Model Search Competition

Just a little update for you guys! I was lucky enough to have been approached by The Model Team while out in Edinburgh to take part in their Model Search competition, in association with the St James Centre and the Scotsman Evening News, Edinburgh. As if that wasn't lovely enough, I got a call a week ago saying that I'd been selected by the judges as a semi-finalist, which was totally unexpected!

So; this week I've been given the challenge of raising as much money as I can for the Forth One charity Cash for Kids. I've been taking my fundraising bucket to and fro with me from home, on the train, to work, and to uni! I also organised a dress-down day at my Mum's primary school workplace, with her help.

Everyone has been so generous and today I handed in over £110 to the charity, which I'm very happy about.

The public have been voting for their favourite models to go through to the final, so hopefully I'll be one of the lucky few! We find out the results on the 30th of September.

You can vote for me (or anyone else!) here.

Lastly, I'd like to apologise for my lack of activity on this blog recently - I've been forced to move out of my flat in Edinburgh and back home, as the costs for bills and maintenance were rocketing constantly. Thus, I've not had the time or means to take any decent outfit photos or spend any time writing.
However, I should hopefully have a massive new triple OOTD ready in the next day or so!
Until then, back to more flat-hunting!

Much love,
Emily x

Back to The North

Apologies for my lengthy absence from the Blogosphere - between working as much as possible before uni starts again and dealing with various issues regarding my flat, I've hardly had any spare time to put real thought into a post, and didn't have much to write about!

However; about a week ago I took my first holiday of the Summer and went to visit family in Manchester. It's one of my favourite cities, mainly because of the constant creative buzz that seems to permeate the streets - especially in the Northern Quarter. People in Manchester just seem a little less reserved and more fearless than in Edinburgh...

This time around (see my last post about Manchester here) I took Adam with me and we went to explore all the nooks and crannies of the city that I hadn't had the chance to before. It was his first time travelling to that area of England so I hoped to give a good impression!

The first place we wanted to check out was the massive Indie emporium Afflecks - I'd been in before, unknowing of the sprawling treasure trove that lay above the first floor, and so hadn't explored it fully.

The walls were filled with amazingly creative original artwork, which I couldn't resist snapping away at!

We also came across an amazing little shop that sold tons of old video games - which if you're a bit nerdy like me was really, really cool.

I didn't end up buying anything as it felt like you really had to rake through the stock to find the hidden gems, and ours was more of a whirlwind tour.

Another great find was a little cafe called Fig and Sparrow (pictured above). The interior decor was delectably sweet, and the food was cheap, fresh and simple. The staff were lovely too!

Similarly artistic interiors were to be found at Nexus (above) - an art cafe just off Oldham Road.

Further evidence of the creativity of the city reveals itself in the street art found on every corner.

Finally - I thought I'd finish with a list of little places which I would really recommend visiting if you're ever in town!

Junk

Ryan Vintage

Pop Boutique

Piccadilly Records

Simple

North Tea Power

Travelling Man

Magma 

Manchester Art Gallery - massive selection of modern and contemporary art as well as the usual.

Selfridges (obviously).

I'll be posting an OOTD featuring the items I bought while in Manchester as soon as possible, including my first ever purchases from Cos!

Emily x

Lines

I've been experimenting with drawing a lot more than usual recently, as well as my usual painting. Here's some (awful) shots of recent drawings - paintings to follow!

Emily x

OOTD - Looking Backwards

It's that time of year again at work (Topshop) that we get to choose our uniform from the A/W collections that have just been brought into store. The trends are actually really great this year - you can check out the looklooks here. My favourite trend overall is 90's Antwerp; the minimalist yet artistic and bold approach to colour and pattern really appeals to me. However, when I came across this dress which is part of the Dark Craft trend, I had to have it!

The shape is so flattering and reminds me of 60's style shift dresses - slick, clean, well-cut and flattering. The asymmetric hemline adds a modern twist as does the monochromatic baroque print with bursts of mustard.

Today I wore it with no accessories whatsoever, and with my black Dune Chelsea boots, as I think it's a dress which really speaks for itself and needs no embellishment.

My new 60's style dress got me thinking about how modern fashion is constantly looking back in time for inspiration; something which I've always enjoyed doing. My mum had amazing style when she was around my age, in the 70's and 80's. I think women dressed with a certain elegance and poise in previous years which has been somewhat lost in recent times. I unearthed a few old photos that showcase both of my parents' style in their youth, and the fact that styles really do repeat themselves...

My mum is on the right here, looking like some kind of silent movie superstar *jealous*.

Working the androgynous look which has resurfaced recently.

My Dad and Mum in all white, which has again become a 'thing'.

Rolled-up and high-waisted jeans.

Midi skirt and clutch.

High-waisted shorts and printed denim.

Finally, this is my Mum with her sister, Cathy, on the left. Does my mother not look irritatingly like a certain Miss Delevingne?

Emily x 

End of Summer Wish List

With the torrential rain in Edinburgh today I can feel the approach of Autumn, and I have to say I'm pretty excited! The transition between Summer and Autumn is my favourite time of year for many reasons, one being the darker palette of A/W collections which suit my tastes completely.

I've been browsing different sites for Autumn inspiration and compiled my 'End of Summer' wish list - enjoy!

Silk Top - & Other Stories

Leather Flats - & Other Stories

Dark Floral Jumpsuit - Topshop

House Ring - Monki

Printed Tote - Monki

Floral Shirt - Topshop Boutique

'Jasper' Cut Out Boots - Topshop

Plain T-Shirt Dress - Monki

Printed Tote - Monki

Bunny Necklace - Monki


As you can probably tell, Monki is one of my new favourite online shops; I love the fun yet stylish aesthetic their clothes and accessories have, and their design is always spot on. (Unfortunately their website appears to not allow linking to specific products, however I've linked to their product pages).

Another of my favourites at the moment is & Other Stories, whose beautiful pieces all seem to be impeccably designed and styled in their 'stories', or lookbooks. I love discovering online shops such as these because they give you much better design and quality for a more reasonable price than most high-street brands.

Emily x

Update - STV's 'Get The Look'

A while back in my 'Love From Lou Lou' post I mentioned that my fellow blogger Louise and myself had been asked while out shooting photos to take part in a little short by STV called 'Get the Look', which showcases street style across Scotland.
I recently received an email with an attached copy of the episode in which I feature, which was very exciting and a delight to watch! It's being shown in advert breaks during Coronation St, as far as I'm aware.
Having people mention that they'd spotted me on TV is a little unsettling at times, but great fun, and I'm so happy to have been a small part of this project!

Here's the clip in which my outfit is featured, and you can see the details of my outfit in this post.

Emily x

Flora

Here are some of the shots I got while out at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh with Adam...

...and the necessary selfie of the day.

We ate afterward at a lovely little cafe called The Circle Cafe - I was really impressed by the friendly, unobtrusive service from the genuinely lovely staff, as well as the cake/tea on offer. My choice was this amazing chocolate and chilli cake with some plain old tea. It was absolutely delicious.

Finally, Adam's (and my) friend and talented illustrator/animator Hugo Cuellar directed a short film for the Botanics, about a disease affecting multitudes of ash trees in the UK. We looked for it at the Botanics but couldn't find it, however here's a link to the video and to Hugo's tumblr - check it out!

Emily x