Apr
26
Ace Hotel New York
Filed Under Inspiration, Photography, Travels | 2 Comments
The jetlag is beginning to subside although, to be perfectly honest, it is quite difficult to distinguish it from my normal unrelenting capacity for sleep. Eight hours a day? Pah, I laugh in the face of eight hours sleep per day. I’ll see your eight and raise you four more.
While we’re on the subject, I thought it pertinent to show you where I got my twelve hours a night while we stayed in New York. It has already been blogged all over the blogosphere and featured in every magazine worth its salt but we stayed at Ace Hotel. This place is so cool, even by New York standards. It’s always a little disconcerting though when you feel intimidated by the staff. They’re not snooty, they’re not supermodel beautiful, they’re just really bloody cool, dressed in their casual uniforms of jeans, converse, vintage style waistcoats and tipped-to-the-side trilby hats.
The rooms were pretty small but then we did book their smallest room type and we were in Manhattan. They had everything we needed though, including the best stocked minibar and snack tray that I have ever seen and not to mention a frickin’ amazing view of the Empire State Building two blocks away. And just like the staff, the decor was just really bloody cool. Oh lordie I’ve just used the word cool three times, my sixteen year old self would be very proud. Seriously cool though. Sorry, it’s the jetlag.
Apr
23
A New York State of Mind How You Go
Filed Under Banter, Photography, Travels | 5 Comments
It’s late and he has been despatched for chocolate before the film starts so it’s time for a quick blog post. A rather overdue one at that. As always, I have a good excuse but this one is definitely my best yet and it goes something like this…
“Sorry dear readers, I haven’t blogged for a while because I was sojourning in New York and then, you wouldn’t believe it but a volcano erupted in Iceland, which resulted in my return flight being cancelled and I was stranded there for days with nothing to do but hang out in the village all day every day.” Poor me.
Back soon with more photographic and anecdotal evidence, once I recover from the stress of my ordeal and the jetlag…
Image courtesy of me and my shaky hand
Feb
22
Oh what another fine mess I’ve gotten myself into. There I was, making a damn fine effort at becoming the style queen that I had always envisaged, attempting to embody the person that readers of my blog (my friends mostly, which is a little weird considering they actually know me) seem to think that I am. You see, while I sit here typing yet another witty, creative and altogether altruistic post about the beautiful flowerboxed, white picket fenced world that I inhabit, I do so while wearing jeans and an old grey hoodie, quite unbecoming of the quirky, offbeat creative type that I aspire to be. So, I decided that it was time to do something about my sorry fashion ensembles and blog to you from the sartorial refinement befitting of an urban style queen. I’ve probably been reading a little too much of Blanaid and Rosemary McCabe‘s fashion blog posts but girls, ’tis a compliment, you have collectively inspired me.
It was with great excitement that I ticked the first item necessary to fulfill such a lofty ambition off my list: Cowboy Boots. Oh yes, the wardrobe staple of every bohemian fashionista, and soon-to-be myself included. The trouble is, I wanted authenticity, so my search excluded the beloved high street staples and extended far beyond to the original source of the aforementioned footwear. And it was with a squeal of delight that I uncovered the perfect vintage, coffee bean cowboy boots complete with embroidered stitching all the way from the US of A via Etsy. Tick.
I waited with baited breath for my package to arrive and in the interim planned my next purchase: a floaty floral summerdress with which to pair my cowboy boots to achieve that eclectic, too cool for school image. For all you fashion experts and bloggers, I realise that this look is so last century but I’ve always been either too late or rather, too early when it comes to fashion trends. Besides, this is not about following fashion trends, this is about an effortless, thrown together, “what this old thing?” look that I’m trying to pull off here with very careful attention to detail. So when my boots arrived and I ripped apart the packaging I was left feeling rather silly at the discovery that I had bought a men’s size 8 1/2 as opposed to a ladies 8 1/2; damn you America and your confusing shoe sizes, you have thwarted my best efforts and now I must remain deeply unfashionable.
So, if there are any large footed ladies out there (or average footed gents for that matter) with a hankerin’ for a bittuva honky tonk shuffle please apply within.
Dec
4
Industrial Meets Country
Filed Under Inspiration, Photography | 1 Comment
I am really digging this industrial meets country look at the moment. Love the floorboards although I’d come dangerously close to them with a paintbrush and tin of white paint, the industrial lighting, the big old cast iron bath, the dresser…love it all. Now all I need is a big old country pile or former country mill so I can start rocking it.
Images via Tim James Photography
Sep
8
I want…
Filed Under Inspiration, Photography | 2 Comments
a new camera. That’s all. I’ve been taking photos with a Canon Ixus, which is a great little thing that fits in my handbag but I’m ready for a big fat digital SLR that comes complete with its own handbag, although those are usually black and not particularly aesthetically pleasing. Okay, maybe I want a new camera and a new (large) handbag. Then maybe I will be able to take photos like these…
Images via concrete and honey
Sep
7
Kerry & West Cork Holiday Snaps
Filed Under Photography, Travels | 5 Comments
Sep
4
Wedding Thank You Cards
Filed Under Photography, Weddings | 19 Comments
I need some help, I can’t decide which image to use for our wedding Thank You cards. They’re really late but I don’t think the people who know me best would expect any less! I’m only partially to blame though obviously – there are two of us in it now. Any thoughts?
These images were taken by James & Shawna.
Sep
3
Where have I been?
Filed Under Banter, Photography, Travels | 1 Comment
Kerry & West Cork, which were pretty spectacular and B&Q, which was pretty unspectacular but more about that later…
Aug
6
The Yvestown Blog
Filed Under Inspiration, Interior Design, Photography | 2 Comments
I just came across this gorgeous blog today via Decor8 and I am so in love with Yvonne’s beautiful home. She uses my favourite colour – white as the perfect backdrop for her amazing finds and pimps her furniture, particularly her IKEA pieces to give them her own unique style…
She also clearly has great taste because she chose the same colour Smeg as ours, go baby blue go!
Jul
31
Vintage Dreamy Wedding Photographs
Filed Under Inspiration, Photography, Weddings | 5 Comments
I love photography that evokes a feeling of nostalgia and combines a dream like quality with a sort of vintage charm but I never really knew how this type of imagery was achieved. And then I came across a post on flickr called Dreamy Vintage Photoshop Action by old underthewaves. So, I followed the instructions and started to experiment with some of our wedding photos and here are the results…
