Ready or Not

This jacket was a great find in H&M. As soon as I saw it, it reminded me of a Helmut Lang tuxedo blazer I saw online, the bonus being the price tag on this one made me happy. I was delighted when I tried it on and found it had a great fit. Nothing worse than when your heart sinks a little when you try something on  and it doesn't fit great when it was gorgeous on the hanger. These shoes are my treat to myself this month. I've wanted pointy stilettos for a while but was yet see a pair that I wanted. As you probably guessed, it was love at first sight with these beauties. I chose this outfit to wear when I wasn't sure exactly what the evening ahead held. Whatever was in store for me, I wanted to be ready or not.

Tuxedo blazer (H&M), top (Zara), jeans (Dunnes), shoes (Aldo).

I Just Want to be Myself

Quick picture before I was off on a few errands. It's a little windy out. This was the only shot I could get without hair in my face but it's just to show you this t-shirt I love which I bought because what it said across the front appealed to me...'I just want to be myself'.

Jacket (Miss Selfridge), T-shirt (Zara), Jeans (Topshop), Studded Boots (Faith), Bag (Zara)

Chapped Lips?

This is just a quick post to share something I found good with anyone who suffers with chapped lips from time to time. Somethings when I suffering from chapped lips, I was forever switching between lip balm & a lippy of some sort trying to achieve both moisture and colour. When I happened to try Clinique's Superbalm Moisturising Gloss, I expected it to add moisture but I wasn't fully convinced it would achieve what I was looking for which was long lasting moisture and colour. I half heartily thought I'd give it a try. To my delight, I was really pleased with the result, it gave me long-lasting moisture. I've recommended it to one or two of my friends that suffer from chapped lips with the change of the weather so I just thought I'd share this great find with you. I just wish I knew about it sooner.

Cupcakes with Sprinkles

The sun was bouncing off the cars, the lawn mowers were going, the daffodils were blooming...oh yes, the signs of spring are starting to appear. I even got to whip out my sunglasses. With that spring feeling in the air, this is what I chose to wear. I layered a fun jumper over a pink shirt and paired with jeans for a bit of a fun but preppy look. I seem to be going through a shirt under jumper phase at the moment. Anyone else currently going through a phase of something? I threw on a pair of burgundy coloured sunglasses and heels to complete the look.

Cupcake with sprinkles.

My shirt layering phase.

Jumper (Topshop), Shirt (H&M), Jeans (Topshop), Shoes (Marks & Spencers), Sunglasses (Warehouse), Clutch (River Island).

Sole Survivor

Have you ever had a pair of boots that you just love but you feel there's a good chance you may just go flying on to the floor walking in them? As soon as I tried these boots on, that was these boots for me. Gorgeous on, but I suddenly felt very unstable in them. Not because of their height mind you. It was because on the smoothness of the bottom of them. They had no grip whatsoever...but I bought them anyway. The first thing I done before I even wore them was get them resoled. It added to the cost but it was so worth it. One of the girls said they wouldn't even think to do that. Being honest, I've done it a few times. Boots are made for walking after all. I do take care of them. I just got them re-heeled last week before they wore down too much. I feel like I've a new pair of boots again. Happy Days!

Boots (Faith)

Instagram Valentines Week

Just a few quick snaps from Instagram I took Valentines week. I went down the country for a nice relaxing break and cuddled up by the fire with some movies. Went out for a delicious meal. How nice does it look!? Here are some of my recent purchases. Picked up this top in Zara. Love the subtle colours and its longer at the back which is perfect for layering. The jeans I picked up in Dunnes. They have a great fit, that I'm actually thinking of going back to get them in blue too. This jacket is a great find. It reminded me of a Helmut Lang wool tuxedo jacket one I saw but without the price tag. It reworks the classic blazer  while it's raised back and unique shape make it very versatile. Lastly, if you saw my last post, I decided to try the lilac nail varnish first.

Top (Zara), Jeans (Dunnes), Blazer (H&M).

Centre Stage

These are some nail varnishes I picked up this week. I recently had bought a similar pink in another brand but after two coats it still looked like it could have done with a third coat. As a result, I decided to try a different brand. A friend of mine had a Topshop nail varnish and I tried hers. It goes on great and it lasts.  If you were in a rush, not to worry as it even looks good with one coat, although I personally prefer two with nail varnishes. When I went looking for a pink in Topshop, I found they had so many gorgeous colours. Trust me, I was lucky I only came away with two colours. There was so many I wanted. Also, I couldn't resist trying Rimmel's new Peppermint colour. Now, which to put on first?! Have you a favourite nail varnish colour at the moment? 

Parma Violet (Topshop), Peppermint (Rimmel), Milkshake (Topshop).  

Just a thought...

Something my mam said to me sparked a thought. I mentioned to her that I love getting new nail varnish and that it's like a little pick-me-up treat to myself and can freshin' up your look. Her instant thought was how that used to be lipstick. What are your thoughts on this? Does lipstick still take centre stage or are you quicker to buy nail varnish as a cheap and cheerful beauty product?

Bobbles

At the moment, with the exception of the weekend, when I get up in the morning, it's still relatively dark and when I get home from work, you guessed it - it's dark again. The bonus of this is it usually means more cosy nights in but it does make it a little bit harder for outfit post moments. Each year I get a buzz of excitement when I leave work and for the first time in a few months, it's still bright outside. I can see the evenings getting a little bit longer each day and I can't wait for the long evenings in come in. It's my favourite time of year. What's your favourite time of year? 

It's actually gotten quite cold here the last week so I'm not going anywhere without a coat. This is what I was wearing at the weekend. With the 3/4 length sleeves on this coat, I initially wore it mostly when it wasn't too cold outside. That was however until I invested in some long sleeved gloves. They're fingerless gloves and has a part that flips over to cover your fingers. Whoever thought of that was a little genius. You can do so much more without having to take them on and off all the time. I always see bobbles on the top of a hat but I thought this one was a little different with the bobbles at the side.

 

Coat (Topshop), Jeans (Topshop), Boots (Office), Scarf (Marks & Spencers), Gloves (Accessorize), Hat (River Island)

Cinderella Syndrome

Have you ever had a dress or outfit you're dying to wear but you're just waiting for a suitable occasion to wear it? Well, this is that dress for me at the moment. I wore it once and really want to wear it again. It's not your typical going out dress. It's quite dressy and I'm not sure if this picture does it justice. It goes just to the knee and kicks out. It was sitting in the back of my wardrobe and I saw it today and thought it deserved to have its moment, even if it's not on me. I feel a little like cinderella waiting to go to a ball. 

Dress (Karen Millen), Shoes (Bertie), Clutch (Warehouse).

Just while I'm appreciating butterfly prints, I thought I'd share these pictures with you of a display that caught my attention at Pure in London last summer.

Butterflies can look so delicate and feminine.  They were just so eye catching and pretty, I felt compelled to take out the camera.

Softly Does It

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. I had a well needed relaxing weekend and feel totally refreshed. I love when you get a chance for a weekend like that. Here's what I wore during the day. The colours and light fabrics make this look have a real soft feeling to it. I love wearing this scarf with this dress as it picks up the colour at the bottom and really pulls the look together. 

Knitted Dress (Next), Tights (Dunnes), Boots (Pennys), Belt (Market in London), Scarf (Warehouse)

Pastel Pool

I've been loving all the editorials on pastels. Although I'm dying to go pastel from head to toe, I'm just waiting for it to look a little less like winter outside. With that said, I just picked up this pastel green jumper yesterday and decided to mix it with some warmer tones. I guess you could say I'm dipping my toe in the pastel pool before I jump in. Here's a quick snap of an outfit I was was wearing today taken right as I was running out the door. Have you guys been bringing any pastels into your wardrobe at all?

Jumper (Pennys), Bag (River Island), Jeans (Topshop), Boots (Aldo)

London Baby!

Back from London and I must say I had an absolute blast catching up with family and friends. After we went for some tea in this very quirky and cute cafe, we ended up doing a little vintage shopping down around Brick Lane where I ended up buying a lovely black leather skirt. It was the first item I went to try on and it fitted perfectly. I love when that happens. We also had a little stroll around some markets where I picked up a very eye catching ring I just couldn't resist. I was delighted we had time to see a show in the West End. Between reading all about the 1920's trend in Vogue on the plane, reading The Great Gatsby book on the way from the airport and topping it off by going to see the show Chicago, I felt like I'd really immersed myself in one of the spring/summer trends.
Here are some displays in Topshop on Oxford Street that really caught my eye. I took some quick pictures to share with you...

I was very excited to visit Sketch restaurant and former fashion house of Dior. I'd just heard wonderful things about the place so I had to go and see it for myself. There's a big dog on the building outside. If you walk by, you won't miss it. The building and interior is very unique. It's so much more impressive than these pictures portray. If you're ever in London, it's worth a visit. From the lighting, the decorative walls and even the toilets (yes, you did read correctly), the attention to detail and creativity striking. Check it out at http://www.sketch.uk.com/.

We just had to make a toast - to Dior of course!

Statement Coat

I wore this coat out for dinner the other night with the girls. Every girl needs to have a statement coat in the wardrobe right? I love wearing this coat with all black as it draws attention to the black details.

On another note, I've finally figured out how to link my blog to the Stylefootprints Facebook page I just set up the other day. Clearly still finding my way with this blogging but it's so much fun. Now, if I can just get some likes, it would make it all worth while.

I'm off to London for a long weekend to catch up with a friend. Very excited! I might not be back on before I go so I hope everyone has a nice weekend!

Coat (Dunnes Stores), Shoes (M&S)

Sophisticated Snakeskin

Living in Ireland, it can often be cold or chilly no matter what time of year so different styles of blazers and small jackets can be quite handy, especially as I'm nearly always cold when everyone else isn't! This snakeskin patterned one is perfect for that reason.

These wooden heeled shoes I actually got a good while ago. I wore them once. They were so painful that I didn't wear them again for a long time. I couldn't bring myself to wear them or give them away so I wore them around the house a few times for short periods of time and now I've finally worn them in so that they don't hurt. The test really came when I wore them the other night and I'm glad to say they passed the test; no pain! I can't wait to wear them again now.

Here's a bit of a close up. You may not see from a distance but the white blouse has pretty detail near the top. The detail and the varied length, with it being longer at the back was what had drawn me to this blouse. The first time I wore it I actually got a hole in it with a long necklace I was wearing. I was a little heartbroken I must say. However, I saw it again a few weeks later in the sale, so can you guess what I done next? Yes, I bought it again! 

So have you guys ever bought the same item twice, or am I alone in that act of madness? 

Snakeskin blazer (H&M), Blouse (Miss Selfridge), Pants (Topshop), Shoes (Barretts)

Sales Sales Sales

Okay, so I know everyone doesn't love sales. The lack of organisation, the crowds and rooting through the mess can be a bit tiresome for some but isn't it all worth it when you find a diamond in the rough?!

I didn't go mad in the sales but I did pick up a few bargains. Firstly, if you've been reading my blog recently, you may have noticed I think using a statement necklace can really glam up an outfit so when I came across this little gem on sale, I just had to purchase it.

My second purchase, however cold it is now, I think was a very sensible purchase. It's coming into spring/summer and last summer I got so much wear out of my maxi dresses, particularly when I was in Italy. They're ideal for holidays, and the pattern was just so pretty. Sold!

I'm taking a trip to London soon and thought I'd get this little name tag for my luggage. The Cath Kidston range is adorable, isn't it?

Lastly, I have been planning on getting a pair of classic, plain black, round toe shoes for a while. I half forgot about getting a pair when I stumbled across these ones. The first pair I saw were even my size. It must of been fate I thought!

Necklace (M&S), Maxi Dress (Oasis), Luggage Information Tag (Cath Kidston) and Black Shoes (Zara).

Cosy Knits

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a lovely new years night and is looking forward to what the year ahead may hold.

Just taking it handy this evening watching a film by the fire so thought I'd do a quick post.

When I was out for a walk with a friend the other day, this is the outfit I wore. 

Cosy, cosy, cosy all the way.

Cardigan (Dunnes Stores Savida Range), Top (Savida also), Jeans (Topshop), Boots (M&S), 

Bag (River Island), Bear Hat (River Island).