Category Archives: General

Angelina Jolie

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Angelina

I have always had a lot of respect for Angelina Jolie. Her continued support of different charities is something that has always inspired me, not to mention she is a talented actress & one of the most beautiful women in the world. I have also admired her style for many years. Her decision to tell the world about her double mastectomy is very brave & inspiring. I am sure it was a very difficult & emotional decision but her honesty could save lives by helping raise awareness of the faulty gene.

I only wish there were more celebrities with the heart of gold Angelina has!

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Me

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Aloha! I have been blogging for over a year now & I have got to know some of you quite well. I thought it would be interesting to write 10 things about myself that you (probably) didn’t know. I would love it if you could also join in & write a similar post on your own blog. It would be so nice to get to know every one a little better!

Here goes!

1. I love old black & white movies. I have a particular fondness of the Marx Brothers, totally incredible & way before their time. My favourite old movies include ‘The Ghost & Mrs Muir’ which stars the beautiful Gene Tierney. I also love ‘Blithe Spirit’ which stars the wonderful Margaret Rutherford, one of my favourite actresses.

2. My name is actually Katie but I much prefer being called Kate. In fact, only my Mum & my 2 Nana’s call me Katie!

3. My Grandad was Irish & was the most incredible man I have ever known. He was so kind, generous & funny. He could always make me laugh no matter what. He died when I was 9 years old & it breaks my heart that he never got to see my Brother & I grow up. I saw him for the last time 2 days before his death & I never got to say a proper goodbye. I would love to spend just one more day with him.

4. I love Metal & Rock music! This is mostly because of my Dad, he use to play Metallica to me when I was young & now they are my favourite band. My Fiance & I have been to see countless bands. Metallica, Rammstein, Rob Zombie, Nickelback, Iron Maiden, Black Label Society, Black Stone Cherry & Machine Head are just a handful of the bands we have seen live.

5. I am quite a quiet person. No real reason for this, I just am.

6. I am obsessed with Marilyn Monroe. She is my favourite actress & I basically just adore her. She was so beautiful & talented & had an amazing sense of fashion. I have countless books on her & I also have a tattoo of her on my ankle. Plus, I am sure you noticed my wallpaper, right?

7. My Nana once told me she was a Gypsy. One of the real ones that actually travel around & are free spirits, not those you find on ‘My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding’. Anyway, it turns out she was joking but since then I have always thought of myself as the boho/gypsy type, maybe I am crazy? I don’t know haha!

8. Most of my childhood was spent in the garden with my Dad. I was (still am) a Daddy’s Girl. I would spend hours in the garden with my dad planting pretty flowers. I even had my own special part of the garden to do what I pleased. It was filled with daisies, all varieties & I also had a clay rabbit, which sadly my Dad accidentally dropped & beheaded! We also had a large Cherry Blossom Tree in the middle of our garden. It was beautiful & I loved it. Sadly it only blossomed for a few weeks of the year & so my Dad cut it down. I never forgive him for it!

9. Chris & I have been together for almost 7 years. We met at college & have been inseparable ever since. I love him more that anything, he truly is my soul mate!

10. Passing my driving test was one of the best days of my life. My parents kindly bought me my very own car – I am a lucky girl! Now I have my own freedom & it feels great!

So, there it is, 10 things you didn’t know about me. I hope you will all join in too, I would love to hear a little more about you all!

Que Sera Sera

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I am not sure if I mentioned this on my blog a little while ago but it has been playing on my mind & I feel writing it down may help.

A little while ago I worked for a fashion company, it was a temporary position but I ended up going back on a temporary basis a few times. I always enjoyed it so much, it was full-time, good money & I worked with lovely people. Sadly, my contract ran out for the final time & I had to leave. I got a new job right away – which I hated! Then, that company closed down & I got another job immediately which was super lucky.

I was happy & settled in my job although it wasn’t exactly what I hoped for. Anyway, a few months after I started I got a call asking me to go back to my fashion company job. I don’t know why, but, I had a strange & unsure feeling about it. I contacted a girl who I worked with & she explained how things that changed so much since I was there. The team was almost completely different & she hated it & wanted out. Needless to say, this put me off going back. I stayed in my current job & decided it was the best thing. Although it was less money, at least I knew I was okay there & had a steady job.

For months it has bothered me. Did I make the right decision? Should I have just gone for it? What if I would have loved it again? Saving for a house would have been so much easier & I wouldn’t have to worry so much.

Every time I think about these things, I still have that unsure feeling in my gut. Something is just telling me I made the right decision.

Some times in life you have to make hard decisions & it is hard to know what to do, what path to take. Ultimately, you have to follow your gut feeling, your heart. Some times, something just tells you, you are making the right decision.

I hope that some day, something better will come a long for me & I will laugh about all this & wonder why I ever worried.

Some times, you have to have that little bit of hope to get you through!

Don’t get me wrong, I am not depressed, I am just not that type of person. I just feel a little fed up of doing the same old same old. I need a change, a new direction in life. I hope I can find a new path in life soon!

Sera

Exclusive Interview With Inkkas

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Inkkas

Inkkas is one of those brands that you fall in love with as soon as you see their products. It could be the bright & bold colours or the native tribal patterns or maybe that you love its ethical values. All Inkkas Shoes are handmade using traditional South American textiles & the results speak for themselves.
High Tops

Low Tops

I was lucky enough to be able to speak with Inkkas & ask them a few questions about the brand.

Tell me a little about your beginnings, how did it all start?

It all started during a trip to South America. During my travels I ended up spending a lot of time trekking through the Andes, it was there that I discovered the amazing culture and traditions of the native peoples. In countries like Peru and Bolivia that I saw how the people are so interconnected with their history as well as the nature that surrounds them. When I finally left South America I knew I needed to introduce these amazing styles to the world.

What is your mission/values?

At Inkkas we try to adhere to three core principles which we believe embody the spirit of Inkkas

1) Only use authentic South American textiles

2) Made in South America by South Americans

3) Donate a portion of all proceeds to help South American communities

Why is Fairtrade important to Inkkas?

I think fairtrade is very important to Inkkas because we understand that the people and culture of South America have give us so much it only seems fair that we do what we can to contribute to progress and well being of the local Peruvian artisans who craft our shoes.

What inspires your products?

Great question! The inspiration to our shoes actually goes back over a 100 years and is deeply rooted in the culture and history of the South American people. The people of the Andes love these colorful designs and you can see it in their everyday clothing. In the past few years we’ve these ethnic patterns and designs exploded in popularity in the West which we now identify as “Tribal” or “Aztec”.

Being unique & individual is important to me as a person, is it important Inkkas & if so, why?

Without a doubt yes! One of Inkkas’s core principals is authenticity and part of staying authentic is being unique.

Do you have any exciting products or collections we should look out for in the near future?

We actually just released our new line of Inkkas v2.0! Based off our original collection Inkkas v2.0 is stronger, more comfortable and includes two new styles – Slate & Shadow.

A big thank you to Josh for taking the time to answer my questions. I think Inkkas is definitely a brand to watch out for!

High Top 2

Low Tops 2

With a wide variety of High Tops & Low Tops in just about every pattern & colour combination you can imagine, there is a style to suit everyone. You also get the ‘feel good factor’ knowing that a portion of the cost has gone to South American communities – hooray for companies that ‘give back’.

Be sure to check out their wonderful site here.

Please let me know your thoughts & if you are lucky enough to have your own pair of Inkkas then send in a picture!

Craft Project: DIY Wooden Cross & Arrow Head Necklaces

Posted in Cherry Blossom Bay, General by

I have been busy again today re-vamping some necklaces.

A wooden cross necklace (already made one for myself & I love it!) & a silver arrow-head necklace – super cute!

Necklaces Before

I hated the long chains & I wanted to replace them with some thread.

Necklaces After

I love the natural & boho vibe on pendants on thread, they look so much better than the chains!

Necklaces Complete

These lovely necklaces will be up for sale on my Etsy shop very soon – at low prices! I will also be adding a couple of sea glass pendant necklaces, just in time for Summer!

If you are interested in either of the necklaces please leave a comment or email me at kateduffy@hotmail.co.uk

x

To Keep or Not to Keep: Vintage Style Cherry Dress

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Aloha! I have a little dilemma that I am hoping you can all help me out with. I bought this Reko for Topshop Cherry Dress about 3 years ago. I love it, I adore the print & the style, 0h-so-vintage!

My problem is, I never wear it & although I love it I can’t help thinking it should go to a better home.

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I am just not sure I am fully ready to part with it yet.

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It is just so fun & quirky & really pretty for Summer time.

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Part of me think I should keep it for this Summer & style it in different ways.

I am just not sure….HELP!

Should I keep it for a while longer & try different ways of styling it or should I just admit that I need to let it go to a new home?

Craft Project: DIY Wooden Cross Necklace

Posted in Cherry Blossom Bay, General, Outfit Post by

Remember a few weeks ago when I bought this Wooden Cross Pendant on a gold chain?

Cross

Well it may come as no surprise but I am not fond of chains especially not gold ones. I do have a couple of chain necklaces but not many as I prefer ones on black thread. As soon as I spotted this cute necklace I knew it had potential, all it needed was a make over.

Necklace

Today the sun was shining brightly & I really wanted to wear the pendant with my new sweater.  I got my jewellery making tools out & got to work.

Saturday 007

I replaced the horrid gold chain with black thread for a more natural & boho look.

Saturday 008

Here is the finished product!

I am so pleased with the way it looks & I love that I can wear it almost as a choker.
I bought a large arrowhead pendant today & I plan to do the same again.

I will have one of these pretty necklaces for sale on my Etsy site soon so watch out for that!

Exclusive Interview with Veuxdoo

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I had the wonderful opportunity of speaking to Veuxdoo. A lovely company that offers a wide range of modern & vintage, clothing & accessories.

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Tell me about your beginnings, how did Veuxdoo start? 

Veuxdoo started after the owner, Ruth, graduated from a 3 year fashion degree. Unable to find work straight away, and with internships few and far between, she decided to invest her time and skills in starting a small company doing what she loves most! Hoping to gain skills and first hand experience, as well as work with some inspiring people along the way…

What is your mission?

To design clothes that make people smile. Have fun, be different, but be realistic with prices and stay on trend. We like to make custom one-off items and find unique vintage so the customer knows they’re buying a real gem.

Describe Veuxdoo in 3 words.

Custom. Cool. Individual.

What inspires Veuxdoo & your products?

We try to keep up-to-date on trends, but we mainly get inspired by bloggers and what they’re loving, but at the same time, making stuff that people haven’t seen before and is a bit kooky and ‘out-there’.

What can we expect to see from Veuxdoo in the future? 

Just more unique custom items, and great quality vintage finds. We’re also looking to branch out into menswear, so all the guys can get their Veuxdoo on too!

Be sure to check out Veuxdoo & follow them on Twitter!

PS. They are currently offering 20% off everything until midnight tomorrow. Simply enter the code ‘Twitter20′ at the checkout.
Happy shopping!