Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Weekend recap & recipes

I realize it's Wednesday. But Monday was a holiday here and I am getting back into the swing of things after we had the bird's dad in town.

It was such a nice visit... we love having our friends and family out to Dublin!
First Guinness at Stag's Head // Brunch at Avoca // Fallon & Byrne Wine Bar

We also made a couple delicious recipes last week that I wanted share with you.

First up was this pizza. Uh-mazing!
It was our first time trying out "cauliflower pizza." We used this recipe for the crust, which was so easy!

We topped ours with pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, zucchini, spinach, broccoli, basil and pine nuts.
By the way, we are making it again this week.

I am a big supporter of refrigerating dough before baking. I much prefer a thick, doughy cookie over a flat crispy one.
So mine turned out more like balls or bites rather than the normal 'cookie shape.' And they were delicious!

And lastly, but certainly worth noting- Madewell is having a 30% off sale on select fall styles. Today only!

Hope you're having a great week! Happy Halloween tomorrow!

Friday, October 25, 2013

Halloween inspired outfit

Happy Friday to you all!

Halloween is right around the corner. It's definitely not as big here in Dublin as it is back home. So I'm not sure if there will be a costume this year.

Instead, I put together a little Halloween inspired outfit you can wear anywhere.
vintage skull tee // envelope clutch // skinny jeans // skull scarf // skull watch // skull earrings (for less here)

Basically anything with skulls will do for Halloween! :) But I have always loved these scarves and this vintage tee looks so comfortable!

The bird's dad is coming into town today for a long holiday weekend. Hope you have some great weekend plans! Can't wait to see your recaps on Monday. Xo

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Recap of our Trip to Nice

Its been a few weeks, but I'm finally gathering all of our pictures from our trip to Nice and the south of France for a post. This was one of our favorite trips so far.
We heard on multiple occasions while we were there that Nice was the California of France. Maybe that's why we loved it so much- it made us feel closer to home.

We spent our days by the beach, the locals markets, doing a bit of shopping and eating some fabulous food!
We flew in and out of Nice, but we also traveled to some of the nearby coastal cities while we were there.

One of the days we planned a half day tour of Eze and Monaco. Eze was a lovely, historic hillside town. And Monaco, is well... Monaco: beautiful, extravagant and high society.

Old Town Monaco and the Palace of the Prince:

Monte Carlo and the Grand Casino:
We also opted to rent a car for 2 days to travel west along the coast. There is a train you can take to visit most of the south of France. However, we wanted the freedom of a car and St. Tropez was a must-see for us, which is not a stop on the train.
We ended up stopping in Antibes, Juan les Pins and Cannes one day. We spent the night in Cannes at the Grand Hotel. It was a gorgeous with a beautiful view of the ocean. And the sunsets... incredible.

The next day we drove down to Saint Tropez for the day before heading back to Nice.
Details:

• Stay:
Holiday Inn Nice
The Holiday Inn was nice. The location was good and the rooms were spacious. We were upgraded and offered complimentary breakfast for our anniversary!
Hotel La Villa Nice
Hotel La Villa was gorgeous. This is a boutique hotel with lovely interior decor and the rooms are very large. We would definitely stay here again.

• Eat:
La Petite Maison, Nice. Definitely make reservations
Cafe de la Plage, Juan les Pins. Lovely food and wine, right on the water.
Le Girelier, Saint Tropez. A restaurant in the port of Saint Tropez. The most amazing mussels ever.

Let me know if you are headed there, I have a lot more recommendations of places we went or wanted to go.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Weekend Recap

Happy Monday!

Its a rainy morning here in Dublin. But we had a fabulous weekend, so its hard to complain.

The bird and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary this weekend. I definitely didn't take enough pictures to document... but here are a couple from dinner on Saturday at Fire.
This restaurant was just newly remodeled and its gorgeous inside. I'm not sure the service or food matched the lovely interior... but I have to say the dessert was delicious: vanilla bean creme brulee and white chocolate raspberry cheesecake.

I completely forgot to take pictures at Thornton's. But we did get to meet the owner and celebrity chef, Mr. Thornton himself. So that was exciting.

And lastly, I'm pretty sure fall lasts one week here. Luckily I was able to snap a pic before it turned to winter today.
My fall necessities: soy chai tea latte, navy polish and booties.

What's is your fall/winter go-to drink?

Linked with Join the Gossip & Sami's Shenanigans

Friday, October 18, 2013

Easy Travel outfit

Happiest of Fridays!

I am linking up with Long Distance Loving and since she is traveling about, today's board is all about travel style.
classic t-shirt // snood wrap // pendant necklace // leggings // over-sized cardigan // mid-rise boots

I have heard so much about these tops: the perfect slouchy, jersey knit tee. I am definitely going to invest in one of them. Same with these jersey & spandex mixed slimming leggings!

This weekend marks the 5 year anniversary of the bird and I together. Quite a good day to celebrate! We have some dinner reservations at Thorton's and pre-dinner cocktails at the Shelbourne Hotel. So excited to try out both of these places!

I hope you have a fabulous weekend! Xo

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Shopbop Sale!

Shopbop is having a fabulous "friends & family sale!" With the code INTHEFAMILY25, all items are 25% off!

And lucky for me, Shopbop ships to Ireland!

Here are my favorite picks:
pullover sweater // quilted bag // skinny bracelet // houndstooth loafers
 tweed dress // circle necklace // riding boots // ankle booties

My wishlist is clearly ready for Christmas! :)

What are your favorites??

Monday, October 14, 2013

Weekend Recap & Delicious Recipes

Hope you guys had a great weekend! Here are some bits and pieces from mine.
Embracing fall with festive nails
Butter London: West End Wonderland / Essie: Merino Cool
 I also picked up this delicious candle
The Country Candle Company: Warm Ginger
And the bird and I made a tapas-style dinner on Friday night.
It was so good!
(The iPhone pics aren't good enough to give this spread justice!)
Chips: Beet chips, Rosemary Crackers, Socca, veggies
YUM!

The bird and I also went to the Irish Film Institute. Its a small venue with only a few theaters and hosts independent films. They also have a delicious restaurant inside.

We saw Blue Jasmine and followed up the movie with dinner.

Friday, October 11, 2013

Oktoberfest Dublin

Happy Friday!

Last weekend, the bird and I celebrated Oktoberfest here in Dublin.

We also celebrated briefly in Cologne, Germany at the end of September. I have to say Dublin's Oktoberfest was much better. (Still waiting on the chance to go to Munich... which I hear is incomparable.)
It was such a beautiful, sunny day too!
Such a fun time. Munich might have to be on the list for next Oktober!

Have you celebrated Oktoberfest anywhere?

Note: Excuse the poor quality iPhone shots

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

GlossyBox Subscription review

After seeing some fabulous reviews of subscription boxes in the States, I was so sad to think I was missing out on all the fun being over here in Ireland. Who doesn't love a fun box filled with surprise goodies sent in the mail every month...?

I came to terms with living vicariously through some of my favorite bloggers and their boxes (cue Jayme & Mendi from Her Late Night Cravings).
So you can imagine my excitement when I was offered the chance to receive and review a box from Glossybox.
 One of my favorite parts was actually their sweet packaging. They had me a pink ribbon.
There were also some pretty fabulous products inside:

TRESemmé: Concentrated Keratin Rinse Off Treatment for damaged hair
Jelly Pong Pong: 2-in-1 Eyeliner & Shadow
Óceane: Make-up Remover Pen (I need this for all my mistakes!)
Urban Veda: Purifying & Exfoliating Facial Polish
Emite: Eyelash Curler (can't have enough of these!)

Overall, I love the packaging and wide range of products sent (skincare, make-up and a hair treatment).

Looking forward to trying them out!

Monday, October 7, 2013

The Rain Bootie

The weather has officially transitioned over here in Dublin. We are getting bits of both fall and winter.

My Hunters have been on standby, but sometimes they seem like too much when its only sprinkling or patches of rain.

So I've been on the look out for some rain booties.

I first had my eyes on these boots:
But they are out of my size over here in Europe! :(

I may just have to order them and pick them up when I come home for Christmas.
Although the Tretorns are a close second and them come in black as well.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Guest post: The Short & Sweet of it

Today I am over at The Short & Sweet of it hosting a guest post while Kirby is away on her fabulous trip to Italy for her honeymoon! I am so excited to hear about her adventures when she returns!

And to get us all in the spirit, I put together this inspiration board filled with pretty pieces for any getaway!

Head over to their blog to get the full scoop! Thanks so much for having me, Kirby & Alexa!