DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK! LATE NIGHT STYLE CHALLENGE: PEOPLE MAKE GLASGOW

Guess who's back...back again?

Kirsty's back...tell yer pals!

I wonder just HOW MANY blogs I've started with a grovelling apology for yet another extended leave of absence? At least 4 in the last 6 months I'd reckon, and it has GOT TO STOP!

Like a long term relationship gone stale, I’m ashamed to admit I got bored and just stopped trying. I neglected FFS and found that the more I did, the guiltier I felt, and the harder it was to make the first move. Naturally I began to look for my kicks elsewhere and sought comfort in the shape of Netflix and, God forbid, real life people and experiences. I know, I feel dirty. Whenever I DID have the slightest inkling to blog, I did what every guilty person does and ignored it. It was just easier to stay away than try and fix things gone so wrong…

But, HEY, last week I had an epiphany and I realised I’m not ready to give up on my love for FFS (EVEN WITH its dodgy, dated layout), I’m ready to fight for it. So here I am, being the mature one, making the first move, and telling you guys, IT WASN’T OVER, IT’S STILL NOT OVER!!

What prompted this turnaround? Last week I received an email asking if I wanted to take part in a late-night styling challenge at Buchanan Galleries in celebration of Glasgow city centre shops staying open later now (till 7 instead of just 6…which is convenient). Initially my reaction was OW HELLLL NO. Styling a street-facing window of Buchanan Galleries for Spring/Summer, and AGAINST THE CLOCK no less? Pretty much as far out of my comfort zone as I could get at the moment.

You see, I’ve become somewhat of a fashion hermit, and I’m not sure what happened. I still scour loads of blogs obsessively, all my old faves, and read magazines, watch YouTube videos, all about fashion, style and trends. But when it comes to putting any of it into practice, I find myself in black leggings, long jersey tops and a parka most weekends, and skirts and shirts most weekdays. SIMPLY PUTL: THE DEFINITION OF A RUT.

Something needed to change, and maybe this could be it?! Time to start saying YES to things. Time to start running towards fun, challenging opportunities, instead of away from them. I’m tired of declining invitations and picking the easiest option. It’s just BORING. I replied that I would do it before I could change my mind…

And last night was the night. Armed with a few willing helpers (see bezzie and bf) I hopped to it, perspiring excessively with anxiety throughout. TMI, don’t act like y’all can’t handle it.

One hour to pick three looks for Spring/Summer 2014 and some background props, and one hour to style. I had no clue what I was doing, except from a few vague ideas like “pastels” and “girly” and “florals.” The reality turned out a little differently, but I’m still pretty pleased with it…

  

Hiya AWKWARD

The finished window.

PHEW. Yes, it was stressful. But ultimately HUNNERS of fun, which was sort of the point.

I ended up grabbing loads of brightly coloured block pieces and bold florals, which wasn’t really what I had planned beforehand, but those were the things that jumped out at me most. And I figure eye-catching is key for window dressing, right? Although, who the hell knows – I’ve never done it before! I had notions of styling the whole thing around the Pantone colour of the year, Radiant Orchid, but I found it hard to find enough pieces in this very niche lilacy pink... Never mind!

I think my favourite elements are the chunky pink jumper draped over the slinky orange top, and the pink leopard-print fine-knit top tucked into the silky floral shorts. The mixture of those two elements really appeals to me, and I have GOT to start playing with contrasting patterns and textures in real life. I wanted it to look like a fun and maybe slightly heightened version of stuff I really would wear, or at least really WANT to wear, when the nights start getting longer and warmer.

I found myself stressing about the background more than anything else! The little step ladders and fake flowers looked good, but what I really wanted to do was hang bunches of flowers tied with ribbon down from the roof at odd angles and lengths, but frankly that was beyond my capabilities and impossible in an hour. But still, how COOL would that have been?!

Anyway, yes. That’s what I came up with in 2 hours. Not a long time, and those mannequins were a frickin NIGHTMARE, let me tell you. Major snaps to Visual Merchandisers everywhere.

A new blogger is taking on the challenge every night this week. Last night was the formidable Claire from Bee Waits and tonight is the turn of Ann from Frock Trade. Head down for moral support if you’re around, and if you take a SELFIE in front of the window, tweet it with the hashtag #latenightstyle @peoplemakeGLA for a chance to win £50 vouchers. Free monies innit. The winner of the challenge will be announced at the weekend, but to be honest I’m just proud I didn’t say no to this, like I was really tempted to do. That’s winning enough for me.

So. Safe to say THAT chucked me back in at the deep end, but I’m determined to keep FFS afloat, so thanks again for sticking with me. I’ll be posting way more regularly from now on, and it feels GOOD J

X



SO, I'M STILL ALIVE...

...just taking a few months off from blogging.

It wasn't intended and I've been feeling SUPER guilty and all panicky about it, but the truth is I've just not been as interested in blogging recently.

Partly due to a mix of a particularly hectic period at work, trying to find a flat, some stupid boy drama and AMAZING sunny weather, the last thing I've felt like doing recently is sitting down to write about clothes and makeup... Which is WEIRD cos I freaking LOVE clothes and makeup!

So, yeah, without getting all One Tree Hill up in here, things have been up and down and sideways and I've just been feeling a little STRETCHED, and FFS accidentally took a bit of a backseat while I got on with my actual real life.

But I DO feel bad and that's because I genuinely enjoyed posting content I was happy with and INTO and getting involved in the wee blogging community I built up, and I'm sick of HARPING ON AND ON about how I never have time for blogging and starting every post with an apology for my absence... Something has to change!

SO, I'm going to approach this like I would a project at work and concentrate my efforts into an SHINY NEW RELAUNCH IN SEPTEMBER!

Give me another month or so to get my head back in the game, redesign the layout and fall back in love with it again and I'll be back, I promise.

In the meantime I'm still Tweeting away at @kirsty44SUNSETS and Gramming obsessively under that name too so you can hit me up there.

Catch ye in the Autumn :)

Dugs, pals, booze, birthdays, sunbathing, shopping, more booze, more shopping, boys, more sunbathing, more pals... You get the idea...

:)

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY: THE RUNDOWN

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!





Photos by Ann and Nadine

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?

x

REGISTER TO ATTEND: IWD2012 BLOGGER GET TOGETHER

Hello ladies! Super excited to let you know how you can register to attend the Get Together I'm currently planning for Oxfam's International Women's Day 2012. (Original post here).

I've called it a Blogger GET TOGETHER but if you want to bring a friend or two, that's great and you totes can :)

Non-bloggers are more than welcome too, you can all still register in the same way.

• The event will be held in Glasgow on the evening of Thursday the 8th of March
• It will be a tea party-style event with an optional clothes swap, raffle, quiz etc.
• There will be a few surprises on the night - gotta keep schtum at the mo ;)
• The event is free and non-ticketed but you MUST register to attend
• There will be goody-bags!
• Kind donations are expected - it's for charity people!

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To register please email k-mclaren@hotmail.com with your name and address, and those of any guests you plan to bring, by Friday the 10th of February.

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The address part is so I can send you out your official invites from Oxfam :)

I'm really excited about this event and I KNOW we can raise some serious moolah for some amazing womens charities. Plus, I do love a blogger meetup and I missed the last few so it'll be lovely to see you all again in the flesh and meet some new faces :)

Don't be shy, get involved!

I'll reveal the location and some other tidbits nearer the time... don't you love the suspense!


x

Ps if you want to blog about the event yourselves to help spread the word, that would be TOTES AMAZE. thanks dolly-bids x




EDIT: Registration has now closed, thanks to everyone who got in touch! Due to overwhelming demand I've had to change venues so that all 50 of us can come! Watch this space over the next few weeks for more details!

GET TOGETHER FOR IWD 2012?

*This post goes somewhere, I promise!*

March the 8th marks yet another International Women's Day and all over the world women (and men!) will be taking part in events which serve to celebrate women's successes and also highlight ongoing inequality which still exists. This year's global theme is CONNECTING GIRLS, INSPIRING FUTURES.

International Women's Day means a lot to me - you might remember I blogged about it last year. Click the link to find out what it's all about. In case you don't, here' a little blurb again from the website:

The new millennium has witnessed a significant change and attitudinal shift in both women's and society's thoughts about women's equality and emancipation. Many from a younger generation feel that 'all the battles have been won for women' while many feminists from the 1970's know only too well the longevity and ingrained complexity of patriarchy. With more women in the boardroom, greater equality in legislative rights, and an increased critical mass of women's visibility as impressive role models in every aspect of life, one could think that women have gained true equality. The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women's education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men.

However, great improvements have been made. We do have female astronauts and prime ministers, school girls are welcomed into university, women can work and have a family, women have real choices. And so the tone and nature of IWD has, for the past few years, moved from being a reminder about the negatives to a celebration of the positives. 

SO, now to my point...

This year Oxfam are encouraging women and girls to hold get togethers (tea parties, dinners, pampering days, clothes-swap days, whatevs) to help raise some money for selected women's charities around the world. If you register on the site they send you out a part pack with lots of party-type goodies, SO I WAS THINKING, since us bloggy ladies love a wee get together and have a pretty darn significant combined audience, that maybe it would be cool for us to help spread the word and hold our own Scottish Blogger get together to raise some dolla?

We could do anything - hold a wee tea party, a clothes-swap party, or just a good old fashioned NIGHT OUT! If I can drum up some interest then I'll get on the case about booking somewhere and whatnot, but I've never organised a blogger event before and I know some of you gals hefty specialise in that sorta jazz so don't be shy with the suggestions/helping me out/organising the whole thing for me!

March the 8th is a Thursday so bloggies, please let me know if, A you're into it and, B if that date would suit you for something in the day or evening... If no-one's available or particularly into it, no worries. But I really hope y'all will be! Obviously ANYONE can get involved - bloggers, non bloggers, guys, kids, grannies, trannies, fannies... Yeah. Anyone. So if you're reading this and fancy a lovely night with some awesome folk for an amazing cause then please comment and let me know.

Also, please leave any suggestions for the kinds of things we could do since the possibilities are endless (I myself like the idea of a clothes-swap party innit), and anyone who fancies helping me actually organise something - email me!! k-mclaren@hotmail.com

Lotsa sisterly love x

ZEN LIFESTYLE SPA - EDINBURGH

On Tuesday I was invited to a jammy blogger event at Zen Lifestyle Spa on Hanover St in Edinburgh, and how could I resist a wee evening of pampering! Not to mention the chance to hang with the likes of Amanda, Charlene, Ayden, Morven, Anna and Rani again!

The first thing that struck me was how beeeyootiful the salon is! Totally modern and chic, but not too clinical.

Purdy outdoor shot

Milling around & chatz.

Owner Fiona and her team greeted us with glasses of fizz and some insanely tasty nibbles - winning combo - and were friendly and accommodating throughout. 

YUM! I could NOT stop stuffing my face with these. Seriously...

One of the serene treatment rooms.

Getting my nails did, yo. (Nice hairdo, Worzel.)

Charlene gets her skin analysed. Like in DEEETAIL.

We all got the chance to try out a few treatments including the massively popular HD Brows and blink n' go lashes, but as a bit of a spa virgin I opted for the pretty safe option of a Shellac manicure - a manicure in which the nail polish stays put for up to 2 weeks. Perfect, right? Well, not quite.

My lovely manicurist suggested that as my nails are so hideously bitten to buggery and stumpy beyond belief (my words, not hers), that I opt for a light pink colour so that when it did chip it wouldn't be as noticeable. I agreed. STUPIDLY! The polish was applied expertly and I've no doubt it would have stayed on for two weeks, but by the next day that sugary-pink colour was just too sickly so I bit them all off. I'm a weirdo! I've now got a luminous neon green on and I feel MUCH better. I'd still definitely recommend Shellac nails to anyone with talons long enough to open a ring-pull can, but the light, girly colours just ain't for me.

While I was there I also decided to have my skin analysed by a Murad rep using their new skin scanner - basically a camera hooked up to a laptop which takes special pictures of your skin to show the brown spots, redness, bacteria, ageing, pores and spots in terrifying detail! Ayden has a picture of her print out on her blog so you can see what I'm taking about...)

After a lengthy discussion about my blemish-prone skin (the bane of my actual life. SERIOUSLY) I was recommended the new anti-ageing anti-blemish range: 

Anyone tried this? It's super expensive for a makeup/cosmetics cheapskate like me, but I am so sick of wrestling with my skin issues that I might just blow the budget, go mental and purchase the lot. I'd love to hear from someone who uses Murad products or has had amazing success with this range so let me know.

The lovely Murad rep, whose name now escapes me, also gave me a mild telling off for not washing my makeup brushes enough (read EVER) as apparently there was quite a bit of bacteria on my cheeks from my blusher brush. Can you say BOKE?! I immediately went home and scrubbed them clean.

Aaaaanyway, get down to Zen in Edinburgh if you're through there soon and fancy some pampering. It was a right guid night. Thanks again to Stella and Snooki for arranging everything.

 I'm aware this post was a bit of a ramble, and I still haven't managed to include any collection reviews or tell you about my fab new gold Zara jumper and purple velvet leggings... That's all on the way, I promise!

Pics shamelessly stolen from A Blogging Blonde

TIGERLILY EVENT

Oh how I do love me a wee Scottish Bloggers event! Yesterday, myself and a few others (including my girls Rani, Ann, Charlene, Ayden and Claire amongst others!) were invited by the lovely Stella to attend an afternoon of cupcakes, cocktails and pampering at the stylishly sumptuous Tigerlily boutique hotel in Edinburgh.

How could we resist! Here's a few photos of the day:

Hair extensions for the taking, y'all!

Rani enthralls while I shovel cupcakes into my gob.

Claire holds something exciting...

The SUPER talented Medusa nail team

Stylists from Edinburgh's Medusa salon put wur hair up.

Cupcakes and carnage

It's a GREAT look on me.

Mmmm...

Ayden gets her nails did.

"Smile!"

Check out my stylists hair. Yes, that' her HAIR! Amazeballs.

Alison Jameson intern Kara gets a smokey eye.

Check Claire out. UM, hot.

Those strawberry daiquiris were the business!

Enjoying that, Rani?

The back of my up do. Pulling kirby grips out my my heid for hours that night!

New yellow nails. MUST stop biting...

Ayden's nails. Check out the bow and anchor by Zara aka Miss Cutie Kills. Super talented nail artist!

Goodybag-raking.

Ann explains to me what volumising spray does. I in turn look STUNNED.

Such a lovely wee day with all my blogging besties! We went away with a goodybag packed with treats, and I'm super excited about trying all my Phil Smith hair products and new Tan Truth fake tan. Anyone used Tan Truth before? I'm always wary about fake tan since I'm so goddamned Casper-white, but I like the liquid texture of the rapid tan lotion as I'm SICK of the Fake Bake mousse (am I the only person still using it?) so I'll defo be giving it a go.

Thanks again to Stella & Snooki, and Medusa and Tigerlily for having us.

PS a few folk were asking about my yellow, floral kimono top (which I wore with Miss Selfridge orange tights and Rimmel Coral Queen lippy which I LOVE):

It's from Zara but I think it might be sold out now. But they have loads of similar shirts and kimono blouses in store at the moment - well worth a look.