Bienvenue à la mode

This weekend I welcomed my first pair of "fashion" shoes into my wardrobe. On a post-Fashion Blogger's Brunch wander around town with Lillian and Cillian of Male Mode we popped into Circus where I found these wonderful wedges.

Now, on a normal day I would try these on and leave disappointed that I couldn't buy everything I want. But on this particular day, these particular shoes were only €50. Not that I really have €50 to be spending on shoes but seeing as they were originally €265 and the fact that they are actually very comfortable, I couldn't leave without them. Also, the Sunday Times Style magazine had an entire page dedicated to "Bold Wedges" the next day. Exciting.

They are by an Australian brand that I was previously unfamiliar with called Life with Bird. It is the work of photographer and fashion stylist Bridget Mc Call and fashion design graduate Nicholas Van Messner who have been working together since 2002.

Thanks again to Annmarie and Saba for a wonderful lunch on Saturday and to the people from Yes to Carrots for keeping our skin nice and soft.

Cat

Rewind

I got a very thoughtful present from someone last week that I absolutely love. It is a re-issue of the 1941 sewing handbook Sew and Save. That's right, a sewing handbook. It was published after WW2 to help women make the best of what they had, which at that time, was very little. I have always been a very big fan of sewing, making and altering things, but this book goes that little bit further. It has tips on how to store your clothes during the winter as well how to adjust hats and even how to make your own underwear. If you're at all into sewing you should get yourself to a library and pick up this charming little book.

Cat

Going Short

I am all for short. Short skirts, short dresses, shorts. I am also very short person. Lillian and I know that our legs are probably never going to look this good again so we do our best to avoid covering them up in overly long dresses or skirts. I have a very boring black dress that i bought for work but havn't worn since, the reason being it's down to my knee and just makes me thing that it would make a nice funeral dress. But really, id much rather get some wear out of it than keep it for funerals. So basically im just gonna get the scissors out and cut the bottom off it.

Before: Boring length, too long sleeves, boring work dress.

After: I might have cut it a bit too short but sure at least now ill wear it.

FLASH aaahhh saviour of the universe

A few posts ago I told you about the talk Ze Frank was giving in the Science Gallery well the talk was last night and it was brilliant, hilarious, moving and informative.Ze and Jonah Peretti were talking about how to make something viral on the internet and have given us a challenge that will show off just how sucessfully they can get a message to a huge amount of people but we can't let them win, this is our city and I won't have it. So the challenge is to create a flashmob tonight at eight o'clock outside the Stags Head everone we invite should draw a circle on their hand and everyone they invite will have to draw something else (I don't know what it is and I might not tell you even if I did cos yous might be messers and just stick that on your hand to get on Zes good side). I'm not sure what we'll have to do once we've gathered the mob but I'm sure they'll come up with something fun and if nothing else theres a bunch of pubs around there we can go drinking. So please come out tonight or if you can't tell your friends stick it on your blog I'd be ashamed if two American guys could get more people to a pub then us dubliners.

Essential scents

Yesterday morning myself and Lillian dragged ourselves out of bed at the ridiculously early time of 7:30 to make it to the Merrion Hotel for the launch of Benefit's new fragrance line, Crescent Row. After a little bit of driving confusion, i am never exactly sure where Merrion Square is, we arrived and were escorted to breakfast by a very handsome man in an orange dickie bow. If i ever become ridiculously rich i will employ this gentleman to escort me to breakfast every morning, but anyway back to the breakfast. Suffice to say it was delicious, mini pancakes, mini bagels, juice cocktails and fantastic goodie bags. The best part of the breakfast however was getting to meet Jean and Jane, co-founders of Benefit and two of the deadliest people i have met in a long time. If i could choose to adopt two new aunts, these women would definitely be my first choice.

I must say we were both very impressed by the new product. There are three perfumes in the range, each representing three different women, Lee Lee, Sofia and Gina. When you open up the box you get a look inside the homes of each of the three characters. Another great thing is the fact that you can mix and match the three as they have been designed to be worn one on top of the other.

Jean's daughters came up with the idea for the range after a trip to Bath. I love the whole concept because it reminds me of period dramas and i adore period dramas.

Crescent Row, Bath

I also love the bottles. They are the perfect size to carry around in your handbag, and they were inspired by their grandmothers flask-"It's 12 o'clock somewhere." Tres cool.

Laugh with me Lee Lee.

Something about Sofia.

My place or yours Gina.

They will be available from Benefit stockists from July and cost €43 each.

Cat

Very Important News

I'm afraid this has nothing to do with fashion so it probably doesn't belong here but it was too important so I just had to tell you. At last he's coming, Ze Frank the most brilliant blogger probably ever is finally coming to Dublin. We've been waiting for this for quite some time, well ever since he finished his year of blogging which was about two years ago. He's giving a talk in the science gallery about 'going viral' on the 17th, tickets are free but you do have to book them. Hopefully we'll see you there

ROFL

I find almost impossible not to alter everything I buy, whether its adding different buttons, making t-shirts into dresses, making dresses into skirts. It means I'm left with a pile of half finished clothes and lots of good intentions. This time I actually managed to finish one of the many DIY projects I start.
Mammy came home, with a great, cheap dress from Penney's. Perfect for the Christmas party season, black with a cream frill/ruffle thing down the front. First of all I had to change the horribly cheap looking buttons on it, great buttons are no longer hard to find thanks to Rubenesque. After Christmas it just seemed like I was never going to wear the dress again. So I decided to take off the ruffle/frill bit so it could be added to other outfits like so,

Talking about ourselves

Im not sure who started it, but this little Q&A has been making it's way around. We were tagged by the lovely girls at The Portmanteau so here we go:

What’s the last thing you read or are currently reading?
Cat: One flew over the cuckoo's nest, and loads of college books about immigration and masculinity.
Lil: Good as Gold by Joseph Heller

Do you nap a lot?
Cat: No, I only nap when i am sick.
Lil: Very occasionally, mostly in summer in my garden listening to Joanna Newsom

Who was the last person you hugged?
Cat: My friend Sinead.
Lil: Mammy

What’s your current obsession/addiction?
Cat: Mad Men and toasted cheese sandwiches.
Lil: Getting a copy of Oh Francis

What are you wearing right now?
Cat: Red boots and a black top i got in Berlin, red skirt from Paris and a nautical belt i found at home.
Lil: Striped dress with a white shirt tucked under a belt to make it look like I'm really wearing a a striped skirt and white shirt. Hard to explain but Catherine said she liked it so thats a good sign

What was for dinner?
Cat: Roast chicken, yum.
Lil: My brother's girlfriend is cooking dinner for me tonight, dunno what its going to be yet though

What have you been listening to lately?
Cat: Born Ruffians, Jape, Passion Pit and Timbaland.
Lil: So far today I've listened to Kurt Vile, Aerial Pink, Grizzly Bear, Silver Jews, IUD and Violent Femmes

If you could have any super power, what would it be?
Cat: To travel back in time and have a dance in 1930's Chicago.
Lil: Turn into a puddle like Alex Mac

What is your favorite weather, and why?
Cat: Really really cold and sunny. All the benefit of the sun but without worrying about getting burnt.
Lil: Sunny with a little bit of a breeze

What was the last thing you bought?
Cat: Coffee and a bus ticket.
Lil: A Nom de Guerre t shirt for my brother

Say something about the person who tagged you:
Cat: When we first met them i remember thinking that they were just like us.
Lil: What Catherine said, and that they were really lovely and had great accessories

If you could have a house- totally paid for, fully furnished- anywhere in the world, where would you want it to be?
Cat: Rue des Martyrs, Paris.
Lil: Antwerp

Favorite vacation spot?
Cat: Belmullet, Co. Mayo.
Lil: Olkhon Island, Siberia

Favorite pair of shoes you keep going back to over and over, even though your closet is overflowing with a zillion others?
Cat: Blue flats that i got for €3 in Penney's. I wore them all over Paris and have glued the soles back on more than once.
Lil: My first pair of wingtips, I'd been looking for them for years.

Name one thing you cannot live without.
Cat: The Borg ie. our 6 closest friends.
Lil: What Catherine said, also my records

If you could wake up anywhere tomorrow, where would it be?
Cat: The future. May 16th to be exact, no more college!
Lil: Edinburgh

We tag Lady jadey.

S for sense of achievement

Today is a very exciting day for me. After six months of work on our final year magazine, it arrived back from the printers today.

We did a very nerdy fashion shoot based around the four colours used in printing, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black. I am so proud of this. Here it is:


Clothes & Shoes from: Indigo & Cloth, Circus, Om Diva, Wild Child, Quizz, Oxfam, Buffalo and Office.
Models: Sarah McCall and Alan Taylor.
Photography: Kirtsy O'Keeffe.
Thanks to everyone who helped us out. You know who you are.

We will be launching the magazine at 8pm tomorrow (April 3rd) in the Bernard Shaw. So, pop in and say hi if you're around.

Cat

Explain away

As you are all aware, Lil and I have let the blog fall by the wayside lately, and we'd like to apologise. But as you may not be aware, I am in fourth year (only 44 days left of college) and Lil is completing the minor stage of her degree. So as you can imagine, we have about a million other things to do at the moment. So anyways, sorry for being crap bloggers but we'll make it up to you.

Cat

Matthew Williamson

Even though it was announced quite a while ago, pictures of the collection seem to have taken ages to appear. The first few were not so impressive all floaty florals which isn't something I'm that fond of. But the last week or so more images have been released they're very peacocky which isn't surprising. I think I'll defo head along to H&M on the 23rd just because the Comme des Garcons release was so much fun. Perhaps unsurprisingly I have my eye on that blazer (I have a bit of an obsession with coats and jackets, I dont want to count how many I have the number would just seem too silly).

Leotart

If you know us you know that Catherine is infinitely more classy than me. That's why while she's recently gone back to ballet I've taken up a less wholesome skill, pole dancing to be exact. Now it's not like I've started stripping for money, they do pole dancing classes at the local gym and it sounded like a bit of fun. Since we've both started dancing it seemed only right that we take a trip to the local dance world (it was a very hungover and unpleasant trip). Catherine got very excited about a new pair of ballet shoes and I managed to find half price leotards (or leotarts as my mam says). After a bit of a struggle in the changing room (when I said hungover I might have meant still drunk, it took a while to remember what you do when theres no zip) I discovered the joy of the leotard, they come it brilliant colours and have really great detail on the back.
However they're not particularly suitable for a night out in the pub. I apologise for coming across as a crazy drunken stripper in this post.