Room and Wardrobe Tour!

Hi guys!!! So sorry for my absense lately. I've had things do be doing that took up and incredible amount of to time but I am back and ready to rumble! So to start off the first of what will be many posts, I thought I'd to a room and wardrobe tour! It's obvious that I am a complete shopaholic (which is why I require TWO wardrobes) but I also buy things that I know I won't wear but may use in a shoot or something. I also tidied my room so I thought I'd capture it before it goes to hell, again...

Bathroom

I will admit to being a bit of a hoarder :P I just LOVE stuff! And I'm always afraid that I'll throw out something I might need one day. That explains the two rooms! 

To see a tour of the spare room which has been converted into my own little studio, click on the video below. Some of my college work from last year is featured too if you're interested.

Much Love,

Shannon.

xoxo

Shoot No.2 "Free"

Hi guys! So for those of you who keep an eye on my blog Facebook page, you would have known that I coordinated and styled a photoshoot a couple of weeks ago as apart of a college project. I had a lot of fun and had an amazing team. 

The shoot was inspired by a stylist called Isabella Blow. She was the woman who discovered Alexander McQueen and Philip Tracy. She was once asked, "what is Alexander McQueen", she responded, "He's a wild bird with a good silhouette. You see, bird's have movement, they have freedom, they're wild, they're free. They don't have to be responsible to anything other than their great technical ability to fly and I think he makes clothes fly." This is a quote that I was inspired by after watching a documentary on the relationship between herself and McQueen (linked below). I was also inspired by one of Isabella's photo's where she is wearing wings on her head. I thought the two tied in nicely together. 

So just a big thank you to everyone involved. You were all fantastic and I really wouldn't have been able to capture this whole thing without you <3

Stylist/Coordinator: Shannon Barry (myself)

Photographer: Lisa Griffin

Model: Cliodhna Marshall

MUA: Becky Connolly

Lisa's Page>>https://www.facebook.com/LisaGriffinPhotography?fref=ts

McQueen and I

Behind the Scenes

Much Love,

Shannon.

xoxo

Temp X-Mas Jobs

Hello beauties <3 So it's no secret that not only is it the season to be jolly, it's the season to start an X-Mas temp job. What's that you ask? Well for those of you who don't know, it's a temporary job that you get for the Christmas period. I had one last year in River Island (which was also my first time working in retail). I know that when I went in, I was extremely nervous because I knew that it would be mayhem and I was unsure about how well I would do considering that I had never worked in retail. So to help those of you who have jobs, I have written up a bit of a survival guide and for those of you who have left it until now, here's what to do next year.

1. When to Apply

Just because it's a CHRISTMAS job does not mean that you wait until December to start applying. You would want to be looking between the end of October and beginning of November. Chances are that you'll be starting at the end of November so there's no time for dilly dallying about. It's not just a case of handing around CV's once, you have to do it consistently. You need to annoy and pester people even if it means that they'll remember your face. I also made a point of applying to everything online every single night during the week. If you want it, you've got to work for it.

2. Take it Seriously

If you get called for an interview, don't just go in with a casual approach because it's a temporary position. This interview will determine whether they'll consider keeping you on afterwards or giving you your P45. Dress smartly, be polite and make sure that they remember you.

3. Go in with a "can do" Attitude

Hooray you've been hired! Now it's time to get to work. Yes I know it's the Christmas season which is PEAK time for retail stores and it is going to be packed! The floor is like a battlefield and you're bang smack in the middle of it. Freaking out and letting the small things get to you will only make you weak and edgy. Ignore what any rude customers might say to you and if you don't understand something, ask for help. 

4. NEVER let your feelings get the better of you

It's Christmas. People are stressed, broke and leaving it last minute to buy gifts. You will always get that one customer who is going to take their anger and frustration out on you. The key is to remain calm and not to get hot headed. You want to show your supervisors that you can handle a kick or two while still maintaining a friendly face. Be thick skinned and do not take anything that an angry customer has to say too personally.

5. Remain calm during the St. Stephens Day Sale

I'm not going to lie, I can still smell the scents from that day. Any they're not good ones. It is shocking to see some people standing outside the doors at 5am ready to grab what they came for. Yes it's early and I know you've been working hard, but do not back down now! As soon as those doors open at 6am, it will be your responsibility to keep your department organised and under control. Use your cop on and make sure there are no safety hazards (hangers on the floor, an empty rail that is easily missed, liquid that someone could slip on). Even though it's early and no one cares if you're there or not, it's still your job to be pleasant, approachable and chatty.

Hopefully this quick guide will help some of you and best of luck if you got a temp job!!!

Much Love,

Shannon.

xoxo

How to be a Fashion Blogger: Step 1

Bonjour all you lovely people! Well I have been enjoying a lovely week off from college and have literally done nothing socially or academically #thuglife. Can you believe it's November!?! Where have the months gone?

Anyway, moving onto today's topic. For those of you who keep an eye on my blog Facebook page (click HERE) you may have seen a status saying that I've been asked to speak at a Fashion Show in February about my journey so far as a fashion blogger (I am so excited and cannot thank Sorcha Browne enough for asking me to do this. Check out her design page HERE). I've never had a major fear of public speaking but this will be my first ever time talking about something that's so close to my heart so of course I have a few natural nerves going on :P So whilst looking at some things to talk about, I came up with this post. I'll be posting in detail on one step per week to take when creating a fashion blog or any sort of blog for that matter. Don't forget that this is just my take on it and what worked for me so don't feel like you have to follow it! Just over a year ago I started to pay an interest in the world of blogging and began to look at some blogs and other social networks that were gaining popularity. My journey began on Tumblr.

Step 1: Research and Development

I had been hearing about tumblr from a lot of people and heard that it was a great platform to start from. The initial creation of my account was hard because I wasn't very aware of what to do. I didn't know how to make it suit my personality but I enlisted the help of my best friend, Jean (she's really the brains behind it all!) and together, we were able to come up with a name, template, colour scheme and concept. She was then able to show me how it actually worked :P  Through tumblr, I was able to get an impression of all the bloggers I followed just from the pictures that they were posting and sharing. It was a simple step to take and I found that it helped me create a routine and to understand how blogging worked, without going too deep too fast. Be sure to do some research and come up with a name that you'll like and not get sick off. My blog name reflects my personal style (glamour girl with an edge :P) and my love for Lady Gaga ;) It takes time to build up an image and changing it halfway through will just make it more complicated and time consuming.

So that would be my advice. Join a site that you're not already apart of and start researching. They say that the world wasn't created in one day and neither is a blog. Take time to research and develop your own style and ideas. And, don't be afraid to ask for help!

Much Love,

Shannon.

xoxo 

Outfit Post: Tartan and Tweed

Hello lovely monkeys!!! So yes it is true, this is my first outfit post EVER and I had some craic doing it :P Thank you to my best friend Jean for taking the pictures <3 I decided to do an outfit post with this dress because I literally cannot remove it from my body. I am in love with it! It's from nopolka.com for only............€20!!!! WOW!!! And they have so many others like it in different patterns so have a look. I find it so easy to style and it looks great with heeled booties or flats (I wear my creepers with it too). I also love my tweed boyfriend coat. I'm naturally warm and I like having coats that aren't too heavy but will still keep me warm when I do get cold, so this was perfect for me!

Tartan dress from nopolka// Shoes from boohoo// Tights from New Look// Sunglasses from Ebay// Tweed coat from Penneys// Necklace from New Look// Earrings from Pulse Accessories.

Much Love,

Shannon.

xoxo