Archive for the Category »Recommended Sites «

28
Jul

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I love this concept. Popshot Magazine - “a bi-annual British based arts publication that champions contemporary poetry and illustration”  recently launched ‘The Print Shop’, which they descirbe as ” an opportunity to bring beautiful and affordable illustration prints to the walls of visual art/illustration lovers around the world.”

Basically, after working  with 100 illustrators for their magazine, they decided to take six of the finest illustrations from the past two years and turn them into collectable art prints. Each illustration is Giclee printed, produced in limited edition runs of 150 and measures at a very large 550mm x 675mm.

You can find out more by visiting >here<. I particularly like the work of Esra Roise, who’s work many of you may recognise. The opportunity to own a giclee print of hers for £45.00 plus p&p is quite appealing!

xBlanaid

24
May

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1. back to black

2. back to white

3. denim

4. night time fur & leather

5. accessorise

xBlanaid

10
May

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My love of antlers grows, as does my love of pinterest.

Image 1 via Creature Comforts

Image 2 via A Beautiful Mess

Image 3 : Klikk

Image 4 : My Design chic

xBlanaid

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The first installment  in my young Irish designer week of posts - and it’s the wonderful talent of Alice Halliday. This is a shoot of her graduate collection ’Soul Salvation’ with an all Cork team creative team - and look at these results. Amazing. I particularly love the cloak in the first photo, which Florence from ‘Florence and the Machine’ recently took away on tour with her…impressed? Why, yes, I really, really am….

Photography : Miki Barlok

Hair : Simone Best

Make- up : Rosa Ospina

Models : Rebecca Howarth and Ashlie Mac Phearson

xBlanaid

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Inspiration. Via ‘Abundance of’on Tumblr.

xBlanaid

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I have a little style crush on blogger/stylist Elin Kling. Mostly the combination of too-glamorous trousers with little knits. Hello Winter, you are done.

xBlanaid

il_430xn128207428il_430xn171657848I bought these Frantic Meerkat prints almost two years ago. I have a few more and aim to buy them all, but these two are my absolute favourites. They make me laugh every.single.time I see them. Genius!

Buy them >here<

xBlanaid

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Here’s a little wishlist I put together this evening, following minor meltdown over previous post photo. It’s subject to change - as in - be added to….

I’ve linked to the item where possible - apologies in advance if you like it, buy it and then blame me for funding issues. Personally I blame Alex Donald and Pa Byrne for introducing me to Asos, so let’s all just blame themfor EVERYTHING! Yay!  ; )

H&M Tassled jacket €49.95

Topshop Tie Dye Marble t-shirt. - £35.00

ASOS Black beaded headband - €60.88

Topshop Wisteria Chiffon Wedges - £70.00

Jeffrey Campbell Litas - $159.99

ASOS BLACK Cornelli Detail Mesh Maxi Dress - €125.73

Topshop Stud Open Back Vest - £28.00

Black Milk Lace Flares - $70.00

Penneys tooled bag - €11.00

xBlanaid

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This is brilliant for those of you with a few minutes to spare, who are into design/graphics/art or just y’know, mucking about for a little bit. You have to arrange little squares of colour accroding to where they come on the spectrum

I did this test back in April - hence the age bracket - I wasn’t cheating! My friend sent it to me - he got zero, which is THE best possible score. I got four…which isn’t too bad considering my slight issue with green/blue!

Just found it again now so thought I’d share! Check it out >here<

xBlanaid

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Here are two outfits I didn’t know I needed - and now I do. I put  them together on H&M’s Fashion Studio page - which is both lethal and genius. Free ads anyone?!

Don’t click >here< to visit, I just spent 30 minutes of work time playing around with this thing…

xBlanaid

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Roxy Rhinestone is one of Ireland most established Burlesque performers and has been performing nationally and internationally since 2005. Her performances combine elements of classic burlesque with a modern comic twist.  The good news for those of you interested in learning some skills of a sultry-shaking-it nature is that Roxy will be passing on her knowledge of performance and tease in a 3 hour workshop for beginners! 

All props will be provided, except nipple tassels (<one of my most favourite sentences on this blog ever!!)…. So if you have some bring them and if not there will be some available for sale at the class at prices from 20 euro upwards. 

The class is on this Saturday, 28th August , starting at 10am until 1pm and will cost 35 euro per person.

Places are limited so book now by emailing Roxy at roxyrhinestone@gmail.com

If I wasn’t working at the Ultimate Girls’ Day Out in the RDS this weekend, I think I’d toddle along myself! 

xBlanaid

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I have been meaning to post about Conor Nolan and David Wall for around a year now, ever since I saw their incredible work for Circus store. I love their typography and, yes, to sound like a complete nerd, how clean their work is..I also love the pixellated diamonds in the last image, which was part of a campaign for Red Bull.

Conor studied in the National College of Art & Design, Dublin and Elisava Escola Superior de Disseny, Barcelona, graduating with a first-class honours degree and commendation, while David studied in the National College of Art & Design, Dublin and Lahti University of Applied Sciences, Finland, graduating in 2002 with a first-class honours degree. Since they founded a studio together in March 2006, the focus of Conor & Davidʼs work has been to create thoughtful, rational, content-driven graphic design for print and screen, for a wide variety of clients including Open House Dublin, Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane, The Irish Museum of Modern Art, The Model Arts and Niland Gallery, The National College of Art & Design, National Campaign for the Arts, Irish Architecture Foundation, Architectural Association of Ireland…jeez…nice line up!

 Check out the rest of their incredible body of work on their website <here>

xBlanaid

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I was planning a Joanne Hynes post for Irish week but Styleisle.ie has actually done a far better job than I had ever intended….so all I will just say that not only are Joanne Hynes’ designs beautiful, but her website is quite incredibly cool AND she comes across as a very interesting person in interviews.  I think she’s one designer whose clothes I could happily wear forever. 

Visit her website < here > and like her on facebook < here > 

If you have a favourite Irish designer, please do share in the comments section!

xBlanaid

 

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Blaubushka - I love this blog, it could be turned in to a real life magazine tomorrow with not much more effort and that is the sign of a blog worth something, in my humble opinion. Nice clean design, interesting, regular posts and just a nice vibe about the whole place. 

Fashion House - Again, a lot of work is put in to this blog, some of my favourite image-heavy posts in the blogosphere.

Dave Minogue - One of the only blogs that makes me REALLY laugh out loud. Dave Minogue has no fear or limits and that is why we love him. 

xBlanaid

More blogs on the way, and stores!

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So with this post I get to kill three Irish birds with one stone, athough I don’t mean birds in the Cockney way…

Here is one of my favourite Irish bloggers Rhona from Rose Tinted Uncertainty, photographed by us in Shutterbug and wearing a tulle skirt by Bonzie. Oh!..and my friend Laura Cunningham (Irish) had used this skirt in a shoot she styled for MTV’s Laura Whitmore (Irish) so I held on to it for a shoot before Bonzie collected it….well now this post is veritably made of Irish.

How beautiful and like a young version of Julianne Moore is Rhona? Very is the answer I would give anyway… : )

xBlanaid

See more photos on our facebook page >here<

 

blanaid-favourite-things-irishI hope you don’t mind that I’ve chosen my favourite Irish made item from these stores rather than just feature the stores themselves. I will be doing store posts too, but I just loved these items on their own merit so much I had to share. 

1. One of my favourite Irish e-stores, Mabel & Violet, have an entire ‘Made In Ireland’ section which is fantastic. I’m particularly in absolute love with this smoky quartz cocktail ring from Juvi. €89.95 

2. Richard Conway pointed me in the direction of  Kathy Coleman’s shop on etsy - ‘Girl Can’t Talk’. How much do I need this yellow feathered bib in my life? THIS much. Amazingness. $80.00

3. It wouldn’t be a post on Irish hand-made-edness withouth featuring the craftsmanship from Bonzie. This duo never cease to impress, and their new tiered skirt design is most definitely on my wish list. I would wear it all day long while eating lots of cake and drinking champagne. I’m not sure why I’d feel the need to do those things - it just seems like the proper way to spend the day while wearing tulle. $190.00

Lots more posts on the way..! 

xBlanaid

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These Irish Blog posts  may well end up just becoming posts filled with lists because there are SO many incredible Irish blogs at the moment.  I have posted about some before, and I do also try to continuously update the links section over yonder on the right of this page. However I’ll feature some more this week -why not sure…! Two to start us off are Alex Donald’s Multiverse and When FiFi Was Four. 

Alex Donald’s Multiverse:  I like to discover new things on my little blog meanderings, and I always learn something new from Alex’s blog. Her world is the place I like to go to to take notes on movies I’d like to see or books I’d like to read or places I’d like to visit. I like her taste and reckon if she’s recommending it - it has to be good. 

When FiFi Was Four. : I love the way the images are curated so far over on this new blog - great selections, well edited and some great fashion choices. I very much like it so far and look forward to seeing more…

xBlanaid

 

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I was wearing the other outfit until this afternoon, when my life became most wonderful.  I bought this Urban Outfiters pony t-shirt in a second hand shop for €2.50. Ponies beat wolves. The only way this t-shirt could be any better is if it was a unicorn, in my humble opinion.

When I was in London recently, Nico, from Italy, sang us the theme tune to the Italian version of the cartoon ‘ My Little Pony” It’s IMPOSSIBLE not to sing the chorus over and over again while slightly inebriated. Listen to it and try not to sing it on your next night out. Volaaaa miiio miniiii ponyyy, voolaaa mioo minni ponny VAI!

P.S Visit Nico’s lovely blog >here<

xBlanaid

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First of all - apologies for the erratic posting, I’m caught up in a project at the moment - a very exciting and lovely one, so that’s pleasant, but not so great for the time-to-blog situations….here are two sites I found tonight when I got home from said same project - of course, I should have gone straight to bed but instead broke out the toffee popcorn and went on the intra-net…

Typearchive - just a lovely collection of words written in different fonts from around the world.

Evasee - I found this one after they found me.. : )  I saw a link back to my blog from them in my analytics - they had done a lovely post on this site, so a very genuine thank you to them…I ended up trawling thorough their brilliant site for a while and then bookmarked!

xBlanaid

P.S I imagine my grammar skills are all over the place at this stage of the night - sorry!

27
Apr

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Stuff everywhere - I love it. Not clutter though. I have a slight loathing of everyday stuff being on display - like kitchen counters full of normal kitchen stuff, or sitting rooms covered in everyday bits and bobs. It’s my slight OCD - comfort for me, is not just about having somewhere to slouch, but also that everything should be easy on the eye. Bright pink cheapy magazine in a cream room? I can’t handle that - but magazine with interesting cover, no problem. Pathetic but true.

I’d also like to say that I’m not even remotely tidy - but I do think that if you put the time in to making a room look beautiful and restful, then have hiding places for the stuff that takes away from that - obviously without reaching levels of panicked ‘take your shoes off!’ dementedness though… : )

Images via 1 ,2, 3, 4

xBlanaid

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Found this incredible shoot via one of my favourite Irish fashion blogs, The Style Strutter‘, which is written by Corkonian Cathy Lawson. The shoot is for Vogue Paris, featuring model Natasha Poly. Makes me want to go and buy some patterned pieces.

xBlanaid

Images via Fashion Gone Rogue

P.S (Also inspired by Cathy’s P.S..) …Although Blanaid.com didn’t make it to the finals of the Irish Blog Awards, I’m thrilled that myself and Laura Cunningham’s satirical fashion blog The Stylebitches’ made the shortlist for ‘Best Newcomer.’ Thank you for nominating us! x

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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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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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curtains

 ‘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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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

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Lorna from Garrenndenny Lane Interiors is one of those lovely people you happen upon, who will give you a helping hand when you most need it, even if you’re a complete stranger. AND she has a very pretty blog, online store and interior design service - so I thought that you lovely people might like to meet one another ..

Lorna is based between Carlow and Kilkenny, where she offers an interior design consultancy service and stock designer fabrics and wallpapers, including Designers Guild, Swaffer, Jab, Andrew Martin, Sanderson, GP & J Baker, Voyage, Lorient, James Brindley. Her online shop stocks fabulous little gifts and home accessories. Take a wee look-see >>here <<… Her blog is an interior design blog with a bit of farming and rural Irish life thrown in for good measure. She writes about new looks, interior design trends, things she like, and she aims to do an Interior design solution most Fridays ….

Lorna is also holding a competition on her blog and Facebook page at the moment - you could win a hamper full of really, incredibly GOOD goodies if you becomes a fan of my facebook page during the month of October - here’s the link to the facebook page >> here << and to the blog post  >>here<<.

 Visit Lorna and say howdy over on her blog - www.garrendennylane.ie/blog, or toddle on over to her website: www.garrendennylane.ie

x Blanaid

 

 

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If you ever had any fears about the all white look - then let photographer Mari Eriksson ease your mind with these amazing images from her website.

Take a moment.

Feeling relaxed? Now head  on over to her website for more… >>MariFoto<<

x Blanaid

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An absolutely amazing post and interview with Melbourne street artist; Miso, over on The Design Files. I am so glad I stumbled upon this, as she is truly, truly talented and inspiring. She is also making me feel incredibly untalented through her being truly, truly talented and inspiring..! Her use of sketching and paper as a form of street art is just brilliant, as is her collaborations with other artists, and her positioning of her work on the street. Check out her website >here< after reading the full wonderful article on The Design Files.

x Blanaid

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Love this poster from the fantastic online store ‘Three Potato Four’. It’s just such a fantastic illustration, and  would look great in either a child’s room or a modernist living room. Perfecto!

Buy it >here< for $48.00..

x Blanaid

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Love this lookbook for custom made headpiece designers : Little Doe. 

Found Via : Studded Hearts

x Blanaid

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I had to repost these illustrations from the utterly fantastic fashion blog : Stylebubble. I would give my left arm or at the very least, a little finger, to be able to create fashion illustrations such as these ones from Danish Design School  graduate Ann-Sofie Madsen. The images of her actual finished garments show how well she translated her pieces from the thoughts in her head, which I imagine is an incredibly difficult thing to do, unless you;re somewhat of a genius like Ann-Sofie. View the rest of the images oer on Stylebubble >>here<<.

(B)