Tell Me Something I Don't Know!

heya Smudgers!!! Or freaky follower??? (we'll work on that later...)

How is everyone?? Getting ready for Christmas??? I love Christmas so much! :) When the lights go up in Galway city - it's Christmas. When the Christmas market comes to town - it's Christmas. When that ancient old Kellogg's ad comes on telly - it's Christmas.
Fun Fact: The little blonde girl from the Kellogg's ad had a small part in Mean Girls!

Anyways, I finished my recycled garment project (a very important part of my course!) and it will soon be in the windows of the GTI Fashion Building but it's not there yet, will let you know! It looks like a wedding dress.... ok fine it's a wedding dress! Originally a flower girl dress I wore in 2006, and with a dash of inspiration from Zac Posen, I created a wedding dress. Definitely not a traditional one! In the fashion show in April I'm going to copy the Dior "Enchanted Forest" look where the models have material over their faces and put black lace over my models face when she's wearing the dress. Before that thought crosses your mind; She is a very pretty girl!!! So apparently, back in the day, you were supposed to wear black if you were not a virgin when you got married, so this is kind of my modern take on the whole situation because let's face it; nowadays you're most likely gonna wanna test drive the car before you buy it ;)
I want it to be classy, modern, powerful - But my teacher suggested I sew buttons onto the bow at the front and now it looks childish but also "cute and playful" - not what I'm going for Miss!

Anyways tomorrow GTI is celebrating it's 75th Birthday :) there will be cupcakes, clothes, and loads of other things going on on the day, which is open to the public, to celebrate this event! All profits made will go to the Lifeboats Charity in Galway so if you need to get into some Christmas spirit and give a little, come on down! And this Freaky Smudger will be on the radio - yes IMMA BE ON THE RADIO MOM!!! :P My teacher asked me today of I wanted to talk on Galway Bay fm about the Level 5 Fashion Design course and I said "uhhh... sure!?!" I'm actually really chuffed and looking forward to it! Will be on between 12:00 and 12:30 so if you have a radio or some form of technology where you can listen in, please do! I really hope I don't mess up :/ It could go like this:
Presenter: "So are you enjoying the course?"
Me: "MY FAVOURITE COLOUR IS PURPLE!"
........................................................................................ damn girl!

Tomorrow is a very eventful day indeed  - kicking off at 5:30 pm in The Stock Exchange on Shop Street is "STYLE IN THE CITY!" https://www.facebook.com/events/169313123274149/184937338378394/?notif_t=plan_mall_activity - open to the public, great night guaranteed! :)
Drinks, clothes, fashion show - you'd be mad not to go!! I can't wait to get ready and head off!
I have this cool 80's dress that I got at the kilo sale in Public Romance recently and I really wan to wear it but I wore it on Saturday at Pandora's Box..... Think I can get away with it???

Stepping away from fashion for a second - Our Pope is class :) Yes people the new Pope in the Vatican, Francis I, used to be a bouncer in a nightclub (so be nice to every bouncer now because the next one to throw you out of a nightclub may just be the next Pope!). He also used to Tango with his ex-girlfriend! And sneaks out regularly to give money to the poor of Rome <3 Gotta love this guy, you don't even need to be religious to love this guy!

Anyways I will be posting pics of all the activities of tomorrow :) So that's a hint to look at my Twitter and Facebook page - maybe you look at the page, maybe you follow/ like it!
Night freaky people!
XOXO
Freaky Smudge

Life can be short, like me :)

Well the past few days have been a roller-coaster, and I really do feel bad but now I'm back on the bloggers wagon and ready for this!

Oh yes the celebrity I was partying with last Saturday night was none other than the beautiful and talented Miss Derry 2013 - Ashleigh Coyle! <3 Here's a pic with me (cropped out), it's hilarious that I'm actually up to her hip!! 5 months older than me yet a foot taller - love ya Ash x Stunner! https://www.facebook.com/MissDerry2013?fref=ts
For anyone looking to get away for a weekend, or you're visiting Ireland for the giggles, visit Letterkenny, I beg you. It's funny how it's so far away from everything, yet it has everything so you don't have to go anywhere else! Handy enough!

I'm going to do a short little review here now for PhotoBox.ie. I remember a few years ago, chilling with Miss Derry over there, and watching her put together those online photo album things! I always wanted to get one done so last week (or the week) before I was searching online for a good site and I found http://www.photobox.ie, so I went in and clicked on 'Books' and got the 30 pages for 14.95 (euro), did my theme (I would have like to be able to stick my own pictures or own patterns as the theme, but they have a wide selection in their range), then I added in my pics, and TA DAH! Said it would be here on the 10th and it was :) happy outwith my lovely photobook; I was able to put in captions, expand or decrease the size of pics, added in about 55 pictures in total - looks great! The only thing I would say to anyone, and I'm sure this applies to every site - make sure that the pic is in good resolution, few of mine don't look too good (or maybe that's just my face... :/ ).

Fashion, fashion, fashion  - live, sleep, and breathe (cuz no one eats!) fashion <3 This week at GTI has been fun yet busy! I really can't complain; not only am I in a course with a lovely bunch, I'm doing something that I love! Not everyone can say "I've to go design an 8 piece collection tonight and look at magazines" :) I'm lucky and I know it. What's even more great is that I enjoy the work and I can say for sure that this is what I want to do with my life  - THANK YOU GTI!!
This week we had to create a mood board, or inspiration board, for the trends and designers of S/S14! Paris, New York, Milan and London - so many paper-cuts :) Will have to put a pic up for ye all but unfortunately my board is in school for the weekend. We also had to get a skirt type we like, e.g. pencil, flare, etc., and create 8 flat drawings of the skirt and edit them in different ways - now we are going to make one of the eight :P Sounds fun, and it is, but I had to make the most complicated thing I could think of - because I'm just awkward and difficult like that.... My skirt is a pencil that then flares out at the knee (1950's Inspired). My pattern looks like the blueprints of a maze but hopefully, granted I don't make a ruin of it, I'll get high marks for my troubles :)
It's crazy to think that I've only one more week at college, and then I'm on my mid-term break. 6 weeks have gone by since I started this course which is mind-blowing. Like they warned us it would go fast but you really never feel it!

Oh great news! One of my darling friends and I have gotten ourselves (actually our super sound teacher did) work experience in BROWN THOMAS GALWAY, helping at the window display! For all of you not from Galway, this window display is THE window :) Everyone knows that once the BT's Christmas window display comes up, Christmas is here! I'm actually so chuffed to be apart of the experience, it's a huge deal and massive honor!
Galway at Christmas time is my favourite place to be! The lights go on all around the city, window displays go up, everyone is happy, the Christmas Market comes to town and all the stalls smell like Christmas! The Christmas Market is great; people from all over the world pay a butt load to have a stall at the Market, and then all these tourists come and there's loads going on all the time.
I think I'm very fortunate to live in Galway, and be from Galway; the City of Tribes, the City of Festivals - you'll hardly ever get bored here because there's always something: the Arts Festival, the Film Feadh, the Oyster Festival, Christmas Market, the Comedy Festival, the Galway Races, and sooooooo much more!

Anyways I think that's all I have for ye! Please please PLEASE  give the page a like guys, would really be nice :) https://www.facebook.com/freakysmudgeishere AND AND AND I'm on Twitter https://twitter.com/FreakySmudge :) Bad news, Instagram is off my to-do list because I can;t get it on my new phone... Did anyone even know there was an Instagram???
Laters,
XOXO
Freaky Smudge

Woke up this morning (na-na na-na)...

Happy Friday everyone, hope it was a good one!
Some of you crazy wildcats may be out partying tonight (envy over here), but no! I'm babysitting one of the CUTEST little creature I've ever seen, and staying put for the weekend :) I'm actually posting this from a really weird computer... Alienware anyone??

Anyways, let's talk about sex,
but before that, let's talk about fashion (haha inside my head joke!)

Today at Claddagh House fashion students were messing around with our recycled garments. I do have a picture on my phone of me ripping the netting off a flower girl dress I wore when I was about 12 but I've no idea how to post to this machine :P For my project I want something inspired by my two favourite eras - the 1920s and 1950s! So I went thrift shopping (ugh hipster) and found this really cool black beaded top with a 20s vibe in the G.S.P.C.A (Animal Cruelty) shop on St Augustine Street a few weeks ago.
I love lace and netting, call me crazy but I love em!! So while brainstorming I remembered that we had this old flower dress in my attic that we had been trying to get rid of a few months ago - thank God we didn't! Now it's a major piece in my project :) Still such a long way to go but it's so much fun.

We are also trying to sort out our work experience. As part of our coursework we have to do 10 consecutive Mondays of work experience (no classes on Mondays :P ) or we have to sort it out over the mid-term. Has to be done by January definitely, but the hard truth is - no one wants me! I know that I'm aiming too high by emailing Irish designers that are mainly looking for interns, but I want to work in a studio so bad! Or I was thinking a fashion magazine.... If there was a Vogue Ireland I would be sorted :/

But enough about me, more about you? :)
Well I can't really say much else for my day! I actually really wanted to post some pics of the tattoos I hope to get when I'm 18 (fashion inspired so it's relative!). I'll leave ye guys with a quote from the amazing Alexander McQueen, if I'm ever uninspired or down this actually makes me feel better, no word of a lie!

"Give me time and I'll give you a revolution"

I hope some day I can fulfil the same promise <3
(corny go leor!)

Later
XOXO
Freaky Smudge

Assignment #1

How's everyone doing today???

Well I'm very proud of myself because I finished my first assignment as a fashion student  I made a pin cushion :) And here's a pic of the front (right) and back (left) . First I had to make the pattern, get the fabric, cut out the pattern and pin it to the fabric, and cut. You do this twice for the front and back. Then I used the sewing machine (switched it from straight line setting to zig-zag - because I'm awkward like that) - I got the two fabrics and put them like a book, with the cover on the outside because you'll have to turn it inside out. Sew it on three sides. On the last side sew to a quarter way from top and quarter way from the bottom. Turn inside out and stuff with cotton or whatever, then  hand stitch it together - Happy Out!!!
                                                                                                                       
We also learned about our recycled project - it's for the finished piece we will be displaying to the world at the GTI Fashion Fiesta in April 2014, can't wait! For Friday we need to fill out a mind map with stuff that we like in relation to colour, garment shape, fabrics, inspiration, etc. So I'm here on the couch with the last three issues of Vogue (I honestly don't think I can put the scissors to them!), and ELLE's 2013 S/S Collection Book. Oh almost forgot the HUNGER issue 4. Let the inspiration flow! :)

I'll tell all on my views on London's Fashion Week tomorrow - oh wow patterns and prints go leor lads ;)

Night Night
XOXO
Freaky Smudge

ZUMBA!

Monday nights are offically Zumba nights for me now. Just came back from a class and that was hilarious! I now know where Miley Cyrus got all her latest moves :P

Tomorrow in London's Fashion Week, daughter of John Rocha- Hong Kong Irish- based designer, Simone Rocha is showing her latest at 11am at the Topshop Venue at Regent's University. Adidas by Stella McCartney will also be premiering but to be honest I do not like Adidas - I have absolutely none of their clothes. I really don't have any casual clothes!! I love dresses... I have so many and I rarely wear them but you know they're just nice to have :) Dear Lord my mother would kill me for that! But if you've checked the Instagram and Twitter out today you'll see I bought a lovely orange dress from Public Romance in Galway, and a Cheetah print cardy with black fringes - off to buy my winter clothes I said..

Anyways off topic there  - sorry! - Meadham Kirchoff is hitting the catwalk at 3pm, also at the Topshop Venue at Regent's University. I love quirky and wacky things, it's my favourite thing about fashion, and that's why I adore Meadham Kirchoff!! The quirky and the fearless as I like to call it (to myself that is!).

Sorry this will be a short one again guys, I'm not all that interesting today see as I spend a good bit of time in the NUIG college bar :P Will let you know all the dets with GTI tomorrow - 9am, Fashion Design!

Let the games begin
XOXO
Freaky Smudge

Oh God it feels like a migraine!

So if any of ye saw the pic I posted to Twitter this morning, you'll know that it was POURING this morning (like after 8am?!) but by 10am, thankfully, it went away. Though it was wet but humid, and dark but bright :P I love Galway but the weather is seriously bipolar...
I went to the National University of Ireland, Galway or NUIG this morning to visit some friends there and by God is that place huge! They only brought me into the Arts/Science Building and it felt like being in an airport terminal... Crazy stuff! It's such a pain that they have Starbucks when I'm too afraid to try the coffee in our cafeteria! I think they could smell the GTI off me, it felt like trespassing in the Garden of Eden (lol). But they don't have fashion....

So day two was great fun, and very long! My first class at 11am was Commercial Fashion Design! We were told about our assignments for the year, and also the things we would be studying in Fashion Appreciation. So we're going to be learning the History of Fashion from 1870 onwards (all I could think of was Marie Antoinette), and we'll be writing reports on Irish designers! We also have to do an assignment on a historical designer (between 1870 - 1960). Through the year we will be studying fashion, decade by decade, and keeping pics of all the stuff we like and come across throughout the week. At the end of the year we will gather all these pics up and create a book with captions of each decade :) Sounds pretty cool!

After this we had Embroidery and I have to say that using the sewing machine to create a straight line is not an easy task :P I've a pic here of my progress (if I can really call it that..), but it was loads of fun, until I realized that I'd three sheets of shapes to do and the class was two hours long... o.O

After what seemed like such a short break to me (and I was feeling so sick, pity please!), we went back for a whopping 3 hours of Pattern Drafting.... It sounds so boring but to be honest it wasn't that bad! Kinda like a class dedicated to joining the dots :)  We have assignments here as well that we'll be completing throughout the year, like making a pin cushion, a (tote?) bag, uhhhh a skirt... and an outfit with an accessory!! So today we made the patterns for the pin cushion and the back of the skirt. I gotta say it was pretty interesting and cool, and it makes the whole "make-your-own-crap" process easier when it's explained to you like that. Also we will most hopefully be going to London in February to look at fabrics! It sounds like such a granny getaway sort of thing but I think everyone just heard 'London' and was like "we NEED to go!".

Counting down the time until 6 was rough, and I'm so tired, but so far I'm loving college life. Meeting new people is great, and I'm lucky that there aren't any b-itches in my class! One thing that annoys me is that I don't have a uniform anymore and I have to wear something new everyday.... I'm like two weeks away from wearing my pjs in ><

Hitting the hay asap!
XOXO
Freaky Smudge

My Introduction to Fashion!

So today was really something else - my introduction to life as a FASHION DESIGN STUDENT! :)

9.00am to 10.40am - Woke up, bed head and all! Got myself some tea and gluten free toast, to be healthy I grabbed a handful of cherries only to find out they went off last week (ugh!). Did my makeup and got dressed in my gear! On the bus into town, kept checking my phone to make sure I was keeping good time! I was expecting the bus to break down or something (only me!). Walking up to the school and see one of the girls I know walking towards me (Thank God!). Always  great stuff so we chatted and went inside, up the stairs into the big room, waiting for everyone else to run in and start...

11.00am to 12.30pm - So people began pulling the chairs out and stuff. The fashion design and fashion business and retail people all in the same room together, and then the teachers rolled in :) They introduced themselves and sent everyone around sheets with the general "I obey all rules and accept all the terms blah blah blah", my advice for... well everyone - Bring a PEN! (I had one but many were stuck!). Then we got our sheet of modules (subjects) and how they would be assessed (Example: Fashion Industry & Design Studies - Assignment 60%, Project 40%). I'm not completely sure what that means but yeah :). There was a little slide show as well, stuff on it that applied to both courses and then some individual to one or the other. That was all fine like! I was nervous going in but to be honest I was like screaming in my head "Be Confidence you idiot!", so I like introduced myself to randomers and stuff (it helped :P ). Anyways after that we were herded into our classes like fashion design on one side of the room, and fashion business and retail on the other. We had to do those "get-to-know-each-other" (always awkward) exercises. We had 5 mins to introduce ourselves to each other, and try and remember as many names as possible! Right now I think I remember like 7, which isn't too bad considering there's only like 15 (maybe 17) girls in the class :P Thankfully only like two girls were asked to recite the names and then we all cleared out to the big main buildings cafe! So we grabbed a couple chairs and I sat down with the girls, and we waited for registration to begin ^_^

1.00pm - In the main building the registration was in the main corridor, on the left. A huge row of chairs filled with people from all different courses! I know there was like fashion design, maybe security, music tech and.... I dunno actually :P. I had to say it was funny, chatting to the girl beside me then hearing "NEXT!" from the top of the hall, and everyone grabbing their stuff and moving up in chairs! Felt like I was slowly moving up in the world :) When I finally reached the top of the line I went into this small room and there was two guys in there. They asked me my name and course, then  I sat on a chair, they took my pic and I got my student card and username and password to my GTI computer account :) I felt so privileged lol! So one of the girls and I went exploring round the big building and it was pretty cool!!! 

In all (sorry if the above was really boring!!) the day was a success! All the teachers and facility were really nice, so that  makes the transition from secondary school to college that much easier :) One thing I love is that I'll be in a class full of lovely people who are all interested in the same thing! I'm not due to start until Tuesday but I honestly can't wait! I'm so excited and ready for this! 

So yeah that's all the dets! Later naked people!

xoxo

Freaky Smudge

11 hours,29 minutes and counting

How's a going everyone??

A little voice in my head is echoing "Is anybody out there??" (Hopefully!)

So I've an Induction day at my new place of education tomorrow! Anyone from Galway, Ireland will know the place - the Galway Technical Institute or GTI! I'm really excited but also naturally nervous. Fashion is competitive, I'd even go so far as to say that fashion is more competitive than medicine! So while I get to meet new people tomorrow who I'll be studying with for the next year, I'll also be scoping out the talent (I guarantee I won't be the only one). 

Anyways so I bought this Animal Woven Black Jumper in Warehouse, Co.Cork for €50. I think I'll wear this tomorrow with black jeans, and Penneys (Primark) finest little black boots with buckles :)  Oh my journey through Patrick's Street in Cork I came across an adorable and amazing little shop called Peacock and Ruby! I spend about half an hour pacing the entire shop, wanting to buy EVERYTHING! I settled for cute black and gold earrings (€3) and a bracelet of delicate flowers (€12.50) :) I love vintage things and quirky treasures, this shop made my day!

Here's the Facebook link to their page if anyone is interested: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peacock-Ruby/126503104035354

Well I'm gonna pack it in early and get an early night!!
Later,
xoxo
Freaky Smudge