A Bit of a Haul

I've been a bit MIA to many people lately. Work and sleep have taken up a lot of my time and the irregular times that I am available to do productive stuff, I'm usually lying flat out on my bed, exhausted. Last week I took on the arduous task of completely de-cluttering my room in order to improve my mood. It worked, definitely, but the thing is, it's not totally done. Clutter to be dumped decides to clutter at the end of the room, dust that was dusted away comes back to resettle. Don't even ask me how many times I've tried to hoover the place. The walls are bare as are the shelves. It looks like I am moving. So, I popped along to Ikea and Paperchase over the last few days to pick up some things that may bring colour to the white shelves and bare yellow walls.

Ikea:
Colour was my main aim here. And I didn't care what went with what. As long as there was vivacity, I didn't mind.

First thing I did, I abused the sale on fake peonies. Ikea are currently selling off their fake flowers at half the price. These were €1.50 each and are bright, large and really gorgeous.

Second thing, I got some new shelf boxes to organise my things a bit better. I have always used Ikea's boxes but some of the cardboard ones had disintegrated so I replaced them with felt ones. Now, I have too many. Guess the empty ones.

They're colourful and are a great way to hide anything that you don't want on the shelf - old books, toys you can't part with maybe...
Last thing I got was a large pack of Daim bars but they were long long gone by the time we got home.

Paperchase

Paperchase is my ultimate go-to place for stationery. This place is an upmarket Bookstation and I spent a lot of my money there as a teen on notebooks and pencil cases. On a chance trip to Dundrum shopping centre, I nipped in and re-lived those times.

Sticky notes, memo block, thank you cards and yes, even paperclips in a fancy jar. The sticky notes are very cute, different sizes for different needs.

And the designs are really lovely. 

I also got some brown folders for important documents - all those statements, tax forms, etc need to go somewhere! 

Also, on a lunch break, I popped into Bookstation which had these lovely little notepads in. At 99c a pop, I got two each - nice eh?

And last, but definitely by no means least, I picked up a new notebook at work - and this one has a use! In it are my plans, appointments and to-do lists for the next few days and weeks. It now holds all that I need to keep things going. And it has a nice, bright cover to keep me happy!

You can find this and more on the Artfile website and I dare you not to be tempted to spend all your money!

 So that's about it. I have also recently done a bit of a Boots haul so expect reviews very soon!
Enjoy the sunny Tuesday! x

Those Few Blue Days

Summer or not, sometimes there's no escaping those days where it's shining everywhere but in your mind (cheesy, I know!). Basically, you feel less than great. I know myself that I am suffering post-holiday blues. I miss the independence, from the freedom to go anywhere sans relying on a parent for a lift to the freedom of deciding what to have for dinner. It's difficult being at home again (even if I did miss my parents) and I've noticed I'm just a bit meh lately.  I'm not particularly worried though. I believe that human emotions are like waves and that we all naturally experience highs and lows, that's just the way it goes. With this in mind, I've decided to fill my next few days with things I know will brighten my mood and get me back on top of that wave. Easier said than done of course, sometimes grey clouds are hard to shift, but we all have to start somewhere.

How To Beat The Blues:

1. Clearing out personal space

Sometimes, there's nothing better for your cluttered mind than to clear out your cluttered room. Whether it just be clearing the floor, putting your clothes in the wardrobe or planning a total overhaul (like me!), a clean, tidy room can lead to a clear and tidy mind. Try to maximise the potential for light and air in your room, avoid clutter by putting things back right after you use them (I really need to remember this rule), organise your things so that your room can be as spacious as it can be (I like in a tiny, attic room and still feel like it's a spacious area). You'll find that by clearing out your space, you'll not only feel a sense of new beginnings with a calm and clear mind, you'll have occupied your brain in doing something productive and rewarding. Much better than wallowing in why you're feeling so blue and watching TV (ahem, over here)

2. Make a date

Doesn't necessarily have to be with your boyfriend or S.O. I'm a shy person, I usually do not initiate meet ups or make much effort (notttt a good habit to be in!) and I find when I'm down, it's worse so I'm tackling this problem by contacting some friends and doing stuff that doesn't really involve much effort. I love baking with my friends, going for walks with them or simply just having a quiet night in with a movie. Nothing fussy, no worries over what to wear/where to go/who's where and when, just simple fun (and sometimes you get cookies at the end).

3. Take a Hike

Literally. I went out today and got new trainers to encourage myself to continue my fitness regime. Although I haven't been since I went away and thus was a little lacking on energy, I did manage to fit in a good gym session today (my surroundings aren't ideal for outdoor exercise). Followed it by a delicious lunch date and I felt ten times better than when I rolled out of bed this morning and opened the shutters. Exercise DOES make you feel so much better. You'd be surprised how a bit of puffing on a treadmill can make you feel like laughing for the rest of the day.

These are just some of what makes gets me out of a slump, or the dip in the wave. No doubt, when I find more, I'll share it with you! What makes you feel better? Anything unusual? Let me know :)

Edit: 

Whilst clearing out the trash on my laptop, I found this handy little thing! Although this is an infographic for SAD, it's just as useful for post-holiday/general blues.

Plenty of ideas and inspiring tips there!

All the best! 

Emily Ley Summer 2014 Collection.

If you haven't checked out Emily Ley yet, you're missing out. The fabulous stationery designer has just released her Summer 2014 collection and I am absolutely in love! After finding her on Instagram (her photos are inspiring and just brighten my day!), I've been dying to get my hands on a Simplified Planner to help me get my hectic life finally organised! To ease the wait until September 3rd when those 2015 planners go on sale, Emily has released a few beautiful things she had up her sleeve lately such as her Simplified Journal (in a calm and relaxing light blue!), her gorgeous memory boxes and inspiring prints.

The best part? The journal's quote is "I will hold myself to a standard of grace not perfection". Inspiring or what?

The memory boxes come in striped navy, green, pink and white and all have matching magazine boxes too!

My favourites of the collection though, are the gorgeous prints with carefully chosen quotes to reflect the message of joy and simplicity that Emily's products convey.

You can find all her new products here. I especially cannot wait until the 2015 Simplified Planner comes out and this year, there's more than just the happy stripes motif available! Check them out:

I will not be able to choose a design, even if there are 3 months to decide! (Can I have them all??)

What do you think of Emily's new collection? What is your favourite? Let me know!

Holiday!

It's rare that you return home where it's warmer than it was on holiday but no doubt, it is significantly hotter in Dublin than it was in southern Croatia today. I was wrapped up in jeans, a hoodie and a long t-shirt when heading out of Split and was dying to take them off in favour of something lighter once I reached Copenhagen and Dublin. Weird how weather works. I was sweating whilst in Dublin. Sweating!

But my holiday in Croatia was fantastic despite the colder weather - full of sea, sand (it's EVERYWHERE!), thunderstorms, Milka chocolate, ferries, cheap food and really lovely people. From swimming at sunrise to listening to the sea organs at sunset, this holiday was a fusion of Mediterranean and East European culture. So, prepare for a photo explosion.

Our first stop was Zadar, an old Roman town with a beautiful sea coast. This was the view from our "hostel" - which was actually more of luxury hotel -  which overlooked the old Roman forum and the sea (and Edward!).

We were there two nights, experiencing some really nice pizza, sunsets and the famous Zadar sea organ (which were holes in the pier which made beautiful organ-like sounds whenever the sea pushed air into them. A beautiful place to be with your thoughts).

Check out that sunset!

And those clean streets - so beautiful!
The view from the Zadar bell tower was spectacular. You had a 360 view of the city - it is just dotted with little red roofs and yachts.

Two days later, we headed to the largest island in the Zadar archipelago, Dugi Otok. Not the most inhabited island in the world (okay, rather uninhabited - there was one hotel for the entire island), it was definitely one of the most gorgeous. We stayed in Bozava - which had more people staying in its hotel than in its village - and the staff at the hotel couldn't be nicer. We found our own little secluded beach along the coast walk and had our first dip (it was really, really cold!)
We spent a few days at the beautiful Sakarun beach - a little piece of unspoiled, uncrowded paradise!

And lads, they have BLUE. FANTA.



The sunrise the morning we left the island was fabulous. Well worth getting up at 4am for (although we were cursing the early start later on...)

You wouldn't know I liked photos of sunrises eh? :)

So, we took the ferry back to Zadar and hopped on the bus to Split - another Roman town - which was also very clean and beautiful. The Rivera is full of little bars and coffee shops opposite the harbour and is lined with palm trees - gave me a glance as to what Los Angeles could be like (don't spoil it, I'll be there some day!).

The old town was also very lovely.

We were barely in Split a day when we took our ferry to the island of Brac (much more inhabited - yay!). We stayed in the touristy town of Bol which was home to several bars and restaurants. There was always something going on!

And we took a little bit of a dip!

Another sunset (I really like sunsets!)

 And moonrises!

We headed to the beautiful beach of Zlatni Rat for a day - before the rain came! What I loved about this beach was not the shallow, warm sea but the fact that small fish happily swam underneath you. It all seemed touristy and yet, so natural and local. And not to mention the gorgeous colour of that beach ('zlatni' meaning gold)!

Obligatory beach selfie! Zlatni also had some of the nicest fries ever courtesy of Surf N' Fries (these guys need to get to Ireland stat!)

And we couldn't miss the the first Croatian World Cup match but the power was cut thanks to this:

We were there three days when it got a bit cloudy...

 Wearing sunglasses trying to defy the weather (in actual fact, I was trying to persuade it to brighten up).

We headed back to Split and took a flight to Copenhagen (the hour and a half there was very exciting altogether) and then back to Dublin.
It was a holiday with its fair share of travelling and relaxing and even though I am home less than 12 hours, I am already feeling a bit blue. I will miss the beautiful ice cream, the cheap food (seriously, Croatia shows up just how expensive things are at home!), the friendly people and those crystal clear waters. My favourite part though? A delicious chocolate-wafer snack called Jadro. I wish I had brought some home!

Any plans for summer? Let me know below! x

PS, check out my Instagram for more holiday photos!

Sunday Round Up

1) Maya Angelou

This week, of course, saw the sad passing of Maya Angelou. A truly inspiring and gifted author and poet, probably one of the most influential people of the century. This is one of my most favourite quotes and, upon finding her autobiography in our house this morning, she's now on my 'must read' list.

How apt is that? Definitely something I am trying to live by. Change what happens in your life but don't let what happens in your life change you. Incredibly wise words. RIP.

2) Popular: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek - Maya Van Wagenen

From one Maya to another, Maya Van Wagenen's memoir of her year living under the guidelines of a 1950s popularity handbook has been getting a lot of attention lately. I had seen it advertised around but the two page spread it had in the newspaper yesterday proved just how good it must be. Humorous, enlightening and filled with unpredictable twists, Van Wagenen has been likened to a teenage John Green. Really looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next!

3) Modern Family

Okay, SUPER late to this Modern Family thing and it's mainly because I was totally averse to it. Genuinely, I hated it - I was stupid, I know! - I thought it was unfunny and completely shallow. 

Yeah, not anymore. I gave it a proper go, expecting to switch it off after a few minutes but I loved it. Loved it to the point that I've started a Netflix binge and I'd rather not discuss how many hours days I have spent in front of it.

Favourite character is definitely a toss up between Alex and Cam. Alex reminds me so much of me when I was younger (her good and bad points included) but Cam has such a wonderful personality.

4) Brian O'Driscoll

I. am. a. huge. rugby. fan. My IG reflects this - countless match photos even when there's nothing particularly interesting happening. Last night was the RaboDirect Pro 12 final between my (can you say 'my'?) team, Leinster and the ol' Glasgow warriors. After a close first half, where after every penalty Glasgow scored, Leinster got a try (2 from the wonderful Zane Kirchner!), the second half saw miraculous point scoring from Shane Jennings and Gordon D'arcy - allowing for such a large gap between points, we celebrated 8 minutes early. 

Anyway, enough of the match analysis - although Leinster got to celebrate a back to back win, they did have the less elating task of saying goodbye to the greatest centre ever to grace the field. 

Brian O'Driscoll, as graceful as ever, did have to leave the pitch 10 minutes in but this sudden departure did not cast a shadow over the thunderous reaction from the crowd. His wonderful, legendary career cannot be overstated with 133 test caps to his name. He will truly be missed among both the Irish and international rugby circles but deserves to call time and spend it with his wonderful family - perhaps we'll see a new no 13 on the womens' Irish squad in a few decades to come?

5) Is that what I think it is?

Not to sound shallow but... my dream is one day to own a Michael Kors bag. I mean, those things are so sophisticated looking! Just simple, chic bags. No fuss, no intricate detail, just neat. One major downside - the price tag does not equal what's in the bank and so, I have been searching around for lookalikes for a lot less. And I found this.

This white shopper was given to me as a present and I fell in love with it immediately. It's durable, has a wonderful handle length and has a lovely, clean appearance. And look how alike it is to the Michael Kors.

For €20 a pop and available in many different colours, you couldn't really go wrong. Where's it from? Dunnes!

So that's all that's going on at the moment! Next time, I'll be on a lovely Dalmatian island!

All the best x

Bobbi's BB Cream and Kate's Rockin' Curves Mascara

So, here's the first make-up post. By no means a perfect one but it's a start!

Bobbi Brown BB Cream

So, I wrote about this purchase a while back but here's the review. One major thing to remember with this cream - a little goes a long long way. I'm so used to squirting out a fair bit onto my fingers as my last CC cream wasn't thick at all and through trial and effort (and a bit of wasted product), I've figured out that all you need of this BB cream is a squirt about the size of the tip of your index finger. The great points about it that it comes with a high SPF - 35 - so it's good even for those hot Irish days (all 3 of them that we get!). The Extra Light shade is very light and in order to look less pale, a bronzer is needed - although anything darker and you may look like an extra in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

(My eyes are a little sensitive to sunlight today. I may look like I'm crying)
It certainly looks natural and it is probably the best skin-tone-evening-out product (not a word but if there is one out there, please let me know!) I've ever used.
I would recommend that you put a very small bit around your eyes as too much can cause a slight irritation (as with probably any product but there's no harm in flagging it up). Oh and keep blending. Blend when you don't think you should keep blending! Blend until the cows come home if you must! The thick texture can show up streaks made by a brush or fingertips if you don't.

Definitely a great product at a great price (around €37 in Brown Thomas) but you will need practice at putting it on - I'm nowhere near getting it perfect yet!

Kate Moss Rockin' Curves Mascara for Rimmel

I work opposite a Boots and the temptation to pop in and buy something each lunch time is incredible. I have given in lately and picked up a few things for the holidays (3 for 2 on toiletries at the moment!) and have taken advantage of their recent 3 for 2 on make-up. But recently, I find myself buying things that I really don't need. Like a new mascara - I have enough, I've bought 3 in the last month but Kate Moss for Rimmel's new Rockin' Curves Mascara trumps them all.

Now, I've always been a fan of Rimmel's mascara. Their Lash Accelerator Mascara was probably my favourite until this came along. This mascara is just fantastic as it captures the little lashes at the end and elongates them (for so long, I went through mascaras that just did the middle lashes and left it). Your lashes look fuller and longer thanks to the curved brush (or broken heart shaped brush as the packaging states) that almost fit around your lashes and catch even the harder to reach ones.

(Not the best photo - I have the world's most lopsided smile but you can kind of get the picture!)
The only downside? It's not exactly long lasting. I found that after a day's work I had little black smudges under my lower lash line. Not an attractive look but can easily be wiped away with a cotton bud. This mascara is perfect for a night out or for when you're going out for a short while. The one I use is 004 Jet Black and it's currently at €4.99 at Boots - almost exactly half price.

Seventeen Doll'd Up Mascara

Seventeen's Doll'd Up Mascara is gorgeous for everyday use - a beautiful curved brush with defined bristles gives you that wide eyed look for up to 24 hours. For €7.99, it's definitely one I'd use again and again as my on-the-go mascara. Even the curved shaped bottle is flirty and feminine and simply gorgeous (the packaging is retro! What more could'ya want?). It comes in Black or Brown/Black (and, although I'm a redhead, I tend to lean towards black).

Any products you think I should try? Any that you've tried? Let me know!

Have a lovely Saturday x