Road Trip: Newcastle 2015!!

''Love Newcastle me like Oi Oi ''

It's not everyday we celebrate a birthday, or celebrate finishing our leaving cert (for the second time) or celebrate just being a big bunch of friends so this summer, catch five (there's definitely a lot more) small town girls take on the home of Geordie Shore.. coming to a cinema near you, July 2015. Okay, so there's no film and that sounded so much cooler in my head than when I actually wrote it, I suppose it's because I had the mans voice who says it in my head I don't know, just scrap that whole idea anyway, we're going off.Flying from Dublin to the airport in Newcastle in the middle of the night and then we're free... first parentless trip abroad.. WOHOO!!!

 Bijoux... Tut Tut... three triple vodkas for £6, with Jager bombs at £2 a shot!! I cannot wait...... to see all the amazing tourist spots that Newcastle has to offer such as...

The bridge:

The Angel of the North:

And well, am that's about it, and that's why I need your help. Anyone who has gone to Newcastle before please get in touch and tell me what I can do there?! What's touristy? What's the most Geordie thing we can do!!

Please let me know!!

Laura Whitmore talks - I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here Now!!!

Please note, this is not a recent interview with Laura , it was written in April 2014.

With my favourite reality TV show 'I'm a celebrity' back on our screens since Monday I decided it was time to dive back into the archives and pull out my interview with the presenter of the ITV2 spin off show 'I'm a celebrity get me out of her now! Laura Whitmore.

The show has only been on two days and I'm already drooling over Whitmores fashion Choices!!  

Night one:

Night two: 

I spoke to Laura last April about her time in the jungle and how it really is Laura's dream role as a presenter!! An opportunity for Whitmore to go live every night, and from speaking with her I know that's what she really loves. Laura has been with the show since 2011. 

''I'd never been to Australia before,  so I was really excited. I work with a great team, plus it's live TV everyday for three weeks it's full on and very tiring but I love it,.

I get such a buzz from it,and everyone is so nice I just love it.

We have so much fun we're like a family''

Of course  I had to ask Laura what was it like working with the comical duo, are they really as funny in real life? 

''They're  lovely people and exactly as you see them on the tele''

BUT...

Who's Laura's favourite??..

''They come together as a package, you can't split them up''.

Fair enough, I couldn't pick either!!!

This season on 'I'm a celebrity is as good as ever and I'm still trying to decide who's my favourite. I actually like all the camp mates which is a surprise since there's usually a handful I can't stand but they all seem nice. Apart from Gemma I'm loving it.

I was routing for Irish model Nadia Forde from the start however rapper Tincy and Mel have really made me laugh so far, as well as Jimmy I'm really liking it.

You can check out my full interview with Laura Whitmore Below:

http://littlepieceoflynda.blogspot.ie/2014/04/laura-whitmore-interview.html

Throwback Thursday

Gigi D'Agostino - L'amour Toujours

We all have it, that one song we don't listen to everyday but the second you hear the intro you're straight back to your childhood. The one song you might skip when it comes on shuffle but it's one song you'll never EVER delete and for me one listen of Gigig D'Agostino's -L'amour Toujours and I'm literally trasnported back as far as my primary school days. The song was released in 1999 (I was four) and it came back into fashion when I was in sixth class around 2007/2008. It's kind of known as a 'Swan disco' song these days but has to be said, one of my all time favourite jams!!
And, not gunna lie him jumping around in the music video always makes me smile!!

The Many Hair Stages Of Munster Scrum Half Conor Murray..

On Saturday November 8th 2014 the Irish rugby team beat South Africa in the Aviva stadium. It was one of the most exciting matches I've ever watched as the likelihood of Ireland winning was very slim. They did in fact win and with Conor Murray setting up a try for Tommy Bowe I was extremely proud. The very next day whilst I was squandering down my facebook I saw a article about how Conor Murray is the best scrum half in the world http://www.punditarena.com/rugby/bbarry/conor-murray-worlds-best-scrum-half/

This then in turn got me thinking about how I saw this three years ago when Murray was only starting off with Munster and Ireland and ehm would anyone listen?  NO!! Why? Well am maybe it was because I hadn't a clue what was going on, but none the less I knew it!!

I remembered the first time I saw Conor play a rugby match, and how I thought he was useless, I mean WHY was the man standing at the side of the scrum afraid to get involved (yeah I know but at the time I didn't know what a 'scrum half' was) but I wasn't slow releasing and  within a month of watching matches I knew Conor had something special, and ehm..... he sure does. I then read my blog on the first time I met the Limerick native  (you can read it here->  http://littlepieceoflynda.blogspot.ie/2013/11/5th-may-2012.html ) and something hit me... Conor has drastically changed throughout the years!! And I'm not talking about his skill, or personality.. It's the hair!!

I then watched an episode of Father Ted where they did the three stages of Elvis so that's what I'm going to do to Conor now.
Conor Murray's hair has changed drastically over the years and I'm going to take you through it ...So fair warning if you don't want to drool over a rugby player you may want to look away now!!

The many hair stages of Conor Murray...

Back when I first discovered Murray and he had just started playing for Munster his hair looked like...

I was mesmerised, and okay looking back now maybe it was slightly too long but I loved it!!

After this the next time I saw Murray was during Ireland training ahead of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, and my fave hair stage...

(Note this was when the ehm, 'obsession' kicked in)

 The next stage was when Conor actually headed to New Zealand for the RWC..

 On the tour Murray's nickname became 'Bieber' for obvious reasons, and I actually really liked the hair. Murray wasn't even the starting scrum half going to New Zealand, however after his outstanding performances he flew home with the title of Ireland's best scrum half and from there he's just got better and better.
As Murray's hair grew so did my obsession and when the RWC was done that was all I needed to know as I set about making my task of meeting Conor Murray a success.
First time I met Conor his hair was still long, not as long as seen above but still long, and was for the first 6/7 times I met him until suddenly I copped it.. and the locks got shorter and shorter..

From there Conor got chosen to represent Ireland on the 2013 Lions tour (How unreal is that for a 24 year old) but to my despair the hair got even shorter!!

Conor was starting scrum half for most of the tour and did his country and his Provence proud and when the new season at Munster started he was back in full swing and the hair was even shorter...

Today, Murray is still rocking the short hair and personally I really don't care I just fancied doing a bit of creeping of Murray on a horrible wet dreary Tuesday night.. hahahaha
Hope you enjoyed ..
Ps. Conor Murray currently looks like this..

Yeah I know.. Sighhh

New Exclusive Interview With Xposé's Lisa Cannon!!

Lisa Cannon

Anyone that knows me knows I've been a huge fan of TV3's showbiz show Xposé since the very beginning and  have always looked up to presenter Lisa Cannon from the show. It's for that very reason I woke up in a cold swear this morning . 

I mean it's not everyday to get to have a chat with one of Ireland's most beautiful and successful presenters is it?.

Lisa is one of the main reporters and presenters of the TV3 show Xposé, she's travelled the globe and interviewed some of the biggest  stars on the planet from Bradley Cooper, Beyonce, Jennifer Aniston, Sarah Jessica Parker Will Smith and even our very own Tommy Bowe (just to name a few sorry had to throw him in there... not like I'm jealous or anything..pfft)

Anyone who's anyone has been interviewed by Lisa and she makes it her very own business to get the very best inside story. It has to be said that anyone interested in becoming a journalist or reporter has to admire Lisa. I've never felt so honoured to be interviewing someone as she squeezed me in between filming.

I genuinely couldn't wait to catch up with Lisa ..

First things first, I had to get the inside story on Lisa's career. Lisa studied drama in trinity so I had to find out whether she always dreamed of a career as a TV presenter or if it just happened...

''It was something that just kind of happened, more than it was something I really wanted, I always really wanted to be an actress. I did a bit of acting and I realised how difficult it was and that the rejection was really tough .You could literally be going to casting calls and never be the right person, whereas with TV presenting you'd still have the same skill. You get to use your voice, give personality and you're still on camera so I kind of thought yeah that could be a great career move for me, but then again TV presenting is a really hard industry to get into as well'

When I first spoke to Lisa (back when I was about seventeen years old) she advised me to work, work, work. Anywhere, everywhere and even for free and that's how you get yourself out there, so I had to ask Lisa how she broke into the industry.

''You really have to be determined and try put yourself out there, do radio ,writing get loads of experience, as much as you can and talk to as many people as you can who are on television and radio as well. Get their opinions and advice., but it really is tough. For me what I think you need to  do is a show reel  and to built up a bit of a profile so that TV directors  or TV producers hear about you or want to work with you that's also key especially with social media , it's very easy to build a profile on instagram or doing blogging and all that kind of stuff it's really good.''

As I'm still getting used to interviewing people and Lisa is well lets face it a pro I needed to know how she prepares herself for an interview?

''preparing for an interview.. wow am sometimes in the case of Xposé , none as it's very difficult too get preparation time so sometimes you really need to know your subject anyway but if it was a film I would definitely google , or you tube , look up past interviews really kind of prepare myself for that one. Then you go in there and you usually end up only using two questions because you don't get that much time with major celebrities. So even though  you do loads of preparation you may only end up using one or two''

Lisa and singer Ed Sheeran.

Like I mentioned before Lisa has interviewed some of the biggest celebrities in the world, so I had to ask Lisa do you ever get nervous or are you just immune to it now?

Nothing much, just Brad Pitt
photo bombing Lisa's selfie

''It's kind of easier now, I don't get too nervous anymore.If it's someone I really admire then maybe I would like Brad Pitt (like I did like last week) or if it's somebody like Meryl Strep or somebody along those lines of course you do but at the same time I think it's just fantastic to meet these people so the nerves just kind of go away when you meet them in the flesh and you see 'aw they're just normal people' 

The life of a presenter has always seemed ultra glam to me, I mean I know I heard it was never as glam as it seems but Xposé must be glam surely it is Lisa??

''haha, no it's definitely not as glam as you'd think. It's kind of glam but not what you think. You do your own make up so we need to know how to put on your face but no it's not done for us. We do get our hair done though.''

Lisa on the red carpet.

Okay not as if Lisa needs any extra help, it's just yep that shocked me a little bit.

Anyway, on that note I had to ask Lisa about how she always looks so radiant!. I mean there must be some secrets behind it.

'' I'm not the best person to ask about beauty tips haha. But I've picked up a few things. I like to exfoliate my skin all the time, even if it's just in the shower it's always good. I also like to wear a heavy base moisturiser like clarians. I'm not the best at taking off my make up every night which I know isn't good but with my job you could be out late and come home and straight to bed so I also like to get at least two facials a month'' 

And now you can look like Lisa Cannon.... you're welcome. 

I already knew the question but I had to ask is their a typical day?!

''No everyday is different, I could be reporting from an event or covering a story or like today I'm anchoring Xposé at six o'clock everyday is different. I could be flying off or anything, like next week I'm going to Italy to cover a story about jewelry, it's always different''

Believe it or not, the other night I started planning my own wedding, what dress I was going to have, my bridesmaids dresses, the decor the theme.. take note I'm not even in a relationship how Lisa is actually engaged to rugby player Richard Keatley and although I didn't want to say this to Lisa (Christ am I jealous!!!!!) They've been engaged since  last October and with my intense interest in weddings I had to ask Lisa how the wedding planning is coming along..

''It's been so hectic that I haven't really gotten to plan it yet, but we're going to get married in Florence. I'll be going over there soon so hopefully then we can look around for venues and I'll be able to get all excited about it''

And I'll be able to get all excited about it...Can you actually imagine how beautiful Lisa Cannon will look on her wedding day!!

And as jealous as I am... I admit they do look like a beautiful couple!!

Lisa with her Xposé team, Karen, Aisling, Glenda and  new recruit Peter.

With sixth years across the country filling out their CAO this week I asked Lisa what advice she could give the stressed out teens. 

''Really think about what you want and get experience where you can. If it's this industry they want to go into really research it. Like I said earlier experience everywhere and also look into other courses like English they're very helpful too''

I was in bed last night when I started thinking about who I'd get to play me if my life was turned into a movie... I thought for hours and hours before realising I'd like either Martha Followill or Iggy Azalea to play me... Yes I know.. 

Then I thought who could play Lisa? Immediately I thought of Katy Perry  for Lisa.. 

''Oooo Katy Perry??? I'll take Katy Perry. 

Oh who would I pick?, I want it to be someone voluptuous maybe Catherine Zeta- Jones..No Jennifer Lopez. I'll pick J-Lo'

Jennifer Lopez as Lisa Cannon

Well  I approve!!

Finally before I left Lisa get back to work I asked her to tell us something about herself that no one else knows..

''Ehm, I'm a pretty sensitive person. I don't like seeing people upset when I see people cry, I cry. I'm really soft''

And with that  I conclude my interview with this legend!! Lisa is without a doubt one of the most down to earth person I've ever spoken to.

It was an absolute honour and I want to wish Lisa the best of luck in everything the future holds.

Murray's Digging Deep

I think that I've it extremely clear to the whole population of Ireland that I fancy the pants of Munster rugby player Conor Murray and if not just look at my other blogs, my twitter, facebook, instagram, phone, bedroom, or well anything I own really. He's absolutely spectacular looking and with the Irish rugby November matches coming up Murray's regularly spotted on the IRFU website, the six 1 news, the papers and ehm on my blog, but what's the best thing about Murray's publicity you may ask? 

 Well it could be that he's an ambassador for Lucozade sport and you know what that means.... ADVERTISEMENTS!!!!

You can only imagine my excitement when I was sent a link to this video on a drear November evening and to brighten up such a dirty day I've decided to share it with you too. The only thing I can think of to make this video more impressive was if he were in Thomond Park and talking about Munster (sorry I'm biased) and well ehm, I suppose if he had no top on but shur look we'll settle for what we're given.
This video really shows what it is that makes Murray top number 9 in the country and what a man he is.

You may need to sit down!! 

Enjoy :-)

Deep Breaths...

Beat 102 103

It's almost like a ritual that every October/November I go and find myself on work experience. Last year it was with TG4, the year before it was shadowing news reader Zara King, it's almost without plan always happens at this time of the year and it's because of my work experience that I'm so sure a job in radio is for me.
 I've always been told about the importance of gaining experience in your interested career and I can't vouch for how important it is.
I always thought I wanted to be a hairdresser and after getting experience in a hairdressers for a week I quickly decided it wasn't for me and that's when the door opened and I started looking into other careers and who knows if I didn't try it out I could be miserable in a job sweeping hair of the ground right now.

I arrived in Beat at 10am 28th October and obviously was bricking myself with nerves, no need to be. I met with the head of news at Beat, who is such a lovely lady and who actually gave me my placement and the minute I saw her smiley face I knew it was going to be a great experience.
I was brought up to the sales department, which I know has nothing to do with my area of interest but I even loved that, being inside the broadcast centre was enough to make me grin from cheek to cheek. I met the most loveliest of people and got a feel of the place and learned lots about different sides of the radio.
I was on filing duty, which involved putting pages into numerical and alphabetical order. Not exactly easy for someone with my size brain but none the less it was great and at 1pm I got to go and have lunch with my 'colleagues'. I couldn't believe how friendly they were and I loved it. At 2pm I got to spend the afternoon with one of my favourite presenters Emma Nolan and Dave Cronin.
I can't even begin to tell you how much I loved my placement, it's amazing and really makes you open your eyes to how much you want something.
 I think, from advice I've received from other people and from what I've picked up on you need to try get your foot in the door, and once you make that first step the door opens a lot easier. Whether it's presenting, acting, Dj'ing, business, farming no matter what it is, get yourself out there, ask for experience you won't be paid but trust me the experience is something you will never forget.

Halloween 2014

Dress up with my best friends. 

There are many reasons why I wanted Halloween 2014 to be better than Halloween 2013, many reasons in which I can not share with you as I'm currently erasing the day from my memory but what I can tell you is  from November 1st last year I made a pledge to myself that this Halloween would have to be special, it would have to be magical and it would have to be the best Halloween night ever... it ehm, wasn't. But on the plus side it was a serious improvement from last year and the best part of the night was I got to spend it with six of my best friends.

Obviously Halloween wouldn't be Halloween without Hocus Pocus so first on my list, was to catch up on my annual movie.  I wrote about the movie slightly before so won't go into too much detail right now but just please, do yourself a favour and watch hocus pocus.
Trust me, nothing gets you into the spooky spirit like a little bit of Hocus Pocus, and if you aren't singing 'I put  a spell on you' by the end of the film, put it back in the DVD player and start again.

Next on the agenda to get myself into the Halloween spirit was to put on my fake pumpkin Halloween nails which I bought in penney's for €1.50. If you aren't in the Halloween spirit after Hocus Pocus AND pumpkin nails then I really do worry about your well being.

My Halloween pumpkin nails.

Next on the list was my annual ..

Horedible Hands....

'Horedible hands' are something in which I've made with my family for years and without them it really isn't Halloween. You take a plastic glove and place one smartie in each finger (act as fingernails) you then stuff the glove with popcorn and there you have it a 'horedible hand'. Trick Or Treaters go mad for these and they look ridiculously cool too.

Since I had the year to spend thinking about Halloween, and what I could do to make it special this year I decided I'd chance my arm at baking. I mean how hard could it be, I used to be a natural and I made the perfect cake the week before.

The time had come the night before and I rounded up the crew to put up decorations and help me bake, after listening to Michael Jackson 'Thriller' on repeat for hours we decided it was time to turn our hand to the baking. I was thinking about this for weeks and I had decided to go ahead and make 'pumpkin jelly' with 75% vodka (what it's Halloween) a pumpkin cake and spooky cupcakes. Easy enough yeah??....

My 'pumpkin' Jelly didn't go exactly to plan after it fell apart.

As for my pumpkin cake.... Well we're still trying to figure out why it exactly turned green, and I'd love to say this didn't happen me before but am... it did.

When my mam arrived home I was in a sorry state, I already had a green cake, flopped jelly and a black sake full of vile cupcakes. Not to mention I was almost out of butter and eggs. Tearing up and realising my Halloween was going to be crap because there was no pumpkin cake my mam took pity on me and we tried again.

Haleigh and myself.

Yes I know, talented. If anyone wants to book a homemade cake of me please leave a comment below. I joke, please don't ever make me bake again, but turned out pretty good huh.
What could possibly be left after all that excitement you may ask?
Well the party of course, the part of seven. Getting ready and watching my friend fail to put in her freaky contacts 7.000 made me laugh more than anything even if a stupid little child called me scrooge. Brat.
At 8O'Clock it was finally party time and I couldn't wait for a chill night with my friends.
There was no bonfire in my area which I won't lie did ruin it a bit for me, but Halloween this year really opened my eyes on how I may have took Halloween too serious and at the end of the day no one cared about my orange icing not perfectly smooth on my pumpkin we were just great friends having great fun and that's what Halloween is all about.
And on that note I'll sign off, until next year...
 HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

The girlie 'Group Selfie'

Interview with vintage fashion stylist Irene O'Brien

Irene O'Brien

When you think of 'Vintage' clothing what do you think of? Perhaps you think of wearing dead peoples clothes or think of a musky smell, well for me when I hear the word 'Vintage' the only thing that jumps into my mind is the incredibly talented and inspirational Irene O'Brien.
As someone who's interested in Vintage clothing Irene is a massive inspiration and I'm seen on numerous occasions googling her style and trying (not succeeding) to re-create the look at home.
In case you're living under a rock Irene O'Brien is, in my opinion the best Vintage stylist in the country regularly appearing on TV shows such as Xposé and Ireland AM.
She doesn't just stop there no no.. She's also a presenter, event manager AND a writer.. and you may also know her from TV adverts such as the Eircom broadband when the girlfriend keeps freezing on the phone.
Well I personally jumped at the chance in interviewing the most interesting person I know and I can't wait to share this interview with you, I even had to break my interview into three sections .. wait until you read, Irene's just that interesting. Trust me!!

Career!!!

Irene studied in Ballyfermot but Irene how did you decide what you wanted to study?
''I actually wanted to be an actress when I was younger, this developed into an interest in presenting which lead to me to study media and broadcasting. At that stage I had no intention of working in fashion but I was really into distinctive style and how people presented themselves. Ballyfermot had a wealth of people-watching opportunities. Actually is was quite distracting (in a wonderful way)''

Was becoming a fashion stylist always a dream of yours?
''It really wasn’t my dream growing up but I guess it became so throughout the years. I got really into Vintage fashion, particularly during the years I spent travelling after college. While working in TV production I started blogging about Vintage fashion and from there became involved in various events. I was already styling for individuals and presenting on radio so the blogging then naturally led to styling and MCing for said events. Soon I was making a career out of it. I’m not sure how that happened but I’ve pretty much always worked freelance so you learn to adapt and hustle. Somehow I’m still getting away with it!''

Like I mentioned before Irene has the most hectic and exciting life but witch so much going on how do you juggle so many balls Irene?
''Being self-employed is an excellent motivator: you either work or you don’t pay your rent. Simple! Because of this, you have to adaptable, enthusiastic and never precious. We’re in an era of social media which brings with it a really democratic playing field. For years the media was considered a closed shop with a ‘who you know’ entry policy. To be honest, I feel that widely held belief belittles the incredibly talented, hardworking people that have been working in media for years. No one makes a career from sitting on their laurels. I do feel now though that every single person coming out of school or college now has the opportunity to make themselves heard like never before. Want to style? Do it, document it, share it; same with all of the above. I’m not sure I really ‘balance’ anything. I never say no if I can help it so it leads to a pretty hectic life but I do believe in making hay while the sun shines. Also, you never know where the next job will lead. I work in all of the above areas but the amount of crossover I encounter through my various lines of work is bonkers. There’s absolutely no right or wrong when it comes to your own career path. Besides, variety is the most fun part of my job(s)!''

Do you feel like you had to give up any aspect of your life to become so successful and get where you are today?
''Not at all… you make it work. I desperately wanted to travel when I left school and I was lucky enough to do so pretty extensively for a long time. I wrote loads about my experiences (pre-blogging) and sent long, novel-length emails to my friends and family. I’m sure they were bored silly but it gave me a great practice in writing. When you work for yourself the lines between work and play are pretty blurred – I see every fun ‘off-time’ activity as a possible blog-topic / shoot theme / interview matter. I have definitely said no to lots of nights out in the name of a deadline or early morning but honestly, I know I would regret missing out on the job more than the dancing. I make lots of time for fun and love a good party. I have fantastic friends and family who are all incredibly supportive cheerleaders for me always so in that way I’m very lucky.''

I know that like many jobs in this industry there's more than likely no typical day but I have to ask anyway Is there a 'typical day?'
''Nope, definitely no such thing. Typically I start my day by cursing my alarm and promising my bed I’ll be back soon but once I’m out of the shower I try to bring some zen back to proceedings. My Special Gentleman helps a lot as I usually get handed a bowl of porridge or a Nutribullet on arrival downstairs and this sets me up. I’ve been a terrible morning person for years so I think this is something of self-preservation for my boyfriend. Food is very important to me as I completely flat-line without it''

Irene what is your favourite part of your job?
''Definitely collaboration. I get such a buzz from working as a team and seeing something through from conception to delivery. Irish women rock and I love learning from others. I do believe there’s a special place in hell for women that don’t support other women. I had the joy of meeting the late Maeve Binchy who said that success was not a cake with limited slices. There was plenty to go ‘round for everyone. I try to remember this as comparison can be extremely debilitating. I would rather champion others and hope that they do the same for me. There’s no greater joy to me than shared success.''

Style!!! 

So Irene, what can you actually tell us about Vintage styling? What actually is 'Vintage'..

''Well Vintage Fashion is widely defined as any clothing dating after 1920 and before the end of the 1980s (or including – depending who you’re talking to - a rule of thumb is twenty-five years old. Some people consider ‘90s Vintage but I definitely lean toward the older dating. I wore ‘90s first time ‘round so seeing it categorised as Vintage gives me a slight internal breakdown! But hey, I’ve seen last year’s Topshop being flogged as ‘Vintage’! I think people know it’s a popular concept so increase their chances of a sale by adding the ‘V’ word. Oh well, we all love a trier, eh?!''

What does vintage mean to you Irene?, do you wear it everyday o r just on occasions? 

''To me Vintage is unique; it represents quality, craftsmanship and care. I bang on about it a lot but I really do despair at our throwaway culture. When you find a stunning ‘50s gown that looks and feels as good today as it did when it was first produced, that’s down to TLC. People used to buy less and love more, and as a consequence we have a wealth of beautiful old clothes to revisit and re-wear all these years later. I'm all for that! I don’t wear Vintage everyday but I don’t save it just for occasions either - most of my contemporary clothes have somewhat of a retro aesthetic. I tend to stay away from dressing sexy (good job really as the reality is I would fail horribly). I sort of see what I’d like to wear and channel that character – it’s fun even it is a slightly 7-year-old approach to dressing. When you have something you love that makes you feel good, you should find any and every occasion to wear it''

Irene is one of my style Icons so I had to ask... who are yours? 

''So many to choose from! I could write a book on them (maybe I will…!). If you follow my blog of late you’ll see that lots of my clothes have a ‘60s aesthetic. Even I didn't realise how much until I started documenting my clothes for 'The Closet Project' I am obsessed with that era so Mia Farrow, Jane Birkin and Pattie Boyd are absolutely style icon's of mine. 

t’s the lady in the airport that exudes transit style; the teenager on the street corner that dares to go against the accepted peer grain; the gentleman at the barbers who takes the time to match his socks to his shirt; I love the quirks, the unexpected, the innate and the considered.  I admire anyone that goes their own way and dresses to suit their personality regardless of whether it is ‘fashionable’ or not.  I’m always a big fan of Nanas, particularly when they’re on their way to mass; they’re just so perfectly put together. We can learn a lot from the mature ladies of Ireland. I really feel we should celebrate them more. Let’s get grannies on Instagram… there’s style that I’d be happy to consume every day''

And although I did laugh at the idea of grannies being on Instagram, I couldn't agree more with Irene.. hmmm maybe as a granny I'll still be on Instagram..

 Anyway,

When doing 'Vintage' does it have to be extreme or can it just be subtle?

              ''Vintage is for everyone to take or leave as they please. I often her people say they wouldn't ‘get away’ with dressing Vintage. I hate for people to feel excluded from any part of fashion or style. It should be fun and personal – other people’s opinions should be of no consequence. When you think about it, Vintage fashion is just a collection of styles, trends and fashions from past eras. Ladies of all tastes existed in the past just as they do now - no one wanted to dress as a clone then either''

When did you get interested in fashion Irene?, was it something you always loved or just came to you as you grew up?

''I’m pretty sure I was always into Vintage but I'm not sure I always new it was ‘Vintage’. I have forever appreciated older clothes, styles of bygone eras’ and photographs from history. I’m a hopeless dreamer when it comes to the past so I romanticise everything. Lots of my friends hate the idea of Vintage and squirm at the thought of wearing “dead people’s clothes”. I think it’s great that we all have different tastes and interests. Life would be incredibly dull if we all coveted the same designs (plus shopping competition would be a nightmare)''

 Whenever I catch a glimpse of Irene on TV she looks flawless, and now I mean FLAWLESS!!!!

Irene.. Tell us your beauty tips PLEASE!!! 

''Ha! You’ve obviously had very limited viewings of me so. I’m not sure anyone would want tips from me. Drink lots of water? Not original but I do… you’ll always find me bowling around with a 2 litre on my person. Oh and find a good eyebrow artist and never let them go!! Sleep and exercise are two things I always benefit from and never regret. Honestly, my best beauty tip is happiness. You can’t fake that – find what you love and do it for life. We're all responsible for our own happiness. SMILE!''

Life!!!

Irene you've achieved so much in your life is there anything even left that you want to achieve?

''Loads! I keep myself awake at night wondering how I’ll fit everything that I want to do in to my life – both work and personal. Every new experience brings a new knowledge that brings a new desire. It’s constant and thrilling. I want to travel more and am looking forward to my whole family meeting in San Diego next June – half coming from Ireland and half from Australia. It’s all I think about at the moment actually. My boyfriend and I will take a month out and are starting in Nashville which is a big dream of mine. Bring on Dollywood!''

How does it feel to be living the dream that so many people out there want?  

''I have to tell you that when I first read this question I was stuck in an office without windows where I had been for about 8 hours with some work colleagues. We were cross checking details for an event and it was pretty relentless. We were all knackered. I opened the document and when I got to this question I had to share it with them. We all burst out laughing as at that moment we thought that our lives kind of sucked but knew that the graft was a means to an end that we’d be proud to present to others. Perception is definitely a funny thing. We only ever see one side of some people’s careers and social media definitely fuels this contrived version of events. I think it’s important to be open and give balance. I love what I do and, in particular, those parts you see on the media. There are still days that I feel like a complete failure and struggle to keep the faith. For me a day without laughter is the worst day at all so I’m really glad that you sent these questions on that particular day and we all got light relief. It reminded me to keep things in perspective''

What's the best advice you can give someone Irene?

Career Wise- Keep at it. Keep at it. Keep at it. For every time we choose to slack or not go for it, there’s someone else that will. Opportunities don’t wait for us to get around to them. I’m paraphrasing – and perhaps even making it up - but my Mama is a great source of sound advice. She has been self-employed for years and has the most incredible work ethic of anyone I know. She invented the art of hustling!

Lifestyle - 

Do not compare yourself to others. Comparison really is the thief of joy (that Theodore Roosevelt was a smart man). Work hard and be happy in the knowledge that you’re doing your best – it’s easy to bullshit ourselves into thinking we’re doing all we can when actually we’re coasting. Celebrate every single achievement, big, small and otherwise. Be kind, be supportive, be yourself. It’s never too late. Always carry hand sanitiser. Floss.''

 Now that's some good words of wisdom. 

Finally Irene, how could you advise someone hoping to follow in your footsteps?

''Be choosy in which of those footsteps you decide to follow. My disco shoe’s footsteps can lead to all sort of devilment. My sneakers’ footsteps have led to a whole host of adventures. My flipflops’ footsteps tend to be in go-slow. I would probably go with the slippers’ footsteps if you have to follow any. When I’m at home working away on the computer and trying to make things happen, I’m always in my slippers. They’re some hardworking footwear. My ‘70s wedges always come to meetings and have a good time at night too so if you want to follow those footsteps too you might well enjoy yourself. Really though, I’d say choose your own path and stomp the hell out of it. We’ll only ever be fulfilled when we’re tying our hardest to be our best selves''

And so my interview with this incredible lady was completed, I think you'll agree with me when I say Irene is the most down to earth incredibly talented person I've ever interviewed and I'm absolutely honoured to have a piece of her on my blog.

I can't wait to catch up with Irene in person soon. 

Also while you're at it, 

Follow Irene on her blog ‘Why Didn’t I Live In The 1940s’ at Irene.ie

Also…

On Twitter @ireneobrien

On Facebook /VintageIrene

On Instagram @irenedublin

Trust me you won't regret it, thanks so much for your time Irene.