Scot Street Style is moving onwards!

Around a year ago, I was trawling through Instagram as I regularly did, and came across a few images with the hashtag #scotstreetstyle. The images I liked all seemed to have this in common so I had a look and there were so many fantastic images! Then I found their Instagram account and discovered this was not just a hashtag, but a community of wonderful creatives from around the world, all brought together by their passions and the man behind it all, Gordon J Millar.

Gordon features members of the community on the Scot Street Style Instagram, Twitter and Facebook accounts, giving us the chance to see the work of members of the community and to interact with other likeminded people. And then there’s The Gatherings. There have been 5 so far in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee and I’m glad to say I’ve been to 2 of them. I can honestly say that you will not meet a more talented, charismatic and lovely group of people. I have met some really great people that I’m glad to call my friends, and also collaborated with some super talented creatives! I’ve discovered so much in the time I’ve been involved in the community, and Gordon keeps on delivering new and exciting ideas to keep us striving to achieve more.

It was through Scot Street Style that I discovered blogging, and without them, eLikes would not exist! So for that I will be forever grateful.

Gordon and myself at The Gathering IV

And now, Scot Street Style are asking for our help to make a dream a reality. They are creating a 300 page hard cover book of OUR images. Displaying the talent of the community and Putting it into a format to be enjoyed by all.

They are looking to raise £7000 by the 14th of October in order to make this happen, and the more they raise, the more they can print and more affordable it will be.

click here for the kickstarter page and be a part of Scot Street Style history.

In the words of G himself, Onwards!

Emma
xo

Have a Lush Christmas!

Yes I know, it’s only October, but our favourite Lush seasonal products are back on the shelves! There are even se new products that are going on my Christmas List!

I was lucky enough to be asked along to the Lush Stirling Christmas event on Friday to check out the new arrivals.

One thing that always gets me when I walk into a Lush store (apart from the smell!) has to be how colourful it all is! Stirling of course was no exception, and their Christmas displays were adorable.
And one of my absolute favourites is back! Good old Snow Fairy! As well as the same scent in a few different forms. They also had Christmas edition FUN so you can make a cute snowman from the mouldable soap! I also picked up a Santa Baby tinted lip balm, which I missed out on last year, and some butter bear bath bombs. I got some lovely goodies, both from Lush Stirling (you bunch of sweethearts!) and for myself (it’s good to treat yourself!)

I’m a total sucker for vanilla so I’m looking forward to slathering on the vanilla dee-lite body lotion and sinking into a butter bear bubble bath! Snowcake soap is so creamy that I actually use it for shaving!
I bought the Northern Lights Bath Bomb, which has tiny stars in it and is supposed to put on a pretty good show! Snow Fairy shower gel is a no brainer for me! It’s a big favourite amongst Lush shoppers, and I’m one of the ones that stocks up on this sweet smelling delight at Christmas for the rest of the year! Santa Baby is a tinted lip balm that I missed out on last year. I love my red lipstick, but with the weather getting colder, a lip balm will be needed. Rose Jam is a shower gel with a similar scent to Prince Charming, a valentine seasonal product. Since I didn’t stock up on it, I’m giving rose jam a go! I’ve heard it can be used as shampoo too! Last is Strawberry Feels, a strawberry massage bar. I love the Lush massage bars, and with my silly ideas of tough mudders and triathlons, the soothing massage bars are a real treat.

Have you checked out the new Lush Christmas products? What are your favourites?

Emma
xo

Buenos Dias!

Hola my little bloggerinos!

Since my last post a LOT has happened!

I completed the Cairngorm Adventure Triathlon (and didn’t come last!) then the next day my fella and I set off for Calella, a lovely town in Catalonia. It was a chance for us to relax after a busy year, and before all the stresses of Christmas set in.

It was a week full of giant piña coladas, mashup playlists and flip flops every day.

We visited Barcelona and took in some of the sights on an open top bus which was lovely. We’ll definitely be going back to spend more time there!

Thanks to our extremely limited luggage allowance (and my laziness) my holiday looks were pretty simple! Here are just a few…

Playsuit & sandals – Primark
Sunglasses – Asos

Dress – Primark
Kimono – AX Paris
Belt – Matalan
Bag – Lola and Me
Vest & hat – Matalan
Shorts – Honour Over Glory
Kimono – TK Maxx

And on this little week of escape, my lovely fella proposed! I of course said yes and things have been crazy ever since! The response from our family and friends has been pretty overwhelming, we’re definitely feeling the love!

Adios til next time , mis amigos!

Emma
xo

Clutches to get your hands on

I don’t think I’ll be alone in saying that us girls tend to carry around a bit more than can fit in our pockets (if we have them)

In fact, I’m not even sure some of the handbags I carry would even pass for hand luggage on those budget airlines, with an almost certain excess baggage weight charge! My back and shoulders will likely be broken by the time I’m 30.

In an effort to downsize, I’ve been looking for some of the niftiest clutch bags you’ll want to get your hands on!

The winner for me was this beauty from Lola and Me, a fun company based in Wales designing Textiles and homewares by Heidi-Lou. I love how fun and bright their designs are, and I’ve already snapped this one up!

Lola and Me Beatrice Folded Clutch – £25 (on sale)

These were my close runners up!

River Island purple embellished clutch – £15 (on sale)

Biba Ruby clutch bag – £90 (on sale and other colours are available!)

New Look blue tectured clutch – £15.99 (other colours available!)

oasis kimono print clutch on asos – £25

Shop Noxious

There is a new online jewellery store open, and these pieces will have you head over heels!

Noxious is based in Scotland with necklaces and chokers handmade by the lovely Carrie. They are absolutely gorgeous and affordable with fast delivery.

Carrie very kindly sent me a flamingo choker and I love it! I layered it with a rose quartz pendant I bought earlier in the year from a gem shop.

Flamingo choker – £4

Some other pieces on my wish list are
Mystic topaz filigree necklace – £12

Cosmic rainbow choker- £4

Aphrodite opalite necklace – £12

Blue goldstone necklace – £15

Emma
xo

Summer Lovin’

So I’m running terribly behind with blog posts, but this one is all about a shoot I worked on with the wonderful Kenzie Photography and model Samantha McIntosh.

Kenzie had asked me a while back (after our Sew Strawberry shoot) about doing some styling for a summer style project he was working on, and of course I jumped at the chance! It’s not every day someone as talented as our Kenzie asks to collaborate! So on one warm but overcast day we toddled off to Torwood to snap some shots of the beautiful Samantha.

I’ve never done styling before. I wasn’t sure what to do but after Kenzie gave me the brief of what he was after, we sourced some reference images and discussed between the 3 of us what was required. Samantha supplied her own clothes and shoes, and I supplied accessories. Between Kenzie and myself, we decided what looks would look best in which setting.

I got a couple of little behind the scenes shots too, sneaky sneaky!

 

The brief was to keep it light and summery, with an almost romantic feel. We went for light, floaty and floral dresses with natural makeup. Samantha was fantastic to work with, and Kenzie, as always, smashed it! He is definitely one of the most talented photographers around right now, and if you get the chance to work with him, grab it!

And so without further ado, here are the fruits of our labor!

Photography – Kenzie Photography (@Kenziexphoto)

Model – Samantha McIntosh (@__justsamantha)

Styling – Yours truly, Emma at eLikes! (@misselikes)

 

Emma

xo

 

PS – elikes.co.uk is getting a makeover! Watch this space for exciting updates coming soon!

Those Summer Time Blues

Aloha from sunny Stirlingshire!

It has been a very busy month or so for me, and sadly that has meant not much time for my little blog. However, after attending the Scotstreetstyle Gathering in Glasgow on Saturday and a few recent exciting projects, I’m back on it again! I’ve rediscovered my creative mojo and it’s pretty darn exciting!

So before I go on with posts about Styling, Tough Mudder, The Gathering, a cheeky hair change and the build up for my first time at T in the Park, I’ll share my little outfit of the day!

  

Sunglasses – Honour Over Glory

Necklace – Primark

Dress – Dunnes

Bracelet – BlackTied  (currently doing 2 free midi rings with all orders over £10!)

Bag – Bessie at TK Maxx

Shoes – Next

Today was really rather hot in sunny Falkirk (that is actually true, I feel like it should be sarcasm!) and as I woke up on my day off I saw the cloudless blue sky through my blinds and decided it was time to get summery! My mother dearest had bought a dress from Dunnes a while back and decided she didn’t like it on her, so gave it to me to see if I liked it. I wasn’t so sure at first, but I have to say, I feel rather fabulous in it! It’s so light and bright! It also went well my attempted home tanning which, thank goodness, has faded from a ghastly shade of tangerine. Since I was going Silver with the accessories I dug out my spiked heels from Next. These were my first platform heels that I got when I was 18! They’ve lasted well! I wore my Honour Over Glory sunglasses and Black Tied “The Possibilities are Endless” bracelet to give me a bit of encouragement since I had a rather important meeting to attend for a super secret project I’m working on!

My outfit choice today, I felt not only made me look good, but it made me feel good.

And that’s what I believe fashion is all about!

Emma

xo

If you want to keep up to date with me, you can catch me on Twitter and Instagram @misselikes

When the going gets Tough

3 weeks today I’m going to be facing one of the biggest challenges of my life to date. I’ll be bloodied, bruised and electrocuted, but all through choice! I am of course talking about Tough Mudder.

I’ve been training for the past 6 months, going from just over 12 stone down to 10, lost 3 dress sizes, quit smoking and improved my fitness level by a huge amount. I’ve never felt better. I made the decision to do Tough Mudder after going through some issues which saw me at my lowest both mentally and physically. I turned my life around with the help of some wonderful people and decided to start setting some goals for myself. One I’d always wanted to achieve, was to complete Tough Mudder. And so I signed up.

I ran, taking part in 5k’s and raising money for charity. The sense of satisfaction I got was unreal. To know I was both improving my own health while helping others was an amazing feeling. I felt proud of myself, and people were proud of me.

I fixed my diet and joined the gym. I worked hard. Initially to get my money’s worth, then just because I enjoyed it! I could both see and feel myself improving and things were going well. I put off buying my kit for TM since my gym clothes I had at the start of training are mostly too big now. I tried it all on the other day and thought “I look like I can do it, but can I actually do it?” The fear has kicked in. Hard.

My boyfriend is also running with me so I’m not alone. I don’t think I’d have made it anywhere near this far without his support. The day draws nearer and the dread is setting in but I’m just focusing on the positive things.

I’ll have done it. The sense of achievement will be incredible.

I’ll be raising money for Strathcarron Hospice, a local charity very close to my heart. The support they have given my family is amazing, and I am so grateful for the work they do. They only get 38p from ever £1 from the NHS that they need, so fundraising is hugely important. I want to be able to give back to them like they give to others, and I feel that by doing Tough Mudder, I’ll be doing that.

If you wold like more information, you can find it on their website.

If you’d like to sponsor us, you can do so on JustGiving or by texting “ECTM90 £1” to 70070 to donate £1 or whichever amount you would like.

Thank you for reading, and wish us luck 🍀

Emma
xo

The Birthday Suit

Well, kind of!

Sunglasses – ASOS
Necklace – Similar & Similar
Kimono – AX Paris
Cami – Matalan
Trousers – Kenar from TK Maxx, Similar
Shoes – Matalan
Clutch – Bessie at TK Maxx, Similar

Yesterday was my birthday, and I turned a lovely 24 years young! I was showered with presents and birthday messages from my lovely boyfriend, friends and family, for which I’m extremely thankful.

My outfit yesterday was all about the trousers. I bought them when the new Falkirk TK Maxx store opened, but never quite had the occasion to wear them. The simple black sandals and cami from Matalan were the perfect basics to go with my “rupert” trousers as my mum called them! The AX Paris kimono was probably the biggest bargain I’ve snapped up in a while. I went into Zuri Boutique in Falkirk, somewhere I haven’t been in as many times as I should have! They had a rail of £3/£5 sale items and I couldn’t resist a look. And that’s where I found my kimono! £3 bargain of the year so far! My mummy taught me well.

Champagne and bargains, that’s the way to do it!

Emma
xo

The Cat’s Meow

Most of my fellow Scots will be aware that our summers only last a few days at best. As soon as the temperature hits double digits, it’s windows down and taps aff! In my optimism, I decided to treat myself to a pair of sunnies from ASOS, in the cat eye style that I’d fancied trying for a while.

As a lady who wears glasses, I’ve always felt quite restricted in the sunglasses I could wear. Yes, I was that weirdo with the giant sunglasses on top of my normal glasses. Until I started wearing contacts last month! I feel like a new woman, and the possibilities are endless. So I decided to treat myself to these glittery cat eye numbers, and I’ve had so many compliments on them! For only £4.50 they were a total bargain!

This was my outfit of the day from Saturday!

Sunglasses – ASOS
Necklace – Gift, similar
Top – Very, similar
Skirt – Matalan
Boots – New Look
Bag – Bessie at TK Maxx, similar

Emma
xo