Hi Everyone,
Hope you are all having a positive week. This is without a doubt one of my favourite posts I have written to date - my experience on Xpose, attending the Arnott's fashion and style event and the importance of going after what you really want in life.
Photo Credit : Arnott's Facebook Album
Last Wednesday night, I attended the Arnott's Fashion and Style event and it was such an enjoyable few hours. It was nice to do something different after travelling for the whole day and it calmed my nerves ahead of Thursday morning! I had never been to an event like that before so I didn't know what to expect but I was highly impressed! We landed to the store at 7.30pm when doors were opening and we were greeted by a lovely gent in a top hat who told us to proceed to the two ladies who took our names.
There were 2 style talks taking place followed by mini fashion shows, goodie bags being distributed, prosecco on standby, a DJ providing all the beats, make-up demonstrations, discounts throughout the store and the opportunity to talk to the experts regarding the clothing in store.
Photo Credit : Arnott's Facebook Album
First up was a talk/fashion show hosted by the fabulous Lisa Fitzpatrick. I love watching Lisa on Xpose and I feel like I can relate to her sense of style so I was very excited to see what was in store. The fashion show had a mixture of everything from day-time to night time wear and I loved the camel coat which you can see pictured below modelled by the stunning Sarah Morrissey. Lisa was fantastic at involving the crowd and she even managed to get a few ladies up onto the stage to strut their stuff - not a bother to them!
Photo Credit : Arnott's Facebook Album
Photo Credit : Arnott's Facebook Album
I didn't have much time to get ready as it was a quick dash from the bus to the hotel but I opted for my midi skirt that was custom made by the insanely talented Maire Mc Cafferty from MMC Designs. I will have a separate blog post on this collaboration early next week but all I can say is that I absolutely loved it and felt like twirling around all night! My denim shirt is from Penney's and my shoes are Dunnes Stores. This colour is no longer available but they do come in a plain black and nude. The event was a great experience and learning curve in practising how to market myself as a blogger and it reiterated the fact that in this industry, it is up to you to make yourself known!
After Lisa's talk, it was a quick dash to the next floor to hear Clara Halpin - Arnott's Head of Personal Shopping discuss some more fashion styles. Again, there was a mini fashion show and I am disappointed I didn't get a photo of the last two dresses as they were amazing but I will try my best to source a picture. It was very evident from the talk that Clara knows her floor inside out and if anyone is interested in making an appointment to consult with herself and the team, simply drop a line to personalshopping@arnotts.ie The service is free of charge and you are guaranteed to leave the store feeling like a new woman / man (Clara had mentioned that the service is becoming very popular with the male generation so no need to be shy!)
Honestly, it feels so surreal to be writing this section of the post. It might not seem like a big deal to some people, but it has always been a dream of mine to be on Xpose and I still can't believe that I can now tick that goal off the list. I sit down to watch the programme every evening with my mum and every so often I would have said to her "One day" so I am extremely grateful for the opportunity.
I was one of four on the panel for a segment called 'Trend Tackler' whereby the stylist styles a model in 3 different outfits and we have to give our verdicts as to whether we like them or not. We didn't see the outfits in advance so there was no preparing of answers - take it as you see it approach! As there was 3 outfits in total, there will be 3 separate slots over a few weeks.
Filming for the show was scheduled for Thursday last and I only got word on the Monday so as you can imagine, between all the excitement I was running around like a headless chicken trying to get everything sorted out. Where was I going to stay? What bus would I get? Will I get the time off work? WHAT AM I GOING TO WEAR?! (The sincerest thank you to Megan for swapping a shift with me at work, to say I was grateful is an understatement!) I was stressing about finding 1 outfit and when I was told we would need 3, I had a sort of mini meltdown, not going to lie! I actually got everything together a lot quicker than I imagined so that definitely helped.
I expected to be a lot more nervous but everyone from the camera man to the presenter were so chilled and that made us all feel relaxed - It's not an easy task when there is a camera in your face and you know you aren't allowed to directly look at it. Irene O Brien was the stylist who looked as chic as always and the ever so bubbly Kate O'Toole interviewed us. They were absolutely lovely - so down to earth and lovely to talk to. I also had the chance to meet fellow blogger Jessika from Chaos Wearing Lipgloss who was also on the panel. Blogging introduces you to so many people online and when you meet, it feels like you have known them for yonks! We have a pretty similar taste in fashion and laughed at our inability to wear all black!
It was an amazing experience and one that I won't ever forget. I packed a lot into the 24 hours I was in Dublin but I loved every minute and would definitely consider a move to the big smoke in the future. If someone had said to me on the Monday, "Emma, you will be on Xpose on Thursday" - I would have told them to take a run and jump as I wouldn't have quite believed it!
The point I am trying to make is please never give up on any goals you have set. This was an opportunity that I did not expect in the slightest so I was as shocked as I was excited. I was having a bit of a moment a few weeks beforehand as I felt like I was getting no-where and standing idle. I set up my blog in January of this year and every single day since then, I have been working consistently on it so when an opportunity like Xpose came around, it was a little pat on the back to remind me that I must be doing something right. Sometimes you have to witness the storm before you see the sun and with hard work, passion and determination you WILL achieve your goals. It's important to remind yourself of how far you have come on your journey.
I like to tell myself every so often that nothing is impossible when you have a little faith. Self-belief is everything and you have to remember that no one can have what is meant for you - I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes it can be hard to comprehend in the moment but as time moves on, you see how every little thing adds up to bring you exactly to where you are meant to be.
Now what to do? Write down your list of goals no matter how big/small and an action plan for putting them in place. Imagine the satisfaction/pride you will get when you are able to tick off the first one. These might be short term goals, they could be long term goals - either way small consistent steps every day will lead you to your desired end result and you deserve to get there! (As long as you work your ass off) ;)
I have a list of goals as long as my arm and at the minute, I am working towards creating my fashion styling business. I debated whether or not to include this but thought there would be no harm. I would like to focus on a personal styling approach such as dressing for your body shape, colour analysis, wardrobe consultations, the power of accessories etc. I have been doing a lot of research and I think/hope there is a market for it so the ideal goal is to have my business up and running next year. (FINGERS CROSSED AHHH) I have more than likely jinxed myself now by saying all of that but if this is something you would attend definitely let me know as a little reassurance never goes a miss :)
I will put my writing to a halt primarily because it is 2.30a.m and before I make you feel like you are sitting in some sort of a motivational talk. As a final note I will leave you with some wise words from Mr. Jobs.
I hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for reading,
Emma
x
I was one of four on the panel for a segment called 'Trend Tackler' whereby the stylist styles a model in 3 different outfits and we have to give our verdicts as to whether we like them or not. We didn't see the outfits in advance so there was no preparing of answers - take it as you see it approach! As there was 3 outfits in total, there will be 3 separate slots over a few weeks.
Filming for the show was scheduled for Thursday last and I only got word on the Monday so as you can imagine, between all the excitement I was running around like a headless chicken trying to get everything sorted out. Where was I going to stay? What bus would I get? Will I get the time off work? WHAT AM I GOING TO WEAR?! (The sincerest thank you to Megan for swapping a shift with me at work, to say I was grateful is an understatement!) I was stressing about finding 1 outfit and when I was told we would need 3, I had a sort of mini meltdown, not going to lie! I actually got everything together a lot quicker than I imagined so that definitely helped.
I expected to be a lot more nervous but everyone from the camera man to the presenter were so chilled and that made us all feel relaxed - It's not an easy task when there is a camera in your face and you know you aren't allowed to directly look at it. Irene O Brien was the stylist who looked as chic as always and the ever so bubbly Kate O'Toole interviewed us. They were absolutely lovely - so down to earth and lovely to talk to. I also had the chance to meet fellow blogger Jessika from Chaos Wearing Lipgloss who was also on the panel. Blogging introduces you to so many people online and when you meet, it feels like you have known them for yonks! We have a pretty similar taste in fashion and laughed at our inability to wear all black!
It was an amazing experience and one that I won't ever forget. I packed a lot into the 24 hours I was in Dublin but I loved every minute and would definitely consider a move to the big smoke in the future. If someone had said to me on the Monday, "Emma, you will be on Xpose on Thursday" - I would have told them to take a run and jump as I wouldn't have quite believed it!
The point I am trying to make is please never give up on any goals you have set. This was an opportunity that I did not expect in the slightest so I was as shocked as I was excited. I was having a bit of a moment a few weeks beforehand as I felt like I was getting no-where and standing idle. I set up my blog in January of this year and every single day since then, I have been working consistently on it so when an opportunity like Xpose came around, it was a little pat on the back to remind me that I must be doing something right. Sometimes you have to witness the storm before you see the sun and with hard work, passion and determination you WILL achieve your goals. It's important to remind yourself of how far you have come on your journey.
I like to tell myself every so often that nothing is impossible when you have a little faith. Self-belief is everything and you have to remember that no one can have what is meant for you - I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes it can be hard to comprehend in the moment but as time moves on, you see how every little thing adds up to bring you exactly to where you are meant to be.
Now what to do? Write down your list of goals no matter how big/small and an action plan for putting them in place. Imagine the satisfaction/pride you will get when you are able to tick off the first one. These might be short term goals, they could be long term goals - either way small consistent steps every day will lead you to your desired end result and you deserve to get there! (As long as you work your ass off) ;)
I have a list of goals as long as my arm and at the minute, I am working towards creating my fashion styling business. I debated whether or not to include this but thought there would be no harm. I would like to focus on a personal styling approach such as dressing for your body shape, colour analysis, wardrobe consultations, the power of accessories etc. I have been doing a lot of research and I think/hope there is a market for it so the ideal goal is to have my business up and running next year. (FINGERS CROSSED AHHH) I have more than likely jinxed myself now by saying all of that but if this is something you would attend definitely let me know as a little reassurance never goes a miss :)
I hope you enjoyed this post and thanks for reading,
Emma
x
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