Apr18

Friday Favourites: Blue, Baby Blue

Posted on April 18, 2014 by Retro Flame

Asos Sunglasses // Topshop Nail Varnish // River Island Purse // Topshop Shirt // Topshop Playsuit
Olivia Burton Watch // River Island Trousers // Topshop Flat Shoes // Asos Court Heels

One of my very favourite colours has always been baby blue. I don’t know what it is, but I feel like it’s such an uplifting colour and immediately puts you in a good mood. I’ve been wearing a lot of it lately -it’s a colour which goes pretty well with my hair and I’m always drawn to it when shopping. You’ll have seen in yesterday’s post that I made a few ‘blue purchases’ while I was in Dublin. Even though I’m supposed to be saving for New York, I am seriously tempted to add some more of this colour into my wardrobe, preferably through these amazing trousers, these cute little flats, this blue & gold purse and this Olivia Burton baby blue watch. Why are there so many nice things in the shops at the moment!? Let me know your favourites!

Have a fantastic long weekend everyone!

Stylishly Yours,

Erika x

Apr17

Dublin Photo Diary

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Retro Flame

Dublin Photo Diary

Hi everyone! If you follow me on Instagram & Twitter, you’ll know that I’ve spent the past few days in Dublin. The weather was absolutely beautiful and I had such a great few days. I made the trip to work on some projects for my blog, but also squeezed in some time to wander around the city and indulge in some sweet treats (my favourite part of any trip!). I tried the kinder bueno flavour Gino’s icecream for the very first time and I genuinely haven’t stopped thinking about it since. It’s TOO GOOD! I also (of course) treated myself to some macaroons from Laudree in Brown Thomas and some from Cocoa Atelier on Drury Street.

On Tuesday, I was working with one of my favourite accessory brands Parfois. I got to style a full look which was modelled by the stunning Sarah Kennedy (from Britan & Ireland’s next top model). My look, along with three other bloggers/stylists’ looks will be featured in an Irish magazine later this month. I went with a very girly, pastel theme and I can’t wait to see the end result. Then on Wednesday, I got to attend an amazing dinner/photo shoot with Penneys & Stellar Magazine. I paid a visit to the Penneys Press Office the day before & chose a full look for the event. Before the (delicious) dinner, we each did a mini street style photo shoot which will appear in the May issue of Stellar Magazine. It was such a fun event and it was so lovely to catch up with fellow bloggers: Leanne Woodfull, Becky & Ciana from Concrete Collar and Audrey Leighton who came all the way from Paris!

Full look from Penneys/Primark. Similar versions here: Jumpsuit, Heels, Bag, Bomber Jacket.

For my look, I kept it simple with the black jumpsuit (which is such a nice fit) and added a pop of colour through the heels & bag. These heels also come in a really nice pastel blue and I have a feeling I’ll be investing in those too! Also, how cute is this butterfly bomber jacket? Perfect for Springtime!

collage2 1024x1024 Dublin Photo Diary
Fleet Street Hotel

During my time in Dublin, I stayed at The Fleet Street Hotel in Temple Bar. As you all probably know by now, I’m obsessed with cute decor and this hotel certainly didn’t disappoint. The lobby area is super girly and I just loved those pink sofas! I had a delicious breakfast there this morning before I came home to Kerry and was also spoilt by the selection of fruit in my room. Whenever I go to Dublin, I always try to stay in a central location to save travelling time and the location of this hotel in Temple Bar is just perfect. I’ll definitely be visiting again!

Forever21 Blue Skirt (Similar Here) // Topshop White Skirt // Zara Lace Top (Similar Here)
H&M Check Trousers (Similar Here) // Penneys White Heels (Similar Here)
Penneys Blue Heels (Similar Here) // Penneys Bomber Jacket (Similar Here)

Even though it was a pretty hectic couple of days, I somehow managed to squeeze in some shopping time. I always feel that this is the time of year when you feel like you have nothing nice to wear as we’re all starting to move away from our winter items. I invested in some spring/summer pieces which I’ll be able to wear throughout the next few months. I just love the white fit & flare skirt from Topshop. It’s such a staple piece which I’ll be able to wear so many different ways. The check trousers from H&M were such a steal at €20 and I also just love the white & gold sandals from Penneys too (similar here). There’s nothing better than a little retail therapy :)

I must admit that I’m pretty tired after the week, so I’m really looking forward to this 4-day weekend. I can’t wait to go out with the girls in Killarney & Kenmare over the weekend and just enjoy a little time off.

I hope you all have a great one!

Stylishly Yours,

Erika x

Apr15

Home Tour: My Office

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Retro Flame

Home Tour: My Office

Photos by Wonderfulife Productions

House of Mcgregor (Cork) Desk (Similar Here & Here) // Fashion Books (Here, Here & Here) //
Eason’s Notebook (Similar Here, Here & Here) // TK Maxx Glass Drawer Set (Similar Here) //
TK Maxx Letter Holder (Similar Here) // Retro Flame Illustration by Laura Jayne Halton

In the last year, I’ve fallen in love with interiors & decor and so I’ve really enjoyed redecorating my rooms at home. When I moved home from New York after the Summer, I turned a tiny little room in my house into my office. I spend a lot of time on my laptop/computer, so it’s nice to have an inspirational room to work from. I often post office/desk snaps on my Instagram (@retroflame) and you guys ask me where certain things are from -so I figured that I’d do a quick post to show you the room in more detail. When Julia was in Kerry last week, she very kindly took some photos which turned out so pretty!

I haven’t actually fully finished decorating the room yet. I’m extremely fussy when it comes to buying home pieces and hate investing just for the sake of it. So I’m holding out to find the last few finishing touches. So far though, I’m thrilled with how it looks. I love minimal, chic and very clean design -so I kept it white with hints of pink throughout. I’m quite organized, so I love the fact that everything has it’s place and always aim to have a tidy desk. I love my pastels, so I add in some colour through fresh flowers, my notebooks, magazines, fashion books, my Retro Flame Illustration by Laura Jayne Halton….and of course, some macaroons! Some of my favourite interior stores are TK Maxx & Urban Outfitters. I have my eye on this shelf, journal and candle at the moment. When I add in all the final touches, I’ll be sure to do an updated post and will also do a bedroom one too. Let me know if you like these type of interior/decor posts and if you’d be interested in seeing some more?

I’m in Dublin this week working on some projects with brands such as Parfois & Primark. Today was super busy but so much fun and tomorrow is set to be the same! Keep an eye on my Instagram (@retroflame) for updates throughout the day.
Hope you’re all having a great week!

Stylishly Yours,

Erika x

Apr13

Weekend Treats

Posted on April 13, 2014 by Retro Flame

Weekend Treats

IMG 8598ps Weekend Treats Afternoon Tea at The Aghadoe Heights in Killarney

Topshop Trousers (Similar Here & Here) // COS Striped T-Shirt (Similar Here) //
Highstreet Outlet Leather Jacket // YSL Sunnies // Furla Black Bag (Similar Here)

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“A party without cake is just a meeting.” -Julia Child
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Yesterday, I met with Nessa from Lifes Lust Haves and my sister, Kaelin, for delicious Afternoon Tea at The Aghadoe Heights in Killarney. I have a feeling that you all think I never leave this hotel, but if you’ve ever been there yourself you’ll know exactly why I keep going back. It’s one of those places where time just flies by you as you’re so distracted by the delicious food, the amazing service and the VERY comfy seats. It’s the absolute perfect place for chats, coffee & weekend treats and it was so nice to catch up with Nessa about her upcoming wedding (so exciting!) and our plans to go to Coachella together this time next year! I’m loving casual stripes at the moment, so I’ve been incorporating this COS t-shirt (similar here) into lots of different outfits. It’s great to always have some good basics in your wardrobe.

Nessa & I are equally as obsessed with afternoon tea and the selection at The Aghadoe Heights is genuinely the best you will find! I’m still dreaming of the chocolate brownie and eclairs! If only every Saturday could be the same :)

Hope you’re all having a lovely weekend,

Stylishly Yours,

Erika x

Apr11

Friday Favourites: Festival Fashion

Posted on April 11, 2014 by Retro Flame

Friday Favourites: Festival Fashion

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“I’d rather be at Coachella……”
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I don’t know about you guys, but I’m extremely jealous of everyone who is currently at Coachella! For those of you who don’t know about it, it’s a star-studded music festival in California which takes place this weekend. If you love festival fashion, you’ll love this one! I’ll be posting my favourite style snaps on my Facebook & Twitter throughout the weekend, so keep an eye out. Loads of the bloggers/celebrities that I follow on Instagram are there at the moment, so as you can imagine I’m glued to my phone. All this festival talk has me dreaming of warmer weather and Summer attire, so I’ve put together a little look at some of my favourite festival fashion currently on offer. All you have to do is scroll right on the images above and then you’ll be brought directly to any of the items, just by clicking on the image. My favourites are definitely the floral embroidered dress, the lilac fedora hat, the ripped denim shorts and the blossom flower crown.

I’ll (hopefully) be in the US this time next year, so Coachella is on the very top of my list of things to do! In the meantime however, let the jealousy continue…..

Have a fantastic weekend!

Stylishly Yours,

Erika x

Apr10

New Perspective

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Retro Flame

New Perspective

Photos by Wonderfulife Productions

Highstreet Outlet Sequins Top & Leather Jacket // Primark Black Jeans (Similar Here & Here) //
Vintage Black Bag (Similar Here) // GoJane Heels (Similar Here) // Pretavoir YSL Sunglasses

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“It’s not what you look at that matters. It’s what you see.” – Henry David Thoreau
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You many have seen on my Instagram (@retroflame) that I was shooting a video at my house in Kerry earlier this week. The amazing Wonderfulife Productions team made the trip from Galway to shoot a video which I’ve been planning for so long now and I just can’t wait to see the end result. After we were finished the video part, Julia & I very quickly shot the outfit I was wearing that day and I’m so in love with how the shots turned out! How beautiful are those flowers? We took the photos at my Aunts house, where I’ve shot several time before (See one post Here) but I think it was the the addition of the flowers + Julia’s impeccable eye for detail that brought a whole new perspective to this beautiful location which I very often take for granted. I’ve only ever shot with Julia in Galway, so it was great to finally be able to take some photos with her here in Kerry and I think it has really made realise that I need to appreciate the beautiful landscape which surrounds me every day.

As I’ve been wearing a lot of pastels lately, I decided to for something a little more edgy when choosing Tuesday’s outfit. I recently came across an online store called the Highstreet Outlet which stock pieces from Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins, Zara & more – at a fraction of the price. All the stock is factory surplus, in perfect condition and it’s honestly such a little gem of a store. The Topshop Sequins Top and Miss Selfridge Leather Jacket that I’m wearing here are both from this store and I’m so happy with both of them. I’m also currently loving my new Yves Saint Laurent Sunglasses from Pretavoir. The chain detail is just perfect! I can’t wait to mix and match all these new pieces into some more outfits over the next few weeks.

Hope you’ve all been having a lovely week!

Stylishly Yours,

Erika x

Apr8

Blue Jeans, Blue Knit.

Posted on April 8, 2014 by Retro Flame

Blue Jeans, Blue Knit.

Photos by Wonderfulife Productions

Zara Ripped Jeans (Similar Here, Here & Here) // Zara Blue Knit Jumper (Similar Here, Here & Here) // Jessica Buurman Pink Biker Jacket (Similar Here & Here) // The Quiet Riot Novelty Bag // Boohoo Sunglasses // Penneys/Primark Heels (Similar Here)

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“At first glance, it may appear too hard. But look again. Always look again.”
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I don’t know what it is about this time of year, but I always become a little pastel-obsessed. It’s not even that the weather has drastically improved, but it’s such a nice change from all the darker colours we’ve been wearing during the previous months. As you’ve probably guessed, I’ve been living in these ripped jeans (similar here) and the blue knit and pink biker jacket are staples I’ve had for a few seasons now. I love a blue jeans, blue knit combo and this jumper is the comfiest I’ve ever owned! I love that it’s a little baggy and the colour is my very favourite. I came across some similar versions Here & Here if you want to have a look. I also added in this adorable novelty bag from The Quiet Riot and it definitely adds a little fun to the overall look. These colours make me so excited for Summer!

Today, I’m shooting the rest of my video project here in Kerry so be sure to keep and eye on my Instagram, Facebook & Twitter for some photos throughout the day.

Have a lovely Tuesday!

Stylishly Yours,

Erika x