Archive for » November, 2009 «

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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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Saturday

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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Sunday

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

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Nov

for-starsVia For Stars Will Rise Again

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

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A new feature on the blog, that may or may not be repeated…! Just a little round up of stuff from the blogosphere, that you might like to dip in to over the weekend. 

FASHION : Read about Whisty’s visit to the Off the Rails roadshow.

PHOTOGRAPHY :  Emma’s  post on photographer Sharyn Cairns.

MUSIC : Check out guest blogger Doug’s review of Orbital over on The Coffey Filter

CULTURE : Rosemary McCabe on Jezebel’s take on that Glamour magazine cover.

INTERIORS : Zita from Homebug on the Eames rocking chair.

SPORT : Stylebitch (L) does not be liking that Thierry Henry fellid. 

x Blanaid

 

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Preppy children, a quiet smoke, profundities and Jemaine from Flight of the Conchords. All the ingredients for a demented type of Stepford Utopia….I’ll take it!

x Blanaid

Images via ffffoundtumblr and etc

Category: Fancy Friday  5 Comments

The Low Anthem - ‘To Ohio’

x Blanaid

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I was up in Athlone, in Burgess Department Store, styling for an RTÉ show, (yeah, there was no reason to tell you that, but I just wanted to type it out loud! Sorry!) when I picked up this gúna from Bay Trading - reduced to €14.oo!  I’m not in any way a shop snob, as you can probably guess from my love of Penneys, but Bay is never a store that comes into my mind when shopping, so I was quite thrilled with this little number. I also bought the studded belt there for €15.oo - good day!

The rigout has also earned it’s keep, as I wore it for the show, then presenting for Style Nation at the Off The Rails roadshow, then out again on Saturday night for my friend Orla’s birthday. Oh and also on another night out with my sister Roisin, and me Laura... So yeah…in conclusion… I like it.

Dress : €14.00 Bay Trading

Belt : €15.00 Bay Trading

Tights : €2.00 Penneys

Shoes : appx. €80.00 Topshop

Jewellery : Bracelets and turquoise ring : from Accessorize.

Stacked rings : from Tempted

Diamond band : Old engagement ring

Square ring : Present from Laura from Topshop.

x Blanaid

 

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As you may or may not know, I’ve written a couple of interiors features for the Irish Independent (< click to read the first article)recently; where I take a property that’s for sale and give it a hypothetical makeover using products sourced from around Ireland and the internet. 

Soooo…over the next few weeks, I’m going to post all of the products I’ve found on my trawls, in the hopes they may be of some use, even if it’s just to look at…!

I’ll also upload the PDF’s of the articles when I get an afternoon..

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Image above : Room styled by Blanaid Hennessy, photographed by Andrew Clancy

 in Bramley’s Department Store, Main Street, Abbeyleix, Co. Laois, Ireland, which has a HUGE and quite amazing selection of lovely things, as well as parts of the store set up as inspirational rooms.

Phone : (057) 8730996  E-mail: info@bramleys.ie Web : www.bramleys.ie

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 ‘Viceroy’ velvet curtains from €125.00 plus p&p, www.anthropologie.com

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Marks & Spencer’s Portland 2 seater sofa in the Autograph ‘Neo Steel Blue’ fabric - €2089.00 (01) 8728833

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Beautiful candlesticks from Irish site : Mabel & Violet

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Selection of prints available from Irish photographer Moselle Foley. email : me@mosellefoley.com for information, or visit her > website <

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Chrome 1950’s style telephone €79.99 plus P&P from www.pressieport.ieT: +353 (0) 1 4605350 

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Hungarian Grain Sack Cushions available from the ‘Helkatdesign’ store on www.etsy.com.

Prices start from appx €28.00 with p&p from appx €5.00

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For a selection of antique armchairs and furniture, try : Larkins Furniture, Templetuohy, Co. Tipperary (0504) 53132

More to follow over the next couple of weeks!

x Blanaid

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She just looks dinky!

x Blanaid

*edit* Via The Sartorialist

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Things to do this weekend : get out of the house, go on an adventure, have a laugh, make a fool of myself, laugh at that, have some tea, dance a little and look at the stars - even if it’s just for two minutes. Must just to remember to look at them, either on the way home from a good night out, or through our lovely new windows! :)

Have a lovely weekend…

x Blanaid

Category: Fancy Friday  2 Comments

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A quick thank you post…!

I had to pop down to Kilkenny for work stuff today, but had to be back in Dublin by 6pm to present a ‘Style Nation’ piece at RTÉ’s Off the Rails, The Total Experience roadshow… (which was great fun by the way, especially the fashion show..) Time was against me (Friday traffic…the seventh ring of hell and damnation) and I wasn’t going to get a chance to top in the apt on the way to fix my dreadlocked hair, so I called Anton in ‘Hair by Anton’ in the Market Yard, Kilkenny (056-7764577) on the off chance he could do something in the ten minutes I had to spare in town, and he obliged most kindly.

I’m not sure what or how he did it, but he made it all soft and wavy, piled it up high, pinned some of it up,  managed to keep it messy the way I like it, and all without a single pin sticking into my scalp. And within the ten minutes. So I just wanted to say thank you!

Forgive the crap photo, it’s late.

x Blanaid

 

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My second interiors feature is in the Irish Independent property supplement today (Fri)…It’s a segment called ‘Put your stamp on it..‘, where I take a house that’s currently on the market for sale, and give it a hypothetical makeover using products sourced from around Ireland and the internet.

I also go to an interiors store and set up a room in the style I think would suit the home, and this time around, photographer Andrew Clancy and I paid a visit to the beautiful SKI interiors in Naas. The second image is a small selection from the products featured today, including the beautiufl, and incredibly affordable hand painted sideboard from Strawbridge in Co. Wicklow. 

You can see more in the Independent today, I hope you like it! 

x Blanaid

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I was thinking that the spare room in our new apartment would be lovely in just a soft grey, but after seeing the bottom image, I’ve changed my mind. Walls plastered in images it is…

x Blanaid

Images via >etc<

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This isn’t a ‘proper shoot,’ we were just cutting through our new garden (!) into town when Andrew Clancy took a few quick snaps, so this outfit is pretty thoughtless but comfortable as anything. Also caught rapid with a dirty smoke. Anyway!

Coat : Vintage €15.00

Skirt : Topshop €20.00

Tights : Penneys €3.00

Boots : Penneys €21.00

Jewellery : Really piling on the silver at the moment, must do a post on all the rings and stuff I’ve accumulated. It’s ridiculous. 

x Blanaid

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My new love - white socks, as seen in the Ruby Lookbook 2010. Via the blog Knightcat. 

What do you think?

x Blanaid

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I was quite delighted to be included in the Sunday Tribune’s ‘Insider Knowledge’ article last Sunday. The Tribune’s Valerie Shanley asked me all about saving money when doing up your home, which is, of course, a matter close to my non-rambunctiously-spending heart.  You can read the full piece, which features advice from Chefs Stephen Gibson and Natasha MacGowan, Stylist Aisling Farinella, DJ Cillian McDonnell and Gardener Fiann Ó Nualláin,  >> here !<<

x Blanaid

Photograph : Lar Boland, who was verrry patient and kind!  

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I’m so sorry for my absence from the blog, I am currently in the middle of moving to Dublin! Luc, Heather and I moved in last night, and are right in the middle of completely re-doing the place….ripping all the  carpets up, painting walls white, taking down curtains, fixing shutters and putting in furniture etc as it was completely unfurnished, which I love. Thanks to Andrew Clancy for the photos! (I, of course, neglected to take before photos but it was yellow walls and wine carpet galore…) 

*It really is a work in progress, the mirror above the fire is still on it’s backing, another single divan bed/sofa thing will be going beside the fireplace, more rugs about the place etc etc etc..! 

In one of the shots, you can see Mr.Pete Fagan hard at work, he started helping me on Tuesday morning and he’s still here, loading vans, pulling up nails, and eh…heading out for a few pints now. He’s a legend! Also, a huge thanks to my sister Roisin, brothers Eoin and Aran, Andrew Clancy, Laura Cunningham, Heather , Catherine and Danny Condren and Lucianne White for all of their help. Starbars. 

This is my 16th move in the last ten years, the last being just six months ago. I think it’s safe to say I’m done. Feel free to remind me of this in about 8 months time, when I might be on the road again.

xBlanaid

 

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I was really very delighted to be asked by the ladies from the blog ‘Blaubushka,’ to take part in their ‘Blogging for Boobs’ campaign to raise the awareness of breast cancer. They asked bloggers to send in ‘pink’ themed images of themselves or anything at all, which they are now posting over on their blog. Such a lovely idea, and a huge congratulations to them for organising it all. There are some absolutely amazing images being posted, have a looksee at their blog >here<

For my image, I decided to do an  outfit post, so got my pink second -hand Monsoon dress, pink vintage hat, and pink TK Maxx umbrella, and toddled off to a field here in Kilkenny. The photographer was, again, Andrew Clancy, who was so great and didn’t mind a bit about the f-f-f-freezing cold and rain. Thank you Clancers!

Please visit Blaubushka, and do click on the breast cancer information links they have provided in the posts. 

Thanks for having me Blaubushka!

x Blanaid

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Isn’t it crazy that we smoke and drink and eat bad food and do all the things that will shorten our days on this lovely place? It’s madness, but f*ck, it’s fun at the time.

Have a great weekend. Sorry for the absence this week  - work is mental aaand I’m moving to Dublin… Photos of the new pad soon-ish!

xBlanaid

Images via Lolita, Ffffound, Them Thangs and For Stars.

Category: Fancy Friday  3 Comments

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Found this hotel via the blog ‘Solid Frog’…the Story Hotel is based in a downtown Stockholm, and is filled with art and all sorts of cool furniture. Their philosophy for the hotel is to create a space that is a combination of design and innovation, which I think they’ve succeeded in doing. I am slightly in love with the painted decking in the courtyard (first image), exactly the colour of the floorboards I would like in my dream apartment.

x Blanaid

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Sometimes I kind of lose my way  when it comes to what I actually like wearing..then I look at photos such as these from Knightcat, and I think - yeah I’m a scruffy bird. I’ll go back to that look.

It’s a mini-drama. 

x Blanaid