I’ve always struggled with breaking out of my comfort zone. When it comes to changing job, ditching toxic friends or letting go of old relationships, I tend to struggle.
Yet every time I’ve made a major change in my life, I always ask myself “Why didn’t you do this sooner?!
As they say, hindsight is 20/20 and you can’t always predict the outcome of a risky choice.
But stubbornly remaining in a comfort zone sometimes can mask our insecurities, the thought that we don’t deserve better than the situations we find ourselves in or that we won’t find something better.
When it comes to my wardrobe, I also find it hard to break out of the comfort zone.
Now, I wear lots of colour and prints but I’m not very adventurous when it comes to trying new shapes/styles/silhouettes.
It took me ages to convert from flares/bootcut jeans to skinnies when they came in and I only bought my first pair of mom jeans this year – and I’m loving them.
One colour I really avoid is yellow. I am very fair-skinned and for ages, I thought citrus colours were not for me.
However, when I was in Barcelona, I spied this cute Kodak tee in H&M. It was yellow – but I had to have it!
I had been on the lookout for a pinafore dress and picked up this black cord one to go with it.
Once I’d put the outfit together, I realised there was a shade of yellow which did suit me – yet I’d been ruling it out for years.
I have this soft leather crossbody bag for years and I recently Google the name of the brand, Alex Valentino, and found the same one sold on Ebay for €70! And made in Italy no less!
Mine is showing signs of wear and tear but overall still in good nick.
These photos were taken by a professional photographer Gavin Woodruff who I met through Instagram.
Even though I had always wanted to get some professional shots taken for the blog, I was quite nervous about working with a photographer as I felt like a bit of an imposter.
However, I needn’t have worried as Gavin was very helpful and provided me with lots of directions and tips on how to pose.
Taking photos in the busy surroundings of St Stephen’s Green was slightly nerve-wracking and at first, I wanted to hide in a distant corner, rather than pose in front of lots of passers-by.
Gavin encouraged me and I found once I began smiling, I relaxed a lot more.
I would advise anyone who wants to do a photo-shoot to go for it and let people stare – they will have forgotten it in five minutes.
I tend to suffer from “Awkward Hands Syndrome” but Gavin advised me to put my hands on my hip or my bag or hold my sunglasses for a more relaxed natural look.
He also got me to walk, turn around and face the camera from different angles to get a variety of shots.
What I found quite interesting is that sometimes an assertive pose, like putting your hands on your hips can make you feel more confident.
For me, the most difficult part of blogging is putting myself “out there”. I’ve never been a shy person but I do struggle with my self-confidence.
It’s hard to reconcile these two parts of my personality, the chatty and friendly side that many people see and the awkward and nervous side which is also a part of who I am.
However, sometimes I’m the only one standing in my way when I refuse to leave the comfort zone and try something new or difficult.
Sometimes, attempts to try something difficult can end in upset or failure (i.e. my surfing lesson in Portugal) or for instance my three failed driving tests over a six-year period!
We may never accomplish certain things despite our best efforts but I do believe failure is a good teacher, even if she does give the test first and the lesson after!
My boots were €20 from Mango, my chains are from Penneys and Forever 21 and I bought my Raybans in Barcelona.
I love layering gold chains and I thought they came out great on camera.
This was definitely not my thriftiest outfit but my bag and boots were good bargains.
Pinafore dress €27.99 H&M (shop here).
Kodak t-shirt €14.99 H&M (It went on sale to €9 but it’s out of stock online )
Boots €20 on sale in Mango
Bag €6 in a charity shop
Beret about €9 from Nasty Gal
Raybans €142!! (If anyone is interested in getting a pair, I do recommend it and they come with a warranty also). They are also so clear compared to cheap sunglasses!
You can get mine for about €86/£78 from The Sunglass Hut at the moment. There are no affiliate links in this post btw.
Chains about €3 each, Forever 21 and Penneys/Primark.
Total: €225.98.
If you are interested in contacting Gavin or to see more of his work, this is his website and Instagram.
Hope you all enjoyed my final post of 2018. It has been a quiet year for my blog but I hope to devote more time to blogging in 2019.
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year and thank you for your support throughout the year.
Don’t forget to check out my Instagram, Twitter and Facebook page.
Edel
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