feel my clothes have been kind of…safe, hence the lack of outfit posts. Then, yesterday ,I bought a fantastic vintage dress for a tenner, and I remembered : I quite like clothes. I have silly amounts of them. I don’t wear 75% of the stuff I have…so..I’m off for a bit of a trying on stuff session. Enjoy the images. 

x Blanaid

Top image : 4th and Bleeker

Last image : Daisy Dares You

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A little late posting this, but Stellar is out all month, so it’s not too late…! Around a month back,  Stellar’s lovely Fashion Editor, Corina Gaffey, organised a shoot featuring some of the fashion bloggers in Ireland, photographed by the incredibly talented Lili Forberg. It was a fantastic day, especially getting to meet Corina, Lily, the hair stylist : Maurice Flynn, the make up artists; Seana Long and Alanna Wallace from Make Up Forever, and of course, the other Irish bloggers, including:

 Arsheen from Fashion Filosofy,  (beautiful creative taste.)

Catherine from This is an OffShoot, (a real live Irish Carine Roitfeld.)

Laura from Whisty Blogs Dublin Fashion, (my kind of style, I love her looks.)

Jessica from Get Your Frocks Off  (I need all of her clothes..)

Leonn from Cosmo-Sparkle  (vintage, eclectic look.)

and Zohra from ‘Ophelia Ford  (I’ll take all of her wardrobe too…)

and of course, our very own glamorous Laura Cunningham from The Stylebitches! :)

Do pick up Stellar if you see it, it’s a fantastic read. It was actually a favourite magazine of mine before this shoot, and now, of course, most definitely is..! Thank you to all involved, I had such a brilliant time, and was absolutely thrilled to be included.

x Blanaid

P.S See way more behind the scenes shot >here< if you like! x

 

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Hues of off-white and grey. Images via : Emmasblog, Fashion Toast, and Ffffound. Lyrics in title -’Gotta Have You’ by The Weepies - 

x Blanaid