Stella & Dot Launch Autism Awareness Bracelet Benefiting Irish Autism Action

Tomorrow, April 2nd, sees the 8th Annual World Autism Awareness Day and one of our favourite fashion accessories brands, Stella & Dot are going above and beyond to support Irish Autism Action with their Harmony bracelet. The incidence of Autism is now believed to be at 1 in 100 children, though studies show that is on the increase. Unfortunately little is known about possible causative factors or conditions preceding or accompanying Autism so support is imperative for Irish Autism Action, a young dynamic, innovative and passionate organisation bringing positive change into the lives of those affected by autism.

Halloween Costumes and Treats that Won’t Make Your Bank Manager Scream!

Fellow parents would agree that Halloween can cost a fortune, the total cost of costumes and treats really can make your purse scream but to you know what? Like everything else it really doesn’t have to. A little preparation will see you and your ghouls having a fangtastic Halloween. I’ve already shown you how to make awesome Halloween costumes for boys Here. This week I’ve interrupted Tuesday’s Travels to let you know how to make scary as hell costumes for girls.

Summer Sandals that Won't Break the Bank

I don't mean to alarm anyone but there's been a bright yellow orb in the sky for a couple of weeks now. I know what you're thinking, 'Don't be daft, sure it's only mid June' but I'm telling you, Jean Byrne forecast this and for once she was right! There's nowt like a ray or two to encourage us to cast off the waders of winter and get our tootsies into something a little more flattering and with the help of PurpleTag.ie, I've picked out some summer sandals that won't break the bank. 

1. Evolve Wedge Beige Sandals:€59.99 

These wedge sandals have a padded insole and a height boosting but back friendly wedge. With leather uppers and bright yellow detailing, you could style these summer friendly sandals up or down to suit your occasion. They're on offer now too. 

2. Vagabond Flat Metallics: €69.95

Metallic is ha-YOOGE this season and these flat leather sandals are as easy a way to incorporate that into your every day wear as you're likely to get. Full leather uppers and a toepost to keep everything in place, pair these with a neon pedicure and you are summer ready, instantly (maybe add a maxi dress too if you're feeling shy)

3. Bourbon Amy Huberman Splash Sandals: €89.99

Can the Hubes do any wrong? The short answer is 'Hellz NO', just one peek at her shoe collection will show you just that (her photobooth skillz will reaffirm if needed). The Irish funny woman has given us something just a little bit gorgeous with the Bourban sandals. With patent straps and a rope effect wedge, you've got all your summer trend textile needs met with these bad boys. 

4. Marila Double Strap Multi - €49.95

These flexible high quality leather sandals sing summertime to me. I see the bight colours and I want a holiday, immediately. Again, a multi-purpose sandal that could bring you from the office to the beach and out of an evening. If you live and work near a beach that is, in which case I hate you but your shoes are awesome. 

5. Geox Alia Wedge: €96

These Geox wedges are the most expensive of the lot but with ergonomic design and breathable Italian leather, they're also my favourite. The beaten coffee colour means they're wearable with most all of your wardrobe and the design means you'll be hella comfortable doing it. I fell a little in love with Geox having worn their wedge trainers so these are the ones next on my never ending list of wants. 

All of the above lovelies and oodles more can be found on PurpleTag.ie. They're an Irish online shoe company that promise to take the hassle out of shoe shopping with affordable prices, free delivery and free collections (from your home) should you not be 100% happy. 

The kind folks over at Purple Tag have given me a 10% discount for all CherrySue readers should you find a pair of brogues that you just have to have. 

Simply input the code CherrySue at checkout. 

That's almost a tenner off those Geox wedges... BRB... 

Modcloth - Vintage and Indie Online Mecca for Clothing, Accessories & Decor Now Ship to Ireland!

Based in San Fran and firm favourite of fashion youtubers and bloggers alike, Modcloth was one of those online stores that I always wished I could get my grubby mitts on. Well guess what, vintage and vintage inspired lovers, now we can! I learned over the weekend that not only do Modcloth ship to Ireland but they have one of the most efficient and friendly customer service teams I've ever dealt with. 

A home to indie fashions, vintage fashion and impossibly quirky and cute decor, there is bound to be something on site to tickle your sartorial pickle. I've pulled out just a handful of my favourites, save completely reblogging the entire site for you to peruse as a taster. 

Ready?

Scrub a Dub Shower Curtain: $44.99

This trés fashionáblé shower curtain is exactly what I'd have in my en suite IF I HAD ONE. The bright design would lift any room and add a little charm to a space where generally there is none. The heavy cloth would mean no more shower curtain sticking to me either - a daily rustler of my jimmies. I want this. I want it bad. 

Bathing Beauty One-Piece Swimsuit in Peacock : $89.99

 Here's what I blahhdy love about Modcloth, their client base is so large that there are customer reviews on almost every product. Even better? Those customer reviews include pictures of said product being worn by said customer so you get to see exactly how it looks on a real, sans photoshop and sans perfect lighting person. Isn't. That. Deadly? 

Sizes run to 5XL in some of the Plus Size clothing (EXACTLY the same designs as the regular sized clothing) so there's no need to feel as though you're missing out should you be of fuller figure. 

Modcloth also use this vast client base to gauge what is popular and use that info to bring items back that people want, again, customer service genius. See this peacock swimsuit? 

ALL OF THE WANT. 

Sleek Silhouette Scarf Organizer: $17.99

Which of us isn't a scarf fiend? Isn't this just something you'd happily hang in or ON your wardrobe? Truth be told I'd need several to store my collection but at that price? 

I'm OK with that. 

If You Can't Stand the Hoot Lunch Bag: $21.99

This stinkingly cute lunch bag may just be winging it's way (geddit?) to me right now. I can confirm nor deny NATHIN'!

Playful Pals Earrings: $9.99

Just. Look. At. Them. 

I can't even talk about the Modcloth jewellery section, I've filled and deleted my virtual basket so many times it's not even fun any more. It's an illness. 

But you go. Go and see!

Pull Up a Cherry Dress in White : $64.99

Oh. My. Daze. 

See this? This is what Modcloth do so very, very well. Gorgeously made, amply sized (up to 3XL) and mouth wateringly gorgeous. Had I the nerve this Pull Up a Cherry gúna would be on my body this very weekend. Do please check this listing out as you will see the scores of beautiful women of all shapes and sizes looking sensational in this cherry number. 

I just... It's just.. *swoons*

As I say, I could literally reblog the entire site but there's really no need. Go, please and discover Modcloth for yourself - shop by decade, shop by occasion or shop by heart, there is literally something there for everyone. 

I like to imagine this is where Zooey Deschanel shops, I like to imagine that this is where Amelie, were she in fact real would shop. There's just something very fun about it. That and the fact that you'll get 10% off your first order just by asking on the Live (24/7) chat option. 

I should point out, I haven't been sponsored or paid in any way for this post, I just want ALL the things...

What do we make of Modcloth then? 

BooHoo.com Launch Plus Size Clothing

When UK retailer BooHoo.com launched into the Irish market with the catchiest/most headwrecking jingle in the history of jingles (apart from Euro JAYSUS Cycles) the girls of Ireland rejoiced. Keenly priced and trend led led fashion was ours for the taking. Well some of ours. 

You see when it comes to fashion brands geared toward a younger audience or simply available online, I'm usually confined to the jewellery, scarves and shoes because, quite frankly, sizing is woejus for those of us with a little more to give, so to speak. 

Far too often, those of us over a size 14 are confined to drab, ill fitting versions of the size 6 offering and are charged twice the price for the insult but BooHoo Plus have quite pleasantly surprised me with this new line up - there's not a Homer moomoo or flat cap in sight. 

Wearable, flattering and, dare I say it 'On trend', this new Plus collection is definitely worth checking out. 

I have my eye on several pieces from the new additions but if these pique your interest you're going to have to be quick. Although the range only launched in the past week, some sizes have sold out altogether and you'll be facing a wait for restock. I've already been pipped to the post for the Victoria Woven Fronted Top (pictured below). That's a great indicator of initial reaction to a launch if ever I saw one. 

All I Want is Nothing More... Victoria Woven Fronted Top: €24

Now, as I've said, prices are very reasonable, which is unfortunately not always the case with plus size fashion - just a note though - when checking through the site, check both the UK & the Euro pricings as there seems to be a fair amount of disparity but not always. 

This top for example is £16 but converts to €24, yet others are £15/€18. I'll never understand internal conversion rates. NEVER. If you find your selections are cheaper in the Queen's Sterling then I'd Parcel Motel those suckers. 

The bottom line is this, there are genuinely some gorgeous pieces to be had from BooHoo Plus, my advice is to check 'em out sooner rather than later - link here. 

Tell us, are you chuffed with BooHoo's new move? Will you be ordering? 

Watch: CHANEL Fall-Winter 2013/14 Ready-to-Wear Show

If you, like me, were wishing your world away to be sat at the Chanel Fall-Winter 2013/14 Ready-to-Wear Show, watching fashion orbiting on an axis of Chanel then fret no more. We know have the entire show for our pyjama-wearing, bank balance bemoaning viewing pleasure. 

Karl Lagerfeld, regardless of your personal opinion of the man,  seems to have knocked it out of the park. With high collars, structured tweed, swinging skater skirts, boxy bags and footwear ALL about the boots. 

Excuse me while I quietly weep with want for the coat at 5.18. Le sigh. 

Anything here upsetting you quite as much? 

When Sally Hansen Meets High Fashion: Bandage & Blue Rose

This September saw the Autumn Winter collection of every designer who's any designer hitting the runways for worldwide fashion weeks. Being an avid nail nut I was glued to the media to see what that meant for nails and nail art and this year didn't disappoint. 

Always seeming to be right there on the forefront of fashionable happenings, Sally Hansen have teamed up with two of today's hottest designers Alexander Wang and Prabal Gurung to bring us two limited edition Complete Salon Manicure collections to coincide with those fashion weeks and they're pretty lovely. 

From the Prabal Gurung runway comes Blue Rose, an intensely deep blue navy that belies its bottle colour. The formulation is beautiful to work with, needing only two coats for perfect opacity, though that is to be expected with any of the Complete Salon Manicure range. 

Just one whisper of warning though, the selling point of these polishes is that there's neither a base coat nor a top coat needed but with Blue Rose be sure to use a base. I've had green/blue staining on my nails as a result of using this colour on its todd but with a base coat to protect the nail bed you won't have any issue. 

While I can't for the life of me think of a worse name for a polish, Bandage, from the Alexander Wang collection, is actually a creamy delight once on the nail. A yellow toned neutral, it too applies perfectly and is almost opaque in one coat. 

There's no difficulty here with staining at all, it's just a perfectly wearable nude that flatters any skin tone without giving the mannequin hand effect (It's a thing). 

The Prabal Gurung collection has 4 new shades, while Alexander Wang has 3, both are available from all good pharmacies now priced at €8.95 each but they are limited edition so if you fancy a look, I'd say pick them up now. 

By the by, you should absolutely check out Karen of the LovelyGirlyBits for a swatch of Gurung's Gilded Lily from the same collection. It's a stunner and is on my list for picking up as soon as it's spotted. 

Where's Me Jumpah! Steal Rihanna's Geansaí Style with Penney's

OK, so I'm admitting this straight off the bat... I'm not a patterned jumper kinda gal. They remind me of my Dad in the 80's and I'm always certain they smell like Old Spice. Obviously Rihanna disagrees as she's been sporting the Dad Geansaí on more than one occasion, blinging it up as is her wont. 

Saying that, Penney's may have just changed my mind with one of these offerings. If you're all about more is more when it comes to your knitwear, then check out these two new jumpers for minuscule prices available in store now. 

What say we? Will you be wrapping up, Daddio style, with the help of Penney's this season? 

New to Arnott's - The Shoe Garden, a Manna from Heaven for Irish Shoe Lovers (Pic Heavy)

I come bearing seriously good news for the shoe lovers of Ireland, Arnott's, one of Ireland's oldest and most loved department stores has proven it's cutting edge metal once more with the introduction of the country's first Shoe Garden. 

With 100,000 ft chock full of 50,000 pairs of lust have shoes from 47 brands, there's something in here to make everyone swoon. I had the delight to pop along last night and take a peek at what's going on so I took a couple of snaps to share the love and hopefully whet your appetite. Those on spending bans, look away immediately!

Nine West mixing print with red leather and black suede. I'm in love. 

Fitflops new AW 2012 offerings are sure to keep your tootsies toastie this winter, or the much sought after Ballet Due. It took all my self control not to snap up the Cherry ones. 

Beautiful and wearable flats from Stuart Weitzman. A girl with a penchant for flat soled comfort can dream, can't she?

From the maker of the iconic Lita, Jeffrey Campbell had some surriously scurry shoes on show. There's no way I could teeter in these wonders but I just couldn't stop looking at them. That's the point, right?

Only the tip of the ballerina iceberg when it comes to Arnott's Shoe Garden. You'll literally be spoiled for choice. 

Some of the boots and one stunning Kurt Geiger shoe that made it straight onto my lust list. 

And finally, the one that will divide opinion like no other - Spuggs!  (ehm, sparkle Uggs that is)

If the unmistakeable scent of melting visa plastic last night was anything to go by the Shoe Garden is going to be an enormous hit. I love the quirky lay out and the original concept. The Arnott's display windows alone are worth a trip down Henry Street. 

Have you been in to see it yet? I'd love to know if you can escape without a purchase. 

Does My Nappy Look Big in This?

                        

For as long as their have been teenage girls there have been risqué clothes smuggled out of homes in backpacks.

My Sis was way ahead of the curve with this, taking off her school polo neck in the leithreas from under her pinafore circa 1st class because it ‘choked’ her. Nudey underneath? No problem. She was a trendsetter.

I guess it may be a universal sign of getting older when you look at younger (& younger) girls wearing less and less and think ‘Not in my day’. There is no doubt that technology is advancing exponentially, putting the uncensored online world right into their pocket, literally. That the Yoof of today are exposed to sexuality and sexual images long before they have the emotional or rational thought process to see them for what they are and how, if at all, they apply to them. Of course said Yoof don’t see it like this, no more than we did.

As a treat for the eldest lad finishing his Junior Cert we went to SummerJam in the O2 on Tuesday night. Several different acts were playing, Ke$ha, LMFAO etc. I knew from the outset that the crowd would be fairly young. I have never felt as old or as overdressed in all of my 33 years. I like to kid myself that because there’s not a huge age gap between the lads and I that I’m not easily shocked, we’re on the same level. Yeah right.

First thing that hit me was the smell of the crowds, Aaron reliably informed me ‘That’s fake tan & lipgloss’ Smelled more like cheap perfume and fear if we’re honest. Making our way to our seats we were greeted by sight after sight, short shorts, bras, actual Oompa Loompas in mini skirts. The time and effort (and money) that must have gone into making these early teen girls up is mind boggling. Ain’t no way, no how we looked like that at that age. There I said it.

While thanking my lucky stars that I had boys a younger girl caught my eye. She wore suede tasselled hot pants with a matching tasselled bra. Nipple tassels. On a 13 year old. Aghast I said ‘Sweet Mother of God, look at HER’ in 2 simple words Adam’s response worried more than he has in his 14yrs. ‘I am’ says he.