The First Signs Of Spring!

Only 48 more days until spring! I say that as we are now experiencing yet another "blizzard" here in the lovely state of Maine. But as you know, cold weather and snow doesn't hold true fashionistas back from having a fun fashion's night out! Here is what I wore last night at Talbots "Beat The Winter Blues" event in Bangor Maine.


Hearts are so girly, pretty and just plain cute! I love this heart wrap dress from Talbots. And don't think that hearts are just for Valentines Day (which is right around the corner btw.) Hearts can and should be worn all through the year. Why not show the world your love all year long!


{From left to right: Laura (that's me;), Chanelle, Annmarie, Tracey and Jen}
 I love this photo of me and my models. As cold as it was (and still is), these girls didn't let that stop them from showing off their favorite looks at their favorite store last night! 

Shop our favorite Talbots looks!

http://rstyle.me/n/wcfq6p8se
{Doesn't Chanelle look adorable?!}


What I Wore On The Day After JUNO

It was the day after the blizzard Juno and all was calm......but still COLD! I just woke up here in Maine and it is -1 degree outside! The first thing I do in the morning is check my weather phone app.  We all know, the weather totally affects what we will be wearing on any particular day. At first when I saw that negative temp on my app I pulled the blankets up over my head. I just wanted to stay in bed! But, getting out of bed and being grateful for the day is what I must do in order to press on. So that's exactly what I did. I managed to pull this semi spring look out of my wardrobe this morning and I felt so good after I put it on. The bright apricot color is just what I needed to put some life back into me after my day long hibernation from winter storm Juno.

SHOP MY LOOK!










Laura's Latest Discovery: Tiny Frock Shop!

I recently ran across the most incredible website and I just had to share! 

It's called Tiny Frock Shop where you can purchase everything you have ever dreamed of for your Barbie Dolls! Furniture, clothing, patterns to make the clothing and even Barbie Dolls themselves! If you know me, you know that I have been obsessed with Barbie's for most of my living life. I know I can't be alone out there. Please check out this website and enjoy! Share it with all your Barbie Doll obsessed friends. Trust me, they will go crazy over this! 

One of my favorite dolls I found on the site was this Coach Barbie Doll. You can find her by clicking HERE.


How cool is this vintage Barbie case? I think my sister had this one. 

You can purchase a variety of new and vintage Barbie clothes by clicking HERE!



You can even make your own Barbie clothes by purchasing the downloadable pattern on the site by clicking HERE.


Swatch packs that contain various designer fabrics are also available on the website so you can make your own Barbie clothes! So cool!

Change Is Good!

{photo via babynameslog.com}
First you were born. You cried a lot and ate a lot and pooped a lot.

{photo via babynameslog.com}
Then you started to walk and talk. Then you got taller and stronger and began learning a lot.

{photo via alalosha.com}

 Then puberty hit. Lots of changes to your body began to take place and it was considered a normal process to becoming an adult. 

Lets fast forward to the age of 40, which is when I began seeing changes in my own womanly body. Everyone is different though. You might experience these changes in your 30's or maybe you are over 40 and nothing is happening yet. But at some point it will happen. A lot of women consider these changes to be a negative thing. And that realllllly irritates me. It is a normal process, just like going through puberty was, but somehow the changes that we experience at this advanced time in our lives are not as easily accepted. Yes, it's true that with these changes we experience some health issues, which is why we should be taking care of ourselves from the get go. And sometimes you can take care of yourself all you want and things still go haywire. I have heard of several women my age and even younger getting cancer. That really scares me. I sometimes wonder not only if I will get cancer, but when will I get cancer. But then I stop myself and I say, that is no way to live my life! Wondering is not good. Wondering means you are living in the future and we don't know what is in our future so therefore when we wonder about it, we get stressed out which is not a good way to take care of our body. Living in the past can also be stressful. Thinking about woulda, coulda, shoulda will get you nowhere really fast and it takes a toll on your body. Sometimes thinking about your past can make you turn to drugs or alcohol hoping to make things feel better in your life as you live it day to day. And we all know that those substances are not good for you.

As you know, Laura's Style is a fashion blog. So where am I going with this in regard to fashion? My point is, fashion is not just for the young, the rich or the famous. It is for everyone and it is an art. I meet so many women every day who are down on themselves because they are getting older. They say, "It's no fun getting older." I really hate that statement! They think they don't look good in anything and have a very difficult time finding clothing that works for them. They say, "When I was younger, I could wear anything and look great!" I say, if they change their attitude and show gratitude, they can do the same now but they might just have to embrace an extra curve, lump or bump somewhere. You may no longer be a size 2, but long as your mind is healthy then you will look amazing. Trust me.

So, how do you obtain a healthy mind?

1. Listen to your body. Don't eat it if it makes your belly feel gross.

2. Meditate in your moments throughout the day. I don't mean sit Indian style and close your eyes and huuummmmm. I simply mean, just go throughout your day and pause and think when things get rough. When someone is irritating you, just think of what it must be like to be that person and sort of forgive them. You never know what is up with people. They have a lot of stuff filling their brain and they might have a difficult time living in the present just like you did before you read this. Even when things are going well, you should stop and think and be grateful. That is meditation.

3. Never ever talk negative about your body! Your body is the only one you will ever have and it is amazing. Treat it like gold and put yourself first. Not in a snobby way. There is a fine line there. Think. Live in the present.

4. Exercise, but don't go nuts over it. Just go for a walk and bring your camera and take picture of nature and the world around us. You can learn a lot from just observing.

5. Be quiet. Don't talk all the time. Listen to people. When you feel the urge to interrupt someone, that means you are not listening to them. People who listen are smart. And smart people realize they have a lot to learn.

6. Embrace getting older. I actually like getting older and I feel sorry for young people. They have so much crap/drama filling up their minds stressing them out. I am so happy that I am past that. The less going on in your life, the more clearly you can think.

Below are some of my favorite photos from one of my favorite fashion blogs called
Advanced Style

As you can see these ladies (and gentlemen) are well over 40 years old and they are all living in the present and enjoying life!










OUTFIT | TARTAN COAT







A few months ago Harriet and I went for a look around charity shops in Crouch End, which is a great area of London to spend a Sunday afternoon by the way, and I found this amazing tartan coat for just £8! I actually bought it thinking it would work really well in a shoot I had planned, but I quite like it for myself too so I'm keeping it! Also If you haven't seen already, I've had some styling work published on HUF Magazine, you can see it here, I used lingerie from Miss Crofton and vintage clothing from Beyond Retro. Let me know what you think!   



VINTAGE TARTAN COAT
DR MARTENS SHOES


 

PETAL SKIRT




























I was recently sent this lovely little Laser Cut Petal Skirt by Rare London. Although it's quite a dressy design I thought I'd have a go at styling it for a more casual look and wore it out on Saturday with a comfy roll neck and Dr Martens. I also tried out my new LYCRA tights, which I discovered when told about the #LegfieLove competition they're currently running - you can find out more about that here. If I'm honest I really do love these tights - they're super flattering, excellent quality and warm too, so thanks LYCRA!  

I had another lazy weekend... on Friday night I stayed in and got tipsy with Matt and Harriet; we made hot dogs with curly fries then had the most delicious Gu cheesecake. On Saturday morning we got up, made scrambled eggs with avocado on toast then watched Boyhood before going for a walk in the afternoon. That night, surprise surprise it involves food again, we all made Mexican, (my favourite), and watched The Interview, which was actually pretty funny before the ending when it got a bit tedious. Today I managed to squeeze one more film in over lunch and watched Spike Jonze's Scenes from the Suburbs. It was really lovely but also quite tragic and left me with a funny feeling or unease afterwards. I spent the rest of the afternoon working on a still life project with Matt. What did you get up to this weekend?  



H&M JUMPER 
BACKPACK BY THE WHITEPEPPER
DR MARTENS SHOES


GIRLS S04E01



One of my New Year's Resolutions was to write more, but the problem is that I'm not completely sure what I'd like to write about. I thought here would be a good place to start though, so I've set myself the little challenge of writing once a week about something that I like or that inspires me.... or just about general topics I'd like to discuss with you. I'm hoping I can keep motivated this way; the truth is that I actually miss being set University assignments. The feeling of finishing something you've worked hard on is just wonderful, so here goes...

Earlier this week after a long day of work I sat down to watch the newly released episode of Girls. Now in its fourth season, episode 1 picks up where it left off with a brief recap of Hannah's latest "thing", (each season she tends to have a different thing that shes working on or towards). It also reminds us of Marnie's latest boy drama when it cuts to a rather provocative sex scene featuring her new man, who's still dating his other girlfriend by the way. Said scene ruffled a few feathers and was called unnecessary but I think it helps portray Marnie's selfishness, ugliness and cruel intentions wonderfully; she may have a sweet face but in no way is she innocent.

Despite not much actually happening, I feel this first episode was just easing us into the shit-storm that's about to happen. The final scene was heartbreaking and set the tone for the rest of the season - it also reminded us of Hannah's selfish nature and confirmed our suspicions that she's fallen out of love. When it finished I felt sad and kind of hated her, but then I think we're supposed to be hating her at the moment, right? That's one of the reasons I love the show - you find yourself changing your mind about characters all of the time. It keeps it interesting. Do you watch Girls and what did you think of the new episode? Also who's your favourite character?   

On a similar note, I recently read Lena Dunham's autobiography and was blown away by it. She's so brave, talented and inspiring - I felt like taking on the world by the time I'd finished. I don't really have any role models or like looking up to people that much, (we are after all only ever going to be ourselves), but people like her do keep my own ambitions alive, and I really appreciate that.

Sunny Days Here I Come!


 I have to admit, planning to pack for my trip to sunny Florida was a bit confusing in the beginning. The temps are so cold here in Maine that I can't even imagine what it's like to be warm! I think I did okay though. I simply planned out a color scheme. I started with navy and white and added the apricot for a punch of color. I can mix and match all of these items and I can dress them up with the one pair of gold sandals that I am bringing or dress them down with a pair of navy blue Keds. Gotta keep that suitcase light ya know!


This "Bon Voyage" tee from Talbots is a necessity for my trip to sunny Florida!
Get yours by clicking HERE

Wake Up And Be Awesome!

Wake Up And Be Awesome!


You might as well say it. We are in the nitty gritty of winter. We still have a ways to go, so we might as well embrace it with some cute winter attire!

The good thing about this time of year are all the winter clearance sales. WOW! There are some really great deals out there! Above you will find a cute look that will keep you warm and keep you stylish and below are the links that will lead you right to them:

1. Blue Turtleneck Pullover Sweater from OASAP

2. Crossbody Handbag with Lock Detail from Target

3. The Dannie pant from J. Crew

4. Lady Soft Ankle Boot from YOOX


I know it's difficult sometimes to get dressed in the winter time, but if you have some sweaters in pretty colors then I promise you will enjoy it just a little bit more.

Above all, it's important to wake up every day and be grateful. Why, you ask? Because you have a lot to be grateful for! 

JANUARY (NOT SO) BLUES



Usually January is one of my least favourite months of the year, (alongside February and March). It's cold, it's dark, it's rainy and boring - such an anticlimax after Christmas! I'm normally poor and grumpy about returning to work too - not this year though. I know we're only 11 days in but hey, I'm feeling pretty optimistic. It's not too cold, it's not too rainy and I seem to have adjusted quite nicely to the short days this time around.

Of course I'm still super excited for the long Summer evenings to come. I'm looking forward to leaving work when it's still light, to evening picnics in London parks and being able to wear shorts without tights. But for now I'm content with dark, cosy nights spent inside and wrapping up warm in knitwear - this weekend I've had a lovely time spent snug indoors watching films and doing research on Pinterest, (you can follow me on Pinterest here). I did also pop out for some fresh air yesterday to have a play with my new Olympus Pen! Today I think I'll read my new Wes Anderson book, plan a test shoot, then perhaps watch a film this evening. What are you up to today? 


Here I'm wearing my new coat, which I picked up for £25 in the New Look sale; I actually bought it in a larger size so that it's a lovely boxy shape and falls from my shoulders quite nicely. I don't like fitted coats - coats should be warm, slouchy and oversized - big enough to wrap around yourself and cuddle when you're really cold!


FAKE ROLL NECK FROM H&M
COAT FROM NEW LOOK
RED OR DEAD SHOES 




HAPPY NEW YEAR



I've been super busy with work and traveling so have been a bit too tired to blog recently, I'm sorry, but better late than never, right!? Happy New Year! Somehow I managed an entire evening without taking photos on New Year's, which I spent with Matt and some friends in South London, so I thought I'd post the rest of the photos from Devon instead.

I miss the beautiful countryside, the evening light on a frosty clear day is truly something to behold. But on the other hand I'm still happy to be home - back in my cold, dark North London flat where my pet rats keep me up through the night rustling around in their shredded Stylist magazine nests and play fighting. I'm also happy to be back at work, the early mornings are a bit of a shock to the system but it feels good to have a purpose in life again besides eating cheese.



Oh yes, I did promise to tell you more about my new job! I'm very excited to be the new Stylist at Jack Wills, where I get to work alongside an amazing team of creatives and the super talented Senior Stylist whose Instagram account you can check out here. Despite my wonderful start to 2015 I do of course still have a few New Year's resolutions including reading more, writing more, watching more films and just generally kicking ass at my new job. Again, happy new year!




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