Nothing to Wear

To be honest I was struggling this week to come up with a post that was going to be engaging to read and an issue that was something I felt strongly about. But Monday morning came and having wrecked my brain all weekend, when I opened my wardrobe doors the issue in question was basically staring me right in the face. Clothes.

So we all put some sort of garments on our bodies in the morning, women and men alike. We can't really go about our day without having something to wear, even if it is just a pair of Harry Potter pyjamas. The words 'I've got nothing to wear' escape my mouth on a weekly basis, as I'm sure you are all too familiar with. Even the men out there, I know that you know the struggles as well. Luckily I have a work uniform that I wear most days of the week or I would be always battling with my clothes to come up with new outfit ideas. Up until recently I was constantly fighting the urge to buy new clothes all of the time. Social media, in particular, adds massive pressure and a need to always have something new to wear. I will hold my hands up in saying that in the past I would have never wore the same outfit two days in a row. I mean what if someone passes remarks that the exact dress you wore yesterday, you are wearing today. But who actually cares?

As I was dressing myself on that Monday morning I tried on four, yes, FOUR different outfits as I knew I wanted to take a few photos for this blog post. After taking off the tenth piece of clothing and throwing it onto the floor, the red mist started to descend. Most women should be familiar with this red mist when trying to pick something to wear. Oh and a few choice words slipped out as well. But! After 5 minutes of some gentle breathing, I caught myself on. Is this really worth it? So I put on the same pair of boots and jeans I wore in my last blog post (shock horror) and threw on something I liked and not something that I think you might like. After all, the boots cost me £90 and I'm bloody well going to wear them to death. It's sad that, God forbid any bloggers out there wear the same outfit in a blog post!

OK, so I'm sure you are thinking, "Orlagh get off your high horse and stop the preaching." I just want to clarify that I love clothes. I always have. I love following trends. I love scrolling Instagram and seeing how other people put outfits together. I love seeking inspiration from Pinterest. And I love seeing the delivery man coming with my recent clothing purchases. Have we established that I love fashion? My degree was in fashion design for flip sake, so I'm not going to say that I suddenly don't enjoy fashion and not buying clothes. Because I do.

But after listening to a podcast recently called 'Girls with Goals' my perception of fashion and clothing consumption has changed slightly. The episode titled 'Change is coming' discusses ethical fashion and the Repeal the 8th movement, with Aisling Bea and Angela Scanlon; two women I urge you to follow on social media. I'll not ruin the specifics of what is debated in case you want to give it a listen yourself, but it basically outlines how we all need to be more conscientious about our fashion choices.

So some of you may disagree with me when I say that females are the drivers of fashion in this world. I think it's pretty much a given.  Our vast consumption of clothes is a female problem. The amount of female fashion bloggers out there is proof of that. And we don't realise the extent of how clothing is a huge polluter, almost equal to food wastage. In today's age we are so tuned into where our food comes from and how we can help the planet and ourselves by consuming the proper foods. But do we actually take into consideration where our clothes come from? It is predominately other women who make our clothes and we need to question why that Primark jumper costs £7. At university I have sat at a knitting machine hours on end in the comfort of a nice warm room listening to music, taking breaks whenever I like. Somehow I don't think those who are making some of our clothes have that luxury. 

There is almost a snobbery in this country when it comes to buying clothes. A great example is the dilemma faced when attending weddings. Don't look now but the fashion police are out making sure you aren't wearing the same dress you wore a few months ago at Claire's wedding. It's a bit ridiculous. However on the other side of that there is almost this code of honour that we don't spend much money on clothes.We have all uttered the words 'it's from Primark, only cost me a fiver'. We are almost proud of the fact that we purchased such a bargain!

I want to stress that I haven't wrote this blog post to make you feel guilty about how we think about clothing. I am very much guilty of a lot of things discussed here. I wanted to write about something that affects us all, but mainly women, and to try and change our attitudes slightly towards buying clothes. I'm not saying I'm the queen of reusing and recycling my outfits. I'm a massive hoarder. I have four bin bags of clothes in my attic I don't wear to prove that. I'm not saying that we should stop buying clothes, because that would be no fun. I love the buzz of buying something new.  I just wanted to try and bring more awareness to our buying habits. It's taking the time to love the clothes you have bought and wearing them 100 times until that blue sweater is turning a nice shade of grey. It's also about taking the time to be more aware of what other high street brands are trying to do help with this issue.

If there is one thing you take away from reading this, it is not to necessarily change your opinions but to be more aware of this worldwide issue. I hope that this blog post will make you more mindful of your buying habits, specifically when it comes to buying clothes. And maybe you will take some time to discover our countries independent designers.
                 
                                                                                            Orlagh x

I'm Back!

                                                                         Well, hello there. Long time no see.

It might be a little bit of an understatement to say it has been a long time since I typed a few words on this blog. Let's be real here, it's been a ridiculous amount of time since Life NI Style has been in my life! Two years to be exact.Yes, I know! I can't quite believe it myself.

So, OK. I've went over in my head a hundred times how I would begin this blog post or whether I should even get back into blogging. But I'm grabbing the bull by the horns and I'm just going to see where it takes me....again. But before I begin, please forgive me if I am a bit rusty on the writing front. I'm no professional writer.

So two years has passed and holy moly how life has changed in that small amount of time. I started this blog in 2015. I was 23, still living with my parents, working in New Look part-time and in a relationship with my boyfriend. Fast-forward to 2018 and I have now flew the nest! I am now 26, working full-time in an interior business and I'm married to my then boyfriend. I'm still finding it weird to say that I have a husband. I'm an actual wife for flip sake!

As I write on my sofa on this Tuesday evening, with 'Friends' on Netflix in the background (what a wonderful time to be alive), I think about how blogging has changed over the years. Even back in 2015, especially in Northern Ireland, the term 'blogging' was something that was not really regarded of as being a serious job and a source of income but instead, more of a hobby or past-time. Well, how times have changed. I'm not even going to get started on my own views of how blogging has changed right now. I'll leave that for another blog post down the line.

So this is me, Orlagh Laverty (a Murdoch no more) giving this "blogging" thing another go. Life NI Style, Take Two, you might say. I'm going to try and be as genuine as I possibly can. I'm going to write about the topics that interest me, and some of you might not like it but hopefully a lot of you will! This time I'm not going to apologise if I haven't wrote a blog post in a month because, let's be honest, there's more things to worry about. I'm not going to be annoyed if a photo doesn't look Instagram perfect because no matter how much you comb the shit out of your fringe, your bangs will not play ball. Shout out to the fringe people out there! I feel your pain.

I really hope you all enjoy reading what I have to say and maybe you will join in on the conversation. Just be nice because no-one likes a smart ass.

 Here's to a brand new start in the blogosphere....again.

Orlagh x

Freckle.

So Spring has sprung! 

Okay, so maybe it hasn't just yet, thanks to the snow rearing its ugly head a few days ago. Ironically though, little snowdrops are slowly making an appearance in my garden! Here's hoping those darling buds of spring start popping up and the sun decides to peep through those grey clouds very soon! 

So this week I have decided to write a little feature about a new independent magazine I came across, named Freckle. I first became aware of this magazine a few weeks ago via social media, and ever since my acknowledgement I have been itching to get hold of this inspiring booklet. "Freckle is an independently published magazine celebrating the people and landscapes of Northern Ireland and beyond."

On Saturday myself and my other half ventured into Belfast and made a pit-stop at Established Coffee. Knowing that this coffee shop stocked Freckle I was optimistic I would be able to buy a copy, but unfortunately they had sold out, (an indication of how popular this magazine really is). Of course we couldn't leave without having a delicious cup of coffee from this establishment, which in my opinion, provides the best coffee in Belfast, and quite possibly in Northern Ireland. Their chocolate brownies are also the yummiest I have ever tasted! So what I'm trying to say is that you should definitely visit Established Coffee at some point, which can be found on Hill Street, Belfast.

Thankfully I was able to purchase a copy of Freckle at The Black Box! 

This refreshing magazine was just what I needed to escape the humdrum of life this week. I think what attracted me to Freckle is the fact that normal people with interesting lives are featured. The stories which are told come from the need to just get up and do something with your life.  And it's also great these tales are all based in Northern Ireland! 

I also admired that this magazine practices 'slow journalism'. Too often magazines are spun out too quickly without real thought while systematically going through the same motions every week or month. 

Freckle is certainly a magazine where real thought and skill has been expressed. The book is beautifully made (printed onto recycled paper) along with stunning photography. The issue delves into the themes of ocean, soil, belonging, expressing and exploring. My favourite story would be that told by Jim Allen. His story titled 'Love of This Salted Fringe' is a poetic account of his life living by the coast. It is such a beautiful tale told by Jim and after reading his story you will be yearning to take a trip up to the North Coast this weekend. His poem at the end of the article is simply wonderful and one I will definitely be recounting to others.   

If you want to open your mind and discover the hidden gems of Northern Ireland, then you need this magazine in your life. This wee country isn't all that bad. We just need to become more tuned into the fantastic talent we are producing and the beautiful landscapes at our doorsteps.  

If you are interested in buying Freckle, a list of vendors can be found on their website. There aren't many copies left so pick one up today! Or if you already have a copy pass it onto a friend or relative to enjoy!

 >> http://www.frecklenorthernireland.org/magazine/ <<

HitRECord

Are we recording?

You may or may not be familiar with this tagline. The photo above may just give it away a little. And if you are completely unaware of what the hell I am raving about then prepare yourself for heaps of inspiration and creativity. My plan is that after reading this blog post you will know all about the wonderful production company that is HitRECord. I first became aware of this company roughly three years ago when my good friend Debbie bought me my very first book of Tiny Stories as a gift! I have been pretty much hooked on all things HitRECord ever since! And thanks to my lovely boyfriend I have now obtained volumes two and three of Tiny Stories to add to my collection, as well as a very cute t-shirt! 

So lets get down to the logistics of HitRECord. The production company was set up by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and his brother over four years ago. I, myself, have been a, lets say, "pretty big fan" (to put it mildly) of Joseph Gordon-Levitt ever since the movie, 500 Days of Summer. So when I first heard of his company I knew I had to check it out. This open collaborative production company is definitely a cut above the rest. Artists of all kinds from all over the world are asked to contribute their work to HitRECord. You don't have to be a famous animator or musician to contribute. You can simply be scribbling away or writing a mini-novel in your bedroom and decide to share your work or set up your very own collaboration. You can find out more in-depth information about HitRECord by clicking on this link http://www.hitrecord.org/ or you can watch a video of Mr Levitt describing the premise of his company at the very end of this post!

The Tiny Stories collection is definitely my favourite concept to be released by HitRECord. I love an illustration book and these books are packed with beautiful and meaningful doodles and whimsical artwork. To be honest sometimes I relate more to a drawing than words on a piece of paper. The books are almost keepsakes to me and something I would pass down through the generations. They are also a very special gift to anyone who is appreciative of illustration. Below I have included a few of my favourite pieces of artistry that are included in the tiny books. 

I hope you enjoyed reading this post! Now all you have to do this weekend is doodle until your heart is content! 

My 2015 Mood Board

So a month has passed, resolutions have been broken and you've revived the box of Quality Street which you swore you would 'never touch again'. 

Well, fear not, because it's not too late to start afresh and embark on some new goals for 2015.

Personally, I don't make any new year's resolutions in January. To be quite honest in the past I did believe establishing a plan for the year was pretty pointless and setting myself up for disappointment. And quite frankly, who actually keeps their new year's resolutions? Hands up! Anyone? Nope, I didn't think so. But this year I made the decision to stop being so negative and change my outlook on how I view some things. I believe you're more likely to maintain your intentions if you give yourself time to figure out what you really want to achieve by the end of the year. Even if it's just one small aim you wish to accomplish and it's personal to you. I think you will feel much better for it. I also think it's important to be realistic and to not put too much pressure on yourself. And remember that they are YOUR goals. Don't let anybody else influence them. (Also, I wish I could take heed of my own advice sometimes). 

I decided to construct a mood board to help me stay focused this year. For those of you who don't quite know what a mood board is, it's basically a visual tool to quickly inform others of an idea or concept. The mood board above illustrates my own personal aspirations for 2015!  Now, don't get me wrong, I do love making a list. Somehow I can even make a list within a list. However sad and boring that sounds. But having something visual to look at makes it much easier for me to stay focused at the task in hand. 

So the 'Selfie' has taken over the world. My aim is to take photography a bit more seriously and take more photos. But more importantly, higher quality photos.

This is pretty self-explanatory. I really want to improve upon my hand-knitting skills this year.

Nope, I do not want to bet all my money on whether an extremely admired character in GOT will be killed off. (To be fair though, I could probably make a lot of money on that bet). I just mean taking a few relevant risks to improve myself. Also, to the ladies out there. If you haven't already read Girlboss, I would highly advise you to do so now.

There are many, many places I would love to travel to. Unfortunately there is only so much one can afford in a year. First stop, Barcelona.

I love visiting museums and exhibitions. No matter where I explore, top of my list will always be a museum or gallery. This year I want to make more of an effort attending exhibitions. 

I know it's pretty cheesy. But, hey, everyone has dreams! No matter how little or large they are. "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

And I don't mean wearing the latest trends, however much I try to. This year I would like to try and keep up-to-date with what is happening in the fashion world. And reading more fashion-based books and articles.

Top of my list this year was to create a blog. Most of my January was spent preparing and learning how to set up a blog. I hope to continue creating new posts for you to read and potentially going back to my roots and getting stuck into some sewing and machine knitting again.

So there you have it, my eight quite small, but realistic goals for this year. Now, go ahead and make your very own mood board for 2015! You don't have to be 'techie' or Photoshop literate to create your own visual board. You can simply just rip out pages of magazines, take your own photos or find words that inspire you and stick them on your wardrobe, fridge or mirror. You could even have a cut-out of someone who inspires or motivates you. A certain Mr Dornan may be blu-tacked to my wardrobe door....

What's your goals for 2015?

*All images featured in this post are my own.