The Abbey....

Still having a wonderful holiday...we are just back from our trip to Galway city where we had a great old time! Lots of pictures but must admit mostly from inside the pubs and cafes/restaurants we visited : ) I have some serious recommendations if you ever visit!

Below are some pictures taken at Kylemore Abbey which we visited before we headed off to Galway. We have visited many times...it's a beautiful place. Highly recommend the cafe...we just had tea and scones which were delicious but they do great lunches there too!








Hope you are having a great week :)

Avoca Connemara...

Hello! On our little drive-about the other day we stopped into the Avoca shop near Letterfrack...I love the layout and displays of goodies at Avoca...spotted lots of crockery from PipStudio..I have to control the "flowery" side of me and not get carried away..it is sooo pretty tho! I may just buy a couple of teacups and saucers and some cake plates and possibly a little bowl or two :) Avoca do some lovely own-brand food products also - packaging is very sweet. I quite like their Anthology line of clothing but again need to reel myself in and stop going too "cutesy" in style...I like a little edge mixed in with pretty :)

Holidays!!

Hello...we are back in Connemara again!! So happy to be here, feeling totally chilled out and content already! We arrived on Saturday...it was raining, that kind of relentless, "soft" rain (that's what we call it here)...misty, romantic, beautiful..but hopefully not for the entire two weeks! Yesterday was wet too but clouds cleared for enough time for a walk on the beach. Woke up today to a gorgeous day! Off for a trip to the National Park and to do some food shopping in Clifden..woofers very happy to be here too! We have had open fires for the last two nights as it has been chilly! I hope to be able to post a few times while here..we are going to pop into Galway for a night or two this time which should be fun...Galway is fantastic for the craic..any time of the day or night! Have found a nice doggie "hotel" for the woofers :)

Oscar in National Park...



Sadie...ooops..no, but the whitest sheep I've ever seen (on the Bog Road to Clifden)...


Road from island to village...



Bit boring...sorry! Have a great week :)

Wonderful Mr Pinch...

I have posted about Russell Pinch in the past...I really adore his work...he is a genius and now there is a piece I just might be able to kinda sorta afford...a beautiful stool...sigh! I would love one of his pieces, actually ANY of his pieces. I love the oval coffee table, the Joyce cabinet, the sofas, the desk, lampshades...love them all. I am due to go to London in November for a weekend and would relish the chance to see and touch his work in person...you have to make an appointment and that puts me off...I might feel that I have to buy something..eek..but I might just do it anyway! Maybe I'll come away with that stool! Check out his site ...the images are really beautiful...some pictures below to feast your eyes on :)

Gorgeous home...

Spotted this gorgeous home over at DesignSponge. I just love it....am pretty tired of the decor in my home and would love to change it up a bit...need to save some dosh first tho! I must take some photos of our "study/library/snug" which I am quite happy with and also the wallbed that my "handyman" built ;) ...check out the other great images of this home along with info on the lovely owners here.


How cute is the little woofer in this photo btw!!

Pattern...

My husband spotted this book the other day, called me and asked if I wanted him to buy it for me...I thought it was a little expensive so said not to bother...I could have a look another day when I was in town...today was the day! I just happened upon it and it was on sale from 33euros to 22 euros...nice! I spent all late afternoon Sunday browsing through it, reading snippets, saving more for later. It really is a wonderful book...Orla's story..the writing style is easy and engaging, the book itself is beautifully designed, as you would expect and is printed on gorgeous heavy-weight paper (I really feel I got a good deal for 22 euros). It is broken down into 6 parts...Life, Inspiration, Colour, Print, Collections and Home. If you can get your hands on it, I would totally recommend you purchase it!

Bruxelles...quelle disastre!!

Hello there! Eh bien...Brussels day one...great! Lovely hotel, lovely weather, great meeting with the Branding people. Day two..ohoh! not so good...very sick indeed...so much so that I couldn't make the meeting. Organised a late check out and holed up in bed for the day...my flight didn't leave until 9:30pm ...what an experience...not very pleasant...oh and I sent my i-phone flying down the toilet (don't ask) and I'm afraid it's gone to i-heaven so was without a phone for a few days too...yowza! Anyway, managed to take a few shots...but not great I'm afraid...I haven't loaded them up and they are not really representative of all the loveliness I saw when I was in the back of a taxi travelling around...mostly of Grand Place and a couple of the surrounding streets. I will pop them up here later :)

In the meantime, check out this strange but extremely cool Ikea ad...



Happy Friday :) Have a great weekend!

Update: hello, said I would post some of the pictures I took...not very exciting but here are a few from the streets around the hotel I stayed in and from the Grande Place..

Bruxelles...

Bon soir!! Have just arrived at my hotel in Brussels - Hotel Amigo. First time here and it is very lovely indeed - boutique-y...my room is small but lovely...everything I need! Nice REN products in the bathroom and some great charcoal drawings in the bedroom (actually, interesting art throughout the hotel). Am just going to cosy up and watch some TV. Have taken some pictures and will take more over the next few days. I am just around the corner from Grand Place so looking forward to a bit of free time to have a wander. Can't load up pictures until I'm back in Dublin on Thursday - sorry! Forgot my cables! Bon nuit!

Orla..Kitchen Ware AND a Diffusion Line...

Orla Kiely has created a line of kitchenware for Blisshome...this is the only picture online so far, tho I did see a picture of a lovely teapot in Elle Decor's October issue. Not available to buy until mid-September but I am looking forward to checking it out!



How I didn't hear about the diffusion line, I just don't know!! I am still not sure what it's all about...I thought originally that it was just for John Lewis but I have seen it on one of the fashion websites (can't remember which one tho..sorry). Anyway, I quite like these dresses and this long cardi - not a lot cheaper than the original Orla line but still...cute eh?







Happy Friday everybody! Hope you all have a lovely weekend :)

Returning to Blogland...

It's been such a long time since my last post!! I decided I would take a break after I had submitted the old thesis and that break just kept going and going!! I have had such a busy summer - weather was a bit hit and miss but miles better than the previous few years so we're all generally happy over this side of the world!

Really looking forward to hols on 18th September...we are off to Connemara again for 2 weeks with Les Woofs...cannot wait and I can just feel it in my bones that the weather will be good!!

Work has been great - have been doing lots of trips away, mostly to Brussels (I am project managing the fit-out of a new office there...it's only a small space but I am loving choosing furniture (Eames tables and chairs and the like!) and looking at branding etc. but also London and just came back from a few days at Gleneagles! OMG..this place is absolutely STUNNING!!! We arrived on Monday evening, checked into our rooms...I scored a suite...I was all agape when I saw it...took some snaps on my i-phone - not the best quality sorry! We had a meeting all day Tuesday and then dinner and then Wednesday was free to wander around the grounds.

I am definitely going back here with my husband (we get a great staff discount, otherwise forget it...way expensive!!).

Have lots of things I want to post about...new purchases (oolala..have been doing some shopping for a/w clothes...lost some weight so I deserve some treats, right?!). Also, lots of lovely new books and all that jazz.

Am looking forward to catching up with everybody's blogs and seeing what people have been up to. I have been checking in from time to time but very irregularly :)











I realise now, looking at these photos that they give no real sense of the place. Pictures show my bedroom, living room and bathroom...which had a roll top bath and the living room had a fireplace. I looked out over the grounds, on to the golf course and then on to the glens and hills beyond...it really is something special!