Eyre Cocktail Bar Launch Party

Image Courtesy of Julia Dunin

Like a scene from the infamous movie 'Sex In The City' 20 VIP bloggers and I were kindly invited by The Skeff Bar in collaboration with Into The West Blogger Network to attend the launch of their cocktail bar and very new menu - Eyre Cocktail Bar. Professional rugby player Jack Dinneen was the host for the night with special guest Suzanne Jackson who is not only one of Ireland's most successful leading bloggers but also named as number 16 in the world. As well as creating her own beauty line SOSU. I have followed Suzanne for the last five years and really admire her story and all she has accomplished. She is a very successful business woman and an inspiration to women no matter what field of work they are in. 

The night began at 8pm where we got 'papped' in front of  The Skeff Bar photo board. I was greeted by Jack and some of the staff while Julia Dunin Photography  worked her magic. They made me feel so welcome from the moment I arrived. They directed me upstairs to Eyre Cocktail Bar where there was a VIP area reserved for us bloggers. Some of the ITWBN bloggers had already arrived so we had some major blogger chats, took lots of selfies and were the first to taste the 'So Sip Me' signature cocktails which Suzanne would mix on that night. From the moment we arrived we took social media by storm. With over 1 million tweets and instagram posts I'm sure #EyreCocktails made it into all of your feeds. The Skeff also had a tweet beam set up throughout the night where you could really see the impact we were having.

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Photo Courtesy of Julia Dunin 

Later in the night Suzanne introduced the new cocktail 'So Sip Me' and mixed it herself with supervision from head mixologist Johnny. Suzanne then did a Q&A and gave us bloggers loads of tips on how to be more successful. The 'So Sip Me' cocktail was fresh and fruity made with vodka, creme de menthe, kiwi liqueur and a sweet mix blended with crushed ice. We were also served yummy canapes and sweet treats.  

Image Courtesy of Julia Dunin

We were spoiled by all the staff from the moment we walked though the doors and to be honest its been like that every time I've been there. The staff never fail to disappoint. Thank you so much for having us and making us feel so welcome! 

Make sure to follow The Skeff Bar on:

Facebook: Skeff Bar

Instagram: theskeffbar

Twitter: The Skeff Bar

Snapchat: theskeffbar 

Yours Stylishly 

Kerrie x 

Hair & Makeup at Bellissimo

After a busy day of running around Galway the time finally arrived for me to make my way to Bellissimo just in time for my 'Mini Pamper Package' ahead of Friday night's event. The Mini Pamper Package consists of hair styling and makeup. The perfect package for any special occasion. 

Bellissimo is located in Galway Retail Park just off the Headford Road. I was incredibly nervous before my treatments as I have never had my makeup done professionally. Yes, you read that right. Never! I know how crazy that sounds since I've worked and studied in the beauty industry since leaving school. I have always suffered with extremely sensitive skin and reacted to a lot of products. Its only in the last couple of years, through trial and error as well as a lot of research that I have found what works and what doesn't. 

Walking through the doors of Bellissimo took my breath away. The interiors are so white, beautiful and chic. The entire emporium is so fresh, clean and perfect. I was greeted at reception and then taken to the hair salon to meet my stylist. 

I was introduced to Tara and we talked about different styles and what would suit me. I love the look of lose Kim Kardashian waves. Tara styled my hair using curling tongs and even gave me tips on how to create the look myself at home.

Once my hair was complete I went back to the reception area sipping on chilled water enjoying the busy but relaxed atmosphere from the salon. 

After a few minutes of waiting in reception I met Heather who would be my Makeup Artist for the evening. Heather used Mac Cosmetics to create the perfect flawless base. Heather really listened to what I wanted and created the perfect soft gold and brown smokey eye completing the look with mink lashes and liquid eyeliner. 

I was so happy with the finished results of both my hair and my makeup. I left the salon with a new kind of confidence.

If you would like to book in for the same treatment at Bellissimo you can do so here.

Yours Stylishly 

Kerrie x  

Shop This Look

White T-Shirt: Penney's

Blush Cami: Boohoo

*Into The West Blogger Network Collaboration  

The Body Confidence Series - Week 9

Hi Everyone! Happy Motivation Monday. I feel like I haven't written a blog post in so long. Its only been a week but lately I feel that I have slightly neglected my little blog. In fairness the last week hasn't been entirely my fault as I have barely any wifi. I don't know what's wrong with it but it keeps switching on and off and not loading when it says that its connected. Hopefully the engineer will fix it this week. I have so much planned and am excited to be sharing more with you over the next couple of weeks. Before the wifi started playing up the only reason for the lack of blog posts was my lack of organization. This is something I really need to work on. I feel stressed and overwhelmed when I am not organized and really lack in motivation. My whole productivity suffers. So today I spent the whole day organizing and cleaning my office. Its crazy how much better I feel.

 Mindset

Excluding the stress of not having any access to the internet and my lack of organization I had a really good week. I worked out everyday which made me feel amazing. I then stayed in Galway over the weekend and caught up with some of my favourite bloggers which is always so much fun. It is so important to surround yourself with good like minded people. They lift your mood and encourage you to hustle harder in order to achieve your dreams. 

Inner Beauty

My diet last week was really good up until the weekend where I splurged a little bit on cake pops and chocolate covered strawberries which you would have seen if you follow me on snap chat - kerrieaburke. I drank a lot of smoothies and am having fun trying new recipes, mainly plant based. I suffer with eczema so cutting out certain foods really helps when I have severe breakouts. 

Outer Beauty

I am at the stage with my workouts where it becomes an addiction. I miss it on the days that I don't work out as it makes me feel both physically and mentally better about myself. This is really the stage I wanted to get to with this series. My aim was to feel confident in my own skin while also enjoying my workouts so much that they feel like a treat and not so much like a chore. I will continue with all workouts I have mentioned in previous posts. Just upping the tempo and increasing the incline. The weeks are flying by so fast. We only have six weeks left of the series and I am determined to make the next six weeks count and get into the best shape of my life. Who's with me? 

Yours Stylishly 

Kerrie x 

The Body Confidence Series - Week 8

This week is promised to be a very busy one, but a good one on all accounts. Unfortunately I had trouble with my wifi connection over the weekend and still not 100% as of yet so I couldn't post this any sooner. I'm so sorry as I knew so many of you were waiting for it and a lot of you wrote to me asking was everything okay. Thank you so much for your concern and patience by the way. Hopefully it will be back up and running this week as I have a lot of blog posts planned. I am so looking forward to the weekend. I have been invited as a VIP Blogger to the launch party of 'The Cocktail Bar' in The Skeff. The night will be hosted by the professional ruby player Jack Dinneen and Suzanne Jackson. I will also get to catch up with all of my favourite Galway bloggers. It will be so much fun, I'm so excited.

So far this week my workouts have been going very well. I worked out five days last week and this week I am hoping for six. I really want to increase my fitness level as I am planning on doing a 5k series with one of my friends in May. As I mentioned before I was never a fan of running but lately I have really been getting into it. Especially this week, I woke up this morning craving working out. I suppose the more you do it the more you learn to love it. I think your mind set has to be in the right place too. I have also included kettle bells into my workouts which I am really enjoying. I love weight training anyway as I feel this is where I gain the most out of my workouts. I was thinking I would share the kettle bell circuit that I have been doing with you in next weeks post. Please comment below if this is something you would be interested in. 

Mindset

Every day I wake up I feel more positive and happier than I did the day before. The more I focus on being positive and the more I push myself to avoid negative, thoughts, situations and people the better my life is becoming. We hear it all the time from the most successful people in the world, so if you haven't already try it a see how much your life will change. 

Inner Beauty 

As much as my mind set is changing so is my nutrition. I am really focusing on eating clean bar last Sunday when it was my Dad's birthday and we went out for lunch and I had a brownie for dessert... Oops! Life is all about balance after all. This week I have included my own protein smoothie which includes one banana, one spoon of peanut butter, chia seeds and coconut milk. It was so good and really gave me a pre workout boost which I really needed. 

Outer Beauty

Summer is right around the corner so I have been working out really hard this week. I walked at a fast speed for one hour on the treadmill every day this week in the morning. Later in the day I used the 5k runner app for 25 minutes which includes walking for around one minute and then jogging for a minute and a half. I am finding this app really good for increasing my stamina. I will also continue with my ab and squat challenge and well as my kettle bell circuit.  

I really hope you enjoyed this post and are feeling inspired to get into shape this summer. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions regarding anything from this series, working out or my blog in general. I would really love to hear from you! I am so sorry again this post is so late, But hopefully it was worth waiting for! :)

Yours Stylishly!

Kerrie x 

Editing Your Wardrobe

Over the past couple of weeks I have been making a huge effort to have a spring clean and a good clear out. I love having a super clean room and office space. The cleaner and tidier I am the more organised I am and the better I work. I am usually really tidy as it stresses me out when my space is untidy and full of clutter. But the one place that I have found really difficult to organize lately is my wardrobes. I don't like parting with my clothes especially if they have sentimental value. For ages I kept getting so far, then getting overwhelmed and stopping. This was really slowing me down in the mornings and resulted in me washing and wearing the same few outfits over a couple of weeks. A bit pointless when I have two wardrobes and a clothing rail in my room full of clothes and where's the fun in that. I knew something had to be done and soon because by this stage it was getting on the scale of the bridesmaid dress wardrobe in 27 Dresses. 

Here are a few of my tips on how I over came it:

a. Clean, tidy and organize the room where your wardrobe is stored because it is about to get very messy. 

b. If like me you find it hard to part with your clothes ask your Mum, sister or best friend to help you out. Someone who will be brutally honest about whether you should keep an item of clothing or not. 

c. Before you start have a quick scan of your wardrobes and start to remove any empty hangers and create a pile on your floor out of the way. 

d. Take out every piece of clothing you own and try them on. If you try something on and you instantly love it and it looks good on you then its a keeper. Make sure its clean and has no stains or damage. If its dirty or stained put it into your washing basket or create a dry cleaners pile. If it needs to be repaired create a pile for repairs. 

e. For the clothes that you absolutely love and are keeping place them on the correct hanger and place them on a spare set of empty rails or on your bed until you wardrobe is empty. 

f. As you go through your wardrobe you will begin to find items that you haven't worn in ages and maybe even forgot about. Check for stains and damages. If they can't be repaired create an other pile which needs to go in the bin. 

g. Don't hold on to stuff if they don't fit or you haven't worn since secondary school. If they are in good condition but the love just isn't there any more donate them to charity or sell them on depop. 

h. Now that your wardrobes are empty, wash the clothes that need washing. While they are washing organize everything else that can go straight back into your wardrobe. Try using the same hangers as this will make you closet look more minimal a fresh. 

i. With the hangers matching and evenly spaced: the clothes are organized by category, style, colour and sleeve length. This makes it so much easier to see what you own and know if you are buying to much of the one colour with the exception of black. 

j. Prepare a bag for the dry cleaners, tailor and charity shop and place them in your car to you wont forget to drop them off.

k. After you have tackled your closets, move on to your chest of drawers and shoes throwing old lingerie and sock straight into the bin. 

Now that you have all the extra space and can see clearly everything you own you have the perfect excuse to go out and treat your self to something new! As if  you needed the excuse! 

Happy Organizing!

Yours Stylishly

Kerrie x 
  

The Body Confidence Series - Week 7

After taking the weekend off from working out I was craving to get back to the gym tonight. I awoke feeling more motivated than ever and felt unstoppable. Call me crazy but I do really like Mondays. It always feels like a fresh start and I am always more productive. I suppose its down to life balance. By taking the weekend off to relax and indulge a little, if I felt like it. It prevents me from having cravings during the week and leaves me feeling revived and ready to take what ever the week throws at me. 

Mindset

My positive mindset improves everyday. Its amazing that by making a conscious decision to be happy and live a positive lifestyle that your whole world can be completely turned around. I'm not saying its easy or that it happens over night, you have to work at it but do try it and you will get there.

Inner Beauty

Last week I didn't drink as much water as I should and I can really notice a difference in my skin. There are a few signs of dehydration on my face especially on my forehead and nose, as well as some dry patches on my arms and tummy. So this week I want to drink 2/3 liters daily including warm water with a slice of lemon and green matcha tea. Last week I made an effort to try new meals and make new dishes. I will continue this making sure that the meals are as healthy and clean as possible. 

Outer Beauty 

This week I really want to step it up a notch. I want to really step out of my comfort zone and challenge myself. Summer is fast approaching and at this stage I am getting bikini fear. So focusing on ab and squat challenges this week as well as including the Kim Kardashian workout DVD 'Fit Your Jeans By Friday' which can be bought on amazon. I will also continue with the 5k Runner app as I am now on week 3 and feel that my fitness level has really improved.

I hope you are all enjoying the series so far and have a happy and healthy week! 

Yours Stylishly 

Kerrie x  

Fearless

A new month always brings a glimpse of excitement. A fresh start and an other chance to set new goals and to become a better human being. Every New Years Eve I, like a lot of people sit down and write out all of my hopes and dreams that I would love to achieve in the year to come. I have big dreams and a fire in my belly to succeed as well as a strong work ethic. I have also got into the habit of setting monthly goals, some small goals and stepping stones that will help me to achieve the long term goals.

 It wasn't until last week when I looked back over my March goals to tick off everything that I had achieved and to reevaluate the goals that I hadn't achieved got me thinking why I hadn't achieved them. I knew all the steps I needed to take in order to achieve them, I know they are all something I really want to do. Is it laziness? Lack of motivation? Fear of what people will think about me or what I'm doing? Fear of failure? Or could it be fear of been successful? I know I am a complete over thinker but I also think that it is something that a lot of people go through. Maybe it's my generation or an Irish thing. But whatever it is I think its time to not be so scared of what may happen and for us Irish learn to just say thank you when we get a compliment.

Here are a few tips for getting over all of our fears:

Be Positive

Wake up each day with a good go-getter attitude. Be positive and believe in yourself. The more positive you are the more positive situations and outcomes will appear in your life. If you want a happy and successful life you can't focus on your fears and the negatives. So have a good attitude towards life and work hard to make your dreams happen. 

Comfort Zone

Growing up I was always such a shy person even with my closest friends. I was always afraid to show my personality and always tried my best to 'fit in'. What if I say something stupid and completely embarrass myself.The more I thought about my fears the more it began to hold me back. I began to live in this bubble in my own little world - my comfort zone. I know what you are all probably thinking. How did I have the courage to start a blog when you really are putting yourself out there. To be honest I don't  even know how I did, but I wanted to start a blog for about two years before I actually did it. It is my biggest regret that I didn't start it sooner. 

The thing with blogging is that for the most part you are sat in your office looking at your computer screen completely on your own. Thankfully there is an amazing blogger community all who are very supportive. Networking and getting invited to events is a big part of blogging and is still something that terrifies me just a little even though at a lot of the event's I know the other bloggers and have even worked with them but the more I say yes to these events the braver I get. So I have learnt that stepping out of your comfort zone is one of your best ways for getting over the fear. 

Dream Big

When setting goals why not set huge ones that really excite you. That you can literally feel adrenaline when you think about them. Life is supposed to be exciting so why settle for mediocre goals. Push yourself to really dream big, it could be to start your own online business, open your very own boutique, go back to college or even to run in the Boston Marathon. Really push yourself to dream big because life is full of possibilities and the more excited you feel about your dreams the more likely you are going to achieve them. 

Visualization

Visualization is so important! Every single successful person visualized been successful and achieving their dreams at some point of their lives. Of course they worked extremely hard to get to where they are today. But it always starts in your mind. When you visualize and believe in your dream strong enough. Your brain believes it has already happened. 

Internal Voices

You are your own worse enemy. We all have doubts and we all have worries. We set goals and get all fired up for achieving them and then stop and think 'What if I fail?' 'I can't do this, what was I thinking?' We need to let go of all this doubt a disbelief right now. First of all it really doesn't matter if you fail you can always just try again and this time try a little harder. Mistakes are proof that you're and they are learning curves that shape you as a person. Secondly don't let any negativity set in your mind as soon as you think one negative thought get rid of it. Pronto!

What Will People Think

A fear that I think that every single one of us has - What will people think? When in reality all those people that we are spending so much of our time worrying about what they think about us are probably spending their time worrying what everybody is thinking about them. So really no body cares what anybody is doing we are just creating this problem for ourselves! 

Everyone Is Not Going To Like You

Not everyone is going to like you but that's okay. We are all so different, we have different tastes and different hobbies and we are not going to be to fond of what everyone's doing all the time. As long as you are not going out to hurt anyone and just focus on your own family, friends, readers and enjoying your own life you have nothing to be frightened of or to be worried about. 

Stop Saying Someday

We are all so guilty of this. We have a dream or we have a goal and we say someday I will have that or someday I will achieve that. What we need to do is act now. There is not one thing in this world stopping you from achieving your dreams so get out there and make them happen. 

Someone Else's Success Is Not Your Failure

Don't compare yourself to anyone. If you see someone in business or school doing better than you don't feel intimated my them instead learn from them look at their mindset and work ethic. If you are in need of some help ask them. Everyone started out the same. No one starts from the top. 

Be Proud Of Yourself 

Life can be tough and it can be amazing all at the same time. We are all doing the best we can to achieve the life we want to live so be proud of yourself and respect how far you have come and what you have achieved. Don't let fear stand in your way and hold you back on all life has to offer because once you let go of the fear and become fearless there really is nothing holding you back. 


Yours stylishly 

Kerrie x  

  






  

The Body Confidence Series - Week 6

Happy Motivation Monday Everyone! I hope you all had a great day and got your workout tn. I'm just back from mine and my legs are on fire - No pain no gain! Its amazing how good you feel after working out. I think its a real confidence booster. This week I really want to up my game as I am beginning to become comfortable with my workouts so I want to challenge myself a little more. I am so happy that I have gotten to this stage. By taking little steps each week and not being to hard on myself. In the past when I first stared working out or if I slacked a bit and put on a few pounds I would make these really unrealistic workout plans that no one would have time have for. I would put loads of pressure on myself to get the workouts done and then when I didn't I would just sit down and eat my weight in chocolate and feel ten times worse than I did in the first place. Thankfully I haven't done that this time. Maybe its because I'm getting older or maybe its because my vision for this series was never so much about losing loads of weight and more so about really enjoying working out, looking after my body, mind and feeling amazing. 

Mindset

I am really happy with my mindset at the moment. I feel that the more positive I am the better my life is and the better it is getting. I woke up this morning feeling so happy, looking forward to working out and to start work! As I write this I am bursting with excitement. I don't no if its the endorphin's kicking in or my new positive outlook. What ever it is it's having a very positive effect on me. So if you do anything this week be positive and it will change your life. Promise! 

Inner Beauty

I have gone smoothie mad lately. I think its because the weather is finally getting warmer and sunnier. I love having them for breakfast or even later in the day when you are craving something sweet. I made a very simple one today which was delicious, I just added a few frozen strawberries, one banana and coconut milk. I want to stock up on fruit and vegetables this week and make loads of juices and smoothies. 

Outer Beauty

Last week I mentioned that I downloaded a running app called 5k Runner. I am really enjoying it so far. This is my second week trying it. I did it three times last week and I will do the same this week. Its only about 25 minutes long so it isn't hard to fit in. I am planning on doing it tomorrow morning before work. On the days that I am not using this app I will either go for a walk or do the Tone It Up girls Fat Burning Treadmill Workout. Now that's my cardio sorted. For weight training and isolated exercises. I will do kettle bells and the ab challenges that I mentioned in last weeks post. I will take this weekend off bar going for a brisk walk just to keep active. 

Hope you all have a positive and productive week!

Your Stylishly 

Kerrie x