So finally here are some photos from Thursday's International Women's Day blogger meetup!
The night was fantastic and I had a TOTAL BALL - when I wasn't running around like a blue-arsed fly! Thanks again to everyone who turned up and donated so generously! The total we managed to raise was £222.50, which is fantastic considering there was only around 30 of us who made it in the end so a HUGE well done to everyone :)
If my calculations are correct it means we've raised enough to train a couple of midwives, a few teachers and even help several women start up their own businesses in the developing world so I'm absolutely delighted!
It was really lovely to meet so many other Scottish bloggers (we are a totes friendly bunch!), especially ones who I've been reading for a while and feel like I know already! Those of you I didn't get to chat with for as long, let's sort that out by getting another get together sorted soon, yeah? Maybe Edinburgh this time...?
Finally I just want to say thanks again to everyone who made it along and especially to Rani who helped me out and baked all those amazing caked and did the Shellac nails. YER A STAR MATE! Thanks also to my Maw for the heavy lifting and general dogsbodyness, couldn't have done it without her. And to Laura from Oxfam who gave a great opening speech and helped remind us why we were there.
Also, thanks too to the brands who kindly donated items for the raffle and goody bags: John Frieda, BM Beauty, Bomb Cosmetics, Pure Spa, Leighton Denny Nails, Lomography Cameras, Osco Berber Oil, Schuh, Browns Glasgow, Cherryloco, Rebecca Torres, Miso Funky, and loads more cos my brain is mush and I've forgotten them all.
YAY! Good show lads, we done well. So when's the next one?
I absolutely love stripes for spring. Well, for any time really, but especially for spring - they just channel a sort of laid back, causal, sunny, beatnik vibe, doncha think?
Weirdly enough they never really say NAUTICAL to me, no matter how much ELLE tries to persuade me otherwise (unless the chick is wearing a straw boater or posing on a yacht). Instead I find striped basics perfect for throwing on as it starts to warm up, layering effortlessly with denim or leather and adding colourful accessories if I can be bothered or just some huge black sunnies if I can't. Perfect.
Here's some pretty striped basics from Urban Outfitters:
(Tyra would be proud of that stare guuuurl!)
Casually cool, aye?
OH, and if you're coming to the International Women's Day fundraiser on Thursday, go YOU, you are awesome, AND also try and get there for 6pm if you can as the lovely Laura from Oxfam Scotland will be popping along to say a few words and answer any questions and all that kinda goodness.
Leighton Denny Nails, John Frieda, Schuh, and ROX goodies all added to the raffle today :)
Yay! The post you've all been waiting for! Or at least the 50 of you who registered to come along to the International Women's Day blogger fundraiser I've been harping on about for the last bajillion years!
I tried to reply to all of you to confirm your registration but I got a bit sidetracked what with the actual orga-ma-nising fandango, but rest assured that if you emailed me your name and address you're on the list, DAHLING!
Also, if you're expecting fancy invites in the post... I had to sack that idea. Sorry, but I wasn't actually sent enough out in the first place, plus I have had NO TIME to deal with admin issues of such magnitude - too busy arranging an awesome night innit!
ON TO THE FUN SHIZ!
The event will be held at the Hillhead Bookclub just off Byres Road in the west end of Glasgow. We have a special bit reserved up the stairs to the left as you walk in - but fear not, someone will be there to say HIYA and point out the stairs incase you've never been before. It's purty :)
It's on from 5.30 - 9.30 or whenever really since it's a bar and open till midnight so if you wanna stay and help me drink my body weight in red wine after, please do!
There will be a bake sale and specially discounted Shellac nails by Rani which will be running all night. Needless to say all fundz raised go to Oxfam's International Women's Day campaign.
You will be given a FUN, LIGHTHEARTED and female-themed Quiz sheet and answer paper on arrival (which you don't have to do, but if you want to that would be cool) and at the end the winner gets a special prize. (CLUE: it may or may not be a meal for two at Browns in Glasgow... but it is.)
At 7 pm the Clothes swap madness with begin! All you need to do is bring a couple of items of clothing or accessories with you that you don't wear and that are in good condition and then swap em for something else! You don't have to take part in this, but clothes swaps are always particularly LOL-WORTHY and an awesome way of getting rid of junk and picking up new threadz. It will cost a couple of quid to take part.
At 8 pm the best raffle in the history of the world will take place! Some of the amazing prizes on the night include three awesome Lomography cameras, a £200 voucher for a makeup class at the Academy of Make Up, Elemis and REN skincare goodies courtesy of PURE SPA, two free PURE SPA treatments, John Frieda hair goodies, BM Make Up gift box, Bomb Cosmetics gift box, a stunning piece of ROX jewellery, two Argan oil gift boxes, Sarah G Cosmetics gift box, two £50 SCHUH vouchers and a few other amazing surprises!
Goodybags will be given out after that and then y'all are free to go or hang about and get messy, up to you! I am also hoping that Laura from Oxfam Scotland will pop in and say a few words about International Women's day and where all our money will go.
YUSS, I literally can't wait! It's going to be a great night, with lots of lovely folks and loads of cake and schmoozing and prizes :)
BUT, let's remind ourselves what we're raising money for...
We're raising money to tackle entrenched attitudes that women are second class citizens. That they don't deserve the same freedoms, equalities, standards of living, care and respect as men. These entrenched attitudes deny women their rights and that's something I'mnot about to let slide.
The reality is that in many countries, women:
Miss out on an education
Two-thirds of all children worldwide who are denied school are girls and in the developing world the majority of women are illiterate.
Having never attended school or dropped out at a young age because of early (and often forced) marriage, these women are cut off from the world through their inability to read and write. This limits their choices, their potential and ultimately their life. These women aren't stupid, they know they are missing out.
£135 trains 5 teachers in Mali who between them teach over 250 girls, encouraging them to stay in school. By educating these girls they provide a whole generation with skills to work their way out of poverty.
Suffer horrendous domestic violence
Violence against women is the single biggest cause of injury and death to women worldwide.
Each year, in this country alone, 3 million women experience violence and many more live with the legacies of abuse experienced in the past.
Violence against women includes domestic violence, rape and sexual violence, sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, forced marriage, crimes in the name of honour and trafficking and sexual exploitation. Facts consistently show this violence is perpetrated in the vast majority by men, and often partners and husbands.
"Violence against women continues to persist as one of the most heinous, systematic and prevalent human rights abuses in the world. It is a threat to all women, and an obstacle to all our efforts for development, peace, and gender equality in all societies. Violence against women is always a violation of human rights; it is always a crime; and it is always unacceptable. Let us take this issue with the deadly seriousness that it deserves." - Ban Ki moon, United Nations Secretary General
Die needlessly in childbirth
Every single minute a woman with no medical care dies in pregnancy or childbirth.
Having a baby should be a time of excitement, hope and joy with just a twinge of anxiety at the thought of the new challenges ahead. However for women in Ghana, where the track record for maternal health is one of the poorest around but is by no means an exception in the region, it is more often than not a life-threatening situation - a terrifying time of true dread.
90% of all maternal deaths occur in the developing world. Between 1,500 and 3,900 women die in Ghana alone from pregnancy complications each year, and for every death, a further 30 women suffer from short and long term complications.
Living in rural areas, illiteracy and a lack of understanding of their rights, as well as a shortage of trained medical staff nearby, all intensify the problems that these women face.
All of Oxfam's projects have gender equality at their heart, ensuring women overcome the discrimination they face and secure their basic rights. The money we raise next week will go towards helping Oxfam to combat these issues and provide help and aid where it is most needed, but I also hope that during our wee get together we can remind ourselves that the issues of gender inequality and sexism occur CLOSER TO HOME as well.
For example, forty years after the Equal Pay Act, women are paid on average 22.6% less per hour than men, and 30,000 of them are sacked every year simply for being pregnant. Women make up only 12% of FTSE 100 directors, and remain starkly in the minority in parliament and the legal profession. In the workplace, they continue to be victims of sexual harassment; at home, they are likely to be victims of violence (one in four at the hands of a partner or former partner). Last year, 100,000 women were raped in the UK. The conviction rate for this crime is just 6.5%. In 21st-century Britain, women's bodies are objectified like never before: in men's magazines, in lapdancing clubs, and on the internet.
Recently, the Uni Lad fiasco highlighted the fact that rampant sexism not only still exists, which is depressing enough in 2012, but that it runs rampant within the younger generation - OUR GENERATION. I'm not OK with this. I'm not going to accept having the piss taken out of me just because I'm a woman. And I'm not OK with being labelled as a dour-faced, frigid, feminist dyke who doesn't get the joke because I'm offended when someone gropes me in the bar queue, or leers at me in my car, or heckles me in the street. I'm just not going to let it happen.
BLARGH! Anyway, women, of course, are not simply victims of gender discrimination. We are also awesome human beings who have achieved so many mentally-amazeballs things it'd take me another mammoth blog to document. And no-one wants that. Let's face it, this has been a slog right?
So instead let's all eat cake, schmmooze, swap some clothes, get wur nails done and raise money for a charity who concern themselves day and night with putting an end to all the BULLSHIT.
Congrats for getting to the end. I don't know about you but I need a lie down.
Here's a picture of feminist Ryan Gosling as a reward :)
So I know it was Valentines day over a week ago now, but I thought I'd still show you some cute pictures from a shoot I did with Carrie for the Sunday Herald last week.
I particularly loved the pop-arty styling and awesome post-production artwork - makes a nice change from the more predictable soft, pastel, romantic Valentines vibe.
Cute, right?
All images shot by the lovely Kirsty Anderson.
Heading back to the Herald HQ this week and really looking forward to it :)
OOOH, by the way, a post finalising deets for the International Women's Day meet will be up before the end of the week I PROMISE! Just getting some last min stuff together but y'all are gonna flip out - it's THAT good!
A completely shameless filler awesome-street-style post for you today. Working all weekend and finalising deets for the International Women's Day blogger get together I've been HARPING on about for like decades, so I've been pretty busy, but been collecting these photos for a couple of weeks cos I reckon they are pretty rad, tubular, dope and even fetch.
Thanks to all who registered for the meetup by the way, all FORTY of you! Totally blown away by the support :) Some supplies arrived today from Oxfam so I'll send you all out your official invites next week.
For now, enjoy these TOTES AMAZE pics for some sartorial inspiration.
OOH, also, Glasgow gals mind and pick yerself up a copy of the Sunday Herald tomorrow - it features a special Valentines-inspired shoot I assisted on and it's pretty banging, if I do say so myself.
I've seen this John Frieda PR post about LOADS over the past few weeks, which at first kind of put me off wanting to try out their products, but SERIOUSLY, I'm now a convert!
I was contacted by Jilly from JF asking if I would like to try out some freebies in order to aid me in trying to style my hair a la THIS:
So, long story short I hate my hair. I've had it short, long, black, brown, blonde, red, bleached, braided (Rastafari!), shaved and crimped and it never ever looks how I want it. Much in the same way I am useless with makeup, I am similarly challenged when it comes to doin' a hot do. It's OK, I've made peace with it. There's more to life than hair, right?
I actually had a go at this tutorial with my Babyliss curling wand I won from Ann (Girl in the City Glasgow) and it looked PRETTY GOOD. I mean, it was still a bit wonky at the back, and some bits were more tightly curled than others and I burnt my ear fairly badly, BUT STILL, it was OK.
However, one thing ruined the whole look more than anything else... STATIC. I literally could flip my head upside down and back again and it was crackling with the stuff. Completely unruly, tuggy and sticking out sideways. Yuck. It's always been like this, especially when I try and style it - flyaway central and staticked oot it's nut. Normally I just attack it with hairspray or shove it up in a bobble, dejected and disappointed in my lack of styling abilities...
Thank God Jilly had sent me along some of the John Frieda Secret Agent Perfecting Cream, because this stuff is my new favourite hair product EVER!
Honestly you guys, if you have staticky, unruly, frizzy or flyaway hair this cream is amazing.
At first I was like, "no way am I slathering this stuff over my finished do," but once you get the hang of how much you need (clue, not a lot) and rub it between your hands before smoothing it through the ends, it'll work wonders, I guarantee!
The texture is creamy but it doesn't feel wet or thick on the hair and it doesn't weigh it down either. I can imagine this working well in the humidity of summer too when my hair decides it hates me and does a Monica for a solid three months...
I mean, this is probably a fairly useless review for most of you out there who have been using styling products for yonks, but for a novice like me who basically just uses her dad's Head and Shoulders, forgets conditioner, towel-dries and goes, this is my new holy grail item.
You can pick this stuff up for a fiver(ish) at Boots and I'll definitely be getting myself some more when this runs out.
BY THE WAY you only have 2 days left to register by the 10th of Feb to attend the International Women's Day get together blogger event next month. I'll be letting you guys know the location next week hopefully, and will confirm more good stuff over the coming weeks :)
Apart from being an awesome excuse to meet up and have a giggle, the money raised will go (via Oxfam) to some truly inspiring women's charities across the globe, including ones fighting for the banishment once and for all of FGM, equality in the work place, the right to basic maternity care, education for women and girls, the closure of the poverty gap and loads more. Click here for more info.
Apologies, this is a bit of a bumper post you guys. Over the past few weeks I've been cultivating my Etsy favourites into a list of absolute MUST HAVES. Money's tight at the moment but come next pay day, one, several or all of these beauties will be mine. MWUHAHAHAHAA!
Also, just wanted to say a big fat HIYA to my lovely new followers :) If you don't know me, this wee compendium is pretty indicative of the things I'm into, fashion-wise.
vintage Hole tour tee. It's like £50 but so worth it, right?
Dennis the Menace chic.
Summer perfection.
Dreary Glasgow "summer" perfection
Bought. Ama get SOME slaggin.
I'm heading to Portugal for a week in May and this would be perfect for the beach.
Clip-on silver kitty earrings. My life is sorely lacking in animal jewellery.
So, whaddya reckon? I'm finding myself more and more inspiration on Etsy and Ebay thesedays - can't remember the last time I logged on to Topshop and was impressed. Really not feeling their weird, in-between-season offerings at the moment. Shiny sports luxe is so not my thang.
PS REGISTER to come along to the International Women's Day blogger meetup event on the 8th of March! You can bet your ass I will NOT stop yakking on about this... :) x
