Turn On The Bright Lights

We wandered down to Astoria Park on one of our last evenings in New York to catch the sunset over the East River. We went to the area of the park under the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, which was formerly known as the Triborough Bride as it connects Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx. From there you also get an amazing view of the Hell Gate Bridge which just turned 100 years old back in March and connects Astoria to Randalls and Wards Islands. According to this New York Times article, it got its name from the Dutch word "hellegat" which translates to "hell channel", because of how treacherous that stretch of river could be with the tides and rocks. 

I thought it would be the perfect spot to get some more outfit photos as the light was beautiful as was the view of the bridges and the river. We were kind of annoyed with ourselves for not going down there earlier in our trip because the park has amazing amenities, the views are beautiful and it was packed with people doing outdoor classes and playing sports. However we were lucky with how nice of an evening it was and that the sun came out from behind the clouds just in time for us to watch it disappear behind the buildings. 

Dress- H&M
Jacket- New Look
Scarf- ASOS
Boots- Clarks (similar here and here)
Sunglasses- eBay
Necklace- Stella and Dot Bespoke Disc Necklace
Lipstick- Bourjois Rouge Buzz

I bought this dress the week before we went away on sale in H&M for only €15. I had seen it on Amy from The Little Magpie back in March and loved it but didn't buy it at the time. I wasn't sure it would suit me with the high neck and ruffles (which is a trend I haven't really gotten into). But when I saw it on sale in my size, I bought it on a whim and it even ended up being €5 cheaper when I got to the till (don't you just love it when that happens). I actually really loved it when I tried it on at home and brought it with me to New York to wear out for dinner which I did a couple of the nights. I can see myself wearing it lots of different ways, with a leather jacket or heeled boots or runners for a more casual look. I love a good midi dress and I'm glad I took a chance on this one. For €15 you can't go too far wrong!

I'm aware that this is the second post in a row that I've worn this neck scarf but I just thought it was really nice paired with the dress, it's still available on ASOS if anyone is interested. I usually hate wearing my hair up when I'm not at home but it was very necessary with the heat in New York. We had spent the day walking around Prospect Park in Brooklyn and I needed to cool down.

I'm currently working through the hundreds of photos I took on the trip with the goal of writing a blog post about our New York experience. It'll be more personal than a travel guide, mostly because it was my first time there so I'm by no means qualified to be giving out advice. However I read lots of blog posts from other people as the trip approached and I found it helpful so hopefully I can do the same thing.

How much research do you like to do before you visit somewhere? Do you find reading about other peoples experiences helpful or do you prefer to do your own thing and not plan too much?

If you haven't seen it already, check out my first style post from New York here!

Emma x

Shooting From The Hip About Our Faith And Love

Last Sunday we wandered around town looking for somewhere to eat. On the way we took some outfit shots at the Fruit and Vegetable market on Halston street. I've always loved this building and was lucky enough to film inside it a few years ago. Since then I've wanted to use it as the backdrop for some outfit photos. 

Trench Coat- Vintage (from charity shop, no label)

Blouse- New Look

Jeans- Next (similar here)

Boots- Clarks Bizzy Beat (similar here) 

Camera Bag- eBay

Choker- Zara

Sunglasses- Forever 21 (similar here)

Lipstick- MAC Ruby Woo

Nails- Essie Chinchilly

In my last outfit post I mentioned that we shot the photos in Dun Laoghaire. While we were there we went into a few of the charity shops which I've usually found to be some of the better ones in Dublin.  I actually bought this coat in a charity shop while we were there, I loved the colour despite the fact that I never wear yellow but I just loved the idea of a yellow trench coat for Spring. There's no label apart from a care label that says it was made in South Korea, I'm guessing it's from the eighties but I'm not an expert on these things so I can't sure. After getting it dry cleaned it ended up costing me around €25 which isn't bad for a Spring coat. I've had so many compliments on it since I got it and it reminds me that charity shops can be amazing for finding one of a kind pieces that you won't see anyone else wearing.

Who knew that the choker trend would stick around for so long! I got one last year that's velvet with a small gem in the middle and I love it but I wanted a plain black one that I could wear with anything. I saw a 2-pack in Zara a few weeks ago, they're both suede and the other one has little diamante flowers on it (which sounds horrible but it's actually really nice on).

I got this camera bag on eBay after a long search for something that would protect my camera but still look  like it's part of an outfit when I bring it out with me. I didn't want something that would be an obvious camera bag and this was the perfect solution.

Have you had any amazing charity shop finds? Are there any colours that you never wear?


Emma x

Reflected Light A Hollow Moon

This is the third set of outfit photos we took in France. It wouldn't be Summer without a good maxi dress and this one is all out seventies! I paired it with a big hat, big sunglasses and my trusty Clarks nude sandals. 

Photos by Simon

Dress- Monsoon

Hat- Accessorize

Sunglasses- eBay

Sandals- Clarks

Rings- Zara Taylor & COS

Nails- No7 Jammy

Lips- Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon Peach on the Beach


What do you think about maxi dresses? Are you sick of seeing them every Summer?

Emma x

I'll Take You Away From This Horrible Town

We took these photos by the lake in a little French town called Mansigné. I spotted this first-aid post and thought it would be the perfect location to take some outfit photos. 

Photos by Simon and I

Dress- Zara (currently on sale instore)

Jacket- Penneys/Primark

Sunglasses- eBay

Bag- Coach via eBay

Shoes- Clarks Carousel Ride

Rings- COS

Anklet- H&M

Lips- Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Olé Flamingo

Nails- KIKO Juicy Pitaya

I spotted this dress in Zara last month and fell in love. I've always wanted a gingham dress but had never found the right one for me until now. Did I mention it has pockets? Well, it does. Find me a girl that doesn't love a dress with pockets and I'll call you a liar. I added the photo of the back of the dress to show off the cute bow and cut out detail despite the unsightly glimpse of my white bra (sorry). 

I love these simple rings I got from COS. I have been loving the brand recently, their stores are such a pleasure to shop in and I love how everything is merchandised. Their jewellery in particular has really impressed me, I love the clean lines and minimalism of everything and it isn't too expensive either which is always appreciated. 

I decided to try out anklets again having not worn one since I was a pre-teen. I got this in H&M in a pack with four toe rings which I have yet to sport, but plan on doing very soon. 

These Clarks ballet flats have been on my feet a lot since I got them a few months ago, they're cute and comfortable and go with almost anything. 

What have been your Summer wardrobe staples so far this year?

Emma x

Dreams Unwind, Love's A State Of Mind

I chose this outfit based completely around this amazing Esprit hat I received from Surfdome.com. The outfit ended up having a seventies feel to it hence the post title lyrics from Fleetwood Mac's Rhiannon which are also fitting considering it's Halloween later this week.  Have a look here at Surfdome's array of hats for Autumn/Winter. 

Photos by Donnacha

Hat- Esprit c/o Surfdome

Sunglasses- eBay

Fur Collar- Chicwish

Jacket- Marella (charity shop)

Dress and Boots- Marks and Spencer

Bag- Coach (via eBay)

Rings-Vintage

Earrings and Bracelet- Accessorize

Watch- Fossil Georgina

Lips- YSL Rose Baby Doll Glossy Stain (review coming this week)

Nails- Essie Velvet Voyeur

We've been so lucky with the weather so far this Autumn. Apart from the rain and wind, it's been quite mild so I'm enjoying wearing light layers at the moment. I've been having a lot of fun recently, hanging out with friends, going out more than I usually do, work is going really well and I've been making the most of new challenges every day. I feel really lucky. I'm going to Paris very soon and we've been trying to organise what we're going to do each day so I'm getting really excited about that. I've been watching The Mindy Project which has quickly become my new favourite show and listening to a lot of Pixies, Elliott Smith and Fleetwood Mac. I've had lots of great exciting opportunities because of blogging, which can sometimes be scary but I really want to embrace it all and enjoy it. It's been so much fun and so rewarding!

Tell me how you are!

Emma x