Ten things that I have learnt in 2013

1. Stop stressing over school. Work no harder than you feel comfortable with and keep it in perspective - it’s really not that important.

2. Take every opportunity to be outside when it’s sunny if you live in a place where it rarely is.

3. Don’t build the foundations of happiness on another person. Don’t let them become the reason for recovery. Set down te roots on your own so you can learn to be content that way instead of pinning it all on someone else. It’s not fair on you or on them and will inevitably end in regression back to a not-so-good place.

4. Everything is temporary. Anger and frustration and sadness and pain will eventually pass, don’t make rash decisions when in such a state.

5. Try to respect yourself. Even if you feel worthless, don’t take actions in an attempt to prove it. It will only make your situation worse.

6. Don’t take everything people say at face value. Whether it’s intentional or not, people play mind games and being open to understanding them is a step towards protecting yourself from being drawn into them.

7. Question everything but don’t make unfair judgments. Question your own thought mechanisms too.

8. Try not to let the negativity of those around you become your own. Separate yourself from unnecessary negative energy where possible, and hold sacred the things that inspire positivity within you.

9. Trust what your body is telling you - it's usually right.

10. Remember that you’re entitled to your own opinions and thoughts and feelings. They’re as valid as anybody else’s and just as valuable.

Happy (almost) New Year everybody. :-)

Friday Night Fashion Confession

I cried when Lee Alexander McQueen died.

I cried a lot.

I still find it slightly puzzling why I was so affected by it. Maybe it was because I'd only just become fully accustomed with his brilliance and then... suddenly it was no more? Maybe it was the connection to the situation on a human level? Irrespective of what a person has achieved in their life, the fact that they have extinguished it by their own hand will always be something that deeply saddens me. Or, maybe, it was because I feared that the sheer genius of his pioneering designs would be forever lost?

I'm not entirely sure why it moved me so much and, to be honest, why it still moves me. And I'm not entirely sure why I wanted to share this right now either! I don't know, as silly as it sounds I am so overwhelmingly happy that Sarah Burton has been able to carry on his legacy with such seamless beauty. It seems to me almost as though he lives through the designs. That sounds a little odd, I don't know. But hey it's my thought for the day.

Have a great weekend x

Life is a funny thing.

I have to admit, it feels rather alien being back on this blog! But... I thought that maybe it was time to resurrect it, so we'll see how it goes. I feel like I've outgrown the layout of this blog, however, so I may try and play around with it soon to find something more 'me'.

I'm not entirely sure where I was going with the title of this post but it seems to sum up the past few months fairly well. I must admit, I have been struggling a lot with my priorities and with the direction that my life is headed at the moment which is all rather scary but - aren't we all?! I don't know, at this (very young) age we're all on the precipice of something new and unknown and we can either choose to embrace the opportunity or retreat to our comfort zone and pretend it isn't happening. 

I tend to do the latter. 

I'm still trying to work out how to turn this mentality around but (I don't mean to sound pessimistic but I'm unsure how else to word this) the realisation that everything is essentially meaningless is something that I have found really comforting. This could be seen as a destructive thing, but somehow it really helps me to understand that getting so bogged down by the minutiae of life is not necessary or helpful - in the slightest! I suppose I just need to learn to take a step back and recognise that it's okay to be struggling. And it's okay to be unsure of what the future holds. And it's okay to not follow every convention. What's not okay is letting these things consume you. 

Ah I don't really know where I'm going with this and I could probably rant for ages attempting to make my thoughts clear but I'll leave it at that for now! I hope everybody is having a lovely day, whatever you're doing...even if, like me, you're currently procrastinating - haha! 

Au revoir x

The xx, among other things...

Ok, I apologise in advance for the fact that I am about to go off on a rant about how much I love The xx (If you have never heard of them, they're a band. You should really look them up, it'll change your life).

 I went to see them live at the Usher Hall on Wednesday and OH MY GOD they were fantastic. Wonderfully, beautifully, insanely fantastic. The songs, the set up, the lighting, the atmosphere...It was all perfect. I can confidently say that it was the best experience of my life - I just want to go and see them again!!

So yeah...really the point of that was to explain the t-shirt that I'm wearing in this post... I bought it at the gig, and the 'x' is the same as the one on the cover of their new album Coexist. I love it so much, I don't want to take it off! 

T-shirt - The xx merchandise; Jeans - Topshop; Creepers - New Look

For the concert on Wednesday, I used the covers of both albums by The xx: XX and Coexist as inspiration for my nails. (I bet I sound like such an obsessed fan). It was quite fiddly to do - I put two strips of sellotape over the base colour, painted the whole nail and then took the tape off to reveal the colour underneath. I was doing it quickly before I went out so they ended up looking pretty messy...but from far away they seem to look fine! And I actually quite like the idea of having the nails on each hand a different colour...it's an easy way to make them look a bit more interesting!

Yesterday I finally bought myself a pair of brothel creepers. I have wanted a pair for months but only got around to buying them now and, surprisingly, they are sooo comfortable! They're probably the comfiest shoes I own to be honest, and they're really easy to walk in as well which was a nice surprise. I wore them in the rain today and I kind of expected them to get wrecked (clearly I didn't have very high hopes for these shoes), but they were fine - woo! Overall I am really happy with them. I want to go and get them in other colours now, haha!

Well I hope everybody is having a great day, Bye! Iona xo

I'm back!!! + Comme des garçons

Ok, firstly I would like to apologise for my extended absence - I'm not really sure what happened! The past couple of weeks have been pretty hectic with schoolwork, this year seems like it's going to be insanely tough... I'll be lucky to make it out alive! Anyway, I hope everybody had a great Summer.....

On that note: As you may have gathered from the fire in the background of the first picture – it’s beginning to feel a lot like Autumn here in Scotland. Slightly reluctantly, I dug out a big thick jumper to wear today because it was cooold!

The reason I called this post 'comme des garçons' was sadly not because anything I am wearing is from the brand 'Comme des Garçons', but because of it's meaning - 'like the boys'. This outfit is a lot more androgynous than my usual outfits, but I am quite enjoying the 'mannish' look...although I paired it with heels which kind of ruins the effect!

Maybe I shouldn't admit this, but the jumper is actually a v-neck school jumper worn back to front…haha! It probably looks a bit silly from behind, but at least I have long hair to sort of cover it up. I have never worn my treasured mint shirt with a jumper over it, but the idea came to me during a daydream in school today (a bit of an epiphany really) and I knew I had to try it out when I got home.

Because the jumper is quite thick and baggy though, I paired it with some treggings…is that even a word?! If not, it is now. They’re basically a cross between trousers and leggings; treggings are a wardrobe staple for me, they're just so comfortable and easy to wear.

 

I hate having to admit this...but these aren't my real nails *gasp* ...they are false nails that were black with white polka dots... until I got bored of the design and painted over them in mint (then topped them off with a pearly white). It's fair to say that I am becoming addicted to false nails...I feel rather bad for my real nails :( I bet they're in a terrible state right now. Sorry guys.

I hope that everybody has a great weekend, see you soon! Iona xo

8.7.12 - neon flatforms

Heeey, I've not really had anything to post the past few days because I've become so lazy and have basically been living in my pyjamas haha! But today (shock horror) I actually left the house and went shopping.
 I was only meant to be buying people birthday presents but there was a sale in Topshop and I couldn't resist the neon flatforms. I am so sorry purse, I have been abusing you quite a lot lately.

I have plain black flatforms already which I love, but I've had my eye on a fluorescent pair for months. I didn't want to pay full price for them because I'm guessing they're something I won't wear all too often, so I was well happy when I found out they were in the sale! They don't match anything I own - apart from a nail varnish - but I kind of like that. It will be easy to pick me out in a crowd at least!

Denim shirt, shorts & shoes - Topshop; T-shirt - New Look; Tights - Accessorize

Wheeee

Here's a better quality picture of them... they do slightly resemble bowling shoes haha!

I hope that everybody is enjoying their Summer so far :) Bye! xo

Days 2 & 3 of Work Experience

Sorry this has taken so long for me to post this! I've been pretty busy this week and haven't had a chance to blog. I also apologize because I was too unorganized to get pictures of my outfits on days four and five of work experience, woops. 

I'd just quickly like to say that I had such a good week at New Look though, the staff were all amazing and I got to try different things every day, it was a really great experience overall!

Ok, so on day two I carried on my mint theme (no surprises there) with the dotty top I got for my birthday which was great because it is made from quite a thin, floaty material meaning I didn't get too warm in the shop. I wore it with my high-waisted Topshop jeans and the same shoes as the day before. The handbag is possibly my favourite bag ever... I brought it to work every day! I like how it's so sturdy, and is the perfect size to carry everything I need without being too bulky. I also love the coral detailing which makes it a lot more interesting and appealing to the eye than any of my other bags. 

On my third day, I wore an outfit completely from New Look (apart from the shoes). I bought the top last weekend with work experience in mind - and I really like it, seeing as it is a bit more grunge-y than anything else I own, particularly as I'm going through a pretty pastel phase. I teamed it with my coral skirt and a pleated belt to counteract the gothic vibe though. I was going to wear a black skirt, but thought it made the whole look a bit too dark.
I may have lied a little in the next pictures... I actually didn't wear the Doc Martens to New Look, I just wore plain black plimsolls. They looked ok, but I wanted something that would make more of a statement for taking these pictures!

Top, Belt & Skirt - New Look; Boots- Doc Martens

 As you can see, I got a wee bit carried away taking pictures! My legs look super short here, haha.

Tippy tooooes

I tried to match my nails with the skirt but they looked a bit too plain... so I added black dots to my ring fingers to miror the black in the top. It looked a bit messy and strange, but it was just a last minute addition before I left the house! I seem to be incapable of leaving my nails all painted one colour...I just think it looks a bit boring because I'm so used to having patterns or contrasting colours!

Thank you so much for reading, sorry for such a picture heavy post. I hope you're all having a great Monday! xo